Let's Talk About Fabula Ultima

[Reynard]

NOTE: I did a search and did not see a recent thread on this game. If there is one, please link it.

Fabula Ultima (FU*) is included in the current big Humble Bundle, and while I had slept on it because JRPG, I decided to give it a look since folks seem to really like it. I was immediately impressed and intrigued. it gives me very similar vibes as Daggerheart: that is, a trad game with a lot of narrative elements carefully woven in to create a hybrid experience. I have only scanned it so far, of course, so i do not know if that holds up under scrutiny.

Have you played or ran FU? How do you find it in play? Is the JRPGness of it baked in beyond aesthetics and intended playstyle? If so, how, and what does that mean at the table?

*::snicker::

 

[BrokenTwin]

I haven't played it yet, but I was VERY tempted by the recent kickstarter to pick up physical copies (I own most of the PDFs). It looks like a lot of fun, and does a lot of things that interest me, and seems to replicate the old JRPG experience really well in the mechanics from what I can tell.

 

[Reynard]

I haven't played it yet, but I was VERY tempted by the recent kickstarter to pick up physical copies (I own most of the PDFs). It looks like a lot of fun, and does a lot of things that interest me, and seems to replicate the old JRPG experience really well in the mechanics from what I can tell.

I have not played a lot of JRPGs, so I am not sure what the specific things one can do in a TTRPG to make it more JRPG like. What FU mechanics make it more JRPG like?

 

[Retreater]

I've played it (in-person at a convention and a short campaign on Foundry VTT). I've GMed the free starter adventure, which we recorded for a podcast (unfortunately, it hasn't been posted yet).
I really enjoy the system. (I also purchased the Humble Bundle, and it's a fantastic value that I heartily recommend.) I do find FU similar to Daggerheart, which I also enjoy.
My friend just started running a campaign of it, and he's never touched a console JRPG in his life. They're having a great time. I haven't played a JRPG since Final Fantasy 1 on the NES, and I really dig the system. (I also don't watch anime or read manga. For me it's just a regular sci-fi/fantasy TTRPG.)
It has great design, beautiful art, good world building and GM advice. I think it's certainly worth the time of anyone who enjoys RPGs.

 

[zarionofarabel]

I have it, and have read some of it, but haven't played it yet. I know that it gets a lot of love from the people that have played it. Derik from Knights of Last Call on YouTube extols the virtues of it anytime someone mentions it. I was never much a JRPG console/computer game player so I don't known if I could do it justice.

 

[Aldarc]

Fabula Ultima General Thread

I'm playing in a FabU campaign right now.

 

[Reynard]

Fabula Ultima General Thread

Ah. That explains it. I thought there was one but it does not appear for me because the thread starter blocked me.

I really, really hate that.

I'm playing in a FabU campaign right now.

How do you find it?

 

[SteveC]

There is a thread about this, but I think a lot of the people in the older thread were blocked by the guy who started it. I think they changed preferences and it blocked a ton of people as a result.

Fabula Ultima is my favorite game that I haven't been able to play a campaign with, yet. I've only done one-shots. I love the combat system, how characters are built and the economy of the Fabular/Ultima points. I am really looking forward to building a campaign with it, too.

 

[BrokenTwin]

I have not played a lot of JRPGs, so I am not sure what the specific things one can do in a TTRPG to make it more JRPG like. What FU mechanics make it more JRPG like?

There's a few things that evoke that JRPG feel for me. Part of it is the art, but it also uses combat without movement similar to old school JRPG turn based combat. Having the right elemental attacks to target enemy weaknesses is a big deal, and the character level cap is relatively high (50) with incremental improvements at each level.

Narratively, the game gives the GM a number of tools that help evoke common JRPG tropes. There's frameworks for running natural fantasy and magitech fantasy, two extraordinarily common genres in the JRPG space. Meta tools that allow the GM to say things like the big bad escapes at the end of combat to return later in a stronger form. It's pretty far on the opposite end of simulationist.

There's more, but like I said, I have't actually been able to play the game yet, so I can't honestly say how well the feelings the game is aiming for actually translate at the table.

 

[SkidAce]

NOTE: I did a search and did not see a recent thread on this game. If there is one, please link it.

Fabula Ultima (FU*) is included in the current big Humble Bundle, and while I had slept on it because JRPG, I decided to give it a look since folks seem to really like it. I was immediately impressed and intrigued. it gives me very similar vibes as Daggerheart: that is, a trad game with a lot of narrative elements carefully woven in to create a hybrid experience. I have only scanned it so far, of course, so i do not know if that holds up under scrutiny.

Have you played or ran FU? How do you find it in play? Is the JRPGness of it baked in beyond aesthetics and intended playstyle? If so, how, and what does that mean at the table?

*::snicker::

Where's the Humble Bundle? I seem to be overlooking it.