The Dungeon Reality Show, Part 2: Of Sponsors, Ambiance and Lines

In part 1, I presented the implied setting of my Dungeon Reality Show (DRS)concept.

Today, I’ll describe some of the gimmicks I use as a DM when I play a DRS game.

The Set

Whenever I throw the PCs into the Plane of Games, I always make sure to describe the barely contained chaos that is the ‘set’ of the show.  The PCs are teleported right in the middle of people shouting, discarded sets, makeup rooms and such.

The first interactive elements I usually throw at the PC is some sort of big-haired, loud, rhinestone-covered humanoid holding a microphone-equivalent device and thrusting it at the PC with some inane questions (if you’ve seen the original Death Race 2000 film, I’m thinking of the TV announcer)

Completely unrelated aside: Every time I think about Death Race 2000, I miss Car Wars.  It’s so sad that no one is working  to update the rules of the game to modern mechanics.

Announcer: “So good to see you!  How does it feel to have been selected for tonight’s show?”

PC: “Erm, where are we?”

Announcer: “There you have it folks, playing the (airquotes) I’m lost and confused (/airquotes) card to destabilize the competition.  Our contestants are getting shrewder every season!”

The idea is to weave fantasy elements with what we know of the world of television. Drop some half-naked elves with black makeup complaining to their “agent’ that they aren’t allowed to show the true depth of their completely original heroic  drow concept.  Picture floating, glowing orbs with numbers on them going around and getting in people’s faces for “close ups”.  Mention Beholders having coffee with Red Dragons, reminiscing about the good old times when you actually could get killed fighting adventurers.

Go wild!  It’s TV, everything’s possible!

The goal of the DM is to get the players to go from expectant, to WTF!?!  to the ‘this is going to be so cool’ stages.

And one of the surest way to achieve this is…

Announcer: “Okay guys, we’re done with the sound bites, so head up to the Sponsor’s tents just over there and pick up your free gear”!

O.o

Weapons of Mass Advertising

One of the exceedingly successful gimmicks I stumbled upon was to give each PC a piece of magical equipment they could use (usually 1-3 levels higher than their own). Once the items are chosen, the PCs are told that if they plug the manufacturer of said items to the Vision-orbs, the show’s Chronomancers (or, as Dave the Game calls them, Produceamancers) will alter the flow of time to allow an extra action with the item.

In other words, players get one free action point, using the sponsored item, once in the session.

This idea was insanely successful in the games and it motivated players to try for their best Vince Shlomi (The Sham-Wow guy) impressions to get their free action.

Here’s a few examples created by my good friend Eric for last week’s 4e Bloodbowl game:

Feroze’s Tuning Songblade – It stays sharp so you won’t

As this blade channels your bardic magic, the blade unleashes a wail that leaves your foes senseless.

Kadri’s Reckless Scimitar – We hit where it hurts

Some fighters favor force over accuracy-this weapon is for them.

String Propelled Flameburst, by Firat – The best danger is the distant danger

This ranged weapon packs a fiery surprise.

Volkan Wand of Swarming Silverware – World Leader in Sprayable Cutlery

The invisible forces you wield through this wand strike with deadly power.

Imperial Göker’s Lucky Starr – We Trust in our Lucky Starr

Luck favors the bold-and the wielder of this blade.

Nergis Replay – The blade that strikes back

You can use this weapon to attack with preternatural speed.

XURXO – The Inescapable, Relentless Pole

This weapon grows increasingly eager to strike those you have trouble hitting.

That last one lead to some very interesting antics with the party’s female paladin.

Of course, in some games, the PCs will miss with their free action.  In such cases, if I feel generous, I have the Time-out-amancers stop everything, send techs on the set and “check the batteries”, show the hapless PC how to properly use the item and lecture them on the importance of certain rules that govern such shows.

Once this is done, much to general hilarity, I have the PC try again.  If they manage to fail once more, I usually have someone whisper in their microphone “He’s hopeless, we’ll fix it in post production” and move on to the next PC.

On Scene NPC lines

Another element that I introduced to the concept, especially in the first one I played where Kobolds were trying to stop PCs from passing through their room, was to voice the opponents as third-rate actors with inflated egos.  When a PC impales a monster with an awesome critical hit (replayed 3 times to the viewers), I have the monster scream “call my agent” or go into some sort of Shatneresque death scene.

Peppering every few rounds of each scene with quips and complaints that remind everyone that the whole thing is a low-quality show helps maintain the silly ambiance that this type of game thrives on.

On Death

One of the ideas of doing such games is to use PCs from your current campaign and drop them in a series of deathtraps and insanely evil encounters.  Thus, character death should not be permanent unless the player decides to allow his/her PC to die.

When a character dies, feel free to have them raised at whatever point feels more convenient in the session so the player can rejoin the fun.  Alternatively, if you feel creative enough, you may have a different role for the player of the deceased character.  While the PC will be returned to full life after the “Show” feel free to give the Player another character to play.  Having a doppelganger stunt double move in and replace the PC may give the player a kick, especially if the player uses the potential of a shape shifter in a TV show!

Conclusion

The idea behind the Dungeon Reality Show is to confuse players (when they play the first time) and then immerse them in a world of silly TV cliches and product-placement insanity.  The goal is to have players laughing out loud as often as possible while at the same time having the PCs go through hard, creative encounters.

Up next, I’ll go into the nuts and bolts of the 4e Bloodbowl game, with 4e rules for the game and a suggestion of scenes to build the adventure.

I hope you are having as much fun reading this as I have writing it. Makes me want to play another session soon!