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[Bohandas]

But can you be ever REALLY sure that it wasn't a kittens and puppies spell?
Could you live with having interrupted that?

Those are relatively low level magic.

[Mephisto]

I'm trying out a new idea with my gaming group. Since the web app I'm writing specifically for this isn't production-ready, I drew up a quick campaign prospectus using a Google Form. For those unaware, a prospectus is basically a showing of what you want to run. I told the players to rank everything from 0-5, duplicating numbers as necessary. You could also do rankings or something akin to point buy if you wanted. I also included system of choice where appropriate.

Thought some of you might like the idea and I just wanted to share.

Spoiler: My offerings (click to show/hide)

You did something bad. You're being shipped off to a supposedly uninhabited land to start up a colony or die trying.

Your kingdom is on the losing end of a war. The court mages have detected something that might turn the tides. Find it, whatever it is, and decide for yourself if the consequences are worth it.

Genre: Psychological Horror

Anthropomorphic flying squirrels, sexy frogs, and well-endowed komodo dragons.

System: Shard RPG

Be a magical human thing or a magical blue angelic Avatar thing or a magical god-animal thing that is magically racist towards the magical human things. Magical!

System: Eoris Essence (Very pretty and much deeper than this facetious description belies)

You're short on money, you hate these people, or you're just a psychopath. Either way, you've been hired to assist with an assassination. This is a one-shot intro scenario with pre-generated characters.

System: Crimson Empire

Play as a mage who commands several nonmagical people. Your mage researches and studies when not adventuring, allowing you to play as one of his grogs if you tire of being powerful and competent.

System: Ars Magica (Recommended by non-group-member Gidney, time-consuming chargen)

Fantasy Australia and Magical Adventures in Magic Land are tied for first, which makes me happy. The Furries option was included as a bit of a joke - I bought the system without reading it - but it's not in last place. I don't know what that says about myself or my players.

I'm not entirely sure what to do with these votes, though. Do I go with the idea that most people love (majority votes 4-5, some are 1-2) or the one that most tolerate (majority votes 2-4)?

[GiglameshDespair]

You did something bad. You're being shipped off to a supposedly uninhabited land to start up a colony or die trying.

Could be interesting. Lots of chances for strange creatures and stuff. What system would you use for this? Not like I've heard of any of the ones you're mentioned here, though...

Your kingdom is on the losing end of a war. The court mages have detected something that might turn the tides. Find it, whatever it is, and decide for yourself if the consequences are worth it.

Depending on the macguffin and the consequences, could be good or not.

Genre: Psychological Horror

Anthropomorphic flying squirrels, sexy frogs, and well-endowed komodo dragons.

System: Shard RPG

It is horrifying.

[Criptfeind]

Ars Magica is a pretty big pain in the ass to play. Fun concept. It's in a bit of a bad place because the mechanics are sorta cumbersome but the game itself fits a more roleplay orientated group. If your players are more mechanical-challange based (like used to D&D and stuff) they might not enjoy the mostly roleplaying and not... Challenge based aspect of the important parts of the game. But, in my experience, people who are more interested in that sorta thing have less patience to work though a clumsy system.

Well, on the other hand, my experience with the game is pretty limited. Has anyone else played it? It's so interesting, but, as I said, I find it cumbersome.

As for picking the most popular game that a few will hate or a middle road one... I'd say you probably know your players better then I do. If the people who said they would dislike the most popular game are the type of people who might be generally okay with playing it and will have fun anyway, I'd go for it. If they are not, I'd try to take a more middle road.

[Mephisto]

You did something bad. You're being shipped off to a supposedly uninhabited land to start up a colony or die trying.

Could be interesting. Lots of chances for strange creatures and stuff. What system would you use for this? Not like I've heard of any of the ones you're mentioned here, though...

This and the following are completely up in the air. I've kind of narrowed it down to something like GURPS or MasterBook (seems to be pre-GURPS GURPS).

Your kingdom is on the losing end of a war. The court mages have detected something that might turn the tides. Find it, whatever it is, and decide for yourself if the consequences are worth it.

