RPG Systems...
Send this to my offline gaming group recently. Figured there's a couple brains to pick that read here, too...
Well, let me share what I've been thinking. I've let myself get way rusty as a GM and, frankly, I'm concerned that my ability to focus on a game/setting/whatever seems easily shaken by a busy day at work, so I may not be able to pursue this to a workable state. I have, however, had a campaign idea bouncing around in the back of my mind for a few years now.
Setting-wise, it was envisioned as more of high fantasy with a dark/gothic touch, inspired by manga like (and I'll be mildly impressed if anyone is familiar with them) Berserk and Ubel Blatt. It wouldn't really disrupt anything to "steampunk-ize" it to some extent. I already had the losing/enemy side of a recent war as having used a particular form of technology and it fits well enough in my mind for that to be coming into some popularity among society. It was an angle I hadn't really considered previously, but it feels doable and might satisfy at least a little of the Steampunk itch.
Rules-wise, though, I never really pursued it too deeply. I've gone over some considerations, but 1) I'd have to modify any system and 2) I've never settled on the best thing to start with. I intially considered working from d20, just because I'm familiar enough with it that I think I can make it do just about anything I want. But since I've considered going so far as to strip out class features, it would probably be a lot of work still.
Some requirements:
- I want a reasonably solid framework to start with. There are so many holes in Unisystem, for example, that I feel I'd have to do a lot of patching there.
- The rules have to model PCs (and enemies) that are very distinctly above-normal. I could do that in a level-based system by outright limiting non-gifted-character levels, as the difference between a few levels can be very noticeable. It could be done with a point-based system too, though that's a little trickier one person can spend points to be "appropriately" superhuman in a few areas while another could spend them and end up average, albeit in a broader way than any non-gifted person would be. Or I might be able to just place more emphasis on the next point...
- The rules need to support a power-with-a-price mechanic. I don't think I've seen one that fits what I have in mind (and what I have in mind has gone back and forth a bit), so I fully suspect I'd have to design and bolt-on this part to whatever other rules core I was using.
- If pushing the steampunk angle, the rules have to have some decent support for items. A whole item creation system may be more than necessary (unless a player is dead-set on being some sort of inventor), but firearms and gadgets should feel like firearms and gadgets, and a lot of systems don't really handle that well as-is.
So... yeah. I sort of foresee a lot of customizing with any system, but I'd hate to start completely from scratch. Any suggestions?
Well, let me share what I've been thinking. I've let myself get way rusty as a GM and, frankly, I'm concerned that my ability to focus on a game/setting/whatever seems easily shaken by a busy day at work, so I may not be able to pursue this to a workable state. I have, however, had a campaign idea bouncing around in the back of my mind for a few years now.
Setting-wise, it was envisioned as more of high fantasy with a dark/gothic touch, inspired by manga like (and I'll be mildly impressed if anyone is familiar with them) Berserk and Ubel Blatt. It wouldn't really disrupt anything to "steampunk-ize" it to some extent. I already had the losing/enemy side of a recent war as having used a particular form of technology and it fits well enough in my mind for that to be coming into some popularity among society. It was an angle I hadn't really considered previously, but it feels doable and might satisfy at least a little of the Steampunk itch.
Rules-wise, though, I never really pursued it too deeply. I've gone over some considerations, but 1) I'd have to modify any system and 2) I've never settled on the best thing to start with. I intially considered working from d20, just because I'm familiar enough with it that I think I can make it do just about anything I want. But since I've considered going so far as to strip out class features, it would probably be a lot of work still.
Some requirements:
- I want a reasonably solid framework to start with. There are so many holes in Unisystem, for example, that I feel I'd have to do a lot of patching there.
- The rules have to model PCs (and enemies) that are very distinctly above-normal. I could do that in a level-based system by outright limiting non-gifted-character levels, as the difference between a few levels can be very noticeable. It could be done with a point-based system too, though that's a little trickier one person can spend points to be "appropriately" superhuman in a few areas while another could spend them and end up average, albeit in a broader way than any non-gifted person would be. Or I might be able to just place more emphasis on the next point...
- The rules need to support a power-with-a-price mechanic. I don't think I've seen one that fits what I have in mind (and what I have in mind has gone back and forth a bit), so I fully suspect I'd have to design and bolt-on this part to whatever other rules core I was using.
