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Just curious, anyone know of games without any sort of violence inherent in the premise?

Like games about helping people and giving out hugs and crap?

The only one I've read was Clash's Tools of Ignorance - a baseball RPG.  I'm sure there's a million storygames without violence, but that's the only traditional non-violent RPG I can think of.

My Little Pony?

:D

Quote from: Dave;649701The only one I've read was Clash's Tools of Ignorance - a baseball RPG.  I'm sure there's a million storygames without violence, but that's the only traditional non-violent RPG I can think of.

Baseball players sometimes give Bro-hugs...

I don't know if high fives count...:D

-clash

Blue Rose could probably be run that way, though it has a little more implied conflict.

Monsterhearts is an AW variant and this runs a little toward the storygame side of things but it's supernatural romance.

Quote from: Dave;649701The only one I've read was Clash's Tools of Ignorance - a baseball RPG.  I'm sure there's a million storygames without violence, but that's the only traditional non-violent RPG I can think of.

Hrn that does remind me...

Anyway - well, it is a good topic, because I believe that combat mechanics are somewhat integral to RPGs, whether for good or worse. It is very interesting, because a similar phenomena is in video games, but in a different way - often games that'd be perfect without combat, or with just a little of it, feature "obligatory combat sequences", just to ensure that violent itch is satisfied. There is just something about us that wants an option for violence to be on the table, I suppose.

Well, I've mentioned the Japanese Yuuyake Koyake before, especially since the English translation is currently up on Kickstarter under the title Golden Sky Stories. It's about magical shapeshifting animals who help the ordinary people of a small countryside town with their everyday problems, and violence is no solution. For example, the demo here (http://starlinepublishing.com/golden-sky-stories-tabletop-day-2013-demo/) revolves around recovering a local boy's confiscated football from a vacationing big city cop who needs to learn to relax sometimes.

Quote from: The Yann Waters;649768Well, I've mentioned the Japanese Yuuyake Koyake before, especially since the English translation is currently up on Kickstarter under the title Golden Sky Stories. It's about magical shapeshifting animals who help the ordinary people of a small countryside town with their everyday problems, and violence is no solution. For example, the demo here (http://starlinepublishing.com/golden-sky-stories-tabletop-day-2013-demo/) revolves around recovering a local boy's confiscated football from a vacationing big city cop who needs to learn to relax sometimes.

I'm pretty violently and completely irrationally allergic to weeaboo.

But that might be up my all.....

Quoteby Ryo Kamiya, the creator of Maid: The Role-Playing Game.

...

QuoteWe already have some experience publishing a Japanese tabletop RPG by way of Maid RPG

*_-

QuoteThis book is for making stories

...

QuoteIt's a non-violent story game

*sigh*

Quote from: Piestrio;649772*_-

Also, seems like ordering it you can get Maid cheaper/free as a bonus...

Wich kinda changed my views on the game, to put it extremely mildly...

Or, to put my reaction in a way roughly analogous to yours:

o_O

Quote from: Rincewind1;649748Hrn that does remind me...

Anyway - well, it is a good topic, because I believe that combat mechanics are somewhat integral to RPGs, whether for good or worse. It is very interesting, because a similar phenomena is in video games, but in a different way - often games that'd be perfect without combat, or with just a little of it, feature "obligatory combat sequences", just to ensure that violent itch is satisfied. There is just something about us that wants an option for violence to be on the table, I suppose.

Yup. Planescape Torment is a great example. The combat portions on that game would be easily purged with no damage to the experience.

Though I dont think whole combat sub-systems are mandatory to rpgs. In fact, I think some of them would be better without it.

GSS mostly seems to be about "telling stories" in much the same sense as (for instance) WoD is. Its task resolution system in the full version runs on diceless resource management, with players spending points from Feelings (gained from the relationships that other people have to the character) to augment the four attributes when necessary and points from Wonder (gained from the relationships that the character has to other people) to fuel the mystical abilities of their animal type.

It's been cropping up in discussions about non-violent RPGs for years now.

Quote from: The Yann Waters;649784GSS mostly seems to be about "telling stories" in much the same sense as (for instance) WoD is. Its task resolution system in the full version runs on diceless resource management, with players spending points from Feelings (gained from the relationships that other people have to the character) to augment the four attributes when necessary and points from Wonder (gained from the relationships that the character has to other people) to fuel the mystical abilities of their animal type.

It's been cropping up in discussions about non-violent RPGs for years now.

The Maid connection does it for me I'm afraid.

I can't express how absolutely disgusted and horrified I am by the game the apologetics that go on around it.

And I mean that with absolutely no internet hyperbole whatsoever.

It quite literally* makes me sick to my stomach.

*literally literally, not "figuratively literately"

Quote from: The Yann Waters;649784GSS mostly seems to be about "telling stories" in much the same sense as (for instance) WoD is. Its task resolution system in the full version runs on diceless resource management, with players spending points from Feelings (gained from the relationships that other people have to the character) to augment the four attributes when necessary and points from Wonder (gained from the relationships that the character has to other people) to fuel the mystical abilities of their animal type.

