CLASSIC FANTASY - A Return to the Dawn of Roleplaying

[threedeesix]

One of the things that attracted me to BRP over D&D-style systems was that saves were grounded in stats, as opposed a series of numbers pulled out of a hat, so I'm glad you made the rule an option, for those of us who don't want to "go all the way" in simulating D&D-style fantasy.

Any word on when the revised hard copy will see distribution?

The "saves" are still grounded in stats, for example, if you survive enough poison attempts, it will raise your CON. Which to me is better that the arbitrary bonus to "Fortitude" saves every few levels. Like the rest of the BRP system, the characteristic is raised by being affected by things that test it, just like skills are raised by themselves being tested. Also, I don't remember the setting, but I know I have a BRP product where all the characteristics have check boxes next to them, so there is a precedent.

Edited April 12, 2010 by threedeesix

[Aramone]

Will thre be a max number that a characteristic can be raised to through experience?

[threedeesix]

Will thre be a max number that a characteristic can be raised to through experience?

21 is the human maximum. Each other race has it's own maximums.

[Guest Vile Traveller]

By the way, threedeesix, there are some people asking about Classic Fantasy on the Dragonsfoot 'Other RPGs' forum. You might want to pop over there and explain yourself before I give them all completely the wrong idea ...

[GianniVacca]

The problem with BRP "saves" is that they are based on characteristics, so do not increase with "experience" (skill increase). In Moongoose RQ II you have the new skills "Evade" (begin at dex x2), "Persistence" (pow x2) and "Resilience" (conx2) which are quite similar to the DD3 saves.

This is exactly why I prefer BRP over MRQ...

[threedeesix]

By the way, threedeesix, there are some people asking about Classic Fantasy on the Dragonsfoot 'Other RPGs' forum. You might want to pop over there and explain yourself before I give them all completely the wrong idea ...

Thanks, I will later today

[windmark8040]

I just picked this up the other day and I must commend you on a great job! I must admit that I was extremely pleased to see that someone else had done most of my work for me; as in having a great current fantasy BRP product.

Thanks for a quality product!

[windmark8040]

I noticed that there was no mention of the Parry skill. I was wondering how you intended Parry to be used in Classic Fantasy.

Thanks.

[threedeesix]

I noticed that there was no mention of the Parry skill. I was wondering how you intended Parry to be used in Classic Fantasy.

Thanks.

In Classic Fantasy, Parry is based on your skill with the weapon. I chose not to separate them as was one of the options in the core book. This is very easy for the individual GM to change however. Whatever best fits someones game.

Thanks for your interest in Classic Fantasy.

Rod

[b-dog]

I am curious about how long before the 2nd volume of Classic Fantasy can be purchased? I really enjoyed the first one and am waiting for the second.

Also, I would really love for there to be some advenutures written for Classic Fantasy because Chaosium really can make a great adventure. I bought In Search of the Trollslayer and I thought this advenure was really awesome and would love many more like it. (I know it is not Classic Fantasy but it could be used in Classic Fantasy) Anyway, I am just curious, thanks.

[threedeesix]

I'm trying to work on the second volume a little everyday. If I had to guess I would say unless something changes, I should be able to turn it in this summer. I would love there to be adventures for Classic Fantasy as well. I may be able to include something in the second volume, but if I do it will be very basic due to space limitations.

I believe Rich (writer of Rubble and Ruin) is working on a Classic Fantasy adventure for inclusion in the BRP adventure contest book.

When I finish the second book, I hope to be able to write up a few adventurers for it myself before tackling the next big project.

Your right, In Search of the Troll Slayer is a great adventure and works nicely as a Classic Fantasy adventure with pretty much no changes necessary.

Thanks for your interest,

Rod

[b-dog]

I'm trying to work on the second volume a little everyday. If I had to guess I would say unless something changes, I should be able to turn it in this summer. I would love there to be adventures for Classic Fantasy as well. I may be able to include something in the second volume, but if I do it will be very basic due to space limitations.

I believe Rich (writer of Rubble and Ruin) is working on a Classic Fantasy adventure for inclusion in the BRP adventure contest book.

