Bond's Bastards

So I was reading the first issue of The Illegitimates this week, a comic that explores a fun premise:  What if James Bond finally got killed, and MI-5 recruited his illegitimate children (you know they're out there) to replace him. Obviously, creator Taran Killam doesn't call the agent Bond, but that what it is with the numbers filed off.

And that immediately got me thinking about a great hook into the old James Bond 007 RPG, which I've been wanting to run for years. The adventure modules are just too beautiful to gather dust on my self, and I have run 2 or 3 with another system, but something's been stopping my group from really throwing their backs into a series of episodes. One of the reasons, I think, is the one awkward thing about an otherwise elegant game: It's meant to emulate the Bond films, but those aren't team-driven like RPGs are. How do we keep the "Bond" in there without turning it into Mission Impossible? It isn't a bad model, mind you, but it's not the exact feel you want from it.

So Illegitimates would be my pitch to the Bond fans in my gaming group. Set post-Bond, your agents are all his kids via the (surviving) Bond girl of your choice.

Yeah, there might be a fight over who gets to play Pussy Galore's kid (I bet the PC would be this kickass Amazon pilot), but plenty of one-night stands in the sea even once you take out the dear departed (so you can't be the gold-skinned girl's child, pick another, shame about Tracy Bond though). Did Solitaire have an unusually prescient child? Heir to a criminal empire, does Octopussy's son reject his heritage to join the security services? Could May Day have survived and given birth to a real bruiser? Wai Lin's kung fu mistress of a daughter? Whatever! Pick your favorite and run with it.

And if using the original adventure modules, it'll be a bit like history repeating as they face off against threats similar to those averted by their famous dad (but always with important differences, they're a really well done mix of familiarity and surprise). Maybe the big villains could even be NextGen too. Did Dr. No have a son or daughter?

Obviously, "NextGen" is a concept that can be used to run other franchises, creating a definitive link to the original while also keeping a certain distance. It's funnier when everyone's related, but that requires a Lothario like Captain Kirk, Matt Smith's Doctor or Tony Stark, but I could easily see the idea working with such RPG franchises as Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Star Wars (just look at the spin-off novels). Anyway, another idea to put in the pot for when we're done with our current campaign.