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JeevesAndWooster? with magic.  (Other master/butler pairs exist, choose your favourite)

Based solely on the line "This is James, my... Magicians magician."

From this mornings episode: "Send a telegraph, please.  Dark forces are drawing us to Totton, Jeeves.  Still, I think Friday should be soon enough."

Thoughts on actually running it.

The butler takes on many of the GM roles.  He sets up the situations ("Your mother sent to say that she would visit today, sir.") and provides the resolution ("A masterful plan sir" "Tomorrow might be more prudent, sir.")

Meanwhile, the master provides the decisions and performs reality editing.  ("Nonsense, that's his favourite food.") - providing he makes it funny(ish) ("he gets ninety miles to the slice.")

I think this should be a fundamental resolution mechanic.  Good ideas, and funny ideas pass with a dry "Indeed Sir" whilst bad ones are rejected with an eye-brow raising "Indeed sir?" to which the master must either back down, propose something new or push through with a "Dash it James!" or similar.

(Maybe some limit to the 'dash it'?  Maybe something whereby he'll get his comeuppance in the end - some token that the butler can later spend to have inevitable disaster occur?)
(Need also some mechanic for "I took the liberty of..." - the butler should never act ON SCREEN, but gets to save the day off-screen with regularity.)

I don't know if trying to do more than 2-players would work, or be desirable.

The rules should be explained from a master/butler conversation - the GM is the Butler (see Munchausen for style) and also plays the Butler.

Setting



I'm thinking... 1920's CallOfCthulhu?.
With complete unflappability, the evil forces are... thwarted.  Yes, thwarted is the word?  "Indeed so, sir"  Right then.  Let us thwart away!

Perhaps 'dash it' is the equivalent of taking a 'code of honour' flaw in some systems.  If the Master objects to James' plan of not getting involved with Lady Margaret's Grand Jewel Heist (to get back a broach she lost in gambling to some cads, you understand) with "Dash it James, a gentleman doesn't leave a lady in the lurch", then he is tied to that principle, and CAN'T leave a lady in the lurch in future, even if it leads to doom and utter ruin.  He could of course have said "an Old Etonian doesn't break his word" or "I never default on gambling debts".  --Pallando
I like the style.  I'm not quite sure what controls I want to put in though.  The 'dash it' was even more spur of the moment that the rest.  --Vitenka
Another thought. In JeevesAndWooster?, usually once Jeeves has saved the day after being put upon, he is granted permission to dispense with some possession of Bertie's that he finds objectionable (and, in fact, has generally already done so). Perhaps a "dash it" could lead to James having the ability to completely override a step in Master's plan due to having got rid of some crucial item. "Well, Murgatroyd, we'll see how you like it after you taste the Fireball I have stored in my tweed checked coat pocket!" "Ahem. I took the liberty, sir, of donating your coat to the poor. It wasn't in the current fashion."
Humm.  That seems fun.  Game-wise it would mean that master can override in exchange for being overridden in turn, later.  Does combine the two things I wanted as well.  --Vitenka (nagging 'not quite right' feeling, but that might just be nimby; can't put my finger on it.)




{Everything goes dark} "James?  James!  I hope you have an explanation for this, this..."
"I believe it is called a 'black out' sir."
"Yes this black out.  Blast it James, all my spells have gone out!"
"Indeed sir.  'How Strange'."

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Last edited January 29, 2009 10:00 am (viewing revision 6, which is the newest) (diff)
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