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.

 

[Jahydin]

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

Oh cool, thanks.

I'll have to pick this up then. Been dying to read up on what Japan has been playing for decades.

 

[Cergorach]

I've seen the system module show up quite often for Foundry VTT, I was curious what it was, but I didn't look beyond Japanese RPG which doesn't have an English translation... Curious what it will be like.

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.

What does that have to do with Sword World? The Record of Lodoss War was not exactly based on Asian mythology, it felt pretty much like a D&D (anime) and that's because it was... Sword World seems like a Japanese language version of a D&D-like with manga style art. I suspect very 'western' fantasy focused.

 

[Nikosandros]

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.

Curiously, I was recently reading an editorial from Gygax in Dragon #67 (published in 1982) and he was mentioning moving the monk to a future "Sino-Japanese" version of AD&D, primarily aimed at the "Far East" market, but with the idea of also publishing an English translation. Probably it was little more than idle talk, but still interesting, IMO.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Record of Lodoss War is Japanese fantasy before isekai became popular. Let's say it may be an easy way to introduce fantasy genre to an otaku who doesn't D&D yet.

It has got a lot of PC races and classes with special mechanics but it is only one setting.

 

[Professor Murder]

I've seen the system module show up quite often for Foundry VTT, I was curious what it was, but I didn't look beyond Japanese RPG which doesn't have an English translation... Curious what it will be like.



What does that have to do with Sword World? The Record of Lodoss War was not exactly based on Asian mythology, it felt pretty much like a D&D (anime) and that's because it was... Sword World seems like a Japanese language version of a D&D-like with manga style art. I suspect very 'western' fantasy focused.

I was responding to the previous post.

 

[Sossij]

I'm just amazed it's taken this long. There was an obvious market for this as far back as the 90s.

 

[nute]

Wait a minute.

Our mission at Mugen Gaming is simple:

Bring the incredible creativity of Japanese RPGs and board games to new players in the English-speaking world.

We started over a decade ago, running game nights in Kansas City bars and restaurants just to share our love of the hobby. Eventually, that led to opening our retail store, Level One Game Shop, which we’ve operated for 10 years. Through the store, we’ve built deep ties with the tabletop community — and with the game industry itself.

That's my local game store! What?

 

[Jaeger]

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

GS is not as crunchy.

Now don't get me wrong, GS is still very much a medium crunch game in the realm of 5e. But SW is a step above it, and does several things differently.

I have the fan translation of SW2.5, so there is no need for me to get the hard copy as GS is the game I'd present to my group with a oneshot. I just like the cleaner way GS does things.

One thing I would spring for is if they did a proper hardback for GS: New layout, using art from the manga, presented the way we are used to seeing RPG's done in the US. I get why they stuck to the traditional Japanese format, but a cleanly done HB would be gold...

 

[ProfessorDetective]

Nice! I've got the fan translations saved somewhere, but never gave them a proper read-through.

For those looking for a crash-course on Lodoss War, WilliamSRD did a rundown on it a couple months back... That apparently got pulled from YT because of all of the anime clips, so here's the Patreon post:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/record-of-lodoss-130200152

 

[kronovan]

I wondered more than once wether this TTRPG has a connection to Record of Lodoss War, and I can now see it does. Ive seen what looked like official maps for Lodoss & its bigger continent (can't recal its name) so Im guessing those were from an eaier edition of this game. My kids & I are big fans of the anime & we watched my DVD at least once a month. My daughter whos now an adult & DMs, says its the reason she developed a compassion to game in a Fantasy world. I also watched the Rune Soldier anime, which IIRC is the same world-setting

I can't say this new tramslation is something Id get to run a campaign with, but if it does a decent trearment of the setting & lore, I might consider it for that alone. My daughter tho - might be a good Xmas or bday present.