Ever used one game's mechanics to run a different game's setting? If so, what game(s), and why?

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Oooo! I've always been interested in the setting! Is there a lot of setting material out there for it? How much have you cribbed for your own personal notes? Inquiring minds are drooling!
There is quite a bit of setting information available... the problem is that it's scattered across the winds into the various games, the two novels, on the cards for the wargames, in the RPG... and articles in the magazine, Cry Havoc, that Rackham put out. I think the treasure hunt of collecting it all really drove my interest in the setting.
Now I've got pretty much all the material I know of, even stuff that was never translated from the French version.
Even then, some of the cool bits (all the stuff about other planes for example) are just hinted at and not really fleshed out in detail... so wide open to interpretation... which is cool by me.
Some factions, like the Faathi, were only vaguely sketched out before the bottom fell out of the company.
Cadwallon does just focus on the one city, but there is plenty of other background material I've put to use to where our group has only been to that city once, and then only on the docks while on their way to the spider forest.

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There is quite a bit of setting information available... the problem is that it's scattered across the winds into the various games, the two novels, on the cards for the wargames, in the RPG... and articles in the magazine, Cry Havoc, that Rackham put out. I think the treasure hunt of collecting it all really drove my interest in the setting.
Now I've got pretty much all the material I know of, even stuff that was never translated from the French version.
Even then, some of the cool bits (all the stuff about other planes for example) are just hinted at and not really fleshed out in detail... so wide open to interpretation... which is cool by me.
Some factions, like the Faathi, were only vaguely sketched out before the bottom fell out of the company.
Cadwallon does just focus on the one city, but there is plenty of other background material I've put to use to where our group has only been to that city once, and then only on the docks while on their way to the spider forest.

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That map alone makes me want to learn more. I'd never heard of the setting before, but I can already tell I like the tone set by the miniatures; seems right in my wheelhouse.
 
I know, right:tongue:?

The author of a certain Fantasy Lark system was much kinder, separating it from the adventure he'd published:evil:!
Hey, guys, there's even a discount link in this thread:smile:!
The Fantasy Lark? Having played it a few times it's shocking how the author's objective good looks and peerless wit are apparent in the rules themselves. Dare I say it's at the level of SWO supplement quality?
 
A loooong time ago (almost 30 years....yikes), I played in a Shadowrun campaign that was modified and run with the Top Secret S.I. system. It was fantastic and one of the best campaigns I've ever played in. Our GM was pretty good and everything about the game ran remarkably well. I don't know that he spent a whole lot of time doing the necessary modifications (he was a full-time college student at the time) or if it was difficult to do them or or if he was just good at doing them 'on the fly', but the game ran seamlessly.

Top Secret S.I. has a very solid system for realistic gunplay but he would have had to hack the magic system.
 
The author of a certain Fantasy Lark system was much kinder, separating it from the adventure he'd published:evil:!
That sounds like a cool dood. Just sayin'...
Dare I say it's at the level of SWO supplement quality?
I have no words for this honor. I dare not suggest that I have achieved SWO on my first attempt.
 
I used Fate to run the Numenera setting.
I have actually been considering the same thing. The core Cipher system for Numenera looks reasonable, although nothing we would cross the floor from Fate Core for. The setting looks great however.

I think it would be relatively easy to do a Fate Core hack of the Numenera setting. I would like to try out Numenera RAW at some stage, but if it's with my current troupe, then it will more likely be through a Fate Core hack.
 
I ran Judges Guild Wilderlands with AD&D 1st edition, Fantasy Hero, GURPS 2e to 4e, Harnmaster, GURP,S, D&D 3.0, D&D 3.5, D&D 4e, D&D 5e, OD&D, OD&D plus my Majestic Fantasy Rules, and Fantasy AGE.

As a result I am pretty skeptical of the claims of how different and how suitable RPG are to run specific settings. RPGs are not infinitely adaptable. Of the ones above D&D 4e was the most problematic due to its design of the classes causing them to be fantasy superheroes.

The rest required some elbow grease but nothing beyond the normal prep one does for a campaign. The elbow grease mostly consisted of which items on the various lists (monsters, spells, skills, character options, etc) to use and not to use. The part that I had to shrug about was the magic system but most RPGs take on magic fall within a narrow enough range that I can make it work.
 
I used Fate to run the Numenera setting.

I converted lots of D&D adventures and the Freeport setting to Fantasy Craft.

It occurs to me, I didn't answer the full question.