- If pushing the steampunk angle, the rules have to have some decent support for items. A whole item creation system may be more than necessary (unless a player is dead-set on being some sort of inventor), but firearms and gadgets should feel like firearms and gadgets, and a lot of systems don't really handle that well as-is.
So... yeah. I sort of foresee a lot of customizing with any system, but I'd hate to start completely from scratch. Any suggestions?
A couple of other games to consider elements of: Abberant - Rules as written let you make a super powered human, but the PCs may want more points to spend on powers, so can acquire taint as a flaw for more points. Taint doesn't do much. Now. In the future it will, however. Dogs in the Vineyard - PCs are mechanically better than average because they get different sized dice (d8s and d10s vs the GM's [in most cases] d6) to use and can add more dice into a conflict by introducing other elements or escalating into a higher step. They are also given absolute authority over the setting, so hold a position of respect and power (Backed by the faith with can be as low-key to supernatural/miraculous as you want). Legend of the Five Rings - While the mechanics are thematic to the setting, they also allow for a great deal of heroics with the roll and keep rules. A higher attribute ruled by two lower that comprise it works well. I was in a Final Fantasy/Drakengard themed RPG using L5R's rules but with different flavored skills where applicable and it allowed for cinematic times. Exalted - *ducks thrown furniture* Another system that uses dice pools that can grow beyond human/mortal levels by use of magical powers in the charms. A far bit clunkier and definitely more crunch-heavy than L5R in terms of character building for optimization, I'll grant. Power creep is something I know you abhor and would wish to avoid, the ways to combat that, however often run in conflict to 'character growth' as most gamers see it. Player characters not only want to be better than Joe Average, but the things they face have to grow in strength to continue to be a threat. Many manga use this escalation. Main Character has power, but until they master a technique, they can't beat the bad. Once they do, new bad comes along that is able to counter/deflect/ignore prior awesome technique, so main character has to learn even more powerful technique, etc. (Dragonball Z, Yu Yu Hakusho, any shonen manga really) One way to combat that is just not allow there to be a more powerful technique. Play fighting styles as rock-paper-scissors where Monkey beats tiger, but tiger beats drunken master and drunken master beats monkey or whatever. These are just my initial thoughts.
ReplyDeleteShonen-level power creep is pretty... well, silly, honestly. I watch/read some series, but it's a guilty pleasure for me. Hitting a whole new power plateau with each and every story arc makes me roll my eyes anytime I stop and think about it at all. ;) Exalted definitely came to mind, especially with 3rd edition on the horizon. Limit break rules are actually sort of similar to what I have in mind as a power drawback. But (unless it's gone through some unlikely, radical changes) it's just too specific in how each exalt type and all the charms are designed. I could do something from that framework, but it's entirely too much work to develop entire charm trees to fit my vision. Dogs... hmm.. didn't I have a PDF somewhere? hmm. I recall being not nearly as taken with the game as you, but I remember very little of the actual rules at the moment. May have to look around a bit at other books. I've got some edition of L5R around, though I don't think there's enough support there to avoid being as big a conversion as anything else. I hit up a forum elsewhere and paraphrasing things a little differently: Essentially, I'm looking for a system that will handle: - Fantasy/steampunk combat (swords, etc. are the norm, but firearms of a sort exist) - 2 tiers of power, preferably in a way that could be easily granted/revoked - Support for arcane and divine-flavored magic, though very limited at the lower tier - Gadgets of steampunk flavor (though a full item creation system may not be necessary) Bonus points for a lack of gaping holes and exploits in the rules, as well as for making most weapon types viable. Seen a handful of recommendations there to do a little research on.
ReplyDeleteHaving been pondering and looking at some recommendations... heh... The scary thing is, I'm probably leaning (so far) toward an amalgamation of various d20 rules. Based on some group-members' preferences toward damage and crits, I'm considering the vitality/wound system that was in Star Wars d20 Revised. Wanting to keep magic available, but not overwhelming, I'm considering the design in d20 Modern (which made casters as 10-level advanced/prestige classes), and that may mean inherently borrowing the base classes in order to keep compatible. The other supernatural power could be a template, though will still require custom rule building... Aieee! @.@
ReplyDeleteYou could use Abney Park's Airship Pirates, and I converted the sorcery from Victoriana to it easily enough, since the two are related systems. Heck, if you grab Victoriana, you could get the rest of the magic system to add to it. I've found Abney Park's game to be quite good for this. Victoriana has some item creation rules as well, which could be converted through.
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