IN terms of character concept and creation, if you're going for a Berserk feel, you're going with the wrong system via D&D. The witch Guts meets latter on is more like a druid/shaman/spiritualist. Most of the 'boom' magic is extremely rare and usually comes about due to items.
Moon-Lancer said:
if someone wants to play a magic user I would surly let them, but I would have npc casters be a tad rare. True magic wouldn't be common knowledge (although fear of magic would be common). As the caster gets stronger through leveling, I would have people become more and more afraid of the caster (and in turn more violent)
So i think i know how to Handel magic users,
If allowing them, and Warlocks, Sorcerers, etc..., on the latter, you might want to start hinting darkly at the start of the campaign that their power is a legacy t hat must be paid for in blood (the Brand) when they acquire X amount of power or that as they grow in power, they'll attract attention of the wrong sort and either have new patrons or be dead. Kinda like how MERP did things with Spellcasters in I think the third age. Every time you cast a spell, there was a % chance that some thing noticed it and went to investigate. Midnight is another good system to handle that type of problem. High magic use is quickly noticed.
Moon-Lancer said:
but i don't want to shaft them on gold and magic items, so i have thought, Would VOP work? (the chart that is) if i take away the armor bonus and make a few different versions for different archetypes like fighters and casters, in turn they would receive little gold or magic items (but not a complete absence)?
If using straight D&D, use defense bonus from Unearthed Arcana along with Reserve Points. Use something like Legacy Items, Weapons of Legacy, from either Unearthed Arcana or Weapons of Legacy. This allows the users to gain more powers with a few items as they rise in level as opposed to having items that have to be upped in enchantments time and again via gold and XP.
In terms of feel, as long as you're not throwing a buncha supernatural mosnters at the players at all times, it shouldn't be too bad as monst of the time the non-magic weapons will be able to kill the 'lesser' foes so to speak. In addition, once the 'event' happens so to speak, the players might have to hunt down cold iron and silver.
Moon-Lancer said:
My favorite part in this manga I think was the band of the hawks and the iron chain knights and the tower of retribution. I really want to give the players a group of badguys that they can really hate, but at the same time, they might meet npcs that even though they hate them, they are really admirable.
IN terms of the Iron Chain Knights, they weren't introduced till latter and then they were quickly dispatched. For similiar 'evil'/good doers (at least in their own eyes), check out the Manga Priest.
Moon-Lancer said:
So could this work as long as the players know ahead of time?
I will check out that list and see how easily adaptable it is the d&ds rule set. I really dont want to learn a new game system (nor do i think i player would)
Black Company and Thieves World are d20 games with adaptations. Conan is an OGL game that's in essence a lower powered D&D game. Midnight is similiar. Iron Heroes might be a good match in making the players powerful without magic items but it's also a little more complicated than standard D&D in some ways due to the combat tokens and new combat options players have available to them.
