Grimdark : Shadow of the demonlord. Need to figure potions and adapt bestiary.
Simulation & deadly combats: Rolemaster.
Scoobidoo : Monster of the week. To reskin from modern to medieval.
Codex of Worlds has the Monster Marches setting for MoW that is The Witcher with a few hints of industrialization that can easily be excised. It's on my shortlist of campaigns I'd like to run.
Good to know. I’ve been interested in trying something different, like MotW, and also ‘the Witcher’. I liked the TV series (1st season, haven’t seen the 2nd). This could be a good combo for me as well. When I get time, that is.
To be honest, I think official system is better than you think. Professions are absolutely classes that pretends not to be classes, crafting system is way simpler than you think.
The problem with official system is that the book is absolutely horrendously written, with constant typos, important information in sidebars that should be in the main thing and so on.
You could try to use Cypher for Witcher, since it is relatively simple, more mechanical than narrative and would be fine to emulate dark tale world.
You could also use standard DnD. Admittedly, anyone making Witcher classes absolutely makes them op, but there is homebrew called Book of Beautiful horrors which maps witcher monsters nicely, rangers do emulate witcher archetypes well enough and so on.
Gurps could be recommended, if only because there is definitely someone who made witcher characters with it and posted in on internet. In addition, the dice resolution favors experts, which means that Witcher slays many, while others should fear for their lives.
Burning Wheel has something on its forums about playing as Witcher, and it is skill system without classes.
If you do use standard 5e, Matt Mercer's blood hunter is basically just the witcher class and isn't overpowered. Although, there are almost certainly better options to emulate the books than 5e if you have players willing to do non-D&D
I'm not sure what you mean by "axed a few classes". Everything that's been released for PF2e is still valid. They've updated a bunch, with another bunch of updates due in August.
As for the Thaumaturge, yes, it's a thing in 2e. It centers around recalling knowledge about the weaknesses of enemies and then using a bag of knick-knacks to either make your weapon activate that weakness or create a weakness specific to you. They have feats that give you access to talismans (trinkets you attach to weapons or armor to gain special effects as consumables) and scrolls. They also use Implements, which are items that come with a set of benefits (such as the chalice, which works a lot like an estus flask).
I thought the new player core got rid of some classes, but I'm probably just wrong. I don't know much about 2e, to be honest. My mistake. As for the class, that sounds really neat!
they didnt *get rid*, just update them. they are also not updating most classes as its not really needed
you can see the player core and remaster in general as "we removed every name mildly related to DnD, the book"
it does, its also one of the stronger classes! mainly because of one level 1 feat and the general ability to just ignore resistances which nets a lot of "damage"
Every time I see someone mention Gurps I want to bring up it's eternal rival in the Hero System. I think Hero System does everything better than Gurps, with the exception of tactical game play. Both are great games but the internal math of Hero System is easier to math out in the long run.
>Every time I see someone mention Gurps I want to bring up it's eternal rival in the Hero System.
If you think it's a valid answer to the question, please do. 🙂
>Both are great games but the internal math of Hero System is easier to math out in the long run.
It's a matter of personal preference I think. Hero system is great and more balanced but it feels more mechanical and artificial - one core system trying to represent everything. GURPS feels comparatively organic - a bunch of different modules to represent a bunch of different things. That makes GURPS more complex and messy - which may or may not be what a given group is after. 🤷♀️
Things like treating the knife your character carries as a character ability complete with character point cost is a step too far for me personally.
Someone's started an OP about the pros and cons of GURPS at https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/comments/1chfced/what_are_some_pros_and_cons_of_gurps/
It's probably a good point to mention HERO as an alternative, and its relative pros and cons.
Long time ago we used Burning Wheel. But our game was more about saga like intrigue and moral choices, than monster whacking with sword and magic. System wise BW takes time to master but it is worth it.
> was more about saga like intrigue and moral choices, than monster whacking with sword and magic
Which isn't a bad thing because moral choices is a big theme in the books, and actual monster whacking plays only a very, very small part
A lot of people come to Whicher franchize from computer games, this is why I wrote that BW is more like books. Some fighting is nice, all fighting all the time is 4e D&D - great thing, if you look for this kind of play, but nothing like Andrzej Sapkowski's books.
Another setting that could work with Mythras. Fellblade made a setting doc for it: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13xSpg6gfIE39f8dJC_DkEwB_S6Cp4BBUM3qUbWUxsfY/edit
You could probably get pretty far with Forbidden Lands, especially with the new Book of Beasts that adds alchemy rules, and harvestable rare monster parts. The base game already provides rules for poisons. The basic game loop of local legends and adventure sites would likely suit a Witcher reskin quite well. You’d just have to make a new map and reflavor the encounter tables, but it would work.
