{"id":18292,"date":"2019-10-31T07:00:21","date_gmt":"2019-10-31T12:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.d20radio.com\/main\/?p=18292"},"modified":"2019-10-08T07:35:43","modified_gmt":"2019-10-08T12:35:43","slug":"rpg-adaptations-wolfs-head-fate-core-for-robin-hood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.d20radio.com\/main\/rpg-adaptations-wolfs-head-fate-core-for-robin-hood\/","title":{"rendered":"RPG ADAPTATIONS: Wolf\u2019s Head (Fate Core for Robin Hood)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let\u2019s look at the adaptation of a public domain property for tabletop RPG, Robin Hood. While Robin has been made into RPGs a number of times, this article focuses on Wolf’s Head, A World of Adventure for Fate Core<\/em><\/a>, a version of Robin Hood\u2019s Merry Men powered by Fate<\/em><\/a>. For this review, I\u2019m going to discuss the books (Wolf\u2019s Head<\/em> and Fate Core<\/em>) as I share the setup to my group\u2019s actual play of that setting.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Wolf’s Head, A World of Adventure for Fate Core<\/em>, written by Paul Mitchener and published by Evil Hat Productions<\/a>, the company behind Fate<\/em> as well as Fate of Cthulhu<\/em><\/a> (you can read my interview with Evil Hat about FoC<\/em> here<\/a> on d20 Radio<\/em>), is a sourcebook that brings a version of the famous English folk hero to your gaming group. Set forty years after William of Normandy’s invasion of the English isle, this is a limited campaign with small amounts of magic and a bloody endgame built in.<\/p>\n

There are a few elements of this world that you\u2019ll need to buy into before you pick up your Fate dice. First, you will steal from the rich who are, mostly, the Church and the government. That is to say, you will not fix the system; you will try to break it. Second, repeat this maxim as you play: The house always wins.<\/p>\n

Robin Hood?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Yep, the English folk hero with a zillion movies (I counted) that robbed from the rich and gave to the poor, had a band of Merry Men, and loved a noblewoman. For this game, the only points you need are: It\u2019s Norman England and you\u2019re in a band of criminals that robs the country.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>What\u2019s Fate?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A tabletop RPG engine that is one of the go-to options for its flexibility. System light and easy to speak into existence, Fate<\/em> works for everything from galactic space opera<\/a> to demigods<\/a> to paranormal romance<\/a>. In Fate<\/em>, your character will have Aspects, which serve two purposes. First, they explain your character\u2019s backstory\/personality and, second, they give you skills to work with. As an example, in Wolf\u2019s Head<\/em>, \u201cI\u2019m a Soldier, Not a Knight,\u201d means that a character with that Background can justify doing any action a soldier would, yet you can see that he\u2019d give the middle finger to authority.<\/p>\n

Specific to Wolf\u2019s Head<\/em>, there are a few special options that may not be in every version of a Robin Hood RPG. There\u2019s some degree of\u00a0magic that helps to give this world a bit\u00a0more of a Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves<\/em> feel. There\u2019s Treasure, a sort of\u00a0representative version of counted gold, and Support which is what you get in return\u00a0when you \u2018give to the poor\u2019. Another option, the piece that makes this a limited campaign, are Threat Points. These points are accrued by the GM based on the party\u2019s actions. Specific actions cause that needle to move. Oppose a noble\u2019s plan? That\u2019s one Threat Point. Opposed the king\u2019s? That\u2019s two. These points can be spent by the GM as Fate Points or accumulated to trigger certain plot points. Once enough points have accrued, you\u2019ll see plot points like, \u201cThe king fills the vacant office of sheriff in the area\u201d. There are several levels along the Threat Point meter until you hit twelve and the climax of the campaign. You\u2019re crooks and once you\u2019ve reached the twelfth point, the king decides you have to go and\u00a0unleashes all of the forces at their disposal to bring about your demise. At that point, your hope and existence come to an end.<\/p>\n

An Actual Play Prologue<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Wolf\u2019s Head<\/em> includes an introductory adventure that we played through. For this review, I\u2019ll detail our experiences with the setup and opening scene but leave the bulk of it for you to play.<\/p>\n

Our GM for this one-shot was novelist, John McGuire. We each took a pregen:<\/p>\n