The Next "plain wrap" Supplement...

[iamtim]

Ok, folks, bear with me as I do a little marketing research. We've currently got five classic fantasy monsters and the backstab gang: five ready-to-use NPCs available under our "plain wrap" banner.

In development we have elemental options and five unique fantasy monsters.

After five "plain wrap" supplements are released, we begin work on Gatecrasher 2371, a science-fantasy RuneQuest game in the far future where magic has re-appeared in the universe.

So if you could guide development at Seraphim Guard for the fifth "plain wrap" supplement, what would it be?

 

[Rurik]

Heh Heh.

I know what I always think of as coming in a plain brown wrapper. :twisted:

How about 5 Classic Fantasy Penthouse Pets?

You could do the Damsel In Distress, the Warrior Maiden, The Witch, The Sacrificial Virgin, and of course the Vampire. Imprisopned Princess and Busty Serving Wench are also possibilities.




(sorry, couldn't resist)

 

[iamtim]

How about 5 Classic Fantasy Penthouse Pets?

D'OH!

:lol:

 

[mthomason]

Five Classic Schools of Magic.

Sorta like the Elemental Options, but for Necromancy, Illusion, Conjuring, Demonology, and Enchanting.

It really rides on seeing what the alternative magic systems from Mongoose are though, to see if there's any underlying concepts that would need to be carried over.

 

[Enpeze]

Five villains for use in a runequest campaign. Different power levels. From Unfair duellist to evil high priest.

Including their backstories, stats and skills, equipment, allies and enemies (which could then be the PCs friends) and some ideas how to include them in your adventure. And of course a b/w portrait. Each villain on one page or so.

The same you can do for heroic warriors, exotic people (dragonewts, aldyrami, mostali, meermen etc.), noteworthy cultists and shamans, sneaky rogues and interesting civilians.

Simply bring out some interesting NPCs everybody can use in his campaigns with background and a how to integrate suggestions.

 

[atgxtg]

Rule of Five? Why not six or four?

Here are some ideas:


*How about some ready made mini advenutres. Nothing long or elaborate. More like one to four page min-advenutres that A GM could fit into a campaign. Possibly with a new monster. Like an adventure with goblins, one with orcs, etc. Something that a GM could "grab & go", when his sceanrio isn't finished or when the group goes off in the wrong direction.

*A "modular" campaign setting. Basically a small region like a valley, with a town and a couple of adventure spots. THe first book could give the basic setting and a small adventures, with addtional books tacking on stuff to the basic setting. But, each book would be a stand alone supplement. So people wouldn't need the main setting to play the "Kolbod Mines" advenutres, but it would help if they did and wanted to run in in the "Unhappy Valley" setting.

*SOme pre made PCs. Maybe ready to go, or with a few choices left open to finalize. Something so that a GM could hand out a sheet to a newbie (or as a replacement character during an adventure) and go with it in a few minutes. A knight, barbarian swordsman, sneak thief, wizard, forester, archer, kid off the farm-all ready to go. Just pick weapons (and maybe spend 20-50 skill points to custimize) and start play. Everything would be pre-laid out on a character sheet.

 

[Vadrus]

After five "plain wrap" supplements are released, we begin work on Gatecrasher 2371, a science-fantasy RuneQuest game in the far future where magic has re-appeared in the universe.

That anything to do with the Gatecrasher RPG by Hot Tub Dragon Games?


Vadrus

 

[iamtim]

That anything to do with the Gatecrasher RPG by Hot Tub Dragon Games?

Indeed it does. Michael W. Lucas, who was Hot Tub Dragon, transferred the rights to Grey Ghost Press and together they released a 2nd Edition using the Fudge System.

When I first entered the lucrative and star-studded world of RPG publishing it was done by purchasing the rights to Gatecrasher from Grey Ghost Press. I own the rights to EVERYTHING Hot Tub Dragon did for Gatecrasher (Gatecrasher High Tech High Fantasy Role Playing and Believe it or Else!) and EVERYTHING that Grey Ghost Press did for Gatecrasher (Gatecrasher Science Fantasy Adventure and Santa's Secret).

That was... three years ago? I think? Since then I've been looking for a system that would allow me to express MY vision of the Gatecrasher universe -- a darker, more focused, and more serious vision -- and I've been unable to find one. I tried, too: HARP, Fudge, d20, Action! System, Tri-Stat dX, BESM d20... all the while I kept thinking, "Man, why doesn't Chaosium open up BRP for some sort of licensing? Even if it's only what's found in their $5.00 Basic Roleplaying book, that'd be fine by me."

While MRQ isn't BRP in the strictest sense, it's way close enough AND open. Which means I've finally found a home for Gatecrasher 2371.

 

[mthomason]

all the while I kept thinking, "Man, why doesn't Chaosium open up BRP for some sort of licensing? Even if it's only what's found in their $5.00 Basic Roleplaying book, that'd be fine by me."

While MRQ isn't BRP in the strictest sense, it's way close enough AND open.

That is so scarily close to my own thoughts!

 

[atgxtg]

That anything to do with the Gatecrasher RPG by Hot Tub Dragon Games?

I

When I first entered the lucrative and star-studded world of RPG publishing it was done by purchasing the rights to Gatecrasher from Grey Ghost Press. I own the rights to EVERYTHING Hot Tub Dragon did for Gatecrasher (Gatecrasher High Tech High Fantasy Role Playing and Believe it or Else!) and EVERYTHING that Grey Ghost Press did for Gatecrasher (Gatecrasher Science Fantasy Adventure and Santa's Secret).

