A friend of mine was musing about wanting to run a tabletop game based around the Wheel of Time series.  He was unsatisfied with WotC's d20 attempt.  While he's perfectly comfortable with d20, I think for this game he would prefer something that easily captures the essence of the setting (especially the magic/channeling system) and is less about adding modifiers or tracking rules minutiae.  He isn't looking to do any storygaming, although I'm sure he plans on using whatever is patched together to accurately capture the setting.

That's the challenge for me.  I don't know jack about the source material.  So I'm asking you guys what you might do.

My first instinct would be to sit down with him, the WotC d20 Wheel of Time book and probably something like True20.  Let him dial the level of detail up or down (probably way down).  However, given my lack of knowledge about the setting's magic system, that could be a big fat waste of time.  Thoughts?

If your friend likes WoT enough to run a game in it, you should consider getting a new friend.

Oof.

The only system I've ever played in that made me feel it was very "Wheel of Time"-ish, was Amber. And that may have been because me & the GM were both big fans, so he got where I was taking my character.

The main problem is WoT spell-casting has a break point of "Useful" and "I AM GOD!!!", with male casters continually facing madness and destruction (well, till later in the series...possibly).

You almost certainly don't want to do actual gaming in the WoT setting, because it's actually very one dimensional ("We have to fight the Dark Lord, who has absolutely no redeeming features. Some more.") and the main characters of the setting are essentially gods who can teleport across the world in an eyeblink and then blast you so hard that you literally cease to have existed some time in the past.

But I could see wanting to play in a setting that was WoTish, since it's basically just a much longer version of Lord of the Rings with more girl-on-girl-on-girl-on-guy action. Trollocs are exactly the same thing as Orcs, and the Myrdraal were exactly the same thing as Nazguls until the whole Dragon Ball Zishness of it all eventually pushed the envelope so far that they had to start showing up in groups of several dozen just to be a horde monster for the main character to rain time distortion fire on before fighting an actual boss.

All that being said, the Dresden Files casting mechanic is probably what you're looking for. I think it does a shit job of actually doing Dresden Files (I would use almost any other FATE system instead to do Butcher books), but WoT has an actual in world explanation for why one character has a lot of powerful magic and another character has a lot of plot altering fate points. Mat seriously has an actual sound effect every time he spends his fate points, which in later books he does consciously sometimes. That and the whole thing about characters channeling power and then controlling it is like the entire point of WoT magic.

-Frank

I dunno Frank. I ran a rather successful WoT campaign for a few months. The only reason it died was because of Finals and then Summer break. But the key is to NOT run it when the books are taking place. The kingdoms are detailed enough that you can run a very successful political/military campaign broken up by some good questing into ruins of the old ages. There's enough Trollocs and other Shadow Spawn to go around, and the world is mysterious enough that other horrors can be created by the GM.

If Medieval Europe can be used as a game setting successfully, then so can the Wheel of Time. The WoT setting is very much like Europe: a human-world made up of distinct cultures that do not always get along. Just add in Aes Sedai, Ogier, Shadowspawn, The Ways, and all sorts of other cool shit.

Much like Lucas, the WoT setting started out great until Jordan shat all over his own creation. But ignoring the books, i.e. setting the campaign earlier, is a fantastic option.

Also: If I were to run it now I'd use Savage Worlds.

-=Grim=-

I reiterate: DO NOT SET IT IN THE TIME OF THE BOOKS! Because Frank is right in that regard: the power levels are fucking retarded and the setting suddenly becomes rather one-dimensional.

-=Grim=-

Quote from: GrimJesta;414455I reiterate: DO NOT SET IT IN THE TIME OF THE BOOKS! Because Frank is right in that regard: the power levels are fucking retarded and the setting suddenly becomes rather one-dimensional.

-=Grim=-

Cool.  I hear you guys loud and clear.  To clarify what I said in the OP: It isn't my game, but I do want to help a friend out, even just give him suggestions.  I still don't know shit about the source material.

He's playing in a successful campaign of A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying.  Those guys did a good job picking a place and time on Westeros that leaves plenty of room for fun and discovery.  So I imagine he has a perspective he believes will be suitable.

Personally, I'm not big on roleplaying in novels.  But I appreciate the feedback here so far.

Ah yes, the Wheel of time:



What a fucking retarded series. The low point of 90s fantasy-fiction.

RPGPundit

Quote from: RPGPundit;414717Ah yes, the Wheel of time:



What a fucking retarded series. The low point of 90s fantasy-fiction.

RPGPundit

Comparably, Darrell K. Sweet is the low point of 90's fantasy illustration. Christ, look at those assholes. Harry Dresden with lace-trimmed gloves and a pole arm, wolverine in tights under the effects of a Hold Person spell as he tries to shoot from his stirrups, a cheeleader in a white members only jacket riding half a horse, and a chunky soccer mom in a blue Eddie Murphy suit. Ca. 1996 this is what 50% of DMs assumed your party looked like. I weep.

Edit : I fully admit that someone is likely to be able to find a worse 90's book cover illustrator than Darell Sweet. Please do not show me his paintings.

So, based on the tenor of this thread so far I guess it isn't really a bad thing that I'm not familiar with the source material?  

Quote from: winkingbishop;414723So, based on the tenor of this thread so far I guess it isn't really a bad thing that I'm not familiar with the source material?  

I have admittedly only read half of the first Wheel of Time book (which is like 5 or 600 pages long, though) so I'll just say that from what I read, it reads like the cover art looks.