Looking at my bookshelf, I realized that most of my games are sci-fi, then fantasy games ... and that I had to look VERY hard to see anything I'd call a "modern era" RPG ... and I wondered why.
What would modern era RPGs be about?
When I thought about it - all that came to mind was D20 Modern (urban paranormal), Spycraft (and all spy games), and Mutants and Masterminds (and all superhero games which always seemed more like sci-fi to me).
Surely there's more, right?
I went digging on IMDB for a list of modern era TV series which could be used for inspiration of many "episodes" worth of actions, encounters, adventures, or campaigns in a modern era RPG setting and story.
Here's what I found ... and I wonder ... would you play any of these as an RPG? If so... which?
The four "meta-categories" seemed to be centered on Family, Professions, Criminals, or the Paranormal (the normal world meets something weird)
Family: Dallas, Bob Newhart, Mary Tyler Moore, All In The Family, Seinfeld, Friends, etc etc - the biggest category
Specific Jobs: Bartending (Cheers), Teaching (Community), Coaching (The Coach), Firefighters (Rescue Me), Undertakers (Six Feet Under), Taxi Drivers (Taxi)
Politicians: Veep, Parks & Recreation, West Wing, Spin City
Private Detectives: Veronica Mars, Rockford Files, Magnum P.I., Murder She Wrote, Moonlighting, Monk, Bones
Media: 30 Rock, Larry Sanders, Murphy Brown, Madmen
Medical: Greys Anatomy, Nurse Jackie, MASH, ER, St. Elsewhere, Chicago Hope, House, Northern Exposure, China Beach, Scrubs
Office/Corporate: Silicon Valley, The Office, Mr. Robot
Legal: How to Get Away with Murder, The Practice, LA Law, The Good Wife, Ally McBeal, Damages
Law Enforcement: Homeland, 24, Law & Order, Hill St. Blues, Miami Vice, NYPD Blue, Barney Miller, Cagney & Lacey, Homicied, Kojak, The Closer, Picket Fences, NCIS, CSI: Whatever
Criminals: The Sopranos, The Wire, Breaking Bad, Dexter, Boardwalk Empire, The Shield, Weeds
Spies: The Americans, Alias
Paranormal: The X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Lost, 3rd Rock from the Sun
What would modern era RPGs be about?
When I thought about it - all that came to mind was D20 Modern (urban paranormal), Spycraft (and all spy games), and Mutants and Masterminds (and all superhero games which always seemed more like sci-fi to me).
Surely there's more, right?
I went digging on IMDB for a list of modern era TV series which could be used for inspiration of many "episodes" worth of actions, encounters, adventures, or campaigns in a modern era RPG setting and story.
Here's what I found ... and I wonder ... would you play any of these as an RPG? If so... which?
The four "meta-categories" seemed to be centered on Family, Professions, Criminals, or the Paranormal (the normal world meets something weird)
Family: Dallas, Bob Newhart, Mary Tyler Moore, All In The Family, Seinfeld, Friends, etc etc - the biggest category
Specific Jobs: Bartending (Cheers), Teaching (Community), Coaching (The Coach), Firefighters (Rescue Me), Undertakers (Six Feet Under), Taxi Drivers (Taxi)
Politicians: Veep, Parks & Recreation, West Wing, Spin City
Private Detectives: Veronica Mars, Rockford Files, Magnum P.I., Murder She Wrote, Moonlighting, Monk, Bones
Media: 30 Rock, Larry Sanders, Murphy Brown, Madmen
Medical: Greys Anatomy, Nurse Jackie, MASH, ER, St. Elsewhere, Chicago Hope, House, Northern Exposure, China Beach, Scrubs
Office/Corporate: Silicon Valley, The Office, Mr. Robot
Legal: How to Get Away with Murder, The Practice, LA Law, The Good Wife, Ally McBeal, Damages
Law Enforcement: Homeland, 24, Law & Order, Hill St. Blues, Miami Vice, NYPD Blue, Barney Miller, Cagney & Lacey, Homicied, Kojak, The Closer, Picket Fences, NCIS, CSI: Whatever
Criminals: The Sopranos, The Wire, Breaking Bad, Dexter, Boardwalk Empire, The Shield, Weeds
Spies: The Americans, Alias
Paranormal: The X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Lost, 3rd Rock from the Sun
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