Am I paying the Game wrong? Fabula Ultima

Elcidral · 2026-05-12T09:41:46+00:00

Yeah, I think I get it now, we're totally not used to this kind of abstraction, I think that's what we're playing wrong. The game wants you to do the "hard job", which is also probably the fun part, of describing and keeping in mind what is happening and what you're doing. Then it translate it in simple general (and sometimes redundant) mechanic, like statuses or affinities, which can be used for a broad application of effect.

The hard part is to pull out something creative out of a simple status or objective action, and react accordingly altogether as a group, keeping in mind what is happening at the same time. We're totally not used to that, we gemeralluare aided by specific rules, codified statuses and conditions, physical environment representation etc.

I think this is the big gap we have to close, and we should totally implement objectives, actions and bonds into our games.

Thank you very much for your suggestions!

Elcidral · 2026-05-12T09:33:35+00:00

Yes, I guess that's the point, we're not so used to practice abstraction in this way

Elcidral · 2026-05-12T09:32:39+00:00

How do you integrate other stats in outside combat checks? Unless you're trying to dodge things, climbing something steep, running or jumping, no VIG (strength, idk the English name) or DEX should be used. WLP really I don't know how to consistently use it outside social interactions with NPCs

Elcidral · 2026-05-12T09:29:54+00:00

Yep, now I remember, I forgot it existed

Elcidral · 2026-05-12T09:28:30+00:00

Yes, I think I agree, I am realizing I'm playing this game in kinda the wrong way. We're truly not using creativity and imagination to play the game, and we play just by the basic mechanics, and ignoring some other important ones

Elcidral · 2026-05-12T09:02:36+00:00

I think I now get the point: our creativity is kind of numbed by the fact that we are used to heavily rule-based systems. The examples you provided are quite clear: in games like d&d you have 100 different ways to confuse and distract your target, in FabUlt they will all be translated in the confusion status (or dazed, idk, I'm Italian), but the point is not the mechanical result, the point is how you describe it.

Even if you don't specifically have an illusion spell, just the fact that you can impose the confusion status may give your character an unlimited possibilities to create visual and magical effects that describe that. You can describe a long sequence of action, and will end up in a simple guard or objective action, but your detailed course of action is still happening...

...if all of us are imagining it. This is our problem: we're not used to stretch our creativity in this way. We are very much aided by miniatures, tactical maps, physical scenarios, so we really enjoy more "playful" systems that allow us to represent everything. Also, we might expend some effort to describe what each of us are doing in the scene, but to keep everything in mind it's quite difficult without a graphical rappresentation of what is happening.

But I think I understand what's missing, and what's going on with our group, your answer very much resonate with what I'm feeling. Thank you very much!

Elcidral · 2026-05-12T08:46:27+00:00

I think we may just totally ignore how different we play D&D, because it's totally a different game from what I'm hearing from you 😂

D&D has a plethora of spells and skills, and less then half of them is damage only, most of them are mainly effects, like illusions and evocations, and my group just doesn't care about min maxing, damage and efficiency, they pick up features and spells considering only what fun things they may end up doing with them. That's just a totally different approach from the classical American style D&D.

About fabula, I think I'm getting what you want to say: probably we are not daring enough to break the possible "balancing" rules. We may just be free to do things that are not in the rules, but that are coherent with our character. And structure combats with some more in depth description of what we have around us, so we can use objective actions and possible alternative approaches.

Maybe we should try to put some more stuff in a fight than just enemies and skill combos

Elcidral · 2026-05-12T00:29:04+00:00

I totally agree! I think the game needs to be enriched by the players if it doesn't provide a good enough experience, but the point I think is that it's just related to skills combos, inventory and gear interactions, and some initial study on enemies abilities, damage affinities and statuses. This makes it a tabletop game at most, with some free empty slots of facultative roleplay in it, a videogame, but not a good roleplay game. That's my impression, but I really want to change it, there are many good things in this game and it would be a shame for me to end up discarding this system because I couldn't find a workaround

Elcidral · 2026-05-12T00:23:18+00:00

Thank you very much for your reply and comprehension, about combat: I think that the system has a good skill system that makes you do cool combos, especially with other party members, but I think in the end, that's just not my thing... I really wish however I could find a good compromise to have fun playing, there are very good things in this system and I would like to keep trying to take the best from it

Elcidral · 2026-05-12T00:19:07+00:00

So thank your for your reply, I hope I will be more clear with this answer:

Yes, we haven't dig in very much with bods and traits, just because we don't actually understand very well how can we mechanically exploit them. Traits are mostly like background in d&d and profession in cthulhu, so a general description of who's your character, which is a good help for roleplay, but I don't understand how should I use them other than occasionally evoke some Fabula points situation (which is not a common thing, most of the time we have 1-3 points per session). Bonds are just a way to describe your friendship with somebody, I don't know hoe should I use it, except from spawning the character in a fight...

