What style of fantasy do you run / play?

[arcady]

Based on the list from pg.s 9-18 and 341 of FH

So we're just looking for your primary interest, recognizing that you might have several you actually use - which gets the most miliage?

[tkdguy]

Although I grew up with epic fantasy and high fantasy, my preference at this time is low fantasy.

[tkdguy]

Here are the results of a thread I posted last year:

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16571&

It will be interesting to see if people's tastes have changed since then (mine haven't ;) ).

[AliceTheOwl]

Having read the descriptions, I think our campaign best fits into 'Epic,' except for its take on black and white. The lines are blurred a bit, and they're dealing right now with a villain who could just as easily shed his current lifestyle and join up with them to help them achieve their goals.

I didn't see a defintion of 'romantic' fantasy, though. Was I not looking hard enough?

[Edsel]

Based on those definitions I'd say that Eosin's Fantasy Hero campaign (which I play in) counts as Low Fantasy. There is a heavy Song of Ice and Fire influence in his campaign world. Magic is a little more common, at least among the PCs, than in Westeros.

[keithcurtis]

This was a toughie. Savage Earth is at once both high and low magic, since the magic is pervasive and rather mundane. No fireballs or teleportation. At the same time, all the streetlamps are magic.
I went with sword and sorcery, since that seem to fit the tone better. Technically, it's a post-apocalypse fantasy, but definitely nothing like Shadowrun.

Keith "I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed, or numbered!" Curtis

[Fenixcrest]

I wanted to vote for two of them :weep:

I'm about to start a High Fantasy game, and my main upcoming project is Future Fantasy.

[John T]

Keith "I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed, or numbered!" CurtisTry telling that to the IRS or the Social Security Administration... :p

On topic, can those of us who, unfortunately, don't have FH (yet) get a list of terms and brief descriptions? :thumbup:

John T

Edit: Weird - why didn't the poll show up the first time I looked at the thread? Anyway, "other", due to the fact that so many of our Fantasy games cross into several sub-genre at once.

[UltraRob]

The list is missing Asian Fantasy!

WuXia! Bushido! Legend of the Five Rings/Rokugan! Oriental Adventures!

Properly run, they're nothing like anything on that list.

Oh, and I primarily run WuXia HERO when I game Fantasy.

Rob

[tkdguy]

Asian Fantasy could fit into any style already mentioned. Wuxia could be a variant of sword & sorcery (sans the loincloth-clad barbarian), while a samurai campaign could be a low or epic fantasy, depending on how it's run.

[UltraRob]

Asian Fantasy could fit into any style already mentioned. Wuxia could be a variant of sword & sorcery (sans the loincloth-clad barbarian), while a samurai campaign could be a low or epic fantasy, depending on how it's run.

As an avid WuXia novel reader, I can see the similarities, but properly WuXia is actually more akin to Low/Swashbuckling Fantasy than it is Sword and Sorcery. If we're going to differentiate "romantic fantasy" from the other types, then Asian fantasy is sure as heck deserving of it's own spot on the list.

Rob

[Eosin]

I run a low fantasy world with powerful but rare magic.... I always exclude the PCs from any demographic since they tend to be magic heavy.

I like to think of it as Tolkien-esk visuals, and an equal mix of Gemmel, Martin, and Jordan for the nuts and bolts of the setting but in reality Gemmel inspires most of the people, Martin influences the politics, and Jordan supplies a good hunk of the magic.

[Super Squirrel]

Well this stinks. I run both an Epic and a Sword and Sorcery campaign. :straight:

[mvoncannon]

Well this stinks. I run both an Epic and a Sword and Sorcery campaign. :straight:

I'm in the same boat. I run both, however I do run a DnD style game more often. I usually can convert one to the other.

[tkdguy]

Maybe this should have been a multiple-choice poll. Mixing different styles is a good way to individualize your campaign.

[tkdguy]

As an avid WuXia novel reader, I can see the similarities, but properly WuXia is actually more akin to Low/Swashbuckling Fantasy than it is Sword and Sorcery. If we're going to differentiate "romantic fantasy" from the other types, then Asian fantasy is sure as heck deserving of it's own spot on the list.

