Sailor Senshi - Character Template or Class?

[Dark Evangel]

Hey!
I've been ruminating on this idea for a while, how to convert the Sailor Senshi (and baddies) into DnD.

The manga Senshi and enemies, anyway. :evil smile:

 

[Dark Evangel]

Err... Should have put in Conversions?

 

[Nyeshet]

There was a thread a week or two ago that pointed out that there is not much difference beyond fluff between a Warlock and a Magical Girl (such as the Sailor Senshi). They each have a powerful attack - and at higher levels can variate it a bit (different energies, shapes, etc) as well as gain some other useful abilities. They can take a lot of damage (DR, energy resistance), heal surprisingly fast at times (brief Fast Healing), etc.

The thread tapered off, but it eventually basically stated that a female Warlock - if the fluff was altered and if they took the Summon Familiar feat (or, if in a group, at least one had the feat) would basically be a Magical Girl. Oh, and if the AL was altered to suit the new fluff, of course.

Perhaps at first level the damage type of the Eldritch Blast is altered to fit each magical girl. Mars gets Fire, Moon gets the basic blast (thus not needing to worry about energy resistances), Mercury gains either Cold, Jupiter gains Electric, and Venus gains Piercing (as she tends, from what I recall, to be more of a Soulknife variant anyway). So Venus' is weak against normal DR/- and DR/piercing, but can ignore energy resistances like typical weapons. Moon's is weak against nothing really, while each of the others is strong against one element but weak against another (Mars vs fire type creature or vs a cold type creature, for instance).

It would need more tweaking, but it is nicely setup, I think. Their continual adventures build up their levels, and they moonlight (if you'll forgive the pun) as 'normal' kids most of the time.

If you want to make it odder yet, use Binders, with the benefits coming from the planets to which they are bound acting as vestiges. Perhaps there are several variant vestiges of each planet to define the various power levels. Or perhaps when they call out 'Crystal Makeup' or whatever they are binding to multiple vestigest of a single style / planet - thus explaining the increase(s) in power. As with Warlocks they increase in levels over time, gaining the ability eventually to be more powerful from binding more potent and simply more variants of the vestiges of their planets. You will have to create all new vestiges, however, and multiple ones for each planet besides. It would be easier, I think to simply use the Warlock idea.

You could also use a template, I guess, but considering the various differences between the magical girls you would need a different one for just about each one. Warlocks, if altered a bit, can suffice without that - just have each one choose a different style of eldritch blast at first level to suit their nature and at later levels limit their choices (or create new choices) to better suit their growing nature.

 

[Dark Evangel]

Yeah, I've seen the Warlock-variant for magical girls idea before and it probably works particularly well.

Hmmm... Now that I think about it would work really well, just add some unique Su or Ex qualities... *mumbles*

One problem, how their increased Senshi-form physical stats be shown? ^.^;

Could you explain about the Binders and vestiges please?

I've heard of them (are they from Magic of Incarnum, or am I mixing that up with soulmelds
-.-), but since I am lacking in the book(s) I don't know very much about them at all, it would be a great help!

 

[Nyeshet]

The Tome of Magic introduced three new styles of magic. One was the Binder. The Binder is best described by the stereotype of a person who summons fiends or spirits or otherworldly alien beings and makes Pacts with them for increased personal power(s). The Binder in the Tome of Magic could summon a vestige by knowing its specific symbol (a circle with lines, runes, circles, geometric figures that collectively somehow represent the vestige). By drawing this symbol on the ground and focusing on it for a while a vestige could be summoned.

In d20 a vestige is a formerly powerful being that is no longer of the universe due to some unusual event at their ending. Perhaps the being technically died, but due to being a deity / fiendlord could not technically die. The Paradox resulted in a vestige. Perhaps they betrayed their deity and was tossed out of normal Creation. Perhaps their power and will to live / return was such that the afterlife could not hold them and now they wander the barren emptiness beyond true Existence. Whatever the reason, these vestiges of former beings / powers are now no longer a part of Existence and can only experience it vicariously if someone calls upon them and is willing to Bind the vestiage to themself. Usually the Vestige offers / gives some aspect of the power it once held in exchange for this. If a (save?) is failed at the time of bonding, however, the Vestige has a stronger presense than merely looking out the Binder's eyes and otherwise experiencing reality through the Binder. Instead the Binder is altered by the vestige, gaining a physical or personality trait of the vestige.

One, for instance, caused the Binder to smell of Brimstone should they fail their save at the time of Binding. Another caused a third eye to grow, while yet another caused the Binder to have to make a Will save to resist any taunt, as the Vestige's personality influenced the Binder to automatically go after the taunter, and so on.

Different Vestiges were of different levels of power. Some could not be Bound until higher levels. Also, as the Binder increased in level they could Bind with more than one Vestiage, but some could not bare the presense of certain other vestiges, so the two could not be Bound simultaneously.

All in all it is a very nice system, and I intend to modify it to fit in with Fiend summoning and the 'gifts' / 'powers' gained from fiends. But I intend to make it more of a feat chain, with limits on what a Binder can gain from the Pact based on the type and number of feats taken. At lower levels only a minor Imp could be summoned, and its 'gift' is relatively minor - as is the penalty for failure of the save. At higher levels far more potent beings might be called upon, and the gifts they might offer could be vastly greather - but the penalties for failure would be similarly worse, if not fatal. Generally only NPCs would take the higher level feats, as I don't think most PCs would (or should) take such risks. It is all still in the idea phase, however, as I have to mesh it with other aspects of the system I am working upon.

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As I mentioned before, however, the Warlock idea works better, I think.

 

[Dark Evangel]

*nods* Probably would.

Though the senshi would technically only have one vestige each (their planet) and the summoning circle (?) would be permamently on thier bodies/spirits(?) even though its invisible to normal eyes 99% of the time (the symbols on thier foreheads).

 

[Nyeshet]

But if it is a single vestige how would you explain the later powerups? A higher level vestige of the same planet perhaps? But that would fragment the planets into several vestiges each.

 

[Dark Evangel]

It could be that the powerups were there from the beginning, but hidden by various layers of seals?

Like when the a Senshi's body could deal with the increase in power, the seal(s) break.

<.< >.>

For some reason I keep thinking of the Iris in Star Gate....

 

[Nyeshet]

That's not really how Binders work, but perhaps you could state that the Vestige has multiple levels of adaptability. At the weakest level it is barely bound to the Binder - only its minimal aspects 'shine' through, only its weakest powers can be used as the Bind is not strong enough to channel the greater powers. Similarly, the Binder is least affected by the binding to the vestige. Their change in personality, appearance, etc is quite minimal.

Later, once they are able to work a higher level Binding, they may make use of it instead, gaining more power at the cost of potentially be more greatly affected by the vestige (in appearance, personality, etc).

This could work well, I think. However, the Binder eventually gains the ability to bind multiple vestiges (even multiple higher level ones). If you are removing the ability to bind to multiple vestiges, then you might want to consider adding in some other abilities to make up for that. This will notably change the feel of the class however, as one of the core concepts of the class is the mix / match of vestiges - especially since some cannot both be bound at the same time to the same individual. (They were enemies in life, perhaps.) So the N/PC has to choose the abilities gained from this vestige over the equally attractive but different abilities gained from this other vestige.

 

[Rkhet]

Gentlemen, you are having a serious discussion about converting magical girls to d&d.

Only way this could get any more stereotypical would be if you were discussing it in Klingon.