It's been cropping up in discussions about non-violent RPGs for years now.

Interesting, it looks similar to the Persona 3 game I played recently, where your personas (think mystical alter-egos that manifest in a astral-like world ) get stronger the more you relate yurself with friends. Its a nice mechanic that helps develop and deepen the npcs while giving you a concrete reward for that.

I wonder how it would work on a tabletop rpg.

How is it games without combat are "sickly?" Hell, I can run superhero games where combat rarely occurs--focusing on rescues/investigations, and it still be action oriented and not sickly at all.

Quote from: Silverlion;649871How is it games without combat are "sickly?" Hell, I can run superhero games where combat rarely occurs--focusing on rescues/investigations, and it still be action oriented and not sickly at all.

You accidentally a word.

Quote from: Silverlion;649871How is it games without combat are "sickly?" Hell, I can run superhero games where combat rarely occurs--focusing on rescues/investigations, and it still be action oriented and not sickly at all.

Good point. I mean if I say was to run a game in the style of 60s Superman, say, there'd be Little or no combat involved (and what "combat" there would be would largely be of the "pick up dudes and deliver them to the police" variety) but "sickly" wouldn't be my choice of words to describe it, no. :D

A crime/detective game not all-out pulp would likely not involve huge amounts of combat either but certainly wouldn't be "sweet".

Just a couple examples.

Quote from: The Ent;649874Good point. I mean if I say was to run a game in the style of 60s Superman, say, there'd be Little or no combat involved (and what "combat" there would be would largely be of the "pick up dudes and deliver them to the police" variety) but "sickly" wouldn't be my choice of words to describe it, no. :D

A crime/detective game not all-out pulp would likely not involve huge amounts of combat either but certainly wouldn't be "sweet".

Just a couple examples.

Right, but I'm specifically asking about:

Quotegames about helping people and giving out hugs and crap

I'm not sure how you guys arrived at the idea that I think all non-violent games are "sickly sweet".

[insert mildly insulting picture about the importance of reading here] :p

There is my little pony (I think for SW but I did not stay long enough to heck), and I am quite sure it's mostly hugs. You can also be a cool kid and write an Apocalypse World hack for Care Bears, where instead of sex moves there are hug moves.

Quote from: Piestrio;649880Right, but I'm specifically asking about:



I'm not sure how you guys arrived at the idea that I think all non-violent games are "sickly sweet".

Oh, well, sorry. Didn't intend to misrepresent your argument. Mea culpa. :o

Only "hugs" game I can Think of is the one by the Maid folks, wich I know minimally about and thus don't have a lot to add or say about that. Personally I might well be positive towards a "huggy" game if it was well made and wasn't made by perverts; that rules out said huggy game and that's that I suppose.

Quote from: Piestrio;649880[insert mildly insulting picture about the importance of reading here] :p

:D

Quote from: Rincewind1;649883There is my little pony (I think for SW but I did not stay long enough to heck), and I am quite sure it's mostly hugs.

...there's a Pony RPG!? :eek:
Oh well, at least I know what the first couple pages of the TBP pbp subforum is going to consist of for a couple years, then...:rolleyes:

Quote from: Piestrio;649880Right, but I'm specifically asking about:



I'm not sure how you guys arrived at the idea that I think all non-violent games are "sickly sweet".

[insert mildly insulting picture about the importance of reading here] :p

Well, I read it but I don't see anything wrong with it..just like superhero games without combat. I see nothing wrong with Golden Sky Stories, for example.
Far better than a game like Poison'd or other misery-porn games.

There was that game about kids from a flying temple playing people, but it was a storygame.

Quote from: Piestrio;649699Just curious, anyone know of games without any sort of violence inherent in the premise?

Like games about helping people and giving out hugs and crap?

Hârn

My Harn games always featured a significant level of deadly violence, although less frequent than D&D.  This was also true of Blue Rose.  

There's Tools of Ignorance, along with Ian Warner's games Tough Justice, Courtesans, and Doxy.  Those are pretty strictly non-violent.  

On the low violence side are Faery's Tale, The Zorcerer of Zo, and Teenagers from Outer Space.  (Violence is covered in the system, and implied for some adventures - but a lot of adventure pitches are non-violent.)  

There are also other kid-genre RPGs like Toon, Rocky and Bullwinkle, and some others like the Pokemon Jr. Adventure Game - which feature a lot of non-lethal violence.  

I'm not sure about some others, like Kristan Wheaton's Neighborhood RPG (1982), Meddling Kids (2004), and Argyle & Crew (2011).

Quote from: silva;649805Interesting, it looks similar to the Persona 3 game I played recently, where your personas (think mystical alter-egos that manifest in a astral-like world ) get stronger the more you relate yurself with friends. Its a nice mechanic that helps develop and deepen the npcs while giving you a concrete reward for that.

I wonder how it would work on a tabletop rpg.