In the case of Numenera, it's because I love the setting but find the system pretty underwhelming. Fate is a pretty flexible system that is easy to adapt.

For Freeport, it was sort of targeted at d20 fantasy to begin with, but I felt like Fantasy Craft handles swashbuckling and horror better than D&D 3e does.
 
I've been considering using 13th Age to run Numenera. I'd just leave most of the reskinning to the players.
 
The Fantasy Lark? Having played it a few times it's shocking how the author's objective good looks and peerless wit are apparent in the rules themselves. Dare I say it's at the level of SWO supplement quality?
I don't know. Dare you say as much:smile:?
If you don't, I shall. I'm not shilling it or anything...

That sounds like a cool dood. Just sayin'...
That he is!

I have no words for this honor. I dare not suggest that I have achieved SWO on my first attempt.
Much as I'm ashamed, I must admit I'm yet to read it in full (see the Real Life thread for half of the reasons). So I'm not going to comment...
Yet:wink:.
 
I went looking and must have missed it...nothing too rough I very much hope.
Still recovering after the seminar, is what I mean.
I'm not a pro, training 8 hours per day makes me start appreciating the magnesium supplements:grin:!

The other part is sick kids, but it's not too heavy, so we're dealing with it as a standard routine by now:shade:!
 
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I've used the Blackmoor setting (well, honestly, really just the map) to run Cold Iron (a college friend's home brew system) and Burning Wheel.

In addition to Blackmoor, I've used Cold Iron to run Harn (before Harnmaster even came out) - there was a mismatch in magic power compared to what the setting material implied (especially as you got beyond the initial Harn offering), Talislanta (worked ok, but players weren't into the system), and Tekumel (again, worked ok, but players weren't really into the system). I think I've also used Mystara, at least I've run B10 with Cold Iron.

I've used lots of D&D modules for Rune Quest or Cold Iron, and some non-D&D modules for D&D. Oh, and Hellpits of Nightfang (a Judges Guild RQ adventure) for Cold Iron.

I ran a Wilderlands campaign using Arcana Evolved. Also used Arcana Evolved in Ptolus, but that's supported by the author so doesn't really count...

I feel like I've used something other than OD&D, AD&D, and Arcana Evolved to run Wilderlands but I can't recall any specifics.

I'm sure I've done other crossovers, but other than the settings listed above, the only setting I can think of that I have used for more than a session or two is Diamond Throne (with it's associated Arcana Unearthed).

My use of Blackmoor tends to be mostly just as a map. The actual setting detail in The First Fantasy Campaign is actually pretty limited. The DA modules added a bit more but not that much. I never really got that deep into the D20 Blackmoor though I bought a bunch of the stuff. I found that the D20 treatments of the Wilderlands and Blackmoor added too much stuff that didn't fit my vision of the settings.

Hmm, maybe you could count my Seven Systems SF setting that was originally developed for use with my Rune Quest in space and then almost immediately run with Traveller (keeping the star ship design/travel/combat systems from the RQ effort) and later converted to Hero System. Or the college campaign that started with Fantasy Hero and went through D&D and Cold Iron phases (and maybe one other system, I don't recall).

Cold Iron as a game doesn't have much setting other than generic D&Dish tropes. It was an effort but doable to convert Talislanta and Tekumel races and creatures to Cold Iron. Cold Iron's magic worked out ok for Talislanta.

These days I'd be much more likely to run Talislanta using it's system (perhaps even 1st edition...) and Tekumel using Empire of the Petal Throne. I miss Cold Iron, but getting folks who are really willing to dig the system is hard, and combats take too long for my 2 hour game session time (we used to play 6-12 hour sessions, once even coming in at like 20 hours, and maybe a couple other marathon sessions).
 
I've used the Blackmoor setting (well, honestly, really just the map) to run Cold Iron (a college friend's home brew system) and Burning Wheel.

In addition to Blackmoor, I've used Cold Iron to run Harn (before Harnmaster even came out) - there was a mismatch in magic power compared to what the setting material implied (especially as you got beyond the initial Harn offering), Talislanta (worked ok, but players weren't into the system), and Tekumel (again, worked ok, but players weren't really into the system). I think I've also used Mystara, at least I've run B10 with Cold Iron.

I've used lots of D&D modules for Rune Quest or Cold Iron, and some non-D&D modules for D&D. Oh, and Hellpits of Nightfang (a Judges Guild RQ adventure) for Cold Iron.

