Genesys RPG by Fantasy Flight

[Doctor Who]

Has anyone had a chance to check this out? I like the system and have been messing with it. The super hero optional mechanics are really cool, to me, and give the option for doing cool stuff for some over the top Wuxia/shonen/Journey to the West/Mahabarata/Beowulf style stuff, where you can be above normal but with certain rolls/fights/epic moments you can do insane stuff.

I want to run a test game/kitchen sink game with it at some point, not as a long term campaign but as a test balance for mechanics. I want to use it, rather than the existing Doctor Who RPG, for a Doctor Who campaign I'm working on IRL, and also want to try a shonen/wuxia style game at some point.

What are you peoples' thoughts on the game's modularity and optional rules?

[SavageBob]

I have the rulebook and love the system, so I'm itching to run something with it. With Realms of Terrinoth just released, the system has shown itself as quite robust. It just needs more tweaking to represent unique settings (like Dr. Who or whatever). I'm actually headed to a gaming con this coming weekend in Albuquerque, and I'm upset no one is running any Genesys (or Star Wars).

I still intend to start a game on these boards, probably something based on the film The Secret of NIMH but set a generation later. The PCs would all be uplifted rats or mice. I think Genesys would work perfectly for this. I'd need to create some species and careers, but the talents are mostly all done thanks to the "Genesys Talents Expanded" document you can find online (that adapts a ton talents from Star Wars into Genesys tiers).

[Boutrose Saba-Norr]

I’m very interested in it as well I have a copy of the book and me and a friend are thinking about trying to use it to make an outlaw star game, although the source material would need a lot of fluffing.

[Doctor Who]

I'm debating buying Realms of Terrinoth, probably will once I get some disposable cash at some point

[Doctor Who]

How do people think the rules would do running some kind of mythic creation-esque narrative. Players being gods, ascended mortals, beasts of myth, etc.

Sort of inspired by the Avengers of 1000000BC Marvel concept:

[crazybirdman]

I know there is already fan made settings in the works for the top two things I want to use it for: Harry Potter and The Last Airbender.
But it would be great if they were able to make official sourcebooks for other universes. Jurassic Park, classic movie monsters, alien/predator, hunger games etc

[Doctor Who]

They might, considering they've been known to get licenses for works (Star Wars, 40k) and publish those games. They recently lost 40k, so they might get a different IP to fill in the gap.

[swrider]

I think an avengers style game would be fun. The trick would be making the game standard while still allowing people to customize their own superheros.

[ShadoWarrior]

How do people think the rules would do running some kind of mythic creation-esque narrative. Players being gods, ascended mortals, beasts of myth, etc.

That's what White Wolf's Exalted game system is for...

[Doctor Who]

How do people think the rules would do running some kind of mythic creation-esque narrative. Players being gods, ascended mortals, beasts of myth, etc.

That's what White Wolf's Exalted game system is for...

I mean, yeah, but Exalted has a setting baked in with how powers work, where people get powers, the cosmology, etc. I didn't want to work to unbake it, considering I'd never played it before

[Doctor Who]

I think an avengers style game would be fun. The trick would be making the game standard while still allowing people to customize their own superheros.

Terrinoth has cool unique abilities, and there's already a superhero themed flavor for them on the FFG forums. On top of that, the superhero alternate rules in Genesys work perfect for a mythic campaign as well. And given all the things in star wars, finding creatures isn't hard, or even modifying them. Plus Terrinoth released a lot of magical creatures.

[ShadoWarrior]

I mean, yeah, but Exalted has a setting baked in with how powers work, where people get powers, the cosmology, etc. I didn't want to work to unbake it, considering I'd never played it before

That was my too-subtle way of telling you to learn a new game system, so we can get enough people interested in Exalted and I can play something that I've been wanting to play again for years.

[Doctor Who]

I need money to buy the rulebook at some point. It's... probably next on my list to purchase.

That doesn't change the fact I wanna use Genesys to run a mythic superhero campaign.

