steel_&_flame_(6968245)

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STEEL & FLAME INTRODUCTION B P N Fate ' Barbarians of Lemuria CREATING YOUR HERO Y : F (S Dx C ) F (B R D ) H P (10 S ) C (A A B B B C C E G H N O P P P S S S S ) Y 4 4 4 N 0 S S P q 10 S A A P q 10 A Y 5 H P CAREERS A alchemist A assassin A barbarian A barkeep x A blacksmith A captain z z z A courtesan A entertainer q A gladiator A hunter x ; A merchant x A mercenary ( ) j A noble q j A outcast z O O 0 A physician ' H P q ' P G (+3) A pirate A priest A sailor A scribe A soldier A sorcerer A thief mark sabtato (order #6968245)

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Steel&Flame rules lite fantasy rpg

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Page 1: Steel_&_Flame_(6968245)

STEEL & FLAME

INTRODUCTIONWelcome, brave adventurer! This is a fantasy role-playing game set in a sword-and-sorcery world of mighty heroes and evil villains. It is meant to capture the best of these stories and discard the worst. Meaning that, yes, you can be a cool female hero without having to wear a chainmail bikini.

This game was made by Brent P. Newhall, using some of the mechanics of Fate, while basing the game's statistics and world on Barbarians of Lemuria.

CREATING YOUR HEROYour character is made up of a few things:

• Four personal attributes (Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Charisma)• Four combat attributes (Brawling, Melee, Ranged, Defense)• Hit Points (10 plus Strength)• Careers (Alchemist, Assassin, Barbarian, Barkeep, Blacksmith, Captain,

Courtesan, Entertainer, Gladiator, Hunter, Merchant, Mercenary, Noble, Outcast, Physician, Pirate, Priest, Sailor, Scribe, Soldier, Sorcerer, Thief)

You begin with 4 points to distribute among your personal attributes, 4 points to distribute among your combat attributes, and 4 points to distribute among careers of your choice. No attribute may be below 0.

If you have points in the Sorcerer career, you have Sorcery Points equal to 10 plus your points in Sorcerer. If you have points in the Alchemy career, you have Alchemy Points equal to 10 plus your points in Alchemy.

You also begin with 5 Hero Points.

CAREERS

An alchemist can brew potions and understand science.

An assassin is a covert killer that navigates cities well.

A barbarian is both physically hardy and comfortable in the wild.

A barkeep has spent time serving in a tavern, either behind the bar or serving drinks, and is excellent at learning secrets and charming others.

A blacksmith can forge weapons, barter, and assess the value of goods.

A captain leads people in some organized or semi-organized group, proving ability in leadership and organization.

A courtesan is a famous, well-trained, well-paid entertainer and dancer who moves in the upper circles of society.

An entertainer is a common street performer, equally adept at fast talking and eager listening.

A gladiator fights for money, whether in a professional ring or in a back-street fight for a few coins, combining street smarts with barbarian muscles.

A hunter excels at understanding nature; while the barbarian makes the wilderness his or her home, the hunter studies it and masters it.

A merchant travels the world in search of exotic goods.

A mercenary guards for money (as opposed to the gladiator, who fights for it), and often picks up a surprising variety of skills from odd jobs across the world.

A noble is skilled at politics and etiquette, and usually knows more than just about anyone else in an adventuring party about world history and politics.

An outcast has lived at the periphery of civilization, learning many skills. Once per session, an outcast can use his or her points in the Outcast career as points in any other career in which the character has 0 points.

A physician can, once a day, heal an ally's Hit Points equal to the physician's Physician points by making a Good (+3) or better roll.

A pirate combines many of the same skills as the sailor and the mercenary.

A priest is more literate than and nearly as influential as a noble, and can call upon a god for magical assistance.

A sailor braves the sea or the sky in boats or airships, combining knowledge of navigation and ship-building.

A scribe dives deep into particular aspects of lore, history, languages, and cartography.

A soldier was a professional member of an army or other military or police force, skilled at intimidation and law.

A sorcerer calls upon magical powers to cast spells.

A thief steals things.

mark sabtato (order #6968245)

Page 2: Steel_&_Flame_(6968245)

STEEL & FLAME

TAKING ACTIONWhen attempting a difficult action, roll four Fate dice (6-sided dice where two sides are +1, two are -1, and two are 0) and add the appropriate personal attribute.

When acting in combat, also add the appropriate combat attribute.

When acting outside of combat, also add points from the appropriate Career (if any).

The result is compared to the ladder:

If acting in combat, you must roll higher than the opponent's Defense. You then deal damage depending on your weapon. Punching and kicking deals 1d3 damage, small weapons like daggers deal 1d4 damage, standard weapons like swords and axes deal 1d6, and large weapons deal 1d8.

Armor absorbs damage before it is dealt. You get 1 point of armor for small items like gauntlets and small shields, 2 points for leather armor or a large shield, 3 points for chainmail, and 4 points for plate mail. Chain and plate are restrictive and exhausting, though. These do not stack. Assume you begin with no armor.

