Fantasycraft

[Byrons_Ghost]

I know the PDF is out, but I prefer hard copy so I'll be waiting for that. Has anyone bought and/or played this game yet?

 

[Crothian]

I'm not sure it's been out long enough to be played. I might buy a copy tomorrow at Gen Con at the very least I will be looking through it.

 

[kitsune9]

I know the PDF is out, but I prefer hard copy so I'll be waiting for that. Has anyone bought and/or played this game yet?

I think I will pass on the Fantasycraft; however, I don't have a spy game other than Top Secret/S.I. so I want to pick up Spycraft 2.0. I did at one point played 1st ed Spycraft and really enjoyed it.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

I picked up the PDF, and am now waiting for a toner cartridge to arrive in the mail. A hardcover is a planned purchase, but I want to have enough printed out to start converting my homebrew.

The NPC/Critter generation/statblock is very nice, and is scaled - so you can run an adventure at first level or eighth with little conversion. More involved than that of Spycraft 2.0, but very much in the same category.

I ran a game at last year's Gen Con (and managed to fobble the rules a bit in the process I am afraid).

Scenario design is built around scenes, and spellpoints are regenerated on that basis.

Action Dice are both more plentiful and more powerful than Action Points, but the GM gets more of them, too.
Character Generation is similar, but not identical to, Spycraft 2.0 - closer to Modern than to D&D, with a lot of customization being possible.
I am still absorbing both classes and races - some of my instincts are just plain wrong - there are several Large PC races, and I keep thinking that they are overpowered because of Reach and Attacks of Opportunities. Several of the Large species have a standard 5' reach, and Attacks of Opportunity are not part of this game at all. So I am thrown somewhat in my estimations.

Priests aren't all that similar to Clerics - and they not really spellcasters, per se, but have other powers and abilities. I need to chew on them a bit more to really 'get' them.

Magic is a magic point and skill based system - you make a Spellcasting check - Spellcasting + Int modifier. If you succeed then the spell points are spent, and the spell is cast. On a critical you regain those spellpoints immediately.

Starting Mages only know 0 level spells - but they have no spellpoint cost, and can be cast all day long, even by a first level mage - all they have to do is make the check.

Magic item allocation is also very different, and again I will need to do some printing, followed by some rules crunching.

The Auld Grump

 

[SilvercatMoonpaw2]

I'm certainly going to be watching the reviews of this game closely. It sounds like it eliminated most of the tactical aspect I felt bored with in 3.5 and increases interesting options that give flavor.

 

[Krensky]

I'm certainly going to be watching the reviews of this game closely. It sounds like it eliminated most of the tactical aspect I felt bored with in 3.5 and increases interesting options that give flavor.

There's still a good but of tactics to combat, but they're very different then the tactics in 3.0 or 3.5 and nothing at all like 4e. The game still supports grids and minis, but it doesn't leave you feeling you're missing something without them. No attacks of opportunity, for instance.

 

[SilvercatMoonpaw2]

There's still a good but of tactics to combat, but they're very different then the tactics in 3.0 or 3.5 and nothing at all like 4e.

Such as what?

 

[Krensky]

Such as what?

You had to ask for sepcifics.

It's basically the same combat system as SC2.0, just stripped down. I'm looking forward to using it since in my SC2.0 combat often is Dive for cover! Aim. Burst attack. Burst attack. Burst... etc until it's over. Realistic, but repetitive at times.

First, surprise is important, and can be generated with use of the tactics skill. Roll really well and your side gets sneak attack in addition to a surprise round. wily players will try and set ambushes as often as possible.

Mostly though, it comes from the variety of choices you have in combat. You have two half actions, or one full action per round. With a standard action you can:

Make a standard attack or move.
Take aim for a +1 to hit, which lasts until the target moves more then 5 feet a round. Even in melee.
Use Sense Motive to gain a Defense (AC) bonus against one enemy.
Preform a disarm.
Use Bluff to lower an opponent's initiative count for the round.
Use Prestidigitation (Sleight of Hand) to make an opponent flat footed for the round.
Use Sense motive to draw an opponent's attack for the round.
Use intimidate to deal stress damage (um... sort of like insanity in CoC, but that's really over stating it's effects)
Use Resolve to deal subdual damage,
Trip an opponent.

Full actions include bull rushing, grappling, fighting defensively, pummeling an opponent (standard attack check to do triple normal damage in subdual).

