Why I love Fantasy Craft...

[Fenn Grunberg]

Hi, I just want to write down some of the reasons why I love Fantasy Craft:
1) It's a "corageous" system, that tries to start from the d20 OGL to reach unexplored territories
2) It gives the D20 system a cinematic approach I really enjoy!
3) It beautifully blends a modern approach with a clear and distinctive old school feel, and with a great survey over the skies of the new wave systems
4) The classes are perhaps a little less powerful (especially spell casters) if compared to other d20 OGL systems, but I love them just for this reason, and I love them because each class is really unique, and very, very flavorful. Arcane Spell casters and Divine spell casters are really different!
5) The combat seems to be at the same time simpler (no attacks of opportunity, or iterative attacks, etc.) and trickier, from a tactical point of view (advanced actions, tricks and the like)
6) I like the "Tree Feats approach", and the organization within coherent topic related groups of the Feats
7) I like the fact that Fantasy Craft seems to be deeply rooted in "real world" myth, cultural tradition, movies, and books
The gorgeous graphic layout and the art of the books
9) The huge amount of options and flexibility, especially during the character creation phase
10) The increasing with levels Defense and Initiative, and (at least at a first glance) less dependency on (magical) equipment by the characters
11) The importance given to the story and the plot rather than to the game mechanics
12) The coherent, logic, and deep thought which I feel fuels this engine with the best of 40 years of roleplaying systems development and many many original ideas
... and many, many other reasons: I've had the books since a week ago, I'm reading them and I'm really an enthusiast fan of this game...
If you want to share them, which are your motifs? Why do you love Fantasy Craft?
F.G. 

[magustoad]

The more you play, the more you like it. :-)

[Catodon]

Still waiting for my editor to get it out but many of your points are echoed in my review of the game. I especially agree that you can feel the deep roots of the game.  For a rough version see thread Reviewing Fantasy Craft after one year:
http://www.crafty-games.com/forum/index.php?topic=5504.0

[Crafty_Pat]

THank you kindly, F.G.! 

[Sletchman]

The more you play, the more you like it. :-)

So true.  The entirety of my gaming at the moment is a weekly session of Pathfinder (from twice a week with at least one being FC or SC), and you really notice the things you loved when you go the other direction.  That's not to say Pathfinder is lacking in positive points (some of which I am quite likely to import into FC) - I just know which system I prefer, and the things you really notice are gone highlight the why.

In short (and stuff you didn't mention, because I agree with those points):

• Combat options for all classes - no "I have half base attack therefore don't contribute to this type of encounter".
• More emphasis on skills, and their variety of uses (plus the streamlined list).
• More combat options - you don't just hit, and then hit again if they're still alive.  Tricks are about my favourite thing ever.
• More interesting races, that are balanced!  This one is both an upside and downside in my opinion, but far more good then it is bad.

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

I could really boil my reasons down to how much choice is built into FantasyCraft, but I'd like to point out my favorite parts of that:

You can have magic without needing to use it
This can mean lots of things from the system having it to the PCs having access, but it all ends up the same: magic can be just another tool and not some all-special thing.  I like magic, I just hate when it's special.

Weird beings are an assumed part of the PC system
I love race/species options beyond the usual humanoids because they let my mind open up so much more (I don't even have to choose them, just knowing they exist helps).  The fact that Beast is an assumed option in straight core is enough to sell me.  But they also added innumerably with Species Feats, which if you work them and Species right can give you some truly weird hybrids.  The only thing I love more than beyond humanoid options is weird hybrids.

[flexi]

Fantasy Craft is indeed a rare and enjoyable beast.

Initially I was deterred by it's apparent crunchiness but I agree with you FG, that it is a modern game with an old skool feel. Maybe that is the random charts for me but it is an excellent mix and it really works.
The art is truly wonderful with a great sense of fun.
The supplements are top notch and I really like the impressive Epoch and Golden Empire settings.

