Stormlight Archive d20, or How to Turn Sanderson's Epic into a Homebrew D&D Game

[Quadrophenia]

7 hours ago, Elenion said:

@Quadrophenia is on but he's not following the topic, so I'll poke him.

Sorry about that, good fellow, I had crashed and forgotten to sign out of the site prior. Did not mean to stand you up like that.

7 hours ago, Elenion said:

I get off for three hours and... wow. Okay, here's my analysis:

Stormlight could be represented with a value: each chip has 1 Stormlight, each mark 2, and each broam 4 Stormlight. Each round a player loses 5% of their stormlight (rounded down) due to loss to the air.

As for classes, I like the idea of each order being a class. At odd-numbered levels they gain a "skill point" in one of their surges, and at even levels they gain a point in the other. Skill points allow for bigger surges, finer control, greater chance of hitting, etc. Here's a few examples that I'm thinking of (spoilered for space):

  Hide contents

Surge of Illumination

To Cast: Spend three Stormlight to create an illusion no larger than a one-meter cube. This illusion lasts until dismissed.

Passive Forced: At the end of each round that Surge of Illumination is active, expend one Stormlight. This replaces the usual 5% loss.

Passive Optional: When you cast Surge of Illumination, you may expend X additional Stormlight. If you do so, increase the size of the illusion by X meters in all directions. X cannot be greater than the number of Skill Points that you have in Illumination.

 

Surge of Division:

To Cast: Spend five Stormlight to make a ranged spell attack using your Surgebinding skill. This attack has a range of 80 meters and a long range of 200 meters. If this attack hits, it deals Xd8 Radiant damage, where X is the number of skill points you have in Division.

 

Surge of Abrasion:

To Cast: Spend four stormlight to choose one (not both) of the following effects:

Decrease Friction: Willing creature within 10 meters gains +X Dexterity until the end of that character's next turn, where X is the casters Skill Points in Abrasion. This character gains advantage on all Dexterity saving throws while this effect lasts.

Increase Friction: Target creature within 10 meters must make a Strength or Dexterity (your choice) saving throw. On a failure, the target is knocked prone. The DC for the saving throw is equal to 10 plus double your Skill Points in Abrasion.

 

Surge of Transportation:

To Cast: Spend X Stormlight to move 5 meters per Stormlight spent in any direction. X cannot exceed your Skill Points in Transportation. As an alternative, the user may spend 3 Stormlight to enter Shadesmar. Regardless of effect chosen, the player may spend 1 Stormlight to bring any willing creature within 5 meters with them. The maximum number of additional creatures brought is equal to half of the user's level, rounded down.

5

I don't like the idea of having Shardbearer as a separate faction, but I also don't want everyone to have the ability. One option would be to make a Feat that grants proficiency with Shardblade and Shardplate. As for the weapons themselves, I'd suggest giving Shardplate a long don/doff time but a relatively-short lifespan, so that the user has to weight mobility and preparedness versus raw power. Shardblades could be nerfed by making them unusable to anyone who does not have proficiency and by making the Blades themselves rare.

As for alternative players like Worldhoppers, I think that we should keep them out, at least for the first version. One we've got the mechanics all nicely oiled-up then we can look into expanding the character options.

 

These are all wonderful ideas, must say.

So, essentially, you'd have a sort of... "Worldhopping Expansion Pack?"

[Quadrophenia]

1 hour ago, bleeder said:

I've never played D&D before... but I'm willing to try it.

It's wonderful! Once you get in the right mindset for it, it can be a very engaging experience. 

37 minutes ago, Darkness Ascendant said:

SHEEE!!! jk (no seriously, she's a she)

I have high hopes for you as far as my friends go  

Back on track. Sounds interesting Quad (I have strange urges to call you Quetzalcoatl. Why? I have no idea)  But I'm afraid I only know how to use the d20 system not much else. I'll let you guys do the work, then I'll come along and join in when I have free time. (3 RP games, school,sleep,food,funerals,assignments,food,gaming,drawing,ISIS, among alooot more take up my time)

 

 

d20's my main too. Only other game systems I'm familiar with are, respectively, Call of Cthulhu and the officially licensed RPG of Mistborn.

Edited September 19, 2016 by Quadrophenia

[Elenion]

10 hours ago, Quadrophenia said:

Sorry about that, good fellow, I had crashed and forgotten to sign out of the site prior. Did not mean to stand you up like that.

