by Emanuele Galletto
For anyone who grew up with the old-school video game RPGs of yesteryear like Final Fantasy or Chrono Trigger and still have that twinge of nostalgia for those days, I cannot recommend Fabula Ultima enough as a way to bring back that legacy to your tabletop gaming experience. Calling itself as a “TTJRPG” (TableTop Japanese RolePlaying Game), Fabula Ultima immediately endears itself to the same stylistic flourishes found in JRPGs. Rich, expressive artwork can be found beside the retro-gaming aesthetics of pixelated graphics in a way that reminds one of the old days of reading printed strategy guides or game-inserts for the latest RPG release of the 90’s or early 00’s. Flipping through the pages makes it clear that this is a labor of love for veteran gamers.
But, of course, a TTRPG is more than pretty pictures, which begs the question of how Fabula actually plays when you’re sitting around the table. The game occupies an interesting midpoint between the more simulationist experiences of D&D with its vast interlocking systems and the more loose narrative structures found in Powered By the Apocalypse-style games (such as Masks:A New Generation ). It is clear that Fabula wants to emulate the same game mechanics found in classic RPGs where focus is placed on combat and monster-slaying instead of skill tests and intrigue, and the system reflects that focus as most skills are focused on battle. Monsters have elemental weaknesses and statistical blocks that are mostly numerical instead of narrative-driven.
However, I think there is something to be said for the light touch Fabula uses for non-combat roleplaying purposes. “Traits” are assigned to monsters, characters and environments which can provide re-rolls when the situation calls for it. Characters track their relationships with other characters through the “Bonds” system where they provide a bonus to their rolls. All of these systems (along with some of the abilities) are tied to the “Fabula Points” which are accrued throughout play and can be spent when the situation calls for it. Fabula likewise uses the “clocks” system to track ongoing effects and situations where certain actions can progress or regress clocks that tick towards a particular outcome. These systems are less in-depth than more structured (or “crunchy” as they are sometimes called) roleplaying games, but they offer a great deal of narrative freedom.
Fabula Ultima is an interesting fusion of old and new. The place where old video game RPGs meet modern tabletop gaming sensibilities. Where interlocking systems of numbers meet open storytelling tropes. If I can make any recommendation for interested gamers, I would ask you check this out and bring it to your next gaming group get-together and see if any of this sparks interest. Fabula is a unique creation and worth consideration as your next tabletop RPG adventure.
reviewed by Kate Holt
