Final Fantasy HERO

[Lisa Nadazdy]

I've been working on a campaign that will try to bring the best elements of the FF series to the table top.

What it is:

A unique game world
Uses ideas put forth in the FF series
Trys to keep the story driven elements as central to the campaign.
A more 'open-ended' campaign, where characters can have abilities and powers outside the realms of combat, and therefor be a more fleshed out and playable world.
Not hampered by restrictions set by the games, nor does it have some of the more strange quirks of videogames (no 99 potions, but carrying food might be helpful).
Not limited to a world smashing plotline. There's room for any sort of campaign.

What it isn't:

A direct translation of any of the FF games.
It doesn't try to copy the mechanics of the FF games.
---------------------------------
Because this is HERO, the flexibility allows any GM who uses the material to reshape things as they see fit. I feel the most important aspects is not accurate simulation, but the story and 'feel' of the FF series. Considering that Square see fit to change the mechanics and elements from game to game, my game won't be constrained to those things, either.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/final_fantasy_hero/

I'll be posting updates and goodies here, at least until I get my server back up and running.

[Zoth]

Sounds kelw.

My campaign I’m developing is inspired by final fantasy and other rgp along the same lines. The two most obvious features are my world has Magitek and a gem based magic system. Unlike FF thou magitek in my world doesn’t draw energy from the planet but lowers the mana level in the area over time. The gems that are used to cast spells can power magiteck thou the magic system itself is more inspired by R. A. Salvatores Demonwars Saga.

[C_Zeree]

Sounds like a good foundation for campaign design.

Zoth -
I've been futzing around with a gem based, at least heavy focus, magic system for some time. Only once I found FREd did I find a good mechanic. After a lot of tweeking I am still not that happy.

I've heard Demonwars Saga thrown around before, is it a good read worth picking up? Not only for story, but for "ideas" as well. Also, Fast Forward Games is putting out a d20 campaign line centered around it.

[ShadowRaptor]

Demonwars Saga is a cool read, probably better than some of his Forgotten Realms novels. I didn't know that there would be a d20 game for it, but if the setting is cool I would pick it up and then convert it to HERO.

Could you guys post what you have on Gem magic? I have been looking for a way to use something similar in my Star Hero game that will also have some elements of FF in it, and probably even more from the Xenosaga game just released.

[Zoth]

I agreed with ShadowRaptor Demonwars saga is real kelw. I like the first trilogy more then the second trilogy so far (the last book in the second trilogy is not out) thou I like both trilogy a lot. I didn't care for mortals too much it was the book that bridged the two trilogies and too me it kind of felt like it. Still with that said I have read a lot worse then Mortals. To till you a little of the series it is about a ranger named (hope I’m remembering this right hehe) nightbird and his struggles against The Demon who awakens during his lifetime. Rangers are humans that are orphan in the wild north and adopted and trained by elves. The church in the know realm is kind like medieval
Catholic but they train their monks to use martial arts. They also get these magic gems form a sacred island and learn to use them. They feel they are the only ones worthy of there use and they guard them jealously.

Originally posted by C_Zeree
After a lot of tweeking I am still not that happy.

What things where you not happy with?
Hehe could you give me some tips? I think our system sound similar.

Originally posted by ShadowRaptor
Could you guys post what you have on Gem magic?

Sure but I haven’t been able to do much work on my system yet still not sure exactly how I’m gone set it up.

Basically there are a few spells that don’t require gems to cast mostly enchantment spells, one of which is used to enchant specially made gems into magic gems called managen.
Managen gives the skilled user the ability to channel mana and cast spells. The amount of mana that can be cast and the power of the spell will be based on the mana level in the area and the quality of the gem. I’m thinking of the gem determining the energy reserve used and the mana level the active point maximum. There are a lot problems I have not work out doing it this way. The unique characteristics of the gem used to make the managen will determine what spells the managen has (kind of a random thing). The more powerful type of managen allows a mage to attempt to absorb the managen giving the mage the ability to cast the spells the managen had without any managen up to the active point maximum the managen had (of course the PC will have buy off the limitation and managen that can be absorb will be very rare).