[ShadoWarrior]

I'll stop hijacking this thread now. hehe

[Doctor Who]

My other thought, when using Genesys for stuff in general, is that the Force system from Star Wars is much more balanced than the magic system in Genesys for keeping characters at equal levels across the board. Especially with the three easy (and probably not on purpose) ways to break magic in Genesys. At least for a non-superhero/non-high fantasy campaign, I'd probably try to find a way to port the Force system rather than just use the magic skills

[SavageBob]

What do you find broken about the magic system? I haven't tried it yet, but if anything, people have complained that it's too difficult to pull of spells.

[Doctor Who]

What do you find broken about the magic system? I haven't tried it yet, but if anything, people have complained that it's too difficult to pull of spells.

The summoning is kind of broken, since without CR or something equivalent it's really easy to find something overpowered. At least, as written. Likewise with Curse(Doom), which doesn't say you can't produce beneficial results with it, which can get kind of silly. Again, as written. Finally, the one thing to add to attack spells that lets you move the target a direction. Up can be a direction, and falling damage is impressive in this game AFAIK.

Other than that I like the magic system, but it has a couple of ways it can break pretty quick.

[Boutrose Saba-Norr]

i'm actually really excited about the rune magic in the Terrinoth books but i don't have the money for it right now. I think it would be perfect for establishing the caster weapons in the outlaw star setting i want to eventually work on

[Doctor Who]

I like it, it's cool, flavorful, and gives me ideas how to implement a Norse style runic magic. That's also why I'm excited for Unlimited Power and its Alchemy.

[SavageBob]

The summoning is kind of broken, since without CR or something equivalent it's really easy to find something overpowered. At least, as written. Likewise with Curse(Doom), which doesn't say you can't produce beneficial results with it, which can get kind of silly. Again, as written. Finally, the one thing to add to attack spells that lets you move the target a direction. Up can be a direction, and falling damage is impressive in this game AFAIK.

Other than that I like the magic system, but it has a couple of ways it can break pretty quick.

From my read, Curse can only be used to cause bad things. What do you mean by it being able to produce beneficial results? Do you mean that the spell caster might change a die face to a Triumph or something? I think they probably just assumed no player would ever choose such a result!

For the Manipulative added effect (the one that can move the target in a direction of your choice), I'd rule that the only direction you can choose is the one that corresponds to the direction your attack was moving (like a magic missile knocking the target back). But, yeah, I can see a player abusing it by saying they're creating a stalagmite from the ground or something that knocks the target up into the air.

I'd have to see Conjure/Summon in play, but I can definitely see what you mean about it potentially getting overpowered.

Over all, I think the system's flexibility is likely it's greatest strength, but it would require a lot of adjudication by the GM to avoid it getting out of hand.

[Doctor Who]

The summoning is kind of broken, since without CR or something equivalent it's really easy to find something overpowered. At least, as written. Likewise with Curse(Doom), which doesn't say you can't produce beneficial results with it, which can get kind of silly. Again, as written. Finally, the one thing to add to attack spells that lets you move the target a direction. Up can be a direction, and falling damage is impressive in this game AFAIK.

Other than that I like the magic system, but it has a couple of ways it can break pretty quick.

From my read, Curse can only be used to cause bad things. What do you mean by it being able to produce beneficial results? Do you mean that the spell caster might change a die face to a Triumph or something? I think they probably just assumed no player would ever choose such a result!

For the Manipulative added effect (the one that can move the target in a direction of your choice), I'd rule that the only direction you can choose is the one that corresponds to the direction your attack was moving (like a magic missile knocking the target back). But, yeah, I can see a player abusing it by saying they're creating a stalagmite from the ground or something that knocks the target up into the air.

I'd have to see Conjure/Summon in play, but I can definitely see what you mean about it potentially getting overpowered.

Over all, I think the system's flexibility is likely it's greatest strength, but it would require a lot of adjudication by the GM to avoid it getting out of hand.

Well yeah, that's why the Curse thing is kind of broken. Since it does give a bad effect, but the Die changed doesn't have to be changed to a negative, despite the other effects of curse still applying.

Yeah, the biggest problem with Manipulative is in fact narrative, since you can flavor attacks however you want (beyond what the magic skill says it can't do).

Conjuring/summoning in DnD can be insanely busted, and is usually considered the best way to build a wizard there. And that one at least has built in power levels so you can't summon anything. Genesys leaves it way more open.

Yeah, I love the system, but several things need heavy adjudication or at least OOC agreement to keep a semblance of balance.