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Iron Heroes: A low magic tabletop game
ajs writes "Monte Cook Presents: Iron Heroes is an advanced role playing rule book, based on Wizards of the Coast's d20 System (the rules that underpin the current edition of Dungeons & Dragons). What's unusual about it is that it presents both a setting and rules for "low magic" fantasy that doesn't sacrifice high adventure to get its gritty action." Read the rest of Aaron's review.
Monte Cook Presents: Iron Heroes
author
Mike Mearls
pages
240
publisher
rating
9
reviewer
Aaron Sherman
ISBN
1-58846-796-1
summary
d20 System variant Player's Handbook
Monte Cook Presents: Iron Heroes (I'm just going to call it Iron Heroes from here on) is published under Cook's imprint, Malhavoc Press, by Sword & Sorcery who are best known for their d20 System rules variants and supplements. Sword & Sorcery, in turn, is owned by White Wolf Publishing, well known for their World of Darkness line of storytelling games. Originally titled "Iron Lore", the title was changed before publication due to legal entanglements. But, enough about the publisher, let's discuss the book.
Mike Mearls, a regular contributor to Dragon Magazine and long-time d20 System author, has a vision, it seems. His Iron Heroes game gives us a window into a world where the fabled dragon-slaying knight doesn't carry a glowing trinket of a sword that solves his problems, but has to rely on his skills and experience. On its own, this would be a serious undertaking, but the goal of Iron Heroes is to balance such a world as closely as possible with the established mechanics, threats and rewards of the d20 System. This is something which I would have considered difficult enough to be impractical before I read Iron Heroes.
The book begins by explaining that inexperienced role players need not apply. This is intended as an advanced rulebook, and those not already familiar with d20 will have everything that they need, but may find the book daunting (this is the only major flaw I've found in the book). If you are aware of the d20 System, you will note that none of the usual d20 classes are there. Instead of the rogue, there is a thief. Instead of barbarian, there is a berserker. These are not capricious name changes, however, since the mechanics of each of these variant classes are quite different from their d20 equivalents. More on why in a bit...
To begin to explore the idea behind Iron Heroes, imagine the iconic fantasy setting that D&D generally presents. Now suppose that you make two changes: there are no overt gods interfering with the daily workings of the world (and hence, no divine magic), and magic itself is a wild and dangerous force, not to be toyed with lightly or without consequences.
These two changes produce a world in which the focus of high fantasy adventure turns from the wizard and the magic sword to the muscle-bound weapon master or the stealthy thief. To compensate for the fact that the characters will not have access to powerful magic, each of the core classes in Iron Heroes is substantially more powerful than their standard d20 counterparts. The base attack bonuses (BAB) increase at a faster pace and feats are gained much more quickly than in the SRD (the official, and freely available d20 System rules).
For the rest of the system, the mechanical differences can be summed up as follows:
Of course, the most glaringly different element of Iron Heroes from d20 is the magic system. Magic is dangerous and unpredictable in Iron Heroes, so while there is an "arcanist" class, their spells are used cautiously and often with consequences. The magic system itself is quite different from d20. An arcanist pulls "mana" from elsewhere and focuses it using a "method". Methods are the mechanical effects of a spell, but the strength and "special effects" (to use a Hero System term) of a spell are determined by the amount of mana used and the player's preference respectively. This makes for a magic system which is much more flexible than in standard d20, but not as free-form as, say, the magic system from White Wolf's Mage. Magic is also quite a bit more limited in Iron Heroes, but I imagine that that will be addressed by later supplements.
The system is not easily combined with an existing campaign, so don't look to Iron Heroes for classes to add to your existing characters or for NPCs to introduce into other games. In a world full of magic items, for example, Iron Heroes combat classes would be far too powerful, and Iron Heroes arcanists would be hobbled by the restrictions on their magic use.
In short: this game marks—for me—what the d20 System and the Open Gaming License are all about. It presents a rich set of mechanics that build in compatible ways on what we already have access to, and gives us new ground to cover in the already well-covered ground of the fantasy role playing industry."
You can purchase Monte Cook Presents: Iron Heroes from bn.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews -- to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.
Monte Cook Presents: Iron Heroes (I'm just going to call it Iron Heroes from here on) is published under Cook's imprint, Malhavoc Press, by Sword & Sorcery who are best known for their d20 System rules variants and supplements. Sword & Sorcery, in turn, is owned by White Wolf Publishing, well known for their World of Darkness line of storytelling games. Originally titled "Iron Lore", the title was changed before publication due to legal entanglements. But, enough about the publisher, let's discuss the book.
Mike Mearls, a regular contributor to Dragon Magazine and long-time d20 System author, has a vision, it seems. His Iron Heroes game gives us a window into a world where the fabled dragon-slaying knight doesn't carry a glowing trinket of a sword that solves his problems, but has to rely on his skills and experience. On its own, this would be a serious undertaking, but the goal of Iron Heroes is to balance such a world as closely as possible with the established mechanics, threats and rewards of the d20 System. This is something which I would have considered difficult enough to be impractical before I read Iron Heroes.
