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Adventure gamebook? How about an adventure gameworld?
This week on the Vintage RPG Podcast, we look at Fabled Lands, a seven-volume series of adventure gamebooks by Dave Morris, Jamie Thompson and Paul Gresty, featuring art by the legendary Russ Nicholson. Unlike most gamebooks, which tell one story, each volume of Fabled Lands is dedicated to a single region of a larger world, allowing for sandbox-style exploration and many, many possible quests. You can get lost in the threads!
Send some well wishes y’all. I just started a character in my new Fabled Lands game and I am a highly intelligent and super futzing impulsive quarter fey druid and i already got down to one hit point because I hugged a yeti without his consent, and I got another player character permanently cursed with fantasy tuberculosis (actually I think her lungs may have turned into bark? It’s unclear) because I went into a section of forest I was specifically told not to. (Both the other players may aaaaalso be infected with...porcinthropy (???) but I’m the only one with the, albeit temporary, remedy
I've just spent SO much on pen and paper RPGs!!!
2/3 of it was solo RPGs/gamebooks.
REALLY wish I had Vyvanse so I could actually read it all! (I mean, the gamebooks I can handle because each entry is super short and also they're interspersed with skill checks and combats, but)
Fabled Lands
[ID: A banner showing a huge sea monster, attacking a small sail boat in a green, turbulent sea. The game’s logo, reading fabled lands in golden letters, is in the top left corner. End ID.]
This game was a spontaneous “hey I like how the graphics look” buy which I did not regret. It’s an adaption of a game book series - which is something you absolutely need to know before you consider buying this. There are some negative reviews complaining about the core mechanics of this, which is even more ridiculous considering there’s a demo.
[ID: An open book overlaying the game window. The left side reads: Sokara. Outside the city gates hang the bodies of many dead people - labels around their necks read: ‘Rebels, executed by the state for the good of the people.’ “You’d best behave yourself if you don’t want to end up like one of them,” grates a guardsman, nodding towards the swinging corpses, as you pass through the great eagle-headed gates of Marlock City. The right side shows a drawing of a fortified city with icons for places like the harbor, the marketplace and more. End ID.]
So, it plays like a game book; just without the pesky need to manually keep track of anything. You click on locations you want to visit, and roll some dice for what event you might encounter. Sometimes, the outcome is pure luck; otherwise you need to roll against your stat points, say against thievery, to check if you remain undetected, or against charisma, to check if you manage to convince someone.
Your character cannot level up with experience like in most games. The only way to gain a new level is to complete one of very few available, class-specific quests. Other ways to increase stats is gear and trinkets, as well as temporary scrolls and potions. You can access a stash at many cities, but you need to purchase it in each of them.
[ID: An open book overlaying the game window. The left side reads: A troop of bearded and unwashed pilgrims approaches you. They are whipping themselves with ropes, and crying out phrases such as “We are not worthy” and “Forgive us, great Ebron, for our foul sins” or “Pain and suffering is the way to Ebron’s heart”. They are members of a fanatic sect of the Church of Ebron called The Flaggelants of the Soul, whose members believe that they can earn the goodwill of their god through pain. Obviously, they are quite mad. The right side shows a selection of options, the first two of which are grayed out: 1. [Requires Title: Masked Lord or Masked Lady] You are a noble. 2. Or you have blue skin. 3. Otherwise. End ID]
Are there a few downsides if you consider this a video game? Sure. Every time you visit a spot, you roll for the same events. Meeting the same pilgrims for the 12th time because you’re running in circles can get a bit tedious. On the other hand, there’s nothing stopping you from abusing positive game mechanics, if you find a repeatable event or action that gives a reward. Speaking of running in circles, there’s nothing to guide you to quests or to tell you where to go. You stumble off into the distance, and if you stumble the wrong way, you’re dead.
I’ve come across little need for combat so far. It’s grid and round based, nothing to write home about. There is a guide out there about how to 100% this game on ironman with a 0% chance of dying, so you can definitely master it, taking notes and planning routes, if you’re into that kind of thing. I personally just want to have a fun time, read about The Horrors, and try not to die while shamelessly abusing quicksave in case I do.
[ID: The inventory panel. The right side shows the player character surrounded by equipment slots. It’s a female ranger looking figure with a green hooded cape, blonde hair, a bow on her back and a bird on her shoulder. The right side shows the inventory, most of which is covered by an item detail popup which shows Ring Mail armor. The item description reads: Surprisingly protective for a thing made out of holes End ID.]
So why do I love it? First of all, I really like the artstyle. That’s what drew me in in the first place. Then I loved the writing; it’s just the right mix between gruesome and funny that makes me happy. Call me easy to amuse, but the item descriptions are hilarious, and I thoroughly enjoy being devoured by bloodsucking killer plants in an execution pit.
[ID: Details for an item called Green Carpet [trophy]. Its description reads: It has seen the world - shining, shimmering, splendid. End ID.]
The game is steam deck verified, and (unlike a few others, cough, cough) deserves that. It plays really well on it. The default idea is using the touchscreen, but you can enable the mouse cursor in the settings and use the trackpad instead. If you enjoy the tiniest amount of fiddling, binding keys like A/B to Space and Esc allows you to roll the dice and exit menus with a button press.
Of course, it works well on desktop, too. There are only the most basic settings, and no accessibility options - large font size isn’t overly large either. It can be played exclusively with mouse, with only some keys (like I for inventory) bringing up menus.
Mac Tonight has had it too good for too long.
