These are the Quick-Start rules for The Riddle of Steel.
They can be downloaded as a PDF from http://www.driftwoodpublishing.com/support/ .
It will be the 5th bullet point on the page with the choices of MS Excell Character Generator and TROS Quickstart Rules (which is the choice you want).
other wise I am posting them here, but due to possible formatting differences, I hope it is readable and helpful either way you go.
Roleplaying with an Edge
Quickstart Rules
by
Stephen J. Barringer
Version 1.0
December 2002
Driftwood Publishing
Provo, Utah
www.theriddleofsteel.net
The Riddle of Steel: Roleplaying with an Edge
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
A Moment of Steel
What is an RPG?
The Riddle of Steel
About the Quickstart Rules
2. Basic Mechanics
Attribute Tests
Vocation Tests
Proficiency Tests
Contested Rolls
Extended Rolls
Fumbling
Gameplay Mechanics in Action
3. Character Creation
Assigning Priorities
Social Class andWealth
Attributes
Vocations
Proficiencies
Spiritual Attribute Use
Character Progression
4. Combat and Injury
Initiative and Exchanges
Attacks and Offensive Maneuvers
Defenses and Defensive Maneuvers
Determining Damage
The Damage Table
Weapons and Armour
Healing
5. Sorcery
Sorcery Attributes
The Sorcery Pool
The Three Realms
Spell Types: Cantrips and Rituals
Casting Target Numbers (CTNs)
Spellcasting and Aging
Resisting Spells
Refreshing the Sorcery Pool
A List of Sample Spells
6. APart of the World of
Weyrth
Mainlund and its Kingdoms
Angharad
Cyrinthmeir
Stahl
Tales from Far-Off Lands
Typical Market Prices
7. Seneschal Strategies
Tips for RunningThe Riddle of Steel
Designers. Notes
A Selection of Encounters
Closing Credits
Credits
The Riddle of Steel: Quickstart Rules by
Stephen J. Barringer © Driftwood Publishing
A Hint at the Riddle: Quickstart Rules 3
1. Introduction
A Moment of Steel
BALOR.S BREATH sent small puffs of steam up through
the vents in the front of his helmet. His armor.s
joints creaked in protest as he marched down the
snow-covered path. News of barbarian raiders had
reached the clan, and he and his men had been sent
to eliminate the problem . sent into a three-day
march through unrelenting, bitter cold, the snow
and frost more dangerous than any raiders they could
imagine.
A soft sound echoed from the surrounding
woods . nothing more than a whisper, but enough
to break Balor.s grim train of thought. He held up
his hand to halt the war party. A dead silence filled
the area, a silence Balor knew too well. He reached
down and unclasped the warhammer from his belt.
At once, as if the forest itself had roused to
fury, large dark figures crashed out of the underbrush
and the surrounding woods, descending upon
them. Balor had barely enough time to get his shield
up as a massive axe sliced down, gleaming edge aimed
to split his head. The axe lodged in the shield, and
Balor swung his hammer around, striking his attacker
in the shoulder. The attacker, his leather and furs
reddening, stumbled backwards with a cry, his warpainted
face twisted in pain. Another swing from
the warhammer, and the bandit fell to the crimsonsmeared
snow, never to rise again.
Breathing heavily, Balor looked around to see
the barbarians fleeing, most of their men left behind
to the same fate. Some of his own clan had
joined them, their bodies contorted among the trees
in different poses of death. Steam rose from where
their blood spilled into the snow, rising to vanish
without trace into the bleak, merciless sky.
The small battle had begun quickly, and . like
his kinsmen.s lives . ended even quicker.
What is an RPG?
An RPG, or .Role-Playing Game., is basically .let.s
pretend. with rules. The players of the game create
fictional personae whose abilities are defined and
rated by the rules, and who interact with a fictional
world described by the game.s referee, known inThe
Riddle of Steel as the Seneschal (SEN-uh-shall). The
Seneschal creates and describes the situations, characters
and opponents encountered by the other players characters; the players, making up their own lines
in character, describe their actions and reactions to
those situations. Special 10-sided dice are used to
determine the outcome of conflict. The best games
take on aspects of storytelling, interactive theatre,
creative writing and strategy gaming to create a
unique, fun-filled experience with actual people . not
just a TV screen or a computer program.
The Riddle of Steel
The Riddle of Steel involves fantasy elements familiar
to most gamers . magic, swordplay, intrigue,
war and adventure. What sets the game apart is its
approach to these traditional elements. Roleplaying
games often seek to create an enforced balance in
play, by rigorously defining how a character.s power
level and classification determine his or her abilities
. in combat, magic, skills and in-game influence.
This is meant to ensure no one character can dominate
the game and shut out other players... but it
also, all too often, puts players under a stringent set
of arbitrary restrictions that stifle imagination and
excitement.
Things are different here. Magic is deadly
and powerful . even the weakest sorcerer is a lethal
threat. Swordplay is fast, dynamic, and bloody .
choose your battles wisely. Heroes don.t get better
by hacking up monsters and counting up gold . they
get better by chasing their own passions and dreams,
growing as characters rather than just gamepieces. And
players don.t get a free balance built into the rules
for them . each player has to take responsibility for
his own participation and enjoyment. The world
of The Riddle of Steel is more real, more dangerous,
and more exciting than what you.ll find in most
RPGs... at least, we.d like to think so.
About the Quickstart Rules
These Quickstart Rules present a highly simplified
version of The Riddle of Steel as presented in
4 The Riddle of Steel: Roleplaying with an Edge
the main corebook. These rules will let you get
started learning the basic mechanics of Riddle
right away. However, the primary corebook
provides much more in the way of rules, resources
and information, including:
A more detailed character creation
system, allowing you to play nonhuman
races, select character gifts and
flaws, expanded attribute range, a
more complex skill set and wider range
of social status and starting wealth.
Extended combat rules, including
more Proficiencies, more Maneuvers,
more weapons and more complex and
realistic damage tables.
Advanced sorcery rules, with more
complex spell definition, more options
for sorcerer characters and more
sample spells listed.
A full gazetteer of the world of
Weyrth, examining over 40 nations in
detail and presenting far more information
on Weyrth.s economy, history,
religious background, cultures and
geography.
So why bother with these Quickstart Rules at all,
then? First of all, because they.re a good way to
introduce new players to the game . to get them
familiar with the .feel. of The Riddle of Steel
before they lay out $40 for the corebook. Secondly,
because they.re fast and simple, which
makes them perfect for those .beer and pretzel.
games you sometimes run on short notice. Finally,
they.re available for free download on The
Riddle of Steel.s web site, which can be a useful
backup to your copy of the corebook.
2. Game Mechanics
The Riddle of Steel uses 10-sided dice for all its
rolls; you can get these dice at any gaming store and
most comic stores, and you should probably get 6
to 10 for each player (including the Seneschal). We
also recommend each player get one die in red and
another in white. Small bowls for holding your dice
at the gaming table are a good idea as well. The dice
rolls fall into five basic types.
Attribute Tests
Attribute Tests are made by rolling a number of
dice equal to one of your Attributes (like Agility or
Presence) against a Target Number (TN) based on
the difficulty of the task at hand. TNs can range
from 2 (foolproof) to 12 (very difficult) or higher
(nearly impossible), and are set by the Seneschal.
Each individual die which equals or beats the TN is
kept as a Success; the others are ignored. Any dice
which roll 10 may be rerolled, adding the new result
to the rolled 10. This is called Stacking. Any given
die can keep Stacking as long as you keep rolling 10s
on that die.
