LFG- Basic Fantasy RPG by Chris Gonnerman

This is not a post looking for a D&D group, DCC, Old School Essentials, or any other OSR game, I am only looking for a Basic Fantasy RPG game. I am looking to either join an existing group playing Basic Fantasy RPG weekly on a weeknight after 6pm est, or start a new group. If there is enough interest in a new group it would need roughly 4-5 players and a DM. I would also be able to DM but want to have another DM to rotate between 2 BFRPG games. I find that 2 weeks DMing and then 2 weeks playing is a great way to not get DM burnout. Please respond only if you are looking for a Basic Fantasy Roleplaying Game, not an OSR, Old School Essentials, DCC, etc...only Basic Fantasy RPG.

Loosely interested. I enjoy BFRPG, one of my top games to play and DM on Roll20. Done several campaigns. I wasn't really looking to start DM'ing again, kinda need a break, but maybe alternating like you said would be ok. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, at the times you said, would be possible. So if we start to get a group for Basic Fantasy Roleplaying Game, and you want to GM at first, or someone does, count me IN

Excellent, Gold. Let's hope for a couple/few others to join or a group needing 2.

What gives you such a passion for BFRPG, in this case, Steve? I love it too, I'm wondering-asking what do you love about it? Is this based on, you like the way the BFRPG character sheet works in Roll20? You like or don't like, the many Options and add-ons for BFRPG made by the community such as extra classes? You already have modules you want to run/play in this system?  You want an All Ages compatible game, or a game with a certain B/X-like feel but Ascending AC?

Gold said: "What gives you such a passion for BFRPG, in this case, Steve? I love it too, I'm wondering-asking what do you love about it? Is this based on, you like the way the BFRPG character sheet works in Roll20? You like or don't like, the many Options and add-ons for BFRPG made by the community such as extra classes? You already have modules you want to run/play in this system?  You want an All Ages compatible game, or a game with a certain B/X-like feel but Ascending AC?" I played starting in 1978 or 79 with a boxset that had the Basic Rules and Keep on the Borderlands. Played into AD&D 1 and took a 15 year hiatus with 2nd edition. Started back up with 3e/3.5...went to Pathfinder instead of 4e then came back for 5e. 5e claims to harken back to simpler versions but really never did it for me, 3e/3.5/Pathfinder is just too much crunch and overly complex. In hunting to recapture my love of D&D I decided that BECMI was my probable goal. My BECMI collection was lost decades past, I refuse to replace with PDF and a hardcopy replacement is financially not a good option. So I looked into Retro-clones. Castles and Crusades, Tunnels and Trolls, White Box, Dungeon Crawl Classics...none seems to do it. Then I found Basic Fantasy RPG...the website forum is active and helpful, free PDFs, most hard copies under $5 each. I was impressed. Skimming through some of their adventures I felt immediately like I found what I was missing. My in-person group of 8 years initially seemed to enjoy a few games but they refuse to convert and I have lost my taste for 5e D&D. So I search for nostalgia in a new group. The ascending AC is helpful, the expanded classes and supplements are great for giving players a wealth of options to play, and I like both of the character sheets available in Roll20 (although the larger one seems to make rolling checks, attacks, and other stuff much easier and is my favorite), but mostly I just love the simpler ruleset that allows a party to cover 2-3 5e sessions worth of material in 1 session and absolutely the nostalgia factor. Sorry to be so verbose but even though I have only DMed a few sessions and played in 4 or 5 as a Player, I have found my original gaming passion again and I am in need of nurturing that passion. The website community is pretty awesome and Chris Gonnerman is amazing for offering the world such a prize at such a value. He has my admiration. Anyway, there it is. lol, if you have any other questions I'd be glad to answer.

Good answer, I can agree with that.  I played 2E and never 4E, so that's different, but otherwise we're coming from a similar history and perspective. We share the same reasoning for liking BFRPG. Except I'm a little leery of the Optional / Bonus classes, those need to be agreed with the DM on a case-by-case basis and not incorporated-wholesale (like, I wouldn't want to DM a game that is BFRPG + wantonly including any-and-all supplements). I like the Core of BFRPG, and sometimes some of the Options are good. Sometimes the Options-Supplements can over-complicate and takes away from the charm. Going back to the Original post, the idea for forming a group: Mondays or Tuesdays, weekly, 6pm Eastern (5pm Central) or later start. DM Steve would DM for 2-weeks-on, then Player for 2 weeks, and so on. DM Gold would be a Player for 2-weeks-on, then DM for 2 weeks in a row, and so on. The game system is BFRPG, playing on Roll20. We're looking for 2-3 more players, additional DM's also encouraged.  Sound agreeable? I'm interested in it.  Steve S. said: I am looking to either join an existing group playing Basic Fantasy RPG weekly on a weeknight after 6pm est, or start a new group. If there is enough interest in a new group it would need roughly 4-5 players and a DM. I would also be able to DM but want to have another DM to rotate between 2 BFRPG games. I find that 2 weeks DMing and then 2 weeks playing is a great way to not get DM burnout. 

Couldn't have summed up the group idea better myself. Just as an idea, I would probably want to DM one of the adventures on their site to start out and then I usually cobble together a campaign based on ideas, old Dungeon magazine adventures, and a variety of other sources. On the Supplements/Options/Classes front : I also agree on most counts. I feel like there are a couple that I, myself, would feel comfortable with as additions (The Glain Companion, The Dragonclaw Gazetteer, Quasi-classes, and maybe 0-level Magic), a couple that I am cautiously interested in (Libram Magicka mostly), and some I really didn't enjoy in my limited exposure (skill supplements, many of the singular class options), but I would be good with trying most anything as long as it isn't leading to rules bloat and balance issues.

