Basic Fantasy RPG 4th Ed. Solo Session Zero: House Rules; Character Creation.

In this video, I discuss the merits of the excellent Basic Fantasy role playing game and the house rules I will be using in my upcoming solo RPG campaign.
Thanks to all who watch my games. Hopefully, this series will entertain you!
Many of you were interested in my Castles & Crusades character sheet, so here is my BFRPG sheet:
My Basic Fantasy Character Sheet:
docs.google.co...
My BFRPG House Rules:
docs.google.co...

[@CrimsonCreed-ct5dk]

Excellent. Haven’t played BF but you’ve provided a great example. Looking forward to watching these also. The beauty of solo is that you can modify and solidify to your own liking without min max. Play it like you want. Great ideas you’ve shared.

[@magehammersgametable]

Absolutely !! Thank you! It’s a great system!!

[@OsoBlanco17]

Very informative and fun video! Just found your channel and am looking forward to checking out more. Also the mass roll of D6 at the end was cool, I’ve never seen that concept before.

[@magehammersgametable]

Hail and well met! Welcome to my game table! I hope you enjoy your stay! Yeah. I live that mass d6 method. Found it on a comment thread somewhere, so I borrowed it. It makes rolling Attributes fun! And gives the player a lot of tough choices.

[@DMTalesTTRPG]

Great video. Not a fan of spell slots as a concept, but (a) it’s not my table and (b) hacking the game for your table is the POINT of BFRPG!

[@magehammersgametable]

Thank you! And Basic Fantasy is so wonderfully hackable! Love your channel, btw!

[@DMTalesTTRPG]

@@magehammersgametable Thanks!

[@HornetVF103]

Our group plays Basic Fantasy and we enjoy the throw back to 1st Edition. It is simple and easy to read but it is a deadly game.

[@magehammersgametable]

It is deadly! Thats why I added a few bolsters in my house rules to help keep my characters alive long enough for them to make progress through my adventure.

[@toddcarlson5324]

Awesome! Didn't realize 4th Ed of Basic Fantasy was out. Looking forward to the campaign. Also, thanks for sharing the documents of your house rules and character sheets. That map is fantastic and the lore is very interesting!

[@magehammersgametable]

Thank you! Glad I can be informative as well as entertaining! I think you’re going to like this series…The first two play sessions are already recorded, and I am having a blast!

[@toddcarlson5324]

@@magehammersgametable Looking forward to it!

[@robbyslilshadow1948]

I am starting to want to DM again, hadn't played or DM'ed DnD for years and when I did it was ADnD 1e. I like some new 5e mechanics (such as a list of feat and skill bonus's) (but not all) and I needed some sense of what basic fantasy rules that need to be tweaked for more of what I had in mind. Your general house rules, even though mine are slightly different, gives me some clarity what needs to change. Thank you.

[@magehammersgametable]

Glad to be of service. Have fun gaming!!

[@NeoRaven78]

I can totally relate with your feelings on dice rolling. No matter how well designed the system I don't like trying to roll low. I understand that rolling dice is random and odds are the same either way but it just doesn't feel right. Low is bad and high is good.

[@magehammersgametable]

I’m glad I’m not alone on this one! Thank you for watching!

[@erikmartin4996]

@neoraven78 first place is better than 20th place

[@messenger3478]

I randomly just roll 3d6 6 times. I ended up starting with 2 17's! the rest were 13-14 and 1 9. I was flabbergasted. Gonna use them with a character for sure!

[@magehammersgametable]

Amazing rolls! I hope that character survives a long time!

[@messenger3478]

@@magehammersgametable Me too! I'm not sure if I should asign the numbers down the line or as I want though.

[@magehammersgametable]

@@messenger3478 I always distribute. I have never been a fan of down the line.

[@freddaniel5099]

Love the BFRPG rules and it is exciting to see you feature it in play. I see a lot of similar FRP DNA between C&C and BFRPG and I am pretty sure that you have mentioned this, but the C&C PHB is also a free download. Both systems have great published support, great online communities and play very well at the table. Like hearing about the Swordlands setting. World building is one of the real perks to running a campaign and the process of discovering what the world has to offer is one of the best aspects of being a player in a custom setting. Reading the lore for a published world setting can't really compare, imo. Roll the dice and have fun!

[@magehammersgametable]

I will! Thanks for coming along for the journey!

[@magehammersgametable]

Also, I couldn't agree more on world building! It really is a perk.

[@squimbingus2425]

BFRP offers an official coil-bound option for their book, and whjile id ont know if its any good, the innovation there is insane. i would buy so many more ttrpg books if they were coil-bound i love you BFRP

[@magehammersgametable]

Yes! I tend to favor tradition over innovation in RPG books, so I stick with bound books, but coil bound is convenient!

[@craig7185]

This is great, I just found Basic Fantasy and I think it will be my OSR game of choice. Will definitely be watching this whole series to get familiar with things. (And see how you work solo play)

[@magehammersgametable]

Awesome! Welcome to my game table!