When I finish the second book, I hope to be able to write up a few adventurers for it myself before tackling the next big project.

Your right, In Search of the Troll Slayer is a great adventure and works nicely as a Classic Fantasy adventure with pretty much no changes necessary.

Thanks for your interest,

Rod

Well I hope you get the 2nd part of Classic Fantasy done soon! Anyway, the adventures that Chaosium makes are really awesome to me. I used to play Stormbringer and really thought the adventures given were very well done and the same is true of In Search of the Trollslayer. So I would buy any Classic Fantasy adventure made by Chaosium because I know the quality will be very high. Hopefully there will be some adventures with Nyarlathotep or Cthulhu too. Thanks

[Guy Hoyle]

I just bought this PDF, and it is just so damn cool. I sterted out with white-box D&D, but soon moved to RQ and CoC. I've been in a RQ campaign that has been going for nearly 20 years, and we've been mining D&D for all its worth. I'm taking this with me tomorrow night to my group.

Rod, you rock, man. You just plain rock.

Guy Hoyle

[wbcreighton]

I have been subscribing to the Paizo Pathfinder products. I like the subscription because you get a pdf with the hardcopy and the pdf is available as soon as the book ships.

I like the looks of this new Adventure Path called Kingmaker. It starts off with the 1st level characters being given the task of trying to settle a frontier area infested with bandits and the like. The characters will eventually be in a position to govern a small settlement and be given the task of growing the settlement into a town and city as more settlers arrive. There are rules included for tracking the development of the city and its resources. The party has to explore the areas around the frontier, and gains experience for each hex of the map the explore. Encounters come in the order that that players discover them in. It is a sandbox type of adventure and looks quite good. The first 2 installments are out.

I was thinking it would make a great Classic Fantasy campaign. It just has to be converted. I don't have a rpg group but I was thinking of trying to tackle it using the Mythic GME

http://www.mythic.wordpr.com/page14/page9/page9.html

[Son_of_Smaug]

Hello to all,

I'm new to the boards here and BRP in general. I have a question about something from Classic Fantasy. Looking over the different races, I noticed that the elf has a starting INT of 2D6+6, just like a human. The half-elf has a starting INT of 3D6+3. Is this correct? I assumed the half-elf's starting characteristics would fall between the elf's and human's, therefore being the same 2D6+6. Any thoughts would be welcome.

[threedeesix]

Hello to all,

I'm new to the boards here and BRP in general. I have a question about something from Classic Fantasy. Looking over the different races, I noticed that the elf has a starting INT of 2D6+6, just like a human. The half-elf has a starting INT of 3D6+3. Is this correct? I assumed the half-elf's starting characteristics would fall between the elf's and human's, therefore being the same 2D6+6. Any thoughts would be welcome.

Thats a cut-n-paste error that I can't believe has not been noticed until now. Thanks for finding it. It should have been 2D6+6 just like that of both parents.

I'll add it to the next revision.

Rod

[Son_of_Smaug]

I just woke up and saw your post. I assume your Mr. Leary, the author of the publication? Now that's hearing it from the horse's mouth...thanks for the fast response.

My question arose from my curiosity in how you designed your racial statistics. I think of half-elves and half-orcs as being between the parents in stats. So, I compared what the BRP rulebook statistics had for elves and orcs to what you listed in Cl. Fantasy. I was surprised the elf lost an entire die in INT, and it went from there.

Oh, and I'm sure there's a few half-elves out there loving that INT of 21!

[threedeesix]

I just woke up and saw your post. I assume your Mr. Leary, the author of the publication? Now that's hearing it from the horse's mouth...thanks for the fast response.

That would be me and this would be my "other" home.

My question arose from my curiosity in how you designed your racial statistics. I think of half-elves and half-orcs as being between the parents in stats. So, I compared what the BRP rulebook statistics had for elves and orcs to what you listed in Cl. Fantasy.

Thats pretty much how I did it. However, the orcs listed in Classic Fantasy II are slightly altered from those in BRP core.

I was surprised the elf lost an entire die in INT, and it went from there.