A Hint at the Riddle: Quickstart Rules 5
Usually, only one success is needed to accomplish
an action, though some actions may require
more; likewise, the number of successes indicates
the quality of the result, with one success equalling
a marginal scrape-by while four or five indicates
a flawless feat. You may also gain bonuses or penalties
to your Attribute (and thus to the number of
dice you can roll) if the Seneschal states a particular
task is easier or harder, due to circumstances, than it
would otherwise be.
Vocation Tests
Vocation Tests are a special kind of Attribute Test,
made by rolling an appropriate Attribute against the
Vocational Rating (VR) of that Vocation; the VR thus
acts as a Target Number. Thus, lower VRs are better
than higher ones, and the lower your VR the more
accomplished you are in that Vocation.
Proficiency Tests
Proficiency Tests are made by rolling dice from one of
your three Pools of dice: your Combat Pool, Missile
Pool or (for sorcerers) Sorcery Pool. These dice are
rolled against TNs set by your choice of weapon,
maneuver, or magical invocation; more information
can be found in Parts 3 and 4, below.
Contested Rolls
Contested Rolls, sometimes called just Contests, are made
whenever two or more characters or forces are directly
struggling against each other to win. Each
competitor rolls their dice in an Attribute, Vocation
or Proficiency Test against their own TNs, which
may be identical for each or different depending on
circum-stances. The number of successes scored
by each competitor are compared; the competitor
with the most successes is the winner. The loser.s
successes are subtracted from his to determine his
final Margin of Success. (Ties will indicate varying results
depending on the situation; a tie in armwrestling
will mean something different from a tie in bladeplay.
When in doubt, the Seneschal will make the final
call.)
Extended Rolls
Extended Rolls can be any of the four types listed
above. These rolls are made for long-term, extended
tasks like forging a sword, creating a spell or climbing
a high cliff. An Extended Roll sets not just a
TN, but a number of Required Successes, which must
be accumulated over the course of several rolls. Each
roll represents the passage of a set length of time .
when forging a sword, each roll may represent a day.s
work, while the process of spell research may require
a week for each roll. These rolls take as long
as they take, unless a Fumble is rolled (in which case
the player must start over from scratch) or unless
time runs out due to other circumstances in the
game.
Fumbling
Sometimes Tests aren.t just failed; they.re completely
botched. This is called Fumbling. Whenever you fail
a roll (i.e. roll no successes at all) and roll two or
more 1s on the dice, you have Fumbled . not only
failed, but screwed up spectacularly badly. The Seneschal
will determine the exact results, based on the
situation.
Gameplay Mechanics in Action
Geralt, a Cyrinthmeiran bladeslinger (played by Jake), and
his friend Vhord, a knight of Stahl (played by Nick), are
travelling a road together through a misty twilight. Steve, the
Seneschal, sets the scene for them:
S: The evening mist has thickened over the hills,
and moisture is collecting on your bags and armor.
The twilight is chill, and the wilderness noises are
subdued and muffled. Your aching feet feel every
step you make on this rutted path.
J: (as Geralt) Can we stop a moment? I don.t want
my bowstring getting wet.
N: (in character as Vhord) Certes, my friend. I would
not see thee helpless.
J: Don.t you ever relax?
N: But I am relaxed.
S: Jake, I.m gonna ask you to roll Geralt.s Wits and
tell me what you get.
6 The Riddle of Steel: Roleplaying with an Edge
Wits is a Mental Attribute, which includes senses and perception
as well as intelligence. In this instance, Steve needs to
know if Geralt hears the bandits lying in wait up the road;
but he can.t tell Jake the TN or what the Attribute Test is
for, because then Jake will know what.s waiting for them!
J: Okay, lessee... (Geralt.s Wits is 5. Jake rolls 5 10-
sided dice, getting
7, 4, 8, 9, 2. No fumbles, at least!
Steve had set the TN to hear the bandits as 8 . hard, but not
impossible. Geralt scored two successes, which Steve explains
as follows:
S: Geralt . as you.re coiling your bowstring for
storage in your pack, you hear an odd noise carried
through the mist. It sounds like a scrape on gravel,
combined with an oddly huffing breath....
J: You mean . like a horse.s hoof on dirt? Did the
breath sound like a horse too?
S: Bingo.
N: (out of character) Crap. Bandits.
J: Okay. I tell Vhord, .You wait here. I.m gonna
sneak around and see what.s what..
N: (back in character) I have little liking for cowering
in the mist, Geralt.
J: (also in character) There.s honour, Vhord, and then
there.s foolishness. Would you send men into battle
without knowing your enemy as much as you could?
N: No, but neither would I allow lack of such knowledge
to be an excuse for cowardice!
J: Okay, okay, just keep your voice down... (to Steve)
Any chance the bandits heard us just then?
S: They might have; you heard them when they
were being quieter than you were just now. But
sound carries oddly with the wind and the mist.
J: Actually, that.s perfect. (to Nick) Vhord, I want
you to sing a Stahlnish song to distract them. Something
loud and obscene, as many verses as you can.
(to Steve) While he.s doing that, I.m going to sneak
around through the hills and try to come up on these
bandits from behind.
S: Vhord?
N: (still in character, stiffly) If they are bandits, they
do not deserve honour; if they are not, Geralt.s...
advance scouting... will merely avoid a misunderstanding
(out of character) I don.t lose a Conscience
point for that, do I?
Conscience is a Spiritual Attribute, which rises and falls as a
character acts in keeping with or against his conscience. It is
important because it not only grants bonus dice on certain
rolls, it determines how Vhord can advance in experience. In
this case, Steve is generous:
S: No, Stahlnish honour isn.t that strict. Don.t worry
about it. Okay, I.m gonna need Vocation Rolls from
both of you: Nick, roll Presence vs. your Courtier;
Jake, roll Agility vs. your Woodsman.
N: Why am I rolling vs. Courtier?
S: To see how well you sing your song, of course!
Vhord has a Presence of 4 and a Courtier VR of 8; he
rolls 4 dice and gets... 3, 6, 7 and 9. One success; the song is
acceptably done but no more. Geralt has an Agility of 6 and
a Woodsman VR of 8; he rolls a 1, 3, 4, 8, 9, and 0, then
rerolls the 0 for another 7 . a total of 17. Three successes.
S: As Vhord.s voice booms out with a Stahlnish
tavern song about a barmaid and a rock dwarf, you
slip into the hills and make a wide circling arc through
the heather, trying to close in on where you heard
the noise. Give me a second here....
The bandits don.t have sentries, but there.s a chance they may
hear Geralt as he closes. Steve rolls theWits of the rearmost
bandit . a measly 3 . against hisWoodsman VR of 9. He
rolls 3, 6 and 8... no successes. He doesn.t hear Geralt.
S: You get within a few yards of the bandits, for
bandits they are; three men on either side of the
trail hidden by a rise in the ground, armed with crossbows
and shortswords, decked out in patchwork
leather armour and scraps of chain. The horse you
heard was one of about four, tied off to a tree off
to your left.
J: Crossbows. Three-become-One, I hate crossbows.
Can I get close enough to take out the
rearmost without the others noticing?
S: That.ll be a lot trickier, but you might be able to
manage it....
J: No, wait! I.ve got a better idea. I.m going to
sneak over to the horses, cut them free, then whack
one of them on the butt and stampede them all
A Hint at the Riddle: Quickstart Rules 7
towards the bandits. That should put a crimp into
their plan!
S: Not bad. Okay, roll Agility against your Woodsman
VR again to get over there without causing the
horses to give you away....
