"FoG fantasy conversions" Topic

has anyone discussed or created a system to use fantasy armies with Field of Glory rules?

I don't think it'd be all that hard, but why re-invent the wheel if someone has already done the work.

Thanks

There's a section on their forums for it. I BELIEVE they are also planning on doing a book for it at some point….

Unfortunately, yes. The Dallas/Ft. Worth Yahoo group has a thread about such with a file posted.

But we already have perfectly good fantasy rules from Games Workshop…

</ducks>

There's a Yahoo Group and a section on the Slitherine FOG Forum.

I'd take some of the conversions with a grain of salt. The rules had barely been released and there were some guys already cranking out fantasy army lists, even though they obviously had no idea how the rules actually worked. IIRC they were doing things like giving troop types illegal weapons combos, etc.

Seriously, is there an audience for this? How many on the Yahoo thread, does anyone know?

Rgds
Madan

It's not particularly active, but there are quite a lot of lists on the files section of the yahoo group, mainly LOTR, but also some others such as Conan.

As I worked on the last three army list books with thrm, I designed a fantasy army list for FoG.

The FoG Fantasy Yahoo group has had varying episodes of people looking in.

The early Lists did contain some problems, but those have been corrected, and are now in line with the rules (although it is necessary to check the footnotes of some lists to understand what a particular troop type has as far as abilities or weapons).

There are lists for LotR, Conan, and someone working on the Song of Fire & Ice Kingdoms (I am not certain what has happened with this, as school has kept me from any gaming).

I would love to see a Fantasy supplement for FoG, although there is really very little that would need to be changed in the rules. Magic would probably need to be added for those who with to have a more "High Fantasy" game. The Yahoo group dealt more with Low Fantasy and didn't think that having spells of the sort one sees in WHFB would work to well with the game… Although, what did we know, as we haven't played any games with that sort of magic.

I've played about five fantasy games with the LotR lists for Rohan, Isengard, and Mordor (I have yet to get a big enough force for Gondor or any Elves yet – Especially as the Elves have all for miniatures available), and they have worked wonderfully. The GW miniatures are a little crowded on some bases, but otherwise, I found that I could fit most of them with a little fiddling. I imagine that using 15mm figures that are slowly becoming available will solve that problem.

Erm, might I make a small suggestion? or two?

Before going too far into this project acertain who your target audience is…(read lightly…)

If you are trying to attract players from other Fanatsy systems, you won't be succesful unless it has some major…err…err…ZAP? POW? with lots colour and character to it otherwise forget it, oh and simpler.

If its for a historical player to dabble in then ground it in a genre, you say that LOTR works, then a very well researched FOG:LOTR might work…or FOG:CONAN but a FOG:GENERIC…brrr…

I kinda am your target for this sort of thing, I play ancients and fantasy and mythology in equal measure…but I won't touch FOG:ANYTHING with a barge pole. Lots of reasons why and I won't list them here as it'll start a FOG bashing/defending session as per other posts and all I want to do is advise a little.

So research who its for and what they want but very careful about bringing out a generic fantasy set of rules based on a bland game DOH had not meant to slip that in ;)

Good Luck I'll watch with great interest.

rgds
Madan

Thanks for the people who answered the question I asked. Seems like the idea has been kicked around but no one has come up with anything really fleshed out.

I used to collect GW Fantasy but got fed up with the constant rules changes. Figured I had a bunch of figures with no system to use them for. I don't have any burning desire to see this happen. Just thought it might have begun in this fertile bed of gaming ideas. :)

@ Madan

…but I won't touch FOG:ANYTHING with a barge pole. Lots of reasons why and I won't list them here as it'll start a FOG bashing/defending session as per other posts

seems like that might be what you're after. . .

So research who its for and what they want but very careful about bringing out a generic fantasy set of rules based on a bland game DOH had not meant to slip that in ;)

Bravo . . .

There are also DBx Based Fantasy Rules based on Hoplon. Come to think of it, really nothing had to be done with Hoplon to get a working set of Fantasy rules (sans magic, but that is also easily added with the scope of the rules).

Also, Doesn't Madan Mitra have a horse in this race as well?

There is also an Impetus Fantasy set, and the Songs of Blades and Heroes guys are working on a big battle set.

Many people have been waiting for the next paradigm shift away from DBx – and now three or four options have appeared.

All we can do is pays our money and takes our choice – although the Impetus option is free.

Oh and let's not forget the DBFr set from David "Evil" Brown.
These were based on BBDBA and worked brilliantly. For those of us with a penchant for all things Hyborian there was also a comprehensive army list.

