Question regarding a game based on anime, beware...

[Rob_Knotts]

1189927078[/unixtime]]

And for the record, I'm currently watching the end of the Stupidest Highlander Movie Yet, which is something I didn't believe possible.

the sci fi original one? how is it bad, specifically? are they aliens again?

Yeah, it's the new Adrian Paul movie for Sci-Fi: Harlequin Romance: The Source

[Leress]

I watched that movie...*sighs* it just fills me with sadness

[Prak]

have they yet figured out that Highlander movies just don't work?

[Voss]

1189927078[/unixtime]]

let me put it this way... I know the problems with the system. I know that with enough dots you can turn a vamp's lair into the sun to really screw with him. I know that a lot of people here think that ST sucks, and, in fact, D20 too... along with pretty much every system out there that wasn't made here by frank. I got it, a lot of you worship frank with the fervor of fundamentalist christians.

Feel free to generalize about someone else. He's got some interesting ideas, but I personally wouldn't want to use the Tome stuff. Cranking everything up to 11 isn't a solution I like.

I don't want to hear stuff I already know about a system I rather like for silly little reasons like fond memories of weekly games that, while often frustrating, provided a lot of fun. I want to know if there are any things in the mage system(or by extent, the possessed system, though I've a good handle on that) that will make it so that it doesn't replicate FMA. ok? that's all.

Ah. You don't want to hear anything you disagree with. On a internet message board. Have fun with that. And yeah, there's probably a lot, depending on how you want to interpret FMA. Teleportation and Time magic is probably out.

meh, is it really any worse than D&D?

Yes. Yes it is. It lacks a lot of the attack (and damage) bonuses that come from things that aren't BAB or Stats, but has class defense bonuses, stats and feats that replace the defensive bonuses from D&D. Plus throws in a lot of special abilities that heal or DR or whatever. So yeah. A lot worse.

I was looking at it last night, and thought it might be fun to take the system and shove it into a home brew setting. But then again, I liked Rifts, actually partially because of MDC...

I can't help you with that. Though, a home brew would work better than the random crap Monte came up with for this one.

the sci fi original one? how is it bad, specifically? are they aliens again?

Yes.
How bad? Take the worst Lorenzo Lamas scif-fi original movie... and make it worse. Somehow civilization has collapsed (I missed the first 15 minutes), there are cannibals (lots of cannibals), a previous generation of immortals lurking about, and it 'was never about death, but about life'. Or something. It comes across as Waterworld meets the third Crow Sequel meets Jesus and Pals. Apparently head-taking was wrong. Who knew?

Not aliens, but they randomly got their immortality from some sort of astronomical conjunction of planets, which, for some reason, makes Saturn (and other planets) visible to the naked eye and roughly the size of the moon. But getting to close to the one spot the astronomical conjunction focuses on (somehow it isn't visible from the rest of the world, or at least, hemisphere) takes away their immortality. Or something.

[Prak]

1190001974[/unixtime]]

1189927078[/unixtime]]

let me put it this way... I know the problems with the system. I know that with enough dots you can turn a vamp's lair into the sun to really screw with him. I know that a lot of people here think that ST sucks, and, in fact, D20 too... along with pretty much every system out there that wasn't made here by frank. I got it, a lot of you worship frank with the fervor of fundamentalist christians.

Feel free to generalize about someone else. He's got some interesting ideas, but I personally wouldn't want to use the Tome stuff. Cranking everything up to 11 isn't a solution I like.

I said "a lot of you" while speaking to the entire board, or at least everyone who was here kvetching about the Mage system. and especially to people who think published systems are crap and anything Frank makes is the fucking second coming...

I don't want to hear stuff I already know about a system I rather like for silly little reasons like fond memories of weekly games that, while often frustrating, provided a lot of fun. I want to know if there are any things in the mage system(or by extent, the possessed system, though I've a good handle on that) that will make it so that it doesn't replicate FMA. ok? that's all.

Ah. You don't want to hear anything you disagree with. On a internet message board. Have fun with that.

that's not what I said...

