I've said for awhile that the next major release for the O.G.R.E.S. System will be Wasted Lands: The Dreaming Age, our flagship swords and sorcery game. It will have an embedded setting, but one that is easily divorced from the mechanic, enabling you to use O.G.R.E.S. to tackle just about any kind of fantasy game you like. I even plan to include an appendix with your classic fantasy races.
I won't lie; development of a full RPG takes awhile, even with an established system. I have to work out new character classes and playtest them (though many will be tweaks on existing classes), add some new mechanics, fully integrate it all, and go through the setting material. So it'll be another year or so, likely, before it hits Kickstarter. I think you all will dig it, though; it's got some unique conceits that most fantasy games don't have.
Until then, however, the question is, can you use the O.G.R.E.S. system as it sits to run traditional fantasy? The answer is yes, you can. Let's take a quick look at how.
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Urban Fantasy vs. Fantasy
We've pitched Night Shift: VSW as able to run any sort of horror or urban fantasy game you like. The key term is "urban fantasy," here. There's really not a lot of difference between urban fantasy and traditional fantasy - it's just that one is generally set in the modern or pre-modern era, and the other in a traditional medieval setting. Really, the main dividing line, it seems to me, is firearms. If firearms technology is assumed as a standard part of the world (and I don't mean the occasional and rare flintlock or cannons aboard a pirate ship, but modern guns), it's generally considered urban fantasy.
Urban fantasy can also be defined as anything that takes place after the introduction of technology and industry on a wide scale. Usually the late 18th century and beyond is where it starts, but there's no hard and fast rule on that. In any case, since it's only technology that really defines urban fantasy, it's very easy to simply strip technology away and use your modern game to play a traditional fantasy game.
Night Shift: VSW Character Classes and Fantasy Play
To play a traditional fantasy game with Night Shift: VSW you'll want to map the current classes onto fantasy archetypes. The Veteran, in this case, forms your traditional fighting man role; they can be a soldier, a sellsword, or a basic adventurer. The Survivor is your classic rogue or thief character. The Witch/Warlock is your clerical or wizardly spellcaster; in this case, the difference between wizardly and priestly spellcasting is only cosmetic. The Sage's role remains unchanged. That covers the basic 4 archetypes of most fantasy games.
The Inventor class could become a sort of artificer, producing magical items instead of technological devices, while the Psychic and Theosophist can be easily dropped in to form new archetypes of their own with no changes necessary.
Monsters and Treasure
Monsters and treasure require a bit more work; the monsters in the NSVSW core rulebook and companion are very much of the "horror" mold; you'll need to create such things as orcs, goblins, kobolds, and the like. The good news is that monster stat blocks in this system are crazy easy to create and should only take seconds to whip together. You can also pull out any of your favorite monsters from other old school games and drop them in wholesale.
The same goes for magic items. Just remember that every +1 bonus you grant improves to hit chances by 5%; a +3 item, then, means you have a 15% better chance to strike on every hit. That might not seem like a lot, but it makes a serious difference in play. You can create your own (the Inventor [Artificer] class makes for a prime resource in this arena) or drop them in from other games.
In the end, every RPG is about innovation, creativity, and exploration. The O.G.R.E.S. system is built from some of the oldest versions of these games, and so is compatible with a wide range of OSR properties, as well as the original fantasy games from which they grew. By using Night Shift: VSW as your core, you can run any old school advenure or campaign setting you like.
What do you think about running fantasy games with Night Shift: VSW? Let us know in the comments below, and don't forget to head for our website and grab your copy today!
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