D&D 5E D&D in the Grishaverse

[CubicsRube]

I was not expecting to be as enamored with Shadow & Bone on Netflix as I was, but I was immediately hooked and really looking forward to them expanding the universe in future seasons.

While watching, I couldn't help but feel that the Grisha powers would make for an awesome alternate magic system for a D&D campaign.

For those unaware, the types of Grisha (sorcerers) generally fall under:

Corporalki
The Order of the Living and the Dead

• Healers - 'nuff said
• Heartrenders - can affect others hearts and other organs to warm their bodies, excite or calm people, slow healing and even give people heart attacks
• Tailors - can change peoples physical appearances

Etherealki
The Order of Summoners

• Squallers - can manipulate air pressure to create wind strong enough to move ships, knock over people, and even dampen or heighten sound. They can also summon lightning
• Inferni - can enhance combustion - essentially a fire mage
• Tidemakers - can manipulate water

Materialki
The Order of Fabrikators

• Durasts - can manipulate inanimate objects changing them permanently. A 'crafter'
• Alkemi - Alchemists specializing in poisons and blasting powders

There are also a few other special characters who can manipulate other things such as light or shadow.

The key element to this is that none of the Grisha "create" anything. They only manipulate what is already present.

Another really cool element of the setting is it's set in a faux late Tsarist Russia, where arms technology is rapidly advancing (flintlock and early repeating rifles are found here) that the power of technology is rapidly catching up with magic.

If any of you were to go towards creating a setting for this, what would you put into it? I think clearly rules for firearms and detailing of Grisha powers would be needed. But how would you do this? And what else would you include?

 

[Faolyn]

(Note: I haven't seen the final ep yet, or read any of the books)

Materialki are Artificers. For everyone else, use either Sorcerers or Bards (I'd say player's choice), but with different spell lists that are specific to each type of magic. Plus, you'd have to create a bunch of new spells or convert them from earlier editions. I wouldn't try to include every spell in D&D, though--some magic just wouldn't exist in this world.

Since it's D&D, I'd probably have a wee bit of leeway with the type of spells allowed. Tailors might have more illusion and alteration magic, for instance (and clearly can cast spells like disguise self on other people) than they do in the show. Let Tidemakers actually create water and possibly give them some acid spells as well. Healers could have a touch of necromancy.

 

[CubicsRube]

(Note: I haven't seen the final ep yet, or read any of the books)

Materialki are Artificers. For everyone else, use either Sorcerers or Bards (I'd say player's choice), but with different spell lists that are specific to each type of magic. Plus, you'd have to create a bunch of new spells or convert them from earlier editions. I wouldn't try to include every spell in D&D, though--some magic just wouldn't exist in this world.

Since it's D&D, I'd probably have a wee bit of leeway with the type of spells allowed. Tailors might have more illusion and alteration magic, for instance (and clearly can cast spells like disguise self on other people) than they do in the show. Let Tidemakers actually create water and possibly give them some acid spells as well. Healers could have a touch of necromancy.

Great ideas. Thank you.

Definitely certain grisha would likely need some leeway with their spells (tailors immediately came to mind for me also).

Tidemakers could probably do cool stuff with a bottle of water (push it into someone's lungs to drown them, water whip, etc). Even inferni need to carry a flint or something else to create the initial spark.

Another part of the setting would be that being grisha doesn't preclude learning how to use firearms. So maybe tailors and duress and the like would be more inclined to be gunslingers.

Trick would be what would you give a 1st army/non Grisham character to balance out their lack of magic. I would lean towards class features like fighting styles that add to attack rolls or damage.

 

[Faolyn]

Deleted as duplicate. The forums don't like me tonight.

 

[Faolyn]

Another part of the setting would be that being grisha doesn't preclude learning how to use firearms. So maybe tailors and duress and the like would be more inclined to be gunslingers.

Trick would be what would you give a 1st army/non Grisham character to balance out their lack of magic. I would lean towards class features like fighting styles that add to attack rolls or damage.

Guns are probably easy enough that you could just let people be proficient in them. I mean, light crossbows are simple weapons; a pistol could be one as well.

Have you seen the Level Up playtests yet? They've included a ton of combat maneuvers--including some that would let you build Jesper and his trickshooting abilities (I do mean a ton; there's like 150 of them). You could use those maneuvers even if you didn't include any other aspects from LU. You'd have to look at the class playtest packets to see how many maneuvers each class gets, and when. However, only martials get maneuvers; casters don't, so that'll help to keep give your martials an edge.

 

[CubicsRube]

Good ideas again. Thanks!

 

[Raith5]

I agree that Shadow & Bone is good. I think you will need to develop rules around the way that Grishas can (greatly) enhance their power via various items and substances. This seems important to the show's story but also to the world.

 

[CubicsRube]

Yeah. I'm only across the series and not the books, but it does seem there's more complexity to uncover regarding amplifiers, merzost and the drug (can't recall the name)

 

[SehanineMoonbow]

I read all the books a few years ago. I adored the Six of Crows duology (which the Netflix series has kind of blended in with S&B). Considering it's fantasy and so is D&D...

 

[DoomDwarf_347]

Just binged the whole of Shadow and Bone on Netflix in one sitting and absolutely was enthralled by it. Immediately I want to run a campaign of the story arc from season 1, it is just so incredibly masterful. Went searching and found this thread, did you get anywhere with your work on this?