5.27.2008

Microlite20 in the WoD

Josh D and I have lately been talking about his like (love?) of Microlite20 and how he's converting all his stuff to it. He shot me his pdf file for the thing and has linked me to more stuff and I admit that I dig it, though most of my rpg energy goes into rules heavy systems like D&D 3.x/d20/OGL games or White Wolf products.

When he first showed it to me, I originally thought of it as a way to revive a mini-campaign I used to run with my pals called "Some Teenagers Go Camping" in which a group of teenagers would go camping and (usually) all die while trying to survive zombies, a vampire, or some other gruesome horror movie creep(s). Since it's a series of one-shots, I thought it would be a great way to slap something together that's quick and would play to a level that even someone who isn't an RPGer could handle.

Thinking further on it, especially in the aftermath of my "I need undead, damnit!" thing not too long ago, which also happened to coincide with me going over the games I would like to run, I thought it would be a great avenue for bringing a World of Darkness, specifically Vampire, game to my pals, who seem hell-bent on NOT learning any other systems ever. Since it would play light, I think it would be a good way to get them interested in the story elements and then, perhaps, the true play elements of the original system.

Even if they didn't fall for this, I could see an ongoing M20 campaign with WoD conversions going on for a good long while, but a conversation with Josh earlier today made me question the longterm steadfastedness of M20 and light systems, in general.

Since the whole point behind 'lite' games are to NOT have a multitude of rules or stats slowing down the game, and those that are developed streamlined to a point of superquick playability, the game might putter out when it comes down to it, simply because of the amount of work the GM would have to pour into each session to have enough material to fill the session.

I'm an exacting person. I, at the very least, have outlines ready when I DM my games and though I'm comfortable with winging it during my games, it's not my "style," as it were. I've GM'd Vampire games, though, and I always improvise those, so maybe the system I'd be trying to emulate would help in that respect. I know what I'm doing there, so I could run it like a Vampire game, whereas if I was leaning toward running a lite D&D, I think the game would crash on me because I just simply wouldn't have the time to prepare my games.

I dunno. I'm extremely tired as I write this, so forgive the rambling. I just dislike the thought of a game that would end up like a runaway train simply because there's not a crunchy "filling" to uphold it in the end. Like I said, running a Storyteller system game would lessen that burden, but I wouldn't be using Storyteller and I'd like dice rolling at the table so that the players can not only feel they're doing something, but also to get them interested in the World of Darkness as a game on its own.

This is a bad way to pull that off, I think...trying to drum up interest in one system by using another system to introduce it...lol. I just thought of how silly that seems...but who knows. I can pull off some crazy shit. I think it has a chance...especially since over half the guys normally at my table ONLY know D&D as far as RPGs are concerned.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Poke around the M20 site, someone made an M20 version of Storyteller that might be closer to what you're looking for.

JoshD

Buddy Richards said...

Blah, yeah. Kinda knocked the steam outta my MicroHorror idea. I'll hit it from another angle, though.

Buddy Richards said...

Wait, no...I was thinking wrong. I found a World of Darkness magic thing but not the Storyteller thing. Can you link me?
I wasn't thinking straight when I replied, sorry.

Anyway, I might be pushing back my work on that. With 4E coming out and some world-building there, plus a chance at getting something published (finally) coming to me, it might be a spare-time thing.