Potential idea for D&D I would like people to assist with testing.

For quite some time I have LOVED Sword Art Online to the death. I looked around for QUITE a while but found absolutely NOTHING on a Sword Art Online D&D game. I figures, why not give it a shot? it would be pretty epic after all (well, in my opinion). For example, the Good route could be the Floor Clearers route, and the Evil route could be the Red Player route. Granted, some of the mechanics would be cut out, and some would be tweaked, since in SAO there is no Deity system. My idea would involve usually the same starting events, including the revel of not being able to log out and death in game meaning death IRL, all that stuff. OR... I could go the ALfheim Online route. That would keep the race system in play, albeit heavily modified, as in ALO there are 9 races of fairy with various abilities. Only thing is i have minimal experience with D&D let alone DMing. Im not very well acquainted with playing either. So if anyboy would be willing to help out with testing this kind of idea, that would be AWESOME! just let me know what thoughts you have on it and stuff. I can usually be on anywhere from around 7:30 AM EST to about... 7:00 PM EST. So about 12 hours. 

Hmm, in the first place, D&D is a pretty bad choice when going for a SAO type-game, since that setting doesn't allow for magic, or basically anything except classes with swords. ALO would work better with that, especially since there could be some really crafty ideas done with the idea that everyone can fly (and, races and magic is a thing, which is a huge help) However, if you want to try a SAO styled game, you should try some other setting, possibly like Legend of the Five Rings, with some few adjustments for fluff. That game has magic classes as well, but to a much lesser extent. However, unlike SOA, you can't have one 'main hero' that gets the cool 'dual wielding skill', wherein the others are plebs, which makes it hard to get the same feeling:p I am kinda burned out on DM'ing at the moment, but I'd just wanted to say that, not sure if I'd feel up for playtesting now.

Thats fine, thanks for the input! I was more considering ALO over SAO anyways. Reason I said SAO though is i just wanted he evil route to be Laughing Coffin XD But if you want that idea with the flying thing would be pretty neat. I mean considering that in ALfheim, none of the players can fly in dungeons, and only the Imps get the flying abilities underground (which makes sense but is also kinda ironic when you consider the gnomes, Earth Magic users, would possibly be better suited to that. Another good thing is there is already a pre defined world map to use so theres a plus.... not sure what the evil route could be though... maybe a PVP player route or something.  Also with the way ALfheim Online is set up, technically there is no dual weilding, though you can use two swords, just not both at once, since you have to chain sword skills together, sometimes with delays

So, I would honestly start with SAO, only because I think that system would be easier to convert to an RPG format. However, I'm not sure what system would be best; a classless system I think works the best to actually match what we see on the screen (unless I'm misremembering, the point of the game was that you gained higher skills by using them, and then certain combos of skills unlocked OTHER skills, etc). I can't quite think of an RPG that works that way, though I don't think it would be that hard to develop one

I don't think D&D would work as a system. While it features player levels it doesn't actually features a system where by using your skills you improve your skills which is how it's supposed to work. I'm not sure there is a game system that could replicate this but I think BESM could to a degree or another do the job.

I mean, if it does get to the point where it is needed I could attempt to create a game system that could fit all of the VRMMOS in the SAO timeline, Including versions of SAO and ALO from Hollow Fragment and Lost Song. Granted I'll have to consult some of my friends that do roleplay a LOT for advice on how to do this. I was told that it is better to use GERPS to make SAO stuff but... im not sure. Regardless, I'll still be working on a system for the ALO version using D&D. Granted, using something similar to Cyberpunk 2020 would be ideal for the Gun Gale Online roleplays, since GGO does kinda take place in a cyberpunk universe.

