Disgaea: Campaign of Darkness A fanmade guide to Roleplaying in the Multiverse.

Alpha Version 0.1 ­ Formatting and text not final

Contents

INTRODUCTION 4

What is this? 4

What is Disgaea? 4

Using this Guide 4

I Don’t Want to Use 4e 5

Contact 5

PLAYING IN THE NETHERWORLD 6

A Brighter Darkness 6

Making A Demon 6

Monster Equipment: 8

Playing An Overlord 8

Geo Panels 9

Using Geo Panels in Encounters 12

4e Specific Rules 13

Prinnies 13

Prinnies as monsters 13

Prinny PC Stat Block: 14

Geo Panels (cont) 15

Geo Symbol Stat Block 15

Example Geo Symbol Effects. 16

Game Artifacts 19

Character/Item World 19

Lifting and Throwing 20

Magichange/Fusion 20

2 Reincarnation/Transmigration 21

NETHERWORLD LORE 21

Magic 22

Netherworld Geography 22

Demons 22

Humanoids 23

Monsters 23

Prinnies 23

Netherworld Society 24

The Overlord 24

Demon Lord 25

Dark Assembly 25

3 INTRODUCTION

What is this?

Like the subtitle says, this is a guide to roleplaying in the universe of the Disgaea series. This is not a complete ruleset, and can not be played on its own. This guide was written as a mod primarily for Dungeons and Dragons 4th edition, however, very little of it is system specific rules, and while a few things will probably require additional tweaking on your part, you could pretty safely use this as a starting point for your system of choice (see “I don’t want to use 4th Edition”, below).

What is Disgaea?

Disgaea is a series of strategy RPGs developed by . As of this writing, there are 6 main line Disgaea games (Disgaea 1 through 5, along with Disgaea D2, a direct sequel to Disgaea 1). Disgaea 5 has presently only been released in , an international release is scheduled for later this year. There have also been a handful of spin off games such as the Action Platformer “: Can I really be the hero?” and the Visual Novel “Disgaea Infinite”.

The Disgaea series takes place primarily in one of the various netherworlds, and its main protagonists are primarily Demons. While at first glance this may seem like a dark setting, the games are primarily comedies, and while the characters would be quick to remind you of how “evil” they are, the tone of games is fairly light hearted.

Using this Guide

The intent of this guide is to facilitate role­playing in a netherworld not unlike the ones you can find in the Disgaea series. Much like the Disgaea series, the main characters of this story, the PCs, will mostly take on the roles of demons that inhabit this netherworld. This guide is mostly focused on giving advice on how to adjust your game to promote this.

Many systems that attempt to adapt an existing tabletop RPG to work with their favorite setting try to do so primarily through house rules. This guide attempts the opposite, and tries to use existing mechanics as much as possible, with any house rules that we do add remain optional and don’t replace existing rules. The primary technique employed will be refluffing, or simply using all the existing mechanics as is while imagining them as a comparable effect when describing and imagining the game world. A good example would be taking the mechanics for a grenade, and describing that as a fireball spell. This approach, not only keeps players from having to learn both the base system, and then the homebrew mods, also allows all options from the base game to remain viable. Lastly, while the house rules listed within this guide are for the 4th edition of

4 Dungeons and Dragons, the hope is that with a minimal focus on system specific rules will allow this guide to be useful to those who wish to run Disgaea games in systems they like better.

This guide is divided into two sections (discounting the introduction section you are presently reading), “Playing in the Netherworld”, and “Netherworld Lore”. “Playing in the Netherworld”, contains (mostly) system agnostic advice for running a Disgaea game, making demon PCs, and incorporating some Disgaea elements into your favorite system, along with a sub­section for a few 4e Specific Rules. “Netherworld Lore” is a brief primer on the Disgaea universe.

The layout of this guide assumes that the reader is already familiar with the Disgaea series, if this is true for you, start with the Playing in the Netherworld and then optionally read Netherworld Lore as a refresher. If you are not familiar with the Disgaea series, you should probably skip ahead and read the Lore section first and then go back to Playing in the Netherworld, as that section assumes at least a passing familiarity with the Disgaea series.

While this guide may offer suggestions for rules, tone, and setting for your game, it is not intended to be used as a replacement for regular group discussion about such things. It is intended as a jumping off point, and groups should tweak the suggestions in here to better facilitate their fun. It is possible, if not likely, that the author’s idea of how to make a game Disgaea­like will not align with how your group views the series. As long as everyone is on the same page, and understands the change, feel free to tweak anything in here to suit your needs.

I Don’t Want to Use 4e

That’s fine, most of this advice can be adjusted to a system of your choosing. The “4e specific rules” subsection is an obvious exception, and there are a few examples or suggestions in other sections that are 4e specific. But if you want to refluff a different system, the “Playing in the Netherworld” Section should get you started. When selecting an alternative system, there are a few things to keep in mind. First and foremost, while you can refluff almost any system, systems that are focused on the mechanical effects of actions, rather than the narrative result of actions, generally make it easier, as the narrative is more easily separated from the rules text in those games. Second, the characters in Disgaea mostly use a mix of medieval weapons and magic, so a fantasy system that allows for that will likely have results. Use your own common sense, evaluate if your chosen system is suitable.

These Rules Suck, Grammatical Errors are Everywhere, and/or I Have a Better Idea

Cool, send any and all questions/comments/complaints to ​[email protected]​ please include the version of the guide you are referencing (In this case Alpha 0.1) just in case you have an older

5 version of this guide. If you are referring to specific typos or errors, page numbers would also be helpful

PLAYING IN THE NETHERWORLD

A Brighter Darkness

The netherworld is the place where demons reside. It is the place where sinful human souls are sent to be punished. It is a place where the weak are ruled over by the strong. It is also a place where you might encounter a Sentai team and make snarky comments about how they should have more colors if they want to be called the prism rangers. A place where actually going to class while you are a student makes you a badass rebel. And a place where, despite their protests to the contrary, most of the residents aren’t actually that bad.

