I am thinking of running a game or 2 next year. Out of the RPG's that I currently own a core rulebook for I was thinking of d20 or d6 Star Wars, d6 Fantasy, Jadeclaw, and Original Dungeons & Dragons (NOT AD&D! I mean the good old basic and expert rules stuff.)

Any one have any suggestions as to which one of the above would be easier for a first time GM to run/write a module for? I would need to get started by this summer on the module creation and hogtie my gamer friends into helping me playtest it.

I am open to other suggestions for games I currently do not own but would need even more time allowed as to familiarize myself with the rules.

P.S. I have other games on my shelf but I just don't see anyone playing Robotech, myself included.

Howdy!

I would suggest Jadeclaw honestly. Failing that maybe some Star Wars D6. The reason I suggest those two is I can see them being easy to run and fill. I am not sure how well D&D 1st edition would go over.

I think there are a few people who would have an interest in a good old fashioned original D&D game. I’d want to play, but then I am into retro gaming. I don’t guess I ever played with the boxed set rules. I played 1st edition AD&D though. I’m sure they are pretty similar.

This may spark a "retro rpg" track to go with the "indie" track.

Jade claw could be cool. Fast and furry.. I mean furious!

People seem to like this whole Star Worlds thing, I hear.

Any of the variations of Star Wars would be, IMHO, the easiest to build a campaign. The key thing isn't to look merely at one session, but what would be easiest to string into a longer campaign. A new GM in starting out in a world like Star Wars has an advantage because the Star Wars universe has a great deal of pre-done development of back-story, settings, dramatis personae, etc already done so you won't feel overwhelmed. Almost everyone knows the genre, so you can focus on the stories you're trying to tell through the plot & meta-plot.

You would then need to pick which time frame (Old Republic, the Fall of the Republic [Episode 1-3], the Empire [Episodes 4-6], the Heir to the Empire (Zahn novels set 5 years after Endor), or the New Jedi Order (25 years after Endor). Each time frame has its own unique challenges, plot arcs, etc. which could sustain a long term campaign.

My advice would be to look to the Old Republic time-frame. There are a great deal of comics and resources for that time, and its not like the story lines are as well known. If none of your prospective players have played either of the Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) video games, that can be a great jumping off point for a story line. The time frame of KOTOR is about 5000 years before the Battle of Yavin, and it is before Darth Bane's declaration of "One master, one apprentice" so there is an excuse for a number of Sith roaming around for Jedi to fight. However, the Jedi Order is extremely weak, so its not like someone could snap their fingers and have a hundred Jedi show up. Just look up KOTOR I and II on wikipedia for the plot summary. You could probably pick up an KOTOR I and II pretty cheap if you want the experience of playing through it. KOTOR II is great because it teaches how to railroad players down a plot line without having the players feel like their being railroaded.

An important point to consider is that as GM you don't have to reinvent the wheel so having a pre-made environment like Star Wars would help greatly.

To make a good con module, you need a few decision points. Things players (not just characters) can't ignore.

I'm not saying I'm great at doing this, I'm saying the games I've played that got everyone to go "that was awesome" did this.

Jadeclaw is pretty simple once you grasp the core mechanic, and it's easy to set up conflict, as you have class struggle, and you have a pronounced racial differences which you can elevate into a struggle really easily. Just don't throw in too many obscure martial arts to confuse the new players.

Star Wars is easy because people know what to expect. One side kills the other side. Surrender, mercy, etc, aren't options. It's pretty straight forward. Politics aside, people get to revel in some action, and play out something they already know.

Why not run em both?

Or, a furry Star Wars? Combine the best of both worlds.

Star Claw.

Luke Skybunny, Princess Lama, Ham Solo, Chubaccacabra vs Darth Weasle and his Worm Troopers.... dang... sounds like something I should run....

Yes, a con module is different from on ongoing module. I think it was Bill Cosby who put it best: "You put the spoon in the pudding." Er, scratch that.

For my SR con module this year I gave multiple options for pregen characters, so everyone got what they wanted to play. I tend to spend more time on most games making pregens than the actual module! You gotta try to make sure that "if I give this player this ability, will I give them a chance to use it?"

Then there is KAMB, where pregen is out imop. I spent more time on making the character sheets!

Now THAT is an idea! I'd play!

Joey

Oh trust me, if its Star Wars AND on XBOX, I have it already(except for Jedi Academy.) KOTOR 1 and 2 were both very excellent games. I have read all the Zahn novels and quite a few of the others except for New Jedi Order. If I do end up running multiple modules one of them will be Star Wars.

I like going here http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page for SW info as well.

Maybe I should put up a poll so you all can vote