J: (rolling) Okey-dokey, here we go.... 3, 2, 6, 9, 7, 1.
Well, one success is all you need, right?
S: In your case, yes, you.re lucky. The horses snuffle
nervously at you as you untie them, but don.t react
beyond that. Vhord is starting on the third repetition
of his song, and you can see the bandits shifting
in restless suspicion....
J: Time to roll the apple-cart. I draw my sword and
start whacking the horses. butts with the flat.
S: You want to hit them all?
J: Yeah, why not?
S: Okay, your Combat Pool is 12, so that.s three
dice to each horse. Your longsword has a TN of 6;
I.m bumping that to 7 because you.re trying to hit
only with the flat. You.re not gonna miss, but the
better you roll, the faster and more accurately the
horses will make for the bandits....
This is a series of Proficiency Tests. Jake gets two successes
on his first Test, one each on his second and third, and on his
fourth he rolls... 1, 1, and 4 . a fumble!
J: Ah, crap! What happens?
S: The blade turns in your hand and cuts into the
horse.s hindquarters! With a shriek of pain and fury,
the horse kicks out and back at you!
J: Damn, damn, damn, and I don.t even have any
dice left in the Pool for a dodge... Anything I can
do?
S: (fiendish grin) Nope.
Steve rolls for the horse.s attack, but Geralt is lucky; Steve
only gets 1 success. Added to the horse.s STR of 8, this does
a total of 9 wound levels of damage. This is reduced by 5,
for Geralt.s Brawn, and by another 1 for Geralt.s tough leather
vest, leaving Geralt with a final 3 levels of wound damage.
S: Take a level-three wound to your midsection.
You reel backwards and collapse to the earth, coiled
around a huge, numb agony in your guts, barely able
to breathe. Fortunately, your plan seems to have
worked; the bandits are off chasing the horses.
J: All of them?
S: Nope . not quite. One of them turns, comes
charging back towards you, stands over you and levels
his crossbow.
J: Oh, man....
N: (clearing his throat) Hello? Can I do anything
now?
S: Absolutely. You heard the ruckus and the uproar
a few seconds ago.
N: Then I go charging forward into the fray!
S: Your timing is perfect. As horses and bandits
run hither and yon about you, you see the figure
emerge out of the mist, lifting a crossbow to aim
and fire....
N: I drewmy sword when I charged; I simply swing
it out to one side as I run, aiming for the neck.
S: Okay, combat time. Throw down your initiative
die.... (Nick throws down a red die, indicating that Vhord
is attacking this round; Steve throws down a white die, meaning
the bandit will try to defend.) What.s your Combat
Pool?
N: 13 - I.m spending 7 on this cut to the neck.
S: You caught him by surprise. He tries to get his
crossbow up to parry; he can only spend 5 dice.
N: Let.s roll!
Vhord.s longsword has a TN of 6; the TN to parry with a
crossbow is pretty high, as it.s not something the thing was
built for - 8. Vhord rolls 7 dice vs. TN 6 as the bandit rolls
5 dice vs. TN 8; Vhord gets four successes, the bandit only
one, giving Vhord a Margin of Success of 3 . a hit. Vhord.s
sword does his Brawn, 6, + 2 in damage, or 8; adding his
three successes, that.s a total of 11 versus the bandit.s
unarmoured Brawn of 5 . or 6 damage levels to the neck!
On the Damage Table, this is an immediately fatal wound,
with obvious results....
S: Your sword knocks the crossbow from the
bandit.s hand without slowing, continues on into his
throat, and out the other side in an explosive gush
of red as the bandit.s head and body go separate
ways.
N: Woo hoo! Never screw with a Stahlner, buddy!
I spin around. Anybody else want a piece of me?
S: They.re too busy chasing their horses, and any
who might have been close enough have been thoroughly
discouraged by the swift death of their col8
The Riddle of Steel: Roleplaying with an Edge
league.
N: Then I.d better get over and give Geralt a hand....
J: Great. Stahlnish medicine. I shoulda let the horse
kill me....
And that.s how it goes: simple, fast, brutal and comprehensive.
The strategy comes in playing to your strengths and
knowing when to attack and when to ambush; the fun comes
in creating these other people, and vicariously enjoying their triumphs.
3. Character
Creation
Assigning Priorities
Quickstart characters in The Riddle of Steel are
built around four areas of ability: Social Class &
Wealth, Attributes, Vocations and Proficiencies. To create
a character, each of these areas must be assigned
a priority, from A to D; A is the strongest and D the
weakest. Each priority gives a different amount of
ability in each area, as shown on the chart at the
bottom of this page.
So, for example, if you wanted to create a lowerclass
rogue who is a poor but clever thief and trickster,
you might assign her priorities as follows:
A - Vocations: One at VR 6, a second at VR 7.
(Entertainer and Thief are two possibilities.)
B - Attributes: 20 points to divide among her Attributes.
C - Social Class/Wealth: Peasant/Serf equivalent.
Pretty poor.
D - Proficiencies: Only 3 dice. Not much of a
fighter at all.
A young noble squire, on the other hand, would
have his priorities assigned as follows:
A - Social Class/Wealth: Nobility. Quite wealthy.
B - Proficiencies: 9 dice. A good bit of martial
training.
C - Attributes: 18 points. A little better than average.
D - Vocations: 1 at VR 9, probably Courtier or
Knight. Little non-martial schooling.
Social Class and Wealth
The four levels of Social Class and Wealth provide
benefits as follows:
Nobility (Priority A): Adventuring nobles are
assumed to be from among the lower ranks of the
nobility, usually without a landed title. If they
receive income, it is from their work as soldiers,
courtiers or freelances. Noble characters begin
with 100 Gold Pieces. Income depends on exact
position, but generally bachelor knights or free
lances receive 31-40 (30 + 1d10) Silver Pieces a
month, while courtiers live on the patronage of
their superiors or liege lords. Nobles have the
right to bear all arms and armor, are almost always
formally educated, can own land, and enforce the
laws of the realm or their liege lord. They are
addressed as .Sir. or .Lady..
Freeman (Priority B): The middle class . ranging
from merchants to clerks, farmers, soldiers, clergy,
artisans, tradesmen, blacksmiths et al. Most
adventurers or wanderers come from this class.
They are sometimes formally educated. They
begin with 25 Gold Pieces; income (if established)
is an additional 11-20 (10+1d10) Silver Pieces per
month on average. They may bear arms and wear
non-metallic armour, but may not own land
without the consent of the local liege lord; they
are not obliged to obey any noble to whom they
A Hint at the Riddle: Quickstart Rules 9
have not sworn allegiance, but open irreverence
and disrespect will earn swift retribution.
Peasants/Serfs
(Priority C): Workers bound to a
particular lord or area of land by an oath of fealty;
in return for their service (which they may not
voluntarily refuse) the lord agrees to protect them
militarily. They seldom have any education or
training, and cannot own metallic weapons or
armor (which still gives them staves and bows).
They begin play with 5 Gold Pieces, and typical
income is 2d10 Silver Pieces twice a year when
crops are sold. Adventurers from this social class
have probably snuck away from their liege lord, a
practice technically illegal but seldom prosecuted,
to see the wide world of adventure if they can.
Prisoners/Slaves
(Priority D): The bottom of the
barrel, a condemned criminal or outright
piece of property. Prisoners or slaves are
assumed to have just escaped, or are about to
escape as part of their first adventure; thus,
they not only begin with no funds, income or
possessions, but usually with the forces of
the law pursuing them. Slavery is legal in
many kingdoms in Weyrth, and escaped slaves
or prisoners can expect little help or assistance
. which only makes the adventure all
the more challenging.
