Orienting new players - short-shot based on a cartoon

[kevperrine]

Orienting new players - short-shot based on a cartoon

In correlation with my recent post/notice about looking to gather a NEW game group to play BASH! in Seattle...
http://bashtalk.org/modules.php?name=Fo ... opic&t=697
I have an idea on doing that. I wanted to ask for any suggestions. [SIDEBAR: This also happens goes along with a project I'm beginning work on for a "Test Drive" of the BASH! rules]. Give me your thoughts, suggestions, questions, advice and your comments on what to include or not.


My idea is this...
I'm looking to gather a NEW group. Potentially a new group of comic book superhero fans - fans that may or may not be familiar with role-playing games at all. I am posting my posters in local comic book stores looking to gather attention from comic FANS, not necessarily gamers.
That said.
I don't want to start an awesome epic campaign full-on in the thick of a story or plot with (completely) original characters.
My thought is to build pre-generated heroes in line with the newest popular Marvel Animated Series - "AVENGERS, EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES". I will have pre-gens ready and actually use an episode of the cartoon to "write" the adventure plan! Using a specific episode as my guide, I'll have the players play the story for 1-3 game sessions. Then following - let them know that the story they played is based on that episode. Perhaps even watching it with them following the last session to "see" how their choices differed from the choices of their counterparts in the cartoon!

The idea here is two-fold.

#1. It allows a new player to RPGs (and new BASH! rule players) to get a grip on how the system works without trying to make their own hero, and maybe not realizing important rule points. After playing 1-3 sessions, they'll be able to make better choices for their campaign hero.

#2. It allows players new to RPGs (and reminds familiar players) to see how THEIR in-game choices can be similar or even radically different than what might have been chosen/written for their superhero counterpart in the cartoon storyline.


So........ I'd like to ask.... Do you have a suggestion on WHICH episode would be a great episode to USE for this purpose?
I would also consider using one of the episodes from Bruce Timm's Justice League animated series. If you have specific suggestions - hoping I can find them on YouTube (or if I own them on DVD already!). [link me if you can]

Thanks for your suggestions!
-kev-

[Kanji]

As far as Avengers go I'm tempted to say that Episode 14 would probably be one of the better ones. That's the Episode where the Avengers make first contact with the Masters of Evil so there would be quite a few awesome battles and iconic villains abound.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mavj4Aa4 ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1qWoIGl ... re=related

The only problem I see with using the Avengers though is that the shows format has them breaking apart into smaller teams all the time which could make for some hard role play...

So I guess the real challenge is finding an episode with minimal break up of the team. I mean its good to have some I guess but most of the episodes have the team broken up most of the episode.

Young Justice might be another show to look at... Again would have to find an episode where the team isn't broken up a bunch throughout the episode.

I'll keep trying to think of good episodes.

[kevperrine]

As far as Avengers go I'm tempted to say that Episode 14
...
The only problem I see with using the Avengers though is that the shows format has them breaking apart into smaller teams all the time which could make for some hard role play...

Awesome. Funny, a friend suggested that episode as well. Plus I love the Masters! I just re-watched the episode (DVR rocks).

As for your point on breaking into smaller groups.
I actually think this might be a good thing in a way for a new group. For players that are familiar with RPGs, it would be a shout out to say "Hey, this game will be a bit different in play-style than D&D". For non-gamers, it establishes that it's okay to do things away from the group sometimes, but would enforce the want to get back together.

I'd do it in two ways.
Cut-Scenes, back-and-forth... all the action and scenes happening at the same time essentially (even though in-world they follow each other).
I would also plan to be a bit more open to the players chances to hear/join other's fights if they thought to ask or sense in some way...

I was also thinking of beginning everyone with a bit from another episode (need to find it) that's a training sequence with Cap training the team. Then rolling that into having some of them (the ones that end up being NPCs) get huffy with Cap and storm off... Setting up the individual scenes of THIS episode.

This episode features:

The group that gets ambushed quickly:
- Wasp
- Iron Man
- Hulk
- Thor
- Captain America

And the group that the Masters don't think of or find:
- Hawkeye
- Black Panther
- Ant Man (though I might put him in the above depending on if he's a PC or NPC)


I'm only looking for 3-5 players max. So that means at least 3 of the heroes will be NPCs, or alternatively they might be open to the Heroes that get captured quickly or sent away (like Hulk, then again cutting-scene and actually dealing with Hulk battling the Frost Giants could be fun!).


So...
The episode is very simple. I'd likely set it up as a lean outline, then explore some other options for role-playing, for traps, and for other options (perhaps some minions related to one of the villains: Asgardian Goblins, minions of Arnim Zola, or any of Crimson Dynamo's communist pals. Maybe even other Master's such as the original Black Knight.

Also... one thing I'll love toying with is the fact that Zemo constantly is "monologuing" which means (in BASH! terms) he's likely to get more and more Hit Points if/when PCs interupt him, heheh


Also... I might be open to up other Avengers for pre-gens, but that might take it away from the cartoon if I play it for the players post-game. (What would you do?)


not sure yet.
thanks for your help
-kev-