Storm & Steel
The new roleplaying system and world created by genius artist Steven Hill
Storm & Steel
Storm & Steel is a medieval fantasy adventure roleplaying game system where players create custom characters that can master magic and combat to make their way through a dangerous world filled with monstrosities, supernatural perils, and deadly combatants. While many of its elements are both familiar and unique to fantasy roleplaying, its robust combat system is new and intuitive.
The persona is what the world sees - and does not see - as a player controls their character. It is more than the sum of their attributes, powers, abilities, possessions, and other character defining things: it is their personality, traits, quirks, goals, drive, and personal choices that truly define the character.
Character creation is a cooperative creative process done together with both the guidance of the GameMaster and the Player to bring the necessary pieces of the character together. While a self-guided process will be provided for players to design characters, a hands-on approach by GameMasters is more desirable to ensure a better fit into the GameMaster's customized milieu. A set of character sheets will be provided along with the steps needed to fill them.
A character's physical and mental attributes are numerically defined by seven ability scores determined by random rolls adjusted by modifiers from race, class, occupations, etc. The value of each ability score represents the actual bonus or penalty awarded for the attribute. The scores (-1, 0, +1, +2, etc.) are recorded in required places on character sheets throughout the character making process.
Storm & Steel has a large plethora of both unique and familiar playable fantasy races that can be chosen by players. However, the GameMaster may adjust the available choices to fit their particular milieu. Many races have special abilities and modifiers to physical and mental attributes. Each available choice can be a unique roleplaying experience.
Storm & Steel has a large plethora of both unique and common playable fantasy classes that can be chosen by players. However, much like with the races, the Gamemaster may decide which are available within their particular milieu.
Occupations, Heritage, and Culture are character defining details in Storm & Steel. They often offer advantages (and sometimes restrictions, in the cases of some Heritage and Culture options) based on a character's background. They can be selected or rolled randomly. A GameMaster's milieu may determine where such background options are available.
Storm & Steel offers a great number of skills that are typically not directly related to combat. These are often garnered from classes, race, occupations, heritage, culture, background, and the general imagination of the player.
- Storm & Steel generally offers skills freely where proper but allows the possibility of gaining skills not associated with the forementioned sources above. This is only if deemed available by the GameMaster and special Skill Points are spent. Skill Points not spent on adding otherwise unassociated skills can be used to bolster character skills.
- A Skill Point system is offered for GameMasters who have a "hands-off" approach to skill determination.
Storm & Steel offers a robust, strategic combat system guided by a uniquely intuitive movement and initiative system - where the action and combat momentum is continuous!
- Every round of combat is divided into segments in which every character can move throughout the round, even when it's not their turn to attack. This means every player has something to do on every segment, if they choose. The ebb and flow of combat is easy to follow and intuitive as it plays out on the tabletop. The system rids for the need of clunky, non-immersive rules and feels less 'gamey'. Even new players are typically more decisive and less likely to be struck with 'decision paralysis'. At the same time, this movement system is quick and easy!
- Attacks: Attackers roll dice to attack.
- Defense: Defenders roll dice to defend.
- Attackers roll dice for damage if successfully striking.
- Defenders roll dice for Damage Reduction awarded by their armor and magical protections.
Storm & Steel offers a system (including additional optional systems) where weapon choices are meaningful.
- Shorter, faster weapons will improve chances to attack sooner but will typically score less damage.
- Longer, slower weapon will impair chances to attack sooner but will typically score more damage.
- Longer weapons, in general, will allow a wielder to strike an opponent with a shorter weapon immediately when making first contact.
- Storm & Steel rules recognize the advantage and disadvantage of weapon designs versus armor (or lack thereof) and awards attractive bonuses and reasonable penalties for their use. While there are many armor choices in Storm & Steel, there are only four major armor categories to consider when dealing with weapon types versus armor types: so, the weapon bonuses are quick & easy to use.
Storm & Steel offers a great assortment of historical and fantasy armor types, each with their own numerical value that reduces damage scored against the wearer. While more protective heavy armor can reduce movement and Defense bonuses due to weight and mobility considerations, the Damage Reduction may outweigh being struck more often. Shields in Storm & Steel offer Defense bonuses based on their size and award some damage reduction. Metal shields award further bonuses versus ranged weapons. Metal shields, as well as larger shields, do however reduce movement.
