Brain-Storming Some Fantasy Fate

I finished reading through Fate Core this week, and I'm all excited and full of ideas for new Fate Games to run. After running horror and sci-fi games this year, I'm eager to run some fantasy again. It is probably going to be easier for me to convince my existing home group and/or Skype group to play Fate over B/X D&D (and related games) . With that in mind, I'm going to brainstorm me up a Fate fantasy campaign.

Now, aside from a handful of specific series, I've never been a big anime fan, but I loved the old 8-bit and 16-bit Japanese RPGs on Sega and Nintendo. I think I want to make some light-epic heroic fantasy like Dragon Quest or Shining Force. I'm not going to try and simulate the game play of these games (no MP or level-grinding), but I want to try and capture some of the tropes and themes they presented.

Yeah, I wanna run this.

Here are the things I want this campaign to include:

* It was another pleasant day in your peaceful village, AND THEN THE EVIL CAME!

* A sense of heroic innocence. The PCs are heroes. They might be a bit roguish, but they are the definitely the Good Guys. Evil exists, but it will never be as graphic or horrific as, say, Call of Cthulhu or Lamentations of the Flame Princess.

* Monsters with surprisingly human personalities.

* Flashy, direct, elemental magic and peaceful white healing magic.

* Powerful cosmic beings that rule the world from on high.

* Questing for several powerful artifacts to use against a world-threatening evil.

* An airship, eventually, obviously.

My main influences on the setting will be Dragon Warrior/Quest, Shining Force, Phantasy Star, Final Fantasy (1-through-6), and Lufia. I'll also probably snag a lot of stuff from the Slayers and Dragon Half animes, and (let's admit it) a lot from Adventure Time.

If I can use some of the dungeon maps I've made, all the better.

So here's what I'm thinking...

The world of Bitlandia has known nothing but peace for 500 years, ever since the great hero Cutter defeated the devil king, Moloch. Bandits and wild animals cause the occasional problem, but in this time of great prosperity, there is no cause for war. Monsters haven't been seen for centuries.

But now, some darkness stirs. Moloch has returned from his exile in the Outer Dark, bringing with him legions of devils and monsters. It's time for new heroes to rise up and save the world.

I'll use a slightly modified version of the “Stormcallers” magic system from the Fate Toolkit. The elemental storms are each ruled by a mighty dragon who personifies the power of the storms. The heroes must find each dragon and gain its “blessing” in order to defeat Moloch.

That's the main concept in a nutshell. If and when I actually run the thing, we'll bang out more details as a group.

Here's what a hero from Bitlandia might look like:

MANDY

Aspects:

High Concept: Warrior of Destiny

Trouble: Innocently Idealistic

The Woodman's Daughter

(2 aspects left open)

Skills:

Great +4: Physique

Good +3: Crafts, Fight

Fair +2: Rapport, Will, Ride

Average +1: Empathy, Athletics, Notice, Stealth

Stunts:

Giant-Slayer (Fight)

Gain a +2 when using Fight to Create Advantage against larger-than-human sized creatures.

Pure of Heart (Will)

Gain a +2 when using Will to resist magical domination or charm.

Woodland Friends (Rapport)

Gain a +2 when using Rapport for Overcome actions to positively influence forest animals.

Refresh: 3

Physical Stress: OOOO

Mental Stress: OOO