The Fantasy Trip

[JLV]

I think I just want to say that I'm resigning from the rules specific discussions for a while. Everyone has great ideas, and everyone feels very strongly about their positions, and I feel my participation is not helping that discussion any more at this point in time. We've been focused on the rules because we know there are going to be some re-writes of some parts of the game, but I think we have a real opportunity to better affect the future of the game by addressing different topics.

Steve asked us for issues that we thought needed addressing in any re-written version of the rules, and all of us provided our opinions on those issues to him. However, Steve's da man, and he'll make changes as he sees fit in those areas that he feels actually need to be addressed rules-wise. My experience with Steve's rules writing does not lead me to believe that he really needs my direct input (unless and until he asks for it, anyway), and that I can very safely leave the matter in his extremely capable hands. Whatever Steve and the folks at SJG come up with will be just fine by me.

What, instead, I'd like to hear more about, are things like background, and Cidri, and what kinds of adventures people have tried and had the most fun with. As stated on the other thread -- it's really the content that makes a game a winner -- let's face it, D&D as written originally was a mess, and the later versions didn't do too great a job of improving things, but the CONTENT available has remained amazingly good throughout most iterations of the game (though sometimes the rules forced that content to be amazingly opaque -- D&D 4.0, I'm looking at you...). The one thing that TFT never got was a lot of content, probably because it died so young. So what kind of content would people like to see? Adventures? Programmed adventures? Region books in Cidri? New Spell grimoires? Magical "schools" (both in terms of magical groups that practice and use specific spells, and actual "schools" where magic is taught)? Starting sandboxes like Keep on the Borderlands was for D&D? Big sandboxes like Wilderlands of High Fantasy? Citybooks? NPC collections? I'm fascinated to hear other people's "war stories" about campaigns, and adventures and whatnot, and what they and their players enjoyed the most...

I think by discussing those things we might have a real opportunity to give SJG some ideas for future TFT products, so I'd like to personally focus on that for a while. We already know that larsdangly is working on a "big, cool, TFT dungeon," and that Steve strongly encouraged him to do so; what other kinds of things would people like to see done? Personally, I think one of the great innovations in early TFT was the "crossroads inns" introduced by Guy McLimore in Grailquest -- something I've adapted to a lot of my campaigns ever since. To that end, to this day, I collect maps and drawings of inns whenever I can find them, games that get played in inns, events possible in inns, food and drink lists, etc. I like inns, and use them a lot to help push a campaign along. What things do you like to use?

[Bayarea]

[QUOTE=JLV;2149984]



Killing off a player character as a "reward" for exceptional play seems...bad...somehow, to me. If the player wants to continue to play, he or she should be allowed to. Unless one of the house rules is that "no Player Character can ever surpass 45 points" or something. In which case the reverse effect takes place and after increasing by 13 points, the game is essentially over -- they can never improve, never gain new talents or spells, etc.

Most importantly, you're disregarding my explanation that Attribute Bloat has insidious effects long before you reach the 90-point wonder. The character essentially becomes a human threshing machine when his DX hits roughly 18, and his ST just continues to decrease his vulnerability as he increases it beyond 18 (which is easier to do since you can effectively stop increasing your DX at about 18-24), while his IQ grows to grotesque proportions as he plumps it up to gain new talents and/or spells. Eventually you would think his 40-pound head would wobble even on his massively thewed neck...


I didn't say kill a character for exceptional play but I have seen disruptive higher level PCs (45+) get sanctioned by the GM usually after several warnings.

I do agree to some extent about Fritz the Fearless needing a 20 IQ for his human tank or Sven the Mage with 25 ST being my desired result but I can deal with that.

As for becoming invulnerable with 20+ DX and 20+ ST even using the house rule that reduce charge damage to one extra die instead of Double Damage (David O Miller I believe I don't want to take credit for something not my own), charges hit before anything else...

Also several times my PC have been surrounded usually by orcs and goblins but occasionally by the really bad stuff (Vampire Family outing still make my spine tingle we died but it was hilarious) this leaves a lot of die rolls to overcome armor so unless they have armor stopping 12 plus hits then it seems more stylistic than game mechanic.

I leave it at that we can always agree to disagree. Again I in no way meant to insult you or come of as brusque it might just be my way of typing.

[BobP]

Originally Posted by JLV

Dare I hope for a "Designer's Edition" of the rules (like DE Ogre)?

This is exactly what I hope: An all-in-one box set, as SJ originally envisioned it. Incorporate all the Designer's Errata. Maybe swing in some of the cool Talents and Handicaps published in FG/SG... clarify some of the more troublesome rules (looking at you, pole weapons)... give it a rocking layout...

... and call it a day.

Bob Portnell
Sparks, NV
First TFT Game: 1 Apr 1981 (no foolin')