The Disgaea series is primarily a comedy series, and while most demons claim to evil most are rather really eccentric. Evil is presented mostly as a goal, or an ideal to strive for, and while there is certainly real evil in the netherworld, the evil that is idealized is mostly on the level of indulging in bad habits or juvenile pranks. The Demons in Disgaea are mostly on the level of villains from cartoons aimed at children where their minions refer to them as things such as “your evilishness”, or perhaps more accurately their wacky minions.

The world is evil to the extent that evil is funny, and most demons are evil to the same extent. But Disgaea demons are capable of being compassionate, standing up for what is right, and even falling in love. The protagonists in the games are, at least by the end of the games, anti­heroes at the very worst. While the comedic focus does not exclude serious moment, the tone of the games is light, fluffy, and fun. While you are free to play your games with whatever focus and tone you want, this guide recommends you play a game in which you could find a netherworld tax auditor who makes sure you are cheating on your tax return enough.

Making A Demon

The netherworld is an interesting place filled with a wide variety of demons, which come in all shapes and sizes. From giant moths, to exploding penguins, to Zombies, to strange flower people, to things that look not unlike human beings. These creatures mostly tend to not line up with the standard character race options in most RPGs, even fantasy ones, yet they often can still be represented by the same mechanics.

Mechanically, Making a demon is a lot like making any other character. Follow the character creation procedure as laid out by the system and modified by any house rules your GM may have. In addition to the normal mechanical steps, there is an important additional step from a flavor perspective, the demonic concept.

6

The demonic concept is very closely related to your character concept, however, the demonic concept is less about what makes your character unique and more about what their species as a whole is like. If you intend for your character to be based on an existing Disgaea class or monster demon, not much needs to be said here, provided your group has the correct context of understanding what that is. If you intend to be a demon of the generic humanoid with pointy ears variety simply describe how you vary from any default assumptions of what your character’s skill set implies in the default setting for your system. If you want to create an all new monster type demon, here is the place to describe what the average member of your species looks and acts like.

No matter what type of Demon you are creating, work with your GM and your group to make sure your Demonic Concept is appropriate for the type of netherworld you all want to play in. Depending on the tone of your game, you may have to make your concept more or less cute to match the tone the whole table wants.

If you have a solid idea for your Demonic concept, you may want to decide on that first, and then build your character to match it. If you feel more solid on the mechanics of your character you can start on that first and then come up on your concept based on what you actually can do, there is no right or wrong order to this.

No matter what order you do it in, you should try to have your demonic concept be consistent with your character’s mechanics. If your concept is a werewolf that fights with fangs and claws, but your character is a Dragonborn Sorcerer, those two do not really match up (however, natural weapons in a demonic concept do not necessarily have to be represented by unarmed attacks in game terms, see the monster equipment section below). Your GM has the final say on if your concept matches your mechanics, and can make suggestions to make them match better (“Maybe instead of fighting with claws, you are a spellcasting werewolf, and your breath weapon is one of your spells, or maybe you are looking for a more melee oriented striker like rogue or Barbarian?”) or suggest house rules to make things line up (“Your concept says you are a Zombie, but you aren’t one of the Undead races. I’m gonna say your character can still be affected by effects that target undead”).

Although this refers to a “Demonic” concept, your character is, with GM permission, freely able to something other than a Demon, such as an Angel, a particularly badass human, or a Super Robot.

Finally, here are some example Demonic Concepts along with their race/class combinations, you do not have to use these for your game if you find concepts for these races/classes that you like better, these are for 4e, but the same general ideas can be applied to other systems:

Nekomata: The recurring female Cat Monster class from the Disgaea series. Razorclaw Shifter Monk.

7 Galaxy Mage: Recurring humanoid demon class from Disgaea series, specializes in a variety of magic. Elf Wizard. Prinny Mage: A Prinny that has abused Extra Gain to become a mage. Still Explodes when thrown. Prinny Sorcerer Nekomiko: A Nekomata who has given up on Kung­fu and taken the vows to become a priest. Doesn’t really matter if she keeps them or not, she can still heal! Razorclaw Shifter Cleric Chemist: A humanoid demon who specializes in strange drugs and chemicals. Both tosses them at enemies and drinks his own Hyde Serum. Human Druid Great Wolf: A monster demon that resembles a large Wolf, a vicious pack hunter that fights with fangs and claws. Orc Fighter. Dark Widow: A monster demon that has the lower half body of a spider with four legs and the upper half of a four armed humanoid. Possesses a deadly (and gross) spit attack. Thri­kreen Ranger (Archer Fighting Style)

Monster Equipment:

In the netherworld, not even monsters fight unarmed. They equip items just like humanoid demons do, which enhance their armor, and natural attacks. These monster weapons and armor are not what they directly fight with, but rather special charms that enhance their natural abilities and put them on even terms with their armed demonic foes. In practice, what this means is that if your system of choice does not have character build options for natural weapons (or the ones that exist do not support enough variety of builds) you can have monster type demon characters function very similar to humanoid type demon characters.

When you make a monster type demon character this way simply equip them the same way you would if you were making that same character build in a normal game. This equipment is abstracted into your natural weapons and natural armor, and magical monster weapons and armor can enhance your natural attacks and natural armor just like normal.

This abstraction does not protect you from being disarmed or having your gear stolen, in such a case your monster weapon/armor charm has been taken/knocked away and you do unarmed damage/have reduced defenses to represent the difficulty of fighting a fully armed demon without one. Nor does it allow you to change weapons any faster than a normal character even if you are going from one “natural” weapon to another, with any draw and sheath actions that your system may require you to perform instead represent changing stances to maneuver your other weapon into position.

