WotC What anime franchises could be adapted into D&D?

[LuisCarlos17f]

I was thinking about how the crossovers with famous franchises could be a good hook to promote new followers. We have got a D&D-Stranger Things and D&D-Ricky & Morty. And why not a D&D-Legend of Zelda, D&D-League of Legends, D&D-Final Fantasy or any D&D-Capcom IP?

Not only Japanase anime, but speculative fiction from the different Asian nations, for example donghua (Chinese animation) or manwha (Korean comics). Of course lots of characters should be "nerfed" because you can't play with a 1st level Naturo ninja who can jump among the top of the trees, or a saiyan who can destroy a car with only one kame-hame-ha, or Pan, Son Goku's granddaughter, who could fly when she was still at preschool age.

Most of manga titles are only humans without other races, and even in videogames with leveling-up they can stop bullets from the beggining (soldiers with firearms in Final Fantasy).

We know a IP can't be a canon D&D world if Hasbro isn't the owner of the copyright, for example Conan the Barbarian. And we also need some explanation to justify intercompany crossovers, for example something like the demiplanes of the dreams, or the arkasha realm, created by the collective memories by sentient creatures from all the multiverse/omniverse.

I accept as suggestions franchises by Asian companies but with look of "Western fantasy", for example Golden Axe by Sega.

 

[ZeshinX]

Vampire Hunter D and Record of Lodoss War spring to mind right away for me.

 

[TwoSix]

Ideally, they'd aim for something a bit more recent to cater towards the Gen Z audience, which are currently the main consumers of anime. Looking at properties that would make sense to be adapted into a D&D milieu, I'd say:

Attack on Titan
One of the innumerable "real-life MMO" series, such as Overlord or Sword Art Online.
Full Metal Alchemist
I'd love to see My Hero Academia as a TTRPG, but I don't think it fits into D&D.

For anime-adjacent stuff, Avatar/Korra would be excellent. A Final Fantasy adaptation would be cool, but the series isn't really cohesive enough to boil down into a single book. It would need to be a specific game, I think FF 14 is probably the most D&D friendly choice there.

 

[Mirtek]

Given the recent discusssions, definately not Goblin Slayer

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Final Fantasy would be awesome. I'd go for a more generic approach with the more recurring races and creatures than a game-specific book; in which case I'm partial to Ivalice from Tactic, Vagrant Story, XII and XIV. Give me stats for Moogles, Viera, Seeq, Banga and Numu, a summoner class and maybe a Riskbreaker, White mage and black mage archetype. Add to that stats for a Malboro, flying bombs, Bigg and Wedge and I'm all set.

Same with LoZ.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Avatar will never be a D&D marriage. After seeing how 5e down and dirtied the way of the 4 elements monk, Avatar said, "Clearly you hate us with a passion normally reserved for liver and onion ice cream, so never shall we form a union!"

 

[Umbran]

And we also need some explanation to justify intercompany crossovers...

No, you really don't need any explanation.

I think you saw Stranger Things and Rick and Morty because those properties were very big at the time, and that drives sales. Do not expect WotC to pick up a property of the past, that isn't the subject of a major current media hit, and make it into a product.

Also note that the Stranger Things and Rick and Morty products were starter sets, not fully formed and detailed settings.

 

[jmartkdr2]

Crazy idea: I kinda-sorta want to run an rpg Isekai as an actual rpg, where not only the pc's but most of the npcs are fully aware of the fact that they're in a game that runs on the rules of Dungeons and Dragons.

Maybe tack in some mmorpg tropes while I'm at it.

 

[Bigsta]

Given the recent discusssions, definately not Goblin Slayer

Goblin Slayer is the best D&D anime since Lodos War, and I will never ever recommend it to anyone.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Final Fantasy would be awesome. I'd go for a more generic approach with the more recurring races and creatures than a game-specific book; in which case I'm partial to Ivalice from Tactic, Vagrant Story, XII and XIV. Give me stats for Moogles, Viera, Seeq, Banga and Numu, a summoner class and maybe a Riskbreaker, White mage and black mage archetype. Add to that stats for a Malboro, flying bombs, Bigg and Wedge and I'm all set.

Same with LoZ.

From the perspective of one character.

Cid's Guide To Final Fantasy!