Role Playing Game

418 Pages·2008·5.4 MB·English

The
Final Fantasy
Role Playing Game
Third Edition

Lead Developer
Samuel Banner
Development Staff
Carl Chisholm, ‘Holy Sword Excalipur’, Elisha Feger, Chris H., Amanda Latimer, ‘General Leon’, Stuart
MacGillivray, Blair MacKenzie, James Reid, Justin Schantz, Michael Schroeder, Matthew White, Lavi Zamstein
Playtesters
Joe Alane, Leonard Anthony P. Arcilla, Greg Atkinson, Tyson Baker, Basil Berchekas III, Matt Biedermann,
Louis-Charles Brisson, Brandon Buchanan, Brandon Chapman, Michael Cleveland, Ted Costales, Daniel
Christman-Crook, Andrea Determan, Mark Dickison, Mark Doherty, E.T. Dorn, Joshua Fagundes, Ben
Freeman, Raymond Gatz, Bryan R. Gillis, Adam Hebert, Liz Hirschmann, Brian Hon, Kyle Johnson, Edan
Jones, Brian Vander Kamp, Edward Karuna, Jonothon Kinnes, Rob Knight, Moriah Koehler, Brandon
Lieberthal, Arthur McKay, Alex Millar, Leonard Michaels, Jonathan Cardozo Mota, Erica Nelson, Lars Nelson,
Christopher Nichols, Michael Nuckels, Matias Parmala, Damia Queen, David Renaud, Spenser Rubin, Bob
Sawyer, Sydney Schaffer, Brandon Schmelz, John R. Shadle, III, Steve Smith, Edward Tran, Andrew Wilkins,
Matt Wolfe, Patrick Wong, Desmond Woolston, James Zoshak
Contributors
Kiyoshi Aman, Ryan Baffy, Randal Barnot, Matthew Bateman, Mike Beyer, Jason Copen-Hagen, Adam
Crampton, Greg Dean, Shaun Dean, Mark Della-crose, Jordan Devena, Alex Devon, DL, Mark Doherty, Martin
Drury Jr., Dennis Fisher, Steve Fortson, Richard Gant, Clay Gardner, Gabe Gilreath, Brian Hon, Andrew
Hochstetler, David Huber, Myst Johnson, John Keyworth, Matthew Kilfoyle, Jonothan Kinnison, Blake
Leighton, George Leonard, Minna Leslie, Matthew Martin, Matthew McCloud, Katrina Mclelan, Adolfo
Menendez, Kim Metzger, Allan Milligan, Jared Milne, Des Mongeot, Curtis Monroe, Paul Mulka, Lars Nelson,
Peter Pearson, Chris Pomeroy, ‘The Dark Rabite’, Caity Raeburn, Robert B. Reese, Stacy Rowe, Yousef Al-
Shamsi, Robert Shaver, Brenden Simon, Charles Smith, Peter Smith, Wesley Smith, Martin Sonata, Kaj
Sotala, Jeff Taft, Giovanni Tonelli, Brandon Varga, Andrew Vickery, Sam Volo, Clayton G. W, Justin White,
Matthew White, Grace Chapdelaine Young, and any others we may have missed or who have supported us
along the way.
Special Thanks
Robert Pool and M R Sachs, retired Project Leader and Lead Developer, for keeping this project going
through three editions and eleven years.
Scott Tengelin, the creator of the original FFRPG, and without whom this would not have happened.
And Wesley ‘Teucer’ Carscaddon. He knows why.

