Message:Am revisiting Conrads Fantasy to bring a fellowship feel back to certain adventures. Will it be better than Outlands? Not a competition. The goal is a different focus on play; not the longboat and company but drilling down to the enchanted tree, mysterious chamber and arcane relic.
Each time Conrad's Fantasy RPG was revisited, we could see it needed a new edition. There was some problems with power creep (of course) and Q&D never filled the gaps. Why not run Outlands was the sentiment?
I do miss the classic 1990 characters. I do miss the dialog of NPCs before the inevitable fight.
This set of mechanics will focus on a journey, a quest that has a small beginning but grows into a burden, challenge, mistake (to undertake) and final sacrifice to finish. There should be a moment of both
was it worth it and
what we lost by the time the tale is finished (and new characters are created).
Cross broken deserts and roiling oceans. Travel to the Moons of Rao to fight the Dog Men of Grorm. Carry the Demon Box to the bottom of the Sea and trade beast entrails for safe passage. Reach the most remote place in the world to bring the crazed mage to the demon gate of the Soyn where he was returned to his eternal form of ash.
The rulez need a surprise or wargamer's regret. What works at low levels will fail in middle state and never get you to the end. We build the player mage, protect NPC that will betray us, because we must.
If only should be part of the experience, not just regret but wisdom.
Things are easy at the start because things are simple. Ork = kill. Later when you're missing a few fingers and your sword feels heavy, well,
If Only you took that early ability to bolster you here. But someone had to be dependable from the get-go. We can't all be Druids and Bards. We should never have to be Druids and Bards. We should never consider our parentage as we play. Your mother or father was the Minotaur? No, please don't say, Either is awful.
Load your packs and test our mettle. Without the time waste of doing those things. Write a tale of true heroes and villains.
May not be possible. I have other things I'm writing. Yet Summer will soon arrive and the the wind will blow calling the lads to slaughter.
Yours,
IronRed
18-Mar-2023