Also! i found out a way to get around the problem of dual weilding! in this version of it, since there are multiple players and ony oneperson would get Dual weilding: Nobody gets it. It's just a really over powered skill. sure even it has its limitts, but using any system Dual Weildingwith swords as good as the Elucidator and Dark Repulser, it is just an OP skillset to have... i men unless i can find people willing to accept there being only one person having Dual Weilding. I mean for who gets the dual weilding skill it could be that very far on in the Roleplay we all roll and depending on who rolls highest then the Unique skills will be assigned accordingly. just a thought

A skill is never overpowered as long as there are other skills to compensate for it. For example, someone could have a heavy attack skill which just means each strike does massive damage. Someone might have a defensive skill making him able to soak loads of damage and so on. At the end of the day it's up to you to decide whether you want the players to be the especial kind of players of SAO. The kind of stuff legends are made of. Or if you want the players to just be another player who is struggling like the majority and who overall don't have a high impact on the world. I don't really know GURPS. The reason why I offered BESM as a possibillity is because it is a classless system. You don't even level up, you just gain XP which you trade for improvements on the various areas of the character and it actually works for any setting you want so if you want to change into alfheim or gungale, you don't need to change the ruleset.

Ah okay. Well i mean in terms of using it at all with D&D, i think itd be overpowered. That being said i also think that maybe the group of players can choose wether they want to be a legend or a normal player. The ideal party composition i have in mind is 1 legendary per each 2 or 3 players. As far as ALO and GGO go, ALO would be much easier to do in D&D, so i might do that as a test one, and as for GGO Cyberpunk 2020 would in my opinion just be the best template, maybe mixed in with some elements of D&D. idk right now. But either way, I'm still thinking everything out. If ya wanna help you could shoot me an email at <a href="mailto:cllnphillips@gmail.com" rel="nofollow">cllnphillips@gmail.com</a>

Actually no, dual wielding in D&D is extremely weak. In 3.5 it was always better to dual wield as it basicly doubled the number of attacks you had. In 5e however it gives you one extra without the stat damage bonus (well you can get the stat damage bonus but you need a class that has a fighting style for that and you are basicly wasting the fighting style for something some other classes give you for free). As for the party composition, I'd definitly disagree with you. If we assume that the legenmdary is alwyas going to be better, either because it has more options or higher stats or whatever, then it's not fun for everyone else to have the one character stealling all the thunder when it comes to fighting. It's better to have everyone on equal footing. ALO is easier yes, you just need to basicly create a base template for fairy and then create 9 sub-races. Magic is already represented so yeah. Do bear in mind that doing this is going to be practicly the same playing a perfectly normal D&D though. Cyberpunk 2020... Gods, just no. Both that and shadowrun has been writen by someone with a serious mental illness. Fun as the game may be, learning it is a chore and half. Anyway, if you want to do something representing SAO you need to look outside D&D. You need a classless system and preferably one that can also emulate properly a skill increase in using different types of weapons.

I see your points...&nbsp; In your opinion, would i be better off creating my own roleplay system to represent the GGO system? Granted that I find that cyberpunk systems are pretty difficult to find compared to the (from what ive seen) more common fantasy ones. I mean, thinking about it, ALO and GGO are the better choices out of the 3. And including the Svart Alfheim extentions provided with the Lost Song SAO game, that would make ALO a tiny bit more... interesting... if the Aincrad castle from one of the later updates to ALO were included as well. Im thinking I'm actually going to create a loose &nbsp;class system. Mostly because in ALO players generally do fall loosely into classes. I mean, thats shown best in the second halves of seasons 1 and 2. Players could choose wether they wanted a class to follow or to just play depending on the situation.

Yes in ALO they do fall loosely into classes. To a small degree the same is true for SAO. As for creating a system, that works too, but you have to remember that doing so takes a very long time and requires a lot of play testing. Not to mention a lot of people aren't up to go with homebrew systems which is why I sugested you use a system that already exists but allows you the freedom to do whatever you want. I dunno many systems and the only one I know that are classless are savage worlds and BESM. Savage worlds unfortunatly wont work as you have no way to "increase weapon level". BESM pretty much allows for anything you can think of which is why I sugested it.

Alright.. Well ill see what i can do. With BESM would you mind helping set up one then? I mena i sitll plan for there to be a Clearer and Player Killer route if we do SAO... Also, as for the legendary thing, i figure then that it wont be until on the later floors... maybe 50 and above... hat everyone finds out their unique skills. Everyone will have a different one. granted they will have to be made up, because this doesnt follow the exact storyline of SAO. It still has the same basic premise though, clearing the game.... I might &nbsp;take it to ALO if everyone agrees on it.

