A little idea that’s been sashaying around in my head…
Drag Queen of Queens
Largely inspired by Ru Paul’s Drag Race.
A reality TV season structure. If a player’s character is eliminated, they take another one.
“Shade” like heat in Nathan Paoletta’s World Wide Wrestling
Possible stats: Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve and Talent
Other things, maybe tags from gear: fishy, sickening, ratchet, couture
Moves: read a person, throw shade, sashay away, mother hen, pull a stunt, kiss ass
MC moves: open the library, throw in a catch, bring in a special guest, wardrobe malfunction, give praise or criticism
Challenges, like grabbing at cards from the table with tags on them
Thoughts?
I’m sorry, for Stats I think you’re missing Glam and Fierce at the least.
http://bluffers.com/bluff-way-rupaul-s-drag-race/ must keep that acronym intact 😜
Or not. “Inspired by” does not have to mean “has all the jokes from”. You want your stats to direct your players toward the characters you want to see and the conversations you want to have about the game. RuPaul’s blue joke for judging criteria may not be your best bet for creating characters. Also, what do your PCs do? Is it a game about competing? Is it a game about what it’s like to be a drag queen in XYZ era or setting? Do your PCs get into the emotional scene of transvestism and transgender folks and how society treats those issues? Do you only play men dressing as women, or are there drag kings in your game too?
Also, this idea must be in the air, because someone somewhere mentioned looking at drag as a game design inspiration lately. Thus my whole long answer and questions to your “hey, here’s a thought” :)
All very good points. If I can implement the lingo references from the show/community without sacrificing the experience, I totally will, but only then.
I was definitely thinking about it within a reality TV competition show format. One idea I had was that there would be themed scene challenges in which the drag queens would improv through problems. I don’t have much more in my head than that though. Also had an idea that each drag queen would have a sob story that the player would come up with, and milking it would be a move that they use to gain sympathy, but it would also be true.
Unfortunately I am woefully uninformed about drag kings…
Glam & Fierce could also be portrayed as secondary attributes, or even currency… or moves;
Would you perhaps Get Fierce on something rather than Be Aggro and Bleed Angst… and Glam & Slam to dominate a staged topic or upstage everyone in a given venue, rather than Skeeze [a given topic] by Farce?
Sure… there could be plenty of room here to set the focus on the home turfs, and our contemporary andro-generation zeitgeister;- in flashy post-modern neon-modernity;- of urbanite kings and queens, from hood-rat packs to high-tower trash… or pile it all on a one common-reality-aired-serialized-stage show.
y’know… just have fun with it… and let the flag of diversity fly itself.