The OFFICIAL FtA! Q&A

[RPGPundit]

I never played or read Dungeonquest Keith, but I did avidly play Heroquest (the board game), which seems rather similar.

In any case, I wouldn't say that Heroquest was a major influence on my game, though it might have been a subconscious one.  The main influences, as I've said, were old-school D&D and Nethack.

RPGPundit

[RPGPundit]

Pundit,

Sorry about the barrage of questions, but the more I read and the more I think about it the more they come bubbling up.  This game just screams tiles and minatures.  I dig how the advancement works for levels.  Nice and simple.

Why did you choose to not include any sort of guide on how to play the game?  You gave lots of rules, but no DM is responsible for X,Y, & Z while the Players are responsible for A, B, & C.

Keith Senkowski

My game assumes that the GM is responsible for everything except the Player's own characters.  Its a Regular RPG, simple as that.

RPGPundit

[Dirk Remmecke]

This game just screams tiles and minatures.  

Like this?
(Skip to page 9 of the preview.)

[Keith]

My game assumes that the GM is responsible for everything except the Player's own characters.  Its a Regular RPG, simple as that.

RPGPundit

So is it safe to assume the goal of the manuscript is to appeal to people who have played D&D X and not to market towards people who are not already in that mindset?  If so why did you choose to go that route with the game?

Dirk,

Pretty much what I was thinking (though I had the game Zombies!!! in my head).

[RPGPundit]

So is it safe to assume the goal of the manuscript is to appeal to people who have played D&D X and not to market towards people who are not already in that mindset?  If so why did you choose to go that route with the game?

Dirk,

Pretty much what I was thinking (though I had the game Zombies!!! in my head).

 I don't really get what you're saying here, I think I made it pretty clear in the text of the game when the GM rolls something, and when the player does.

You see, for most people who start roleplaying, its pretty intuitive what the "GM" does as opposed to the players, he's the guy who creates the world.

Is the complaint that I didn't include a "What is roleplaying?" type chapter?
I didn't bother to in the English edition because sincerely I didn't think that too many absolute novices would be able to find the game, its not like Flying Mice has a huge marketing department.

Obviously, in the Spanish version of the game I WILL have a "what is roleplaying" section, because there I will be primarily marketing to new players.  Here it would just have been a waste of space.

RPGPundit

[RPGPundit]

I'd certainly encourage the use of tiles and minis in FtA!; indeed, one of our playtests made use of them, and we found that very useful.

RPGPundit

[Keith]

Not complaining man.  Just asking questions.  You pretty much answered it.  I wasn't really thinking along the lines of "What is roleplaying" section so much as this is how a session goes sort of thing.  There is very little if any of that in game books these days and was wondering why you chose to not write one.  

I think my favorite example of a section like that was in the D&D black boxed set from the early 90s I think it was.  They had these cards that took you through an adventure, step-by-step, teaching you the rules as you went along.

Keith Senkowski

[Claudius]

I would like to know which task resolution it uses, for example, in D&D3 you roll 1d20, add skill + characteristic (0 is normal), and have to beat a target number. Of course I'm assuming FtA has a task resolution and skills. Does it?

[joewolz]

Obviously, in the Spanish version of the game I WILL have a "what is roleplaying" section, because there I will be primarily marketing to new players.  Here it would just have been a waste of space.

Will the Spanish Edition be available in PDF?  I'd love to review it from a first world perspective.  Also, what would it cost to print FtA! as a magazine format for sale in North America?  You might be able to find a market for that here...

[RPGPundit]

I would like to know which task resolution it uses, for example, in D&D3 you roll 1d20, add skill + characteristic (0 is normal), and have to beat a target number. Of course I'm assuming FtA has a task resolution and skills. Does it?

FtA! is a 3d6+attribute+skill+level-based-bonus (called an "Active check", or, if its a "saving throw" its a passive check) vs. a DC.

RPGPundit

[RPGPundit]

Will the Spanish Edition be available in PDF?  I'd love to review it from a first world perspective.  Also, what would it cost to print FtA! as a magazine format for sale in North America?  You might be able to find a market for that here...

I really had no plan to do a spanish edition on PDF. Of course, if the game is succesful at all, you can almost guarnatee that there'll end up being a "Pirate" PDF out there...

I have no idea what it would cost to print FtA! as a magazine in north america. I doubt that it'd be cheap enough to make it work out.

RPGPundit

[estar]

I notice that Sett had a complaint about doors needing too many dice rolls. So I looked at the table in the copy I bought came with the following

Door Type and Position

(2d6)
2        End Passage
3        Floor Door to a Room
4        Secret Door at End
5        Left Door
6-8     End Door
9        Right Door
10      Secret Door at End
11      Floor Door to a Hallway
12      End Passage


Door Characteristics *
(2d6)
2 Stuck
3 Stuck and Trapped
4 Stuck
5 Trapped
6-8 Normal
9 Magically Locked
10 Locked
11 Locked and Trapped
12 Locked

* I ignored the possibility of stuck and magically locked and
locked and magically locked.

Enjoy
Rob Conley

[RPGPundit]

I notice that Sett had a complaint about doors needing too many dice rolls. So I looked at the table in the copy I bought came with the following

Door Type and Position

(2d6)
2        End Passage
3        Floor Door to a Room
4        Secret Door at End
5        Left Door
6-8     End Door
9        Right Door
10      Secret Door at End
11      Floor Door to a Hallway
12      End Passage


Door Characteristics *
(2d6)
2 Stuck
3 Stuck and Trapped
4 Stuck
5 Trapped
6-8 Normal
9 Magically Locked
10 Locked
11 Locked and Trapped
12 Locked

* I ignored the possibility of stuck and magically locked and
locked and magically locked.

Enjoy
Rob Conley

Yup, you could certainly use these tables as a shortcut!

Good job.

RPGPundit

[joewolz]

I really had no plan to do a spanish edition on PDF. Of course, if the game is succesful at all, you can almost guarnatee that there'll end up being a "Pirate" PDF out there...

I have no idea what it would cost to print FtA! as a magazine in north america. I doubt that it'd be cheap enough to make it work out.

RPGPundit

I'd prefer a real PDF...but I'll keep a look out for the scans when it hits newsstands.  Since I doubt you'll ask at the Forge, I can do some digging for you, see what it would cost.  I think that format would be pretty damn cool.

You might have to make it smaller for magazine format up here, though...maybe the typical three book split?

[RPGPundit]

I'd prefer a real PDF...but I'll keep a look out for the scans when it hits newsstands.  Since I doubt you'll ask at the Forge, I can do some digging for you, see what it would cost.  I think that format would be pretty damn cool.

You might have to make it smaller for magazine format up here, though...maybe the typical three book split?

The real question would be where to distribute it; in South America there are these little news kiosks everywhere. Kids buy their yu-gi-oh and pokeman games there. In north america im not sure there's an equivalent.

RPGPundit