D&D Sentai

[Admiral Squish]

Well, I had this idea this morning, and there's nobody in the house to share it with, so i thought I would share it with the playground, as you're likely to vaguely appreciate it.

Now, I know what you thought when you saw the title. You're thinking, say, colossal red attacks sharn and the adventurers fight them off, or something like that. On the contrary.

An amateur wizard has begun to animate D&D beasties from his monster manuals, and sets them loose upon the town. Our heroes are a Thursday-night game group who are gifted by a second wizard with the power to become their characters, as long as they have the sheets on-hand, and thus they fight to save all the Lv. 1 commoners of modern-day Los Angeles from the various baddies conjured by their mysterious BBEG.

I thought it was clever, at least, but now that I say it sounds a bit stupid.

[BRC]

That sounds like what I am from now on going to call an Autocliche. I don't think it's been used that often, but it sounds like somthing that has and would therefore be treated as a horrid cliche.

[Azerian Kelimon]

That said, with enough lampshading and subversion, that can be 20 different degrees of awesome.

And remember: To become the characters, the players must do a little tarantela dance. 'Cause nobody expects tarantela.

[AslanCross]

Fantasy Sentai Dungeonranger?
Well, if you do it right it could become pretty awesome.

[Rutee]

This is an awesome idea by definition and I am in full support of it.

[Ascension]

I like this. I agree with the statement about lampshading... if you do this, you pretty much need to do it as a three-quarters parody. The characters will be as genre savvy as the players, and the same goes double for the BBEG. The game needs to be constructed in such a way as to point out and play with the cliches of the genre and the flaws in the game. This is up to your players, of course, but I'd love to use the "knowledge is a trained only skill" thing as a running gag. Need to do mathematics in hero form? Sorry, when you're a D&Dranger, you've got to have ranks in Knowledge: Math.

Also, you need to handwave away the use of advanced technology somehow. Rule of Cool is the obvious reason, but you need to have an in-game reason in case one of your players wants to overoptimize with the firearm stats from the DMG or some stuff from d20 Modern or something.

[Rutee]

Aren't Firearms in the DMG 1D10 period?

[Ascension]

The "Renaissance Weapons" are very limited, but the "Modern Era" weapons get up to 2d10. That being said, the reflex save DC to avoid an automatic weapon is insanely low.

At higher levels, that really wouldn't matter, as most of the damage would be coming from non-weapon sources, but at low levels a 2d10 hunting rifle could be a good bit more effective than anything else available.

[Rutee]

Ah. you could just rule that the Dungeonrangers can't take Weapon Proficiency in Firearms

Also, important note; Sentai doesn't take itself seriously anymore (Assuming it ever did). Don't worry about it.

[sonofzeal]

Good idea, if done well. "Rule of Cool" applies heavily. Don't forget classic RP elements - encourage players to play players that aren't the same as the player themself.... if that makes any sense. Make the nature of their power important, by creating scenes where they need their power, but might not have their sheets (say, they're in gym class, or swimming). Give them opportunities to solve the problems without automatically reverting to their characters, by using what abilities they as humans have, combined with their encyclopedic knowledge of the game rules. Make use of the fact that the monsters follow D&D rules, but they follow IRL rules.

Yeah, sounds like it could work!

[Koga]

Power Rangers D&D?! Why didn't I think of that?! lol!

I demand we get a mecha ehh... I mean golem.


Green Ranger: Druid
Red Ranger: Warlock
Blue Ranger: Artificer
Pink Ranger: Beguiler
Black Ranger: Binder
Gold Ranger: Duskblade
White Ranger: Cleric
Yellow Ranger: Wizard


Bonus feats and bonus abilities to choose from for customizability. (No prestige classes)

[Admiral Squish]

I think they'd stick to their D&D weapons, since they're not proficient with modern weapons. Oh, and there's nothing quite like seeing an ogre barbarian rampaging through the mall on the tail of a juvenile black dragon.

