Interest Check: Bleach Alternate Universe Thread

I have been worldbuilding my own alternative universe setting for Bleach, which could be used as basis for Role Playing. The RP itself will have little mechanics, with vaguely defined tiers as power level (non-Captain class people obviously does not stand much chance against Captain-class, for example). Some things established in the universe's canon won't be changed drastically, but all characters will be non-canon. Main factions will be similar to canon ones, with Soul Society, Espada and Vandenreich as major ones, plus some minor Fullbringer organizations to represent them.

I plan to allow players to start at relatively high power levels, for example if they are Soul Reapers they will start as 4th or 3rd seat in terms of power level.

I want to ask if there are any potential interest in the general idea, and in which faction you are most interested?

The setting itself is not completed, and I would appreciate any help if there is someone willing to help out. Especially with Espadas and Vandenreich, as I have Soul Society largely completed.

The brief history of my setting:

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13741551890A73036700&page=5#121

edited 23rd Jul '13 3:20:33 AM by CaptainKatsura

Interested. Dunno if I can help with world-building, though.

I'll admit I haven't read Bleach for a looooooooong time (the thing that made me quit completely was Soifon's Bankai, so that's how long it's been), but I do remember really liking a lot of the concepts at least. Might be interested, I guess, especially since it's an AU and all.

Of course, I don't require help with world-building, that's only optional .

However, I do plan for the possibility that the players may assume important positions within the setting, like for example Soul Reapers becoming Captains. Well, even Kubo stopped shirking from killing named characters, so there is precedence

Well, the fact that it is AU allows me to play with the concepts. Hilariously, my Captain-Commander was designed before Kyouraku's promotion and now two CC from two verses share laid-back, but serious when needed demeanour XD I started working on it even before Fullbring arc.

My little twist is that the Captain-Commander is the second strongest guy in Gotei 13, the strongest is previous Captain-Commander who retired and left things for younger generation, moving to the 4th Division.

edited 18th Jul '13 11:37:03 AM by CaptainKatsura

I did read Bleach, but my mind is still fuzzy on remembering some concepts.

However, I am interested. Is there anywhere I could read up on some of the mechanics of the world?

For fundamental concepts, which largely remain unchanged in this RP, you could read Bleach wiki for the gist of it. The manga has become huge, so it is more practical to look up the wiki than read the manga if your schedule is tight.

As for mechanics, the thing is that this is a free-form RP. I experimented with rudimentary mechanics, but I abandoned most of it, leaving only vaguely defined character tiers, based on manga material, like for example Captain class (Captains of Gotei 13 + others who can be a match for one, regardless of race). For Soul Reapers, tiers are following.

1. Captain Commander tier

2. Senior Captains tier (the fandom term that refers to Kyoraku, Unohana and Ukitake)

3. Captains with mastered Bankai

4. Captains or Vice-Captains who has Bankais, but untrained.

5. Vice-Captains

6. 3rd and 4th seats (starting characters)

The rule is that characters are generally a match for enemies within their tier, have chance to take down single opponent in one tier above if they cooperate successfully and have some strategy to counter their strengths and exploit their weaknesses, and two tiers above or more are enemies that cannot be generally beaten.

I could put all my NP Cs in a Google Docs format so you could look them up, and include all rules and stuff other than characters in a single document, also at Google Docs. I will still answer any questions here.

The sample NPC (The Captain-Commander):

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bzx8Vtodm_aFdHJDMm9QeWU4dGM/edit?usp=sharing

As I looked up others at my HDD, they are mostly finished, but they need some formatting to make pages look neater. I'll upload them successively. I will also compile all my non-character setting stuff in one file for your convenience.

edited 18th Jul '13 11:54:35 AM by CaptainKatsura

Interested. Is this limited to SS or does Mexico/IRL play a part?

Good question. I included SS, Mexico and Living World as possible settings, as well as possibility for Vizard characters even though I haven't yet included any in the setting, but where the campaign will be set will be based on consensus between participants. For example, if majority are interested in playing Arrancars, the focus will be on Hueco Mundo, and you will visit other worlds when invading Soul Society/The Living World.