Then there are advanced actions which you learn using weapons proficiencies, things like parrying, called shots, cheap shots, doing extra damage to someone who has ignored you standing next to them, etc. Feats also add new choices and abilities in a fight.

Lastly, a number of specialty (think background) and class options alter your abilities as well. The Sage's ability to roll action dice to help others, or the Captain's battle plans.

Also, many of the things that lead to odd game centric tactics in 3.5 (iterative attacks, attacks of opportunity) are gone. Disarming, grappling, and tripping are simple opposed skill checks. Casting is a skill check, so it can be disrupted like any other skill. Priests are not neccessarily heal bots (they may not be able to cast healing spells at all, dependiing on their faith) and CoDzilla is by and large impossible. Not to say you couldn't build a martial divine caster who could hang with a Soldier, but he's not going to be tossing lots of spells around.

I'm may not be describing this all that well, so be sure and look at the the preview before deciding.

What specifically about 3.0 combat bored you?

 

[SilvercatMoonpaw2]

What specifically about 3.0 combat bored you?

Discouraging action and in-play resource-management (as opposed to having to manage your skill points or something).

The first one has already been mostly covered by saying AoOs are gone. I found those to be simple blocks to anyone trying things rather than tactical elements. But you mentioned skills can be disrupted. How is that handled?

For the second I have read all the previews I could find, so I do understand that FantastyCraft has per-adventures and I believe per-scene resources. I suppose if that was all it would be fine, but I'd like to know how much it relies on tracking ammo and the sort of resources like D&D's potions and wand charges.

Thanks for all the answers.

 

[Krensky]

Discouraging action and in-play resource-management (as opposed to having to manage your skill points or something).

The first one has already been mostly covered by saying AoOs are gone. I found those to be simple blocks to anyone trying things rather than tactical elements. But you mentioned skills can be disrupted. How is that handled?

Ok. The AoOs relating to movement are replaced with a simple rule: If you are adjacent (within 5' or one square) of an opponent (not their reach) you may only take a 5' step, Tumble, or a standard move where the first 10' does not leave them adjecent. Also, if you move adjacent to an opponent it ends your move unless they are flat-footed or unable to attack you, although you can tumble past. In play it's easy to remember and has a minimal effect.

As for disrupting skills, whenever the GM decides someone's action is might me distracted by his condition or events around him the character needs to make a Resolve check to continue. If they fail they have to start over, if they critically fail they need to get away from the distraction for a minute.

It's worth noting that, in a lot of ways, FC shares some feel with 1e. In that a number of rules and a few systems are left vague for the GM to adapt to their purposes and style. Known spells, for instance. The game tells you how many spells a Mage starts with, but not how they gain more since it's an issue related to the specific campaign.

For the second I have read all the previews I could find, so I do understand that FantastyCraft has per-adventures and I believe per-scene resources. I suppose if that was all it would be fine, but I'd like to know how much it relies on tracking ammo and the sort of resources like D&D's potions and wand charges.

It also has per session and per combat resources. Tracking it all is pretty easy though since you almost never stretch a scene over multiple sessions, the per adventure ones are the only ones really needing tracking for more then a short while.

The system assumes ammo tracking like pretty much every other game, but if you wanted to you could just ignore ammo tracking, with the GM or players being able to spend a action die to say one character's quiver, bandolier, bolt case, ammo pouch, etc is empty. The game does have potions and scrolls, but they are treated just like any other gear and can be cut out if you want, the system does not assume magic. "Wands" (basically anything that generates a spell effect) work on a per scene or per adventure basis.

Thanks for all the answers.

No problems.

 

[SilvercatMoonpaw2]

Ok. The AoOs relating to movement are replaced with a simple rule: If you are adjacent (within 5' or one square) of an opponent (not their reach) you may only take a 5' step, Tumble, or a standard move where the first 10' does not leave them adjecent. Also, if you move adjacent to an opponent it ends your move unless they are flat-footed or unable to attack you, although you can tumble past. In play it's easy to remember and has a minimal effect.

And certainly less likely to make people afraid to move, period, because they're paranoid about getting attacked. And everyone gets stuck in the narrow stairway behind them. Because that happened to one of my groups once, and it sucked.

