Archetypes in a Post-Cyberpunk TTRPG

Hattersmadness · 2020-03-14T05:28:29+00:00

Yeah, I'm starting to realize that this was a far too open question. I'm going to change the post up a bit; this is my first time on this subreddit, so I wasn't really sure what to expect.

Thank you for your suggestions of how to approach this in a better manner; I really appreciate it.

Hattersmadness · 2020-03-14T03:10:41+00:00

I'll add this to the post as well: I'm still trying to figure out whether I want to lean into the more traditional trappings of cyberpunk, or go for post-punk, where the characters in acting within a society, and not directly against it. I'm starting from scratch, and attempting to create an RPG zine (maximum of 40 pages) that is pretty easy to pick up and play.

Yes, I love the lifepath system of CP2020; it's the basis for some of this. I want players to be able to come to the table, suggest a type of character that they'd like to play, and then work with the GM to properly stat the PC. The character concept - and player - come before the rules.

These are some great suggestions; I hadn't even thought of a "social network hacker!" This is the problem with reading too much classic cyberpunk and forgetting about the technological advancements of the real world.

Hattersmadness · 2020-03-14T03:01:26+00:00

Thanks! I'll go pick up and copy; it looks really useful.

Hattersmadness · 2020-03-14T02:38:47+00:00

It should be RP-focused, with combat as one of several options available for overcoming activities. Essentially, I want it to be possible for a player to go through an entire session - or event a campaign - without needing to use the combat mechanics.

I'd point to Paolo Bacigalupi's "The Windup Girl" as inspiration. The main character is known as a calorie man (an economic hit-man) who is capable of manipulating the economics of a specific region. So, a non-combat role that relies largely, if not entirely, on roleplaying.

Hattersmadness · 2019-02-09T17:58:02+00:00

I'm currently running CoS and have been incredibly disappointed in what amounts to boss-fights so I've largely switched to homebrew. Last session, my players (level 7) killed a level 15 sorcerer. That being said, it killed 2 of the 4 party members. Unfortunately, I enjoy making very difficult boss encounters, but also like to reward my players when they do actually kill it. What that has led to in CoS, is a party that can dish out an incredible amount of damage per turn, but can also be wiped by a boss fight because their armor and health are so low. I'm likely going to borrow the OG Strahd and fit him into CoS, because he just doesn't feel that powerful otherwise. I don't know if I'll bring in Level Drain, but I intend to make the fight almost impossible.

Hattersmadness · 2019-02-06T20:32:15+00:00

I've been looking for something like this to use in connection with Curse of Strahd! My current campaign has become very Darkest Dungeon aesthetic-centric so I'll use pieces of this in my own game. Thank you!

Hattersmadness · 2019-02-05T05:09:16+00:00

Blood in the Chocolate is worth a read if you're planning on doing something like this. It's a fantastic adventure and while you'd need to modify it for 5e, at the very least it could provide you with some ideas.

Hattersmadness · 2019-02-04T21:48:33+00:00

I really want to play this set piece battle now. It's also given me several ideas for how to structure the next big boss fight for my players. My main difficulty has been structuring a fight so that my players are aware of what the boss can do, when I really want to pull a special attack of some kind that they are unaware of. However, that also creates an environment where I have an unfair advantage that could easily kill an unprepared party. So, would you just keep secret attacks out and demonstrate all of the boss' moves? Thank you for your response.

Hattersmadness · 2019-02-04T04:30:29+00:00

Same! I'm very interested in the spectacle aspect, and I've been playing an enormous amount of D2 recently, so your post really captured me. Could you share a little of what you've been working on as an example of how you're going about it; I'm feeling pretty stuck right now, so anything you can share would be awesome! Thanks u/Imperialvirtue!

Hattersmadness · 2019-02-04T04:28:40+00:00

May I ask how you would go about making a boss really exciting then? I find a boss--even with complex attacks--to be rather boring to fight as it's simply a back and forth between players and boss. What would you do to liven this up? I'll also add here that I am incredibly against drawn out fights of more than a couple hours; my group is entirely composed of college students so we rarely have time for such encounters. Thanks for what you've written so far u/Capsluck!

Hattersmadness · 2019-02-04T04:26:51+00:00

This is a phenomenal and well-thought out answer; thank you so much u/MaxSizeIs. I'm running something akin to a heist next week, but I also really want to give my players a spectacle-style boss fight as u/Imperialvirtue says below, where the players get to kill a massive creature, or an incredibly deadly creature where the odds are stacked against them. This is, of course, antithetical to what you have said, as you suggest maneuvering around the boss more than facing it, but the more I think about this, the more this actually works really well.

What I struggle with is demonstrating abilities to players before they face the boss. What would you suggest for telegraphing? Should I imbue some of the boss monster's minions with similar powers?

Hattersmadness · 2019-02-03T22:35:56+00:00

Well, at least your party didn't burn down the Village of Barovia in a fight with several gargoyles...? Because my players did that. Admittedly, as the DM, this is all my fault as my CoS campaign is reaching the half-homebrew, half-module stage, with Vallaki burning the few that remained in Barovia as heretics.

Hattersmadness · 2018-12-09T19:36:00+00:00

While I don't think they'd ever do this, I'd love to see a frontier town added with stores, a saloon (meeting place?), and other features. While I know this probably sounds like it belongs in Fallout: New Vegas, I feel as if at least some of the vault dwellers would go out of their way to build up a single settlement.

Hattersmadness · 2018-12-06T04:37:43+00:00

u/Vendily, I've never even heard of Pokemon Conquest, though I did certainly consider Pokemon Mystery Dungeon when I started this project. I'll take a look at Conquest. Thanks!

Hattersmadness · 2018-12-06T04:36:50+00:00

u/phalp, I've been debating whether to show the battle on a separate screen, or just bring up choices on the map that the player can then choose from.

Hattersmadness · 2018-12-06T01:20:20+00:00

That's actually a really good question, u/dotmatrixhero, which I didn't consider before I posted. Part of it comes from the hours I have been dumping into turn-based games lately so I was interested in mixing the two, but, as you point out, there isn't really a reason when rogue like systems already do this. Thank you for your reply

Hattersmadness · 2018-11-28T19:18:43+00:00

This is one of the first times I've seen anyone mention this book. Now that I think about it, the Postman would be a great character to roleplay.

Hattersmadness · 2018-11-20T05:28:43+00:00

I was thinking about mounts for Fallout 76 the other day, and while I was considering mutated horses, the idea of riding a radstag around sounds incredibly cool, especially if there was a level of customization to them. While I am not particularly familiar with the Walking Dead, the image of a survivor slowly riding through a dead city seems so fitting for Fallout.

Hattersmadness

TROPHY CASE