Wesnoth as tabletop roleplaying game setting

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jendefer
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Joined: June 3rd, 2018, 7:42 am

Wesnoth as tabletop roleplaying game setting

Post by jendefer »

The Writers' Forum guidelines indicate that discussing Wesnoth fanfiction is appropriate here, which made me wonder about Wesnoth-based tabletop roleplaying games. The session write-ups of those would pretty much be fanfiction, I would think. I'm curious whether anyone out there has explored the Wesnoth universe and its themes as a tabletop RPG. My RPG group was looking to play in a fantasy setting, and as the game master, I decided to use Wesnoth for our setting. That way, playing Battle for Wesnoth counts as doing GM homework! I have been writing up our sessions as short stories, partly so that I can keep track of what has happened, and because it helps the players get a grip on their characters. We have a couple young elves who have led sheltered lives now branching out from their little forest and exploring the Estmark Hills about 30-years after Eastern Invasion.

Anyway, I was curious whether anyone else has adapted Wesnoth for small-party adventures around a game table rather than big-scale battles.

And if some other forum would be more appropriate for this conversation, please let me know. I haven't done much on the boards here, but I've been enjoying playing the game for years.
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MoonyDragon
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Re: Wesnoth as tabletop roleplaying game setting

Post by MoonyDragon »

Tabletop Wesnoth has has already been implemented multiple times - you can find the most recent project here.
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jendefer
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Re: Wesnoth as tabletop roleplaying game setting

Post by jendefer »

Oh! Interesting to hear about boardgame versions of Wesnoth. Do you know of any roleplaying game versions?
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MoonyDragon
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Re: Wesnoth as tabletop roleplaying game setting

Post by MoonyDragon »

Sadly not, so I'm afraid you'll have to improvise. The boardgame version was the closest to a TTRPG that came to mind, at least with my limited knowledge of this genre. It could be of use as a map, on which the story unfolds - just like in user-made RPG campaigns and of course mixed with any TTRPG elements which you desire.
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Helmet
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Re: Wesnoth as tabletop roleplaying game setting

Post by Helmet »

I like your idea for several reasons.

You could incorporate large battles via Wesnoth, and have their outcomes change the course of events for the PCs. (Large battles are difficult to manage in a TTRPG.)

Your players could watch the replay of the battle while you narrate dramatically.

The PCs could collect treasure while exploring dungeons, then donate the gold to a Wesnoth army as bonus gold.

The PCs could go on a quest for a magic item and if they find it, the item can be given to a unit for a Wesnoth battle.

Lots of potential. Sounds like fun.
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JustNatan
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Re: Wesnoth as tabletop roleplaying game setting

Post by JustNatan »

+1 for this :)
I was thinking about taking the system of wesnoth as a base for rpg playing for a while tbh. I am not that much into the wesnoth lore so I can't say whether this might be interesting, but I love how well designed wesnoth is.

Especially because wesnoth could not just be a system, but also a system defining the possible parameters of house rules.

So yea, I would be very interested! (in ideas, whole solutions and everything)
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