Final Fantasy RPG 4th Edition

First, let me introduce me. My name is Bruno Carvalho and i've been playing and GM'ing since the nineties (1994, to be exact). I'm from Brazil and a huge fan of the Returner's FFRPG (been playing it since the First Edition - and yes, it was EVEN WORSE than the dreaded second). Upon the death of the Returner's group and SeeD's decision to move to computer-assisted gaming (as they openly recognize FFRPG SeeD is optimized for IRC gaming and not for tabletop), there was a Brazilian game designer called Fernanda Parker who took the third edition and translated it to Portuguese, maintaining it alive here in Brazil... until 2014. That year, she decided to abandon the project to real life issues.

So I decided to keep the steam going, and to do that I'd rather adress some of the glaring problems with Third Edition. And after looking at it for a while, it seemed that the best course of action was to start it anew and create a new game, instead of trying to fix its myriad of problems. So, since January 2015, I've been creating what I (without any modesty, I confess) call the FFRPG Fourth Edition. I've taken inspiration not only from Returner's FFRPG, but also in SeeD, Zodiac, FFd6 and other FFRPG sources available.

And it's done. Let me detail its key features:

a) Compact, rules light gaming
The actual game book have 125 pages total, in comparison to 3rd Edition's over 400. And with most of it being lists for Jobs, spells and equipment, you'll be amazed at how quick and easy you can do character creation and the actual gameplay.

b) Collaborative narrative
In character creation and during play, the players can use the built-in collaborative mechanics to drive the story foward. This way, the GM get inputs before and during play to what story better suits its players - and while the GM still have the final word, the players have the tools to really feel in the driver's seat of the story.

c) Intuitive task resolution
The task resolution mechanics uses a intuitive system, without tables or abitrary difficulty scales. Characters of all levels can contribute to meet the party's goals, without creating the situation where only optimized characters can have a chance of sucess in their area of expertise.

d) Customizable characters
Albeit still working on a class/level structure, the job system presents 17 unique jobs with multiclassing rules that allow over 80 unique job combinations. Also, the job descriptions present several different abilities and spells who can be chosen or not - no more "every swordmaster knows the same skills" from 3rd Edition.

e) Inverted leveling up system
Instead of the traditional "Gain XP -> Level Up -> Improve Stats", you invert the logic, and you "Gain XP -> Improve Stats -> Level Up", akin to systems like L5R (but simpler). In this way, characters of distinct levels can exist even with the same XP, and that leads to better balanced spels and skills that use Character Level (no more Lv.5 Death kiling either no one or your entire party)

f) Fluid combat initiative
Instead of having fixed combat initiative orders, the system uses a phase-based system(akin to the 7th Sea combat mechanics) that allows for another level of tactical combat. Due to the increased complexity of this mechanic, the combat movement is very simplified and the use of tactical maps and miniatures is discouraged.

g) Character-driven advancement system
Instead of just awarding XP for "killing monsters and completing missions", the character advancement system depends on the players character's motives and personality. This allows the players, as a group, to signal to the GM the kind of adventures they want to play. "Killing monsters" and "Completing Missions" are still valid options to earn XP, but it's not mandatory or the sole way.

Anyway, thanks for your patience reading this long post! Hope you all have fun and good games!


DOWNLOAD SECTION (I'll try to keep this updated as I release more books)

FFRPG Complete 4th Edition: Archived
FFRPG Revised 4th Edition Archived
FFRPG 4th Edition Remastered http://bit.ly/FFRPG4ER
Final Fantasy IV Worldbook: FFRPG 4 ed FF IV Worldbook.pdf (1.47MB) - SendSpace.com
Final Fantasy VI Worldbook: FFRPG 4th Edition - Final Fantasy VI Worldbook.pdf
Final Fantasy Tactics Worldbook: FFRPG 4th - Ivalice Worldbook.pdf
Chaos in Cornelia - An Adventure for FFRPG 4e : http://bit.ly/FFRPG4thDLC4bit.ly/FFRPG4eAP1
Character Sheet: FFRPG 4th Character Sheet.pdf

Version History:
2019-12-19:Uploaded the Final Fantasy RPG 4th Edition Remastered book. Final Fantasy RPG Revised 4th Edition book archived.
2018-08-29:Uploaded the Final Fantasy RPG Revised 4th Edition book. Final Fantasy RPG Complete 4th Edition book archived. Also uploaded the starter adventure Chaos in Cornelia.