And yeah, there's probably a lot, depending on how you want to interpret FMA. Teleportation and Time magic is probably out.

ok, this is what I'm looking for. However, there's no real need to leave Correspondance, Life, Mind, Spirit and Time, is there? Is there anything beyond just the spheres that makes Mage ill-suited for an FMA game?

meh, is it really any worse than D&D?

Yes. Yes it is. It lacks a lot of the attack (and damage) bonuses that come from things that aren't BAB or Stats, but has class defense bonuses, stats and feats that replace the defensive bonuses from D&D. Plus throws in a lot of special abilities that heal or DR or whatever. So yeah. A lot worse.

so how about just tossing in a lot of attack boosting stuff?

I was looking at it last night, and thought it might be fun to take the system and shove it into a home brew setting. But then again, I liked Rifts, actually partially because of MDC...

I can't help you with that. Though, a home brew would work better than the random crap Monte came up with for this one.

yeah, my real problem with the book is that while it may be a A world of darkness, it's not The World of Darkness.

the sci fi original one? how is it bad, specifically? are they aliens again?

Yes.
How bad? Take the worst Lorenzo Lamas scif-fi original movie... and make it worse. Somehow civilization has collapsed (I missed the first 15 minutes), there are cannibals (lots of cannibals), a previous generation of immortals lurking about, and it 'was never about death, but about life'. Or something. It comes across as Waterworld meets the third Crow Sequel meets Jesus and Pals. Apparently head-taking was wrong. Who knew?

Not aliens, but they randomly got their immortality from some sort of astronomical conjunction of planets, which, for some reason, makes Saturn (and other planets) visible to the naked eye and roughly the size of the moon. But getting to close to the one spot the astronomical conjunction focuses on (somehow it isn't visible from the rest of the world, or at least, hemisphere) takes away their immortality. Or something.

[/quote]
*sigh* why can't they just, I don't know, make a movie that is effectively the same thing as the series? I mean hell,(warning, I have not seen the entire series) they could even take the major characters from the series and put them into a modern setting because they're immortal.

[angelfromanotherpin]

Mage is actually really bad for FM Alchemy, which is really two entirely separate systems. Keep in mind I'm working from the anime and not the manga.

First you have 'normal' alchemy, which is what characters use all the time. These are effectively superpowers. Most alchemists, like Mustang, Armstrong, Kimbly, and even Scar, have basically one trick each, even if they sometimes do tricky things with them (in this regard, they are very similar to the Homunculi, who have one trick each + immortality). While in theory they can do all the reshaping stuff that Al does, they almost never actually do, even when it would be to their clear advantage.

Al, Ed, and Izumi (who are special) have more versatility, but even they seem to rely on a few specific tricks most of the time.

So the best way to represent the setting as it is presented would be to have characters with 1 or more alchemical schticks, and then maybe some 'stunt points,' which could be spent to do things which stretch the definition of the schtick. In a WW method, you could have dots in 'Alchemy,' each dot granting both a schtick and a stunt point.

Then you have 'human' alchemy, which is an entirely different system.

[Captain_Bleach]

1190039212[/unixtime]]

1190001974[/unixtime]]

1189927078[/unixtime]]

let me put it this way... I know the problems with the system. I know that with enough dots you can turn a vamp's lair into the sun to really screw with him. I know that a lot of people here think that ST sucks, and, in fact, D20 too... along with pretty much every system out there that wasn't made here by frank. I got it, a lot of you worship frank with the fervor of fundamentalist christians.

Feel free to generalize about someone else. He's got some interesting ideas, but I personally wouldn't want to use the Tome stuff. Cranking everything up to 11 isn't a solution I like.

I said "a lot of you" while speaking to the entire board, or at least everyone who was here kvetching about the Mage system. and especially to people who think published systems are crap and anything Frank makes is the fucking second coming...

I don't want to hear stuff I already know about a system I rather like for silly little reasons like fond memories of weekly games that, while often frustrating, provided a lot of fun. I want to know if there are any things in the mage system(or by extent, the possessed system, though I've a good handle on that) that will make it so that it doesn't replicate FMA. ok? that's all.

