Role-playing the Watchmen

[SerbsInSpace]

In response to the latest column, I think that it's great how Tim got the RPG guys to talk about the history behind the modules, but I hope this is also the time the column talks about the subject.

This time around, the interviews were fairly long, and the only time my interest really peaked was during the part it discusses the proposed Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons spin-offs, Tales of the Black Freighter and Minutemen.

[Michael P]

Sounds kinky.

[TimothyCallahan]

I'm going to write about the Watchmen RPGs every week from now on!

No, actually, this is the last time I'll focus on them. But I think it's an important part of Watchmen history that's often overlooked.

Remember, Vanja: stay positive!

[Rene Narciso]

I own one of the sourcebooks. I had no idea it was selling for a hundred dollars now.

It's a great book. Apart from the character sheets, everything else was in the format of in-world newspaper clippings, documents, transcripts of journals and things like that, very much like the later sections of the Watchmen comics.

The coolest bits are the expanded background for some characters that barely appear in the comics, like some of the Minutemen, and the supervillains.

[Grico]

It was interesting to hear about the supplements. Were there any new characters created for the supplements or does it just used the existing ones?

[TimothyCallahan]

No new costumed characters appeared, but some new minor characters were added and/or fleshed out.

[Rene Narciso]

It was interesting to hear about the supplements. Were there any new characters created for the supplements or does it just used the existing ones?

Villains like the Screaming Skull, Buzzbomb, and Captain Axis, that barely appear in the comics, are fleshed out. Also, the old enemy that managed to kill Silhouette.

All the Minutemen are fleshed out too.

[Kid Monster]

I played through one of those adventures in high school, back when they first came out. It was the one where Captain Metropolis calls together "The Crimebusters" in the early 70's try to solve a kidnapping case.

As a history buff with a slightly-unhealthy teenage fascination with the Vietnam War, I got to play the role of the Comedian. The "Cool and detached" kid in our role-playing group played Ozymandias (really well!), the older, more traditional guy played Nite-Owl, and the best actor in our group, noted for his crazed and tormented characters in other games, played Rorshach. Another player played his own creation, Hooded Justice 2, a former teen sex partner of the first Hooded Justice who figured out on his own that Blake murdered his lover/idol/mentor, (something hinted at in the GN, but stated explictly in the RPG books) and who then took up his mantle to get get close to the vigilantes in order to kill Blake.

The Comedian, true to his fascist nature, sent some hippies to the hospital with rubber shotgun shells while collecting clues among the counter-culture, and semi-accidently kicked a hoodlum to death in a minor scuffle. Dr. Manhattan (played by the gamemaster) showed up now and then to give us cryptic clues. Hooded Justice 2 jumped Blake during the final battle at Moloch's vice den and beat him (me!) to a bloody pulp (but could not bring himself to kill him). Rorshach smartly seldom used his fists and relied on intimidating foes with crazed rants and behavior. None of us ever figured out who the real mastermind behind the whole plot was (actually, I think Ozymandias' player did, but true to character, kept it secret to gather blackmail material for his embryonic conspiracy).

It was a total blast! Good times, good times...

[Squashua]

Rise from the grave and be heard, yon 100% relevant thread!
This is your resurrection!