Playing in the world of the Willow movie.

[Maz]

So I just watched Willow (1988) with the kids. It was my first real fantasy movie and always had a special significance for me. But even then it has been many many years since I watched it last.

Combined with an increasing want to try to run a GURPS game in a low powered fantasy game where magic is rare (but powerful and mystical).

And it just clicked. Of course! The world Willow takes place might be a good fit, and open (unfinished) enough to give me a lot of leeway.


So now I started trying to do a bit of worldbuilding. That is, GURPSify it. Racial templates, Tech Level... And rules for magic.

Have anyone ever tried to run a game in that setting? In GURPS or otherwise?

Ideas and suggestions are very welcome!


NB. I just found out that there are three novels written in the setting as well. I had no idea and are now going to see if I can find them. But until then my only source are the movies.

[Maz]

The races we see (as fitting PC races) in the movie are Nelwyn (such as Willow) and Daikini (pretty much humans).
Maybe to a lesser degree brownies but for the most part I think they are better as NPC's.



Daikini
Since they are humans I don't think there is much need for any racial template. But it might be fitting to offer up some cultural templates, but in the movie at least everyone seem to be from the same (north-western early medieval culture).


Nelwyn
I am just going to ignore the fact that they are played by people with dwarfism and treat them like they are an actual fantasy race. This is not to offend anyone but to keep it separate.

Attribute Modifiers: ST-2 [-20].
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: SM -1. Move -1 [-5]

I don't really see any other traits that distinguish them from the daikini.


Brownies

Attribute Modifiers: ST-8 [-80], IQ-1 [-20].
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: SM -6. HP +2 [4]. Move -3 [-5]. Will +1 [5]. Per +1 [5]. Low TL -1 (efficient TL:1) [-5]


Other traits: Possible more HP than their ST indicates as they seem pretty durable. They take some punishment from falls and impacts without more than the typical comic-relief 'shaking it off'.

[Maz]

Tech Level.
I'm going to ignore single pieces of equipment that are anachronistic.

To me the setting seems fairly squarely TL:3. Maybe early TL:3. This is based on the equipment mostly.

[edit]Apparently George Lucas seems to think of it as roughly 300-400 BC. And I guess TL:2 could fit (with some inaccuracies). I certainly think it would be cool to restrict it to TL:2 as a gamemaster. [/edit]






Magical system.
This is where I really need your guys help! I mostly play sci-fi and the one time I ran a Dungeon Fantasy game we used the good old classical magic system. I have no experience with any of the other interesting systems out there. so please advice!

[Phantasm]

Brownies get IQ as a bang skill? That doesn't seem right, esp. with a negative point value.

Also, there also seems to be a 4th race we see *very* briefly in one scene, faeries (led by Cherlindrea). Other than an SM on par w/ brownies, winged flight, and the Illumination Perk, I can't think of anything else.

[Maz]

Originally Posted by Phantasm

Brownies get IQ as a bang skill? That doesn't seem right, esp. with a negative point value.

Ehe, no, sorry. That's the (un)official way to say "IQ but without Will and Per".

So it's to say they get reduced IQ, but not Per or Will.
These two guys are chosen to guide Willow and do NOT seem all that smart. If smarter brownies where available I am guessing they would have been chosen, the quest being for the sake of the world and all that. I know they are the comic relief but I still think its fitting to have them at a general lower IQ level. But they seem brave enough and observant enough.

[Phantasm]

Originally Posted by Maz

Ehe, no, sorry. That's the (un)official way to say "IQ but without Will and Per".

So it's to say they get reduced IQ, but not Per or Will.
These two guys are chosen to guide Willow and do NOT seem all that smart. If smarter brownies where available I am guessing they would have been chosen, the quest being for the sake of the world and all that. I know they are the comic relief but I still think its fitting to have them at a general lower IQ level. But they seem brave enough and observant enough.

Pretty sure that's a wholly unofficial designation. Might be more concise to stick with detailing the Per/Will adjustments, for clarity if nothing else.

As a possible Power-Up, I'd be tempted to give brownies a few levels of Outdoorsman. I'd also say they were TL 0, not TL 1, given the stone spear heads and "nomadic woodland primitive" feel.



For magic, have you considered RPM? Each casting - besides the epic archsorceress duel - seems to take at least a few seconds, and the one ritual took *hours* to perform.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Maz

Ehe, no, sorry. That's the (un)official way to say "IQ but without Will and Per".

So it's to say they get reduced IQ, but not Per or Will.
These two guys are chosen to guide Willow and do NOT seem all that smart. If smarter brownies where available I am guessing they would have been chosen, the quest being for the sake of the world and all that. I know they are the comic relief but I still think its fitting to have them at a general lower IQ level. But they seem brave enough and observant enough.

You could give them a little more Perception and will without upsetting things. It would represent a different form of intelligence.

[Stormcrow]

Originally Posted by Maz

Combined with an increasing want to try to run a GURPS game in a low powered fantasy game where magic is rare (but powerful and mystical).

Willow is not low-powered and magic is not rare in it. Even the Nelwyn village has a wizard, and although hasn't had one for a while, it seems, he's ready to take an apprentice. The film is very Celtic in its inspiration, and Celtic mythology is downright infested with magic.

Nelwyns are halflings, Daikinis are humans, brownies are brownies, and so on. It's actually a pretty bog-standard fantasy setting. Probably standard mana, since not everyone is capable of magic, but any old Nelwyn farmer might be.

Important points of the magic: words are important, but you have to feel them and concentrate on them. There's something mental going on. If you don't concentrate properly, you don't just get a fizzled spell, you get a wrong spell. Spells probably backfire on any failure. But we see all kinds of magic: transformations, necromancy, fire magic, cold magic, transmutations, emotion control, divination. We see potions, ceremonial magic, magic items, and magic wands. Magic words, magical gestures, spell components.

Yep, pretty much the standard magic system with the failure effects of Very High Mana.

[jeff_wilson]

Originally Posted by Maz

I just found out that there are three novels written in the setting as well. I had no idea and are now going to see if I can find them. But until then my only source are the movies.

The Willow Game

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by Maz

Why would the faery queen not put two of her most competent brownies to be guides? Why would she send 'the stupid ones'.

The Fey Queen is a creature of magic, she may have been guided to that choice by Fate.

Or maybe by having bumbling, but otherwise brave and competent helpers, Willow was forced to take more and more of a role as 'the hero', thus ensuring he'd be there to fake out Bavmorda when and where he was needed. So the Fairy Queen made sure Willow would be forced into this role.