Cluney's earliest comments about the Yuuyake Koyake translation (here (http://j-rpg.com/talk/discussion/8/x)) already included some details about the social point economy.

Quote from: Ewen Cluney at J-RPG BlogThe heart of the game is in the flow of Connections to Wonder and Feelings. You set up Connections to the town and to each of the other PCs before you start a story. A connection has a Strength (a number from 1 to 5) and Contents (what kind of bond it is; Admiration, Affection, Rivalry, etc.), and connections go two ways. One character's connection towards another has a Strength and Contents separate from the partner's connection back at them.

At the start of each scene you gain points of Wonder equal to your connections towards others, and points of Feelings equal to your points of connections from others. (Contents are pretty much purely descriptive). You can spend Wonder to use your henge's special powers, Feelings to boost your attributes for action checks, and transforming uses a mixture of Wonder and/or Feelings. Players can also award Dreams to other players (and the Narrator/GM) whenever a character do something neat. Between scenes you can spend Dreams to strengthen your Connections. However, when you first meet someone you can make an "Impression Check" on whatever attribute you want to use, and create a new Connection with a strength of 1 or 2.

At the end of the story, you lose all of your current Connections, but you get Memories points equal to your total non-town connections to others, and a Thread for each Connection you had. Memories can be used as Wonder or Feelings, but they're gone once you use them. Threads record a person and the contents of the former bond, and if they show up again in a subsequent story your new Connection to them has its strength increased by one (and you can accumulate multiple Threads towards the same character).

Who would want this shit?

Quote from: The Yann Waters;649768Well, I've mentioned the Japanese Yuuyake Koyake before, especially since the English translation is currently up on Kickstarter under the title Golden Sky Stories. It's about magical shapeshifting animals who help the ordinary people of a small countryside town with their everyday problems, and violence is no solution. For example, the demo here (http://starlinepublishing.com/golden-sky-stories-tabletop-day-2013-demo/) revolves around recovering a local boy's confiscated football from a vacationing big city cop who needs to learn to relax sometimes.

I dunno. The rabbit may be able to make mochi, which involves pounding rice with a huge wooden mallet. Having done it before, I can tell you that if your "rice flipper" gets his timing off the consequences could include a splatter effect ;)

Maybe the rabbit is the rice flipper.

Quote from: Shawn Driscoll;649976Hârn

True. Below we can see the evidence, frankly, I can't tell the difference between My Little Pony and this:

(http://bbesigallery.bloodybohemianearspooninn.com/d/118-2/f_HarnCoverm_ac5.jpg)

Helping people and giving out hugs and crap.

Quote from: Claudius;652060True. Below we can see the evidence, frankly, I can't tell the difference between My Little Pony and this:

(http://bbesigallery.bloodybohemianearspooninn.com/d/118-2/f_HarnCoverm_ac5.jpg)

Helping people and giving out hugs and crap.

My Little Harn: Feudalism is Magic

I really love that illustration, by the way. Sends a rather clear message about the style of the game.

Quote from: The Yann Waters;649768Well, I've mentioned the Japanese Yuuyake Koyake before, especially since the English translation is currently up on Kickstarter under the title Golden Sky Stories. It's about magical shapeshifting animals who help the ordinary people of a small countryside town with their everyday problems, and violence is no solution. For example, the demo here (http://starlinepublishing.com/golden-sky-stories-tabletop-day-2013-demo/) revolves around recovering a local boy's confiscated football from a vacationing big city cop who needs to learn to relax sometimes.

Sounds like it might work for children, and a corebook-sized space has recently opened up in my gaming budget! So that's a thing. Pledged, and on the list for when Adorable Daughter is older.

Quote from: jhkim;649981On the low violence side are Faery's Tale, The Zorcerer of Zo, and Teenagers from Outer Space.  (Violence is covered in the system, and implied for some adventures - but a lot of adventure pitches are non-violent.)  

There are also other kid-genre RPGs like Toon, Rocky and Bullwinkle, and some others like the Pokemon Jr. Adventure Game - which feature a lot of non-lethal violence.  

I'm not sure about some others, like Kristan Wheaton's Neighborhood RPG (1982), Meddling Kids (2004), and Argyle & Crew (2011).

Instead of "low violence" or "non-lethal violence", just say "cartoon violence" and that is far more accurate without the wordplay. Teenagers From Outer Space, for example, has bonk instead of hit points - if you are damaged beyond your bonk score, than you sit out of the action for the number of rounds equal to how many points your bonk score was exceeded. You can still have an anvil dropped on your character, but instead of death, the character just sits there for awhile slowly wheezing in and out like an accordian a la Wile E. Coyote.

The violence is still there, it is just handled differently.

Quote from: jeff37923;652096Instead of "low violence" or "non-lethal violence", just say "cartoon violence" and that is far more accurate without the wordplay. Teenagers From Outer Space, for example, has bonk instead of hit points - if you are damaged beyond your bonk score, than you sit out of the action for the number of rounds equal to how many points your bonk score was exceeded. You can still have an anvil dropped on your character, but instead of death, the character just sits there for awhile slowly wheezing in and out like an accordian a la Wile E. Coyote.

