This is a concept stub, but anyone with the core 5e books should be able to actually play it without too much improvisation.
-Part 1: base rules-
Intro
Strange occurrences are happening across Europe. Hags and Witches are casting random spells and curses seemingly without agenda; werewolves and vampires are spreading from the near-East all the way to Scandinavia; wild animals are run amok, seemingly losing all fear of humanity; and the twin specters of capitalism and communism threaten to topple the monarchies that the people have depended on for so long.
In the face of these dangers only a cursed noble doomed to live as a half-human half-animal, an intellectual from a nearby village, and a local hunter have the experience with both magical phenomena and village politics to stem this tide that threatens to collapse all of Europe.
Legal Stuff
This game concept is being created using the uses of D&D 5e permitted in the OGL 1.0a and the SRD5.1. This information can only be used/copied/reused/whatever under the provisions laid down in that document.
It is also created using characters present in the copyrighted Disney movie “Beauty and The Beast." These characters are used under Fair Use guidelines (particularly the substantiality and transformative properties) as laid out by United States copyright law.
But, honestly, we’re talking about Disney here so good freaking luck to me, am I right?
Good Guys or Bad Guys?
“Are we the badguys?”
“Maybe we are, I’m not sure. All I know is that we’re defending our way of life.”
-Chip and Gaston
Sometimes, in the Beauty and The Beast Adventures the characters will be asked to do things that the players are not entirely comfortable with, such as taking down fledgling capitalisms and communisms in favour of the already existent monarchy.
The important thing to remember in these instances is that the characters are defending what they believe is right and it’s more important to play the characters as the characters than to try to give them your own personal philosophical and political ideals.
Character Genders
Each character listed has three possible gender categories built in that you can choose from: more feminine, more masculine, and more non-binary.
Each of the character listing includes suggested names for the characters listed as "M" for masculine, "F" for feminine, and "NB" for non-binary. For simplicity, the rules here will use the characters’ “primary names” and genders used in the original media for this story. Namely: Beast "M", Belle "F", and Gaston "M."
Character Relationships
The primary characters are locked in a love triangle with both Beast and Gaston in love with Belle and Belle having an equal affection for the other two. Belle finds that both Beast and Gaston have rough edges and good hearts.
Beast and Gaston are neither antagonistic nor particularly friendly towards eachother, having more of the beginnings of a blossoming dude-bro friendship. Over time, this dynamic could change based on character actions.
Ultimately, Beauty and The Beast is a story of relationships and you can build the relationships that develop naturally over time within your plays of the game.
-Part 2: Main Characters-
The following are the three main characters available to players. The guidelines given make heavy use of D&D 5e classes, so refer to the D&D 5e Player’s Handbook for most of the options and documentation of those classes.
All characters in Beauty and The Beast Adventures are considered Human for the purposes of character stats.
Each character listing includes "Class Modifications" which list ways that the character's class differs from the class as-written in the D&D books.
Not every adventure will require all main characters be present, and some can even be done entirely with supporting characters. The gamemaster should make some effort to explain why the characters present are on whatever adventure is being played.
Beast
M: Beast | F: Hag | NB: Creature
Base Class: Barbarian, Path of the Berserker
Proficient Skills: Intimidation, Perception, Athletics, Arcana
Ability Scores:
Strength: 16
Dexterity: 14
Constitution: 15
Intelligence: 13
Wisdom: 11
Charisma: 9
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Speed: 30 feet
Starting Gold: 2d6 gp
Class Modifications:
- You cannot use shields
- You can perform a melee attack as a Bonus Action using your claws/teeth.
- Your claws/teeth are melee weapons that cause 1d6 piercing damage and you are proficient in them.
- When in Rage, you are considered in “Beast Mode,” when you are not in Rage you are considered in “Melancholy Mode.” All your skill checks have disadvantage in Beast Mode and you move at double your normal speed. All your skill checks have advantage in Melancholy Mode.
- You receive 3d6 gold pieces per day as a result of your noble station
- You cannot die from damage, you will always fall unconscious
- Your Hit Dice are 1d10 per level, your Hit Points at 1st Level are 10 + your Constitution modifier, and you gain 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier Hit Points per level after your 1st.
Beast is a being of duality. While his rages in Beast Mode make him a truly formidable combatant, his intellect and thoughtfulness are easily apparent in his more subdued Meloncholy Mode.
While he has a hard time expressing it, Beast cares deeply for others and will stop at nothing to maintain the status quo that the people have become so accustomed to.
A creature deeply entwined with magic, Beast’s curse both elongates his lifespan and allows him to better sense and recognize magical elements, making him a kind of natural arcanist.
