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
Description
High Fantasy is a fantasy role-playing system similar to Dungeons & Dragons.[1]
Gameplay
Character generation
Basic attributes are determined randomly.[2] The player can choose one of four main character classes: warriors, wizards, animal masters, and alchemists (who may make and use firearms).[1]
Magic
Using magic utilizes a spell-point magic system.
Combat
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 the opponent's chance to dodge, and the difference between these numbers determines if the hit is successful.[3]
Gaining experience
Characters gain experience for successful adventures, enabling them to advance in skill levels.
Monsters
The rules include brief monster descriptions.[1]
Publication history
While Jeffrey C. Dillow was attending
A second edition was published by
As the High Fantasy gaming system gained in popularity, additional adventure books were added, including
- Fortress Ellendar (1979)[3]
- Moorguard (1980).[6]
- Adventures In High Fantasy (1981)[7]
- Judges Screen (1981)
- In the Service of Saena Sephar (1982)[5]
- Murder in Irliss (1982),[5]
- Wizards & Warriors (a hardcover book containing both In the Service of Saena Sephar and Murder in Irliss.)[5]
- Goldchester: More Adventures in High Fantasy (1982)
Reception
In the June/July 1980 edition of
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 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 the games you already play."[8]
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."[9]
Eric Goldberg reviewed High Fantasy in Ares Magazine #9 and commented that "High Fantasy tries to negotiate 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."[7]
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 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 the hobby will suffer for it."[10]
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 is more than workable — it’s the best way to write them. With luck, these will be just the tip of the iceberg.[5]
In his 1990 book
In his 1991 book Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games, Lawrence Schick thought the system had "unremarkable rules" but was "notable for the high quality of its scenarios".[1]
Other reviews and commentary
- Gryphon (Issue 1, Summer 1980)
- Gryphon (Issue 3, Spring 1981)
References
- ^ ISBN 0-87975-653-5.
- ^ a b Swan, Rick (1990). The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games. New York: St. Martin's Press. p. 103.
- ^ a b c Turnbull, Don (June–July 1980). "Open Box". White Dwarf (19). Games Workshop: 21.
- ^ a b "My Amazing High Fantasy Adventure". High Fantasy Books. 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2015-10-22.
- ^ TSR, Inc.: 77.
- ^ Pehr, Ronald (August 1980). "Capsule Reviews". The Space Gamer (30). Steve Jackson Games: 27–28.
- ^ a b Goldberg, Eric (July 1981). "Games". Ares Magazine (9). Simulations Publications, Inc.: 26–27, 30.
- ^ Pehr, Ronald (August 1980). "Featured Review: High Fantasy". The Space Gamer (30). Steve Jackson Games: 4.
- ^ Swenson, Anders (February–March 1981). "Reviews". Different Worlds (11): 21–22.
- ^ Pulsipher, Lewis (May 1982). "Capsule Reviews". The Space Gamer (51). Steve Jackson Games: 30–31.