The violence is still there, it is just handled differently.

There are two factors here:  one is the lethality of the violence, and one is the frequency of the violence.  For example, some superhero games are based on four-color comics with no killing - but that genre is still loaded with fighting.  Likewise, Toon have completely non-lethal combat - but the genre of Looney Tunes adventures is also loaded with combat.  

Teenagers from Outer Space, though, isn't necessarily loaded with combat.   Some of the inspirational media features more standard sitcom fare of social embarrassment, romantic misadventures, mistaken identity, and other gags rather than violent slapstick.  

Likewise, The Zorcerer of Zo is based on the Oz stories - which have rare bits of violence, but nowhere near the frequency of a typical Looney Tunes episode.

Quote from: jhkim;652181There are two factors here:  one is the lethality of the violence, and one is the frequency of the violence.  For example, some superhero games are based on four-color comics with no killing - but that genre is still loaded with fighting.  Likewise, Toon have completely non-lethal combat - but the genre of Looney Tunes adventures is also loaded with combat.  

Teenagers from Outer Space, though, isn't necessarily loaded with combat.   Some of the inspirational media features more standard sitcom fare of social embarrassment, romantic misadventures, mistaken identity, and other gags rather than violent slapstick.  

Likewise, The Zorcerer of Zo is based on the Oz stories - which have rare bits of violence, but nowhere near the frequency of a typical Looney Tunes episode.

You really don't know what you are talking about, do you?

Let me help you. This is not about the media that inspired the games, but about the games and how they play.

Oddly our CoC games are typically non-violent.

There is the horrific threat of terrible violence but 95% of the game has none.
If you resort to violence is it usually very quick and you die.

I find super hero and toon style games to be the polar opposite.
There is constant violence but it doesn't carry any genuine threat. So in a supers game, ceretainly if you emulate the comics you are fighting most of the time, however no one ever gets hurt.
In CoC, like int eh books, you very very rarely fight and when you do people die.

Quote from: jibbajibba;652185There is constant violence but it doesn't carry any genuine threat. So in a supers game, ceretainly if you emulate the comics you are fighting most of the time, however no one ever gets hurt.

I've frequently thought about a game concept based around Unreal Tournament-esque deathmatch leagues. It had never occurred to me that perhaps Toon is the perfect system for UT, fast paced bloody but ultimately harmless fighting.

Quote from: jeff37923;652182You really don't know what you are talking about, do you?

Let me help you. This is not about the media that inspired the games, but about the games and how they play.

Quote from: jibbajibba;652185Oddly our CoC games are typically non-violent.

There is the horrific threat of terrible violence but 95% of the game has none.
If you resort to violence is it usually very quick and you die.

I find super hero and toon style games to be the polar opposite.

I agree with JibbaJibba.  I've been in one on-and-off Call of Cthulhu campaign where we haven't had a single combat in nearly a dozen sessions.  On the other hand, I've been in other CoC games that were in the shotguns-and-dynamite style, with most sessions having at least one combat - though typically against cultists rather than monsters.  The question is, what is "normal" for a game?  

I think going by the advice, adventure seeds, and examples is a fair cue.  From these, I think that CoC could be classified in relatively low violence in that it emphasizes investigation, but nearly every adventure requires violence to resolve successfully.  

I also agree about superhero games and Toon being high-violence, though also non-lethal cartoon violence.  


I classify TFOS, Faery's Tale, and Zorcerer of Zo differently - because many suggested adventures don't require any violence.  The adventure seeds often aren't about defeating an enemy, but rather getting a date, or helping someone, or finding something out.  TFOS has potential for slapstick violence as is common in Ranma 1/2, say, but I've played in some games of it with very little of that.  I think there is more support for this in the game as written than in CoC.  The introductory adventure for my edition of Teenagers from Outer Space, for example, is a race to catch a flying stone to win the hand of an alien princess.  There's no inherent violence in this scenario. PCs could attack each other, but it's not suggested or necessary.

Quote from: Piestrio;649699Just curious, anyone know of games without any sort of violence inherent in the premise?

Like games about helping people and giving out hugs and crap?

Do you mean without violence or without conflict?  A game without conflict is inherently a non-starter, I'd say.

'Cause a game of, I dunno, modern fantasy based around trying to keep a homeless shelter open could involve no violence and still be conflictual as all hell, despite being about helping people and maybe giving out the occasional hug (or bowl of soup).  

Even a game like Cat, where the main premise is cats have to keep the stupid humans safe from Boggins (negative emotions personified, really) because the humans just can't take care of themselves, has the potential for conflict and violence - if not between cats and Boggins, then between cats and dogs, or cats and other cats.  Because, y'know.  Cats.

Most games have to at least account for violence, though many don't emphasize it.

Quote from: Erstwhile;652636Do you mean without violence or without conflict?  A game without conflict is inherently a non-starter, I'd say.

