Faster Purple Worm! Kill! Kill! needs an OSR equivalent.

[bat]

So I stumbled on this the other night on Amazon Prime via the 'Live' section, on Freevee. A show called "Faster Purple Worm! Kill! Kill!" that is basically four players of 5e, level one, against an epic level adversary, like Strahd. Every episode is a TPK, although at least once the party accidentally wiped out the Elder Brain too. I watched a few episodes and it gets really tedious very fast because nobody gets anywhere. There are other shows on the e-One channel, and really, they look not that great either. We need an OSR equivalent, or two or three. I suggest 'Half a Chance' in which a party goes in at half the suggested level of the adventure to see if they survive (hey, at least it is better than endless TPKs) or 'Super MegaDungeon' in which a party grows within a megadungeon try to escape.

[Starbeard]

I've long felt that Goodman Games could pull a strong rating from an official game show. They already have their old school tournament format going at cons, complete with gong and other rituals, and all of that would lend itself well to a broadcast series. Each airing would pit contestants and guests against a DCC tournament scenario. Give it an injection of the Gong Show or old school British game shows: zany, amicable self-deprecating subversion, with the constant threat of derailment at any moment. Definitely have a big gong, and judges ripping up character sheets from stupid deaths. Make the party caller always have to wear a special hat. It would be a hit!

[geoffrey]

When I saw the thread title, I thought, "Why not just bump up the purple worm's movement to whatever you want?" Then I read the thread.

[bat]

Jun 7, 2024 12:41:55 GMT -6 Starbeard said:

I've long felt that Goodman Games could pull a strong rating from an official game show. They already have their old school tournament format going at cons, complete with gong and other rituals, and all of that would lend itself well to a broadcast series. Each airing would pit contestants and guests against a DCC tournament scenario. Give it an injection of the Gong Show or old school British game shows: zany, amicable self-deprecating subversion, with the constant threat of derailment at any moment. Definitely have a big gong, and judges ripping up character sheets from stupid deaths. Make the party caller always have to wear a special hat. It would be a hit!

This idea would be much more entertaining than endless TPKs. I am not sure what the point is other than to ensure players that it is okay of their 5e character dies.

[bat]

Jun 7, 2024 12:48:50 GMT -6 geoffrey said:

When I saw the thread title, I thought, "Why not just bump up the purple worm's movement to whatever you want?" Then I read the thread.

HA! I don't name them, I just watch and some times wonder about these shows. On the one hand, D&D TV? On the other hand, these people and 5e?

[thegreyelf]

I mean, Faster, Purple Worm! Kill! Kill! is TECHNICALLY 5e specific, but really they play so fast and loose with the rules it could be almost any edition. Even as an OSR guy I still get a real kick out of that show. So much fun to watch.

I actually disagree with the OP. I enjoy the D&D Adventures channel immensely. FPWKK makes me laugh every time. Encounter Party is about the ONLY pro-shot livestream gaming cast that I can tolerate, let alone enjoy and it puts those idiots at Critical Role to shame. I like watching the D&D cartoon from the 80s even though I own it on DVD, and I dig Heroes' Feast, which is a bit of a guilty pleasure. Overall, I give the channel two thumbs up. It would be fun if they also played the bad D&D movie trilogy from earlier in the 2000s as those flicks can be fun to watch in a MST3K kind of way (and truthfully, I don't think Wrath of the Dragon God or Book of Vile Darkness are at ALL bad D&D films, and don't deserve half the hate they get; the first one, though...ugh).

[bat]

Awesome, glad you like it. It has its audience. I think I would prefer if they spun the camera around to film the audience reacting to the game. I was just saying that an OSR equivalent would stand a chance would be more interesting. At least to me.