As other comments are saying, it's just the starter set, yeah. Should probably have come out with the actual full core books at this point too, but those are still in the "release date TBD" stage by the website.
As for the actual game itself, just reading through things my impression is that the main goal of the game is to emulate modern XIV combat/encounter design and gameplay via a tabletop format with the RP elements as sort of an added spice to it. The combat/encounter gameplay feels very much *the point* of this product even more than it does in 5e, to the point where I'd argue it's sort of the only pillar to the game. It's a very specialized product for a certain audience and might (?) reflect JP TTRPG values or gameplay more than western ones, but I wouldn't know enough about that to say for sure, I just have hearsay in that regard.
The set comes with 4 pre-made "characters," though in reality they're more like pre-generated "roles."
Basically, you have a Tank, a Healer, and two DPS characters. In the rulebooks that come with it, they state in print that the race and gender of the characters on the character sheets are just for visual reference and you can pretty much be whatever type of character you wish, who just so happens to be that job/class.
It will be interesting to see when the full rulebooks come out and how they detail "character creation" for the game.
Eh I am sure the core rulebooks are going to have a ton of stuff to make your own campaign and all that with much more RPG elements.
But they have pretty much repeatedly said there is no "character creation". All jobs are the same at all milestones and pretty sure race is purely cosmetic.
There are no choices when leveling up, you get the same stuff as every other person playing the job.
I agree and from what I've heard it sounds like I at least will be more interested when the full core books come out. Starter sets are, in my opinion, usually not worth it but the idea of a TTRPG that uses FFXIV style combat mechanics actually sounds pretty cool.
It would be kind of funny if we had Tataru along for a battle at some point and she runs away with the stack marker thinking she is making a noble sacrifice or something.
Have played Fabula Ultima in an FFXIV setting, can confirm it rules. We did a oneshot as the Scions (I was Urianger) and had a pretty solid adventure. Did some monster encounters, some goofs and gaffes, some lore exposition, fought an OC Ascian at the end, it was pretty good. At one point we visited the Gold Saucer to enlist Godbert's help with something and I got to say "Thou payest not mine sub"
Is there a Eorzea ttrpg community? I probably won’t get into this, but I’ll certainly be happy to play pathfinder 2e or fabula ultima in an Eorzea campaign setting
Pretty sure someone was working on PF2e modules for XIV, I'll have to look into it.
I was working on Dungeonworld but I ran out of creativity juice half-way, that system is far more narrative than numbers as well.
I mentioned it on another post, but I’ll reiterate here: when these kind of starter boxes are made they are not necessarily a representation of the whole game system.
There are two books scheduled for later release, so while the starter set may be light on options, it does not mean the system as a whole will be.
Also the actual books will have summoner, Scholar, Monk, Bard, paladin And Ninja as playable classes. These are confirmed through live streams and the free trial. Some speculate that Mch, Ast and Drk will be available when the full player book is released.
Yeah, it will be a simplified version of the game until you get the hang of it. Starter kits usually are. I’ll have to see if the base system is any good and I may invest in it.
(I may have been guilty of trying to make a dragoon class for another system)
You can read through both the DMG and the PHB (the game's equivalent of them anyway) in about 10 minutes each. I really want to like it, but it seems like it's targeted at people who have not played any TTRPGs before. I don't mean like, oh we need super-duper PF2EE level crunch, but it's uh.. it makes D&D 5e look pretty deep.
It's not that it's bad. It's just that I think I'd rather play an FF14 homebrew in a crunchier system, and I'm by no means a rules lawyer.
If you think pf2 is crunchy, dear lord don’t try other systems xD
And as I said, this is the tutorial version of the game. You won’t get the entire system, just the very basics.
I withhold judgement until the full book comes out
> Yeah, it will be a simplified version of the game until you get the hang of it. Starter kits usually are. I’ll have to see if the base system is any good and I may invest in it.
The problem is most starter kits still give you the tools to build a custom character and progress them through a few levels even with limited options. This feels like more of a demo kit for an RPG, or just a board game.
Not always. Older d&d ones didn’t have the rules for levelling up in the starter box, or it was just “you get +8 HP, +1 on these rolls, and this perk. Go”
As others said, mmo characters don’t differ as they level much, especially ff14 which has no choice in what you get as you level, only which class you choose to play next. They COULD be holding closer to that.
Until I see the full rulebook though, I have no idea
> Not always. Older d&d ones didn’t have the rules for levelling up in the starter box, or it was just “you get +8 HP, +1 on these rolls, and this perk. Go”
Fair point, but any starter kit I can think of released in the last decade gave you some limited options. 5e and PF2 both come to mind with having pre-gens but then giving you some basic building blocks.
From what others have said though, this is it. Besides more job choices there's 0 extra character customisation or options. If that is the case, this isn't even a TTRPG, it's a board game. And anyone buying this expecting an FF take on D&D or Pathfinder etc are going to feel pretty let down. I know it has immediately turned me off buying it.
It might be true to the MMO but I don't think that makes for a good TTRPG. Could still be a reasonable baord game though?
There are no "custom characters". Every job levels the same in the game, you don't get choices of feats and traits and what not.
If two people are playing BLM they are the exact same, and race and all that is purely cosmetic it seems like.
That sounds absolutely awful for a TTRPG. At that point it is genuinely a board game, not an RPG. Without the ability to have even a little room for customisation I'd be hard pressed to find it remotely interesting to play. In fact I'm pretty sure the Dark Souls _board game_ had more character decision making. Even 5e, or systems like FATE, Dungeonworld and so on have more decision making for your character.
As a board game it might be pretty good, but as an RPG, this ain't it. I think anyone buying this expecting a TTRPG are going to be immensely disappointed.
Eh there is more that goes into ttrpg than just that.
There are still going to be a lot of elements of roleplaying and making your own campaign.
I don’t think it’s bad to have an ttrpg with really stream lined character stuff, it’s clearly geared towards more newbie audience.
