So if a hypothetical GM were to run a hypothetical Worlds in Peril game based on The Flash and you were hypothetically playing…
… would you read a two page lore sheet (mostly going over themes and subject matter) and then an optional 50+ collection of comic book issues and then watch an episode of Justice League: Unlimited (“Flash & Substance”) as player prep/homework before the game?
Personally, I think GMs look at this sort of thing backwards. You have to get them personally invested first (means playing a game or three), and then suggest things for them to watch.
As pre-game prep, I’d say nothing more than a single episode or two issues of a comic line (which they can carry on with if they so choose).
Yeah, I think I’d agree with that. Think of the campaign as the main event books (Darkest Night) and the other books as supplements. Some may be integral (Green Lantern, GLC), some may be less so, but set the table first.
Course, the table was set in my example with the main GL and GLC books, so I’m bad at analogies. SQUIRREL!
Alternatively, you could find the players that have already read/watched all that and just go full throttle geekout.
er, Top Speed geekout, i guess… Speed Force… There’s a Speed Force joke in there somewhere…
Ryan M. Danks This is very sensible. Baby steps and getting people acclimated to how it all works. I agree, and that’s usually how I do things. Getting players invested, as in the best of Apocalypse World games. But there’s also times when I’m going for something specific and I want everybody on the same page as far as What We’re Aiming For And What These References Are About.
In this case, I think that a brief lore sheet and the JLU episode “Flash & Substance” might be best to start off with.
Jeff Rademaker I think of the game as a team book, like X-Men. The big events might come around every now and then, but most everything is the serialized adventures of a particular group of heroes. The table is set by exploring their lives, what they value, and where they go. If that leads to cataclysmic stakes, then that’s that. But most often it’s more about the action soap opera than the Big Chess Board Shakeups.
Gray Pawn
I have thought about this. But finding a bunch of Flash fans who will play seems like a long shot. This would be ideal though.
It is the time, if you’re willing to call out and probably play over the innernet. Flash is becoming the thing to watch/read.
If you’re going for something specific, you might be best served articulating what that is in a few paragraphs and then suggest some examples to read/watch. The more specific you get, the easier it is for you to just say what it is.
Gray Pawn i have opinions about the flash tv show, and they are not kind opinions
Ryan M. Danks Something like this?
Human drama blown up to cosmic proportions
Central City, Missouri & Keystone City, Kansas are mid-sized middle-American towns connected by a bridge across the Missouri river. The people there are down to earth, resourceful, and have a lot of love. Central City is all about speed, getting things done, and always finding time for more. Keystone folk are often more about the work itself and getting things done right. Those are their values.
So what happens when you put these normal places in the middle of a cosmic drama, with time travel, super-science machines, and crises across alternate universes?
That’s what The Flash is about. That collision between normal, even humble life and pulp sci-fi weirdness, and exploring how they impact each other.
Who is The Flash?
The Flash is a speedster super hero who comes from these cities. Though there have been a few Flashes, there are some common elements that define them.
Legacy. The Flash is a legacy hero. They inherit their title and its responsibilities and often have a deep connection to the previous Flashes — whether that’s a mystic connection to the Speed Force or regarding the previous Flashes as their heroes.
Family. The Flash is never solo. They always have a huge network of family and friends who are active agents in the story. It’s an ensemble cast and everybody is important.
Super science & mysticism. The Flash is involved in events of cosmic importance. They draw upon the cosmic power of the Speed Force. They punch gods in the face and race across space-time. Barry Allen once built a time machine that runs on goes fast in his basement. Bring this cosmic stuff into the normal lives of the characters.
Community volunteer superhero. The Flash is all about helping others and doing right by them. Even if they might attempt to buck this trend, as Wally West once tried, they’re going to do it anyway, because they’re a good person by nature. They actively help their rogues to rehabilitate and find a better life. This isn’t limited to saving lives — sometimes painting a fence for a kind old woman is a minute well spent.
Yeah. That should do it. Then just attach a few titles/episodes for suggested reading/watching, should they feel so inclined to do more research (but I would caution against making it required).
Gotcha.
Good luck, and have fun!
Thanks, y’all. This cleared up quite a few things that I’ve been trying to figure out.
lore, 10-20 issues, and then watch cartoon, sure. 50, nope.