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DarkEternal
2010-09-25, 08:11 PM
Recently, an idea was starting to form in my mind. If you never watched the show, you don't really need to read further, since the following words will more probably then not be gibberish to you.

Still, if you do know what I'm talking about, all input is more then welcome.

Basically, the idea of placing my friend's characters in the world of One Piece. I know that none of them watched the show, and I am pretty positive none even heard of it, ever, and the world just seems ripe for the taking. Basically, they would be one more crew that was searching for One Piece and they would probably go through the locations that the Strawhat pirates went through.

Basically, it would start with enemies like Buggy, then they would have to find a way to buy a ship(Usopp's arc) and so on. They would "essentially" take on the role of the Strawhats, though I would probably have to make some heavy modifications.

It would be a low to non magic world, and here is where my questions start. What system to use? 3.5? A lot of people suggested a Mutants and Masterminds system, though from what little I read from it it seems really, really over simplified(all of my friends are experienced 3.5 players). Originally, I was thinking using 3.5 rules, but with no magic, and instead all characters can use Tome of Battle style of combat, with those schools and style of fighting(and I would accept homebrewed ideas, even make them myself as long as the balance is there).

Devil Fruits would certainly be an option, and each character would have the right to ingest one when we start the play. However, much like in the show, they wouldn't know what fruit they ate(this would be rolled randomly by me on a list of fruits that I would compose, say 20-30 of them. Some would perhaps be taken from the Strawhats, some from various filler material, and some original). They would get the option of choosing either Paramecia or Zoan(perhaps), but no Logia for apparent reasons and would have sort of an impact if I asked them what do they want to specialise in(offense, defense, skills and so on). All of the Devil Fruit powers would apply.

So basically, do you think it would work? Is 3.5 a good system for it, or should I search for something different?

true_shinken
2010-09-25, 08:19 PM
I'd use Mutants & Masterminds for this.
One Piece is amazing btw.

DarkEternal
2010-09-25, 08:23 PM
I'd use Mutants & Masterminds for this.
One Piece is amazing btw.

Why exactly? I only read excerpts out of the book, so before I put my time into this(second edition seems to be the favored one for the game), what exactly puts it above other systems for this? Would the devil fruit function somehow better? Would the fighting be better pulled off or something?

Vemynal
2010-09-25, 08:28 PM
i would totally play ur game

no idea what edition to play but just wanted to show my support


Maybe you could set the game in the future form One pieces timeline and have characters cameo etc?

true_shinken
2010-09-25, 08:35 PM
Why exactly? I only read excerpts out of the book, so before I put my time into this(second edition seems to be the favored one for the game), what exactly puts it above other systems for this? Would the devil fruit function somehow better? Would the fighting be better pulled off or something?

One Piece needs a lot of flexibility. M&M is very flexible.
Also, lack of hit points and the hero point concept fit very nicely in the One Piece universe.

herrhauptmann
2010-09-25, 08:44 PM
Trying to remember which fruit is which...
-Zoan is the one that turns you into an animal right? Chopper->Human, that captain of the guard -> bull, marco-> Phoenix, gorgon sisters -> snakes etc?
-I guess Paramecia is the one used by Luffy, Alvida, Robin and Buggy, right?
-And a Logia turns you into an element? Smoke, fire, light, ice etc?

Haven't used mutants and masterminds, but I'd say that a 3.5 system probably wouldn't work very well.
If you did use 3.5, I'd suggest using the devilfruits in a manner similar to the bloodlines in UA. Really the only devilfruit user we see level up is Luffy, but it looks like he gets more powerful attacks as he goes. Starts with GumGum Pistol, but eventually gets Gatling and Bazooka, which become Jet Bazooka/Gatling.
Not so sure you'd need to ban Logias, just give them a slower bloodline advancement, or perhaps the same speed, just with a LA.

Perhaps the d10 system used for vampires could be adapted? It tends to seem like most characters are either strong, or intelligent, or sociable.
High Strength: Luffy, Zoro, Sanji,
Medium Strength: Franky, Chopper
Low Strength: Robin, Nami, Usopp

High brains:Robin, Nami. In certain fields: Usopp, Chopper, Franky
Medium:
Low brains: Luffy, Zoro, Sanji

High social:Nami and Usopp (a baldfaced liar, but well-liked).
Medium Social: Luffy, so many of his crewman initially didn't want to join him. Franky, led Frankyhouse, but really they're the only ones who liked him
Low social: Chopper

true_shinken
2010-09-25, 08:48 PM
High brains:Robin, Nami. In certain fields: Usopp, Chopper, Franky
Medium:
Low brains: Luffy, Zoro, Sanji
Sanji is very smart. He always has a plan up his sleeve. His plans saved the crew in Alabasta and in Water Seven.

herrhauptmann
2010-09-25, 08:48 PM
Maybe you could set the game in the future form One pieces timeline and have characters cameo etc?