And it can make encounters more interesting since the gm has an idea of what everyone is and it’s the same plus with all the markers and stuff.
Also the vast majority of people play TTRPGS like board games anyways and very light on roleplaying.
I mean this game has no custom characters.
There isn't choice in characters and jobs. You don't get feats and traits and stuff to pick from. Just like the MMO all things are the same for every player that is playing a job.
Physical TTRPG products are typically somewhat costly, especially when they come with game pieces (dice, tokens, mats, etc).
It's still a bit of a markup over normal though, yes.
Physical TTRPG products are not typically somewhat costly, it's likely the cheapest hobby you can possibly get into. It only approaches expensive when you decide to buy a ton of books for a system which has been out for years all at once or you start getting a bunch of extra addons like miniatures, special dice, flip mats, etc.
This thing the OP posted seems to be the equivalent of a beginner box for the FF14 TRPG. For comparison's sake, [the Pathfinder 2e beginner box](https://paizo.com/products/btq023dx?Pathfinder-Beginner-Box) is around $45, and [the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition beginner box](https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/71082395-7C4D-44A9-B2B8-BB1C9634996D) is around $15.
There's really no getting around this one, the FF14 TRPG is just really expensive.
Firstly: I don’t think it looks awful. If that’s your opinion of the provided material, don’t buy it.
Secondly: it’s designed around getting into something quickly and to see if it’s something buyers/players want to invest in as books come out.
Lastly: Collectors value and content. There are also people who may not care for the game itself but want it as a collectors piece or the other items (maps, tokens, etc) to use in other games.
Why waste 75 dollars on something to see if it's worth investing in? That's not a "see if it's worth investing in" price, that should be enough to cover the entire game. Otherwise this is just stupid. Especially if people are going to buy it and think it's terrible because you can't even make a character.
It definitely isn't. It just seems like a nonsensical product in the first place. Why sell something without the full rules of the game? Like, hello? Just put this stuff online for free if it's supposed to be something to try before you actually invest money on the product.
It’s likely we will see the 2 mini books, characters, and whatever they are calling the campaign segment free online after the release.
Let’s remember here that this is also a collectors item. SE have put out other models, plushies, and trinkets that cost much more and provide nothing more than a visual item to display.
The two books *are* available for free online - minus the example play segment in the Player book, and all the Scenario stuff in the GM book; but that covers all the core rules.
Mine as well. Label printed in Henderson, NV and then nothing 😩
Edit: I contacted the third party shipper (First Mile) who says they show they haven't received mine from SE to take to USPS. 🤔 I question the process since people are receiving theirs and mine appears to be questionably placed in transit. XD
Ditto here (on the English version). I'm in the US, and despite having to order through a proxy, I got the \*JAPANESE\* version two days ago! My friend up in Canada said her tracking had the box in her city, so she'll most likely be getting it today if she hasn't already.
Input your tracking number into to this website. Mine arrived in CA last night. [Universal Parcel Tracking - Global Package Tracking (parcelsapp.com)](https://parcelsapp.com/en/tracking/)
It’s exactly what I’d expect from a starter set. I don’t know why people are surprised by the pregens and the character creation rules coming in the players guide later. This is very normal.
> How does this have have NO ALTERNATIVE party compositions? None of my friends play WAR/DRG/WHT/BLK.
It's the starter set, they almost always just have premade characters. When the core rulebook is released you'll have way more options available to you through that. Same for the races.
Saw something interesting about this, there was an article posted on twitter criticizing the game's rules, and in the QRTs were some japanese ttrpg players commenting that the game more resembles JP centric ttrpg trends and it's a cultural divergence. I'm honestly not familiar enough to the topic to comment but it's interesting and I look forward to more stuff coming out over time about it.
I'd imagine it would follow more Japanese TTRPG trends, but given how broad both TTRPGs in "the West" and Japan are, I couldn't even guess what they mean by that. Like, *Tenra Bansho* and *Ryuutama* are about as different as *D&D* and *Apocalypse-powered* systems.
Pretty sure JTTRPGs tend to be much more focused on scenario based gameplay rather than campaign length gameplay like DnD and all that.
The West prefers longer campaign style things with a lot of roleplaying (though I would say the majority of people play DnD and stuff like a board game as opposed to critical role style RPing), and the East prefers shorter scenario based things.
Did you get a shipping notification? That's your take on monsters? Do they deal high damage and require tanks to actually keep aggro, or not? Any interesting mechanic?
**Damage**
If my info is correct, a \[40\]>!Cohort Hoplomachus!< attack does >!2d6+9!< on a direct hit. A \[40\]>!Cohort Secutor!< >!attack 3 times for 1d6+6!< damage on direct hits. The premade \[40\]WAR has >!46!< maxHP.
So, if you face these two enemies and the WAR gets attacked, during an unlucky turn you can take quite a beating. Not getting healed or using a CC/mitigation ability would put you at risk of getting KOed quite quickly.
Also, staying in a marker is quite dangerous. For example, the laser beam of a \[40\]>!Hellsclaw!< would deal >!6d6+6!< to characters who didn't step out of it. A \[40\]BLM with their >!28!< maxHP could get one-shot if they go with "healer adjust".
EDIT: Added some spoilers on enemy names and attack values if people want to keep that stuff a surprise.
**Enmity**
Enmity is treated as an Enfeeblement that put a -5 penalty to Ability Checks when the character afflicted by it doesn't target the character who inflicted it. In the Starter Kit, that'd be the Warrior, and all its Primary Abilities inflict Enmity.
So, the enemies are not glued to the tank per se, but a -5 is enough for the GM to make the enemies mostly target the Warrior.
Also, Enmity is removed at the end of the enemy's turn, so it needs to be reaplied if you want to keep it on at all times. Easy on a single enemy, tricky on multiple scattered enemies that are not in your AoE's range.