Playing An Overlord

In the Disgaea series, every game includes an overlord, and/or the child of one, as a playable main character, thus, it is very natural that players in a Disgaea game would want to be one

8 themselves. GMs are encouraged to allow this and incorporate overlord PCs and PCs that are children of overlords into their games, however, they are not required to do so. That said, such an important in­game position can cause some problems with a group dynamic if not handled with care, especially when the other party members don’t have comparable positions. The following guidelines are here both to manage player expectations and make sure they don’t want to play an overlord for the wrong reasons, and for GMs to consider to help make sure everyone is having fun. While they just refer to “the overlord”, characters who are children of overlords, or that have other important titles should also be given the same considerations:

● The overlord is not the main character. Or at least, not any more of a main character than the rest of the PCs. The player of the overlord should make sure they are sharing the spotlight and not using their title as a way to hog it, and the GM should likewise make sure that other characters are just as important to the plot, even if they don’t have a fancy title. ● The overlord has exactly as much authority as the GM and other players let them have. If the GM decides that these NPC demons don’t care that this PC is the overlord, and the party needs to do them a favor before they’ll do what the overlord wants, that’s how it is, overlords get the respect they earn. Likewise, if the other PCs don’t want to follow the overlord’s orders, they don’t have to. Roleplaying a Master/servant relationship can be quite fun, but only if all parties want to do so, and no one should be forced into it cause another character wants to be the overlord. ● The overlord is going to encounter foes that are both weaker and ​stronger​ than them. While the title does typically go to the strongest demon in the netherworld, there are plenty of reasons why a stronger demon could exist. If the stronger demon wins, they could perhaps even take the title of overlord for themselves and the PC would have to work to reclaim their title. ● The overlord should have exactly the same point limit/restrictions/whatever when it comes to character generation as every other PC.

Geo Panels

Geo Symbols are medium sized semi­animate blocks of crystal, they come in a variety of shapes, (most commonly cubes and pyramids) and a number of colors, including clear. Each Geo Symbol applies a special effect to the square that it is on, these effects can be virtually anything, but some example effects are listed in the “Example Geo Effects” section under 4e specific rules. If multiple Geo Symbols occupy the same space (for example, they are stacked on top of each other) all their effects apply to that square. Some Geo Symbols can move, but they are not alive or aware, and typically move either in a set pattern or wander randomly. Geo Symbols can be attacked and destroyed, a stat block for 4e is provided in the 4e section.

In addition to their other properties, each square on the battle map has a geo color, Geo colors come in all the same colors as geo symbols. Squares with a geo color other than clear are called Geo Panels. Geo Panels in the same area (as defined by the GM, typically a single battle location

9 or a single dungeon) that share the a geo color, share all effects from Geo Symbols that are on a square of that color. These effects are shared even if the panels in question are non­adjacent, so long as the colors match.

If a Geo Symbol is destroyed, its effects immediately end, if it is on a Geo Panel of a DIFFERENT color, all creatures on panels of those colors take damage (as determined by the geo symbol’s stat block) and all panels of that color become the color of the destroyed Geo Symbol, further if a different Geo Symbol is damaged by this, it is also destroyed, potentially causing the panels to change color another time, when this happens, it is called a Geo Chain.

Geo Chaining increases the Chain Value, which increases the amount of damage the color change does. When a Geo Symbol is destroyed by anything but a Geo Symbol, its chain value is 0. When a Geo Symbol is destroyed by the color change caused by the destruction of another Geo Symbol, its chain value is equal to the chain value of the color that destroyed it, plus 1.

When multiple Geo Symbols are destroyed at once either due to an area attack or as a result single color change, the controller of the character that made the attack/started the Geo Chain, chooses one of the destroyed Geo Symbols to take effect, if there is at least one option that would cause a color change and at least one option that would not, an option that would cause a color change must be chosen. (Example: Elaine uses an area of effect attack and destroys a Red Geo Symbol and a Blue Geo Symbol, both of which are on the same color of Geo Panels. If the Geo Panels are NOT Red or Blue, she can choose for them to become either color, if the Geo Panels ARE Red or Blue, she must choose the other color, even if she or her allies would be hurt by the color change. Example 2: Elaine uses an area of effect attack and destroys a Red Geo Symbol on a Blue Geo Panel, and a Blue Geo Panel on a Red Square, she can choose either for the Red Geo Panels to become Blue, or the Blue Geo Panels to become Red, but she must choose one and can not choose both.).

As a last note about color change, Geo Panels can have their color changed to clear in this way, but clear squares can not gain a color in this way. If a Clear Geo Symbol’s destruction results in all non­clear squares in the area becoming clear, this activates the Geo Symbol’s clear bonus power (see stat block) with the character that destroyed the initial geo Symbol or started the Geo Chain that destroyed it choosing who in its area that it effects.

Attacks that do non­lethal damage will not destroy Geo Symbols, and, players should be allowed to push geo panels around, the recommendation for 4e is as a movement action, a character can push an adjacent Geo Symbol a single square. Let the players be strategic with the positioning and use of Geo Symbols.