[@retrodmray]

Great stuff, dude! Love BFRPG!! Looking forward to this whole series! 🤓👍

[@magehammersgametable]

Awesome! Thank you! BFRPG is a revelation! Welcome to the Game Table!

[@CJsComicsandGames]

Looking forward to watching you roleplaying again! I love the scenes you create and the way you tell your tales. I also love the stories of your very own world in which I myself have played! 😁 I hope for the next video you realized that your charisma should be an 8, for that is what the dice showed and not a 7. You truly are bad with numbers. 😂😂

[@magehammersgametable]

Chris! Thank you! Yes. You may even hear a name or two of characters from the past. Stay tuned! Hahaha! Yes. But I recorded it properly in the sheet! I noticed that. But there is no denying I am terrible with numbers.

[@twentysides]

Thanks for this video! That 18d6 ability score roll sounds wild. My preference is if your modifiers don't end up at least zero, or you don't have at least a +1 in a score, subtract your lowest score from 21 to determine the new score until you're net zero or higher; then you can swap two scores of your choice.

[@magehammersgametable]

That’s a cool way to do it! I am always looking for the many ways people play this awesome game! Thanks for sharing!

[@twentysides]

I was rewatching this and thinking of what house rules I may want to use when I get to run it, and looking at which ones you chose. Based on having an extra spell and a little extra HP, would it make sense to give the group enough XP to be level 2 at the beginning? It seems like that would resolve some of the concerns. Nothing wrong with these house rules though!

[@magehammersgametable]

@@twentysidesThat would be an acceptable approach, yes! But I just feel characters should start at the beginning as their character story unfolds. I know they had lives before first level, but first level is where they begin to cross the threshold of heroism, where they go from being mundane to extraordinary. Starting characters at another level just seems like robbing the characters of part of who they are. That being said, I have started campaigns where characters have started at a level other than 1, and it seemed weird. And I also have characters come in at the level of the other party members when a character irrevocably dies. But that is more for the player’s comfort. Interesting philosophical questions .

[@RollForTuraco]

I like the smaller character sheets. Basic Fantasy is pretty neat, I'm making my characters for my own solo game it's cool to see what others are doing with Basic Fantasy

[@magehammersgametable]

Glad to be of service! Thank you for tuning in!

[@rndrs9376]

This was really helpful in tweaking the rules for my games. I also added two new Class combinations (Cleric-Fighter / Cleric-Thief) and im thinking of allowing all races to be any class or combination, but im worried it would be too overpowered without some tweaks.

[@magehammersgametable]

I allow all multi class combinations in my game. So far, none of my players have played a multi class character yet. So, I can’t speak to overpowering the system, but I feel like it wouldn’t break anything.

[@Pyoron]

Oh, wow, I've been wanting to see how Fighter-Cleric would work, but that's basically a paladin, isn't it? What would be the advantages of Fighter-Cleric over Fighter-Magic User?

[@magehammersgametable]

Not sure there is much different. There is a paladin class on the Basic Fantasy download page. I haven’t looked at it, but that might answer your question.

[@rndrs9376]

@@magehammersgametable there is a difference from the holy quasi class, paladin supp. Class and a Fighter-Cleric. Neither of the two have the access of spells a cleric-fighter has, and must follow certain restrictions and practices because of their faith, which isn't as lenient as cleric.

[@magehammersgametable]

Ok!

[@ChuckBarchuk]

Looking forward to it Mage!

[@magehammersgametable]

Chuck! Thank you!

[@jackskelington7377]

There is also a solo character supplement if you don't want to play a full party. It implements the Scarlet Heroes ruleset concerning enemies, fray due, and dmg.

[@magehammersgametable]

Thank you.

[@2plus2isfive]

Really looking forward to this playthrough. I love solo play, but I often get choice paralysis because I have so many resources. So I am really fascinated to see your... More curated (perhaps?) Solo experience. Cheers for sharing sir!

[@magehammersgametable]

My way really works for me. So, I hope that translates to working for my audience. Thanks for watching!

[@bradutterstrom4105]

Your death save rule is very similar to the one I came up with that I use (playing any system where it works.) instead of 5e’s first to 3 death saves, I make a single death save (dc10, adding con bonus). I make this roll on the character’s second turn after dropping to 0 hp, this gives the entire party at least one chance to act to heal or stabilize them.

[@magehammersgametable]

Actually, I can’t take credit for the Death Save rule. It’s an option in the back of the BFRPG core book. And yes, it is a great way to handle character death or not, lol. Thanks for watching and have fun gaming!!

[@bruhamm]

This looks awesome, I really enjoyed your video. I think your character sheets are really slick and very efficient for solo. How did you create them. Fantastic video looking forward to the adventure.

[@magehammersgametable]

Thank you! I used Google Docs to create them. I left a link in the description if you want a closer look. Thanks for watching!

