Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 1

[Solomoriah]

Post your comments here for the Basic Fantasy Field Guide.

EDIT: 18 June 2013 draft

FYI, for best viewing of the PDF to give one an idea of how it will come out finally in book form... change to the 2 page view.

All the graphics within have pumped up the odt file size to almost 50Mb, but I will be looking at what steps I might take to optimize the file in the future --- and such I have tweaked the pdf for now to export with lower image quality, however eventually a hi-res version will be available for those who need that.

More Great Illustrations Added!! small tweaks throughout.

https://basicfantasy.org/downloads.html#fieldguide

[SmootRK]

Field Guide has some entries out of alphabetical order. Vermen; thee Zombie, Flesh Eater; then Vort; Wolverine; and finally Zombraire.

I have not made a full run through the alphabet looking for more of this sort of mix up. Combining the contents of the Book of Beasts (by maddog) and the Monster Supplement 2, is probably where this occurred... as I find many creatures from BoB to be omitted (although some might be purposeful omissions).

I have come to the conclusion that I would greatly prefer having all the creatures within one tome... but I would still prefer that the SRD creatures get a BFRPG touch up or re-think... especially for creatures that come from myth/legend (for instance, regular animals need not be redesigned).

[Solomoriah]

There were no intentional omissions.

Feel free to download the ODT and add or rearrange whatever needs attention. Send it back to me and I'll repost it as the next revision (go ahead and change the release number when you edit it).

[SmootRK]

I thought it would be very quick, but there are many omissions between the two books. I will work on this for a while today and see what I can get compiled. I may choose to omit some entries, so far only because they are grouped monsters under a major heading (much like the herd animal entry in the core rules)... they require more thought and planning that I want to deal with at this particular moment.

Release 2 will be massive... make sure you give major props to maddog for his work on all these conversions.

[Solomoriah]

Excellent, thanks. I was pretty sure I didn't have the complete info when I did it.

[Steveman]

Looking back at some of the art in teh book I provided, two examples of my own work make me cry. The boglin and the greater orb of eyes. ;_;

I will be redrawing both of those.

The sphynx art I did needs work too.

[Solomoriah]

Send your revised artwork directly to me, please, and I'll get it into the next release.

[SmootRK]

I am beginning a new round of editorial efforts on the Field Guide. I will be doing some work at re-writing some entries so that the entries all use the same logical flow of information, so if you are a previous contributor, please do not be offended by changes. Likewise, a few entries will likely be deleted if they are just too strange or stray too far from the way BFRPG rules work (we want these to be simple and easily workable with BFRPG without too many rules variations). A great deal of material was taken from d20 srd monsters with really sketchy details, so some of those might get tweaks.

That said, and while it is a big project, there is room for additional contributions. Please share if you have something, but please try to make sure it is already well polished. Be concise with writing, yet cover the bases and make sure your figures are correct and consistent with existing BFRPG standards. I will handle formatting, so just make sure your info is good.

And if you are the artsy type, we would love to get illustrations in the style found in BFRPG for these creatures... the more the merrier. If you have good google-fu, there are b&w illustrations from old (and free of copyright) sources that can be used here.... but they have to be found. Old zoology tomes have some really good stuff, but not everything fits the right look we need too.

Anyhow, here is the OPEN CALL for your input!! Either put it here in the thread, or contact me via PM to share.

[SmootRK]

I am thinking that I am going to re-organize a few entries, giving them a BFRPG spin all at the same time.

For instance, Solo's Nazgor beasts will get put together
Nazgor, Eelbat
Nazgor, Hydramander
Nazgor, Spiderwolf

Demons, Devils (and any falling similar being if brought in from other games/editions) will instead be called "Infernal"
Angels, Devas, and likely stuff like Oliphants (if we create such) would get a similar grouping (but I have not settled on a name for such yet).
Dinosaurs will be grouped (as they are already), and perhaps there can be a grouping for Prehistorics (to hold stuff like Hyenadons, Cave Bears, 'dire' varieties (much is not represented but thinking proactively here).

Any other logical groupings that I might use?

[Solomoriah]

Respectfully, Mr. Smoot, I like demons and devils named thusly, though I'm willing to entertain discussion.

Please don't forget the frogmen among the Nazgoreans.

I'm not in favor of the higher powers being represented. In Swords and Sorcery literature, angels rarely appear but demons are in every second story. I'd like to emulate that. In fact, having no firm rules for the higher powers would suit me quite well.

All the rest I'm in full agreement with.

[SmootRK]

I was not entirely clear above, the Grouping of the beings will be called Infernal. The individuals will still have their traditional names (and would likely still be sub-categorized in their descriptive text). And of course, the name of that grouping is subject to discussion... call it Nether-beings, Underworld, etc. Infernal just sounded best of what I could think of at that moment. I am willing to entertain other suggestions.

As far as things like Angels, Devas, etc., just thinking out loud. We don't have them represented in any monster entry, so I was just thinking pro-actively if anyone submitted or converted such a creature.

And for Nazgoreans, I am with you on all your points about them (and the realm). Do you have other specimens to share?

[Solomoriah]

No. The Nazgoreans listed in the Field Guide are the ones I needed for The Great Desert (specifically, The Lost Pyramid adventure within that multimodule). In fact, the current draft doesn't contain the hydramander, though I expect to get it in there soon.

Of course, there are more of them... I just haven't imagined them yet.

I keep swinging back and forth regarding whether Prince Frogs are from Nazgor or not. They're too colorful, but otherwise they're very similar to the Nazgorean beasts. I thought up the Prince Frogs while looking at a metal sculpture in my wife's garden...