Which brings up the question of what I should allow. Would monster races just be too far our there? would cross-gender things get too weird, too fast?

[Koga]

Oh, and there's nothing quite like seeing an ogre barbarian rampaging through the mall on the tail of a juvenile black dragon.

We should have a sentai team and another player group that's the main villains, finnaly I could play an ogre mage psychic warrior!!!!

[Ascension]

I'm not familiar with the d20 Modern rules, but you might want to have your players draw up a low-powered (NPC class?) d20 Modern sheet for their mundane form to accompany their D&D-statted Dungeonranger form (for stuff like sonofzeal suggested).

Oh, and the third-party Doom Striders sourcebook has some fun rules for magically-powered mechs. Sadly, by RAW, the crew space maxes at four, and that's only if your strider is Colossal, but you could handwave it a bit to fit the whole party into a single strider. Alternatively, homebrew some combination mechanics and let the Dungeonrangers each have a Huge doom strider of their own which can combine with the others to make a massive, uber DOOM strider.

NOTE OF WARNING: While I've read the whole thing, I've never playtested any of the Doom Strider rules, and I don't have an especially good eye for balance, so they may be too strong (although the DM should simply be able to counter this with another doom strider). I'd almost certainly ban the shudder fist weapon, or at least limit its applicability.

Sure, the Dungeonrangers don't really NEED a giant mech of doom, but it'd be awesome. Can't you just picture the Tarrasque vs. an enormous mech?

[Swordguy]

Are we allowed to say that this game of d20 is resembling anime too much now?

(That said, as long as your players know the genre, it'd be lots of different varieties of funny.)

[sonofzeal]

I think they'd stick to their D&D weapons, since they're not proficient with modern weapons. Oh, and there's nothing quite like seeing an ogre barbarian rampaging through the mall on the tail of a juvenile black dragon.

Which brings up the question of what I should allow. Would monster races just be too far our there? would cross-gender things get too weird, too fast?

Yes, they themselves might be proficient with stuff as humans, but their alter egos should adhere to fantasy standards as much as possible. Which provides some interesting options, where sometimes it might be better for them to be in their human body, so they can use that semiautomatic.

Monster races would be okay, but try to make it evident they're the "good guys". A Bugbear hero is going to create almost as much panic as the dragon he's chasing. Use "common sense" here, but don't be afraid to reflavour monstrous races to make them easier to use in the real world.

Cross-play is probably a bad idea though.

[Koga]

I'm not familiar with the d20 Modern rules, but you might want to have your players draw up a low-powered (NPC class?) d20 Modern sheet for their mundane form to accompany their D&D-statted Dungeonranger form (for stuff like sonofzeal suggested).

Close but not quite. We are mudane average joes untill the red douche says "it's morphing time!"

Then we use our ridicously sized morphers (how do we hide those things anyway?) and transform into our battle suits!

Infact I'd suggest all sentai be fighter class. Just differant magic weapons and armor. And we can use scrolls and wands without needing use magic device checks.

[Tengu]

Are we allowed to say that this game of d20 is resembling anime too much now?

(That said, as long as your players know the genre, it'd be lots of different varieties of funny.)

Sentai ain't anime - it's life action. And the maximum amount of camp you can stick into an anime series is basically the minimum requirement to even think of making a sentai series.

[Koga]

Cross-play is probably a bad idea though.

Unless you're running a power rangers in space type of campaign.

[RTGoodman]

I have no idea what sentai is, but I like the generic idea of regular people becoming D&D classes in the modern world.

A guy that was in one of my classes a couple of semesters ago was going to start a game with the same theme and I was all set to play an Archivist (since that's what I would probably be in real life anyway). Of course, then he informed us that he hates D&D 3.5 and only plays a heavily modified 2nd edition, complete with THAC0, but that also incorporates the few mechanics from 1st and 3rd edition that he likes. Needless to say, I didn't have anything to do with that game, if it ever got started.

