OSR/NSR Tabletop Roleplaying Games

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Looking for an adventure module with a Soulsborne/King's Field vibe (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 year ago by sambeastie@lemmy.world to c/osr@lemm.ee

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Hi all,

As the title, I'm looking for an adventure module that hits on similar notes to a Soulsborne game. The kind of crumbling dying world aeshetic, mixed with misty forests and long (possibly perpetual) nights and vague hints at factions or individuals from a time before. You know. Soulsy stuff. King's Field counts too, even though those games are quite different, since the worlds they portray have similar aeshetics.

I've found Vermis I, which I'm very excited to (hopefully soon) get a copy of so that I can finally actually read it, but as you might imagine, this is kind of a difficult thing to formulate search terms for. There are a lot of people who try to capture these games' mechanics, but seemingly not so many that I could find trying to capture their worldbuilding.

System compatibility doesn't matter, since I plan to just mine it for ideas

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[–] fredzBXGame@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

So I found this Loose Narrative: Few cutscenes and plotlines are offered to the player. The narrative unfolds by exploring your world and uncovering new secrets, talking with NPCs, and slaying bosses. There may or may not be a quest log, but almost certainly there will be no quest markers or anything indicating your next destination.

Stamina-Based Combat: Your attacks, blocks, and dodge rolls all consume stamina. Perform too many actions, and you’ll be left exposed. Combat also tends to be unforgiving, with just a few missteps leading to death.

Pattern Memorization: Enemies tend to signal their attacks before unleashing them, giving you the chance to evade them. Most games in the genre require you to memorize these attack patterns in order to be successful.

Bonfires: Called “Sites of Grace” in Elden Ring, these locations offer a reprieve from the action. They allow you to check your status, upgrade your attributes, and offer something of a checkpoint.

Oppressive Environment: Everywhere you look, there’s something trying to kill you. Few locations are safe from harm, and there’s an ever-present feeling that the world is bearing down on you.

Progression System: Whether you’re unlocking new weapons, reaching new environments, or upgrading your attributes, the subgenre is constantly giving you ways to feel like you’re making progress towards the end of the game.

Loss of Experience Upon Death: If you are holding any unused experience points (often called Souls or Runes), you’ll drop them upon death. You’re then free to pick them back up in a subsequent run, although if you die a second time they’ll be lost forever

You probably could adapt this to work - has some of the elements - you will have to add /work in some of the others https://initiativeone.blogspot.com/2013/05/od-setting-posts-in-pdf.html

There is this as well - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B2bP0GsXwg9xZnNIUjBYemVzLU0?resourcekey=0-Ssu9cfnxeIXiK6948_FRIw

[–] snowkeep@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Runecairn hits most of these points mechanically. Stamina is called fatigue and you can take as much as you have free inventory slots before it affects your attributes. Different weapons give you different fatigue causing dodges or attacks. Respawn at bonfires with non-souled enemies respawning. Collect souls and use them for recovery or increasing attributes. It's designed as as duet or solo game, and doesn't have the depth of lore that is a hallmark of souls-like games, but you could do it as an emergent lore, or pull from another source. It's explicitly a post-Ragnarok Norse setting, but sounds like you want more of a Dying Earth setting. Place the mechanics in Worlds Without Number's Latter Earth or the setting for Vaults of Vaarn (this might be more ruined Earth)? But I find any setting spun with the right atmosphere works better than trying to find a match.

There is also Grave, which is a souls hack of Knave 1e, but I haven't tryed it.

[–] sambeastie@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

I probably should've been more clear, but I'm not looking for systems. I don't think trying to replicate the mechanics of Souls leads to the best experience. In fact, I think most mechanical aspects of the games would make for an actively bad experience when transferred to ttrpgs, because player skill (the ultimate Soulsborne level up mechanic) doesn't really come into play in the same way, and fighting a boss half a dozen times isn't all that fun in tabletop games.

The parts I think ttrpgs can replicate are setting and level design, and that's what it seems is in short supply whenever people talk about Souls in tabletop form. That's why I gave the example of Vermis I which seems perfect, I just want more things like that.

Checking out Vaults of Vaarn, though, it might be a good fit. It's hitting some of the notes I'm looking for in its setting. Comes with lots of random tables too!

[–] sambeastie@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

I'm still reading through both of the resources you linked, but I think the OD&D setting in particular is going to help me a ton. I also think I can pull some structure from the unofficial Dark Souls ruleset -- Age Creation in particular.

Thanks! These are perfect!