Final Fantasy 14 has announced a tabletop RPG adaptation and it’s been a long time coming
Breaking the limit
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Square Enix has announced thatFinal Fantasy14, one of thebest MMORPGs, will be receiving a tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) adaptation - a first forFinal Fantasy.
Ina Tweetfrom the officialFinal Fantasy 14Twitter account, Square Enix revealed that the new TTRPG would allow players to “play as your own character”, “embark on original adventures”, and “experience dynamic narratives inFinal Fantasy 14fashion”.
A TTRPG is a form of collaborative role-playing kicked off byDungeons & Dragonsback in 1974. Since then, game designers of all stripes have been creating new systems to allow players to tell different kinds of stories. CD Projekt Red’sCyberpunk 2077was famously inspired by theCyberpunkTTRPG created by Mike Pondsmith in 1988, and therecent smash-hitRPGBaldur’s Gate 3was inspired directly byDungeons & Dragonsitself.
Fans have been creating homemadeFinal Fantasytabletop adaptations for years. FromEmanuele Galletto’sFabula Ultimato theFinal Fantasy 14 x Dungeons & Dragonsproject, inventive storytellers have been offering JRPG-inspired tabletop experiences for years.
TheFinal Fantasy 14TTRPG is set to feature three products: a starter set, a standard rulebook, and a gamemaster’s guide. The starter set is alreadyavailable to pre-orderfrom Square Enix’s website.
Gather your party
The beginner’s set includes three pre-written scenarios as well as character sheets for the Warrior, White Mage, Dragoon, and Black Mage. That said, we can likely expect a broader array ofFinal Fantasy 14classesonce the full edition comes out. According to the official website, the starter set will be available in May 2024, but we currently have no word on when the standard rulebook or gamemaster’s guide will be released.
As yet, we don’t know what sorts of mechanics the game will use. However, thanks to limited information on the Square Enix store, we know that the game will use six-sided dice as well as the D20 - the iconic twenty-sided dice popularized byDungeons & Dragons.This suggests that there will be some familiar ground here for those experienced with TTRPGs.
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That said, I sincerely hope that the adaptation will depart from thewell-wornDungeons & Dragonsformula. Though a classic for a reason, thebest JRPGsevoke a spirit of high drama and theater that might not necessarily gel with the more down-the-line approachestaken by more traditional fantasy games. The idea of a warrior squaring up to an enemy, only to roll a ‘1’, fumble, and drop their sword makes sense inD&Dbut seems out of place amongst the elegant high-drama ofFinal Fantasy.When the heroes ofFinal Fantasymake mistakes, they’re dramatic and explosive, rather than banal and hilarious.The things that makeFinal Fantasyspecial, like monster summons, flashy ultimate attacks and hammy villain monologues will all need to be accommodated by this new TTRPG.
That said, should those working on the TTRPG follow in the footsteps ofFinal Fantasy 14’sstellar mechanical and narrative design, then it seems likely that the MMO’s tabletop incarnation will thrive.
Looking for more immersive tales? Check out our lists of thebest story gamesandbest single-player games.
An editor and freelance journalist, Cat Bussell has been writing about video games for more than four years and, frankly, she’s developed a taste for it. As seen on TechRadar, Technopedia, The Gamer, Wargamer, and SUPERJUMP, Cat’s reviews, features, and guides are lovingly curated for your reading pleasure.
A Cambridge graduate, recovering bartender, and Cloud Strife enjoyer, Cat’s foremost mission is to bring you the best coverage she can, whether that’s through helpful guides, even-handed reviews, or thought-provoking features. She’s interviewed indie darlings, triple-A greats, and legendary voice actors, all to help you get closer to the action. When she’s not writing, Cat can be found sticking her neck into a fresh RPG or running yet another Dungeons & Dragons game.
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