'Cause a game of, I dunno, modern fantasy based around trying to keep a homeless shelter open could involve no violence and still be conflictual as all hell, despite being about helping people and maybe giving out the occasional hug (or bowl of soup).  

Even a game like Cat, where the main premise is cats have to keep the stupid humans safe from Boggins (negative emotions personified, really) because the humans just can't take care of themselves, has the potential for conflict and violence - if not between cats and Boggins, then between cats and dogs, or cats and other cats.  Because, y'know.  Cats.

Most games have to at least account for violence, though many don't emphasize it.

Tools of Ignorance has no provision for violence. The conflicts are both internal (Do I take performance enhancing drugs to save my career? Do I cheat on my wife?) and external (The baseball games) without violence being an option. have you ever seen a baseball brawl? It's a bunch of millionaires shoving each other around.

-clash

Quote from: flyingmice;652696Tools of Ignorance has no provision for violence. The conflicts are both internal (Do I take performance enhancing drugs to save my career? Do I cheat on my wife?) and external (The baseball games) without violence being an option. have you ever seen a baseball brawl? It's a bunch of millionaires shoving each other around.

-clash

Also it really boils down to who strikes first with that heavy baseball bat they're carrying :P.

Quote from: Rincewind1;652704Also it really boils down to who strikes first with that heavy baseball bat they're carrying :P.

And that pretty much covers it. :D

-clash

Quote from: flyingmice;652696Tools of Ignorance has no provision for violence. The conflicts are both internal (Do I take performance enhancing drugs to save my career? Do I cheat on my wife?) and external (The baseball games) without violence being an option. have you ever seen a baseball brawl? It's a bunch of millionaires shoving each other around.

-clash

Interesting.  D'you think it could it be adapted to be sickly sweet and involve helping people and giving hugs?  Piestrio seemed very big on the hugging. :D

Quote from: Erstwhile;652916Interesting.  D'you think it could it be adapted to be sickly sweet and involve helping people and giving hugs?  Piestrio seemed very big on the hugging. :D

It's currently fashionable in baseball circles to give Bro-hugs, so that's covered. All that would be needed would be a sub-plot involving a child cancer patient charity like the Jimmy Fund - baseball players visiting hospitals with little bald-headed waifs innocently trusting their heroes are not taking PEDs or screwing waitresses and loading on the guilt from their misery tourism, then generating bonuses and penalties based on that guilt. A simple add on. :D

-clash

"The Makers of Wishes", A Tools of Ignorance scenario.

Relieve the heart - warming moments as you are the man Little Jimmy wants to see, before he perishes from bone cancer. Ponder as you go to visit your mistress, about the legless kid whose photo you have signed. And what about the big game in a week, where the chemo wing of kid hospital comes to see? Will you take the drugs to be their hero, or will you fight on your own?

Quote from: Rincewind1;653067"The Makers of Wishes", A Tools of Ignorance scenario.

Relieve the heart - warming moments as you are the man Little Jimmy wants to see, before he perishes from bone cancer. Ponder as you go to visit your mistress, about the legless kid whose photo you have signed. And what about the big game in a week, where the chemo wing of kid hospital comes to see? Will you take the drugs to be their hero, or will you fight on your own?

Yes! There you go, Piestrio! That's got it all!

Now we have to write this! :D

-clash

No, seriously you don't.

Quote from: Ronin;653393No, seriously you don't.

Heeeheee! :D

The trick is to make the kid pathetic without making them laughable.  The whole thing rides on the believability of the kid.  I'd go with a burn victim.  That lets you kill off the family without stretching your background into the absurd.  The father was out at the bar and survived while the mother and siblings perished.  Our little tyke only survived because the mother threw him out of the second floor window into the lilac bush.  But even then he's got bad burn scars on 90% of his body and may never walk again.

Some bad actors in the press are suggesting the father might be an arsonist / murderer and he certainly hasn't been hanging around the hospital.  In fact he bought a new sports car right after the fire.  He's also been seen in the company of a trashy looking young lady.  Of course, the family didn't have any insurance and the trashy looking young lady is his sister and the sports car is hers but these low end radio shock jocks are just hinting and speculating to drive up ratings.

But the kid loves baseball.  He's a baseball fanatic and was a pretty solid Little League player before the fire.  And he's also an Encyclopedia Brown and Hardy Boys reader and he means to find out what really happened to his mom come hell or high water.

Quote from: RPGPundit;652041Who would want this shit?

Well, the GSS Kickstarter ended an hour ago with 2350 backers  and $85,266 funding. Clearly there's a market niche for it.

Quote from: The Yann Waters;656459Well, the GSS Kickstarter ended an hour ago with 2350 backers  and $85,266 funding. Clearly there's a market niche for it.

Haha! That's quite a niche! More power to 'em!

-clash

Quote from: The Yann Waters;656459Well, the GSS Kickstarter ended an hour ago with 2350 backers  and $85,266 funding. Clearly there's a market niche for it.

Well you know theres a saying, "There's a sucker born every minute"

Somehow seems appropriate, no?

