Realistic Historical Gameplay

[Cilvyn]

hey folks,

I'm quite a while thinking of something. I want to play a game wich is as realistic as possible. I have tried many systems (worked them out on paper) i read vampires for impiration and D20 modern but nothing was excactly what i was looking for. So I had a few things in mind wat should make the system i am looking for:
Version: 3.5 DnD core rules

- No magic (also no magic items)
- everyone is human
- everyone is commoner
- money has more value
- The game is more orientated on using skills and RP
- you have less HP
- it takes place in a realistic word, our world, but then in the past.


Then i wanted to change the rules for character creation.

- you can select several bonusses to devine your character. Otherwise every player is the same and that is not what i want. So you gain proficiency in a sertain weapon
- I wanted to create more feats wich are relevant in this kind of gameplay. More weapon, skill and saverolls oriëntated feats.
- You can select passive skills per level. Somthing lime feats but these give you usable powers (Like in 4.0 but then mostly utility powers)
- On the character creation, your personality is more guided and you have much more need to develope a personality

What do you think about this concept?

I want to play this system in a historical possible setting like the hundred year's war for example. this means the DM need to have lot more knowledge about history and how people live in that time.

I hope you can give me tips about what i should change and what i shouldn't and about how i can keep this system fun to play (since you are missing the classes concept there is a part gone wich creates the fun. I hope the historical setting and the RP based parts will cover this.

[Ashtagon]

I suspect d20 isn't the system for this. Not as you're preparing it anyway. d20 is much more suited to play where the heroes are, well, either heroic or having the potential to rise to heroic qualities.

Both GURPS and WFRP (1e/2e, not sure on 3e) work well to describe the setting you're after. In fact, cut out the magical elements of WFRP and that's almost exactly what you described.

If you are dead-set on a d20 style system, it would help to know what kid of campaign you want. So far, all we know is that the characters are being hit hard with the nerfbat. If we know what you expect the characters to do (we already know what they can't do; that's not quite the same question though), we could give better advice.

fwiw, Green Ronin did a Medieval Player's Manual on their Mythic Vistas imprint. That covers some of what you are after, I think.

[Satyr]

I love historical games.
Unfortunately, D&D is not very well suited for a historically accurate, realistic gameplay, so if you are going to convert it, it's going to be a lot of work.

I know, "Why don't you play something else" is about the worst advice you can give to someone your situation, but really, D&D is probably not the best starting point for this.
If you want to have a more realistic game, take a look at Harnmaster (very gritty), Riddle of Steel (very unusual) or, of course Gurps (very good).

If you truly want to use D&D anyway (and I know, for most of us this is not only a question of choice, but also of ressources), take a look at Serpents and Sewers (http://wiki.faxcelestis.net/index.php?title=Serpents_and_Sewers). It is a D20 derivative, you can completely leave out all forms of magic and the game remains diversified and fun, and most of the stuff is available for free.

[Spiryt]

It is going to be obviously quite though, beacuse requires complete knowledge about so many aspects of life in the past, and in general, that noone really posses.

Generally I wouldn't stick with "everyone is commoner" and stuff too much, people in D&D already can do too few things that real human can do.

So a lot of different classes with abilities can stay, but obviously one should cut magic, trap senses, ki strikes, etc. with something more akin to the real world.

[The Rose Dragon]

I second the Riddle of Steel. It is approved by ARMA (Association for Renaissance Martial Arts) for its realistic combat.

[herbe]

Look at Iron Heroes series here (http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/11/11488.phtml)
This is a antimagic world but its great.

[Jolly Steve]

d20 Modern has a d20 Past variant which is meant for games from the 16th to 20th centuries.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D20_Past

(I can't find a System Reference Document for it, and I've never played it)

[Serpentine]

Doubt it helps, but I just saw a pirate roleplaying game. Might be a place to start...