This is a thread for the discussion of Destiny Lore and it's viability as a TTRPG setting. Also open for dicussion is potential systems/modifications for existing systems that would be suitable for it.
Previous (First) Thread: I'm not sure what would be a good opening question for this. I suppose taking stock of options for systems would be good. Traveller has been thrown around a few times, and personally I've considered Eclipse Phase (if only because I know it).
GURPS has been as well.
If only because in its massive compendium of splats and options is possible to build yourself a system with damn near every component necessary to replicate stuff in Destiny.
Fair enough. It seems like it would contain everything from alchemy to space fighter combat.
I think one thing that's a real wrench in the works is the class system.Or rather, how to handle the class/subclass system. Would Guardian powers be left more open ended? Or would they be rigid like they are in game? Would distinctions, beyond self given ones, exist for Hunters/Warlocks/Titans?
I'd probably play it more rigid, since the Guardians do branch up quite a bit.
They could be generally light on species distinctions, each providing a little bonus here and there to roleplay and maybe a single small mechanical boost. After that, classes have their abilities, but weapons can change out pretty well.
I'd be a fan of just giving weapons straight stats and assuming that all players have proficiency in everything, just to simplify. Maybe they have class abilities which improve the use of a single weapon, or add some tricks to it, but ultimately the weapon's stats do not change in their hands (unless an ability would just add damage to whatever weapon).
Actually, if we go by Symbaroum's progression philosophy, experience is much harder to come by and character's stats do not advance very fast or very significantly, if at all. Armor and weapons provide whatever mechanical changes are applied, and skills and abilities add more tools to your toolkit to help deal with things.
This means enemies don't improve by grades, and encounters never start feeling pointless because the enemies are just cannon fodder at a certain point.
I like this thread.
Question of the day then, why does no one talk about the giant talking space whale (Leviathan) back on the Fundament, or why the traveller choose it as its main disciple?
As for distinction between classes, I think being able to choose a subclass is important, though I'm not sure you'd be able to change loadouts for abilities so cleanly.
If they are open ended, they should be fleshed out by subclass. And after that, a number of flavorful skills like cryptarchy, smithing, scavenging, and other skills should be thrown in, probably a few at character creation so our heroes have more means of interacting with the world at the start. More advanced skills might involve research into specific alien factions, technologies, and philosophies that have mechanical benefit. Of course, delving too deeply into them comes with drawbacks or risks associated with them.
Well, he shows up for a bit, but then the Hive eat him. He was probably just one of many disciples the Traveller had, and it chose him because he was big, wise, and powerful.
But then is it not coincidence that they bring up that one of the nine could be a leviathan in the seas of Europa? I don't know, a plot point like that doesn't just get forgotten for no reason ya know. Ifor it just so happenes to actually be a thing, I'd love to see some add on talking about how the new leviathan is the true speaker of the traveller, and the one on earth has been telling lies or somthing.
The Nine seems to have Nine theories about what they are. It's possible all are true. Maybe the Nine are the shadows of former disciples of the Traveller, or champions that have fallen from the Light, or have rejected the Darkness. Or something. Maybe it's all of the above and more, and the Nine are just a bunch of misfits that are very hard to define: one being, yet many; all of one origin, yet all of different origins. We don't have a concrete answer or even an inkling beyond hints and story coincidence scattered throughout the Grimoires.
Wish there was some kind of path to follow, heck even some "ilovebees.com" stuff would be rad, and we would be able to find it through reading about their grimoirs or somthing.
There's currently an ARG out for Rise of Iron.
Tying things into the Grimoires would be neat, but I figure it'd be better in-game rather than an ARG.
And, you know, that'd be a reason to have a Grimoire as part of the game rather than outside of it. You read a specific Grimoire, it gives you some hints as to where it might be from, where it was gained, or contextual stuff from what it talks about or what it references, and you look around the area and maybe a door that was closed before is open, or there's an opening in a cave you've never seen before, or suddenly you can actually jump to a new ledge somewhere, and you start a new, secret adventure.