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Old 04-05-2017, 12:48 PM   #1
InLaNoche
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Default Naruto like campaign, beginner needs help

I use the term Naruto, but I am more looking for the feel than actually mimicking the show. My Daughter wants to try out an anmie like ninja martial arts type RPG (as her first real RPG).

I have played quite a few RPGs in my past, but I have never GMed. I have started by going over 4e Basic, and setting aside the Skills and Advantages I feel would fit the setting. Still working on that, and working out some of the 'CHI powers'. To differ from actual Naruto, my world has 4 elemental schools (I guess like Avatar). These schools don't exactly go against each other (Water, Air, Fire Earth), thought the directions of their training do differ.

I am also new-ish to the GURPS rules, and am starting at 4e. Lots to go over. I was looking at a few other posts with similar ideas, but I guess I am trying to get this as ready as possible. I was thinking of using FP as the CHI power source, but would it be better to create a separate stat?

Some of the things I am struggling is with the school based powers, and trying to make them game relevant. For instance the schools:
Water - Knowledge, Understanding, Compassion, Healing.
Air - Playful, evasion, trickery, movement
Fire - Passion, Aggression, Strength, decision
Earth - Sturdy, protection, defense, order

They all still need combat type skills, and possibly elemental control (and innate attack) skills. Fire and Air seem to be the easiest to create for, but Earth and Water are a bit more complicated.

Water would be more on the lines of containing (possibly FP damage attacks) and healing type stuff. Earth would fall under the umbrella of defense (area blocks?) and protection, possibly powers that boost DR?

I know this seems a bit slapped together as a post, but I'm still working out the minor details. Lastly, I have the main story line and flow for at least 2-3 sessions pretty well worked out, but as I am new to GM stuff, any tips on situations and pop up events (good for kids) would be great too. Thanks.
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Old 04-05-2017, 01:29 PM   #2
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Default Re: Naruto like campaign, beginner needs help

I recommend Thaumatology: Chinese Elemental Powers for some source material. The elements dont exactly match up but it provides some good worked examples.
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Old 04-05-2017, 07:42 PM   #3
DAT
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Idaho Falls, Idaho
Default Re: Naruto like campaign, beginner needs help

Quote:
Originally Posted by InLaNoche View Post
I use the term Naruto, but I am more looking for the feel than actually mimicking the show. My Daughter wants to try out an anmie like ninja martial arts type RPG (as her first real RPG).
So to clarify terms, you are using the GURPS RPG system, to run an adventure in the 'anime ninja/martial arts fantasy' genre, in a Naruto like setting. Sounds good.

Quote:
Originally Posted by InLaNoche View Post
I have played quite a few RPGs in my past, but I have never GMed. I have started by going over 4e Basic, and setting aside the Skills and Advantages I feel would fit the setting. Still working on that, and working out some of the 'CHI powers'. To differ from actual Naruto, my world has 4 elemental schools (I guess like Avatar). These schools don't exactly go against each other (Water, Air, Fire Earth), thought the directions of their training do differ.
If you are world building from scratch, in a Fantasy like setting, GURPS Fantasy might be helpful.

Quote:
Originally Posted by InLaNoche View Post
I am also new-ish to the GURPS rules, and am starting at 4e. Lots to go over. I was looking at a few other posts with similar ideas, but I guess I am trying to get this as ready as possible. I was thinking of using FP as the CHI power source, but would it be better to create a separate stat?
Mook's book might be helpful to you (GURPS GMing). General advice: start small, add gradually, don't try to turn on all the advanced rule knobs on at once (this leads to rule/option overload and wasting game time looking up rules), don't try to stat out everything (the mantra is points are for players), and make the rule of fun your rule 0. Specific item, FP and Energy Reserve(Chi) are good options.

Quote:
Originally Posted by InLaNoche View Post
Some of the things I am struggling is with the school based powers, and trying to make them game relevant. For instance the schools:
Water - Knowledge, Understanding, Compassion, Healing.
Air - Playful, evasion, trickery, movement
Fire - Passion, Aggression, Strength, decision
Earth - Sturdy, protection, defense, order
Lots of options here. Powers as advantages (GURPS Powers), Powers as spells (GURPS Magic), Chi Powers done similar to Psionic Powers (GURPS Psionic Powers)

Quote:
Originally Posted by InLaNoche View Post
They all still need combat type skills, and possibly elemental control (and innate attack) skills. Fire and Air seem to be the easiest to create for, but Earth and Water are a bit more complicated..
Each school can teach an elemental based Innate attack, customized as you like, costing FP/ER(Chi). If you need ideas, or how to translate an idea you have, just ask. Most will correspond to some of the spells from GURPS Magic (Lightning Bolt, Fireball, Stone Missile, Ice Dagger, etc.)

