The Sea People is an accessory for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game .
28-500: The Sea People is a supplement and campaign setting that details the underwater realm at the bottom of the Sea of Dread and its inhabitants. PC3 The Sea People was written by Jim Bambra , with a cover by Lakey , and was published by TSR in 1990 as two 48-page booklets and an outer folder. In the June 1990 edition of Games International , the reviewer thought this supplement "reflects
56-488: A 73-page introductory solo scenario, Escape from Queztec'l , with 360 numbered scenes. (The player's character is in the city of Queztec'l for a religious festival when General Tezcaloz'l and his minions attack the city, killing everyone they can find. The object of the adventure is to escape from the city.) As the High Fantasy gaming system gained in popularity, additional adventure books were added, including In
84-627: A background world, if players can identify with characters who exist only as Offense, Defense, and Innate Ability, and if people do what they did with the original D&D and put in some necessary reforging on the rules, High Fantasy can be a good game. If the designer would double the size (and price) to give us more background and explain away some of the rules glitches, High Fantasy could be very good. If you like simple abstract systems with which you can tinker to your heart's content, High Fantasy has something to offer. If you need more than that you might want to wait for High Fantasy II , or stick with
112-510: A market which is already dominated [...] Whether you are likely to enjoy the game-system is not entirely the point: the question is - will the game-system contain enough material which fits your personal taste to the extent that it tempts you away from whatever system you are using at present [...] I believe that the High Fantasy rules are too lightweight for that. So my ratings are based on the degree to which High Fantasy materials will compete with D&D or be compatible with D&D and (in
140-504: A more typical fantasy milieu. High Fantasy (role-playing game) High Fantasy is a fantasy role-playing game system originally published by Fantasy Productions in 1978. A second edition in 1981 and several subsequent books were published by Reston Publishing that featured solo adventures using the High Fantasy system. The game received mixed reviews in game periodicals including White Dwarf , The Space Gamer , Different Worlds , Ares , and Dragon . High Fantasy
168-421: A wealth of material written by professional game designers. When creating a homebrew setting "you're on your own - but without limits and preconceptions", which can lead to more interesting games as the game master may be "more invested in the material and passionate about its development". The first role-playing settings from the early 1970s (such as World of Greyhawk and Blackmoor ) were based on works in
196-457: Is a fantasy role-playing system similar to Dungeons & Dragons . Basic attributes are determined randomly. The player can choose one of four main character classes: warriors, wizards, animal masters, and alchemists (who may make and use firearms). Using magic utilizes a spell-point magic system. The melee combat system uses percentile dice (a random roll from 1–100). The player's character rolls percentile dice and compares that number to
224-728: Is a series of individual adventures , and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place. A campaign setting is typically designed for a specific game (such as the Forgotten Realms setting for Dungeons & Dragons ) or a specific genre of game (such as historical fantasy or science fiction ), though some come from existing media (such as movies, shows, novels, or comic books). There are numerous campaign settings available for purchase both in print and online. In addition, many game masters create their own, which are often called "homebrew" settings. Examples of major campaign settings include
252-456: Is more than workable — it’s the best way to write them. With luck, these will be just the tip of the iceberg. In his 1990 book The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games , game critic Rick Swan warned readers "Don't go out of your way [to find it]. Although the game has noble intentions as a simpler alternative to D&D , High Fantasy is dismal — hopelessly derivative, awkwardly written, and virtually unplayable." Swan concluded by giving
280-412: Is no reason for either novices or experienced FRPers to prefer High Fantasy . If it were professionally edited and extensively rewritten to make parts more clear to those with no knowledge of FRP, High Fantasy would be a decent, though not outstanding, introductory game. As it is, if Reston [Publishing] continues to show such disregard for basic production quality in its other game publications [...] then
308-467: The Star Wars universe or Middle-earth , then later adapted to one or more role playing systems. However, some system-agnostic settings are designed explicitly for gaming, such as Hârn . Games scholar Nikolai Butler distinguished two types of campaign settings, homebrewed and official. According to games journalist David M. Ewalt , established campaign settings have the advantage of providing
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#1732802055391336-698: The Dungeons & Dragons campaign settings , World of Darkness , the Star Trek science fiction universe, and the Avatar: The Last Airbender fantasy world. Some games and settings only appear together, such as Warhammer . Some games have multiple settings, such as Dungeons & Dragons or generic roleplaying systems such as GURPS or Fudge . There are also stand-alone settings that can be used for multiple game systems. Often these are developed first for works of fiction, such as
364-467: The June/July 1980 edition of White Dwarf (Issue #19), Don Turnbull did not think this new role-playing system stood a chance in the over-crowded marketplace already dominated by Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D), saying, "in the case of any new role-playing game nowadays, any rating on review has to take account, not just of objective judgment of the game but also of its likely impact on
392-420: The attention of Twinn K, a maker of slot cars looking to diversify. This partnership enabled Fantasy Productions to publish a third printing with a color cover. A second edition was published by Reston Publishing , a subsidiary of Prentice Hall , in 1981 as a 208-page hardcover book, a 208-page softcover book, and a boxed set including two books, five character sheets, and dice. The second edition included