2016-09-26: Original Post
 
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GMMichael

Guide of Modos
Adventure-mode rules are great. Looks like it would play easy and make for a good FF-style adventure.

Combat rules look like my second-worst nightmare (GURPS being my first). I'm sure they work like a charm, and it was genius to add some streamlining recommendations (not to mention Chocobo and Mog). I couldn't really get a feel for how the GM decides on setting difficulties in combat, and the 8-step (7?) process for determining the damage of an attack seemed pretty intimidating. I bet a spreadsheet would make it super-fast though.

I like my damage simple: roll a die. Maybe add exploding dice or double damage if you're feeling froggy.
 

Adventure-mode rules are great. Looks like it would play easy and make for a good FF-style adventure.

Combat rules look like my second-worst nightmare (GURPS being my first). I'm sure they work like a charm, and it was genius to add some streamlining recommendations (not to mention Chocobo and Mog). I couldn't really get a feel for how the GM decides on setting difficulties in combat, and the 8-step (7?) process for determining the damage of an attack seemed pretty intimidating. I bet a spreadsheet would make it super-fast though.

I like my damage simple: roll a die. Maybe add exploding dice or double damage if you're feeling froggy.

I once heard that "If a game needs a sidebar about math, there is TOO much math in the game". Thats why there are the "Quick Combat variant rules" presented in page 109, which turns everything into the "Adventure-mode" rules. Also, albeit the combat math seems dauting (it IS, after all, a 6-step process to find damage), it is quite simpler in actual play because step 1-3 are done BEFORE you roll (Well, if your damage is 6x Air and your air is level 9, part 1 to 3 simply say that your damage is 45) and step 6 only accounts for critical hits or things like that. Basically the damage calculation is "take your base damage, add 1d10, reduce for enemy's armor (DR), then double for criticals", and that is it (not crunchier than your average Pathfinder, for example). What really complicates this, however, is that (and this is intended) the numbers can go way higher than your normal D&D character (like dealing several hundred damage in each blow).

About the in-combat difficulties, the diffs are written on the actual player abilities, and on the monster sheets. If you're creating a monster, you can quickly see from the actions already listed on the book that dif 40 is the "normal", with dif 0 and dif 70 accounting for "easy" and "hard" combat diffs, in most part.

Thanks for reading it and leaving your comments, and I hope it was a good read. Hope you can someday play it and feel it in action!
 

To those not following the game's subreddit: there is a new Secondary Job in the oven, to be released with the upcoming FFT Worldbook. So, in a Unearthed Arcana, here you got its first version (DISCLAIMER: This Job is not yet playtested. Use at your own risk):
New Secondary Job: Squire
While many believe that a squire is just a knight in training, some Squires never leave this status. Forgoing formal training, they never progress beyond the basic training of another Job, relying on their innate talents and intuition to progress. Be a Squire if you want to control the battlefield using offensive actions instead of reacting. Abilities marked with # requires the Map combat rules.
Basic Skill: Core Ability earned at level 1. Choose another Secondary Job. You earn that job’s first level Core Ability. Regardless of the chosen Job, the Specialties for Basic Skill are:
Throw Stone: Requires Earth and Air 2. You gain the Ranged Quick physical action !Throw Stone. You gather a rock and throw at your opponent, making an Air vs Air, dif 40 attack. If you hit, you deal Crush-elemental damage equal to the level-appropriate Throwing Weapon’s damage.
Equip Axe: Requires character level 1. You may equip Heavy Weapons.
Artful Dodger: Requires Earth and Air level 5. Reduce your !Dodge action’s difficulty to 40.
Dash#: Requires Earth 3. You gain the Melee Quick physical action !Dash. You bodyslam at your target, attacking with your weapon. Do a weapon attack, inflicting normal damage, and pushing your target one square backwards. If you manage to achieve a critical hit, the target is also gains the Immobilize status until after his next action.
Move-Up#: Requires Air 3. Increase your Move by 1.

