Handler Game

Not sure how this would work out. On the one hand, the thing with being a handler is that you DON'T get to do any action, because you are managing those who do. On the other, unless there is just one player and the GM, how would it work out with multiple people?

I would imagine that doing financial stuff could get somewhat boring after some time. What would the end goal be? How would the players defend themselves if their mercs decided to go rogue?

All questions that need to be answered.

>>52298285
Do you want to play reccetear, but on the table top?
It could be a fun side thing if you're dming multiple groups, and had some crazy player willing to take up the role.

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>>52299859
>The thing with being a handler is that you DON'T get to do any action, because you are managing those who do.
So, aside from possible events that the goal would be to avoid, combat wouldn't really be involved. It'd likely be a game of resource management rather than exciting heists.

>On the other, unless there is just one player and the GM, how would it work out with multiple people?
Now I'm thinking about a competitive game between players as rival handlers.
You could trade contacts, information, jobs, etc. Making allies while still trying to edge ahead and maybe edge them out.
Maybe you trade a cushy job that you have more info on than your rival, but don't share all the risk aspects, in exchange for contact info of his best hitter (who he fails to mention recently developed a spiraling drug problem.
Hijinks ensue.
Of course there's possible GM run competition too.

>I would imagine that doing financial stuff could get somewhat boring after some time.
That would be the challenge.
I'm thinking a more board game like setup would be better than RP.
I've found some financial board games exciting.

>What would the end goal be?
Depends on the setting.
Heh.
But some milemarker of personal and economic security.

>How would the players defend themselves if their mercs decided to go rogue?
Levels of personal security that increase with financial success.
Pic related?

>>52300021
>Do you want to play reccetear, but on the table top?
Apparently so, more or less.
Which makes me wonder if you Also sell weapons and gear in addition to handling mercs.

>It could be a fun side thing if you're dming multiple groups, and had some crazy player willing to take up the role.
There is that possibility too.

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>>52300909
Forgot my relevant pic

>>52298285
That show should have had more David Hewlett and less Wil Wheaton.

>>52301023
Still going through the second season myself but, unless they killed him in an episode I haven't seen, we might get more of Tabor Calchek yet.
He was what I was thinking of when I got this idea.

I stand by my position of thoroughly loving to hate Wil Wheaton as a villain and that he is to smarmy asshole characters what Bruce Campbell is to B movie action stars.
Although, I must say that I didn't enjoy hating his character as much in Dark Matter as I have in other shows.

>>52298285
I think this would make a better boardgame or cardgame than RPG, but it could be fun if done right.

The closest example I can think of is Lords of waterdeep.

It's an interesting premise, potentially. Is there any interesting reference material out there? Stories which emphasize the handler's perspective, or at least give it similar time? I can think of mission control examples like Apollo 13, but nothing in a more Mr. Johnson vein.

Speaking of vidyas, isn't this basically what Jagged Alliance is with exception that you also get to do action by commanding your mercs.

>>52301684
>Is there any interesting reference material out there? Stories which emphasize the handler's perspective, or at least give it similar time?
Better Call Saul popped in my head, but I know there's gotta be other examples.
The unusual perspective of it is kinda what attracted me to the idea, though.

>>52301998
>Jagged Alliance
>>52301370
>Lords of waterdeep
I'll look into these.

Right now, I'm half asleep, but I'll check back in a bit.
Party on.

>>52301370
Lords of the waterdeep seems pretty close to what I started to have in mind, if not cosmetically.
Although the major difference in a Handler game, is that the resources you would also be working with, are also potential threats.
There'd have to be a mechanic for that.

Alternatively, there could be a heavy rp based way of doing it, but with such low combat and action, you'd need a robust set of social rules to swing it or it might as well be freeform. And that might be much more of a niche interest game.

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>>52301998
>isn't this basically what Jagged Alliance is with exception that you also get to do action by commanding your mercs.
Yeah, never played that but it seems pretty much the same thing, as vidya.
I suppose you could implement action like a regular rpg by running missions as the team's of hired mercs.
It would pretty easy to meta-game though and if you have a group of players, if they run rival handlers , the metagaming would be worse, and if all players represent one handler, I'm not sure how that would work.

>>52304239
>It would pretty easy to meta-game though and if you have a group of players, if they run rival handlers , the metagaming would be worse, and if all players represent one handler, I'm not sure how that would work
Is there anyway to prevent this sort of metagaming, mechanically?

>>52298285
Football manager fans will approve of this idea

>>52298285
There are probably ways of doing it in Paranoia. Vaguely recall that one of the ways of playing High Programmers in it is that you're a bunch of characters stuck in a room together, there's a problem going on somewhere in Alpha Complex, and it's your job to marshal your own pawns into solving the crisis and make yourself look good.

Just have the players run an handling agency together.

>>52307810
>Just have the players run an handling agency together
I usually haven't seen handlers done this way before, but there's no reason that couldn't work. You'd need a method of resolving disagreements, but it could work.

>>52303990
Yeah, LoW isn't a perfect fit, but it's the closest thing I could think of. It's pretty fun, too.

I might work on this as an idea and come back later.
It has some potential.

>>52311531
It has potential as a board game for sure. Can't really see it as a RPG for a group, because the johnson/handler is often just one guy, not a group

>>52312363
What I'm thinking of would analogous to an to heavy board, or card, game.

>>52312887
>to heavy
RP heavy
Hiring specific mercs like Jagged Alliance, not gaining generic fighters like Lords of Waterdeep