420-452: The case of modules) the degree to which these make a significant contribution to material which would be grafted onto a D&D format." Turnbull concluded by giving the game system a dismal rating of only 4 out of 10. In the August 1980 edition of The Space Gamer (Issue No. 30), Ronald Pehr commented that " High Fantasy can work. If a referee is willing to put the time into developing
448-691: The fantasy literary genre by authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis . As a result, common fantasy elements in campaign settings include magic and supernatural/mythological creatures, such as dragons , elves , dwarves and orcs . The worlds in these games usually have a level of technology similar to that of medieval Europe . Over the decades since, fantasy role-playing has evolved and expanded tremendously, developing sub-genres such as dark fantasy , high fantasy , and science fantasy . Games such as Ars Magica popularized fantasy set within elements of real-world history. Subsequent games updated this concept further, bringing fantasy gaming into
476-479: The fine line between the simple and the simplistic, but falls on the wrong side. The game should work well when played with the designer and friends, which does not help the several thousand who have not had the luck to meet Mr. Dillow." In the May 1982 edition of The Space Gamer (Issue No. 51), Lewis Pulsipher was not impressed by the writing or production values of the second edition High Fantasy , saying, "There
504-477: The game a very poor rating of 1.5 out of 4, saying, "Oddly enough the book concludes with one of the best solitaire adventures I've ever seen — a clever, challenging scenario that rivals the best of the Tunnels & Trolls solos. Fortunately it can be adapted to other fantasy systems without too much trouble." In his 1991 book Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games , Lawrence Schick thought
532-415: The game genre contains sub-genres such as cyberpunk , space opera , and steampunk . Science fiction settings for role playing were introduced with Metamorphosis Alpha in 1976—dungeon adventuring on a "lost starship" —and in 1977 soon followed with Traveller , a space opera game. Its Third Imperium setting covered multiple worlds and alien races. Gamma World , introduced in 1978, explored
560-534: The games you already play." Anders Swenson reviewed High Fantasy for Different Worlds magazine and stated that " High Fantasy is a system with a difference, but not much else. I'm not going to change any of my gaming rules because of this book, which is unusual ·- I almost always find some neat twists in the latest set of rules I've read." Eric Goldberg reviewed High Fantasy in Ares Magazine #9 and commented that " High Fantasy tries to negotiate
588-489: The hobby will suffer for it." In the December 1982 edition of Dragon (Issue #68), Robert Plamondon thought the concept of solo adventures introduced in the second edition of the game "works very well indeed." He concluded, "I was impressed by all the High Fantasy solos, and have played each of them more than once (with wildly different results each time). They show that an 'interactive novel' approach to solo adventures
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#1732802055391616-445: The looser approach of D&D over AD&D ", and noted the "friendly fictional style." This Dungeons & Dragons article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Campaign setting A campaign setting is a setting for a tabletop role-playing game or wargame campaign. Most campaign settings are fictional worlds ; however, some are historical or contemporary real-world locations. A campaign
644-407: The opponent's chance to dodge, and the difference between these numbers determines if the hit is successful. Characters gain experience for successful adventures, enabling them to advance in skill levels. The rules include brief monster descriptions. While Jeffrey C. Dillow was attending Indiana University , he started to play the original edition of Dungeons & Dragons . Unsatisfied with
672-542: The past of Earth. Historical settings explored in 1980s-1990s roleplaying games include Pendragon ( Arthurian ), Sengoku ( Japanese warring states ), Recon ( Vietnam War ), and Tibet (historical Tibet ). Horror settings such as Call of Cthulhu were first introduced in the early 1980s, creating a hybrid of fantasy horror and modern thrillers. These settings tended to focus on organizations and societies in which generally normal people fight against malevolent supernatural entities. Another style of horror game reversed
700-445: The present day with urban fantasy (such as Mage: The Ascension ) or into the future with cyberpunk (e.g. Shadowrun ). Science fiction settings typically take place in the future. Common elements involve futuristic technology, contact with alien life forms, experimental societies, and space travel. Psionic abilities (i.e. ESP and telekinesis ) often take the place of magic. Similar to science fiction literature and film,
728-424: The replacement of traditional elements of fantasy settings with the pseudo-scientific elements of post-apocalyptic fiction . Due to the success of Star Wars , and the franchise's impact on popular culture, many science fiction settings were introduced or adapted during the 1980s. Such settings often involved detailed accounts of military and/or trading operations and organizations. Historical games are set in
756-457: The roles, with player characters acting as supernatural creatures, such as vampires and werewolves . This style was popularized in the 1990s by White Wolf 's Vampire: The Masquerade and World of Darkness . Early campaign settings that combine horror and fantasy elements include the Dungeons & Dragons settings Ravenloft and Ghostwalk . The D&D Heroes of Horror sourcebook also provided ways to emphasize horror elements within
784-410: The rules, Dillow wrote his own set of rules and started to run games for his fellow students. After graduation, Dillow and his wife formed Fantasy Productions in 1978, printed 100 copies of the rules as a 44-page book with an orange cover titled High Fantasy , and began to sell them a games conventions. The Dillows used their profits to publish a second printing with a cream cover. This brought them to
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