These are all wonderful ideas, must say.

So, essentially, you'd have a sort of... "Worldhopping Expansion Pack?"

Yep, either that or multiple packs each explaining how to cross over magic systems from a different Brandon work.

10 hours ago, Quadrophenia said:

I've never played D&D before... but I'm willing to try it.

I actually hadn't played D&D specifically until fairly recently, although I've been playing Edge for over a year now and they're very similar. The hardest part is starting out: making a starting character who's specialized but with no major blind spots, figuring out how combat works in practice, and trying to avoid getting one-shotted by enemies meant for stronger party members. Once you get rolling it gets better.

[Quadrophenia]

Just now, Elenion said:

Yep, either that or multiple packs each explaining how to cross over magic systems from a different Brandon work.

I actually hadn't played D&D specifically until fairly recently, although I've been playing Edge for over a year now and they're very similar. The hardest part is starting out: making a starting character who's specialized but with no major blind spots, figuring out how combat works in practice, and trying to avoid getting one-shotted by enemies meant for stronger party members. Once you get rolling it gets better.

 

I think that quote's misattributed. I've been playing D&D for the last two or three years, Bleeder said that. 

But yeah, I do think it's feasible to crossover the other magic systems. Technically speaking, they're all based in the same sort of... let's call it... "Sandersonian Physics" of the Cosmere, Investiture. There are all sorts of different schools of magic in Pathfinder and D&D proper, after all.

[Quadrophenia]

Also, I'm throwing this out there...

But one of my greatest motivations to create a Stormlight d20... is so I can fight a Chasmfiend. Look at those things; how they not boss monster material?

[Elenion]

Just now, Quadrophenia said:

I think that quote's misattributed. I've been playing D&D for the last two or three years, Bleeder said that. 

But yeah, I do think it's feasible to crossover the other magic systems. Technically speaking, they're all based in the same sort of... let's call it... "Sandersonian Physics" of the Cosmere, Investiture. There are all sorts of different schools of magic in Pathfinder and D&D proper, after all.

The quote didn't turn out right because I quoted bleeder's quote that was in your post. Sorry about that.

[Quadrophenia]

23 minutes ago, Elenion said:

The quote didn't turn out right because I quoted bleeder's quote that was in your post. Sorry about that.

S'all good, friend!

Hey, can I get your two cents on something? 

How would you stat... a Chasmfiend? And are they not _fantastic_ boss material?

[AliasSheep]

On 18/09/2016 at 10:21 PM, Quadrophenia said:

Avatar: The Last Airbender

You have an Avatar RPG? 

Would you mind sharing bc I would. Yes.  I would love that.

 

And I wouldn't mind helping out; my experience is half a life spent reading source books when bored, plus GMing a few games including a homebrew system of my own.  The only reason I don't play more is a lack of people to play with, and a lack of ability in getting more people to play with.  

Edited September 19, 2016 by AliasSheep

[Quadrophenia]

1 minute ago, AliasSheep said:

You have an Avatar RPG? 

Would you mind sharing bc I would. Yes.  I would love that.

 

And I wouldn't mind helping out; my experience is half a life spent reading source books when bored, plus GMing a few games including a homebrew system of my own.

 

My friends and I are currently working on setting it up. We've made our characters, we have a story (it's modelled loosely after Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, because I'm a massive film nerd), we have planned boss fights... 

We just don't have a good schedule yet. You should see some of the characters we've come up with! An exiled Air Nomad who walks the earth as a sort of... "Air Ronin," if you will, with his glider carved into a bokken as a sign of his shame and exile. A Water Tribe Man with No Name type known as "The Fastest Waterslinger of the East." A firebending version of Mugen from Samurai Champloo. An old fat war vet, an archer, who rides an Ostrich Horse as his main mount. Two Earthbending travelling martial artists and showmen modelled loosely after Ryu & Ken of Street Fighter. 

And the main antagonists?

... A renegade faction of Air Nomads known as the Wardens of The Thousand Tempests, led by an enigmatic figure known only as the Prophet of Storms. They've kept an isolated village in the Earth Kingdom hostage for sinister purposes, two young boys had escaped to find help from heroes or soldiers or mercenaries (again, much like in the film Seven Samurai... or Magnificent Seven, either or)...

Oh, it'll be a blast! When it gets off the ground.

