#ffd6

Getting Started! - The GM (Game Master)!

Now armed with the most powerful tool necessary to play FFD6, the manual itself, the world(s) is your Mimic!

Let’s start out with some basic stuff you will need:

A Plot, Setting, and Determined Magic System for the World!

This is something that can be developed in time, or seeing as that you’re probably looking to get some FF flare, a concept you can pull directly from an already created FF game! To get some ideas about this, go ahead and check out pages 185-214 in the FFD6 Manual for worlds and systems that have already been made! This can also serve as excellent inspiration to create your own, unique story!

A minimum two d6 of your own so as you may act as monsters, NPC’s, or even the world itself! (And it never hurts to have extra to give to players, or have extra lest you have a monster rolling extra dice for damage!)

Several players willing to play as PC’s, Player Characters, in your Campaign, or the story you’ll be creating for characters to journey through. This may seem like a no brainer, but choosing a party that has good chemistry among player and the GM’s personalities is MUCH easier said than done. You can pretty much play with whoever is willing, but from personal experience and as many seasoned GM’s will tell you, we all have different approaches to RPG’s: Whether you’re the kind of DM to throw countless hair raising battles at your players, or the kind to focus more heavily on story telling, players can adore, despise, or feel disinterested in your approach. And that’s fine! I won’t spend much more time about this topic on this post, but Greens for thought!

Adequate Playing Space: Etro knows how many times I’ve had to vie for a playing space in my own Residence Hall so my party and I can play Tabletop Games. As GM, you know how much space you will need for your supplies and layout, and planning ahead really helps with this!

I was going to put this on the suggestion list, but honestly; you will definitely be spending too much time crunching numbers without a Calculator. The system of FFD6 is very intuitive with its numbers, but this can also mean a lot of quick equations, and you save a lot of play time by having a calculator handy!

Notes, notes, NOTES! On a computer, on Google Drive, small Chocobo-Themed Doodle Pad, whatever! Players will do things, or you may have ideas mid game, and you will need to write these down! Monster HP’s after getting blasted by the loudmouth Ranger, the super special secret item obtained; you will regret it if you do not take down notes!

And, as you can probably guess, the FFD6 PDF file. This is important, as it contains all core information of the game. I say this is a necessity NOT for the fact that you need to follow the rules to a ‘T’ (Etro knows I don’t), but more so, to have a sort of guidelines or reference for game situations.

This may seem like a lot, but the resourceful GM will know that most, if not all of these items can probably be purchased for less than $5 (unless you do not use U.S. currency, in then which case you do math because conversions and economics @.@).

Here are also a few things that can also be beneficial for GM’s in terms of atmosphere and utility:

Soundtracks! If you’ve got an ear for music or an itch to blast some tunes while your player’s slay monsters, it can really build up the scene!

Maps make keeping track of players, monsters, and the world a little bit easier. But make sure to take pictures if necessary!

A battle grid or place on the map to show player position’s can help PC’s visualize their situation in combat. That way you have one less thing you need to worry about when conjuring a hazardous battle!

Additional dice! If you are already a partaker of the tabletop world, you may already own items such as d4′s, d8′s, d10′s, etc. As mentioned in a previous post (May 2nd, 2017), these are not necessary, but I do like to use the following dice in my games:

d4′s are excellent for keeping track of Status Effect duration, and for chance (4 sides yield a 25% chance for status effect affliction)

d10′s and d100 or percentile dice I use for random events and percentage. Really useful for determining loot kinds at the end. There’s only so much Gil players can receive... 

Play in a room with windows: you can lose track of time, and as much as we all love divulging our fantasies, it is still important to remember your personal health is necessary to provide the best game you can for yourself and your players. So yeah. Sleep and nutrition is good. #WhiteMagePlug

A few words of advice before I end this post:

FFd6 will give you however much you put into it. With all of the numbers involved, as per usual with a tabletop, understand that it can be fairly demanding. Thankfully, many formulas exist in the Manual that can offer a hand in simplifying things, so don’t be afraid to check that!

I think it would be prudent to post a GM guide post some other time, but I think I’ll cut things off here; ‘cause in the end, you are the GM; your party of PC’s and you choose how to play FFD6, and however you all have the most fun is the correct way to do so!

