Fantasy Campaigns using Grim Tales

[Belegbeth]

Has anyone started running a *fantasy* campaign using *Grim Tales*? If so, how is it going, and how does it compare to, say, a 'standard' DnD campaign? What kind of setting are you using? For those with knowledge of both GT and *Conan*, how do the two systems stack up?

(As a footnote, it occurred to me that despite its 'pulp' feel, Grim Tales might work reasonably well for something like a Middle-Earth campaign. ME is a low-magic setting in which characters sometimes manage to do surprisingly heroic things (e.g. Samwise sticking it to Shelob). Just a thought.)

 

[Turanil]

My own campaign will not begun before September, but at that time this thread would have likely disappeared.

With Grim Tales I above all saw the opportunity to get rid of D&D while still playing it. For me, I could have run Dragonstar, Eberron, Violet Dawn of Avadnu, or anything else, when there is elves, dwarves, gnomes, wizards, monks, or clerics, it's D&D. And after so many years playing D&D I need a break! So I am preparing this Grim Tales campaign with new races, and I will get rid of D&D, despite the setting will be a mundane one (a mixture of Conan and Elric / Corum flair). Now, I still hesitate to allow non-spellcasting classes (barbarian, fighter, noble, rogue, UA expert, unfettered, warmain, totem warrior, etc.) because I fear they will spoil the non-D&D flair I want to get.

For what I know of Conan, its magic system is specific, with spell-points and not using PHB spells, while Grim Tales don't use spell-points and use PHB spells. Then, Conan introduces a few new rules of combat, where Grim Tales remain 3.5 SRD. Finally, the non-spellcasting classes of Conan are not so original, so using a normal SRD barbarian, fighter, noble, or rogue wouldn't feel much different. The main specificity of Conan, is having a Hyboria campaign setting described.

As for using Grim Tales with Middle Earth, i think it's much more appropriate than altering D&D classes, and creating bogus magic systems and restrictions to fit Tolkien's world. I also think that Grim Tales would be perfect for a Lankhmar d20 game.

 

[Matrix Sorcica]

I know it won't happen for a long time because we're in the middle of an epic campaign and I don't see the party dying anytime soon (but then again you never know ), but I think Grim Tales is just screaming to be used for a d20 Warhammer Fantasy campaign!

Low magic, gritty and very very fit for the style of Warhammer (and WH40K too).

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

I think Grim Tales is just screaming to be used for a d20 Warhammer Fantasy campaign!

WHFRP was one of the primary design influences. Perhaps more aptly put, it was one of the primary design impetuses-- I started writing Grim Tales so I could run WHFRP.

 

[omnimpotent]

That's funny. I was running a WFRP campaign with my own version of a fantasy d20 Modern, which worked pretty well. I think the base classes introduced in d20 Modern and improved in Grim Tales really allow you to add your own, non-D&D setting flavor, and the Grim Tales magic system give you similar flexibility and control over that aspect of the game.

Feel the love for WFRP, though. Their second edition will obviously have some interested parties.

 

[scourger]

Would GT do 40K?

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Would GT do 40K?

GT can do anything! It'll even cook you eggs in the morning!

Seriously, though, it would do a fine job replicating races, and character classes are very flexible. The tough part would be generating a list of 40K equipment with d20 stats that is appropriately scaled to be as deadly as it ought to be but still relative to the d20 system. Otherwise you'll be off the charts on some items. (For example, don't try to scale Terminator Armor relative to full plate. Full plate is +8; doesn't mean terminator armor needs to be +15. Make terminator armor +8 and drop plate armor down a few categories-- in essence, squeeze the categories down: Archaic Hide Armor = +1, Archaic Metal Armor = +2, etc.)


Wulf

 

[Galethorn]

Has anyone started running a *fantasy* campaign using *Grim Tales*? If so, how is it going, and how does it compare to, say, a 'standard' DnD campaign? What kind of setting are you using?

First Question: Yes.

Second Question: It's like regular D&D, except the characters are a lot more customizable (big plus among the players), the magic doesn't give me hives, and I don't have to give out a certain amount of treasure to keep the PCs in line with their ECL.

Third Question: A homebrew, 60% Middle-Earth-Inspired, 30% Real-World-Inspired, 10% 'Completely' Unique setting. Magic is its own plane of reality, and all spells are powered by siphoning it in some way. 'Learned' spellcasters use complex combinations of mathmatics, chemistry, and so forth to 'bridge the gap'. Divine spellcasters learned their magic from the gods, originally, and keep the their knowledge going through their religious traditions. Wild spellcasters learn spells randomly, by 'slipping' into the plane of magic. Hence, wild spellcasters, while rare, all are constantly under the effect of Detect Magic.