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Rayzin
2010-02-11, 12:03 AM
I've played through Mass Effect one and with the release of it's sequel i have become very interested in playing a table top RP game of it with friends. I recall seeing a thread about a D20 version on the forum before but it seems to have died out before finishing.

I want to start up a new thread on creating content for a Mass Effect roleplaying game. I am thinking that the nWoD would be more appropriate for a Mass Effect game, your thoughts?

Gralamin
2010-02-11, 12:12 AM
I've played through Mass Effect one and with the release of it's sequel i have become very interested in playing a table top RP game of it with friends. I recall seeing a thread about a D20 version on the forum before but it seems to have died out before finishing.

I want to start up a new thread on creating content for a Mass Effect roleplaying game.
Sounds good


I am thinking that the nWoD would be more appropriate for a Mass Effect game, your thoughts?
OH GODS NO. If you are going to design a system to work with Mass Effect, you should not use any of White Wolfs products. This is not to say that you should make it in, say, D20 Modern. If you are going to base it off a system, make sure its built for what you want to do, without requiring a major restructuring or re-balance.

In this case, I'd probably recommend Tri-Stat DX, Shadowrun, or Mutants and Masterminds as a base.

Blazen
2010-02-11, 12:19 AM
I would consider taking a look at either Dark Heresy/Rogue Trader, or Rifts (although you may need to read and play rifts for a few year/decades/centuries to get used to the rules).

Rayzin
2010-02-11, 12:22 AM
Actually Tri-Stat dX sounds like a good idea, it simple. Maybe to simple though.
Shadowrun is kinda iffy with me im not good with its mechanics and i never liked the magic in it.
Mutants and Masterminds damage system is the reason i never use it.
Dark heresy would require a huge restructuring of the classes and such wouldn't it?

Also maybe i was to hasty in saying nWoD, oWoD is alot better. Why are White Wolf games so bad exactly? I enjoy v;tm a lot.

Blazen
2010-02-11, 12:29 AM
WW is meant to focus more on Story telling, and Role playing. The end result is often you being an audience for the DM (called the story teller */hint*). I have tried it multiple times, and only once was I ever pleased with it.
For DH you can use the class system, and talents/skills as a base for the ME character system. I honestly believe that with some time dedicated to it, DH would be the best ME system.

Rayzin
2010-02-11, 12:32 AM
Yeah, but it will take quite abit of work to restructure the classes. The items and some skills seem easy enough. I'll work on the classes first then i guess.

Gralamin
2010-02-11, 12:43 AM
WW is meant to focus more on Story telling, and Role playing. The end result is often you being an audience for the DM (called the story teller */hint*). I have tried it multiple times, and only once was I ever pleased with it.
For DH you can use the class system, and talents/skills as a base for the ME character system. I honestly believe that with some time dedicated to it, DH would be the best ME system.

This is actually a good point: The Dragon Age RPG uses a DH like system (it was designed by the same guy, hint), and its an alright system. Could be better though.

Limos
2010-02-11, 12:49 AM
Do not use World of Darkness, it is unsuited to Mass Effect. In the same vein Dark Heresy and Rogue Trader are too gritty. Mass Effect is a space opera, not GRIMDARK. Instead I would recommend using the Star Wars D20 system, but refluff the Force to be Biotic powers. There is also a system called Traveler which would work pretty well.

For Star Wars you would probably have to remove Light Sabers entirely and increase the effectiveness of guns by a lot.

hiryuu
2010-02-11, 03:14 AM
WW is meant to focus more on Story telling, and Role playing. The end result is often you being an audience for the DM (called the story teller */hint*). I have tried it multiple times, and only once was I ever pleased with it.

First, hit your ST. Hard. It's called Storyteller system because it's supposed to be roleplaying focused. This ranks right up there with people playing Vampire like it's L5R and Malkavians like they're in a production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and not American Psycho.


I've played through Mass Effect one and with the release of it's sequel i have become very interested in playing a table top RP game of it with friends. I recall seeing a thread about a D20 version on the forum before but it seems to have died out before finishing.

I want to start up a new thread on creating content for a Mass Effect roleplaying game. I am thinking that the nWoD would be more appropriate for a Mass Effect game, your thoughts?

Second, I heartily recommend looking at something like SilCORE, though as other posters have mentioned, you're probably going to want to retool Star Wars or d20 Modern as some folks are more familiar with it. Pick up Green Ronin's Psychic's Handbook if you can; it's out of print, but it has one of the best systems I've seen in d20 for mimicking what biotics in Mass Effect seem to be able to do.

