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Old 11-12-2017, 03:50 PM   #11
ak_aramis
 
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Default Re: The Fantasy Trip

Quote:
Originally Posted by sir_pudding View Post
Isn't this already GURPS?
No. Steve's editorial in Roleplayer notes that GURPS is more a sibling than descendant.

Let's compare:
GURPS 4 prime (ST, DX, IQ, HT), 2 secondary (MA, PD), 3 pseudo-attributes (will, charisma, alertness), one character "type" (character; 2 if using G:B&B); skills (including skills, spells, superpowers), advantages, disadvantages. Two of the primes can be split readily (ST & HT), a third isn't explcitly splittable in anything I've got, but could be (DX). All rolls 3d6, difficulty adjusts target number. Every primary attribute, pseudo-attribute, and skills, advantages, powers, etc bought directly (tho' atts and skills combine to determine the target number)

TFT 3 prime (ST, DX, IQ), 2 secondary (MA, AdjDX), 3 types (Warrior, Wizard, Super); Talents, Spells, superpowers. Task rolls variable difficulty expressing how many dice to roll; combat is USUALLY 3d6, adjusting AdjDex.

Talents cover the GURPS Pseudo-attributes, as well as skills, and some advantages. IQ determines "slots", which were what was spent on talents and spells.

For me, an ideal TFT Deluxe would be:
  • Dragons of Underearth as a basic book, relaid out and prettified.
  • Combined AM, AW, ITL, and Lords of Underearth in the "Core Book".
  • In Tolenkar's Lair and the other GM adventure in a booklet, possibly with a new one.
  • All the microquests in a larger format (5x8 or 6x9, with larger text) either as cardstock covered booklets or bound into a single volume.
  • All 5 countersheets in decent chipboard, but relabeled so as to not be overlapping ID's. Add a 6th with the described but absent sizes. Like Horses.
  • a nicely redone version of the Fantasy Master's Codex, with Illos.
  • All the SpaceGamer articles in a single volume, perhaps bound into the corebook as appendices.

Last edited by ak_aramis; 11-12-2017 at 04:02 PM.
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Old 12-04-2017, 09:34 AM   #12
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Default Re: The Fantasy Trip

Converting & publishing those classic adventures to DFRPG would be a cool move.
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Old 12-20-2017, 04:35 PM   #13
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I would love to see a new, complete edition of the Fantasy Trip rules... I run a campaign using them on Roll 20, and the system still works well, but the many different rulebooks make running sessions hard for myself and my players since we frequently need to refer to the rules as we are new to the ruleset.
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Old 12-26-2017, 12:27 PM   #14
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Sorry for the slow response - we had the official announcement on the way, and now it's out. See the Daily Illuminator for today, and the forum thread about it!
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Old 12-26-2017, 12:41 PM   #15
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And it's the best official announcement I've ever heard! Way to go, Steve!

I can only hope that you'll have the time and inclination to republish all eight of the games again. TFT is still one of the best fantasy RPGs out there, and back in the day it was giving D&D a run for it's money for a couple of years there (until Metagaming closed its doors, anyway). While the market is very different nowadays, I still see plenty of room for TFT; it's the only game even today where I can get someone who has never so much as even seen a FRPG before up and running in five minutes. There's a LOT to be said for something like that.

I still prefer to play TFT to GURPS (sorry, Steve, it's just that TFT is almost intuitive, where I have to spend a lot of time in the rulebooks with GURPS), and I still think the Melee/Wizard games as intros to the systems was the smartest move any company ever made, even if it was possibly inadvertent! It's what actually made TFT "intuitive" for most of us back in the day -- we already knew combat and combat magic inside and out, so all the chrome in AM/AW and ITL was just icing on an already well understood cake!
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Old 12-26-2017, 08:07 PM   #16
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Default Re: The Fantasy Trip

I've always preferred TFT to GURPS, as well.

It's been about a year since I broke out a T&T solo... Only a few weeks since last look at the rules.
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Old 12-27-2017, 12:19 AM   #17
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Default Re: The Fantasy Trip

Quote:
Originally Posted by ak_aramis View Post
I've always preferred TFT to GURPS, as well.

It's been about a year since I broke out a T&T solo... Only a few weeks since last look at the rules.
I've been playing the Dark City Games solos, since I'm unfortunate enough to have a pretty good memory for solos I've already played a lot, but TFT is definitely still actively in use on my shelf! I was looking something up in there just a few days ago!

Also you might want to check out this blog for an interesting look at a variation on a theme...

I hope if any re-writing of the Death Tests does occur, it's along these lines...
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Old 12-27-2017, 01:09 AM   #18
David L Pulver
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Default Re: The Fantasy Trip

That's neat! Steve, I'm glad you were able get your game back at last.

And a good time for, considering the current interest in 80s games.
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Old 12-27-2017, 01:15 AM   #19
David L Pulver
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Default Re: The Fantasy Trip

TFT was the second "roleplaying" game I played (in its Melee/Wizard form) after Basic D&D.

I recall hacking melee and wizard together with some house rules to run dungeon adventures, and when In the Labyrinth came out, running an actual campaign. I especially liked the ability to customize characters with the various Talents.

(Checks ancient binder)

Hey, I've still got my first (pre-In the Labyrinth) TFT dungeon from 1979!

Obscure TFT Trivia

"In the Labyrinth" (1980?) appears to contain one of first published uses of the term "Tank" as a term to describe a melee fighter in a fantasy game. Was it already current in gaming slang at the time?
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Old 12-27-2017, 01:29 AM   #20
David L Pulver
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Default Re: The Fantasy Trip

Quote:
Originally Posted by ak_aramis View Post
I've always preferred TFT to GURPS, as well.

It's been about a year since I broke out a T&T solo... Only a few weeks since last look at the rules.
I liked TFT a lot, but I found it broke over time when you tried to do certain things --- many of which GURPS fixed. As a result, I suspect most people added extensive house rules over time...

The most important for me were:

- Fighters who could defend themselves and still attack. I really loved Runequest and later GURPS having a parry rule. My House Rule added post-GURPS: in TFT, a parry is (half adjusted DX) +3. The TFT defending option increases this by +2; a shield adds +1-2 instead of stopping hits.

- Making talents easier to buy. It wasn't really cost effective for a Hero to blow 2-3 points on IQ to get useful talents. My House Rule: Talent cost talent points. Heroes get talent points = (IQ-5) x 2.

- Death: A bit too easy. My House Rule: You die at -10 HP, and bleed out until bandaged at 0 HP. A standard rule from the era.

- Mages and ST: There's something to be said for the elegant rules as written, but allowing mages to buy an "magical energy" talent (every point spent on it gives you 3 points) or some such can avoid Conan the High ST Mage. If doing so, however, suggest capping missile spells at 3d maximum...

My dream option would be to not only have the existing TFT system reprinted, but also an "Updated TFT" rule book that incorporated some rules similar to these, while otherwise retaining its simplicity.
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