The Riddle of Steel

[Shadowlord]

I think I found myself a new RPG I was looking for. So far it seems excellent. Seems to have elements not unlike the Storyteller system and some other RPGs with its own innovative elements.

The thing that interests me though is the world. What's the setting all about? Is it only a mix of real world cultures or do they have good reasons to exist? Are there any orcs, elves, dwarves and many other classic fantasy elements as we know them or is it much closer to real world myths & legends?

Finally, what products do exist and how many will be coming out (soon) ? Decent (but not overdone!) support is important to me before I launch myself into a new game.

 

[Tsyr]

I think I found myself a new RPG I was looking for. So far it seems excellent. Seems to have elements not unlike the Storyteller system and some other RPGs with its own innovative elements.

The thing that interests me though is the world. What's the setting all about? Is it only a mix of real world cultures or do they have good reasons to exist? Are there any orcs, elves, dwarves and many other classic fantasy elements as we know them or is it much closer to real world myths & legends?

Finally, what products do exist and how many will be coming out (soon) ? Decent (but not overdone!) support is important to me before I launch myself into a new game.

Pretty much just crammed together for no reason.

Elves and Dwarves exist, but they are much more fey... Even dwarves are considered a type of faerie, if I remember right. Really expensive to use as a player race.

Thus far, I think only the main book is out, thought they are planning a book on magic (Magic is dangeous to use... ages you).

 

[kenjib]

Here are some books currently in the schedule:

Of Beasts and Men (monsters)
Sorcery & the Fey (magic)
The Flower of Battle (extra combat tactics and mass combat)
The Lure of Gold (rogue supplement)

The game system looks really great and I hope to start playing soon. I think the best part of the design are the Spiritual Attributes. From what I understand, they bring roleplaying and character motivation to the forefront of play in a really innovative manner. Really cool! I think to pull the game off effectively it really requires a rather different approach from what works in D&D. Characters are rewarded for doing things that mean alot to them - following their passions, achieving their destiny, accomodating their conscience, defending those they love, etc.

The world is pretty nice. It has a lot of influence from the real world. I think there is a good amount of influence from Robert Howard, but there is a more gritty and political tone to it. Aside from lots of interesting and varied regional conflict, there is also a major storyline regarding the second coming of a dark lord type of figure, who is bent on world domination.

The world is pretty large with lots of different cultures. There are perhaps a couple too many for my taste, but this isn't really a problem because it just gives you the chance to focus in on a certain area and use the parts you like. I like homebrewing myself, but there are lots of really great ideas in the world.

In terms of races, there are:

Humans
Fey: One of the types of Siddhe, elusive and very powerful, but doomed with a mysterious infertility.
Unseelie: Wicked Siddhe. They have a generally bad temperment but exhibit a very wide variety of physiology and mannerisms.
Seelie: More benevolent Siddhe.
Halflings: Half human, half siddhe.

Characters & DMs are given lots of leeway insofar as exactly what a seelie/unseelie character is like. They could be a fairy, goblin, dwarf, elf, leprechaun, brownie, gnome, etc. They are all handled under one broad category.

Unfortunately I can't yet tell you how it works in play. I recommend you check out the Riddle of Steel web page and message boards to get advice from more experienced players:

http://www.theriddleofsteel.net
http://www.indie-rpgs.com/viewforum.php?f=25

 

[Catulle]

I think the setting is the least attractive aspect of the Riddle of Steel. Pretty generic fantasy with a slant towards 'real world' history and concepts; some nice ideas in there but I found it too preoccupied in trying to cover all the bases. As a result, I thought it came across a little muddled.

On the other hand, the system is pretty good (if you like dice pools) - the Spiritual Attributes work out a treat in play, and magic is about as well-handled as I've seen in an RPG to date. Combat is smooth and quite dangerous indeed but the learning curve I did find steep at first. There's a pet theory in our group that it could be the best system available at the moment to run Lord of the Rings in...

Regards,

Barry