Yes, I am enthralled by WandaVision, and that means I want to play it (in some form) as an RPG scenario.
Can it work? I don’t know.
Should we talk about it? Oh yes, yes we should.
(I’m writing this after watching Ep 5 – so I don’t know how things turn out. But I don’t mind if you don’t.)
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Spoilers – Spoilers – Spoilers – Spoilers
You have been warned.
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Pros, Cons, and Hows
Cons First
The residents of Westview all appear to be mind controlled (except Agnes?). This falls into the no fun category for players. That means that inside the Hex (hah! I said it) there are really only Wanda, Vision, Billy, and Tommy available as players. At this moment, I can’t really include Wanda (is she the BBEG) or Vision (Dead?). Pietro (OMG Quicksilver!) is also a potential PC, but we don’t know how much autonomy he has.
Does anyone else want to see Pietro and Agnes save the day? I so want to see that team up.
UPDATE – I wrote this before Episode 8. So happy to be so weirdly wrong.
Communication between PCs inside and outside Westview could go either way. It’s a Con because it’s hard, or it’s a Pro because it’s part of solving the puzzle.
Pros
All of the action appears to be happening in a specific area, Westview and the S.W.O.R.D base directly around it. Players outside the Hex (said it again) have the option to travel just about anywhere, but based on the series they are reluctant to leave. The timeline is also very short. Even characters that venture outside briefly can be drawn back in by events in the show.
This is a Pro for me, maybe not for you. A scenario based on characters outside the Hex (third times a charm), are not super powered. I really like the idea of a skills based scenario focused on problem solving instead of punching in this case. As far as we know, all the characters outside Westview are super skilled somehow, but otherwise normal.
How
Since you’ve decided to play (you’ve read this far), what are the Hows?
System. I would use Savage Worlds, but only because that’s what I’m most familiar with. Masks is another good choice. There are plenty out there. Deciding on a system is about you and your players comfort, fit, and timeframe of play.
Timeframe. Are you thinking of something episodic like the show, or is this a one-shot. In my mind, I’m thinking Convention scenario, but I’d like to see how the series ends (or not ends – who knows). This decision drives many other options, like pre-made PCs or having the characters create their own. That could drive this back up to the Pros and Cons for how many and where the PCs are located.
Goals. What’s the goal of the PCs. Right now (in the show) they appear focused on saving the “normal” mind-controlled residents of Westview. Mainly because stopping Wanda appears out of their reach without some super-powered help.
Characters. Do you use characters from the show or invent your own. If you are using characters in Westview, it wouldn’t be too bad to invent townspeople. Likewise, creating your own scientists and agents of S.W.O.R.D. is “easily” done. Using established characters from the show is harder, but satisfying, especially in a one-shot scenario.
Whatever the case, this just vaulted to the top of my list for scenarios at GenCon 2021.