Given the growing roleplaying club at school, which is topping four Games Masters (three of them under 16) and has another crop of three players joining next week, I’ve been tweaking my beginner’s game for Dungeons & Dragons. Now that this is done, I’ve decided to turn my mind towards creating a Basic Set for Mythras Classic Fantasy.
In short, I want to be able to run an adventure for Classic Fantasy and make it easily accessible to roleplayers who are new to the game system. This post is about what I think I need to create and how I believe it can work.
Mythras Classic Fantasy Basic Set
My inspiration is, of course, the 1981 D&D Basic “red box”. This was the game that got my friends into playing Dungeons & Dragons. I revisited it a year or so ago, an event which propelled me into both playing Classic Fantasy and creating Mystamyr (my setting). That, in turn, led to my first ever published adventure, “The Terror of Ettinmarsh“.
My aim is to produce a set of resources that, as Games Master, I can use to introduce new players to the Classic Fantasy system and setting. That includes:
- Designing eight quick-play pre-generated adventurers using the four classic character classes.
- Designing reference sheets for creating each of a Civilised Human, an Elf, a Dwarf, and a Halfling.
- Designing four reference sheets for building the Fighter, Thief, Magic-User, and Cleric classes.
- Creating a Rank 1 Spell Book for the Wizard with a selection of basic arcane spells.
- Creating a Rank 1 Spell Book for the Cleric with a selection of basic divine spells.
- Designing a starter adventure for beginning play at Rank 1.
- Designing a sample settlement for adventurers to use as a home base.
- Making Games Master reference cards for the monsters found in the starter adventure.
- Making player reference cards for the treasures found in the starter adventure.
That should be easy, right?
Why Bother?
As much as I enjoy Mythras Classic Fantasy, the one thing it doesn’t do well is bring together elements from the Mythras and Classic Fantasy rulebooks in a way that is easy for new players and Games Masters to assimilate. While I’m not allowed to publish this stuff, there isn’t much reason not to resolve this for myself.
Looking longer term, I’d like to take Classic Fantasy into the local gaming cafés and offer some introductory games. Creating these materials will make it easier for me to initially run a pick-up-and-play adventure; it’ll also give me resources to help new players to create their first character.
From there, if gamers enjoy themselves, it’s trivial to point them at the sales page for the Classic Fantasy rulebook – especially given that Mythras Imperative is free to download!
Game on!
Hi, in general I am not sure players need to know the rules, past the basics they find out other parts as they play.
Just giving them a player sheet and telling them that they roll % die and have to roll <= gives them all they need.
Add combat maneuvers later at first just have the main one for the weapon on the sheet and they get it if they hit and the defender fails there parry.
Most skills of self-explanatory so no great problem there. I have also made cards for the spells so the players I have without the rules can see what they different spells can do. My weaker players have found the combat cards a great help.
Have fun and hope you get more players into this great system.
I agree with you, although I find that when players (eventually) want to build their own adventurer then the page flipping is a barrier. I plan to create reference cards to speed that along.
I think this seems like a good idea. More power to you.
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