Electing a new pope-adventure

[Ulfgeir]

Per the suggestion from another thread.

So the pope is dead. What would be a good system to have an adventure where a new pope is eleceted?

I am thinking of some thing that is filled with lot of devious political intrigues. And given how some historical popes behaved, candidates getting poisoned, kidnappings, and other external events with questionable backers, mistresses, spies etc would be good stuff to put in there.

Closest to something like this that I have played was a Call of Cthulhu-scenario at a convention where Queen Elizabeth II was going to be coronated. a cult had figured out that they could bless her regency in the name of any god, so they had a doppleganger for the archbishop and were going to bless it in the name of of one of the Cthulhu-gods. I think it was Nyarlathothep..... We did manage to foil it.

Edit: Probably works better in a historical/fantasy-setting than in a modern one.

 

[payn]

Paizo ultimate intrigue for PF1 is something ive used for this kind of thing.

 

[Umbran]

Folks, you will be tempted to make real-world commentary.

Resist this temptation, please and thanks.

 

[Nikosandros]

Personally, I'm not Catholic, but this still seems a bit in bad taste, IMHO.

 

[Cordwainer Fish]

There is already (almost) a board game:

Kremlin

Control the USSR politburo as dying men step into dead men's shoes.

boardgamegeek.com

 

[Ulfgeir]

There is already (almost) a board game:

Kremlin

Control the USSR politburo as dying men step into dead men's shoes.

boardgamegeek.com

Have played it in the 1990s. Didn't think it was a very good game back then due to the mechanics.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

There is already (almost) a board game:

Kremlin

Control the USSR politburo as dying men step into dead men's shoes.

boardgamegeek.com

I was thinking Clue.

 

[Nutation]

I was thinking Clue.

This is such a strange suggestion that I have to think about how it would work.
The players are six color-coded cardinals, none of whom wants to be pope. They are searching for evidence that someone else is secretly strictly orthodox and deserving.

"Behold! Cardinal Albus concealed his manifesto in the lead pipe in the clerestory!"

 

[payn]

Id definitely suggest watching the pilot of The Borgias (showtime adaption) for inspiration.

 

[dragoner]

My Stepfather was Irish Catholic, so I went to the Catholic Church for years. Francis, may you arrive at the gate as a humble beggar. Personally I don't think a modern election would be as exciting as the way Pope's were "chosen" during the Renaissance, such as with the Borgia Popes.