[AliasSheep]

1 minute ago, Quadrophenia said:

My friends and I are currently working on setting it up. We've made our characters, we have a story (it's modelled loosely after Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, because I'm a massive film nerd), we have planned boss fights... 

We just don't have a good schedule yet. You should see some of the characters we've come up with! An exiled Air Nomad who walks the earth as a sort of... "Air Ronin," if you will, with his glider carved into a bokken as a sign of his shame and exile. A Water Tribe Man with No Name type known as "The Fastest Waterslinger of the East." A firebending version of Mugen from Samurai Champloo. An old fat war vet, an archer, who rides an Ostrich Horse as his main mount. Two Earthbending travelling martial artists and showmen modelled loosely after Ryu & Ken of Street Fighter. 

And the main antagonists?

... A renegade faction of Air Nomads known as the Wardens of The Thousand Tempests, led by an enigmatic figure known only as the Prophet of Storms. They've kept an isolated village in the Earth Kingdom hostage for sinister purposes, two young boys had escaped to find help from heroes or soldiers or mercenaries (again, much like in the film Seven Samurai... or Magnificent Seven, either or)...

Oh, it'll be a blast! When it gets off the ground.

That sounds pretty cool; wish I could play it.  I used to do RPing back on one of the A:TLA fan forums and I had this great water tribe outcast who made daggers from ice.  Really generic edgy, like, but still pretty fun.

[Quadrophenia]

1 minute ago, AliasSheep said:

That sounds pretty cool; wish I could play it.  I used to do RPing back on one of the A:TLA fan forums and I had this great water tribe outcast who made daggers from ice.  Really generic edgy, like, but still pretty fun.

 

 

I once made a character who was basically "What if Conan the Barbarian possessed Korra's body?"

Answer: sexy pirate warrior woman of the high seas who wielded a massive sword made of ridged whalebone. Like a boss. 

Edited September 19, 2016 by Quadrophenia

[AliasSheep]

1 minute ago, Quadrophenia said:

I once made a character who was basically "What if Conan the Barbarian possessed Korra's body?"

Answer: sexy pirate warrior woman of the high seas who wielded a massive sword made of ridged whalebone. Like a boss. 

Hehehe.  That RP was actually my first introduction to the Korra era; I missed it airing >.>

[Quadrophenia]

Just now, AliasSheep said:

Hehehe.  That RP was actually my first introduction to the Korra era; I missed it airing >.>

Aww, that's too bad-

But, let's stay on topic: personally, how would you approach converting Stormlight Archive into d20 mechanics?

[Elenion]

27 minutes ago, Quadrophenia said:

S'all good, friend!

Hey, can I get your two cents on something? 

How would you stat... a Chasmfiend? And are they not _fantastic_ boss material?

I can't help you too much because I've never DM-ed, but I'd suggest a low AC because it's hard not to hit something that big. Give it big numbers in strength and constitution, but leave agility, intelligence, and charisma very low. HP needs to be high, with proficiency in Strength and Con saving throws. Give it a heavy-hitting crush attack that deals bludgeoning damage, and maybe a slashing damage one as well.

Edit: plus resistance to bludgeoning damage, with possibly slashing as well.

Edited September 19, 2016 by Elenion

[AliasSheep]

Just now, Quadrophenia said:

But, let's stay on topic: personally, how would you approach converting Stormlight Archive into d20 mechanics?

I'll deal with surges first, that seems the most prominent.

I'd probably skip past dealing with Stormlight all together.  I've never bothered dealing with resources like ammo and what not, so in this instance, it strikes me as a better idea to have abilities be on timers (I'm used to 4th Ed, so these would be At-Will, Encounter and Day abilities; so sticking something to a wall is At-Will, doing a big blast is Encounter, and flying half the continent is Day).  Then just have specific circumstances when say the character's have a higher stormlight than usual and let them do each ability more often than they normally would.

[AliasSheep]

4 minutes ago, Elenion said:

I can't help you too much because I've never DM-ed, but I'd suggest a low AC because it's hard not to hit something that big. Give it big numbers in strength and constitution, but leave agility, intelligence, and charisma very low. HP needs to be high, with proficiency in Strength and Con saving throws. Give it a heavy-hitting crush attack that deals bludgeoning damage, and maybe a slashing damage one as well.

Maybe dampening damage?  If I'm right, AC also refers to just having strong armour, so having a high AC to correlate with thick skin wouldn't be too bad an idea.

