What would be the best system for a My Little Pony RPG?

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

I'm interested in running a My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic game for some Brony friends, but I'm not sure which system would be best. I have never been a fan of GURPS (far too crunchy), but RISUS seems to be not crunchy enough. Is there some kind of middle-ground system flexible enough to accommodate talking ponies?

[kenjigoku]

I find MLP Roleplaying is Magic is a wonderful MLP system.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5IFnI6cpZN4YzhiMjBiMDEtMGNlYi00OWRjLThlNjAtNDBkO GEzOTk3NjFj/edit?hl=en_GB&pli=1

[Nerd-o-rama]

Don't watch the show, but as far as a system that can do anything, I think Mutants & Masterminds is a great midpoint between rules-heavy systems like GURPS and rules-light systems like FATE or Risus or what have you. Point-based, superhero themed (MLP: FiM seems very much like a low-ish power team superhero show from what I've heard of it, just with ponies instead of say, mutants), and it really can emulate just about any power or ability with the right combination of traits. Character creation can take a while, but after that it's very simple.

Check out M&M Second or Third Edition, they're both great. Third's more streamlined, Second has more splat support and more closely resembles 3.5 D&D in vocabulary if your bronies are used to that.

[Ravens_cry]

Someone made this (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?569049-What-the-hell-Paizo) for Pathfinder. You'll have to do, or find, some additional homebrew for the Cutie Mark system, but otherwise I just might steal some ideas for quadrupedal races.

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

Someone made this (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?569049-What-the-hell-Paizo) for Pathfinder. You'll have to do, or find, some additional homebrew for the Cutie Mark system, but otherwise I just might steal some ideas for quadrupedal races.

I really like that. Especially since it doesn't require me to learn a new system. All of the friends in question come from different roleplaying backgrounds, and the only game that they have all played is D&D 4e. This means that it won't bee too much effort explaining this to them.

[SamBurke]

If doing PF, I'd recommend a few changes to the magic system, for sure... cutting out damage spells, perhaps? Those don't seem like any Unicorn would use them.

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

I just discovered this (http://lurkingrhythmically.blogspot.com/p/my-little-pony-friendship-is-dungeons.html). A great MLP resource for D&D.

[Saladman]

I just discovered this (http://lurkingrhythmically.blogspot.com/p/my-little-pony-friendship-is-dungeons.html). A great MLP resource for D&D.

+1. But, just in case someone's scrolling down quickly and doesn't see the "Unknown Ponies" box at the top, go here (http://lurkingrhythmically.blogspot.com/p/unknown-ponies-failure-is-awesome.html) for her most current edition. Unknown Ponies (http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3207923/Unknown%20Ponies%20Failure%20is%20Awesome.pdf) is 20% cooler!

[ScionoftheVoid]

Legend (by Rule of Cool, not Mongoose Publishing) is a nice system which has official pony races and some interesting options. Technically not quite finished, there are rules patches and terminology tweaks still going on (basically errata, as far as I am aware), but more than finished enough to play with (especially if the GM isn't opposed to working out some of the kinks -- Just Blade's channeling some of the less obvious spell-likes being one of the biggest ones). It's based (loosely) on D&D (and 3.5 in particular), and some of the terminology has (intentionally and unintentionally) stuck around, so while you might get the occasional mishap from following the wrong rule with the same name, it can be quicker to grasp at times, as well. There's a thread for it in the 3.5 subforum, too, where you could ask if you have any questions.

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

I just checked out Mutants & Masterminds (Third Edition). Its quite nice, but a little too crunchy for my taste. Perhaps I steal some ideas from it and plop them down into BRP (http://www.basicrps.com/core/BRP_quick_start.pdf) or something.

[Tengu_temp]

There is a MLP module for the Savage Worlds. I find it to be pretty well written. Check it out! (http://giftkrieg23.deviantart.com/art/The-Savage-World-of-MLP-FiM-262840504)

[The Dark Fiddler]

I recall seeing altered rules for Don't Rest Your Head that ran a MLP game.. seemed interesting, at the very least. The rather simple mechanics seem like a good match, despite the fact that the base game is actually a horror-type game.

[Occasional Sage]

I don't know the MLP RPG, but if you don't like the native system I'd do some small fiddles with the Mouse Guard (Burning Wheel lite) system. It shouldn't be a difficult 'port, and you'd be using a very friendly and flexible system.

[Mystify]

Legend (by Rule of Cool, not Mongoose Publishing) is a nice system which has official pony races and some interesting options. Technically not quite finished, there are rules patches and terminology tweaks still going on (basically errata, as far as I am aware), but more than finished enough to play with (especially if the GM isn't opposed to working out some of the kinks -- Just Blade's channeling some of the less obvious spell-likes being one of the biggest ones). It's based (loosely) on D&D (and 3.5 in particular), and some of the terminology has (intentionally and unintentionally) stuck around, so while you might get the occasional mishap from following the wrong rule with the same name, it can be quicker to grasp at times, as well. There's a thread for it in the 3.5 subforum, too, where you could ask if you have any questions.
You beat me to it, so I will just second this, and provide a link (www.ruleofcool.com).