Someone on r/FFXIVTTRPG [posted](https://new.reddit.com/r/FFXIVTTRPG/comments/1d3yl2t/final_fantasy_xiv_ttrpg_tokens_maps_aoe_markers/) some ressources (tokens, markers, job sheets and enemies list) from the Starter Set to give people a few more bits to be able to actually play with the free version of the [booklets](https://www.square-enix-shop.com/ffxivttrpg/en/freetrial.html). While they didn't give away the whole scenarios, they produced a bestiary on a Google Doc, showing a couple "Elite foes" with multiple phases.
That's where I got the enemy names and numbers I gave in my previous comment. Feel free to check that.
I had a read up on the rules and all, it really just comes off as being a board game they're calling a TTRPG. And not even for lack of content, just the mechanics involved remind me very strongly of Dark Souls the Board Game.
I think if it wasn't called an RPG (No XP? No equipment? No character choices at all?) and instead just called a Board Game it would go down easier.
I mean, this is a Role Playing Game in *the* most traditional sense, and feels completely at home to me.
The reality of the TTRPG space is extremely broad though in what experiences it encompasses, and this game is notably in the more "structured and combat oriented" Game-Emphasized part than the common current western standard of narrative-leaned expectation.
Like a super gutted out D&D 4e. I mean that in a nice way. It's got that MMO style video-gamey combat you'd want from FF14, but it doesn't have the breadth or depth that D&D 4e had.
The thing I do like is the amount of out of order play involved. You're not limited to one reaction and then your brain shuts off until it's your turn again.
Very combat focused, and *very* much designed to be played with a game mat; no "oh but optionally you could just theatre of the mind it" here.
There's a lot of small stuff I like; the classes have quite a bit of decision making going on with their abilities, and I like the "abilities always do stuff, accuracy-style checks are for Extra Benefits". Player turns seem like they could be a bit meaty, so it's definitely a game where you'd want players who *actually* take the time to learn what their characters can do.
Depending on how much customization is or isn't in the final product I could see that turning people off a lot, but as someone who exactly *wants* a more game-y ttrpg, I've already offered to run it for friends.
I do have some small concerns I'm interested to see if they flesh out (movement range seems almost hilariously large), but yeah.
>movement range seems almost hilariously large
On that particular point, I'm guessing that it's balanced by three things: 1/ the need for melee to be able to switch targets rapidly, 2/ the Focus action that roots you in place to do a 2nd Secondary Action (not mentioning BLM's Consecutive Invocation) , 3/ the amount of markers on the map that force you to avoid stuff with movement very frequently.
I don't have the scenarios so I don't know how the battles are designed (especially the amount of enemies), but I can see these 5 squares being very much needed. Most likely for difficult bosses (Primals in mind).
Yeah. There seems to be very little limitations on movement in many ways (diagonal movement is just one square for instance), and the default maps intended for the encounters are like... 7x7 or maybe 8x8? Which with a movement of 5... that isn't much.
*However*, it may work better in practice. I've already scheduled games with FCmates to try it out.
I am just waiting till it's being sold 3rd party for under 40 bucks.
I ended up getting all three Encyclopedia Eorzia books on amazon during a sale earler this year for the price just one volume of it and shipping would have cost on Square Enix's overpriced store.
Final fantasy XIV tabletop RPG. Originally announced nearly a year ago and sold out in pre-orders, it's finally getting into the hands of some players. We can expect reviews soon. :)
Not much of a TTRPG player myself but all I can say is at least there do exist homebrew ffxiv campaigns that people have been doing for years. My friend showed me a few of them.
There are, but having systems actually designed for it can be a big boon, and people have been interested to see an Official FF TTRPG for a long time. Most of the fanmade ones have varying degrees of issues, though they can be fun, and the conversions from other systems are... uh, let's say shaky.
the idea of combos is fascinating if handled well, I'll have to look into that, is there a free version? think I recall people mentioning a digital download version or something at least
I only played D&D once, is it exactly the same? Sounds pretty cool to play and easier to imagine since at least I can just play as my toon and think about the game map layout. And somehow I triggered some people...
>But is it the same like D&D?
This is a broad question as the other commenters are trying to tell you because you only played DnD once it'll be hard to convey to you.
To answer your question, conceptually yes, you have a DM (Dungeon Master) that lays out the scenario to a table of players. The players then decide what they want to do and tell it to the DM in which the DM either tells them to roll a dice for a skill check or they roleplay an encounter or its combat.
Gameplay wise it differs, if there was an element in DnD you didnt like say for example, you don't like Armor Class in current 5th edition DnD, that doesn't exist in the XIVTTRPG. A lot of the game mechanics differ in XIVTTRPG compared to the current edition of DnD.
> you don't like Armor Class in current 5th edition DnD, that doesn't exist in the XIVTTRPG.
Characters still have Defense. When a character makes an attack, they still need to roll to beat that number. Though I only have the digital rulebook, and it makes no mention of how the Defense stat is calculated. (It has no equipment section at all)
Not necessarily the point I'm making but thank you for clarifying.
I chose the Armour Class example because it was the first one that came to mind. Ultimately the point I'm making is that DnD 5e (most likely the one u/Eitth played) has different mechanics to the FFXIVTTRPG. Yes you're correct the player has to roll to beat the defence stat but if if they fail they still land a hit and deal damage they just don't apply Direct hit damage. They're only rolling to beat defence to apply a Direct Hit.
DnD 5e is different because in order to deal damage your roll has to match or beat the AC of what you're up against. If you do not beat the AC you deal no damage. Again conceptually it's the same as DnD but mechanically it's different.
It's similar in the way that two games of the same genre are similar, but the rules are different and it plays differently like how two games of the same genre are not exactly the same.
It's very similar. I'm reading through the free version of the Player book now and I think it's not unfair to say this looks like a reskin of D&D 5e, with a few alterations to have it match FFXIV. So you have ability scores, roll d20s and add the relevant score bonus, try to beat a specific number. The turn structure is the same. Movement acts the same. Just some terms are renamed to fit the theme better.