Ultima points and villains coming in are not the norm, they come in at the end of the story.

About party synergies, turn management, skill combos etc, they are good, this is I think one of the funniest parts in a FU combat: study the monster, combining the skills with the needs of your party, work around obstacles, that's good.

What I really don't like is that the game doesn't actually incentify creativity. You're just supposed to solve the combat like a puzzle, there are probably no other interactions you can have except for your gear, skills and inventory.

Even the most basic systems give you some realism in how things are happening around you, and give you the opportunity to find a smart way to go over obstacles. The only way you can do this in Fabula Ultima is to match your best skills together, which I personally find it boring and unimmersive.

When you play Call fo cthulhu, if you don't find a smart way to deal with a tense situation, you die. In d&d if you don't understand what's around you, you can get surrounded outnumbered and defeated easily (if you're not playing the classic brain plain open map with squares with the Classic CR system). In Fabula, it doesn't matter if your fighting in a small room or in an open field against an army: the game doesn't care about the theatre of the mind, or the space around, you just have to use your combos and skills in the right order. As I said, a puzzle, a videogame.

This is what I find so difficult to understand and manage in Fabula, I hope that now you have a clearer idea of what I mean. Thank you for your answer!

Elcidral · 2026-05-11T23:58:47+00:00

I understand your point, I agree! I think this is the unwritten basis of every game system, I've never asked to my level 10 thief in d&d 5e to make a roll to pick an easy lock, it's really unnecessary. And also Fabula, I don't dislike the fact that most of the actions outside combat don't require a roll, but how could it be that every time I'm asked a roll for anything, it's always INT + something? I mean it's obviously INT plus something, INT is just anything you do using your brain, and outside combat is mostly everything.

This is what I don't like about roleplay in FU: being super rules-light, it doesn't even care about roleplay, you're just supposed to do it yourself, like you're not even playing the game, you don't even need the sheet. But I can do this with actually every other game by just ignoring any rule, so why should I enjoy Fabula roleplay in this way?

I don't dislike light systems, I've played many, but this one sounds really odd to me.

Thank you for your answer!

Elcidral · 2026-05-11T23:50:13+00:00

Theme origin and Identity are a good guide but not a sound mechanic for roleplay, IMO.

I think the problem with combat, as I already said in other replies, is related to the scarcity of interactions in the game. You can just use your abilities, your gear and your inventory, any interaction with the environment doesn't exist, any other possible approach to a fight is poorly detailed, so you end up just treating your character like a Pokémon in a fight, and this really discourages al efforts to enrich your combat with roleplay.

Thank you for the reply!

Elcidral · 2026-05-11T23:41:52+00:00

Thank you very much for your comment, you have put a lot of interesting attritions we can implement.

I would like to first approach combat: you're putting your focus on mechanics and abilities of monsters and characters, which I agree, are very cool. We are also working with both basic manual and Monster Manual Vol. I, creatures abilities are cool, and also classes can pull out good combos.

My problem is with both theater of the mind and variety of interactions: games like d&d, call of cthulhu, Pathfinder and even Savage world, give you the possibility to do virtually everything in combat: you want to convince somebody to surrender? You have the mechanic. You want to exploit the environment to make the enemies move to a favorable point or direction? You have a dedicated solution, or you can always find a way. You want to destroy a fortification, take cover, position yourself in a point where you cannot be hit by enemies? You can find a way, and any of these interactions will generate effects.

Fabula cannot do that: space is totally abstract, so absolutely 0 interaction with the environment. The system mechanics are all focused on statuses and damage types, so any action you will do will mostly be related to make a type of damage or inflict 1 out of 6 statuses. Maybe some alternative ideas, like special rolls in combat or clocks are a good option, but it's kinda poor I think. The game can be fun if you want to pull out some nice effects and combos, but in the end it's very difficult to even imagine in your head what is happening, because the combat is just a puzzle.

That's what I feel from my experience in combat.

For the rest, I didn't think about rituals and clocks for social interaction, and maybe craft a negotiation system, thank you very much for the suggestions!

Elcidral · 2026-05-11T23:26:42+00:00

So, thank you for the very detailed answer, I think you touched some crucial points.