Attributes
Attributes break down into four types, Temporal,
Mental, Spiritual and Derived, as follows:
The Temporal Attributes cover your physical
abilities, and range from 1 to 10; the
average human possesses a rating of 4 in
both Temporal Attributes.
Agility (AGL): Dexterity, speed,
body control and balance.
Brawn (BRN): Physical power and
muscle strength, toughness, fitness and endurance.
The Mental Attributes cover your mind, thought,
strength of character and will. Like the Temporal
Attributes, they range from 1 to 10 with a human
average of 4.
Wits (WTS): Mental sharpness, alertness,
intelligence and awareness.
Presence (PRS): Strength of personality
and force of will and determination.
The points you receive from your Priority are
divided among these four Attributes, AGL, BRN,
WTS and PRS. Priority A gives you 22 points to
divide, Priority B 20, Priority C 18 and Priority D
16. No attribute may be lower than 2 or higher
than 7 at this point.
The Spiritual Attributes cover the profound aspects
of your personality and nature, the drives and
feelings that make your character who he or she is.
They can range from 0 to 5; there is no .average.,
and scores can fluctuate highly throughout the
game (see Character Progression for more). There
are three types of Spiritual Attribute:
10 The Riddle of Steel: Roleplaying with an Edge
Conscience: The desire to do the right
thing, regardless of personal cost.
Faith: The bond between you and your
chosen patron deity or philosophy.
Passion: A great love, hate, or loyalty that
drives you through life. The subject must be
specified.
A player must divide five points among these
Spiritual Attributes. He can assign a maximum of
5 to any one Spiritual Attribute, and can rate the
others as 0 if desired. Passion may be taken twice,
for different subjects each time.
The Derived Attributes are calculated from the
Temporal and Mental Attributes. There are three
of them, as follows:
Coordination (CRD): A combination of
Agility and Wits, determining your ability to react
and act quickly and accurately under stress. To
determine Coordination, add Agility and Wits,
divide by 2, and round down.
Resistance (RES): A measure of how hard
you are to knock out or take down. To determine
Resistance, add Brawn and Presence, divide by 2,
and round down.
Move (MOV): Determines how much
distance in yards you can cover on foot in 1-2
seconds. Move is equal to your Agility, plus ½
your Brawn (rounded down).
Vocations
In the Quickstart Rules for The Riddle of Steel,
all areas of character skill and training (outside
weapon proficiencies or sorcery) are collapsed
into one-word Vocations, each of which describes
the capacities of that profession or area. Starting
Vocations and their Vocational Ratings, VRs, are
determined by the chart: Priority A grants one
Vocation at VR 6 and one at VR 7; Priority B
grants one Vocation at VR 7 and one at VR 8;
Priority C grants one Vocation at VR 8 and one at
VR 9; and Priority D grants only one Vocation at
VR 9.
Some sample Vocations, and their areas of
strength, are listed as follows:
Woodsman/Ranger: Hunting, tracking, survival,
scrounging, herbalism, orienteering, stealth
and wilderness camouflage, climbing and
swimming.
Knight: Horsemanship, first aid, hunting,
heraldry, military strategy and tactics, tournament
etiquette.
Soldier: Leadership and intimidation, riding,
military strategy and tactics, heraldry, first aid,
battle, rank politics.
Tribesman/Clansman: Hunting, first aid, clan/
tribal etiquette and language, stealth, leadership
and intimidation, sailing (for naval
peoples) or survival (for land peoples).
Sailor: Navigation, climbing and swimming,
sailing, artillery use, boating, naval tactics,
heraldry (flags), street wisdom and astronomy.
Peasant/Craftsman: Trade of choice (farming,
smithcraft, tailorship, masonry etc), first aid,
folklore, animal handling and herding, survival,
hunting and trapping.
Clergyman: Theology, court and church etiquette,
meditation, ritual, oratory, literacy,
diplomacy and first aid. Priests can.t automatically
heal people in The Riddle of Steel. but
miracles have been known to occur with a
sufficiently strong Faith....
Druid : Naturalism, meditation, ritual magic,
arcane theory and symbol drawing, herbalism,
astronomy, and surgery.
Scholar: Ancient languages, literacy, oratory,
research, etiquette, and other areas of esoteric
knowledge, including ritual magic.
Labourer: Teamster work, street wisdom,
scrounging, intimidation, gambling, a trade
skill of choice (farming, masonry, carpentry,
mining, shipbuilding, etc.)
Courtier: Court etiquette, diplomacy and
persuasion, ridicule, games and gambling,
dancing, literacy, intrigue, legal knowledge and
lying/bluffing.
Entertainer: Dancing, intrigue, oratory, musicianship
and singing, acting, acrobatics, juggling,
and disguise.
Rogue: Panhandling, trap detection, street
A Hint at the Riddle: Quickstart Rules 11
wisdom, scrounging, stealth, pickpocketing
and lockpicking, climbing, breaking and entry,
and gambling.
This is only the beginning of possible Vocations.
Players can make up their own, coming up with
names and listing eight to twelve areas of ability
covered by each Vocation. Sorcerers should take
either Druid, Scholar or Clergyman as one of
their vocations.
Not all Vocations are equally applicable to all
situations; part of the challenge to your players is
to come up with clever justifications for how your
training applies. In general, it is the Seneschal
who will decide how applicable your Vocation is
to the action of the moment. If the action is
covered by one of the areas specified in your
Vocation description, you roll against your VR. If
the action can conceivably be related to the
Vocation but is tangential at best, you roll against
your VR +2. If the action has absolutely nothing
to do with any Vocation you have, the Seneschal
will handle it as an Attribute Test instead at a very
high TN (minimum 9).
Proficiencies
These dice are assigned to your proficiencies in
various types of weapons. Priority A gives you 12
dice to assign, Priority B 9 dice, Priority C 6 dice
and Priority D 3 dice. These dice can be assigned
among various types of weapons as you prefer: if
you had 9 dice to spend, you could spend 3 in
Longsword, 3 in Dagger and 3 in Bow, 5 in
Greatsword and 4 in Axe, or any other combination
thereof. These Proficiencies are added to
your Coordination Attribute to determine the
number of dice in your Combat Pool (for melee
weapon Proficiencies) or your Missile Pool (for
missile weapons). A warrior with a Coordination
of 5 and a Proficiency of 4 in Longsword, for
example, will have a Combat Pool of 9 dice when
fighting with his longsword.
Characters who wish to play sorcerers may also
spend these dice to purchase ability in the Realms
of sorcerous power: Temporal, Mental, or Spiritual.
Each Realm has three levels of power .
Novice, Apprentice, and Master; each level of
power, for each Realm, costs 2 Proficiency dice.
So a character with 6 Proficiency dice could buy
Proficiency 2 in Quarterstaff and Novice-level
power in two of the Realms (2 dice each), or buy
Quarterstaff 2 and Apprentice-level power in one
Realm (4 dice).
Spiritual Attribute Use
Spiritual Attributes are valuable in two ways: they
represent additional dice that can be called upon
for actions that further those Attributes, and they
provide the means by which your character grows
and evolves. Essentially, whenever you are performing
an action that supports or is supported
by your particular Conscience, Faith or Passion,
you can add dice equal to that Attribute to your roll.