Cool. I'm eager to try and play any cobble of Modules / adventure sources. I've really enjoyed playing module adventures, whether it was made-for-BFRPG or made for another fantasy RPG and simply "converted" on-the-fly. Not really so much of a conversion (not much advanced planning or math needed), more like getting the scenarios-situations-maps-art from the module and playing it with BFRPG characters-spells-monsters-AC-HP, good to go. Anything from Dragon/Dungeon magazine could work, I'm open to playing any and all. For me DM'ing, I'd probably make up adventures and maps myself. Been doing that for many years especially in my 10 years of Roll20. I used to run modules and read Dungeon magazine, but since I went digitial I don't really enjoy reading paragraphs of PDF / Handouts. I get bored and the screen reading makes my eyes tired. I'm better DM'ing with just my imagination, my LISTENING to what the players say, dialog and Q&A, using some Randomization, doing some Prep to have options ready, and most of my actual reading is the Monster descriptions, instead of module secrets.  On supplements / options / classes, I'm probably/loosely fine with what DM Steve said. I'll look into those specific ones (Glain Companion, Dragonclaw) because I do not know what those are.  I'm a little worried about "Gazateer" because if it's quite long, I probably won't read it. Sounds like it could be a Lore / Setting book? I love magic stuff (spells) so ones like 0-Level Magic and Libram Magicka are probably to-my-liking. Regardless, I'd be happy to try any of them as long as it's vetted by the DM. As per my bullet-points, Monday or Tuesday (at the appointed time range) would be the best and most-likely for me to game Weekly. Other days have regular or occasional conflicts on the time slot.  Do you incorporate using Discord alongside Roll20? Do you want to use mine or start a new one? Do you want to create your own Roll20 tabletop on your account, and I create one on my account, so we can both DM, but seperately? Or would it be good for me to create one & promote you as Co-GM in it, so that then you can use my Pro account features too? Screenshot one of the past BFRPG games I played on Roll20 the DM was Chris

Dragonclaw Gazetteer is all fluff, roughly 13ish pages and is mostly just a barebones outline of campaign world ala the old Greyhawk Gazetteer from way back that just had a paragraph or 2 about each country/principality... Glain Companion is a collection of Chris Gonnerman's house rules that is how he flavors BFRPG for his home game, 35ish pages with a couple of additional classes, races, magic items, and a couple house rules. Monday or Tuesday, 6 or so, is great. I have usually used Discord when Roll20 gaming as I find sometimes Roll20 will get "temperamental" sometimes without it. I am happy to use your existing one. I have a Plus account that I use, mostly for the storage expansion. I am still gaining familiarity with things like Dynamic Lighting and usually just stick to the plain old "fog of war" instead...I like Dynamic Lighting but it can be painful to set up a map with it sometimes but I am game for it.

Hi all, great to see some BFRPG love in here. Would each DM have a separate group/campaign or would it be one group with alternating DMs?

I love that this game is going to be a thing, but I don't think I can join in the fun for two reasons: 1. I like to GM way more than I like to be a player, so I'm afraid I wouldn't get enough of my GMing fix and 2. more importantly, I'm out in California and wouldn't be able to start until around 6 pm my time, which is probably too late for most humans in the EST zone. But if it's okay, I'd like to follow your recruitment and see what kind of interest you can drum up.

Matt W said: Hi all, great to see some BFRPG love in here. Would each DM have a separate group/campaign or would it be one group with alternating DMs? It would be 2 DMs running separate campaigns for the same group. Sorry you live in California but feel free to follow along.

Steve I'm still into this, could be able to chat tomorrow (Monday) at the proposed Time.  I mean i haven't set up a new Roll20 Game Table for this (or a discord room) but I kind of aspire to do that. Like i was thinking about doing it last night, now I'm hoping to do it tonight, with thoughts that we could do pre-game meetup this week. It's fine if this week does or doesn't happen. Just wanted to post that I'm thinking about working on BFRPG Mondays/Tuesdays for this. EDIT: Adding, By the way i am unconcerned about Dynamic Lighting, either way. I'm the same as Steve, normally don't use DL, just Fog Of War technique is usually perfect especially for this "Basic" (so-called) game. Depends on what maps you use, either way is fine, DL is cool if someone takes the time to configure it, or if we buy-use a Roll20 marketplace game map that has it established. By the way my account is PRO on here, it just shows Forum trophy badge instead on here. Probably got a couple seats open for Players as per the OP game description, concept

I am going on a week vacation starting tomorrow and will not be able to talk but we should plan to on the week after. I am going semi-dark for the week so don't take lack of response as an issue. I would also like to start working on it after I return.

Steve, have a good vacation. Other applicants --- Post in this thread to apply for BFRPG with 2 DM's. I've created a fresh new Discord for this game. I'm working on a Roll20 table for us. DM Steve, write to me for the invitation when you get back home.

Working on the Roll20 setup for Co-GM'ing... Folders in Journals.... i wish we had "Folders For Maps / Pages" but that feature does not exist yet. I will create some Map pages with names like MAP 1 DM STEVE MAP 2 DM STEVE MAP 3 DM STEVE MAP 1 DM GOLD MAP 2 DM GOLD MAP 3  DM GOLD and you can use yours & I won't look at them, if you agree to this method. When you're back from vacation or maybe on this Monday we can check out the resources and compare notes and set up

I think I would rather use our separate accounts instead of having journal folders designated to each of us. We can let players know what link to use on Discord and it should work well...also I am back.

Ok, that's fine too. So combine on 1 Discord, and there will be 2 Roll20 Tables, and the Characters/Maps will be completely separate? (No overlap)

That sounds right to me.