The Fantasy Trip Comes Home

In a very quiet announcement made via the Steve Jackson Games announcement page, The Daily Illuminator, Steve Jackson announced that he had regained the right to The Fantasy Trip. One of the early transitions between wargames and role-playing games, The Fantasy Trip was Jackson's equivalent to the early Dungeons & Dragons books and would be the foundation upon which he would later build the GURPS rules.

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No details are given in the announcement, as Jackson has yet to decide what is the next step. With Steve Jackson Games' growing push into the PDF market with a number of GURPS products available on the OneBookShelf sites, we can hope that these early games will be made available in PDF in order to help grow our understanding of the early days of the role-playing game industry, and our knowledge of the various streams of design throughout the history of tabletop RPGs.

 

[aramis erak]

I don't know sir, I respectfully differ.
I think the differences between the iterations across the game is clear, but TFT melee looks a lot like the advanced combat rules from 3rd GURPS. Both systems are heavy on hexes and facing. Both have DX and ST attributes. Both games have you roll 3d6 lower than a target number (DX in TFT, Skills in GURPS) and then a number of damage dice for your weapon.

You can also argue that OD&D and D&D5E are different games but they are still Dungeons and Dragons y'know? I think is the same for Steve Jackson's long lost RPG. Happy he got it back. I love that company.

Combat capability growth is VERY different

Gurps is raise the skills
TFT is raise the attributes - talents are "bought" by raising IQ, and then training to fill the slot

GURPS magic is filled with prequisites and scholastic groupings
TFT is largely "Raise your IQ and find a Teacher", A quick skim of AW doesn't show any spells with non-attribute prerequisites.

GURPS has multiple defense roll options, all of which are 3d6 vs relevant skill or figured attribute score. The non-active form is a function of armor, and is PD. Shields are a defense roll (and added to PD, IIRC).
TFT has 4d throws for Dodge or Defend (AM 18), which are much more limited. Shields count as more armor, but only while in arc.

GURPS, 0 HT is where you might die, but it's possible to go VERY negative and survive. Hits and Fatigue are separate.
TFT, 0 ST = dead. You can easily kill yourself with cast spells; fatigue and wounds both count against strength.

They're clearly related designs (ignoring the same designer), noting that in Roleplayer, SJ commented upon GURPS being a rework from the same principles, and that the lack of access to it caused him to change his approach to a number of areas. GURPS 1 wasn't TFT2; it was a whole new game based upon the same research.

 

[practicalm]

I hope Steve Jackson gets Rivets as well. I loved the Ogre versus Rivets in one of the OGRE books

We use to play Wizards and Melee a lot as quick tactical board games, never really got into TFT as an RPG. I still enjoy GURPS a lot though.

 

[darjr]

Shannon Applecline just interviewed Steve Jackson

https://www.rpg.net/columns/interviews/interviews72.phtml

 

[R_Chance]

Thanks for link darjr. Interesting read. I have a lot of fond memories of Melee. Picked up the rest as they came out, but Melee was the one we played. I'll be interested to see what form it comes back in.

*edit* And now I have the urge to dig up my TFT stuff... to the stacks!!!

 

[darjr]

Well this is cool.

Steve Jackson has talked to Dark City Games about their TFT clone. No conclusions yet but it’s cool.

http://forums.sjgames.com/showpost.php?p=2145756&postcount=59

 

[Earth2Carnifex]

We did not play the advanced game at all, but we did play Melee and Wizard at lunch when we were in high school. It was portable, easy to learn and quick to play, everything we needed in a lunch time game. While a Dungeon Fantasy style boxed set would be okay, I will probably buy it, but I don't really remember this game as an RPG, but rather a tactical combat game. I hope they reprint Melee and Wizard in their original micro game format.