Just wondering, but what sort of bankroll does it take to buy up an RPG?

There are one or two defunct RPGs that I'd just love to own, but I always figured that it took deep pockets.

 

[iamtim]

While MRQ isn't BRP in the strictest sense, it's way close enough AND open.

That is so scarily close to my own thoughts!

My buddy and I wrote our fantasy world using, essentially, RQ3 and Glorantha tinted glasses. We've run it with EVERYTHING, and again, couldn't find a system that was what we wanted. We kept looking longingly at BRP, hoping to eventually publish it.

Well, we're looking at something like a Gazetter series using MRQ after Gatecrasher 2371.

While we've played GURPS and D20 and Storyteller and all sorts of other systems, it's RQ/BRP that we "home" on. And now, essentially, it's open under MRQ.

*happy dance*

 

[iamtim]

Just wondering, but what sort of bankroll does it take to buy up an RPG?

It really depends on the owner's view of the RPG. In Gatecrasher's case, Ann (Dupuis, of GGG) *wanted* to tank it. She was not fond of her own implementation, and was done with it. So I got it for a very reasonable price... not that I'm going to state that price here.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, I know that a bunch of folk approached WotC about rights to Alternity, and WotC wanted some exorbitant amount of money.

Like I said, it depends on the owner and what their view of the product worth is.

 

[mthomason]

Just wondering, but what sort of bankroll does it take to buy up an RPG?

There are one or two defunct RPGs that I'd just love to own, but I always figured that it took deep pockets.

I would imagine it would vary immensely on what the owner believed it was worth, and how desperate they were for cash

 

[atgxtg]

Come to think of it, with the game system mechanics are fairly free to swipe (per the discusssion about the RQ/MRQ rules), and the product I was thinking of being a liscend setting, I could, in theory,just contact the owner of the orginal product, and liscence out the RPG and swipe most of the old mechanics anyway.

But if it were an orginal setting, I'd be able to buy the setting.

 

[simonh]

So if you could guide development at Seraphim Guard for the fifth "plain wrap" supplement, what would it be?

You're probably not interested in another NPC supplement, but one thing that always interested me about Glorantha is the fact that anything can be sentient. How about 5 Smart Critters.

Bottlenose, the Dolphin Trickster - He's always sticking his flukes into other people's business, stiring things up. First he hires on as a guide to your ship, next thing you know you're stuck in a veritable maze of razor sharp reefs. Go fishing, and he leads a shark right on to your hook. Plus there are even rumours he can shapechange into a human and occasionaly hits the waterfront taverns. They say he drnks like a fish!

Mr. Whiskers - A rat with full intelligence. You can't begin to imagine how much that sucks. For a start he only ever comes out at night, and he's almost impossible to find at even the best of times. Rumour is that he's a priest of the Rat God, he certainly causes enough trouble. When he set up home in Gartherton it was soon crawling with his offspring and they were organised, setting traps and ambushing the cats. They say he can read too, one day a death threat appeared gnawed into the floorboards of the rat catcher's bedroom. He ran for it in fright the next morning. Eventualy they had to burn down the whole village, it was the only way to clear out the nests.

Mr. Speaks, the Crow. He's a professional courier for hire, but he's notoriously fickle, selling his services to the highest bidder. Can you be sure he's delivered the right message, or is it a ruse by an enemy to lure you into a trap? Forget trying to use homing pigeons, he hunts them down - doesn't like the competition.

That's just off the top of my head.


Simon Hibbs

 

[Halfbat]

Bottlenose, the Dolphin Trickster - He's always sticking his flukes into other people's business, stiring things up. First he hires on as a guide to your ship, next thing you know you're stuck in a veritable maze of razor sharp reefs. Go fishing, and he leads a shark right on to your hook. Plus there are even rumours he can shapechange into a human and occasionaly hits the waterfront taverns. They say he drnks like a fish!

Out of the radio show: "Old Harry's Game". The most evil thing in hell is a dolphin who sounds just like this....!

 

[atgxtg]

Mr. Whiskers - A rat with full intelligence. You can't begin to imagine how much that sucks. For a start he only ever comes out at night, and he's almost impossible to find at even the best of times. Rumour is that he's a priest of the Rat God, he certainly causes enough trouble. When he set up home in Gartherton it was soon crawling with his offspring and they were organised, setting traps and ambushing the cats. They say he can read too, one day a death threat appeared gnawed into the floorboards of the rat catcher's bedroom. He ran for it in fright the next morning. Eventualy they had to burn down the whole village, it was the only way to clear out the nests.
Simon Hibbs

So, Mr. Whiskers, whadaya wanna do tonight? :wink:

 

[Osentalka]

Simons ideas sound like a hell of fun: Flipper, Lassie, Mr. Ed, Pinky & Brain, and Garfield as NPCs.

 

[simonh]

Maybe I should pitch this to Mongoose as an article for S&P.

I'll put something more coherent together, at worst it can go on my MRQ fan site.

Simon

 

[iamtim]

Maybe I should pitch this to Mongoose as an article for S&P.

Sorry, after I made the initial post a draft was submitted to me that I reviewed and accepted, so I've been dealing with getting that ready. Negotiations and all that.

So it looks like we'll have a new "plain wrap" supplement: the celestial chorus: five angelic entities, written by Michael Hopcroft. This supplement details five different types of servants that various and sundry dieties might send into your fantasy games for purposes known only to the diety. It includes new angelic traits, and includes five sample angels.

Look for it soon, I'm going to try and slip it into my "production schedule" next because the draft is largely completed.