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BareBones Fantasy Role Playing Game $9.99
Average Rating:4.7 / 5
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BareBones Fantasy Role Playing Game
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BareBones Fantasy Role Playing Game
Publisher: DwD Studios
by YH [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 01/14/2024 09:35:54

Fantastic RPG that I keep coming back to. It's also very child-friendly--an absolute hit with the kids at our centre.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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BareBones Fantasy Role Playing Game
Publisher: DwD Studios
by Lesley N. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 11/04/2022 10:39:57

Hmm, a slight edit. Arrived in the mail today. I was not aware it was a trade paperback sized hardcover. At about 6x9 inches, this is very portable friendly. Purse sized. About 1/2 inch thick. And yet it is not lacking in completeness. It just become my primary coffee shop Solo RPG option for use with my Dungeon Crawler product.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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BareBones Fantasy Role Playing Game
Publisher: DwD Studios
by John P. - E. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 12/31/2021 11:30:11

Please check out my review of Bare Bones Fantasy rpg... https://youtu.be/Cir6Fd5u_0s



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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BareBones Fantasy Role Playing Game
Publisher: DwD Studios
by Cold C. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/03/2020 15:51:45

There is so much to this small package. Classless & level-less. This system incorporates so much into it's basic mechanics. The melee sytem handles multi-attacks, superiority of experienced warriors, dealing with multiple attackers, and defense in it's single melee mechanic. Character building is only the essential, but easily allows builds to any archetype, and easily one of your own. The magic system is likewise extremely uncomplicated and adaptable. A free form spell creation, that actually requires very little math, and remains exact.

The creativity allowed in the magic system, and item creation does make for some opportunistic power gaming. It could be a bit OP, and NPC's taking advantage of this system could turn it into a fast paced slap jack system, of outwitting enemy spellcasters, or them you. The damage causing effects of spells seems well regulated, but the advantages of non-damaging spells, could greatly influence balance. Which could be good or bad? This system seems to promote problem solving, not only by making simply swinging through battles dangerous, but also by making sneaky and inventive solutions enticing.

This system is something that just must be tried. It's an innovative system, for innovative exciting roleplaying.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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BareBones Fantasy Role Playing Game
Publisher: DwD Studios
by Michael M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 07/20/2019 15:00:34

This is a GREAT game! I'm a fan of rules light systems and have collected a lot (too many, its kind of embarrassing) looking for that perfect blend of flexibility and completeness. Every other product has left me wanting in some areas, with Magic systems typically being the most troublesome - too vague and hand wavy, too DnD or 'Vancian,' etc. Others have fiddly bits that can be a little too meta for some groups (Fate/FAE, PBtA, etc.), or mechanics that are overly simplified to the point of all rolls feeling the same (the Tiny D6 series feels a little like this to me). BareBones Fantasy (and the other games in this series) is the only one that to me gets it all right.

Character Creation and Development: Character creation is quick, well explained, flexible enough that you can start your character on the path you envision for them, detailed enough that every character feels unique, and streamlined enough that you're not stuck in a min-maxing analysis-paralysis. Character development is equally flexible, and allows you to tailor your character over time into exactly who you want them to be, all without having to keep track of a dozen different bits (I'm looking at you, Feats, Talents, Perks, etc systems!).

Mechanics: Ever since the first time I played Call of Chthulu a million years ago, I've liked the d100 (roll equal to or under) mechanic because its so easy to grasp - if you've got a 63% of doing something, you know immediately what that means. It also makes it really easy for new players to have an intuitive sense of how good, bad, or meh, they are at something. No curves to figure out, or percentile and mods to multiply by 5, etc. The problem for me has always been that most d100 systems get way too bogged down in minutiae. Hit locations, armor specific to hit locations, strike ranks and strike rank mods and costs, etc. (Not to mention the magic systems....) BBF streamlines everything to where it flows simply, easily and naturally, and yet somehow manages to preserve meaningful options and tactical choices. And it does all of this with one set of consistent mechanics that handles everything other systems have to create subsystems, feats, talents, class level benefits, etc to accomplish.