It's worth noting that, in a lot of ways, FC shares some feel with 1e. In that a number of rules and a few systems are left vague for the GM to adapt to their purposes and style. Known spells, for instance. The game tells you how many spells a Mage starts with, but not how they gain more since it's an issue related to the specific campaign.

I suppose that's worth a try.

It also has per session and per combat resources.

Ah, I thought I'd noticed "per session" in there somewhere. The thing is I do a lot of PbP, and "per session" would have no meaning. Still that's a separate issue entirely, and not one I couldn't come up with a solution to.

 

[Krensky]

Ah, I thought I'd noticed "per session" in there somewhere. The thing is I do a lot of PbP, and "per session" would have no meaning. Still that's a separate issue entirely, and not one I couldn't come up with a solution to.

Pick an arbitrary length of time, number of scenes or number of posts and call that a session.

 

[jdrakeh]

Pick an arbitrary length of time, number of scenes or number of posts and call that a session.

Yeah, let's face it — most RPGs aren't designed with PbP in mind. 15 turns (posts) per player seems to be my default "session" for PbP games.

 

[SilvercatMoonpaw2]

This thread on RPGnet has a lot of good answers too.

 

[SilvercatMoonpaw2]

I have to say, I like the sound of this enough that I'm going to hold out for the print version even though I want to read it as soon as possible.

 

[Psion]

It's worth noting that, in a lot of ways, FC shares some feel with 1e. In that a number of rules and a few systems are left vague for the GM to adapt to their purposes and style. Known spells, for instance. The game tells you how many spells a Mage starts with, but not how they gain more since it's an issue related to the specific campaign.

1e feel also says "inconsistent and ill-used rules", and there's hopefully few of those, but I get what you are saying.

For me, a nostalgic 1e-bit: the renown titles reminded me a bit of level names from 1e.

 

[Allenchan]

Sorry to hijack the thread, but Ive had a hard time finding enough interest in a Fantasycraft PbP game on my normal stopping grounds. If anyone has an idea or is interested let me know

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Actually, FC does cover when Mages get spells - every time they pick up a rank of Spellcasting they get another spell.

I am busy trying to convert two campaigns to FC - one from Spycraft 2.0 (easy, except for the gear system) and a homebrew (much more involved, since I am converting form D&D 3.X).

Both are using Elements of Magic for the spell casting, so I can't comment too much on FC's magic system. It looks workable, I just like EoM: ME better.

The biggest advantage, by far, is that the adventures are not necessarily tied to level - that they can be scaled on the fly. I can say that the NPC/Monster system is pretty darned awesome. I like being able to pit a second level party against a giant and not have to worry that it will all end in tears. And because of the way NPCs work they scale relative to the PCs - so an NPC that can clean their clocks at first level can still do so at level ten.

For the homebrew in particular it means that I can scale an adventure when the PCs get to it - kind of important since it is a fairly open setting in regards to where they go. This allows me to place some adventures by area, rather than having them travel from job to job, adventure to adventure.

This was something that I also liked in Spycraft 2.0 - when I was planning out my Fallout 3 campaign I was able to allow the PCs to just wander where they willed, tying adventures to the locales ahead of time - so the ghouls in the tunnels beneath Disneyworld did not need to have the PCs dragged from Cape Canaveral in order to confront them. Whenever the PCs get to Disney will be just fine.

It also means that I can create some Adventure McNuggets that I can drop in when needed, without a whole lot of work. I can spend some time to do up some short adventures/encounters that I can just drop in when I am bored/lazy/have no idea what I should do next.

I am even converting an adventure that I have run under several systems, from Runequest 3 to AD&D 2, to Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. (I am not sure it really counts as converting - my original notes are systemless.) A Tree Grows in Aidentaugh. (Tree in the sense of Tyburn Tree....)

I am liking it so far, and should be ready to run the first games in my old homebrew in November. Right now I am enjoying some time as a player in a Spycraft 2.0 campaign.

The Auld Grump, sleep typing, again....

 

[Khaalis]

Hey AuldGrump. I am curious how you are converting Elements of Magic to FC. What system are you using to do the conversion? Alsohave you seen True Sorcery from Green Ronin? If so, how similar is it to EoM?

 

[Walking Dad]

Sorry to hijack the thread, but Ive had a hard time finding enough interest in a Fantasycraft PbP game on my normal stopping grounds. If anyone has an idea or is interested let me know

Just post here (Talking the Talk - EN World D&D / RPG News) and I will be there . But only as a player