If you could make your favorite show/movie/video game into a campaign setting what would it be??

DarkMagus
DarkMagus
edited December 2010 in General Discussion
So I recently finished the first season of Walking Dead and like many other shows, movies, and video games it made me think that it would be a cool setting for a world. In my current campaign one of the many worlds was a mix between the films Hero, Spirited Away and the show Avatar: The Last Air Bender. Another world was strongly inspired by the Metroid Prime games.

There's so many to choose from I'm going to have to think about it for a while, but I wanted to put the question out there just so we have something cool to talk about this weekend in the forums. I know some already exist, Star Wars, Star Trek, Serenity, etc. But if you could turn something into a setting that hasn't been done yet what would it be? Why?
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Comments

  • erwin
    erwin
    Posts: 58
    Although I haven't had a chance to run this, I think some Ninja Turtles-esque Dimension-X adventures with Gamma World would be fun. Especially the way that 4e combat often feels like a supers game, I feel the system would be ideal.
  • Takissis
    Takissis
    Posts: 37
    I've been thinking lately that the TV show "Fringe" would make an excellent game. It would be more problem solving than hack and slash, of course. However, I think that it would be loads of fun if you got a good storyteller to run the campaign.
  • Yoshara
    Yoshara
    Posts: 48
    The Dragon Age series. The setting is awesome.
  • DarkMagus
    DarkMagus
    Posts: 425
    Erwin: Many years ago one of my buddies took his first attempt at DMing and chose to run a TMNT world based loosely on D&D rules. It was only a few adventures but it was really cool. I was Mondo Gecko, there was a K.C. Jones, and I think we had MIchelangelo and Leonardo. It was very cool, especially for someone's first attempt at DMing. It ended with this scene hinting at some future invasion from Dimension X and he used the song Empty Spaces by Pink Floyd for background description music. It was very dark and creepy. Not what we had expected for a TMNT world wrap up.

    Takissis: I'm not familiar with the show, I'll have to check it out.

    Yoshara: Haven't played those games but I heard they were really good. One of my old players sent me and e-mail a while ago recommending it to me.
  • Everdark
    Everdark
    Posts: 122
    Magus, you took the words right out of my mouth. As soon as I saw the title of this thread I was like "_AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER!_". Okay, so here's my list so far of what I'd really like to either play in or DM an ongoing campaign of... Avatar: The Last Airbender, Resident Evil, Final Fantasy, and Kingdom Hearts. Those are at the top of my list but there are more.

    I actually DM'd a few one-shot campaigns with tweaked systems/classes that I made a while back. So far I've done Gears Of War, Kingdom Hearts, and Left 4 Dead. There's a reason that they were all one-shot campaigns, though. Gears Of War and Left 4 Dead were simply fun time-killers. They were only survival-based. We just played until everyone died just to see how long we could last. The Kingdom Hearts campaign was based on the actual continuity of the story lines. Eventually, it became so skewered that the heartless eventually consumed everything and ended all worlds. Myself and the players kind of agreed on the fact that it was ridiculously dangerous to tamper with the Kingdom Hearts timeline. It's too fragile to have people intervene in the actual cannon story. We agreed that if we did it again, it would have to be a standalone, non-cannon campaign. They were all fun while they lasted, though. Especially the zombie invasion one, considering I'm obsessed with zombies.

    But, yeah... I'd absolutely _love_ to play in an Avatar: The Last Airbender game. Everyone in our group, pretty much, loves Avatar. It's one of my favorite shows.
  • Duskreign
    Duskreign
    Posts: 1,085
    This is funny. Rase Cidraen and I were just having this conversation a few days ago.
  • DarkMagus
    DarkMagus
    Posts: 425
    Maybe I pick pocketed the conversation when you weren't looking...
  • DarkMagus
    DarkMagus
    Posts: 425
    Shin: Avatar is just amazing!! I have come into my possesion an Avatar the last air bender D&D rules set but it is for 4.o and I don't play that and haven't learned the rules. I am really tempted to learn the rules just so that I can play an Avatar world. :)

    Also, why didn't I think of Final Fantasy...
  • DarkMagus
    DarkMagus
    Posts: 425
    Ok so I have narrowed it down to a few favorites.

    HBO's Oz would be a very interesting an unique setting, but would require a group of really good role players to explore the interpesonal conflicts and psychological aspects of a campaign taking place in a modern maximum security prison.

