Topic: New Edition

Assuming the authors on the site, or someone else who works on lamentations of the flame princess, I had a few questions I was hoping someone can answer.

1) Ive heard a new edition for lamentations is coming out. Does anyone have a general idea when the release may be?

2) Ive heard clerics will be taken out and their spell list combined with the magic users list. I think thats a great idea and leaves it open ended for you to flavor your magician to be more warlock like, more cleric like, more druid like, etc depending on spells chosen and character theme. I was wondering if that was the intended plan.

3) Will the d6 skill system be kept? Because I absolutely love the straightforwardness of it and actually think its one of the best features of the game. Keeps things super streamlined.

4) Ive heard the author may be planning on doing away with d20 based saving throws that are categorized by the typical posion/deathray/breathweapon etc, and instead will use a d6 for saves much like how skills are handled in the system. Personally I think thats a great idea and (although I love old school systems) I find the old school saving throw methods and their categories incredibly archaic. I think having clerics save better against wands and staffs while thieves save better against poison (for instance) is just an artificial way to make it seem like theres greater variance between the classes when in actuality its pretty arbitrary. At the very least dividing saves into Might/Agility/Mental categories makes a lot more sense. Anyways just my 2 cents that id love to see saves handled differently than in the current edition.

5) Ive heard theres plans to take out demi humans and add them to an appendices as optional. I think thats a great idea since elves, dwarves, and halflings seem really out of place in LOTFP. I would like to see those classes maybe turned into something else though, like dwarves could be reskinned as barbarians, halflings as rangers, and elves as fighter/mage types (which could fill a void left with the cleric class being absent and make playing an Elric type character possible).

Does anyone have any info pertaining to these questions or the new edition?

Last edited by DeathKnight4044 (2018-01-18 22:15:18)

Re: New Edition

The author/publisher is on this site, but he isn't always able to respond quickly (he's busy authoring/publishing/conventioning). I follow updates pretty closely and am a moderator, so feel equipped to respond to your questions as far as what's been officially/publicly stated:

1) There is a new edition coming out eventually. He released a playtest document in 2/2016, only available to those who ordered from the webstore at a certain time. There is no official date, but I would wager it's going to be a few years. The Referee book will come out first, and then work in earnest on the new rulebook will likely begin sometime after that.

2) Clerics will be removed/appendicized. There will be rules for how to handle them when using non-LotFP modules and adventures that do refer to Clerics. Yes, there will only be one spell list, and I believe the idea is to focus on interesting "utility" sort of spells and not just blunt damage or healing spells.

3) I would say keeping the skill system is likely but there's always a chance for a change. It was kept the same in the playtest document (although some skills were added and some removed). I think most people like it, so it will probably be the same.

4) The playtest document features a new save system. Basically you have "magic" and "non-magic" saves. To save vs magic, you roll a number of d6s as determined by your Charisma score (so if that score is in the 9-12 range, you roll 4d6). If you roll two 6s, you fully save, if you roll one 6, you half save, and if you roll no 6s, you fail the save. Wisdom is used exactly the same way for non-magical saves. I have no idea if he is going to keep this system or change it again.

5) For sure the demi-humans are being put in the appendices. There was talk about adding a new class or two, but not sure if it will happen or not. I would say you can count on Fighter, Magic-User, and Specialist. The rest is up in the air.

Hopefully that helps!

Re: New Edition

Thanks for the reply.

I gotts say im digging the direction it sounds like its going in. One all encompassing spell list for the magic user class is great. Glad to hear the skill system is likely staying as is as well.

The save system sounds really interesting, and I could see it working on attributes besides charisma and wisdom. For instance:

Being hit from a giant snake gives a save vs constriction where you roll 4d6 against strength. Two 6s and you escape, one 6 and youre wrapped up but have an arm free able to attack with a one handed weapon. No 6s means youre completely wrapped up.

Or attempting to avoid a falling boulder gives you a save thats 4d6 against Dex. Two sixes you avoid it, one six and you take 2d6 damage, no sixes and you take 4d6 damage and are pinned for a round.

It opens up the possibility of non binary outcomes (similar to how ive heard dungeon world described) and Id be really interested to see saves taken in that direction. I think it would further give the system its own identity as well.

Im happy to hear demi humans are taking a backseat too. I run mostly sword and sorcery games so itll be that much easier to theme the campaign to my tastes (although ill still have to work a bit against the late middle ages era that the system implies). The fighter, magic user, specialist trifecta would be A-okay with me, although a barbarian/berserker class that has high hit points and can rage for bonus damage, an elf like fighter/magician modeled after solomon kane or elric that dabbles in magic (in essence replacing the cleric, maybe a witchhunter or something), and a woodsman/ranger type taking the halflings place would all fit in well and be nice additions IMO.

Anyways I look forward to hearing any additional updates about it in the coming months/years.

Last edited by DeathKnight4044 (2018-01-19 06:47:00)

Re: New Edition

I personally enjoy the idea of MUs and Clerics being combined into one class, as there are several Cleric spells I can see MUs enjoying (no, I'm not talking about the healing ones). It also feels more fantasy, as it's rate for religious magic to be treated as something different to other kinds of magic (if it exists).

The potential saving their rules are interesting, and I'm not sure what to make of them. I suppose that they'll make saving fully rarer, which isn't the worst thing in the world. I'll likely stick with the current version though, personal preference.

I fully agree with banishing demihumans to an appendix. They're not something that'll for every world, similar to firearms.

I'm interested to know if the VaM spellcasting system is the one being used in the new edition. I'd honestly pick it up and just port it's magic system into the current version just for that.

Re: New Edition

AnonymousWizard wrote:

I'm interested to know if the VaM spellcasting system is the one being used in the new edition. I'd honestly pick it up and just port it's magic system into the current version just for that.

The magic system was introduced in the play test document, more fully formed in VAM, and is being used again for this year’s free rpg offering: Eldritch Cock. I’m confident the publisher is all-in on this new system and it will be used in the new rule book.

Also, I believe firearms will be integrated fully into the rules instead of being in the appendix.

Re: New Edition

Crunk Posby wrote:
AnonymousWizard wrote:

I'm interested to know if the VaM spellcasting system is the one being used in the new edition. I'd honestly pick it up and just port it's magic system into the current version just for that.

The magic system was introduced in the play test document, more fully formed in VAM, and is being used again for this year’s free rpg offering: Eldritch Cock. I’m confident the publisher is all-in on this new system and it will be used in the new rule book.

Also, I believe firearms will be integrated fully into the rules instead of being in the appendix.

Well I'm liking the sound of that, moving LotFP into a more Earth-like period of technology development where at least matchlocks were around while plate armour was being developed*.

I'm certainly happy that the magic system is being changed, D&D style vancian magic never felt right to me, and always liked that system. I'll have to check when Free RPG Day actually is so I can pick up the other half of this set.

* I know that it's not 100% certain if full plate was adopted before or after firearms, my research suggests that plate armour was used beforehand, but full gothic plate and similar styles were post-matchlock.