Fantasy Earth: Basic Rules

Fantasy Earth: Basic Rules is a 120-page perfect-bound book that describes the Fantasy Earth role-playing game. It is a generic system — there is no world or universe setting, leaving gamemasters free to create their own world.

In 1996, Zody Games published a streamlined version of the rules, called The Essential Fantasy Earth.{{cite journal|last=Swan|first=Rick|authorlink=Rick Swan| date=July 1996 |title=Roleplaying Reviews|journal=Dragon|publisher=TSR, Inc.|issue=231|pages=111}}

Players assign 10-sided die rolls to 26 attributes such as Strength and Appearance. Over 120 skills are derived from the attributes.{{Cite web|url=https://index.rpg.net/display-entry.phtml?mainid=9617|title=Fantasy Earth: Basic Rules - RPGnet RPG Game Index|website=index.rpg.net}} The player then chooses a class: Warrior, Sorcerer, Cleric, Shaman or Burglar. The only race available is human.

To resolve a skill, the gamemaster sets a success level for the task, which the player must then equal or exceed with a die roll added to the character's relevant skill level.

The combat system uses maneuvers and hit locations to allocate damage that can range from superficial to extreme.

In the April 1996 edition of Dragon (Issue #228), Rick Swan wondered why any publisher would create a new generic fantasy role-playing game, given the preponderance of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, but then admitted that "Michael Zody forged ahead anyway, with surprisingly credible results." Swan found the combat system "number-heavy but manageable." He concluded, "I don’t imagine many folks will be abandoning their AD&D Player's Handbook for Fantasy Earth. But if you’re a supporter of the small press, or if you’re looking for a set of ready-made rules to graft onto a homemade setting, you could do worse than this."{{cite journal|last=Swan|first=Rick|authorlink=Rick Swan| date=April 1996 |title=Roleplaying Reviews|journal=Dragon|publisher=TSR, Inc.|issue=228|pages=65}}

• The Familiar (Issue 2, February 1995)

• Fantasy Earth: The Book of Magic - The Fantasy Earth magic supplement

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Category:Role-playing game books

Category:Role-playing game supplements introduced in 1994