Mar 26, 2020 6:20 pm
OVERVIEW:
For some time now, I've been obsessed with the idea of trying to translate Shadow of the Colossus into a pnp RPG. I know it's been done by other parties... but I think the Genesys rpg is an excellent candidate for such a campaign...
I think the Strain Threshold makes an excellent analogue for the "grip strength" of the videogame.
I think the strong narrative focus and flexibility of the system lends well to the indefinite scale of time and physics of the videogame.
All the fundamental mechanical pieces are there, they just need to be applied. And so I created this game as a test-tube in which we could try to apply them!
But I didn't want to particularly re-tread the exact world and plot of SotC, so I had the idea of framing it in an even more fantastic version of mythic Greece.
That all said, I think the elements that make up the excellent core gameplay of SotC - breathtaking visuals of scale, twitch reflex timing, physics-simulation - are actually very hard, if not impossible, to translate into a pnp RPG. No one wants to roll a dozen climb checks, followed by half a dozen attack rolls, right? That's not a fun ttrpg experience. So, I think you have to couch the SotC-style "puzzle boss" experience in a more traditional ttrpg world (a world populated with NPCs to interact with, and mysteries to discover to help you defeat your foe), and a more traditional ttrpg puzzle boss battle (with a wider variety of things to do besides ride a horse, jump, climb, and stab - as supremely fun as those four things are).
So, yea, that's about the long and short of my thoughts behind this concept!
THE WORLD:
The world of 'In the Valley of the Titan' is an even-more-fantastic-than-normal, mythic ancient Greece.
Mt. Olympus, the gods, demi-gods, argonauts, philosophers, satyrs, dryads, harpies... titans... all of that. But stepped up to a less aggro, God of War-type level of fantasy and "artistic license". Of course, heavy liberties shall be taken with whom, what, and where the titular titans are, but such is the nature of the beast.
We will begin in the city of Delphi... believed to be the geographic center of the world at the time, it was an important center of worship of the gods, and of course home to the Oracle of Delphi, Pythia.
The technology level will be appropriate to ancient Greece: Bronze Age
TONE(S):
Pulp, Horror, Mystery
> Special Rule(s) - Fear, possibly Cliff Hangers
MAJOR FACTION(S):
Latreía Titánes - the Cult of the Titans... a secretive, yet growing, group of zealots who are sick of the gods and their games, and wish to bring back the Titans to rule the realms of Man.
ARCHETYPES:
the Aristocrat
the Average Human
the Disciple
the Gymnast
the Intellectual
the Laborer
the Rascal
SKILLS:
> General
Athletics (Brawn)
Cool (Presence)
Coordination (Agility)
Discipline (Willpower)
Mechanics (Intellect)
Medicine (Intellect)
Perception (Cunning)
Resilience (Brawn)
Riding (Agility)
Skullduggery (Cunning)
Stealth (Agility)
Streetwise (Cunning)
Survival (Cunning)
Vigilance (Willpower)
> Combat
Brawl (Brawn)
Melee (Heavy) (Brawn)
Melee (Light) (Brawn)
Ranged (Agility)
> Social
Charm (Presence)
Coercion (Willpower)
Deception (Cunning)
Leadership (Presence)
Negotiation (Presence)
> Knowledge
Education (Intellect)
Lore (Intellect)
CAREERS:
This campaign will consist entirely of Player-made Careers, here are the rules you must follow to make your own Careers:
You must have:
1. At least 3 General Skills.
2. At least 1 Combat Skill.
3. At least 1 Social Skill, OR 1 Knowledge Skill.
You CANNOT have:
1. More than 2 Combat Skills.
2. More than 3 Social Skills.
3. More than 4 General Skills.
For some time now, I've been obsessed with the idea of trying to translate Shadow of the Colossus into a pnp RPG. I know it's been done by other parties... but I think the Genesys rpg is an excellent candidate for such a campaign...
I think the Strain Threshold makes an excellent analogue for the "grip strength" of the videogame.
I think the strong narrative focus and flexibility of the system lends well to the indefinite scale of time and physics of the videogame.
All the fundamental mechanical pieces are there, they just need to be applied. And so I created this game as a test-tube in which we could try to apply them!
But I didn't want to particularly re-tread the exact world and plot of SotC, so I had the idea of framing it in an even more fantastic version of mythic Greece.
That all said, I think the elements that make up the excellent core gameplay of SotC - breathtaking visuals of scale, twitch reflex timing, physics-simulation - are actually very hard, if not impossible, to translate into a pnp RPG. No one wants to roll a dozen climb checks, followed by half a dozen attack rolls, right? That's not a fun ttrpg experience. So, I think you have to couch the SotC-style "puzzle boss" experience in a more traditional ttrpg world (a world populated with NPCs to interact with, and mysteries to discover to help you defeat your foe), and a more traditional ttrpg puzzle boss battle (with a wider variety of things to do besides ride a horse, jump, climb, and stab - as supremely fun as those four things are).
So, yea, that's about the long and short of my thoughts behind this concept!
THE WORLD:
The world of 'In the Valley of the Titan' is an even-more-fantastic-than-normal, mythic ancient Greece.
Mt. Olympus, the gods, demi-gods, argonauts, philosophers, satyrs, dryads, harpies... titans... all of that. But stepped up to a less aggro, God of War-type level of fantasy and "artistic license". Of course, heavy liberties shall be taken with whom, what, and where the titular titans are, but such is the nature of the beast.
We will begin in the city of Delphi... believed to be the geographic center of the world at the time, it was an important center of worship of the gods, and of course home to the Oracle of Delphi, Pythia.
The technology level will be appropriate to ancient Greece: Bronze Age
TONE(S):
Pulp, Horror, Mystery
> Special Rule(s) - Fear, possibly Cliff Hangers
MAJOR FACTION(S):
Latreía Titánes - the Cult of the Titans... a secretive, yet growing, group of zealots who are sick of the gods and their games, and wish to bring back the Titans to rule the realms of Man.
ARCHETYPES:
the Aristocrat
the Average Human
the Disciple
the Gymnast
the Intellectual
the Laborer
the Rascal
SKILLS:
> General
Athletics (Brawn)
Cool (Presence)
Coordination (Agility)
Discipline (Willpower)
Mechanics (Intellect)
Medicine (Intellect)
Perception (Cunning)
Resilience (Brawn)
Riding (Agility)
Skullduggery (Cunning)
Stealth (Agility)
Streetwise (Cunning)
Survival (Cunning)
Vigilance (Willpower)
> Combat
Brawl (Brawn)
Melee (Heavy) (Brawn)
Melee (Light) (Brawn)
Ranged (Agility)
> Social
Charm (Presence)
Coercion (Willpower)
Deception (Cunning)
Leadership (Presence)
Negotiation (Presence)
> Knowledge
Education (Intellect)
Lore (Intellect)
CAREERS:
This campaign will consist entirely of Player-made Careers, here are the rules you must follow to make your own Careers:
You must have:
1. At least 3 General Skills.
2. At least 1 Combat Skill.
3. At least 1 Social Skill, OR 1 Knowledge Skill.
You CANNOT have:
1. More than 2 Combat Skills.
2. More than 3 Social Skills.
3. More than 4 General Skills.