Just Starting

[admincalamity]

Hi!
I only just found out about Basic Fantasy, maybe a week ago. I think it's a pretty neat idea and would love to play more of it. Unfortunately it looks like I'll have to be the GM to get any game time in, as no one I know is willing to look into being the GM.

My question is this: how do you get started? I've flipped through and then reread the guidelines, but it all gets jumbled in my head. It's simple, yes, but I'm very new to tabletop games.

Do you have any advice as to how to get started as a GM, or even on just how to get a grasp on the system? Especially the magic side of things.

[artikid]

Hello,
I suggest you start by running a small focused adventure, like the ones you can find in the Adventure Anthology available for download.
Most of all relax, trust you judgment, be fair and use some common sense.
I guess you'll run the game for friends or family, if that is the case this should make it easier on you as your players will be less prone to bitching about (it happens sometimes).

I would suggest you watch some gaming sessions on Youtube if I knew some good ones.
Good luck!

[admincalamity]

Thanks Artikid! I am running it with just family at the moment (none of my friends can be convinced to join yet). I'll check out the Anthology and try to keep it simple for now.

[SerGavin]

I would recommend morgansfort as a great starting location for an adventure or campaign. In the game I play in currently and a few I've GMed, many a PC has met a grisly end in the old island fortress and nameless dungeon.

[Dimirag]

If you don't feel like up to running an adventure the just improvise using what you feel comfortably with.
Not every session must involve every kind of situation. Go with roleplay above mechanics, create situation that you think are manageable to you.
Keep it simple and fun. Set a tone for the adventure with the players and run with it so its easier to not deviate from the intended game.

[artikid]

Admincalamity you are welcome!

A few more things I found useful over the years:
Try to run the game without supplements the first times, there 's already a lot of stuff to digest in there.
Keep GM exposition succinct, it's easy to get carried away and forget the game is about the players' choices
Start your first game "in media res". No need for long backstory at first, something like: "Omar's son has been kidnapped by goblins. You tracked down the humanoids and are now hidden in the woods surrounding their lair. What do you do? " works like a charm most of the times.
1st level characters are rather frail, use optional rules about death at the back of the book and maybe give them maximum hit points OR make 2nd level characters
Buying equipment can be fun, but takes time away from real gaming. Consider the Equipment packs supplement for newly created characters.

What is it you'd like to know about magic?

[admincalamity]

When it comes to magic I just have a... really hard time wrapping my head around what the book is saying. I usually learn better from real time example, but the demo I went to I didn't play a magic user (thievery is much easier).

One thing I know I'm having trouble with is how spell usage works. I haven't seen anything about 'mana' points, so I'm guessing it doesn't work like that. Do you use it and it's simply gone, like other platforms?

Would having a separate time to let people roll up characters and buy equipment be a good idea? Then there'd be time to go over rules and such once, and then next time we can play 'for real'?

@SerGavin, I'll definitely look at Morgansfort. I'm currently looking at Merilla's Tower (?) as it looks small and simple, though I might adjust the amount of combat (means a shorter game, but I don't think my family is ready to die a lot.)

[quozl]

A 1st level magic-user can cast only one 1st-level spell per day. Also, they can only cast spells that they know and they start out only knowing Read Magic and one other 1st-level spell. After that, they must sleep and wait until the next day to cast another spell. When they go up levels, just look at the chart which shows how many spells (and of what level) they can cast per day.

[artikid]

One thing I know I'm having trouble with is how spell usage works. I haven't seen anything about 'mana' points, so I'm guessing it doesn't work like that. Do you use it and it's simply gone, like other platforms?

Yes, there's no "mana points" in the game. Spells are like rockets that get loaded in the caster's mind, once shot they must be reloaded from a spellbook or through meditation.
If you're wondering where this idea comes from take a look at Jack Vance's "The Dying Earth", one of the authors of the original fantasy game was a fan and borrowed the idea from there.

Would having a separate time to let people roll up characters and buy equipment be a good idea? Then there'd be time to go over rules and such once, and then next time we can play 'for real'?

Well if I had many players -mostly newbies- and little time I'd probably do a session number 0 just to roll characters, buy equipment and introduce players to the basics of the game.
With just 2 or 3 players -maybe with some kind of experienced, even MORPG experience- and 4 free hours ahead I would do everything in the same session.
But it boils down to a matter of taste.

[Dimirag]

One thing I know I'm having trouble with is how spell usage works. I haven't seen anything about 'mana' points, so I'm guessing it doesn't work like that. Do you use it and it's simply gone, like other platforms?

The Magic user and Cleric descriptions come each with a table showing how many spells can they cast in a single day.
Since Clerics don't cast spell at Level 1 focus on the Magic Users (unless you want to start with level 2+ characters). On that table find the current character level, it will tell you how many spells can be Prepare at the start of a new day.
Preparing a spell needs 4 components:
-Having a spellbook: Here are contained the spells the Magic User has earn thru adventure.
-Knowing the spell: Magic Users start with a set amount of spells and can learn new spells as they adventure.
-Having an available "spell slot": Once you prepare a spell that slot is occupied until the spell is cast, as the Magic User earns XP he will gain more "spell slots", some will let him cast more spells of a same level and others will let him cast spell of new higher levels.
-Being rested: Magic users must have rested before Preparing their spells.
Note: Clerics don't need nor use spellbooks, and have access to all their casteable spell unless the GM rule otherwise (ruling that a Deity will not give or have access to specific and out of concept spells).

Would having a separate time to let people roll up characters and buy equipment be a good idea? Then there'd be time to go over rules and such once, and then next time we can play 'for real'?

It helps the players to get an idea of what composes a character, but don't put to much time into it, not every ability or special ability or item will be used in the first adventure probably, plus, the high mortality rate means that all that time and effort into creating your first pc can end up wasted if the pc dies rapidly.