The Burning Wheel
Encyclopedia
The Burning Wheel is a fantasy
role-playing game
independently written and published by Luke Crane. The game uses a dice pool
mechanic (using only standard six-sided dice
) for resolution, and a system of prior-experience for character generation which tracks the development of the new character from birth up to the point they begin adventuring.
Unlike many other RPGs — but explicitly like earlier games — the Burning Wheel does not include a dedicated setting, beyond the setting implied by the rules and mechanics and the life-paths used in character generation, which implies a fantasy world by default, though it can be easily modified for other settings.
The core game includes two volumes: the Burning Wheel, containing rules and mechanics, and the Character Burner, with life-paths for generating Humans, Dwarves, Elves, and Orcs as characters, providing each with unique exceptions or additions to the overall game mechanics. Humans have access to Sorcery
and miraculous Faith
, Elves have a Grief
statistic and spell-songs, Dwarves have Greed and Orcs have blasphemous Hatred. Rules expansions allow additional races, such as Dark Elves, who have turned their Grief into murderous Spite
.
The Monster Burner supplement includes premade monsters and mechanics for designing and building your own creatures and complete life-paths for them, allowing the game to cover a much broader range of adventure and setting. This volume also contains four new and complete races for Burning Wheel: Great Wolves, Roden, Great Spiders, and Troll
s.
The Magic Burner supplement was released in August 2008. It features expansion of the limited rules found in the main rule book Burning Wheel to include more in depth approach to forms and rules of magic. New forms of magic include death magic and spirit summoning. It also adds a system for building more spells, and magic on the fly. This volume also contains additional traits and skills that might be needed to create wizard characters.
The Adventure Burner supplement was released in July 2010. It includes three ready-to-play scenarios, a host of pregenerated character templates for all of the officially supported races in The Burning Wheel, and an extensive Commentary section that provides advice about how best to play the game and use the system for fun and challenge.
The game has had three dedicated settings:
January 2004: Under a Serpent Sun, described as "Suicidal despair in a post-apocalyptic wasteland".
August 2005: Burning Sands: Jihad, a science fiction expansion of galaxy-spanning religious war. A blog associated with the creators of Burning Wheel describes this expansion as being based on the Dune
series.
August 2007: The Blossoms are Falling, based in Heian
-era Japan
. "You play fearsome bushi trapped between honor and shame, wise Shinto
priests who seek to placate the spirits who protect Nihon, powerful Buddhist monks who pray for the souls of the dead while plying strong influence at court, and powerful courtiers battling for control of the failing state."
Teaser chapters of various supplements have been released as well, as with the Adventure burner, and some setting products have full PDF versions .
, a science fiction RPG based on the Iron Empires
graphic novels by Christopher Moeller
. Burning Empires shares many mechanics with Burning Wheel, and was released at Gen Con
2006.
Luke has penned another full game, entitled Mouse Guard, which uses a simplified version of the Burning Wheel system and implements the setting of the Mouse Guard
comics. It won Best Role-Playing Game at the 2009 Origins Awards.
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
independently written and published by Luke Crane. The game uses a dice pool
Dice pool
In some role-playing game systems, the dice pool is the number of dice that a player is allowed to roll when attempting to perform a certain action.-Mechanics:In most RPG systems, most non-trivial actions require dice rolls...
mechanic (using only standard six-sided dice
Dice
A die is a small throwable object with multiple resting positions, used for generating random numbers...
) for resolution, and a system of prior-experience for character generation which tracks the development of the new character from birth up to the point they begin adventuring.
Unlike many other RPGs — but explicitly like earlier games — the Burning Wheel does not include a dedicated setting, beyond the setting implied by the rules and mechanics and the life-paths used in character generation, which implies a fantasy world by default, though it can be easily modified for other settings.
The core game includes two volumes: the Burning Wheel, containing rules and mechanics, and the Character Burner, with life-paths for generating Humans, Dwarves, Elves, and Orcs as characters, providing each with unique exceptions or additions to the overall game mechanics. Humans have access to Sorcery
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
and miraculous Faith
Faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
, Elves have a Grief
Grief
Grief is a multi-faceted response to loss, particularly to the loss of someone or something to which a bond was formed. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, it also has physical, cognitive, behavioral, social, and philosophical dimensions...
statistic and spell-songs, Dwarves have Greed and Orcs have blasphemous Hatred. Rules expansions allow additional races, such as Dark Elves, who have turned their Grief into murderous Spite
Spite (sentiment)
To spite is to intentionally annoy, hurt, or upset. Spiteful words or actions are delivered in such a way that it is clear that the person is delivering them just to annoy, hurt, or upset. When the intent to annoy, hurt, or upset is shown subtly, behavior is considered catty.The Underground Man,...