Golden Sky Stories - oh good, combining pedophilia and bestiality.  Let me guess, Golden Showers fall from a Golden Sky?

Quote from: CRKrueger;656521Golden Sky Stories - oh good, combining pedophilia and bestiality.  Let me guess, Golden Showers fall from a Golden Sky?

With Maid a part of the package, you can now storygame I mean roleplay the future of your furry little hero!

Quote from: Rincewind1;656605With Maid a part of the package, you can now storygame I mean roleplay the future of your furry little hero!

Actually, the second of the original supplements for GSS apparently introduces the elder henge as a PC option.

My Little Pony, Adventure Time, there is a LOTRs hack called Bilbo's and Bagginses or something like that. Argyle and Crew. Various pro-wrasslin' RPGs.

The Adventure Time rpg has no violence inherent in the premise?

Did the people making it ever watch adventure time??

RPGPundit

Quote from: RPGPundit;657448The Adventure Time rpg has no violence inherent in the premise?

Did the people making it ever watch adventure time??

RPGPundit

He's definitely mistaken on that front, the only Adventure Time RPG I'm aware of plays about as violent as any other 4e hack.

Adventure Time violence isn't particularly violent. Candy people seem to smile whenever they get a limb lopped off, most situations can be won by beatboxing and some sick dance moves.

Quote from: LibraryLass;657509He's definitely mistaken on that front, the only Adventure Time RPG I'm aware of plays about as violent as any other 4e hack.

Good!

Quote from: everloss;657727Adventure Time violence isn't particularly violent. Candy people seem to smile whenever they get a limb lopped off, most situations can be won by beatboxing and some sick dance moves.

I remember at least a couple of decapitations, and I think Finn once sliced a dragon in two longways.

Quote from: LibraryLass;657813I remember at least a couple of decapitations, and I think Finn once sliced a dragon in two longways.

He did slice the dragon in half, but there was no blood, or even guts! It was filled with happy, smiling candy people, who safely fell to the ground. The dragon's body just disappeared off screen, if I remember correctly.

Things die in Adventure Time, but usually off screen or in a comical way. The only thing in the show that I wouldn't use in a game with kids is The Lich.

It was pointed a few pages back, that it's cartoon violence, not non - violence ;).

The pre-release PDF of GSS was released to the Kickstarter backers last night. From reading the rules, the penalty for getting into a serious fight is in fact resetting your character's connection to the town. That's particularly heavy because the town connection is the only one that you can build up directly over consecutive scenarios.

There was a d20 Modern mini campaign in Polyhedron called Hi-Jinx that replaced all combat with musical performance. Classes were band members (guitar, singer, drums, bass). I believe it was the band (party) vs the croud's mood or enthusiasm. Something like that. It was Dungeon #99/Polyhedron #158.

Those mini campaigns were pretty cool.

Quote from: Jeffrywith1e;659684There was a d20 Modern mini campaign in Polyhedron called Hi-Jinx that replaced all combat with musical performance. Classes were band members (guitar, singer, drums, bass). I believe it was the band (party) vs the croud's mood or enthusiasm. Something like that. It was Dungeon #99/Polyhedron #158.

Those mini campaigns were pretty cool.

Incredible that it is not as well-remembered as, say, Omega World...

By the way, the finished PDF of that GSS went up on Drivethru a couple of days ago, and the Kickstarter backers received coupon codes for the download. Now, to wait for the print version...

Anyway, the book includes two sample scenarios. In "At the Fox's Shrine", the PCs try to make friends with a fox henge (a kitsune, basically) who's a little too proud to admit that she's lonely in her forest shrine at the outskirts of the town. In "Crying in the Night", they help a scared little kid retrieve some forgotten homework from the school after dark, despite what sounds like ghostly sobbing somewhere out of sight (but obviously won't turn out to be anything terrible).

So that's strictly in the "helping people and giving out hugs and crap" territory. The closest thing to anything even remotely like a damage mechanic in the system is "Surprise": when confronted with unexpected weirdness, characters may scream, flee, freeze, or faint.

Quote from: The Yann Waters;689593The closest thing to anything even remotely like a damage mechanic in the system is "Surprise": when confronted with unexpected weirdness, characters may scream, flee, freeze, or faint.

For some reason this made me go :rotfl:

Quote from: Piestrio;649699Just curious, anyone know of games without any sort of violence inherent in the premise?

Like games about helping people and giving out hugs and crap?

As long as a game doesn't turn into The Ungame -- The RPG, I'm okay with an alternate type of RPG.

Quote from: The Ent;689737For some reason this made me go :rotfl:

Surprise doesn't incur the same relationship penalties as getting into actual fights, either, so for instance scaring people into running away can be used more conveniently to resolve conflicts. Quite a few of the different abilities and disadvantages tie into those reactions in some fashion. It's something of a tanuki specialty, in fact: they can transform into monsters as a basic power, and as an additional power may gain Dreams (the currency of developing relationships) by Surprising others with pranks.