I'll give you one example from the combat system to illustrate this. Let's say you're in fight and you have the intiative (I also love how BBF handles initiative - simple, brilliant!) and you decide you want to strike quickly and try to take out your opponent before they can hit you. You can choose to attack more than once on your turn. Each action after the first on your turn suffers a cumulative -20 penalty to your score, so for two attacks, the first would be at your skill level and the second would be at skill level -20. Feeling saucy? A third attack would be at -40, but hey, with luck and/or a really high skill rating, you can pull it off. HOWEVER, actively defending against attacks is also an ability roll, so if you commit to multiple attacks, by the time it comes to defend yourself you're going to taking another cumulative -20 to each defense roll. No need for the players or GM to try to keep track of some special class/level/feat benefit that lets someone take multiple attacks and remember the specific penalties associated with those maneuvers. One mechanic, meaningful tactical choices, simple mechanics. Of course you can combine other actions with attacks or defense in combat to create cinematic maneuvers, but it all uses the same concepts. Magic is equally simple and flexible, without being hand-wavy, and the magic-using professions (skills) are different enough to give them each their own unique and distinct flavors, strengths, and limitations, without being cumbersome.

I can't recommend this game, or really any of DwD's products, strongly enough. If you're new to them, I would recommend this one as the gateway game, becuase the others add a little more complexity - but they are built on the same platform, so if you're familiar with BBF, you'll easily catch on. Also, the Keranak Kingdoms, the default setting, is really interesting and rife with adventure possibilities and great lore that get's your imaginitive possibilities flowing. Just like the main game, to me the setting finds that perfect balance of intriguing detail and broad brush strokes that doesn't paint the GM into a canonical box but isn't so vague or generic that it feels like just one of hundreds of fantasy trope worlds.

Recommendation: Buy this product! If you love it like I do, get more stuff and support the publisher so they'll make more great stuff. And spread the word - this small company makes games that are absolute gems and I'd love to see them get the recognition I feel they deserve.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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BareBones Fantasy Role Playing Game
Publisher: DwD Studios
by John G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 07/14/2017 17:06:38

I'm impressed. So many lite RPG's leave so much out, they are only good for one sitting or you have to make up more rules than they provide. BBF packs alot of material in 80 pages, way more than I expected. The core book contains everything you would expect; character creation (d10 based), weapons, armor, equipment, spells, a GM guide, monsters, an adventure creator, a world map and more. The core book also came with a free adventure (at least from DTRPG). I love the simple mechanics (percentile and d10), and character generation is a breeze (5d10 +30 for 4 abilities). If there is a down side, it would be that beginners may need an assist from a more experienced gamer to help figure out how to use the "open" description spells and skills. Lets face it, we are all used to a long list of individual spells or skills, not a sentance saying "you can do all of this". There is a good amount of BBF support material available for download; adventures, spell cards, status cards, and fantays settings. I'm very happy with what I've purchased so far. Wish I could have gotten it all in a bundle... This is very playable for new and experienced gamers.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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BareBones Fantasy Role Playing Game
Publisher: DwD Studios
by Tod C. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/07/2017 18:46:34

I bought this after a bunch of research to introduce a friend to role playing games. BareBones Fantasy is a really nice "lite" RPG, which lets the GM and players concentrate on playing their characters. Production values are good, as with all DwDStudios projects. The system is simple but best of all it introduces the DwD moral code and character descriptors, which give a baseline (not requirements) for players to use to gain extra experience by role playing their characters according to how they were designed.

My players loved it and never want to play a game that doesn't have some version of the moral code and decriptors.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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BareBones Fantasy Role Playing Game
Publisher: DwD Studios
by Mark M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 11/22/2016 11:28:54

Incredible! Simple with sandbox qualities that beg for new adventure. Good art, simple instructions and open gamesetting. Beautiful!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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BareBones Fantasy Role Playing Game
Publisher: DwD Studios
by Todor P. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 09/12/2016 07:15:34

What a great product! There's a great elegance to the rules-liteless of the product, the percentile 2d10 system is a breeze and the classless "skills-are-classes" system really clicks with me, as it allows for mixing and matching class features as you progress. The second part of the book has some great generators and ideas and can really come in handy. Easy recommendation if you're up for something lighter that is not quite FATE (and thank God!).



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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BareBones Fantasy Role Playing Game
Publisher: DwD Studios
by Jeff C. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 04/24/2015 04:12:41

I'm very happy with the pdf version of this game and am also anxiously awaiting my printed copy. There have been many other reviews of this game that cover the basics, so I won't repeat it all again here. This is my first real "Lite" fantasy rpg. I've played hundreds of the other kind. I was introduced to DwD by my interest in Covert Ops. I noticed it was basically the same system and said, "Wow. It's like old RoleMaster without all the serious complications." It also reminds me of the old Warhammer FRP that my friends and I played for months on end back in high school.