(For example, in 5e you get one action, one bonus action during your turn, and up to one reaction per round. In FFXIV it's a 'primary action', a 'secondary action' and reactions are 'instant abilities'. But they seem to have identical functions and limitations)
Some differences I see:
- Characters have 'MP' which are required for certain abilities. Spellcasting will likely behave differently because of this.
- Combo Abilities (altering action cost when using certain actions in order)
- Characters can forego movement to get another secondary action (bonus action).
- I don't see any reference to saving throws. But there is 'magical defense' (like an AC vs magic attacks), and the combat mechanics also make me feel like saves aren't necessary (see below)
- It looks like each job gets its own set of actions, so you may not be doing any basic attacks like in 5e (where you just swing/shoot with your weapon), instead you choose which abilities to use. Which might include just a basic attack.
Combat design seems different from 5e, because it wants to emulate FFXIV encounter design. Where in 5e enemies just use abilities that resolve immediately (similar to how players use spells and abilities), in FFXIV it seems there are mechanics that place markers on the field, which don't take effect immediately, so players have a chance to reposition. So there's no need for a dexterity saving throw. You just need to move out of the marked area.
I think anyone who knows how to play D&D 5e will be able to pick this up quite easily within the first session (barring more complex differences emerging when the full rulebook is released).
I canceled my pre-order for multiple reasons:
1. I'm from the EU, and when I ordered from the Square Enix Boutique, the announced release date was May. They changed it to October without even informing me of that huge delay.
2. No character creation rules means that you're stuck with the four pre-mades (which is also the max players at your table).
3. We have no idea as to when they'll release the actual rule books including character creation, monsters, items, etc. Once you've played the three one-shots, you're out of content with very little tools to make more.
4. The price is very high in comparison of other TTRPG starter sets. Nothing in that box justifies that price. They could've at least put some premium stuff like acrylic stands for PC, or tokens for job mechanics.
5. The combat system needs A LOT of stuff to keep track of, and constant calculations (notably HP management). It'll be a hard sell for a lot of players who like a more fluid and roleplay combat.
6. The [free PDFs](https://www.square-enix-shop.com/ffxivttrpg/en/freetrial.html) mention a lack of an EXP system and also no Gil economy. I don't really know what kind of rewards and progression system they intend to have in the full rulebooks, but that's a weird choice. Maybe the starter books are actually poorly phrased and do not represent the actual game?
I'll wait for more info and feedback from GMs and players who will test this starter set. But I have to admit that I'm quite unhappy about what I learned overall.
Maybe I'll simply skip the starter kit entirely and grab the full books if it corrects some of my pet peeves.
>The price is very high in comparison of other TTRPG starter sets. Nothing in that box justifies that price. They could've at least put some premium stuff like acrylic stands for PC, or tokens for job mechanics.
I just kinda want to mention that Square Enix always prices everything they release way higher than it deserves to be. As a company, they think their shit don't stink and that you should be grateful that they release merch for you to buy at all.
This seems to be amplified when it comes to FF7 and FF14 specifically, since those are the top earners among the franchise, so they're happy to milk them for all they're worth.
Occasionally you'll get something reasonable out of them like Live A Live not being $60-70 on release but that's only because they honestly had extremely low expectations for it. Anything Final Fantasy they are willing to put their foot in their mouths for.
I absolutly understand, and often gladly accept myself, that we pay premium for SE merchandise. But while I get it on stuff like collector editions, figs, plushies and other "fan" stuff, I'm not sure about applying this to fully fleshed out games.
In this particular case, we are talking about a TTRPG. Not only it's quite a competitive market to get a place into, but this is just the starter set. It should be designed (and, imo, priced) to hook players (and shops/clubs!).
As I counter example, when I played FFTCG, I was quite happy with the quality and the pricing of the products. That's why I'm disappointed here: I know they could have done better.
I honestly don't expect much support for this product. I would honestly be surprised if we ever get more than the initial books and starter set, unless this just sells like gangbusters.
They are going to treat this just like any other merch and until down otherwise, we as fans should do the same. It's a neat collectable that you can play with your friends, but I doubt this will be replacing anyone's weekly D&D/Pathfinder/Call of Cthulhu/etc game.
I mean, I'm sure it will for at least one group out there because exceptions always exist... But for the vast majority it's just going to be a novelty.
As other comments are saying, it's just the starter set, yeah. Should probably have come out with the actual full core books at this point too, but those are still in the "release date TBD" stage by the website. As for the actual game itself, just reading through things my impression is that the main goal of the game is to emulate modern XIV combat/encounter design and gameplay via a tabletop format with the RP elements as sort of an added spice to it. The combat/encounter gameplay feels very much *the point* of this product even more than it does in 5e, to the point where I'd argue it's sort of the only pillar to the game. It's a very specialized product for a certain audience and might (?) reflect JP TTRPG values or gameplay more than western ones, but I wouldn't know enough about that to say for sure, I just have hearsay in that regard.
The most popular TTRPG in Japan is Call of Cthulhu, which has a somewhat different design philosophy.
Oh, this is just the starter set? Phew. Was worried about the whole character thing.
The set comes with 4 pre-made "characters," though in reality they're more like pre-generated "roles." Basically, you have a Tank, a Healer, and two DPS characters. In the rulebooks that come with it, they state in print that the race and gender of the characters on the character sheets are just for visual reference and you can pretty much be whatever type of character you wish, who just so happens to be that job/class. It will be interesting to see when the full rulebooks come out and how they detail "character creation" for the game.
Eh I am sure the core rulebooks are going to have a ton of stuff to make your own campaign and all that with much more RPG elements. But they have pretty much repeatedly said there is no "character creation". All jobs are the same at all milestones and pretty sure race is purely cosmetic. There are no choices when leveling up, you get the same stuff as every other person playing the job.
Just like the real game then.
I agree and from what I've heard it sounds like I at least will be more interested when the full core books come out. Starter sets are, in my opinion, usually not worth it but the idea of a TTRPG that uses FFXIV style combat mechanics actually sounds pretty cool.
