Bulwer
2009-05-28, 07:44 AM
Okay, here goes: I'm working up a Digimon BESM game, based on 3rd edition. This is pretty much an exercise in notalgia (it's been 10 years since the show came out) and I'm going to try to get the same feel of the first two seasons of Digimon.
Obviously, the setting and premise changes from season to season of the show. I've only seen the first two in any sort of completeness, but a set of rules could certainly apply to any of the however-many settings there are, or a homebrew campaign with all-new plot tokens and merchandising opportunities.
Part 1 - The Digidestined
The Digital World is in peril! Lucky for everyone, there's a group of 11-year-olds that are fated to save it.
Power Level: Human (100-149 points)
Digidestined should generally only be awarded Advancement Character Points for the achievement of major goals and character developments.
Body should probably be no more than 3, unless you want to represent an unusually physically capable child.
Mind could be anywhere from 2 to 7, representing a range of abilities within the group. No one ever said these were realistic 11-year-olds.
Soul could be anywhere within the human range. It is a likely way to spend Advancement points to represent personal growth.
Using the Less Capable [Stat] Defect is a good way to show the limitations of a character, and to provide room for them to grow, even if they are otherwise excellent in a stat.
Attributes should be selected with the relatively mundane nature of the Digidestined in mind. Aura of Inspiration would be suitable; Invisibility would not. Attributes that allow you to avoid enemy attacks are fine, and allow for a little more daredeviling. Note that Digidestined do not need to have the Companion Attribute.
Skills are bought as per the table on page 89 under "Modern Day Animal Adventures," except that Acrobatics and Wilderness Survival have their costs lowered to 2. Select Skills based on what your character could reasonably know or do, and keep in mind what would be useful in the setting: for example, Demolitions is probably not very relevant.
Defects are at the discretion of the player and GM, with the same stipulations as with Attributes and Skills.
Templates may be useful as a guide to creating characters. Adventurer, Student, and Tech Genius, among others, are quite reasonable, though you may have to tone them down in order to afford them.
Part 2 - Digimon
Each Digidestined acquires a partner Digimon. Additionally, most antagonists and other NPCs will be Digimon as well.
Digimon are divided into 6 (or more!) categories based on their power level. The categories can overlap in power level: a very powerful Champion might be tougher than an Ultimate.
Fresh Digimon are just hatched out of Digi-eggs. They can barely talk or move, but they enjoy interacting with others.
In-Training Digimon are still physically inept (many have no legs), but they can hold conversations, fight, and hop around quite competently.
Rookie Digimon are fully grown. Most partner Digimon spend most of their time in this category. They have useful attacks and abilities, and are sometimes quite intelligent.
Champion level is when the cool things start happening. Though Champions vary greatly in size, all of them have significant combat power, and some can fly, carrying Digidestined with them.
Ultimate level is when things start getting ridiculous: cyborgs, giants, massively powerful attacks: this is as high as almost all non-partner Digimon ever get.
Mega is just an excuse to go nuts. Save it for the boss fights.
Digivolution is the process of moving upwards from one category to another. Digimon will often get up to Rookie, and sometimes to Champion, on their own. The Digidestined's partner Digimon Digivolve temporarily in times of need, returning to a lower form when the battle is over.
This needs custom rules to describe it and provide a system for it. Likewise, the categories need point totals as guidelines. A high priority is the range of levels from In-Training to Champion, as that is where a lot of the cool things happen.
Part 3 - Game Structure
This is up for discussion. I like the interaction between a Digimon and their partner, so I don't think that a player should control both. However, that would be a lot of work for the GM, and would rob the player of control.
In combat, the player should certainly control the Digimon: perhaps out of combat, other players could take on the role? It might get cumbersome, though.
I've been re-watching the dubs of the series that aired on Fox Kids back in the day, and I think the one-encounter-per-episode thing would work well for a tabletop game. Splitting up the party is viable for character development and to keep one party member from hogging the spotlight.