Quote:
Originally Posted by InLaNoche View Post
Water would be more on the lines of containing (possibly FP damage attacks) and healing type stuff. Earth would fall under the umbrella of defense (area blocks?) and protection, possibly powers that boost DR?
Best advice is list what you think you want, and folks can help you translate it into the GURPS Powers.

Quote:
Originally Posted by InLaNoche View Post
I know this seems a bit slapped together as a post, but I'm still working out the minor details. Lastly, I have the main story line and flow for at least 2-3 sessions pretty well worked out, but as I am new to GM stuff, any tips on situations and pop up events (good for kids) would be great too. Thanks.
A new student to a school is an ideal setup, for both GM and player to learn the ropes (see the first Harry Potter Book).

-Dan
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Old 04-05-2017, 11:36 PM   #4
whswhs
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
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Default Re: Naruto like campaign, beginner needs help

Quote:
Originally Posted by DAT View Post
If you are world building from scratch, in a Fantasy like setting, GURPS Fantasy might be helpful.
Another option is to get GURPS Adaptations, which is a systematic guide to how to turn a book, movie, TV series, graphic novel, or other source into a campaign. One of its examples is the classic Chinese martial arts novel Water Margin, which might be helpful.

Quote:
A new student to a school is an ideal setup, for both GM and player to learn the ropes (see the first Harry Potter Book).
And for that, there's GURPS Social Engineering: Back to School, which covers learning, teaching, and school organization. . . .
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Old 04-05-2017, 11:12 PM   #5
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Default Re: Naruto like campaign, beginner needs help

Summoning Jitsu could be many things.
Payload covers a lot of it. Where they have scrolls that store gear.
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My GURPS fan contribution and blog:
REFPLace GURPS Landing Page
My List of GURPS You Tube videos (plus a few other useful items)
My GURPS Wiki entries
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Old 04-06-2017, 06:56 AM   #6
InLaNoche
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Default Re: Naruto like campaign, beginner needs help

Excellent! This is all good info and great advice. I will be starting off small, and am glad that this will be my daughter's first play, since it means I can play test GMing as well at the same time.

I do want to tone down a bit of the higher end stuff from Naruto, and try to make a bit of balance between the schools. I worked over an old question list (from Elderscrolls : Arena) to work out what schools best suits your ideal-isms, and ran them over my players (my daughter, my friend, and his daughter), and they came out with Water, Air, and Earth, so I know what I need to focus on to get ready.

I also have the first scenario set up to lead into the story. The players are all students at a martial arts school. They will start out with a bit of combat training (sparing to get them into the system, but very light on rules, more focused on describing what they want to do).
After the training, the Master will approach a few of them to graduate them to the next school (the elemental school) after doing a test (to be worked out) that indicates what element they are aligned to.

The next day starts with them trying to get to school. Since the girls playing are 10 years old, I am going to try and put some anime silliness into the story, and try to make them late for school (plot).


As to actual powers, they will have some latent powers that I will situation-based allow them to use (not their choice) in this play setting. I think I remember seeing something about partial costs for stuff like this.

After the first chapter, they will age, off screen, and be given a bit of a point boost (to show 5 or so years of training) where more of there powers will be within reach, so in the beginning, simple powers are more in demand.

I am still at a stand still with the balancing of the powers, but as I get ideas I will post them and would greatly appreciate feed back and input on them.

Lastly, not sure if anyone is interested, but I created an Excel Character sheet that has quite a few of the Base Book 4e skills, Advantages, and disadvantages coded in to calculate points as well as the stats. I started it a while ago when my friend was going to run a PBEM GURPS adventure (but timing and players fell through). I am re-working it for my Ninja game and will strip out the unneeded and add the new stuff, but anyone is interested, I can post it.
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Old 04-06-2017, 09:22 PM   #7
mikeejimbo
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Default Re: Naruto like campaign, beginner needs help

Quote:
Originally Posted by InLaNoche View Post
As to actual powers, they will have some latent powers that I will situation-based allow them to use (not their choice) in this play setting. I think I remember seeing something about partial costs for stuff like this.
Depending exactly how you want that to work, you should look into the Unconscious Only, Uncontrollable, and Unreliable Limitations. (pB115-116). None of those work exactly like how I'm imagining you want to run it - I'm imagining you're saying that in certain situations they'll be able to use it and others they won't, but they'll have control over it when they are in those situations? You could also just slap an Accessibility (pB110) on it.