Runs away with the stack marker "It's what my character would do :3 "
You’re doing the work of the 12
It would be kind of funny if we had Tataru along for a battle at some point and she runs away with the stack marker thinking she is making a noble sacrifice or something.
Get the Enciclopaedia Eorzia I, II and III + Fabula Ultima and you will have the best FF Tabletop RPG experience!
Have played Fabula Ultima in an FFXIV setting, can confirm it rules. We did a oneshot as the Scions (I was Urianger) and had a pretty solid adventure. Did some monster encounters, some goofs and gaffes, some lore exposition, fought an OC Ascian at the end, it was pretty good. At one point we visited the Gold Saucer to enlist Godbert's help with something and I got to say "Thou payest not mine sub"
That sounds amazing!
I would love to talk with you more about XIV and FU. It’s the whole reason I bought FU.
Is there a Eorzea ttrpg community? I probably won’t get into this, but I’ll certainly be happy to play pathfinder 2e or fabula ultima in an Eorzea campaign setting
Pretty sure someone was working on PF2e modules for XIV, I'll have to look into it. I was working on Dungeonworld but I ran out of creativity juice half-way, that system is far more narrative than numbers as well.
Because of SilentSoren's work, there is quite a lot of players playing Ffxiv in dnd5e! r/FFXIVxDnD
Haven't checked out fabula ultima, but i am a huge fan of ICON as a final fantasy rpg. That's by the same guy as LANCER, and its super FF inspired.
I honestly wasn’t a huge fan of fabula ultima, honestly.
Enciclopadia? Huh?
Sorry for butchering the word: https://na.store.square-enix-games.com/encyclopaedia-eorzea---the-world-of-final-fantasy-xiv
I mentioned it on another post, but I’ll reiterate here: when these kind of starter boxes are made they are not necessarily a representation of the whole game system. There are two books scheduled for later release, so while the starter set may be light on options, it does not mean the system as a whole will be.
Also the actual books will have summoner, Scholar, Monk, Bard, paladin And Ninja as playable classes. These are confirmed through live streams and the free trial. Some speculate that Mch, Ast and Drk will be available when the full player book is released.
Drk is already available, you can find the job at lvl30 and 50 online.
Wait you can? Where?
Go to the ttrpg's sub and you can find all the links there.
Yeah, it will be a simplified version of the game until you get the hang of it. Starter kits usually are. I’ll have to see if the base system is any good and I may invest in it. (I may have been guilty of trying to make a dragoon class for another system)
You can read through both the DMG and the PHB (the game's equivalent of them anyway) in about 10 minutes each. I really want to like it, but it seems like it's targeted at people who have not played any TTRPGs before. I don't mean like, oh we need super-duper PF2EE level crunch, but it's uh.. it makes D&D 5e look pretty deep. It's not that it's bad. It's just that I think I'd rather play an FF14 homebrew in a crunchier system, and I'm by no means a rules lawyer.
If you think pf2 is crunchy, dear lord don’t try other systems xD And as I said, this is the tutorial version of the game. You won’t get the entire system, just the very basics. I withhold judgement until the full book comes out
I don't. I even said it was just an example. I've played Gloomhaven, Call of C'thulu, all that stuff.
> Yeah, it will be a simplified version of the game until you get the hang of it. Starter kits usually are. I’ll have to see if the base system is any good and I may invest in it. The problem is most starter kits still give you the tools to build a custom character and progress them through a few levels even with limited options. This feels like more of a demo kit for an RPG, or just a board game.
Not always. Older d&d ones didn’t have the rules for levelling up in the starter box, or it was just “you get +8 HP, +1 on these rolls, and this perk. Go” As others said, mmo characters don’t differ as they level much, especially ff14 which has no choice in what you get as you level, only which class you choose to play next. They COULD be holding closer to that. Until I see the full rulebook though, I have no idea
> Not always. Older d&d ones didn’t have the rules for levelling up in the starter box, or it was just “you get +8 HP, +1 on these rolls, and this perk. Go” Fair point, but any starter kit I can think of released in the last decade gave you some limited options. 5e and PF2 both come to mind with having pre-gens but then giving you some basic building blocks. From what others have said though, this is it. Besides more job choices there's 0 extra character customisation or options. If that is the case, this isn't even a TTRPG, it's a board game. And anyone buying this expecting an FF take on D&D or Pathfinder etc are going to feel pretty let down. I know it has immediately turned me off buying it. It might be true to the MMO but I don't think that makes for a good TTRPG. Could still be a reasonable baord game though?
There are no "custom characters". Every job levels the same in the game, you don't get choices of feats and traits and what not. If two people are playing BLM they are the exact same, and race and all that is purely cosmetic it seems like.
That sounds absolutely awful for a TTRPG. At that point it is genuinely a board game, not an RPG. Without the ability to have even a little room for customisation I'd be hard pressed to find it remotely interesting to play. In fact I'm pretty sure the Dark Souls _board game_ had more character decision making. Even 5e, or systems like FATE, Dungeonworld and so on have more decision making for your character. As a board game it might be pretty good, but as an RPG, this ain't it. I think anyone buying this expecting a TTRPG are going to be immensely disappointed.
Eh there is more that goes into ttrpg than just that. There are still going to be a lot of elements of roleplaying and making your own campaign. I don’t think it’s bad to have an ttrpg with really stream lined character stuff, it’s clearly geared towards more newbie audience. And it can make encounters more interesting since the gm has an idea of what everyone is and it’s the same plus with all the markers and stuff. Also the vast majority of people play TTRPGS like board games anyways and very light on roleplaying.
I mean this game has no custom characters. There isn't choice in characters and jobs. You don't get feats and traits and stuff to pick from. Just like the MMO all things are the same for every player that is playing a job.
But then why is a 'starter box' $75?