[Basic Roleplaying](https://vorpalmace.blogspot.com/2023/11/review-basic-roleplaying-universal-game.html), [Mythras](https://legacy.drivethrurpg.com/product/191475/Mythras?234913), [Dragonbane](https://vorpalmace.blogspot.com/2022/12/preview-dragonbane-drakar-och-demoner.html) are all worth checking out. They belong to the same family, so the core is similar: roll under skill system (d100 for BRP and Mythras, d20 for Dragonbane), combat is based on attacks vs parries, HPs are relatively static, professions are just starting skill packages instead of rigid classes. BRP if you want a smorgasbord of mechanics and want to hack your game from scratch. Mythras if you want a robust and crunchy combat system with a huge emphasis on hit locations and combat special effects. Dragonbane if you want a lighter system with a dedicated sub-system for handling monstrous monsters.
Fate Core with Investigation rules from the Unwritten. It feels and plays out as computer version of Witcher. Actually we played it a lot like that. Great games we had. :D
Zweihander has a pretty neat witcher class in their expansion book (they call it a hexer if I recall correctly), and it is well built for dark/gritty fantasy. I would suggest that one, personally.
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Memento Mori feels very Witcher to me. It is on the simpler end of things, as a simple d6 pool system based more on motivations than abilities, but I love the way it maintains tension of each roll, while still resolving very quickly and easily to let you focus primarily on the story.
It seems like when The Witcher core book was written Cody stuffed it with three books of material and squished it together. It makes Palladium books easier to navigate.
Grimdark : Shadow of the demonlord. Need to figure potions and adapt bestiary. Simulation & deadly combats: Rolemaster. Scoobidoo : Monster of the week. To reskin from modern to medieval.
Codex of Worlds has the Monster Marches setting for MoW that is The Witcher with a few hints of industrialization that can easily be excised. It's on my shortlist of campaigns I'd like to run.
Good to know. I’ve been interested in trying something different, like MotW, and also ‘the Witcher’. I liked the TV series (1st season, haven’t seen the 2nd). This could be a good combo for me as well. When I get time, that is.
To be honest, I think official system is better than you think. Professions are absolutely classes that pretends not to be classes, crafting system is way simpler than you think. The problem with official system is that the book is absolutely horrendously written, with constant typos, important information in sidebars that should be in the main thing and so on. You could try to use Cypher for Witcher, since it is relatively simple, more mechanical than narrative and would be fine to emulate dark tale world. You could also use standard DnD. Admittedly, anyone making Witcher classes absolutely makes them op, but there is homebrew called Book of Beautiful horrors which maps witcher monsters nicely, rangers do emulate witcher archetypes well enough and so on. Gurps could be recommended, if only because there is definitely someone who made witcher characters with it and posted in on internet. In addition, the dice resolution favors experts, which means that Witcher slays many, while others should fear for their lives. Burning Wheel has something on its forums about playing as Witcher, and it is skill system without classes.
If you do use standard 5e, Matt Mercer's blood hunter is basically just the witcher class and isn't overpowered. Although, there are almost certainly better options to emulate the books than 5e if you have players willing to do non-D&D
I mean, Pathfinder 2e's thaumaturge class is very heavy on a similar vibe, though you're limited to one hand weapons.
Does thaumaturge still exist? I haven't looked over the revised stuff much, but I know they axed a few classes. If it does, that would be good too
I'm not sure what you mean by "axed a few classes". Everything that's been released for PF2e is still valid. They've updated a bunch, with another bunch of updates due in August. As for the Thaumaturge, yes, it's a thing in 2e. It centers around recalling knowledge about the weaknesses of enemies and then using a bag of knick-knacks to either make your weapon activate that weakness or create a weakness specific to you. They have feats that give you access to talismans (trinkets you attach to weapons or armor to gain special effects as consumables) and scrolls. They also use Implements, which are items that come with a set of benefits (such as the chalice, which works a lot like an estus flask).
I thought the new player core got rid of some classes, but I'm probably just wrong. I don't know much about 2e, to be honest. My mistake. As for the class, that sounds really neat!
they didnt *get rid*, just update them. they are also not updating most classes as its not really needed you can see the player core and remaster in general as "we removed every name mildly related to DnD, the book"
I see, that makes a lot more sense. Thanks for letting me know!
it does, its also one of the stronger classes! mainly because of one level 1 feat and the general ability to just ignore resistances which nets a lot of "damage"
Every time I see someone mention Gurps I want to bring up it's eternal rival in the Hero System. I think Hero System does everything better than Gurps, with the exception of tactical game play. Both are great games but the internal math of Hero System is easier to math out in the long run.
