Have you ever wanted to get involved in running tabletop roleplaying games and thought “But I have no ideas!”? The Big Red Couch is designed to show exactly how easy it is to get from random notions that stick in your mind to playable concepts, all through the medium of the kind of casually weird spitballing that gamers engage in at the best of times. In every issue, the intrepid contributors to the Big Red Couch brave the noisome wonders of The Mystery Box to produce a randomly-selected seed idea, then return Some Time Later to share what they came up with and discuss how those concepts might work as games. If we can do it, anyone can: that’s the whole idea. Along the road, we discuss what RPG systems might work for implementing different concepts, together with reasons how or why. This frequently involves adaptation of systems from their original settings to the point where they creak under the strain.
https://hoarde.net/bigredcouch
Episode One Hundred And Fifteen – The Haunted World of El Superbeasto
Masked grapplers travel between isolated settlements, their performance thrilling the crowds and providing a sense of safety and justice. In the wastes between, they live the battles in truth.
The monsters hide their faces to pass among us. Are their intentions ill, or have the evils they have fought warped them in turn?
The subjects of unsanctioned experiments escape with the aid of newly expanded senses. But their pursuer has access to the same treatments they have, and no fear of using them.
A monster hunts the citizens of an isolated town – but is very particular about how it strikes. What does it know that the town doesn’t?
Riding the rails for free always has it’s risks, but one railway bull is feared beyond all others.
Guy Fawkes
Film(ish) – The Haunted World of El Superbeasto (2009)
TV – The Simpsons – The Worker and Parasite Show
TV – Steven Universe
TV – Star Vs the Forces of Evil
Ralph Bakshi
Film – Coonskin (1975)
Film – The Lord of the Rings (1978)
TV – Bojack Horseman
TV – Ren and Stimpy (the original 1991 series) – Though it’s more akin to Ren and Stimpy ‘Adult Party Cartoon’ from 2003 – Carbunkle Cartoons worked on both this and THWoES ~ T.Jones
TV – South Park
Lucha Libre
Film – Reign of Fire (2002)
RPG – Dogs in the Vineyard
RPG – Deadlands
Comics – Love and Rockets
El Santo
Film – The Seven Samurai (1954)
RPG – Vampire the Masquerade – Unfortunately some of the writers of 5th edition seem to have read “Monsters we are, lest monsters we become.” as “Let’s be shitbags!” ~ T.Jones
See regarding – Ethics in Game Mastering by Dorian Dawes
RPG – Kids on Bikes
Novel – Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
TV – Stranger Things
TV – Carnivàle
Novel – The Great and Secret Show by Clive Barker
RPG – Nightlife from Stellar Games –
Film – Nightbreed (1990) (based on… )
Novella – Cabal – by Clive Barker
Anime – Vampire Hunter D
RPG – Peter and the Monsters setting for D6XD6 system
Kayfabe
Taz’s Idea – Psi*Run with a “chaser”
‘The first thing that popped into my mind was using Psi*Run where our PCs are lab rats that have been experimented on. Due to mad science, they can see one color each that don’t exist; magnetic fields, truth, lust, luck, etc. As the game progresses they go from just seeing their chosen color to being able to manipulate it. I’d also include a crazed German hunter that is chasing them. At some point he has to inject ALL THE DRUGS so that he can be more powerful than the PCs, and he will (of course) scream, “DIE FARBEN!”‘
RPG – Psi*Run
Film – Deadpool 2
TV – Alphas
Movie – The Village (2004)
Movie – The Last Airbender (2010)
Movie – Unbreakable (2000)
Webcomic – Oglaf “Kingshaped” – ~ Caution – most other strips on this site are remarkably NSFW ~ T. Jones
Film – Fitz the Cat (1972)
RPG – Ghostlines
John Kricfalusi – Allegations and Non-denial / non-apology
Film – House of 1000 Corpses (2003)