The Legend of Dragoon 5e Style

[Mongobear]

I am finally getting to the point in a project where I can begin running a campaign loosely based on the events of the PS1 game The Legend of Dragoon (props if anyone remembers it, bonus props if you own a copy and still play it!)

This has been a project I've worked with off and on since Tome of Battle from 3.5e was published, but never really was satisfied with it enough to run in an actual game. Finally though, 5e made a system update that was easy enough to modify with houserules to make the setting feel true to the source, but I'm still encountering a few issues with executing the game mechanics in 5e gameplay.

1) Dragoon Spirits/Transformations. I have two ideas how I want to do this. Either a) Make the Spirits artifacts with a 1/rest use that makes you super powerful based on the element attuned, or b) design a home brew class/prestige class and allow players to take levels to increase the powers the deeper they go into it.

I originally wanted to go with option b, but forcing players to take levels not in their original class feels bad, maybe a mixture of the two? If you ignore the class you get a weaker transformation, and taking levels in the class gives you more mastery over the powers of the Spirits.

2) Creatures with Elemental alliances. Every creature and even the characters were aligned with one of 8 damage types, and each of them except for Thunder(in dnd it would be electricity) and 'Untyped' had resistance/vulnerability to it's opposite, Fire/Water Earth/Wind Light/Dark.

This doesn't translate well to 5e, and there are a few extra damage types to add, but if I was to find a way to make it work, would giving everyone a damage 'vulnerability' of say an extra 3 damage from your opposite, or reducing damage by 3 from your same type be balanced? Full on Resistance/Vulnerability feels too painful but if it seems balanced, I could change to that instead.

3) This is the big one, Loyalty to the Plot. I've beaten this game probably 40 times, if found all the secrets, I've mastered all the special attack combos, and I've farmed maximum level multiple times and eaten the super optional boss. I could probably tell anyone the plot and story progression and even the conversations at any point in the game from memory. But, the players I am likely to run this adventure only heard of it in the last 2 weeks since I brought it up, they have no idea what it was like.

Should I let them make decisions or even potentially kill a character vital to later events? Or should I cover everyone vital to the story with plot armor until such a time as they naturally die off in the game? This feels super railroady and I don't want to make the decision to kill a sworn enemy meaningless, but not having the main antagonist of the game for the first 3 discs around for his vital plot twists because the PCs butchered him the first time they met would really throw some wrenches into the setting.


Any ideas or answers? Any suggestions for running this style of game with a known plot line and ending? Anyone just want to fangirl over how great of a game this is/was?

[Tiadoppler]

1) Dragoon Spirits/Transformations.


How about:
Everyone gets a 1/long rest ability with duration (1 minute? 10 minutes?), possibly requiring Concentration.
You introduce three homebrew feats that you can take to significantly improve the transformation in different ways.




2) Creatures with Elemental alliances.


Resistance/Vulnerability has some benefits: it's simple, and easy to remember. There are already species with Resistances so you can estimate how much value that provides. +3/-3 damage isn't much at higher levels. What level do you think the campaign will reach?




3) This is the big one, Loyalty to the Plot.

*snip*

Any ideas or answers? Any suggestions for running this style of game with a known plot line and ending?


Ask your players which they would prefer. Not every player is up for a script-following video game campaign. If you can get the players on board with "this campaign has an overarching script and only limited choices" then you're fine. If not, the campaign would be better off if you A) found a really good reason that plot-relevant NPCs couldn't be attacked or B) make a campaign that's only loosely based on the original game.

[Mongobear]

How about:
Everyone gets a 1/long rest ability with duration (1 minute? 10 minutes?), possibly requiring Concentration.
You introduce three homebrew feats that you can take to significantly improve the transformation in different ways.

Resistance/Vulnerability has some benefits: it's simple, and easy to remember. There are already species with Resistances so you can estimate how much value that provides. +3/-3 damage isn't much at higher levels. What level do you think the campaign will reach?



The closest DnD mechanic to the Transformations is ironically Tensers Transformation in XGtE. I was debating a refluffed version of that, or something closer to Rage/Bladesong since the fluff explanation in-game was the power was driven by Insanity and the inherent magic of a Dragon.

I was also planning on making the transform increase in power/longevity at each tier of levels from the PHB, but not sure how.

Making them upgrade via multiple Feats seems steep, especially if I was to use standard array/point buy. Maybe a single Feat or something along those lines?

I may just cave in on using Resistance/Vulnerability, I just feel bad for whoever gets vulnerability to Fire and/or Poison.

[Tiadoppler]

The closest DnD mechanic to the Transformations is ironically Tensers Transformation in XGtE. I was debating a refluffed version of that, or something closer to Rage/Bladesong since the fluff explanation in-game was the power was driven by Insanity and the inherent magic of a Dragon.

