Golden Sun Homebrew 2.0

Thread died while I was getting groceries edition

LINKS:
>2.0 Core Rules: docs.google.com/document/d/1LOJzZlP7BiT7IqMuyXK1wifbvUtKHuXhUDsKk4tHO3c/edit
>Character sheet: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SOojefFIRym_LNpfCn0TOgWxprJNXBcNkIw7V5rn9XU/edit#gid=1142811022
>Class Sheet: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1A4No6_94mrDUGja75uQI3mD0om14MvNO95Y_XetGdtI/edit#gid=0
>Make a Custom Anything: docs.google.com/document/d/1c6F_SnivgEt-bdej0t5gdAP5zyKBM31o6-Be1ZI80Fo/edit
>Pregenned Psynergy: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MUqfz6GMhIm4Oti4kjlJynEJUsgJS2jkFBZR7yTDPVM/edit#gid=0

>TO-DO List:
-Currently lacking class stats (which are kinda fucking important, I know), which I intend to rectify once I've got some names for the replacement classes. Converting the 1.0 classes wont be too hard, thankfully.
-System currently lacks utility psynergy, and costs haven't been updated for the new PP system yet.
-Gotta do the boring data entry to make class sheet tabs for every class once I get the class repacements named.
-Make pregenned items (the ones anons made in the old thread archives are lost to time, far as I can find)
-Set up a proper XP/Money system (currently just working off of rules of thumb)
-Balance psynergy by class advancement (currently you get weird situations of leveling up only to get a worse psynergy than you already had)
-Consider adding other classes (such as item classes like acrobat)
-Consider adding other races (proxians, beastmen, lemurians, etc.)
-Balance those
-Format and organize everything into a coherent reading order
-doll everything up into a PDF

>Current step in development:
I'm shit at coming up with names, and need a bunch of themed ones for some replacement classes to fill in the gaps (list here):
pastebin.com/XyaA6UYi


and finally my heartfelt thanks to Mr. Blue Sky, who shilled my jank-ass system for all these intervening years.

Other urls found in this thread:

docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15-xu0T4AUg9FeWncT7xjiNekUikDyLSBjCU6drb2F7I/edit#gid=0
twitter.com/SFWRedditImages

>What the fuck is this?
Golden Sun vidya-to-tabletop-to-actually-playable-tabletop game.

>This rule/mechanic is fucking retarded.
Cool, give me some ideas on how to fix it.

>This system is shit, use this other system instead!
No.

Mechanically, the system is fairly simple: your base archetype (warrior/caster/etc), djinn collection, class, and gear determines your dice pool (D6's) for whatever you're trying to do, and you roll against the opponent's dice pool or a difficulty scale if uncontested.

5's and 6's count as a success, 6's 'explode'/reroll for the chance at more successes. however many successes you have above the opponent's pool/difficulty scale determines whether you succeed and by how much.

your djinn (which will be on small cards to more easily keep track of them) confer the bulk of your stat bonuses as well as deciding your class, which grants it's own stat bonuses and shows you what psynergy (spells) you can use.
there will be a proper chart showing who can get what and how many djinn are required to do so so people don't need to look through every class every time someone gains or loses a djinn.
Proper Chart: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15-xu0T4AUg9FeWncT7xjiNekUikDyLSBjCU6drb2F7I/edit#gid=0
still need to add the required djinn row to this once i've got names for the flipped classes in the pastebin above, at which point i'll fill out the socialite and journeyman bases' lists as well.

Previous thread:

forgot that, thank you.

Reading NPC's minds was probably one of the most interesting features of the original games, but probably a nightmare for an RPG.

Still waiting for replies to

I'm considering how DnD handles it, with detecting surface thoughts on normal usage, and sustaining it lets you lead the target with questions for a more thorough check (like interrogating the bandits in the first game). complete with the GS series "normies feel oddly cold when being mindread and are intensely uncomfortable with the creepy staring person" and such.

adepts will know when they're being subjected to any kind of psynergy (we see more than a few even reply when you read their minds), or to recognize when they see something being used, though identifying the source and effect are down to the players and proper INT checks.

the second post isn't mine, so i cant speak for them, but:
I'm super down with constructive criticism (especially since you were kind enough to take the time to give it a read), and i really dig people taking the time to discuss the system and ask questions, but "burn it down and start over" isn't helpful or productive in the slightest, and I have zero intentions to do so.

You have been a great help so far though, since you've had me taking a good hard think on the aim of the system and how faithful it should be to the original if it means being not fun as a game.

That sounds like a good way of handling it.

...

Dark Dawn did a lot of things badly.

But the Djinn designs were perfect.

they're cute little bastards, yeah. shame so many of them were easily lost behind points of no return. that for me was the main failing, since after almost a fucking decade I could understand them aiming for the younger crowd mechanically.

