D&D 5E DARK SOULS' New 5E Mechanics

Steamforged Games released their first look at the 5E mechanics which will be powering their upcoming Dark Souls tabletop RPG, based on the video game. The game will be available for preorder next week with a release date in March.

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Steamforge say they "cut 5E to ribbons before reanimating it", which implies some fairly extensive changes to the system. Here's what they highlighted:
  • Position. Position combines 'health' and 'stamina' (two things in the video game). It measure health, but it's also a resource you can spend to boost die rolls or use special abilities. Presumably, this means that hit points have gone by the wayside.
  • Bloodied. A mechanic from D&D 4E, a creature is bloodied when it hits half Position. This can trigger bonuses and new abilities.
  • Magic. Vancian magic is gone entirely. Instead is a flexible system drawn from the video game. You have attunement slots, and spells take up a number of slots. Some require Position to cast or boost.
  • Death. At 0 Position you die. No saves. However you then respawn. But each time you die you lose part of yourself; it's not specified what that means exactly.
https://steamforged.com/blogs/brands/first-look-at-new-mechanics-in-dark-souls™-the-roleplaying-game
 

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Interesting stuff! Though, the magic system sounds like it's directly out of DS1. But I get the need to pick just one game to primarily focus on.

Limiting rests to only at bonfires is one way to keep PCs from alpha striking!

So, it seems like, according to this interview, that this Dark Souls TTRPG will focus mostly on Dark Souls III. Yhorn the Giant was mentioned as being in the book as well.
Also: All Short and Long Rests are done only at, of course, the Bonfire. The DM has sole control over how many Bonfires are in play.

 

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doctorbadwolf

Heretic of The Seventh Circle
I know right?

But then again, my warlock was one-shotted by a banshee the other night, and it wasn't even a "boss" battle. So...par for the course I guess.
My rogue/wizard got a very good reminder of the trade offs of multiclassing last week, when he was almost one-shotted by a behir’s breath weapon. The DM rolled pretty high, I made the save, and used Absorb Elements, and it still took 20-something HP, which is over a third of my total.

On the one hand, I’d have evasion and more HP if I were pure Rogue. On the other hand, absorb elements made up most of the difference and I later got the kill shot with booming blade attack with a shadow blade.
 

Weiley31

Legend
So, Weapon/Armor Proficiencies are OUT!! ANY of the 10 classes can use ANY equipment in Dark Souls: TTRPG. (Which they state that the Equipment/Item section of the book is so large, it could be its own whole book!) As long as anybody can meet the STR requirement, your mage can go for broke with its Super Heavy Armor and Weebo Fighting Magic Katana Blade.

 
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Tales and Chronicles

Jewel of the North, formerly know as vincegetorix
So, Weapon/Armor Proficiencies are OUT!! ANY of the 10 classes can use ANY equipment in Dark Souls: TTRPG. (Which they state that the Equipment/Item section of the book is so large, it could be its own whole book!) As long as anybody can meet the STR requirement, your mage can go for broke with its Super Heavy Armor and Weebo Fighting Magic Katana Blade.

Hell yeah!

That's how I do in my most recent games anyway. You wizard has a STR of 15? Wear your heavy armor and a 2h-sword if you want. You're still not getting extra attack though. Its not like a full-caster toting full plate and a maul is unheard of.
 

I'll be sure to drop lots of loot that people don't have the stats for. Like, why do I get so many Balder Side Swords when I'm running non-Dex builds?

So, Weapon/Armor Proficiencies are OUT!! ANY of the 10 classes can use ANY equipment in Dark Souls: TTRPG. (Which they state that the Equipment/Item section of the book is so large, it could be its own whole book!) As long as anybody can meet the STR requirement, your mage can go for broke with its Super Heavy Armor and Weebo Fighting Magic Katana Blade.

 

Weiley31

Legend
Going by the STR requirement logic of this book, the equipment section would be super awesome for STR focused DND PCs if ya port it over.
 

Weiley31

Legend
Looks like Nerd Immersion sent a Preview set for the Dark Souls TTRPG. So far an intro and will have more clips for it when he can. As it come to no surprise, the one big thing he mentions is that there are "no races/heritage/whatever" in it and everybody is just Unkindled Undead.


The funny part about no races though, since Animal Adventures was done by Steamforged Games as well, you can technically have, DM fiat of course I would assume, a Great Wolf Sif style PC or even an Alvina of Dark Root Woods style cat PC if you wanted since such things have been shown in Dark Souls before. Also, Dragonborn would also work since there was a Covenant in Dark Souls 1 called, Path of The Dragon, that pretty much turned your upper half into a Dragon Thingie. Likewise, Dark Souls 3 had the Dragon Torso Stone item that pretty much did the same thingish.
 





Jaeger

That someone better
Steamforge say they "cut 5E to ribbons before reanimating it", which implies some fairly extensive changes to the system. Here's what they highlighted:
  • Position. Position combines 'health' and 'stamina' (two things in the video game). It measure health, but it's also a resource you can spend to boost die rolls or use special abilities. Presumably, this means that hit points have gone by the wayside.
  • Bloodied. A mechanic from D&D 4E, a creature is bloodied when it hits half Position. This can trigger bonuses and new abilities.
  • Magic. Vancian magic is gone entirely. Instead is a flexible system drawn from the video game. You have attunement slots, and spells take up a number of slots. Some require Position to cast or boost.
  • Death. At 0 Position you die. No saves. However you then respawn. But each time you die you lose part of yourself; it's not specified what that means exactly.

Ok so they are making real rule changes to make the game more evocative for Dark Souls... And they currently show "5e Compatible" on their product mock ups in their promotional shots

Which I think is fine.

But to play a little devils advocate:

Back in the 5e Symbaroum thread I was told in no uncertain terms that what I was Hoping FL would do with their "5eish" version of Symbaroum would not make it 5e Compatible anymore.

Specifically:
@Jaeger: with respect, if you don't want to play in Middle-Earth (or Symbaroum) using the "D&D mold", then don't buy a 5E-compatible ruleset...?


How much System Drift can a game like Dark Souls have, and still call itself "5e Compatible" ?

Asking for a friend...
 



Weiley31

Legend
Keynote in this blog: Bosses, like Players, can use Position to tweak their dice rolls.

PC: Oh sweet: The boss, Gundyr, rolled a 19. He needed a 20 or higher to hit beat my AC.

Gundyr proceeds to spend one Position to change his dice roll from a 19 to 20.

DM: Oh sorry PC, you died.

 

Weiley31

Legend
Also: in the boss blog, it seems like Gundyr, is capable of always acting first in the Initiative order. This could potentially mean that ALL Bosses in Dark Souls TTRPG always go first at the start of each combat round.
 


TheSword

Legend
Also: in the boss blog, it seems like Gundyr, is capable of always acting first in the Initiative order. This could potentially mean that ALL Bosses in Dark Souls TTRPG always go first at the start of each combat round.
That is such a great move. I’ve lost count of how many cool bosses have ended up going last and then lost 1/2 their hp and are playing defensive the rest of the combat.
 


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