Table of Contents
0. Introduction 1 ○ Social Skills 130 ○ Creating Equipment 262
1. Playguide 13 ○ Technical Skills 131 Appendix I. Skill Supplement 278
○ Dice 13 ○ Thievery Skills 132 ○ The Basics of
○ Statistics 13 ○ Weapon Skills 133 Technical Skills 278
○ Skills 14 ○ Wilderness Skills 134 ○ Invent 279
○ Task Checks 14 6. Equipment 137 ○ Gadgets 286
○ Scenes 17 ○ Equipment Basics 137 ○ Repair 286
○ Classes and Jobs 18 ○ Weapon Slot 141 ○ Crafting Weapons and
○ Combat 19 ○ Shield Slot 157 Armor 287
2. Character Creation 23 ○ Body Slot 158 ○ Practical Crafting 289
○ Advancement 33 ○ Head Slot 161 ○ Cooking 291
○ Experienced Characters 36 ○ Hands Slot 163 ○ Explosives 292
3. Races 39 ○ Accessory Slot 165 ○ Alchemy 293
○ Human 39 ○ Inventory Slot 171 ○ Mix 295
Appendix II. Monster Creation
○ Bangaa 40 ○ Materials 177
7. Combat 184 System 308
○ Cremiere 41
○ Dwarf 42 ○ The Basics of Combat 184 ○ Monster Profile 308
○ Elf 43 ○ The Initiative Phase 187 ○ Attributes and Statistics 311
○ Galka 44 ○ The Action Phase 187 ○ Attacks 314
○ Mithra 45 ○ The Status Phase 192 ○ Action Abilities 320
○ Moogle 46 ○ The Spoils of Battle 200 ○ Spells 322
○ Nu Mou 47 ○ Special Circumstances 200 ○ Job Abilities 322
○ Qu 48 8. Magic 204 ○ Movement Abilities 322
○ Ronso 49 ○ Spell Classifications 205 ○ Support Abilities 323
○ Tarutaru 50 ○ Black Magic 206 ○ Reaction Abilities 327
○ Varg 51 ○ White Magic 209 ○ Field Effects 328
○ Viera 53 ○ Time Magic 213 ○ Boss Abilities 329
○ Yeti 54 ○ Red Magic 217 ○ Rewards 330
○ Differentiating Races 55 ○ Blue Magic 217 ○ Converting Monsters 331
Appendix III. Summoning 333
4. Jobs 57 ○ Spellblade Magic 223
○ Warrior Jobs 57 ○ Intuitive Magic 227 ○ The Basics of
○ Expert Jobs 74 9. Adventuring 229 Summoning 333
○ Using Evocation Magic 333
○ Mage Jobs 98 ○ Rest and Recovery 229
○ Using Summon Magic 333
○ Adept Jobs 106 ○ Towns 231
○ Summon Profiles 336
5. Skills 124 ○ On The Road 233
Appendix IV. Storytelling 391
○ Expanded Rules 124 10. Gamemastering 237
○ Key Points 391
○ Groupwork 125 ○ GM Basics 237
○ Traits 392
○ Artistic Skills 127 ○ Building an Adventure 242
○ Planning 399
○ General Skills 127 ○ Building a Campaign 254
Appendix V. Game Sheets
○ Scholastic Skills 128 ○ Creating New Races 261
Glossary

______________
O INTRODUCTION
がいろん
games as well as a primer on the content and feel that's common to
"Every story has a beginning.
them. This is supplemented by the rest of the book, which offers
This is the start of yours." plenty of descriptive detail for the creatures, professions, and races
of the series.
Auron
If you have experience with role-playing games, the FFRPG should
FINAL FANTASY X
be a relatively straightforward read. Like many other rulebooks, the
rules of the FFRPG will be introduced in small segments over the
The first Final Fantasy title appeared on American shores in 1990,
course of this book with the ultimate intent of preparing the readers
long after rescuing its Japanese creators from impending bankruptcy
for their own adventures in the Final Fantasy universe.
and virtual obscurity. Its unique blend of traditional Western
Finally, if you played the First or Second Editions, be prepared to
mythology and science fiction had an almost immediate impact on
rediscover the FFRPG in its entirety. The Third Edition is a tighter,
game players the world over, going on to become one of the
neater, more comprehensive piece of work than its predecessors,
cornerstones of the fledgling console RPG genre. Since its inception,
eliminating unclear rules while dramatically increasing the range of
the Final Fantasy series has become one of the best-selling – and
options available to both GMs and PCs.
most influential – role-playing sagas of all time, spanning no less
than thirteen official titles on seven platforms and countless spin-
In order to help your understanding of the FFRPG’s ruleset, all
offs, including two animated series and full-length CG movies. The
important terms and formulas in this book are marked in boldface
Final Fantasy RPG is both an homage to these titles and an attempt
the first time they are used. In addition, key system terms – such as
to bring their spirit and feel to the gaming table.
Job, Speed, Weapon, Attack Action, and Task Check – will be
consistently capitalized to head off potential confusion.