Belle
F: Belle | M: Ben | NB: B
Base Class: Bard, College of Lore
Proficient Skills: History, Arcana, Investigation, Religion, Medicine, Perception, Persuasion
Ability Scores:
Strength: 9
Dexterity: 13
Constitution: 11
Intelligence: 16
Wisdom: 15
Charisma: 14
Alignment: Neutral Good
Speed: 30 feet
Starting Gold: 1d6 gp
Class Modifications:
- You do not get the Jack of All Trades feature at 2nd level
- You receive an Encyclopedia Set and a Healers Kit instead of musical instruments at level 1, with which you are proficient.
- You can take up to 2 of your Encyclopedia Books with you at any time. These can be used as a Spellcasting Focus. Any roll that the DM decides would benefit from the letters of your Encyclopedia Set that you took with you gets advantage.
- Your Healers Kit is used as a Spellcasting Focus for all healing spells and it has 20 uses instead of the usual 10.
- You can only take spells related to healing and interacting with others and knowledge, to be determined by the DM’s discretion. All of your healing spells must be channeled through your Healers Kit and have a range of Touch.
- All of your other spells must be channeled through your Encyclopedia.
- Belle’s spells are not considered magical in nature.
While not magically skilled, Belle is extremely knowledgeable in almost all areas imaginable and is able to utilize a variety of near-magical abilities thanks to her keen mind. Kind, brave, and extremely attractive, Belle has gained the admiration of many though few as much as Gaston and Beast, who equally vie for her attention on a daily basis.
Belle is exceptionally moral and seeks only to right wrongs, which can leave her at odds with Beast’s additional goal of maintaining the existing monarchies and nobilities of Europe.
Belle’s interests in both Beast and Gaston are equal to their own and Belle genuinely cannot decide which she would rather be with, preferring for the moment to divide affections equally between the two.
Gaston
M: Gaston | F: Gastonia | NB: Tone
Base Class: Fighter, Champion
Proficient Skills: Athletics, Stealth, Nature, Animal Handling, Survival, Insight, Deception, Performance
Ability Scores:
Strength: 14
Dexterity: 15
Constitution: 16
Intelligence: 11
Wisdom: 9
Charisma: 13
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Speed: 30 feet
Starting Gold: 1d6 gp
Class Modifications:
- You cannot use a shield
- Firearems are available as ranged weapons for you and you are proficient in their use
- Your Hit Dice are 1d12 per level, your Hit Points at 1st Level are 12 + your Constitution modifier, and you gain 1d12 (or 7) + your Constitution modifier Hit Points per level after your 1st.
While ultimately a good person at heart, Gaston cares little for social conventions or society’s regulations, though he is not above using them to his advantage when the situation allows for it. As a result he will often come off as immoral or even evil to those that don’t know him well. Thankfully, Gaston’s natural magnetism and physical attraction will often pave over this sensation and most people like him regardless of his actions.
A natural hunter and avid naturalist, Gaston’s interest in saving anything largely revolves around to what extent it serves his two primary goals: his own prestige and his love interest in Belle.
While not entirely antagonistic towards Beast, Gaston has an ongoing rivalry with Beast for Belle’s affection. Though, their recent experiences together have caused Gaston and Beast to develop a burgeoning friendship.
-Part 3: Supporting Characters-
Additional supporting characters can be created using the following guidelines:
- Everyone is human
- Everyone that has been transformed into a household object starts with Arcana as a proficient skill, walks at 20 feet, can dash as a Bonus Action, is considered Tiny, and any spells provided by their class are reduced to only those that would match their physical design.
- Everyone that hasn’t been transformed into a household object uses the Villager class detailed below.
Villager
Ability Scores: +1 to each, roll for all ability scores
Alignment: Lawful Good or Lawful Neutral
Speed: 30 feet
Starting Gold: 1d4 gp
Hit Dice: 1d8 per level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per level after 1st
Armor: light armor, hide armor, shields
Weapons: one weapon of your choice
Tools: one tool of your choice
Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Skills: Choose 3 skills, use your proficient skills to determine what your profession is
Starting Equipment:
- One piece of light armor of your choice
- One tool of your choice
- One explorer’s pack
Class Features
Are you crazy?! I can’t afford a sword!
you are proficient in all improvised weapons
Large Families
when you die, there is always a relative very similar to you waiting to take your place on the party
Loyal
at creation, choose one of the three Main Characters to be a lackey of. That character does not need to be present on the adventure, but your loyalty will always be first and foremost to them.
It’s not an easy life, but being on the bottom rung of society has made you strong and hardy, being one of the many people who need to work to keep society afloat has made you skilled, and your loyalty has made you trusted.