[Coidzor]

Obviously you have to make up a homebrew spin on white wolf's World of Darkness.

I can see it now.

Pony: The Friendshiping.

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

Obviously you have to make up a homebrew spin on white wolf's World of Darkness.

I can see it now.

Pony: The Friendshiping.

I'm pretty sure that was meant to be a joke, but it was actually a really good idea. I think some kind of dice pool system would be perfect for MLP.

[Rixx]

I'd recommend Cartoon Action Hour, for its quick play, "cartoon logic" workings, and ability to resolve combats using no actual violence. It's kind of a mix between Fudge and Mutants & Masterminds.

[Coidzor]

I'm pretty sure that was meant to be a joke, but it was actually a really good idea. I think some kind of dice pool system would be perfect for MLP.
A bit of A, a bit of B. :smallwink:

[eggs]

Primetime Adventures seems natural enough.

[Ravens_cry]

Obviously you have to make up a homebrew spin on white wolf's World of Darkness.

I can see it now.

Pony: The Friendshiping.
I had a similar idea for using the basic Storyteller system for a near future New Space hard science fiction campaign.
It hasn't gotten many places, but I still think the system would work.

[golentan]

I'm pretty sure that was meant to be a joke, but it was actually a really good idea. I think some kind of dice pool system would be perfect for MLP.

White Wolf's Exalted and My Little Pony seem to already have both A) a large crossover fanbase, and B) a significant amount of work creating a combined and homebrew.

[Fortuna]

White Wolf's Exalted and My Little Pony seem to already have both A) a large crossover fanbase, and B) a significant amount of work creating a combined and homebrew.

I'll go one better: I'm actively running a Ponyxalted game (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=226357) here on the forums. And the fluff grows better-defined by the day. I like to think that I've done a reasonable job (with plenty of help) of reconciling Exalted and MLP tone-wise.

[Trekkin]

Shadowrun, clearly, with an all-centaur party.:smallamused:

Perhaps call it Shadowtrot?

[Aidan305]

I believe that there's an Unknown Ponies out there though I'm not sure how well it pulls it off.

I'm also currently working on MLP: Friendship is Mandatory.

[Autolykos]

Shadowrun, clearly, with an all-centaur party.Satyrs and Shapeshifters are playable (never heard of wereponies, though), but Centaurs are only critters IIRC. A magic group of Horse (er, Pony) Shamans/Adepts might be cool though.

I'm also currently working on MLP: Friendship is Mandatory.Now that would be sooo cool. Don't forget, citizen: The Pony is your friend.

[Ason]

I'm also currently working on MLP: Friendship is Mandatory.

Paranoia + Ponies? Sweet Celestia! Is disharmony punished by a trip to the moon? Are there at least mmmm... bananas there?


All the system recommendations I would have given have already been made, but I know there is also currently a 4e pony webcomic (http://friendshipisdragons.thecomicseries.com/comics/first/) going on, which has been quite delightful to read so far.

[Nerd-o-rama]

All the system recommendations I would have given have already been made, but I know there is also currently a 4e pony webcomic (http://friendshipisdragons.thecomicseries.com/comics/first/) going on, which has been quite delightful to read so far.

Thank you for re-linking that, as I had somehow forgotten the title.

...

...and that's why the whole rest of the show is oneshots and cute ponies doing cute things.

[Necro_EX]

No one suggested BESM?
It's real open like GURPS or M&M, but if I'm not mistaken it's a bit less crunchy than either and still flexible enough to allow for something like that.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

I've seen a really cool Cortex+ hack (http://www.pdfhost.net/index.php?Action=Download&File=989665e86fa50c86c95c51563bbbe87f) for MLP. For those not in the know, Cortex+ is the system powering the Leverage, Smallville, and Marvel Heroic RPGs, sort of. Each iteration of it is very precisely and strongly modified to fit the IP/genre. The core of Cortex+ is a story-based system that I can really only compare to a far easier-to-understand variant of FATE. Plus, you get to throw around lots and lots of dice. (The core mechanic is that you put together a pool of dice of various sizes, assembled from your character traits and such, roll them all, and pick two for your total. The GM does the same, using Obstacles to add to your pool.)

[Rainbownaga]

The real issue is what kind of MLP game do you want?

Unlike the S1 where you could quite easily rip the plot of a traditional D&D game from a single episode, FiM is all about character interactions and the plots tend to be more about self discovery and aesops which are frustratingly hard to convert into a game.

If you somehow capture the spirit of the series then you don't need too many rules since combat never really achieves anything in the series and is normally a sign of "doing it wrong".

There are d&d variations, but they are mostly just d&d with ponies (christmas tree of equipment, vancian casting unicorns, ponies with weapons, etc).

[Makiru]

Not to keep pimping Pirates vs. Ninjas, but we did just get through a major arc where we got turned into ponies. Quadruped anatomy was represented through the Missing Limb flaw, which is worth five extra character points. Unicorns don't get the flaw due to their Mage Hand horn, and pegasi have to take a built-in Flying Item power, which costs ten points. Worked out OK in the end.