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10:06, 28th March 2024 (GMT+0)

IC: Isekai / "You" in the form of your fav RPOL Character.

Posted by Carakav
Carakav
member, 657 posts
Sure-footed paragon
of forthright dude.
Fri 31 Jan 2020
at 15:03
  • msg #1

IC: Isekai / "You" in the form of your fav RPOL Character

So after re-watching the Overlord anime series for the third time, and as a fan of Isekai (life in another world) stories in general, I thought I'd see how much interest there would be in a story like this, but using your favorite RPOL characters past or present, from this website.

Basic premise of the game: One day a new version of the site is released, but on logging-in, you suddenly find yourself "pulled" into the system and deposited into an unknown world in the form of one of your favorite characters! Challenges include: coming to grips with the "new" you, figuring out where you are, and deciding if you ever actually want to go home again! But you're not alone in your struggles, and while you and those like you attempt to reconcile your fate, allies and enemies are on the move. Will you seek alliances with the unknown, or will you fall before you can ever see home again?

Who is "You": Players would effectively be playing two characters in one. On the one hand, you'll have "you": or rather a person very much like you. For the purposes of safety and anonymity, it's probably best not to use too much identifying real-world information here. I think it's best to play a person very much like you (similar age, life circumstances, personality, etc...), but with enough key details altered that everyone feels comfortable.

The second "character" is the avatar you would be inhabiting. In order to maintain some surprise and mystery, I'd recommend that players come up with a list of their favorite characters from this site that they've played. Two or more, and when the game narrative starts, I'll have you roll randomly and pick one from the list.

Before we roll, I'll make sure I go over each character with players to ensure that I'm comfortable with their powersets. I'm less concerned about game balance than I am about characters with powers that are plot-destroying, or so out of whack that they'll be difficult for me to integrate with other characters or the setting. We'll also need to work out what sorts of equipment/accessories each character will retain from their original worlds/stories.

Keep in mind, that the character here is just the 'avatar', none of their original personality will port-over, unless that personality was somehow intrinsic to the physical form they possessed.

The World: In keeping with the theme, the world the players end up in will also be drawn from RPOL. I've played in several God Games over the years, and so it will likely be one of those; entirely unique to RPOL, and made from the efforts of a bunch of different RPOL players.

Rules: This is still up in the air, but I'm leaning toward a very freeform rules-lite system. Given the enormous diversity of possible characters, it only makes sense to me. I'm thinking no more than a few simple ratings for the most basic of attributes, and a list of "powers" with just enough detail in each so I can adjudicate them if they are used. As we play, you'll find that while you start with just the abilities your avatar had in their original game, that doesn't mean you can't learn new things as we go.

Rating: I'm leaning toward Mature, but I could be convinced to make it Adult if that's what people want. I'm comfortable with either option.

Thoughts? Thoughts, questions, and suggestions are welcome! I don't think I'll actually run the game if there isn't some significant interest. I'm already running two Pathfinder games, and I've got some big life events coming up in the near future, but I would definitely have room for a breezy, mild-paced freeform game if the enthusiasm is there!
Ski-Bird
subscriber, 70 posts
Fri 31 Jan 2020
at 15:12
  • msg #2

IC: Isekai / "You" in the form of your fav RPOL Character

I've been a fan of LitRPG, and portal fantasy in general, for quite some time.

This game sounds like it will be a lot of fun and I wish you luck with it.
Dreaded_Landshark
member, 91 posts
Fri 31 Jan 2020
at 15:59
  • msg #3

IC: Isekai / "You" in the form of your fav RPOL Character

It's an interesting concept, though I think my interest would depend on how you generally envision things (I'm sure you haven't worked out every last detail yet!).

Are you thinking of a collaborative, group game with solo options, solo games with banding together options, or players' choice?

Any idea how you'll handle an array of characters from across the spectrum, with different (or no) systems in their "home" games?
gorchek
member, 27 posts
Fri 31 Jan 2020
at 16:18
  • msg #4

IC: Isekai / "You" in the form of your fav RPOL Character

Sounds interesting! I joined a few Isekai games here, but they didn't last long. I'd love to give it another shot. And there's one character I've made here I'd like to dust off.
Carakav
member, 658 posts
Sure-footed paragon
of forthright dude.
Fri 31 Jan 2020
at 16:45
  • msg #5

IC: Isekai / "You" in the form of your fav RPOL Character

In reply to Dreaded_Landshark (msg # 3):

It will likely be a mix of solo and group. Characters would start near each other, and it would only be natural for people to work together, at least at firstt. That said, I'm not going to force people to stay together, though I think the plot should make regular interaction feel organic.

As for how different characters from different rulesets will interact, I think that's why I'm leaning toward a freeform system with only very basic reference stats. Ideally the game wouldn't be about powers and fighting; but more about telling a story. How do you feel, and in what ways would you like to grow as a person/protagonist? From there, we can work out how your abilities fit in.

I'm picking a setting that should be in parts very familiar at a glance, and mysterious in-depth, while also allowing for tech/fantasy of all sorts to interact with its own sort of hard-magic system that players can choose to try and learn more about, or just stick with the powers they already have.
This message was last edited by the user at 16:46, Fri 31 Jan 2020.
Dreaded_Landshark
member, 92 posts
Mon 3 Feb 2020
at 15:33
  • msg #6

IC: Isekai / "You" in the form of your fav RPOL Character

Consider me interested then!
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