All of this is just a draft, and an incomplete one at that. I'd love input from people that watched (or do watch) the show or played BESM 3rd. Would you enjoy playing a game like this?
Obviously, the setting and premise changes from season to season of the show. I've only seen the first two in any sort of completeness, but a set of rules could certainly apply to any of the however-many settings there are, or a homebrew campaign with all-new plot tokens and merchandising opportunities.
Part 1 - The Digidestined
The Digital World is in peril! Lucky for everyone, there's a group of 11-year-olds that are fated to save it.
Power Level: Human (100-149 points)
Digidestined should generally only be awarded Advancement Character Points for the achievement of major goals and character developments.
Body should probably be no more than 3, unless you want to represent an unusually physically capable child.
Mind could be anywhere from 2 to 7, representing a range of abilities within the group. No one ever said these were realistic 11-year-olds.
Soul could be anywhere within the human range. It is a likely way to spend Advancement points to represent personal growth.
Using the Less Capable [Stat] Defect is a good way to show the limitations of a character, and to provide room for them to grow, even if they are otherwise excellent in a stat.
Attributes should be selected with the relatively mundane nature of the Digidestined in mind. Aura of Inspiration would be suitable; Invisibility would not. Attributes that allow you to avoid enemy attacks are fine, and allow for a little more daredeviling. Note that Digidestined do not need to have the Companion Attribute.
Skills are bought as per the table on page 89 under "Modern Day Animal Adventures," except that Acrobatics and Wilderness Survival have their costs lowered to 2. Select Skills based on what your character could reasonably know or do, and keep in mind what would be useful in the setting: for example, Demolitions is probably not very relevant.
Defects are at the discretion of the player and GM, with the same stipulations as with Attributes and Skills.
Templates may be useful as a guide to creating characters. Adventurer, Student, and Tech Genius, among others, are quite reasonable, though you may have to tone them down in order to afford them.
Part 2 - Digimon
Each Digidestined acquires a partner Digimon. Additionally, most antagonists and other NPCs will be Digimon as well.
Digimon are divided into 6 (or more!) categories based on their power level. The categories can overlap in power level: a very powerful Champion might be tougher than an Ultimate.
Fresh Digimon are just hatched out of Digi-eggs. They can barely talk or move, but they enjoy interacting with others.
In-Training Digimon are still physically inept (many have no legs), but they can hold conversations, fight, and hop around quite competently.
Rookie Digimon are fully grown. Most partner Digimon spend most of their time in this category. They have useful attacks and abilities, and are sometimes quite intelligent.
Champion level is when the cool things start happening. Though Champions vary greatly in size, all of them have significant combat power, and some can fly, carrying Digidestined with them.
Ultimate level is when things start getting ridiculous: cyborgs, giants, massively powerful attacks: this is as high as almost all non-partner Digimon ever get.
Mega is just an excuse to go nuts. Save it for the boss fights.
Digivolution is the process of moving upwards from one category to another. Digimon will often get up to Rookie, and sometimes to Champion, on their own. The Digidestined's partner Digimon Digivolve temporarily in times of need, returning to a lower form when the battle is over.
This needs custom rules to describe it and provide a system for it. Likewise, the categories need point totals as guidelines. A high priority is the range of levels from In-Training to Champion, as that is where a lot of the cool things happen.
Part 3 - Game Structure
This is up for discussion. I like the interaction between a Digimon and their partner, so I don't think that a player should control both. However, that would be a lot of work for the GM, and would rob the player of control.
In combat, the player should certainly control the Digimon: perhaps out of combat, other players could take on the role? It might get cumbersome, though.
I've been re-watching the dubs of the series that aired on Fox Kids back in the day, and I think the one-encounter-per-episode thing would work well for a tabletop game. Splitting up the party is viable for character development and to keep one party member from hogging the spotlight.
All of this is just a draft, and an incomplete one at that. I'd love input from people that watched (or do watch) the show or played BESM 3rd. Would you enjoy playing a game like this?