[Rutee]

Sentai ain't anime - it's life action. And the maximum amount of camp you can stick into an anime series is basically the minimum requirement to even think of making a sentai series.

I wish I could claim I've trained you, honestly. You'd be such a fun protege.

[sonofzeal]

I have no idea what sentai is, but I like the generic idea of regular people becoming D&D classes in the modern world.

Sentai = Mighty Morphing Power Rangers, more or less. It's a peculiar type of Japanese live-action TV involving spandex costumes and ludicrous amounts of camp, where MMPR is merely the most successful western adaptation. If you want a truly excellent (and downright artful) Sentai film, try to get your hands in "Zebraman".

[TheThan]

Sentai ain't anime - it's life action. And the maximum amount of camp you can stick into an anime series is basically the minimum requirement to even think of making a sentai series.

True that
(space filler, please ignore)

[Xefas]

Interestingly, I actually ran a play-by-post with a similar plot a few years ago. A man in Oklahoma had picked up the Hand of Vecna by accident at a yard-sale, and it had corrupted him into summoning a tear in the fabric of reality that allowed a fraction of Vecna's being to manifest into the "Real World".

Of course, at the beginning, he's only a floating blob of energy that can't effect the physical world, and the Oklahoma guy is his metaphorical Dragon.

The first order of business? Go south, and invade Texas! Cut to a group of total strangers milling around the Dallas area after hours and suddenly BAM Ogres and Skeletons show up to wreak havoc. Everyone is fleeing for their lives, save for a select few...they feel a pull to a nearby alleyway where they are confronted by the Celestial Hebdomad (from the Book of Exalted Deeds) who give them their Power Rangerness and tell them to go start kicking ass for the sake of the world.

I had a Satanist Warlock, a Middle-Aged Hippie Druid, a young College-Bound Soulknife, a Tough Guy Bouncer Fighter, and a Drunken Surly Wizard.

It was brilliant while it lasted, but every D&D play-by-post game crumbles after a few combats, so we didn't get too far. When we stopped, a Werewolf was let loose in the UTA dorms and infecting everyone while the PCs tried to stop it without anyone discovering their true nature (since Vecna's servant would find out who they are and then butcher their families).

[Roderick_BR]

I shouldn't... but I'll say it.

Have all of them play rangers... then have all of them get the power attack feat...

*runs*

[Mad Maudlin]

I think they'd stick to their D&D weapons, since they're not proficient with modern weapons.

"Not proficient? What do you mean 'not proficient'? It's a gun! See this little button? It's called a 'trigger' and I'm going to pull it-woop..." *Shoots self in foot*

I would totally read this in comic form, or watch it in literal sentai form (as long as it came with the right balance of absurdity/irony)... Not sure I'd play it in DnD-campaign form, though. Something about having to play yourself in a high powered game - it'd be too weird.

[Toric]

Now, my question about a campaign of this nature is this: would the players get to come up with their own transformation battle-cry?

"Level-up! Guardian creatures combine!"
"Crab!"
"Nymph!"
"Dragon!"
"Tarrasque!"
"Kobold!"
"We are Monster Rangers! We will fight for justice!"

[Admiral Squish]

Hmmm... I'm gonna hafta look into the comic form. My brother said he would draw me a comic if I gave him some scripts...

[Lemur]

I am in full support of such a venture. However, there must be some way to incorporate robots/golems into the mix.

That sounds like what I am from now on going to call an Autocliche. I don't think it's been used that often, but it sounds like somthing that has and would therefore be treated as a horrid cliche.

It's not a cliche, it's a genre.

[Terraoblivion]

I too come out in full support of the idea. It gets even better with the total adherrence to D&D rules for their morphed form that others have suggested. There is one thing that is kinda interesting. What kinds of costumes should they have? Because it isn't sentai without the spandex costumes. And it would actually be kinda fun to have a spandex version of stereotypical D&D characters. I mean imagine a tight spandex suit version of a wizard robe and with a fake beard from the helmet.