fmitchell Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 (edited) Recently I've become obsessed with Cartoon Network's Adventure Time, a surprisingly complex kid's show. A wiki describes all episodes and implied back-story. Adapting the World of Ooo for any RPG poses some problems: Wide variation in power levels: Theoretically most recurring characters -- Finn the Human, Princess Bubblegum, goblins, most Candy People and princesses -- are average to heroic level. A few other characters like Marceline (a 1000-year-old half-demonic vampire) and the Lich (not so much a character as destruction personified) are unique enough to remain ultra-powerful NPCs. However, some significant characters have superpowers: Jake's extraordinary stretching/growth/shrinking/strength powers, Flame Princess's fire powers, Lumpy Space Princess's limited levitation, etc. Jake is practically unique (so far), but Flame People and Lumpy Space People are relatively common.Cartoon physics: Any series in which an 11-year-old boy is one of the world's greatest warriors isn't overly concerned with realism. Jake's stretching powers have next to no limit, Flame Princess never runs out of fuel, and Finn the Human can take ridiculous amounts of abuse and bounce back.Magic: Magic systems are always setting-sensitive, and once again AT poses a few problems. The world does have wizards, although examples of wizardry are few and far between: Wizard Eyes, powers on display in the Wizard Battle, and the various useless tricks that a Wizard Robe makes possible. There's also magical artifacts like the Ice King's crown (without which he's a crazy old man), the Enchiridion, the Gauntlet of the Hero, etc. While BRP Magic -- or Classic Fantasy spells -- might suffice for wizard characters, reproducing specific spells might entail some work. I've thought about other systems. The plethora of D&D references suggest some form of old-school D&D, probably Swords and Wizardry or Lamentations of the Flame Princess ('cuz there's a Flame Princess, get it?), but a class-based system is a little rigid for such a diverse world. Toon is a no-brainer for cartoon series, but the pace and plots of Adventure Time are less Looney Tunes and more Dying Earth, and people do occasionally die. The Prose Descriptive Qualities system includes The Zantabulous Zorcerer of Zo for adventures in Grimm's Fairy Tales/Never-never Land/Oz/etc. and Truth & Justice in which Batman (or Finn) and Plastic-Man (or Jake) are on an equal footing; it's also a little hard for beginning players to wrap their heads around because of its simplicity and flexibility. So while I have ideas for Problem #3 (Classic Fantasy magic + Super Powers), #2 might require some house rules and #1 may lead players to create entire parties of magic animals or wizards. Any ideas for less-lethal hit-point systems, alternate magic, or narrativist super-powers? Edited May 30, 2013 by fmitchell Quote Frank "Welcome to the hottest and fastest-growing hobby of, er, 1977." -- The Laundry RPG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mankcam Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Well you can BRP any setting I believe, although it probably wouldn't be my first choice for this kind of setting. Perhaps FATE would be the best fit, and failing that, Savage Worlds could also be an option. Quote " Sure it's fun, but it is also well known that a D20 roll and an AC is no match against a hefty swing of a D100% and a D20 Hit Location Table!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fmitchell Posted May 31, 2013 Author Share Posted May 31, 2013 Perhaps FATE would be the best fit, and failing that, Savage Worlds could also be an option. Savage Worlds never really grabbed me, so I guess I'd be better off with FATE (or the aforementioned PDQ, with a little work). Quote Frank "Welcome to the hottest and fastest-growing hobby of, er, 1977." -- The Laundry RPG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDLeary Posted June 1, 2013 Share Posted June 1, 2013 While this could be done in BRP, it does sound like FATE or HQ would be a better fit. SDLeary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 (edited) I hear this question frequently from folks playing super hero games and wanting them to better reflect comic books. I don't think any role-playing game is up to the task simply because games are designed to put the PCs on relatively equal footing while a narrative such as a cartoon or comic book has no need for balance. The story plays out however the writer(s) determine it should, regardless of fairness or logic, and most players would balk at this in a game. "Jimmy Olsen gets a lucky shot with his slingshot and knocks out Superman." "What?! I'm invulnerable!" If you figure out a way to make an RPG play like a TV show and still satisfy everyone, let me know! Edited June 13, 2013 by Matt Quote http://mattssuperheroes.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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