Thank you all for your time! Have a good one! ~ Ryan

Bad News: 2 Chracters died due to a deadly chess match.

Good News: My player drew this as a coping mechanism while listening to “Wish” from FF-XIII-2

So! If you’ve been looking for a few more ideas for monsters for FFD6, or maybe you want some inspiration for monsters in other games, I’ve gone ahead and updated the Monster Bestiary!

Alrighty! That’s probably all I got for today! If any of you  feel like chattin’ or whatever, go ahead and hit me up! Have a good one y’all!

You know, originally I was going to post this long story about how my Boyfriend who plays in my current FFD6 campaign delivered sweet justice via Astral Flow to the face, but since I realized the post was actually really mean spirited and I didn’t really want that on Tumblr, I’ll just keep that story among my players. So though this isn’t entirely without some back and forth, I’ll just keep it at this:

“Milo” thank you for for being an ‘ETERNAL FLAME’ to defend LGBT peeps off the cuff. I’m keeping that memory with me forever and ever. And that was wonderfully tactful cover up story too ; p.

In much nicer news to indicate why my Beau is Bae and is a super wonderful human being, "Milo” has gone ahead and gifted me FF VI and IX on steam. I have been wanting to play these games for quite some time, so needless to say when I discovered I’d been sent these as gifts, I was happy as a clam <3; it has been so long since a friend has purchased a video game for me, I’ve been hankering for some ‘old school’ FF for awhile now, and I’m pickled pink that it was from my boyfriend <3<3<3. Just agh. What a romantic and wonderful gift. Thank you “Milo”.

So you hear that boys/girls/peoples? 

If your Signif is into the Final Fantasies (;3) or you want to show a friend who is Cloud Strife’s biggest fanboy some love...

ALL FINAL FANTASY GAMES ON STEAM ARE 50% OFF UNTIL THE 5th!

Getting Started - Playable Races, Mithra/Miqo’te, and Akadoubutsu!

Now it’s time to populate this gorgeously fun world you’ve created! Final Fantasy normally utilizes Humans to fill most corners of the world and to serve as the leading protagonist; BUT! That does not necessarily have to be the case for your FFD6 campaign! I

In fact, you can choose to include or exclude as many races as your heart desires! Heck! Make new one’s too! I know I ended up doing so for my Eleos campaign and it’s been a lot of fun!

No matter what you choose to do, there is a list of suggested playable races in the FFD6 PDF starting on Page 176. I personally think that this list is a great start, but there are a good handful of other races, or details that the PDF does not cover. As such, I introduce you to one of the biggest topics I’ll be touching on in this Blog: HOME BREW CONTENT (Game and System aspects that are not included in ‘official’ resources for tabletop role playing games!)

I’m not going to share all of the home-brew race content I’ve created just yet, since that’ll just be an absolutely enormous post that’ll take up half your feed. Instead, today, I’ll go ahead and focus on two entries.

I think it should, while PC Races are on the shelve, worth noting that FFD6 does not usually offer bonus Attribute Points or Skill Points (A topic saved for a post in the near future). However, if you are a die hard for adjusting stats and skills due to race, go nuts! I’ve included some suggested scores to improve, but a word of warning; FFD6′s level up system involves improvement of Attribute Points (AP, we’ll abbreviate) at every level, so the bonus would end up being a small push or detriment within only the first few levels.

I’ve also included a Favorable Jobs section to give suggestions to PC’s in case they have no idea what kind of Job, which is the equivalent of classes in FFD6, they want their character to have. With that being said, it is still to your preference and imagination for what Job a character should have. Honestly, some of the craziest combinations make for wonderful character concepts!

So with that in mind, sit back, and maybe consider some of these other fantastic Final Fantasy Races that have appeared in other games (and potential revamps of mentioned races!)

A New Journey, and New System!

Good afternoon! Hopefully you’ve had a fairly relaxing Tuesday, not too cramped in a school desk, cubicle, escaping Shinra Forces via Motorcycle.

Today’s topic: The Game of “FFD6″ itself, and some fairly important components that make it similar, and set it aside from other Tabletop Games I’ve encountered.

