Setting or System Recommendation

[Garimeth]

So I am looking for a game system or setting that has good rules, or fluff, for a kind of celtic setting. Faeries, witches, clans of warriors, etc. Something that has a built in way for players to interact with the Fae and/or spirits (spirit in a shamanistic sense, not ghosts and the like.)

My current system is 13th Age, so a slam dunk would be something that is compatible with d20ish systems, but I'm willing to overlook that. Also, preferrably something with only a moderate amount of crunch. I'm also to any extensive or well done homebrewed settings and mechanics (but not necessarily entire sytems), they need not be a a published setting.

Any help is much appreciated!

[Yora]

There is a rather obscure little game called Sorcerer, which is based primarily around characters dealing with spirits to perform magic. And I believe it's also possible to play non-sorcerers with no actual spells, but still capable of fighting monsters. I have no idea how good it is and how easily available, and it also doesn't come with a setting. But there's a second book Sorcery and Sword, which goes into some detail using the game in a fantasy setting.

I am also certain that there is a game like that for World of Darkness, but I've never read it. I believe the basic rulebook is meant for normal humans fighting monsters of the night. Though again, I believe there is no campaign guide for premodern campaigns.

[LibraryOgre]

Troll Lords Games Codex Celtarum.

Castles and Crusades is a d20-based fantasy RPG, easy to convert to and from 3.x and other similar d20 games. Codex Celtarum is specifically designed for Celtic gaming.

[Arbane]

Slaine d20? Though that's Celtic Myth by way of Heavy Metal.

[Rakaydos]

A Phelani or Dorelaux campain of Ironclaw: StC would be interesting. The system of Ironclaw is amazing, and so is the setting... but people get thrown for a loop because everyone's a furry.

(the Phelani are celtic wolves, and the Dorelaux are pagen boars. just about everyone else worships the fox-jesus religion, though the horse knights (who are totally french) take it more serously than most.

[Kiero]

Celtic where and when? Do you mean a real, historical setting (with added elements) or the usual faux-Celtic pastiche?

[QuickLyRaiNbow]

I mostly play 3P so take this with a grain of salt appropriate to your situation.

I do a lot of lifting setting elements from other sources. For fey specifically, Kingdoms of Amalur had a more or less interesting take that I think seems easily portable into more or less any setting. Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles is based on Welsh mythology, and is very Arthurian-without-the-Arthur. It's got a lot of very classical fey concepts for use. And it wouldn't be that much work to stat out, I think.

[Garimeth]

Celtic where and when? Do you mean a real, historical setting (with added elements) or the usual faux-Celtic pastiche?

I'm imagining a setting that is an island nation that is a cross of ireland and scotland. I want to use Celtic and Norse "myths" as the basis for the supernatural there. Magic would mostly be druidic, shamanic, and fey in nature and fairly rare. Tech level would be low, lacking even crossbows, and definitely no advanced sailing knowledge or teleportation magics. The only PC race would be human, with some type of magic heritage to give them access to racial abilities of other races (13th Age).

I can come up with the setting pretty well. What I really need is some kind of crunch to model custom classes on and mechanical effects for things like deals with a satyr, negotiations with a river spirit, and the like. I can make all this stuff myself, but if there is good material out there already that I just don't know about then I'd hate to waste my time. Preferably d20-esque.

I need the crunch more than the fluff.

[Garimeth]

A Phelani or Dorelaux campain of Ironclaw: StC would be interesting. The system of Ironclaw is amazing, and so is the setting... but people get thrown for a loop because everyone's a furry.

(the Phelani are celtic wolves, and the Dorelaux are pagen boars. just about everyone else worships the fox-jesus religion, though the horse knights (who are totally french) take it more serously than most.

Hmm I'll check it out, I don't think my group would be too keen on playing furries, but I could probably take some of the material, and then maybe just say that everyone in the setting are some type of "were" creatures without a hybrid form, and can shapeshift into their animal form a few times a day or something. That could be interesting in its own right actually.

[Garimeth]

Troll Lords Games Codex Celtarum.