You can add dice equal to your Conscience to any
roll for an action that involves .doing the right
thing,. especially if there are easier or more
tempting alternatives. Every time you act Conscientiously,
you can increase your Conscience by 1,
up to the maximum of 5. Going against your
Conscience, by acting out of selfishness, greed or
cowardice, can result in the loss of a Conscience
point at the Seneschal.s discretion.
You can add dice equal to your Faith to any action
roll that significantly furthers or defends the
belief, faith or religion involved, or to any roll to
defend or protect the truly faithful. Every time
you act in keeping with your Faith, especially in
the face of danger, you can increase your Faith by
1, up to the maximum of 5. Going against your
Faith can cost you a Faith point at the Seneschal.s
call.
You can add dice equal to your Passion to any
action roll directly affecting the object of your
passion . rescuing a dear love or true friend,
attacking your deadliest enemy, defending the
King you.re sworn to serve, etc. You gain a point
in Passion every time you undertake a risk or make
12 The Riddle of Steel: Roleplaying with an Edge
a sacrifice for the object of your passion, up to
the maximum of 5; you needn.t be successful, you
just have to really try. Ignoring such opportunities
or neglecting the object of your Passion will cause
a loss of 1 point, at the Seneschal.s discretion.
Character Progression
Character development inThe Riddle of Steel is
directly related to how effectively you pursue your
character.s dreams, passions and beliefs. In order to
progress, you must spend points from your Spiritual
Attributes, effectively causing them to drop (but you can
recover these points through gameplay for further
development and roleplaying). Spiritual Attribute (SA)
points can be spent as follows.
To increase a Temporal or Mental Attribute: Spend SA
points equal to the Attribute.s current rating to increase
that Attribute by 1. Derived Attributes can.t be directly
improved; you have to improve the Temporal or Mental
Attributes they.re calculated from.
To increase aWeapon Proficiency: Spend SA points
equal to the Proficiency.s current level to raise it by 1.
Acquiring a totally new Proficiency costs 1 SA point, but
you must find a teacher with at least Proficiency 5 in the
weapon to train you. Raising Proficiencies already
possessed does not require training.
To increase a Sorcerous Realm: Spend SA points equal
to three times your current level in the Realm (so to go
from Level 1,Novice, to Level 2, Apprentice, costs 3 SA
points; to go from Level 2 to Level 3, Master, costs 6 SA
points). Level 1 in a Realm not already possessed costs 3
SA points. Double these costs for anyone trying to learn
without benefit of a master, large library, or similar
resource. Characters must buy at least 1 level in 1 Realm at
character creation in order to develop more sorcerous abilities later .
a character who did not buy any ability in at least one
Realm at character creation has no sorcerous talent, and
cannot develop it later in life.
To reduce a Vocational Rating: VRs don.t directly
change by spending SA points, but through practice and
use. For every time you successfully use a Vocation
under duress of any kind, youmay place a check in one
of the little boxes beside your Vocation. When you have
accumulated five checks, roll Wits against a TNof (15 -
current VR); e.g. if your Vocational Rating is 8, you roll
against a TNof 15 - 8, or 7. Success on this roll lowers
the VR by 1. If you fail, your VR remains as it was, and
youmust erase three of your five checks. (Fumbling
eliminates all checks and leaves your VR as it was.)
You can improve VRs through training .out-ofgame
., by spending 10 SA points to make a Wits roll as
above. These SA points are spent even if the Wits test
fails. You may also purchase a new Vocation, provided
you can find a teacher, at a starting VR of 9 for 10 SA
points.
To improve Social Class &Wealth: Find money. Marry
rich, or well-connected. Blackmail a noble, or gain his
favour. In short, you can.t do it by spending SA points
or rolling dice; you have to do it through the actual story
of your character. Talk to your Seneschal if there are
particular rewards you.d really like to achieve; a decent
Seneschal will give you at least a few opportunities to
acquire them (though he.s under no obligation to make
that acquisition easy for your character!).
4.Combat and
Injury
Combat in The Riddle of Steel, even in this
.rules-light. Quickstart version, is fast and deadly
dangerous; victory requires not just high scores
and big weapons, but tactical thinking and planning.
There are no .hit points. or cosmetic
damage; every wound has the potential to be your
last, and every weapon can kill anyone. Make
plans, team up, play dirty, and above all, don.t be
stupid.
Melee combat is fought using the Combat Pool,
which is the total of your Coordination and your
Proficiency in the weapon you.re using: if you
have a Coordination of 5 and a Longsword
Proficiency of 6, for example, you will have a
Combat Pool of 11 dice whenever you fight with
your longsword. Once you.ve determined your
Combat Pool (or CP, for short), set aside the dice
A Hint at the Riddle: Quickstart Rules 13
and get ready for the fight!
Rounds, Initiative and Exchanges
Melee combat is structured around the Combat
Round, a period of time lasting about 1 or 2
seconds in which combatants engage in two
Exchanges of Blows . Contest Rolls using some or
all of their CP to roll contests of attack and
defense. At the beginning of the fight, each
combatant should take their red die and their
white die into their hand. To signal the beginning
of the combat, the Seneschal will call out .Throw!.
To show you are attacking, throw down the red
die.
To show you are defending, throw down the
white die.
If more than one combatant throws down a red
die, they attack in order of their Coordination
scores, from highest first to lowest last.
Taunting: If nobody throws down a red die, the
combatants circle for a few moments, and can
Taunt each other to try to provoke the other into
attacking. Each player should make an Extended
Roll of Presence, with TNs and Required Successes
equal to their target.s Presence; the first one
to accumulate the necessary Successes has provoked
the other into attacking, and the loser must
throw down a red die at the next call.
Surprise: If a player does not throw down an
initiative die when the Seneschal calls for it, or the
Seneschal rules that the character would reasonably
be caught by surprise (getting jumped on
from a dark alley, getting stabbed by a trusted ally,
etc.), the surprised or hesitating player must roll
Coordination against a TN set by the Seneschal to
indicate the degree of surprise . ranging from TN
7 if you didn.t throw down your die or are otherwise
aware of your attacker but caught off-guard,
all the way to TN 13 (requiring a Stacking success)
if you were caught totally blindsided! Failure
indicates that no action can be taken until next
round, but if you get at least one success, you can
defend (or attempt to Buy Initiative).
Buying Initiative: This dangerous tactic requires
waiting for your opponent to strike, then attempting
to beat him to the punch by moving faster
than he can. You can buy initiative when you have
both thrown down a red die, or if you throw
14 The Riddle of Steel: Roleplaying with an Edge
down a white die and then change your mind.
Instead of simply waiting for your attack turn in
order of Coordination, or defending as normal,
tell the Seneschal you want to buy the initiative by
spending CP dice equal to your opponent.s Wits.
You may then roll a Contest of Presence against
your opponent.s Wits, each against a TN equal to
the other.s Coordination; the one who gains more
successes will strike first.
Once the actions of Initiative have been established,
the first Exchange takes place: the attacker
allocates a portion of his Combat Pool to an
attack and rolls; the defender does likewise with
his Combat Pool to defend. On the following
Exchange, the winner of the previous Exchange
attacks with the remainder of his Pool, and the
loser defends. This signals the end of the Round,
and Combat Pools refresh. The winner of the last
Exchange retains the initiative next Round; the red
and white dice are not thrown down again. This
continues until both opponents choose to break
off, or one defeats (usually by killing) the other....
