Historical Figures as gamers

[nexus]

Assuming the premise that rpgs as we know them have existed for much longer than they have in reality (as long as necessary), what famous historical figures do you think might have been gamers at some point in their lives and what sort of games might they have played? Be as serious or humorous as you like.

My first pick is H P Lovecraft: A loner, slightly emotionally disturbed, particularly as a child and kind of a geek; He fits the profile. :D

[teh bunneh]

The Emporer Qi of China. He carried a big box of 6-siders whenever he traveled. True story!

[Supreme Serpent]

A lot of writers could have been. Of course, they might not have written what they did or as much of it then. Guys like Robert E. Howard could have been too busy working on their campaigns to actually do stories.

Marquis de Sade.

Napoleon, Alexander and the like would of course have been hard core wargamers. In a way, one could say that they were, just with very realistic high stakes games. :straight:

Da Vinci would likely have made a good game designer.

I can imagine Macchiavelli's The GM guidebook.

[CourtFool]

I would have liked to play in any game Abraham Lincoln ran.

[OddHat]

Augustus would have been a gamer in his youth and taught his nephews (he loved board games and writing). As an adult work would have gotten in the way of gaming beyond time with the kids, and Livia would not have approved. Caligula and Claudius would have both been avid gamers throughout their lives, and Caligula would probably have treated Claudius better based on his value as the only other decent GM in Rome. Caligula's campaigns would have been full of nonsensical humor and weird sexual situations. Nero would have been a munchkin powergamer who constantly cheated, and he'd have been a crap GM.

[Supreme Serpent]

Imagine the horror games with Peter Lorre, Peter Cushing, Vincent Price, Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff as the players with Alfred Hitchcock as GM. :eek:

[Cancer]

And then there's Heinrich Himmler's Paranoia campaign. He didn't play it as humorous, though.

[TheRealVector]

Augustus would have been a gamer in his youth and taught his nephews (he loved board games and writing). As an adult work would have gotten in the way of gaming beyond time with the kids, and Livia would not have approved. Caligula and Claudius would have both been avid gamers throughout their lives, and Caligula would probably have treated Claudius better based on his value as the only other decent GM in Rome. Caligula's campaigns would have been full of nonsensical humor and weird sexual situations. Nero would have been a munchkin powergamer who constantly cheated, and he'd have been a crap GM.

Oooh, Nero!? I don't think I want to play in a game where the GM can have you thrown to the lions. :eek:

["V"]

"It's there in black and white. +3 to offensive value when using a polearm over four feet long during overcast weather."

"But that doesn't make sense in the context, you've been grappled."

"It says. +3. I want my +3, it's there written down."

"For heaven's sake Moses, even the rulebook says these are just guidelines."

[OddHat]

Oooh, Nero!? I don't think I want to play in a game where the GM can have you thrown to the lions. :eek:

Considering what Caligula does to his players, you may be better of when Nero GMs.

[TheRealVector]

Considering what Caligula does to his players, you may be better of when Nero GMs.

Now I'm very frightened! :eek:

Of course with Nero and Caligula their is never a shortage of slaves to act out the NPC roles.

[tkdguy]

King John of England, before becoming the monarch, hosted a couple of LARP campaigns (Robin Hood, Ivanhoe) that went horribly wrong. His brother Richard had to step in and show him how it was done.

Richard took so long to intervene because he had just concluded a reasonably successful LARP campaign in the Holy Land, whn he got suckered into playing another one by Leopold of Austria.

Richard: So Leo, what's this game called?

Leopold: Well, Rick, I like to call it "Off to the Dungeons You Go." And you're the inmate. <click> :eg:

Richard: Aw, man! :eek:

[CourtFool]

Maybe if Einstein ran some Sci Fi games, all the hard science nuts would finally STFU.

[Comic]

Vlad Tepes, now there was a GM for the 'Worst GM of All Time' thread.

And if you're going to the 'How to Kill your Characters' thread with historical figures, tell them they get to die like some of the greatest real heroes of all time: Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Don Juan, Abe Lincoln, JFK & Bobby.

[Zindil]

How about Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay as players. They would want to scrap your current rules system for something completely different, and they would write a series of magazine articles to convince you, the gm, to do it.

[Lord Mhoram]

Vlad Tepes, now there was a GM for the 'Worst GM of All Time' thread.



Yeah, takes the term "Killer GM" to a whole 'nother level.

[CourtFool]

How about Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay as players. They would want to scrap your current rules system for something completely different, and they would write a series of magazine articles to convince you, the gm, to do it.

I am not changing my system until someone in Boston dumps a bag full of dice into the bay.

[Rapier]

I can't say much without giving away the ship on this one for my campaign (or maybe I already have) but Historical Figures have and should have some kind of impact on your setting. It's even not unusual to have the PCs be a major figure in the setting...it's nice for them to feel that they are important.