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Sintanan
2009-09-22, 03:38 AM
...for a dark, steampunk setting where there is little influence from gods, technology has gone rampant, and people have done away with the "conjuration (healing)" school of magic for a more "let's just replace the broken part of the body."

The two ways to replace a broken body part is: to replace it with a new body part from some other creature (humanoid or not), still living victims preferred; or to replace it with a mechanical version, hidden gun in limb optional.

Now, I know my players would prefer D&D 3.5, but I don't think D&D could handle it without treating the grafts as magic items or feat chains to account for the increase in power if you, say, replace the front of your face with a mind flayer's (complete with tentacles).. which then ignores the fact that grafts are supposed to replace healing magic. The mechanical limbs could simply be treated as magical items or something akin to warforged components, but then again, we get to the "replaces healing magic" problem. So without a lot of houseruling and alternate rules, there would be no way to really accomplish this in D&D 3.5.

Thus, comes to the point of this topic again: What system would you recommend for this?


Thank you in advance for your time and efforts.

Temet Nosce
2009-09-22, 03:42 AM
Something rules light. Maybe FUDGE or some variant? I haven't taken a look at the skeleton of FATE3 in a while, but it might work... and you'd get aspects as a bonus.

Kizara
2009-09-22, 04:16 AM
Sounds pretty close to what Shadowrun is about.

Well, you could probably also do this with GURPS, but its not made with that in mind. Although it would take much less work then ripping 3.5 apart for it, it would still take some tinkering.

Doc Roc
2009-09-22, 04:17 AM
I'm a huge fan of Savage Worlds, and there's a setting book for it called Runepunk (http://realityblurs.com/wordpress/?page_id=13) that you might find to be basically targeted directly at your demographic. :)

GolemsVoice
2009-09-22, 05:54 AM
Are you looking for a D&D-esqzue version with actual magic and tangible gods, and other fantasy element? Or just a Steampunk setting in general?

If it's the latter, I cannot recommend Unhallowed Metropolis highly enough. If you're interested, I'll gladly tell you more about it, but it's anything but D&D or steampunk fantasy, though it DOES have supernatural elements. It goes more in the direction of a Dickens tale mixed with Marx's nightmares and whatever Tesla would have produced if he was an evil genius (well, moreso than he was), and is set in the real world, at least, geographically.

The Rose Dragon
2009-09-22, 06:21 AM
Spirit of the Century, the pulp and (noun)punk version of FATE, as mentioned above.

You could also do it with All Flesh Must Be Eaten, but it could take a little bit more work.

oxinabox
2009-09-22, 06:37 AM
what about iron heart?
i've glanced through the rules.
it is dnd 3.5 made steampunk

The Big Dice
2009-09-22, 07:34 AM
If GURPS or True20 aren't to your taste for a Steampunk setting, you could always look for a copy of Space 1889.

Bagelz
2009-09-22, 10:07 AM
the mutant supplent for d20modern would probably work well if you want to stay d20. I highly suggest shadowrun (though i haven't played the newest version, 3rd edition was good), you could use World of Darkness and rewrite some of the mage: awakening stuff to be technology instead of magic.

the obvious choice flavor wise is cyberpunk2020 but I dont know anyone whose played it, so I cannot suggest (or discourage) it.

jmbrown
2009-09-22, 10:12 AM
If you want to keep track of stuff like how many limbs people have remaining or how grafts affect a character's usefulness, GURPS is one of the better systems. There are specific rules for losing limbs and it even gives ideas for how to socially handle a character that's part machine (such as given them social stigmas and what not).

For a rules light system, FATE is probably a better choice because it doesn't use attributes. A character with an artificial appendage could get the aspect "more machine than man" which would come into play at different parts in the game.

eepop
2009-09-22, 10:36 AM
Alpha Omega is a decent system for this. It does have magical healing, but it could be removed easily enough. And there are a good number of graft type things already in the system.

Kiyona
2009-09-22, 11:07 AM
I would suggest Dark Heresy. There is actually a mechanic for replacing limbs already in there. It is a fast paced and easy to learn system, but very very far from DnD, so it depends on what kind of system you prefer to play.

It is among my favourite systems atleast. Dark and gritty and deadly. Perfect. :smallbiggrin:

Otherwise, a vote on GURPS from me too. I dont think there is any setting it cant emulate well.

The Rose Dragon
2009-09-22, 11:26 AM
Otherwise, a vote on GURPS from me too. I dont think there is any setting it cant emulate well.

Anything non-gritty, or so I'm told.

bosssmiley
2009-09-22, 11:31 AM
Etherscope
Spirit of the Century
Savage Worlds (the Supers expansion book has cyberpunkesque rules)
a re-fluffed Cyberpunk 2020 or Shadowrun
several chapters in the old Heroes Unlimited game (caution: Palladium) had science/cyborg heroes
d20 Future

Step beyond 3E. It is not the mechanical 'be all and end all', even for heroic fantasy.

Sintanan
2009-09-23, 10:19 PM
Step beyond 3E. It is not the mechanical 'be all and end all', even for heroic fantasy.

I agree, and after reading through GURPS LITE, I think GURPS will work out nicely. It feels a lot like the old Star Wars d6, which everyone in the group (save for one rookie) has played SWd6.

The hardest part will be getting everyone to see this (see quote), though.


I'll look at the rest of the settings suggested by y'all and see if my group would be interested in one of em.

Quietus
2009-09-23, 11:07 PM
Sounds pretty close to what Shadowrun is about.

Well, you could probably also do this with GURPS, but its not made with that in mind. Although it would take much less work then ripping 3.5 apart for it, it would still take some tinkering.

This is what I was thinking.

Modern-esque, higher technology (limb grafts etc)? Check.
Magic? Check.
Fantasy races? Check.

Toss aside the setting itself, if you need to, or just reflavor it as necessary. Because really, whether you're playing an elf killing an orc with a machine gun, or you're a dwarf squaring off with an ogre in a shootout at high noon, Shadowrun can probably handle it.

Disclaimer : I've heard a lot about Shadowrun, but haven't played it myself. This advice is strictly on a "What I've heard sounds close" level.