Ah. You don't want to hear anything you disagree with. On a internet message board. Have fun with that.

that's not what I said...

And yeah, there's probably a lot, depending on how you want to interpret FMA. Teleportation and Time magic is probably out.

ok, this is what I'm looking for. However, there's no real need to leave Correspondance, Life, Mind, Spirit and Time, is there? Is there anything beyond just the spheres that makes Mage ill-suited for an FMA game?

meh, is it really any worse than D&D?

Yes. Yes it is. It lacks a lot of the attack (and damage) bonuses that come from things that aren't BAB or Stats, but has class defense bonuses, stats and feats that replace the defensive bonuses from D&D. Plus throws in a lot of special abilities that heal or DR or whatever. So yeah. A lot worse.

so how about just tossing in a lot of attack boosting stuff?

I was looking at it last night, and thought it might be fun to take the system and shove it into a home brew setting. But then again, I liked Rifts, actually partially because of MDC...

I can't help you with that. Though, a home brew would work better than the random crap Monte came up with for this one.

yeah, my real problem with the book is that while it may be a A world of darkness, it's not The World of Darkness.

the sci fi original one? how is it bad, specifically? are they aliens again?

Yes.
How bad? Take the worst Lorenzo Lamas scif-fi original movie... and make it worse. Somehow civilization has collapsed (I missed the first 15 minutes), there are cannibals (lots of cannibals), a previous generation of immortals lurking about, and it 'was never about death, but about life'. Or something. It comes across as Waterworld meets the third Crow Sequel meets Jesus and Pals. Apparently head-taking was wrong. Who knew?

Not aliens, but they randomly got their immortality from some sort of astronomical conjunction of planets, which, for some reason, makes Saturn (and other planets) visible to the naked eye and roughly the size of the moon. But getting to close to the one spot the astronomical conjunction focuses on (somehow it isn't visible from the rest of the world, or at least, hemisphere) takes away their immortality. Or something.

*sigh* why can't they just, I don't know, make a movie that is effectively the same thing as the series? I mean hell,(warning, I have not seen the entire series) they could even take the major characters from the series and put them into a modern setting because they're immortal. [/quote]

I agree with a large portion of what you said, Prak, although I do not feel like being specific, due to laziness.

[angelfromanotherpin]

Okay, human alchemy...

Unlike normal (or 'superpower') alchemy, human alchemy is more like a skill. It gives access to a short list of effects that anyone can try (create homunculus, attach soul, etc). It is risky, and most people have fundamental misunderstandings about it, even the people who use it. Also unlike normal alchemy, human alchemy involves rolling the Alchemy trait, and at a penalty of at least -2 dice.

If the roll fails, the effect is still successful, but the character suffers a maiming of some sort.

Performing human alchemy is a required step for reaching a certain level of the Alchemy trait, specifically the level reached by Al, Ed, and Izumi. So, say that the Alchemy trait is a WW 1-5 trait. Most State Alchemists have 1, Scar has 2, Izumi and the Bros. Elric have 3. Say that Dante has the full 5, so even with the -2 penalty she has an excellent chance of succeeding.

To get from Alchemy 2 to Alchemy 3, you must try a human alchemy, but with only 2 dice the roll automatically fails. This inflicts a number of disadvantages, usually including a maiming, and a homunculus enemy (although the results of a soul attachment or forming a stone could be different). Details of the event and the disadvantages gained can be deeply character-shaping, so the player should always have input into what happens.

It seems likely that there might be similar initiations and restrictions required for higher levels of Alchemy. Note that Dante needs the philosopher's stone to perform a soul attachment, while it only cost Ed a limb.

[Voss]

Prak, you'd have a hard time doing Mage: FMA without the Life sphere. its kinda the premise of the entire storyline.

[CalibronXXX]

I think angel's more or less got it. As soon as I stop being sleep deprived I'll start working on some specific rules for his premise. I encourage interested parties to do like-wise.

[JonSetanta]

Prak has a point tho about this whole board being pretty much cranky on everything but Frank's stuff, but what would one expect with this being "Frank's Residence".
It's like living as a ronin under the roof of a feudal lord, you don't outright gripe openly about the one that gives you tea ceremonies.

