The Witcher setting conversion

[Quickleaf]

As some of you may know I am a fan of the Witcher setting.

Well, now the world's greatest roleplaying game can meet the world's greatest monster hunter!

Check it out! This is a labor of love for me and I'd love feedback of all sorts.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0Z7ZsrO9VLBZHI1c1o1LTc2cFU/view?usp=sharing

 

[dd.stevenson]

Pretty cool.

My biggest problem, as someone who's only played the computer games and not read the novels, is that wizard magic in this setting is designed for narrative purposes and not for party-based gameplay. (The same as lord of the rings, really.) And that's hard to hack, because it's a setting fueled fundamentally by the inequality between those who enjoy the power of magic and those who do not.

I think if I were to run a witcher rpg, I would either ditch D&D and go for an indie-style narrative game, or I would run an all-witcher party--which is not such a bad option, since I really love what you did with the witcher class!

 

[Quickleaf]

[MENTION=6683099]dd.stevenson[/MENTION]

If you think about it, all of the mages in the books and the games are rather high level characters. There are no 1st level wizards in the story of the Witcher. Characters like Triss and Yennefer are, in D&D terms, easily 9th level characters and probably higher.

At the same time, look at the arc of Triss in Witcher 2 and 3. She is taken captive by soldiers in Witcher 2 and compressed via magic into a little statue. Later she is leading a desperate escape for mages being pursued by witch hunters in Witcher 3. That paints the image of a world where even a group of mighty mages have reason to fear the powers that be.

I think the key thing to remember is that if you were starting a group of players off at 1st level, for example, the mages would be freshly graduated from Aretuza or Ban Ard. They would not be prominent members in the Circle of Mages or Lodge of Sorceresses, at least not yet.

 

[dd.stevenson]

(snip) There are no 1st level wizards in the story of the Witcher.

But that's the heart of the concern--low level wizards don't exist in the fiction. If we put them in, how much of the setting will we lose? I think: a lot, because the power difference between the haves and have-nots is a fundamental theme fueling the darkness of this setting by blurring the difference between monsters and humans.

Sorry for raising a specter of the "simulating fiction with D&D" argument in your houserule thread! And if you like the feel of low level wizards in the witcher, then please disregard my concerns, as I haven't tested them with any kind of actual play.

 

[Quickleaf]

[MENTION=6683099]dd.stevenson[/MENTION]

No need to apologize! It's a valid concern.

Actually, it might make for a very interesting game if you started other characters at 3rd level (with maximum HP) and "mages" at 9th level (with average HP)! Horribly unbalanced until XP balanced out, yes, but it might help reinforce the themes about the power difference between those with magic and those without. The DM could throw either lots of lower-level challenges at the group or set up a two-fold encounters with one part for the lower-level PCs and one part for the higher-level "mage" PCs.

 

[Rod Staffwand]

I'm not up on my witcher lore, but I rather like the class. A bit complicated with lots of moving parts, but kind of what I wanted the 5e ranger to be. XP for you, sir.

 

[Quickleaf]

I'm not up on my witcher lore, but I rather like the class. A bit complicated with lots of moving parts, but kind of what I wanted the 5e ranger to be. XP for you, sir.

Yes, I built it to be about 4-5x bigger than other classes because I wanted groups to have the option of an all-witcher group without the characters feeling overly similar.

Anyhow, glad a few folks appreciate the conversion. Witcher fans seem to make up a very small segment of ENWorld. I will update this week with a more polished version with finished classes.

 

[SilentWolf]

I'm reading your conversion, this days.
I'm still at the beginning of your document, but so far I am thinking you have done a great job.

Specifically, I found several optional rules really useful. The "Weapon & Armor Breakage" is good idea, as the insert of the Circle of Elements in order to ensure Spellcaster with spell slots refresh. Another good idea is to give Cleric with Life & Nature Domain Herbalism Kit and Medicine, instead of heavy armor.
In general, Classes and Races have been presented with the right "witcher" flavor.

Now I have to read the Witcher Class.
For now I can't judge the whole Class, but at first glance there is already an issue: I don't know the Class balance, but it would be better if it has not dead levels (9, 13 and 14).

 

[Quickleaf]

I'm reading your conversion, this days.
I'm still at the beginning of your document, but so far I am thinking you have done a great job.

Gratzie mille!

Bear in mind that it's a work in progress. I've since worked out all the witcher schools and source sub-classes.

Now I have to read the Witcher Class.
For now I can't judge the whole Class, but at first glance there is already an issue: I don't know the Class balance, but it would be better if it has not dead levels (9, 13 and 14).

Well, they're not really dead levels.

Combat Superiority grants the witcher new maneuvers at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th levels.

Also, the witcher gains a new Sign at 14th level.

Not as interesting as other levels of the class, sure, but this is pretty much on par with the fighter's Indomitable feature.

 

[Quickleaf]

Ok, a big update!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0Z7ZsrO9VLBZHI1c1o1LTc2cFU&authuser=0

This includes the following completed classes:
Witcher (and 6 schools)
Source (a variant sorcerer for the setting)
Scout (a variant of the Unearthed Arcana spell-less ranger focused on reconnaissance)

Also a bunch of new monsters, and more coming.