I admire what DwD is doing with this game. Compared to most, it is extremely open to new ideas and very expandable. Right now, I think the one thing this game needs more than anything is a monster manual, beastiary, creature compendium, or whatever you want to call it. More monsters, darnit! I would also like to see some different spinoff settings and campaigns. A Barebones rendition of Oriental Adventures would be outstanding.

The other thing I love about this game is the incredible amount of support this game has from the company in one form or another. The authors regularly contribute to the forums. The gaming license for this is very open and inviting and I think it is unbelievably cool that the authors are asking for such a high level of contributions.

Keep up the good work!



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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BareBones Fantasy Role Playing Game
Publisher: DwD Studios
by walter w. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 04/06/2015 20:37:37

+Complete. +Easy to run. +Zip file comes with a lot of extras. +Requires little to no rule book referencing because the rules are easy to memorize. +Fast and simple character creation. +Easily handles any situation. +Emphasizes the old school concept that the GM has the final word. +Great for theater of the mind play, but adaptable to miniatures/battle board style play. +Adventure generator. +Dungeon generator. +Simple and flexible magic system. +A great deal for the money. +I had an absolute blast running a one on one with my Wife.

I highly recommend this game.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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BareBones Fantasy Role Playing Game
Publisher: DwD Studios
by Edward K. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 06/01/2014 21:49:27

Originally posted at www.throatpunchgames.com, a new idea everyday!

Product- BareBones Fantasy

Producer- DwD Studios

Price- $10 Here as PDF

TL;DR- Rules lite, press your luck fun. 93%

Mechanics- BareBones Fantasy is a d100 extremely rules light RPG. Let's give this system a full run down.

Character Creation- Each player has four stats: strength, dexterity, wisdom, and logic that range from 35 to 100. Players also choose a primary and a secondary class that ranges from clerics, fighters, scouts, wizards, thief or others. Each class has an associated stat that is equal to the base stat divided by two. You add extra to your primary class and a little less to your secondary classes as this represents some additional training of your character. In addition, each player adds extra to one class that is chosen as their first rank or level. Even if a player doesn't choose fighter, scout, or thief, you calculate the scores for those classes as they serve as the default for several skills like attacking, perception, or stealth, respectively. Spell casters also get to choose spells. The system also has some built in role-playing mechanics with descriptors that provide opportunities for role-playing with experience benefits and moral code to help a player consider how their character would react in each different situation.

Dice Mechanics and Skills- This games dice mechanics is a mixture of push your luck and running a race by yourself. Each turn a player gets two free actions: a move and an action. The action ranges from looking for traps to attacking. To do any action, a player tries to roll under either the class skill or ability stat with a d100. While a character may get some penalties from attacking some enemies, the roll is largely dependent on the characters stats hence running a race against yourself. To move further than their normal movement, the character tried to roll under their dexterity score. To attack with a sword, a player rolls under their warrior-melee score. To defend against this attack, a character or monster would roll under their strength or dexterity score. The push your luck aspect comes from how many actions you want to perform each turn. After the first free action each turn, a character may perform as many actions as they want, but each action adds a -20% modifier to the characters score. Thus if a character had a warrior score of 70%, for first attack in the round, the player would need under a 70% to hit, the second, 50%, third, 30%, and fourth, 10%. This presents and interesting press your luck aspect of this RPG. Also, a factor to keep in mind, dodging is an action you talk off turn, so, if you want to dodge after that third attack from above, you would have a -60% to your skill since it would be your fourth action that turn! Does your character think they can kill that dragon this turn with that fourth attack, or, should that character just save up some actions to dodge? I love how this makes players think and choose! Additional, some other aspects cause penalties like cover or disadvantage conditions that halves the score you must roll under.

Damage and Armor- The system only uses D10's. Weapon damage is all d10 based. Short bow? 2d10 +1. Longbow? 2d10 +3. The interesting aspect of this game is all weapons are useable by all classes, but if your strength is too low, you lose one of the d10's with that weapon. For a longbow, if your strength is less than a 65, the longbow only does d10+3. On the other side of damage, armor doesn't add to your defense value, it subtracts from damage. Also, since the system is largely classless, every character can wear all the armor types. An elf wizard can wear full plate armor, however, if a character does not have a high enough strength score, then that character can't move as far and can't cast spells. Man do I love more choice and freedom!

Spells-It wouldn't be fantasy without spells. Clerics, wizards, and enchanters all get access to spells. A character gets to cast as many spells as they choose following the rules for attacks with increasing penalties for each spell cast after the first. Each rank in the spell casting class provides gives increasing penalties to defend against the spell.