Attacks, Offensive Maneuvers
and Target Zones
All attacks in The Riddle of Steel must use a
deliberately targeted Maneuver . you can.t just flail
away randomly and hope to hit somebody! In the
Quickstart rules, there are three different types of
attacking Maneuvers, each of which must be
aimed at a particular Target Zone. To attack, a
player must state the Maneuver he is using, how
many of his Combat Pool dice he is spending on
the attack, and which Target Zone he is aiming for
. for example, Jake might say, describing his
bladeslinger Geralt.s choice of attack, .I.m swinging,
for 6 dice, to the head,. or, .I.m thrusting for
4 dice to the chest..
Roll the dice you.ve stated you.re spending. Your
Attacking Target Number, or ATN, is set by the
weapon and Maneuver you.re using . see Weapons
and Armour, later, for details. Make a note of how
many Successes are scored on this attack; this will
determine your damage, if you hit. If you fumble
your Attack roll, you immediately lose half the dice
you just spent on your attack from your remaining
Combat Pool . e.g., if your Combat Pool is 12
and you fumble a Swing for 6 dice, you lose 3 dice
at the beginning of the next Exchange.
The three basic attacking Maneuvers are:
Thrust . Driving a weapon or blow home with a
straight lunge or stab. Thrusts are very fast, but
lose the extra damage of a swing.s angular momentum;
you gain an extra die to use in your
attack roll, but must reduce the damage done on a
successful hit by one level. You can spend an
additional CP die before you roll to eliminate this
damage reduction, if successful.
Swing . The elemental attack for most melee
weapons: swinging them through an arc to add the
weight of momentum and leverage to its impact.
As with Thrusts, you can spend an additional CP
die before rolling to boost the damage of a
successful hit by 1 level.
Feint . A deceptive maneuver designed to .fake
out. the defender. The attacker must first announce
a Thrust or Swing to his initial Target
Zone as above; after the defender declares his
defense, the attacker can spend 1 CP die to call,
.Feint!. and changes the Target Zone while
adding extra dice to his attack, at an additional
cost of 1 CP for every extra die added. The new
Target Zone should be fairly near to the original .
pulling off a huge change in direction, like feinting
at the feet and then attacking the head, will cost 2
CP dice for every die added to the true attack.
Example: Geralt, with a CP of 13, is facing off
against Stefan, an old enemy. He decides to go
for a Feint, and declares a Swing for Stefan.s left
leg (Target Zone II) for 6 dice. Stefan declares a
Block for 5 dice (he has a shield, and is feeling
pretty safe). However, Geralt then spends 1 of
his 7 remaining dice and calls .Feint! Now I.m
swinging for Stefan.s side!. He spends 3 dice and
adds the last 3 dice to his Swing, which is now 9
A Hint at the Riddle: Quickstart Rules 15
dice to Target Zone III against Stefan.s measly 5.
Geralt has a much better chance of getting that
blow home now....
Feints are a little harder to execute than Thrusts
or Swings; you must have at least Proficiency
Level 4 to use a Feint. In addition, Feints lose
their impact when used more than once against
the same opponent. Each repeated identical feint
(same original Target Zone, same new Target
Zone) against the same opponent, even if time
has passed since your last duel, costs an extra CP
die to execute.
The seven Target Zones are as follows:
Zone I Lower Legs
Zone II Upper Legs
Zone III Belly/Sides
Zone IV Chest/Shoulders
Zone V Head/Neck
Zone VI Groin/Hips
Zone VII Arms
Remember the location of your hit; it will be vital
in determining the effects of your blow later.
Defenses and Defensive
Maneuvers
To fend off an attack, the defender has a choice
of four basic defensive Maneuvers. He must state
the Maneuver he is using and how many dice he is
rolling for it (.I.m Blocking for 4 dice,. or .I.m
Parrying for 7 dice.), but unlike the attacker he
need not state a Zone . he is automatically assumed
to be defending in the Target Zone chosen
by the attacker. The Defending Target Number, or
DTN, is set by the maneuver and tool selected.
The defender.s successes on this roll are compared
to the attacker.s. If the defender rolls more
successes than the attacker, he has successfully
beaten back or avoided the attack, and may attack
on the next Exchange. If the attacker rolls more
successes than the defender, he has hit and
wounded the defender; subtract the defender.s
successes from the attacker.s to determine the
attacker.s final Margin of Success. (If attacker and
defender tie, no damage is done, but the attacker
retains initiative.)
The defensive Maneuvers are:
Block . Getting your shield (if you have one) in
the way of the attacker.s weapon. The DTN is set
by the type of shield used; see Weapons and Armour.
Shields also provide a certain level of passive
protection, equalling anywhere from 4 to 10
points of protection to Target Zones III, IV, VII
and possibly even V and VI, depending on size
(see Weapons and Armour for more information).
If you do not have a shield, you cannot Block.
Parry . Using your weapon to deflect the attacker.s
weapon away from or past you. The DTN is set
by your choice of weapon . it.s easier to parry
with a rapier than a battleaxe!
Dodge . Getting the hell out of the way. This is
the simplest defense in one way, and the hardest in
another; it leaves your weapon open for use but
may have a higher DTN, depending on what
you.re trying to do. There are three different
types of Dodge, and you must state which you are
using:
Dodge and Break (DTN 4): Full evasion
or retreat . you.ve broken off combat, and no
attack is possible for either party in the next
exchange. A new Initiative Throwdown must be
held. You cannot Dodge and Break immediately
after your own attack.
Dodge and Stand (DTN 7): Partial evasion
. if successful, you can steal initiative on the
next exchange, becoming the attacker, by paying 2
CP dice. You can also steal initiative for no cost if
your opponent fails completely (rolls no successes)
or fumbles.
Duck and Weave (DTN 9): Step inside the
attacker.s blow to gain an advantageous position.
If you win, you steal initiative, and the attacker
loses half the CP dice he spent on his attack from
his Combat Pool, as if he had fumbled his Attack
Roll.
16 The Riddle of Steel: Roleplaying with an Edge
Counter . Also known as the riposte, a Counter
turns the attacker.s attack against him. To use a
Counter, you must spend 2 CP dice immediately
and then allocate dice as if Parrying, at the
weapon.s standard DTN. If you succeed, you
steal initiative and gain bonus dice on your attack
equal to every die used in the attacker.s roll; if you
fail, the attacker gets an extra success on his
attack, increasing his Damage Level.
Determining Damage
On a successful hit, the attacker will have scored a
Margin of Success over the defender. Damage is
determined by adding this Margin of Success to the
Damage Rating (or DR) of the weapon being used.
Most melee weapons. damage is determined by the
wielder.s Brawn, ranging from Brawn -2 to Brawn
+3. The defender subtracts his own Brawn, and the
Armor Value (AV) of any armor worn that covers the
struck location. The final result is theWound Level,
ranging from 1 to 5, which is cross-referenced on the
Damage Table to determine the exact results . level 1
wounds are only momentarily disabling, whereas
level 5 wounds are usually fatal or close to it. Location
makes a difference as well; a Level 3 wound to
the head is worse than one to the shoulder.
There are no .hit points. inThe Riddle of Steel.
Damage is assessed through three factors: Shock,
Pain and Blood Loss.
Shock indicates the dice that are lost from all your
Dice Pools (Combat, Missile and Sorcery) immediately
after receiving the blow. It lasts only for the
round in which the blow is inflicted, unless the
Shock penalty is greater than the receiver.s current
total CP; in this case, the remainder of the penalty is
applied at the beginning of the next round, unless
the Pain penalty is greater. (For example, if you are
hit for a blow which does 7 Shock, but you only have
5 CP left, you lose all your CP for the rest of this
Round and 2 CP at the beginning of next Round.)