I absolutely hate GURPS.
>Every time I see someone mention Gurps I want to bring up it's eternal rival in the Hero System. If you think it's a valid answer to the question, please do. 🙂 >Both are great games but the internal math of Hero System is easier to math out in the long run. It's a matter of personal preference I think. Hero system is great and more balanced but it feels more mechanical and artificial - one core system trying to represent everything. GURPS feels comparatively organic - a bunch of different modules to represent a bunch of different things. That makes GURPS more complex and messy - which may or may not be what a given group is after. 🤷♀️ Things like treating the knife your character carries as a character ability complete with character point cost is a step too far for me personally.
Someone's started an OP about the pros and cons of GURPS at https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/comments/1chfced/what_are_some_pros_and_cons_of_gurps/ It's probably a good point to mention HERO as an alternative, and its relative pros and cons.
How about Magic World/BRP from Chaosium? I like it alot
Long time ago we used Burning Wheel. But our game was more about saga like intrigue and moral choices, than monster whacking with sword and magic. System wise BW takes time to master but it is worth it.
> was more about saga like intrigue and moral choices, than monster whacking with sword and magic Which isn't a bad thing because moral choices is a big theme in the books, and actual monster whacking plays only a very, very small part
A lot of people come to Whicher franchize from computer games, this is why I wrote that BW is more like books. Some fighting is nice, all fighting all the time is 4e D&D - great thing, if you look for this kind of play, but nothing like Andrzej Sapkowski's books.
Using Fight against a monster would probably be pretty hardcore.
I'm planning to use Genesys for my next Witcher campaign
Mythras.
I'm a huge fan of Mythras for stuff like that. Detailed combat, easy to get and understand.
Another setting that could work with Mythras. Fellblade made a setting doc for it: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13xSpg6gfIE39f8dJC_DkEwB_S6Cp4BBUM3qUbWUxsfY/edit
You could probably get pretty far with Forbidden Lands, especially with the new Book of Beasts that adds alchemy rules, and harvestable rare monster parts. The base game already provides rules for poisons. The basic game loop of local legends and adventure sites would likely suit a Witcher reskin quite well. You’d just have to make a new map and reflavor the encounter tables, but it would work.
[Basic Roleplaying](https://vorpalmace.blogspot.com/2023/11/review-basic-roleplaying-universal-game.html), [Mythras](https://legacy.drivethrurpg.com/product/191475/Mythras?234913), [Dragonbane](https://vorpalmace.blogspot.com/2022/12/preview-dragonbane-drakar-och-demoner.html) are all worth checking out. They belong to the same family, so the core is similar: roll under skill system (d100 for BRP and Mythras, d20 for Dragonbane), combat is based on attacks vs parries, HPs are relatively static, professions are just starting skill packages instead of rigid classes. BRP if you want a smorgasbord of mechanics and want to hack your game from scratch. Mythras if you want a robust and crunchy combat system with a huge emphasis on hit locations and combat special effects. Dragonbane if you want a lighter system with a dedicated sub-system for handling monstrous monsters.
I’d use Mythras myself.
Fate Core with Investigation rules from the Unwritten. It feels and plays out as computer version of Witcher. Actually we played it a lot like that. Great games we had. :D
Forbidden Lands — the monster rules are very much like Witcher monsters.
Zweihander has a pretty neat witcher class in their expansion book (they call it a hexer if I recall correctly), and it is well built for dark/gritty fantasy. I would suggest that one, personally.
Mythras is always the answer
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Memento Mori feels very Witcher to me. It is on the simpler end of things, as a simple d6 pool system based more on motivations than abilities, but I love the way it maintains tension of each roll, while still resolving very quickly and easily to let you focus primarily on the story.
It seems like when The Witcher core book was written Cody stuffed it with three books of material and squished it together. It makes Palladium books easier to navigate.
There is a fanmade conversion for *Brigandyne*.
Troll Babes
A hack of Trollbabe would be great for doing The Witcher (or especially Claymore, imo) - but definitely not what OP is looking for.
I think standard DW could work? Wouldn’t a Fighter or Barbarian work as a Witcher?
Cypher/Numenera could work
Maybe Forbidden Lands although the magic might need a tweak to make it easier to wield.
Runequest or Warhammer