# Why you Should be Playing: The Fantasy Trip



## James Eisert (Oct 4, 2020)

Go to the Review!


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## aramis erak (Oct 5, 2020)

I said it on Youtube, and I'll say it here: Attacking D&D isn't the way to get people to try it. Especially since the attack until depleted mode is also quite true of Melee. It's just that in Melee it doesn't last as long. That's an issue of GMing, not of the underlying systems, both of which share similar levels of abstraction.

And I don't say this as a D&D fanboy -- I'm not one -- but as a fan of a bunch of games that includes having spent the cash for a new edition...that broke several elements. Guess I'll just keep using my old, battered, MetaGaming ones.


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## Retreater (Oct 5, 2020)

I bought the big Fantasy Trip boxed set, but I still haven't brought it to the table. It's honestly a little confusing to me, and I run 5e and PF2 currently. Had I known it was GURPS fantasy, I'd probably have not purchased it. I was just drawn in by the size and contents of the box as well as the hype from a YouTuber I watch.

Just on a personal note, I dislike the default Christian real world religious bent going on in the campaign setting (basically says that no matter the fantasy world you're playing in, Christianity is so real that it's a dominant force there too.)


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## Dannyalcatraz (Oct 5, 2020)

So the new version is out now?


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## Retreater (Oct 5, 2020)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> So the new version is out now?



The Legacy Edition boxed set was released in April 2019.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Oct 5, 2020)

My closest game stores are not as good as I’d like.


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## aramis erak (Oct 6, 2020)

Retreater said:


> I bought the big Fantasy Trip boxed set, but I still haven't brought it to the table. It's honestly a little confusing to me, and I run 5e and PF2 currently. Had I known it was GURPS fantasy, I'd probably have not purchased it. I was just drawn in by the size and contents of the box as well as the hype from a YouTuber I watch.
> 
> Just on a personal note, I dislike the default Christian real world religious bent going on in the campaign setting (basically says that no matter the fantasy world you're playing in, Christianity is so real that it's a dominant force there too.)



Mechanically, it's not GURPS. It is related, but GURPS was a redesign from first principles... including adding a 4th attribute.
SJG's Dungeon Fantasy game is GURPS; their TFT isn't.

It's worth noting that being a priest on Cidri does not include any inherent magics. Nor being an Imam, Rabbi, monk, etc.

It's actually a rather cynical view of religion. And the only reference to real world religions is on a page that begins with...


> *Religion*
> There are thousands of religions on Cidri. Every form of worship our Earth ever heard of, and a great many that it hasn’t, may be found there.


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## Sir Brennen (Oct 12, 2020)

aramis erak said:


> I said it on Youtube, and I'll say it here: Attacking D&D isn't the way to get people to try it. Especially since the attack until depleted mode is also quite true of Melee. It's just that in Melee it doesn't last as long. That's an issue of GMing, not of the underlying systems, both of which share similar levels of abstraction.
> 
> And I don't say this as a D&D fanboy -- I'm not one -- but as a fan of a bunch of games that includes having spent the cash for a new edition...that broke several elements. Guess I'll just keep using my old, battered, MetaGaming ones.



But Fantasy Trip (specifically _Melee_) was born out of a reaction to D&D 1E. The designer, Steve Jackson himself, has said as much. The original AD&D was _very _lacking in tactical options. It was pretty much "walk up to the enemy and roll to hit". _Melee_ sought to address that.

The reviewer himself mentions D&D has addressed these issues in later editions, so it's not a general attack on D&D. It's just a bit of context and history.


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## Sir Brennen (Oct 12, 2020)

Retreater said:


> I bought the big Fantasy Trip boxed set, but I still haven't brought it to the table. It's honestly a little confusing to me, and I run 5e and PF2 currently. Had I known it was GURPS fantasy, I'd probably have not purchased it. I was just drawn in by the size and contents of the box as well as the hype from a YouTuber I watch.



There's a sheet in the box that gives you a roadmap to learning the system, because that big box is indeed a lot.

Teaching friends, I started with running a few skirmishes in _Melee,_ since that contains all the core concepts of the system. Then add in _Wizard_ or run it by itself. All you're doing there is learning the magic system.

After a little bit, you should be ready for _In The Labyrinth_, the full TFT role playing system. For those familiar with D&D, adding Talents to your character is pretty much just like taking Feats. And while there's a good deal in the "Advanced Combat" and "Advanced Magic" sections, it all builds on what you've already learned from the micro-games.

It's still a lot simpler than GURPS


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## Thomas Shey (Oct 27, 2020)

TFT has a number of interesting features and a number of flaws.  I think my biggest complaint (besides the backflips you have to go through with a mage) is that its actually not trivial to improve your defensive capability in any effective way; there are a few talents that do it, but they're often ones with a string of pre-reqs and/or a higher INT requirement.


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