I apologize up front if this isnt the most clear post. Its 5:30am and I’ve been up since yesterday 7am. However, I wanted to toss this out while I am thinking about it.
I am hoping to open a conversation on how best to go about creating a new Playbook for DW. The source material would be the Furycrafters from the Codex Alera series by J.Butcher. It was a great magic system and I think it would work rather well in DW. The next important note, before it gets brought up, is role toe-stepping. I believe the concept could be done perfectly fine without stepping on the toes of other Magical classes as in reality I think it would play out to still be different enough from a wizard to be worthwhile.
Does anyone here Know the Furycrafters of the Codex Alera Series/ if you do, what are the key defining points you would start with to define the mechanical niche in DW? Ny firt thought is the Furycrafter’s Bond with a specific elemental being from one of the 6 elements, and what they can accomplish with the aid of their Fury as their primary mechanic. Expansion mechanics would revolve around broudening the elemental connection to 2 or even 3 elements and 3 furies. Broadening Rather increasing the power curve would to explorer wider ranges of the use of the element such as a low powered Air Fury may grant a good overland run speed an some short falling protection. When broadened might grow into levitation then flight.
Look forward to any comments.
Have you looked at another recent thread ( https://plus.google.com/101099509021238143933/posts/435Y7rk77qv )? There’s some decent, if general, playbook creation advice there.
Furycrafting was the first thing on my wish list when I started reading DW. However, it doesn’t really translate perfectly well without getting into a lot of messy stuff that is way to specific to the setting anyways.
I started on it but never finished. I called it Mana Crafter and made it a compendium class. Once an elemental spirit blesses one with its power, you gain the mana crafter’s starting move. I split each element into two ‘circles’ (much the way class advanced moves are) so that stuff like creating a gust of wind is easier to get than all out flight. I called each of these smaller moves Disciplines.
Mana crafters have a number of disciplines equal to their level. This allows the character to have cool mana crafter stuff without impeding on their normal move progression. That said, I would also include advanced moves that give more disciplines and open up additional elements to the mana crafter.
A different route to take would be to make new Foci for the Mage class. 😛
I’ve never actually read the Codex Alera series. Is that the one that came about by Jim Butcher taking a bet to write a book about Romans and Pokemon? If so, have you considered using the hireling rules as a base?
Giovanni Lanza Yeah, that is the correct series. The hireling rules might be a good start.
Now I’m thinking that each element could be treated as its own compendium class. It would be a compact version of the mage class. Each element would have their own specialized version of Black Magic (water would get a healing move, fire a damaging move, metal a hack and slash move, etc) then Cast a Spell would be full of examples pertaining to that element’s influence. Then I would attach ranger companions and each fury would have specific stats and trainings.
Looking at it this way, it might take a while to develop the entire suite of furies but it is way simpler than the route I was initially going down. 🙂
Giovanni Lanza
Yes, Codex is the series Butcher wrote based on the challenge. Its actually a really good series and I greatly enjoyed the take on the magic in the world. Basically, Furycrafters have a connection to a (or multiple if they are powerful) Furies, which are elemental spirits from one of 6 elements (Air, Earth, Fire, Water, Metal and Wood).
Quick Link on Furycrafting: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codex_Alera
As for the Hireling rules, I’m not certain as to how well that would work. I do think Matt Miller is onto something though. The Mage might be a good place to start. It would need to have its fiction altered slightly to cover the basics of Furycrafting, since most people can use a limited form of Furycraft from all elements but then specialize in only one or two elements. For a class, I’d say you get one specialty at 1st then have a 2-5 and a 6-10 Advanced Move that lets you add a second (and then third) specialty. Also as mentioned, each element specialty needs to have some of its own moves to cover that element, especially Wood and Metal that are more like fighter/ranger moves than the truer “magic” of some of the other elements. I also like the idea of the Animal Companion rules as a basis for the furies, especially since the fiction can be bent to show both unmanifested and manifested Fury aid.