School-setting RPG Campaigns That ARE NOT "Wizard School"?

RPGPundit · July 11, 2018, 05:00:42 AM

So, if you were to set an RPG campaign in a school, and it couldn't be a 'wizard school', what type of school would it be?

I'm betting the second most popular choice would be 'school for superheroes/mutants' in the X-men style. But does anyone have any other creative ideas?

Pat · July 11, 2018, 06:34:57 AM

A martial arts, fencing, or space cadet school could lend itself to all kinds of mischief. Rival schools, defending your honor, tests and challenges, family and politics, showing off, sporting competitions, etc.

rgalex · July 11, 2018, 07:19:08 AM

I think doing something along the lines of the Red Room, Gunslinger Girl or Deadly Class would be interesting. A bunch of kids from criminal families or orphans or whatever being raised and trained to be assassins. There's lots of room for rivalries between the students as they try to compete over the most outrageous kill or racing to claim a target before another school gets to it first.

Willie the Duck · July 11, 2018, 07:50:50 AM

Ahistoric, but what about 'squire school?'- wizard school (in pseudo-medieval backdrop) equivalent, but for the martial classes.

Maybe just a regular boarding school (perhaps set in a classic time period), and then the aliens/cluthlu-beasts/whatever come.

Cyberpunk 2020 had a neat supplement/spin-off called Cybergeneration where you played the kids of the characters you played in CP2020 (always thought it was a neat idea, but couldn't quite figure out what adding the constraints of childhood onto CP added).

spon · July 11, 2018, 08:46:22 AM

A couple of friends of mine have set their game in an "animal house" style American high school. I haven't played it myself but I've been told it's a lot of fun:
Sci-Fi Beta Kappa.

Dave 2 · July 11, 2018, 08:48:31 AM

Ninja High School. (The comic, not just the concept. But, the concept too.)

Dirk Remmecke · July 11, 2018, 09:37:26 AM

Quote from: Dave R;1048451Ninja High School. (The comic, not just the concept. But, the concept too.)

Available in d6 System and Savage Worlds flavour.

MonsterSlayer · July 11, 2018, 09:40:24 AM

I'd probably have to go the Buffy the Vampire Slayer high school/ or university. It would depend on the game but that is about the only setting involving a school that I would be interested in.

Although, my daughter is a Pokemon kick so I could see a training academy for Pokemon trainers in the near future.

ArrozConLeche · July 11, 2018, 10:20:34 AM

Nuke'Em High

Gabriel2 · July 11, 2018, 10:25:09 AM

Teenagers From Outer Space.

Starfleet Academy. Didn't LUG do a setting book or box for that?

Boot Camp. The guy who introduced me to RPG Inc's Recon back in the mid-80s said he had been introduced to it by a GM who ran a Boot Camp game. Get all that R Lee Ermey out of your system.

finarvyn · July 11, 2018, 10:57:08 AM

Quote from: MonsterSlayer;1048461I'd probably have to go the Buffy the Vampire Slayer high school/ or university. It would depend on the game but that is about the only setting involving a school that I would be interested in.

Yeah, something like a VanHelsing style game. Magic isn't real but there are monsters and we're going to train you how to kill them.

Toadmaster · July 11, 2018, 02:08:46 PM

Quote from: Willie the Duck;1048442Maybe just a regular boarding school (perhaps set in a classic time period), and then the aliens/cluthlu-beasts/whatever come.

That was my first thought, Cthulhu High. Creepy old boarding school where things man was not meant to know about occur on a regular basis. Could be straight horror, or maybe the school selects students specifically to train the next generation of investigators.

Brand55 · July 11, 2018, 02:54:36 PM

I've been running East Texas University for about a year now. It's college with monsters/demons/etc. thrown into the mix. Very fun. There are no safe spaces at ETU, though my players probably wish there were at times.

There's also Panty Explosion aka Tokyo Brain Pop for those interested in psychic Japanese schoolgirls fighting monsters. I've never read or played it but it is a thing that exists.

I've definitely toyed with the super hero high school idea, but another that's crossed my mind is feuding fencing schools. I played with the idea for a bit using Pirates of the Spanish Main some years ago, but my group ended up going with a different game so nothing ever came of it.

Omega · July 11, 2018, 03:05:00 PM

Quote from: RPGPundit;1048430So, if you were to set an RPG campaign in a school, and it couldn't be a 'wizard school', what type of school would it be?

I'm betting the second most popular choice would be 'school for superheroes/mutants' in the X-men style. But does anyone have any other creative ideas?

Done one set in a frat house "Animal House" style. That one got pretty raunchy. Was using Beyond the Supernatural as the base. Just minus any supernatural.

Didnt get to play in it but wayyyy back a DM was setting up a Top Secret session that was effective spy school.

Seen, but never played in a few "Thieves Guild" campaigns.

Knight Hawks pack in module has the PCs potentially start off as cadets on training missions.

And while not quite school related. There is an old mini module in early Dragon for D&D where you are modern day boy scouts and other kids exploring a haunted house.

jhkim · July 11, 2018, 04:27:20 PM

My favorite is Hellcats & Hockeysticks, adapted from the St. Trinians comics and movies.

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https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/65704/Hellcats-and-Hockeysticks