The upcoming Dark Souls: The Roleplaying Game will be compatible with the 5e rules for Dungeons & Dragons. The book will contain a number of mechanics and monsters that have been adapted from the Dark Souls video games, making it the perfect source for DMs who are looking to crib material for their own homebrew D&D campaigns.
The Dark Souls series took inspiration from a number of sources, including fantasy novels, video games, and real-life places/events in history. One of the biggest inspirations for Dark Souls was the manga Berserk, with its dark fantasy world and brutal combat, as well some of its character designs, with Artorias' armor taking clear inspiration from the Berserker armor. It's clear that the developers in FromSoftware also used elements from Dungeons & Dragons in their games. The fact that there are Mind Flayers guarding the Tower of Latria in Demon's Souls should be proof of that.
The Dark Souls series will soon receive its own official tabletop RPG adaptation, as pre-orders for Dark Souls: The Roleplaying Game will open in February. The developers have confirmed that the game will be compatible with 5e D&D rules, suggesting it's an Open Gaming License product. Those who aren't interested in running a game set in the land of Lothric can still find content to use in Dark Souls: The Roleplaying Game, as its compatibility with D&D will make it a resource for homebrew games.
DMs Can Unleash The Likes Of The Lord Souls On Their Party
Dark Souls: The Roleplaying Game will introduce new character classes and a unique magic system, which already makes it a useful resource for homebrew games. The people who become invested in D&D will quickly seek out tier lists for classes, in order to find the most overpowered subclasses in the game. Throwing a brand new system that is still compatible with the D&D 5e rules is a great way to freshen up the game for veterans, as they are entering unknown territory for the first time, and can't "rules-lawyer" their way out of situations.
The most interesting aspect of a Dark Souls tabletop RPG for homebrew content is its bestiary. The book will feature official stats for many of the iconic monsters in the original Dark Souls, which can then be repurposed for D&D games. The Dark Souls series has some of the most iconic bosses in video game history, including Great Grey Wolf Sif, Dragon Slayer Ornstein, Executioner Smough, Bed of Chaos, Gravelord Nito, the Four Kings, and Seath the Scaleless. The sight of the Asylum Demon alone will be enough to send most D&D parties running for cover. The addition of the Dark Souls bestiary will be enough to spice up any D&D game, especially ones in dark fantasy settings, even if that setting isn't Lothric.
Dark Souls: The Roleplaying Game will be available for pre-order on February 2022.
Source: Steamforged Games