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Anyone interested in Merlin?

Posted by nubiko takamori
nubiko takamori
member, 149 posts
All these years, and yet
still no good bio ideas.
Wed 13 Jul 2016
at 22:55
  • msg #1

Anyone interested in Merlin?

Thinking of putting together a Merlin basic rp, based (ish) on the BBC show Merlin-- though perhaps grown up a bit. Looking for strong writers who might be interested in playing along.

Any thoughts?
princessleia4ever
member, 13 posts
a girl with ideas
Mon 18 Jul 2016
at 17:39
  • msg #2

Anyone interested in Merlin?

Just a quick question, what would you be counting as canon? The last season basically killed the show's premise. Would you be using any of the earlier seasons as the backdrop, or were you just thinking of re-doing the storyline from a AU perspective?
nubiko takamori
member, 150 posts
All these years, and yet
still no good bio ideas.
Tue 19 Jul 2016
at 21:22
  • msg #3

Anyone interested in Merlin?

Yeah, season five will have to go-- unless people wanted to kill Arthur off and bring him back in a few hundred years. I was thinking of backing up to maybe season three (or even just starting over at season 1) and blending in a bit more traditional Merlin legend... though to tell you the truth deviating from all cannon and just playing with it is not something I would be opposed to.
CaesarCV
member, 175 posts
Tue 19 Jul 2016
at 21:24
  • msg #4

Anyone interested in Merlin?

Hm...interesting concept for certain. Nothing wrong with a King Arthur RP. Although I do wonder how it would all work. Who would play Merlin and Arthur? If they're PC's then those players are the 'stars of the show' and nearly everybody else will feel like a background character. Would there be a lot of room for OCs? How would it work?
nubiko takamori
member, 151 posts
All these years, and yet
still no good bio ideas.
Thu 21 Jul 2016
at 01:15
  • msg #5

Anyone interested in Merlin?

Hey CaesarCV, that's a good question. Honestly it depends a lot on the people writing. I was thinking of having a tight cast of maybe up to fifteen strong writers including the "main" cannon characters. The needs and backgrounds of the characters would more or less dictate the direction of the game.

I don't think it's necessarily inevitable that Merlin and Arthur are the only main characters-- though they were the main characters of the show. This is one reason I lean towards mixing in the Arthurian legends more accurately-- it brings in more main characters. I do think OCs are going to be limited by the time period and constraints of cannon, but I don't think it would be too difficult to work them in. (When I say limited by the cannon and time, I simply mean that a skateboard-riding magician with blue face markings will not blend in well in magic-hating Camelot. This isn't to say that's what anyone wants, but as an example...)

Some main cannon characters I'd like to have include Guinevere, Merlin, Arthur, Lancelot, Morgana la Fey, and Mordred. I'll take any main cannon that isn't picked up by other players as needed.

Some OC options could be: other knights to be in Arthur's main circle (like a Gawain or Galahad, but this could easily be a non-cannon knight). Magic users to be hiding out in Camelot with Merlin, or other non-magical nobles or servants who join with the group for whatever reason.
princessleia4ever
member, 14 posts
a girl with ideas
Fri 22 Jul 2016
at 17:06
  • msg #6

Anyone interested in Merlin?

I don't see the issue with the GM writing main show characters. If anything, I think they should to give the game some direction. Seems like with knights, ladies, peasants, druids and stuff like that, there's like plenty of open ground for OCs.

Given the liberties taken in the series, I kinda count Merlin as it's own thing, when compared with the Arthurian Myths. I guess it depends how much closer you want to get to the legends (which of course isn't a bad thing!). But at the same time it's worth considering the cast the series offered:


SERIES MAIN CAST:

Merlin
Arthur
Morgana
Gwen
Uther
Gaius

SERIES RECURRING CHARACTERS:

Lancelot
Leon
Gwaine
Percival
Elyan
Nimueh
Morgause
Mithian
Cenred
Mordred
Freya

^ that's just recurring characters, many one time guest stars too.

I guess overall, what I'm trying to say is... are you wanting to run a 'Merlin' RP or an 'Arthurian' RP with a young Merlin and other concepts borrowed from the series? Given the different roles characters have in legend and in the series, choosing is kind of paramount. E.g. In legend Gawain is the son of Morgause, nephew of Arthur. In the series his name is spelled 'Gwaine' and Morgause is an unrelated sorceress, and Morgana's (possible?) half-sister. Characters like Gwen have a completely different backstory, etc. Just something to think about.
This message was last edited by the user at 17:21, Fri 22 July 2016.
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