Shadowsoul
Sep 3rd, '08, 01:18 PM
Just some musings about an idea for a jokey RPG game I once thought up. It's in the same genre as 'My Life With Master' or 'Kobolds Ate My Baby', played for laughs and works best when the participants are a bit under the influence.
Wondered if I would be the only one who would find it funny. And if anyone had any thoughts or suggestions.
All player characters are Princesses who have been captured by an 'Evil Lord' and are awaiting rescue by a handsome Prince or daring Knight. It is entirely possible that some of these maidens were kidnapped with their parents consent in order to improve their chances of getting married to a suitable rescuer. All characters are maidens and will insist on this fact despite any evidence to the contrary. Since the upkeep on a castle is pretty high these days all of the captured maidens are being kept in a single magical fortress. Apart from various monsters and supernatural guards the maidens are left pretty much to themselves.
Players have to survive day to day life in a magic castle and if possible find a suitable husband.
Potential adventures/encounters include.
A headless ghost has appeared in the West Tower. Is it dangerous? Will it need to be exorcised? Would it like a cup of tea? These and other important questions must be answered or no-one will get any sleep tonight for worrying about it.
Sir Henry Dogsbreath is assaulting the castle and one of the Maidens recognises him. He is an excellent swordsman and wears a suit of armour which is invulnerable to normal weapons. He looks set to free one of the Princesses. Unfortunately he is also boorish, stupid, poor, regards monogamy as something which should only apply to women and has most certainly earned his nickname. The Maidens' must thwart his attempts to rescue them at any cost.
One of the Princesses is missing her cat terribly. The others set out through the castle on a quest to find a polymorph potion which will turn one of the castle's many monsters into a cat. They also need to find a monster which will behave itself once it has been turned into a cat. Pets which try to eat you are very very trying after all.
The Evil Lord has come to gloat over his helpless captives. If the maidens can butter him up enough by posing prettily, screaming at the right moments etc. they might be able to convince him to put some proper central heating in. Unfortunately they all have colds which makes it that much harder to look attractively dramatic.
There are no characteristics as such. Maidens are as intelligent as the player and all are considered to be equally beautiful, charming and indolent.
Skills are divided into two types. Combat skills and Maidenly skills. I'll describe them here.
Combat skills.
You wish.
Maidenly skills. (Not an exhaustive list)
Embroidery. Making tea. Making tea Chinese style, (which is much longer but involves more unusual herbs and so is likely to be much healthier). Etiquette. Deportment. Flirting. Singing. Declaiming. Fibbing, (good princesses only tell cute little lies such as 'of course I'd like to hear about your day dear'). Wheedling. Painting. Exclaiming, (Oh James! Help me!). Simpering. Playing the Mandolin. Board games. Potion brewing.
Whether or not they had the potential to lead more active lives these Princesses have somehow ended up being more or less useless for anything other than an ornamental lifestyle. It's not that you don't get Lady Knights and female adventurers it's just that these young women didn't turn out like that. With the GMs discretion character may use slightly more active skills such as First Aid.
It does not do for a Princess to boast about her accomplishments. And so she need only determine her level in a particular skill when she actually attempts that particular action. When trying a new skill roll a d6, that is your level with that skill. Once you have determined your skill roll another d6, if it is equal to or less than your skill level then you have succeeded.
Princesses start with 5 education points which may be spent to increase their skills at a rate of 1 point per level. No skill may be higher than 6 of course.
Acting Bonus. Players who are prepared to act out a particular skill such as dancing or embroidery gain an automatic +1 bonus to their skill level for that particular roll.
Rank.
At the beggining of the game a player may trade Skill Points for levels in Rank. This means that they are higher in the social pecking order than their peers. For each skill point traded in this way the GM may pick a particular skill which the Princess is incapable of using. A Princess is expected to obey a Princess of higher rank and if she does not her superior is allowed to Scold her.
A Scolded Princess must roll on the Embarassment chart.
Danger.
Maidens are rarely in true physical danger. However, living in a magical castle can be rather stressful and hazardous. Under particularly upsetting circumstances such as being nearly eaten by a dragon, seeing a rat or getting splashed with dirty water a Maiden may Have Hysterics, (may take no action until the GM rules that she has calmed down). If the Princess is unable to calm down then she may Faint in which case she is unconscious for d6 x 10 minutes.
In social situations which are less violent but equally trying a Maiden may be forced to roll on the Embarassment chart. Roll 1d6 and check the result.
1. Brazens it out.
2-3. Blushes Prettily. (Must make a Flirting Roll immediately).
4. Gets A Little Bit Flustered. (-1 to all skill rolls for the duration of the embarrassing situation).
5-6. Burst Into Tears, (may take no action until the situation has been resolved).
