Retro Post: The Party Game

I kind of stumbled on this link a little while ago, and it reminded me that I'd written about the notion of making a D&D party game a couple of years ago. I posted something on the Paizo messageboard, and they did not think well of the idea (yeah, 3e grognards enbracing a simpler game).


Pathfinder RPG: The Party Game

I just got back from a low-key, work-related party, which featured a party game.  I just suddenly had the thought, "Would it be possible to make an RPG party game?"

Okay, after everyone finishes spewing their Mountain Dew on their computer screen.

Really though. I haven't thought all this out (obviously) and may post more later, but I thought throw this out now and try to get some ideas.

Please don't post, "Go play 4e!"

The party game would need really quick, easy character creation, but with plenty of choices and some character variation. Combat would also have to be really simple, quick, concise, and definitive. It would also likely need to work without miniatures and a grid map, so heavy battlefield tactics would be discouraged. There would need to be character social interaction rules, but they should be quickly resolvable with a dice roll, on the assumption that people at a party are not going to want to heavily get into character (unless they've been drinking heavily).

Actually, these rules need to be learnable and playable by people who may be half-drunk, so also all record keeping for characters, monsters, and NPC's needs to pretty simple as well. In a similar vein, characters will probably need some "fate-like" points that can be played, in case they do something dumb in the first encounter that would otherwise get them killed.

I haven't played or seen any of the Pathfinder Society scenarios, but from what I've heard, this might be the kind of adventures that might work in this kind of setting. Something that could play inside of four hours, give the players a more than reasonable chance of success, no "shopping at the bazaar" during the adventure, just straight-up adventuring (fighting, parleying, puzzle solving), and a clear objective. Consider all these games to be one-shots, no leveling up.

Characters would be created at the appropriate power level for the adventure. Perhaps the idea of levels could be dispensed with altogether in some fashion.

Bottom line. Paizo creates "Pathfinder RPG: The Party Game" edition, a small softcover book. And then sells lots of easy to run, scenario pdf's for the game on their website. They make lots of money and RPG's become a mainstream, fad rage at parties everywhere.

[Boy, was that a weak ending.  I deserved whatever derision I got just for that last paragraph.]

To be continued.