Quote from: The Ent;689737For some reason this made me go :rotfl:

Indeed. My first instinct was "great, now we have Bed-wetting: The RPG."

I'm quite looking forward to my copy of GSS. The calender also solves a problem that I'll have come January 1st 2014...

Quote from: One Horse Town;689856Indeed. My first instinct was "great, now we have Bed-wetting: The RPG."

I don't really see why. One major example in the text is a grown man fainting when her daughter's tanuki friend goes a little overboard with shapeshifting tricks, while trying to persuade him not to move out of town. As it turns out, showing up as a monster and threatening to eat him unless he changes his plans might not have been the best of plans.

"OK, so by how much did you fail your surprise roll?"

"Oh, about 15 points. You know, the most you possibly can."

"Well, your character has a heart attack and dies from fright. Oh, and your bowels and bladder let loose when the heart attack hits, so your character is now covered in shit and piss, and dead."

:p

Quote from: jeff37923;689913"OK, so by how much did you fail your surprise roll?"

"Oh, about 15 points. You know, the most you possibly can."

"Well, your character has a heart attack and dies from fright. Oh, and your bowels and bladder let loose when the heart attack hits, so your character is now covered in shit and piss, and dead."

:p

Sounds like a typical encounter with a (greater) demon in Warhammer.

Quote from: Rincewind1;689917Sounds like a typical encounter with a (greater) demon in Warhammer.

I guess that's a first for Warhammer being mentioned in a thread about cute, non-violent RPGs...

Quote from: jeff37923;652096... Teenagers From Outer Space, for example, has bonk instead of hit points - if you are damaged beyond your bonk score, ...

Apologies if  this has been said already but I find this terminology hilarious, as "bonk" has a very different meaning in British English vernacular.  And its a game about Teenagers who, in  fights, bonk each other.  :p

Quote from: Psychman;689990Apologies if  this has been said already but I find this terminology hilarious, as "bonk" has a very different meaning in British English vernacular.  And its a game about Teenagers who, in  fights, bonk each other.  :p

Actually, it hasn't been said before. What is the meaning in British English vernacular? When did this become common?

Quote from: Rincewind1;689917Sounds like a typical encounter with a (greater) demon in Warhammer.

Sounds like most sanity mechanics and "fear saves" in general.

GSS is diceless, though, so there's no rolling. Surprise checks, when necessary, are instead based on comparing the Henge attribute to the other character's highest attribute. As usual with attribute checks, these values can be temporarily increased, or decreased, by bidding Feelings (a renewable resource based on how strongly other people feel connected to your PC at the moment) or Memories (a non-renewable resource based on how strongly connected to other people your PC has felt in previous scenarios).

The tanuki power of turning into monsters, "Bogey", simply gives a bonus to that.

Quote from: jeff37923;689999Actually, it hasn't been said before. What is the meaning in British English vernacular? When did this become common?

Bonk has been slang for shagging, fucking etc for as long as i can remember.

Quote from: The Yann Waters;690024Sounds like most sanity mechanics and "fear saves" in general.

GSS is diceless, though, so there's no rolling. Surprise checks, when necessary, are instead based on comparing the Henge attribute to the other character's highest attribute. As usual with attribute checks, these values can be temporarily increased, or decreased, by bidding Feelings (a renewable resource based on how strongly other people feel connected to your PC at the moment) or Memories (a non-renewable resource based on how strongly connected to other people your PC has felt in previous scenarios).

The tanuki power of turning into monsters, "Bogey", simply gives a bonus to that.

Sounds like a decent game for parents to play with their young kids.

Quote from: One Horse Town;690028Sounds like a decent game for parents to play with their young kids.

Well, yeah, that's certainly one of the reasons I backed it.

Also, there are lots of games about doing violence to things. Plenty of room for some games about other subjects, too.

Quote from: One Horse Town;690028Sounds like a decent game for parents to play with their young kids.

To quote the Kickstarter FAQ on "What age is Golden Sky Stories appropriate for?": "Children as young as 8-10 years old can potentially enjoy this game, and adults of any age so long as they come to it with the right mindset."

It's the sort of a game where an entire scenario might revolve around, say, finding a home for a stray kitten. While that of course doesn't limit the audience to children by design, grown-up gamers may need to tweak their expectations a little.

Quote from: The Yann Waters;690032While that of course doesn't limit the audience to children by design, grown-up gamers may need to tweak their expectations a little.

I mentioned a German "cute" RPG in the RQ/D&D Thread: Plush Power & Plunder (http://www.therpgsite.com/showpost.php?p=689681&postcount=257)

Quote from: meIn the 90s there was one system in particular that, for about 2 or 3 years, was the secondary system of almost every group: Plush Power & Plunder (basically a Toy Story RPG with plush animals). Their first adventure module in which teddy bears caused highjinx in a department store at night was as widely played and known as Keep on the Borderlands.

Despite the childish set-up the game was a huge hit with gamers of all ages.
It was enlightening to see all those metal t-shirt wearing monster bashers bringing the plush animals of their childhood to conventions to send them on adventures...

