fantasy

Overlords Of Infamy Print-And-Play

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Overlords of Infamy is (for the time being) a free print-and-play game. The author writes:

In this game, you take on the role of an Evil Overlord ruling over subjects within his/her sizeable tract of land. The goal is to make your subjects as miserable as possible, while other Overlords are doing the same to their subjects. You accomplish this by harvesting a variety of materials to complete myriad Nefarious Plots ranging from “Steal Candy from Babies” and “Make Everyone’s Socks Slightly Damp” to “Blow up the Moon!” and “Resurrect the Old Gods”. All the while, there is a band of Adventuring Heroes from the Kingdom of Good going around trying to thwart all Overlord’s plans, other Overlords will be committing acts of Espionage against one another, and random world events will be triggered by World Tension from your actions!

Fantastic Heroes and Witchery RPG

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Fantastic Heroes & Witchery is a commercial fantasy role playing product that pays homage to the beloved game of my youth. But there’s also a free pdf version.

The authors write:

Fantastic Heroes & Witchery is a 430 pages rulebook, with all the information necessary to run a game of fantasy role-playing. Monsters and magical items are not provided (though they will come in later supplements), but you can use those from other editions of the game, so your books don’t become useless.

The rules are similar to those found in “the original game” and its simulacrums, but draw on several editions to create its own style. Fantastic Heroes & Witchery was done with the following goals in mind: ability to use most earlier material (monsters, magical items, modules, GM books, etc.) without conversion; simple and streamlined rules mostly based on the original game’s mechanics; but also new and different character classes, and many new spells. Overall, Fantastic Heroes & Witchery remains the same ancient game, but with slightly modernized rules plus a few options and additions.

Castle Triskelion Mega Dungeon

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Castle Triskelion is an old school fantasy role playing mega dungeon. It’s an ongoing project, and many of the pieces are available for downloading now, including what I have found is the most rare of modules — those for a small group of low-level characters.

Into The Fray Core Rules

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Into The Fray is a set of free wargames rules for fantasy skirmishes. The authors write:

Designed so that each player will field between 15 and 20 figures in a standard battle, a game of Into the Fray will last about 2 hours with experienced players. The game includes rules for the standard fare like movement, combat and morale, and also includes a system for magic and special abilities that will keep things interesting even for veteran players.

Available only in an electronic format, ITF is a print and play game. It keeps the initial cost down and allows you to make as many or as few miniatures as you need to form your army. With a few supplies (cardstock and glue sticks) and a few hobby tools (a hobby knife and a straightedge) you can build all of the cards, miniatures, counters and templates you need. Add in a handful of six siders and a tape measure and you will be ready to get Into the Fray!!

War of Ashes: Shieldbash

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War of Ashes: Shieldbash is a fantasy game set in a dying world. While the full game is a commercial product, the company offers the rules sections of the gamebook for free.