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
! Clarifications and Examples
The Third Edition Core Rulebook is the foundation of the FFRPG. Because of the game's complexity, the main text will occasionally
How you approach the information within will depend on both your be broken up by clarifications and examples, distinguished by
roleplaying experience and your familiarity with the Final Fantasy boxes like this one. Examples will have a question mark (?) in the
games. upper left corner; clarifications an exclamation mark (!).
Some rules presented in this rulebook are Optional Rules – these
If you are a Final Fantasy fan getting into roleplaying for the first
will always be clearly denoted as such in the game text itself when
time, you'll soon be right at home here. Tabletop roleplaying games
they occur. Optional Rules are given largely for the benefit of
have entertained people around the world for more than three
Gamemasters as an alternative to existing rules; whether or not
decades; with this book, some dice, friends, paper, and a little
these are implemented is down to individual preference.
imagination, you'll have everything you need to follow in the
footsteps of Locke, Tidus and Zidane, traveling strange lands,
CONTENTS AND ORGANISATION
discovering legendary weapons and ancient magics, and battling
against evil in every shape and form. Beyond this introduction, the Core Rulebook is divided into ten
While prior roleplaying experience is generally a plus with games chapters and five appendices, each covering one aspect of the
like this, the Core Rulebook explicitly assumes that you are playing FFRPG in detail.
for the first time. Because of this, you'll find detailed examples and
explanations throughout. The second half of this introduction in Chapter 1 introduces the mechanics used by the Final Fantasy
particular contains a rundown of what roleplaying entails and how to RPG. Almost all information in here is built upon in later chapters,
go about playing a tabletop RPG. and should be considered essential to anyone interested in playing
If you are new to the Final Fantasy games, don't fret. No 'insider' the game.
knowledge is required to use and enjoy the contents of this book. In Chapter 2 outlines the character creation process in step-by-step
fact, the first portion of this introduction is specifically designed as a fashion, offering a logical starting point for players to begin their
crash course for this much-loved series, keeping you up to speed exploration of the rest of the rulebook. It also covers character
with the series veterans. In the space of the next few pages, you'll advancement, as well as details on how to create an experienced
find capsule summaries for the fifteen most important Final Fantasy starting character.
FINAL FANTASY – THE ROLEPLAYING GAME 1
Chapter 3 gives an overview of several Final Fantasy races, offered by Final Fantasy X's Sphere Grid or XII's License Board.
discussing physiology and culture as well as offering concrete Game-specific conversion rules may surface at a future date to
roleplaying notes and naming advice for those interested in accommodate GMs interested in recreating one particular e-game.
exploring the possibilities offered by non-human characters.
NAMING
Chapter 4 introduces the professions of the FFRPG, their powers
and talents. The names of the characters, races, equipment, items, and spells
Chapter 5 describes the Skills of the Final Fantasy RPG, including listed in this rulebook usually follow the games' official North
their applications and limitations. American translations. Because the quality of these localizations has
Chapter 6 concerns itself with equipment. It contains full Weapon, dramatically improved over the twenty-five years since Final Fantasy
Armor, Accessory, and Item listings, and delves into stores and first arrived in the US, names used in the FFRPG tend to favor the
currency within the Final Fantasy universe. newest and most accurate translations. This includes the updated
Chapter 7 delves into combat and all things associated with it; translations given to recent remakes of older titles like Final Fantasy
include damage, dying, unusual conditions, and unexpected IV and Final Fantasy Tactics; players who have only experienced the
occurrences originals may not immediately recognize some of the names used
Chapter 8 covers Magic in Final Fantasy, and holds all major Spell here.
lists used by the Black, White, Red, Blue, and Time Mages. The rationale for this is relatively simple: once a translation
Chapter 9 covers the adventuring life, including rest and recovery, changes, it generally becomes the standard for all future games in
travel, navigating towns, and overcoming challenges. the series. For example, the old [x] 1, 2, 3, 4 sequence of Spells
Chapter 10 is devoted solely to the GM. Amongst other things, it was dropped in favor of -ra, -ga, and -ja suffixes back in '99, 'Gil'
contains essential advice for first-time GMs, expanded rules for replaced 'Gold Pieces' as of Final Fantasy VII, and the most recent
campaign play, and a number of helpful tools for making new races, translations began phasing out 'Soft' for 'Golden Needle,' the
equipment, and traps. original Japanese name. As a result, keeping in the game in line with
Appendix I serves as a supplement to the Skill listings first the most current translations helps to 'future proof' the FFRPG.
presented in Chapter 5, and covers a wide variety of Technical Skills
and their applications. WHAT IS FINAL FANTASY?
