Space Opera and the Apocalypse

My Space Opera branch for my Genre Tree covers a wide range of science fiction, and science adventure fare. 

From zombie plagues, and star troopers to the world of four color comics, this is why I intend to use the USR system when presenting this menu of choices to players. I'll need a completely flexible game system to follow the whim of player choices.

Space Opera Genre Tree;

2.1 Post Apocalypse              2.2 Comic Books      2.3 Hard Sci Fi


Space Opera, Post Apocalypse;

Post Apocalyptic story arcs never go out of style, and once again, your sources of inspiration to be found in film alone are immense. I for one am mashing up Aos' material from his fantastic blog Metal Earth with my love of Kamandi, the last boy on Earth DC comics series. This mash up would be my Space Opera, Post Apocalypse campaign setting. Though there are significantly more world settings to be had. The popularity of The Walking Dead television series not withstanding, different "collapse" scenarios are numerous, and all have particular story needs.

 
This branch of the Genre Tree should demand more background material be forth coming from the GM for the players to orient themselves in their game world. Even if it is a narrow band of non polluted ground, the players should have a handle on how they have survived in this hostile world. What has allowed them to live while others die.

Die hard Gamma World, and Mutant Future fans will find their favorite story lines here, and should be prepared for the shocking deaths their PC's will find. This does not preclude civilizations anchored on the long dead carcass of a past world to be flourishing, but the effect of some disruption is embedded in the culture.

2.1 Space Opera, Post Apocalypse;

2.1.1 Future Shock

2.1.2 Living Dead Dominion

  

2.1.3 Highway Holocaust

 

Six Shooters, Dynamite, and Cigars part 3

Western , Historical for the Genre Tree...

There is a wealth of historical western adventures in film, radio, and television from which to draw inspiration. It is a poor GM who cannot cobble these readily available sources into encounter opportunities for your eager players.

You would be crazy to pass up Eric Hotz's "Published Wild West Wargames" page if you are a Western RPG Gamer thirsting for inspiration.

Here is a short list of additional sources if you are scrambling for ideas; 

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly stands out in every way as a classic western adventure story, let alone true grit for your historical western campaign.  

I've never read any Louis L'amour, but I bet my last silver dollar there is plots to be had. 

The radio adventures of The Lone Ranger and the TV series Bonanza, and Gunsmoke can provide countless story hooks.

You will also notice I do not have any issue with utilizing an adventure for more than one location on my Genre Tree. 

I have no problem using the Cthulhu published adventure "The Spawn" as one of the Western, Horror adventure choices, as well as in this "Historical" branch of the Western genre tree. I even intend to use this same adventure as an option for the Espionage, Hard Boiled branch of the Genre Tree. This all will have the net effect of reducing prep time while trying to present this large grouping of genres and adventures to the players.

Western, Historical;
1.3.1	Cthulhu Mythos	1.3.2.1	Bank Robbers	1.3.3.1	Civil War
		1.3.2.2	Cattle Rustlers	1.3.3.2	French & Indian War
		1.3.2.3	Mysterious Stranger

Six Shooters, Dynamite, and Cigars (character interlude)

Western Character Creation example for the Genre Tree...

Was as easy as rolling on the random Boot Hill Character Background table. Rolling an Eighty Eight I came up with "Artist". Utilizing Charlie at The Semi-Retired Gamer's USR Character Sheets I quickly wrote up Henry Shaw from St. Louis, MO.

When I mean quickly, I created this character in under three minutes.

First I assigned his Attributes. The d10 was assigned to Ego. If you are going to be a successful artist you better have attitude, and confidence. Especially if you will find yourself out in the American West circa 1866. Wits I assign the d8, and Action gets d6. Rolling for hits he gets lucky with a total of 9.

For his three Specialisms I decide on Whitlin' (Wits +2), Knife Fightin' (Action +2), and Talkin' Shit (Ego +2). No rhyme or reason, but it seems I have now defined this characters medium in the visual arts.

