When I read a great book series - science fiction or fantasy, and the variations of those categories - I usually consider ways I can adapt the setting in GURPS.
The most recent focus of such musings is Jim Butcher's Codex Alera fantasy series. I actually read it a few times through and listened to the audio book before realizing I wanted to run a game based on this concept.
Take The Hero's Journey premise, set on a world dominated by a culture descended from a Roman legion, where elemental powers and weird creatures abound...well, let's just say that it is one of my top three favorite series.
How do you make it an RPG setting, though? If you get the itch to create worlds as well, I suggest a read of this: GURPS 4th Edition Adaptions. If you'd like an idea of what the book covers, check out this wiki review.
SETTING
The concept of a Roman Legion lost in space/time is a bit of a cliché but it works so well in this series, and Butcher's development of the society and culture in conjunction other story elements makes it a fun approach.
As I have an interest in worldbuilding, I would rather develop something similar but different enough to present a wide array of challenges to RPG participants. I will be using an original setting developed for a fantasy game I ran years previous.
Humans may or may not be native to the world as any knowledge of their origins was lost in a brutal conquest by alien forces. After nearly a millennium of enslavement by the capricious, bloody overlords, they broke free and built a new society.
The game takes place almost one-thousand years after the revolution where a human culture of rival warlords, scheming guild masters, and fractious religious orders is built atop a hierarchy of power and tradition. The remnants of the old conquerors and corrupted elemental spirits threaten stability, while competing races strive to survive intolerant human militants and regain their ancient realms.
POWERS
GURPS 4e Thaumatology: Chinese Elemental Powers offers a view of elemental powers that hews close to the descriptions found within the Codex Alera. Remove the idea of 'chi' and deeper spiritual matters, and you find a practical, utilitarian power guide.
I am using GURPS Character Sheet to build templates of Elemental Powers, as well as Fantasy class advantages and skills. I will post those templates once I've made sufficient progress.
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