DreamLyrics™ Play-by-Post Forums Front of House Play-by-Post Game Studio Genre Surveys 2023 Fantasy Subgenre Survey

Surveys over the years have shown we love Fantasy here on DreamLyrics. Broadly speaking, it's our favourite genre... but not one without nuance. It isn't all Dungeons & Dragons!

By popular demand we have a follow-up survey to poll what subgenres of fantasy game you're most keen on, right now. And you can vote on other genres too, if you like.

Here you have one vote!

I voted Classical Fantasy for more of a 13th Age/Exalted vibe.

I love the game Exalted, but it is crunchy as heck, and that can be challenging for PBEM games like ours. Though I just read they have a new version that is supposed to be Exalted stripped down, but still quite good. Exalted Essence

I voted Urban Fantasy for more of a Dresden feel.. though that system is difficult for online gaming it seems. But I love the setting!

I love Dresden Files too! I recently read a Savage Worlds style hack for Dresden which might be a good choice, pulpy noir, which matches nicely. I own the game as it was written way back when, and it is again a bit crunchy, though some nice world building in it!

I bought the Dresden books back with Evil Hat first had them available. Crunch is a nice word for it, Pande! I will have to look for the Savage hack for Dresden

Evidently, Evil Hat released Fate Accelerated Dresden Files as a more streamlined version. It might be worth a peek.

Fate Accelerated is a solid, streamlined system. I ran it successfully for a couple of kids---they would've been 8 and 10 I think---and they grocked it very quickly.

Thanks for the Exalted Essence tip, Pandemonium. I'll track down a copy!

13th Age is great though. It makes you feel like a world-shaking epic hero at 1st level whilst using a very D&D-like system. Whereas in D&D at 1st level, I'm not sure I feel like a competent pig farmer.

I'll echo the 13th Age promo!

I voted Classical because I only get one vote, but really I would also enjoy Dark, High, and/or Low.

How would you guys describe standard D&D/Forgotten Realms btw? I consider it High Fantasy myself.

'Just' D&D can be almost anything <g> FR tends to be ... at least when it is done right <weg> ... High Fantasy.

I would agree with you Nem.

I was genuinely impressed with Essence. I love the Exalted setting, but the system gives me a headache even though I'm well rooted in the Storyteller/ing/path lineage of games. 300 pages of Charms in the 3E core rulebook is just ridiculous. I really wasn't convinced Essence would be able to provide playable versions of all of the Exalt types (even the new 3E ones) in one book without going ultra light in terms of system, but they actually pulled it off in a way that still feels satisfyingly Storyteller-ish. It'd probably be a good match for PbP.

Went with Classic echoing the kind of answers already given.
Pretty much ok with anything ohter than Low fantasy.

Steampunk could be fun too.

That's an interesting preference, Alduin. What is it about Low Fantasy that puts you off?

I guess to me---even though I have voted here---one subgenre of fantasy tastes pretty much like another to me.

"Tone" is perhaps more delineating to me. If you take the Mystara D&D setting, it's high fantasy. Yet you can opt for play areas with sincere, serious tone like The Elves of Alfheim, or light-hearted, whimsical tone of Top Ballista (a flying city with gnomish biplanes and a fighter tactics school).

Same game, same game world, two ways of playing that are both high fantasy yet wildly different in tone.

Maybe it's just my exposure to what people call Low Fantasy.
My experience with the term involves generally 'darker' more barbaric themes.. less magic, more 'strength is power', etc. It has always felt like the characters are more one-dimensional ("Hulk Smash") and less morality/consequences to 'bad' actions ("Murder Hobo" type games)

Ah OK, I see what you mean, yes.

Though I was just reading a fantasy author's opinion on what constitutes Low Fantasy and they reckoned it was being set in our world. They listed supers, Harry Potter and True Blood as low fantasy!! They are definitely not my idea of low fantasy, so it goes to show how genre is highly subjective!

Ok - I would call those closer to urban fantasy than low fantasy.
While there is 'magic' - I've usually heard things like Conan or Gor as 'low fantasy'.

I think of Warhammer FRPG as low fantasy. Grimdark, low magic. Scraping a few brass together to pay for meals.

While Warhammer Age of Sigmar is high fantasy. Heroic, high magic. Building impossible castles while ridding hippogriffs.