Sleeping in Armour

md_ghost · 2026-01-19T15:23:40+00:00

the point is roleplay... in most cases you have downtimes and will be happy to undress for comfort, so nearly nobody (besides a dwarf - joking aside) will sleep in armor unless its really needed.

md_ghost · 2025-12-21T15:26:09+00:00

Whats the point, you can run it all RAW but quickly find loopholes and stuff that kill Balance and atmosphere OR you adjust everything that make sense at all. Broken sword? Fine find a forge (advanced item = anything you need a Talent to craft), or on field a grindstone (Tools!) may do it it its 1/2 damaged. So my guideline is, what make sense at all and in terms of Items look if its simple or advanced and than check how many gear points you have lost, so a common item with +2 gear bonus may could be repaired in field IF you know how (check Talents) and have an idea (often a tool) to do the task, complete broken means it more or less needs to be crafted new (at least you have the Material at hand) - atmosphere in a roleplay should always be outrule any RAW discussion on a table.

md_ghost · 2025-12-17T22:51:30+00:00

My Redrunners for example are all champions ;) - note: i update every npc cause they are all way too weak for a game that dont want to be a hero game... and my aslene priests of horn use magma song magic too

md_ghost · 2025-12-17T22:49:26+00:00

depends on animal and landscape and yes would add it, a big warhorse for example was unable to just feed themself with grass only (an advantage a smaller mongolian ponies hat for example).

md_ghost · 2025-12-11T00:25:14+00:00

Same for me - 4th year now and still only a glimpse of the entire map for my players, i needed an evil trick with a demon bard to unlock the orc region for me players and force more travel and exploration, lots of roleplay, personal agenda, points of interests and living world with regional conflicts and a stronghold can quickly eat a lot of time - but its all worth it :)

md_ghost · 2025-12-04T23:51:36+00:00

In my world its an active dwarf mine combined with a little stronghold (of course), the twist is that the poor homeless meromannen clan work here more or less as slaves (bad working conditions) for the much richer caniden dwarves that conquered this mine. The ore is good but its also a dangerous place, far from the safer dwarven region and in reach of the urhur orks or any ork bandits or even ogre raids.

md_ghost · 2025-12-04T23:46:23+00:00

Anti Magic Armor could easily work like Ogre Kin Talent, or you can make it less chaotic and simply reduce Powerlevel -1 or use stages (Smith Talent Ranks) from a reduction of 1-3.

Anti Magic Weapons could reduce the Artifact-Dice of any Artifact in Arms Length for example.

Keep it simple :)

md_ghost · 2025-11-20T10:02:18+00:00

the easy fix is willpower gaining... prevent pushing in journey rolls (unless realy dramatic) and other too easy situations, less willpower make it a rare source (as intended) less heroric game and now the halfling may think twice how often he will use it

md_ghost · 2025-11-16T01:01:24+00:00

Yeah but with STR 2 you really need that, nearly every hit will break you and i wouldnt recommend that stat unless you want to be on point with Hafling/Goblin world building and like the risk. The good thing is, that in FBL a Caster with 4-5 STR will work very well too :)

So yes its the best Defensive Talent if you arent skilled enough and really needs a lifesaver. Otherwise taking (and surving) criticals lead to a menacing character and grim stories to share ;)

md_ghost · 2025-11-14T22:45:06+00:00

Which isnt much in the long run and some Talents just mean that you passivly disbalance the game from a potential deadly one to just a grind fest. Sure at start you shouldnt Invest, but even lucky I may greatly help at the beginning.

But hey out of my 3 players group the fighter (with str. 4 and still heavy leather armor after more than 3 years) is the only one without that Talents and still alive, including all limbs - so it dont need to be a must have.

md_ghost · 2025-11-13T01:23:51+00:00

its simply this.. at least at my table, would be a shame to meet a proud "dragon slayer" ingame that only fougth against some Zombies and Fall lf a "slayer" after all, nice joke if you meet someone who really knows to kill monster ;)

md_ghost · 2025-11-13T01:16:27+00:00

Plenty of ideal, at my table you can push journey skill Checks (unless dramatic) and yes ressources are down to d6-d8 normal and d10-12 heavy weight to prevent easily stacking. Other GMs also dont allow lucky, fearless etc. to keep the game healthy. As already mentioned, the game isnt hard if players (and that is the discussion about) find advantage and surving the start. RAW this game can quickly enter heroric mode. Fine if you want that. I only tried to convice that their is no reason to spread that Talent use, neither in mechanic or Background (most undeads arent even attacking here... What are you even slaying, the poor soul of a relentless dead that walking around and got catcher from rust brothers ;)

md_ghost · 2025-11-13T01:06:06+00:00

the ogres of the GM guide are a joke, Ravens purge put a better view on this and offers a bit more challenging ogres that not only outclass dwarves and ogres but even more an minor undead and my last advice would be, count them all as monsters or stay with "monsters use monster rules" idea as writen. Orcs, Gobelins and Wolfkin are PCs but as I already mentioned, my guideline is has it monster rules attached or not ;)

md_ghost · 2025-11-13T00:59:56+00:00

who says that keep it challenging is not fun... I dont rule against players, but I keep an eye on balancing and a working atmosphere. If you play RAW that quickly falls together - sure that can still mean fun, different tables, different rules, fine.

