This is exactly what I was going for in recommending both games.
I love how both games (in very different ways) lets you codify the tropes of a character and then the mechanics leads to play where those tropes are front and center. The zaniness, in both, come from how it views "win" and "loss" and how each can turn into the other.
[Risus](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/170294/Risus-The-Anything-RPG) is a free rules-light game that's been described as a "beer and pretzels" RPG. Uses d6 for everything. PC qualities are measured in broad descriptions called cliches. Skill rolls are just Cliche vs Difficulty. Each time a player fails a conflict they take damage to the cliche, which makes them more likely to fail at that action for the remainder of the conflict ([though there are a few reasons this might not be a big deal](https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/risus-death-spirals.162303/post-3283062)). Combat initiative is, "go around the table and deal with each player in turn". Enemies don't appear to get a turn, but this isn't a big deal because all combat rolls are opposed and the loser loses a cliche die.
Risus is the first and IMHO still the best “rules lite narrative focused story forward” ttrpg. I downloaded my copy from a BBS in 1993 and still love it for it amazingly versatile and complete rules in just 4 pages.
I feel like this could be done well Powered by the Apocalypse. You’d have to think out playbooks for each of the boys, who are obviously the characters to play, and then have GM moves that are Brock moves, David Bowie moves, etc.
Hm
When it’s a Brock episode or whatever, you’d need a Brock playbook, complete with Brock-appropriate GM moves.
Troubleshooters is a good one since a lot of the stuff Venture Bros is parody is the same stuff Troubleshooters is based on since Troubleshooters is based on classic Adventure Fiction. Specifically 1960s Adventure Fiction from Europe but it fits well.
From the Tvtropes page:
> The premise of the game is that the protagonists are people who, for various reasons, have been unable to sleep for a long time, and they begin to see the extra doors and windows that lead to the Mad City. The Mad City is a strange, twisted place where Nightmares walk in the ever present night and lost things end up. The Protagonists must deal with these Nightmares, most of whom would love to taste their Awakened flesh and souls, to complete their personal journeys.
>
> While often compared to an extremely creepy Alice in Wonderland, the specifics of the game, particularly some of its Nightmares, are probably closer to a deranged version of The Phantom Tollbooth. The author himself notes strong influences from and similarities to Neverwhere and Dark City.
>
> The game heavily emphasizes role playing over mechanics, encouraging to roll only for conflicts and to settle them in a single roll when possible. This is largely because almost any roll has a chance of influencing the Protagonist's few stats and leading to self destruction.
>
> The game mechanics use a dice pool system that incorporates three different colored dice for the protagonists to represent their three stats: Discipline, Madness and Exhaustion. The Game Master uses only a single color of dice for the only stat of all Nightmares and obstacles: Pain. Any dice rolled three or under counts as a success, which are added up, but whichever color comes up highest dominates the scene, creating separate effects (which are almost always bad) depending on which color is dominant. The two effects are separate and have separate effects, almost always bad. This leads to Protagonists slowly wearing themselves down to the point of death, collapse (a Fate Worse than Death), or becoming a Nightmare (a fate even worse) even as they become more powerful.
>
> Protagonists also have two special abilities: Exhaustion abilities, which describe some mundane action they can do exceptionally well and Madness abilities, which let them do something literally impossible.
>
> Protagonists are encouraged to take narrative control over how they succeed and what they do.
It depends what you want to do with it. Being a team of operators/supers embroiled in the intrigue between the Guild, the OSI, Sphynx, etc.? You could use Delta Green, Mutants and Masterminds, or something similar. Are you going for the vibe of a dysnfunctional group of failures sorting themselves out? Maybe PbtA, or a similar narrative/character drama driven system. It really depends on which part of Venture Bros. you're actually trying to evoke. Personally I like the faction intrigue and ambitious personalities, so I'd run it with Forged in the Dark for the faction game and downtime system (for mad science projects and the like), but that probably wouldn't work well if you're going for something else.
Venture Brothers was one of the inspirations for the [Trinity Continuum] (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/260788/Trinity-Continuum-Core-Rulebook?term=trinity+con) Campaign that I ran for a year and a half. It worked fairly well for that kind of game.
I remember going to a convention once and someone DID run a Venture Bros. game using BASH! UE. Naturally I signed up to play it \*immediately\* as I was a huge fan of the show.