...

...

We're doing this again?

yep.

You say this is 2.0? What's changed from the last time we tried this?

aye, the whole dice system's been slimmed down (it's all d6's now), tier bonuses have been rolled into djinn entirely, and channeling was made a basic part of PP expenditure (so you can do it on literally everything now, not just psynergy)

I'm a little out of touch, but it's good to see the system trimmed down.

appreciate it.
still got lots of work to do once i've got the time to do so, since tomorrow till sunday is gonna be jam-packed for me.

>"burn it down and start over" isn't helpful or productive in the slightest
Neither is pointlessly slaving away at it.
"Cut your losses" is genuinely the most helpful and productive advice I can give you, because it would free you up to actually start being productive instead of continuing to do pointless busywork.

I don't see anything worth keeping in the current version of the rules, because afaict, you haven't done any actual creative work. All I can see is busywork combining elements from the video game with superficially suitable TRPG elements. As much as I would like to tell you to just keep the core resolution mechanic, exploding dice rarely do anything but fuck up probabilities.
If there is anything in particular that you absolutely want to keep, and that you can provide a proper reason for, rather than just not liking the feeling of having wasted your time thus far, I can provide more topical advice, but until then, I stand by my original advice of "slash and burn".

>how faithful it should be to the original if it means being not fun as a game
That's an easy answer: Not.
Not to mention that "faithful to the source material" is a wonky concept to begin with. What you're attempting here is a translation, but your current method is more akin to feeding an entire book into Google Translate. Sure, it's faithful in that every word is represented and in its original place, but the result is a confused mess that is torturous to read.
Proper translation requires the translator to read and interpret the source material as an element of its source culture, then reinterpreting and reformulating that material to produce something that has a place in the target culture. The same applies to your project, just replace "culture" with "medium".

Just skimming over the rules now, and caught something. Move is said to be 3 tiles or 20 ft but each tile is 5 ft.

corrected, good catch.

i understand avoiding a sunk cost, but this is no sunk cost for me. i LIKE the system, and am going to play this system with my friends once it's in a play-testable state (both for better balancing and for fun). the reason i'm updating it now is to make it handle a bit less like the original brick on the tabletop.
that you see it as beyond saving already is totally valid, but i don't agree with you on it, and am going to continue making it the best i feel it can be.

>totally a valid opinion*
jesus 4am me, get some sleep would ya?

Venus Djinn are cutest djinn.

Look, I've been there. I tried the same thing about a decade ago. Different RPG, same method. It doesn't work.

If this really isn't just sunk cost, and you're really making it sound like that, you've got to be able to tell me what you like about the system and why.

more of a jupiter fan myself (also good morning thread)

alright, off the top of my head i really like that (like the games) djinn are able to so wildely affect your character, and also are your main source of power since obtaining a djinn presents both a great story opportunity--problem-solving to find it, parlaying with it to convince it to join you the odd places or situations in which you might find one--as well as providing a nice milestone and reward mechanically for those.
another thing i quite like is the sheer amount of flex in the system so far. between general PP token usage and the build-your-own stuff, if you don't have a tool for the situation you can just make one with a minute or two and GM discretion. wanna tunnel through the ground and hit someone with a surprise uppercut from below? wanna slow an advancing threat with a wall of flames? wanna surf around on created ice like fucking frozone? you can damn well do it!

actually, you remind me that i should actually hammer out the ability to "assist" others for team-up actions, and to move things/enemies around in combat via knockback or slide effects (that isn't just the hand series, in case you want to knock them back with an explosion/shifting earth/buffeting winds/etc)

>and also are your main source of power since obtaining a djinn presents both a great story opportunity--problem-solving to find it, parlaying with it to convince it to join you the odd places or situations in which you might find one--as well as providing a nice milestone and reward mechanically for those.

huh?

should have better clarified: they're your main source of power mechanically, since they boost your stats, let you change classes, access more powerful psynergy and so on and obtaining one mechanically is akin to leveling up, as well as providing plenty of roleplaying opportunities in searching for and obtaining them (as listed previously).

The problem with Djinn is that they're conceptually nice, but they need a solid system core to function. Shifting stats around a bit isn't interesting, because it doesn't really change what you can or want to do. Especially the elemental stats are boring because there is no functional difference between the elements. Unleashes and class changes could be more interesting if you had a solid foundation for differentiating classes and abilities in kind, not just in scale.
And the story opportunity is not supported by the system. It's something suggested by the source material and fits into the author-intended setting for the system, but does not actually have anything to do with the system itself.

As for flex: Freeform. Being able to do just anything isn't interesting in and of itself. Meaningful and not arbitrary restrictions and limits make it interesting.