Lethal Fantasy Today! A New Kind of RPG Combat

Lethal Dispatch: Where We Are and What the Basic Game Is

The first release of Lethal Fantasy is getting close. We’re in the final edits on the Basic Game, and we’re excited to share what this starter set is designed to do—and where the game goes from here.

A Basic Game Built Around Combat

The Basic Game is designed to put the Lethal Fantasy combat system front and center. Its roleplaying rules are closer to old-school AD&D: the GM and players are encouraged to roleplay, make decisions, and build the story together. A focused set of practical skills supports the situations that regularly come up in play: spotting danger, finding hidden objects, dealing with traps and locks, jumping, swimming, and more.

The Basic Game’s main event, though, is combat. We want players to experience how the Lethal Fantasy system changes the rhythm and feel of a fight.

Every Second Can Change the Fight

Static initiative is a thing of the past. Instead, characters make progression rolls. Every player stays involved, and every player has a chance to attack during each second—but no one is guaranteed an attack. The action develops as the rolls unfold.

Then there’s the D30 Cinematic Results die. It can trigger surprising, memorable events for attackers, defenders, and spellcasters. Often, players are eager to see what the D30 says even before they know the main result. It can create exciting moments on its own, or combine with a D20 result to make an exchange even more dynamic.

The D20 attack roll is no longer the only place where the excitement lives. The D30 can shape what happens regardless of the attack roll, keeping combat unpredictable and giving the table more chances to react to what’s happening.

Modifiers You Roll, Not Static Math

Lethal Fantasy moves away from piles of fixed modifiers. The modifiers are still there, but they become dice. You roll them, and the results determine how they affect the moment. That keeps the math in motion and lets the dice tell the story of a particular action.

Favor and disfavor also take on new force in the game’s opposed, contested-roll system. Because characters’ results are directly measured against one another, favor and disfavor can have a powerful effect on the outcome. They become a dramatic part of the contest, rather than a small adjustment sitting in the margins.

Together, progression rolls, the D30 Cinematic Results die, rolled modifiers, and opposed rolls make combat feel active and alive. The players are watching, responding, and anticipating what might happen next.

The Advanced Game Expands the World

The Basic Game is the starting point. The Advanced Game Rulebook, which is already written, expands the system in several directions.

It adds much more detail to character creation, including special gifts a character may possess and disadvantages they may need to work through. It greatly expands the skill list and gives GMs detailed guidance for deciding when a character has favor or disfavor in a contested skill check.

We’re looking forward to releasing the Basic Game and then moving on to the full game. The starter set will introduce the combat system; the Advanced Game will unleash the broader power of Lethal Fantasy.

A Personal Update

The Basic Game was delayed a bit this summer because Lethal Ted had major surgery. He’s recovering and doing well, though the operation and recovery slowed the work for a while. We appreciate everyone’s patience and support as we finish the final edits.

We’re excited to get the Basic Game into your hands—and to show you what makes Lethal Fantasy different.