Urban/Natural mix Fantasy campaign with Isekai components -- FABULA ULTIMA (Interest Check)

There’s a new app that caters to the people of Dilemma County, offering tips on urban exploration and freerunning, but far more importantly: an artisanal geocaching experience where the most remote caches are separated by a 20 minute drive, at the very most. Unlike the broader community experience, where caches are stocked by courteous geocachers, every mystery box belonging to Fair30 (or, the Fairy Circle app) is placed and filled by a unified team of designers, puzzle builders, and escape room innovators. Though the app is ENTIRELY free, and has neither micro-transactions nor paid features of any kind, the good people behind Fair30 promise that the total contents of each cache fall no lower than $200. This tight-knit community of inventive minds promises "Adventure At Every Step."

The game described above, "ARG! So UnFair!", is intended to be a Fabula Ultima campaign that blends a low Urban Fantasy hub world with an "isekai" experience into a Natural Fantasy hidden world. It takes primary inspiration from a few grim sources like Dark Souls, Elden Ring, and Made In Abyss, but I’m drawing elements from three other sources, which will have an intended effect of elevating the game from its gloomy roots.
Breath of the Wild (the aesthetic of the hidden world will lean more toward Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom, and the more colorful elements of Made In Abyss, and in so doing, aim to make the story a bit more fanciful and hopeful)
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona (specifically Persona 4 and Persona 5, setting more toward the former, vibes more toward the latter; the aesthetic of the hub world will be more like this -- a modern city/county with nearly-no supernatural influence)
Deltarune (mostly in tandem with the Persona influences; this part is just to say that the main thrust of the game will be finding "holes" in reality that drop the players into different themed "worlds", all of them pieces of one larger hidden world; the campaign will bear the least direct resemblance to Deltarune, out of the above inspirations)
If you don’t know some, or even all, of these inspirations that is totally fine. You do not need to be familiar with any of them, as the story will not directly reference any inspiring materials.

Additionally, no one joining needs to be familiar with the Fabula Ultima system, and it is recommended that you do NOT own any of the books. I am using it as a vehicle for what I intend this game to be, so proficiency in (or "mastery" of) the mechanics will not help you "win". Join if you are interested in a beautiful fantasy adventure with dark corners, and an emphasis on story over mechanics (though healthy portions of both). If you have to "win", or need the game to lean heavily on rolls, numbers, and system integrity, do not join.

I welcome any and all people who read this to open discussions about what this game is, isn’t, could be, or shouldn’t be, as I am still developing material for it. I intend to explain a little in this thread, and a lot more in the actual game, as to what kinds of characters the system enables you to play, and how character creation works.

I'm certainly interested in a Persona-like modern world/trippy spirit world concept,though I do have to wonder what exactly you intend to retain from the Fabult system. The classes and gear? The base stats? The Fabula/Ultima point economy?

I think if this is half a homebrew tied to half of Fabult,I do actually want to hear about that. I am happy to hear you elaborate on your side of the mechanics,setting,and character creation.

It sounds fascinating. My first RPG ever was Shining Force back when I was in elementary school and I've been hooked ever since; it's what eventually led me to tabletop roleplaying. I've played many of the games you mention, so I can imagine some of the look and tone you're going for, but I'm still not sure where you intend the story to go. The PCs will get drawn into the other world via the geocaching game? Do you intend for them to be stuck there(temporarily or otherwise), or will they be able to travel back and forth freely, or will it be something different like having the time in the other world limited and they have to find another cache to be able to return?

This sounds like a very flavorful narrative that is sure to be a great experience. I'm certainly interested. However, I would like to know more about what drew you to Fabula Ultima for it. Since it is merely a vehicle for the story/world, the system being significantly focused on its mechanics (particularly combat) makes it a choice I wouldn't have expected.

I'd be interested. I've been a big fan of the Fabula Ultima system for a while now. I ran my own "Powered by Fabula Ultima" homebrew game on GP a couple of years back and thoroughly enjoyed the flexibility of the system, themes and settings.