Castles and Crusades is a d20-based fantasy RPG, easy to convert to and from 3.x and other similar d20 games. Codex Celtarum is specifically designed for Celtic gaming.

That may be just what I am looking for! Have you played it?

[Kiero]

I'm imagining a setting that is an island nation that is a cross of ireland and scotland. I want to use Celtic and Norse "myths" as the basis for the supernatural there. Magic would mostly be druidic, shamanic, and fey in nature and fairly rare. Tech level would be low, lacking even crossbows, and definitely no advanced sailing knowledge or teleportation magics. The only PC race would be human, with some type of magic heritage to give them access to racial abilities of other races (13th Age).

I can come up with the setting pretty well. What I really need is some kind of crunch to model custom classes on and mechanical effects for things like deals with a satyr, negotiations with a river spirit, and the like. I can make all this stuff myself, but if there is good material out there already that I just don't know about then I'd hate to waste my time. Preferably d20-esque.

I need the crunch more than the fluff.

If you want 13A crunch, my group has two custom classes, The Fury (a more complex Barbarian) and The Vanguard (a more complex Fighter with optional Warlord flavour) which might be useful to you.

[LibraryOgre]

I'm imagining a setting that is an island nation that is a cross of ireland and scotland. I want to use Celtic and Norse "myths" as the basis for the supernatural there. Magic would mostly be druidic, shamanic, and fey in nature and fairly rare. Tech level would be low, lacking even crossbows, and definitely no advanced sailing knowledge or teleportation magics. The only PC race would be human, with some type of magic heritage to give them access to racial abilities of other races (13th Age).

I can come up with the setting pretty well. What I really need is some kind of crunch to model custom classes on and mechanical effects for things like deals with a satyr, negotiations with a river spirit, and the like. I can make all this stuff myself, but if there is good material out there already that I just don't know about then I'd hate to waste my time. Preferably d20-esque.

I need the crunch more than the fluff.

Well, if you need the crunch more than the fluff, you probably are not as interested in Moonshaes, a 1e/2e FR supplement that describes just such a setting off the coast of Faerun. You might also be interested in the 2e supplement "Celt's Campaign Book", part of the historical campaign settings books.

That may be just what I am looking for! Have you played it?

I have not; I pledged to their Nordic Codex, but missed that one.

EDIT: I have played Castles and Crusades, itself. It's a good, fairly-old school feel of a game with a lot of new-style mechanics (i.e ascending AC and such). I find it to be very easy to run and play, and really easy to plug in other edition adventures... most of the conversion can be done in your head, and a lot can be run straight from the book. It is my second favorite D&D like, behind Hackmaster, and favorite if I need something that can be played fast, because it's a lot simpler.

[CombatOwl]

So I am looking for a game system

Fate.

or setting that has good rules, or fluff, for a kind of celtic setting. Faeries, witches, clans of warriors, etc. Something that has a built in way for players to interact with the Fae and/or spirits (spirit in a shamanistic sense, not ghosts and the like.)

Or Changeling: the Lost... Only really suitable for modern urban fantasy though.

My current system is 13th Age, so a slam dunk would be something that is compatible with d20ish systems, but I'm willing to overlook that. Also, preferrably something with only a moderate amount of crunch. I'm also to any extensive or well done homebrewed settings and mechanics (but not necessarily entire sytems), they need not be a a published setting.

Burning Wheel could handle a high fantasy version of that pretty well. Otherwise, Fate's a great choice for oddball settings of any sort.

[Knaight]

Burning Wheel could handle a high fantasy version of that pretty well. Otherwise, Fate's a great choice for oddball settings of any sort.

Burning Wheel actually works very well for low fantasy, grittier settings. It can operate just fine with no magic in it whatsoever - there is some content restriction regarding lifepaths (starting with not using the non-humans at all), but that's about it.

It's the moderate amount of crunch that makes it unsuitable for this. Burning Wheel is a seriously heavy system. I would consider Chronica Feudalis instead - it's extremely minimal on the magic, but there are a number of homebrew magic systems available, and it works beautifully for the mundane end of the spectrum.