Rob
Considering I did a nonmagical campaign with kung fu and rapier fencing, I'd have to agree with you there.

[Cancer]

I prefer high fantasy, but most of the folks in our gaming group have other preferences.

[Dr. Anomaly]

I ended up chosing "other" because the homebrew fantasy world I run most often doesn't really fit well with any of those, though High or Epic come closest, I guess.

Low-level, trivial magics are fairly commonplace, though there's no broad-reaching applications (no "all the street lamps are magical" or anything like that). By "commonplace", I mean it's not uncommon for an experienced innkeeper to have a minor magic that would unsour milk, for example. And while there are mages that can throw fireballs or lightning bolts, they're far from common.

On the other hand, the gods are very much involved in every aspect of life. I don't mean you'll find a god on every corner with a sign saying "Get It Here", but even the smallest town or village will have a couple of temples or shrines, and the larger cities often have entire districts devoted to nothing but temples and shrines. I have over 300 defined dieties in this world, and that's not counting the classes of low-level dieties (sort of like nymphs and similar divine beings of relatively little power).

There's also aspects of Epic in that there are a couple of overarching plotlines that will eventually have a major, world-changing impact on everyone and everything, and these plotlines deal with things like a conspiracy among a select group of gods to keep the king of the gods from returning, and imprisoning and torturing his companion diety who came to recruit aid to resuce the king of the gods. Other plots on a similar scale include an effort by a particular individual and his followers to do away with or at least depower all the gods. Big stuff.

Also, out of 9 PCs in this world, 4 of them are the children of dieties (though several don't know it or only recently found it out) and a couple of others are the children of one of the "Firsts" -- like the First Giants or First Men. (While those "Firsts" aren't actually dieties, they are immortal except under certain circumstances, and hold near-divine places in the mythology of the world.)

[arcady]

To be honest, it's a single option poll largely because the moment I hit submit it was no longer either editable nor deletable - so I changed the initial post to state 'the style used most rather than all the styles you use'.

:D

[teh bunneh]

High-fantasy, D&Desque. A lot of it seems kind of embarassing now, but what can I say? I grew up on the style. :)

[Vanguard00]

Well, I've played Epic, High, Low and S&S campaigns, and run such, but I voted for "Crossworlds" because I'd love to play in (or be able to run) a really good crossworlds-style game. So technically I'm in "wishful thinking" rather than "actual experience" mode, but there ya go.

[Fitz]

The single-choice poll doesn't work ideally for my situation, because I'm playing in two (two and a half, really) campaigns and running another very occasionally. However, since the most regular ones are in Warhammer and Runequest (sigh) I went for Low Fantasy.

[Killer Shrike]

Ive run every sort on that list at least once except Romantic, but I vastly prefer High Fantasy -- though I object to the implication that High Fantasy is synonymous with D&D.

[Savinien]

The list seems a hodge-podge of classifications...

[keithcurtis]

The list seems a hodge-podge of classifications...
What would you suggest to replace it?

Keith "Making a list, checking it twice" Curtis

[Nolgroth]

I've ran most of those variants, though I don't know about romantic. All my players are/were male of the hetero variety and none of us were interested in role-playing relationships.

[Curufea]

Somewhere between Epic and High.
Mainly political in a setting with actual Gods and lots of magic.

[Savinien]

What would you suggest to replace it?

Keith "Making a list, checking it twice" Curtis

I'm curious about how Epic differs from Low Fantasy. I believe Epic is a subcategory of the larger Low, High, and S&S. Epic has a counterpart, but I don't believe it belongs in this poll.

But hey. I may just be contrary...

[Phil]

I'm falling a bit inbetween categories. I'm just putting together a game based on Tolkien's first age. Now while the overall stories are of quite epic proportions, outside of the acts of certain key individuals it's potentially quite a gritty, low fantasy setting. If you rank High and Low by the presence of magic or realism, well it has both. Except PCs wont have magic themselves. And realism doesnt apply as far as combat which is of a heroic, slaying-orcs-left-right-and-centre kind of approach.

