I thought we could have a list of TV shows that can be easily harvested for ICRPG adventures. Only rule is that they should be somewhat easy to obtain. Netflix, Hulu, pay-wall shows are fine, but no reccomendations for shows from 1987 that are no longer findable.
TV Shows for Inspiration
Name: The Dragon Prince
How to watch: Netflix
IMDB: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt8688814/
Wider political backstory and a party type fantasy quest. Low/no magic humans and high magic elves in a cold war. Dragons and interesting beasts aplenty.
Name: Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash
How to watch: Crunchy-Roll
IMDB: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt5341430/
A more slow-paced āisekaiā story, where the party actually consists of non-heroes that really struggle to even take a single lone goblin down. Plays out like a typical rpg campaign with a strong focus on party character relations and sweat (blood) and tears earned progression.
I could see Firefly being a great model for a low/no magic sci-fi adventure. Get a crew together on a junker ship, pulling odd jobs and evading the law. Itās a classic episodic adventure model.
I think this would qualify for the list. Was a decent adventure.
Stardust (2007)
In a countryside town bordering on a magical land, a young man makes a promise to his beloved that heāll retrieve a fallen star by venturing into the magical realm.
I used a lot of firefly influences when I ran my spelljammer game last year. It was super fun!
Name: Castlvania
How to watch: Netflix
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6517102/
If you enjoy vampires and other similar terrors of the nightā¦
Name: Altered Carbon
How to watch: Netflix
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2261227/
Futuristic/Sci-fi/Cyberpunk ICRPG style! I let my players create several characters (āsleevesā) at the start of the game that they can transfer their ācortical stacksā or consciousness into if they can successfully make the transfer before their current āsleeveā dies or unless their āstackā is permanently destroyed without a backup.
Name: Bright
How to watch: Netflix
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5519340/
Not a TV show per se, but I think the mix of modern world and middle earth fantasy is awesome!
I totally agree that Bright was awesome. It didnāt get great reviews by the general public but as a source of game inspiration and world building that movie is a gold mine!
True Detective on HBO has really affected my games lately. A mix of police procedural, film noir themes, political intrigue, and Lovecraftian horror is what the show offers up and it is pretty inspirational for RPGās.
Also the film version of Odd Thomas with Anton Yelchin is quite good for modeling an impending doom scenario.
Name: Almost Human
How to watch: Not sure where. Show was cancelled.
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2654580/
A simple sci-fi show, where the advent of new technologies āaltered the criminal landscapeā, resulting in the police to reinforce their numbers with androids. There is a certain āBlade Runnerā feel to it, though less dystopian in its setting. Good for those not so far future campaigns that want a āclean dystopianā feel.
Name: Valkyria Chronicles
How to watch: Crunchy Roll
IMDB: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt1444117/?ref_=fn_al_tt_4
Started off as a PS3 game then turned into an anime. Itās a neat take on World War 2 (Europa instead of Europe; Gallia instead of Gaul or France. Iām just guessing here). It focuses on Squad 7 as they battle against the Autocratic East Europan Imperial Allianceās forces, a la Band of Brothers. Good focus on some characters, their way of thinking and prejudices. The series is a good example of how you can have your players fight specific battles of a war. Their successes and failures can then determine future missions.
Name: Band of Brothers.
How to watch: Not sure where.
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0185906/?ref_=nv_sr_1
Speaking of Band of Brothers. Itās Band of Brothers, Nuff said.
I have pulled a lot from Merlin
Where to watch: Netflix, Hulu
IMDB: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt1199099/
High fantasy setting where magic is illegal and most of the adventures take place in and around a single location.
It inspired a campaign in which the players lived in a castle in a forest and each adventure was about protecting their home.