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Fabula Ultima

Fabula Ultima

Fabula Ultima is a Tabletop Roleplaying Game inspired by Japanese-style console RPGs, or JRPGs. In Fabula Ultima, you and your friends will tell epic stories of would-be heroes and fearsome villains, set in fantasy worlds brimming with magic, wondrous locations, and uniquely bizarre monsters! This is a game about larger-than-life heroes and tragic antagonists. There is no predetermined plot, scenario, or "adventure", and the heroes' actions, motivations, and objectives will drive the story forward while the Game Master reacts to their choices and places obstacles on their path, often in the form of powerful villains with their own devious agendas, which will change time and time again as the protagonists manage (or fail) to thwart their plans.

Originally created by Emanuele Galletto

Details

3-5 Players

Themes

High Fantasy
Imaginative
Swashbuckling

Publisher

Release Date

September 2022

Fabula Ultima Reviews (6)

See what other Game Masters and players are saying about Fabula Ultima

Brett Dupree avatar

Brett Dupree

New review

Played 6 sessions

I love the collaborative storytelling that is central to Fabula Ultima. The combat is quick and punchy with the right amount of crunch. Also, the theme of JRPGs is just the cherry on top of the cake of a fabulous system that is a joy to play and GM.

justjarn avatar

justjarn

New review

Ran 12 sessions / Played 4 sessions

As a GM who prefers narrative games, Fabula Ultima is fast becoming my game of choice! I could speak upon the easy-to-learn mechanics, extensive options for character choices as well as enhancements, or emphasize the tools and guides offered to GMs of all experiences levels, which provides guidance in how to best engage the system. Yet, I'd rather focus upon the empahsis on player agency and the involvement of all players in the creation of the narrative. In Fabula Ultima, the players participate in the guidance of the narrative, both the world in which the PCs find themselves as well as the overall story. Fabula Points, the meta currency for players, assists in this aspect by allowing alterations to aspects of the story as the game unravels. An excellent system for amazing RP experiences! Highly Recommend! Two thumbs up! ☆☆☆☆☆

Dyer avatar

Dyer

New review

Ran 1 sessions

An absolutely amazing game, I really wanna do more with it when I can find the time. Quick and evocative, it really does give a great feel of the JRPGs that it is supposed to emulate!

Suz PhDM avatar

Suz PhDM

New review

What if you could live in Chrono Trigger? That was all I needed to read before I became obsessed with this game. I think the system captures what I love about JRPGs I played growing up and it does a lovely job of encouraging you to play with tropes and subvert them.