My group play no fantasy but do play a lot of FOG, it's been popular and replaced all the other ancients systems out there for us.

If a fantasy set of rules based on FOG came out so that we didn't have to relearn 80% of the mechanics I would definitely be interested in getting an army or 2. Would be fun to run an army of orcs up against my Spartans.

If/when the fantasy version of FOG comes out I have no doubt that 15mm fantasy figures makers will notice a spike in their sales.

First-not bitter,
Second-was driving me potty,
Third-moved on to writing pure a Fantasy set (very recent).

Yep, I did have a horse in this race, as called DBF:HERE THERE BE DRAGONS, it was a first foray, it was ok, DBF2 is/was an awsome follow up but the DBx system went down the toilet so it was dropped too…shame as I had fixed DBM as well (really, I had, DBF2 was stonking 100 pages with at least 100 army lists).

Below is a brief excerpt of communications re rules…
1) not fantasy enough need more 'bits',
2) not specific enough need more info and fluff,
3) why aren't the rules in this supplement(?),
3) too fantasy as everthing can be done with existing bits,
4) glad there's no fluff, wouldn't wanna pay for it,
5) no rules, good as when the core system updates you just alter bits and don't need to buy new set,

Do you get my drift…hence I driffted away…

As stated above "Good Luck I'll watch with great interest".

rgds
Madan
PS
Madmike1 "If a fantasy set of rules based on FOG came out so that we didn't have to relearn 80% of the mechanics I would definitely be interested in getting an army or 2. Would be fun to run an army of orcs up against my Spartans."

That was my initial reason for DBF…it kinda worked…

The problem that I had with DBF, was that I can do everything it does, and more with plain Hoplon. There are Fantasy Lists for Hoplon for LotR and Hyboria, and I would love to do more.

Since Hoplon has a real set of morale rules, it is possible to add both Low and High level magic as an effect of morale or a basic modifier to the combat results (or as a type of missile fire). The fact that the rules have a mid-level focus on detail while still retaining many of the higher level focuses of the DBx system was one of its great features.

Unfortunately, there was a lot of bias against it when it came out, and it was hard to promote without being able to make it to more than two or three conventions a year (and only one large con).

I imagine that FoG Fantasy would fare a bit better. I am just happy that any army I can use for FoG, I can use for Hoplon, or HotT (or DBF, but most people I know play the other rules mentioned).

I should hope over to the FoG forum to take a look at the thread.

HOP… hop over to… Doh!

My theory is that a good set of medieval rules will work out of the box for fantasy armies that are basically medieval-equivalent without magic that goes beyond the way troops are represented – just get a list or make one. There are a number for FOG and a lot of research/background discussion (including some magic discussion) at the FOG Fantasy Yahoo group located at

link

Membership is not required to download.

Part 2 of my theory is that no one magic system makes everyone happy – but different magic systems to everyone's taste can be accommodated by magic modules, simple or complex, that tie neatly into the basic rules system. FOG is set up well for this.

And I postulate that a fantasy battle dominated by magic should focus on magic and streamline the military stuff – focus on what matters. Write a massive magic system and use DBA for physical combat . . . or use Basic Impetus. I prefer Middle Earth levels of magic – it can make a difference is used at key spots, but I don't like to mix hurling giant fireballs or swallowing up enemy units with a tactical military battle.

I agree about the magic. If a world has that kind of magic use, then it would drastically alter the way that mass combat is fought, and it would become something more akin to Napoleonic Battles than it would resemble ancient or medieval battles.

That doesn't mean that a supplement of magic rules for FoG couldn't be written to deal with that kind of magic. I can see a sort of AD&D style magic system for FoG. I would probably let someone else write it though.

Even in Hyboria, the use of magic was not common on the battlefield. There were magicians who were capable of destroying entire armies (the noose of blood, for instance), yet it is probably the case that if there was a battle in Hyboria where Conan was not fighting, that magic would be limited to the levels found in Middle Earth, which far more resembles something like The Force from Star Wars. That being that some characters just have "something" about them that protects them and those around them.

Has this moved on since 2010?

Mantic have now formslly published Kings of War.

Very positive response from players at club so far.

And rules [without army lists] are available as a free download

Has this moved on since 2010?

Nothing official on it, and personally I think it's highly unlikely that there will ever be.
Some (but not much) activity on the Swords & Sorcery section on the FOG forum. Some people seem to be playing Fantasy FOG, but probably mainly sticking to the normal FOG rules – which IMO would be fine for playing low-magic fantasy like LOTR.