[Quadrophenia]

40 minutes ago, AliasSheep said:

I'll deal with surges first, that seems the most prominent.

I'd probably skip past dealing with Stormlight all together.  I've never bothered dealing with resources like ammo and what not, so in this instance, it strikes me as a better idea to have abilities be on timers (I'm used to 4th Ed, so these would be At-Will, Encounter and Day abilities; so sticking something to a wall is At-Will, doing a big blast is Encounter, and flying half the continent is Day).  Then just have specific circumstances when say the character's have a higher stormlight than usual and let them do each ability more often than they normally would.

4

Hm... if only I were more familiar with 4e...

I've been playing 3.5 and Pathfinder (which, really, is 3.75) all this time, have to say.

[Elenion]

12 minutes ago, Quadrophenia said:

Hm... if only I were more familiar with 4e...

I've been playing 3.5 and Pathfinder (which, really, is 3.75) all this time, have to say.

I play 5th, so I won't get either of you two's systems. 

[Quadrophenia]

1 minute ago, Elenion said:

I play 5th, so I won't get either of you two's systems. 

Heh! I think I slightly overestimated the overlap, heh. Oh well, it can still be done! All ideas are good ideas here!

[Elenion]

1 hour ago, AliasSheep said:

Maybe dampening damage?  If I'm right, AC also refers to just having strong armour, so having a high AC to correlate with thick skin wouldn't be too bad an idea.

In 5th-edition AC is basically an evade value. If a creature has AC12, you must roll a 12 or higher (after modifiers) to hit.

[The One Who Connects]

Ok, so here's a question of clarification from me. KOTOR 2 (closest I've personally gotten to what you guys are talking about) built its combat around a d20 setup. It was rather in the background (and also before I knew any D&D players), so I never really figured it out.

My question is if the d20 system works mostly the same in any platform, or if I will have to peruse the D&D wiki to understand what you guys are talking about?

[Quadrophenia]

1 minute ago, The One Who Connects said:

Ok, so here's a question of clarification from me. KOTOR 2 (closest I've personally gotten to what you guys are talking about) built its combat around a d20 setup. It was rather in the background (and also before I knew any D&D players), so I never really figured it out.

My question is if the d20 system works mostly the same in any platform, or if I will have to peruse the D&D wiki to understand what you guys are talking about?

 

See, with d20, there have been numerous variations and "updatings" over the years. New editions of D&D revamped or retooled or outright tweaked the entire system into something barely recognizable by fans of so and so edition. Sure, there's plenty of overlap that conversion is easily possible between models, some of us are more comfortable in one than the other. 

I'm a 3.5 gal, for instance.

And I wouldn't worry. Once you get past the math, it's pretty easy to understand. Almost every RPG video game owes something to D&D.

[The One Who Connects]

2 minutes ago, Quadrophenia said:

See, with d20, there have been numerous variations and "updatings" over the years. New editions of D&D revamped or retooled or outright tweaked the entire system into something barely recognizable by fans of so and so edition. Sure, there's plenty of overlap that conversion is easily possible between models, some of us are more comfortable in one than the other. I'm a 3.5 gal, for instance.

And I wouldn't worry. Once you get past the math, it's pretty easy to understand. Almost every RPG video game owes something to D&D.

I've heard you guys mention difference between versions already. It kinda helped me phrase my question in the first place

If it's mostly a math thing, I stand a better chance of surviving. If remembering all the different type-specific phrases makes a big deal, its' not my forte (except in the cosmere, since the different systems are actually connected) Basically, if all the differing terms boil down to the same math, I can actually form cohesive opinions for once

[Quadrophenia]

Just now, The One Who Connects said:

I've heard you guys mention difference between versions already. It kinda helped me phrase my question in the first place

If it's mostly a math thing, I stand a better chance of surviving. If remembering all the different type-specific phrases makes a big deal, its' not my forte (except in the cosmere, since the different systems are actually connected) Basically, if all the differing terms boil down to the same math, I can actually form cohesive opinions for once

 

Would you like recommendations for a sort of refresher course on how D&D works?

[The One Who Connects]

15 minutes ago, Quadrophenia said:

Would you like recommendations for a sort of refresher course on how D&D works?

Eh, why not. Mind you, boiling down the math might put me out of commission for a little while.
Edit: or not, what little I've seen so far seems pretty simple

Edited September 20, 2016 by The One Who Connects