Think of it less like "retain" and more of, "we're using it, just not dogmatically." I intend to let intent, roleplay, and build thesis speak volumes, and rely on the mechanics when they would be helpful to the story, rather than saying "The system rules this game, not me."

In terms of homebrew, I'll mostly patch in what I feel is needed where it comes up, but I don't expect much of that in the Hidden World segments. When the players are in the "real world", there's a lot going on there that Fabula Ultima doesn't really cover, but I don't expect much that will demand mechanical support on that side.

Oh, you'll fit right in, then! Shining Force was a huge deal for me growing up. Did you play primarily the first one, or one of the sequels?

Yes, the geocaching is intended to be a setup, in the same way that the Metaverse app or Midnight Channel are in Persona. The players go to where a "cache" is supposed to be, and either there is a straight-up portal, or they open the cache and get sucked into a portal, or some variety of that. I'm picturing something a little similar to Oblivion in that sense; by which I mean that the "fantasy worlds" you'll be going to are not super large, but richly detailed in the way a Palace in Persona 5 would be, or a level in your standard "clear the levels to win the game" video games. Y'know, the ones with the fire level, the ice level, the mine level, etc.

Ideally, the player characters will feel trapped while in the first fantasy world, as they are not sure they can get out. This will provoke conversation about whether or not they want to go home, and what they may have to do to leave. But once they figure it out, get to the next one, and realize they have a universally reliable means of getting out each time, it will become much more of an adventure in spirit. In terms of "limited time", I do very much intend to employ Fantasy Life i's Treasure Grove system, in a way. When you beat the boss of a fantasy world, you are removed from it and it becomes "permanently" closed, until later in the campaign when you devise a means to re-open it and check out stuff you missed or want another look at (which would be entirely up to party consensus unless someone's gonna go solo it).

I've heard this opinion a lot, about Fabula Ultima being so significantly focused on combat. Having run the game myself, I firmly disagree. Like many games, and indeed most fantasy games, it has a robust conflict resolution system. However, unlike the one in D&D, this one is perfectly fine for heists, social influence galas, treasure hunting, working together to repair a machine, etc. There are also entire classes that are better suited for resolving conflicts other than lethal combat.

What drew me to Fabula Ultima? Well, it is one of several I own, but one of few that I have spent much time running (Pathfinder 1e, D&D 2014, Orpheus Protocol, Curseborne, and this). There's systems I'd love to try for other projects, but I might be as new to them as my players, if not more so. Beyond that, it has that Final Fantasy, Shining Force, Dragon Quest kinda vibe when it comes to friends gathering together and launching a grand adventure, opening lots of opportunities that more bloody systems tend not to support as directly. The last campaign I ran in it was pretty straightforward, bright, and high fantasy, so I wanted to explore some more of the flavors the game offers, such as Natural Fantasy and what it calls "Techno Fantasy".

To be honest, I've been eyeing the new Bestiary for a while, and I figured if I started running the system again, it would give me justification to buy it. I always felt the example monsters in the core book, though delightful, were the closest thing the system had to a weakness.

Sounds to me like you'd be a great fit. What are your hopes when reading what I posted above? What reservations or concerns do you have, if any?

I can dig it! Are you imagining the PCs being connected through a common institution(school, club, company, etc.) or are you thinking of a more disparate group united via the hobby?
The first two on the Genesis/Mega Drive and Gaiden much later on the Game Gear when I borrowed one just to play it. I need to get around to 3 sometime now that it's all be translated.

I'm jealous. I only played Shining Force on PC (through Sega Smash Pack) and later through the Switch's virtual console. But anyway...

I'm thinking pretty disparate, but I'd be super interested in pairs of you coming up with shared backgrounds. Like, "These two are friends from school," "these two are workplace rivals", "these two are lovers", etc. Either way works, because the idea is that the adventure experience will unite them.

The idea of learning a new system for which I do not need to own the material for is very appealing. I was, however, confused by the description and had some questions.