Firstly: as the name implies, FFD6 focuses on the concepts of adventuring in a completely new or a preexisting world that has its roots in the Final Fantasy Franchise, owned now by the company Square Enix. That in itself can get some people hyped (I know it did for me).

So the next thing you may have noticed is that the name ‘D6′ is in the name. For those familiar with Tabletop Gaming, a d6 is a kind of die with six faces. To be specific, a d6 is your run of the mill die most people think of when dice.  So, this is one of the most convenient parts about FFD6; players and GM’s do not need to go out and buy a whole dice set just to ensure all abilities can be used, since d6′s tend to be more readily available in general game stores (or even souvenir shops).

To the newcomer to Tabletop RPG’s, most games FFD6 will use a kind of die, whether that be d6, d4, d10, d20 etc. to determine damage done by players, success of actions, or even just luck. For the most part, FFD6 has players rolling two d6′s and adding whatever stat is applicable in that situation.

For example: Cloud the Warrior wishes to scale a building side. He has an athletics score of 5, so after rolling d6′s, which result in a 5 & 6, he totals everything together: 5+5+6= 16. The GM declares this a success, and Cloud may now climb the building without repercussion.

As many of the statistic lovers reading this post may find, this also means that the probability of low roll (two 1′s on both dice, “Snake Eyes”), or high roll (two 6′s on both dice, “Box Cars”) is quite a bit higher than rolling with a d20. I’ll talk about Complications and Critical Successes another day, but I do think that’s something worthwhile to think about when wanting to play a game with the FFD6 system.

Another difference that many longtime D&D (Dungeons and Dragons) players should know about is the MP Stat. As is tradition in Final Fantasy Games, MP functions as magic user’s resource to cast spells, charms, use abilities, and the likes. This is a set number that slowly is reduced by using magic until the MP has been depleted. This differs from many Tabletop RPG’s I have played that utilize a ‘Spells Per Day’ system, in which spell casters may only have so many uses of a spell within the span of a day while in game. I won’t argue which one I believe is better, but I do think it is worth noting that with MP,  mages and other jobs that use magic in FFD6 may more frequently cast spells while in session.

But most of all with FFD6, I find the the most important aspect that is emphasized is the cinematic and story driven game play emulated in the Final Fantasy games. As many manuals may tell you, fun should be one of the most important factors focused on while playing, This is still incredibly true to FFD6, and it’s fairly simplistic and logical system of game play allow for more focus on character and world building rather than how many times the Falchion of Harbringing can cast Fireball once every blue man. 

Okay, maybe a bit of a bias there, but seriously! After starting a session with my Eleos group, I’ve found that battle, skill checks, and the story flow a lot smoother with the calculations involved for FFD6. JUST MAKE SURE TO BRING A CALCULATOR IF YOU’RE GOING TO PLAY

All in all, though, FFD6 captures the allure many other tabletop RPG’s aim for; freedom of character building; vast, mysterious worlds full of magic and mystery, high tech weapons that turn your enemies to ashes; hilarious shenanigans about how and who blew up the bar. Now with a spiky haired protagonist that wields the almighty Ultima Weapon!

I am so excited to continue sharing and discussing FFD6 along the course of ... however run I end up running this blog. If you have any thoughts or questions, feel free to share below! Or message me!

Thank you all for your time! Hopefully some Gyshal Greens to chew on! ~Ryan

Getting Started - The PC’s (Player Characters)!

Since the GM is all prepped and rearing to go, let’s go ahead and cover what PC’s will need in order to play FFD6!

A Character Sheet and concept for your character! With 18 unique Jobs for characters to have, on top of countless builds you can make with races suggested and of your GM’s creation, there’s a lot of flexibility when it comes to making FFD6 characters! Granted, if you want to keep track of all of their stats and gear, you probably should have one of these filled out. The front and back of Character Sheets can be found on Pages 273 & 274 in the FFD6 PDF.

A Calculator. Similar to the GM, it is more than wise to have your own calculator to calculate numbers. A lot can be processed in your head, and after smacking fiendish cronies so many times with your Princess Guard staff you’ll probably be familiar with most of the calculations. Regardless, a calculator is good for keeping track of abilities that deal ludicrous amounts of damage or even just HP.