10 Example: At the start of the battle the battlefield is set up like this:

With Rio (R) fighting a Prinny (P) on a checkerboard pattern of geo panels. There are three geo symbols, represented by the three squares with white borders. The colors of the geo symbols are represented by the colors in the center of the square. On her turn, Rio destroys the green Geo Symbol. Because the Green Geo Symbol is on a red Geo Panel all creatures on red Geo Panels (the Prinny and the Blue Geo Symbol) get damaged and red geo panels become green geo panels. As a result, the Blue Geo Symbol is destroyed and the map looks like this:

Because the Blue Geo Symbol has been destroyed, and the Blue Geo Symbol is now on a Green Geo Panel, all green geo panels, both the newly transformed red ones and the original greens ones are turned into blue Geo Panels. Rio, the Prinny, and the Green Geo Symbol all take damage as a result, and the Green Geo Symbol is destroyed. The Map, then looks like this:

Since the Green Geo Symbol has been destroyed and is on a blue Geo Panel, all Blue Geo Panels will become green, and Rio and the Prinny will take damage an additional time. Finally the map looks like it does below, and the battle continues.

11 Using Geo Panels in Encounters

Geo Panels are intended to add a further strategic and puzzle solving element to combat, they are not intended to replace interesting terrain and ideally work with the terrain to create interesting set ups. Geo Panels are a common feature of the netherworld, and demons quickly learn to understand what they will do at a glance. The color of any given square, the effects applied to a given color of Geo Panels, and, if they are within view, which Geo Symbols are providing which effects should be made known to the PCs. Not only is this how it works in the Disgaea games, but determining what effects do what via trial and error removes most of strategic elements from the Geo Panel rules and can make any penalties that they may apply feel unfair or random from the perspective of a Player who doesn’t have the list of effects in front of them.

Geo Symbols that move are best used to either add urgency, or another layer of strategy to the fight. Ones with negative effects for the PCs can slowly walk towards the a panel of the same color that most of the fight takes place on, giving them another threat to worry about. In an area with a large variety of colors Symbols with minor effects, both positive and negative, can wander from color to color, forcing the PCs to continuously adjust their positioning for maximum advantage. Typically, moving Geo Symbols should not be part of a complicated puzzle based on chaining them, unless they are moving in short, predictable patterns. Long waits between them returning to the ideal position, or the frustration of having them move when the PCs are trying to force them into position, makes them less than ideal for the PCs to work with.

A good cue for your players is a clear colored Geo Symbol. Providing one on a battlemap should be an indicator that using it to get the clear bonus is possible. The players might have to move some symbols around and/or destroy them in a certain order or even create a large chain in order to get it, but if you provide one, it should serve a purpose. If this is not a set of Geo Symbols you intended to be clearable, not providing one can be a good clue to your players of that too.

Much like how players will get bored or frustrated if every battle is too hard or too easy, so too should you vary the set ups of the Geo Panels and the Geo Effects. Some set ups should mostly benefit the enemies, particularly if they are in an enemy stronghold, while some set ups should benefit the PCs, most of the time however, the setup should probably be fairly neutral. Whenever you use Geo Panels to bolster one side or the other, take care to make sure you are not tilting the encounter too far one direction or another. If the effects hurt the PCs it can be the difference between a beatable fight and a hopeless situation. If they buff the PCs during an already easy fight it can make it trivial. You should also provide a nice mix of puzzles (destroy/move a symbol to turn a bad situation into an advantageous one), simple effects (For example, Red Geo Symbols on a field of red Panels), and fights without Geo Panels or Geo Symbols at all. Big dramatic showdowns probably should not have Geo Panels or Symbols present, leaving it up to the PC’s own skill and luck.

12 Lastly, if you are a GM who awards experience on a per enemy/encounter Geo Symbols do not award exp for being destroyed. PCs should be choosing to destroy or not destroy them because it is the strategic decision to make. If the Geo Panels added to the challenge of the battle, you should add an additional amount of exp equal to a level­appropriate Standard monster. If the Geo Panels either seriously hindered the PCs, or presented a legitimate threat to do so which they overcame with clever play, double that. If you set up an encounter in which the PCs are granted considerable advantage by the Geo Panel set up, you should consider adding an additional monster or a few minions to balance it out.

Ultimately, each GM is the final judge of what is best for their own game, and regardless of what is suggested here are free to use (or not use) the Geo Panel rules as they see fit.

4e Specific Rules

This section contains a few suggested stat blocks for Prinnies as a PC race Prinnies

While this guide mostly advocates refluffing over homebrewing whenever possible, for some reason 4e does not seem to include a character racial option that explodes when tossed. Since prinnies are so iconic in the Disgaea series, a racial stat block for Player Characters is included (roughly based on the Kenku stat block) as well as some advice for using them as monsters. Prinnies as monsters

Should you refluff existing Monsters as Prinnies, or decide to your own, you make sure that they have their most iconic feature of exploding when thrown. Simply add the the following power to the monster’s stat block: Explodes When Thrown (No Action, when thrown, affected by a push, pull, or slide, or damaged by another Prinny’s Explodes When Thrown power, this power must be used if able; Encounter)

Close Burst X; +Y vs Reflex, Z Damage Your HP becomes 0 Miss: Half Damage, your HP still becomes 0. X should be equal to the Prinny’s tier (1 for Heroic, 2 for Paragon, and 3 for Epic), Y and Z should be appropriate to hit and damage for the Prinny’s level and role (use the Prinny’s other attacks as a guideline for this if refluffing an existing monster), consider that this is an encounter limited power that also removes the Prinny from combat, so be generous with the damage based on the aforementioned Level and role. Most Prinnies should use this power whenever able, even if doing so is not ideal for them.

