I'm sure we've all gotten the question of "Is this a Batman game?" when some new players hear the "Arkham" in "Arkham Horror". It's justifiable - Lovecraft just isn't as well known as Batman - but it got me thinking:
With StrangeEons at our disposal, why couldn't a Batman game using the basic Arkham Horror engine be made? Thus, the "Arkham Asylum" project. I would absolutely love to hear if any of you wonderful folks have ideas or contributions, or even constructive criticism. [And, please, let me know if someone else has already done this.]
The basic concept would be the same: 1-8 players work cooperatively against the board. However, instead of traversing an entire city, the board covers the Arkham Asylum facility, and the players are all Batman villains, attempting to escape. The story would be that someone (I was thinking The Riddler) has managed to deactivate the security systems at the asylum and instead of gates opening, we have security systems coming back online, which the players have to shut down permanently to escape (instead of closing and sealing gates).
Instead of the minions of the Ancient Ones, monsters are replaced by fellow inmates, lower level guards, higher level guards, perhaps even police and SWAT teams. The Ancient One that the villains play against is Batman, and I'm torn as to whether Batman's "family" (Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, Oracle, etc.) should function like separate Ancient Ones, or be something more like Heralds (leaving room for the villains to have something equivalent to Guardians). Also, as much as I dread and fear Quachil Uttaus in Arkham Horror, I think that his stalking mechanic - following on investigator at a time - would translate well to Batman tracking down one villainous player at a time.
Locations would consist of different parts of the Asylum, and have encounters accompanying each one. I've compiled a list of location ideas, but haven't decided which ones are "stable" or "unstable" (or, whatever the equivalent terms are for this version of the game), or by which sections they should be grouped (like neighborhoods in Arkham Horror). They are as follows: Intensive Treatment, Medical Facility, The Morgue, The Chapel, Experimental Chamber, The Yard, Admission Office, The Commissary, Solitary Confinement, Guards' Barracks, Evidence Lockers, Graveyard, Botanical Gardens, The Sewers, Library, Administration Office, The Abandoned Wing, Psychiatric Wing, The Radio Room, Warden's Office, Maintenance, The Laundry Room, The Gas Chamber.
As for the villains/player characters, their stats are still modeled after the Arkham Horror design, with Sanity, Stamina, Fixed Possessions, Random Possessions (although, Clues would need to be replaced with something similar for closing down security systems with), and Personal Stories. The characters, their proposed stats, as well as some notes, are as follows:
Joker
Sanity: 6
Stamina: 4
Two-Face
Sanity: 5
Stamina: 5
Personal Story: (something involving a coin flip; obsession)
Mr. Freeze
Sanity: 4
Stamina: 6
Personal Story: Freeze must collect his cryo suit (and freeze ray?) before (X). If he succeeds, his freeze ray receives a +2 to all combat checks. If he fails, his maximum stamina is decreased to 4.
Killer Croc
Sanity: 3
Stamina: 7
*Alligator Man: Croc's reptilian form reduces his stamina damage taken by 1 (to a minimum of 1).
Bane
Sanity: 4
Stamina: 6
Personal Story: Bane must retrieve his Venom serum from (x) before (x). If he succeeds, he receives a +3 (4?) to combat checks with unarmed or melee attacks.
Catwoman
Sanity: 4
Stamina: 6
Poison Ivy
Sanity: 6
Stamina: 4
*Mother Nature: Ivy gets a +1 to all Skill Checks in nature locations. (Woods, Swamp, Etc.)
*Seduction Power? (“Nature’s Kiss”?):
Harley Quinn
Sanity: 4
Stamina: 6
Clayface
Sanity: 5
Stamina: 5
Ventriloquist (w/Scarface)
Sanity: 5
Stamina: 5
*Throw Voice (bonus to evade checks)
Clock King
Sanity: 6
Stamina: 4
Calendar Man
Sanity: 5
Stamina: 5
Scarecrow
Sanity: 7
Stamina: 3
Personal Story: Scarecrow must spend (x) clue tokens at (x) before (x). If he succeeds, fear gas in the ventilation systems lowers the combat modifier of every enemy he faces by one (or two?). If he fails, (?)
Deadshot
Sanity: 5
Stamina: 5
Solomon Grundy
Sanity: 3
Stamina: 7
Zsasz
Sanity: 4
Stamina: 6
Personal Story: If Zsasz gets (x) kills before (x), his knives receive a permanent +1 for combat checks while he wields them. If he fails, (?)
Riddler (may or may not be included, due to the story mentioned above)
Sanity: 7
Stamina: 3
Penguin
Sanity: 5
Stamina: 5
Black Mask
Sanity: 5
Stamina: 5
Mad Hatter
Sanity: 6
Stamina: 4
Man-Bat
Sanity: 3
Stamina: 7
As you can see, some of them have Personal Story ideas, while others have some ideas for individual abilities, but none of them have been completely fleshed out yet. I'm posting this because I really want to get the thoughts of other experienced Arkham Horror players to help give me a more balanced perspective. Any input that you have on characters, game mechanics, or **** near anything would be greatly appreciated!
Edited by Ineffable