Bringing in non-WoD Material

[Grumpy RPG Reviews]

Have you ever been a part of a game that mixed WoD material and non-WoD material? Like having the Ghostbusters, or Xenomorphs from Aliens, or Highlander style immortals? There are a lot of other possibilities. But have you been in a game where that happened? And how did it go?

[thedonnie]

Google BJ Zanzibar.
That page was taken down but it had TONS of non-WOD stuff on it. And I know so many games back in the day wanted to use so many things from that site.
And it always turned into a wild bizarre game that helped perpetuate the whole "Superheros with fangs" trope that was early WoD games.

[monteparnas]

In WoD proper, I read about some people mixing Street Fighter, but that was bound to happen.

The very first long term chronicle I played, though... our ST mixed WoD with Final Fantasy, of all things. He developed an entire Job system based on FFV and it was super weird, but was a very fun game.

On my own, I didn't mixed much things with WoD because I found CoD better to do it, but my major achievement in this regard was to mix CoD with Pokemon. It worked better than I thought and I had about four short chronicles already with this arrangement, and my players are already asking for a fifth.

[Grumpy RPG Reviews]

Google BJ Zanzibar.
That page was taken down but it had TONS of non-WOD stuff on it. And I know so many games back in the day wanted to use so many things from that site.
And it always turned into a wild bizarre game that helped perpetuate the whole "Superheros with fangs" trope that was early WoD games.

I'm familiar with Zanzibar and the Zanzibarbarians.

But I was hoping to get people to talk about their experiences.

[Black Fox]

I rarely take anything directly from non-WoD material because I don't want to complicate the game's mythology or cause issues with the canon of other materials. That can lead into purist arguments at times so I want to avoid them. However, I do take lots of things inspired by other fictional worlds. I just take off the serial numbers as best I can and try to explain it using WoD concepts.

The primary influence is the Lovecraft Mythos along with related works by Robert E. Howard and Clark Ashton Smith. Including Howard's work is super easy because the WoD already has lots of things inspired by Howard.

Likewise I take a lot of things from Hellboy which blends folklore, cosmic horror, and gothic horror exceedingly well.

There's also a lot of things I take from the work of Laird Barron.

I also include things inspired by Clive Barker, but his stuff is a bit harder because it is so recognizable and distinct, yet not fallen into generic usage like a lot of Lovecraftiana. I mainly use the Books of Blood since there are a lot of ideas in there. Figuring out how to translate the Midnight Meat Train in WoD terms, for example, is fun for me.

I cherry pick certain ideas from the Dresden Files. I'm not actually a fan of Jim Butcher's writing, but I do think his world building is done well. It was unexpectedly coherent.

There are some things I do take directly. But they aren't obvious things taken from fictional worlds. Instead, I use lots of references to other work. I am a big fan of James Clavell's Asian Saga series of novels, and I utilize historical references from them when it makes sense. I also use fake (or obsolete) businesses and brands a lot. The Big Kahuna Burger from Tarantino movies often gets mentioned in passing.

And there is a strange history of fictional brands of products that show up in TV and movies as props - these aren't brands that only show up in one show, but can be found in many different places. There's Morely Cigarettes, Oceanic Airlines, Finder-Spyder Search Engine, Heisler Beer, Glencallan Whiskey, and many others. The more a fictional prop brand pops up in different media, the more likely I am to use it. I tend not to mentions thing too identified with a specific movie or franchise unless it has a personal appeal to me (like the above mentioned Big Kahuna Burger or something like Los Pollos Hermanos).

[Arzie]

Google BJ Zanzibar.
That page was taken down but it had TONS of non-WOD stuff on it. And I know so many games back in the day wanted to use so many things from that site.
And it always turned into a wild bizarre game that helped perpetuate the whole "Superheros with fangs" trope that was early WoD games.

I loved the Highlander: The Quickening game that was up there. I wish cWoD would've had something similar, though I suppose Mummy is kind of close?

