Crit Hit Review #001: Tales of Fablecraft (Early Access)

This is a new feature I’m playing with. Every once in a while, I might get to try out a new product or talk to staff about something they’re developing. It could be a new game or a VTT or something. So this is where I’ll put that. This is SOLELY my own opinion, so take it as you will.

Crit Hit Reviews: Tales of Fablecraft

I’ve always jokingly said that one of the greatest bad guys in TTRPGs isn’t some lich like Vecna or a thieves guild, but scheduling issues. I’ve had so many scheduling issues in recent years around my game, delaying sessions by months. It’s obnoxious as hell, but a reality that even the greatest GM cannot avoid.

That’s why Tales of Fablecraft, a new game system launched by Riftweaver Studios, caught my fancy. For those unfamiliar, Tales of Fablecraft is a virtual tabletop game that attempts to simplify both the player and GM perspectives in a single system. The game launched on Kickstarter in June 2023 and raised nearly $200,000.

I was offered a chance to join Riftweaver founder David Hohusen and lead writer Claire Purcell for a short demo and an opportunity to ask questions about the game. 

Tales of Fablecraft is currently available as a demo on Steam, and will go into early access on July 23. Everything I’ve written about is based on the current demo and may be subject to change in the future. 

How to play Fablecraft

The game operates much like a standard fantasy RPG. You, the player, are a mage who travels the world of Mythas, where you get into adventures, travel fantasy realms and fight monsters!

Character creation was, from a mechanical standpoint, a three-click process. Players must choose a region of origin, a class, and a combat style. The region offers some aesthetic features about where the player comes from and a unique ability, the class provides limited spells and stats, and the combat style offers the spells and attacks available to the player whenever combat initiates. The decision to separate combat style from class caught me and my 5e brain off-guard, but Hohusen said it was done to let players “play their fantasy.” But once I chose all 3 of my options, the character was made. There are options to level up a character and add additional skills to their arsenal, but the majority I found were concerning combat style.

Play is equally easy to comprehend. Players roll a series of d6es based on what stat they have. If a player has, say, a 3 in their athletics stat then that’s how many dice they roll. The goal is to get stars on their dice. The more stars, the more successful the roll is. PCs have ranged, melee and unique abilities and can change those up to fit their preferred build as they level up. For example, the “Radiant” combat style had an ability that allows a player to “mark” an opponent. Allies who attacked that opponent before their turn would get healed if they hit. 

As of July, there are only 3 combat styles, although Hohusen said that there are plans to launch a fourth later.

Fablecraft the Software

The interface was intuitive to play on both sides. Players could easily find the skills and abilities required to fight in combat, and the maps were crystal clear. The art and animation bore this crisp energy to it that was undeniably Fablecraft, and it was just a delight to look at. If a player couldn’t find an ability, the GM had the ability to prompt a player to roll dice, a fairly simple feature on its own.

The GM side was equally as easy. The game is currently built around prewritten modules that contain already-established buttons for prompting skill checks, recommended prompts for roleplay, images and transitions. The process appears fairly smooth, although the current campaign (known as “Starfall Festival”) has a railroad-esque design to its storytelling. Purcell said that Starfall was the most railroad-oriented out of all the campaigns written so far, in a way similar to the classic 5e adventure Lost Mines of Phandelver. That won’t stop players from deviating but the Gamemaster Guide, or GMG, offers guidance on bringing characters back to the setting.

Riftweaver also attached additional tutorials for how to play and a single-player experience that offers players a taste of the three combat styles, how the upgrade mechanics work and what it’s like to fight in the setting in singular PvE demos attached to the demo.

Fablecraft as an Experience

I got to play a short one-shot with Hohusen, Purcell, and one other. We learned about a secret laboratory and decided to investigate. While the session ended in a TPK, it was enough time to understand the game’s vision.

Fablecraft is, at its core, a simplified fantasy adventuring system. The action economy is limited to “move” and attack in combat. There are no bonus actions, no reactions, and no complex math. You have to roll dice and hope to get stars, which determines your success rate.

What remains to be seen is whether the game will hold weight and keep bringing people back. Combat moves quickly, but lacks the mechanics required for players who enjoy the ‘crunchy’ experience to optimize and kick ass in a fight. But I sense that’s not who this game is for. Hohusen and Purcell both emphasized that this game is intended to be a new option for the “RPG-curious” and the “busy” person to try RPGs after becoming a fan of things like Critical Role. 

There were a few technical issues with the voice and video service, such as my camera failing to connect to the software. The remainder of my experience was smooth sailing.

Riftweaver plans to release homebrew tools for DMs to create their campaigns during early access. It will also provide 5-episode packs of campaigns for DMs to purchase. The sessions are estimated to take only 90 minutes, a startling amount for me, who is used to averaging 3-4 hour sessions. However, never doubt a player’s ability to speed through or slow down a game.

Fablecraft: Is it worth it? 

Tales of Fablecraft offers a beautiful and professional on-ramp for players seeking to use their limited time and get a taste of TTRPGs. The game is crisp and attractive, the mechanics are easy to learn, and the setting has immense potential. I could see using a game like this to help inspire a love of TTRPGs in younger siblings or friends who only play traditional video games. Eventually, I’d try to wean them off to play something else, but it’s an excellent tool to help new players get into this marvelous hobby.

Thanks to the Riftweaver Team for this preview!

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