The Lantern Hall
Painting: an ancient lexicon open on a carved lectern in a dark chapel of books, glowing runes and symbols lifting off its pages like fireflies.
TermTabletop term

Fantasy heartbreaker

A lovingly made independent fantasy RPG that contains genuinely good ideas but is so close to D&D in its assumptions that it has little chance of finding an audience. The phrase is affectionate and rueful at once.

A lovingly made independent fantasy RPG that contains genuinely good ideas but is so close to D&D in its assumptions that it has little chance of finding an audience. The phrase is affectionate and rueful at once.

Origin

Coined by designer Ron Edwards in an essay for The Forge in the early 2000s.

Quick answers

What does "Fantasy heartbreaker" mean?
A lovingly made independent fantasy RPG that contains genuinely good ideas but is so close to D&D in its assumptions that it has little chance of finding an audience. The phrase is affectionate and rueful at once.
Where does the term "Fantasy heartbreaker" come from?
Coined by designer Ron Edwards in an essay for The Forge in the early 2000s.

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