Anybody played BESM D20 yet?

[blackshirt5]

How is it? I'm planning on starting up an anime campaign(don't have much of a clue on what it's gonna be yet), and the SRD looks cool, although I'm gonna pick up the hardcover.

But how does it play? Does it evoke an anime flavor? Is it good? I saw JGK's review on the Reviews page and I'm reading it now but I'd like to get another opinion.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Since you've read the review (have you checked out the ones on rpg.net? Linked on the review product descripton), you might want to check out the GOO website and check their forum. Lots of feedback there.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

I flipped through it a few days ago. Definatly would had bought it, but I had already picked up the last copy of Call of Cthulhu d20 so BESM has to wait...but it definatly looked very good.

 

[Sixchan]

I'll be starting an Animed RttToEE PbP over at Nukinland when the vB forums go up.

Can't wait to try out my new Magical Girl.

 

[paulewaug]

heh thats funny I was just plugging the system in your other thread about the Black Dragoon.
My overal impression of it is that it would suite your nees very well.
Are you looking at the actual book or the srd?
The book is great and is worth the price over just looking at the srd.

Unfortuanlty I have not got to actually play it yet, it may be a while before I get to, because we don't play very often and at least one of my players doesn't like to have very many characters going on at the same time. (Hey, she's new-I guess that's it?)

But overall it has a nice anime atmosphere IMHO.

Oh edit to say:
I would kind of recommend using the besm classes as they do the most for the setting. It is nice having the d&d classess broken down and balanced by them (this was done with them as they are in 3.0, making them very similar to 3.5 gaining things at levels where classes in 3.0 may not have. Sort of making the classes into "templated guidlines)"
But their own classess have everything needed and really go with the anime feel (of all types)

 

[thundershot]

I've got it, and I've got some players making characters, but I'm having a hell of a time getting it to work with standard d20. Some of the attributes are so fricking broken, and would work fine for an anime game without face/reach and squares, but in standard D&D or d20, forget it. I've had to alter so many attributes, it's not even funny. The point system is good to make a specific type of character, but after that I ask my players to take D&D or d20 Modern classes...



Chris

 

[drothgery]

That was my impression from the SRD (and from reading the reviews of SAS d20 last year). It seems like GoO really needs someone to send emails to the writers every morning that say

1. d20 is not a pure point-based system. Don't try and make it into one.

2. Don't replace standard d20 mechanics without an extraordinarily good reason. Making the mechanics more like your house system is not an extraordinarily good reason.

3. In d20-land, the balance gods will strike you down if you fail to heed their precepts.

 

[thundershot]

That was my impression from the SRD (and from reading the reviews of SAS d20 last year). It seems like GoO really needs someone to send emails to the writers every morning that say

1. d20 is not a pure point-based system. Don't try and make it into one.

2. Don't replace standard d20 mechanics without an extraordinarily good reason. Making the mechanics more like your house system is not an extraordinarily good reason.

3. In d20-land, the balance gods will strike you down if you fail to heed their precepts.

You know, you hit the nail on the head... I've been toying with the idea of taking the Anime SRD and making it more D&D/d20m "friendly". Taking the classes and giving them similar progressions, only made for D&D/d20m combat and rules, rather than the anime rules. Surely I can't be the only one who would love to use this for my D&D and/or d20m campaign.


Chris

 

[Krieg]

You know, you hit the nail on the head... I've been toying with the idea of taking the Anime SRD and making it more D&D/d20m "friendly". Taking the classes and giving them similar progressions, only made for D&D/d20m combat and rules, rather than the anime rules. Surely I can't be the only one who would love to use this for my D&D and/or d20m campaign.


Chris

You definitely aren't the only one. BESM has some great ideas, but some of the applications are dicey for D20 (especially combat). Apparently the reactions to SAS D20 didn't sink in enough over at GOO...

 

[Stormfalcon]

The one thing to keep in mind with BESM D20 is that it isn't geared towards mini combat in the first place. It's geared more towards abstract combat instead. In a way, this makes more sense for an anime setting since there are very few minis appropriate for them in the first place. Also, part of GoO's philosophy behind BESM D20 is that it not be combat-driven, so that aspect is understandable as well.

The lack of minis and rules/abilities for them doesn't strike me as a bad thing for BESM D20. If anything, I find it refreshing. It makes it less of a wargame and a little more RP-oriented. That's not to say that minis/tactical rules are bad, but sometimes they can be overdone and can bog things down. The biggest gripe I have with 3.5 is the overemphasis on minis, in fact. It's nice to take a break from that every now and then.