Interested, but tired right now. I'll be on later to pitch and discuss.

I think I will stay out of worldbuilding seeing how long it's been since I've read any Bleach, but, uh, hmmm...

...Also should not take the fact that there was a Vizard based on Kamen Rider to justify making a Gentaro expy. Then again...

"I'm the guy/girl who's gonna make friends with every Soul Reaper!"

...Maybe. >.> <.<

I know Mashiro is based on Kamen Rider, but my knowledge of the franchise is limited only to that fact. But I know also that Love made reference to Ultraman and Hokuto Shinken. Kubo love his Visoreds being manga savvy

Speaking of world-building, I'll likely go to World-Building thread and ask people for any sources I could learn more about Japanese life in Edo Shogunate era (on which Soul Society seem to be loosely based) and try to fill in some holes in what Kubo hasn't described much, like other Great Noble Houses or Rukongai. I could also scour local library to see if they have any handy books on the topic.

Maaaaaybe interested. Only thing I've been paying attention to for a while is Kenpachi, so, uh... oops?

I think my knowledge goes up until just about the end of the fight with Nnoitra, then it's patchy up until the end of Deicide, which I read for some reason I can't remember, then it's patchy again.

edited 18th Jul '13 3:17:13 PM by RainehDaze

I'm interested. Haven't done any Bleach R Ping in a while. Probably be a shinigami if only because I already have several shinigami I can use.

I'm interested in the RP.

Question: Will shortened description of Captains of Gotei 13 suffice, in order to avoid spoilers?

I think as long as you keep the important information (that is to say, the stuff that would be common knowledge to most characters), then it should be fine if their descriptions are on the shorter side.

OK, I will prepare the shortened version then.

I have dilemma: generally Arrancars are more playable and offer more roleplaying variety than Hollows. All Hueco Mundo characters start out as Adjucas class Hollows, with an option of becoming Arrancar at any point of time. However, I think that Adjucas class Arrancars will have it hard to keep up with Vasto Lorde class Arrancars and other beings of comparable strength. I want to make it so that if players stay Hollows they can become eventually Vasto Lordes as a reward for patience, while those who want to become Arrancars as Adjuchas and hit their limits may exploit loopholes with precedence in the manga such as second stage of Ressurecion or Quincy powers (there have been two Arrancars with Quincy powers in the manga). Is in your opinion such solution good?

Depends on the lifespan of the RP. Delayed power is great if things last that long—otherwise? Not so much.

That's why I included loopholes just in case

Interested. I could help world-building, slightly. I like the idea of Bleach but hate it's story, so I know a good amount of things in it. Stopped paying attention to it in the mid-end of the Save Orihime arc. Though I have friends who watch it and inform me of stuff a little.

Hmmm... Think I'll wait and see what everyone else intends to play, because I can't decide between Reaper, Arrancar and Vizard. ...And apparently there's something called a "Fullbringer" but that must either be anime filler or something introduced after I dropped the manga. Hmmm.

...Yeah, going to wait for now before deciding.

Thinking of going as a Soul Reaper. Trying to figure out how to limit his zanpakuto in a way tha makes sense.

Also, Fullbringers are basically humans who draw the 'soul' out of some object of theirs. Like... Someone could turn you into a doll-sized person and throw you into a doll house if she decided you were cute. Or boots that made you stronger the dirtier you were. They also got these powers by having a parent that was attacked by a Hollow before they were born.

Some of the abilities were kinda strange.

Vizard or Shinigami, here. The former would probably work better unless they have the same sort of weird fashion sense exemption as Kyoraku.

I do like a roleplaying challenge, so hollows kind of appeal to me. Plus they always seemed to be underexplored in the series. I don't mind having an overall lower power level as a result, as I tend to enjoy the challenge that comes from it. Particularly in pure roleplaying games.

Incidentally, what kind of info would you expect from a character? Appearance, abilities, history? How much history would be stepping on the world creating process for you?

edited 19th Jul '13 2:01:45 PM by dungeonguy88

I think your Hollow idea seems good. They're far more interesting than Quincy in my opinion. Speaking of which, will Quincyland exist or are they going to be living in the human world?