A Hint at the Riddle: Quickstart Rules 17
Pain indicates the dice that are permanently subtracted
from your Dice Pools until the wound heals. People
with high Presence can resist the effect of Pain
somewhat. Pain is also important for determining
healing times.
Blood Loss reflects the deterioration of health due to
bleeding and internal damage, and is measured by
rolling against a Blood Loss Target Number (abbreviated
as BL). The first wound received sets this
number; every wound received thereafter increases
this TN, as long as it comes from a different part of the body
. e.g. if you get hit twice in the arm, your BL does
not increase, but if you are hit in the arm and then in
the leg, it does. At the beginning of each Round, all
wounded characters must roll Brawn vs. their current
accumulated BL; whenever the roll is failed, one
point of Brawn is lost. (This does reduce the damage
you inflict and resist!) When Brawn reaches 0, the
character enters a coma and dies.
Certain wounds can also inflict Knockdown or Knockout.
Whenever a character receives a wound that
inflicts enough Pain or Shock to reduce his CP to
zero or less, he may be knocked down. Roll Resistance
against a TN of twice the attack.s Margin of
Success; failure indicates you have been knocked
prone, which reduces your Combat, Missile and
Sorcery Pools to 1/3 normal. Certain blows,
expecially to the head, may call for a Knockout test;
this is also a roll of Resistance against a TN set by
each wound . failure indicates loss of consciousness
for 1d10 seconds, usually with immediate collapse,
and fumbling indicates 1d10 x 10 minutes of unconsciousness.
Example: Melee Combat in
Action
Our hero Geralt, played by Jake, has been called out on a
duel by his old enemy, Stefan. Geralt has a Brawn of 5, a
Coordination of 6 and his Combat Pool is 15; he.s
carrying a longsword and wearing no armor. Stefan has a
Brawn of 5, a Coordination of 4, and his Combat Pool is
13; he.s wearing a full suit of chainmail, a pot helmet and
carrying a heater shield, all of which reduce his CP to 9.
They are fighting on foot.
Seneschal (as Stefan): Declare attack or defense.
Both Jake and the Seneschal grab their red and white dice,
then throw down. Both throw white.
S: The two of you circle for a moment, sizing
each other up. Throw again.
Again, both Jake and the Seneschal throw white dice.
Geralt and Stefan continue circling. They throw again,
and again, both of them throwing white in each instance.
S: Stefan, tired of circling, begins to taunt you,
insulting your family and your skill.
J: I.ll return the favor. I say, .It.s your brother
whose head this inbred, unskilled bladeslinger tore
from its shoulders. Perhaps you.d like to join him
in hell?.
S: Roll Presence.
They have engaged in Taunting. Geralt has a Presence of
5; Stefan has only 4. Stefan must get 5 successes of 5 or
more; Geralt need only get 4 successes of 4 or more. On
the first roll Stefan gets 2 successes, Geralt 3.
S: Throw down again.
Again, both throw white dice.
J: He wants me to attack first, but this just might
work. I say, .Your brother never even put up a
fight. I felt bad after I killed him . it was like
slaying a handmaiden!.
S: Roll Presence again....
Geralt gets 3 successes, Stefan only 1. Geralt has easily
surpassed his minimum requirement of 4 successes.
S: Looks like that did it. Throw down for initiative.
This time Stefan throws a red die; he lost the Taunting
contest and snapped first. Geralt throws down white,
waiting to see what strategy Stefan uses (and hoping to turn
a Counter against him).
18 The Riddle of Steel: Roleplaying with an Edge
S: Here we go: Round 1, exchange 1. Stefan
comes in quickly, swinging for your head, zone V,
for four dice.
J: About time . I.m gonna Duck & Weave, so I
can get past that shield! I.m spending 9 dice.
They both roll: Stefan gets 2, 5, 8, 9 . only 2 successes
against the ATN of his weapon, which is 6. Geralt rolls
2, 3, 3, 4, 7, 7, 9, 9, 0: three successes against the Duck
and Weave DTN of 9. Three against two only wins by
one . but that one is plenty. Stefan.s sword whickers
harmlessly by, opening a large hole in Stefan.s defense.
S: You evaded his blow and can attack; he.s lost 3
CP for your Duck and Weave.
J: Man, that was close! Okay, I.m spending my
last six dice Swinging for his left side, zone III.
S: He.s going to Dodge and Stand, spending his
last two dice.
Geralt rolls 2, 2, 5, 7, 8, 0... four successes against his
weapon.s ATN 5 (it.s a very fine sword). Stefan rolls 6
and 8 . one success against the DTN 7 of his Dodge &
Stand. Geralt wins with a margin of 3, plus his sword.s
damage rating of 8 (BRN +3, for a greatsword) for a
damage total of 11 to Stefan.s side. Stefan subtracts his
own BRN 5 and his AV 4 (for the chainmail protecting
that location), total 9, from Geralt.s damage: 11 minus 9
is 2, for a level-two wound to the side. On the Damage
Table, this reads: .Bleeding, torn and shredded muscle:
BL 5, Sh 3, Pn 6-PRS.. On the next Exchange Stefan
will have only 6 dice to work with (his CP of 9 minus 3
Shock), and every Exchange after that he will have only 7
dice (CP 9 minus 2 Pain, which is 6 minus his PRS 4).
S: You duck under his sword and land a solid
blow to his side . it would have killed him if he
hadn.t been armored. But you.ve left him reeling,
and you can follow up with another attack.
Round 2: pools refresh.
J: I.ll swing up from below at zone VI. 10 dice .
I wanna gut this puppy.
S: He.s blocking with his shield for 4 dice.
Geralt rolls 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 7, 7, and 7 (bad luck!) .
only three successes on his ATN 5. Stefan rolls 2, 3, 7, 9
. two successes against his shield.s DTN of 5. Geralt
hits with a margin of 1; his weapon damage brings it up to
9. Stefan.s BRN and AV bring that back down to 0,
inflicting a level 0 wound . a scratch.
S: You land a hit on the inside of his leg, but it
fails to break through the chain. However, you
still have initiative, and can attack again.
J: You know it! I.m spending my last 5 dice to hit
him in the side, zone III.
S: He.s blocking with his last 2.
Geralt rolls 1, 2, 2, 4, 8 . one success on ATN 5.
Stefan rolls 7 and 9 . two successes! He blocks
Geralt.s attack, stealing initiative. Round 2 ends.
As Round 3 begins, the Seneschal rolls Stefan.s BRN 5
against his BL 5; he gets 2 successes, so Stefan.s fine for
now. However, Stefan still only has 7 dice to work with,
for the Pain of his wound in the side.
S: Round 3: pools refresh. Stefan has initiative
and thrusts for your side, zone III. He.s spending
five dice, which gives him six for a Thrust.
J: No problem. I parry sideways, 8 dice.
Stefan rolls 4, 5, 7, 7, 8, 9... four successes for his
weapon.s ATN 6. Geralt parries, rolling 1, 2, 4, 4, 5, 9,
0, 0... three successes against his sword.s DTN 6. Stefan
hits with a margin of 1, adding this to his sword.s damage
of BRN (5 levels) for a final total of 6... but this is
reduced by 1 to 5, because Stefan was Thrusting. Against
Geralt.s BRN 5, this drops to a level-0 wound.
S: His sword skitters along your ribs, slicing skin
but doing no real damage. He follows up with
another attack, a Swing to your head for his last
two dice.
J: Time to finish this. I.m gonna spend two dice
to Counter, then use the last 5 to trap him.