So..er, dunno. Sort of a low-fantasy-high-fantasy-gritty-epic :D

[arcady]

The list seems a hodge-podge of classifications...It might be, but other than 'Other' and 'Romance' it's the list in Fantasy Hero.

I grabbed and added Romance from the 'Blue Rose' RPG that thinks it is up to something new in trying to do a style like that seen in some modern literature.

I threw in 'Other' for those who can't fit their style to something as described in Fantasy Hero. Otherwise, it's just the 'official list' and defined as the book defines it.

[prestidigitator]

I'm curious about how Epic differs from Low Fantasy. I believe Epic is a subcategory of the larger Low, High, and S&S. Epic has a counterpart, but I don't believe it belongs in this poll.

But hey. I may just be contrary...
IMO, "epic," is not ONLY a description of setting, but of story. You can have an epic story in any of the setting types, including high and low fantasy. The defining characteristic of, "epic," is that the characters are on a large and important quest, usually to save the world (or the, "world," from their perspective). They are typically the, "most important thing going on," whether the rest of the world realizes it or not. That being said, an epic story is probably easier and more likely in a low fantasy setting, because the PCs can more readily be the only ones with access to the world-saving solution; in a D&D-type setting, for example, the PCs are usually little fish, getting by and focusing on their little problems while the archmages battle in the background (and could, of course, step in and, "save the world," much more readily than the PCs if they cared to).

[Savinien]

It might be, but other than 'Other' and 'Romance' it's the list in Fantasy Hero.

I grabbed and added Romance from the 'Blue Rose' RPG that thinks it is up to something new in trying to do a style like that seen in some modern literature.

I threw in 'Other' for those who can't fit their style to something as described in Fantasy Hero. Otherwise, it's just the 'official list' and defined as the book defines it.

Well, hell. I can't fight you too hard about that, then.

Even if prestidigitator seems to agree with me.

[arcady]

Looking at the list again, I think I also added 'Future-fantasy' - which seemed missing to me in light of modern being there. Don't have my copy of FH in front of me to double check that.

Many of the examples I put up there from taken from the FH book as well.

[ThothAmon]

A mix of low fantasy (Thieves World), swords and sorcery (HPL and REH) and a touch of crossworlds (Eternal Champion).

Not too impressed by the poll choices BTW. A better thought-out survey might produce a more meaningful chart of gaming styles.

[monster]

I am really new to the hero system but, I am currently putting together an epic/high fantasy campaign. i prefer high fantasy (i'm a dndplayer from way back)

[Lord Mhoram]

Considering I'm the guy that wrote the "how to run transworld fantasy" article back in DH 11, my vote is pretty obvious. Although I usually run Epic/High transworld fantasy.

The last FH game I ran was in two halves (think of it as two trilogies).
The first had as PCs a cyberpunk, and old west doctor, a low powered superhero and a couple of natives.
The second kept the cyberpunk and doctor, and added a pulp era professor studing the "evils from beyond space", a modern Bond/McGyver cross and a Jedi. A summoned Star Hero guy in powered armor ended up on the bad guy's side.

I like to run and play in that sort of game just because it isn't the same kind of fantasy game you usually play - it gives the game something special.

[Lord Mhoram]

Well, I've played Epic, High, Low and S&S campaigns, and run such, but I voted for "Crossworlds" because I'd love to play in (or be able to run) a really good crossworlds-style game. So technically I'm in "wishful thinking" rather than "actual experience" mode, but there ya go.


Hey at least someone else voted crossworld.:D

[TheRavenIs]

Urban / Modern (ex: d20 Modern / Dreaming Cities), I voted this one as it is the newest my group is playing in, but the others. Crossworlds (ex: Narnia) we are playing a mutliworld quest type game that has us dimensional hopping all over the omni-verse. Plus we also have a High (ex: DnD) game.

[Trencher]

Epic all the way!

[Chuk]

I voted for crossworld, but it's usually a fairly low fantasy crossworld game (multiworld rather than just one...sounds like the kind of game Lord M was talking about).

[Curufea]

Weird - I saw "crossword" when reading that reply. Too much time spent talking to work colleagues over magazines, I guess :)

Hmm - we should create some Hero specific games - flash or PHP..