Rise of the Shield Hero - Brainstorming Interest Check

[vancexentan]

Hello everyone recently I've been wanting to take a crack at the shield hero anime manga/series. It is an interesting universe on its own, and the story itself is rather interesting subversion of the interest check. However as it stands I have very few ideas, and I don't believe I'd be able to gm this on my own. The universe is full of statistics, and rules which aren't my particular forte. More over the main story follows Naofumi, and his journey through the lands of the isekai world he finds himself in. I'm not sure if people would want to follow a singular hero, or disregard to weird 'All heroes must journey separately' rule. What role slavery, and such would play into a roleplay centered around it.

I'd be interested in trying to figure out a cohesive plot, and if I receive the proper help by a co-gm, and or someone else willing to do so, make the rp centered around it. But first I feel the need to discuss this with others, and plan things out from there. For those who don't know shield hero here's a copy, and pasted summary of the series. It contains spoilers.

My Hider

Naofumi Iwatani, an easygoing Japanese youth, was summoned into a parallel world along with three other young men from parallel universes to become the world's Heroes. Each of the heroes were respectively equipped with their own legendary equipment when summoned. Naofumi happened to receive the Legendary Shield, the sole defensive equipment, while the other heroes received a sword, a spear and a bow, weapons meant for attack. Unlike the other heroes who are fully supported by the kingdom and gain several strong allies each, Naofumi's luck turns to the worse after his single companion, later revealed to be none other than Princess Myne, betrays him, steals all his belongings and leaves him devoid of all assistance and supplies after she falsely accuses him of raping her.

Shunned by everyone from the King to peasants, Naofumi is forced to train as a hero alone while working to make ends meet, until he buys from a slave trader a young tanuki demi-human girl named Raphtalia and an egg that hatches into a bird creature whom he names "Filo", both quickly growing into adulthood and becoming powerful warriors under his care. As they little by little gain the trust and gratitude of the people with their heroic actions, Naofumi and his companions work hard to carry their mission as saviors of the world, while unraveling its deepest secrets.

With all that out of the way would someone like to help me figure something out for this, or should it just die on the cutting board floor?

[Thundere]

Um. I'll preface this post with the statement that I don't plan on participating in this RP at the moment, but I'm willing to drop my two cents in to help out a fellow roleplayer since I do enjoy the Rising of the Shield Hero franchise.

If you want to run the setting "as is" (i.e. Naofumi etc don't exist but the characters of the RP do), the best way to run this in my opinion would probably be as a Shield Hero + Party roleplay with the Shield Hero as the GMPC. The Shield Hero is more reliant on their party to take any action (read: players are significant) and is capable of defending them (read: bailing them out) effectively with their weapon. Plus the Shield Hero has all the lore baggage that the other heroes don't have, which makes for interesting potential plotlines.

I would recommend against a Four Heroes + Party RP since that invites spotlight stealing, and requires a concession for the "all heroes must journey separately" rule. Or like, four players max unless people really want to play party members which, to be fair, is not really unlikely.

[vancexentan]

Some people don't like to play as the background characters to a 'main hero' so to speak. That's why I'm leaving open the possibility that we can stretch the lore. If people want to do the same shindig as the main story I'm willing to do that like you suggest as well. The issue being if the hero flakes out. Meaning in all likelihood is that the gm will be the shield hero. I'm open to the idea that players can just cluster the heroes together, or mix in two while others choose to play native world people be it mages, archers, monks, etc. Ultimately this is a brainstorming thread there is nothing wrong with leaving suggestions even if you don't want to join.

[Loveland]

I'd be interested. I think it would be best for the heroes to be PCs and to get rid of the no partying restriction from canon. You could handle people playing the heroes leaving by just killing off the character, since canonically new heroes can be summoned by any nation.

[vancexentan]

If there are more people who'd want that then I'd be open to such a thing.

[Spectral]

I’d love to participate in a Rising of the Shield Hero RP for sure if it happens.

Personally, I’d actually lean more towards Thundere’s idea, that being that RPers are part of the Hero’s party, in which the hero is a QM controlled character. I say this as I believe it would be easier for players to handle a regular character than a hero with their ever expanding weapon enchantment system that can become overwhelming with each new material added in. Party members, though perhaps not as mighty as one of the heros alone, they still can get stronger and advance their classes as time goes on.

On top of that, with the QM having control of the Hero, it could help more in keeping the progression of the story in control/focused, than potentially having each separate hero splitting up and have to keep up with separate plot lines outside the waves. That’s not to say the party members have no chance for independent actions. There could certainly be down times for everyone to handle or do their own things when applicable.

These are just my own thoughts at the current moment.

[vancexentan]

As I said to Tsun's comment I'd just as well do either his idea, or Loveland's but some people may not want to just be the background characters. If people want me/whoever gm's to play the hero, and just be the party that follows them that's fine but we do still need a passable party to start with. The plan with Loveland's idea is not to split the heroes but to have them all in one singular party ignoring the canon rule of them not being able to work together outside of waves, which they apparently do sometimes regardless, its more of a measure to make sure no one seems 'lesser' than another player.

[Spectral]

I can accept the hero party version if that is the preferred way that you would like to run it. (If this is still something that can happen)

[vancexentan]

Well I would assume Loveland is no longer interested. I have no real preference in how this would be run we could rally behind a hero, or we can be a small group of heroes with a person being a follow along/native to the world. Its all really what people prefer.

[Helios J Mears]

This looks like it'll be good fun. Consider me interested!

Either party arrangement would be fine on this end.

[Hammerman]

I'm fine with both to be honest.

[vancexentan]

Alright well then on another topic should we replicate the original content, and have the country biased against the shield hero, all the heroes, or not at all? I feel that would be a pain to play as the shield hero.

Also like I said in the opening I will need someone to help me GM if I am to be the gm. I'm not the best when it comes to balancing things like in game levels, and what have you. Its the downside of certain isekai rps.

[Spectral]

I would say either they all have some sort of bias against them or none of them do for fairness sake. Personally, I’d go for all of them having some sort of bias attached to them that the players can try and overcome as the quest goes.

[Helios J Mears]

I'd agree with Spectral. Maybe have each hero be disadvantaged in a different way, or by different people.

[vancexentan]

Alright if we're going for the all bias route then maybe people don't exactly immediately trust the heroes for being from a different world since some heroes in the past have been assholes of some variant? Though it varies by person to person. Maybe some nations dislike the spear, or bow for one reason or another for example?

[Spectral]

Sure. It can be nations or even say certain sets of people (I.E. Nobles, Peasants, Demi-Humans, a Royal Family itself)

[vancexentan]

alright I guess we can just roll the dice on who hates what, or do the 'draw straws' method and assign nations/people/groups by a number and then have people pick one.

I still need a co-gm, or at least someone who's willing to help with character sheets. Unless we completely forgo the level system having a lot of meaning.

[Hammerman]

Oh yeah, can I play as a [insert title here] hero other than the canon titles?

[vancexentan]

No I fully intend to stick to the shield, spear, sword, and bow heroes just for the sake of simplicity. It gets complicated if we start bringing in other weapons. If you want another primary weapon you can play as a native to the isekai world.

[Hammerman]

Alright. I'm fine playing as a native.