BRP: Classic Fantasy (Was Sword & Spell)

[threedeesix]

First, I lost the rights to Sword & Spell when someone else beat me to it with Shadow Sword and Spell. Oh well, it went from Hack N Slash, to Chaos & Catacombs, to Sword & Spell, to Classic Fantasy. I like Classic Fantasy becouse you can look at the title and know what the book is attempting to capture.

Anyway, Classic Fantasy Volume I: Adventurers is finally done! Ok, kinda done. It's completly written coming in at 87,500 words (I thought writing a 500 word essay in grade school would kill me). I still have to lay it out (which I have no idea how to do, but what the heck), and find some artwork.

Here is an overview...

Chapter 1: Characters

This chapter details seven playable races; human, elf, dwarf, halfling, half-orc, half-elf, and gnome. Also included are 10 classic character classes, the Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Illusionist, Magic-User, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, and Thief. In Classic Fantasy, classes are simply BRP professions with a tighter skill list and special abilities. Also in chapter 1 is complete rules for Alignments. This uses the BRP Alliegence system as written, but geared towards Good, Neutral, and Evil.

Chapter 2: Skills

This chapter details several new skills specific to a Classic Fantasy campaign as well as notes any changes to existing skills.

Chapter 3: Spells

Classic Fantasy uses the basic Magic system as detailed in Basic Role Playing, however adds 150 new spells to the 30 already included in BRP. These are broken down into magic-user, cleric, druid, and illusionist spells, and includes such old favorites as magic missile, reincarnation, power word, phantasmal killer, sleep and hold person, just to name a few.

Chapter 4: Equipment

This short chapter details some of the more common general equipment common to a classic campaign as well as sets up a gold/silver/copper monetary system and assigns a value to all existing weapons, shields, armor, etc found within Basic Role Playing.

Chapter 5: Spot Rules

Finally, this chapter includes rules for some of the less common situations that can crop up in your typical dungeon crawls, including rules for Armor Damage, Choosing a Leader, Digging and Tunneling, Hiring Others, Locked and Stuck Doors, Marching Order, Recovering Spent Ammunition, Repairing Armor and Weapons, Scouting Ahead, Secret and Concealed Doors, Securing a Door, Setting Camp in or at the Dungeon, Sinking, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), Surprise, Tight Spaces, Training, and Vision, Lighting, and Encounter Distance.

With the exception of a double sided character sheet and spell sheet that about wraps up the contents of volume 1. I have submitted what I have (unformatted) to Dustin to just to make sure I don't have to make any drastic changes before I get to heavily into the layout of it.

Classic Fantasy Vol. II: Gamemastery is already more than half done, and I hope to have it ready in the fall.

Rodney Leary

Edited July 29, 2009 by threedeesix

[The Venomous Pao]

I am sooooo jonesing for this, Mr. Leary! I'm glad to hear things are proceeding well.

[Barliman]

This sounds like it would save me a lot of work. I'm looking forward to it. :thumb:

(Do you have versions of Color Spray and Evard's Black Tentacles in there? Those are among my favorite spells.)

[NickMiddleton]

Great news Rod, really looking forward to this!

Chers,

Nick

[pulpcitizen]

Glad to hear the writing is essentially done. Good luck with art and layout and hopefully you don't have any more major changes to make.

[PK Games]

I still have to lay it out (which I have no idea how to do, but what the heck)

Get Microsoft Publisher, its fairly cheap and works very well for this sort of home publishing projects.

and find some artwork.

Go to RPG now or Drive through RPG and look at Clipart Critters or Octavariate (spelling may be wrong), you can get lots of clip art of varying quality for low prices from them. Also look up Vshane on there as well, his art is a very good AD&D feel to it.

For some samples check out Goblinoid Games' Labyrinth Lord, its a free download and includes said art style.

[threedeesix]

(Do you have versions of Color Spray and Evard's Black Tentacles in there? Those are among my favorite spells.)

Yes and no, in that order.

[Guest Vile Traveller]

Also included are 10 classic character classes, the Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Illusionist, Magic-User, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, and Thief.

Wot no Assassin? :confused:

[rleduc]

Jut WOW! Rubble and Ruin is around 70,000 words, and I'm working hard to finish it---80,000 for Book 1 alone!

I can't wait to get a copy!

