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steelsmiter
Dwarf King
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2018
- Location
- Arkansas, USA
I've written another System game, this time a JRPG... Well, sort of, I'm white and not stupid enough to think that I really qualify as a subject matter expert on Japanese culture, but the game I wrote is all about emulating the feel of those games before everything became an ARPG (and some in the transition period like FFXII and FFXV) where everyone starts off with rusty iron stuff, and can eventually advance to Top Tier gear and having 9,999 HP and MP. Games where characters have Limit Breaks and Summons. Games where characters only die against End Bosses or better and Cutscenes,. It's a game largely inspired by the PbtA system, but differs enough I don't want to outright call it that. But it follows the same Basic/Advanced/Class move structure as at least one PbtA game(DW), and the Basic and Advanced Moves kind of look like menu options if you look at them sideways. It also follows a modified form of the Class Warfare in which everyone picks an ancestry (required) and two other options from mixed ancestry, class (no qualifications), and any advanced class they qualify for.
FAQ
I always get some questions when I write a game I will do my best to answer here. I'm old enough to have forgotten some of them, so bear with me, yeah?
Q: Where is this game going to be played
A: Here in the forum threads, with possible side questing in PMs. Don't bank on this.
Q: Why not use [System]
A: It didn't do something or all the things I wanted. I mentioned a few in the paragraph above
Q: Why so long?
A: Fortunately if you're not running it, you really only need the characters book, which contains 15 Ancestries, 9 base classes, and 18 Advanced Classes. I don't know how many combinations that makes, but I think factorial works in there somehow. That part's 60 pages, plus the 36 pages of magic that JRPGs often have, and another 60 in equipment. Plus I threw in some appendix stuff on how to make characters and inspiration for naming.
Q: Why is it so much harder than PBtA?
A: Because PBtA occurs on the individual points (I) scale, or tens of points (D) scale, while JRPGs occur on the thousands of points (K) scale. Multiplication and Algebra are implemented to resolve this difference.
Story Ideas
ATwitch Glitch in the System
A new MMO in development phase is all the rage, but it has a dark secret. The subscriber base is small enough that it's not well publicized yet, but some players have been disappearing under mysterious circumstances. When [party size] popular video game streamers from various platforms go missing after logging onto a collaborative video effort news breaks out and the game suddenly becomes so much more popular. What's more, those loved ones who kept the computers on have started to realize their owners are attempting to speak to the outside world. Can the streamers figure out what captured them and escape before they are killed, or will they be glitched out in an update cycle?
A World of Modern Magic
Somewhere along the way, technology did not progress like one might expect, and some, or potentially all modern devices are powered by magic instead of their usual mechanism. This could mean that there's a lot of magical crystals laying around, or it could mean that cars run on demon power, or that Wi-Fi must follow the path of ley lines. It also means that there are people tasked with making sure that the magic that keeps the world running smooth doesn't go awry. Your party is those people.
Optional: Secret Magic.
Like above, except common folk don't know it's magic that runs their smartphones, or really any of their tech. Those who suspect it might be true are largely regarded as crackpot conspiracy theorists. The party would be responsible for cleanup and cover-ups in the event that technology fails in a way that blatantly runs the risk of revealing the secret.
Earth 21XX
Some time ago, scientists were noodling around with Quantum Physics (as one does, ya know…) and accidentally created the first Quantum Mage, but also accidentally opened a portal into an alternate dimension from which weird creatures spawned. Over the next 7 years the creatures' continual presence slowly altered the physics of the world so that certain advanced technologies no longer worked and certain technologies that had previously become nonviable came to fruition. At first the creatures were winning, and then suddenly the first Royal of Old New York City summoned an archangel to protect the town. That summoner along with anyone who knew the old world is now dead. And from the ashes of the old world, a small group of new heroes arise.
Woke up on a Battlefield
The players all appear to have participated in a great battle of powerful magicks. They are laid out on the ground in a scorched earth crater. Why are they there? Who did they serve? To what end was the battle fought? Why can't they remember anything before?
Any takers? I'm looking enough players to make 4 PCs at least, but will accept up to 10. You don't have to read the book immediately, but I think to avoid thread clutter, I want you to edit your initial post indicating interest to include your character sheet.
FAQ
I always get some questions when I write a game I will do my best to answer here. I'm old enough to have forgotten some of them, so bear with me, yeah?
Q: Where is this game going to be played
A: Here in the forum threads, with possible side questing in PMs. Don't bank on this.
Q: Why not use [System]
A: It didn't do something or all the things I wanted. I mentioned a few in the paragraph above
Q: Why so long?
A: Fortunately if you're not running it, you really only need the characters book, which contains 15 Ancestries, 9 base classes, and 18 Advanced Classes. I don't know how many combinations that makes, but I think factorial works in there somehow. That part's 60 pages, plus the 36 pages of magic that JRPGs often have, and another 60 in equipment. Plus I threw in some appendix stuff on how to make characters and inspiration for naming.
Q: Why is it so much harder than PBtA?
A: Because PBtA occurs on the individual points (I) scale, or tens of points (D) scale, while JRPGs occur on the thousands of points (K) scale. Multiplication and Algebra are implemented to resolve this difference.
Story Ideas
A
A new MMO in development phase is all the rage, but it has a dark secret. The subscriber base is small enough that it's not well publicized yet, but some players have been disappearing under mysterious circumstances. When [party size] popular video game streamers from various platforms go missing after logging onto a collaborative video effort news breaks out and the game suddenly becomes so much more popular. What's more, those loved ones who kept the computers on have started to realize their owners are attempting to speak to the outside world. Can the streamers figure out what captured them and escape before they are killed, or will they be glitched out in an update cycle?
A World of Modern Magic
Somewhere along the way, technology did not progress like one might expect, and some, or potentially all modern devices are powered by magic instead of their usual mechanism. This could mean that there's a lot of magical crystals laying around, or it could mean that cars run on demon power, or that Wi-Fi must follow the path of ley lines. It also means that there are people tasked with making sure that the magic that keeps the world running smooth doesn't go awry. Your party is those people.
Optional: Secret Magic.
Like above, except common folk don't know it's magic that runs their smartphones, or really any of their tech. Those who suspect it might be true are largely regarded as crackpot conspiracy theorists. The party would be responsible for cleanup and cover-ups in the event that technology fails in a way that blatantly runs the risk of revealing the secret.
Earth 21XX
Some time ago, scientists were noodling around with Quantum Physics (as one does, ya know…) and accidentally created the first Quantum Mage, but also accidentally opened a portal into an alternate dimension from which weird creatures spawned. Over the next 7 years the creatures' continual presence slowly altered the physics of the world so that certain advanced technologies no longer worked and certain technologies that had previously become nonviable came to fruition. At first the creatures were winning, and then suddenly the first Royal of Old New York City summoned an archangel to protect the town. That summoner along with anyone who knew the old world is now dead. And from the ashes of the old world, a small group of new heroes arise.
Woke up on a Battlefield
The players all appear to have participated in a great battle of powerful magicks. They are laid out on the ground in a scorched earth crater. Why are they there? Who did they serve? To what end was the battle fought? Why can't they remember anything before?
Any takers? I'm looking enough players to make 4 PCs at least, but will accept up to 10. You don't have to read the book immediately, but I think to avoid thread clutter, I want you to edit your initial post indicating interest to include your character sheet.
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