In the Board Game Group, Jeremy has maybe one or two more players interested in joining Josh's Gamma World game. But according to Alex, who I talked to yesterday, Josh is thinking of stopping after this module rather than continuing the series. What's all this got to do with ninja? Not much, I can hear some of you thinking.
But Alex is again wanting to run his go-to system, Palladium. He plans to mix TMNT with Ninjas & Superspies.
Right now he's thinking of running a mercenary campaign, possibly using elements of Recon as well. I told him yesterday that I'd be all over this game if he actually set it during the Vietnam War. I grew up on
Tour of Duty,
Platoon,
Full Metal Jacket, and read quite a few histories of the war in Jr. High and High School.
Anyway, even if he doesn't set it in 'Nam, a TMNT/Ninjas & Superspies game could be pretty fun.
Souunds like it could be great, but will it appeal to enough members of the group?
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you're getting back into RP again. You seemed to be getting graustrated with nothing but board games all the time.
TMNT mixes right in with both Ninjas & Superspies and Heroes Unlimited really well. Oddly enough, TMNT doesn't include rules to generate much for human characters, so combining it with another Palladium game that does opens up a lot more campaign options.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the Mystic China supplement for N&SS has some pretty neato stuff in it if you are ever looking for a little extra "Big Trouble in Little China" feel.
One of the things I liked about Palladium system is that it seems to lend itself nicely to crossovers. I always wanted to have mutants from TMNT fly veritechs from Robotech, but sadly it never came together.
ReplyDeleteWe played Recon back in High School and had a lot of fun. Took one of the characters from that game and fast forwarded him to a modern Ninjas and Superspies game wherein he played a grizzled older Vietnam Vet mercenary, that game was a blast!!!
ReplyDeleteSounds fun. I still have all my palladium books including n&s, mystic China, robotech, hades, and beyond the supernatural. I agree with you guys in that they cross over well. Imagine mutants from after the bomb patrolling outer reaches of space in veritech fighters when they come across a source of evil on a planet that opens a portal to hades.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, I will say that the cover of Ninjas & Superspies is, in fact the greatest cover ever conceived for any book in human history. Ninjas fighting laser-wielding spies atop a mountain of corpses... flawless. I have a copy on my shelf, and I'm not ashamed to say that I bought it mostly for that cover. (Also it was a six dollar second hand copy...)
ReplyDeleteN&S is something I never thought about seriously running....it struck me as more of a "beer n' pretzels" type of thing. However, my challenge to myself is that I will someday run something that incorporates N&S, TMNT, and Heroes Unlimited and do so in such a way that it isn't a straight up parody or goof-off game.
I swear upon the pile of my deceased ninja comrades.
Ninjas & Superspies was one of the first RPGs I played regularly and it will always have a place in my heart. Recently it occurred to me that Kill Bill is actually the perfect N&S movie, so every time I watch it now I get all inspired to dust off my old copy and do something with it. I'd love to run an N&S/Beyond the Supernatural/Heroes Unlimited crossover campaign in the vein of GURPS Black Ops.
ReplyDeleteI think setting a campaign in the 70s or 80s is mandatory, though--Palladium just seems to have that vibe, even in its most recent publications.
I think setting a campaign in the 70s or 80s is mandatory, though--Palladium just seems to have that vibe, even in its most recent publications.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I'm not the only one who gets that vibe...
Ah, this takes me back! I fondly remember my Palladium days from back in high school! I still have my battered copies of Ninjas & Superspies, Heroes Unlimited, and the Rifts core rule book. I think I might even have some of the Rifts sourcebooks and worldbooks. But my TMNT books are were lost to the ages long ago. I've contemplated doing a Rifts campaign again someday, but removing all the magic aspects and most of the d-bee races, mythological creatures, etc. Just focus on the psychics/psionics.
ReplyDeleteJust a little update: Josh contacted me today after reading this. He's not wanting to end the Gamma World after only another session or two, he just doesn't want to spend the summer only sitting in the GM's chair. So we'll maybe be playing both over the summer.
ReplyDeleteI looked over the N&S OCCs last night, I'll take a look at the skills/martial arts next. Then give TMNT a fresh look and start thinking about what I want to play. (Oh, and Mystic China is available as an option as well so I can get my wuxia fix in as well.)