01-09-2018, 09:48 PM | #231 | ||||
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Arizona
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Re: The Fantasy Trip
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I would like to see the personality traits system developed and regularized a bit more; with some sort of standard reaction roll system that isn't too mind-bogglingly complex or anything -- just as general guidelines... Likewise for encumbrances, if it's possible to keep it short and sweet. Quote:
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(Edited to add -- by the way, I used the macro-economic system in Trailblazer to simulate the gross economy of my regions/cities -- each one produced certain goods, consumed certain goods, and supply and demand fluctuated based on the flow of trade (which the players could get involved in by being anything from caravan guards to merchant princes, depending on their inclination). At the very least it gave me a very good reason for caravans (and ships) to be moving along the trade routes, defined both what those caravans/ships might be carrying, and what kind of off-time jobs might be available in certain localities, and simplified my life enormously when needing quick plot-hooks. Of course, Trailblazer is a paper-intensive system, but I'm wondering if Steve Jackson's own Startrader (which I currently have on order from NobleKnight, but have not yet played) might provide a similar -- and probably simpler/easier to use -- macro-economic model that could be used to "map" the bigger trade routes and things. Maybe not a core rule, but an optional rule, or even a later supplement for the game for GMs to use... Heck, just change the title to The Fantasy Trader, and republish with new goods and a random region/city generation system or something!) Last edited by JLV; 01-09-2018 at 10:17 PM. |
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01-09-2018, 09:57 PM | #232 |
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Arizona
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Re: The Fantasy Trip
One more comment I'd like to throw out for consideration here.
Many years ago, someone published a neat little article on "Magic Backlash in TFT." It might have been Ronald Pehr in The Spacegamer, but we've already established my memory for specifics is weak, and I have yet to locate the article after a brief search through my Spacegamers (search will continue, unless someone else beats me to it). (Edited to add: Finally! It was by Richard A. Edwards and appeared in TSG #54 (page 10) -- and my apologies to Mr. Edwards for mis-crediting it earlier!) Basically this was a random table the Wizard rolled on if he got an 18 on a spell-casting roll, and included all sorts of weird effects, like forgetting the spell for a while, not being able to cast the spell for a while, taking damage from the backfire, passing out, and I don't remember what all. (Dungeon Crawl Classic took this concept to the bleeding edge extreme in their game, btw.) I've always thought this was a remarkably good idea -- it really adds fear and uncertainty to the Wizard's life, and actually, I think is a much better analogue for a dropped or broken weapon to a warrior. In effect, something hideous will potentially happen -- which is much like gazing down in stupor at the broken stub of your sword in your hand... It's been a while since I read it last (and I haven't run a game in the past seven years, so I haven't used it recently, thus all the details escape me now)...but it was an awesome idea, and while I fudged the table around some for my players; they really seemed to enjoy the randomness it introduced into the Wizard's life. Just a thought on something that's been floating around for years... (And it might at least make a very interesting optional rule!) Last edited by JLV; 01-09-2018 at 11:05 PM. |
01-09-2018, 10:02 PM | #233 | |
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Tyler, Texas
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Re: The Fantasy Trip
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In fact, despite not having classes, TFT allows players to create characters every bit as quickly as 1st Ed AD&D. (As an aside, I don’t think that fast character generation is as appreciated by RPG designers as much it should be. It’s great to be able to get started playing after 15 minutes of character creation. It allows new campaigns to start quickly. It also allows players to replace dead characters quickly and get back in the game. I hope that the current eTFT character generation system is retained). I will separate from many of my friends and say that I think the number of talents allowed is about right in TFT. I am also ambivalent about the very common mod of letting characters spend 1 attribute point to buy 2 points of talents. I guess it’s okay, but is there any concern about allowing characters too many talents? |
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01-09-2018, 10:12 PM | #234 | |||
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Tyler, Texas
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Re: The Fantasy Trip
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01-09-2018, 10:43 PM | #235 | |
Join Date: Dec 2017
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Re: The Fantasy Trip
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01-09-2018, 11:02 PM | #236 |
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Alsea, OR
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Re: The Fantasy Trip
I, also, am in the "No GURPSification" camp. Let T&T be what it always has been...
As for DoU and CoU - it was pretty clearly Howard trying to cut Steve out of the loop... but DoU also was a fully playable TFT-light. Since Steve cannot do DoU per se, a direct reprint is out - but he can definitely take a cue from it and make a "cut down TFT starter" with a $30 or less start point... pogs, rather than standups or minis, and a subset of the full rules, with a decent mini-campaign included, both a tactical and an RP. It's a strategy that has worked rather well for FFG, Paizo, and for WotC recently, and TSR in the past (BX, BECMI, B/Cyclopedia/WotI); it would have worked well if Mr. Thompson hadn't given up on the gaming industry and/or gone broke about the time Dragons was heading out the door. |
01-09-2018, 11:07 PM | #237 | |
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Arizona
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Re: The Fantasy Trip
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01-09-2018, 11:14 PM | #238 | |
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Arizona
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Re: The Fantasy Trip
It's a very fun game in it's own right -- and there were extra Prestige Tables published in The General as I recall (it's an Avalon Hill game), which, if you can't find anywhere else, I will try to find a legal download of for you (though it might be hosted on the Web Archive or something). Naturally, it's out of print now, and the copies on Amazon are running near $100 (and more, over on E-bay). Boardgame Geek might have someone selling one for less, though...
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01-09-2018, 11:18 PM | #239 |
Join Date: Dec 2017
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Re: The Fantasy Trip
I agree with everyone else that GURPS-ifying TFT would be a shame. GURPS is a great game, but is already there for whomever is in the mood to play it.
I would point out, though, that combat in AM is filled with all sorts of grainy details: sweeping blows and aimed shots and fistfulls of shuriken and propped arquebuses and off-handed weapons and on and on. It is a fast-playing game and should stay that way, but it is not exactly simple. If a new edition is being published I'd say there's no reason to look at it all, and tweak whatever you want to create mix of old and new special actions and gear that seems like the most fun. |
01-09-2018, 11:25 PM | #240 | |
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Arizona
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Re: The Fantasy Trip
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TFT is already pretty light, and if he does indeed go with Melee and Wizard separately first, followed by full-up TFT, then you already HAVE your lite version. It's one of the things that made TFT so easy to learn in the first place -- it was modular, and you could tackle physical combat, then magical combat, and then tie it all together with a nice framework. Putting it another way, TFT is already about as "lite" as I want to go... HOWEVER -- that is only my PERSONAL opinion and is in no way a reflection on the quality or utility of your concept to others! I wouldn't buy a "lite" version, but that's probably just me. Last edited by JLV; 01-10-2018 at 02:38 AM. |
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Tags |
in the labyrinth, melee, roleplaying, the fantasy trip, wizard |
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