Cogwork
Junior Member
Hi, I need some help with an roleplay I'm planning on running.
The gist of the roleplay is that it's a pretty bog standard Isekai thing but everyone plays as historical figures (so like Joan of Arc or Julius Caesar). But the problem is that when I and some friends did a test run of the roleplay, I wasn't too happy with how the magic system turned out.
So the way it currently works is that each historical figure gains a small number of magical abilities based on their previous life. I.e Yaoya Oshichi might get the ability to manipulate fire based on her being famous for her attempted arson while Demetrius Poliorcetes might get some time manipulation ability of some sort based on the time he changed the Attic calendar so he could be initiated in the Eleusinian Mysteries in a single month instead of waiting the traditional eighteen.
Now, in theory, this works pretty well. But what I discovered is that this magic system results two issues. 1) People going for more well-known people with more accomplishment and legends behind them. For example, why should someone pick Oshichi when they can pick, say, Oda Nobunaga and give him similar fire abilities based on the Siege of Mount Hiei while also giving him other abilities based on other things? 2) The people who do pick more obscure characters who are famous for one or two things get easily overshadowed by those that don't. 3) I noticed that a lot of the abilities people gave their character ended up being fairly similar for the most part.
Obviously this can be somewhat solved by limiting every character to a single power. But I think that is a bit boring.
So instead, my idea was that each character will be summoned to the new world by a mythological figure. The magic system would then work so that the characters gains a small number of magical abilities either based on their previous life or based on the figure that summoned them. However, I worry that might be a little too much. But I'm probably just overthinking it.
So lastly, I thought of limiting the magic system so that characters can only get abilities based on the figure that summoned them. But I think that's a bit too far removed from the original point of the roleplay.
Honestly, I can't really decide so I'd love some input from all of you. If you have questions that might affect your choice, please let me know.
The roleplay is aiming for a fairly standard Shonen battle manga tone if that helps.
The gist of the roleplay is that it's a pretty bog standard Isekai thing but everyone plays as historical figures (so like Joan of Arc or Julius Caesar). But the problem is that when I and some friends did a test run of the roleplay, I wasn't too happy with how the magic system turned out.
So the way it currently works is that each historical figure gains a small number of magical abilities based on their previous life. I.e Yaoya Oshichi might get the ability to manipulate fire based on her being famous for her attempted arson while Demetrius Poliorcetes might get some time manipulation ability of some sort based on the time he changed the Attic calendar so he could be initiated in the Eleusinian Mysteries in a single month instead of waiting the traditional eighteen.
Now, in theory, this works pretty well. But what I discovered is that this magic system results two issues. 1) People going for more well-known people with more accomplishment and legends behind them. For example, why should someone pick Oshichi when they can pick, say, Oda Nobunaga and give him similar fire abilities based on the Siege of Mount Hiei while also giving him other abilities based on other things? 2) The people who do pick more obscure characters who are famous for one or two things get easily overshadowed by those that don't. 3) I noticed that a lot of the abilities people gave their character ended up being fairly similar for the most part.
Obviously this can be somewhat solved by limiting every character to a single power. But I think that is a bit boring.
So instead, my idea was that each character will be summoned to the new world by a mythological figure. The magic system would then work so that the characters gains a small number of magical abilities either based on their previous life or based on the figure that summoned them. However, I worry that might be a little too much. But I'm probably just overthinking it.
So lastly, I thought of limiting the magic system so that characters can only get abilities based on the figure that summoned them. But I think that's a bit too far removed from the original point of the roleplay.
Honestly, I can't really decide so I'd love some input from all of you. If you have questions that might affect your choice, please let me know.
The roleplay is aiming for a fairly standard Shonen battle manga tone if that helps.
