Quickleaf
Legend
Yeah, I've incorporated the idea of Playbooks, Scenario Packs, and Threat Packs. Basically this translates to random tables, using stuff from your characters to fill in certain tables, and some behind-the-scenes "event threat level" type stuff. Easy to adapt to 5e (or any game).
There's a couple things I like about it...
I like how Sense Magic is built into the mage class – which I've already sort of included in my homebrew Sorcerer for the game. I like how mages eschew spell levels & the division of cantrip/spell/ritual. I especially like how they make ability checks to cast cantrips (with failure meaning you choose between miscasting or exhausting your use of that cantrip until resting). And magic is generally less damage-focused...some spells are direct analogues to D&D spells...but others have a more fairy tale feel, such as:
[SECTION]Second Sight (Intelligence)
Using this cantrip allows the caster to see spirits of all
sorts: the dead, faeries, and demons of all stripes. This
cantrip only grants the caster the ability to perceive
these spirits; if she wishes to converse with them, she
must know their language.
A mage with this cantrip can also attempt to command
a spirit if she knows its true name. Rules for doing so
are covered on p.25 in the ‘Core Rules’ section along
with the rest of the information on true names.
Obscurement
Range: Self
Duration: 4 rounds/level
Save: no
With a simple gesture, the mage becomes hazy and
forgettable. She is difficult to see, and won’t be noticed
by most creatures. She receives +3 to any rolls for
sneaking about unnoticed for the duration.
Summoning (Intelligence)
Range: The Cosmos
Duration: Instant
Save: yes
The mage crafts a gateway into another realm and
calls a spirit. Any spirit may be called, though there
are some obvious reasons not to attempt to summon
a greater demon or one of the gods. The target may
make a saving throw, but receives a penalty equal to the
caster’s level. The target spirit is under no compunction
to obey the caster upon arrival.
Should the caster fail the ritual roll, it is very likely that
something else will come through the portal and into
the mortal realm. Good luck.
This ritual requires that the mage draw various intricate
circles and signs in chalk and call out the names
of the spirit which he wishes to summon. Knowing the
spirit’s true name gives the caster a +5 bonus to the
Intelligence test for the ritual, making him much more
accurate in his summoning.[/SECTION]
Beyond the Wall is more narrative (e.g. in terms of how distances are described as near/far & in terms of simple language for abilities & simple weapon stats), which I feel fits PbP & the Witcher setting. There's also a lower "power level" & de-emphasis on combat (as well as slower healing rules), which I thinks suits the sort of pacing we have – which is more like a fantasy novel, and less like a dungeon crawl. But I can kind of convey that from behind-the-DM-screen, so to speak, even in 5e.
I like the collaborative setting building aspect. Maybe a bit trickier to incorporate in an established setting of the Witcher, and requires a certain amount of player buy-in, but I thought it was cool.
I like the emphasis on True Names - those have a real fairy tale feel to them. Allies who know your True Name can utter it to grant you bonuses or restore you to your true form. True Dwarves have a bit of a "Rumplestiltskin" vibe, where their True Name can be a real vulnerability in the hands of an enemy.
The "Traits" (BtW's version of Feats) include things that are mechanistic like 5e's feats, as well as things that are much more story-based, for example:
[section]Pure of Heart
This character loves his friends and comrades and would
never betray them. No mental control of any sort can
make this character harm his allies, important characters
from his background, or the other PCs.
Insight
This character has the frightening ability to look into
another’s soul. When this character first encounters any
important creature with a true name, she may spend a
Fortune Point to gain a 1 in 12 chance that the creature’s
name will come to her that night in a dream.[/SECTION]
While there are nowhere near the variety of monsters as in 5e, I do like how BtW has guidelines for making unique demons, dragons, and goblins. That philosophy fits the Witcher setting with each monster hunt being a unique experience.