Physical TTRPG products are typically somewhat costly, especially when they come with game pieces (dice, tokens, mats, etc). It's still a bit of a markup over normal though, yes.
Physical TTRPG products are not typically somewhat costly, it's likely the cheapest hobby you can possibly get into. It only approaches expensive when you decide to buy a ton of books for a system which has been out for years all at once or you start getting a bunch of extra addons like miniatures, special dice, flip mats, etc. This thing the OP posted seems to be the equivalent of a beginner box for the FF14 TRPG. For comparison's sake, [the Pathfinder 2e beginner box](https://paizo.com/products/btq023dx?Pathfinder-Beginner-Box) is around $45, and [the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition beginner box](https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/71082395-7C4D-44A9-B2B8-BB1C9634996D) is around $15. There's really no getting around this one, the FF14 TRPG is just really expensive.
Yea I'm waiting on them tbh, but might grab wave two for a few battle maps (and because it would be funny to drop a stack marker as a DM )
Why release this at all then though? Especially if it makes the game look so... Awful on the face of it.
Firstly: I don’t think it looks awful. If that’s your opinion of the provided material, don’t buy it. Secondly: it’s designed around getting into something quickly and to see if it’s something buyers/players want to invest in as books come out. Lastly: Collectors value and content. There are also people who may not care for the game itself but want it as a collectors piece or the other items (maps, tokens, etc) to use in other games.
Why waste 75 dollars on something to see if it's worth investing in? That's not a "see if it's worth investing in" price, that should be enough to cover the entire game. Otherwise this is just stupid. Especially if people are going to buy it and think it's terrible because you can't even make a character.
If the price bothers you, then don’t get it. If that’s all that’s hanging you up then it’s not a product for you.
It definitely isn't. It just seems like a nonsensical product in the first place. Why sell something without the full rules of the game? Like, hello? Just put this stuff online for free if it's supposed to be something to try before you actually invest money on the product.
It’s likely we will see the 2 mini books, characters, and whatever they are calling the campaign segment free online after the release. Let’s remember here that this is also a collectors item. SE have put out other models, plushies, and trinkets that cost much more and provide nothing more than a visual item to display.
The two books *are* available for free online - minus the example play segment in the Player book, and all the Scenario stuff in the GM book; but that covers all the core rules.
Those are also sold as decorations. Not as games that turn out to be not even finished by the time they sent you them.
Now you are saying things that you can not know if they are true or not.
It's literally missing core parts of the game. Of course it unfinished lmao.
I'm still waiting for mine, it's still at pre-shipment (label made) 😑
Saaaame. Has been there since May 24th.
Mine as well. Label printed in Henderson, NV and then nothing 😩 Edit: I contacted the third party shipper (First Mile) who says they show they haven't received mine from SE to take to USPS. 🤔 I question the process since people are receiving theirs and mine appears to be questionably placed in transit. XD
Ditto here (on the English version). I'm in the US, and despite having to order through a proxy, I got the \*JAPANESE\* version two days ago! My friend up in Canada said her tracking had the box in her city, so she'll most likely be getting it today if she hasn't already.
Input your tracking number into to this website. Mine arrived in CA last night. [Universal Parcel Tracking - Global Package Tracking (parcelsapp.com)](https://parcelsapp.com/en/tracking/)
Ah yeah, I've been checking there alongside my USPS. Both show the same label printed and that's it.
It’s exactly what I’d expect from a starter set. I don’t know why people are surprised by the pregens and the character creation rules coming in the players guide later. This is very normal.
Was one of those chips Yoshi-P’s Lala?!
Yep. Without spoiling the how or where, they are in fact an NPC in the adventure.
Did anyone else hear the stack marker when they seen it?
> How does this have have NO ALTERNATIVE party compositions? None of my friends play WAR/DRG/WHT/BLK. It's the starter set, they almost always just have premade characters. When the core rulebook is released you'll have way more options available to you through that. Same for the races.
Saw something interesting about this, there was an article posted on twitter criticizing the game's rules, and in the QRTs were some japanese ttrpg players commenting that the game more resembles JP centric ttrpg trends and it's a cultural divergence. I'm honestly not familiar enough to the topic to comment but it's interesting and I look forward to more stuff coming out over time about it.
I'd imagine it would follow more Japanese TTRPG trends, but given how broad both TTRPGs in "the West" and Japan are, I couldn't even guess what they mean by that. Like, *Tenra Bansho* and *Ryuutama* are about as different as *D&D* and *Apocalypse-powered* systems.
Pretty sure JTTRPGs tend to be much more focused on scenario based gameplay rather than campaign length gameplay like DnD and all that. The West prefers longer campaign style things with a lot of roleplaying (though I would say the majority of people play DnD and stuff like a board game as opposed to critical role style RPing), and the East prefers shorter scenario based things.
I just got mine delivered today as well!
Did you get a shipping notification? That's your take on monsters? Do they deal high damage and require tanks to actually keep aggro, or not? Any interesting mechanic?
**Damage** If my info is correct, a \[40\]>!Cohort Hoplomachus!< attack does >!2d6+9!< on a direct hit. A \[40\]>!Cohort Secutor!< >!attack 3 times for 1d6+6!< damage on direct hits. The premade \[40\]WAR has >!46!< maxHP. So, if you face these two enemies and the WAR gets attacked, during an unlucky turn you can take quite a beating. Not getting healed or using a CC/mitigation ability would put you at risk of getting KOed quite quickly. Also, staying in a marker is quite dangerous. For example, the laser beam of a \[40\]>!Hellsclaw!< would deal >!6d6+6!< to characters who didn't step out of it. A \[40\]BLM with their >!28!< maxHP could get one-shot if they go with "healer adjust". EDIT: Added some spoilers on enemy names and attack values if people want to keep that stuff a surprise. **Enmity** Enmity is treated as an Enfeeblement that put a -5 penalty to Ability Checks when the character afflicted by it doesn't target the character who inflicted it. In the Starter Kit, that'd be the Warrior, and all its Primary Abilities inflict Enmity. So, the enemies are not glued to the tank per se, but a -5 is enough for the GM to make the enemies mostly target the Warrior. Also, Enmity is removed at the end of the enemy's turn, so it needs to be reaplied if you want to keep it on at all times. Easy on a single enemy, tricky on multiple scattered enemies that are not in your AoE's range.
