Just wanted to point out that a few of us are discussing this over at RPGnet: http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?s=&postid=1052451#post1052451. Thoughts?

Hmmm. Very interesting.

I've only recently become a fan of the Harry Potter books. While I think there great, it seems a vast majority of gamers about these parts consider them childish and wouldn't seriously consider playing in such a setting. It's a shame really. But I'm sure that an IRC game could be russled up if one can't find local players.

It's hard to say what would work well for HP as far as styles of play go. Harry Potter involves evil wizards making long, and oft convoluted plans. It might make things difficult if the players are constantly defining things to have these large over-arching plans that unfold in each book.

While I think there great, it seems a vast majority of gamers about these parts consider them childish and wouldn't seriously consider playing in such a setting.

It might make things difficult if the players are constantly defining things to have these large over-arching plans that unfold in each book.

Mad-Eye Moody wrote: It's hard to say what would work well for HP as far as styles of play go. Harry Potter involves evil wizards making long, and oft convoluted plans. It might make things difficult if the players are constantly defining things to have these large over-arching plans that unfold in each book.

In other words, you take whatever the players make up, with a perhaps a few of your own items and create any explanation that ties it all together and puts it at the feet of the Big Bad.

This is actually a valuable skill to have in any game system...

Apologies for coming into this a bit late. I just read the write-up on RPG.net, and think it would work well.

A point to remember, though: because Donjon is skewed towards (a) competition and (b) humor, if you want it (I find it hard to keep out of Donjon games, although I've pulled off a few serious ones), it's going to be hard to tell an interesting thematic story with it. It won't be impossible, but that's the only place I think HP would trip up with it.

I think the easiest way to keep Donjon less silly is to use Universalis like tenets. Basically start by making a list of everything that makes Harry Potter, Harry Potter. Mood, color, factoids, that sort of thing. Then define a few key HP locations and creatures like Uni Components. House Elfs, Whomping Willows, Diagon Alley, various parts of Hogwarts. Then do the same for key NPCs.

For magic, you could go one of two routes. You could basically use Donjon Magic and just substitute HP sounding words...i.e. Donjon words translated to Faus latin. Or you could try

Then its simply a matter of making sure the Donjon Facts stay within the parameters set above. You could easily use some variation of Unis Challenge mechanic to enforce this, or since Donjon has a GM just leave that up to the GM to do.

jdagna wrote:
I haven't read the books, but I have enjoyed the movies. I must say that at the end of the second movie, my gut feeling was that the "long convoluted plan" was really just a GM tying random events together with barely plausible masterplan.

In other words, you take whatever the players make up, with a perhaps a few of your own items and create any explanation that ties it all together and puts it at the feet of the Big Bad.

This is actually a valuable skill to have in any game system...

Valamir wrote: I think the easiest way to keep Donjon less silly is to use Universalis like tenets. Basically start by making a list of everything that makes Harry Potter, Harry Potter. Mood, color, factoids, that sort of thing. Then define a few key HP locations and creatures like Uni Components. House Elfs, Whomping Willows, Diagon Alley, various parts of Hogwarts. Then do the same for key NPCs.

For magic, you could go one of two routes. You could basically use Donjon Magic and just substitute HP sounding words...i.e. Donjon words translated to Faus latin. Or you could try

I would go a step further- define the setting, and when players state details which fall within or enhance these details, reward them with some kind of metagame currency- beans or whatnot. These act the same a successes, and you can then roll them over into importiant action later on. When you take more potter-esque actions, your character gets a boost.

-B

Bailywolf wrote: I would go a step further- define the setting, and when players state details which fall within or enhance these details, reward them with some kind of metagame currency- beans or whatnot. These act the same a successes, and you can then roll them over into importiant action later on. When you take more potter-esque actions, your character gets a boost.

Mad Eye Moody wrote:

Quote:
In other words, you take whatever the players make up, with a perhaps a few of your own items and create any explanation that ties it all together and puts it at the feet of the Big Bad.

This is actually a valuable skill to have in any game system...

I quite agree. I guess I have a bit of unlearning to do from years of heavily simulationist scenario design :)