Playing Natural Fantasy Equipment
Playing Fabula Ultima in a natural fantasy setting is an excellent
opportunity to express your creativity and design pieces of equipment tied
to folklore, exploration and the protagonists’ personality.
This section contains tips to help you imagine and describe compelling
natural fantasy equipment, followed by a list of new rare items you can
include in your campaign or use as inspiration.
Ingenuity and Personality
In natural fantasy worlds, every item tells a story, highlighting the
ingenuity and the craftsmanship of its creator, whether it’s a treasure from
ages past or a trusty tool for adventurers.
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Past and Present. In natural fantasy campaigns,
contemporary equipment often looks very down to earth and no-frills – not
very memorable, perhaps, but solid and reliable. On the other hand, more
elaborate and unusual pieces of equipment are often handed down from
generation to generation, or retrieved from the depths of mysterious ruins
and adapted to new uses. Firearms often fall in the last category and are
a once-in-a-lifetime sight.
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Accessories of all kinds. Natural fantasy accessories can
be divided into three main categories: precious jewelry created with
highly refined craftsmanship and symbolic materials, like silver, iron,
jade, bone, or the scales of a specific creature; lucky charms and other
personal creations; and finally, practical tools that the characters carry
for emergencies. This last category is of particular importance because of
an underlying message: even the most humble tool can become powerful in
the hands of a hero that deeply cares for it.
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Built with your own hands. One of the most distinctive
design principles of natural fantasy is the ingenious combination of
ancient technologies and recycled materials, such as repeating crossbows
built with wood and bone, alchemical arquebuses, steam-powered devices,
and blades forged with unknown alloys or components recovered from ancient
constructs. These tools usually follow the standard profiles included in
the Core Rulebook, but the most complex and unlikely weapons might require
the custom weapon rules (see page 112).
In short, natural fantasy items should stand out for their practical
appearance, handmade quality, the ability to merge ancient technologies
and recycled materials, or reveal something about those who chose, created
or gifted them.
Rare Items
(The following section indicates a listing of rare items is
forthcoming.)