Fortune's Fool

A copy of a completely new version of Tabletop RPG Fortune’s Fool arrived a few days ago. It was difficult to know exactly what to expect, as the game is set in a fantasy Renaissance Europe and uses a pack of Tarot cards to resolve outcomes.

A complex Renaissance RPG like Ars Magica didn’t really appeal and we thought the Tarot pack mechanism might be a bit too mystical or elaborate for our tastes. Fortunately, such concerns went out the window after a quick run through the rule set.

Fortune’s Fool is, essentially, a fairly ‘rules-light’ TRPG, which serves up all the elements required to quickly learn and deliver a flexible Renaissance period setting. The rules are  unpacked in a steady, (and familiar), progression through character design, skills,  spellcasting and combat. From there, the rules go on to offer helpful sections on both the setting and running the game.

A short playtest followed and Fortune’s Fool did well. The players picked up the basics with ease and the Tarot-based outcomes were readily accepted. (It helped that the Tarot cards fit in seamlessly and don’t get in the way of the gameplay).

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the frequent Assassin’s Creed 2 players at the table saw a lot of potential in the game. Not least as a quick route into a Renaissance packed with ‘magic and intrigue’. The fantasy races didn’t get much of a run out, but that was consistent with the group of players, who favour ‘gritty realism’.

Of course, you’ll need a Tarot pack handy. If nobody has one it’s easy to put the pack into a table and roll outcomes. Alternatively, and preferably, a quick visit to Wikipedia lets anyone download a Tarot pack. The images shown here were among the options on offer from the Tarot page. Simply drag the images into a word processor template and print a free pack on labels or card.

Complaints were few and far between. Some might prefer a slicker presentation with more bought-in graphics, but the PDF we were using was ideal for a PDF, i.e. single column, large text, clear headings and the ‘backbone’ of a solid underlying structure. Consequently, the game seems good value at $10 for the 252 page PDF version. (Though the adjustments to some of the clever, but limited, use of Renaissance art were, perhaps, unnecessary, because the originals are so effective).

Overall, Fortune’s Fool is a good system for introducing new players to TRPGs, learning to GM and jumping straight into a period packed with atmosphere. It’s also particularly successful at striking a balance between relative simplicity and offering a complete system.  As a result,  it could easily be used as the basis for building your own Renaissance settings and/ or adding your own house rules. Pantheon Press go into more detail HERE.