A MtG/D&D Hybrid idea

The Magic DnD RPG

Overview

The MDR is a game based on the Magic the Gathering card game that also uses the structure and style of DnD in play. You are a lesser Planeswalker. At level 1, you own a small homestead and a plot of surrounding land. You are tasked with going on adventures for the King. When you are not out tasking for the King, you will be tasked by local lords, laity, and bourgeois to execute contracts. While not on mission, you will need to manage your homestead. Aside from basic tasks like maintaining the land and household, you will also need to defend from attackers and bandits that wish to sack your land and claim your valuable resources.

Player

The player can choose from 3 classes and 5 colors. Red, Green, White, Blue, and Black. Each define the skill tree they have access to. The three branches are Warrior, Wizard, and Tinkerer. As the names imply, a Warrior is a physical fighter. His skill trees unlock Jobs that he may gear out for. For instance, he may unlock Horseback Riding and Horseback Fighting skills in his Studies. Mastering these skills will unlock the Cavalry Job for the warrior. He may Study archery and become a Mounted Bowman. He can study Carriage Driving, unlocking the Charioteer. Hybrid Jobs exist when a player invests Skillpoints into all three branches. For instance, by selecting skills in Wizard, Warrior, and Tinkerer, he may unlock the Ninja job. A Wizard, again, as the name implies, is a magic wielder. Their jobs revolve around sorcery. Healers, Support magicians, and Mages are all possible. A Tinkerer is a builder. An engineer. His specialties lie in making advanced contraptions to aid in battle. Bombs, guns, robots and the like.

The color a player chooses the paths that they can take. Each color represents the mood of the player. Black players are masters of the Dark Arts. White players are Holy warriors. Blue players are masters of the Wind and Water. Red players are masters of Earth and Fire. Each distinctive color represents a Mood, a special ability or passive that imparts bonuses to the player, but also restricts other parts. A Black player will find that they will receive combat bonuses when fighting against Holy enemies, but will suffer negatively when fighting a fellow Arts user. They will also find that certain Studies will be blocked off from their access, preventing them from accessing certain Jobs. It is for this reason that Players should build a team of fellow players of diverse Moods to cover weaknesses on mission.

Each player may also choose a Regional affinity. The Region a player hails from imparts traits to them based on their National Character. For instance, people of the North are known for their heartiness and connection to the land. It is for this reason that they find themselves particularly suited for the color Red. They are robust people of immense intellect and faith, and as such find themselves suited for Warriors and tinkerers, as well as the color White. Your Regional Affinity will unlock or block you from certain studies and jobs, and will necessitate Commerce and Tutoring if you wish to attain skills outside of your region's National Character. Ancient grudges will also prevent certain regions from participating in different region's missions. Kings will imprison or completely prevent certain regions from participating in their missions without special dispensation that may or may not be readily available. Deception is viable (if you've studied as much) but discovery can be quick and fierce.

The land also has different species of sentient beings. They may not be named or appear as much, but they have the traditional Tolkien-esque archetypes. Elves, Dwarves, Humans, Orcs, Goblins, Halflings. Each Region has their own variation of such. For instance, the Black-affinated Southern people will not have High Elves, but instead Dark Elves. Each species of being is particularly suited for their task. The Dwarves are not inclined to magic, but enjoy bonuses to combat. Humans are well-rounded with no positive or negative traits.

The player may also choose an alignment. There are three options: Noble, Sovereign, and Barbarian. The Noble pledges allegiance to his King and enjoys access to the benefits from the government. They are also granted a fiefdom to be Feudal Lord over, and while responsible for its affairs, may reap benefit from the people of their land, like food and taxes. The Sovereign is an independent who does not pledge fealty to the King, but instead operates as an independent nation under the umbrella of its host kingdom. They are not obligated to participate in Calls of Banner, and have no loyalty to the affairs of the host kingdom, but as such, are afforded no access to the infrastructure of the kingdom unless dues and tolls and taxes are paid. They are, however, afforded judicial autonomy and Diplomatic Immunity. The Barbarian pledges to no crown, does not operate under any kingdom's umbrella, and is beholden to no one except their Tribespeople. Though they have an innately adversarial relationship with kingdom who's land they occupy, they are unhindered in what they desire. They may pillage, steal, and plunder with no fear or repercussions. What they lack in civility, they make up for in autonomy.

A player may also choose their Virtuousness. The Devout are afforded grace from the Laity. The Apostate are accepted, but hold no particular favor, and the Denier rejects virtuousness in favor of wanton abandon and indulgence. Each affects your access to jobs. Deniers are much more adept at navigating the shady dealings of the Undermarket, where Devout are given benefits of the Laity. The apostate may deal with both, but is afforded favor from neither.