Filling in the characters starting gear helps me finish off this 1st level character to my satisfaction. These items being a set of carving knives to sculpt figurines, a traveling pack designed to carry tools. An illustrated book of North American ducks, and rain gear declare my character creation process done! I should have no problem integrating this character concept into the group and the genre which we have all decided on for this new Western campaign.

Six Shooters, Dynamite, and Cigars part 2

Western, Planetary Romance from the Genre Tree

Planetery Romance, whether or not the protaganists come from a traditional wild west background, is characterized by players encountering strange new worlds and the ability to travel in between them, or not.

This is your John Carter of Mars books, Marion Zimmer Bradley's Hunters of the Red Moon, Stephen King's Gunslinger, and John Norman's Gor series. The mode of travel between the worlds is not what is important for the Planetary Romance genre, it is the relationships which the players create with this new, fantastic place.

Here is the table I created to flesh out this branch;

Western, Planetary Romance;
1	Stranded Visitor	2	The Gate	3	The Heritage	4	Kidnapped
1.1	Friendly	2.1	Open	3.1	Proud Member	4.1	Accidental
1.2	Hostile	2.2	Closed	3.2	Unaware	4.2	Purposeful
		2.3	Rumored

Six Shooters, Dynamite, and Cigars

Western Game Options from the Genre Tree

I listed Horror, Planetary Romance, and Historical as my choices from the Western category of my new idea; the Genre Tree.

I would instruct the game group to chose one of these three to further define their Western choice for our new campaign. Once they have discussed, and have made their choice I would give relevant background information to aid the players in character creation, and let them at it!

For Western this information would consist of the time period they find themselves in, and their initial jobs, or roles in society. This would all be prompted by a roll on the Detail Table for the sub genre they have chosen.

Here is the full Genre Tree with the Western, Horror branch expanded in detail;

1 Western 2 Space Opera 3 Espionage 4 Fantasy 1.1 Horror 2.1 Post Apocalypse 3.1 Cyber Punk 4.1 High Fantasy 1.2 Planetary Romance 2.2 Comic Book 3.2 Hard Boiled 4.2 Dark Fantasy 1.3 Historical 2.3 Hard Sci-Fi 3.3 Time Travel 4.3 Sword & Sorcery Western, Horror; 1 Superstitous Indians 2 Alien Horrors 3 Tormented Townsfolk 4 Wild Animals 1.1 The Burial Site 2.1 Cthulhu Mythos 3.1 Cannibals 4.1 Hunter becomes the Hunted 1.2 A Tragic Accident 3.2 Ancient Cult 4.2 Town plagued by unknown animal(s)
This is when I would add a random element. This is when I would let fate decide our characters embarkation point into the game world. A 1d4 would be rolled for the top row, and then, if needed, an additional roll to establish the final option from the ones I've listed.

In the case of Horror the players will end up in one of seven possible plot lines. Each separate plot line would have an initial situation the players would find themselves in, and hopefully everyone is sufficiently invested at this point to easily start playing off the material offered. For example;

The indian burial site;

You are part of a survey team looking to stake a lucrative claim. Coming across an ancient burial site you trigger the wrath of a bloodthirsty indian tribe. Your party will have to survive their onslaught. Inspiration; the films Valhalla Rising, Pumpkinhead.

The "tragic" accident;

While apprehending an indian accused of horse stealing the brave is shot dead. The son of the tribe's shaman, the grief stricken mystic unleashes terrible forces in which to exact revenge. Inspiration; the film Pumpkinhead.

 Of course any of these initial embarkation points do not need to be created out of whole cloth, neither do they need to all be original. I have Chaosium's The Great Old Ones, and the adventure "The Spawn" could be easily hacked to take place in the 1860's instead of the 1920's. To further enhance the horror aspect make the characters company men sent to Coopertown to end the labor unrest, and find out why the Beasleys are allowing the quotas to slip. This adventure would also find itself used as presented as one of my "Hard Boiled" Espionage adventure choices with the players unaware of the underlying Cthulhu elements. This helps pare down the prep work this approach demands of the GM.