Fullmetal Alchemist RPG

Is Savage Worlds a good system for a Fullmethal game?

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  1. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Savage Worlds markets itself as a universal system for any setting but it's only really good for pulpy action-adventure.
    I have never watched FMA so if it doesn't fit that description, I would pick a different system.
    If you're dead-set on playing SW then pirate one of the plot-point campaigns. You could also try Saga of the Goblin Horde - I hear that's a pretty fun campaign.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      nta, but fma is pretty puply.

      https://i.imgur.com/HjTwncN.jpg

      Is Savage Worlds a good system for a Fullmethal game?

      it will work well enough. I think its mechanics would work half decently for that particular setting. though i remember not liking suoer high toughness thingss in sw.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      >I have never watched FMA so if it doesn't fit that description, I would pick a different system.
      Fullmetal Alchemist is like a dark political thriller, except with a supernatural and magic twist to enable flashy shonen fight scenes. So I'd rate it as pulpy action-adventure.

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        How developed is the magic system? SW doesn't have a super flexible magic system

        • 1 year ago
          Anonymous

          It's magic with structure, it attempts to set rules for itself. Alchemy is the conscious manipulation of matter and energy through runes, it's more or less treated as a science in their world and functions like magic-charged chemistry, thus alchemy. "Equivalent exchange" is a term thrown around a lot: you cannot make something from nothing, so most alchemy performed must make use of supplied materials or the surrounding environment.

        • 1 year ago
          Anonymous

          Extremely. The laws of alchemy are super well defined, and any exceptions to those rules are treated like acts of god. A good portion of the show revolves around an item that allows one to seemingly break those rules. You can't do FMA without doing alchemy right. It is too intrinsic to the world, the plot, and the characters.

          To that end I will second GURPS. Not because it already has the perfect magic system, but because the rest of the system is grounded enough that you won't have to worry about things like how much damage do bullets do to alchemically animated stone, or how big of a perfectly sculpted replica of Alex Louis Armstrong do you need to crush a tank.

          Basically rely on the system to be a physics engine that alchemy can interact with.

          Also GURPS does kind of have a magic system flexible enough to do alchemy. You could retool RPM to work if you wanted a skill based system, or regular Ritual magic. I personally wouldn't, as I think a system built from the ground up would work far better.

          • 1 year ago
            Anonymous

            I feel like symbol magic or syntactic magic from thaumatology might be a better fit, to match the flexibility of alchemy

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        > dark political thriller
        what? there are political entities, definitely, but I really would t call it a “political thriller”. internal politics arent exactly a front and center topic. the history of the country is somewhat important sure, but the focus isnt that focused on politics. its more of an action-mystery-drama.

        • 1 year ago
          Anonymous

          >political thriller
          what? there's zero tension wrt the politicking (as much as it can be said that there is any) excepting the coup at the end and the approximately 15 seconds that armstrong is infiltrating

          The whole plot is driven by a political conspiracy, it just happens the conspiracy is driven by supernatural forces. A genocide perpetrated for false reasons, secret government black projects, the leader of the nation is a double agent with a dark agenda. A lot of the plot is uncovering how deep the conspiracy goes, who the protagonists can trust, and then organizing a coup d'etat to overthrow it. The history of the country and the country's own government and military are key parts of the story.

          • 1 year ago
            Anonymous

            bruh thats a B plot if anything. the main point is not politicing or stuff related too. usuall “political thriller” implies the political process, campaigning, factions, underhanded deals, jurisprudence, wheeling and dealing in the court systems and family houses etc are front and center to the experience which it very much is NOT in FMA, must “political” stuff is simply used as character revelations. in fact it very much COULD have gone in a political drama route if it wanted to with its elements, but it very much didnt.

            • 1 year ago
              Anonymous

              Not him, but then how would you describe it?

              Extremely. The laws of alchemy are super well defined, and any exceptions to those rules are treated like acts of god. A good portion of the show revolves around an item that allows one to seemingly break those rules. You can't do FMA without doing alchemy right. It is too intrinsic to the world, the plot, and the characters.

              To that end I will second GURPS. Not because it already has the perfect magic system, but because the rest of the system is grounded enough that you won't have to worry about things like how much damage do bullets do to alchemically animated stone, or how big of a perfectly sculpted replica of Alex Louis Armstrong do you need to crush a tank.

              Basically rely on the system to be a physics engine that alchemy can interact with.

              Also GURPS does kind of have a magic system flexible enough to do alchemy. You could retool RPM to work if you wanted a skill based system, or regular Ritual magic. I personally wouldn't, as I think a system built from the ground up would work far better.

              Honestly for Savage Worlds I would simplify it. I would just say that hitting somebody with a rock is a Bolt power, Speed is just using alchemy to speed you up (like making the ground move under you).

              You just has to make the players only manipulate whatever they have circles for.

              • 1 year ago
                Anonymous

                action-mystery.

                If it spent more time on the drama of being a state alchemist, Edward attempting to "rise" in the ranks, and the strictures of legality being a focus instead of more " underground busts" with "revelations", it would be more political thriller in theme.

                genre tends to describe the active element of entertainment, not necissarily the setting trappings. And the major drives of FMA, are mysteries like the secrete of life and death, philosophers stone, who's collecting the stones, etc. and the action setpieces in between. Its not Westwing. there is also a lot "politics" in the Background of One piece, but I dont think people would call that a political thriller.

              • 1 year ago
                Anonymous

                >the drama of being a state alchemist, Edward attempting to "rise" in the ranks
                I'd say that's Mustang's side of the story, though. Edward is the more typical action shonen protagonist but Roy Mustang is like a deuteragonist, and I'd argue he represents the more political side of FMA's story. But that's only one part of a larger and more complex narrative.

                >there is also a lot "politics" in the Background of One piece, but I dont think people would call that a political thriller.
                True, that one's just open all-out people's revolution from the get-go, except in the few countries that aren't run by evil dickheads.

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        >political thriller
        what? there's zero tension wrt the politicking (as much as it can be said that there is any) excepting the coup at the end and the approximately 15 seconds that armstrong is infiltrating

        • 1 year ago
          Anonymous

          >what? there's zero tension wrt the politicking
          There is technically several characters trying to investigate things under the military across the show.

  2. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    I have a proposal for it, increase the number of power points to use alchemy,maybe by 50%, but make it do that the characters suffer Nausea, and Fatigue if their power points reach 0.

  3. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Shounen Manga is just pulp action with goofy eyes. Savage Worlds should be fine for it.

  4. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Try GURPS
    ALWAYS TRY GURPS

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      Never try GURPS, the people you have to deal with to learn it are the most insufferable of c**ts, and many of them are kid touching furries.

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        >and many of them are kid touching furries.
        Yeah that was my experience too.

  5. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    Savage Worlds will do completely fine. Most of the laws of alchemy autism doesn't come into play expressedly anyway in action scenes. Just let people buy spells and then roughly enforce them.

  6. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    The latest franchise PDF suggested Savage Worlds arcane backgrounds, and linked to two discussion threads.
    But also, it better not be Brotherhood like in your pic related. The mangaka/Brotherhood continuation felt pretty disappointing compared with the original anime continuation.

  7. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    I'd sooner go Genesys to be honest. You'll have to do homebrew to get it set up in SW anyway, may as well do it in a system that's warmed up and ready for transmutation.

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