The Riddle of Steel
Encyclopedia
The Riddle of Steel is a role-playing game
(RPG) created by Jacob Norwood and published by Driftwood Publishing. It is designed for role-playing in a typical sword and sorcery
or high fantasy
gameworld environment.
The title of The Riddle of Steel is inspired by several references in the movie Conan the Barbarian, including a line of dialogue in which the villain, Thulsa Doom, asks the captured Conan, "What is the riddle of steel?" Doom answers this question by explaining to Conan that the true strength of steel is in the hand that wields it – in other words, it is the resolve and commitment we bring to a task, not the quality or quantity of tools we use in performing it, that is the most important factor in determining success. This theme strongly influenced the design of Riddle, most particularly in the implementation of spiritual attributes.
In terms of GNS Theory
, The Riddle of Steel may be classified either as a narrativist game with simulationist system features or as a simulationist system with powerful narrativist elements.
The game's combat system is based heavily on Jacob Norwood's real-world historical martial arts studies. He is the president of the HEMA Alliance
, was a Senior Free Scholar in the Association for Renaissance Martial Arts
, and John Clements, the director of that organization, recommends the game for its martial realism. This combat system is usually marketed as one of its key selling points. The other primary hallmark of the game is the character design aspect known as spiritual attributes, often abbreviated "SAs" by game fans.
Each player in TRoS defines five spiritual attributes for their character, specifying the areas in which they want that character to excel and demonstrate heroism. Possibilities include: faith (defending a religion or philosophical worldview), passions (love, hate or other strong emotions for someone or something), conscience (personal ethics), drive (a particularly strong intent or purpose), destiny (a future foretold), and luck (general good fortune and coincidence). This system allows players more control over the in-game performance of their characters, by granting the player extra dice whenever the character faces an obstacle in a situation where the player wants his character to shine. It brings a slight cinematic
atmosphere to the game in that the hero can suffer defeat, but has uncanny luck and persistence in the crucial elements of the story.
The Spiritual Attributes also serve as the game's character improvement and development mechanic. Points are awarded to the attributes by the game master when characters act according to these attributes, and spent by players to increase attributes, skills, weapon proficiencies and other character aspects.
and Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
.
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...
(RPG) created by Jacob Norwood and published by Driftwood Publishing. It is designed for role-playing in a typical sword and sorcery
Sword and sorcery
Sword and sorcery is a sub-genre of fantasy and historical fantasy, generally characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent conflicts. An element of romance is often present, as is an element of magic and the supernatural...
or high fantasy
High fantasy
High fantasy or epic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that is set in invented or parallel worlds. High fantasy was brought to fruition through the work of authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, whose major fantasy works were published in the 1950s...
gameworld environment.
The title of The Riddle of Steel is inspired by several references in the movie Conan the Barbarian, including a line of dialogue in which the villain, Thulsa Doom, asks the captured Conan, "What is the riddle of steel?" Doom answers this question by explaining to Conan that the true strength of steel is in the hand that wields it – in other words, it is the resolve and commitment we bring to a task, not the quality or quantity of tools we use in performing it, that is the most important factor in determining success. This theme strongly influenced the design of Riddle, most particularly in the implementation of spiritual attributes.
In terms of GNS Theory
GNS Theory
The GNS Theory, as originally developed by Ron Edwards, is a relatively amorphous body of work attempting to create a theory of how role-playing games work...
, The Riddle of Steel may be classified either as a narrativist game with simulationist system features or as a simulationist system with powerful narrativist elements.
System
The base mechanic of the game is a die-pool system; to accomplish tasks, players roll a pool of ten-sided dice against the target number, or TN, of the task, with the number of dice equalling or beating the TN determining degree of success.The game's combat system is based heavily on Jacob Norwood's real-world historical martial arts studies. He is the president of the HEMA Alliance
HEMA Alliance
The HEMA Alliance is a martial arts federation dedicated to the study of Historical European Martial Arts. It is organized as a United States nonprofit organization incorporated under the laws of the State of Utah....
, was a Senior Free Scholar in the Association for Renaissance Martial Arts
Association for Renaissance Martial Arts
Association for Renaissance Martial Arts is an international educational non-profit organization dedicated to the study and practice of historical European martial arts of the 15th to 17th centuries...
, and John Clements, the director of that organization, recommends the game for its martial realism. This combat system is usually marketed as one of its key selling points. The other primary hallmark of the game is the character design aspect known as spiritual attributes, often abbreviated "SAs" by game fans.
Each player in TRoS defines five spiritual attributes for their character, specifying the areas in which they want that character to excel and demonstrate heroism. Possibilities include: faith (defending a religion or philosophical worldview), passions (love, hate or other strong emotions for someone or something), conscience (personal ethics), drive (a particularly strong intent or purpose), destiny (a future foretold), and luck (general good fortune and coincidence). This system allows players more control over the in-game performance of their characters, by granting the player extra dice whenever the character faces an obstacle in a situation where the player wants his character to shine. It brings a slight cinematic
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
atmosphere to the game in that the hero can suffer defeat, but has uncanny luck and persistence in the crucial elements of the story.
The Spiritual Attributes also serve as the game's character improvement and development mechanic. Points are awarded to the attributes by the game master when characters act according to these attributes, and spent by players to increase attributes, skills, weapon proficiencies and other character aspects.
Influences
The game, especially the combat system, was heavily influenced by the Polish historical role-playing game Dzikie Pola. The official fantasy world of the game, Weyrth, also shows strong influences of Polish and Eastern European history among its imaginary cultures and peoples, particularly in the nations of Zaporozhya (from the Polish historical term for Ukraine) and the Rzeczpospolita, the Polish word for "Commonwealth". For historical inspiration, see Zaporizhia, RzeczpospolitaRzeczpospolita
Rzeczpospolita is a traditional name of the Polish State, usually referred to as Rzeczpospolita Polska . It comes from the words: "rzecz" and "pospolita" , literally, a "common thing". It comes from latin word "respublica", meaning simply "republic"...
and Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
.