Sword World to Get Official English Translation

Sword World, an incredibly popular TTRPG in Japan, is getting its first official English translation courtesy of Mugen Gaming. The publisher announced a partnership with Group SNE to produce an official English translation, with a Kickstarter coming in 2026 to produce the Sword World 2.5 Deluxe Rulebook, with additional product to follow.

Mugen Gaming also has a free 60-page one-shot RPG, complete with basic rules, for those who sign up on their English language website.

Sword World is a fantasy RPG with origins tied to D&D. Group SNE started as a gaming group that played Dungeons & Dragons and recorded the events of their game as Record of Lodoss War. After TSR rejected Group SNE's overtures to make an official Record of Lodoss World campaign setting, the group created their own rules system which eventually became Sword World.

The system uses a 2D6 system, where a 12 is an auto-success and a 2 is an automatic failure (but also automatically earns XP). The game is on the crunchier side, with skill checks adding multiple modifiers to determine success and damage rolls coming from a table based on power level and the roll of a 2D6 instead of rolling damage dice.

 

[overgeeked]

We've been talking about it since Saturday over here.

https://www.enworld.org/threads/sword-world-rpg-official-english-translation-by-mugen-gaming.714547/

 

[Professor Murder]

"Yes, but we got a French guy to create an Asian-flavored setting, so we're covered there."

Truth be told, OA wasn't aimed at Asian markets. It was squarely aimed at the core US gamer base and it of course shows for the time.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Truth be told, OA wasn't aimed at Asian markets.

Yes.

It was squarely aimed at the core US gamer base and it of course shows for the time.

Even for the time, it was very enthusiastically "our three existing friends really like Asia, so we don't need to talk to any actual Asian people." I remember Gygax's original hype for it in Dragon magazine and, even as a kid, it jumped out at me as "trust me; we've got this." That the eventual book came off as "well, we read 3/4 of Shogun, saw some movies and read Frank Miller comic books" wasn't a shock.

Given that WotC appears to be at least somewhat invested in doing better in Asia now, it's probably worth them going with either a new setting or one of (or multiple of) the settings in Radiant Citadel.

 

[Professor Murder]

When OA came out in the 80s, Ninjas were of course big in the US, which would culminate with TMNT popularity into the 90s. As a 10 yr old with the book, I loved it. I had no frame of comparison for how inaccurate it was culturally or how insulting its assumptions and assertions were for many people. Honestly, I just liked getting cool new classes and race choices. But again, the product wasn't trying to expand into new markets, and it's wild to see how TTRPGs evolved in countries like Japan due to how much TSR and those that came after them failed in any real attempts at localization.

 

[doctorhook]

When OA came out in the 80s, Ninjas were of course big in the US, which would culminate with TMNT popularity into the 90s.

Ninjas yes, but also don’t forget the kung-fu craze of the 70s, which also influenced D&D’s portrayal of Asian-ish stuff

 

[Skywalker]

I already own Goblin Slayer. Anyone know how different the two game are?

Despite seeming similarities, they are actually two different systems. Goblinslayer was heavily inspired by Sword World, as most Japanese RPGs are.

 

[Spellslinging Sellsword]

Sign up with your email at SwordWorldRPG.com
When you do, you’ll receive a free 60+ page one-shot PDF, complete with basic rules, pre-generated characters, and a full adventure to try out the system. It’s a work in progress as we learn how to best represent Sword World in English, so please give us feedback if you have any for us!

Did anyone get a link after signing up? I submitted my email and got a confirmation but nothing else.

 

[Parmandur]

Wait....
TSR passed on doing a Lodoss War setting?
Feels on brand.

Yup, and also rebuffed Jim Henson when he wanted to make a Dark Cryatal Setting, and dropped the ball on official Lord of the Rings D&D...

 

[Tanek]

Did anyone get a link after signing up? I submitted my email and got a confirmation but nothing else.

I have not, I didn't even get any sort of confirmation. Wonder if they're doing it manually?

 

[overgeeked]

Did anyone get a link after signing up? I submitted my email and got a confirmation but nothing else.

I got nothing. If they’re doing it manually that does not fill me with confidence.