382:. However, it is expected that GMs will implement house rules to adapt the game to their own preferences, and the community website provides additional and alternate rules that can be added to the core game. Additional classes, additional races, conversion tools and other accessories for PCs and the GM are also available for free, allowing the game to be scaled to the desired complexity, similar to the advanced fantasy games of the 1980s, if desired. The author's own customized house rules are published as
425:, 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."
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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
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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".
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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. At the time, the potential use of the
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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
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followed after. The first edition of Basic
Fantasy was published in softcover and offered for purchase on February 28, 2007. The current version, 4th Edition revision 132, was released on June 10, 2023.
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On
January 7, 2023, Gonnerman expressed concern that pending changes to the OGL represented "an existential threat" to the future of the system. He proposed a switch to the
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Basic
Fantasy was designed to be rules-light and simple enough for children to learn while having sufficient depth and expandability to engage adults.
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295:. It was first published in print in 2007 and updated in 2008, 2014, and 2023. The game is one of the first products of the
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were being actively discussed as an avenue toward making clones of games no longer in print, but no one had yet succeeded.
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According to The Orr Group
Industry Report, Basic Fantasy is in the top 45 games played worldwide on
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also began development, but Stuart
Marshall has stated that BFRPG came first. Contemporaries
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After
Gonnerman released a downloadable preview of the work in progress on January 1, 2006,
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354:— more popular than its contemporaries Labyrinth Lord, Swords & Wizardry, and
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While created in its own right to emulate and improve upon the inspirational work of
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written by Chris
Gonnerman that emulates, and is largely compatible with, the 1981
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407:. The resulting book was dubbed the 4th Edition and released on June 10, 2023.
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739:"A (Belated) First Look at Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game. – Black Gate"
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327:, Basic Fantasy also derives inspiration from Gonnerman's earlier RPG,
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A Manifesto of Sorts, which is a Plan as well. Retrieved on 2023-01-10
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original 1981 inspiration in separating race from class, using the
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331:, itself a retro-clone of fantasy gaming of the mid-1970s.
608:. Knights & Knaves Alehouse. Retrieved on 2020-10-23
726:"Core Rules 4th Edition (Release 132) - June 10, 2023"
645:"Core Rules 4th Edition (Release 132) - June 10, 2023"
491:"Core Rules 4th Edition (Release 132) - June 10, 2023"
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378:ascending armor class scheme and dispensing with
208:Role-playing, improvisation, tactics, arithmetic
591:Alderon's Tower – Project 74 Role-Playing Game
506:, The Dwarf and the Basilisk – August 8, 2008"
619:OSRIC Interview with Stuart Marshall, YouTube
8:
132:
563:3 Toadstools Publishing – October 7, 2016"
120:Learn how and when to remove this message
541:Episode 108: Save vs. Basic Fantasy RPG,
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56:Please improve this article by adding
779:Role-playing games introduced in 2006
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634:Dragonsfoot. Retrieved on 2020-10-19.
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7:
759:Dungeons & Dragons retro-clones
526:Random Acts: The Basic Fantasy Game
477:Core Rules 3rd Edition (Release 96)
462:Core Rules 2nd Edition (Release 75)
299:and has been positively received.
561:An Interview with Chris Gonnerman.
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504:Labyrinth Lord vs. Basic Fantasy
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417:Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game
232:Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game
133:Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game
630:Chris "Solomoriah" Gonnerman.
1:
660:The Orr Group Industry Report
58:secondary or tertiary sources
287:and separation of character
275:. Its main differences from
606:D&D Restatement Project
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774:Open-source tabletop games
764:Fantasy role-playing games
704:. Retrieved on 2020-10-21.
594:. Retrieved on 2008-08-09.
529:. Retrieved on 2020-10-20.
481:. Retrieved on 2016-05-31.
466:. Retrieved on 2008-08-09.
451:. Retrieved on 2020-10-19.
405:System Reference Document
314:System Reference Document
137:
769:Indie role-playing games
728:Retrieved on 2023-07-13.
647:Retrieved on 2023-07-13.
580:Retrieved on 2008-08-09.
515:Retrieved on 2008-08-16.
493:Retrieved on 2023-07-13.
235:(also commonly known as
144:Cover of the 4th Edition
604:Matt “Mythmere” Finch.
539:Save or Die! Podcast.
356:Dungeon Crawl Classics
272:Dungeons & Dragons
45:relies excessively on
689:Basic Fantasy website
576:REVIEW OF PROJECT 74.
344:Swords & Wizardry
559:Shane Patrick Ward.
702:The Glain Companion
479:– November 24, 2014
384:The Glain Companion
134:
69:"Basic Fantasy RPG"
741:. 24 January 2019.
511:2014-03-20 at the
448:Basic Fantasy News
297:Old School Revival
700:Chris Gonnerman.
310:Open Game License
283:-style ascending
255:role-playing game
238:Basic Fantasy RPG
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27:Role-playing game
16:(Redirected from
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65:Find sources:
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168:Years active
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662:(Q3, 2019)"
321:Tom Moldvay
285:armor class
277:B/X D&D
252:retro-clone
249:open source
753:Categories
672:2020-10-20
429:References
422:Black Gate
329:Project 74
325:David Cook
160:Publishers
80:newspapers
47:references
411:Reception
380:alignment
247:), is an
151:Designers
632:AT LAST!
509:Archived
279:include
269:sets of
578:RPGnet.
303:History
213:Website
200:rolling
180:Fantasy
94:scholar
366:Design
352:Roll20
266:Expert
205:Skills
194:Chance
189:Varies
176:Genres
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336:OSRIC
293:class
260:Basic
244:BFRPG
101:JSTOR
87:books
342:and
323:and
291:and
289:race
263:and
222:.org
198:Dice
73:news
419:in
376:d20
281:d20
218:www
49:to
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