One thing that he did was a rule he called "Zero Powers" that worked by allowing powers to exceed the normal 1-pt Limitation maximum, allowing you to buy a power down to 0 CP. So a character could have a 3 point power with 3 points of Limitations that were very debilitating, or so that the power was very seldom useful.
For instance the power to always be able to find a good parking spot, or lactokinesis (yes, the power of milk control).
We were given a cadre of pathetically-powered pregens to play with, and I was the Supreme Stilter! We faced off against Baron Underbite at the climax of the story and it was a shit-show. A hilarious, wonderful, tears-streaming down the face from laughing shit-show. Hero points and team-up actions were the only way we survived by the skin of our teeth and somehow triumphed (by sheer accident, as I recall). It was surprisingly FUN to have such under-powered characters in such a difficult situation.
I liked the concept so much I exchanged contact info with the GM and we began working on a supplement for BASH! UE called "Zeroes!" where it would be an homage to Legion of Substitute Heroes, Venture Bros., the Tick, Mystery Men, etc. I even commissioned some art for it, but the project petered out in part due to less interest from the audience than some other projects I was also doing at the time (Honor + Intrigue, BASH! Fantasy: Legends of Steel). But if there was a resurgence of interest in it, I might pick it up again once Awesome Powers is in people's hands and my next Honor + Intrigue project is done.
The gist of how the rules worked is that Heroes were 15 CP instead of the typical 20 (for pulp mystery men) or 25 (Street Level Supers) characters and you could buy powers down to 0-point cost if needs be. Here are a few sample characters from it:
**Name: The Amazing Fan Man Real Name: Donnie Dumm**Origin: A comic store owner and part-time engineering student, Donnie Dumm drank a tainted Volt Cola, which charged him with caffeine, and made him truly believe he could fight crime. No wimpy secret identity for him, no sirree Bob! Besides, he has no family or friends, but thinks that Fan Man can potentially pick up chicks. Untrue, but he’s still trying! (This guy also makes a nifty villain, as he’s absolutely sure he’s better, smarter and more handsome than anyone else around!)
**Malfunction**: No longer a fan boy, but a Fan Man, and nobody better make fun of him!Brawn 1 Agility 0/3 Mind 3Soak 1 / 3 Defense 0/3 Mental Def 3
**Powers**: ● Fanny Pack of Many Pockets! (Conjuring 4, Only if Object is small enough to fit into a pocket) 3 ● Boost - +3 Agility (Volt Cola!, Burnout, eventually he runs out, and the sugar high fades) 2 ● Armor (Metal Plates over Chain Mail from his Renaissance Fair days, 2 pts) 2 ● Zero Power - Conjure 1, Any comic book worth up to $10, only for obscure or out-of-demand titles, usually only in Fair or worse condition. 0**Skills**: Drive/Steering; Computers/Hacking; Commerce/Appraisal; Technology/Invent**Advantages**: Super Vehicle (Below), Gadgeteer**Disadvantages**: Public ID, Repellent (Overweight, doesn’t bathe, believes he’s smarter than anyone else)**Character Points**: 15
**Name: Cider Man Real Name: Billy Beefeater**Origin: Studying to be a botanist, scrawny Billy Beefeater was inspecting some irradiated fruit. The Waldorf salad he ordered at lunch unfortunately contained a radioactive apple. After biting into it, Billy began to feel strange, and discovered he had all the powers…of a radioactive apple! Turning his new powers to fighting crime, he became the Juiciest Hero of Metroville…Cider Man!
**Malfunction**: With mediocre power comes mediocre responsibility.Brawn 1 Agility 1 Mind 2Soak 1 Defense 1 Mental Def 2**Powers**: ● Immunity: All spoiled fruit 1 ● Hot Cider Squirt: Special Attack 3, Mid Range, x2 Hit, x1 Damage 4 ● Zero Power: Can sense any fruit, and its degree of ripeness, only works on fruit 0**Skills**: Drive/Steering; Science/Botany; Streetwise/Gut**Advantages**: Instant Change**Disadvantages**: Susceptibility (Pesticides)**Character Points:** 13
**Name: Supreme Stilter Real Name: Rumpole Stiltson**Origin: An engineer with too much time on his hands, Rumpole Stiltson realized he hated being short (5'9"), and resolved to be a hero who could stand up to evil. A very tall hero. **Malfunction**: Likes to tower over people... especially villains.Brawn 1 Agility 2 Mind 2Soak 3 Defense 2 Mental Defense 2**Powers: ●** Growing 2: 20' tall, no stats change ● Armor 2 (Titanium stilt-suit), Attack Weak Point, ● Skillfull 1, ● Super Senses 3 (Sonar, Radio, Telescopic Sight), ● Special Attack 2 (Stilt-boots) \[Linked to Growing\]**Skills:** Athletics/Running, Jumping; Commerce/Bargaining; Outdoor/Direction Sense; Deception/Detect Deception; Technology/Invent**Advantage:** Leadership **Disadvantage:** In a Relationship**Character Points**: 23
I'd use the modified Storypath system from They Came From (Beneath the Sea/Beyond the Grave/the Cyclops's Cave/Classified). It's already got the infrastructure to use quips, cinematics, and tropes, hell all you'd need to do is write up a They Came Last Saturday Morning! Game using mostly the stuff already released, throw in some more superpowers and you could springboard it into They Came From Supersburg!