Powers are magical abilities that often have similar effects to that of magic spells but often without the necessity of an incantation to present the power. They are typically wielded by adventuring classes and magical creatures, or found in magical treasures.
Spells are typically created by incantations designed to release some form of magical energy or effect. Sometimes they are a form of magical super-science that follow certain laws of the magical universe, much like the laws of mundane science. Sometimes the spells were created by mighty supernatural beings and gods and left to be used for all-time to those that can fathom them and wield them. Some spells are granted directly by supernatural beings and gods directly, either with or without worship or devotion. When worship is required, the magic spells are considered truly divine.
- In Storm & Steel, many creatures are not able to innately perform magic spells even when they have the means to train: for magical power is something that one is either born with or granted by a master who 'loans' such power during an apprenticeship. When an apprenticeship is deemed over, the master may either permanently grant the apprentice the power or withhold such permanence.
- The magical power needed to cast magic spells is a power that is spiritually found inside the body of one who has either inherited it from one or both parents - or given by a master (see above). The power found within is of a specific type, and by default, will not allow the creature to otherwise cast spells not associated with the magical type. Thus, a spellcaster who for example manipulates Force Magic may not be able to create magic fire, nor create undead. While many spellcasting classes may have similar spells, the effects may vary by class. A Force Master may have a stronger Force barrier that lasts longer than a Wizard who casts the same basic spell, for example.
- The Storm & Steel magic system typically awards spellcasters pools of personal magic energy, usually in the form of Spell Points. Such pools of magical energy are totaled separately when more than one type of spellcasting is known.
War machines, mounts, and transports can be found both in magical and mundane forms; as well as living, undead, and golem-like construction. Many specific examples are typically only found in certain parts of The World, produced by specific races, cultures, religions, factions, guilds, cities, or classes.
Treasures great and small can be discovered, conquered, earned, or made!
Magical treasures, whether minor and mighty, are the creations of spellcasters, creatures, magical beings, and gods. Famed spellcasters, races, religions, countries, and cities often have their own magical specialties, often produced exclusively. Their secrets and magical resources are often zealously guarded!
Storm & Steel details dungeon encounters and trappings, as well as rules for dungeoneering and survival equipment for dungeon and overland adventures. Also provided are rulings to help easily track time and movement during adventures, whether a dungeon crawl or wilderness trek.
Encounters are the backbone of a robust adventuring world. Storm & Steel details common and rare creatures of all levels of danger and adventure.
While Storm & Steel is easily adapted to any fantasy world, it has its own world rich with life and magic! In it, great empires hammer and claw each other, while multitudes of kingdoms and magic realms feud. Unique varieties of the races of humans exist in sprawling, breathtaking realms, replete with their own distinctive and unrivaled architecture, magical innovations, and weapons of war. Powerful elven kingdoms heartily resist the changing world while dwarves thrive in their mountain citadels of stone and iron and underground civilizations, eagerly battling giants, dragons, and monstrous armies in unending wars. Mighty and old civilizations of both the living and the undead are endlessly at destructive odds. Great swaths of twisted living lands ooze and writhe as supernatural, wicked terrors issue forth from living chasms and hopelessly deep shifting caverns. Dragons and Draconians control vast lands of sprawling empires. Titans and Colossi thunder across distant lands, adversaries to the draconic empires. The rotting dead Colossi, seemingly disinterested with the rest of the world, guard long dead ancient civilizations and places of great power where only the mightiest of heroes and beings would dare venture. Throughout the world, the gods and other powerful divine and supernatural beings dwell, directly influencing those they seek to rule and those they seek to ruin!
In the World of Storm & Steel, many divine beings, gods and god-like beings of great power dwell among mortals! These mighty beings can be found all over the world. Some are hidden or secluded, while others exist in plain sight of both worshippers and enemies!
The Storm & Steel game system contains ranges of random numbers that typically must be generated by die rolls. In some cases, the choice of dice to generate the random number range may not be obvious. This section seeks to demystify how to generate such die rolls.
