Would you like to see any of the oWoD rules converted to d20?

[Lokishadow]

Well, Well, Well

I see the overwhelming majority don't really care. That's kind of how I feel, too. I may put together a Werewolf conversion (it's probably the easiest), and I've been working on a free-form magic system for d20 for a while. But, I'm not making a concerted effort to build a conversion, simply because of lack of interest, and I don't have the time...right now.

If I ever do get the time to work on a conversion, I'll make sure I post it.

For those of you interested in a free-form magic system for d20, I've been working on it for about four years now. I have some workable templates, but they need extensive playtesting, and they all have their flaws.

WARNING: mechanics rant

The problem in the creation of a free-form magic system is the level system used by d20. D20 has a flatline progression, based on level. You can only do this much, period. If you can't roll that high, you're SOL.

Conversely, a singel success in WoD will get you SOMETHING. It may not be much, but it's there. This makes it possible for anyone to TRY anything, but skews the success margin in favor of the Masters and Archmages. Basically, WoD has a probability bell-curve, whereas d20 has a binary (yes/no clause) flat line progression (if you draw it, it's a 45-degree angle). This creates all kinds of problems in the conversion, because lower-level characters just CAN'T do things that higher level characters can.

I am working on it, and I have a couple of possible solutions, but they bog the game down so much that it's not really worth playing. Don't like to roll handfuls of dice? Then your level 1 mage can't throw a fireball.

The other problem is the progression of difficulty itself. As I said before, a low level character simply can't attain any kind of high level roll, at least, not without complicating the rules to pointlessness. The other problem is skewing the power ramp-up of spells in d20 (9th level spells are roughly twice as powerful a 8th level spells, 8th levels = 2x 7th level, and so on). With the more mechanically practical formulae I've devised, a Fireball is easily available to a 1st level character, while a Wish is only attainable if you are about 40th level. And I don't know that many Epic-Level players.

END RANT.

Again, if anyone is interested, or has some last minute words, post or email me.

Thanks guys.
-Loki

 

[Voadam]

Which is counter to your experience? That players avoid combat, or that elders can be taken down with a bad role? Or both?

That the point of the game mechanics was for characters to avoid combat because anybody could get lucky against an elder.

Take VtM.

Players can heal with blood. Players can frenzy to ignore the penalties from wounds. Players can survive being killed by normal weapons and blows by healing up with their blood pools. Many of the vampire powers are directly applicable to combat, celerity, potence, fortitude, protean claws, blood spent to boost physical abilities, etc. Being overwhelmed in combat means you are at your enemies mercy, not dead. Many of the VtM modules involve lots of dangerous combats.

Vampire is designed so that players can survive combat in an anime or comic book fashion despite taking horrendous wounds. Even non combat designed vampire characters can survive dangerous combats.

 

[was]

I'd like to see Werewolf done.

 

[Shining Dragon]

No. I don't believe D20 can do the games justice.

 

[Kem]

I voted for 2 or more but with a small thing to add.

I would like to see them done because they introduce so much variety into them.

Vampires in the MM are kinda blah, in Vampire they are varried and mostly different.

So even if it was more a powers conversion I'd like to see that. The whole system overall has too "interesting" a probability model that it would be hard to convert. Open ended rolls would be a start though. (20 means add +20 roll again etc).

 

[frankthedm]

Freak Legion!

Though a low PL non heroic Mutants and masterminds might come close already.

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

Freak Legion!

Though a low PL non heroic Mutants and masterminds might come close already.

Totally Freak Legion. Best game they ever wrote. I had more fun getting torn apart by werewolves than I ever had playing the angsty furballs.

 

[frankthedm]

Yep, Call of Cthulhu bodycount, but YOU have the tentacles...

Currently playing a game where the PCs start as normals and become freaks. XP is on the fast and loose side, but you gotta live to get the XP. The storyteller wanted to test his WoD:Combat book.

Want a copy of the 4 page/ 11"x17" doublesided freak sheet?