Ideas Are Easy

[RyanW]

Mouse Noir'd

The city was a maze of shadows, and this maze never seems to have any cheese at the end. I was just another pawn in this game of deceit, a lone mouse prowling the concrete jungle with a cigarette hanging from my lips and a fedora pulled low over my eyes. The name's Mickey Whiskers. They call me a detective, but in reality, I was a hunter of truths in a world drowning in lies.

A new case had just come across my desk. Real sob story. Waitress at a local nightclub, sings when there isn't some other act. Not got the makings to be a star, but the regulars love her. Thirty seven kids. Husband's a bum. But she'd gone missing. Nobody'd heard a squeak from her in over a week.

I was reading the Mouse Guard RPG book, looked up, saw my fedora sitting on the dresser, and this nonsensed popped into my head.

[ericthered]

Familiars

The first rule of war between wizards is secrecy. If your enemy knows what your defensive enchantments are, you're in their power. If your enemy knows where you are, you're in their power. If you know where they are and what their enchantments are, their in your power. If two wizards are in the same room, they both know where each other are and they can analyze each other's magic.
And that's where I come in. I might look like rat, but I'm actually a familiar. I'm an expendable extension of my master's might, able walk where he doesn't dare, and to see what he can't. When he defeats his enemies, its because I found their lairs. Its because I heard their minions. Its because I penetrated their defenses.

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Rats, Cats, Ravens, Giant Bugs, Toads, and who knows what else. The players are the familiars of a wizards engaged in combat with one of his peers. The familiars must spy out the plans of the rival, find their lair, and determine exactly what enchantments protect their foe. The wizard can cast spells through you, but those can be as dangerous as the obstacle they remove. Oh, and be sure to keep the other familiars from reaching your own wizard.

[ericthered]

I've got an idea floating around in my head where the players are essentially robin-hood type characters freeing children from fae who have purchased them in exchange for various deals. "Your First-Born Child" and all that. It should land somewhere between Monster Hunters and a Heist Game.

[Anaraxes]

Originally Posted by ericthered

robin-hood type characters freeing children from fae who have purchased them

Leverage: Tír na nÓg.

[ericthered]

The War Room

Five days ago, portals to some sort of unknown Dimension opened up all over the Kingdom. Strange alien warriors streamed through them, slaughtering your people and taking them captive. Your knights and soldiers have been thrown back, but your only down and not out.

You are the advisors of the king who will rescue the kingdom from this mennace. You fight the invaders. You fill figure out who they are, what they are, what they want, and what they fear. And just maybe you save the nation from this scourge.

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

Leverage: Tír na nÓg.

Nice name. I was thinking less modern, but that could be a blast as well.

[RyanW]

Originally Posted by ericthered

The War Room

Ye Olde XCom

[ericthered]

Monster Hunters: Camelot


Shapeshifters. Invisible Monsters. Mind Control. Cursed Fortifications. Glamour. There's a lot more to fighting the supernatural than simply wearing armor and swinging a sword. You need to understand the supernatural, and be good at investigation as well as combat... and also subterfuge. And there is a lot of work to do in this land, lest it fall to the forces of darkness...

[ericthered]

Here's an idea to be used either with monster hunters camalot or alone:


Magic is gained by bonding with a mystic creature, like an ogre, dragon, giant, or phoenix. The creature can't use the magic, and is usually the more physical of the pairing.


This makes for an interesting paradigm in a Authurian setting, but it can work in a lot of different contexts.

[Anders]

All the normal 'races' of fantasy are present, but they don't procreate sexually. Rather, they construct an effigy and 'breathe life' into it. And they are horrified by humans procreating "like animals".

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by Anders

All the normal 'races' of fantasy are present, but they don't procreate sexually. Rather, they construct an effigy and 'breathe life' into it. And they are horrified by humans procreating "like animals".

"Ya mean, yer children be born by accident?! that would majorly mess up your society!"


This seems particularly suitable for dwarves, but elementals and spirits are a good fit too. Orcs work as well. Elves you've got to get right, but our elves are different, right?