Arcanum Pen and Paper. What would you choose?

[nikolokolus]

I've been considering building a campaign set in the world of Arcanum, but I'm wondering where to turn for a system that models some of the more interesting mechanics from the CRPG -- namely, the Magic vs. Technology divide.

Required Features:

• Skill-based vs. class-based
• melee, unarmed, gunfighting, and magic should all be viable character choices (not necessarily equal)
• some way to mechanically model the tech-magic meter from the CRPG that doesn't suck, or become some major bookkeeping chore.
• The magic system doesn't have to match the CRPG, but there should be some sense of specialization or choice.
• No story-games bullshit. I'm an old grog set in my ways and I don't really like hand-wavy narrativist systems.

Clockwork & Chivalry/Renaissance was the first thing to spring to mind because it's built to handle steampunk/clockpunk, but it feels like I'd have to do a lot of hacking to get it where I want it. I also considered GURPS, but it's been years since I played it, and I remember it being pretty fiddly, but I do own Discworld GURPS and its default victorian assumptions and meld of magic and tech seems like it could be adapted with a little bit of work.

Does anybody have any system suggestions? Any experience running an Arcanum game? Any interesting mechanical solutions for handling the inverse relationship between technological skills and magical ability? Has anybody ever tried to recreate the CRPG system that underpins Arcanum?

 

[Andhaira]

I've been considering building a campaign set in the world of Arcanum, but I'm wondering where to turn for a system that models some of the more interesting mechanics from the CRPG -- namely, the Magic vs. Technology divide.

Required Features:

• Skill-based vs. class-based
• melee, unarmed, gunfighting, and magic should all be viable character choices (not necessarily equal)
• some way to mechanically model the tech-magic meter from the CRPG that doesn't suck, or become some major bookkeeping chore.
• The magic system doesn't have to match the CRPG, but there should be some sense of specialization or choice.
• No story-games bullshit. I'm an old grog set in my ways and I don't really like hand-wavy narrativist systems.

Clockwork & Chivalry/Renaissance was the first thing to spring to mind because it's built to handle steampunk/clockpunk, but it feels like I'd have to do a lot of hacking to get it where I want it. I also considered GURPS, but it's been years since I played it, and I remember it being pretty fiddly, but I do own Discworld GURPS and its default victorian assumptions and meld of magic and tech seems like it could be adapted with a little bit of work.

Does anybody have any system suggestions? Any experience running an Arcanum game? Any interesting mechanical solutions for handling the inverse relationship between technological skills and magical ability? Has anybody ever tried to recreate the CRPG system that underpins Arcanum?

Victoriana 3e

http://cubicle7.co.uk/our-games/victoriana/

 

[Major_Blackhart]

This is interesting. I'd be interested in seeing how it comes out.

 

[nikolokolus]

Victoriana 3e

http://cubicle7.co.uk/our-games/victoriana/

Interesting. I'll look into it. Any insights or advice from running this system yourself?

 

[Andhaira]

Victoriana 3e

http://cubicle7.co.uk/our-games/victoriana/

Interesting. I'll look into it. Any insights or advice from running this system yourself?

I never got around to running it, but my strong impression was it was the perfect system to play Arcanum in. Its basically a tooklit to run Victorian Steampunk, so just houserule away the stuff you don't need like anthromorphic animals (sentient animal races). Only thing it doesn't have is the magic vs technology barometer, wherein one causes the other to misfire/malfunction. You will have to houserule that in, but that's about all.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

That could be a simple D100 roll to make things easy, or gradient levels and more difficult with modifiers, etc.

 

[Neanderthal]

Could do opposed bonuses and penalties on a d20 quite simply: Say you start out with a baseline of 50% (1-10 to succeed,) and then start adding bonuses or penalties depending on the character and situation, up to +10 for the mightiest of Archmages say. Now a tech roll against that Archmage would have a -10 penalty to it if its just some nobody shooting a pistol at him, best he could hope for is 10, worst -10, and a gradient of worse misfires and from -1 down. Reverse that if its a techie versus magic using chump. Course you could get equal Scientist versus Archmage, where everything evens up, both got +10 so bonuses cancel each other out and dice decides.

Other factors would play in of course, you're going to get bonuses/penalties if you're in Tulla as opposed to Tarant, magic items, old gods blessings yadda, yadda.

 

[nikolokolus]

I'm starting to lean towards adapting BRP's built-in Allegiance system to handle the magick-tech divide. Tech or Magick could both have a rating that accumulates points starting from zero, and when one exceeds the other by a certain margin, certain effects can be applied (q.v. Elric!/Stormbringer's Law, Chaos, and Balance); off-hand Magick resistance, increased fumble rates, etc.

When I get some time I'll mashup something from GURPS Steampunk, Clockwork & Chivalry, BRP, and some others sources and post an Arcanum conversion doc in a couple of weeks for people to critique and shit on (in appropriate Codexian tradition).