The Story So Far
Since there aren’t many examples of roleplaying games based on board games, I set out to create one. It’s been an interesting design exercise. If you are interested in RPG design, definitely give it a try.
Staring at my shelves, mulling board games over took some time. Which one has the best potential? Which one has an engaging setting? Which one has a large scale and would still be interesting at an intimate scale? Abstract games are too–abstract. There will be no Chess: the Roleplaying Game. Battle games would be too easy. That rules out Earth Reborn, Mythic Battles, Mage Knight, and their pugalistic cousins. Economics make fun boardgames but lack that personal touch I’m seeking. So long, Web of Power, Acquire, and Rolling Freight. How about Monopoly: the Roleplaying Game? Please no.
I finally chose Matt Leacock’s excellent Pandemic. Pandemic has all the elements any roleplayer could want. It features high stakes–virulent diseases have simultaneously broken out all across the world. It features epic characters–each player takes the role of a world class disease fighter. Characters naturally form into diverse parties–each utilizing their talents to treat hot spots, prevent outbreaks, and research cures.
The Game Engine
I favor highly narrative games with quick task-resolution systems. The clever Strike! RPG (Get it here) achieved this goal far better than most. I used its concepts as a starting point for my game engine. This game will feature no attributes in the normal RPG sense of the word. Instead, characters will use skills to differentiate them from one another.
Gameplay will be focused on the high drama of working to cure fatal diseases. Interpersonal conflict and social strife are likely to feature in the game so the system needs to handle these situations smoothly. Combat won’t happen often and when it does, it will be deadly.
When a character attempts a task, the player will describe what they are trying to achieve and which skill they intend to use. Under the GM’s judgment, one or more standard six-sided dice are rolled. If the character does not have an appropriate skill, roll one die. If the character is skilled, roll two. If the task matches the character’s type, roll three dice. After rolling, take the highest among them. The GM then describes the result of this action by using this narrative chart.
Highest die |
Narrated Result |
7 |
Amazing success |
6 |
Success with a major bonus |
5 |
Success with a minor bonus |
4 |
Simple no frills success |
3 |
Success but with a cost |
2 |
Simple failure |
1 |
Abject failure. Opposite result achieved. |
Why is 7 on this chart? Good question. If two or more of your dice roll 6, the result is treated as 7 and your character gets an amazing, perhaps even unprecedented success!
Skills
This game will not need a formal skill list. Instead, each player gets to create six skills for his or her character during creation. These skills represent the talents and abilities each character has beyond his or her primary career. Because this game is narrative rather than exhaustive, players are encouraged to create narrative skills. To help inspire you, here are a few:
Accountant |
Bus Driver |
Camper |
Chef |
Diver |
Geology |
Mechanic |
Programmer |
Runner |
Sewing |
Woodcrafts |
|
Character Types
A character’s type is his or her primary career. These types were drawn directly from the Pandemic board game. Each type lays out an area of specialization for your character. In game terms, this means you roll 3 dice on any task related to your character type. Each type also brings extra advantages and challenges.
Dispatchers coordinate movement. Dispatchers get people and supplies where they need to be when they need to be there. As an extra advantage, a dispatcher may announce once per session where an item or person is without rolling dice. If this advantage is used, then later in the same session, the GM may announce that a different item or person is unavailable.
Medics cure people. Medics are the people who live on the front lines of infection. As an extra advantage, a medic may gain entry into a restricted area once per session without rolling dice. If this advantage is used, then later in the same session, the GM may announce that a quarantined area has suffered a breakout and the disease has spread.
Researchers collect the pieces. Researchers collate data and identify how disease is spread. As an extra advantage, a researcher may ask the GM for a clue once per session without rolling dice. If this advantage is used, then later in the same session, the GM may evolve the disease to spread in a new way (bloodborne evolves into fluidborne, for example).
Scientists put the pieces together. Scientists explore treatments and discover cures for the deadliest diseases in the world. As an extra advantage, a scientist may find a cure once per session without rolling dice. If this advantage is used, then later in the same session, the GM may introduce a resistant substrain which spreads less easily but is immune to this cure.
Operations Experts build facilities. Operations Experts make the field hospitals, research stations, and fabrication laboratories the other characters use. Dispatchers may stock the shelves but without Operations Experts, there would be no shelves to stock. As an extra advantage, an operations expert may declare the presence of a supply depot once per session without rolling dice. If this advantage is used, then later in the same session, the GM may cause an equipment malfunction.
GMing the Pandemic RPG
It’s hard to roleplay a virus. They’re pernicious but also rather mindless. This will be your biggest challenge as a GM for this game. People, however are rather more familiar ground. If I were to run this game, that’s where my stories would start.
Story Seed: There’s an immunodeficiency outbreak in central Africa. The warlord controlling the region doesn’t want the “corrupt influences” of the CDC in the area. Before the team can treat the sick or find a cure, they must find a way to get in.
Story Seed: Several cases of Cholera have appeared in the southwestern United States and Northern Mexico. Diplomatic tension between the two nations makes it difficult to coordinate efforts. The team may need to navigate international relations before they can get at the real problem.
Story Seed: Several atypical cases of pneumonia have appeared in East Asia. This may be a new strain of SARS. A member of Doctors Without Borders is related to one of the team and may have already become infected. Can the team find an adequate treatment in time to save his life?
Final Thoughts
So that’s the Pandemic RPG I would write if I were writing a Pandemic RPG. Since roleplaying games are the best for exploring personal experience and emotion, I took the global setting of Pandemic and personalized it. Overall, I’m pretty happy with the results.
What do you think of the Pandemic RPG? What did you find most interesting? What would you have done differently? Share with your fellow readers in the comments below. And if you’re enjoying what you’re reading, create an account with WordPress and follow this blog. If you keep reading, I’ll keep writing.
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