How about the two year hiatus?
Think of it, the second age of piracy has just dawned with the death of YouKnowWho. All the 'talented rookies' have just hit the new world. And civilians the world over have been getting tons of news about the Strawhat pirates, and the Death of YouKnowWho.
Plus all the sudden revelations regarding past associations of different characters (Gol D Roger, Dragon the revolutionary, etc). A world in chaos is a great place for some new level ones.


Sanji is very smart. He always has a plan up his sleeve. His plans saved the crew in Alabasta and in Water Seven.

So perhaps he should be a middle brain then? For a while he didn't really seem any brighter than the other two. What did he do in Alabasta that saved them again? (Brainwise, not just beating up the swan guy.)

DarkEternal
2010-09-25, 09:01 PM
Franky is physically stronger then all of them probably(maybe not Luffy, and that is a stretch, the other "strong" characters get their strength either from the Devil Fruit or in Zoro's case, swords. Oh, he's plenty strong on his own, but Franky is a powerhouse of physical combat). But I digress.

Logia is off because I plan to make all characters start from being rookies, which is basically level 1. All Logia type fruits are strong, they basically turn you into an element that does stuff on global levels.

I don't know. I'll give M&M a readthrough, though from what I read in the first few pages and on some web sites didn't grip me(only one dice, no hit points, no map on which to move on since some characters have super speed and so on), plus it loos a bit too "modern" perhaps for One Piece, which is also going to be a bit of a problem for some other stuff( Equipment shops and so on which will probably all have to be homebrewed).

Merk
2010-09-25, 09:07 PM
3.5 is a fine system for a one piece system, but you'll probably want to make several changes. I ran a 3.5 one piece campaign over the course of the last year and it was a pretty well-received game.

I highly encourage using Tome of Battle -- it adds a lot to the feel of emulating an OP campaign.

I usually modeled Devil's Fruits as 5-level prestige classes with the only prerequisite is eating that specific fruit. They had terrible HD, BAB, and saves, but granted really good powers.

I kept a wiki (http://opd20.pbworks.com/browse/#view=ViewAllObjects) of sorts and have a few pages there you may find useful. Feel free to browse it for inspiration.

true_shinken
2010-09-25, 09:17 PM
So perhaps he should be a middle brain then? For a while he didn't really seem any brighter than the other two. What did he do in Alabasta that saved them again? (Brainwise, not just beating up the swan guy.)

He planned for the split between Usopp and the camel, for example. He also used his 'Mr Prince' identity to confuse Crocodile. Actually, Sanji was the one person Crocodile couldn't predict or counter.

Dusk Eclipse
2010-09-25, 09:19 PM
I think BESM would be the best system for it, taking into account it is modelled to emulate anime/manga feel...

Most people recomend the Tri stat system over the d20, but frankly I don't see that much of a difference between them.

true_shinken
2010-09-25, 09:32 PM
I think BESM would be the best system for it, taking into account it is modelled to emulate anime/manga feel...

Most people recomend the Tri stat system over the d20, but frankly I don't see that much of a difference between them.

Tri-stat BESM is nice, but Mutants & Masterminds works A LOT better for One Piece (and shounen manga in general).
BESM d20 is a waste of money, paper, time and reality. Yes, the game wastes reality itself!

Dusk Eclipse
2010-09-25, 09:34 PM
Tri-stat BESM is nice, but Mutants & Masterminds works A LOT better for One Piece (and shounen manga in general).
BESM d20 is a waste of money, paper, time and reality. Yes, the game wastes reality itself!

Care to elaborate all that??? I have played both editions of BESM but not M&M

true_shinken
2010-09-25, 09:40 PM
Care to elaborate all that??? I have played both editions of BESM but not M&M

M&M has no hit points. That makes it actually possible to emulate shounen manga fights - where sometimes the hero takes a crushing beating to be perfectly fine moments afterwards.
The hero point mechanics (instant success, one-time superpower, etc) also fit perfectly well in a shounen manga environment.
Also, rules in M&M are just as flexible as in BESM, but more well explained.

Dusk Eclipse
2010-09-25, 09:42 PM
I meant why is that BESM d20 is a waste of Reality, I really enjoyed it, while we played.

true_shinken
2010-09-25, 10:18 PM
I meant why is that BESM d20 is a waste of Reality, I really enjoyed it, while we played.

I really disliked it. Poorly done, pretends to be class-based while it is really point-based, illustrations are bad and I don't think it even catches the main anime tropes. It's just my personal opinion, of course. It's one of the few RPG books I regret buying.

