Content deleted Content added
Citation bot (talk | contribs) Add: date, title. Changed bare reference to CS1/2. | Use this bot. Report bugs. | Suggested by Superegz | Category:Open-source tabletop games | #UCB_Category 15/17 |
|||
| (22 intermediate revisions by 9 users not shown) | |||
Line 3:
{{Infobox game
|title=Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game
|image=File:Basic_Fantasy_Core_Rules,
|image_size=250px
|caption=Cover of the
|designer=Chris Gonnerman
|publisher=Self-published
Line 16:
|web={{url|https://www.basicfantasy.org}}
}}
'''''Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game''''' (also commonly known as '''''Basic Fantasy RPG''''' and abbreviated '''''BFRPG'''''), is an [[open source]] [[Dungeons & Dragons retro-clones|retro-clone]] [[role-playing game]] written by Chris Gonnerman that emulates, and is largely compatible with, the 1981 ''[[Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set|Basic]]'' and ''[[Dungeons & Dragons Expert Set|Expert]]'' sets of ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]''. Its main differences from ''B/X D&D'' include [[D20 System|d20]]-style ascending [[armor class]] and separation of character [[Fantasy race|race]] and [[Character class|class]]. It was first published in print in 2007<ref name=bforg>[http://www.basicfantasy.org/news.html ''Basic Fantasy News'']. Retrieved on 2020-10-19.</ref> and updated in 2008,<ref>[http://www.basicfantasy.org/news.html#75core ''Core Rules 2nd Edition (Release 75)'' – July 15, 2008]. Retrieved on 2008-08-09.</ref>
==History==
With his original copies of the Basic and Expert rules having fallen into disrepair from use, Gonnerman found himself in need of a replacement for himself, as well as copies he could legally share with his players.<ref name=3ts>[https://3toadstools.blogspot.com/2016/10/its-your-turn-chris-ladies-gentlemen.html Shane Patrick Ward. ''An Interview with Chris Gonnerman.''3 Toadstools Publishing – October 7, 2016"]</ref> At the time, the potential use of the [[Open
While created in its own right to emulate and improve upon the inspirational work of [[Tom Moldvay]] and [[David Cook (game_designer)|David Cook]], Basic Fantasy also derives inspiration from Gonnerman's earlier RPG, ''Project 74'',<ref>[http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/9/9267.phtml Tom Sutherland. ''REVIEW OF PROJECT 74.'' RPGnet.] Retrieved on 2008-08-09.</ref><ref>[http://tower.newcenturycomputers.net/project74.html ''Alderon's Tower – Project 74 Role-Playing Game'']. Retrieved on 2008-08-09.</ref> itself a retro-clone of fantasy gaming of the mid-1970s.<ref name="bforg" /><ref name="3ts" />
After Gonnerman released a downloadable preview of the work in progress on January 1, 2006,<ref name="bforg" /> [[OSRIC]] also began development,<ref>[http://www.knights-n-knaves.com/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=1231 Matt “Mythmere” Finch. ''D&D Restatement Project''. Knights & Knaves Alehouse. Retrieved on 2020-10-23]</ref> but Stuart Marshall has stated that BFRPG came first.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-H92nEUBZgo OSRIC Interview with Stuart Marshall, YouTube]</ref> Contemporaries [[Labyrinth Lord]] and [[Swords & Wizardry]]
According to The Orr Group Industry Report, Basic Fantasy is in the top 45 games played worldwide on [[Roll20]] — more popular than its contemporaries Labyrinth Lord, Swords & Wizardry, and [[Dungeon Crawl Classics]], as well as [[Dungeons & Dragons (1974)|Original D&D]].<ref>
==Design==
Basic Fantasy was designed to be rules-light and simple enough for children to learn while having sufficient depth and expandability to engage adults.<ref name="bf">[https://basicfantasy.org Basic Fantasy website]</ref>
The game is modular, providing a core framework for four essential classes from levels 1 to 20. The core rulebook combines the functions of a player character (PC) manual, a game master (GM) guide, and a monster reference in one volume. With the rules as written, it makes minor changes from its original 1981 inspiration in separating race from class, using the [[D20 System|d20]] ascending armor class scheme
As an open source gaming system, it has grown and changed similarly to other successful open source projects using that model, "supported by dedicated fans worldwide who have contributed hundreds of pages of rules supplements, adventure modules, and other useful and enjoyable game materials".<ref name="bf" />
==License change==
On January 7, 2023, Gonnerman expressed concern that pending changes to the OGL represented "an existential threat" to the future of the system.<ref>[https://www.basicfantasy.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4596 A Manifesto of Sorts, which is a Plan as well. Retrieved on 2023-01-10]</ref> He proposed a switch to the [[Creative Commons]] Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license, and after receiving positive feedback, work commenced on auditing the text content of the core rulebook with the goal of modifying or removing any verbiage similar to that found in the [[System Reference Document]]. The resulting book was dubbed the 4th Edition and released on June 10, 2023.<ref>[https://basicfantasy.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=90897#p90897 "Core Rules 4th Edition (Release 132) - June 10, 2023"] Retrieved on 2023-07-13.</ref>
==Reception==
In a review of ''Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game'' in ''[[Black Gate (magazine)|Black Gate]]'', M Harold Page said "Overall, this game does what it sets out to do, and does it with conviction. It's an inexpensive, exhaustive, and approachable system. A motivated early teen could master it quickly, though with some mentoring because they would need to know what roleplaying was and would be well advised to ignore the paragraph where it recommends that players be responsible for mapping according to the DM's descriptions, They might also want to apply selected additions from the website's PDFs."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.blackgate.com/2019/01/24/a-belated-first-look-at-basic-fantasy-role-playing-game/ | title=A (Belated) First Look at Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game. – Black Gate | date=24 January 2019 }}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Dungeons & Dragons retro-clones
[[Category:Fantasy role-playing games]]
[[Category:Indie role-playing games]]
[[Category:Open-source tabletop games]]
[[Category:Role-playing games introduced in 2006]]
| |||