I guess one question for you (I don't know the game you're basing this on) is: do you want this transformation to be a regularly used feature that forms the basis of a fighting style (like Rage and Bladesong) or an emergency panic button that makes you much more powerful for a short time? Is it supposed to be something that you save for a boss, or something that happens in most encounters?



I was also planning on making the transform increase in power/longevity at each tier of levels from the PHB, but not sure how.

Making them upgrade via multiple Feats seems steep, especially if I was to use standard array/point buy. Maybe a single Feat or something along those lines?

I may just cave in on using Resistance/Vulnerability, I just feel bad for whoever gets vulnerability to Fire and/or Poison.

Use a player's proficiency modifier for the buffs? Duration in rounds = proficiency modifier. AC bonus = proficiency modifier. Amount of free bacon = proficiency modifier.

Each feat might not be required, but represent three different ways to improve the transformation. One increases damage, one increases survivability, one adds utility. If a player focuses heavily they could get all 3, or just use the one that interests them.

[Arelai]

Honestly, you should just have characters flavor their class ability as a transformation.

Rage, wild shape, channel divinity, etc. or give them some arbitrary “you get +3-5 on everything for 10 minutes.

Problem is-in LoD, EVERYONE was a martial that could, after enough fighting, transform into a gish who only had 1-4 spells...EVER, even at max level. 4(or 5, idr).

[Angelalex242]

Or, you have an artifact that lets you use the 20th level paladin (Avenger) capstone much much earlier in your career...

[Mongobear]

I guess one question for you (I don't know the game you're basing this on) is: do you want this transformation to be a regularly used feature that forms the basis of a fighting style (like Rage and Bladesong) or an emergency panic button that makes you much more powerful for a short time? Is it supposed to be something that you save for a boss, or something that happens in most encounters?

Use a player's proficiency modifier for the buffs? Duration in rounds = proficiency modifier. AC bonus = proficiency modifier. Amount of free bacon = proficiency modifier.

Each feat might not be required, but represent three different ways to improve the transformation. One increases damage, one increases survivability, one adds utility. If a player focuses heavily they could get all 3, or just use the one that interests them.


Honestly, you should just have characters flavor their class ability as a transformation.

Rage, wild shape, channel divinity, etc. or give them some arbitrary “you get +3-5 on everything for 10 minutes.

Problem is-in LoD, EVERYONE was a martial that could, after enough fighting, transform into a gish who only had 1-4 spells...EVER, even at max level. 4(or 5, idr).


@Tia for the most part, the transformation was for a boss fight or used in cinematic sequences to not die from an attack or fly out of a really dangerous spot.

You could certainly spam it if you had a way to regenerate the resource used to fuel it quickly, but the main method of dealing with trash mobs on the way to a boss was just attacking with weapons or consumables.

The idea of just gaining your proficiency to everything for X rounds crossed my mind, but it seemed like a cop out..

The more I think of it, I don't want to gate Dragoon forms behind Feats. I think I'm going to go the combo route of freeby effect with just the item, specialized focus if you go for the class, I just need to figure out if I make it a 20 level base class, or a 5-10 level Prestige Class like one of the UAs tried introducing years ago.


@Arelai the issue with that is that not all classes have class abilities that can be flavored that way. How do you flavor a transformation for a Fighter who doesn't have any expendable resources like Rage or Bladesong?

That's not exactly a problem, Humans were entirely incapable of using magic without Dragoon forms, and I've already altered most classes like Paladin/Ranger to go spell-less and banned EK and AT type archetypes, and full casters.

Magic-ish effects existed with consumables, all of the attack items and curatives can fill the gaps by this, and when they do gain spell access, in Dragoon form, it will be a huge boon, not something like getting 2nd level spells at 13th level. (For comparisons sake, the final spell for the main character was basically Meteor Swarm, and you could get it about half way through the game if you mastered the combat system.)

I'm thinking the 'spells' might function more like Mystic Arcanum than actual spell slots, or use spell points and a custom spell list for each element.

[Arelai]

Yeah, in that case have them all play martial, and give them levels of spell casters as well. have them level at the same rate-so they gain 1 martial and 1 caster level when they level up(but only the HP of their martial)

They can access their caster abilities by transforming, but if they start “fighting” (in initiative) it runs out after 5 rounds and takes 5 rounds of combat to regenerate.

For spells/elemental stuff, they have advantage/disadvantage on what they’re good/bad against. And when they transform it becomes resistance/vulnerability. This keeps it simple, and punishes them harder if they’re hit with their opposite element while in dragoon form.

And let them ignore the free hand restriction on spell casts so they can use 2 handed weapons if they want.