High fantasy

High fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy, defined either by its setting in an imaginary world or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, and plot. The term "high fantasy" was coined by Lloyd Alexander in a 1971 essay, "High Fantasy and Heroic Romance".

Genre overview

High fantasy is defined as fantasy set in an alternative, fictional ("secondary") world, rather than "the real", or "primary" world. The secondary world is usually internally consistent, but its rules differ from those of the primary world. By contrast, low fantasy is characterized by being set in the primary, or "real" world, or a rational and familiar fictional world, with the inclusion of magical elements.

The romances of William Morris, such as The Well at the World's End, set in an imaginary medieval world, are sometimes regarded as the first examples of high fantasy. The works of J. R. R. Tolkien—especially The Lord of the Rings—are regarded as the archetypal works of high fantasy.Stephen R. Donaldson's The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant is another example of a high fantasy series.

High Fantasy

High Fantasy is a role-playing game published by Fantasy Productions in 1978.

Description

High Fantasy is a fantasy system. The rules feature a spell-point magic system and four main character classes: warriors, wizards, animal masters, and alchemists (who may make and use firearms). The game includes rules for combat, experience (which gives advances in skill level), brief monster descriptions, and campaign guidelines.

The melee combat system relies solely on the use of percentile dice, and each character and monster has a chance to hit and a chance to dodge, and it is the difference between these which determines whether a hit is scored or not.

The second edition is greatly expanded and includes an introductory solo scenario, "Escape from Queztec'l."

Publication history

High Fantasy was designed by Jeffrey C. Dillow and published by Fantasy Productions in 1978 as a 44-page book with an orange cover. Two more printings in 1979 featured a cream cover and then a color cover. A second edition was published by Reston Publishing in 1981 as a 208-page hardcover book, a 208-page softcover book, and a boxed set including two books, five character sheets, and dice.