WotC What anime franchises could be adapted into D&D?

[jmartkdr2]

None. None shoe-horned into D&D

TTRPG based on anime is an entirely different discussion. Full Metal Alchemist, Attack on Titan, My Hero Academia - I've watched all of, or most of those because of my kids. My son ran a free-form improv rpg for us based on Naruto & we had a lot of fun with it.

Not even the ones that were originally DnD campaigns?

Although in general I agree - DnD isn't quite flexible enough to recreate a specific show unless the show is DnD-based, at least not easily. Naruto DnD is either going to play like DnD or play like Naruto, but can't do both (without becoming a different ttrpg).

 

[jmartkdr2]

I think it would be easier to add anime elements to a DnD game than try to do a specific anime in most cases. The main things I think (off hand) you'd want to do differently:

1. Exaggerate. Anime tends to be very unsubtle and over-the-top compared to traditional Western fantasy. For an anime feel, make every description more extreme than usual. Giants are massive, rogues are blindingly fast, barbarians are unstoppable, fireballs create huge explosions - nothing should be big when it could be huge. A solid example is Cloud's Buster sword - that's a greatsword in anime. Something 4.5 feet (1.4 m) long isn't big enough. This should apply to emotions as well - all the pc's should feel big feelings and express them (and move on quickly) - don't be subtle or restrained about it. 'Upset' means bawling your eyes out, happy characters jump for joy, etc.

(You could add some mechanical expression to this by multiplying all the hit point and damage numbers by 10, but that might be confusing.)

2. Japanese content and/or worldbuilding. Most of the classes shouldn't get more than a re-fluff, but I would definitely look into Japanese mythology to create new monsters/itmes/locations. For worldbuilding, even if it's not set in Japan adding a few Japanese cultural elements can reinforce the anime feel in a small but persistent way. Of course this should be done with sensitivity, but if you aren't publishing that's not actually hard to pull off.

3. Eastern storytelling. I don't want to write a whole thesis on this here, but eastern storytelling uses different structures than western storytelling, and researching these differences and figuring out how to incorporate them (if at all for those of us who don't like to plan stories in ttrpgs) can add a deeper layer of anime-ness than any amount of surface changes.

The only actual mechanical change I could see being "needed" would be armor - anime characters typically don't wear armor, and even when they do it isn't much. Of course you could just call two shoulder pads and a pair of boots "full plate" and call it a day. It depends on where you draw the line with refluffing.

 

[wicked cool]

Attack on titan could be a good conversion along with the last airbender (that count as anime?)

 

[Minigiant]

The only actual mechanical change I could see being "needed" would be armor - anime characters typically don't wear armor, and even when they do it isn't much. Of course you could just call two shoulder pads and a pair of boots "full plate" and call it a day. It depends on where you draw the line with refluffing.

Anime clearly uses the Parry/Dodge class based AC system.

Gourry only uses two shoulderpads and a pec-plate. Not even the whole chest.

 

[jmartkdr2]

Anime clearly uses the Parry/Dodge class based AC system.

Gourry only uses two shoulderpads and a pec-plate. Not even the whole chest.

I wrote up a homebrew option for getting AC form weapons - it was 11+ weapon's attack mod for simple weapons and 12 + WAM for martials. I playtested it and without a reason to not wear armor adding it in didn't change anything.

Weapon's attack mod = the modifier for the ability score you use to make attacks with the weapon.

 

[Minigiant]

I wrote up a homebrew option for getting AC form weapons - it was 11+ weapon's attack mod for simple weapons and 12 + WAM for martials. I playtested it and without a reason to not wear armor adding it in didn't change anything.

Weapon's attack mod = the modifier for the ability score you use to make attacks with the weapon.

I speculated an Parry AC option that let you use Strength or Dexterity for AC and add Armor category (+1/2/3), Armor Quality (+0/1/2) Weapon category (+0/1), and Shields into a AC bonus.

Basically comes ups wit the same math.

 

[Azzy]

the last airbender (that count as anime?)

Technically, in Japanese the word "anime" refers to any animated medium regardless of origin, so yes it does count.

In the States and some other Western countries, the word is explicitly for Japanese animation only. So, in that context it wouldn't count.

¯\(ツ)/¯

 

[MichaelSomething]

How convenient that Funimation recently published "Best Anime for Dungeons & Dragons Fans."

One anime that they mentioned that we didn't was Fairy Tale. That would be an easy fit!

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Thanks for your answer.

My idea was about Asian franchises could be adapted into D&D, not only Japanese anime, but also Korean manwha or Chinese manwha or donghua.

Most of titles are based in our real life, or in a fantasy world where only humans are the sentient specie, and we know most of characters are practically superheroes who could defeat epic monsters in a 1 vs 1, but the franchises from videogames with leveling up.

Most of no-humans races in the Asian fantasy are the "kemonomimi" or animal-ears, humans with animal traits.

 

[Marandahir]

Insert obligatory post about how Lodoss-tou Senki started as an actual D&D (BECMI) game that was serialized in a magazine as a sort of a "hey check out this new thing" to their readers. And how it became really popular and turned into a light novel series. After which, the creators wanted to release it as a licenced D&D setting in Japan (and TSR, being stupid, declined) so they instead created their own system for it. And then there's that whole anime.... And, well, that story's been done to death.

That said, the DM/author's spiritual successor series, Grancrest-tou Senki is NOT based on an actual D&D game, and would be a fantastic choice to adapt into a D&D setting, too. I think the ideas behind the crests would be a very interesting mechanic to work into the game in an interesting and different way; maybe akin to Dragonmarks, and also akin to a Swordmage's Aegis or a Bard's Inspiration, but at the same time, it's own thing. I could really see it be a different take on the Birthright style game with a major focus on leading armies and ruling domains. People might call it Fire Emblem the RPG though (to be fair, Fire Emblem has made a whole franchise of gimping Lodoss, so Grancrest gimping from Fire Emblem is coming full circle).

But while I'd love a Grancrest D&D setting, and while I really enjoy the original Sword World RPG (more so than 2.0), and while Rune Soldier Louie was a fun and silly take on adapting a different area of the world in the campaign setting, I'd STILL love to see an official Lodoss D&D setting.

There's something really special about Lodoss for D&D players. Outside of Miyazaki's work, it's probably my anime favourite series to this day (both OVA & tv versions), and has reverberated through my life. The moment I booted up that show the first time, it gave me goosebumps I hadn't had since my childhood viewings of films like Flight of Dragons or The Dark Crystal. It's truly magical.