Heroic fantasy

A subgenre of fantasy typified by medieval-level technology, magic and roving adventurer PCs. Other common features include:

• By contrast to the standard IF PC, who has no unusual abilities, the hero is likely to have abilities in magic and/or combat.
• A standard stable of fantastic humanoids (elf, dwarf, orc) and monsters (dragon, unicorn, troll).
• Cave crawls, treasure.
• A setting full of lazy medieval conventions.
• Elements lifted wholesale from fantasy role-playing games, particularly Dungeons and Dragons.

Classic Examples

• Heroes (Sean Barrett; 2001; Z-code)
• The Reliques of Tolti-Aph (Graham Nelson; 2006; Z-code)
• Wearing the Claw (Paul O'Brian; 1996; Z-code)

Parody

Perhaps because IF is not ideally suited to the conventions of heroic fantasy, parodies or less-than-serious examples of the genre are almost as common (and often better-received) than straight interpretations. Early cave crawls such as Adventure and Zork, which employed elements of heroic fantasy combined with irreverent jokes and out-of-place modern objects, can arguably be construed as parodies. Other examples include:

• Conan Kill Everything (Ian Haberkorn; 2005; Z-code).
• YAGWAD (John Kean; 2000; Z-code).