Prinnies are grunts in the disgaea world and as such should, for the most part, be minions. Normal monsters for particularly tough Prinnies are possible, but when including them keep in

13 mind that Prinnies can be made to explode rather easily and thus can have hardly any more staying power than minions. Prinnies should typically not be Solos or Elites, but a notable character might be an exception. In the case of these notable characters (or in certain other special situations, like a battle in Prinnyland), feel free to remove the requirement of being forced to use the Explosion power when triggered. Prinny PC Stat Block:

The reincarnation of souls of sinful humans, must pay of the debts of their sins with good deeds in celestia or ultra­hard Labour in the netherworld. Tend to explode. Average Height: 3’10”­4’2” Average Weight: 30­40 lb. Ability Scores: ​+2 Charisma, +2 Dexterity or Intelligence Size: ​Small Speed: ​ 6 squares Vision: ​Low­light Languages: ​Common, one other Skill Bonuses: ​+2 bluff, +2 Stealth Squad Effect: ​When you have combat advantage against a creature as a result of flanking it, you gain a +3 bonus to attack rolls against it instead of the normal +2. Explodes When Thrown: ​You have the Explodes When Thrown Power… Like it or not. Mass Produced: ​You gain a +5 racial bonus to bluff checks to pass as another prinny. Explodes When Thrown

...or pushed, or jostled, or for no reason at all really.

Encounter No Action Close Burst 1 Target: All Creatures in Area

Trigger: You are thrown, affected by a push, pull, or slide, or damaged by another Prinny’s Explodes When Thrown power

Attack: Strength +2 vs Reflex, Constitution +2 vs Reflex, or Dexterity +2 vs Reflex

Hit: Damage equal to your healing surge value.

Miss: Half damage.

Effect: Your HP is reduced to ­1 unless it is already lower.

Special: Increase this to a Close Burst 2 at 11th level and a Close burst 3 at 21st level. When you create your character, choose Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution as the ability score you use when making attack rolls with this power.

14 Note: Prinnies are not in control of their “Explodes When Thrown” power, and, in most circumstances will explode at the first provocation. While this is accurate to the Video Games, it tends not to be very FUN for an RPG. Thus, the Player of the Prinny can chose to trigger or not trigger this power exactly like any other power. While the PLAYER is in control, the prinny CHARACTER might still not be, and might merely be a “lucky prinny”.

Geo Panels (cont)

Below are 4e stat blocks for geo panels followed by list of example effects. See the Geo Panels section above for the non­4e specific rules. Geo Symbol Stat Block

Below is the stat block for a level 1 Geo Symbol, all Geo symbols regardless of level function exactly the same way, the table on the below will tell you how to adjust the Geo Symbols defenses and damage values for higher levels. If it ever is important, treat all of a Geo Symbols ability scores as 10, with an effective mod equal to one half its level. The Color Change and Geo Clear powers should always activate as per the rules for Geo Panels in the previous section.

Geo Symbol Level 1 Minion Medium Geo Symbol Does not give XP Initiative​ (Half level) ​Senses ​none HP​ 1; A missed attack never damages a minion. Non­lethal damage will not destroy a Geo Symbol. AC ​15; ​Fortitude​ 13; ​Reflex​ 13; ​Will​ 13; Speed ​0 or 3;

Geo Effect

This Geo Symbol has an effect, selected by the GM that applies to the square it occupies and any Geo Panel whose color is not clear and matches the color the Geo Symbol Occupies

Geo Color

This Geo Symbol has a color, selected by the GM.

Color Change ​(No Action, when destroyed on a non­clear Geo Panel of a non­matching color)

All Geo Panels in the area that are the same color as the panel this Geo Symbol was on become the color of this Geo Symbol. All other Geo Symbols on affected Panels are destroyed, all other conscious creatures on affected panels take 3 damage, plus 2 times the current chain value. This damage bypasses damage resistance and immunities.

Geo Clear ​(No Action, when this Geo Panel’s Color Change ability causes every remaining non­clear square in the area to become clear)

The creature that destroyed this Geo Panel or started the Geo Chain that destroyed this Geo Panel, chooses any number of creatures in the area that they can see. Those creatures take 9 damage that bypasses damage resistance and immunities.

15 Level AC Other Defenses Color Change Damage Geo Clear Damage

1 15 13 3 + 2*Chain Value 9

6 20 18 6 + 4*Chain Value 18

11 25 23 9 + 6*Chain Value 27

16 30 28 12 + 8*Chain Value 36

21 35 33 15 + 10*Chain Value 45

26 40 38 18 + 12*Chain Value 54

Example Geo Symbol Effects.

The following table is a non­comprehensive list of possible effects that a Geo Symbol can apply to the squares it affects. The GM is free to make up more as they see fit. A couple of these examples have numbers separated by slashes, these are suggestions for possible values, whatever value is chosen (either from the list or another value decided on my the GM) is referred to as the indicated value in their rules text.

It is the intent of these examples that all bonuses and penalties be additive. Thus 2 Hit +1 effects would result in a +2 bonus to all attack rolls, and two Exp +50% effects would result in 100% additional exp. Finally, unless otherwise stated, all Geo Symbol effects affect the Geo Symbol itself.

Hit + 1 Any creature in an affected square receives a +1 bonus to all attack rolls they make.

Hit ­ 1 Any creature in an affected square receives a ­1 penalty to all attack rolls they make.

Damage Dealt +1/5/10/25/50 Any creature in an affected square adds the indicated value to the result of all damage rolls they make.

Damage Dealt ­1/5/10/25/50 Any creature in an affected square subtracts the indicated value from the result of all damage rolls they make, to a minimum result of 0.

16 Damage Received +1/5/10/25/50 Whenever a creature in an affected square takes damage, increase it by the indicated value.

Damage Received ­1/5/10/25/50 Whenever a creature in an affected square takes damage, decrease it by the indicated value, to a minimum of 0,+

Damage 2/10/20/50/100 At the start of the Geo Symbol’s turn, all conscious, non­geo symbol creatures in affected squares receive damage that bypasses damage resistance equal to the indicated value.

Heal 2/10/20/50/100 At the start of the Geo Symbol’s turn, all conscious creatures in affected squares recover HP equal to the indicated value, up to their maximum HP.