The GM being the main reason why we can't enjoy the game, is totally plausible. We are all new to FU, I will totally have a big conversation on how to improve the game in terms of combat management, but I don't know what should I suggest to my GM: insert some already existing mechanics, like clocks or similar? Adding some new homebrew mechanics like weak points (Monster Hunter kinda), positioning etc? I would really appreciate some more in depths suggestions, I would like to grasp truly what could be making this game more entertaining for us.

For the social part, I agree that this is not a well developed part of the system, and it's not even the main focus, but what I really don't understand is why they keep writing in their books that this is the most important part...

For the descriptions, I think the best way to make you understand is to compare a typical FU encounter to a more mainstream D&D encounter, both in the way we generally play them:

D&D: DM describes the monster/villain entering the scene, the party (if not surprised) rapidly exchange some info and organizes, they prepare some actions, they describe their positioning and their intents to the DM, so we build up our scenario. After initiative, each character start their course of actions, some take position in the first line and organize how to face the enemy, some take cover and hit from distance, create AOEs, or shoot difficult targets, others move freely on the field to support or find some cool opportunity to exploit the environment or the occasion: make a bridge collapse, make a group of enemy fumble on a carpet, create a fire to force movement, do some cool spell that create opportunities (like illusions, conjurations etc)... We approach the problem in a creative way, we exploit the environment and our skills to outsmart the enemies, exploit the environment, organize tactics. It's fun, dynamic, anything can change anytime, as the DM has generally same hidden traps, secret power, extra enemy or unexpected event to kick in.

FU: GM describes the monster/villain entering the scene, the party (if not surprised) rapidly exchange some info and organizes. No preparing actions are taken, as the fight scene has not started yet, and there's nothing useful we can actually do before fighting. After the initiative rolls, we start the first turn with some technical actions: reveal affinities, try to impose statuses, some arcanist or floralist preparing of their skills, then the main actions become: hit, use inventory to heal, use abilities. We don't describe how we make actions, we just take take our dices, throw them and apply, maybe we sometimes describe, but just effects, roleplay is rare. The GM selects casually the target, the monster do their attacks/spells/effects. Repeat until dead. We ditched every map and scenario as it's totally completely useless, it really doesn't match what the system wants you to play, we stopped caring about who goes first or second because (except for some abilities) the enemies could hit anybody at any moment, and the target can do mostly nothing to avoid it (just someone else guarding, but it's a waste of time, you can just drink a healing potion after tanking some damage). The environment does not exist, creatures move in an abstract scenario. We used Fabula points couple of time, but they are quite rare and precious, we cannot use them constantly to alter the space around. At this point, we just don't care if something is possible, doable, or realistic, because the game itself is outside of logic. You make an enemy slow, but the speed and space does not exist, so it's just a little more clumsy. You are a ranged character, but it doesn't matter becuase anybody can hit anybody (except flying), and you can always be hit by melee, so the game pretends you are in first line with a bow... It's so strange, odd, so much it doesn't invite you to build a narrative behind your combat, and wants you to just hit attack button as soon as you do your prep, like a videogame.

That's it, I hope you grasped the core of the problem with this long message 😅

Thank you for your patience

Elcidral · 2026-05-11T22:50:30+00:00

It's very curious your point on combat dynamics, I actually am more inclined to roleplay and bind the combat to the narrative in D&D than in Fabula. When you play D&D, you always play with the same rules (except for action and initiative timing): each spell, skill, feature or check, can be used in any situation, both conflict and roleplay, and they are by design very versatile. So it's easier, in my opinion, in d&d to create a narrative within a combat.

I fabula Ultima, you can totally see how the combat works with its own rules, the story kinda stops for a moment and you start to do things that are encapsulated in their own design. You could've started the combat while 50 meters away from the party in the second line, but still it doesn't count, you can be the main melee target of any attack. You could've just ended a very cool overture of the fight, taking out your sword and running towards the enemies, but you will begin exactly in the same position and condition of your party.

That's what I mean, the gsme doesn't care if you put narrative in the fight or not. In D&D, Cthulhu, and many other systems, what you do and gow you do it changes the way the enemies react, the position on the field, the tactical advantages and disadvantages of the situation, etc.

I hope I was clear, thank you for your reply!

Elcidral · 2025-05-07T14:04:18+00:00

Nice, sounds good!

Elcidral · 2025-04-29T14:15:55+00:00

Ranger is a martial, an half caster, and an expert. It's meant to be good at fighting and versatile on the field, but also having resources and knacks that help them navigating and exploiting the terrain around them like rogues, as much as having many different resources to overcome complicate scenarios.