Dusk Eclipse
2010-09-25, 10:20 PM
Well, to each with it's own I believe, though I admit I enjoyed tri stat much more (excepthe part where my mecha-dragon was destroyed by a lucky string of rolls from another players)

WitchSlayer
2010-09-25, 10:56 PM
I'm in a One Piece game and I'm using Mutants and Masterminds. It easily adapts to a One Piece feel

icefractal
2010-09-26, 04:35 AM
Yeah, I'd say M&M would work (or another point system that does high power, like HERO; but if you're already familiar with 3E D&D then M&M will be easier to learn). I wouldn't call M&M "simplified" compared to 3.5E - you've got about the same complexity in a character, and more flexibility in making it.

The One Piece characters aren't really suited to a class-based system IMO - everybody has their own powers, that they use in their own style. While you could homebrew up a bunch of classes, at that point it's easier to use a system that handles it.

lord_khaine
2010-09-26, 04:43 AM
Franky is physically stronger then all of them probably(maybe not Luffy, and that is a stretch, the other "strong" characters get their strength either from the Devil Fruit or in Zoro's case, swords. Oh, he's plenty strong on his own, but Franky is a powerhouse of physical combat). But I digress.

Where did you get this idea from?

There is a reason for that Luffy, Zorro and Sanji is called the Monster trio, they are by far the strongest members of the SH crew.

Also, the only thing Luffy's DV does for him is to allow him to strech bodyparts, his strenght comes from training.
The same with Zorro, its not swords that let him throw ½ a hourse in the alabaster battle with Mr 1.

Vemynal
2010-09-26, 05:05 AM
I think he might have meant in pure physical strength. like lifting rocks, etc. not fighting.

Though to be honest I'd still disagree after seeing zoro's training regimen

DarkEternal
2010-09-26, 09:32 AM
Where did you get this idea from?

There is a reason for that Luffy, Zorro and Sanji is called the Monster trio, they are by far the strongest members of the SH crew.

Also, the only thing Luffy's DV does for him is to allow him to strech bodyparts, his strenght comes from training.
The same with Zorro, its not swords that let him throw ½ a hourse in the alabaster battle with Mr 1.

Because they are all more skilled. Franky is a fairly late addition to the team, so you didn't really see all he's capable of. I meant in pure physical strength. Sanji is astounded himself in Impel Down when Franky breaks apart that train with his body alone with no fancy techniques, just ramming it(which is basically the way he fights, completely straight on street fighting, when he's not using his cyborg parts at least), plus in the Moria arc when he fights with two pillars connected to a nunchuck easily as if it was a small weapon which impresses pretty much everyone in the Straw Hats. I'm not saying he's stronger then the monster trio in terms of "who would win in a battle", but I'm saying he is stronger then them in "If Zoro and Franky punched someone in the face with all of their strength, Franky would do more damage".

But anyway, this seems like a good way to divert the topic at hand. Honestly, the only thing I like so far in M&M is the lack of equipment in the way 3.5 has it, basically you improve your powers. I really want to add devil fruit powers in the campaign though, and I hope I can do that with the M&M setting. The thing I dislike the most so far is that you can basically one shot stuff(the thing I hated the most in earlier additions of D&D) that you should have no business in harming, let alone killing, and the lack of hit points(though I heard there is a variant for health points).

Also, I read that a new edition of M&M will come this fall, and since I doubt we'll be done with our campaign anywhere near the end of fall, maybe I should wait for that before reading this one?

Yuki Akuma
2010-09-26, 10:01 AM
No, even in pure physical strength, Luffy, Sanji and Zoro outclass Franky. Franky is around the same strength as Arm Point Chopper.

Franky relies on weapons to battle. Luffy and Sanji just hit people. (Heck, Zoro knows no-sword style attacks, too. He's just better with his swords.)

Eldran
2010-09-26, 10:12 AM
Considering the large range of possibilities when it comes to devil-fruit-powers and other abilities present in the world of one piece ... I would suggest the use of the GURPS System http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/.
Even the Basic Set will probably be able to simulate most of the abilities and it also covers all the martial arts and metaphysic abilities possessed by people like the dark king.
The best campaign style to use would obviously be "cinematic".

true_shinken
2010-09-26, 12:44 PM
Where did you get this idea from?

There is a reason for that Luffy, Zorro and Sanji is called the Monster trio, they are by far the strongest members of the SH crew.
Don't underestimate Robin!
About physical strenght, I'd say Luffy, Zoro, Sanji and Franky are pretty much at the same level. Monster Chopper is physically stronger than all of them, though.

Yuki Akuma
2010-09-26, 01:03 PM
Don't underestimate Robin!

