Review of Fantasy Realms: World of T単hon

This is the first book of the Fantasy Realms game system: The World of T'Phon. It's essentially a somewhat restrained version of the fantasy genre as depicted in games like AD&D. Several staples of the fantasy game genre are lacking, such as teleportation and full-body plate armor. Some of these differences make sense in the context of the T'Phon setting (the scarcity of metals and early adoption of firearms explain the lack of heavy metal armor), but I think others (like the "no teleportation" rule) reflect the authors' pet peeves with AD&D more than any internal consistency with the setting presented.

Character generation may either be point-based or the result of rolling dice, at the GM's discretion. In either case, the character generation system used is functional: it's neither uselessly freeform nor mired in endless tables.

A nice variety of fantasy species is available for player characters, including humans. There is more than one human ethnic group, which is nice, but the rules insist that there is no ethnic hostility or prejudice, which makes me think these aren't really humans, after all. There are also Grell (dog people), Kareen (cat people), Tarn (badger people), Naitor (bat people), etc. (Notice that the other sentient species' names are capitalized, but "human" isn't. Discrimination, I tell you.) There isn't a race resembling dwarves, elves, or hobbits, which is probably a good thing.

The combat/skill system is based upon results from a d20, which allows for a nice probability curve, but Fantasy Realms insists on mandatory failure whenever a player rolls a "1", which has always offended me for both aesthetic and realistic reasons. The combat system is mechanically fairly straightforward and complete, covering such contingencies as dual weapon usage and the normal fencing-type maneuvers. All in all, the combat resolution system seems clean, fair, and comprehensible (a good thing).

The damage resolution system is another matter. Fantasy Realms says that "it eliminates much of the traditional paperwork that is associated with actually in game play" and that "it is the first known game system of its kind that uses no 'hit point' or 'spell point' system to keep track and balance things." Instead, the damage caused by the weapon is added to a d20 roll, modified by the attacker's BODY and the defender's armor, then compared to a chart. The chart gives the result of the attack in terms of being knocked down or unconscious (or, at its upper extreme, being slain messily), along with various modifiers to perception, attack and defense, and future damage rolls.

Rather than doing away with the task of keeping track of "hit points," this damage system requires the players to refer to a chart and keep track of a variety of cumulative modifiers during even a one-on-one duel. I don't see this as an improvement over a simple "health point" or "body & stun" tally that lets the GM describe the specific effects of damage however she wants. However, I do see how this could improve the role-playing quality of a game where the typical attack is described with all the creativity of "you take 30 hit points."

The magic system is usable. Many spells are given in the book, covering all the basics of attack, movement, defense, and impressing the natives, and a framework for designing new spells is included (it is assumed that most magicians will create the majority of the spells they use). The spell creation framework is not as creative and fun as that in Darkurthe Legends or as elegant and finely-tuned as that in Fantasy Hero, but it's functional and probably a bit easier to use than the systems in those games.

The T'Phon setting is interesting, but not detailed or original enough to be truly breathtaking (this is no Empire of the Petal Throne). The politics of the area are sketchy, and no map is provided of the world or of any area in it. This is ostensibly to accentuate the realism of being in a pre-industrial society. Perhaps if more than a couple of pages were devoted to the geography and history of the realm, the lack of a map would bother me less. Some interesting cultural tidbits are scattered throughout the book, and these combine to paint a more complete picture of T'Phon society than is at first apparent, but the lack of a cohesive presentation makes it difficult to digest.

All in all, Fantasy Realms: World of T'Phon is a decent fantasy game, and provides an interesting setting. It would provide a solid stepping-stone to players who have matured beyond the AD&D stage of role-playing but aren't ready for games as free-form as Amber (or Everway) or as customizable as Fantasy Hero. The authors of Fantasy Realms may be reached at <frj@tiac.net> or on the Web at <http://www.tiac.net/users/frj/>. They also have a BBS at: (617) 899-9483 (FIDONet 1:101/245).

Style: 2 (Needs Work)
Substance: 3 (Average)