Quote from: Brad on January 05, 2023, 05:32:41 PM
Since I have the PDFs, might just print one out to peruse...what IS the actual difference between 1st and 2nd printings?

I only remember there was a LOT of errata between print editions that got rolled into 2nd Printing. As I recall - it was like over 20-pages worth.

I *could* be wrong, but I don't think so. I came to FC a little late, and everyone was telling do *not* get the first printing, including one of the designers.

Quote from: tenbones on January 06, 2023, 11:58:03 AM
I only remember there was a LOT of errata between print editions that got rolled into 2nd Printing. As I recall - it was like over 20-pages worth.

I *could* be wrong, but I don't think so. I came to FC a little late, and everyone was telling do *not* get the first printing, including one of the designers.

Like I said, I gave away my first printing FC book (and Spycraft stuff) last summer, but I do have the PDFs so I just made hard copies of the 2nd printing and Adventurer's Companion. Over ten years later, and through a new lens of having not played 3.X for a long while, I can see the appeal of this game IF you are willing to put in the work. If you like GURPS/HERO, this is a fantastic rules-set for d20 D&D-type gaming. The issue is I just don't really have the time to do this sort of crap anymore. My buddy is currently running an AD&D game and I never thought I'd advocate for using something like Castles and Crusades instead, but after leveling up my bard a few days back I'm just about ready to go as simple as possible. Ascending AC? Used to think that was a product of pure Satanic origin, now it's appealing.

That said, I'm wondering if it would be possible to construct an entire game using FC and only give the players specifically what they needed to play in it, much like what you'd do if running GURPS. Couple reference sheets but shield them from the endless variety that results in choice overload. I dunno, maybe I'll try to run this as an alternative game soon, just to see how it works out.

I was literally having this conversation last night with some friends.

I *love* FC. But... it's now in competition with everything else I have to do the *same thing*. The amount of work for me to set up a sandbox requires some tuning, nothing I find onerous but the amount of basic effort required to tune it where I'd like it in direct relation to itself is more than say, Savage Worlds.

But of course these two systems play different. So my first instinct, now, is to take FC and trim it down. I told my friends, I'd run FC or even 1e/2e if the whole group demanded it, and if that did happen I'd likely take a stab at making my theoretical 2e/FC inspired Fantasy Heartbreaker.

In no particular matter.

1) Defense Score based on Archetype and Attack Bonus (weapon in hand).
2) Level squish to 10-levels. That means all levels will be *meaty* and meaningful.
3) Spellcasting is a skill. Spell failure has consequences.
4) All stats matter.
5) Wounds/Vitality. Possibly Wounds only, and you make a Save as a "Soak" against damage where the difference is applied to Wounds. Wounds will give penalties. Deathspiral mechanics.
6) Martial Feats will be *deadly* to allow them to scale to Spellcaster magic.
7) All Feats will be useful. No "Feat Tree" deeper than two.
Setting Conditions
9) LIFEPATHS
10) Archetypes not classes. This will mean there will be basic chassis you build your character on. From that point forward you will be adding basic Archetype bonuses per level and Feats and Skills as you see fit.

That's off the cuff, but what i'd aim for.