Epic Fantasy[Genres]
Epic FantasyIn an epic fantasy game, you can expect a grand scale and a sweeping narrative that propels your (perhaps unlikely) character into a wider world where the struggle between good and evil is undecided.
Prophecy, destiny, and ancient evils are common themes. The initial threats you face may seem more mundane, though still dangerous enough to toughen and prepare you and your comrades for what lies ahead: epic final struggles, potentially pitting you against shadow kings, dragons, evil gods, and/or demon lords.
If you've read or watched any Lord of the Rings novels or movies, or are familiar with various stories, myths, and movies regarding King Arthur, you already have some familiarity with epic fantasy.
Epic fantasy is a genre demonstrated not only by the narratives explored, but also by how magic in the hands of characters tends to be slower to access but, when fully realized, more powerful.
On the other hand, healing can take longer than in typical dungeon fantasy, which also helps tell a tale of the genre. Your character can take severe wounds and survive, but maybe only after getting direct and prolonged attention from a healer.
Refer to the Fantasy Skills table for a list of skills you can choose from when creating and advancing your character. Your choice of background skill, and possibly the extra skill you might get if you also choose a meaningful inability, also come from the same list of genre skills.
Epic fantasy settings often feature Humans but could also include additional fantasy species.
| Dwarf |
| Elf |
| Halfling |
| Human |
| Orc |
The suggestedfoci for an epic fantasy setting lie somewhere between the wide-open options of a dungeon fantasy and the severely magic-restricted choices of a swords & sorcery game.
Viable prospects for your character include magical foci, but not some of the most extreme options.
| Casts Spells | Consorts With the Dead | Controls Beasts | Crafts Illusions |
| Doesn't Do Much | Entertains | Explores | Fights Dirty |
| Fights Unarmed | Fights With Panache | Howls at the Moon | Hunts |
| Infiltrates | Leads | Masters Weaponry | Moves Like the Wind |
| Never Says Die | Performs Feats of Strength | Quells Evil | Reveres a Supernatural Force |
| Sneaks Through the Shadows | Speaks for the Land | Strikes With Mystic Might | Tends to the Wounded |
Refer to your type's suggested equipment bundle or the Fantasy Equipment table for equipment you can choose from when creating your character and for options that might be available to your character when you have more currency to spend.
Manifest cyphers are rare in this setting because magic is rare, profound, and powerful, not fleeting or easily used.
Treatment to remove a wound in an epic fantasy setting takes ten minutes for a minor wound, one hour for a moderate wound, and one week for a major wound.
The currency underlying price categories in an epic fantasy setting is usually silver and copper coins. Coins of other metals (gold, chiefly) exist but are not in common circulation.
Each type includes suggestions for your character's background. Choose one or create your own.
At tier 3, your fantasy character gains a mid-tier ability from the list of Fantasy Genre Abilities, and at tier 6 you gain a high-tier ability from the same list. In addition, at tier 6, you can replace one of your mid-tier genre abilities with a different mid-tier ability. See that section for additional stipulations that might affect your fantasy genre ability choice.
| Archer |
| Burglar |
| Noble Warrior |
| Swashbuckler |
| Warrior |
| Wizard |
Before choosing a type, create yourcore character, which (as a quick reminder) grants the following.