Any experience with D&D 3.5 - Diablo II - Diablerie

[TheGrim]

Hi Folks,
I've been reading the forums for some while now and never found the urge to chip in, but at the moment I am planning a campaign set in the Diablo-universe. So far I know of the ADnD Diablo-PnP and the DnD 3.5 one mentioned above and I'd like to ask if some of you had experience with either of those.

(Forum seems to have problems with me posting images... no bad DnD-Art for you folks it seems)

I am strongly considering homebrewing my own Savage-Worlds take on the setting and would like to know how you found the two DnD-versions of Diablo (if you played them), or if you have any advise for me going forward, such as things you would like to see in a Diablo-Setting or things you think would not fit well into it. Does anybody know of other takes on a Diablo-PnP

Kind regards,
Grim

[VisitingDaGulag]

It doesn't fully recreate diablo II because it doesn't have the expansion classes, nor hte massive flexibility in the engine (like rune words or items that can grant class features). That said, it gets "most" of the massive shift required to run Diablo as D&D.

[KillianHawkeye]

It was a long time ago, but I sort of remember it not being a very good book. Basically, it was a cash grab. You can tell a Diablo-style story in D&D without hacking on a bunch of poorly replicated video game mechanics.

[TheGrim]

It was a long time ago, but I sort of remember it not being a very good book. Basically, it was a cash grab. You can tell a Diablo-style story in D&D without hacking on a bunch of poorly replicated video game mechanics.

Yeah, that is exactly the expression I am getting. I am much more intressted in the theme and feeling that expecially Diablo 1 had than in the actuall game-mechanics and I think my players would like to play real characters as well and not a soulless video-game-standin that didnt have more than a paragraph of text in the entire game.


It doesn't fully recreate diablo II because it doesn't have the expansion classes, nor hte massive flexibility in the engine (like rune words or items that can grant class features). That said, it gets "most" of the massive shift required to run Diablo as D&D.

Right, forgot about that. Only beeing able to choose from 5 classes is very limiting for the players.
And Runewords! Man, why did they not keep those in Diablo 3, I ll never know. Feeling the dire need to have runewords in my game now ;)

[Buufreak]

I literally got this book just to have some stats for corpse bomb. It worked perfectly for the situation.

Outside of that, I thumbed through it. Its 3.5, with diablo flavor, not the other way around.

[Psyren]

I honestly think 4e would be a better fit for "Tabletop Diablo" than 3e. Of course, getting people to play it would be the hard part.

[TheGrim]

I honestly think 4e would be a better fit for "Tabletop Diablo" than 3e. Of course, getting people to play it would be the hard part.

Yeah, DnD 4 has a bad rep for beeing so MMO-like but it might fit if you want to emulate the feel of the gameplay of Diablo 3. Might be a winning combination and maybee one of the few where you could hook people into playing DnD4.

I was aiming more at the feel of Diablo 1 and a lower power-level than the franchise (at least in it s later installments).

[Alcore]

Well... I didn't even know 3.5 diablo existed in any official capacity :smalleek:


Still in PBP diablo (or any hack n slash) has a bed rep and tends to attract murder hobos like nothing else. I have heard nothing good from attempts as people bring "a soulless video-game-standin" even if they have no resemblence to the classes of the source material.

If you have ever read the novels you know there is a good story material for 3.5 but i must echo the others; 3.5 is a bad fit (i prefer MnM 2e)


---------

That said; diablo II came with a small booklet back in the day. A PDF exists of it. Try and get it for it might help with ideas.

[hamishspence]

Well... I didn't even know 3.5 diablo existed in any official capacity :smalleek:


Technically it's 3.0 rather than 3.5.


3.5 is a bad fit (i prefer MnM 2e)

D&D 2nd ed did had a Diablo supplement. It was called Diablo II: The Awakening.

If one wants to keep the roleplay theme of D&D to the fore - lots of conversations with the townsfolk, maybe going outside of the dialogue options given in the computer game, might help. Perhaps throw in some other adventurers to talk to and work with for short periods.

[Florian]

I am strongly considering homebrewing my own Savage-Worlds take on the setting and would like to know how you found the two DnD-versions of Diablo (if you played them), or if you have any advise for me going forward, such as things you would like to see in a Diablo-Setting or things you think would not fit well into it. Does anybody know of other takes on a Diablo-PnP

Totally and absolutely disregard the D&D tries at Diablo. They didn´t work and they focused on the wrong aspects in any way imaginable.

[hamishspence]

Totally and absolutely disregard the D&D tries at Diablo. They didn´t work and they focused on the wrong aspects in any way imaginable.

I actually rather liked Diablerie and To Hell & Back as reads - but as gaming books, they could do with some tweaking.