THE JAPANESE DARK SOULS RPG
SIX DARK SOULS
ADVENTURE HOOKS
There has already been one Dark Souls roleplaying game released, but in Japanese only. While there’s no intention of creating an official translation of the game, there have been a few fan translations and reports which occasionally pop up online. There’s little discussion of the lore implementations here, suggesting instead that the game uses a very generic dungeon delving system. Instead, these discussions in English are around the mechanics of the game. Similar to the Steamforged Fifth Edition adaptation with Position, there is a dice pool mechanic that allows players to spend their rolled dice to perform different actions. For example swinging a sword might cost you five on one or more dice, and additional dice can be added from your pool for more damage. Something you’ll want to do to get over the enemy’s defence threshold. As your pool is also your defence – you spend dice either against your shield to reduce damage, or your weight load, to roll (or fat roll) out of the way. As for the world at large, most players report an abstracted world rather than a directly physically represented one – with the assumption that everyone is “in range” unless they’re in a “safe zone”. The latter part here is a kind of escape ramp that’s consumed after use.
Here are six quick adventure hooks of our own devising (or lifted from fan theories), that might get you started in planning your own adventure…
Dark Souls is maybe the most loved game series in existence. While there are many more video game series that offer a larger number of players, or greater range of people playing it, Dark Souls fans are intensely interested in their subject. And that’s for good reason. The dark and dying worlds of the series offer players the chance to ‘git gud’ (‘get good’ but ruined by being written on the internet) at the game through its arrangement of timing and tactical based systems. To beat the game, you do get better at it, and that learning curve is satisfying to many players. Beyond that, you also internalise the whole world – it’s a game that many players could probably navigate with their eyes closed.
Add in the ‘Malice Chart’ for hollowing and world effects for party wipes or returning to the bonfire and you’re pretty much there. While we’re unlikely to see an official translation, this Japanese version of the tabletop game will remain an interesting mark on the hobby, and Dark Souls fandom.
1 Catarina Crusade. The Onion Knights of Caterina have decided to wage a crusade against The Deep. You and your party have to shepherd them through the world on their way to confront Aldritch. Naturally, they’re very good natured, but easily tricked by other characters. A classic ‘herding cats’ adventure.