This article is the first in a series of guides to building characters in D&D 5E. The plan is to get into some wackier character concepts further down the line, but we’re going to start with something simple (and, conveniently, right at the front of the Player’s Handbook): creating the most durable barbarian possible.
There are plenty of interesting ideas and novel approaches to adapting parts of the videogame to the tabletop, but The Witcher is tough as dragonhide and as intimidating as any wraith. But if you already love the series and are comfortable with simulationist RPGs, it’s a great way to forge your own stories in its dark, deadly world. Make no mistake, there is a lot to like about this game...
Many RPGs promise to let us do exactly what we want, but few of them achieve this goal quite as well as Open Legend. With a bit of effort this setting-free system can allow you to build everything from a band of medieval knights to off-brand X-Men, though this comes at the cost of a little more complexity than you'd expect from the average d20-based game.
Some RPGs are suited to telling a tight story, and some work best in a sandbox where players can explore and adventure as they please. The Elite: Dangerous RPG definitely falls into the latter category.
There are some role-playing games that aim to strip out complexity wherever possible - in the rules, in character creation, even in the setting itself. And then there are those like the Infinity RPG Core Book which choose to embrace it; to lean into a universe stuffed to the brim with backstory and try to lay down mechanics for everything it throws at you.
The quest for a truly universal RPG system has been bubbling away for decades, and while Genesys won't be to everybody's taste it certainly carves out its own niche in the middle-ground between lighter systems and their monolithic, crunch-heavy cousins.
An innovative means for one of Allesund's wealthiest and most powerful families to inspire trust in their bank's customers might just be your big payday.