The Fantasy Trip (TFT) is a Fantasy Role-Playing game created in the 1980's by Steve Jackson and Metagaming. It was hugely innovative and influential but it practically disappeared when Metagaming went bust. However loyal fans worldwide continue to play and develop TFT.
When The Fantasy Trip was first published, many players bemoaned the lack of an index or even contents in AM and AW. So I compiled my own index's and am making them freely available here.
This is my partial list of TFT articles published in the Space Gamer. Some of these are now available on the 'net at Ty Beard's TFT Site.
Character Backgrounds for FRP - By Ronald Pehr.
One of the most interesting yet neglected aspects of a fantasy role-playing game character is his background: who he was, what he did, and where he was from before embarking on his adventuring career.
character_backgrounds.html
Originally published in the Space Gamer #60, reproduced by permission of the author.
TFT Web Sites
The Fantasy Trip continues to be played and supported by a loyal group of players across the world. There are several TFT websites, a TFT webring and a very active mailing list.
Steve Jackson Games:
The Fantasy Trip was Steve Jackson's first RPG. Its first part, Melee, was published in 1977. TFT was published by Metagaming, which went out of business about 1982, and TFT has been unsupported since then, and only available on the secondary market.
In late 2017, Steve regained the rights to the eight TFT releases that he had written himself: Melee, Wizard, Death Test, Death Test 2, Advanced Melee, Advanced Wizard, In The Labyrinth, and Tollenkar's Lair.
Most if not all of this material will be republished. The format is totally up in the air right now . . .
To see what's new with TFT plans, and to join the discussion of what should be updated and what should be untouched, visit the forum thread.
Dark City Games publishes adventures for role-playing games. Each adventure can be played by one to six players, age 12 and up. Each game contains an adventure booklet, introductory rules, cardboard pieces and a playing board. All adventures are compatible with major RPG systems such as GURPS and The Fantasy Trip.
A very nicely presented resource for The Fantasy Trip. Includes two campaigns, online character management, GM tools, charts and dice rolling, a bestiary and house rules.
Originally proposed as a repository of rules, it's hoped that it will become a collection of rule variations, a bestiary, a place for homegrown adventures and more...
Nicely presented site with some useful play aids - include alternate rules for experience, fatigue and death in TFT, Cardboard Miniatures and Modular Map Tiles.
The Fantasy Trip Facebook Group is an unofficial gathering place for fans of TFT and related games, both old and new. THE FANTASY TRIP, MELEE and WIZARD are trademarks of Steve Jackson Games, and its rules and art are copyrighted by Steve Jackson Games. All rights are reserved by Steve Jackson Games.
The Yahoo Groups may have served a passing fad for PBEM games, most are now inactive.
They are well worth joining up to, even if you don't want to play. Many of them have useful files areas with some great resources for TFT players and GM's.
Loran RPG - Inactive.
A Yahoo! group for our own PBEM TFT Campaign. :o)
"Welcome to Loran a world created in the imagination of two brothers many years ago. A place of high adventure, mystery and intrigue. Many years have passed since the passing of the high king the land is divided and the borders are beset by foes, both man and beast. Cities struggle for domination and the high priest of the fire god rise again. The people of the land breath their last their hearts torn from their bodies on the fire temples of Toltorac. "
A very active group-game, offering action, adventure and entertainment in a variety of settings from the city of Bandori to the zombie haunted wilderness.
TFT: Thail is a play-by-email roleplaying campaign using The Fantasy Trip RPG system; created by Dave Seagraves and GameMastered by Rick Smith.
"The setting is Thail – the Mnoren's Earth-sized world, created as a prototype before building Cidri. Heroes and wizards get into adventures, right wrongs, slay monsters, pursue romance, fulfill their destinies, and become rich, famous, and powerful in the process . . . ala Dungeons & Dragons. Of course the setting is also very similar to Tolkien's Middle Earth. "The Lord of the Rings" fans will probably enjoy this campaign."
"The World of Cendri is a The Fantasy Trip (TFT) RPG set in a multi-player created universe where monsters, men, magic and sometimes technology clash in a unbelievably large world setting complete with many diverse cultures and strange creatures.
As a player of one of the world's many races and opposing factions, you can develop a character whose actions in life will determine many fates through the use of creative role playing."
"These lands, seperated for centries by the Great Mist, has opened, revealing new lands, new races and adventure...care to travel there?" note: restricted or invite only, if interested send E-mail to Group owner. Put TFT in subject.
"This group will be used to distribute and discuss a roleplaying game that is an expanded and edited version of the out-of-print game, The Fantasy Trip." Also an active forum for TFT and RPG rules discussion.
TFT Game - A face-to-face gamers group ? Inactive.
"In the ancient days; before the light of GURPS, Hero Games, d20 and the Microsoft of RPG…AD&D (all versions) there was a sole source of life-giving warmth…Metagaming’s The Fantasy Trip. Join a small band of heroes as they attempt to navigate the dangers of a lethal combat system, incomplete rules, unfinished maps and house rules built upon a shaky foundation."
Heroes & Other Worlds is a game of adventure inspired by Metagaming's classic Melee/Wizard/TFT system combined with inspiration from the Moldvay edited basic game. The rules are easy to learn and use standard six sided dice. The system is simple, sensible and flexible in the spirit of classic role playing games from the early 80's.