RPGs for the Mundane GF (including Jane Austen RPG Blerg)

[kent_allard_jr]

My GF is a mundane, but an open minded one. I never hid my hobbies from her -- I devote an entire room of my apartment to RPGs, so that would have been impossible -- and she's shown some interest in learning about them. So on Sunday night I decided to introduce her to the hobby the conventional way: Having her roll-up a character.

First, I asked "what kind of character would you like to play?" and she said "an otter." So I pulled 4th edition Gamma World off the shelf and we created a mutant otter with a carapace, air sails, a "poor dual brain" and "density control (others)." (Man, I love that crazy game...) She was amused at first, but was turned off by all the number crunching that followed.

So I turned next to Everway. She came up with a fairly original concept from the Vision Cards, a woman who read minds, was surrounded by darkness and had children without male contact. We assigned our 20 points and did the whole thing with the Fortune Deck, which she thought was kind of goofy. (Admittedly, so did I.)

Afterward she asked "is there a Jane Austen roleplaying game?" I assured her that there had to be one, possibly several. The idea was so obvious! Oddly enough, though, a quick Google search didn't reveal any. Sure, there's a "choose your own adventure" Austen pastiche on Amazon (with poor reviews); there was a group-storytelling effort at Yahoo! in the early aughts; a couple of discussions of playing Austen with existing rule systems. (Yeah, I'm sure the GF would love GURPS Age of Napoleon for that sort of thing...) Naturally there's some talk of RPGs for the "Jane Austen with Monsters" sub-genre, but to me that's cheating. Rules for called shots to the head don't belong in an Austen game! Anyone who knows better examples can point them out to me.

Honestly, I suspect the best way to approach the problem would be to create a semi-RPG like En Garde in reverse, then add opportunities for roleplaying as they come up in game. Everyone plays an aristocratic lady looking for a good match, each defined with a set of simple non-numeric traits, along with variable factors like wealth and reputation. I would have to read a Jane Austen novel before I could go further -- and I don't think they're my kind of books -- but I'd be happy to hear from those who have.

Comments

[hslayer.livejournal.com]

After initially saying, "DON'T do it," to an Austen RPG and me pointing out that it sounded like she was looking for more "pure role-playing" type of thing, Michelle suggested she just join Milliways (or something similar), which already has some Austen characters running around.

[kent-allard-jr.livejournal.com]

Could be. I suspect she wouldn't have the time for such a time-sink. (She's not a fan-fiction writer like Michelle.) I was thinking of something a little more structured, but with plenty of room for creativity nevertheless.

[viridian.livejournal.com]

Pfff, Milliways is not a time sink unless you really want it to be. I put a character into play like once every few months. And I haven't written actual fanfiction in something like a year. :P

But yeah, if you don't want monsters it's basically going to have to be a pure role-playing game, and I'm not sure what you'd do that would be very interesting. I feel like it would end up the equivalent of Princess Maker, in RPG form.

[kent-allard-jr.livejournal.com]

I'll have to check out Princess Maker (someone mentioned it when I said I wanted "estates" and "heirs" in WoW).

My guess is everyone would play an aristocratic woman, and there would be a number of "eligible bachelors" equal to the number of players, each with randomly selected attributes. As I said, something a bit more structured than a standard RPG (there wouldn't be a Game Master, after all), but players would pick their character's names, choose noteworthy characteristics and so forth.

[avram]

Damn, I'm pretty sure there was some discussion of a Jane Austen RPG in A&E some time back. I think I might have even linked to it. But I can't find it now.

[avram]

In particular, I remember something with paired stats, so that instead of rolling or point-building your character, you just chose a value for each pair, and being high at one thing automatically made you low at the other half of the pair.

[kent-allard-jr.livejournal.com]

This was set up, I assume, so you either have Sense OR Sensibility (for example), but not both?

[avram]

It probably ought to have been, but I don't recall if it was.

[ladymondegreen.livejournal.com]

There's also the real-life sort of role playing of going to costume events and making up your own Jane Austin style character based on the environment.

There's a lot of regency reenactment, and there are mailing lists for this sort of thing.

I think there are probably some regency LARPs out there too. Ask Josh and Lisa?

[kent-allard-jr.livejournal.com]

The odd thing is, she'd be more freaked out by LARPs than paper-and-pencil RPGs. She has an issue with folks at Renaissance fairs who act "in character," so I can't imagine her LARPing, even though the subject matter might suit her. (Honestly, I think LARPs would be better for non-violent drama than adventure fiction, anyway.)

[ladymondegreen.livejournal.com]

Costume dance might not necessarily equal LARP in her brain, so asking her if she wants to go to a costume dance (where you'd have to obtain semi-appropriate clothes to go as a couple) might just be a fun romantic thing to do.

[mneme]

It's true. We just had our spring event (see above), but there are plenty of other vintage dance events in different periods. (note, of course, that vintage dance != larp, though I've done larping in the Victorian period (hmm. Torch of Freedom might be 1860s or so -- though it's Europe, not England).

Do you have any idea what the source of the "acting in character" freakout is? How does she feel about murder mystery games (which are much closer to theater style larps)?

[kent-allard-jr.livejournal.com]

Not 100% sure, I think it's fear that they don't know what universe they're in. (Admittedly, in some games even I wonder. :)

[womzilla.livejournal.com]

Regency dance might appeal to her. I think they still do that at some NE Corridor conventions, including Lunacon.