I modeled my elves on their AD&D counterparts using the BRP elf as a base to work from. I lowered some of the numbers from "base" because it made them too expensive to play using the point buy method. Well, you could play one, but after "buying" an average elf, you only had like 2 to 3 points left to distribute. Plus bringing them more in line with AD&D was not a bad thing when it is the game being emulated.

Oh, and I'm sure there's a few half-elves out there loving that INT of 21!

Those lucky bastards The game master can just let them know that their characters were born under the sign of the grandfather*.

Thanks for catching it.

Rod

* To be grandfathered: Let an existing situation stand after a rule or law has been changed.

[mhensley]

Any word on when the updated book will be coming out? I don't want to buy the current one only to have to replace it.

[threedeesix]

Any word on when the updated book will be coming out? I don't want to buy the current one only to have to replace it.

It depends what you mean by updated. I was speaking to Dustin and there is a chance that the full distribution version of Classic Fantasy will not be this year. However, Charlie had said it probably would. So that parts a mystery. As for the revised version of the monograph. That has been finished and turned in since before last Christmas. I turned it in in a complete form (covers, table of contents, adds at the end of the book, everything) so I have no idea why their sitting on it when it really only has to be uploaded to the store.

The two possibilities I have floating around in my head is that they want to sell through whatever hard copies they have so the revised PDF and hard copy can be for sale at the same time. And there is a possibility they are NOT going to release the revised version of the monograph and instead hold back for the distribution copy. This would kind of piss me off as I spent a month of my time fixing their mistakes and learning Adobe InDesign just so I could fix it when I could have been working on Classic Fantasy II.

Unfortunately, this is such a top secret situation that whenever I ask I get ignored.

I want this part to be noticeable so pardon the red text.

If anyone has purchased any version of Classic Fantasy and would like a PDF of the revised version send me a PM. I will then send you a page related "proof of purchase" question and if you send me back the correct answer with your e-mail address I will send you a copy of the revised PDF.

The revised version contains...

• Numerous layout fixes
  
• A Table of Contents
  
• Some play balance changes
  
• A new chapter; Chapter 6: Miniatures Combat
  
• and much, much more
  

Thank you for your interest in Classic Fantasy,

Rod

Edited May 8, 2010 by threedeesix

[threedeesix]

Just an update as I get asked a lot in private messages. CF2 is coming along slowly and I hope to have it finished by the end of the summer. But real life just got pretty demanding so that could be an issue. I work on it a little every weekday, but sometimes very little unfortunately.

Also, if you send me a PM, make sure you are set up to receive private messages or I cant reply. I have gotten this a couple times now when I try to answer...

"____________ has chosen not to receive private messages or may not be allowed to receive private messages. Therefore you may not send your message to him/her."

If you have not received a reply in more than 24 hours please check your settings. Or send me an e-mail instead.

Greymagius, this happened to yours so if you can look into it I would love to send you the updated PDF.

Rod

[NickD]

Hi 3d6, I just received CF in the post and it looks awesome. I can't wait to try it out with my gaming group.

I thought you might like to know that the hardcopy version I recieved has table of contents, missile, armour and musical instrument tables etc. and the miniatures combat chapter. The only error it has is the half-elf INT, which I have fixed with a handy post-it note.

Thanks again,

Nick

[Son_of_Smaug]

That's interesting. I wonder why the hardcover version is updated while the pdf version isn't? You'd think it would be the other way around.

[threedeesix]

Thanks for the info NickD. Someone else informed me of this as well so I went to the Chaosium store to double check the PDF and sure enough it is still the original version. I sent an e-mail to Charlie at Chaosium last week to let him know and that's as far as it has gone. It's good to see the dead tree version at least has been updated. I will continue to send updated PDFs to any who need them until they get everything straightened out on their end.

Rod

[NickD]

The weird and wonderful ways of Chaosium!

3d6, I also wanted to ask you about the Read Magic ability of Magic Users and Illusionists. In some places in CF it sounds like this is a skill, and says something like "if Read Magic is successful" (sorry, I don't have the book with me at the moment). Isn't Read Magic always successful? Did you mean it to be a skill then change your mind later?

Nick