If you're a RPG nerd like me (and I know you are - look, an obnoxious wink smiley
), you probably spend at least some part of your day thinking up campaign ideas utilizing assorted systems that may or may not exist yet. At times, these thoughts interrupt your productivity in work, personal relations, in the bathroom, or waiting in line to buy Potted Meat Product. It can be vexing. But, wait, dear reader! Be Vexed No More! Utilize this thread to purge yourself of your roleplaying campaign ideas so others may exploit them or at least commiserate about the fact you'll never, ever get a chance to run or play it! Sharing is caring! Etcetera!
My current list:
Sleepwalk: I came up with this idea before Inception was ever mentioned to me. Honest. The basic premise is that several strangers (PCs) begin to experienced shared, lucid dreams in which they alone possess the knowledge to stop some sort of terrible psychic threat. The "bad guy" would therefore be some collective subconscious boogeyman that has gained self-awareness and is haunting the PCs and/or society at large. Each session would be a different dream with its own weird physics and roles for the participants, perhaps requiring house rules or tweaks. If I were to run it right now, I'd probably try Wild Talents 2nd Edition, with some cafeteria style powers prepared to emulate the dream personae abilities PCs take on. I thought about making the Big Twist the fact that "reality" wasn't and the dreams were, but after that fucker Nolan did his movie that'd seem redundant. Use of Santo and Johnny's guitar instrumental of the same name required.
One Hundred Killers: The PCs are badass mercenaries and assassins in the vein of 90's action movie heroes like Leon, La Femme Nikita, and The Killer. They collectively earn the ire of a secret society of professional murderers (ever see The Killer Elite?) and have to shoot, punch, stab, and defenestrate their way through the titular one hundred hitmen. Just one intrigue laden murderous set piece after another, with occasional breaks for heartfelt confessionals and grim flashbacks. I'd want it to be cinematic but fairly lethal, as its traditional for movie assassins seeking redemption to die before achieving their goal in some sort of karmic retribution. I ran this when I was younger, and I made the tragic mistake of switching the system every session. If I was running it again, I might use a stripped down version of Spycraft 2.0.
All Mages Must Die: I was in this one really awful, horrible Ars Magica campaign once with a bunch of SCA people, and it gave me this idea. The world is a boring-ass historically accurate medieval setting with petty tyrants, dirty peasants, and a handful of dull-ass snotty magic users who spend all their time masturbating over ritual spellbooks and collecting mushrooms. Its been like that forever. The stagnant state of the world is actually the fault of the mages, seeing as they can consciously (and subconsciously) tweak reality to fit their own worldview. The PCs are a ragtag bunch of misfits who have had enough of their bullshit and set out to topple them by hitting them really hard with pointy sticks. The cost in lives is likely to be horrible, but it'll be worth it just to wipe off the smug smirks off of those sorcerous assholes' faces. ...Ahem. Yeah, it was a bad Ars Magica game, and yes, its another premise where the PCs are trying to kill a lot of people. For system, I'd consider D&D 4th, with purely Martial PCs.
Okay, I've got others, but that'll do for a starter. Post yours!