But still, I see as much optimism here about games as pessimism, you just have to notice both sides.

[CalibronXXX]

Psh. A lot more people complained about SAME being "incomplete" or flavorless than those who hale it as genius. The simple fact is that it is a well balanced skeleton that you can use to build a well balanced game no more and no less; well I suppose you could run it as is while only adding flavor, but it would probably feel bland.

People here have only told the truth about published systems, you'll note that there are very few complaints about Shadow Run, the ones that pop up generally only being fringe cases like bloodzilla or stupidity in mechanical limbs, and the only major complaints I've seen against GURPS and Champion are that they're way too complicated. Games like Rifts and World of Darkness are just so inherently broken in the basic mechanics that they are practically unplayable. Systems like BESM and D&D aren't broken right down to the core like the previous category, but, as they say, the devil is in the details, there is so much stupidity jammed in their that to have a decently balanced system you'd have to re-write them from the ground up; and at that point it's just better to use something that's more inherently balanced and flexible like SAME, or easier to go play Shadow Run and do a little pruning and re-flavoring.

I was going to do another paragraph about there being a difference between people respecting Frank's intellect and expertise and toadying up to him, and you sounding increasingly immature, but I'm too tired.

[Leress]

@Prak
I've heard more bashing of 3rd party d20 publishers from WOTC than this board. I don't hale Frank and K's stuff as the second coming, I do with it what I do with any d20 material, take what I like and leave the rest.

I don't know Mage:Ascension rules that well (have the book, but haven't read them). I know a lot about the FMA series. (like how in the US verision you can see a page from a d20 alchemy book in one shot)

Many of the questions I had with Frank and K's melee class have already been asked by others on this board and on WOTC.

I may say that BESM is broken (more like very breakable), but it is more like pulling a pun-pun than anything. I will still play BESM (the d20 version does suck though) and make adjustments there (just got 3rd Ed and am reading through it) I also play games that others haven't seem to have heard of (Slayers d20 and EABAnywhere) with each new idea I am able to expand my knowledge of gaming balance, get new ideas and use those to improve my own games and make fun for all.

There are many on the WOTC boards who have made FMA classes and campaign setting you may want to look at those and maybe they will help in getting what you want out of a FMA campaign instead of re-inventing the wheel.

[cthulhu]

1190060728[/unixtime]]Prak has a point tho about this whole board being pretty much cranky on everything but Frank's stuff, but what would one expect with this being "Frank's Residence".
It's like living as a ronin under the roof of a feudal lord, you don't outright gripe openly about the one that gives you tea ceremonies.

But still, I see as much optimism here about games as pessimism, you just have to notice both sides.

The opinion that shapes the board the most is FBMF's. His light moderation touch combined with the aggressive style of debate gives a very vitriol fueled feel to the discussion.

and thats what colours the board the most to my mind.

So you'll get vitriol about everything

[JonSetanta]

Yep fbmf sure is a skilled mod. He has the principles of the AD&D Druid down good, retaining neutrality and balance without becoming schizophrenic. Or rather, he just doesn't take sides in any debate; he ends them.

I mentioned Frank because he seems to be the reason visitors, like myself, do more than just peruse a forum and leave.
I came for the Tome series, linked from WOTC forum, and found much more.


Edit: Oh and Prak? Your sig is starting to confuse me, with all the multiquotes n shit. I don't stop reading your post, and mistake your sig for part of the conversation, thinking "wait that line looks familiar- oh."

[cthulhu]

You can be a skilled mod with a more inventionalist approach The difference here is fbmf gives things lots of play and the community here is Angry (TM)

[JonSetanta]

Not anywhere near the dynamic between Flyff players and their mods. (English-speaking branch-company, which is ironically "everyone but the Japanese, Koreans, or Phillipines)

It goes like this:

Mods get random, fuckup changes from the parent company in Korea.
Players complain.
Mods silence players on forums, lie, and cover up any objections.
Players start to quit.
Producers panic, beg Korean company for better updates to fix game imbalances/stupid bugs.
In a month or two, the fix comes, and players return with more money to buy in-game items.
Mods lie that there ever was a problem.
Repeat the process.

