[Review] Fantasy Craft Adventure Companion

[Desertpuma]

They probably meant Devilish but Infernal sounds like something that would be in Spellbound, especially with the Reaper Base Class.

[Crafty_Alex]

Picked this up the other day and it is awesome.  My game group will love Epoch.  The sub-species chart was a welcomed surprise.

To make a Tiefling, it lists Infernal Heritage but I cannot find it.  Did you mean Devilish Heritage, or will Infernal Heritage be in Spellbound?

Thanks

Typo. It's supposed to be Devilish Heritage. The AC does not point to any rules outside of itself and the FC 2nd printing core book

[Crafty_Alex]

They probably meant Devilish but Infernal sounds like something that would be in Spellbound, especially with the Reaper Base Class.

Nah, the Reaper can be a neutral or even a good guy (though few probably are). A good example of the necromancer who's not expressly evil - Alexia Ciannor, of the Witchfire Trilogy in the Iron Kingdoms setting.

[Doublebond]

Consider the following.

An unborn takes Custom Construction (miniature frame), takes the attribute hit, and picks up wheeled. Then tops it off with Cute n' Cuddly.

My God.

(click to show/hide)

Mastercraft can do anything!

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Make a Motivational Poster of it.

[dorward]

My God.

OK. I haven't see that movie, so that wasn't the first Unborn that came to mind. I was thinking something more along the lines of this, but I think you win.

[Desertpuma]

The first time I heard of Unborn made me think of C-3PO, then a medieval Terminator, and finally Frankenstein's Monster.

[Deral]

The wider range of species feats seem very nifty as well, even if some don't seem all that powerful compared to the originals (comparing the Pteranadon-esque Clutch to Draconic Heritage, for instance).

This is probably the only thing I'm actually a little unhappy about with the book- I love everything else, and I still really like all the species feats, but they do, overall, seem to be leaning towards the weaker side

Actually, these feats are all balanced against all other options within Fantasy Craft second printing Though most but not every species gets the same amount of "points" through its Species feats, they are internally balanced against one another (thus, Ogres tend to see more radical benefits/changes through species feats, but each Ogre species feat option is worth the same amount design-wise).   

..., and at least a couple kind of confuse me (Folk can spend 1 feat to become large with the benefits but no footprint increase, Unborn can spend a feat to get Large with the footprint increase and no wound point bump?)

In this case, the Giant-blooded character is just tall for their size (and we can't do footprint increases since not all our characters are 1 x 1), which Large-framed unborn are the same amount of material spread out over a greater volume. Part of the reason Unborn don't just become large is that such a benefit would greatly overshadow the other options. Note also that with Custom Construction you can also create a Small unborn who does not reduce his wounds!

and I've never really considered "One new Ride/Crafting Focus" or "Access to a new Skill Mastery Pair" to be really a point-worthy boost at all, so some, like Steel Brave and Cliff-Born seem to fall pretty short.

Systemically, they are worth something - foci being a 1 point benefit and access to a new skill mastery worth 1/2 point. It's cool if they're not your cuppa tea, but they're still a benefit.

Yeah, I understand the fluff reasoning behind it, just less the balance reason behind it (with regard to the  Custom Construction/Giant Blood thing), same goes for the value of Foci and skill masteries, I get their point value, and I don't think they should just be given for free or anything, I suppose with Foci I feel they're a bit too easily obtained and too few (unlike proficiencies and the numerous tricks), and skill masteries, mostly because it's a potential benefit and to be any good it requires you to spend another feat, like you would just as soon cost Draconic Heritage an extra point because it lets you take Legacy, and then from an outside standpoint the skill pairings seem arbitrary to start with (Athletics could just as well be paired with Ride as it could Intimidate, or anything else for that matter), even though they aren't, so it feels a little fabricated.

Still, I do like them, and there's a lot of stuff that's nice to see converted over from Spycraft, and the new stuff to boot, I'll just likely be making adjustments here and there, besides, like I said I tend to side a little powerful with species feats because they're a bit more costly to take in my game (as are new types), so that certainly gives a little bit of bias right out the gate.

[Psion]

Consider the following.

An unborn takes Custom Construction (miniature frame), takes the attribute hit, and picks up wheeled. Then tops it off with Cute n' Cuddly.

My God.

(click to show/hide)

Mastercraft can do anything!

Awesome. I need a "tip of the hat" macro.

Fortune's Fool seems like a must, too.

Awesome.

[Morgenstern]

I wrote that entire chapter, btw. And Chapter 1. And Chapter 2. And parts of 3. So I take full responsibility/flames/accolades for this thread 

What parts did Mark work on?

[Mister Andersen]

Consider the following.

An unborn takes Custom Construction (miniature frame), takes the attribute hit, and picks up wheeled. Then tops it off with Cute n' Cuddly.

My God.

(click to show/hide)

Mastercraft can do anything!

Actually, you'd take the Hollow Frame option, and just take the size reduction with its wounds reduction on the chin as a 0 point addition to your species talent.

I'm houseruling Custom Construction as a "take as many times as you can afford it" feat

[Sletchman]

I'm houseruling Custom Construction as a "take as many times as you can afford it" feat

For what it's worth, me too.

[prototype00]

Just wanted to say that I really like the cut of this new books jib. Its put all the new call to arms (or almost, spellbound has some of it I suppose) info in one convenient package. Has settings that if not to be used wholesale, are ripe for plundering for campaigns, and species feats, glorious species feats.

One question though (not mechanics related) for the species feat where Saurians get the bite II attack (the one that turns them into gatorman, basically. AFB at the moment). What is the in-setting rationale for them losing their tail attack (i.e. mechanics wise that makes sense, but does their tail drop off or something, because as I recall, gators have huge tails)?

Personally I'm leaning towards the tail stiffening and ossifying, so that it loses its previous whip-like motility.

prototype00

[jolt]

Anyone who starts screaming, "Number 5 alive!", at next year's GenCon is going to get a d30 to the head.

jolt

[Doublebond]

Consider the following.

An unborn takes Custom Construction (miniature frame), takes the attribute hit, and picks up wheeled. Then tops it off with Cute n' Cuddly.

My God.

(click to show/hide)

Mastercraft can do anything!

Actually, you'd take the Hollow Frame option, and just take the size reduction with its wounds reduction on the chin as a 0 point addition to your species talent.

Yes, but that involves houserules and the creation of what is technically a new species.

I'm quite impressed that the system can do this much out of the box.