I can help you learn BESM if you have any doubts, but I am not DMing, I don't really like DMing, just not fun for me. I don't mind helping you out with ideas and stuff, but that is as far as I can help.

Oh yeah thats completely fine. I've read that BESM d20 is better for something like SAO. I cant find anything thats free on it so, if you can help there that would be great. that and maybe any ideas you have for it would be perfect. (also if you wanna play in this RP you're more than welcome.)

I actually haven't read the rules for BESM D20, I only know the normal rules, but they are very simple, in fact you'll only ever need 2d6. AS for finding it, I'm sure looking for BESM 3rd edition pdf is gonna wild results. As for playing, sure, depending on day and time. I don't have any ideas per say right now, just try to come up with something and I'll add sugestions to it.

Well i plan for it to go through the original opening, going through the "tutorial" at the beginning and everything. Players will start at floor 1. Im thinking that... The blacksmithing skill with have its own system where players can decide on the name for whatever they make, however the appearance is decided by rolling. that sound decent?

Well, Besm doesn't provides an actual blacksmithing skill.&nbsp; What it does provides you with is that a weapon is basicly something like a feat. It's not so much an item as it's part of character creation and development. Fo example, you can create a weapon level 4. And that is basicly how powerful it is (they go from 1 to 12) and then there are abillities you can give a weapon by paying for them, you can give them range, AoE, multi targeting, and other more intersting abillities like auras, vampiric and so on. The important part to remember is that you can buy more than one weapon and you can buy them at any time with XP You can also simply increase the power of a weapon by making it higher level or increasing it's abillities. So blacksmithing itself is not a thing that exists since you don't even need resources to build your weapons to start with. BESM actually works from a perspective that money doesn't ever comes into play, it's more of a system specificly made for playing a game based off anime. Money can be incorporated but more for mundane things like paying for food and whatnot, but it's often not cared for in favor of just allowing RP to go wherever you want it to go.

Ah i see. Well... i found a version or BESM... looking through it takes forever but... well im managing. Though i also found a different book thats not BESM that seems to be rather.... limiting... in what you can be

It is a lot easier than it looks to be honest. It's an incredibly simplistic system. I am currently looking at GURPS. While not for the purpose of seeying if it fits, I'll tell you if it does after I'm done with it.

Alright.&nbsp;

Well, GURPS would also work for this but the ruleset is much more complicated. Overall I don't see a benefict over BESM.

Why not try Fate Core? You can download the handbook for nothing or just read it online and adapt it literally to whatever you want. It doesn't have rules for classes, races, items, magic, literally whatever you want to implement will work exactly how you make it work. And it's a very easy system to learn.

I've read Fate Core and it was probably the worst system I've ever seen. Of course, opinions vary but it was pretty aweful in my opinion. The rules are that the game is practicly devoid of any rules and you mostly make things up. Even character creation isn't 100% up to the player but partly to the rest of the group which basicly can mean that your whole character concept can be easily ruined. This not to mention that the rules (whatever little there is) are made towards a RP heavy style with minimal to no combat at all which I feel falls far from SAO.

Every system is as fun or as bad as you make it to be. With a bad GM and bad group even the best systems out there will crash and burn. Fate Core is made to be highly adaptable, so if you want a flexible solution, that will work for you the way you want it to work, I'd give it a shot. Plus as the GM you can just lay out the rules as you see fit and it won't be a problem, just don't follow the book to the letter. If you want, you can make it as combat heavy or as story driven as you feel like.&nbsp;

Highly adaptable? Maybe, but the way I see it, it's not fun to be trying to make something up that will cover as many situations as possible and then every time something comes up have everyone debating whether they have something that actually applies to it. It's a lot better to have simple set in stone rules which is very clear where they work and where they don't. BESM and GURPS do this while giving a classless and very flexible system. BESM is much easier to learn than GURPS but GURPS does offer more options.