[Fenn Grunberg]

Like many of you, I also really like how Fantasy Craft promotes teamwork and cooperation among the party's members, not by hardly belivable extreme fantasy effects, which sometimes make the party look like a bloodthirsty fantasy Harlem Globetrotter team, but by allowing characters to boost their companions' rolls and checks. I really like this, and I think it's pure gaming genius!!!

Like many others, I really like also how skills work in Fantasy Craft, both in the standard rules, which highlight the importance of Class Skills, and with the Campaign Quality "Versatile Heroes".

Yes, it's true, Fantasy Craft may result a bit crunchy, but, at least in my opinion not crunchier than other iterations of the d20 OGL: the rules are not more or less numerous, I think they are just different, and I really like the FC rule system flavor.
I think that FC rules are quite streamlined, logic and coherent. Many aspects (like combat and even magic) in my opinion are simpler than in other d20 OGL games, and regarding other rules, such as those related to the management of the down time, it's really up to the GM and the players to chose if to follow them and how.

Thanks again for Fantasy Craft, Crafty Games Guys: I'm really looking forward to buying and readying Spellbound!

Fenn Grunberg

[pawsplay]

I like the Campaign Qualities and other dials.

I like that important stuff is covered, even if it's stuff that takes up a smaller share of the game activities. Just because crafting arrows is rarely the focus of the adventure doesn't mean I want the game to come to a crashing, "Uh, I dunno," if someone needs or wants to make some.

I like where it hews to classic gaming tropes where it should and to classic fantasy and mythology where it can.

I like that PCs have lots of options within a limited sphere of play, while NPCs have few options within a vast sphere of possibilities.

I like that the GM is treated as a player.

[Goodlun]

Fantasy Craft is full of goodies
but what stands out to me the most
is how easy NPCs are to create and to have just the right flavor with out having to stuff them into a class & level

[Crafty_Pat]

...and this thread is what I'm thankful for this holiday. 

[TheTSKoala]

*reads* *re-reads*  *uses Ctrl-F and searches*  *disbelieves the find function, fires up a search bot to search the thread*  *thinks that the bot is broken, hires a small cache of chinese spambot makers to search the thread*  *is astonished by the results*

Really...?  No one..?  No one is thankful for or loves..?  This all most makes me cry...

Cheating Death is possibly the single, most awesome part of this engine.  And it's completely optional.  

Disclaimer.  The rest of the Mastercraft rule set is incredible.. but I'm really a Cheating Death Fan-Koala.  

[ludomastro]

You didn't find it, my eucalyptus eating friend, because I had not yet posted to this thread.  Otherwise, it would have been listed.

Things I love about Fantasy Craft:
Cheating Death
The ability to skin things in a way that makes sense to my players and me
The "it-only-takes-three-feats-to-be-truly-awesome-at-X" build of feat trees
The ability to make damn-near any kind of character that tickles my fancy

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Really...?  No one..?  No one is thankful for or loves..?  This all most makes me cry...

I love race/species options beyond the usual humanoids because they let my mind open up so much more (I don't even have to choose them, just knowing they exist helps).  The fact that Beast is an assumed option in straight core is enough to sell me.  But they also added innumerably with Species Feats, which if you work them and Species right can give you some truly weird hybrids.  The only thing I love more than beyond humanoid options is weird hybrids.

These don't count?

[Bhurano]

FC is the damn best RPG I have seen so far.

Truly awesome and terrifying fighters. Count on it.
Awesome magic, without tearing apart the game. Yeah, it's there.
Magnificient social bastards who always stay on top of their game. Here they are.
Throwing enemies in the ring, without using an encyclopedia for reference. You bet on it.

The list goes on and on, but for me one of the best things is that my buddies and me can pick up some books (like The Dark Eye, which is quite big here in germany) and go to town have fun with the setting without to much fuss.

So, thanks to all the playtesters and the Crafty Guys.