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What is Fantasy Express?

Fantasy Express is a new game, based on Against the Darkmaster and the Grievious Grimoire. It is released under license from Open 00 Games, and also being released under Creative Commons license.

But what is Fantasy Express like?

Basic Mechanics

• Dice Mechanic - Uses a 2d10 open-ended mechanic (not d100)
  
   
• Resolution Mechanic - Has a universal mechanic that is used for almost everything, with a few flourishes, based on the type of roll (i.e. spells get saves, etc.) using the FEAT (Fantasy Express Action/Task) table. It also determines how successful the character is with up to 5 Success Levels able to be earned. The FEAT table takes up a tiny portion of the character sheet so that is always readily available.
  
   
• Combat - For Combat, you roll on the FEAT table, and subtract the foe's Defensive Modifier (DM) and look up the result. Partial Success = deal half of the weapon's Damage rating as hits of damage. Success, do the full damage rating as hits (plus +1 hit for each point the result is over 20), and you also earn Success Levels. Those are spent on Critical Results, chosen by the player - no random criticals - and even include results that can be beneficial in the following round. On the other side, Armor reduces the amount of damage dealt (both weapons and armor have ratings for types of attack, so may be better in one aspect than another -- for example, an Armor Sword has a Damage Rating of 12s/8p, and Soft Leather has an Armor Rating of B1/S2/P1/SL0, so wearing just the leather armor reduces the Slashing attack from the sword by 2 points - Parrying IS your friend!!!
  
   
• Magic - Character have Mana Points. Spells have levels. However, the Spell Lores as base effects that are used to build spells on the fly. Once you have it figured out, you cast it (takes 2 rounds) and subtract the Mana Points for it. You can also record your most common spells in your spellbook (and review them daily to keep them fresh), and cast them more quickly than spells cast on the fly (you are not limited to one or the other, you can do both types of casting). Success Levels can increase the effects in various ways, again the player's choice on how by spending the Success Levels. Some spells are against DM, others get Saves, depending on how the spell works. Skills - you can earn Success on skill rolls as well, and spend them on results that can mean that skill took less time or even gave you bonus on another roll later one, and again, the choice is all up to the player.
  
   
• Default Setting - The default setting for Fantasy Express is Anwyn (https://anwyn.firehawkgames.biz/index.html). There is a short overview in the front of the book. More information can be found on the website.

System Details

• Stats - there are 7 stats, and multiple methods for generating them.
  
   
• Races - 9 Races total (3 Human, 3 Elven, 1 Dwarf, Dwelf (think slender, athletic halflings), and Gnome) -- each provides the character with some background option points, stat modifiers
  
   
• Cultures - There are 15 Cultures to select from. Each provides some information about dress, general demeanor, and give a bit for starting wealth. Each also rpovides 20 skill ranks divided among a number of skills.
  
   
• Vocations - There are 32 Vocational Kits given. However, each is only half of a full Vocation, so you select 2 for your character and simply combine them. This method gives you about 528 possible combinations for building the type of character you want. This allows for extremely flexible character generation without a lot fo complication. Each Vocation gives 10 Development Points split among the Skill Categories, and 20 skill ranks split amoung the various skills. Each also gives you the choice of one of 3 Special Skills related to the Vocation.
  
   
• Skill Categories & Skills - There are 9 Skill Categories in total and 42 separate skills, although, some skills, such as Spell Lores, are learned multiple times, for a different version of the skill each time.
  
   
• Special Skills - There are about 34 Special Skills. Each can only be learned once, and you do not purchase them like normal skills. You get them from your Vocation, from a Background Option selection or from Milestones
  
   
• Background Options - there are 57 Background Options with 2 levels to each, giving a total of 110 Gifts that you can spend your Background Option Points on. But wait! There's more! There are also 34 Drawbacks as well. Drawbacks give you more BackGround Option Points (you can get up to 3 total) to spend on more Gifts.
  
   
• Passions - Passions are essentially descriptions about how your characters act. Each character has 3. When they come into play, they can earn you more Drive.
  
   
• Drive - you can have up to 5 Drive total at any given time (if you have 5, you cannot gain more until you spend some). Drive can be spent to do rerolls, give a bonus on a roll, or a small number of other things. You also track how much Drive you have used (this is called your Heroic Path), and for every 10 points on your Heroic Path, you gain a Milestone.
  
   
• Milestones - Thes are bonus abilities that you can gain after you have spent 10 Drive Points. There are about 35 in total, and while you can only gain most once, there are some that can be gained multiple times.
  
   

Additional Features/Items

• Commerce Table - For when you want to roll trading interations.
  
   
• Weather Generation - simple, but flexible.
  
   
• Example Spells - 160 example spells spread across the 8 Schools of Magic, all made using the 14 Spell Lores.
  
   
• Bestiary - Appriximately160 stat blocks for creatures.
  
   
• Item Creation rules - for magical items
  
   
• Example Treasures - We provide an array of example treasure to show what sort of things can be done with the Item Creation rules.

