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RFLS
2015-10-29, 05:31 PM
So, I'm doing some Christmas shopping for a friend, and he always likes to get his hands on a new setting or two. I was asking him what sort of setting he'd like to see next, and he gave me some ideas, but I can't think of a setting that hits everything on his checklist. He wants a setting with -


Mechanical devices.
No gunpowder.
No electricity.
Very low-powered magic.
No steam-driven devices (essentially avoiding steampunk).
Little-to-no Asian cultural influence (a previous DM wore him out with it for a bit).


I'm thinking Iron Kingdoms, but I don't know enough about the setting to know if it exactly hits all of those points. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Jay R
2015-10-29, 09:46 PM
GURPS and Hero Systems (Champions, et al.) are infinitely customizable systems.

The weakness to GURPS is that it is intended to be realistic, so uncreative adventurers die as often as uncreative adventurers would die.

The weakness to Hero Systems is that character generation requires grade-school arithmetic.

But for the right group, both are excellent.

RFLS
2015-10-30, 01:58 AM
GURPS and Hero Systems (Champions, et al.) are infinitely customizable systems.

The weakness to GURPS is that it is intended to be realistic, so uncreative adventurers die as often as uncreative adventurers would die.

The weakness to Hero Systems is that character generation requires grade-school arithmetic.

But for the right group, both are excellent.

We're definitely aware of both systems, but I'm looking for pre-made settings for him that line up with those criteria (such as Eberron, Faerun, Greyhawk, Shadowrun, etc - although those aren't what he's looking for, ofc).

Mr.Moron
2015-10-30, 05:23 AM
So, I'm doing some Christmas shopping for a friend, and he always likes to get his hands on a new setting or two. I was asking him what sort of setting he'd like to see next, and he gave me some ideas, but I can't think of a setting that hits everything on his checklist. He wants a setting with -


Mechanical devices.
No gunpowder.
No electricity.
Very low-powered magic.
No steam-driven devices (essentially avoiding steampunk).
Little-to-no Asian cultural influence (a previous DM wore him out with it for a bit).


I'm thinking Iron Kingdoms, but I don't know enough about the setting to know if it exactly hits all of those points. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Ironot Kingdoms is filled with steam-powered devices.Railways are everywhere and steam powdered robots are important industrial and wartime machines and players can start with them at 1st level. Electricity is rare but used in the setting. Magical devices are common and have 3 classes dedicated to them. Magic is high power in combat low to no power out of combat. Basically everyone can start with a gun, in some cases a machinegun. Not the setting you are looking for at all.

Airk
2015-10-30, 09:09 AM
Iron Kingdoms fails just about every criteria in your list except maybe for 'Asian Cultural influences', whatever that means, so I recommend avoiding that system.

Honestly, I'm vague on what you're asking for though. What is a "mechanical device" in this context? Because right now, aside from that, you've basically asked for a generic, low magic fantasy setting? Maybe you'd like Harn? Or Symbaroum? Of course, the latter isn't really available yet, unless you speak Swedish. :P

Mr.Moron
2015-10-30, 11:47 AM
Iron Kingdoms fails just about every criteria in your list except maybe for 'Asian Cultural influences', whatever that means, so I recommend avoiding that system..

I assume no samurai, no ninjas, no dragons longer than they are tall, and. no martial arts.

Iron Kingdoms fails on that metric as well, given the skorne.

JeenLeen
2015-10-30, 12:22 PM
World of Darkness, new or old, using Hunter could do this. Just remove guns as options. You can remove the morality and derangement system if you want.
oWoD: powers are fairly low in power, and you could fight hunters instead of more powerful monsters.
nWoD: use the endowments that fit thematically, so no Asian-based martial arts or too-advanced weaponry. You could even refluff some stuff as mechanical devices they carry, if you like.


We're definitely aware of both systems, but I'm looking for pre-made settings for him that line up with those criteria (such as Eberron, Faerun, Greyhawk, Shadowrun, etc - although those aren't what he's looking for, ofc).
I realize this means the refluffing & editing may preclude Hunter, as they are modern in design and assume guns and more-powerful magical beings. No pre-built system easily comes to mind as perfectly fitting.

Maybe a Middle Ages' vampire game, if you'd be okay with vampire. Set in the West, so no Asian influence. And the 'magic' isn't very high-powered.
Both nWoD and oWoD have books for middle ages/dark ages, so you wouldn't have to modify anything besides a 'no mages' clause.

Mr.Moron
2015-10-30, 12:35 PM
What about a just straight up historical game? Tons of background material already produced, device/electricity/steampower free.