    Cowboy Bebop! Can't believe I didn't think of that right away. Great setting and having a group of bounty hunters would be a simple enough way to direct the story. Also I could play tons of jazz! :)

    HBO's Carnival. The setting is amazing, and it would be a great way to keep the party together and to have them explore the map.

    And my girlfriend reminded me last night of the film Mirrormask. That'd be really cool too.The setting is very surreal.
  • erwin
    erwin
    Posts: 58
    Mondo Gecko! That's awesome, man.

    I'm glad Avatar TLAB was mentioned. I played in a one-shot Airbender game, took place several years after the series ended. Happened right around the time there was mention of The Legend of Korra in development. We were using Mutants and Masterminds to adapt all the bending abilities.. but I digress.

    Is there a Wheel of Time series RP setting yet?
  • Poutine_Paladin
    Poutine_Paladin
    Posts: 285
    I've never been big into sci-fi gaming (a couple short forays) but I think it would be cool to play aboard the ships in the Battlestar Gallactica fleet.

    Or whatever that George R R Martin series is called would make a fun world to play in, wait...does that already exist as a campaign world? I think so, oops.
  • Everdark
    Everdark
    Posts: 122
    Magus, I'd most appreciate it if you'd be willing to share this D&D Avatar: TLAB rules set with me. I'd absolutely _love_ to see this. I play 4.0 and I could definitely put it to use. Where might you have found it, good sir?

    Also, to tell you the truth, a lot of people sleep on Final Fantasy as a campaign setting. I'm honestly surprised that there isn't an official one. Especially for Ivalice or the FFVII world.
  • DaGamingMonkey
    DaGamingMonkey
    Posts: 11
    Cowboy bebop is a good call.

    I remember playing a diablo 2 game a long time ago and ran into a Starcraft Roleplaying set. I wanted to pick it up but for some reason didn't.

    I know there's role playing games for Warhammer 40k and warhammer fantasy. I'm not sure if you guys have heard of it but GW also made a game called Mordheim. You had smaller bands and searched the ruins of a messed up city called Mordheim battling against other bands for fortune and fame. I could see a role playing game where the players are in the same band. Actually come to think of it that would be really easy to run..... I think I may make a pilot session and see what happens.
  • Curufea
    Curufea
    Posts: 161
    Video game for me - I'd definitely want to try a Bioshock game. 50s cyberpunk underwater. All faction powerblocks and lots of intriguing over limited resources. Godfather meets Caprica.
  • Mandolyn
    Mandolyn
    Posts: 6
    Cowboy Bebop and Kingdom Hearts are ridiculously awesome concepts!
    I played in a Resident Evil one-shot once, running alongside the events of RE:3's novelization. We had a good time, lickers ended up taking out our hideout though, and another dude took a risk playing a martial artist.

    Something I've thought of forever would be a goofy short campaign based off the physics of the Looney Toons universe. Mobsters armed with erasers, will saves to not make the wolf "AWOOOO-GAH" face when a foxy lady struts by, the works. I've heard there is an obscure rulebook somewhere that actually has a system for it.
  • Curufea
    Curufea
    Posts: 161
    I don't think "Toon":http://www.sjgames.com/toon/ is obscure :)
  • Poutine_Paladin
    Poutine_Paladin
    Posts: 285
    Also think it would be cool to be a member of the B.P.R.D. in the Hellboy world. You know, mutated or otherwise supernatural government agents that the public isn't supposed to know about? Sounds like fun to this guy.
  • gaaran
    gaaran
    Posts: 740
    I just wanted to weigh in my two cents. I don't have any new ones that haven't already been mentioned, but I would love to see either Cowboy Bebop, Hellboy or Final Fantasy, set in Ivalice. I think they all are just perfect for a gaming setting, they have defined character roles, a shtick or niche (i.e. space western), and a great potential for episodic gameplay.
  • Mandolyn
    Mandolyn
    Posts: 6
    @Curufea
    I believe that loud, girlish squeal was me. Wow, no clue that existed, THANK you! I'll have to find these books and dive straight in.
  • RaseCidraen
    RaseCidraen
    Posts: 890
    I am absolutely positive Wheel of Time is a RP book - I happen to own it, simply for the art within - I never bothered learning the system or trying to run it :(

    I'd love to muck about in Ivalice - I actually have the "Unofficial" FFT rulebook (unfinished, to my knowledge), that has rules for everything. I printed it out once: I KO'd a printer to do it. TKO.

