Wayfarers is pretty easy to describe--it's a classless, point-buy version of Dungeons and Dragons, with some inspiration taken from d20 games but mostly rooted in the 2nd Edition-era and earlier game. This sounds like it should be my perfect fantasy game, but unfortunately, the book falls down on a few levels and I can't award it more than 3 stars.

The actual system isn't bad. Since it's based on Dungeons and Dragons, everything is familiar. The primary roll for determining success is the d20, weapons have variable damage (slightly higher than in either 2nd or 3rd edition), character abilities are defined by "proficiencies" and "disciplines" (essentially Skills and Feats) and so on. None of that is any different.

The primary difference comes in with the advancement system. As I said, Wayfarers is classless, and so the advancement is more similar to games like The World of Darkness where the GM awards between 1 to 5 "skill points" at the end of each adventure or session, and then they're spent on the proficiencies and disciplines.

The proficiencies have a neat mechanic that prevents the 2nd edition and lower problem of incompetence or the d20 problem of people ending up with such different bonuses that they can't meaningfully interact. Each proficiency has four grades, and each grade lets you roll an extra d20 and just take the highest out of the pool for your roll. So, it's still possible for a callow youth to beat a grizzled master, it's just vanishingly unlikely unless they really stack the deck.

The benefit of being built from the ground-up as a point-buy system means that abilites with different usefulness have different costs. Beginning with magic will use up most of a starting characer's capabilities, for example, and since the system of Dungeons and Dragons and derived games has historically focused on exploration and combat, abilities dealing with that aspect can cost more than abilities dealing with, say, underwater basketweaving.

The problem comes in with the way it deals with--and doesn't deal with--the costs. One of the major problems it inherits from d20 games is the primacy of spellcasters. If you look at the Table of Contents, you'll notice quite quickly that the vast majority of the book is devoted to spells--pages 42-164 out of 178 (the last portion of the book is an appendix and charts). The vast majority of the book is completely useless to anyone who doesn't use magic, and the sample characters reflect this: out of 8 sample characters, 7 of them can use magic of some sort.

Furthermore, the point-buy system completely breaks down when dealing with magic because new spells don't cost any points at all. That means that wizards and priests can rapidly gain utility and combat effectiveness faster than non-magicians. Here's the math:

Take a character who wants to be the best warrior ever with a longsword. Here's what she buys. Weapon Mastery Grade V, Class E: 30 points Multiple Attacks Grade IV, Class E: 26 points Parrying, Class E: 4 points Quick Draw: 3 points Greatstrike, Class E: 6 points Critical Hit, Class E: 6 poines Disarm, Class E: 5 points Counterattack, Class E: 5 points Feint: 4 points Evasion: 5 points Armor Use, Grade V: 30 points Advanced Counterattack: 8 points Calculated Strike: 6 points Increased Accuracy, Grade V: 45 points Rush, Class E: 5 points Stunning Blow, Class E: 3 points Vital Strike, Class E: 20 points Whirlwind Attack, Class E: 6 points Health Point: 10 points (1 per level) Split Attacks, Class E: 4 points Total: 231 points

Now take the hermetic wizard. Here's what he buys: Hermetic Magic Potential: 17 points Magic Potency, Grade V: 30 points Spell Circle (Hermetic), Grade VIII: 91 points Additional spells for max Circle: 19 points Extra Spell, Grade VIII: 44 points Combat Casting: 5 points Silent Casting, Grade V: 30 points Total: 236 points

So it costs the wizard 236 points to gain all the relevant magic powers, and the warrior 231 points to gain all the relevant combat powers with her sword. I've left off stuff they'd probably both want to buy, like Improved Initiative, Improved Dodge, Increased Resistance, Increased Attribute, or proficiencies. And yes, it costs the wizard more points, but for spending all those points, the wizard's capabilites include "know anything" and "do anything"--literally, through the spells Cognizance and Change, respectively. The warrior's abilities include "longswording better than everyone else," which is pretty nice, but doesn't help against armies, flying enemies, or enemies who can teleport, or remove the warrior's sword, or fill the room full of water, etc.

There are actually multiple types of magic, if I haven't been clear about that. The wizard-like Hermetic magic, cleric-like Faith magic, illusionist Hedge magic, and sacrifice-based or druidic Ritual magic. The first two have eight levels of spells, and the second two have only five. But all of them have the problem that they don't charge any skill points to learn new spells.

It's basically the same problem as d20 where things start off okay, but due to LFQW, the longer the game goes on, the farther ahead the wizard pulls until eventually the fighters might as well just go home. Not that it matters, because the wizard's summoned monsters can just take the fighter's place anyway.

Normally, this wouldn't matter in a point-buy system, but not charging for spells means the point costs are inherently screwed up. Standard D&D magic that starts at "throwing magic missiles" and ends with "do anything" really needs to be appropriately priced in order to actually make sense in a point-buy context, otherwise you end up with each point spent not actually being equal--buying magic gets you more bang for your buck.

There's always the solution the sample characters took, which is to just knuckle under and become wizards or priests, but that's hardly satisfying.

Wayfarers could have been an excellent alternative to class and level-based Dungeons and Dragons for people like myself who prefer skill-based systems, but unfortunately, the assumptions behind the costs means I can't recommend it. It's excellent for inspiration to build your own point-based D&D, but unless you like caster supremacy or have a group that's amiable enough to get along and has enough system mastery that they won't accidentally stumble into an Angel Summoner and BMX Bandit situation, don't run it as written.