I ran a Wilderlands campaign using Arcana Evolved. Also used Arcana Evolved in Ptolus, but that's supported by the author so doesn't really count...

I feel like I've used something other than OD&D, AD&D, and Arcana Evolved to run Wilderlands but I can't recall any specifics.

I'm sure I've done other crossovers, but other than the settings listed above, the only setting I can think of that I have used for more than a session or two is Diamond Throne (with it's associated Arcana Unearthed).

My use of Blackmoor tends to be mostly just as a map. The actual setting detail in The First Fantasy Campaign is actually pretty limited. The DA modules added a bit more but not that much. I never really got that deep into the D20 Blackmoor though I bought a bunch of the stuff. I found that the D20 treatments of the Wilderlands and Blackmoor added too much stuff that didn't fit my vision of the settings.

Hmm, maybe you could count my Seven Systems SF setting that was originally developed for use with my Rune Quest in space and then almost immediately run with Traveller (keeping the star ship design/travel/combat systems from the RQ effort) and later converted to Hero System. Or the college campaign that started with Fantasy Hero and went through D&D and Cold Iron phases (and maybe one other system, I don't recall).

Cold Iron as a game doesn't have much setting other than generic D&Dish tropes. It was an effort but doable to convert Talislanta and Tekumel races and creatures to Cold Iron. Cold Iron's magic worked out ok for Talislanta.

These days I'd be much more likely to run Talislanta using it's system (perhaps even 1st edition...) and Tekumel using Empire of the Petal Throne. I miss Cold Iron, but getting folks who are really willing to dig the system is hard, and combats take too long for my 2 hour game session time (we used to play 6-12 hour sessions, once even coming in at like 20 hours, and maybe a couple other marathon sessions).


I'd love to see Cold Iron, if you're at Liberty to share it.

Reminds me of a friend who went to Purdue, and said that there was a homebrew there that they all played exclusively once they started:


I played once, but didn't dig the random race/appearance chargen. Wish I'd been more open-minded about it, as I can't imagine I'll find a chance to play again, though I have since come to appreciate random chargen elements.
 
I'd love to see Cold Iron, if you're at Liberty to share it.

Here is my page for Cold Iron, it has my version of the rules, also the Talislanta and Tekumel conversions. Hmm, looks like even some Blackmoor stuff that took into account the D20 Blackmoor stuff... (that must have been for a campaign that lasted like 2 or 3 sessions).

I'm always happy to talk about the system, so if there's interest, we should start a new thread. It has one really unique mechanic that I think is really cool (using the actual Normal Distribution for action resolution by using a mechanism to generate any number between 0 and 1 exclusive, with a simplification to not generate more precision than is necessary to reasonably slot the number into a modifier from -infinity to +infinity where one standard deviation is + or - is 20/6 - if I'm remembering the technical math details correctly...).

Edit: OOPS no link... http://www.mindspring.com/~ffilz/Gaming/ColdIron.html

Frank
 
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Here is my page for Cold Iron, it has my version of the rules, also the Talislanta and Tekumel conversions. Hmm, looks like even some Blackmoor stuff that took into account the D20 Blackmoor stuff... (that must have been for a campaign that lasted like 2 or 3 sessions).

I'm always happy to talk about the system, so if there's interest, we should start a new thread. It has one really unique mechanic that I think is really cool (using the actual Normal Distribution for action resolution by using a mechanism to generate any number between 0 and 1 exclusive, with a simplification to not generate more precision than is necessary to reasonably slot the number into a modifier from -infinity to +infinity where one standard deviation is + or - is 20/6 - if I'm remembering the technical math details correctly...).

Frank
If there's a link here, I'm not seeing it.
Though I think you should make a Where I Read What I Have Written Myself (WIRWIHWM for short) thread now:grin:!
 
If there's a link here, I'm not seeing it.
Though I think you should make a Where I Read What I Have Written Myself (WIRWIHWM for short) thread now:grin:!
Oops, fixed...
 
When I first ran _Traveller_, I couldn't stand the lack of tactical combat maps and some other combat concepts, so I merged its combat system with _The Fantasy Trip_.

I've used GURPS to run some adventures designed for other games. It's often fun and interesting but of course the balance is out the window since GURPS plays rather differently from games with abstract combat systems and piles of hitpoints, etc., but that's part of the interest and fun for me: "let's see what happens if we play this out..."
 