[Bigode]

'twas about time for someone to remember (and be glad with) how much of this board's quality's due to fbmf! Also, there's less people here that "worship" Frank than you'd think; the fact's rather simply that Frank's (likely K and/or Josh tie, but thet haven't been active of late and I didn't read that many past threads) the best designer here - that should be recognized, and, considering any game has flaws and Frank spent lots of time to fix D&D's, the Tomes are a better ruleset as-is than D&D as a whole, so saying that is nothing if not expected and needed. That doesn't mean there aren't people who disagree with him and carry out with their business (Calibron working on incarnum* springs to mind); you'd expect us (as I'm of course one of those) to start threads named "Frank's wrong on [random issue]"? Especially as many of those involve matters of personal taste to one or other extent, that'd be rather pointless, you know?

I'd apologize if this off-topic-ness didn't involve the thread starter himself, but since it does, I'll just say I can't help due to not having watched FMA. Good work to those who are set out to do so (and I hope the double meaning isn't lost, so to say).

*: Calibron, are you still working on it, or ceased due to 4E (I suppose not, just confirming)?

[Prak]

1190048261[/unixtime]]Okay, human alchemy...

Unlike normal (or 'superpower') alchemy, human alchemy is more like a skill. It gives access to a short list of effects that anyone can try (create homunculus, attach soul, etc). It is risky, and most people have fundamental misunderstandings about it, even the people who use it. Also unlike normal alchemy, human alchemy involves rolling the Alchemy trait, and at a penalty of at least -2 dice.

If the roll fails, the effect is still successful, but the character suffers a maiming of some sort.

Performing human alchemy is a required step for reaching a certain level of the Alchemy trait, specifically the level reached by Al, Ed, and Izumi. So, say that the Alchemy trait is a WW 1-5 trait. Most State Alchemists have 1, Scar has 2, Izumi and the Bros. Elric have 3. Say that Dante has the full 5, so even with the -2 penalty she has an excellent chance of succeeding.

To get from Alchemy 2 to Alchemy 3, you must try a human alchemy, but with only 2 dice the roll automatically fails. This inflicts a number of disadvantages, usually including a maiming, and a homunculus enemy (although the results of a soul attachment or forming a stone could be different). Details of the event and the disadvantages gained can be deeply character-shaping, so the player should always have input into what happens.

It seems likely that there might be similar initiations and restrictions required for higher levels of Alchemy. Note that Dante needs the philosopher's stone to perform a soul attachment, while it only cost Ed a limb.

okay, well, I posited this idea to my girlfriend, who is really discouraging the idea of human alchemy, basically saying an attempt would always be autofail, but she's thinking about this.

Prak, you'd have a hard time doing Mage: FMA without the Life sphere. its kinda the premise of the entire storyline.

she'd do her own storyline, ostensibly one that isn't a search for the ability to perform human alchemy, kinda like how the best way to do a LotR game is to focus on other things happening at the same time as the books, rather than try to settle the arguement of who gets to be legolas.

Prak has a point tho about this whole board being pretty much cranky on everything but Frank's stuff, but what would one expect with this being "Frank's Residence".
It's like living as a ronin under the roof of a feudal lord, you don't outright gripe openly about the one that gives you tea ceremonies.

But still, I see as much optimism here about games as pessimism, you just have to notice both sides.

at least I'm not the only one who sees it... though I wasn't aware this was exactly frank's residence...

I was going to do another paragraph about there being a difference between people respecting Frank's intellect and expertise and toadying up to him, and you sounding increasingly immature, but I'm too tired.

look, I respect Frank's intellect and expertise, but I asked a specific question, and even asked for suggestions about using different systems be avoided, the fact that I cling to ST may be a bit immature, but I've had a lot of fun with it, and I really felt that Mage was a good system for FMA. I've let my temper get away from me a few times, but I wanted an answer to a specific question, and belittling a system I like just got my goat, ok? I'm 20, with little in the way of well adjusted social interaction experience, having always been a loser, so please, forgive any immaturity when I get a bit pissed...