Half of any Hit Points lost in a fight are regained after a 15-minute rest. You may only do this once after each fight. Otherwise, characters recover 1 Hit Point per day that they do not fight.

You may spend one Hero Point to deal an extra point of damage, or to gain an extra +2 on any roll. You may do this before or after the roll.

EXAMPLE CHARACTERS

THRONGAR THE BARBARIAN

Strength 2 Dexterity 2 Intelligence 0 Charisma 0

Brawling 2 Melee 1 Ranged 0 Defense 1

HP 12 Barbarian 2 Soldier 1 Pirate 1

THIZBIT THE BRAVE

Strength 0 Dexterity 2 Intelligence 1 Charisma 1

Brawling 1 Melee 1 Ranged 1 Defense 1

HP 10 Mercenary 2 Thief 2

VRANA THE SORCERER

Strength 0 Dexterity 1 Intelligence 2 Charisma 1

Brawling 0 Melee 1 Ranged 0 Defense 3

HP 10 Noble 1 Sorcerer 3

The Ladder

+8 Legendary+7 Epic+6 Fantastic+5 Superb+4 Great+3 Good+2 Fair+1 Average 0 Mediocre -1 Poor -2 Terrible

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Page 3: Steel_&_Flame_(6968245)

STEEL & FLAME

MAGIC

SORCERY

Three levels of magic are available to sorcerers. To cast a spell, roll and add Intelligence and Sorcerer.

Spells of the First Level are magical equivalents of party tricks: flares of light, ghostly sounds, vanishing small objects, and such. Useful, but instantaneous. These cost 1 Sorcery Point and a roll of Good (+3).

Spells of the Second Level allow the caster to perform actions that others could do with the right training and equipment, such as leaping across a 10-foot chasm (since someone with a rope or pole could do the same) or firing a simple magical missile (replicating a flaming arrow). Second-level spells typically only affect one person, and if they deal damage, deal 1d6 points. They cost 4 Sorcery Points, unless the caster uses one of the following requirements to reduce to cost to 2 Magic Points (which is the minimum): a magic item held by the caster, line of sight to target, 1d6 x 30 minutes casting time, personal item from target, arcane knowledge, specific casting technique, time of day limitation, or ritual cleansing afterwards. These require a roll of Great (+4).

Spells of the Third Level create lasting effects: mind control, disfigurement, destroying a wall, and such. They cost 8 Sorcery Points, reduced to 4 with any of the following requirements: a rare magic item held by the caster, rare ingredients, permanent spell tattoo, 2d6 hours meditation beforehand, ritual sacrifice of an animal (lamb or larger), time of month limitation, or fast for 2d6 days beforehand. These require a roll of Superb (+5).

The caster recovers 4 Sorcery Points per day, unless he or she has casts a Third Level spell, in which case the caster suffers spell sickness and recovers only 1 Sorcery Point a day until fully recovered.

PRIESTS

Priests use magic differently than sorcerers do. Instead of using Magic Points, priests may call upon their god to perform any magic spell, rolling Fate dice to determine if the spell succeeds. However, after doing this as many times as points in the character's Priest career, the priest must return to his or her home temple and pray for at least 2 hours to recharge.

The spell's difficulty corresponds to the power of the spell, which the GM must determine based on the requested spell. Add Intelligence and Priest points to the roll.

ALCHEMY

The alchemist creates potions, salves, gasses, and other nostrums. Alchemy is divided into three levels; the alchemist must have as many points in the alchemy career as the level to create potions of that level.

First-level potions have minor, temporary effects: a noxious gas that dizzies opponents for a few moments, a drink that nauseates for half a minute, and such. These usually affect only one or two people. They require 1d6 days to create and 2 Alchemy Points.

Second-level potions have either major temporary effects, or minor long-term effects. This includes potions that deal damage (almost always 1d6 points). These may affect up to 4 people at once. These require 2d6 days to create and 4 Alchemy Points.

Third-level potions have major long-term effects. These require 1d6 weeks to create and 8 Alchemy Points.

The alchemist recovers Alchemy Points at a rate of 1d3 points per day during which the Alchemist is not creating potions. Alchemists may create multiple potions simultaneously, and this does not increase the time requirement.

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Page 4: Steel_&_Flame_(6968245)

STEEL & FLAME

ALTERNATE SORCERY SYSTEMTo cast a spell, rolls Fate dice and add your points in the Sorcerer career. You must make a roll equal to double the spell's level to cast the spell without consequences:

Spell Level Target Examples

0th Level +0 Detect magic. Detect evil. Talk to animals.

1st Level +2 Create a flare of light. Create a ghostly sound. Vanish a small object. Heal 2 HP.

2nd Level +4 Leap across a chasm. Fire a magic missile equivalent to a bow. Create light for extended period. Scale a cliff.Typically only affects one person, and if it deals damage, deals 1d6 points.