When I first ran _Traveller_, I couldn't stand the lack of tactical combat maps and some other combat concepts, so I merged its combat system with _The Fantasy Trip_.

I've used GURPS to run some adventures designed for other games. It's often fun and interesting but of course the balance is out the window since GURPS plays rather differently from games with abstract combat systems and piles of hitpoints, etc., but that's part of the interest and fun for me: "let's see what happens if we play this out..."

I've thought about running GURPS Supers stuff with Golden Heroes rules. The character attributes map one-to-one, more or less, with a similar range, and extrapolating the powers and the rest from there would be a snap, I think. There just aren't a lot of GH adventures, and I'm kind of lazy.
 
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I use Prince Valiant for my Romance of the Three Kingdoms campaign.

I used (early 2nd Edition) World of Darkness/Storyteller for Star Trek and Star Wars, as well as numerous home-brew campaigns.

I used DC Heroes for Judge Dredd and yet more home-brew campaigns.

I used Marvel SAGA for Transformers, Star Wars and anything remotely cartoon or comic-based. I even ran a Dungeons & Dragons one-shot annually based on the 80's tv show.

And many more besides. I have come to dislike reading new rule books, especially when I have games that do what I want well. New games and licensed games offer only high price tags and gimmicky rules (FFG Star Wars I am absolutely looking at you!) that I simply don't need.
 
New games and licensed games offer only high price tags and gimmicky rules (FFG Star Wars I am absolutely looking at you!) that I simply don't need.

Well, not to argue against this, because if you don't need it, then you don't need it...

But the FFG funky dice thing is pretty cool. It provides not only success and margin of success, but special effect disconnected from both but still based on performance.

Ever played the boardgames Descent: Journeys in the Dark or Imperial Assault? It's the same general thing as that, except you have generation of negative special effects as well as positive.

If you're just talking about the dice (which I'm not sure, you may be talking about some other element or combination), then it's really no different or more gimmicky than using cards.
 
I know someone who was writing up Fallout in the Rogue trader game. Not sure if that counts.

I'm planning to run Shadowrun using Gensys, and the past worked up how to use Interlock. I've done others as well, mainly to see how well it would work. Honestly can't remember them offhand, though at one point I was trying to adapt everything into d20. It did not go well.
 
Well, not to argue against this, because if you don't need it, then you don't need it...

But the FFG funky dice thing is pretty cool. It provides not only success and margin of success, but special effect disconnected from both but still based on performance.

Ever played the boardgames Descent: Journeys in the Dark or Imperial Assault? It's the same general thing as that, except you have generation of negative special effects as well as positive.

If you're just talking about the dice (which I'm not sure, you may be talking about some other element or combination), then it's really no different or more gimmicky than using cards.

I have no time for proprietary dice in role playing game. I have lots of dice that I can use in every game I own. Why would I pay (a lot) more for dice that I can only use in one game? A game I don't like.

If FFG's Star Wars is a hit for you, then cool. But I dislike everything about it except the production values and art. There are better Star Wars games, including FFG's own reprint of the classic WEG 1st Edition.

Which, now that I think about it, I have also used to play in a number of other settings, most recently Traveller, because I had a group that liked the idea of that but preferred sticking to rules they knew. It worked quite well. We created the subsector and characters in Traveller '77 and then swapped them into Star Wars to play with.
 
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I have no time for proprietary dice in role playing game. I have lots of dice that I can use in every game I own. Why would I pay (a lot) more for dice that I can only use in one game. A game I don't like.

If FFG's Star Wars is a hit for you, then cool. But I dislike everything about it except the production values and art. There are better Star Wars games, including FFG's own reprint of the classic WEG 1st Edition.

Fair enough. If you don't like it, then you don't like it.

I wasn't even meaning it as "RAH! RAH! FFG Star Wars!" The jury is still out for me on that point. I too like d6 Star Wars.
 
Hmm in no particular order,

1. Gurps-ing anything that my group had an interest in. Yes, it is slow and a bit on the fiddly side but if done with all the stuff the group likes then it is just more time to savor the flavor.

2. Pendragon's winterphase. I have only once ever had the fortune of being in a Pendragon campaign but the sheer beauty of the winterphase, downtime where pcs fulfilled social duties and could work on side projects without involving the rest of the party. Winterphase altered how I approached all types of campaigns. of Particular note, using winterphase in Wod Vtm, stake an Elder and loot their haven then use Winterphase to explain how the group did their "weekend at Bernie's" routine while they researched all the tomes and diaries they got. A great tool to build up the setting while spacing out the combat.

