Basic Fantasy Field Guide Volume 2

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Solomoriah
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide 2

Post by Solomoriah »

ThorinSchmidt wrote: Sat May 18, 2019 3:07 pm why not move it to the magic item compendium? as a one-shot magic item, it would be of more use to the game, I think.
I agree in general, but it needs to be redesigned in a more logical fashion, at least from the GM's perspective. As of right now, I'm planning to drop it from FG2; if someone wants to take a crack at a rewrite as a cursed item for the compendium, feel free.
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide 2

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Solomoriah wrote: Sat May 18, 2019 7:41 pmOH... and I discovered that an important bit of the general Nazgorean descriptive text was MISSING. So I put it in. It's a new version of what I originally wrote for Lost Pyramid.
I see the new text (new to me anyhow, noted that you had this in your adventure material) about magic for Nazgoreans. This complicates or at least means some new explanation might be needed for the FG2 entry for Nazgorean, Nehnite. It is noted as "different" but might need something extra to clarify.
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide 2

Post by SmootRK »

Chi,
I am also noting some inconsistency in Nazgorian spelling. Solo's post shows Nazgorean. Not sure which is Solo's ultimate choice, but we should correct across these documents.
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide 2

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another minor thing when I looked at the document today,

Sewer Boar probably ought to be "Boar, Sewer"
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide 2

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Nazgorean.
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Dimirag
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide 2

Post by Dimirag »

Don't know if any of these has been corrected on the new revision...

Page 4: The Advi -> The Advi
Page 8: Bazeley’s Sphere Imprisoner -> Bazeley’s Sphere, Imprisoner
Page 8: On the description: the Sphere Imprisoner -> should be "the Imprisioner Sphere"?
Page 9: Bazeley’s Sphere Major -> Bazeley’s Sphere, Major
Page 9: On the description: the Sphere Mayor -> should be "the Mayor Sphere"?
Page 9: Bazeley’s Sphere Minor -> Bazeley’s Sphere, Minor
Page 9: On the description: Sphere Minor -> Minor Sphere?
Page 9: Bazeley’s Sphere Recombinant -> Bazeley’s Sphere, Recombinant
Page 9: On the description: the Sphere Recombinant -> should be "the Recombinant Sphere"?
Page 9: Bears attack -> Bears attack

The Bog Ogre, Bone Chimera and Bone Viper should be Ogre, Bog; Chimera, Bone; and Viper, Bone? Similar to how the polar boar is listed as "boar, polar"
Sorry for any misspelling or writing error, I am not a native English speaker
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Solomoriah
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide 2

Post by Solomoriah »

It appears the original author actually meant "Sphere Imprisoner" and not "Imprisoner Sphere" (for example) as the proper naming convention for these creatures, so I am not changing them. Some of the monster classifications have been reassigned consistent with your suggestions; I don't have a definitive list though.

I'll be uploading a new FG2 tonight, with any luck.
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide 2

Post by Solomoriah »

Ack. Not tonight. The layout is giving me FITS, and I don't have enough patience left to hammer it out.

ALSO... I don't like the Mountain Fairy's "Hardness 8" skin. Other monsters in BFRPG have stony skin (indeed, stone golems are stone all the way through) but do not receive this bonus; also, "damage reduction" isn't a standard rule in BFRPG. I'm feeling strongly that it needs rewritten.

I've rewritten the Long Bear, and made it truly fearsome... looking forward to showing you all (but not tonight).
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide 2

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Okay, layout problems, and things I regret.

Right now the main layout problem I've been fighting is the Dreadnought. In the current flow, its picture falls off the page to a new page... and it's an odd-page-to-even-page transition, meaning in print, you'll have to turn the page to see the picture. Not acceptable.

But push the whole creature to the next page, and the Fairy flow is just shattered, because Elemental, Timber-Wolf breaks across the page and pushes the main Fairy heading down on the next page. If the Fairy heading starts the page, the flow is quite acceptable.

Thinking perhaps I could edit the text of the Timber-Wolf down to size, I read it, and remembered something I regret.

In FG1 we have the Wood Elemental. I'll admit, I was NOT paying attention when that got put in, because I'd have said no. But it's been in print, so I'm not going to remove it, even though I feel it makes absolutely no sense.

Let's talk about Elementals for the moment. "Elemental" just means "of or about an element," so we have to discuss what "element" means.

Classical elements as understood in the ancient world are Air, Earth, Fire, and Water, as well as the "fifth element" that could be any number of things depending on what story you find most entertaining. Each classical element has a specific nature that is distinct from the others, and each is considered a fundamental part of the natural world, that is, something other things are made of.

The elements of modern science are more varied and complex, but they come in groups, and each group of elements have a specific nature that is distinct from the others, and each is considered a fundamental part of the natural world, that is, something other things are made of. So even though we're talking science rather than magic, the definition is very similar.

FG1 adds four elementals: Cold, Lightning, Metal, and Wood. The first three are kind of weird to me. Cold is like Fire, I suppose. Lightning is like Fire too (energy). Metal is like Earth, but it's also like the scientific elements (there is a group of Metals). As I say, they are weird, but we can also say they are fundamental things that other things are made of. But Wood? Wood is in no way fundamental. The only things in nature made of wood are trees. If we have Wood as an element, it stands to reason we have Bone as well. Is there an Elemental Plane of Flesh? Blood? Mucus? (Doesn't THAT sound like fun?)

If I had been paying attention, I would not have allowed Wood Elementals. But I was not paying attention, and as a matter of consistency I'm not removing them now. They have acquired a sort of tenure, you see.

But FG2 is not in print yet. I don't have to expand on something that doesn't make sense to me, so I don't have to accept another kind of Wood Elemental. Still, as a monster the Timber-Wolf is entertaining, and I don't want to remove it outright. As of right now, I'm strongly considering rewriting it as a kind of nature spirit creature... I can easily see building an adventure around such a monster.

Just coincidentally, this would move it from E to T, removing it from the troubled part of the flow and making the Fairies all happy.
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SmootRK
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Re: Basic Fantasy Field Guide 2

Post by SmootRK »

I wrote Timber Wolf, and I can accept this re-written as some sort of Nature Spirit as I think that can fit quite well.

That said, I believe you are discounting an entire set of (ancient) cultures that look at elements different.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_Xing

Asian cultures in fact see fire, earth, metal, water, and wood as the primal constituent elements that everything consists of. Just as relevant as the western view of 4 classic elements. Just food for thought.
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