Friday's Game Concepts
So, I've been batting around a few ideas for Friday and I wanted to see what you guys thought. Here are a set of pitches, one for each of the top 2 most popular themes from last Friday (Mythology and Modern Horror). If'n you wouldn't mind, I'd like folk to reply with their thoughts. Like one, like both, hate one, hate both, prefer one, etc. Don't be afraid to get qualitative with me either, if you don't see anything you like here then please tell me what's wrong and what I can do to make things more enjoyable for you.
The Support Group
A while back you saw something, something weird, something you now wish you hadn't. At first, you were afraid. Either the world you knew was a much more horrifying place than your thought it was, or something was seriosly wrong with you. However, you've learned better. What you saw was a dellusion, a waking nightmare, the product of a chemical imballance which you now have under complete control. You aren't insane, you just had a bad run. Hearty doses of psychiatry and psychoactive pharmacuticles returned your life to absolute normalcy.
As part of your treatment, you've participated in group therapy. There, you shared your experiences and listened to those of others. However, the therapy seemed to be doing more harm than good. More and more, each session, you began to recognize familiar details in the stories of the others. Some striking commonalities, things too bizarre to be coincidence.
Having banded together with a group of like minded individuals from your therapy sessions, you've decided to see how delusional you really are. If you see something like that again, you can't know if it's real. If you all see it, however, you'll know that all of your fears are terribly real.
Episode 1: Darkness (the trailer)
One of the players has recently been notified of the passing of an estranged uncle. With his passing has come the reading of the will which, as the man was quite wealthy and had no living heirs, may turn out to be quite lucrative. While in town for the will reading they will be free to stay at the uncle's now v residence. Thinking that their friends could use a relaxing getaway for the weekend, the player has invited the other players along.
Because it would be frightfully boring otherwise, all will not turn out well on this trip. Don't expect much action from this adventure, outside of the climax. As is common in the genre, this adventure would is mostly about solving a mystery, not an edge of your seat thrill ride, and there's not any traditional combat planned for it. I've got a second possible adventure idea I could use for this that COULD, though it might not neccessarily depending on your actions, involve combat if that's a deal breaker for somebody.
________________________________________________________
Saga of the Nine Worlds
What has come to pass
From their very first contact, all has been strife between the Æsir and Vanir. Enraged by the subterfuge of the first Vanir ambassador, the Æsir brought war on Vanaheimr. For eighty-one years, the planets of Asgard and Vanaheimr have been locked in conflict. Though a mighty military nation, the Æsir have found their superior technology innefective against the strange witchery of the Vanir.
The Vanir have requested peace, but the proud Æsir refuse to end the conflict without gain. The Æsir request knowledge of Vanir magic, but the Vanir rufuse to pay this tribute. The peoples of these two worlds have grown weary of incessant fruitless battle, and now each seek a means by which to bring a decisive end to this ninth decade of conflict.
To this end, the Æsir have secretly designed the Bifrost bridge. Harnessing the power of a nearby black-hole, the immense portal is designed to instantaneously transport Aesir ships to the Vanir home-world Vanaheimr. Even with their aid of their oracles, the Vanir will not see such an attack coming. With an invasion fleet collecting around the mouth of the Bifrost, the Æsir sit on the edge of destiny, prepared for the all-out offensive that will win the war.
What has yet to occur
The players, each a Norse god of their own choosing, will all be aboard the same Æsir vessel. This vessel will not reach Vanaheimr. Instead, the Bifrost will malfunction, sending them to a random point in uncharted space. Wandering the stars for nine days, they happen uppon a system containing a habbitable world. Orbitting this world they will come to know as Midgard, the Æsir will see an immense tree. Landing to investigate this spectacle, they will discover the Well of Fate, and the Runes which will bring them home, end their war with the Vanir, lead them to six unknown worlds, and bring about the end of the universe.
Gameplay wise, the session would include both starship and man-to-man battle, as well as puzzle solving and even a little exploration. While I've given a brief plot synopsis of the adventure in the above paragraph, it shouldn't be a spoiler. Trust that it is a vague summary in the spirit of Norse premonition. Actually, it's likely that some of the characters would be precognisant. Just because you know what will transpire, however does not mean that you are prepared for it.
The whole thing seems a bit long winded & campaign minded, I know, but none of these ideas are designed merely as one-shots. It's just more fun for me to plan as if it were going to continue. Don't worry though, each of the adventures is designed for the 1st (and probobly only) adventure to be solid.