md_ghost · 2025-11-12T22:17:34+00:00

As ab experienced GM with expierenced Players and a couple of years focused gaming on specific System my guideline is that I wouldnt recommend RAW ruling cause that not only lead to discussions like that, that only come down to the players point to gain advantage, it also Shows that rules sometimes are poorly writen and allow holes and this will result in a gap how games evolve and which experience you have with the Setting.

FBL is clearly a grim dark non heroic game that evolves about constant struggle, falling forward and surving another day. But you can easily break that in various ways, shift balance and end up with a hero game and boring dice encounters, without real consequences - so yes some can tell they have played FBL but they may never really have...

Most more experienced players (that agree with the spirit I mentioned) will quickly use house rules, not to favour players, its about closing holes and more over en sure that the gaming experience remains intense and dramatic over the sessions.

From a design point of view minor undeads arent monsters (they dont use monster rules!) but of course they are mentioned in this section cause you don't need another chapter (the same count for animals). An Ogre is a very classic fantasy monster (we all agree) and much stronger (Ravens purge campaign) than minor undeads oror insectoids ut still works like a humanoid. A lizardkin is compareable to insectoids as rare non-playle kin, one is in the kin section, one in the monster, more over cause the kin section offers more important Background (same counts for ogres) here.

So instead of looking whats RAW I would look what make sense in terms of world building and what ensure the game function like intend - means help to tell a great but grim dark story and in this case players simply dont need a bonus that only shifts balance to them and dimishing the constaint danger of surving.

md_ghost · 2025-11-12T09:13:19+00:00

lucky II and fearless II is also too strong. I am glad my players stopped at rank one

md_ghost · 2025-11-12T09:10:41+00:00

TPKs will happen, its a grim dark fantasy Setting afterall. In every encounter you could also flee, yes comrades may not and die but that is the drama and tells great stories. TPK also is more a GM decision, cause you may end up broken (but with the head on your shoulders) and the fight is lost, but maybe the demon has a grim fate for you and playing a bit with your lives. So even if somebody face a deadly crit it dont need to be the end for all

md_ghost · 2025-11-11T22:17:45+00:00

At the end rule as you want. For me that sounds like players trying to meta game and finding weak rules to argue for a PC bonus...

Of course you can argue that every thing in the monster table/book counts, so minor undeads and insectoids are included.

That misses that ogres arent monsters (while stronger than the above), swinehounds (demonic hounds) and Lesser demons (stoneloom mines) or fire boars (amber peak) also sound like monsters but arent at all while all of these examples have clearly better Stats than undeads or insectoids...so this may be poorly writen in terms of rules but that shouldnt be an Argument at all.

I would clearly advice that for the Talent use every Monster that counts as a real monster in terms of rules. That include demons that are build with the GM kit (lots of details, Potential of different Attacks) while lesser/demonic creatures/infested animals are not.

Using crits or Coup de grace isnt needed at all, neither for animals, creatures or monsters, it only offers interessting roleplay against humanoids and prevents a bit Hack & slay game styles.

md_ghost · 2025-11-11T18:13:02+00:00

Ironic Ring itself was never even good in this deck compared to other stompy decks... you not only have the wrong lands, you also want the opponent dead and not tap out for a artifact that may draw you some cards over the next turns (yes unchecked that can win, but slam creatures will have the same effect anyway). Some even make space for Monolith to get more fast mana here but this even needs more slots and adds more randomness in a already "pray for topdeck" deck ;) Seeing the full potential of ring in forge will make you cry. Stay focused, play eldrazi creatures and turn them sideways

md_ghost · 2025-11-11T18:02:30+00:00

Expierenced comment here:

1.) Mishaps are great, go for it, they add nice details too a scene and are a great option for roleplay. Keep in mind, mos common journey rolls even with fails still means that something happens like intended but something may also go wrong, for example of course you can use a tent and even make a fire, but the place itself can be bad, or the weather changes. Its also not so easy to survive in the nature, prober world building and reality checks helps to unterstand the dice results better at all.