    I'd love to see a Sci-fi campaign kind of set in the Eureka (Syfy, not Seven) world, or even Warehouse 13.

    Granted, Dusk and I were chatting about this, but I'm fascinated that the idea was picked up by everyone else. This community is very much on the same wavelength.
  • FrankSirmarco
    FrankSirmarco
    Posts: 250
    The Bridges of Madison County. Definitely.
  • Duskreign
    Duskreign
    Posts: 1,085
    Since I was 14 or so, I've run several short-run games based on tv, movie, and video game influences.

    I ran a Gundam game called Gundam AA: After Apocalypse, and another game based on the prequel manga for Gundam Wing. I ran a Chrono Trigger-based game, a game based on the Agatha Christie novel: Murder on the Orient Express, a game based on the video game Breath of Fire, a Transformers game called Transformers: Quantum Effect, and a few others I am probably forgetting.

    The current game I am preparing to run, "The System,":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/system has an overarching story based heavily on Issac Asimov's The Last Question.

    I have always had an interest in Firefly as an rpg setting, and I have wanted to run a DC Comics game based in Gotham during the No Man's Land era. In fact, I have incorporated a lot of my non-D&D-or-StarWars ideas into "The System.":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/system
  • Dyluth
    Dyluth
    Posts: 92
    I would love to see a game based on the universe where the technology known as "INCEPTION" is possible, from the AMAZING Christopher Nolan movie of the same name. The possibilities are limitless, because you can literally incorporate EVERY SINGLE IDEA POSTED ABOVE on this thread and then some! D&D meets Werewolf meets Star Wars meets Cthullhu meets d20 Modern and any other hundreds of fictional universes.
  • FemmeLegion
    FemmeLegion
    Posts: 521
    Well, my favorite show is Samurai Jack, but that really wouldn't work for a group RPG.
  • FrankSirmarco
    FrankSirmarco
    Posts: 250
    I would like to GM a group of epic-level assassins through the Grey's Anatomy universe.

    So much blood.
  • Duskreign
    Duskreign
    Posts: 1,085
    lmao.

    How about a House M.D. game where the DM plays house, knows the answers, and berates everyone playing the game for consistently not guessing correctly.

    And no. It's never Lupus.
  • RaseCidraen
    RaseCidraen
    Posts: 890
    ...I love it.

    I would totally play. I think half the fun would be being berated. But the Players would have to be able to call House on not being witty enough/overusing comments. Or if he makes it too easy on them, they'd likely overshoot the diagnosis and TKO the patient.
  • DarkMagus
    DarkMagus
    Posts: 425
    Samurai Jack!! I kick myself for not thinking of that earlier. Good call FemmeLegion. :)

    Toon sounds amazing! I think it would be a good game for those nights between capaigns, or when someone has canceled. Finally a world where everyone can be goofy and not take away from the gaming doing so!

    Also, I just remembered back when I was watching the show Dead Wood I thought it would be a good setting.
  • Duskreign
    Duskreign
    Posts: 1,085
    I would take the Deadwood concept and apply it to the Firefly universe. That would be a cool-ass game.
  • Idless
    Idless
    Posts: 58
    I would love to play in Pirates of the Carribean setting! I thnk I will use Wushu Open

    Also Firefly, but there is already game system for that.

    I once played a heavily Dead Wood inspired one-shot. It was brilliant and had a kind of indie mechanic to it. All the players have been in the same heist, and they ride to the mining city called Salvation. It is long abandoned, but it is close to the border. As such, it is a plotless playground game. Wht ever you as a player decide is in the town, is there. There is a mine, but no plots will be found there. There are to dream scenes that reveal more about the players to the players. The only mechanic is, that everyone has a hand of 5 playing cards, dealt at the beginning and every time you do something cruel you receive a card. Unlike poker, you get to look at it and then decide whether to discard it, or another card from your hand.

    If it ever comes to a confrontation beteween to players(and it will, the characters are written so that it will), you make a show of hands - the one with the best hand wins the confrontation, and the worst hands goes down - but also gets the storytelling right on what just happened.

    The author wrote this scenario on copious amounts whiskey and Deadwood, and it is one of the most critically acclaimed and ever popular by the audience of the biggest convention in DK.

    one of my all time favorites

    ...Idless
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