Dominions Pen and Paper

[PrinzMegaherz]

Hi everyone,

i just wanted to ask whether there has been a discussion about creating a Pen and Paper RPG set in the Dominions universe. I think the rich fluff the devs created could be used for either a completely new system or setting books for Gurps or whatever system you like. I personally would like to see some detailed background books for the different nations.

Maybe there would even be a market for this?

[Edi]

The RPG market is hard to break into. I've ported quite a few creatures from Domions to the old DragonQuest RPG system with permission from IW, but it was a fairly easy task to do given the mechanics of the DQ system (the magic doesn't translate too well).

The thing is that any effort of that kind would require a lot more material than is available now in the game descriptions, it would need to be molded into a suitable format, thoroughly proofread several times and checked for consistency so that the continuity doesn't piss all over itself. It would, from certain perspectives, also have the not so minor problem of locking things in stone so that it would be much harder to change things later even if necessary. It also requires a lot of work of a different sort, which would make it a multiperson project and the question of who IW would be comfortable enough with to have lend a hand would not necessarily be easily solved.

[PvK]

I toyed with the idea of making a GURPS Dominions book... though it might have to be more than one book to do a good job, especially for the magic system...

I also thought of just starting a GURPS Dominions campaign without writing a book (just the usual ton of work I tend to do setting up a game world).

I also just thought of setting up some GURPS combat scenarios in a Dominions setting, even maybe simply basing them on actual battles that happen in the computer games.

I can see it being a lot of fun using the full GURPS tactical combat rules.

Edit:
As for the "market" as in commercial market, I don't know or care much. I just see it could make a good interesting game from a gaming art & fun perspective.

[Gandalf Parker]

My concept of a Dominion RPG was for something pre-early-era. You would play the pretenders before they decided that they were worthy of becoming gods. Earning the fame and glory that would put them above the average being. Working toward the things they get at the beginning of a dominions game. One province, one castle, one lab, one temple, and some starting troops.

[MaxWilson]

I should mention that I was working on a GURPS tactical combat engine for fun before I discovered Dominions and quit, since it was everything I wanted out of GURPS except different rules for magic.

-Max

[HoneyBadger]

It'd be sweet to combine Dominions with Ars Magica in a pen-and-paper game.

I think it would work as well or better than any other system, since there are definite similarities and plenty of opportunities for crossover (gems translate easily into vis, etc., magic users have the same function and level of importance, the various creatures and races of Dominions would go very well in the Ars Magica campaign setting, since they're based on real-world myths, and Ars Magica is set in actual (magical) midieval Europe.), and what Dominions doesn't do as well as it could, Ars Magica does very well indeed (magic system), without both existing on different planets.

Infact, I'd pay whatever hourly wages Kristoffer is making as a teacher and Johan is making as a programmer just to get them both to sit down and read the last 3 editions of the Ars Magica rulebook and the best of the various suppliments. I'd even buy the books.

I think they'd be a revelation, since Ars Magica is such a polished product and Dominions is so close to Ars Magica in "feel".

Then again, I'm very poor, so perhaps not.

[Arralen]

@HoneyBadger
At first, both know the Ars Magica rule books, maybe not the latest edition, though ... read page 1 of the manual ..

Later editions of A.M. are not necessarily better ones. Are there still secret corridors under Venice where the thieves and bandits silently pass through?
(Gave me a good laugh. About as good as the "diamond fibre/wire reinforced armor" in battle tech ... Hint: diamond = carbon = burns fine )

And I don't think you could "form" Dominions into an Ars Magica Module, fitting it into the Ars Magica background: E.g. the "dominion" concept is very similar to the "reality" concept of TORG, and does not fit the "domain" concept of Ars Magica. Nor does the existance of multiple pretender gods.

What would work is to use the rules themselves, while dropping any background information, including spells (formulas), domains, creatures etc. . You would have to re-create them using the basic rules, very much like you would do using the GURPS rules (unless you would simply throw a extension like "magic" at the problem, what wouldn't work at all, IMNSHO)

@ Gandalf
And don't forget, the most important thing of all: devoted followers! Lots of people could gather some troops, get some peasants to pay them.
But you'll have to convince them that you're the next/real good .. won't be that easy, even for the widespread RPG hero.

[HoneyBadger]

Ok, then, to *re*-read Ars Magica Atleast the magic system. And I agree about the later editions, I didn't find the last one I read to be nearly as enthralling as the one previous.

As far as Venice goes...well, probably not thieves or bandits, unless they're of the mer-variety.

Titanium burns just fine, too.

You wouldn't necessarily use the "domains" the same as are currently implemented in Ars Magica-you'd definitely have to extend and warp the concept, but the underlying idea is there and could be made to fit Dominions.