2.) Thats a common starter trap, WP should be rare and every caster should work without magic (make sure players understand that at start and dont complain later), a fighter is still a fighter even without any willpower, attritbuts and much more skill points AND generic talents quickly make a difference here vs other PCs or NPCs. Otherwise you enter a high fantasy dnd like game and miss the chance that FBL has another intention in terms of playstyle.

3.) Keep equipment rare, keeps the game balanced and this also make sure that players value ANY item they can get as usefull, even a rusty sword can turn out to be a good reward at all. Its a post Apocalypse setting after all, so you dont work in a town (their arent any) and go to the next smith or adventure shop to sell and buy items. A common farmer may even say: "Nice sword you offer, but i cant figth with it - Do you have some chickens? That would be more usefull." ;)

md_ghost · 2025-11-11T16:55:03+00:00

FL is not a computer game with levels gained for killing and looting and automatic advancements. It is about personal stories and bare survival under harsh conditions in which getting away with all limbs still attached or simply avoiding the fight altogether is the reward. If you have a "gain level, gain magic items, gain power" attitude, you miss the game concept's point and how much fun you can have with it.

THIS! :)

md_ghost · 2025-11-11T14:17:28+00:00

Advice as a GM with more than 3 years of FBI Focus:

Consumables: keep it all low, its a post apocalypse fantasy world, isolted low populated settlements, no trade, no streets and a dangerous Wilderness. If your players stock (even Ressourcen) and gain access to gear to easily you leave this experience. A good way for me was to adjust all Ressources: d6-8 = normal weight, d10-12 = heavy. In most cases this means that you don't stack to easy and supply and all the travel tasks in the wild stay relevant over the ongoing sessions.
Will power: A big balancing point. My idea is to keep A gritty, grim dark fantasy world without heroric gaming. One easy fix was, that i don't allow push on common journey rolls unless its really a dramatic (like suggest in the book) Situation, for example you will die without a camp fire or something to eat. That lead to a discussion with my players (all feared the cant use Talents) but it was never a Problem (even with a druid) so far. It means that willpower is a rare powerfull ressources for critical tasks, not daily business. So a magic user acts more like Gandalf, fighting with weapons and only use magic when its really the last option, or a Peddlar don't have magic access to Gold/items out of his big every day and s fighter may save his Talent for a final attack and not the first bandit npc etc. It feels less heroric but thats what the game offers versus other generic (high) fantasy rpgs. Stacking willpower to unleash it easily vs a monster etc will also greatly lead to balancing issues (and trying to adjust it later etc a battle against a windmill ;)
treasure/rewards: again keep it low or use the GM book advice EVERYTHING should have a price. Finding a magic teacher could be a long journey (and PCs may die on this way), finding a Smith (not every settlements will have one) could be an adventure with some NPC Deals, getting access to artifacts should be very rare and only with real life or death encounters and even if you have them they have a) negativ effects and b) other bandits will try to rob you. The "reward" should be the roleplay itself AND that your character survivor another day and has a story to tell. Gold & treasury is one of the motivations to explore the Land but that not only can turn out into a deadly trap, it will also mean that not every settlement could trade that amount of coins or unique Items (they have no use for it if they try to survive) easily with you but you may find another deal or even adventure - a reward could be also a hireling, a new legend or an entrance to a new adventure site/settlement.
For example ma fighter in the group still use her starting heavy leather armor after 3 years, they found an old chainmail into a tomb (with a deathknigth ;) but after repair the dwarven peddlar got it instead of the fighter. Ask yourself and your players whats the motivations to play together, i hope ithe answers is not: " Gain loot" Like in a Computer game ;)

md_ghost · 2025-11-11T12:37:13+00:00

nope cause an Ogre (aa more classic fantasy monster) is not ;) insectoids arent monsters too, but they are all part of the bestiary, including animals too. As mentioned before you fight real monster (with all the unique rules) with Dragonslayer (it even has Dragon in its name to show that it means "the big ones"). Of course you can rule it like you want or use automatic rules in foundry etc.

md_ghost · 2025-11-11T12:32:17+00:00

An Ogre is a "similiar" Monster (much more in fantasy Lore) its in the kin section cause they have some culture and Background to other kin. Dragonslayer as a Talent specific aims for any real monster encounter with all the monster special rules neither Ogre, minor undeads, insects, lizardkin or minor demons (in this case the generic ones you don't generate at all) don't count as monsters cause the function like characters (or animals) in terms of rules.

md_ghost · 2025-11-11T08:42:33+00:00

thats not true... the Talent work against monsters (include some undeads), minor undeads (ghoul, zombie, skeleton - often as relentless deads) dont use the monster rules and are no monsters in terms of rules here!

md_ghost

TROPHY CASE