Appendix II houses do-it-yourself rules for monster creation,
guiding GMs through the process of creating fearsome foes for their
As might be expected from a series with twenty years of history,
players to challenge in mortal combat.
hundreds of creative personnel, and few direct sequels, Final
Appendix III covers the vagaries of Summon magic, including the
Fantasy is a varied beast. Each game is a universe in its own right,
powerful beasts Summoners call their allies.
introducing new protagonists, settings and conflicts; on the surface,
Appendix IV offers suggestions and mechanics for emphasizing
there seems to be little connection between the traditional fantasy of
the FFRPG’s storytelling aspects.
the earlier titles and the out-and-out science fiction of the later
Appendix V is a collection of sheets designed for both GM and
ones, save for the name itself. Looking deeper, however, reveals a
player usage.
number of recurring themes that bind the games together, creating
Finally, the last few pages of the Core Rulebook are devoted to an an important common ground.
index. All important terms, names and concepts within the book
THE MAGIC OF MYTH
itself are located there for easy reference.
The Final Fantasy universe takes its roots from a rich tradition of
GAME COVERAGE
mythology and popular storytelling. Anybody familiar with the heroic
The Core Rulebook contains material converted from each of the fantasy genre will recognize most of the tropes: legendary swords,
twelve 'core' Final Fantasy games and their sequels, plus Final mighty warriors, shadowy villains, tales of magic and destiny. This is
Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, and Final Fantasy reflected in the liberal use of cultural references seen throughout
Crystal Chronicles. Rather than emulate any one particular game in the series, ranging from Robin Hood, King Arthur, Excalibur, and the
the series, the rules presented here try to find a common ground Masamune katana to creatures like goblins, kappa, chimeras, and
between them by mixing and matching elements from each major dragons.
release. The Summoning rules presented in Appendix III, for
THE CENTER OF ATTENTION
instance, are directly based on the 'persistent' Summoning first
seen in Final Fantasy X, while the fire-and-forget Summoning from Events in Final Fantasy games actively revolve around the party.
earlier games is presented as a separate ability. Major events only happen when they are on the scene, or because
This design philosophy means that some games are going to be they are; if there is change in the world, the players either have a
more difficult to emulate than others. The basic rules don't contain direct hand in it or will deal with the implications themselves. This
any provisions for changing Jobs in the style of Final Fantasy III and extends to the larger plot – evil powers will often know the
V, or the option of open-ended character development of the kind
FINAL FANTASY – THE ROLEPLAYING GAME 2
characters on a first-name basis, and make the party’s eradication a be powerful enough to lay waste to entire cities at a time; ancient
personal priority. artifacts and rituals sink continents and reshape the very structure
As a result, the players’ deeds should be epic enough to warrant of the planet. Final Fantasy is all about thinking larger-than-life while
this kind of attention. Though it isn’t necessary for every adventure retaining an intimate scale; great deeds are accomplished not by
to have world-shaking consequences, the general thrust of a armies, but by small bands of dedicated warriors with a righteous
campaign should see the heroes doing what Final Fantasy cause and the will to see it through.
characters do best: defeating legendary monsters and mages,
JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY
obtaining fabled weapons, rescuing towns from the clutches of evil,
and toppling corrupt empires. The plots of Final Fantasy are ultimately about discovery –
discoveries about one’s self, about the past, about the world, about
THE HEROES
the people one travels with and the reasons for fighting alongside
Adventuring parties in Final Fantasy tend to be an eclectic melange them. In this sense, a Final Fantasy game is like a mystery whose
of ages, backgrounds, and motivations. While there’s plenty of specifics are discovered one piece at a time. Never give your players
scope for stout, pure-hearted heroes and noble warriors, not all too much information about the setting or its powers ahead of time
Final Fantasy characters are knights in shining armor; there's just as – instead, introduce these details one piece at a time.