Nyx avatar

Nyx

New review

Ran 85 sessions

TLDR; Fabula Ultima is a "TTJRPG" designed to emulate the feel and tone of nostalgic childhood classics like Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Star Ocean. With collaborative worldbuilding, a character-focused narrative, and flexible, accessible progression at its core, Fabula Ultima handily and summarily delivers on that promise. Easy to learn. Hard to put down. ------------------------------------------- Full Review Fabula Ultima is a JRPG inspired tabletop game that prioritizes player agency above all else in both worldbuilding and character building. It encourages and rewards leaning into the collaborative narrative and cleverly incentives failure with dramatic narrative progress. A system that allows players to steer the ship, and that asks Gamemasters to be ready for anything. Nails the aesthetic and gamefeel of it's source material in both the easy-to-learn combat system (that still holds depth for all the classic JRPG players) and the big, dramatic plot twists of the genre. My favorite system, hands down. Obviously, as part of the team bringing FabU to FoundryVTT, my bias (one of my only 5 star reviews...) is evident, but I believe the system is well deserving of said bias. I could write a thesis on this game. Some day I might. Below, find the highlights / bullet points. (Understand I write from a GM's perspective.) Mechanical Complexity – 2.5/5 - Easy to learn with a surprising amount of depth within its simple structures. - Each Class is a toolbox of thematically related skills for playing out the many shades that exist within the colors of that Class's fantasy - Multiclassing is the expected default of the game, but it's incredibly simple to do so. For every level you take in a class, you pick one of the skills mentioned above. There's a maximum on classes you can take, with a minimum of two to start. - Every roll is a combination of two Attributes, of which there are four. Sometimes, this means rolling two different Attributes. Sometimes this means rolling the same Attribute twice. How you describe your action will dictate which dice are necessary. Play to your strengths! Rewards creative descriptions and “in-character” decision making. Narrative Agency – 5/5 - The core mechanic of the game is Fabula Points, which grant players a (sometimes overwhelming) amount of agency in the story. - They allow players to reroll and increase the results of rolls that align with their character's “Traits” (Origin, Identity, Theme,) and “Bonds” (the connections they make with PCs and NPCs in the world,) further rewarding players for roleplay. - They also allow players to introduce narrative elements (with table/GM consent where necessary) to spice up the story. Gamemasters have to stay on their toes with this system! - Collaborative worldbuilding does not end at Session 0 (which is rather in depth on its own.) I regularly ask my players to add details to scenes and locations they helped me create. Game “Feel” - 5/5 - Turn based conflict with deceptive depth emulates JRPGs exceptionally well. - Flexible Class-Fantasy based character building allows you to truly create any character you could imagine. I mean this sincerely. No other game across my fifteen years in the hobby has felt as good at character creation as this one. - Dozens of optional rules for customizing the experience to party (and referential JRPG) preference. - Collaboration as a cornerstone fosters incredible relationships both in and out of game. Final Thoughts Overall, I think Fabula is an incredible system for exactly the kind of games and stories it sets out to tell. I don't think there's any one system that's “one size fits all,” but if you're looking to recreate the wonder of exploring Gaia with Cloud and friends, if you're looking to solve the mysteries of time and space with Chrono and crew, look no further. So kick off your shoes, boot up your console. Grab your favorite controller, dim the lights, and press start on a TTJRPG experience like no other. Batteries not included.

Suann (Geekstress) avatar

Suann (Geekstress)

New review

Played 8 sessions

Satisfying system to bring to life virtually any setting or character concepts. Easy to learn to play, immensely customizable (because you must multiclass to create your character), and truly collaborative. The core book has the standard RPG fantasy classes that are familiar, and later books offer technofantasy, natural fantasy, and high fantasy.

How to play Fabula Ultima

Just like the JRPGs it was inspired by, Fabula Ultima focuses on epic tales of growing heroes and powerful villains, set in fantastic worlds brimming with wondrous locations and bizarre, unique monsters, tightly connected to each protagonist's unique themes and choices. Unlike a videogame, you won't play through a prewritten plot and grind for experience by slaying monsters for countless hours or carrying out duties for quest-givers. Instead, you will build your own story together little by little, and you will be rewarded for playing your character in a way that fits their role and identity in that story!

Fabula Ultima Dungeon Masters

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4 years on StartPlaying

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3 years on StartPlaying

499 games hosted

Average response time: 2 hours

Response rate: 100%

Frequently asked questions about Fabula Ultima

Explore Fabula Ultima Classes

Arcanist image

Arcanist

Arcanists can fall into a deep trance and temporarily project a considerable portion of their soul outside the body, giving it physical form. Surrounded by this magical shroud, the Arcanist gains a variety of supernatural abilities; these summoned forms are said to be manifestations of the ancestral souls belonging to mythical entities of legend, known as the Arcana. In some worlds, the Arcana are even worshipped as deities.

Chemerist image

Chemerist

Chimerists gather their power from the souls of the monsters and beasts they encounter. By manipulating their inner wild energy, these mages may mimic the magical abilities of monsters and have reached a supernatural understanding of feral creatures. Chimerists frequently rely on their toughness and physical prowess in addition to magic; they are often seen traveling the world in search of rare and enchanted creatures.

Darkblade image

Darkblade

Darkblades are somber and powerful warriors who hide a sorrowful past. Due to tragic experiences on the battlefield or in personal life, their souls have developed an affinity for pain and shadow energy. An unlikely hero to say the very least, a Darkblade may now sacrifice their lifeforce to unleash mighty attacks and is able to draw resolve, power and even knowledge from the suffering they experience.

Elementalist image

Elementalist

An Elementalist has learned to channel the souls that flow within the basic elements of creation: Air, Earth, Fire and Water. Some of them develop complex spells to contain the powerful energies of nature; others seek its protection in harmony and communion. Elemental magic can be highly destructive, causing damage and inflicting negative status effects. Due to this, there are many who would covet an Elementalist’s abilities... often for nefarious purposes.

