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Gallus
2013-01-08, 01:22 AM
I hate to say it, but the complexity level of 3.5 coupled with it's rigidity in class structure has led me to look for another system in which to run a campaign; I have attempted twice to run games of 3.5, but I got the feeling that the other players didn't get the mechanics (having not spent hours poring over them on cthis site and the SRD) and I didn't have a firm grasp of how to structure fights, events, or create a setting.

From what I understand Fantasy Craft is very good about helping a GM to create an original setting and allowing their character classes to fit more readily into concepts beyond the traditional archetypes (or at least without as much work as might be required in 3.5); plus I like the sound of vitality/wounds system, and I believe (though I may be wrong) that it being OGL means that it is at least somewhat compatible with some of the information in the SRD, 3.x books, Pathfinder and any other d20/SRD-derived gaming system.

Does anyone here have any advice/things I should take into consideration/comments/stories/etc about FC?

tzar1990
2013-01-08, 02:27 AM
Speaking as someone who only has one game of experience, here are a few problems I noticed about Fantasycraft

-Characters aren't necessarily balanced against each other. Most notably, unlike d20 there's no problem starting as a large (or, if I recall correctly, even huge!) character, leading to huge damage differentials between the guy playing a massive treefolk monk, and the guy trying to make a swordsman.
- Damage types work oddly. For example, a warhammer (i.e. your good old fashioned big "**** off" stick) deals non-lethal damage, and you have to take -4 on your damage roll to switch that to lethal. This wouldn't be so bad, except some fairly common enemies - the undead, elementals, and constructs - are immune to nonlethal.
-Also, getting nonlethal doesn't knock you out right away. You need to make a fort save against the nonlethal damage you've taken, and it takes several failed saves (with the DC resetting back to 0 after each save) to actually be unconcious.
- There's no monster manual, just a list of abilities and a table of stats that go up as the players increase in power. This isn't bad (build your own monster!) but it puts a lot more burden on the DMs shoulder. I prefer a bestiary of some sort, since I think that professional writers are going to be better at designing cool critters than I am.
- Spellcasters are odd. One of my fellow players was a cleric. At low levels, he was literally useless, since his domain (clerics in FC just get domains, not spell lists) let him perform a blinding smite, but the save DC was equal to the damage dealt, and he could never get that higher than 10 or so. At higher levels (around 7), though, he could shoot laser beams out of his eyes and drop massive light-based nukes on the enemy once per encounter.

Machpants
2013-01-08, 06:05 PM
Fantasy Craft is a great toolbox RPG, it is NOT 3.x and you have to let many preconceptions go - like worrying that a hammer does non-lethal damage ;) The latest printing has removed the going huge ability. Being large is not the same bonus it is in 3E, you go up in damage dice a bit but AOO don't work in the same way and your Strength adjustment is relative to creatures your own size, PC giants get +0. There is a bestiary and a very good system for converting 3E monsters, monsters all scale to all levels if you wish them to. There is a fervent community on the Crafty Games forum, sign up and get your questions answered by the designers and very knowledgeable people.

Also the PDF is on special ATM, pick it up and check it out: http://www.rpgnow.com/product/63884/Fantasy-Craft-Second-Printing?term=fantasy+craf
You can also check out some bits for free in the preview: http://www.rpgnow.com/product/64194/Fantasy-Craft-Second-Printing-Preview?term=fantasy+cra

But it is complex and fights against your 3e knowledge. But once you get it it is really good. With a bit of practice you can easily convert 3E things on the fly or with a little work beforehand.

http://www.crafty-games.com/forum/index.php?board=19.0

Edge of Dreams
2013-01-08, 06:14 PM
One thing I enjoy about FantasyCraft is that it is just as mechanically complex and robust as 3.5 in most areas, but it also encourages players and GMs to use more narrative rather than mechanical solutions in certain areas. For example, there's a "cheat death" mechanic whereby a player character who would have died can instead go off-camera, only to reappear later with an incredible story of how they survived along with a randomized additional consequence such as being haunted by a near-death experience or having a disfiguring wound.