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Old 01-09-2023, 03:37 PM   #1
Queetser
 
Join Date: Jan 2023
Default Low Magic/Humancentric DF RPG

Hi,

New to the forums and it has been twenty years since I played GURPS regularly. We played GURPS exclusively beginning with first edition and ending with Fourth Edition however, I am not sure if we ever played that.

Anyway we have come back to GURPS and started with a purchase of Dungeon Fantasy RPG. I'm wondering if anyone is working on a low-magic, human centric version of the game.

I like the DF RPG mechanics, I like the career paths available. I'm not too fond of the common magic items and the idea that such are simply routinely bought and sold like potatoes in the marketplace.

I'm writing hoping to hear from anyone who's tried playing a human centered game (like Conan) with a lower more occult magical feel to it.

Thanks,
Queetser
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Old 01-09-2023, 10:43 PM   #2
tbone
 
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Default Re: Low Magic/Humancentric DF RPG

I've certainly played low-magic (and "dark hidden magic") fantasy in GURPS, though not in DFRPG proper.

While I like my low fantasy, for the latter game, I decided to embrace the "magic everywhere" thing, and just not worry much about building a "sensible" magic-heavy gameworld.

That said, some considerations demand attention anyway. Like crippling injuries: the $$$ cost for instant regeneration is high, but by the books, one-month regeneration is just $50! So I make the assumption that there are very, very few NPCs wandering around with missing limbs or eyes. Even pirates tend to have all their parts attached.

(But - isn't the serious crime of counterfeiting nearly unpunished then, when "the King’s Men stick the counterfeiter’s hand in molten silver" simply means a $50 healing expense and a month of inconvenience? With maybe the bonus of a little scroungable silver? Hm. I guess I'll have to think about that if it comes up.)
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Old 01-10-2023, 02:53 AM   #3
bocephus
 
Join Date: Apr 2019
Default Re: Low Magic/Humancentric DF RPG

I don't know that they are working on something like that in the context of DFRPG, it's not really the concept behind DFRPG.

This is intended to represent a specific genre of RPG that includes relatively heavy concentrations of magic items for heroes.

You might want to take a look at the DF line of GURPS books (separate from the DFRPG Box/supplements), there are a lot more options for dials to turn including creating a low magic setting.

You will still probably need Basic and Magic/Thaumatology in addition to various DF books.
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Old 01-10-2023, 04:50 AM   #4
Rolando
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
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Default Re: Low Magic/Humancentric DF RPG

Or you just arbitrarily remove everything you deem needing removing.

DFRPG is still GURPS and very easy to just remove templates and preconceptions of the basic setting to make it Conan-like or Arthurian-like, or anything you want to.

Use the templates, monsters and he compatible parts only.

You will be doing extra work but most of it is just making some choices unavailable, actual world building can be done a sesion at a time while playing.
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Old 01-10-2023, 06:06 AM   #5
sjmdw45
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Default Re: Low Magic/Humancentric DF RPG

Quote:
Originally Posted by Queetser View Post
I'm writing hoping to hear from anyone who's tried playing a human centered game (like Conan) with a lower more occult magical feel to it.
In my experience, DFRPG is human-centered by default anyway, especially compared to D&D 5E where you could easily see a party of six PCs, none of whom are human. If I interpret your question as "what rules do you have to change to make it human-centric and low-magic?" I'd say "Just tell players that they can't buy potions, scrolls and enchantments, and that temple healing is more expensive or unavailable."

I haven't run these particular rules but DFRPG is as I said fairly close to Conan-level fantasy already. The main difference is probably that in Conan, magic users are always bad guys--if you do the above and also ban delvers from being clerics/bards/druids/wizards your game tone will change greatly and become very Conan-ish indeed (if you also ensure that town is corrupt).

If you want practical advice on player management, adventure hooks, etc. I'm afraid I have no useful experience there, being pretty new to DFRPG myself, never having banned soellcasters, and having players who love buying (and occasionally using) consumable magic items. I'd love to hear how things work out for you though.