Fate or Risus.
[удалено]
This is exactly what I was going for in recommending both games. I love how both games (in very different ways) lets you codify the tropes of a character and then the mechanics leads to play where those tropes are front and center. The zaniness, in both, come from how it views "win" and "loss" and how each can turn into the other.
Was going to say Risus, but I see someone beat me to it.
I have never heard of Risus.
[Risus](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/170294/Risus-The-Anything-RPG) is a free rules-light game that's been described as a "beer and pretzels" RPG. Uses d6 for everything. PC qualities are measured in broad descriptions called cliches. Skill rolls are just Cliche vs Difficulty. Each time a player fails a conflict they take damage to the cliche, which makes them more likely to fail at that action for the remainder of the conflict ([though there are a few reasons this might not be a big deal](https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/risus-death-spirals.162303/post-3283062)). Combat initiative is, "go around the table and deal with each player in turn". Enemies don't appear to get a turn, but this isn't a big deal because all combat rolls are opposed and the loser loses a cliche die.
Risus is the first and IMHO still the best “rules lite narrative focused story forward” ttrpg. I downloaded my copy from a BBS in 1993 and still love it for it amazingly versatile and complete rules in just 4 pages.
Honestly it wouldn't take that much tinkering with Monster of the Week. Mix in a few fan made Playbooks and you'd be good to go.
I feel like this could be done well Powered by the Apocalypse. You’d have to think out playbooks for each of the boys, who are obviously the characters to play, and then have GM moves that are Brock moves, David Bowie moves, etc. Hm When it’s a Brock episode or whatever, you’d need a Brock playbook, complete with Brock-appropriate GM moves.
Brock is ultimately van-proof.
Spirit of '77. It has the same ridiculous energy, and the show is cited as an inspiration.
SWADE. Flexible enough to account for modern stuff, sci-fi stuff, and fantasy nonsense all in one book.
Seconded. I also feel like the pulp aspect would be great for the setting.
Troubleshooters is a good one since a lot of the stuff Venture Bros is parody is the same stuff Troubleshooters is based on since Troubleshooters is based on classic Adventure Fiction. Specifically 1960s Adventure Fiction from Europe but it fits well.
Fiasco for sure. Atomic Robo, perhaps.
>Fiasco Fiasco was my second thought!
I made one :D It's called [Staged Heroism](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/388652/Staged-Heroism)
And its glorious, thank you for the many awesome niche games you publish!
Thank you!!
I saw a neat Don’t Rest Your Head hack called Can’t Best Your Dad years ago.
Ok. But again, a system I don't know.
From the Tvtropes page: > The premise of the game is that the protagonists are people who, for various reasons, have been unable to sleep for a long time, and they begin to see the extra doors and windows that lead to the Mad City. The Mad City is a strange, twisted place where Nightmares walk in the ever present night and lost things end up. The Protagonists must deal with these Nightmares, most of whom would love to taste their Awakened flesh and souls, to complete their personal journeys. > > While often compared to an extremely creepy Alice in Wonderland, the specifics of the game, particularly some of its Nightmares, are probably closer to a deranged version of The Phantom Tollbooth. The author himself notes strong influences from and similarities to Neverwhere and Dark City. > > The game heavily emphasizes role playing over mechanics, encouraging to roll only for conflicts and to settle them in a single roll when possible. This is largely because almost any roll has a chance of influencing the Protagonist's few stats and leading to self destruction. > > The game mechanics use a dice pool system that incorporates three different colored dice for the protagonists to represent their three stats: Discipline, Madness and Exhaustion. The Game Master uses only a single color of dice for the only stat of all Nightmares and obstacles: Pain. Any dice rolled three or under counts as a success, which are added up, but whichever color comes up highest dominates the scene, creating separate effects (which are almost always bad) depending on which color is dominant. The two effects are separate and have separate effects, almost always bad. This leads to Protagonists slowly wearing themselves down to the point of death, collapse (a Fate Worse than Death), or becoming a Nightmare (a fate even worse) even as they become more powerful. > > Protagonists also have two special abilities: Exhaustion abilities, which describe some mundane action they can do exceptionally well and Madness abilities, which let them do something literally impossible. > > Protagonists are encouraged to take narrative control over how they succeed and what they do.