Robin isn't strong. She can take out mooks handily, but Ussop can take out mooks handily.

With his mallet.

lord_khaine
2010-09-26, 01:41 PM
About physical strenght, I'd say Luffy, Zoro, Sanji and Franky are pretty much at the same level. Monster Chopper is physically stronger than all of them, though.

Im not actualy sure thats the case, Monsterchopper is bigger, but we have not yet seen anything that would suggest him to be that much stronger.

edit.

The Enes Loby arc gives a decent picture over how strong each SH crewmember is, we can more or less estimate it from the strength of the CP member they defeat, since we do have members on them.

herrhauptmann
2010-09-26, 04:34 PM
Im not actualy sure thats the case, Monsterchopper is bigger, but we have not yet seen anything that would suggest him to be that much stronger.

edit.

The Enes Loby arc gives a decent picture over how strong each SH crewmember is, we can more or less estimate it from the strength of the CP member they defeat, since we do have members on them.

Right after those numbers were stated, didn't they offer them 2 devilfruits? And stated that eating a devilfruit increases your strength, so stronger people get much stronger, but someone weak gets only a little stronger?

What was the number for the bubble lady btw? Like Nami, her strengths seemed to be more in line with her brainpower/tactics, than her physical strength.

DarkEternal
2010-09-26, 06:34 PM
Let's just all agree that One Piece is awesome, and that every damn character from the Strawhats and beyond is beyond all levels that could be gauged and equally astounding, which is a miracle in itself in any show, let alone a shounen anime/manga, and get back on making my One Piece campaign go beyond all awesomeness, even though I feel that you-know-who should have been much, much tougher to destroy considering that he's the strongest person in the world or something to that effect.

So far, I have 3.5, M&M(think I'll wait for the third edition that should be coming out any day now or something, and I still must insist in incorporating Devil fruits), and GURPS, which honestly seems to be a bit beyond my level as a game masters, at least for now.

true_shinken
2010-09-26, 08:11 PM
Robin isn't strong. She can take out mooks handily, but Ussop can take out mooks handily.


Robin could subdue Alabasta's top fighter without even trying. She is the only Strawhat that can fly. She has had years to learn how to use her devil fruit.
Robin is crazy strong, no denying it.

true_shinken
2010-09-26, 08:15 PM
think I'll wait for the third edition that should be coming out any day now or something, and I still must insist in incorporating Devil fruits
Third edition is out. Check out DC Adventures.

DarkEternal
2010-09-26, 08:29 PM
Robin could subdue Alabasta's top fighter without even trying. She is the only Strawhat that can fly. She has had years to learn how to use her devil fruit.
Robin is crazy strong, no denying it.

All Strawhats are strong, every single one. Even Usopp who, if Oda is going to do what he said he would, is going to be the weakest of them always, is extremely powerful compared to normal people. His endurance and speed alone are super human, not even counting his sniping capabilities and Batman-esque tool usage-planning(his fight against Luffy for the Going Merry was one of the best in the series for me. Honestly, as it went along, I could see Usopp winning). As for Robin flying. I think she can only do it for a few seconds or something? I think there was an explanation for that. Brook can fly then as well. Though I agree, Robin is pretty tough.

Also, thanks, I'll check it out, if I can find it. Is that the rulebook as well for the third edition or just a setting or something?

true_shinken
2010-09-26, 08:53 PM
Also, thanks, I'll check it out, if I can find it. Is that the rulebook as well for the third edition or just a setting or something?

It's the only 3rd edition book so far, I believe. It has all the rules, plus the DC Universe setting.

DarkEternal
2010-09-26, 09:00 PM
Alright, one more question then, for anyone that can compare. How does it relate to the previous edition? Better? Worse? Anything I should add to said edition from previous books?(whatever supplements that might have existed in said books) Really, I am up for all input that would make the game that much better. Just need a starting point so I can get down to writing the actual campaign(and doing the stats for various people)

true_shinken
2010-09-26, 09:04 PM
Alright, one more question then, for anyone that can compare. How does it relate to the previous edition? Better? Worse? Anything I should add to said edition from previous books?(whatever supplements that might have existed in said books) Really, I am up for all input that would make the game that much better. Just need a starting point so I can get down to writing the actual campaign(and doing the stats for various people)

I am pretty satisfied with 2nd edition and unimpressed with 3d edition. I'd just stick with 3rd edition, unless someone in your group alreayd bought the book.

herrhauptmann
2010-09-29, 09:11 PM
Somebody did some nice fan art. I think it's too good to waste on the threads filled with nothing but fanart.

http://coolvibe.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/One_Piece_Fanart___Colored_by_arnistotle-992x793.jpg