3rd Level +6 Mind control. Disintegrate an arm. Destroy a wall. Equivalent of a 2nd level spell but effecting multiple targets.2d6 points of damage if applied to one person.

If you roll 1 to 2 points less than the spell's target, the spell succeeds with a malfunction of some kind: you take damage, or the spell's duration decreases, or its effect is significantly changed.

If you roll 3 points or less than the spells' target, the spell fails and backfires badly. Take serious injury, the bad guys know your exact location, you attract the attention of a demon from another plane, etc.

Whatever the result, you lose Sorcery Points equal to the level of the spell.

Recover 4 Sorcery Points per day.

mark sabtato (order #6968245)

Page 5: Steel_&_Flame_(6968245)

STEEL & FLAME

GAME MASTERING ADVICEIt's worth establishing a few basic world and setting limitations with your players ahead of time. For example, some people are very uncomfortable touching on slavery, especially involving children. Also, how far do you want to go with seduction?

Throw the players into an action-filled story. Populate the world with cliché. Fat villains should be gluttonous, greedy, and stupid. Thin, tall villains should be calculating and shrewd.

The system is designed for adventurers who are less interested in saving the world than in making a big score. That said, they are heroes; they rescue the weak and are never evil. Their big score is usually lost in a week's gambling and drinking.

Note that magic beyond the third level exists, but not in the hands of heroes.

HERO POINTS AND ADVANCEMENT

Every player should have at most 5 Hero Points at any given time.

At the end of an adventure, give out more Hero Points, depending on how heroically the characters acted. Also give heroes 1 or 2 points to distribute among their attributes or careers, depending on how much they acted during the adventure.

ON MAGIC

Magic should be weird and unpredictable. Magic spells often have unexpected side effects.

When a priest prays for a magic spell, interpret the roll and the spell's effects creatively. Let those spells act on the priest; he or she is channeling a god's power and will, after all.

ENEMIES

An average person off the street with no combat training will have 5 HP and all other scores at 0, dealing 1d4 damage.

Mooks will have 2 HP and all other stats at 1, dealing 1d6 damage.

An average monster or brigand will have 10 HP, Brawl 1, Melee or Ranged 1, and Defense 2, dealing 1d6 damage. Personal attributes will all be at 1.

A boss will have 13 HP and a Defense of 3, dealing 1d8 damage. Remaining scores will average 2. Bosses often have multiple attacks.

mark sabtato (order #6968245)

Page 6: Steel_&_Flame_(6968245)

STEEL & FLAME

FURTHER SUGGESTIONSPlayers will need to hit some pretty high spots on the ladder, because they start with a few points. Scaling a sheer temple wall without being noticed by the guards is a truly Superb job.

A classic “Save vs. spell” roll is a regular roll, adding points in Intelligence plus Priest or Sorcerer. “Save vs. poison” is a roll adding points in Strength plus Alchemist, Assassin, or Physician. Even basic spells or poison will require at least a Good (+3) roll.

The main game doesn't describe combat rounds and turns. Combat is usually not a difficult thing to organize, but generally: Go in order by Dexterity score; those with equal Dexterity scores can decide amongst themselves or roll for it. Each character can take one action during his or her turn; turns only last a few seconds. Even shouting a piece of information to another character is an action. Think of the pacing during a fight sequence in a movie; an enemy can attack while the hero's opening a door or trying to get a better position.

Note that this book has been designed so that you can print the first two pages double-sided and hand that to your players for character creation. Print just the third page and hand it to any spellcasters. Print and cut out the character sheets on the right-hand side of this page and hand those out to players, too (or just use pieces of notebook paper or index cards).

SETTING EXPECTATIONSThe game assumes a setting with many large cities and a late agricultural civilization (thus the existence of courtesans, alchemists, etc.). It also assumes that most enemies are human, or at least possess human-level intelligence. You can certainly face horrible monsters and warped minions, but villains are best when they can plan and monologue.

While Steel & Flame can certainly be used for standard dungeon crawls, it excel in urban story lines. Instead of a dungeon full of trolls and goblins, explore a snake cult's temple or a mad sorcerer's tower.

Weapons are not welcome in polite society, or even on the streets of most cities. Weapons are not worn in public unless the enemies are literally at the gates, except by local law enforcement. Of course, small weapons can always be concealed.

It takes a little time to unsheath a sword and steady it in one's hands, so you will need to spend a full turn (a few seconds) to draw a medium or large weapon.

CREATING A LOCALEYou can create a locale by choosing one phrase from each column:

Adjective Terrain Twist

ChaoticCrowdedDeath-filledFetidFrigidHot

citydesertforestjunglesavannahswamp

at warinfested with plagueoverrun with undeadripe for the pluckingruled by a despottwisted by magic

CHARACTER SHEETS

Name

Strength Dexterity Intelligence Charisma

Brawling Melee Ranged Defense

HP

Name

Strength Dexterity Intelligence Charisma

Brawling Melee Ranged Defense

HP

mark sabtato (order #6968245)