I asked this over on the G+ community too, but figured I should cover as many bases as possible:
Has anybody done any work on converting Al-Qadim specific stuff to ACKS? We’re about to start a campaign that isn’t exactly going to be in Al-Qadim but is likely to use a fair number of elements from it (like some classes and such), so I thought I’d see if anyone else has done any work on this stuff before we get started on it ourselves.
Like for example we’re looking to build a Sha’ir wizard class, has anyone else given this a try?
I haven’t started anything yet, but I have been making notes for an Al-Qadim-inspired campaign setting (possibly even using the campaign map as a base to work from). ACKS already has many spells that fit a 1001 Nights -type fantasy setting well, so I couldn’t resist.
I might look at Sha’irs, but so far I am content with the idea of just going with Mages, and maybe Warlocks. I do love making classes, though…
You might find the Corsair class I posted of some use, and koewn created some rules for piracy.
A while ago I did a custom class version of the “Za’hir” based on Al-Qadim’s Sha’ir. I won’t claim that it is particularly balanced or well-reasoned. It’s really not the Sha’ir, but an ACKS-flavored re-imagining of it. Of course the custom class rules don’t cover Sha’ir-like abilities, so I made those up as well. Your mileage may vary.
I ran my entire campaign in Opelenea, an Arabian Nights themed setting, without adapating any of the rules from Al-Quadim. ACKS seemed to run an Arab-Persian gameplay style without any trouble.
Here are the minor changes I did make:
“Warlock” class became “Sha’ir”; Invisible Stalker replaced with Djinn
“Ward Against Elementals scroll” became “Ward Against Genies scroll”
“Ward Against Lycanthropes” became “Ward Against Shapeshifters scroll”
All “Summoned Creatures” became types of Genies
Added a few monsters (Dao, Marid, and Desert Ghouls)
Thanks guys! I don’t know how much we’ll actually end up pulling from the books rules-wise but I thought I’d ask. We do defintiely want some sort of Sha’ir class as in our Microscope sessions (to build up our own backstory for the world) we’ve already established the creation of the Sha’ir as a major event. How we’ll represent that is another question entirely but it’s there, and I know one of the players/GM’s (we’ll be switching off) is interested in the Astrologer class and such.
So I’m almost done with my rough draft of a sha’ir class. It’s still pretty rough and I’m waiting for some feedback from my group on some elements (I built using the Warlock as a model but not following it exactly at all). Another person in our group is also working on their own version which is a more direct translation (mine is more of an interpretation but still tries to at least roughly follow the 2e version). When they’re both done we’ll look at them and either pick one or combine them in some way or another. Anyway, one bit neither of us has been able to figure out just yet is a good name for a sha’ir’s Sanctum/Tower. Right now my document just has that at 9th level a sha’ir may build a _______.
So I’ve been working on my own version of the Sha’ir class from Al Qadim. Mine is very much an interpretation of the 2e class and not a straight conversion. I think this version fits in with ACKS a bit better. The 2e version is quite powerful and, especially toward the end, starts gaining fairly “epic” powers which I don’t really feel fits with ACKS’s somewhat more down to earth focus. Anyway, I tried to use the ACKS character creation rules as best I could to make this, which helps keep the power level a bit more in line with the power of the rest of the game. That being said it does have some custom elements that don’t totally conform to the ACKS character creation rules. This is still quite rough, I’m looking for some feedback (I can’t promise I’ll actually USE all that feedback, but I’d like to get it). There are a number of elements I’m not sure about or are on the fence about, and a few that are not finished yet, but I think it’s close enough to start seeing what others thing. (A friend of mine in the group is also working on their own version which is a much closer conversion from the 2e class, but a number of the elements of this class were taken from that. Most of the better writing in here is in the things taken from his version).