Edit: Oh and Prak? Your sig is starting to confuse me, with all the multiquotes n shit. I don't stop reading your post, and mistake your sig for part of the conversation, thinking "wait that line looks familiar- oh."

heh, sorry 'bout that...

[angelfromanotherpin]

okay, well, I posited this idea to my girlfriend, who is really discouraging the idea of human alchemy, basically saying an attempt would always be autofail, but she's thinking about this.

The real problem is Dante, who uses human alchemy quite a bit, both on and off-screen, with only a rather subtle price. She has a couple of homunculi manufactured to-order, she's bodyhopped multiple times, and she whips out the babygate a couple of times. So that sort of thing has to be possible, even if it's really difficult to achieve, if you want a real simulation.

Your girlfriend's right to steer clear of human alchemy. It's horrible, it's risky, and it's forbidden; but the temptation of human alchemy needs to be there, like a nuclear bomb. Even if you never use it, it will always be there, with its great power and great cost. Superpower alchemy is just a tool so you can look special and have cool set-piece battles. Human alchemy actually gets into your protagonism – what do you really want, and what will you give up to get it?

That's why I usually recommend the Sorcerer system for FMA, but Prak already said he was happy with WW.

[Voss]

"Whips out the babygate". Now thats a classy bitch.

Also, too, lots of other people are screwing around with human alchemy all through the series, and even if its not all strictly human crap, there's still 'Chimeras' aplenty. So setting-wise, its odd to rule it out. It doesn't mean you *have* to make your daughter into a dog, but its nice to have the option.

[JonSetanta]

In an FMA setting I'd probably just play a Warrior-type.

[CalibronXXX]

1190082979[/unixtime]]Calibron, are you still working on it, or ceased due to 4E (I suppose not, just confirming)?

I'm basically done, it just needs to be play tested and flavored. I'll post what I've got later, I'm in class right now.

Speaking of being in class, I'll work on WoD compatible rules for angel's premise today if I have time between homework, friends, and exercise.

[Iaimeki]

If I had more time/interest at the moment, I could probably do a fuller adaptation, but as it is, I don't, so I'm going to talk in general about adapting the anime to WoD. I'm going to focus on the anime because I don't know the manga half so well, and there a lot of subtle differences between them that make the mechanics different in the two cases. Also, the rest of this post is filled with FMA spoilers, so don't read it if you care about that.

First: the fundamental limitation on alchemists in FMA is the need for a transmutation circle. Essentially, to do most things an alchemist requires a ritual: draw the circle, including whatever appropriate symbolic differences there are for what they want to do; gather the components, if needed; then perform the transmutation. In combat, most alchemists prepare a particular trick that will allow them to use alchemy, by wearing a prewritten transmutation circle and carrying the components with them: examples include Mustang's gloves inscribed with transmutation circles, and Armstrong's similarly inscribed gauntlets and carried stone/metal blocks. Of course, none of this applies to four characters: Hohenheim, Dante, Ed, and Izumi. Because they don't need circles, they can do more or less any transmutation they want in combat time, which should, and apparently does in some cases, make them ridiculously more powerful. (I think the assumption in the series is that Ed's small stature and lack of combat experience hampers him in the early fights of the series, and he does get more successful later on.)

In WoD terms, what's going on here? For most alchemists, I think the system that best simulates their abilities is a variant on Thaumaturgy or the Sorcerer Revised system: each alchemist's particular trick should be a Path, and the rest of the transmutations rituals. In the series, you rarely see Mustang, Armstrong, and the others performing varied transmutations even with transmutation circles, but that might just be because other transmutations are less interesting from a dramatic standpoint. For the alchemists who can perform transmutations without circles, though, their abilities are more akin to Mages in WoD, since they have the spontaneity that sorcerers and vampire thaumaturges lack. So, depending on how you want to do things, I see three basic possibilities:

1) Normal alchemists use Paths and Rituals, while Ed et al. get Sphere access. This means that except for the special characters, alchemy is a pretty circumscribed business, depending how, exactly, you run Ritual acquisition.