Temporary HP 1/5/10/25/50 At the start of the Geo Symbol’s turn, all conscious, non­geo symbol creatures in affected squares receive temporary HP equal to the indicated value.

Defenses +1 Any creature in an affected square has all of its defenses increased by 1.

Defenses ­1 Any creature in an affected square has all of its defenses reduced by 1.

Exp +50% If a PC kills an enemy that is in an affected square, the party receives an additional additional 50% experience from that enemy. (Obviously do not use this one if you do not award experience on a per­encounter basis in your game)

No entry Creatures can not enter the affected squa either willingly or unwillingly. If for some reason a creature is already in a square where the effect is applied they can leave provided there is an adjacent square without the no entry effect. This does not block line of sight or line of effect.

No Line of effect. Affected squares block lines of effect from passing through them. Creatures within the affected square can still attack and be

17 attacked provided the line of effect does not pass through additional No Line of Effect squares. This does not stop creatures from passing through affected squares or block Line of sight

No Line of Sight Affected squares block line of sight completely. If there is no intervening No Line of Sight Square, looking into and looking out of affected squares counts as Lightly Obscured. This does not stop creatures from passing through affected squares or block Line of effect, however if combined with no line of effect this also blocks non­visual forms of perception as well.

Anchor Creatures in the affected squares can not be affected by a push, pull, or slide.

Invincibility Damage Dealt to creatures in affected squares is reduced to 0. Any ability that triggers on damage being dealt still happens. This effect does not apply to the Geo Symbol that provides it.

Power +1 All basic attacks and powers performed by creatures on affected squares are performed an additional time if the target is still valid.

No Ranged Creatures in affected squares can not use ranged or area powers or attacks.

No Melee Creatures in affected squares can not use melee or close powers or attacks.

No Powers Creatures in affected squares can not use powers including powers that can be used as basic attacks.

No Basic Attacks Creatures in affected squares can not use basic attacks.

Ally Chose any other Geo Effect, this effect only applies to the PCs and their allies.*

Enemy Chose any other Geo Effect, this effect does not apply to the PCs and their allies.*

18 *Just determine who is their ally or not for the sake of the current situation and adjust it as the situation changes. For example, if the PCs team up with their nemesis to take down a greater threat, he is their ally right then, even if he is planning to betray them later. But once he betrays them, even if it is mid­fight, he no longer counts as their ally.

Game Artifacts

Video games and Tabletop RPGs are different beasts and have different goals and agendas. As such, what works in one might not work in the other. This sub­section is for those features of the Disgaea series that this guide would be incomplete without addressing, yet nonetheless run the risk of falling into that category. Any of the things listed in this section could make the game more fun for the right group, but also run the risk of making the game less fun for the wrong group. GMs should consider the elements listed here carefully and use their best judgement to determine which their group is before deciding to include these things.

Character/Item World

In the Disgaea series the Item World is a ‘world’ that exists in every item in the game. The player can have their party enter an item and fight through a series of randomly generated stages to power the item up. While this is a feature found in every Disgaea game from the first one, it is not included in the main section because, as is, it is not for every group. For groups that enjoy combat for combat’s sake and don’t need much of a story justification for it, going into the item world and fighting a few random encounter­type fights to power up a party member’s main weapon or suit of armor can be a fun time. For groups or players who enjoy other aspects of tabletop roleplaying games though, using the item world, as it is in the video games can be boring and uninteresting as the game bogs down in ‘meaningless’ combat.

For those types of groups, the item world can still be used, but rather than a series of random encounters, the item world should be planned out like you would any other adventure. Give the characters a reason to enter an item, perhaps the item is an artifact needed for another adventure, but has lost its power or been corrupted, perhaps an enemy has hid in the item or an ally is trapped inside, perhaps they need to enlist the aid of a powerful resident of the item world, or any other reason that would motivate them to enter the item world. While the GM should feel free to play up the weirdness and the strangeness of the item world, like in designing other adventures, the encounters and areas should be thematic and purposeful.

All in all, the use of the item world should be a deliberate choice by the GM, if the GM decides the item world is the way to get a +2 sword to be a +3 sword, and the group is okay with the combat involved, than that is fine, but that should not be the default assumption for players looking to improve their gear. The Character world was introduced in later games and functioned very similarly to the item world except it was for units instead of items, the same considerations for the

19 item world should be taken for the Character world. Just be sure that if the character world is utilized, any PC they go inside of can still participate in the session.

Lifting and Throwing

Lifting and Throwing is another one of the mechanical trademarks of the Disgaea series. While it is a mechanic that is relevant in a grid­based SRPG, certain games and systems are going to find it more relevant than others. Most games will be fine without including these elements, but you can if you want to.

If your game is more abstract in terms of positioning and distances, then all that is needed is to be liberal as the GM in allowing people to be tossed about with easier/less rolls required to do so. In games with concrete positioning and distances, a bit more GM discretion is required. GMs must make sure that they do not allow the throwing distances to be too long to be exploitable (if melee enemies have to spend their whole turn getting close, only to be thrown away again before their next turn, that is too far), but also not to set them to be too short of a distance as to be mostly useless.

Either way, keep in mind that clever PCs are going to be tossing the enemies into any environmental hazards you include, don’t let that tactic work every time, but also don’t have it not work ever, know your group and strike the right balance. Magichange/Fusion

In the later Disgaea games, Monster demons gained the ability to Magichange which is them turning into weapons for non­monster units, in , they also gained the ability to fuse together into larger monsters.. While fine in a single player , this can be troublesome in a tabletop RPG, particularly if multiple PCs are to combine. This can cause issues with disagreements over what the combined unit should do, cause the less active play of the duo to not be involved while the more active one takes control and is difficult to implement mechanically so that combining and not combining are both viable options. If you are adapting a system that already has rules for combining characters (like say, a mecha RPG), than this guide recommends you use those rules. If your system does not have those rules, than this guide recommends that you do not include Magichange or fusion for your game, at least for PCs.