Entropist image

Entropist

High above the stars, where their lights do not shine, lies a bottomless void where life and souls wither and transform in unfathomable ways. This realm is a non-reality, an endless expanse of chaos impervious to the laws of time, space, and probability. Entropists refer to this realm as the Cosmos, the Heavens, or quite simply as Lady Luck: they are among the few gifted with the ability to channel its reality-bending energies.

Fury image

Fury

Furies never know when to quit. In battle and life they are energetic, determined and often restless. Whatever ideals or desires drive their actions, they will stop at nothing and risk everything in order to achieve them. Some Furies undergo a rigid training in order to control their emotions; others simply see might as the solution to all problems and are constantly on the verge of letting rage get the best of them.

Guardian image

Guardian

Proud and selfless, Guardians are individuals who know the value of life... and are willing to sacrifice themselves for a person, nation or ideal they have sworn to protect. They are often extraordinary and impressive individuals, such as valiant soldiers or veterans scarred by a thousand battles. While some Guardians may appear loud and boisterous, many are simply masking the tormented memory of those they failed to protect.

Orator image

Orator

Some are graceful and ever-smiling, others are subtle and witty: Orators are as good at reading someone’s heart as they are at rounding up allies for their cause, sometimes unintentionally. The words of an Orator may rekindle spirits or plunge their opponents into despair: over the centuries, some Orators' talents have brought entire nations to ruin... and just as many have granted fallen kingdoms a chance to rise from their very ashes.

Rogue image

Rogue

Be they criminals, rebels or spies, Rogues are more than willing to play dirty in order to get what they want. Rogues are generally quick, witty and elusive: while a few of them are infamous for being mostly concerned with their personal wealth and profit, many see themselves as fighting against injustice, tyranny, or social exclusion. Tragically, it is quite common for Rogues to end up being painted as threats by those same people they fight for.

Sharpshooter image

Sharpshooter

A majority of Sharpshooters are exceptionally good at dealing with threats from a carefully calculated distance; others are brave, skilled or reckless enough to engage their foes at point-blank. While many of these skilled snipers are battle-hardened soldiers, some have turned to a life of piracy, bounty hunting or banditry. A few have put their abilities at the service of the people, or use them to protect a sacred or forbidden site from intruders.

Spiritist image

Spiritist

Spiritists have developed a powerful connection with the raw aspects of soul: emotion, energy, life, and death. They wield power both miraculous and frightening, and are quite often affiliated with cults or religions. Several worlds see the powers of Spiritism as gifts from a deity or proof that a person's heart is pure; however, there is no definite proof of these abilities coming from anything but discipline, empathy, and focus.

Wayfarer image

Wayfarer

Nomads searching for a fabled continent, explorers braving the wilds, grizzled hunters and travelers have one thing in common: they are Wayfarers. While a majority of heroes travel the world during their adventures, Wayfarers live for the journey. They are always eager to visit new places and learn from others. In the eyes of a Wayfarer, the wilderness is neither foe nor an ally, but rather a stern teacher who can reveal many forgotten truths.

Weaponmaster image

Weaponmaster

Weaponmasters spend years upon years honing their close combat arts. Most of them display remarkable skill with a variety of weapons; others have trained to become one with a specific armament. Many Weaponmasters follow and protect someone out of love or loyalty, but there are also those who tirelessly wander the world seeking worthy opponents, legendary magical weapons, or capable teachers.

Tinkerer image

Tinkerer

Tinkerers possess exceptional ingenuity and are known for their eccentric and marvelous inventions. They travel the world in an endless search for lost theories and ancient machinery, eyes glimmering whenever they witness the wonders of architecture and engineering. In a way, Tinkerers could be seen as the ultimate dreamers and rebels, challenging the very rules of nature and society in their pursuit of a better future.

Loremaster image

Loremaster

Loremasters are known for their insatiable curiosity and appetite for discovery. They firmly believe that knowledge equates to power, and world often trade all gold in the world for a chance at solving a good mystery. Unfortunately, a majority of Loremasters tend to be aloof and easily distracted, rarely concerning themselves with “pragmatic” matters... to the point of sometimes failing to realize the darker implications of their discoveries.

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