Frequently Asked Questions:

What is Venturers of Airth®?
Venturers of Airth® is an exciting, fun, interactive game set in a fantasy environment.  It requires verbal person-to-person communication for primary activities – a player cannot isolate himself or herself in a player vs. machine mode for prolonged play.

Is it safe for children to play?
Every game scenario must be customized, prior to use, by every Game Master(GM) to match the age, skill, and abilities of the players.  The recommended minimum age for the system is 12 years old. Parents can and should monitor scenarios (FRPG) their children are involved in.  For example: A roadside inn can be either a peaceful family-friendly stop on the main road or a dangerous, very seedy dive in the back roads, depending on how the GM describes and plays it. Either scenario can provide the required plot elements in the environment most suited to the players. Every GM is individually and personally ‘in charge’ of their game – and therefore responsible for its unique content. GM training will be provided to assist GMs in accomplishing this. Venturers of Airth® provides a set of Young Children’s Rules specifically to allow younger children to play the Table Top version With Their Parents utilizing a very small subset of the Basic Alpha Rules appropriate for younger gamers, in the Guild/Game Resources/Younglings section.

How is Venturers of Airth® unique?
Venturers of Airth® requires personal interaction, communication, and teamwork between players.  Every character/player is responsible for all of his/her character’s actions.  Self-centered, non-cooperative, and cheating characters will lose their group support, gain a bad reputation, and most likely fail to survive.
◊ Venturers of Airth® enforces inter-species cooperation.  Every species in the game has very unique abilities, skills and limitations. The various humanoid species are different but not subservient or subordinate to each other.
◊ Venturers of Airth® teaches responsibility.  Character actions cannot be ‘taken back’.  Character ‘death’ is permanent. Players must think and plan their actions, then be prepared to reap the rewards or suffer the consequences of those actions and decisions.  Player characters will be treated as they treat their fellow gamers.
◊ The Venturers of Airth® gaming system consists of the original FRPG (Fantasy Role-Playing Game), a TTG (Table-Top Game), and a CCG (Collectable Card Game). The TTG is based on an FRPG campaign consisting of several scenarios where each scenario is a TTG expansion module into another region with new creatures, characters, and dangers. The CCG is based on an arena-type combat tournament. ALL components of the system utilize and follow the SAME basic rules. The Player Character generator, found in the Guild/Venturer section, can be used to create and print personalized Character Sheets for the FRPG and/or Matching personalized Player Cards for the TTG.

Why are there so few rules?
The rule book for Venturers of Airth® is the top-level framework for the world and the environment. It is designed to provide the ‘laws of nature’ within which the GM and players interact. As in our world, gravity causes all objects to fall toward the earth; so it is on Airth.  The game rules do not need to identify and specify every occurrence of an object falling. Within the ‘common sense’ defined for Airth – all objects fall when dropped. Players and GMs should be aware of the similarities and differences between Earth and Airth and interact within the ‘laws of nature’ of Airth. The GM is the interpreter and final authority for details within their scenarios that occur within the rules but are not specifically defined.

What else do I need to play?
◊ Venturers of Airth®  requires either physical (included with all game sets) or virtual dice.
◊ Venturers of Airth® , the Fantasy Role Playing edition, also requires scenarios.  These are the settings, various characters and creatures that the venturer characters will encounter. The rule book provides instructions on how to create them as well as a complete starter scenario with details on what and how to customize it for any specific party of venturers.  Additional scenarios are being made available – FREE – to members of the Venturers Society in the membership area on this site.
Optionally, GMs and players may use hex grid pieces to show terrain and map features for their scenarios. We will provide – FREE – downloadable, printable images for several generic pieces to all gamers – please visit our Player Game Resources area on this site.  Advanced and special use pieces will be made available – FREE – to members of the Venturers Society in the membership area on this site.

Where do I find Monsters and Creatures to populate my scenarios?
There are several, basic groups of creatures on Airth. A few are:
Humanoids: There are many individuals and groups of LeZarick’s followers ruthlessly living off the work of others and terrorizing everyone they encounter. They are of all species and classes.
Normal Animals: Every animal, insect, amphibian and creature found on Earth is also found on Airth because the two worlds share a common origin and several million years of evolution. GMs should assign them realistic attributes and qualities as needed within their scenarios.
Enhanced Animals. A small percentage, around 2%, of all normal animals were affected by the First Conclave which caused the evolutionary split between Earth and Airth, and first brought magic and the various new species to Airth.  These enhancements can be up to 25% larger, are always slightly more intelligent and better able to survive, and tend to be the leaders of their packs. They can be highly aggressive and territorial. GMs can and should generate and assign these realistically enhanced attributes and qualities as needed within their scenarios.
Warped Creatures: Thankfully, there are not a large number of these roaming the world! Created by LeZarick imposing his will on the Second Conclave in order to force evolve creatures destined for his bid to rule all of Airth, and occasionally occurring ‘naturally’ due to the motions of magic, they are abominations of genetic mutation! A few very unusual creatures were captured and brought to Airth by LeZarick through the Astral Plane. A partial list of these ‘Warped Ones’ will be provided within the Venturers Society GM Resources area – AND – expanded to include new species and creatures introduced in future editions in the Tales of Airth® series.
CLICK HERE to enter the Game Resources Area. Note: you must be a Guild member of the Venturer or Game Master level for expanded access.

♦ Is there any Gender based advantage?
Male and Female player characters, non-player characters and monsters are created equally. Differences in their PIWDEA attributes determine specific differences. i.e. A gnome with a P of 16 is stronger than a gnome with a P of 15 regardless of gender.
There is no advantage or difference in game play between male and female. However, natural male-female social interactions do exist and can be utilized in role-play.

♦ Is there any Species based advantage?
All humanoid characters have a species-dependent survival and element control advantage when within their own natural environment because the evolution of magic provided them with enhanced survival abilities.
Species selection dictates species magic as well as natural survival abilities and physical characteristics.
All species have similar species magical and physical abilities directly related to their specific native environment and there is no overlap nor duplication. Within Venturers of Airth® the various humanoid species are balanced to provide equality in gaming with differences depending on the terrain and environment the Venturers currently occupy.
Differences of understanding DO exist but are never allowed to escalate. i.e. Meren are sea creatures and cannot comprehend the idea of Aerling flying.
Species bias and racism do NOT exist on Airth and must not be allowed nor tolerated within any gaming situation!

♦ Why and How is the Venturers of Airth® website becoming a Subscription site?
The basic material useful to general basic play, as well as all Young Children material for Family Play, is remaining FREE and no registration is required.
The Novice registration is FREE and provides us with your email address for information regarding gaming enhancements.  We provide Novice Members with some additional material to enhance their gaming experience.
The Venturer Member provides the member with much more resources! This includes the ability to utilize our On=Line Character Generator and to save their Venturer Characters for future editing and additional gameplay.
The Game Master level provides many tools to simplify Scenario creation, notes on improving your GM style and effectiveness, and tools to better interact with Venturer Parties.
The very low monthly and yearly cost of membership will be used by the development team to further expand and constantly update the site and its material.
◊ We do NOT sell nor distribute membership or mailing list information.

♦ Availability Note: the FRPG rule book is available through Amazon. ALL TTG and CCG components are being enhanced and are – temporarily – only available directly through Venturers of Airth®