[@onealflynn2414]

I love BFRPG. A hardcover 4th is on my list. I wasn’t impressed with whoever did my 3rd edition hardcover from Amazon. It looks a little rushed when made. I guess buyer beware lol. Overall still love it. I did a solo video awhile back using the system. I may continue it again when I feel like getting back to recording again. KZbin hasn’t been a priority in my life right now

[@magehammersgametable]

I have no complaints about my two Amazon hardcovers and soft covers, so hopefully, when you get yours, it’s all good. Could you post your link here to your video? I am always looking for solo sessions. Especially BFRPG

[@onealflynn2414]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/eqTLmZirg72Mfc0

[@toddrlyons]

Subscribed!

[@magehammersgametable]

Thank you!

[@nedleeds908]

Shut it off at proficiency bonus. Almost hit stop at d3 bitchmode HP bump.

[@magehammersgametable]

That's fair. I completely understand.

[@wbbartlett]

I'm the complete opposite regarding dice rolls. Rolling under a target number makes perfect sense to me & the alternative just feels utterly wrong. I wonder what makes people lean one way or the other? I played RuneQuest & CoC rather than D&D back in the day so I'd imagine that's the reason.

[@magehammersgametable]

Yes. I suppose it may have something to do with your formative years and the games you played. It might also be the same kind of preference that some video game players have to play with the inverted X/Y axis? Is it formative or genetic? Might make an interesting topic for research.

[@UndeadBrony88]

I'm new to ttrpg's and I need assistance with figuring out how I can start my game. I have my PC's, a village, a starter mission of farmer with giant rat "infestation" that needs dispatched with. But I'm having a hard time with running solo. I have absolute zero no ttrpg experience. Any help is much appreciated thanks.

[@magehammersgametable]

Hello! Welcome to my table! My advice is to join the Solo RPG Guy’s Facebook group. There are hundreds of veteran and seasoned solo RPGers there who are awesome and ready to help people new to our hobby. As for my advice, I would say find a randomizer for dungeons and encounters. I use Axebane’s Deck of Many Dungeons to generate my dungeons and the encounter tables for whichever system I am using. Many people also use an oracle to act as a game master and dictate what direction the story goes. I myself don’t use oracles, so, I’m not the best person to ask about those. I hope I am being helpful. My final advice is just have fun no matter how you go about solo gaming. If you are having fun, there is no wrong way to play.

[@erikmartin4996]

Higher isn’t always better. First place is better than 20th place

[@magehammersgametable]

Good point! But my brain just doesn’t get the hit of a dopamine from rolling small numbers on dice. I have tried. But higher numbers just brings me more joy. Thank you for watching!

[@erikmartin4996]

@@magehammersgametable 🤣 that’s totally fine

[@magehammersgametable]

Haha! Thanks!! 😂

[@garethmason7920]

Loving this video 🙂💗. How do you roll for checks like a player persuading a NPC etc ?

[@magehammersgametable]

Hello! Thank you! For checks I use the Basic Fantasy option for ability checks. It’s on page 188 of the Core Rulebook 4th edition. I also have a house rule that adds a proficiency bonus to ability checks that fall within the character’s training.

[@garethmason7920]

@@magehammersgametable thank you so much for quick response

[@magehammersgametable]

@@garethmason7920 My pleasure! Gamers need to help out gamers!

[@kevinerose]

15:00 Halfling spell-user. 15 INT. Just an observation but why would halfling MUs be more intelligent than elf MUs on average? Why not say all Halflings max intelligence should be 14? That way they can be MUs but would generally be less powerful as an elf. Otherwise, Halflings would be considered the best MUs in all the land. Right?

[@magehammersgametable]

Dwarves must also have a 15 in intelligence. My thought process was: The BFRPG forbids halflings and dwarves from being magic users. So, apparently, there is something inherent in those two races that makes being a magic user difficult. I see the high intelligence as a requisite for finding ways to cast spells around those genetic limitations.

[@kevinerose]

@@magehammersgametable Yeah it is a great idea. I suppose they may not even have the proclivity to aspire with the magical arts if their INT were lower than 15.

[@magehammersgametable]

@@kevineroseYes. Exactly.

[@jaymea8907]

Here's a near death house rule I stole from somewhere. I can't remember where. Recovering from near death Roll d6 1. Character has lost 1D4 random items from his inventory 2. A scar 3. Lost all the gold, 25% change that other valuables (diamonds, jewelry) are lost too and 10% change that all equipment is lost 4. Weakened, randomly determine which Attribute is lowered by one 5. Got stronger, randomly determine which Attribute is raised by one 6. What an, experience, take 1000 experience points

[@magehammersgametable]

Sounds like a good system for a post apocalyptic RPG!

[@magehammersgametable]

Or a place where Wild Magic reigns.

[@phillipmerritt1428]

Is their way to get a copy of house rules?

[@magehammersgametable]

Link is in the description of this video. Welcome to my table!

[@tJ9etBxDq5VdSj2]

Dontcha think you made magic users a bit too powerful? Your game but idk. The whole point (in my mind) is to babysit this nerd until he can throw fireballs all day long months down the line. But as long as the dork has still got 1d4 HP and the monsters aren’t idiots and prioritise casters it should be fine I guess

[@magehammersgametable]

I guess you’ll have to watch the whole campaign to see how it all works out…😊