While my knowledge of the media you mentioned is rather passing, the contrast between them I didn't get. First you mention (grim) dark fantasy, which tends to be dark in tone and then the "nature" fantasy, which I imagine as much more bright and light. What is "beautiful fantasy adventure with dark corners" is, exactly? What's the tone going to be like? Dark and bleak things in an otherwise bright locations? (Sort of made me think of "I'm standing on a thousand lives" manga/anime, where the world characters travel to is a typical fantasy, but what happening in it is less so - deaths, wars, etc).

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How do you see the parts of the game work? Will the main hub in modern world be a footnote, a place to downtime between actual adventures in the Realms, or will characters regular lives (jobs, families, friends) be explored as well?

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Will the game be more of a mystery or puzzle-riddle based?

This paragraph -
- kinda feels like puzzles will be involved. I'm down for a mystery game, but not so much for one filled with puzzles and riddles and such.

I will spell out the media choices, as they were really just shorthand for people who are familiar.
Dark Souls - A dark fantasy (or fantasy horror) game inspired by Kentaro Miura's manga Berserk. The world was grey and devoid of change, until the First Flame catalyzed change and entropy in all things. A Zeus/Odin analogue named Gwyn, a coven of witches, an embodiment of death/the dead, and a humble humanoid figure each obtained a part of this flame. Gwyn scattered his among his lieutenants, empowering them to help him (and a traitor to the dragons) strike a blow against his dragon nemeses that would matter. The witch coven tried to recreate their own First Flame, but instead created demons. The death figure, Nito, just used it to enhance his mastery of death and necromancy. The lone figure, the "Furtive Pygmy", spread his flame among all humanity to create "dark souls", distinct from those of Gwyn's lieutenants. This began a cycle where an Age of Fire would wind down toward an inevitable Age of Dark, until an undead chosen by Gwyn would seek out his husk, defeat him and claim the fire, using their own sacrifice to kindle the First Flame and begin a new Age of Fire, perpetuating the cycle. When playing Dark Souls, you wander haplessly through this cycle until you are presented the choice to either kindle the Flame, or end it and usher in an Age of Dark.

I will not be using that description directly, but rather implanting some of its physical aesthetic and emotional feeling, and the discussion of futile hope vs. the inevitable, and the conversation between death as an End, and death as Change.

Elden Ring - One of the most recent games from the creator of Dark Souls. Much more bright and colorful than Dark Souls, but still holding a bleak affect. A sort of purgatory world in which a lowly Tarnished confronts the great powers present in the Lands Between, seeking to reforge a construct known as the Elden Ring, which had been shattered in ages past. Like Dark Souls above, I'm not using its material directly, but I reference it as a way to indicate (for those who know Elden Ring) how a beautiful dark world can look. Elden Ring is macabre and often lethal, but there's so much more green, red, and gold in it, compared to the brown, grey, and black of Dark Souls (a game where the brightest color is flame that either consumes you, or welcomes you back after death).

Made In Abyss - A dystopian vaguely Dickensian town has been built around the lip of a vast and seemingly bottomless pit, known simply as the Abyss. The town cultivates their children as scouts to send down into the Abyss, so they can bring back artifacts found inside that offer special benefits. The town's population is bolstered, despite this destructive practice, by travelers arriving from all over the world -- drawn there by a worldwide mental magnetism exerted by the Abyss itself. Once down in the pit, travelers discover a beautiful and colorful world of wonders, with many life forms that cannot be found anywhere on the surface world. And almost all of them extraordinarily dangerous. Few who enter the Abyss ever return, instead using various means to send their discoveries back to town. The pit's dark secret is that, beasts aside, there is a sort of layered forcefield filling the Abyss. It does not physically bar passage, but instead inflicts curses on those who try to ascend. The higher levels are merely painful or injurious, but descend too low and you will find that life will never be the same.

This anime is also utilized in my description as a way to say, "I can run a dark game without it being all darkness, grey stone, and bleak lighting. The things you find there can be beautiful, and they can still kill you, or inflict worse upon you." Beyond that, the descent into the Abyss is meant to be roughly similar to the structure I've described, where the players will find "holes" to enter worlds of fantasy, and have to find their way back out.