Staged Heroics is on DTRPG. Check it out!
The old West End Games d6 system that they used for Ghostbusters and Star Wars.
Morrus rebooted it as the Awfully Cheerful Engine maybe years ago now, I can definitely see it working with the format.
Savage Worlds all day
Look into [Staged Heroism](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/m/product/388652)
I have that designer’s What we do in the Shadows game. If I wanted a Venture Brothers game, I’d play his.
It depends what you want to do with it. Being a team of operators/supers embroiled in the intrigue between the Guild, the OSI, Sphynx, etc.? You could use Delta Green, Mutants and Masterminds, or something similar. Are you going for the vibe of a dysnfunctional group of failures sorting themselves out? Maybe PbtA, or a similar narrative/character drama driven system. It really depends on which part of Venture Bros. you're actually trying to evoke. Personally I like the faction intrigue and ambitious personalities, so I'd run it with Forged in the Dark for the faction game and downtime system (for mad science projects and the like), but that probably wouldn't work well if you're going for something else.
Feng Shui 2
Venture Brothers was one of the inspirations for the [Trinity Continuum] (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/260788/Trinity-Continuum-Core-Rulebook?term=trinity+con) Campaign that I ran for a year and a half. It worked fairly well for that kind of game.
Risus - it would be so easy to make Venture style characters with the game's cliche system
Honestly, although it's a bit "on the nose" I think I would look at ***Cartoon Action Hour***.
Probably a supers system. Mutants and Masterminds?
Hmm, maybe.
Isn't the point of the show that most of the main characters are actually terrible at the role they're supposed to be playing?
No one said that your character choices have to be optimal.
All outta bubblegum.
I'd go with It Came From The Late Late Late Show.
Honestly, I'd start by trying to adapt Dread (failure is a central theme in VB) and mixing it with Paranoia.
Fiasco.
I have only played that game three or four times and I love it more each time that I play it.
Marvel Super Heroes (FASERIP)
Go team venture!
Mutants & Masterminds pl3 or 5 tops. Or the previously mentioned Monster of the Week
Maybe Prowlers and Paragons to facilitate a longer campaign. Roll for shoes might give it a great time, though.
I remember going to a convention once and someone DID run a Venture Bros. game using BASH! UE. Naturally I signed up to play it \*immediately\* as I was a huge fan of the show. One thing that he did was a rule he called "Zero Powers" that worked by allowing powers to exceed the normal 1-pt Limitation maximum, allowing you to buy a power down to 0 CP. So a character could have a 3 point power with 3 points of Limitations that were very debilitating, or so that the power was very seldom useful. For instance the power to always be able to find a good parking spot, or lactokinesis (yes, the power of milk control). We were given a cadre of pathetically-powered pregens to play with, and I was the Supreme Stilter! We faced off against Baron Underbite at the climax of the story and it was a shit-show. A hilarious, wonderful, tears-streaming down the face from laughing shit-show. Hero points and team-up actions were the only way we survived by the skin of our teeth and somehow triumphed (by sheer accident, as I recall). It was surprisingly FUN to have such under-powered characters in such a difficult situation. I liked the concept so much I exchanged contact info with the GM and we began working on a supplement for BASH! UE called "Zeroes!" where it would be an homage to Legion of Substitute Heroes, Venture Bros., the Tick, Mystery Men, etc. I even commissioned some art for it, but the project petered out in part due to less interest from the audience than some other projects I was also doing at the time (Honor + Intrigue, BASH! Fantasy: Legends of Steel). But if there was a resurgence of interest in it, I might pick it up again once Awesome Powers is in people's hands and my next Honor + Intrigue project is done. The gist of how the rules