Edit:


P.S. I guess my game settings are Conan-ish in one way: civilization/town is awful, corrupt, full of poor people and controlled by evil priests and greedy merchants. Adventures are more about making ends meet and acquiring wealth (possibly to help others as well as yourself) rather than saving the world from epic threats: the biggest threat to the world is the horrible people who live in its cities, not supernatural threats.

DFRPG doesn't come off that way by default but it turns out you don't need to change any rules to make it that way. Just assume for example that temple healing costs money not because the temples actually have expenses, but just because they are greedy and have a monopoly. Cheap healing potions/paut aren't being made by middle-class alchemists: they're being made by miserable slave alchemists working 14 hour days for their upper-class masters. Power Items are cheap to recharge cheaply ($5 per energy point) by sucking energy out of human infants, who have almost as much HT as an adult but are cheaper to replace when the recharge process permanently drains HT/FP. Etc., etc.

The DFRPG rules imply a comfortably middle-class existence for most denizens of town, but they're compatible with much more unfair and unsettling interpretations as well.

Last edited by sjmdw45; 01-10-2023 at 06:27 AM.
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Old 01-10-2023, 07:12 AM   #6
Queetser
 
Join Date: Jan 2023
Default Re: Low Magic/Humancentric DF RPG

Thanks. My wife and I discussed what a wizard would look like in a low magic world last night.

She pointed out nearly forty years ago she had killed the entire party and everyone on the ship in a disastrous critical failure. She was kind of looking forward to blowing up everyone and everything again. Which gave me another option for limiting magic, make rituals longer and more complex.
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Old 01-10-2023, 09:50 AM   #7
Dalin
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Saint Paul, MN
Default Re: Low Magic/Humancentric DF RPG

Douglas Cole's Nordlond setting for DFRPG is an example of a lower-magic setting. The setting does not assume that magic items can be bought and sold in every town and village at Ye Olde Magick Shoppe. One must go adventuring to uncover enchanted relics from the age of dragons.

With that said, the setting does include other races and temple services and whatnot. But it could easily be changed to be solidly human-centric. There's enough political intrigue within the human kingdom to keep a campaign going for a long time.

I think it is pretty easy to turn the magical dials down without breaking the core game. The first thing I would think about is how I want healing to work. In the basic game, while you don't fully recuperate overnight (a la that other game), clerical magic and healing potions are easy enough to come by that it is assumed that a competent party can "heal up" in relatively short order. Reducing access to healing magic will change gameplay a bit. Nothing that the system can't handle, though.
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Old 01-10-2023, 12:25 PM   #8
Queetser
 
Join Date: Jan 2023
Default Re: Low Magic/Humancentric DF RPG

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dalin View Post
The first thing I would think about is how I want healing to work. In the basic game, while you don't fully recuperate overnight (a la that other game), clerical magic and healing potions are easy enough to come by that it is assumed that a competent party can "heal up" in relatively short order. Reducing access to healing magic will change gameplay a bit. Nothing that the system can't handle, though.
If I remember correctly we used the 'stun' system for damage in high damage games we didn't want to kill everyone everytime. Essentially spreading damage across what is now called fatigue. I've been thinking about allowing faith healing the whole laying on hands thing but not a spell component to it. It wouldn't function through magic at all.
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Old 01-10-2023, 01:48 PM   #9
sjmdw45
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Default Re: Low Magic/Humancentric DF RPG

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dalin View Post
I think it is pretty easy to turn the magical dials down without breaking the core game. The first thing I would think about is how I want healing to work. In the basic game, while you don't fully recuperate overnight (a la that other game), clerical magic and healing potions are easy enough to come by that it is assumed that a competent party can "heal up" in relatively short order. Reducing access to healing magic will change gameplay a bit. Nothing that the system can't handle, though.
Also, if you use random hit locations or enemies that target specific hit locations, healing spells are a lot less relevant anyway because the usual failure state is not "PC runs out of HP and dies" but "PC loses an eye or limb", which requires a visit to a template to fix and up to a month of waiting.

Bless on the other hand will be sorely, sorely missed. Expect Luck to be a popular advantage to compensate.
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