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How gonzo is too gonzo?

Started by The Butcher, March 02, 2013, 01:20:48 PM

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Opaopajr

Just like in the chronicles of Corum, in the plane dominated by Xiombarg, eventually chaos unchecked exhausts itself into a desert of endless, shifting banality.

Context is God, disobey that and eventually you have pseudo-post-modern gibberish. Yes Virginia, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. That and people hate a bait and switch, so be extra careful mid-campaign.
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jeff37923

Gonzo has its place in gaming.

Of course, if you think it is too gonzo, then you obviously haven't been drinking enough. :D
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Daddy Warpig

Not to dodge the question, but it depends on what you mean by "gonzo".

I'm a huge fan of Torg, which many people (to my surprise) describe as gonzo.

Yet rocket-ships and rayguns in fantasy turn me off, unless the entire campaign is defined as such from the beginning. Which Torg is.

Barrier Peaks? Not interested.

Shadowrun? Love it.

It may seem contradictory, but that's just my comfort level.

("Gnomish amazons, riding kangaroos, throwing hand grenades at the shoggoths" sounds pretty awesome, if there's a world where that sort of thing makes sense.)
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Melan

Quote from: PatW;633632Remember, D&D is incredibly gonzo right out of the box - we're all just used to it.  You've got pun monsters like sea lions, you've got man-eating furniture, you've got half-owl half-bears, you've got giant flying eyeballs with smaller eyeballs that shoot deathrays, you've got robot lobsters that you can drive around.  This is the default D&D universe.  It's completely ridiculous.
Very good point, but note that sea lions are actually from mythology. As are D&D's gas-breathing armoured cow gorgons.
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jibbajibba

depends on context.  

One of my problems with old TSR modules was that there was no internal consistency, if each giant can eat a cow a day and there are 200 giants where are all the cows. Why is there a magic statue that answers riddles ?
So if I wanted something so disconnected I just used the random dungeon generator in the DMG.

If you present yourself as a logical world then I need internal consistency. If you present yourself as a post apocalypic fantasy world where the Old ones have triggered the apocalypse to reclaim earth then gnomes on Kangaroos chucking grenades at shoggoths is practically a trope.
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Anon Adderlan

Quote from: CRKrueger;633548For example, Heavy Metal as a D&D adventure would be pretty gonzo, but at the same time, it's not slapstick gonzo.

Funny you mention that, because I've found simply adding more METAL will counter the silly in Gonzo.

Quote from: Silverlion;633602Gonzo for me is good.
Silly for me is bad.

This. And it largely depends on how well you can maintain mood and tone.

PatW

Quote from: Anon Adderlan;633701Funny you mention that, because I've found simply adding more METAL will counter the silly in Gonzo.
That is a very good way to put it. The more ridiculous it is, the more deadly it has to be - I think the reason gonzo works is that it's a contrast between the unlikeliness of the content versus the serious consequences of the content.

When it doesn't work, I think it's because its out of context (3 years of a high fantasy political intrigue and then suddenly a UFO crashes into the capital and disgorges Elvis), or because the DM doesn't present the subject matter seriously (Tootles the clown ignores your feeble blow and honks his nose at you!  Now what do you do?)

For an excellent example of gonzo done right, check out Planet Algol's play reports on http://planetalgol.blogspot.com.
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Black Vulmea

Quote from: PatW;633721. . . (3 years of a high fantasy political intrigue and then suddenly a UFO crashes into the capital and disgorges Elvis) . . .
*yoink!*
"Of course five generic Kobolds in a plain room is going to be dull. Making it potentially not dull is kinda the GM\'s job." - #Ladybird, theRPGsite

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ACS

TristramEvans

I need at least enough intenernal consistency from a setting that I can suspend disbelief. The game can be as gonzo as it likes as long as it revolves around this core. Most gonzo games don't try for any rationalization, however, they just throw things in independent of each other with no connection nor basis because it's "kewl".

Black Vulmea

Quote from: TristramEvans;633798I need at least enough intenernal consistency from a setting that I can suspend disbelief. The game can be as gonzo as it likes as long as it revolves around this core.
*DING!* Winnah!
"Of course five generic Kobolds in a plain room is going to be dull. Making it potentially not dull is kinda the GM\'s job." - #Ladybird, theRPGsite

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ACS

The Butcher

Lots of great insight in this thread, thank you all. Especially Pat, you're the one who got me into this mess with your damn brilliant module. ;)

Also very thankful to those who brought up the "bait-and-switch" thing, I'll try to set expectations accordingly. And Anon makes a meaningful distinction between silly and gonzo by bringing up danger and consequences. I'll try and keep that in mind.

I suppose making them start out in the boondocks, relatively unaware of the big bad world beyond, should do the trick.

On the other hand, I have the damnedest hard time looking at a module and using it as written. I'm in the process of breaking down Ashes of Middenheim and putting it together in a new shape of my own choosing (players' choices help a lot in this actually) and I don't discard doing something like that in the future; especially since ASE has brought my imagination over to a rolling boil with new ideas and ways I could implement and expand upon some of the building blocks Pat's used on his world-building.

I'll also try to go back and read the old Planet Algol and Henchman Abuse entries.

Spinachcat

It all depends on the shared willingness to suspend disbelief. Every player is different and every group is different so the GM needs to gauge what is the acceptable level of disbelief and plan accordingly.

When I run "gonzo fantasy", I announce it upfront so players know "I need to increase my suspension of disbelief to enjoy this game...or not play".  

Immersion is tough, but if the GM does enough to support the internal consistency of the setting AND the players do their part suspending disbelief, then you can go deep in the gonzo. But both GM and players need to sign on.

Daddy Warpig

Quote from: Spinachcat;633867It all depends on the shared willingness to suspend disbelief. Every player is different and every group is different so the GM needs to gauge what is the acceptable level of disbelief and plan accordingly.

When I run "gonzo fantasy", I announce it upfront so players know "I need to increase my suspension of disbelief to enjoy this game...or not play".
I call that the Bullshit Tax.
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RPGPundit

If it ever gets too Gonzo for me, I'll let you know.
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