The Gaming Den

what kind of system would one need to run an rpg based on Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, Invader Zim, I Feel Sick, etc.?

The world itself is somewhat simple, it's basically a world of darkness, with less stuff.

By my count there are:

• Aliens
• Magic
• Ancient Gods*
• Demons*
• Lovecraftian Horrors*
• Heaven and Hell
• Vampires
• Self substantiated mental illnesses

*these are possibly related

Am I missing anything?

I'm thinking it should probably be an equipment hand waving system, due to the completely random access to highly specialized equipment some characters have (Nny's torture/execution devices, Dib's higher-than-earth-standard tech, Zim's Irken tech) and should maybe focus on skills and special abilities. For example, Dib could be described as having the following:

• Resistance to deception
• dangerous curiosity
• gifted with stuff: access to PL+1 or 2 tech
• paranoid conspiracy theorist contacts
• High intelligence, not just for his age, but for his world

Nny would probably be something like:

• Deadly with anything
• gifted with stuff: complex torture machines
• cursed with apocalypse: must keep up a metaphysical barrier with fresh blood
• Insane: creative tasks are difficult
• Above Reproach: misdeeds go unnoticed
• Immortal(ish)
• Purpose: Flusher

So qualities are pretty easy to come up with and may be the way to go, but there should be more of a system, shouldn't there?

Prak_Anima wrote:PL+1 or 2 tech

My people's more advanced technology is not so readily available human.

that would put you at least three Progress Levels above standard human technology, with the Irkens and Planet Jackers.

Zim and JTHM don't exist in the same world at all (which is a very good thing). Zim's world is far stupider, and would probably be more entertaining.

CatharzGodfoot wrote:Zim and JTHM don't exist in the same world at all (which is a very good thing). Zim's world is far stupider, and would probably be more entertaining.

I don't think it's ever expressed, however, there are some very irken-esque aliens that pop up in Squee.

Regardless, if you're right that just makes them different campaign settings, doesn't it?

How about using the "RPG writing" flowchart that Frank came up with?

Write the setting.

Write who the characters are.

What 6 classes do you want; write two 3 PC parties, describe how they work.

Write some adventures.

Write a campaign.

Start to look for a system.


Personally, something loose and free form would be a good way of doing this.

Honestly, I'm not sure on classes. Ability types, I could see, but the little Invader Zim that I've watched doesn't have enough material to demonstrate several 'classes'.

Judging__Eagle wrote:How about using the "RPG writing" flowchart that Frank came up with?

Write the setting.

Write who the characters are.

What 6 classes do you want; write two 3 PC parties, describe how they work.

Write some adventures.

Write a campaign.

Start to look for a system.


Personally, something loose and free form would be a good way of doing this.

Honestly, I'm not sure on classes. Ability types, I could see, but the little Invader Zim that I've watched doesn't have enough material to demonstrate several 'classes'.

Yeah, it seems like it'd be best to stay away from classes. I've thought about it somewhat, and I think just a "qualities" system would probably be best. I'll take a look at doing up a flow chart.

How necessary do you guys think skills are in a game system? especially social skills?

Well.... when it comes down to it, it doesn't matter.

Skills are just an other mini-system. You can easily do away with them.

I think the system should have something like skills, I've heard complaints of other systems when there were no social skills...

Step One: Name the PCs

Step Two: Write up a Six Person Party

• Flusher Combat skills, assassination, etc. -Johnny
• Mage Some form of magic, usually revolving around Hell or eldritch horrors. -Squee/Shmee
• Retail Slave Able to deal with the average idiot just in off the street and not kill them. -Devi
• Walking Mental Illness Main use is scrying, only the person who they belong to, or possibly other insane people, can see them, might be able to inflict insanity upon opponents. Might make the character the person who is insane, and then the walking insanities are just the way his shtick manifests -The Doughboys
• Holy Fuck, Where'd That Machine Come From? Gadgeteer. -Zim
• don't know yet

Step Three: Write up a Three Person Party

• Flusher pulls double duty as a sneak and a combat monkey
• Retail Slave the character type with the best bet of interacting with people outside the party, face
• Holy Fuck, Where'd That Machine Come From? Probably the most versatile role, can do some combat, some scouting (so long as there's a surveilance system they can hack)

Step Four: Outline an Adventure

Step Five: Write out a campaign

Step Six: Choose a Base System
Well, I was able to outline roles that could easily be classes, but I'm really liking the idea of a "quality based" system. It allows some blurring of the roles, but that's fairly true to the source material: Nny was a Flusher and a Walking Insanity, Devi was a Retail Slave and a Walking Insanity, Squee was either a mage or just a Walking Insanity, but Shmee was quite different from the Doughboys, Sickness, Nail Bunny, etc. Dib was a HF,WTMCF that dabbled in being a mage for an episode or two, Zim, if not constrained by children's TV, would probably have been a HF,WTMCF and a Flusher.
However, based on a number of characters being/having Walking Insanities, maybe that should just be an every character thing. None of them are particularly balanced, maybe there should be a sanity track, and as a character's sanity dips, his mental illnesses start to self-substantiate...

I'm thinking about stripping Eden Studio's All Flesh system and using that, it's got skills, qualities and drawbacks, so it does what I want. Any clue of how balanced it is though?

Step Seven: Do the Math

Random Things That Occur To Me As I Write Up The Flow Chart

• There is not a single "social" character in JV's stuff. At best the main characters don't give a shit, and at worst, they are completely sociopathic. However, there are characters whose job it is to deal with the public on a daily basis.
• Would it be a particularly bad idea to include a character type whose main shtick is (usually) undetectable scrying?