For enemies, implementing this is simple, just create or use a single enemy of above average strength, with two weaker enemy stat blocks ready if the PCs catch the enemy off guard or before they get a chance to Magichange/Fuse. In 4e, Elites are a good choice for the combined enemy, while normal enemies work for the non­fused version.

If you insist on PCs having the ability to magichange, than as a simple fix, treat it as if one PC is riding the other (ideally the faster one) like a mount, but ignore all penalties due to size/lack of

20 training on either part as well as any related checks, and keep effectively treating them as separate characters. Reincarnation/Transmigration

In the Disgaea Series, Reincarnation (called Transmigration in Disgaea 1), allowed a character to start back over from level 1, along with some benefits depending on how strong they were and how many times they have previously reincarnated. Generic characters could use this to change class, while main characters just reverted to level 1 of their special class. This was a purely gameplay mechanic, and really did not seem to affect the story. Although it is called reincarnation, it is much more like a body swap, in that, while they reverted to level 1, after reincarnating, the resulting demon is fully grown (or at least, as fully grown as that class gets in the case of generics, or as fully grown as that character was previously in the case of main characters). The mechanical effects of reincarnation, as they appear in the video games, is not appropriate to implement in most systems.

There are a few exceptions where including it might be appropriate. If your system of choice already allows for a starting over/starting over with benefits mechanic (such as AD&D’s dual classing), then reincarnation might be a good way to represent it. If you have a player who likes their character’s story and personality, but is hating how they play mechanically, reincarnation is a way in which the GM could allow them to make a new character mechanically with a new demonic concept, while still keeping the same character and the plotlines the same, in this case the new character should just be on the same level as their previous one.

If it exists or not has implications on your world and on your story, consider these carefully before deciding to include it, even in the cases above.

NETHERWORLD LORE

Most of the action in the Disgaea series takes place in one netherworld or another, there are implied to be a countless number of them, and, with the exception Disgaea D2, being a direct sequel, each mainline Disgaea game takes place in a new one. While each netherworld has its own character, and yours will likely be no exception, this section will attempt to allow those who are not familiar with the Disgaea series to gain at least a basic enough understanding of the common elements of the Disgaea universe so that they can play in this weird setting that their friends dragged them into.

While some of these individual sections or subsections have suggestions for how a GM could modify these elements, those suggestions, or a lack of them should in no way be taken as being restrictive on GM and player creativity in adapting the setting or making a netherworld they want to play in. That said, it is the responsibility of the GM to make sure that player expectations are in

21 line with the game that the GM wants to play. If a GM gives their players this guide, but intends to change half of it, they should probably also make it clear what they intend to change.

Magic

Magic is a very real thing in the world of Disgaea. Mana, the source of magical energy, flows through everything and the netherworld is saturated with it. Demons have large amounts of mana and are very skilled in utilizing it. While this can be used to cast spells, even non­caster demons utilize their massive amounts of mana to enhance their physical abilities and their attacks, causing effects that, while might not be ‘magic’ still go above and beyond what is normally physically possible. Magic is also commonly used for things like magical healing (Buy 20 healings and get a free Imperial Seal!) and public transportation. Overall though, exactly what you can and can’t do with large amounts of mana is pretty vaguely defined, so GMs should define those limits as appropriate to their system and their individual game. Netherworld Geography

Netherworlds are vast places, and much like our home planet, the geography varies throughout. This is compounded by magical nature of the netherworld, which causes these environments to vary chaotically and mostly be privy to the whims of whichever demon owns the area. These biomes can run into each other in some rather illogical fashions, such as a desert suddenly transitioning into a frozen tundra.

Even with such dramatic differences in an environment, a netherworld can (and if the GM finds it appropriate should) have a theme. Virmire (), was a back­country world, and the majority of the stages and environments reflected this. Evil Academy () is a school, and while wild areas still appear, most of those remain classroom/school building themed. A well­themed netherworld will show something about the history of the world and/or the personality of its current or previous overlord.

Along with the considerations above, when it comes to designing environments, remember that Netherworlds are dark places. Skull motifs, rivers of blood, and jack­o­lantern lighting are all par for the course. They are also where demons dwell. Consider including general signs of childish mischief, such as graffiti, broken windows, and general messes on the floor. Demons

Demon is an umbrella term for the creatures that are native to the netherworld. They range from highly humanoid with the only obvious difference being pointed ears, to monstrous beasts, to living mushrooms, to a variety of things in between. In the Disgaea universe, demons include monsters of all variety, even those that we would not typically consider explicitly demons. Zombies, Werewolves, Vampires, and Spirits are all examples of classical monsters that are considered demons in the disgaea universe. These demons are their own subspecies and not transformed

22 humans as their folklore origins suggest, and how closely they follow the other aspects of their folklore can vary.

Demons are, generally capable of speech, and for the most part, the netherworld seems to share a common language. Humanoids

Humanoids make up a relatively large percentage of the demon population. As the name implies they bare a striking resemblance to humans. There seems to be a variety of subspecies, with some possessing horns, wings, and/or a demonic tail, but uniformly, humanoid demons all have ears that come to a point towards the back of the head. Humanoid demons mostly fight using weapons and armor. While the strength of the weapon itself does matter, more often than not, the strength of the demon matters more, and thus in the netherworld, firearms coexist alongside traditional fantasy weaponry and martial artists .