3. Spycraft 2.0 for TSR's Star Drive campaign setting. Star Drive was a super cool kitchen sink space opera that got discontinued way too early:brokenheart:. Both I and my group loved the setting but were meh on the mechanics. Spycraft 2.0 was just the right system for letting us do Xcom squad campaigns that were both heavy on combat tactics and kept so much of the settings flavor.
 
All the time, but I'm a fan of Universal system. In fact, I rarely play in even unpublished setting. I enjoy making my own stuff so mostly pillage settings for ideas and such.
 
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2. Pendragon's winterphase. I have only once ever had the fortune of being in a Pendragon campaign but the sheer beauty of the winterphase, downtime where pcs fulfilled social duties and could work on side projects without involving the rest of the party. Winterphase altered how I approached all types of campaigns. of Particular note, using winterphase in Wod Vtm, stake an Elder and loot their haven then use Winterphase to explain how the group did their "weekend at Bernie's" routine while they researched all the tomes and diaries they got. A great tool to build up the setting while spacing out the combat.
I share your appreciation for Pendragon winter phase. It's influence can be seen in the "downtime" of today's games.
 
I run Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea using a modified version of 5e. AS&SH is an amazing setting that that ticks all of my boxes but I dislike the fiddly granularity and inelegance of AD&D and its clones.

Like others in this thread, I have run run several Hyborian Age campaigns using Savage Worlds instead of Mongoose d20 because I feel SW's "pulpy approach is more true to the genre than the number crunching and optimization of d20. If I had to do it all over again I'd probably use Barbarians of Lemuria instead.
 
It's just occurred to me that the James Bond 007 mechanics could run a western game very nicely with minimal reskinning...
 
HERO player, so yeah done a fair bit of this. Used GURPS a few times as well, but HERO remained more popular with the groups I played with.

What largely stands out was using Justice Inc and Danger International to run some modules from Call of Cthulhu, Top Secret and Aftermath, as well as various D&D modules using 1st ed Fantasy HERO. Later used 4th ed HERO for similar conversions as well as some Twilight 2000.

I used GURPS to run Twilight 2000 once, but couldn't get most of the then current players to buy into it. Most either liked HERO or preferred D&D but begrudgingly accepted HERO. Only had a few really willing to give GURPS a chance. I've always found more HERO players than GURPS, which must be a location thing because I am under the impression GURPS has a larger fan base.
 
I love crunchy mechanics, and am interested in a quite a few different systems, but I really want to master a system and use it for most of my games. I’m currently using Mythras to run a Conan game, and plan to use Mythras for Warhammer Fantasy, Glorantha, Harn, and maybe even a western. I plan to use Mythras Classic Fantasy for Lost Lands (Swords & Wizardry), Kalamar (Hackmaster), and Aihrde (Castles & Crusades). I really enjoy collecting and reading different settings.
 
HERO player, so yeah done a fair bit of this. Used GURPS a few times as well, but HERO remained more popular with the groups I played with.

What largely stands out was using Justice Inc and Danger International to run some modules from Call of Cthulhu, Top Secret and Aftermath, as well as various D&D modules using 1st ed Fantasy HERO. Later used 4th ed HERO for similar conversions as well as some Twilight 2000.

I used GURPS to run Twilight 2000 once, but couldn't get most of the then current players to buy into it. Most either liked HERO or preferred D&D but begrudgingly accepted HERO. Only had a few really willing to give GURPS a chance. I've always found more HERO players than GURPS, which must be a location thing because I am under the impression GURPS has a larger fan base.
I wonder if that’s accurate? Certainly Gurps has more support for various genres with all the books they have. But when I was in college (1988 or so) Hero/Champions had a huge presence on campus. Never saw Gurps. Of course a sample size of 1 is about as bad as it gets.
 
I love crunchy mechanics, and am interested in a quite a few different systems, but I really want to master a system and use it for most of my games. I’m currently using Mythras to run a Conan game, and plan to use Mythras for Warhammer Fantasy, Glorantha, Harn, and maybe even a western. I plan to use Mythras Classic Fantasy for Lost Lands (Swords & Wizardry), Kalamar (Hackmaster), and Aihrde (Castles & Crusades). I really enjoy collecting and reading different settings.
I do this too but I use Magic World / BRP for my base ruleset. Using Magic World I have done fantasy, science fiction, spies and horror.
 
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