Gaming in the Universe of… Tron

Tron as reviewed by the family:

I’ve done some searching across the web for Tron RPGs.  I’ve found one abandoned forum and an abandoned PBP RPG site.  Given that it is a Disney movie and an old one at that I wasn’t expecting much.  I do remember playing the coin-op video game back in the early 80’s and have watched my children avidly play the Kingdom Hearts 2 for the PS2.  Although geared very well towards video games, Tron is not a universe that immediately conjures RPG scenarios.  That said I”ve come up with some themes and inspirations for your game.

Tron is at its heart a Messiah story, the story of a god coming down amongst its creation.  Unlike the accounts recorded in the Gospels, Tron is the story of a reluctant god who does not understand the rules governing the rules of its creation.  This could be gamed from either side of the coin.  You as the GM could introduce a new NPC to the party.  This NPC demonstrates some unusual powers while at the same time displaying an unusual amount of lack of common knowledge.  This NPC is there to help the party for some unknown reason but does not know why.  It’s up to the party to figure things out.

The flip-side of that coin is to have the PCs transported to a realm where they understand very little of the social mores and customs.  They quickly discover they have abilities far beyond those of everyone else.  They’re there to help their new friends but have to discover the reasons for themselves.  Why have they been transported?  Who transported them?  All things to play out in this type of campaign.

Another plot hook that can be drawn from Tron, the party is participating in an increasingly difficult series of challenges or games.  These games eventually end with party finally facing the local champion.

Name: Tron Race: Program treated as Human for most games
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6,
Vigor d6
Skills: Climbing d6, Driving d8, Fighting d8, Guts d8, Notice d6,  Survival d6, Throwing d10
Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 5;
Hindrances:  Wanted, Vow to free the System from control of the MPC (Local Overlord), Servitor of his User (Land owner)
Edges: Combat Reflexes, Block, Command

Name: Flynn Race: Human treated as godlike for most games
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Climbing d6, Driving d8, Fighting d6, Guts d6, Intimidation d6, Knowledge (Programming) d8, Notice d6, Piloting d6,  Survival d6, Throwing d6
Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5;
Hindrances:  Clueless to his new environment, Overconfident
Edges: Archane Background (matter control), Charismatic

Name: Sark Race: Program treated as human for most games
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Climbing d4, Driving d8, Fighting d6, Guts d6, Intimidation d8, Notice d8, Piloting d6,  Survival d6, Throwing d8
Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5;
Hindrances:  Servitor of the MPC, Heartless
Edges: Combat Reflexes, Block