Geralt spends 2 CP dice, then rolls the remaining 5 against
his DTN 6 as Stefan rolls. Stefan gets 7 and 9, two
success... Geralt gets 2, 3, 7, 7 and 8 . three successes!
This successful Counter gives Geralt the initiative on the
next Exchange, and gives him two bonus dice for
Stefan.s two successes.
A Hint at the Riddle: Quickstart Rules 19
S: You trap his sword and knock the blade
aside, bringing your own sword into perfect
setup. Round 4 begins, pools refresh.
He rolls for Stefan.s Blood Loss, but again Stefan
succeeds.
S: You won the counter, and can launch your
attack with 2 bonus dice.
J: I.m swinging for the head. 10 dice, plus the
bonus 2, for 12.
S: He.s going to try to Dodge and Break, for all
7 dice . he knows he.s going down if he doesn.t
get out of here; you can see it in his eyes....
Geralt rolls his 12 dice: 1, 1, 3, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 8, 9, 9,
0 . nine successes on his ATN 5! Stefan rolls 7 dice
against the DTN 4 of a Dodge and Break, and gets...
1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 8 and 0 . two successes. Geralt.s blow
does his weapon damage, 8, plus his 7 Margin of
Success . 15! Even after subtracting Stefan.s BRN 5
and pot helm.s AV 5 (on his head), that.s a level-five
wound. On the Damage Table, this reads: .Instant
death. Very messy.. And that ends the fight.
S: Blood spatters you at your opponent drops
like a bag of sand. Now his retainers start
advancing on you....
J: Okay, time to get out of here.
As shown by this example, the right Maneuver
at the right time is more useful than a big
sword, lots of armor or a high CP. Jake only
needed one successful hit to give him an advantage
that won the fight, and he got that hit by
saving his dice for a Maneuver that would get
him past Stefan.s defenses. This is what is
meant by thinking tactically and planning your
fight.
Missile Combat
Missile combat functions a little differently from
melee, although it also draws on a Dice Pool: your
Missile Pool, which is the sum of your Coordination
and your Proficiency in the missile weapon
you.re using.
The Missile Pool begins at 0 and refreshes to its
maximum size (Coordination + Missile Proficiency,
as above) at a rate equal to your Wits per
round, beginning once the missile weapon is ready
and in position to fire. Thus, a character with
Wits 6 and Missile Pool 12 would gain the full
benefit of all 12 dice after 2 seconds of aiming
(though you cannot gain more dice than are
normally in your Pool). Once a shot is fired, the
Missile Pool drops to 0 and begins to refresh again
at the same rate.
Most weapons require a little preparation time
before they are ready to fire, especially between
shots. Haste, hesitation or circumstances can
shorten or lengthen this time. You can reduce
your prep time by spending MP from your Pool;
each weapon has its own MP cost for hurried
preparation.
Range is also a key factor in successful missile fire.
In The Riddle of Steel, each ranged weapon has
a Range Increment which increases TN at every
interval of this distance: thus, if a weapon has an
RI of .+1 per 10 yards,. the base TN increases by
1 for every 10 yards to the target . so all shots at 0
to 9 yards are made at the weapon.s base TN, all
shots at 10 to 19 yards are at +1 TN, all shots at
20 to 29 yards are at +2 TN, and so on.
A typical missile weapon is described thus:
Standard Short Bow
Prep Time: 2 or 4 rounds (0 rounds to pull
arrow from ground, 2 to pull from quiver; 2
rounds to nock and draw)
Refresh Begins: When arrow is drawn
Hasty Prep: Spend 2 MP to reduce Prep
Time by 1 round
ATN: 6
DR: 5
Range: +1 ATN per 10 yards
Circumstances will modify prep time according to
20 The Riddle of Steel: Roleplaying with an Edge
common sense. A player who carries an arrow
nocked to his bow will obviously have a shorter
prep time for that shot, while a crossbow in a
backpack will require much more prep time than
usual.
Target movement can affect your chances to hit as
well. Any target that is moving constantly at a
steady rate subtracts 2 MP from your Pool.s total;
a target moving erratically and unpredictably
subtracts 3 MP. A target that is aware of incoming
fire can Dodge and Break as well.
Example: Missile Combat in
Action
April.s character Lira, a Dardanian freedom fighter with
WTS 6 and a Missile Pool (Short Bow) of 12, has come
to Otamarluk to assassinate the Sul.taan. She has worked
her way up to a rooftop across from the palace entrance,
and is evaluating the range.
April (as Lira): So how far am I gonna be shooting?
Seneschal: Looks like about 25 yards, give or take.
A: Not less than 20?
S: Nope.
A: Okay. I.ll stick three arrows in the ground and
wait.
S: An hour passes, then another. Finally, you hear
a commotion from below, and peer over the
roof .s edge to see the Sul.taan exiting the palace,
surrounded by guards.
A: I grab an arrow from the ground and nock it.
S: 2 rounds total.
A: How fast is he moving?
S: Not very... he.s walking at a steady pace with
his guards, but they.re moving in a straight line.
The guards are looking around . it doesn.t seem
to have occurred to any of them to look up yet,
but sooner or later....
A: I.m not rushing this shot. I.m taking the full
two rounds to aim.
S: Your Pool loses 2 dice for the Sul.taan.s movement,
and your ATN.s two higher for the range .
8.
A: 10 dice, at ATN 8. I can live with that. I fire
for his chest.
Lira rolls 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 8, 8... two successes. A
hit. Her damage level is 7: 5 for the bow, plus 2 for her
successes. The poor unarmored Sul.taan.s BRN is 4; he
subtracts this from 7 to yield a level-three wound to the
chest. On the Damage Table, this reads: .Heavy injury,
tearing major blood vessels: BL 6, Shock 6, Pain
8-PRS..
S: The Sul.taan reels back, spouting blood everywhere.
Doesn.t look like he.s quite in danger of
dying, though... and now the guards are fanning
out, shouting frantic orders to one another as they
cast around to find the archer who laid their liege
lord low.
A: I want this guy dead. I.m going for another
shot; gonna spend 2 MP for hasty prep time.
S: 1 round to nock and draw, 1 round as you
refresh to 6... and with shouts and cries, the
guards below converge on the building you.re
standing on.
A: Crap. I.m out of time. I.ll fire with what I.ve
got. At least he.s not moving any more....
S: You.ve only refreshed up to 6. Lose 2 MP for
the hasty prep time, roll 4 dice against ATN 8.
Lira rolls: 4, 4, 6, 7... a miss! She must now choose
between firing her last arrow, or making her escape before
the palace guards catch up to her....
The Damage Table
This is it . the table that determines whether your
character lives or dies. To find the effects of a
wound, cross-reference the level of damage
inflicted with the Target Zone. The last row,
Generic Damage, is used for all-over, non-specific
damage such as fire, sorcery, lightning, poison,
disease and other injurious things.
If you are fighting a non-human opponent, rough
analogues should be used to the appropriate
Target Zones, bearing in mind the progression of
Wound Levels: Level 1 is glancing and light, Level
2 a little more serious, Level 3 is a significant
hindrance, Level 4 is incapacitating, and Level 5
represents crippling, maiming or mortal injuries.
A Hint at the Riddle: Quickstart Rules 21
Particularly large creatures may even require 2
Damage Levels per Wound Level, or more . and
not all creatures will bleed or feel pain like humans,
which can cause even more interesting
battles....
The Damage Tables in the full corebook of The
Riddle of Steel offer much more complicated
and detailed breakdowns of injury types, differentiating
damage by cutting, bludgeoning or piercing
and including a hit location roll for exact lo
Shadows of the Empire Q&A
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