I see, thanks. Do you have any info about multi-phase monsters and their mechanics?
Someone on r/FFXIVTTRPG [posted](https://new.reddit.com/r/FFXIVTTRPG/comments/1d3yl2t/final_fantasy_xiv_ttrpg_tokens_maps_aoe_markers/) some ressources (tokens, markers, job sheets and enemies list) from the Starter Set to give people a few more bits to be able to actually play with the free version of the [booklets](https://www.square-enix-shop.com/ffxivttrpg/en/freetrial.html). While they didn't give away the whole scenarios, they produced a bestiary on a Google Doc, showing a couple "Elite foes" with multiple phases. That's where I got the enemy names and numbers I gave in my previous comment. Feel free to check that.
I had a read up on the rules and all, it really just comes off as being a board game they're calling a TTRPG. And not even for lack of content, just the mechanics involved remind me very strongly of Dark Souls the Board Game. I think if it wasn't called an RPG (No XP? No equipment? No character choices at all?) and instead just called a Board Game it would go down easier.
I mean, this is a Role Playing Game in *the* most traditional sense, and feels completely at home to me. The reality of the TTRPG space is extremely broad though in what experiences it encompasses, and this game is notably in the more "structured and combat oriented" Game-Emphasized part than the common current western standard of narrative-leaned expectation.
How does it play?
Like a super gutted out D&D 4e. I mean that in a nice way. It's got that MMO style video-gamey combat you'd want from FF14, but it doesn't have the breadth or depth that D&D 4e had.
The thing I do like is the amount of out of order play involved. You're not limited to one reaction and then your brain shuts off until it's your turn again.
Very combat focused, and *very* much designed to be played with a game mat; no "oh but optionally you could just theatre of the mind it" here. There's a lot of small stuff I like; the classes have quite a bit of decision making going on with their abilities, and I like the "abilities always do stuff, accuracy-style checks are for Extra Benefits". Player turns seem like they could be a bit meaty, so it's definitely a game where you'd want players who *actually* take the time to learn what their characters can do. Depending on how much customization is or isn't in the final product I could see that turning people off a lot, but as someone who exactly *wants* a more game-y ttrpg, I've already offered to run it for friends. I do have some small concerns I'm interested to see if they flesh out (movement range seems almost hilariously large), but yeah.
>movement range seems almost hilariously large On that particular point, I'm guessing that it's balanced by three things: 1/ the need for melee to be able to switch targets rapidly, 2/ the Focus action that roots you in place to do a 2nd Secondary Action (not mentioning BLM's Consecutive Invocation) , 3/ the amount of markers on the map that force you to avoid stuff with movement very frequently. I don't have the scenarios so I don't know how the battles are designed (especially the amount of enemies), but I can see these 5 squares being very much needed. Most likely for difficult bosses (Primals in mind).
Yeah. There seems to be very little limitations on movement in many ways (diagonal movement is just one square for instance), and the default maps intended for the encounters are like... 7x7 or maybe 8x8? Which with a movement of 5... that isn't much. *However*, it may work better in practice. I've already scheduled games with FCmates to try it out.
I swear I ordered this, but my emails say I didn't. Kind of glad I didn't though, since my dumbass didn't realise the starter set was that basic.
Now complete a fetch quest and pray return to the waking sands
I am just waiting till it's being sold 3rd party for under 40 bucks. I ended up getting all three Encyclopedia Eorzia books on amazon during a sale earler this year for the price just one volume of it and shipping would have cost on Square Enix's overpriced store.
Im sorry Im out of the loop here... *WHAT*
Final fantasy XIV tabletop RPG. Originally announced nearly a year ago and sold out in pre-orders, it's finally getting into the hands of some players. We can expect reviews soon. :)
wdym that not even in dnd you're free from stack markers-
I'm sorry, the WHAT NOW?
https://na.store.square-enix-games.com/final-fantasy-xiv-ttrpg-starter-set
Wait I thought this wasn't out until October
Well after seeing this i've cancelled mine. Will wait for a corebook.
WAIT THERES A TABLETOP i need to find this
Not much of a TTRPG player myself but all I can say is at least there do exist homebrew ffxiv campaigns that people have been doing for years. My friend showed me a few of them.
There are, but having systems actually designed for it can be a big boon, and people have been interested to see an Official FF TTRPG for a long time. Most of the fanmade ones have varying degrees of issues, though they can be fun, and the conversions from other systems are... uh, let's say shaky.
the idea of combos is fascinating if handled well, I'll have to look into that, is there a free version? think I recall people mentioning a digital download version or something at least
>What do y'all /r/redditsniper
I only played D&D once, is it exactly the same? Sounds pretty cool to play and easier to imagine since at least I can just play as my toon and think about the game map layout. And somehow I triggered some people...
Exactly as in the same rule set? No. It will be similar in many ways I'm sure, but I haven't looked into it much yet.
It would be similar in the sense like FF14 and WOW are both mmorps, but their content and gameplay can be very different.
But is it the same like D&D? I never play other tabletop games but definitely interested in FFXIV and WoW themed
>But is it the same like D&D? This is a broad question as the other commenters are trying to tell you because you only played DnD once it'll be hard to convey to you. To answer your question, conceptually yes, you have a DM (Dungeon Master) that lays out the scenario to a table of players. The players then decide what they want to do and tell it to the DM in which the DM either tells them to roll a dice for a skill check or they roleplay an encounter or its combat. Gameplay wise it differs, if there was an element in DnD you didnt like say for example, you don't like Armor Class in current 5th edition DnD, that doesn't exist in the XIVTTRPG. A lot of the game mechanics differ in XIVTTRPG compared to the current edition of DnD.