[CaptOtter]

When creating new Pentex or Technocracy front companies, consumer products, etc., I will frequently draw from the Grand Theft Auto series of video games. To my eyes, there is a great deal of tonal overlap between the late-capitalist nihilism of the GTA universe, and the World of Darkness' cynicism around corporations and modernity.

[Matt the Bruins fan]

There's always Hudson University for a NYC-setting game.

[Saur Ops Specialist]

In WoD proper, I read about some people mixing Street Fighter, but that was bound to happen.

Demon Hunter X's insistence on referring to WoD: Combat is like a wink wink, nudge nudge in that arena. These maneuvers not doing it for you? Pick up a wave motion or qigong fist! Then those vampires won't know what hit them!

[Archangel1469]

I loved the Highlander: The Quickening game that was up there. I wish cWoD would've had something similar, though I suppose Mummy is kind of close?

Here it is. http://vampirerpg.free.fr/Rules/Highlander/

[Arzie]

Here it is. http://vampirerpg.free.fr/Rules/Highlander/

Oh sweet! Thanks!!!

[Rock113]

Typemoon, it is also heavily effected by cWoD

[Grumpy RPG Reviews]

I am, sadly I must confess, responsible for one of the Highland in the WoD rules sets that is floating around. Not that one, though. In my defense, those kinds of Immortals fit into the WoD better than a lot of the stuff that appeared on B.J Zanzibars site.

[Crowley]

i DID run Mage the Ascension under the effects of Absynth for an entire summer (every day we drank).
So it became a bit final fantasy ish / Neil gaiman's sandman by Ascension

[Mister_Dunpeal]

I generally prefer crossovers that closely align with the setting rather than breaking it - stuff like Supernatural for example. There are variations you can go with (BTS's TV show would be good, Blade-movies mebbe would mesh with Hunter) It's alot easier to find shit in novels that could mesh well too (Anita Blake, Dresden Files, Garrett, PI) depending on where you look.

Highlander was always one of those things that did fit, and didn't. I like the concept and the mythology can work since immortals certainly are a thing, but the 'homebrew' rules for alot of that never quite synched with me because it felt a little too... combat heavy? While fighting was a big part of the movies and you had tons of superantural elements, the Highlander 'magic' as such was mostly subtle (or could be explained away as something else) and often not easily controlled (see Second movie) - I really feel like the Quickening is more like True Faith in many ways because its effects can be often felt in many (subtle and invisible) ways but its not something you can actually *control*

I always envisioned Highlander Immortals in cWoD would probably be morrtals but have certain built in merits ('Immortal' from 1st Sorcerer and 'unaging' from the Mage Core rules say) and the time and potential to amass lots of experience, knowledge or even unusual abilities. They might have a few interesting quirks (run as fast as wild animals, greater strength, wisdom, resilience - especially as they accumulated more Quickening) but most of their skills and knowledge would be little different from what mortals could obtain. And that's really quite enough. Someone who could learn hedge magic (think Highlander 3) or amass a few interesting psychic powers or perhaps even more merits to reflect their peculiar 'supernatural' side. Or gets really good at a wide range of fighting styles, practical knowledges and accumulates a ton of wealth and material possessions. And the potential to absorb others knowlege/skills via quickening means that a really old, accomplished Immortal will have even *more* potential to draw on and makes them as easily prone to powergamey 'wall of dots' skills just like any other character type (especially if they are permitted some degree of 'above 5 dots' potential attributes, skills, and abilities. Something on the order of a Shih say and 8-9 dots at high levels.)

They could also, I feel, be adapted in some ways to reflect the Mummies (A different flavor of mummies). There is also alot of potential overlap with Chronicles 'World of Darkness - Immortal' too that can be drawn on for inspiration.

Another setting that I feel can 'mesh' with WoD would be Stephen Kings Dark Tower mythos. The idea of cyclical reality, ancient and inscrutable powers and entities waging some vast struggle beyond the comprehension of mortals, the idea that reality is breaking down/falling apart and some seek to fight it whilst others may simply be seeking to preserve what they can or avoid the worst (whilst others yet simply seek to achieve their goal before everything falls apart...) is something that can resonate in WoD.