much scope for shaded protagonists like the antisocial loner Squall
CULTURE CLASH
Leonhart, the thieving, self-obsessed Yuffie Kisaragi, or Shadow, a
man willing to sell his killing talents to anyone with the money to Final Fantasy games tend to be the product of many different
match his asking price. What sets these ‘darker’ characters apart cultural and genre conventions colliding at once. The first game was
from their adversaries is their conviction; even if they cheat, abuse heavily influenced by venerable fantasy RPG Dungeons & Dragons,
or betray their comrades in the course of the adventure, when push but spiked the punch with the addition of robots, time travel, and a
comes to shove, they can be counted on to do the right thing. dungeon set aboard an orbital space station. Since then, science
Players, too, should be willing to uphold those ideals. fiction and fantasy have freely intermingled, albeit in different ways.
Despite the diversity in groups, there are also a few constants. Earlier games were set in traditional fantasy worlds where ancient
The leader of the group tends to be younger and less world-wise, civilizations had achieved tremendous technological sophistication
aged between 16 and 21. For many games, this is mainly a narrative before lapsing into obscurity, resulting in settings sharing Vikings
convenience; as the fresh-faced hero learns about the world around and cryogenic suspension, Paladins and space travel, submarines
him and begins unraveling ancient legends, so too will the player and magic circles. Later games advanced the technology levels to
gradually become acquainted with the game’s background and the Industrial Age, modern day, and even near future without
storyline. Several games couple the younger protagonist with an reducing the impact of magic; a high-powered weapon in these
older mentor character, though the mentors tend to spend more worlds could fire laser beams just as easily as highly focused arcane
time being cantankerous to actually teaching their younger energies.
counterparts anything of practical value. Japanese popular culture has also played an important role in
In the earlier games, female party members tended to use magic shaping the series. With more contemporary settings came idol
rather than physical weapons in battle, and though the series has singers, card games, home pages, and high fashion, while the
thrown up plenty of she-warriors since then, Summoners, Callers, Japanese love of all things cute has resulted in worlds populated
and White Mages are almost universally women. In later games, with cartoonish, often ridiculous monsters – winged cats, imps in
female characters tend to be divided into ‘cute,’ ‘sexy,’ and pots, blob-men, knife-wielding fish in monk’s robes.
‘beautiful’ types, depending on appearance and personality; Final Then there are the miscellaneous sources and inspirations that
Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy X, and Final Fantasy XII have been added to the mix over the years: the Star Wars films,
are all examples of this kind of design. If there are any members of 2001: A Space Odyssey, cult series Neon Genesis Evangelion, Studio
ancient near-human races or lost civilizations in the party, chances Ghibli’s Nausicaa – origin of the iconic Chocobos – and even the
are high that are they are female as well. classic rock act Queen, cited as an inspiration by Final Fantasy
Finally, non-human characters form a distinct minority in the Tactics director Yasumi Matsuno. In short, when it comes to breaking
group. In most games, only one member of the party is anything a Final Fantasy game down to its components, it honestly is a case
other than human, the notable exception being Final Fantasy IX. of 'everything but the kitchen sink.'
ULTIMATE POWER CONSOLE LOGIC
Anyone coming to Final Fantasy from traditional fantasy roleplaying There's a certain kind of twisted logic to console RPGs in general –
games will quickly notice one thing: the power level is significantly and Final Fantasy specifically – that is difficult to adjust to at first.
higher. Characters routinely absorb or shrug off damage that would Here, after all, is a world where heroes can recover from near-fatal
fell an army in real life and amass entire arsenals of ancient artifacts beatings with just eight hours of sleep, where gold coins drop from
and legendary weapons over the course of their careers. Magic can dead lizards and ten-year-old girls can flatten a thirty-year old man
FINAL FANTASY – THE ROLEPLAYING GAME 3
in plate mail without breaking a sweat. The important thing is not to and generally tame – electric shocks, a few kicks to the gut,
worry why it happens and just accept it does – Final Fantasy games improbable and overly-elaborate deathtraps.