Finally, the last thing about a player are their Guilds. As players unlock studies and skills, they may eventually join guilds. Each guild will have a guildmaster who can offer you things to do for the furthering of the guild. Standing in a Guild will unlock (and conversely, lock) studies and jobs.

Statistics

In addition to investing in Studies and Skills, players will also be able to invest in Statistics. These are basic traits about a player that afford advantages in battle and unlock access to Skills and Studies. Each Statistic will control two aspects of your player's Character.

Strength: The basic unit of Combat. This dictates how hard you hit with your weapon and how much weight you can carry.

Fortitude: This affects both your Vitality and Stamina. Vitality is how many blows you can withstand in battle, and Stamina dictates how many actions or spells you can perform before Exhaustion.

Agility: This dictates how fast you can move and how precise you are.

Awareness: This affects how intelligent you are and your ability to perceive the world around you.

Judgment: This affects the outcomes of your decisions and how your decisions are perceived by the world around you.

Talent: This affects how successful you are in your endeavors, and how effective you are at applying what you know.

Homestead

Your main base of operations is your homestead. Initially, you are afforded a small tract of land and a simple cottage. It is your duty to develop your land and build your home. As you progress, you can attract followers. Peasants, Freemen, and/or tradesmen are all available to you. You can build cottages and workshops, open stores, create roads and farms, rent to your people or gift/sell them rights of property. As your Homestead grows into a a village, then a town, then a city, you will have the opportunity to acquire more land, either through influence, purchase, or force. The expansion of your Sphere of Influence is necessary to attract Bannermen and Warriors, and to have the necessary Mana to cast your spells and summon your Surrogates. Your ability to expand your Sphere of Influence will come from missions afforded by Kings, and your ability to add to your homestead will come through your studies. You may also hire people to do things for you that you cannot, or wish not to do yourself, at a cost. As your sphere of influence grows, so will your Station. Your station will affect what peasants, freemen, and craftsmen you have access to. A player of high Station may attract more skilled craftsmen, more refined stores, and more effective laborers.

Battle

In battle, you and your surrogates engage in an enemy. Battle progresses in turns, similar to a traditional Magic game. Each party has Vitality points. When Vitality reaches 0, the party dies. It is important to note that if a player reaches 0 Vitality points, they are not just defeated, but are PERMANENTLY DEAD. Each turn, a player may perform a certain number of actions. They may cast spells, utilize abilities, directly attack a monster, or marshal a Surrogate. Surrogates are Creature Cards a player has summoned to the battle field. The “power” field a creature has represents the number of dice throws that monster can perform to calculate combat power. The “toughness” represents the number of dice the player may throw in defense. You may not attack a Planeswalker until all of their surrogates have been cleared from battle.

Combat starts with the Preparation phase. Skill, Job, and Statstical throws will be made to ascertain the nature of combat. Mana will be prepped and any initial spells can be played. Strategic battlefield positioning can be performed. Once combat has begun, The phases break down as such: Invoke, Assault, Resolve. During the Invocation stage, a player may cast spells and summon Surrogates. During the assault phase, a player can leverage “tap” abilities, their own Skills and actions, and move units around the battle field, attacking as necessary. During the resolution phase, any upkeep or “effects” will be applied, any temporary effects expire, and the opposing party will begin their turn. This will go back and forth until all opposition is destroyed, or the defending players have wiped.

Non-combat interactions

A player will have to interact regularly during the course of non-mission life. Crafting, studying, developing, engaging in commerce, and general upkeep tasks of the homestead. Advanced homesteads will require lots of time to manage, or will need lots of money to pay for a council to do it on your behalf. All of these will require rolls and decisions be made. You cannot spend points acquired from “leveling up” in the field. Allmanagement is done from the homestead. It is possible, though unlikely,  to never truly engage in combat, instead spending all of your time bargaining, crafting, studying, and collecting. Your statistics, alignments, nationalities, affinities, and such, will dictate the course of your adventure, the expansion of your influence, and the development of your homestead.

Planewalker Sheet:

Station

Name

Stamina

Vitality

Level

Dice Level

Race

Nationality

Alignment

Virtue

Color

Guild(s)

Job

Skills

Studies

Traits

Strength

Fortitude

Agility

Awareness

Judgement

Talent

Burden

Inventory

Spellbag

Homestead Sheet:

Name

Sphere of Influences

Wealth

Structures

Peasants

Freemen

Craftsmen

National Character

Storage

Enemies

Allies

Other Mechanics

Inheritance:

It is possible to train an heir. Should you die, an heir will inherit your skills, knowledge, and possessions, as well as half of your level. If you are a Noble and have the “Political Marriage” trait, certain conditions will be invoked on upon inheritance. All alliances must be reforged (except for those of the home nation and the spouse's home nation.)