[mrs-dm.livejournal.com]

I think a Jane Austen RPG would be pretty cool. There are actually a lot of things that could be incorporated into it. Basically, all the Austen books are a variation on the following theme/ideas;

1. Characters are torn between the prospect of marrying for love or marrying for wealth/status.
2. Strong female characters want both.
3. Much "checking out" of prospective mates ensues.
4. Elaborate social rituals ensue.
5. A villainous cad usually pops up at some point.
6. Despite the seemingly straight-laced settings, illicit sex and/or illegitimate children figure into the plot.
7. Novel always ends in a wedding (combining love and wealth/status)

I'm sure an RPG can be developed. I could get our friend, Pieter to work on it.

[kent-allard-jr.livejournal.com]

Thanks for that generic Austen plot; I had a vague idea of what the novels were "about" -- from all the movies -- and it's nice to have it confirmed.

This would probably be one of my own initiatives, though. I want a second RPG to my credit!

[avram]

Hey, you could probably adapt Misery Bubblegum to that kind of story telling. (Rules here.)

[kent-allard-jr.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I will check this out.

[drcpunk.livejournal.com]

I got me a copy of it. Tony used it for a Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies game last July.

[drcpunk.livejournal.com]

Brian Rogers talked about an Austen-esque rpg idea, with mecha. His players went for other possibilities instead, but I always thought it was a cool idea.

[mrs-dm.livejournal.com]

I can also relate to your GF's suspicion of role-playing. Being an (almost) gaming widow myself, and a sort of mundane (although I was a bit of a Trekker even before Brian), I know what it's like.

My advice to her is; if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Try getting her involved in some "gateway" board games like Carcasonne and Settlers. Everybody loves those. I even tried to play a character in Warhammer, but soon got bored. Soon to start up with a Star Trek RPG though, which I'm looking forward to.

Too bad we don't live nearby. I'd love to play a Jane Austen RPG.

[kent-allard-jr.livejournal.com]

Too bad we don't live nearby. I'd love to play a Jane Austen RPG.

Maybe we can visit! She's a Canadaphile who loves beer and hockey and talks about visiting Toronto a lot...

[bigscary.livejournal.com]

Read an austen or two. Q hates them, but they're not all that bad.
Memory (and a poke at google) tells me that you might find some of the shoujo rpgs or semi-systems to be useful (Heartquest (fudgebased) is the one that seems most polished, but I really can't speak to any of them). You'll have to rename some things, but a system built for shoujo rpg (assuming it doesn't assume mahou shoujo) should be able to simulate regency romance with no systemic changes at all.

[bigscary.livejournal.com]

Oh, one thing.

Look for shoujo rpgs (or shojo or sh(o-with-macron)jo). You DO NOT want shoujo-AI rpgs. Nor do you want bishoujo games.

[jlc.livejournal.com]

BESM in the pre-BESM d20 days had some suppliments for running shoujo-style games too.

[doc-mystery.livejournal.com]

1) Have the two of you attend a Furry Con; after she gets over that, this will firmly establish yourself in her eyes on the more mundane end of the Geek continuum.

2) Check out www.boardgamegeek.com for the GF friendly board-games (things like Lost Cities, Ticket to Ride, etc.). Suggest having a board-game night with some of your friends or her friends (or some of each).

3) Look forlornly at your RPG collection; I rather doubt you'll get her to play any of it unless you suggest you two pick up and play something both light and fan-friendly, like a media spin-off franchise (i.e. Doctor Who, Buffy, Ghostbusters) using pre-generated characters with some of your casual gamer friends.

::B::

P.S. 4) There's a good reason there's no straight Jane Austin RPG (nor a Shakespearean RPG, nor a Romance-Thriller RPG); gamers wouldn't play it because the topic is too mundane, and mundanes won't play it because its one of those weird RPG thingys. Now, if you want to strive for a unholy homebrewed hybrid of the two worlds (say an RPG scenario based on Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, that's another story).

[kent-allard-jr.livejournal.com]

I don't know, something about P&P&Zombies reminds me of my old crack in A&E.

An RPG with Integrity: A comedy of manners about young women looking for love in Regency England.
An RPG that Sold Out: A comedy of manners about young women, looking for love in Regency England, who use magic.

My biggest fear about showing Kim a Furry Con, though, is that she might go for it. She did ask to play an otter, after all, and it was inspired by this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epUk3T2Kfno).

[womzilla.livejournal.com]

I read Pride and Prejudice recently (2008? how time does fly!), and even though it is almost completely unlike the things I normally read, I enjoyed it tremendously. One of the things that people forget to mention about Austen is that she's sharply funny. If you're not allergic to the prose, they're definitely worth the time.

[kent-allard-jr.livejournal.com]

I have heard that, and plan to give one of her novels a try. If I'm going to write a game, after all, I'd want to somewhat evoke the prose style.

[moonlightalice.livejournal.com]

Oh man an Austen RPG! Can you imagine the elaborate social rules?? I <3 Austen.

I'd try starting her on, say, Settlers of Catan or something first. I'm always up for a game of that.

[stormsweeper.livejournal.com]

http://www.blackgreengames.com/bti.html

[kent-allard-jr.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[stormsweeper.livejournal.com]

You can email Emily (the author), but I think the Strat may have this on the shelf. They have a local/indie shelf just past the periodicals.

Ravenloft

[tmlforsyth.livejournal.com]

You could make a Ravenloft realm with a regency air to the domain. Mordent could work, though the idea is based on the Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies title:)

It is more about story telling than game mechanics.

[jlc.livejournal.com]

I know you don't like them, but I wonder if some of the more narrativist indie systems would be well suited to Austenesque roleplay? I could see something like The Mountain Witch working very well, with dark fates recast as secrets or social minuses (poor estate etc) and the trust points working well to capture the incredibly dense social relations. Probably not a good intro to RPGs, though.

[drcpunk.livejournal.com]

Yah, Primetime Adventures would easily work.

I bet a Fate hack would, as well.