Two d6′s are necessary to play FFD6. Most attacks and abilities require you also roll these dice in tandem with the action, so it’s a good idea to nab two from around the house, from your special set, or whatever.

Pen, Pencils, Erasers, Sharpeners. As your character progresses thorugh their journey, they are probably going to find some pretty neato gear. If you don’t remember to bring a pencil to write that down, you may forget all the cool bonuses and goodies the GM dishes out, so make sure you’re in good supply!

And again, like the GM, you will want to have access to the FFD6 PDF File. If you’re wanting to research, or do the GM a solid by leveling up your character on your own, you will want this PDF. As I may mention in later posts, some rules can get a bit confusing; if that’s the case, I highly suggest you talk to the party as a whole, including the GM, so you all can determine house rules for abilities, items, etc. Your opinion on rulings is just as important as the GM’s, and it helps everyone become a better player to reexamine play!

Similar to the GM, this should not cost you very much, especially if you frequent other Tabletop RPG’s.

Now, a few suggested supplies:

Additional dice types. Like the GM, there are times you may want a counter of sort (like Monks keeping track of their Chain Points), or you need a die to determine whether or not an enemy is afflicted with transform! Here are the kinds I would advise investing in:

d4′s are great for status touch items since they all have about a 25% chance of inflicting a status. Furthermore, d4′s can help serve as reminders for how much longer you have to deal with a status effect, since they also normally last anywhere from 1-4 turns.

d10′s can help with keeping track as counters. As mentioned above, monks can benefit from this, users of the spell Resonance can benefit from keeping track of how many times they’ve been hit; all good stuff.

Group Chats. Though this applies to GM’s as well, and it may be second nature to most people, communication with other players is imperative. Not to mention too, Group chats are always a good place for Final Fantasy Memes.

A side journal, character diary, sketchbook, etc. Depending on table rules, these are good to have in case you would like to take additional notes for your character. The character sheets are good for basic info, but writing can get cramped after awhile. Having an alternative place to write down quest goals, special campaign abilities, or even just doodles of funny moments is a good way to space out writing and keep a cleaner character sheet.

So, like the posts for GM’s, I have a few parting thoughts.

As a PC, you are always going to be part of a team, whether that’s between the GM and you, or your other party members. This does mean that it falls to you that you have some responsibilities, and these apply just as much to GM’s, if not more.

Being a Respectful Player: This includes but is not limited showing up on time, not outright being rude to other players, among a whole other grocery list of things. I really emphasize this point, because I know far too many campaigns that end prematurely due to player’s not caring about others in their party or the GM, or how discrepancies are not handled maturely. This is a game, it has rules, and having good clean (Or not so clean) fun is what should be the focus! And that does require respect!

Being Aware of your Character’s Abilities: As a longtime GM, I absolutely love clarifying things for players. In this way they can better understand the world, what their super awesome character can unleash, and so on. But the flow of the game easily gets interrupted if I have to stop and re-answer how to calculate magic damage Aspir five times.  GM’s: patience is key. Players? Sorting out stuff for your character before and in between games is both incredibly efficient and beneficial for GM’s. They need to juggle a lot and wear multiple hats, and they can’t always remember every intricacy of your character. From a player standpoint, your character and their actions are your responsibility, so know them as well as you can!

Advocating for Yourself: GM’s are far from perfect beings. If they miss something for your character, if you’re confused about a point, or if you don’t like how something was handled, respectfully interrupt play or pull aside the GM so the issue can be fixed. The story is both the party’s and GM’s; it’s together that you both feed the world you’re playing in so you can achieve the fantasy everyone desires. So if something doesn’t seem right, or you need something clarified, it is my wish and hope you feel comfortable enough to be in a party where you can do so.

Anyway, after these heavy sorts of things, it is exciting to be a player. To finally be in a game where you can fully interact with a living, breathing world that responds to your deeds and shenanigans is liberating. So go ham! Dream up the fantastical Moogle Warrior! Play as a Cyborg Black Mage! Dominate your foes as a Viera Ninja! Love what you create; and get ready for a Final Fantasy Experience unlike any you’ve ever witnessed before. ~ Ryan