.
The Monster Burner supplement includes premade monsters and mechanics for designing and building your own creatures and complete life-paths for them, allowing the game to cover a much broader range of adventure and setting. This volume also contains four new and complete races for Burning Wheel: Great Wolves, Roden, Great Spiders, and Troll
Troll
A troll is a supernatural being in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. In origin, the term troll was a generally negative synonym for a jötunn , a being in Norse mythology...
s.
The Magic Burner supplement was released in August 2008. It features expansion of the limited rules found in the main rule book Burning Wheel to include more in depth approach to forms and rules of magic. New forms of magic include death magic and spirit summoning. It also adds a system for building more spells, and magic on the fly. This volume also contains additional traits and skills that might be needed to create wizard characters.
The Adventure Burner supplement was released in July 2010. It includes three ready-to-play scenarios, a host of pregenerated character templates for all of the officially supported races in The Burning Wheel, and an extensive Commentary section that provides advice about how best to play the game and use the system for fun and challenge.
The game has had three dedicated settings:
January 2004: Under a Serpent Sun, described as "Suicidal despair in a post-apocalyptic wasteland".
August 2005: Burning Sands: Jihad, a science fiction expansion of galaxy-spanning religious war. A blog associated with the creators of Burning Wheel describes this expansion as being based on the Dune
Dune universe
Dune is a science fiction franchise which originated with the 1965 novel Dune by Frank Herbert. Considered by many to be the greatest science fiction novel of all time, Dune is frequently cited as the best-selling science fiction novel in history...
series.
August 2007: The Blossoms are Falling, based in Heian
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
-era Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. "You play fearsome bushi trapped between honor and shame, wise Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
priests who seek to placate the spirits who protect Nihon, powerful Buddhist monks who pray for the souls of the dead while plying strong influence at court, and powerful courtiers battling for control of the failing state."
Editions
The original rules (now referred to as Burning Wheel Classic) were published 1 November 2002. A second edition, incorporating significant rules and text changes and generally referred to as Burning Wheel Revised, was published 5 May 2005. A single-volume 600-page hardcover third edition, Burning Wheel Gold, was published 11 August 2011. In every case, the actual name of the game, as displayed on the cover art, is simply The Burning Wheel. The three editions share many underlying concepts, but their rules are not entirely compatible.PDF Editions
No complete PDF Core rules set is released of the Revised or Gold editions. Extracts of sample chapters have been made available for download, both as teasers and as pay extracts of the lifepaths . A PDF of Burning Wheel Classic was released, and sold 10 copies.Teaser chapters of various supplements have been released as well, as with the Adventure burner, and some setting products have full PDF versions .
Related Games
Luke Crane also wrote Burning EmpiresBurning Empires (role-playing game)
Burning Empires is an American science fiction role-playing game, designed by Luke Crane and published by Key 20 Publishing in 2006. The epic game is based on Christopher Moeller's two critically acclaimed Iron Empires graphic novels, Faith Conquers and Sheva's War...
, a science fiction RPG based on the Iron Empires
Iron Empires
Iron Empires is a comic series written and painted by American artist Christopher Moeller. It consists of two parts: Shadow Empires: Faith Conquers, first published as a limited series by Dark Horse in 1994, and Sheva's War, published by Helix in 1998....
graphic novels by Christopher Moeller
Christopher Moeller
Christopher Moeller is a writer and painter, specializing in fully painted graphic novels. Moeller's signature creation is the Iron Empires science-fiction universe, comprising two fully painted graphic novels Faith Conquers and Sheva's War, a short story in Dark Horse Presents, and a second in...
. Burning Empires shares many mechanics with Burning Wheel, and was released at Gen Con
Gen Con
Gen Con is one of the largest and most prominent annual gaming conventions in North America. It features traditional pen-and-paper, board, and card-style games, including role-playing games, miniatures wargames, board games, live action role-playing games, collectible card games, non-collectible...
2006.
Luke has penned another full game, entitled Mouse Guard, which uses a simplified version of the Burning Wheel system and implements the setting of the Mouse Guard
Mouse Guard
Mouse Guard is an Eisner Award-winning bi-monthly comic book series published by Archaia Studios Press. The comic stands out on shelves due to its distinctive form factor -– a square as opposed to the standard comic size...
comics. It won Best Role-Playing Game at the 2009 Origins Awards.