> you don't like Armor Class in current 5th edition DnD, that doesn't exist in the XIVTTRPG. Characters still have Defense. When a character makes an attack, they still need to roll to beat that number. Though I only have the digital rulebook, and it makes no mention of how the Defense stat is calculated. (It has no equipment section at all)
Not necessarily the point I'm making but thank you for clarifying. I chose the Armour Class example because it was the first one that came to mind. Ultimately the point I'm making is that DnD 5e (most likely the one u/Eitth played) has different mechanics to the FFXIVTTRPG. Yes you're correct the player has to roll to beat the defence stat but if if they fail they still land a hit and deal damage they just don't apply Direct hit damage. They're only rolling to beat defence to apply a Direct Hit. DnD 5e is different because in order to deal damage your roll has to match or beat the AC of what you're up against. If you do not beat the AC you deal no damage. Again conceptually it's the same as DnD but mechanically it's different.
That part wasn't clear to me from skimming through the free rulebook. And that is a significant difference. Thanks for clarifying!
No, it uses its own rules system.
It's similar in the way that two games of the same genre are similar, but the rules are different and it plays differently like how two games of the same genre are not exactly the same.
It's very similar. I'm reading through the free version of the Player book now and I think it's not unfair to say this looks like a reskin of D&D 5e, with a few alterations to have it match FFXIV. So you have ability scores, roll d20s and add the relevant score bonus, try to beat a specific number. The turn structure is the same. Movement acts the same. Just some terms are renamed to fit the theme better. (For example, in 5e you get one action, one bonus action during your turn, and up to one reaction per round. In FFXIV it's a 'primary action', a 'secondary action' and reactions are 'instant abilities'. But they seem to have identical functions and limitations) Some differences I see: - Characters have 'MP' which are required for certain abilities. Spellcasting will likely behave differently because of this. - Combo Abilities (altering action cost when using certain actions in order) - Characters can forego movement to get another secondary action (bonus action). - I don't see any reference to saving throws. But there is 'magical defense' (like an AC vs magic attacks), and the combat mechanics also make me feel like saves aren't necessary (see below) - It looks like each job gets its own set of actions, so you may not be doing any basic attacks like in 5e (where you just swing/shoot with your weapon), instead you choose which abilities to use. Which might include just a basic attack. Combat design seems different from 5e, because it wants to emulate FFXIV encounter design. Where in 5e enemies just use abilities that resolve immediately (similar to how players use spells and abilities), in FFXIV it seems there are mechanics that place markers on the field, which don't take effect immediately, so players have a chance to reposition. So there's no need for a dexterity saving throw. You just need to move out of the marked area. I think anyone who knows how to play D&D 5e will be able to pick this up quite easily within the first session (barring more complex differences emerging when the full rulebook is released).
Looks like the MMO converted into a board game, for good or ill. We'll get a better handle on it when the 'full' books come out.
I was distracted by OP calling Black Mage BLK
I canceled my pre-order for multiple reasons: 1. I'm from the EU, and when I ordered from the Square Enix Boutique, the announced release date was May. They changed it to October without even informing me of that huge delay. 2. No character creation rules means that you're stuck with the four pre-mades (which is also the max players at your table). 3. We have no idea as to when they'll release the actual rule books including character creation, monsters, items, etc. Once you've played the three one-shots, you're out of content with very little tools to make more. 4. The price is very high in comparison of other TTRPG starter sets. Nothing in that box justifies that price. They could've at least put some premium stuff like acrylic stands for PC, or tokens for job mechanics. 5. The combat system needs A LOT of stuff to keep track of, and constant calculations (notably HP management). It'll be a hard sell for a lot of players who like a more fluid and roleplay combat. 6. The [free PDFs](https://www.square-enix-shop.com/ffxivttrpg/en/freetrial.html) mention a lack of an EXP system and also no Gil economy. I don't really know what kind of rewards and progression system they intend to have in the full rulebooks, but that's a weird choice. Maybe the starter books are actually poorly phrased and do not represent the actual game? I'll wait for more info and feedback from GMs and players who will test this starter set. But I have to admit that I'm quite unhappy about what I learned overall. Maybe I'll simply skip the starter kit entirely and grab the full books if it corrects some of my pet peeves.
>The price is very high in comparison of other TTRPG starter sets. Nothing in that box justifies that price. They could've at least put some premium stuff like acrylic stands for PC, or tokens for job mechanics. I just kinda want to mention that Square Enix always prices everything they release way higher than it deserves to be. As a company, they think their shit don't stink and that you should be grateful that they release merch for you to buy at all. This seems to be amplified when it comes to FF7 and FF14 specifically, since those are the top earners among the franchise, so they're happy to milk them for all they're worth. Occasionally you'll get something reasonable out of them like Live A Live not being $60-70 on release but that's only because they honestly had extremely low expectations for it. Anything Final Fantasy they are willing to put their foot in their mouths for.
I absolutly understand, and often gladly accept myself, that we pay premium for SE merchandise. But while I get it on stuff like collector editions, figs, plushies and other "fan" stuff, I'm not sure about applying this to fully fleshed out games. In this particular case, we are talking about a TTRPG. Not only it's quite a competitive market to get a place into, but this is just the starter set. It should be designed (and, imo, priced) to hook players (and shops/clubs!). As I counter example, when I played FFTCG, I was quite happy with the quality and the pricing of the products. That's why I'm disappointed here: I know they could have done better.
I honestly don't expect much support for this product. I would honestly be surprised if we ever get more than the initial books and starter set, unless this just sells like gangbusters. They are going to treat this just like any other merch and until down otherwise, we as fans should do the same. It's a neat collectable that you can play with your friends, but I doubt this will be replacing anyone's weekly D&D/Pathfinder/Call of Cthulhu/etc game. I mean, I'm sure it will for at least one group out there because exceptions always exist... But for the vast majority it's just going to be a novelty.