Shadow Hearts

[RShini]

I got into the series recently, and boy does it add a lot of interesting ideas for a Masque Setting since 1 & 2 are set on the eve of World War I, and I believe the third is pre-Second World War for the later era games.

Not to mention some of the monsters and their delightful little stories are perfect for different haunts in the regular Ravenloft world.

The Harmonxier could be a specialty class of some kind maybe? And the mechanics behind Anastasia's Camera would lead to some intriguing possibilities, as well as Lucia's aromatherapy could inspire an interesting NPC class.

[High Priest Mikhal]

To truly appreciate the Shadow Hearts games I'd recommend finding a copy of Koudelka for PSX, the true progenitor of SH.

Harmonixers are a class I've actually been working on, basing them on the binder in ToM, since they do essentially the same thing. But there are a lot of problems. What do I use for Soul Energy to grow the fusions? XP is one idea, but then the harmonixer gets waaaaaayyy behind in level or else his fusions don't keep up in power; maybe one point of SE per HD of each creature fought in a battle? And what about the fusions Amon, Neo-Amon, and Dark Seraphim? Are those epic fusions? And what about Shania's totem-based fusions? The ability boosts, powers, and improvements to the fusions are spread out by fetish statues.

I don't have mechanics yet, but I'm working on it in addition to everything else. Actually I have been for a while; I just haven't put my ideas down on text. Plus a replay of the games wouldn't hurt to refresh my memory.

[RShini]

To truly appreciate the Shadow Hearts games I'd recommend finding a copy of Koudelka for PSX, the true progenitor of SH.

True, though it's pretty expensive, and from what I heard, the gameplay's pretty bad compare to the rest of the series.

Hm, as for how to fuel up the Harmonixer glass, depending on edition, maybe us skill points? Though that may end up as pretty wonky and good luck trying to come up with an "In-universe" justification.

[High Priest Mikhal]

To truly appreciate the Shadow Hearts games I'd recommend finding a copy of Koudelka for PSX, the true progenitor of SH.

True, though it's pretty expensive, and from what I heard, the gameplay's pretty bad compare to the rest of the series.

Yeah, I admit it's not that hot in terms of gameplay (actually it's just like playing the PSX Resident Evils outside of combat) but the sheer creepiness of Nementon Monastery makes it worth a perusal. The ruins just can't compare to what once stood there in terms of sheer horror. As for the price thing, I actually bought my copy when it was still in production ('98 I think), never suspecting it would lead to such a smash hit series.

On the Harmonixer, not skill points. Those are at a premium already for a class as powerful as this (2 + Int Modifier for 3e; not even going to try to adapt it for 4e). On checking the Soul Energy rates it takes 1,000 SE to fully upgrade just one fusion form to maximum; consider that a Harmonixer has six fusions--or nine if you include the non-elemental ones. So I'm implementing a system of XP to SE: roughly 10 XP to 1 SE for tier one forms, 100 XP for tier two, and 1,000 XP for tier three). It's also an all or nothing deal; no "partial charge" like in SH 2.

For the Spirit Binder (what Shania is) it's a flat 100 XP, since their fusions are both initially more powerful and have to be strengthened through the use of four fetish statues per form (at 500 SE per fetish and 2,000 SE per form).

And the in-universe justification is pretty simple. Mystics tap the power of the spirit world to perform divine magic. Harmonixers and Spirit Binders do something similar, binding with elemental archetypes (Harmonixer) or primal spirits somewhere between men and gods (Harmonixer epic fusions and Spirit Binder forms) to gain their powers. Instead of powers checks (in my game I reject the powers-checks-for-all-supernatural-feats rule) they make Madness saves against DCs equal to their level + the fusion's level when they transform (fetishes gain .5 levels per full power up, to a max of 10 when all four are fully leveled per form).

Why no one has heard about them before, even adepts and mystics and others who face the supernatural, uses the same justification for why no one knew about (class X) until the DM got the rules for them.

[stephan]

Abselotely love Shadowhearts. For me however the combat system, one of the best I've ever played in a JRPG, is all a part of the experience I had of those games, thus I'd leave them pure and not add/subtract.

[RShini]

The Judgement Ring is pretty fun once I got the hang of the system