In extreme circumstances such as having all of her clothes ruined or having to watch a favoured rescuer being eaten by a dragon a Maiden may at the GMs discretion end up Retiring To Bed With A Headache. Such characters must spend a week recovering before they are available to play once again.
Wondered if I would be the only one who would find it funny. And if anyone had any thoughts or suggestions.
All player characters are Princesses who have been captured by an 'Evil Lord' and are awaiting rescue by a handsome Prince or daring Knight. It is entirely possible that some of these maidens were kidnapped with their parents consent in order to improve their chances of getting married to a suitable rescuer. All characters are maidens and will insist on this fact despite any evidence to the contrary. Since the upkeep on a castle is pretty high these days all of the captured maidens are being kept in a single magical fortress. Apart from various monsters and supernatural guards the maidens are left pretty much to themselves.
Players have to survive day to day life in a magic castle and if possible find a suitable husband.
Potential adventures/encounters include.
A headless ghost has appeared in the West Tower. Is it dangerous? Will it need to be exorcised? Would it like a cup of tea? These and other important questions must be answered or no-one will get any sleep tonight for worrying about it.
Sir Henry Dogsbreath is assaulting the castle and one of the Maidens recognises him. He is an excellent swordsman and wears a suit of armour which is invulnerable to normal weapons. He looks set to free one of the Princesses. Unfortunately he is also boorish, stupid, poor, regards monogamy as something which should only apply to women and has most certainly earned his nickname. The Maidens' must thwart his attempts to rescue them at any cost.
One of the Princesses is missing her cat terribly. The others set out through the castle on a quest to find a polymorph potion which will turn one of the castle's many monsters into a cat. They also need to find a monster which will behave itself once it has been turned into a cat. Pets which try to eat you are very very trying after all.
The Evil Lord has come to gloat over his helpless captives. If the maidens can butter him up enough by posing prettily, screaming at the right moments etc. they might be able to convince him to put some proper central heating in. Unfortunately they all have colds which makes it that much harder to look attractively dramatic.
There are no characteristics as such. Maidens are as intelligent as the player and all are considered to be equally beautiful, charming and indolent.
Skills are divided into two types. Combat skills and Maidenly skills. I'll describe them here.
Combat skills.
You wish.
Maidenly skills. (Not an exhaustive list)
Embroidery. Making tea. Making tea Chinese style, (which is much longer but involves more unusual herbs and so is likely to be much healthier). Etiquette. Deportment. Flirting. Singing. Declaiming. Fibbing, (good princesses only tell cute little lies such as 'of course I'd like to hear about your day dear'). Wheedling. Painting. Exclaiming, (Oh James! Help me!). Simpering. Playing the Mandolin. Board games. Potion brewing.
Whether or not they had the potential to lead more active lives these Princesses have somehow ended up being more or less useless for anything other than an ornamental lifestyle. It's not that you don't get Lady Knights and female adventurers it's just that these young women didn't turn out like that. With the GMs discretion character may use slightly more active skills such as First Aid.
It does not do for a Princess to boast about her accomplishments. And so she need only determine her level in a particular skill when she actually attempts that particular action. When trying a new skill roll a d6, that is your level with that skill. Once you have determined your skill roll another d6, if it is equal to or less than your skill level then you have succeeded.
Princesses start with 5 education points which may be spent to increase their skills at a rate of 1 point per level. No skill may be higher than 6 of course.
Acting Bonus. Players who are prepared to act out a particular skill such as dancing or embroidery gain an automatic +1 bonus to their skill level for that particular roll.
Rank.
At the beggining of the game a player may trade Skill Points for levels in Rank. This means that they are higher in the social pecking order than their peers. For each skill point traded in this way the GM may pick a particular skill which the Princess is incapable of using. A Princess is expected to obey a Princess of higher rank and if she does not her superior is allowed to Scold her.
A Scolded Princess must roll on the Embarassment chart.
Danger.
Maidens are rarely in true physical danger. However, living in a magical castle can be rather stressful and hazardous. Under particularly upsetting circumstances such as being nearly eaten by a dragon, seeing a rat or getting splashed with dirty water a Maiden may Have Hysterics, (may take no action until the GM rules that she has calmed down). If the Princess is unable to calm down then she may Faint in which case she is unconscious for d6 x 10 minutes.
In social situations which are less violent but equally trying a Maiden may be forced to roll on the Embarassment chart. Roll 1d6 and check the result.
1. Brazens it out.
2-3. Blushes Prettily. (Must make a Flirting Roll immediately).
4. Gets A Little Bit Flustered. (-1 to all skill rolls for the duration of the embarrassing situation).
5-6. Burst Into Tears, (may take no action until the situation has been resolved).
In extreme circumstances such as having all of her clothes ruined or having to watch a favoured rescuer being eaten by a dragon a Maiden may at the GMs discretion end up Retiring To Bed With A Headache. Such characters must spend a week recovering before they are available to play once again.