Game Master's Guide

Hosting a Game

Tables. All players have their own Table page, where they can host games as the Game Master.

To invite players, just send them a link to your Table page.

Tone. Before starting, make sure everyone knows what kind of tone is okay during the game. (e.g. serious all the time, anything goes, etc.)

Quests

Scenes. Fabletop  works best with short, quick quests. Each quest will be divided into 3 or 4 Scenes, taking 40-60 minutes each.

To start a scene, just select GM Menu > New Scene, add some miniatures, and you're ready to go.

GM Tip: Start the game in the middle of the action, so you don't waste too much time in the opening "quest giver" stage. Essential background info can be provided via flashback.

Dungeons. It's easier to present dungeons as a one-by-one series of rooms, instead of trying to navigate a map with a lot of trivial choices.

One-Shots. We recommend short quests that can be completed in one session, especially if you are starting with a new group. Longer quests can be broken up into individual "episodes".

Improv. It's pretty easy to run quests with no preparation. Just set up an initial scene and improvise based on the actions of the players. You can even ask them to fill in details during the game, making it more collaborative.

Example Quest Outline

Scene 1:  
Forest - Road
Ambushed by Goblins  (Attack 2, Life 1)

Scene 2:  
Forest - Tracks
Follow goblin tracks to lair  (Wisdom/Nature rolls)
Big Spiky Plant - poison spores  (Might roll or 1 Damage)

Scene 3:  
Goblin Cave - Corridor
Spear traps  (Agility roll or 1 Damage)

Scene 4:  
Goblin Cave - Final Lair
Goblins & Goblin Shaman  (Attack 3, Life 4, Freeze Spell)

Combat

Initiative. Don't make players roll for initiative -- it really slows things down in a chat-based system.

Just let the characters closest to the action go first. NPCs can interrupt at any time. Just use your judgement to keep combat flowing, and use the Turn button to keep track.

Movement. As a player, it's no fun to move half-way to an enemy, and then have to wait 10 minutes for your next turn to finally do something.

So in Fabletop, characters can usually move far enough to reach the nearest enemy. Basic athletic moves (e.g. jumping on a rock) don't require a roll.

Damage. Attack rolls do 1 damage per Star. There are no stats for defense, but you might allow the player (or a teammate) to use a Power point roll to dodge or block a severe attack.

Spillover. Extra damage from melee attacks can "spill over" to nearby targets, if it makes sense. This also helps balance out the extra danger of being in the front line.

Healing.The party can heal +50% Life by resting in complete safety for a night. Healing powers heal 2 Life per Star.

Tags. Edit the miniature Tag to mark effects such as prone, disarmed, frozen, etc. The GM can decide how these effect the game itself (e.g. missed turns, required skill rolls, etc).

Pace. Combat should be quick, unpredictable, and exciting. So don't worry too much about ranges, modifiers, etc. Instead, try to focus more on a creating variety of interesting outcomes, like what you would see in an adventure movie or novel.

Monsters & Enemies

There are no official monsters in Fabletop. You can create your own using just two stats: Life & Attack (# dice).

Examples. See the preset miniatures for more examples.

Damage Tag. When an NPC is hit, you can track how much total damage has been taken, by editing the miniature Tag (e.g. "Damage 2").

Powers. Enemies can use special powers or stunts any time, but should usually wait one turn before using them again.

Dangers. Special attacks and traps do a fixed amount of damage, but the player rolls to resist or reduce the effect.

For example, a dragon's fire might do 4 damage, but is reduced to 2 if the player makes a successful Agility roll.

Combat Ideas

Example tactics for humanoids:

kick, punch, head butt, grapple, disarm, hidden knife, throw weapon, charge, climb, jump, taunt, take cover, call for help, withdraw, feint, play dead.

Example powers for monsters:

bite, claw, ram, poison, acid, fire, electricity, cold, shriek/roar, blinding flash, web, breath, fly, levitate, teleport, high speed, tail whip, eye beams, petrify, regenerate, shield, reflect attack, shapechange, grow, disappear, possess, mistform, effect triggered on death.

Other Rolls

Combined Rolls. Tasks that allow for cooperation might allow more than one player to roll, with the Stars from all rolls added together.

For example, moving a large boulder might allow 2 players to roll versus a combined goal of 4 Stars.

Multiple Rolls. For tasks that take extra time to complete, the GM might ask for additional rolls, which are added together.

For example, if the party is searching a room for a hidden clue, the players could make Wisdom rolls every minute (in-game) until they reach a combined total of 10 Stars.

Opposed Rolls. If a player is directly opposing an NPC (e.g. an arm wrestling contest), treat it as a normal roll versus a predetermined difficulty (usually 1-2 stars).

Caution: It's generally a bad idea to also roll for the NPC (to see if they roll higher), because the result curve will be extremely predictable. There will either be a lot of ties, or the character with more dice will usually have a guaranteed success.

Rewards

Rewards are given using the "Give Party" menu option, or via the /stat command.

Experience (XP).At the end of each session, reward 1-10 XP to everyone in the party (usually 2 XP per hour of solid gameplay). You can base this on how much was accomplished, how difficult it was, how well they roleplayed, and how quickly you want the characters to advance.

Treasure. It's a good idea to give out Wealth points only after major scenes, to avoid slowing the game down with constant looting.

Magic Items. Most magic items can be added as Bonus traits. (e.g. a Ring of Shadows +2, which adds 2 dice to Stealth rolls).

Use these sparingly!   Even at +1 die, some magic items can end up being overpowering. Single or limited-use items (e.g. potions & scrolls) are recommended for better game balance.

Storytelling Tips

Keep it Short. The best descriptions are often the shortest. Full sentences aren't even necessary. Let the players fill in the blanks in their heads (and assume the worst). e.g. "Fear is in the air. A howling SHRIEK! Then... silence."

Sound. "Sound effects" are a quick and creative way to provide description. e.g. "drip... drip... drip..." and "Ka-chattle-chattle-clank!"

NPCs. Try to give NPCs different mannerisms, via speech or emotes. e.g. "Ay, watcha doin'?", -- scratches underarm --

Optional Rules

One-Shot Powers. At character creation, let players create a power that can be used once per session, listed in their Notes.

These count as a free Power point, and can be another great way to make a character unique: e.g. "Stubborn", "Hidden Knife", "Horrible Pun", etc.

Onward!

Remember, there are a hundred other things players could be doing, rather than playing in your game. Always keep their enjoyment in mind.

While you get to set the direction, the players want the freedom to play their characters and (with some help from the dice gods) ultimately determine the final destination.

Think of it this way: Fabletop is like a computer RPG, but with super-flexible AI and a plot that can go in any direction! As the GM, you get to provide that experience.

Happy adventuring, and be sure to share your experiences (and log snippets) with us in the forum!