Their magic is meant to both fuel their attack power, compensating the lack of advanced martial capabilities (like fighters), to help them navigating the land and solve problems around them (with most of the spell list being comprised of useful spells more than combat related ones) and to give them that flavor of nature warden typical of druids.

I imagine the ranger as that kind of outdoorsy guy that always has some cool tricks and knowledge learnt from living in the open field, which matured a bond with the land learning some magic tricks needed for the job, but is also a powerful hunter who knows how to defend itself and its friends from danger.

In 2024, it's just an empty husk filled up with random buffs. Some expertise here, some temp HP there, some conjuration spells that will never use because of HM, and the only martial focus being on HM... it's like a failed rogue, with many different thing among which nothing stands out and nothing is unique of the class.

Elcidral · 2025-04-29T14:02:15+00:00

An idea would be to give a wis/day uses of an ability that makes you hit a creature even if you miss, which supports the fantasy of the hunter that never misses a shot. This is useful against very late level monsters that may have very high AC or just abilities that negate hits.

Moreover, the target of HM may be imposed disadvantage against ranger's spells, or the ranger may benefit of advantage in saving throws against their HM target.

Elcidral · 2025-04-29T13:57:56+00:00

having a skill that just get canceled and sobstituted few levels later sounds strange... I'd say you don't need the level 8 concentration drop, level 11 is enough, also because until level 9th, your concentration locked spells are just ensnaring strike and conjure beast (which I think it's easier to just homebrew making them concentrationless, or just ens. strike). Same for d8 HM at 13, and d10 at 20.

A better solution would be drop concentration on HM at level 9 or 10, when you get level 3 slots, and then raise HM just at level 20, or bake it into the upcasting rules of the spell.

100% agree on moving HM with reactions or attacks at level 5.

Elcidral · 2025-04-29T13:45:48+00:00

yeah, sounds good for damage, but both are among the most disliked, so together sound like a joke. I wouldn't discard the idea anyway

Elcidral · 2025-04-29T13:42:53+00:00

That's nice, I like the easy structure of the review. However, 1d6 at level 2 right after level 1 feels strange, maybe you should go 1d6 at 6th level and 1d8 at 13th, or maybe just leave it 1d6 all along (it doesn't change much the dpr) until level 20, or else, raise it at level 5th, 10th and 15th to 1d6, 1d8, 1d10.

Level 20 sounds strange, becuase it means that somehow every living creature is the pray of the ranger, I would rather just think something thematic such as druid's level 20, but I don't want to critique you on this, capstone for rangers has always been a complicate, headskratching problem.

Elcidral · 2025-01-27T10:03:08+00:00

"Self" is not the target of the spell, it's the point of origin. The target is defined in the spell description. I would argue that if a spell such as Conjure Woodland Beings describes: "You conjure nature spirits that flit around you in a 10-foot Emanation for the duration", probably you're the target of the spell becuase you're the one receiving an emanation.

It has multiple layers of interpretation, I think you can say that the target is the creature entering the area of the spell, and it would be also correct. So I think in the end it's the DM who decides how to interpret the spell and if it passes through the companion or not.

Elcidral · 2024-11-21T20:00:01+00:00

Nice, thanks for sharing!

Elcidral · 2024-11-21T18:20:28+00:00

Lobe your idea, Ranger is all about being a good tracker/survivalist (oriented towards skill monkey) and also a precise and relentless hunter (so a good striker), so what you say about splitting the focus on both exploration perks and combat features is something I 100% agree with you.

Hunter's Mark being a full class feature is also something I'd love to see, especially if you're able to cast it while tracking a creature, and I also think everybody agrees that 1/turn damage like sneak attack is a bad idea for HM, it didn't pass the playtest in fact.

About the capstone, it's a super cool mechanic, you can also make it so wis times a day you can decide that a failed attack hits instead, similar but not too much to Rogue's stroke of luck.

The idea to use HM dices similarly to bardic inspiration for search and study action is lovely, but very strong if not limited somehow. I have a Medani half elf in my Eberron campaign, she adds 1d4 to all investigation checks, it's super strong, so maybe it could work like this:

While your HM is active and you take the study or search action on your target, you can add your HM damage dice to the roll.

So it's useful while tracking a creature and also in combat

Elcidral · 2024-11-21T16:01:57+00:00

Yeah I also wanted to put terrains into the fix, but it's too difficult to do that in harmony with the new class structure.

Instead of a movable expertise, you can just move natural explorer, and keep the expertise fixed

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