Breath of the Wild - As stated, the aesthetic of the hidden world will lean more toward Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom, and the more colorful elements of Made In Abyss, and in so doing, aim to make the story a bit more fanciful and hopeful. These games, and that anime, are bright and colorful, and full of loveable characters, but like many Studio Ghibli films, also full of reprehensible darkness.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona - In the fourth title of the sub-series Persona, there is a channel that pops up on TV sometimes, and either drags viewers inside, or allows a skilled traveler to enter the TV themselves and wander in memory-erasing fog fighting monsters. The players must enter the Midnight Channel repeatedly and save people who were dragged in. In the fifth title, humans of monstrously distorted desires form metaphysical "Palaces" in their own mind, and the player characters use a Metaverse App to enter those Palaces, steal the "treasure" inside, and so cause the human to admit their wrongdoing and seek repentance. Both take place in a modern setting that is otherwise realistic, as I intend the modern hub of my campaign to be.

Deltarune - I won't go into this one, but it's a sort of sequel or prequel to Undertale by Toby Fox, and is a very convoluted story in which the main characters find dark places that lead to created worlds, where they go to seal the Dark Fountain that formed the created world. Each one is different -- a world based on a school's game room, a world based on the Internet, a world based on primetime TV, and so on. I reference it purely to say that, as described above, I intend this campaign to be comprised of finding entrances to discrete parts of a larger fantastical Hidden World, and entering them to see what's going on in there.
The main hub will be pretty simple at first, occupying less of your interest than the Hidden World. But the idea is for your characters to see each other as your "real" selves and your "fantasy" selves, and explore the differences. As that goes on, the main hub will start to evolve along with you, offering experiences you can't get in the Hidden World. That can include jobs, families, friendships with player characters or NPCs, but all depending what the players choose to explore. There will be Downtime within the fantasy worlds, as well as a different Downtime in the hub.
I myself am not much for literal puzzles and riddles, especially in campaigns I run. Any that appear will be optional, not required for progress. What you will see is mystery and intrigue, and elements of the story that I do not explain, but instead allow the players to uncover as exploration reveals information that you can then interpret. Your time in the first fantasy world will go until one of you figures out how to leave, or until player actions force all of you to leave by means you don't fully understand. After that, it will be easier to come and go from the fantasy worlds as you like.

I'd be interested! I love the idea of playing in an isekai (I'm assuming almost feylike) world. Plus it's been a while since I've played fabula ultima and I'd love to get back to it

Let's have a little poll real quick. For those of you who have already responded, and for anyone who responds after this:

Would you like me to build named/nameless pre-gens for people to pick from starting out, and then you guys can level them as the game goes on, or would you like me to walk everyone through character creation? Option 3 on the poll is "I want to make my own, but do the pre-gens anyway so others can use them."

I'm familiar enough to make my own character,so I think the second option works best (everyone makes their own character),but I'm just one person and I have no objection to pregens being made available for those who want them.

I assume that some lore details will be made available so people can define their origins?

If we don't go with option 1, I will be working with each person directly to make the characters, so there's no need. I will not be accepting characters that are submitted to me partially/fully created without my involvement.

As far as origins go, I hope you realize everyone has the same origin. You're all getting "isekai'd" from it. And yes, due to the lack of relevance any "real" location would have to people of the Hidden World, coming from the same planet/reality will count as the same origin for all players. Might as well be the "same place" from the perspective of anyone you meet.

I appreciate the clarification. I had just assumed that origins may vary,being that the mechanic as it is usually used covers background and social status as much as place of origin.

That's more covered by other traits, like the Identity and Theme. The Origin, as described in the book, is "their place of birth, their homeland."

I think option 3 would be a good compromise. People may very well choose a pre-gen (if one ’speaks’ to them) while walking players through character design shouldn't take long with Fabula Ultima.

Also, seeing the pre-gens that you develop might give everyone a better idea of the kinds of characters that your story might fit best.