Real Sorceror
2013-03-19, 01:01 PM
It's been a looong time since I've posted any material here, but because I've received helpful critic and suggestions in the past I thought I'd try my luck again.
As a hobby I've recently started working on Pathfinder mechanics for the Legend of Zelda. While I'm aware of other projects such as this one (http://www.kobolds-keep.net/downloads.html), they didn't quite match the vision or design decision I had in mind.
My goal with this project is minimalism; to draw from existing Pathfinder material whenever possible. The idea here is to maintain balance and also make the rules as easy as possible for other GM's to pickup without having to learn a new system or sourcebook.
In keeping with that mantra, I've tried to match the races of Hyrule to those found in the Pathfinder game and make tweaks and changes as necessary using the PF Race Builder (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/advancedRaceGuide/raceBuilder.html). Obviously in some instances there simply isn't a good equivalent and rules had to be created to stay true to the source material. In those cases I tried to aim for about 10 RP to match the Core races. Where appropriate the race's language also replaces the corresponding language and the race may qualify for feats and archtypes belonging to that race, at the GM's discretion.
While I have a website (http://lozd20.wikidot.com/) for the project, it's still in a very bare-bones state with some pages just having notes or half-formed ideas. The Races page is more on the complete side (though still lacking any polish), but for convenience I'm going to repost some things here.
What I'm looking for are your own suggestions and ideas that may not have occurred to me. What do you feel is important to include? What abilities and feats need to be added and what can be represented by existing content? Are there any additional races that should be included? Any that shouldn't? Do you feel certain race variations are better represented by different base stats or by class levels? These are the kinds of things to think on.
Human - Human. Hylians and Gerudo are considered subraces.
Hylian - Half-Elf. While Hylians aren't elves, the mechanical difference represents their status as Hylia's chosen.
Gerudo - Half-Orc. Obviously they have nothing in common in appearance, but mechanically they are both versatile and fierce.
Kokiri - Halfing. I chose not to include a fairy as part of the base race, as it would be difficult to balance. Instead Kokiri who have the Familiar class feature may choose a fairy without taking the Improved Familiar feat.
Gorons - Dwarves. I downgraded Darkvision to Low-Light and added Fire Resistance 5. I dropped Defense Training and gave them the Shell ability from the turtle statblock. Gorons gain the ability to roll through a racial feat.
Sheikah - Elf. I swapped the Elven Magic trait with the Silent Hunter trait and alter Weapon Familiarity to reflect more exotic weapons.
Moblins - Goblinoids. Bokoblins are Goblins, Bulblins are Hobgoblins, and Moblins are Bugbears. Very little needed to be altered here.
And now the hard ones!
Zora - The closest equivalents in PF are the Undine and Gillmen, but neither of them really matches. They are aqutic humanoids with the amphibious trait, but also have the water dependent drawback. I'm thinking Darkvision and Electric Resistance 5, with the ability to gain their natural attacks through existing feats like Unarmed Strike and Elemental Fist.
Rito - While there is a flying PF race, Rito have nothing in common with them. I chose to give them a slower fly speed (Fly 30ft) to reduce the hefty cost of the ability. They also have Keen Senses, Gifted Linguist, and Envoy to represent their bird-like traits and inclination to travel abroad.
Deku - Because the Plant Type is 10 RP by itself, I think it would be best to simply make Deku humanoids that look like plants. We see them sleep, run in fear, and drown in the LoZ games, indicating they aren't immune to these things. They have several unusual abilities that might need to be handcrafted, so any help on the Deku especially is welcome.
Twili - I understand that people want to play Twili, but there is the issue of having limited information on them. For now I'm using a weaker (10RP) Drow.
As a hobby I've recently started working on Pathfinder mechanics for the Legend of Zelda. While I'm aware of other projects such as this one (http://www.kobolds-keep.net/downloads.html), they didn't quite match the vision or design decision I had in mind.
My goal with this project is minimalism; to draw from existing Pathfinder material whenever possible. The idea here is to maintain balance and also make the rules as easy as possible for other GM's to pickup without having to learn a new system or sourcebook.
In keeping with that mantra, I've tried to match the races of Hyrule to those found in the Pathfinder game and make tweaks and changes as necessary using the PF Race Builder (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/advancedRaceGuide/raceBuilder.html). Obviously in some instances there simply isn't a good equivalent and rules had to be created to stay true to the source material. In those cases I tried to aim for about 10 RP to match the Core races. Where appropriate the race's language also replaces the corresponding language and the race may qualify for feats and archtypes belonging to that race, at the GM's discretion.
While I have a website (http://lozd20.wikidot.com/) for the project, it's still in a very bare-bones state with some pages just having notes or half-formed ideas. The Races page is more on the complete side (though still lacking any polish), but for convenience I'm going to repost some things here.
What I'm looking for are your own suggestions and ideas that may not have occurred to me. What do you feel is important to include? What abilities and feats need to be added and what can be represented by existing content? Are there any additional races that should be included? Any that shouldn't? Do you feel certain race variations are better represented by different base stats or by class levels? These are the kinds of things to think on.
Human - Human. Hylians and Gerudo are considered subraces.
Hylian - Half-Elf. While Hylians aren't elves, the mechanical difference represents their status as Hylia's chosen.
Gerudo - Half-Orc. Obviously they have nothing in common in appearance, but mechanically they are both versatile and fierce.
Kokiri - Halfing. I chose not to include a fairy as part of the base race, as it would be difficult to balance. Instead Kokiri who have the Familiar class feature may choose a fairy without taking the Improved Familiar feat.
Gorons - Dwarves. I downgraded Darkvision to Low-Light and added Fire Resistance 5. I dropped Defense Training and gave them the Shell ability from the turtle statblock. Gorons gain the ability to roll through a racial feat.
Sheikah - Elf. I swapped the Elven Magic trait with the Silent Hunter trait and alter Weapon Familiarity to reflect more exotic weapons.
Moblins - Goblinoids. Bokoblins are Goblins, Bulblins are Hobgoblins, and Moblins are Bugbears. Very little needed to be altered here.
And now the hard ones!
Zora - The closest equivalents in PF are the Undine and Gillmen, but neither of them really matches. They are aqutic humanoids with the amphibious trait, but also have the water dependent drawback. I'm thinking Darkvision and Electric Resistance 5, with the ability to gain their natural attacks through existing feats like Unarmed Strike and Elemental Fist.
Rito - While there is a flying PF race, Rito have nothing in common with them. I chose to give them a slower fly speed (Fly 30ft) to reduce the hefty cost of the ability. They also have Keen Senses, Gifted Linguist, and Envoy to represent their bird-like traits and inclination to travel abroad.
Deku - Because the Plant Type is 10 RP by itself, I think it would be best to simply make Deku humanoids that look like plants. We see them sleep, run in fear, and drown in the LoZ games, indicating they aren't immune to these things. They have several unusual abilities that might need to be handcrafted, so any help on the Deku especially is welcome.
Twili - I understand that people want to play Twili, but there is the issue of having limited information on them. For now I'm using a weaker (10RP) Drow.