Basic Fantasy RPG Core Rules 4th Edition

[Boggo]

I have a suggestion that could be useful for people who have found this book through Amazon first.

Would it be a good idea to have a “What’s Next” section at the back of the book? Like a list of beginner resources along with shortened URL links to them?

For example, a common question is where to get adventures. I suppose they could go to the BFRPG downloads page and get them from there. But we could also list Morgansfort, Chaotic Caves, Laughing Dragon, Blackapple Brugh as starting adventure modules alongside an easy to type shortened URL to each one to download.

Maybe a link to the YouTube videos on how to play the game and run combat encounters.

Also links to the forums, FB group and discord channel if the reader needs support.

What do you think? I can put something together that’s like that to better show what I mean.

OH! something suggested by Cappytan on Discord that is such a great idea I'm ashamed I didn't think of it myself... Add to the link in the book pointing to the What's next landing page A QR code... reduce the having to type the link effort!

[Alex15]

I have a suggestion that could be useful for people who have found this book through Amazon first.

Would it be a good idea to have a “What’s Next” section at the back of the book? Like a list of beginner resources along with shortened URL links to them?

For example, a common question is where to get adventures. I suppose they could go to the BFRPG downloads page and get them from there. But we could also list Morgansfort, Chaotic Caves, Laughing Dragon, Blackapple Brugh as starting adventure modules alongside an easy to type shortened URL to each one to download.

Maybe a link to the YouTube videos on how to play the game and run combat encounters.

Also links to the forums, FB group and discord channel if the reader needs support.

What do you think? I can put something together that’s like that to better show what I mean.

As a suggestion, I think adding some links to resources like the Principia Apocryphia, Quick Primer for Old School Gaming, etc. could be nice. It might be good for beginners to be able to see important principles that might not be obvious directly from the rules (e.g. solving problems like traps by interacting with the world).

[TPFox]

I am just getting started, but I am seeing "they is" used as a gender neutral pronoun with a singular verb. For example, on page 9 it says, "The Thief will usually believe they is moving silently..."
Should I suggest "are" instead of "is" in this kind of case?

[Solomoriah]

Yes, point those out. That's something we need to fix.

[gabeprime]

Funny enough, I’m a little biased against linking to those two documents because I don’t agree to with all those books say. I started RPGing in the mid 80s to the mid 90s. My experience with playing the old game wasn’t focused on dungeon delving and looting. We were heroes of the setting. Same went for people I knew who gamed in the era. I went with BFRPG because of its similarity to the game systems of that older time.

I’m happy that BFRPG didn’t seem to be prescriptive of how one should play BFRPG. Looking at the supplements available for the game, you can see there that it seems to cater for people with different ideas of how to play the game.

My problem with the two books is that if felt authoritative in how someone must play when playing old school games. So much so that people who have read these books who didn’t even play back in the day think that our gaming style back then isn’t old school enough. Sorry it’s just a bit of pet peeve of mine. I’m just concerned it might alienate those who want to play BFRPG not in the way as described in these two books.

However, if the community is convinced that these two books would be good to link to in a Getting Started page, then so be it.

EDIT: i posted the above just as I was about to fall asleep. I should’ve revisited the Principa Apocrypha and a Quick Primer to Old School Gaming before I said something. This morning I did that and realised I don’t actually have any objections to what was written in either. Not sure why I thought I had problems with them.

[Solomoriah]

Okay, just curious now... have you read my RPG Primer?

I'll send you a PDF if you haven't. Just let me know.

[chiisu81]

I don't know if we can still reference other games/titles in our documents with the license change. In OGL we had to have prior approval from those authors/companies, if they don't change from OGL or use something besides CC is it the same?

[Solomoriah]

Hah. Chi, we're free. We can do whatever we want, as long as we steer clear of slander and libel. Of course, we're going to continue being the good guys, but we can call things by name now!

[chiisu81]

[AlMan]

Pages 80 (76) – Page 85 (81) – Dragons (All plus Turtle) – Age Tables
Would like to see width better reflect line size. For Desert Dragons and Swamp Dragons since they use line Breath Weapon (BW) the width should be ‘5 for the second to fifth ages. Since they can start using Cloud or Cone BW at sixth age and all three BW at seventh age those should be the wider numbers but may need to explain that the wider numbers are for the cloud and cone versions and that the line is still 5’. May want to add an explination that the number in parentheses is for the other breath weapon option available to the dragon at that age. I think it would look like this:
Width | - | 5’ | 5’ | 5’ | 5’ | 5’ (55’) | 5’ (60’) |
I'm not sure how this is better than the system in use at the present. For example, the Swamp (Black) Dragon has a line-type breath weapon, understood to be 5' wide by the given length long. However, the age table gives the full width to be used for a cone or cloud, not 5'

My point is that Desert Dragons (Blue) and Swamp Dragons (Black) do not have cloud or cone shaped breath weapons until they reach Age Category 6 and the third shape at Age Category 7, according to the general dragon descriptions. To me it seems confusing that both these dragons have Widths for Age Categories (2-5) that are for breath weapon shapes they can't use. In the last two entries above, I have the Desert Dragon (Blue) width for the second and third breath weapon shapes in parenthesis and the primary breath weapon shape as the regular 5'. That is the intent I was trying to get at.

Page 133 (129) – Shadow and Shark – images
The images of the shadow and shark extend into the bottom margin of the page.
Flow issue. Too soon to worry about those.
I included these for the actual final flow pass and don't expect anything until the final flow pass is being done. These are essentially just place holders and reminders for then.