[C_Zeree]

After I get home, and after taxes, finally, I'll try to get some formalized thought up here.

Righ now, some rambling...

Basicially all my foci (OAF/OIF) are Independant, this creates a focus trade among magi. An idea I like.
I have decent rules for creation, but it is implementation in game I am hung up on.

It seems most logical to use a VPP, with your standard magical lims (Concentration, Incantation, Gestures, I slap on 2xEND because Channeling is a taxing). The Focus and Independant go on the items themselves, not the VPP, symbolizing the uniqueness of each focus. This way a mage can have a list of foci in his possesion, and available at one time (around 5-6 for a 50 pt pool).

The hang up is the change time for pulling out a focus. For a VPP it says it takes around a minute to do, for no cost and no skill roll. But pulling out a ring/gem/figurine from your pocket or pouch shouldn't take that long. To do that though puts a +2 advantage on the Control Cost.

In the end, for game balance, I will probably leave the VPP as takes a minute to change, no skill roll required. Cosmic VPP's are evil...and for GM character's only.

[Zoth]

Let’s start a gem magic thread so Lisa Nadazdy won't get too mad at us taking over his thread

[Lisa Nadazdy]

Thread hijackers, neh? We don't take kindly to you terrorist lot in these here parts.

[C_Zeree]

I swear I can.

I'd be interested in seeing a take on FF summoning. All of its varied forms, (magicite of course a tie to gem interests). Particularily I like the spin in FF X . Fallen spirits, the idea of fiends in FF X, mesh together to come back to hinder or aid the living.
Temples built to house the spirits of great fallen warriors, and quests necissary to gain their aid.

Just brainstorming.

[Lisa Nadazdy]

That's one of the things I'm debating. Should summoning be a straight spell effect (EB, RKAs and the like) or should they be actual summoning of a supernatural entity to do your bidding? I'm leaning toward the latter, but I wonder if it's cost effective.

[C_Zeree]

Originally posted by Lisa Nadazdy
That's one of the things I'm debating. Should summoning be a straight spell effect (EB, RKAs and the like) or should they be actual summoning of a supernatural entity to do your bidding? I'm leaning toward the latter, but I wonder if it's cost effective.

If we're talking oldschool FF, summon Ifrit to do his firestorm spell, then I would say it is a straight effect. However if we are talking FF X, which I like a lot more because you control the Aeon (Is that the right name? So many: Eidolon, Aeon, Esper...), than that would be a summon. With probably slavishly loyal Adder tacked on.

However, I think it would be cool to do a mix of both:

Call upon the power of Ifrit to do a meteor strike like spell, or summon him when you are really in a bind and need heavy hitting power. Sort of a summoning MP.

Enjoy

[Zoth]

Another thing to consider is summonsing does not have to be the same magic system that mages use. It certainly appears this way in the game. Summonsing usually can only be performed by certain characters and usually take longer to activate.

[Lisa Nadazdy]

I want to set up a template of the 'Summoner', as well as other mage types, so i need to determine the kind of magic they do.

[Zoth]

I think what is need is to set the magic systems up in eras (game versons)

If you are talking about FF 1, 2 and, 9 (8 too many be haven’t played 8 yet, thou I have it ) then you are talking black magic being attack magic and such and white magic for healing and such. Summonsing being spell effect mostly.
If you are talking about 9 then summonsing are summon power.
If you are talking 3,6 then it kind gem based magic and 7 is kind of a charged based system.

It be kewl to do every eras eventually.

[Lisa Nadazdy]

I mostly want to base it around some of the framework set by FF Tactics, in that Summoning is a profession, just like Wizards and Priests are a profession.

Thematically, it's a lot like FF VI or FF IX. I would like to keep out a lot of the sci-fantasy stuff and limit the access to things like guns (unless the theme of the character revolved around guns).