Monsters

Monsters demons, are, simply, the demons that do not fall into the humanoid category. Monster demons come in a much greater variety of shapes when compared to their humanoid counterparts, from golems, to dragons, to intelligent piles of goo. Despite their strange appearance, monster demons are just as intelligent as the humanoid variety. That said, many that live in the wilds of the netherworld embrace their feral nature While monsters come in a variety of types, one would not be wise to judge a monster by its appearance, even the cutest types of monsters can be savage beasts, while the most threatening looking can be quite articulate Monsters tend to fight with natural weapons, often augmenting their power with special charms known as monster weapons (see the monster equipment section for details), however, should the particular species have hands to hold them, fighting with man­made weapons is not unheard of.

The exact line between humanoid and monster demons is not quite clear, with the games sometimes containing things that only seem to count as monsters because they didn’t want to draw weapon using sprites for them. If, for whatever reason, if something counts as a humanoid or a monster is important, it is left up to the GM’s discretion.

Prinnies

Prinnies are a special type of Monster Demons. They are the souls of former humans, who, in their previous lives, committed some sin (or a bunch), which leaves them unable to reincarnate until they atone. Prinny bodies are mass produced using a special substance called Prinny Hide, which allows the soul to take on physical form. The Prinny body looks like a stuffed penguin, with peg legs and tiny bat­like wings on its back (in addition to the normal penguin flippers), they often

23 wear a large fanny pack in which they keep their weapons and various explosives. While the majority of Prinnies are blue, they actually come in a variety of colors.

In order to atone for their sins, Prinnies in the netherworld perform ultra­hard labour for very little pay. The treatment of Prinnies by their demon masters is typically not very pleasant, but if they are able to save up enough money to pay off the literal debt of their sins, are the Prinnies allowed to reincarnate and have another chance at life.

Prinnies other notable features are the fact that they violently explode when thrown (or caught in another prinny’s explosion), and the tendency to pepper their sentence with the word ‘dood’.

Because of the mysterious lack of exploding character races in most systems, you can find a stat block for D&D 4e, in the 4e specific rules section.

Netherworld Society

Organizing demons is a lot like herding cats, and in general, most demons are going to just do whatever they feel like doing. When you combine that with each netherworld being different and having its own flavor or personality, speaking in general terms about demon society is difficult. However, throughout the games there does seem to be a few constants, which, while your netherworld might be an exception to, are described below. The Overlord

The overlord is the absolute ruler of a given netherworld. It is a title most often held by said netherworld’s strongest demon, and their authority is derived from their strength. While sometimes the resident overlord will use an alternative title, nearly every netherworld has an overlord by one name or another, or, at the very least, demons attempting to claim the title. An overlord is able to rule their netherworld however they see fit, from controlling everything with an iron fist, to largely ignoring most of the netherworld and pursue their own ends.

That said, being the overlord has its own set of problems. The overlord of a given netherworld has to deal with threats from within (of ambitious demons who would like to claim the title for themselves) and without (of overlords and invaders from alternate netherworlds). An unpopular overlord is also more likely to be the target of a cabal of demons who are willing to put aside personal ambitions and personal safety to get ANYONE ELSE on the throne. Finally, an overlord, especially one that is not well liked or respected, is very likely to find demons that really don’t give a crap about who they are, unless the overlord is willing to MAKE them.

As a merit­based title, the title of overlord is not guaranteed to go to an overlord’s child upon their death, in fact, if they were assassinated or defeated in battle, it often goes to their killer. That said, the children of overlords have their parent’s genes and thus are often quite strong themselves.

24 When combined with their wealth and whatever of their parent’s vassals remain loyal to them, they are often top contenders for taking the titles. Demon Lord

Below the rank of overlord in the netherworld are the Demon Lords. While the overlord is the master of the whole netherworld, Demon Lords rule over a smaller sub­section of the netherworld. This sub­section can vary in size depending on the strength and ambition of the demon lord, with some powerful demon lords even having minor demon lord as vassals of their own. While some Demon Lords serve at the overlord’s pleasure, and are as loyal to the overlord as demons can get, while others simply are either beneath the overlord’s notice or would be too much of a bother for the overlord to get rid of.

The exact amount of power a Demon Lord holds over their realm varies from Demon Lord to Demon Lord. Some are ineffectual and largely ignored, while others hold more power and authority than even the overlord in their own lands. A powerful Demon Lord’s realm can vary largely with the surrounding netherworld, perhaps even themed to their own tastes and preferences. There are also powerful demons who lay claim to the title with no lands at all, although if they desire them and are truly worthy of the title, that is likely to change.

A player character who is a Demon Lord should be given much of the same considerations as an overlord PC would be, especially if they are the ONLY character with a title in the party. Dark Assembly

The Dark Assembly is a gathering of the movers and shakers of the netherworld. These demons meet and form a legislative body to vote on and implement various bills. An overlord will often meet with them to enlist the Assembly’s aid in implementing policy that would be difficult for a single demon, no matter how powerful, to enforce without cooperation. For demons, bribery, corruption and back­room deals are things to be proud of, so the Dark Assembly is really not all that different from most legislative bodies in real life, except that they can be more open about it.

While a vote in the Dark Assembly is mostly final, many demons do not accept the results when a vote does not go their way, and will fight all the opposing senators right there on the Assembly floor. Should they defeat all those opposed (and any formerly allied senators they angered with collateral damage from their fight), the vote is reversed. Many Senators are quite powerful though, and in practice a vote being overturned in this way is quite rare.

In the games, the Dark Assembly is mostly a mechanical function, and exactly how much influence they have on the netherworld is never really explored. GMs should take advantage of this and give the Assembly as much power and relevance as they would like for their games. A strong Dark Assembly can be very useful for a political game and/or keeping an overlord (perhaps even a

25 PC overlord) in check. A weak/irrelevant/nonexistent Dark Assembly is good for groups that don’t want to play a political game and for settings that would benefit from a politically powerful overlord.

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