Quote from: Ladybird;690030Plenty of room for some games about other subjects, too.

For stretch goals backers were asked what other non-Japanese backgrounds/settings they would like to see developed:

• Faerie Skies: In an idyllic town in the English countryside, there are still fairies. This would be a setting very much like Golden Sky Stories, but based on Western fairy tales.
  
• Fantasy Friends: This is a variant of GSS that takes place in a village in an idyllic fantasy world. Adventurers may come and go, but the people and other things in town live their lives and grow closer.
  
• Friendship Time: After the great Shroom War, the land of Americana is awash with weirdoes and mutants. In this colorful world there are people made of candy or metal or stranger things besides, but they still come together as friends.
  
• Ponies (title TBD): Based on A Certain Cartoon, with the serial numbers filed off. Play as a colorful pony, and learn lessons about the magic of friendship.
  

The first two won, and will become available to backers.

Quote from: Dirk Remmecke;690037The first two won, and will become available to backers.

For the record, I voted for "Fantasy Friends". (Code word? YAYIFICATIONS.)

The additional pony henge from the bonus backer booklet is already awfully MLP-ish, by the way, complete with unicorns and pegasi as subtypes.

Quote from: Dirk Remmecke;690037For stretch goals backers were asked what other non-Japanese backgrounds/settings they would like to see developed:

• Faerie Skies: In an idyllic town in the English countryside, there are still fairies. This would be a setting very much like Golden Sky Stories, but based on Western fairy tales.
  
• Fantasy Friends: This is a variant of GSS that takes place in a village in an idyllic fantasy world. Adventurers may come and go, but the people and other things in town live their lives and grow closer.
  
• Friendship Time: After the great Shroom War, the land of Americana is awash with weirdoes and mutants. In this colorful world there are people made of candy or metal or stranger things besides, but they still come together as friends.
  
• Ponies (title TBD): Based on A Certain Cartoon, with the serial numbers filed off. Play as a colorful pony, and learn lessons about the magic of friendship.
  

The first two won, and will become available to backers.

As cool as the winners sound I am extremely disappointed at the lack of the other two. I cannot overstate the extent of my disappointment, because a system that can handle Adventure Time and My Little Pony would be high in the running for my favorite thing ever.

Quote from: Dirk Remmecke;690035Despite the childish set-up the game was a huge hit with gamers of all ages.
It was enlightening to see all those metal t-shirt wearing monster bashers bringing the plush animals of their childhood to conventions to send them on adventures...

I've actually used (A small horde of) Nici devil cuddly toys as... antagonists... in a game.

It went badly. That earth got over-ran by hordes of these cute fluffy hungry creatures who just wanted to play. And they were imps, not demons (They were very particular about this fact). We can't go back to that earth until I work out what to do with them. I had been thinking "have the cute fluffy things see superheroes, decide it looks fun, and do that!"... but where to go with the concept from there? It's too silly. It just doesn't work.

QuoteFor stretch goals backers were asked what other non-Japanese backgrounds/settings they would like to see developed:

The first two won, and will become available to backers.

I think I went for Faerie Skies and Ponies; Faerie was the one I wanted, for the second vote I didn't really care (Not being especially interested in any) and had talked to a Brony recently, so...

Quote from: LibraryLass;690090As cool as the winners sound I am extremely disappointed at the lack of the other two. I cannot overstate the extent of my disappointment, because a system that can handle Adventure Time and My Little Pony would be high in the running for my favorite thing ever.

GSS is a very low-crunch system. I'm sure there are fans that will put those together.

Anyone want to give a brief rundown of GSS?

Quote from: Piestrio;690143Anyone want to give a brief rundown of GSS?

Nature spirits help the inhabitants of an idyllic rural village with their little problems.

Quote from: Ladybird;690212Nature spirits help the inhabitants of an idyllic rural village with their little problems.

Calling the henge "spirits" might give a slightly wrong impression, though, since there's nothing ethereal about them. (Oddly, "henget" is the Finnish word for spirits.) It's just that sometimes animals are touched by a bit of magic and learn to take on a human form, complete with appropriate clothing. They don't know why that happens, and they don't particularly care. It's simply one of the many little mysteries in life.

As talking animals, the henge still have an outsider's perspective on human affairs, which can help people deal with everyday issues that they couldn't quite handle alone. So that's what the PCs do, when they aren't goofing off and just having fun. For instance, you could play a pet hamster that looks after the neighbourhood behind the owner's back.

As mentioned before, the simplified demo (http://starlinepublishing.com/golden-sky-stories-tabletop-day-2013-demo/) is up at the publisher's site. Hmm... Come to think of it, a look at the character sheet from the full version might illustrate what that sample left out from the mechanics.

(http://i1334.photobucket.com/albums/w655/YannWaters/GSS-Sheet_zpscae4ff45.jpg)

Note the way in which the arrows point how the Dreams (awarded by players to each other, including the GM) are invested into Connections, which in turn increase Wonder and Feelings, as well as leave behind more permanent Threads at the end of the story.