Rayzin
2010-02-11, 06:37 PM
I am not very familiar with CORE rules, how do they work?
I thought about it but i really don't like D20 Games because of hp and the leveling system that makes really powerful characters. I am looking for something realistic, a DH would be a good choice for a ME game.

hiryuu
2010-02-11, 08:51 PM
I am not very familiar with CORE rules, how do they work?
I thought about it but i really don't like D20 Games because of hp and the leveling system that makes really powerful characters. I am looking for something realistic, a DH would be a good choice for a ME game.

CORE is actually fairly simple. Stats are a number from +3 to -3, and skills are a value of 1 to 5 (but they can go up to 10). You roll a 1d6 per skill rank, take the highest number (extra 6s add +1 to your roll, so if you roll 2d6+1 and get 4, 6, 6, then the result is 6+1+1=8). Skills also have a CPX or complexity rating; picking a deadbolt is a cpx 1 task while an electronic lock might be cpx 3. If your personal rank is higher or lower than the cpx of the task you're doing, you get a bonus or suffer a penalty (for example, someone with a skill 5/ cpx 1 in pilot can fly simple planes like an ace, but has trouble with suborbital craft, while someone with a 2/3 in pilot can handle suborbital craft with routine tasks and gets a +2 bonus on flying simpler aircraft).

When you take damage, each wound is tracked separately, but it works simpler in play than it seems.

Here's some homebrew psionics rules I found for a sci-fi game I'm about to run: http://www.rivetgeek.net/index.php/SilCore-General/SilCore-House-Rules/Psionics.html

Cataphract
2010-02-12, 03:52 AM
You want space opera, you want Alternity.

End of topic.

Rayzin
2010-02-12, 09:22 PM
It seems to me like Silhouette Core is the most easily adaptable for a Mass Effect game. After reading through the rules it wont take to much restructuring and has good all the right elements for the game. I think ill work on races first.

Hawriel
2010-02-12, 10:42 PM
I highly recomend D6 Space by West End Games. Its easy and written to be adapltable to any kind of space game. Just use the rules and slap what ever name you want on them.

Huh I just checked the web sight and its gone. Well you can find books on Amazon or what ever. I feel sad now. :smallfrown:

hiryuu
2010-02-13, 01:11 AM
It seems to me like Silhouette Core is the most easily adaptable for a Mass Effect game. After reading through the rules it wont take to much restructuring and has good all the right elements for the game. I think ill work on races first.

http://www.madcoyote.com/kannik/rpg/sc-index.html - this guy's got some good character sheets.

gnownek
2010-02-13, 12:05 PM
Take a look at this, my attempt at generic 4e modern... there's already one psionic class up. Feel free to plunder any ideas.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122283

Rayzin
2010-02-13, 04:02 PM
Im using SilCore right now and i was thinking about races. This is what i have so far. I took down the shifting range penalty from 10 SP to 5, and the bonus CP from 10 to 5 to because some races will be left with almost no skill points left. I have no idea how to balance out the Elcor, i tried multiple times and this was what i thought was closest :smallfrown:.

Asari(-10 Sp, +7 Cp )
The asari, native to the planet Thessia, are often considered the most powerful and respected sentient species in the known galaxy
-3/+7 APP
Asari are considered attractive to many species, not only is this useful but most likely crucial to the way Assari reproduce.
Latent Biotic Power
The unique means of reproduction the Assari have is the reason Asari are all talented biotics. Melding is an evolved ability to consciously control nerve impulses is very similar to biotic training.

Drell(-5 Sp, +1 Cp)
The Drell ancestors emerged from arid, rocky deserts.The drell possess eidetic memory, an adaptation to a world where they must remember the location of every necessary resource (vegetation, drinkable water and prey migration paths) across vast distances.
-3/+7KNO
Photographic Memory +2
The drell possess eidetic memory, an adaptation to a world where they must remember the location of every necessary resource (vegetation, drinkable water and prey migration paths) across vast distances. The memories are so strong that an external stimulus can trigger a powerful memory recall.

Elcor(-25 Sp, +22 CP)
The elcor are native to the high-gravity world Dekuuna. They are massive creatures, standing on four muscular legs for increased stability. Elcor move slowly, an evolved response to an environment where a fall can be lethal.
-1/+8 BLD
+10 Armour
Elcors bodies are very large, heavy, and have a very tough skin.
-6/+4 FIT
-6/+4 AGI
Speed Multiplier x0.5
Elcor evolved on a high-gravity world, making them slow, but incredibly strong.

Satyr
2010-02-13, 05:06 PM
there is already a very well made mass effect RPG conversion (http://bozark.com/mass/intro.html)based on the D6 rules.

This is the same system that used to be Star Wars, and it is a pretty decent one.