Sounds like a fun premise, overall! You should consider keeping a campaign log to update us.

EDIT:
Quote:
Originally Posted by InLaNoche View Post
I started working on some of the elemental skills, and would like some help defining them (both gameplay and game costs.
Ah I should have responded to this, too. Your ideas seem ideally suited to being built as Powers. If you don't have GURPS Powers I highly recommend it. (And GURPS Martial Arts, too, for your campaign, but that's a slight tangent at the moment.) It becomes a lot easier to define the gameplay and costs of these Powers once you do.

Just for an example, I might build Stone Block like this:

Damage Resistance 2 (Reflexive +40%, Arms Only -20%, Costs 2 Chi -10%, Link (Enhanced Block) +10%) [8]
Enhanced Block 2 (Link (Damage Resistance) +10%) [11]

Once this is activated (by paying 2 Chi) it's on for 1 minute and can be maintained for another minute for 1 more Chi, but Reflexive also lets them activate it as part of their defense. It's kind of odd in that both Damage Resistance and Enhanced Block are usually always on, but I believe this works. Reflexive will also turn it on automatically if they're unaware of the attack. Alternatively, you could use Active Defense (p Powers 112), where it requires that they be able to see the attack coming. This brings the cost to [4] for the Damage Resistance, and may be closer to what you're envisioning.

Last edited by mikeejimbo; 04-06-2017 at 09:46 PM.
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Old 04-07-2017, 06:51 AM   #8
InLaNoche
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Default Re: Naruto like campaign, beginner needs help

Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeejimbo View Post
Just for an example, I might build Stone Block like this:

Damage Resistance 2 (Reflexive +40%, Arms Only -20%, Costs 2 Chi -10%, Link (Enhanced Block) +10%) [8]
Enhanced Block 2 (Link (Damage Resistance) +10%) [11]

Once this is activated (by paying 2 Chi) it's on for 1 minute and can be maintained for another minute for 1 more Chi, but Reflexive also lets them activate it as part of their defense. It's kind of odd in that both Damage Resistance and Enhanced Block are usually always on, but I believe this works. Reflexive will also turn it on automatically if they're unaware of the attack. Alternatively, you could use Active Defense (p Powers 112), where it requires that they be able to see the attack coming. This brings the cost to [4] for the Damage Resistance, and may be closer to what you're envisioning.
I like this. Thanks! I think I would go the Active Defense route. I would prefer that the player has to actively initiate the block. The only issue is how Block functions. How would the damage side of things work? I'm guessing (and from what I read so far) there is no mod that divides damage?

Also, I was looking through the powers book, and don't see anything that will get me the water lash. Unless maybe create? how would damage be managed? Would I then treat it like a whip melee weapon?

I will definitely keep logs, most likely taken from audio recordings of the sessions, and will gladly share them once things are underway. I do see this being about a month down the road at the most, but I'll see how quickly I can get through this. My problem right now is having the time to read the BS front to back, which I think I should. I have been just browsing the sections I was concentrating on at the moment...
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Old 04-07-2017, 08:07 AM   #9
mikeejimbo
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Default Re: Naruto like campaign, beginner needs help

Oh right, forgot about the Armor Divisor. You can put Hardened on the DR. Each level reduces the Armor Divisor of the incoming attack by one step.

Not sure about the whip either, but I think it might be an option in the Melee Attack limitation somewhere.
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Old 04-07-2017, 08:23 AM   #10
whswhs
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
Default Re: Naruto like campaign, beginner needs help

Note that there is also a thing called a Power Block, found in GURPS Powers. It requires a roll vs. 3 + (Will + Power Talent)/2. If you make the roll, you can do one of two things:

* If you have an ability based on DR, it doubles the DR for the attack you're blocking.

* If you have an ability based on Control or Obscure, each level of the ability counts as DR 1 against any attack of a suitable kind.

That latter sounds like it might fit the special effects you're looking at, though the cost might prove excessive. One level of Control Earth (Chi, -10%; Elemental, -10%) would cost the character 16 points and give DR 1.
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