Depending on the macguffin and the consequences, could be good or not.

I was proud of the story I came up for this one. I was planning on the court mages thinking it was a previously-unknown <insert_magical_unobtanium_here> deposit (whether they actually think that or if that's only what the players are told, I haven't determined). The site the players eventually arrive at turns out to be a cache of magic MacGuffins that were deemed too powerful for one group to wield. Whether they decide to bring them back, destroy them, wield them against someone, or shove them up their bums and spin is up to them.

System: Shard RPG

It is horrifying.

Spoiler: I don't know what you're talking about. (click to show/hide)

It's very polarizing for some reason (current votes: 1, 4, 1, 3 0)

Ars Magica is a pretty big pain in the ass to play. Fun concept. It's in a bit of a bad place because the mechanics are sorta cumbersome but the game itself fits a more roleplay orientated group.

I know exactly what you're talking about. It took me an hour to generate one mage with no companions or grogs. I'm not exactly happy with how that character turned out. It's been highly-recommended, however - the previous owner loved it so much that he also passed along hundreds of pages of dot matrix printouts of BBS discussions, rules clarifications, and errata.

[My Name is Immaterial]

Spoiler: I don't know what you're talking about. (click to show/hide)

Is that a god-damned corgi furry?

[Tack]

I was proud of the story I came up for this one. I was planning on the court mages thinking it was a previously-unknown <insert_magical_unobtanium_here> deposit (whether they actually think that or if that's only what the players are told, I haven't determined). The site the players eventually arrive at turns out to be a cache of magic MacGuffins that were deemed too powerful for one group to wield. Whether they decide to bring them back, destroy them, wield them against someone, or shove them up their bums and spin is up to them.

Oooh. Psychological.

One of the best games I've ever had, the wizard pulled a LOTR on a grimoir which was apparently causing undeadification of the land, and scarpered with it, whilst the party warrior was currently infected with ghouldom.
Grippli's like 'Fuck, I'll go grab him'.
Soon as he's gone, Paladin walks up to the warrior and is like 'give me your sword'.

Grippli ends up convincing the wizard to return (outstanding chr check), and they come back to this crazy-ass fallen paladin standing over the beheaded corpse of this warrior like 'YOU'.
Party wizard ends up having to fry him to stop his angry flailing, before they drop the book in and the whole world returns to normal.

It was high RP, too. Pretty cool having a party fall apart at the end like that.

[Mephisto]

Spoiler: I don't know what you're talking about. (click to show/hide)

Is that a god-damned corgi furry?

More like pomeranian, but yes. Yes it is.

[Eric Blank]

Spoiler: I don't know what you're talking about. (click to show/hide)

Is that a god-damned corgi furry?

It wouldn't be the first, nor the last.

[Tack]

It's like her body is saying 'dance with me', and her face is saying 'SEE BALL. GET BALL.'

[scrdest]

It's like her body is saying 'dance with me', and her face is saying 'SEE BALLS. GET BALLS.'

FTFY. Substitute any other bodypart at your own convenience.

[My Name is Immaterial]

It's like her body is saying 'dance with me', and her face is saying 'SEE BALLS. GET BALLS.'

FTFY. Substitute any other bodypart at your own convenience.

This only makes me more uncomfortable.

[Yoink]

...I-I like FR. :-/
It's what my DnD group played. Then again, I never exactly studied and critiqued the setting's backstory.
I imagine that DM could have made most any setting fun, regardless.

@Mephisto: Haha, that "cache of MacGuffins" idea sounds like one of the plotlines in my favourite fantasy series!

[GiglameshDespair]

It's like her body is saying 'dance with me', and her face is saying 'SEE BALLS. GET BALLS.'

FTFY. Substitute any other bodypart at your own convenience.

This only makes me more uncomfortable.

It is something people should be able to feel comfortable about.

[My Name is Immaterial]

It's like her body is saying 'dance with me', and her face is saying 'SEE BALLS. GET BALLS.'

FTFY. Substitute any other bodypart at your own convenience.

This only makes me more uncomfortable.

It is something people should be able to feel comfortable about.

Of course. I am just uncomfortable.