run on their own internal logic, and aren’t mean to be an accurate Finally, language tends to be relatively mild – the only game with
simulation of real life. notable swearing is Final Fantasy VII, and the bulk of it was
censored out for comic effect, resulting in some %#@$ing
SUMMONING
memorable dialog. The end result is a kind of universe permanently
Since Final Fantasy III first introduced the concept of 'summoning,' stuck in PG-13.
drawing powerful supernatural creatures into a battle to unleash
A SINGULAR MENACE
devastating magical attacks has become an important concept for
the series. Summoned creatures such as Shiva, the Ice Queen and Final Fantasy villains can come in many forms – the slavering
the Wyrmking Bahamut have been important plot elements in several monster, the bumbling henchman, the calculating military mind, the
games, and act as 'recurring characters' across titles. alien intelligence, the scheming megalomaniac, the last survivor of a
long-dead civilization Each story has a multitude of foes, but there is
RECURRING ELEMENTS
always one enemy that rules them all, a final menace to be slain to
A few setting elements are common to every ‘core’ Final Fantasy, set things to rights again. Sometimes the last battle will be against
regardless of how far into the future or past it may be set. The first an opponent that has dogged the heroes since their adventure
is the presence of flying vehicles, usually the airships that become began; sometimes, the true mastermind will only show itself at the
the party’s primary means of transportation later in the game. Final eleventh hour. Either way, the only way to save the world is to best
Fantasy Tactics is the only game to break this rule, but even it them in battle and bring the story to an end.
features a final battle in a graveyard of ancient airships, thereby
THE HISTORY
narrowly squeaking by.
The second is the presence of the Chocobo as the primary beast
of burden and riding animal – horses only make rare appearances Given the prolific rate at which the franchise has multiplied over the
in the games, and are generally used exclusively by monsters and years, keeping track of the ever-increasing numbers of releases,
enemy soldiers. remakes, and spinoffs is often difficult, if not outright overwhelming.
The third is one character named Cid, who usually plies his trade The next few pages have been given over to a comprehensive
as an engineer or scientist. Cid tends to be older, and acts as a history of Final Fantasy from its inception onwards, covering major
mentor to the party; in some cases, he may even join them in battle. releases and events.
Cid is also intimately tied to airships, and in many cases constructs
or designs them himself. 1987
Less-common but important recurring elements include powerful,
world-altering Crystals – usually one for each of the four Elements On the verge of bankruptcy, Square – an obscure developer with a
of Fire, Earth, Water, and Wind – and an inseparable pair of string of flops to its name – puts all of its resources into developing
characters named Biggs and Wedge stuck doing dirty and a do-or-die title, Final Fantasy, for Nintendo's Famicom console.
unglamorous work. These aside, many of the Spells, races, and Drawing heavily on fellow developer Enix's Dragon Quest and TSR's
monsters in this book are ‘iconic’ Final Fantasy creations at home in popular Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, the title becomes an
any of the actual games.. unexpected success, giving Square a second lease on life and
lionizing its creators – producer Hironobu Sakaguchi, composer
PG-13
Nobuo Uematsu, and character designer Yoshitaka Amano, whose
A critical factor to consider is the overall tone of the game. With the ethereal pastel-colored artwork will define the "look" of the series
exception of the grim Tactics universe, almost every Final Fantasy for nearly a decade.
game is teen-friendly in terms of content, though titles released
1988
after the Nintendo era pushed a little harder on this front than the
earlier games. Sex may be alluded to – as with Final Fantasy VI’s
thinly-veiled prostitutes, the risqué dancers of Final Fantasy IV, or Final Fantasy II is released in Japan. A significant about-face from its
the Honeybee Inn in Final Fantasy VII – but is never actually seen predecessor, II introduces a complex storyline and better-developed
‘on-screen’, regardless of whether it’s the actual act or the characters as well as new mechanics that eschew Level-based
aftermath. Relationships, where they exist, tend to be a platonic ideal advancement in favor of a more free-form system. Several of the
of romantic love; whether they are consummated is generally left to game's more enduring elements – including the hearty avian steeds
the player’s own imagination. known as Chocobos and Ultima, the ultimate magic – make their
Though death occurs on a massive scale, violence, too, tends to debut here.
be stylized rather than explicit; no buckets of blood or severed limbs
flying through the air every time swords cross. Torture is rarely seen
FINAL FANTASY – THE ROLEPLAYING GAME 4