I got the book and I haven’t had a chance to play it yet, so I’m in that new RPG phase where I just make a bunch of stuff for it all by myself in my lonely abode.
I whipped up this promotion which was a hell of a lot of fun to make and something I think I could hook non-wrestling fans with.
Promotion: The SmashSlam Federation
The SmashSlam Federation began as a panel at a cosplay con. All cosplayers were welcome to join in a bit of low-action, high drama improvisational theater as they played out overblown wrestling feuds between the heroes and villains of their fandom. The panel drew larger crowds each successive year. Fans developed favorites who would return with costumes specifically designed to be torn apart in the ring. What started as exaggerated pantomime grew into something akin to a backyard wrestling promotion that traveled from convention to convention.
Eventually conventions began to shut the panels down for fear of lawsuits, leading to a legendary match between Fionna and Skeletor where the wrestlers crashed into panel room after panel room playing out their feud while trying to avoid beleaguered con staff. After being barred from conventions, the promoters turned to venues that would let them run an actual wrestling promotion.
Production Style
To avoid legal action from some of litigious IP owners, all SmSlF wrestlers must fastidiously scrape the serial numbers off of their characters. (At least to the point that they can reasonably be considered parody.) In most cases, over the course of a season, the gimmicks evolve enough that they really only vaguely remind folks of the original cosplay.
The SmSlF tries to book venues as near to conventions as possible, sometimes even booking a bus or two to get fans from the convention center to a nearby hall. Harkening back to their renegade roots, the management of their venues get written into storylines as draconian fun-haters. They often impose stipulations like barring two wrestlers from specifically competing against one-another while in their hall or forbidding the high flyers from using the top rope. Fans get into the action by trying to distract “venue staff” while the wrestlers break their rules.
Titles
The most coveted title is the SmashSlam Titan Belt. Wrestlers can take on the current champion for it whenever they are booked to do so, but the belt is also up for grabs once a year at the SuperSmashSlam—a Regal Wrangle where the current belt holder is guaranteed to be the last competitor sent to the ring.
Originally just an award for the best crossplay, the Golden Cross has become a mid-level title available to any competitor who can prove their mettle. However, fans still prefer a crossplay character hold the title and are vocal about it.
The SmashSlam Slash Sashes are awarded to the tag team champions, who are almost always romantically involved.
Notable Characters
✶ Colonel Snake, a heel announcer who wears a hood over his head and speaks like he’s voiced by Starscream.
✶ Josephine Moretti, a venue owner who likes to prominently sit ringside. Jo owns the banquet hall that hosts the SuperSmashSlam. She once slammed Kiloman out the front door for forgetting to wipe his feet.
✶ The Professors, a handful of managers who, despite each having their own distinct style and different physical bodies, claim to all be the same person from different points in time.
Custom Moves
WINK, WINK: When you do something that would only make sense to fans of the IP your character is originally based on, they eat it up, gain +1 Momentum. This counts as CHEAP HEAT. You can do either move once per Episode, but not both.
“NOT IN MY HOUSE!”: Whenever you WORK THE AUDIENCE to get them to distract the venue staff while someone breaks the venue’s rules and you roll a 10+ before spending Momentum, gain +1 Heat with the venue staff.
I’d play in that game, hell yeah!