decanox
Posts: 169
Joined: Tue 04 Jun 2019, 10:14

Re: Has anyone made a Homebrew Predator yet?

Tue 07 Jan 2020, 13:21

I am seeing that is very similar to Alien system: Characters have more talents (they are different), stress looks a bit different and there are different skills but, in general, it can be adapted to Alien rpg.

The background, the characters, events, the maps and the story are really awesome! There are also agendas for every scene. There are five scenes.

The only objection, in my opinion, is the assimilation process (infection) the Thing does to a human. If I am not wrong, he/she has to touch the player and yell an interjection. It's not said that he/she has to do secretly (I understand, since it's not told, that the Thing does it in public). That fact would reveal the Thing right away to the players. I insist that maybe I understood it wrong but if not, I would use another system: for example, through secret notes to the GM when players are alone with other characters/players (they have to pass a note even if they do nothing, thus increasing the paranoia and the secrecy) and keeping a tight track of every action in different locations.

Other problem is that players who have seen the movie could act according to their minds (not to the characters minds). For example, staying always together so it would be impossible for the Thing to assimilate another character. I think this is solved with the "agendas" proposed to the characters and the items they have (keys to some sections, for example). Some of the agendas could be a bit unnatural: for example, some of them tell (in other words) "from now on, you distrust X character"... Maybe the flow of the game session has gone in other way and that's the reason I say that could be a bit unnatural. 
 
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The1TrueFredrix
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Re: Has anyone made a Homebrew Predator yet?

Tue 07 Jan 2020, 20:05

Got a story to tell about this. It’s actually based on a game Dave ran for my home group back in the 1980s. In those days he used the Call of Cthulhu rules. He had a bit of a reputation for basing his games on films or tv that he saw, so when he handed out the character sheets and we all say that we had snow gear and flamethrower skill, we all knew what film we were in :)

Now back in those days we were old school players so there was no idea of separating character and player knowledge. If players characters were not the the scene, they had to leave the room an go somewhere else instead. So, it wasn’t about “yelling” anything, it was about saying it quietly to the other player and the GM without the people in the next room hearing. 

Now it comes to the point when my character is the Thing but nobody knows. And another player (let’s call him Andy, because that was his name, he was the very same Andy that created the predator file above)  and I were out checking the tractor or the helicopter or something. But the rest of the survivors were suspicious, and said that they were watching both of us all the time. So, Andy and I and the GM went out into my garden (we usually played at my parents house), and there I  positioned myself between Andy and the other players and then said to the GM “I attack Andy by groaning a tentacle into his stomach, and up out of his mouth, so it looks like he is attacking me”. Dave rolled the dice, and Andy and I mimed it out while Dave went back to the other survivors to tell them what they saw. They fell for it. I snapped off my own tentacle/appendage and pushed Andy away, and he died in a hail of gunfire (or flame, I can’t recall). “Saved” by the other players, I sent inside to safety. And I think, killed them all.
Effekt - A fan podcast celebrating Swedish RPGs including, but not limited to: Alien; Coriolis; Forbidden Lands; Symbaroum; and Tales from the Loop. Featuring discussion magazine episodes and Actual Play recordings. https://effektpodcast.org/
 
decanox
Posts: 169
Joined: Tue 04 Jun 2019, 10:14

Re: Has anyone made a Homebrew Predator yet?

Tue 07 Jan 2020, 22:38

Nice and funny story!

Ah ok! so I understood it wrong... I think it's not told in the rules, but if the Thing player inform the "assimilation" to a human player secretly that changes a lot. Anyway, in my case, it's difficult to order people to get out of the room (and get in again), so I would use secret notes (or even whatsapp) to inform about the infection.   
 
cole.hill127
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Joined: Mon 06 Jan 2020, 08:43

Re: Has anyone made a Homebrew Predator yet?

Wed 08 Jan 2020, 06:26

Got a story to tell about this. It’s actually based on a game Dave ran for my home group back in the 1980s. In those days he used the Call of Cthulhu rules. He had a bit of a reputation for basing his games on films or tv that he saw, so when he handed out the character sheets and we all say that we had snow gear and flamethrower skill, we all knew what film we were in :)

Now back in those days we were old school players so there was no idea of separating character and player knowledge. If players characters were not the the scene, they had to leave the room an go somewhere else instead. So, it wasn’t about “yelling” anything, it was about saying it quietly to the other player and the GM without the people in the next room hearing. 

Now it comes to the point when my character is the Thing but nobody knows. And another player (let’s call him Andy, because that was his name, he was the very same Andy that created the predator file above)  and I were out checking the tractor or the helicopter or something. But the rest of the survivors were suspicious, and said that they were watching both of us all the time. So, Andy and I and the GM went out into my garden (we usually played at my parents house), and there I  positioned myself between Andy and the other players and then said to the GM “I attack Andy by groaning a tentacle into his stomach, and up out of his mouth, so it looks like he is attacking me”. Dave rolled the dice, and Andy and I mimed it out while Dave went back to the other survivors to tell them what they saw. They fell for it. I snapped off my own tentacle/appendage and pushed Andy away, and he died in a hail of gunfire (or flame, I can’t recall). “Saved” by the other players, I sent inside to safety. And I think, killed them all.
I feel like that story went real life full circle.
 
YellowSign
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Re: Has anyone made a Homebrew Predator yet?

Wed 08 Jan 2020, 20:32

I'd toyed around with the idea of putting the Thing in the game and made a post recently on reddit r/aliensrpg page about it.

I've yet to do it as I'm running my expanded version of Hopes Last Day tomorrow for first time, and dont want to start working out stats for a new monster until I get a feel for running the game.

Basically I'd thought of having it be somewhat antagonistic towards the Alien. The aliens are hard if not impossible for it to replicate and their blood can hurt it. They may even be created with the intent of hunting that type of creature down.

But basically take The Thing as a blueprint and replace the Swedish research station with a UPP research station, throw an alien egg in there, and replace the dog with a cat. Let the cat get on board ship BEFORE they meet crazed Russian who has become paranoid.

Cat infects some kind of livestock aboard and at least one player. If things are too easy, hatch egg.

Also the Predator link is both awesome and makes me sad as I was gonna do that...
I would love to see you do some expanded lore creatures, there's so many cool ones! Or other famous extraterrestrials like The Thing or since they're tied together maybe The Replicants from Blade Runner?
I'm going to have a go at it once I've done my extended Hopes Last Day game. Want to get a feel for the system first, and will probably put it in my next game. Started Hopes Last Day last night.

Everyone kept making Thing jokes during the session.

They're on to me.
 
cole.hill127
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Posts: 16
Joined: Mon 06 Jan 2020, 08:43

Re: Has anyone made a Homebrew Predator yet?

Thu 09 Jan 2020, 01:26

I'm going to shove my players in between a rock (xeno) and a hard place (thing) the twist is going to be they don't give a damn about each other once the thing finds out it can't assimilate xenos. Then it's going to be a blood bath.

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