[threedeesix]

Wot no Assassin? :confused:

I have several NPC character classes to be included in Vol. 2. He will be right there with the Anti-Paladin and the Witch. These will be fully detailed classes, and usable as PCs if the GM allows, but not what I would consider core character classes.

[threedeesix]

Jut WOW! Rubble and Ruin is around 70,000 words, and I'm working hard to finish it---80,000 for Book 1 alone!

I can't wait to get a copy!

Yah, when I spoke with Dustin a couple months ago and told him I was currently at 147,000 words, but not done yet, he told me I would have to break it up into two volumes.

Rod

[Puck]

Cool. I am really looking forward to your finished work. It is definitely a must buy.

I cannot help much with the layout as I am struggling horribly with this myself trying to work on The Green, but I may be able to help out a little with the artwork. I am very limited in what I can do. Individual character/portrait type shots seem to come out quite well. Anything with more background is more difficult.

I will attach a sample. Let me know if you are interested and I will see what I can do.

[The Venomous Pao]

For layout I'd recommend Scribus. It's almost the equal of InDesign, but it's free, open source, and runs on Macs and Linux, which basically means it spanks MS Publisher in every category

There may be a bit of a learning curve - I can't say for sure, since I've always been fortunate enough to have InDesign proper at hand and have never really done a big project even with that.

Speaking of such things, there's not very much (timewise and skillwise) I can really offer to the layout for BRP: CF, but feel free to drop me a line if you have questions or need someone to look at something. I'm a looooong way from being a real layout guy, but I fake it at my day job enough that I occasionally know a thing or two.

[Jason D]

Congrats, Rodney!

That's very awesome to hear. I loved reading what you sent me, and can't wait to see the finished product.

[threedeesix]

Congrats, Rodney!

That's very awesome to hear. I loved reading what you sent me, and can't wait to see the finished product.

Thanks Jason, that means alot.

I also want to take this opportunity to mention that it was Jason more than a year and a half ago that e-mailed me suggesting I write something. So if this doesn't live up to everyone's expectations, forward all hate mail to him not me. >:->

Rod

[Chaot]

That Jason's a trouble maker.

Just chiming in here to say that if I said that I was greatly anticipating this project, it would be the understatement of the year!

[rleduc]

I am also using Scribus and have found it easy to use if not a little quirky (but not nearly as bad as when I was trying to do everything in Word).

I would like to again thank Puck for the artwork he has contributed to my monograph and recommend that you consider his offer.

[threedeesix]

I would like to again thank Puck for the artwork he has contributed to my monograph and recommend that you consider his offer.

I already sent him a private message. :thumb:

[threedeesix]

Ok, just got a reply from Dustin based on the rough draft I submitted. As of right now it looks as if they are going to do the layout, and I assume provide artwork, in house.

Oh, and there are three other monographs ahead of me and GenCon is coming up soon, so it will still be a bit until it's ready.

So while I appreciate the offers for help, it looks like I can get right into finishing volume two instead of tying myself up with learning to do layout.

Rod

[pulpcitizen]

Ok, just got a reply from Dustin based on the rough draft I submitted. As of right now it looks as if they are going to do the layout, and I assume provide artwork, in house.

Oh, and there are three other monographs ahead of me and GenCon is coming up soon, so it will still be a bit until it's ready.

So while I appreciate the offers for help, it looks like I can get right into finishing volume two instead of tying myself up with learning to do layout.

Rod

So will this still be a monograph or is it getting bumped to 'full' product so to speak?

Either way, great news. Congratulations.

[threedeesix]

So will this still be a monograph or is it getting bumped to 'full' product so to speak?

Either way, great news. Congratulations.

Still technically a monograph as I do not believe they are doing anything in the way of editing or going out of their way hunting down typos.

Rod

[Barliman]

Yes and no, in that order.

One out of two ain't bad.

[pulpcitizen]

Still technically a monograph as I do not believe they are doing anything in the way of editing or going out of their way hunting down typos.

Rod

Still, that Chaosium are supplying art and layout is great news.

[MrJealousy]

Excellent work Rod! I'm glad your project is coming together.

[Wolverine]

Sounds like a nice idea, to capture the feel of traditional D&D, albeit with BRP. I preferred the title Sword and Spell, as it conjures up a more an old school feeling when you see them name.

I might take a look at this once it's published.