Thoughts on using BESM d20 for Digimon

[Bulwer]

I was right in the middle of the target audience when the dub of Digimon Adventure (1 and 2) aired on American TV, and I really enjoyed it. I've been thinking about how best to translate the feel of the show to tabletop roleplay, and here's what I've got. I'm unsure about a lot of things, especially the point values involved, so I'd love input, especially from people who've played more BESM d20 than I have. (that is, about 2 sessions)

The Digidestined kids shouldn't be very powerful at all, I think. 40 discretionary points might be too much, as that is supposed to be "low-powered" if they're the ones actually doing the work. Maybe 30 points?

For classes, I was thinking of allowing Adventurer, Martial Artist, Ninja, Samurai, Student, and Tech Genius. Notice: no Pet Monster Trainer. That's because the Digimon aren't really a 'class feature' of the Digidestined as much as they are a separate character. Taking 'Train a Cute Monster' should certainly be an option, though.

The Digimon should be, as the Pet Monster attribute suggests, Adventurers. Their Race should maybe be important: Virus, Vaccine, or Data, or maybe some more physically descriptive categories instead.

For the various ranks, here are thoughts on the point totals they should be made from.

{table]Fresh | 10 points
In-Training | 15 points
Rookie | 30 points
Champion | 60 points
Ultimate | 100 points
Mega | 200 points[/table]

Digivolution is the most important thing that's not covered by the BESM d20 book. I was considering a system that keeps track of Hunger and Morale to determine whether they can Digivolve, combined with the sort of fun plot token items like Crests for the higher levels. Since BESM d20 uses Fate Points, I'd say that spending one of those should be mandatory, at least for the first time a Digimon hits a certain level.

If this would ever see play, there's a lot of prep work that would need to be done constructing Digimon from points. If that work were distributed to a whole party, I'd worry about losing the fun sense of wonder that came from seeing a new form emerge when it was most needed. I'm not sure how to avoid that, but I'd love suggestions.

Does anyone have any thoughts as to how to make this work? I'd love any input, even if it's just a voice of support.

[DracoDei]

Is the feel of the show that a given form will always be at its most cool when it first appears, and later will be slightly less awesome it its use? If so, let them make stuff up on the fly under a generous cap, then after that battle or play session is over, have them sit down and actually stat out the actual powers for long-term use. This should be in the general direction of powers they made up on the fly of course, and those powers should have at least some sort of precedence in the previous forms' powers. If this means that it should require more than 1 fate point to digivolve to a new level for the first time, then so be it.

[Bulwer]

I'd hesitate to just handwave things like that, as combat will be normal d20 style, and not something more freeform. (Well, maybe a little more freeform. BESM is pretty loose in feel.)

I got the impression that the new forms were about level in power through their existence, and got less effective as the enemies grew more powerful.

[ninja_penguin]

If possible, I'd suggest taking a look at BESM 3rd edition if you can get it. I've got the d20 book and while it's nice and loose, when you graft a loose system (tri-stat) onto a more structured system (d20), it's very VERY easy to break the system.

Although I've found that keeping a watchful eye on the player through ANY Tri-stat/dx system is a good idea to keep somebody from spending points on an attack that can destroy the world.

[Bulwer]

If possible, I'd suggest taking a look at BESM 3rd edition if you can get it. I've got the d20 book and while it's nice and loose, when you graft a loose system (tri-stat) onto a more structured system (d20), it's very VERY easy to break the system.

Although I've found that keeping a watchful eye on the player through ANY Tri-stat/dx system is a good idea to keep somebody from spending points on an attack that can destroy the world.

I think I can dig up a copy of BESM 3rd... somewhere. How is it in play? Does it work for big monstery combat on large and small scales?

[Behold_the_Void]

You know, I've got an anime tabletop system that works perfectly for Digimon if you don't bother with the two basic "baby" stages and start at rookie. I can send you a file if you want, it's a level 1-20 system with inherent temporary alternate forms that give a power boost until end of battle, exactly like a Digivolution. It's level/point hybrid too so it's pretty flexible.

[Bulwer]

You know, I've got an anime tabletop system that works perfectly for Digimon if you don't bother with the two basic "baby" stages and start at rookie. I can send you a file if you want, it's a level 1-20 system with inherent temporary alternate forms that give a power boost until end of battle, exactly like a Digivolution. It's level/point hybrid too so it's pretty flexible.

Sure, I'd love to take a look at it!

By the way, I found a copy of BESM 3rd that I can look at, so I'll see about that, I suppose.

[Behold_the_Void]

PM me an email and I can send it over, it's still a work in progress but it's in beta and made for eventual publication.

[ninja_penguin]

I think I can dig up a copy of BESM 3rd... somewhere. How is it in play? Does it work for big monstery combat on large and small scales?

In play, I liked it a lot better then previous editions. It gives you specific milestones (i.e. if I decide that we're in the heroic tier of things, no attribute is over X, you get a range of points from [making these up] 50-150 points to make your character with, etc), the rolling is similar to d20 (you have a TN, which is functionally equivalent to a DC), and skill integrate easier.

The only hiccups I've had when using the system is properly pacing advancement, and properly balancing opponents, but I've been bad with this in BESM in general, and I think it's a failing on my part then the systems, but your mileage may vary.

As for scale, it can work if you have enough room at the table for the biggies, if you plan to have little people and big people out at the same time. otherwise you can scale things up or down as required pretty easily, in my experience.