Hey Veeky Forums, I was looking around for systems for running a Legend of Zelda campaign and I couldn't quite settle on anything.
The Veeky Forums homebrew doesn't seem finished, and I'm not really looking for a D&D/Pathfinder system, so I was hoping someone could suggest something I could work with.
I would like something that could support different races at the very least.
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To add on to this, I can go either way on a class system, but I'd rather have something that didn't run on levels.
What does a Legend of Zelda game entail in your opinion?
Because discovering a map tile by tile and solving puzzles and fetch quests, all while avoiding enemies or devoting all attention to beating them in combat... It doesn't translate well to tabletop gaming.
So you're going to have to pick what makes it Zelda: the kawaii factor?, the fast character progression?, the well concealed railroad?, the SNES charm? What sets it apart from Adventure Time?
Then you come back here and ask for a system that delivers that.
Well, I'm not looking for something that exactly fits the game. What I want to do is tell a story based in the Legend of Zelda universe for some friends. It's why I'm looking for some systems I could tweak and poke at to start with.
What matters?
Characters?
Combat?
Realm management?
NPCs + social?
You're looking to buy a car and we're asking roadster or truck...
I guess I want something that gives the players plenty of options to grow outside of finding gear in a dungeon. Combat will be an important part of the game too, whereas while NPC/Social is important, it can be handled mostly through roleplay and won't need a shit ton of rules.
Print sheets with equipment slots and tokens for equipment, manage abilities through equipment, always say "You need a _ first", and then make tedious grind dungeons where a _ can be found.
No XP, stats, or bookkeeping. Make sliding paper indicators for hearts and armour. Never use any modifiers. And roll against very simple success thresholds set by the task. Like 3d6 roll over 8.
>plenty of options to grow outside of finding gear in a dungeon
That is the ONLY way to grow in Zelda games.
> it can be handled mostly through roleplay
All of this is roleplay. If you mean freeform then use whatever system you know and ignore it.
Keep in mind that you're dealing with a party.
A party of impatient players who won't like artificial walls.
>That is the ONLY way to grow in Zelda games.
Except it's not. Both Twilight Princess and Wind Waker had sword techniques you could learn, along with other characters showing skills like potion making, blacksmithing, magic and other stuff.
I can't just look at this from a "What can you do in the video games" because that would lead to a dull game. Letting people grow skills from experience AND find sweet items in a dungeon is what I'm trying to do.
I'm not trying to replicate the game exactly, just the flavor.
Character progression in Zelda is achieved by a) exploring (thus finding hidden upgrades like pieces of hearts) and b) Accomplishing things, (like the items you find in main dungeons). A standard "GM awards xp based on what you did" systems like most not-DnD-systems use should cover that pretty well.
>Because discovering a map tile by tile and solving puzzles and fetch quests, all while avoiding enemies or devoting all attention to beating them in combat... It doesn't translate well to tabletop gaming.
Uh. What the fuck are you running that those things don't translate well? That is literally a dungeon crawl in a nutshell.
Gonna recommend Strike!
Alternative progression systems? Check!
Simple and fast but also balanced and fun combat? Check!
Very simplistic basic skill system, but with optional modules for depth if needed? Check!
Grab a copy: uploadmb.com
I'll give it a look over.
Don't bother, it's one guy trying to get a meme going.
Oh no I got memed on in my own thread, how shameful.
Artificial walls did't really enter the series until Ocarina of time, and Breath of the Wild is moving away fro them. they're hardly integral to what Zelda is.
I genuinely think it'd be a good fit for Zelda themed game.
People here were trying to make a Zelda system, but I really have no idea whether it's any good.
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GURPS is designed to be flexible for things like this, and there's an existing d20 ruleset. Try out some things, and see what fits your fancy.
I was considering FATE, but I'd have to read it. My other thought was taking Exalted 3rd edition and renaming some skills and running it as mortals or something.
Savage Worlds is another good alternative imo.
Hell, Dungeon World could work. Could even try some one page thing like scrolls and swords.
Or, oh! Fellowship. Afterall, Zelda is about defeating a tyrant, and the races with the Fellowship archetypes.
this picture reminds me of that one hydra I heard about long ago, it was a fan made one I think but jesus it freaked me the fuck out.
I was actually thinking about doing a 5e-based hombrew of it, but I'm not sure. When translating the Zelda-style dungeon-crawl format to a larger party, it might be handy to have distinct classes.
Then again, you could do all that with GURPS templates even easier, so I think I'd lean toward that overall.
>Dungeon World could work
Too narrativist to fit LoZ, IMO.
I found a really well-done homebrew for 5e that I never got the chance to run because I found out my group doesn't care for zelda much. But I'd highly suggest it, just google "zelda 5e" and the reddit thread should pop up with the DM's guide and player's guide.
Or the Op can try a real system like Savage, or Fate, or gurps, and not your meme system.
I wonder what your criteria is for "real systems".
Not Strike :)
Does this look like it?
Well, if that's all, I might have a PDF floating around from when it was still called "Sacred cow BBQ" to fulfill that criteria.
Maybe I should look at dungeon world.
The talk of how shit a tile based Zelda game would be is inspiring me to make atile based Zelda crawler with mechanics from Hero Quest and Zombies!!!. I'm in a 20 hour road trip so I'll write some shit up and make a new thread if it has any merit. I'm afraid of the board taking up too much space thougj
You really should. If for nothing else, the DM half of the book is outstanding advice.
All you need is a list with iconic equipment. No classes or skills, heroes don't differ and everyone can do anything. With the right equipment of course.
Items of the same category should always be better than, not one for this and the other for that. The more powerful sword is better against all enemies. There is no horse bow, hunting bow, and long bow but bow 1, and bow 2, which is better.
Arrows can have different effects for different applications.
Also include all the crazy stuff like boomerang, hookshot, and bug catching net. Play up helpful faeries with the occasional trope breaker. And maybe find some way to make failure part of the game with direct retry, no story consequences.
I disagree with this. Sorta.
I think a team with a Goron, a Zora, and... dunno, a Hylian archer? A redeemed wizzrobe/lizalfos? would be an interesting twist, and they could overcome the challenges without all the equipment using their unique abilities, with the equipment as bonus.
Although, the 4 swords approach could work.
No. There is only one bow. The second sword must be earned. So there are party roles, but they are based on equipment and can be exchanged or even reconfigured.
The thief with a boomerang angling drops from across the room
The tank with sword, armor, and bombs
The healbot with faeries, a shield, and the mirror
The ranger with bow and staffs
...
How do you justify not just picking up swords and bows from enemies or buying them in towns?
That is not how Zelda works. Everything is unique and has to be found. What stores offer differs, most have potions, bombs or arrows, but what about a better boomerang, or a heart container piece? Enemies drop gems, nor gear.
The easy answer would be of course to make the Zelda items, swords, boomerangs, yada yada, better than what the common scrub guard has or the comon thief has
That's not how I'd run a game. Starting off with a sword or a bow isn't an issue. But coming across a Razor Sword or the Hero's Bow would obviously be a major plot item.