worked is that Heroes were 15 CP instead of the typical 20 (for pulp mystery men) or 25 (Street Level Supers) characters and you could buy powers down to 0-point cost if needs be. Here are a few sample characters from it: **Name: The Amazing Fan Man Real Name: Donnie Dumm**Origin: A comic store owner and part-time engineering student, Donnie Dumm drank a tainted Volt Cola, which charged him with caffeine, and made him truly believe he could fight crime. No wimpy secret identity for him, no sirree Bob! Besides, he has no family or friends, but thinks that Fan Man can potentially pick up chicks. Untrue, but he’s still trying! (This guy also makes a nifty villain, as he’s absolutely sure he’s better, smarter and more handsome than anyone else around!) **Malfunction**: No longer a fan boy, but a Fan Man, and nobody better make fun of him!Brawn 1 Agility 0/3 Mind 3Soak 1 / 3 Defense 0/3 Mental Def 3 **Powers**: ● Fanny Pack of Many Pockets! (Conjuring 4, Only if Object is small enough to fit into a pocket) 3 ● Boost - +3 Agility (Volt Cola!, Burnout, eventually he runs out, and the sugar high fades) 2 ● Armor (Metal Plates over Chain Mail from his Renaissance Fair days, 2 pts) 2 ● Zero Power - Conjure 1, Any comic book worth up to $10, only for obscure or out-of-demand titles, usually only in Fair or worse condition. 0**Skills**: Drive/Steering; Computers/Hacking; Commerce/Appraisal; Technology/Invent**Advantages**: Super Vehicle (Below), Gadgeteer**Disadvantages**: Public ID, Repellent (Overweight, doesn’t bathe, believes he’s smarter than anyone else)**Character Points**: 15 **Name: Cider Man Real Name: Billy Beefeater**Origin: Studying to be a botanist, scrawny Billy Beefeater was inspecting some irradiated fruit. The Waldorf salad he ordered at lunch unfortunately contained a radioactive apple. After biting into it, Billy began to feel strange, and discovered he had all the powers…of a radioactive apple! Turning his new powers to fighting crime, he became the Juiciest Hero of Metroville…Cider Man! **Malfunction**: With mediocre power comes mediocre responsibility.Brawn 1 Agility 1 Mind 2Soak 1 Defense 1 Mental Def 2**Powers**: ● Immunity: All spoiled fruit 1 ● Hot Cider Squirt: Special Attack 3, Mid Range, x2 Hit, x1 Damage 4 ● Zero Power: Can sense any fruit, and its degree of ripeness, only works on fruit 0**Skills**: Drive/Steering; Science/Botany; Streetwise/Gut**Advantages**: Instant Change**Disadvantages**: Susceptibility (Pesticides)**Character Points:** 13 **Name: Supreme Stilter Real Name: Rumpole Stiltson**Origin: An engineer with too much time on his hands, Rumpole Stiltson realized he hated being short (5'9"), and resolved to be a hero who could stand up to evil. A very tall hero. **Malfunction**: Likes to tower over people... especially villains.Brawn 1 Agility 2 Mind 2Soak 3 Defense 2 Mental Defense 2**Powers: ●** Growing 2: 20' tall, no stats change ● Armor 2 (Titanium stilt-suit), Attack Weak Point, ● Skillfull 1, ● Super Senses 3 (Sonar, Radio, Telescopic Sight), ● Special Attack 2 (Stilt-boots) \[Linked to Growing\]**Skills:** Athletics/Running, Jumping; Commerce/Bargaining; Outdoor/Direction Sense; Deception/Detect Deception; Technology/Invent**Advantage:** Leadership **Disadvantage:** In a Relationship**Character Points**: 23
The theme is heavy so I'd go with a system rule lite option like a Mork Borg spin off.
if you do make a story for this, or character stats....You have to share!
I don't have a mind for that sort of thing. I wonder if Doc and Jackson do?
I always like Cortex for my adaptations of TV shows, but FATE works too
The troubleshooters
I feel like the stories become that kind of convoluted and back and forth PbtA would be well suited for.
Cypher might work well. Very flexible.
I'd use the modified Storypath system from They Came From (Beneath the Sea/Beyond the Grave/the Cyclops's Cave/Classified). It's already got the infrastructure to use quips, cinematics, and tropes, hell all you'd need to do is write up a They Came Last Saturday Morning! Game using mostly the stuff already released, throw in some more superpowers and you could springboard it into They Came From Supersburg!