Ok, as I have mentioned before, this game is based stronly on the wonderful game called Against the Darkmaster (vsD) by Open Ended Games. Another strong influence is the Grievous Grimoire by Imaginary Turtles.

However, I will be using 2d10 rather d100. I have also made a number of other changes to  go with this.

Races -- I will have the same races as I have in Novus, which are the races in my Anwyn setting.

Culture  -- Also the same cultures as Novus, but handled very differently in Fantasy Express (FX). For FX, each Culture gets a list of common skills. You get 10 ranks to split between those skills however you want (with a max limit of 2 in any individual skill).

Vocations --  This is where I diverge even more. Basically I have a number of Kits which are essentially half of Vocation. So you choose 2 of them. You could choose a Fighter and a Wizard to make a Hybrid, choose Warrior Mage for a full Hybrid, choose a Wizard and Mage to get a Magus type (Magus == having two schools of magic)). Essentially, by picking two Kits, you get a great deal of flexibility in designing your character however you want.

Skills -- like in vsD, you get  Development Points in each Skill Category And all skills cost the same (1 DP per rank for first 10 ranks, 2 DP per rank for ranks 11 to 20, and 3 DP per rank for ranks 21+). You can move DPs from one or more Skill Categories to other Skill Categories at a cost of 2 DPs moved to get 1 DP in the receiving Skill Category.

Please note that once you move DPs, the resulting DP(s) must be immediately spent. The reason for this is to keep accounting simple since you are also able to save DPs across levels if you want, and to Save them, you Save them in the Skill Category where it was earned.

Each Vocation also gets 2 Special Skills (the player choose one from each of the 2 Kits they selected. These Special Skills are basically one-shot skills (you only learn them once) and you can only gain additional Special Skills via Milestones (see below)

Background Options -- Based on those from vsD and GG. You are allowed to get up to 3 extra Background Points by taking Drawbacks. You do not have to take Drawbacks if you do not want.

Passions, Drive Points, & MIlestones -- the Passions are essentially the same as in vsD, and Drive Points are also based on vsD, but also expanded as each Special Skill has its own Specific Drive Point option. And Milestones are also like in vsD, but expanded to include learning new Special Skills.

Resolution -- everything will use the following table for resolution


This includes Saves, Skills, Combat, and Magic as well. As you can see, there are "x SL" next to the Success rows on the table. These are Success Levels and they can affect what you are attempting to do (i.e. for combat, they can produce "critical" damage - that the player decides upon!)

Combat -- like mentioned, it uses the above table. Like with vsD, you have an Armor Type and Defense that affect combat.

• Weapons/Attacks -- will have ratings, for example the Arming Sword has a Damage Rating of 8s/6p which means that a basic Success on an attack deals EITHER 8 points of slashing damage OR 6 points of Puncture Damage. Each SL can do another increment of the Damage Rating, or the SL can be spent to purchase critical effects. Total Hit point damage is also increased by 1 point for each point that the final attack roll was over 20.
• Armor -- Armor has all of the same stats as in vsD, but it also have Armor Ratings for Blunt, Slash, Pierce, Elemental, and Success Levels, which can reduce the overall damage received.

Magic -- Is based on the Spell Creation Rules from the Novus book, Libram Arcanis. There are 14 Spell Lores, and you learn them, gain ranks in them. You then build your Spell on the fly. Some aspects of the Spell Lore will increase the Spell's level, others will give Casting Modifiers (i.e. negative modifiers to your casting roll) which provides for a dynamic, flexible, yet still relatively easy.

I will post more examples later....

In this product, we are giving you a simple system to add Herbalism to your Game. Herbs are an excellent way to provide more intriguing elements to healing and alternatives to stardard healing magic.

The information provided in this work is designed specifically, and unofficially, to be used with Against the Darkmaster, but it can also be used with many other fantasy role-playing systems. It can also be considered as additional material to be used with the additional guidelines and rules presented in the Grievous Grimoire by Imaginary Turtles.

The contents of this product are not endorsed by, nor should they be considered official in any capacity. They are, however, released under the Open00 license.

As a GM, you should always consider how new rules and guidelines fits into their game. If such rules are inappropriate, you should feel free not to use them and/or use other rules in its place.

Here is the current Character Sheet for  Fantasy Express (FX)

I plan on using this thread to allow those who are interested to follow along where i am in the development process for DAG.

I have the Races written up -- I am using the same Races as will be found in my Anwyn setting (Setting Overview on the left side and you can see short write ups of them with no system information)

I am mostly done the generic Cultures (have about half a dozen left).

I am almost done the skill write-ups (just have to finish one skill).

I have updated the background options, and have written up the Ancestry background Options (these are what allows you to be part of multiple races, like a half elf or half orc, or Gnomish half-dwarf, etc...)

I am done the 12 attack tables and working on the crit tables (there is another post in this section showing what they will look like).