Inspired by movies such as Chicago, Moulin Rouge and theater productions like RENT, Les Miserables, Chess, West Side Story and Miss Saigon, I have decided to try and create a game system that will have the game be played with the flavor, feel and creative explosion of a musical production.

So far, the basic system I have in mind has players play through the game as a game normally is played. When the character speaks with an NPC, other players, he can gain "Inspired Points" by doing os in the form of a musical number which the player must accomplish.

Sort of meta-gaming for a more fun game.

The player would have various options before him:
1) Existing song, same lyrics
Example: "Like a Virgin" in Moulin Rouge
2) Existing song, adjusted lyrics
Example: "Spectacular, Spectacular" in Moulin Rogue
3) Unique song
Example: "One Song Glory" in Rent
4) Song Medley, all existing, same lyrics
Example: "Elephant Medley" in Moulin Rouge
5) Song Medley, all unique
Example: "La Vie Boheme" in Rent
6) Song Medley, mixed
Example: "It's Beginning to Snow" in Rent

The player can prepare in advance, by having a list of songs he knows he can use when the game begins. Being quick enough to improvise though gains you even more points.

These "Inspiration Points" can be spend during the rest of the game to ensure success in actions/resolutions that are related to the scene the song was sung in (ex. If the player sang a lovesong to admit his feelings to an Npc, he gains "Inspiration Points" he can spend to add to rolls relating to his object of attraction, or to acts relating to love.)

Being able to set up Choruses (multiple players singing either in concert, or sequence) or better yet, Productions (multiple players going through a whole scene through the use of a song, example: "Come What May" in Moulin Rouge where the song becomes the basis for the whole idea that the love develops to a huge secret affair) garners more "Inspiration Points" as well as another incentive (currently called "Ovations") which can permit the player to write the scene to his liking (of course, with the Storyteller/GM guiding him to keep the game going).

I'm not sure if this seems sound.
I would love to know if others thing I should persue creating this system idea?

I was looking at it as a generic system add-on that could be "added to any existing system to turn it into a musical" rather than as a setting with its own core rules.

Any thoughts would be great!

I had the same basic idea at one point.

In my mind, the PCs always, or nearly always, fail at whatever task they perform, unless they sing.

For a sample adventure, I want a game where the PCs are all convinced that they are in a musical. Their friends and family are convinced that they are insane, and never sing. As the story progresses, they PCs wind up in the asylum and have to convince the wardens to join them in song. Until that point, the NPCs never sing.

I, too, have always wanted to do a musical RPG. If you publish this, I will be first in line to buy it.

As for resource material, the Monster Smackdown sourcebook for the Buffy: The Vampire Slayer RPG has a single, half-page sidebar on how to incorporate improvised song into your game. I haven't much time to search, but I found an improv comedy webring at http://V.webring.com/hub?ring=improv&id=177&hub that will likely have some advice on how to come up with a good song on the spot.

Good ideas there. Thanks!

Heya Tobie! :)

I'd buy it. I'm a sucker for well-done musicals. And to get to play them too!

It'd work right in with Crux Passions...What you're calling Inspiration Points are basically Passions in Crux - write it up, waht a cool addition it would make! ;)

Aidan