2) Normal alchemists use Paths for "spontaneous" casting, but get Sphere access when using Rituals only; Ed et al. get Sphere access all the time, of course. This requires more work, is more faithful to the between-the-lines version of the anime, and less faithful to what we actually see, for the most part.

3) Everyone uses Spheres, but there are lots of limitations for alchemists who haven't seen the Gate, including gigantic fast-casting penalties (along with tightening of the rules for Rotes), increased actions required to cast, or more.

So, those are the basic mechanics. Now, let's look more closely at the content of the abilities.

First, it's important to realize that human alchemy is not well-defined in the series. To illustrate this, consider the following examples:

• 
  
• Bringing back the dead: Most of the time someone attempts this, they get a homunculus and some maiming for their trouble, but not always. When Scar's brother fails at it, though, he doesn't suffer any obvious injuries, and the end of the series is quite ambiguous on what happens when Al attempts to revive Ed, then whatever Ed does to bring Al back into the world.
  
• Turning humans into bombs: This is alchemy on human bodies, but Kimblee never suffers any ill-effects from it.
  
• Turning humans into chimerae: Tucker does this with his daughter and is still intact afterward.
  
• Taking humans out of chimerae: Tucker claims that undoing the human-to-chimera transformation is forbidden human alchemy. This doesn't make much sense at all, and makes even less sense when he shows up with a mostly-human body of his daughter later in the series.
• Destroying human flesh: Scar does this all the time, though maybe he's not subject to the normal rules since his arm is an incomplete philosopher's stone.
  
• Sending people to the Gate via infant: Dante does this several times without (apparently) using her philosopher's stone or suffering other ill-effects.
  
• Soul transfers: Majhal succeeds on performing some sort of soul transfer on the village girls, without getting maimed.
  
• Curing diseases: Marcoh and Lujon do this on several occasions using an incomplete philosopher's stone without incurring the penalty for "human alchemy."
  

While a story can get away with this kind of sloppiness, a game can't: the players both need to know the rules and get to test the rules. You need to decide what exactly constitutes human alchemy. If you opt for a more restrictive interpretation, then some of the things done in the series won't be possible: Kimblee wouldn't be able to transmute humans into explosives, for instance. If you choose a more permissive stance, then people will be able to do other things, too, such as heal with alchemy. If it were me, I'd be inclined to make "human alchemy," be alchemy on human souls, rather than bodies, but that's just what makes most sense to me.

From a mechanics perspective, alchemists mostly use the Spheres of Forces and Matter, with some Life (to, e.g., cure disease, create chimeras, and a few other such things) and Entropy (Scar's breaking-down transmutations) without the luck-control aspects. The big events of the series center around the use of the Spirit Sphere, and one could argue that the Mind Sphere also plays a role in those soul transmutations. Correspondence, Prime, and Time don't play much, if any, role. As for the other alchemist abilities, they're usually unique to the character: there's no Path of Turning People into Bombs in White Wolf material, so chances are you'd have to invent appropriate paths for your PCs anyways. Rituals can be a little more standardized, but Rituals see so little use in the series you'd have to more or less make up that part of the game yourself.

[JonSetanta]

Maybe there's an inherent battery system of internal resistence concerning 'alchemy'?
While the caster can't perform 'rule breaking' acts all the time, or resist the 'maiming' or whatever that is (since I don't know), they might be accumulating something as simple in game terms as a single "resistence point" every day similar to WoD Willpower dots, reaching a maximum pool, and then expending them to resist the backlash.

The more powerful a caster is in FMA setting, the more they can spend point to resist, but it's not a 1/day thing.... more like a long-term, slowly restoring psionics PP.
The alchemic exchange principles would still be in effect but the resisting would be little doses of cheating that take days to build up.
I can't predict the 'breaking' this would cause if any but I expect similar problems as with 1/day abilities but over a longer time frame.

This idea has no basis on the show (which I've seen little of) or anything similar, just an old D&D spellcasting concept I scrapped years ago that might be applicable here.