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[Virex]

For everything that FATAL does wrong, it at least makes me chuckle from time to time.

[USEC_OFFICER]

Well, I think FATAL is beyond the power of any sane GM to manage. But what about several GM? Do you think 4 or 5 people, working together, will be able to manage the game? I'm willing to try.

I might take a whack at it, if anybody else is interested.

[Samthere]

Been genning a character that can actually interact with others. Got a human female noble who is fairly average, fairly crazy, very wise and with no common sense. Plus she's a hierophant with the voice of an angel. I guess kobolds murdered some of her family and kept her as a slave for a while - that explains the PTSD, the delusions (i.e. common sense mod of -25) and the avoidant personality disorder.

[Squeegy]

Did somebody say 'GM a horrible game'?

I'm pretty sure I heard that. Grade A sadist, right here.

[quip]

Did somebody say 'GM a horrible game'?

I'm pretty sure I heard that. Grade A sadist, right here.

Good luck with that. How many of us have actually played FATAL anyway?

[Sheb]

Well, since we're all alive and kinda sane, I'd say no one.

[Reelyanoob]

Reading the other thread with the partial play-through, I'd say FATAL is completely unplayable.

No character starts out with useful skills or equipment if you play by the rules. You get given your starting profession by random roll but can change class whenever you level up. That's all ok so far. The problem being every class has it's own level up mechanism. The 'Clerk' class if you're unlucky enough to get that one, takes 83 years of continuous work to earn level 2 (out of 20), so you have to survive to old age to escape the class.

Another class (herbalist) could get the level up by using 200 herbs, so get a level-up in a day or two.

The other player rolled 'soap maker', and asked how long to get a level up. The DM told him 4 years. But that was at a discount factor 100. The DM decided 20 XP would be enough (but at this rate the herbalist only had to apply two herbs for a level-up), whereas the 'rules' stated 2000 (i think), so the real time to complete level 1 of soap maker would be 400+ years.

[Sheb]

Well, a bit like a DF soapmaker. And anyway, I'm not sure we want to level up. I don't even want to think about the level up rules.

[maxicaxi]

thieves can steal each others houses into infinity

[Strange guy]

I've heard spellcasters need to cast spells in combat to earn xp- but most of them are either touch spells that will just get you carved up by melee warriors, have minor or rare curse like effects that aren't useful in combat, higher level spells cast slower into the hours and days or are the many sexual spells- most of which don't affect men. Even an insomnia spell only affects women, and it's not even really a sexual spell (and obviously useless in combat). As actual game mechanics go the xp system is one of the worst offenders. No real incentive to stay in one class and much cheaper levelling up if you don't, classes that take in game years to level and others fairly fast...

[Taricus]

Black dwarven legal system = Hilarious

[Evergod41]

thieves can steal each others houses into infinity

But, they would have to own a residence in the same general area first, otherwise travel between the two would be rediculous...

[Samthere]

Well, in the advancement section it tells the GM to award things based on roleplaying and events, and decide how much is needed to level up. So yeah, while it'd take an armoursmith 25 years of only making platemail all the time to advance to level 2, that armoursmith is presumably getting more AP from things other than just making armour. It is a little silly, though; each profession should earn enough from its day-to-day activities to be a reasonable level. The demographics by occupation and race has far too high proportions of higher occupational levels for people to gain them just by working.

Also note that the advancing levels table is oddly formatted - either it's the total AP needed to be that level (and you start with 1000) or, more likely, it's the amount needed to advance FROM a particular level.

[Kogan Loloklam]

Well, in the advancement section it tells the GM to award things based on roleplaying and events, and decide how much is needed to level up. So yeah, while it'd take an armoursmith 25 years of only making platemail all the time to advance to level 2, that armoursmith is presumably getting more AP from things other than just making armour. It is a little silly, though; each profession should earn enough from its day-to-day activities to be a reasonable level. The demographics by occupation and race has far too high proportions of higher occupational levels for people to gain them just by working.

Also note that the advancing levels table is oddly formatted - either it's the total AP needed to be that level (and you start with 1000) or, more likely, it's the amount needed to advance FROM a particular level.

So really, professions are a punishment that you have to overcome!

[Taricus]

Am I the only one who thinks that this may be a halfway decent system if we bowlderize some of the content?