Fifth Fantasy, Rules and Setting Introduction

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(Posted for GLoGtober 2024 prompt: Anime Inspired Content)

For a while, I've been working on a game I call Fifth Fantasy. It's part of my lifelong love affair with the generic. It is my personal belief that generic fantasy can be quite as good as gonzo fantasy when pursued with a genuine love. The system, if you can bear it, is a hack of Fifth Edition D&D, though I think it has become almost unrecognizable. My rationale for doing this is simple: I should like to be able to call my games "D&D games" and mean it.

It is vaguely inspired by Zelda, Ni no Kuni, and various JRPGs that I've never played. Being, of course, the last person on earth to make a Ghibli-Zelda Heartbreaker, I have no pretensions of it being the best. It is merely mine. I have placed an emphasis on crafting and downtime, which I think to be almost novel and almost playable. The ruleset is not yet complete: I have yet to finish writing all the spells, and I plan to overhaul the Fighter. But I have a desire to release it as it stands.

Click on that little gif to see it.

Setting Primer

Thousands of years ago, men were not like they are now. Their lives were long, and they knew secret arts of magic and the sword that let them reshape the world as they saw fit. We now call those men gods, although they are all but forgotten to us.

500 years ago, the Dark Lord set up his domain in the north, inflicting tyranny and curses for 300 years, before being brought low by his own people in alliance with the people of the east.

100 years ago, the wizard Destrian the Sudden conquered the lands to the south of the central mountain. He built great monuments in order to increase his power, but was eventually exploded by Forthwind the First, Oswald LaMarque, Desdemona the Sorceress, and Clover the Thief. A brief power struggle with Destrian's general, Redmaine, led to the establishment of the Forthwind Kingdom. At this time, also, the Shadow Wizard Council was organized in the north.

50 years ago, Forthwind the First died, and was succeeded by his son. The dragon of the Darkmarsh retreated to his lair. Trade was established with the Eastern Forest.

5 years ago, the storm dragon Akryus came to the central mountains, and began gorging himself on the lightning energy left by Destrian.

1 year ago, the storm dragon began to (excrete? build? spawn?) legions of storm elementals and thundarmors, which thereafter began to decimate the north of the kingdom, and provoking the dragon of the Darkmarsh to wakefulness.

Now, King Forthwind II has declared that whosoever kills the storm dragon shall possess half the kingdom.

 

Fifth fantasy takes place in a world where a year is 4 months long, and a month is 15 days long. A kingdom might consist of 4 towns, and a town might consist of 4 buildings. The world is suffused with the elements of magic: Fire, Ice, Storm, Light, and Dark. These elements permeate into the very stones and bones, and those who are skilled can turn these into powerful weapons and tools. But these elements may also create monsters that menace the land. Therefore, adventurers must go forth into the wild places to protect the people and bring back riches.

The Five Kingdoms

The centermost kingdom, the frontier of the Great Forest, the great kingdom of Adventure, the Forthwind kingdom! Rural and ruined, it is a place of opportunity for all. The king is wise, but rather busy, and the prince is foolish. Dungeons are more common here than elsewhere, built by the old stormlord. Cuisine is wild game and farmed wheat.

Minaterno, the city of the sea, is the cultured port of the world, the crossroads of all places! Ruled by 5 noble families, or, more accurately, by their feuds and intrigues. Rivalry is here considered a form of romance, and cunning is a form of virtue. They love noodles, and harvest wild rice from the darkmarsh, and have a lot of spice.

The Black Axis, called the city of slaves, where shadows grow long and secrets are thick. Despite its nickname, slavery has long been illegal, and they practice a form of representative government, headed by the Shadow Wizard Council. The abundance of Dark aligned materials left by their ancient lord still provides the basis of their economy, and they have the greatest school for mages in the world. Their food is somewhat bland: Mushrooms, Potatoes, Eel, and Whale.

The Eastern Forest is a place dominated by serenity and beauty. This domination is literal: some enchantment seems to lie on the whole domain, and it is hard to break. Decisiveness is valued: To break the peace when necessary, with swiftness and grace. There is a different tradition of mages there, sorted into colors: Red, Blue, Black, White. Their queen is secluded always. They are vegetarian, eating leeks and beans.

The Islands of the Crimson Demons is a place that is suffused with magic and exceedingly dangerous. The eponymous Crimson Demons are the ancient and capricious clan of sorcerer-pirates that have been the only ones to effectively stake a claim on any of the islands, and they have only cleared a small village, ruled by the Elder Demon. They trade often with Minaterno, but rove far and raid occasionally. Culturally, they are similar to Minaterno, but with a greater love of spectacle and less regard for tradition.