I would like to playtest my Panzer Dragoon: Risus rules and scenario in a bit of roleplaying over the Will of the Ancients IRC channel. I can do this on Saturdays or Sundays, about 5 or 6 pm, GMT. All you would need are a half dozen six-siders and the basic Risus rules. Well, yeah, and an IRC client, obviously. Oh, and a character too, we can hash that out here or over private message.
Any interest?
I might be interested… I’m not sure how I feel about the Risus system, but hey, PD roleplay sounds awesome.
It would need to be Sunday, though, i’m busy most Saturdays, and i’d also need to get an IRC client.
How many sessions do you think it will run over? And what’s the premise of the scenario?
I’m just thinking of a one-shot to try things out. If it goes well, maybe some more one-shots, or a mini-campaign. Too soon to say.
The adventure I have in mind is Seven Samurai, PD style. Farmers, bandits, mercenaries, mosters, ancients, sacrifice, and all that jazz. Players get to be the mercs. No dragons straight off, maybe in a hypothetical later game.
Risus may look like lightweight goofy fluff, but I find it infinitely adaptable. Lots of other gamers have dipped it in layer upon layer of a crunchy-rule shell. It’s like the old West End version of Star Wars (even more like Over The Edge, if anybody remembers that one).
IRC clients? Shop around, loads to choose from. I went small and freeware. Use whatever works.
I’d be willing to give it a try, so long you’re able to lead us through what we need to know/do to play. It would also need to be on Saturday or Sunday GMT+12 for me to be able to join in as I won’t be available on non-weekend days.
Trillian is an easy to use IRC client which people may prefer over something like mIRC. I’m sure there’s dozens of other worthwhile alternatives out there too.
First, you should get and read the Risus rules. As a PDF, it’s only six pages long (with illustrations), and it’s free. Get it at http://www222.pair.com/sjohn/downloads.htm, it’s about a third of the way down.
Next, work up a character using the basic rules. That’s ten dice to divide among your clich?s, no more than four dice in any one clich?. For the adventure I plan, you’ll be needing some kind of mercenary. Hint; use adjectives and such to tweak the “Mercenary” clich? into something that is more descriptive. F’rinstance, Edge wasn’t just a Mercenary, he was a Kid Adopted By Mercenaries. You might want a Grizzled And Crippled Old Mercenary, a Wannabe Mercenary, a Mercenary Who Secretly Wants To Be A Zaal Nut Grower, or whatever strikes your fancy. Surprise me. Like I said, we can work out the details here before the game starts.
As I also mentioned earlier, get some six-sided dice. Four or five of 'em. Six, tops. When you want your character to do something, and the outcome is doubtful, roll some dice and add 'em up. Hope it’s enough.
And just to give a deadline to all this, howzabout setting a date & time? Say Sunday, February 11, starting at 18:00 GMT. That OK?
Any other questions, fire away.
Oh, yeah. I’ve also put out word of the game to the Risus community. Hope to get a player or two from that side of the great PD/Risus Venn diagram.
Edit:
Knew I’d forget something. The adventure is set about three years after Orta. The Empire is having trouble. Production of new military equipment is hampered by the loss of the Cradle and damage to the underground ruins. Older ships are being brought up from second-line duty. The “Academy Faction” and the “Prince Faction” are more polarized than ever. The Wormrider attack on the Capital has encouraged widespread resistance, even in long held core districts such as Meccania and Li Vis. It has also inspired vicious retribution from the Empire. Some Imperial holdings in the outlands have been “temporarily” abandoned so as to concentrate force on trouble areas. This concentration of force adds to resentment both in the hot spots, and the regions now on their own.
Good time to be a mercenary. Lots of work. Maybe too much.
The players’ characters are in the borderlands, looking for a job that’ll pay.
I’d like to give it a go. I can’t absolutely guarantee that I’ll be able to at this stage, but it’s a distinct possibility.
I’ve always thought that the PD world would be pretty appropriate for a pen & paper RPG: it has enough categorisable “stuff” and lots of scope for general adventuring and combat without those things needing to be forced.
I’ll check out the Risus rules and things…
Ok, i’ve read up on the Risus rules. So, what sort of cliches are allowed? Since it’s a specific setting, you might want to make a list - maybe not a definitive list, but at least a good selection of examples.
Can we take cliches like Re-inventor, Airship Pilot or Hunter (which might be used for tracking and survival, as well as combat)? Perhaps cliches that aren’t likely to be seen outside of a specific faction (such as Airship Pilot, which would be rare outside the Imperial Army) might cost double, or even be unavailable to people not in that group.
Also, i’d suggest you ignore whole triple damage from inappropriate cliches thing. It sounds good for comedy RP, but doesn’t really make sense for anything else.
Just some suggestions for you to consider, anyway. I’ll start thinking up character ideas. 
What kind of clich?s are allowed? Well, what kind of people are there in Panzer Dragoon? Using your notions, Drenholm, the Hunter clich? is pretty straightforward, you’re on target with that one.
A Re-inventor can have their uses, no question. But I should warn you that in a serious game, I wouldn’t expect them to work as fast as what you see on mediocre sci-fi TV shows (not to mention any names).
An Airship Pilot outside of the Imperial military seems to me a rare bird. I don’t recall any civillian airships in any of the PD games. Perhaps you could try Imperial Airship Pilot Turned Deserter? That would also give you a “hook” under the optional rules, giving you an extra die for character design.
Did I forget to mention the optional rules “Hooks and Tales” and “Pumping Clich?s” will be in play? No, you don’t get to use the “Double-Pumped Clich?s” and “Funky Dice” rules. Those are for the creatures and airships, not regular folk.
Yeah, the “Inappropriate Clich?” rule can lead to silliness. Don’t think it has to though. Think of a good action film. If you can come up with a brilliant, appropriate and serious description of how your knowledge of outlander cuisine can be used to blind your foe in a gunfight, then three dice it is.
Right, so I’ve got two-and-a-half players. Drenholm, Solo Wing, and (maybe) Lance. You guys got character ideas? Let’s discuss 'em.
Anyone else in? Remember, the appointment is for Sunday, 11 February, 6pm GMT.
[quote=“Seeking Wing”]Right, so I’ve got two-and-a-half players. Drenholm, Solo Wing, and (maybe) Lance. You guys got character ideas? Let’s discuss 'em.
Anyone else in? Remember, the appointment is for Sunday, 11 February, 6pm GMT.[/quote]
I’ll get my character sorted soon, either today or tommorrow and let you know.
Sunday 6pm GMT could be a problem for me as that’s 7am Monday my time. Unless the game is very short (say, half an hour) I wouldn’t be able to make it at that time.
I’d like to try role playing a seeker. The seeker would be good at finding and identifying ancient artifacts, wield a simple handgun, and be able to ride a coolia.
Really hate to do this, but a big triple helping of Real Life means I’ve gotta push back the game. One week. Is February 18 okay for everybody? Same time.
Sorry, sorry, sorry.
As long as it’s on Sunday, that’s fine with me. I’m free pretty much all day, too, so if we need to change the time frame to fit with Solo’s schedule, it shouldn’t be a problem.
[quote=“Seeking Wing”]Really hate to do this, but a big triple helping of Real Life means I’ve gotta push back the game. One week. Is February 18 okay for everybody? Same time.
Sorry, sorry, sorry.[/quote]
No problem. Just keep in mind that I’m 13 hours ahead of GMT. At the time of this post it’s 23:00 Saturday in GMT, but it’s 12:00pm Sunday here in GMT+12. I can play any time in the weekend up to around 11pm on a Sunday (GMT+12). Any later than that, and I won’t be able to join you though.