Magic School Role Playing

[themaque]

What system do you think would be best for a campaign set in a magic school similar to Harry Potter? I was thinking FATE, but I was curious how the playground would weigh in.

I would think story, cinematic role playing, and a sense of wonder should be the most important elements.

[Eisenheim]

I think fate accelerated fits the bill perfectly. I just got done playing in a young centurions playtest game set in a school that had a great hogwarts kind of feel. I think approaches over skills is good for playing as kids, let's you focus on character themes rather than what kids would and would not realistically know how to do.

[Zyzzyva]

FATE sounds fine, yes, although I was slightly disappointed to see that this thread has nothing to do with the Magic Schoolbus. :smallfrown:

[the OOD]

FATE is good, but you might want to look into the Dresden Files RPG. it's basically FATE, with a badass magic subsystem and a few extra bells and whistles.
If you already have FATE and don't wanna shell out the extra cash, or want to stick whit FATE for other reasons, that should still do a fantastic job.

[King of Casuals]

Actually, theres a system being made by BadKarmaGames called Students of Mana. It's still in beta, but you can download it for free. Its extremely harry potter like, look it up

[Ailowynn]

I second Fate, but I also have to throw out Broomstix (https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_QEws739Q9Ba01fZVhNd1Z5WW8/edit)

[Metahuman1]

Obligatory Mutants and Masterminds suggestion, since, hey, it's a good easy to reskin all around neat system for lot's of scenarios.

[Hazrond]

Obligatory Mutants and Masterminds suggestion, since, hey, it's a good easy to reskin all around neat system for lot's of scenarios.

I support this suggestion.

[goto124]

When I read the thread title, I thought it referred to the Magic School Bus.

I don't think any system would fit that.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Maybe Mage or Ars Magica? Something where everyone plays magic users might be good-- I feel like a generic system like M&M or Fate doesn't work so well when the characters are all conceptually pretty similar.

[Eisenheim]

Fate accelerated is good for a bunch of similar concepts, because having approaches instead of skills lets you differentiate stylistically even when everyone is wizards or fighter-pilots or what-have-you.

[Solaris]

When I read the thread title, I thought it referred to the Magic School Bus.

I don't think any system would fit that.

What, where the players are a bunch of inept kids and the DM drags them along a scenic tour of whatever science-related subject he read up on Wikipedia the week before?
It goes beyond being a bad fit for a system. It wouldn't fit tabletop roleplaying at all.

[BWR]

Play BECMI/RC and get "The Principalities of Glantri". The Great School of Magic is created exactly for this kind of campaign.

[Maglubiyet]

What, where the players are a bunch of inept kids and the DM drags them along a scenic tour of whatever science-related subject he read up on Wikipedia the week before?
It goes beyond being a bad fit for a system. It wouldn't fit tabletop roleplaying at all.

If the kids weren't inept then it could be a cool idea. Maybe the future version where Ms. Frizzle is retired and sending the grown kids out on missions in the bus to complete their training. Their whole childhood was just acclimating them to becoming special ops, sorcerer Time Lord types that guard our reality. That's why they have to learn science -- to understand the laws of this Universe.

Ms. Frizzle was clearly a powerful *something*, complete with an intelligent lizard familiar.

[Grod_The_Giant]

What, where the players are a bunch of inept kids and the DM drags them along a scenic tour of whatever science-related subject he read up on Wikipedia the week before?
It goes beyond being a bad fit for a system. It wouldn't fit tabletop roleplaying at all.
What, playing as a bunch of kids getting into trouble in a wide variety of exotic settings? Sounds like a great time for (a slightly more innocent) Apocalypse World to me. Or FAE with a lot of compels.

[Solaris]

If the kids weren't inept then it could be a cool idea. Maybe the future version where Ms. Frizzle is retired and sending the grown kids out on missions in the bus to complete their training. Their whole childhood was just acclimating them to becoming special ops, sorcerer Time Lord types that guard our reality. That's why they have to learn science -- to understand the laws of this Universe.

Ms. Frizzle was clearly a powerful *something*, complete with an intelligent lizard familiar.

The kids not being inept is the most important part.
If we operate with the assumption that Ms Frizzle is the only one capable of solving problems, that's just plain bad business.

[goto124]

Alternative: Ms Frizzle is the PC, everyone else is an NPC.

[kyoryu]

Yeah, I'd go for Fate Accelerated. Approaches *rock* for situations like this where everybody does more or less the same things.

[Geostationary]

Chuubo's Marvelous Wish-Granting Engine! It's pretty flexible, and it even already has suggestions and support for school-based play!