Accumulate: Core Ability earned at level 19. You gain the Slow(4) Physical action !Focus. Using it, you accumulate strength for your next blows. You gain the Strengthen (Physical) status until the end of the next round. Specialties:
Mana Well: Requires Water level 10. Your !Focus action can be used to give the Strengthen (Magic) status effect instead of Strengthen(Physical).
Counter Tackle: Requires Air 8. Whenever an enemy tries to use the !Escape action against you, increase his difficulty by 20.
Magical Traps#: Requires Fire and Earth 11. You may create magical traps. When using a magical ability or Spell, you may target a square in range and any phase up to the end of the next round. At the start of the chosen phase, the Ability or Spell detonates, inflicting its effects, and using the chosen square as the origin point of the Area of Effect, if applicable. Whenever a character moves into the chosen square before the chosen phase, you may detonate the trap early.

Overwhelm Defenses: Core Ability earned at level 35. Once per phase, when you miss an attack, you may increase the difficulty by 20, to a maximum of 99, to re-roll it.
Awareness: Requires Fire level 16. You gain the Ranged magical action !Awareness. Do an Fire vs Air, dif 0, attack against all enemies. Your acute senses detect traces of enemy presence. All enemies hit lose the Vanish status effect.
Faith and Bravery: Requires Earth and Water level 13. Whenever you’re under the effects a Weaken status effect, gain a Strenghten status effect. Weaken(Armor) gives you Strengthen (Physical). Weaken (Mental) gives you Strengthen (Magical). Weaken (Physical) gives you Strengthen (Armor). Weaken (Magical) gives you Strengthen (Mental).
Ordered Retreat: Requires Air and Water level 13. When you succeed with the !Escape action, all allies can benefit from a successful !Escape action this phase.

Tailwind: Core Ability earned at level 50. You gain the Ranged Quick action !Yell. Use it on an ally. The target gains one extra initiative die with the value equal to the current phase.
Mighty Dodge: Requires Air and Earth level 16. You may use the !Attack action as a free action after you succeed with the !Dodge action.
JP Up: Requires Earth, Air, Fire and Water level 12. Choose an action of any other Secondary Job. You gain that action. This ability can not grant reactions.
 

Visiting to say this project is not dead. So here's the release of another sourcebook, this time the Final Fantasy Tactics Worldbook!

http://bit.ly/FFRPG4thDLC4

It contains:

Ivalice setting, history and geography;
Campaign ideas;
Rules for Freelancer Main Job (job-changing system) and Squire Secondary Job;
Battle Map rules; and
a sample Bestiary.
 

Greetings! In Feb 29th, 2016, I published the Core Rulebook of the game. Now, 2 and a half years later, I present you a Revised version of the book. Main features of this version are:

* Lots of gramar *bugs* corrected;
* Reorganization of the book chapters to make it more easy on new players;
* Inclusion of the Freelancer and Squire Jobs (originally presented in the FFT Worldbook);
* Inclusion of all Errata and lots of new balance changes, including the Druid rework;
* Katanas now presented as a weapon type.

Also, I proudly present you the conversion of the original Omega Fantasy starter adventure, Chaos in Cornelia, to the FFRPG 4th Edition rules! Many thanks to its creator for his help with this adventure and I hope you enjoy it!
 
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GMMichael

Guide of Modos
* Lots of gramar bugs corrected;

Also, I proudly present you the conversion of the original Omega Fantasy starter adventure, Chaos in Cornelia, to the FFRPG 4th Edition rules! Many thanks to its creator for his help with this adventure and I hope you enjoy it!
A little late, 🤓 , but I appreciate fixing grammar bugs. Those drive me nuts.

Also, "Chaos" in the adventure title is a sadistic, horribly evil, pun. Well done!

I just dropped 4th edition on my "coffee table." Thanks!
 

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