My thoughts- I really like this system. It reminds me of old school DnD and Numenera. It's more rules heavy then Numenera but extremely rules light. It takes 10 minutes to build a character even for four completely new players who have never even heard of the system before. The push your luck aspect of the game is something new in an RPG. I really enjoy the breath of fresh air that brings even at low levels. It's not perfect as the class that does negotiations isn't a base classes so technically no one can do diplomacy until they have at least one rank in that class. But the system is easy to play and easy to DM, perfect for a rules light RPG. 4.5/5

Theme- Its fantasy. The base book is pretty easy to read, and has a bit of story and world. I wouldn't call it an epic setup for a world as its less than 10 pages, but I would put it above the Pathfinder base book. It gives you ideas how to play and set up your worlds. It does describe its own world, but that is a few pages. It's an interesting world that gets fully fleshed out in the setting book for the system. 4.5/5

Execution-Let's be honest, I bought this RPG for one reason-Its shaped like a comic book graphic novel. There, I said it. If you picked up the Rat Queens graphic novel and this book, you would be hard pressed to tell the difference. This system was designed to be rules light and weight light. Each book for this system is a quick, easy read that fits in standard comic book bag. I LOVE this. The outside of the book give this system an attraction that your standard Paizo/WotC books don't have any more. Paizo/DnD hardcovers are not bad, but, they are something that every system copies. DwD Studios went a completely different direction and that really drew me in. Inside the book is well written, easy to skim, and well designed. If you get the PDF's you get AWESOME character generation pages. You honestly DON'T need the book to make a standard character with the quick rules summaries you get. For a group starting out with one copy of the book, that's wonderful and will encourage the group to play a lot and get more books. 5/5

Summary-If you want a really simple, rules light RPG that comes out of left field, you can't go wrong with this one. As a GM, I loved running this. This system has few if any fiddly bits for an old school RPG. My players loved the quick nature of this game as well as pushing their luck to the very limit. In one game, I had a wizard try to cast a spell when she could only succeed on 9 or less. That is pure fun. The whole system's cheap, and I met with the people who created the game. They are great, local guys who are making an excellent product. If you are looking for a quick game this weekend and want a new product to fill a void, give this a whirl. I've liked what I've seen and I can't wait to see what's next. 93%



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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BareBones Fantasy Role Playing Game
Publisher: DwD Studios
by Michael H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 03/31/2014 23:27:05

If you have read the other reviews, you have a pretty good picture of what this game is. It is a simple, easily understandable system. The rules are basically percentage based, so you know exactly what your odds going into any task. The game states one of the best things ever said to a novice role playing gamer: Go to a local shop, find a group, and learn there how to play rpgs, then come back and play BareBones Fantasy. With an awesome beginners' game right here on my desk, And every other game I have ever downloaded or bought, clear back to the red and blue boxes of yore have all the chapters about what a role playing game is and how you play, so the choice to omit these obligatory chapters is a bold, but sensible one.

Rules light, with an old school feel in the right places, tis is a really great game.

The touches about the setting are light enough that you could use them or drop them as you see fit. The races are limited to the basic four of every fantasy game, but like the setting, have an expansion to cover much more information. There are also new rules and new ideas in the free Decahedron magazine which is slated as a quarterly release support. Play by the core book or expand it with the Flesh and Blood and Kerenak Kingdoms books, either or both or neither one, and you will be fine.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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BareBones Fantasy Role Playing Game
Publisher: DwD Studios
by Eric P. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 01/25/2014 08:35:04

What can I say that hasn't already been said? It really accomplishes a lot of things at once. It is a great entry point for new gamers, including preteens, and is a blast for old school gamers as well. It recreates the Red Box feel and simplicity while adding more character customization without making it more difficult.

Character creation is easy for even new players, and the game mechanics are fast and efficient without being too simplistic. It is advertised as a rules light game, but it tends to get very close to the rules medium arena, which is just right for me. I have my teen kids playing this now, and they love it. It's also easy to houserule and create your own game out of it. The whole BBF line is so good, I bought it all! Including the new Covert Ops game line.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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BareBones Fantasy Role Playing Game
Publisher: DwD Studios
by Michael H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 01/20/2014 18:47:50

I'm ashamed it took me so long to get back to RPGNow to review this one.

This is the best rules lite fantasy game I've ever had the pleasure of playing. The rules are damned easy to grok and their use in play is intuitive and fast. There's an included setting but honestly you could use this game to run just about any fantasy setting you can imagine.

Very highly recommended!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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