Hey everybody, first time posting here and I just wanted to run something by you guys that I posted on RPGnet yesterday.

Originally posted by Jezrael on RPGnet
I was thinking that the narrative success rules of Donjon could be used to run a Dune campaign very well; allowing the players to simulate the complex political machinations and combat styles of Dune with just a bit of tweaking.

One problem that may come up is that certain groups would seem to be too homogenous for play (Bene Gesserit) or just not fun to play (yay, I'm a navigator, I sit in a spice tank all day!). With regards to the Bene Gesserit at least one can give different characters specialized training (Security Proctor, Training Proctor, Missionaria Protectiva, Imprinter) and the same for Mentats who could also have specialized training, etc.

Certain abilities could also be represented well by primary and secondary abilities; from the Atreides bloodline after Paul and Leto (Primary Ability: Atreides Scion - slight flashes of prescience; note: different from Kwisatz Haderach ability which would be ful prescience, Atreides Scion would be more in line with Odrade's abilities) to Teg's strange powers (Secondary Abilities: Phenomenal Speed and See No-Ships) to the Proof of Siona (Secondary Ability: Proof of Siona) and more. Still obviously a work in progress, as I just got Donjon about a week ago.

Thoughts? Comments?

I don't want to seem down on this idea - if you pull it off, that'd be awesome - but I don't see what about Donjon is suited to Dune more than the next game.

Ok, I take that back. The one thing I see that Donjon has going for it in this case is that characters that aren't fun to play in other games are fun in Donjon. You could play someone who just fixes spacecraft, or schemes politically or whatever, as the narrative successes give you a chance to drive the game.

One recommendation I would make for you would be to eliminate Wealth and replace it with Status. (Or just add Status to the game.) Make Status harder to get, but you can roll it in order to influence people (without losing it) or spend it (like Wealth) to make big things happen - you could influence the entire course of an adventure with it.

(I'm working on a similar system for my sister game to Donjon, Goblins.)

I think that the fact currency would be an excellent way to portray the prescient abilities. Most games do not have that advantage. And having the players add to the political machinations is probably a better way to make them complex than trying to have a GM come up with it all.

"I use my successes form my perception check to note that the guy eating in the corner has a small ring that would indicate that he was a member of one of the Bene Tlielaxlu organizations, and he appears to be surreptitiosly watching a member of Count Fenrig's entourage."

I can see the advantages of the idea.

OTOH, skip Dune, and just play in a Dune-like universe. Make it up with facts as you play almost from scratch. New organizations, factions, movers and shakers, commodities, power structures everything. I'd play.

Mike

I second the "Dune-like." See the discussion on the merits of an established past and no established future in the latest Fulminata Actual Play thread.

If you want to keep most of the Dune trappings, just start the game later on in the established Dune universe. Say, for example, just after the events of Dune proper.

With a little tweaking (i.e., Virility, Cerebrality, etc. don't sound serious enough for the Dune game I'm imagining), you could shift the system & color towards Dune even more than just the fact system.

Thanks for the input guys. The Dune-like idea seems like it might work better than just cripping Dune wholecloth, and I love the idea of Status as a resource like Wealth. Ill try and post an update when I get something hashed out a bit better. Again thanks.

Hmmm. Thinking about it, I'd forget Status, as that's just the trappiongs of power. Someone can still weild power through machination. One should have Influence as a stat in such a game instead, IMO.

Mike