The book begins by explaining that inexperienced role players need not apply. This is intended as an advanced rulebook, and those not already familiar with d20 will have everything that they need, but may find the book daunting (this is the only major flaw I've found in the book). If you are aware of the d20 System, you will note that none of the usual d20 classes are there. Instead of the rogue, there is a thief. Instead of barbarian, there is a berserker. These are not capricious name changes, however, since the mechanics of each of these variant classes are quite different from their d20 equivalents. More on why in a bit...
To begin to explore the idea behind Iron Heroes, imagine the iconic fantasy setting that D&D generally presents. Now suppose that you make two changes: there are no overt gods interfering with the daily workings of the world (and hence, no divine magic), and magic itself is a wild and dangerous force, not to be toyed with lightly or without consequences.
These two changes produce a world in which the focus of high fantasy adventure turns from the wizard and the magic sword to the muscle-bound weapon master or the stealthy thief. To compensate for the fact that the characters will not have access to powerful magic, each of the core classes in Iron Heroes is substantially more powerful than their standard d20 counterparts. The base attack bonuses (BAB) increase at a faster pace and feats are gained much more quickly than in the SRD (the official, and freely available d20 System rules).
For the rest of the system, the mechanical differences can be summed up as follows:
- Feats are more tree-like, allowing progression and specialization in each feat.
- Skills and other actions can be used in creative ways by players and game masters alike, with a well balanced system for determining difficulty of unusual "stunts" and "challenges".
- Traits, a "variant rule" in standard d20, are a core mechanic in Iron Heroes.
- Since magical healing is rare at best, characters have reserves of hit points that they can make use of between encounters.
- Armor class is replaced by defense and damage reduction. Defense is the active capacity that a character has to avoid a blow. Armor, on the other hand, reduces damage taken by a character, using the standard d20 rules for damage reduction.
Of course, the most glaringly different element of Iron Heroes from d20 is the magic system. Magic is dangerous and unpredictable in Iron Heroes, so while there is an "arcanist" class, their spells are used cautiously and often with consequences. The magic system itself is quite different from d20. An arcanist pulls "mana" from elsewhere and focuses it using a "method". Methods are the mechanical effects of a spell, but the strength and "special effects" (to use a Hero System term) of a spell are determined by the amount of mana used and the player's preference respectively. This makes for a magic system which is much more flexible than in standard d20, but not as free-form as, say, the magic system from White Wolf's Mage. Magic is also quite a bit more limited in Iron Heroes, but I imagine that that will be addressed by later supplements.
The system is not easily combined with an existing campaign, so don't look to Iron Heroes for classes to add to your existing characters or for NPCs to introduce into other games. In a world full of magic items, for example, Iron Heroes combat classes would be far too powerful, and Iron Heroes arcanists would be hobbled by the restrictions on their magic use.
In short: this game marks—for me—what the d20 System and the Open Gaming License are all about. It presents a rich set of mechanics that build in compatible ways on what we already have access to, and gives us new ground to cover in the already well-covered ground of the fantasy role playing industry."
You can purchase Monte Cook Presents: Iron Heroes from bn.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews -- to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.
If people are excited about this, maybe it's time they broadened their horizons and examined some non-d20 games. Really! They do exist! You don't have to settle for the Microsoft of roleplaying.
If you want gritty low-magic, Chivalry & Sorcery and HârnMaster have been around for two decades. Newer games such as Burning Wheel and The Riddle of Steel also provide nice gritty action. Or explore completely new genres with Serenity, Traveller, Call of Cthulhu, and Tekumel.
A Government Is a Body of People, Usually Notably Ungoverned
I've read the book, and I really like the idea of classes not dependent on magic items. There are two principle troubles I have with Iron Heroes:
(1) Armor provides variable damage reduction. That means that every successful attack involves another die roll. This requires discipline, or it will really slow the game down. Every extra: "make an x roll" instruction from the DM is a slow mechanic. The power of the d20 system is its speed and ease, and I think this idea runs counter to that.
(2) Many of the new feats and classes are strongly reliant on a battle grid. That means Iron Heroes is a tactical game in addition to a roll-playing game. That's not necessarily bad (in fact, it's fun), but it might not be everyone's cup of tea.
Overall, I'd say there's lots of good stuff, though. Didn't Cook write the rule system for Fallout? That had the best rule system of any computer RPG I've ever played. His expertise shows in the rules for this game.
Use the Firehose to mod down Second Life stories!
It's nice to have a d20 system that provides what some players and GMs are looking for, but most great GMs I've played with (and I've tried to aspire to) have made roll-your-own solutions.
It doesn't matter what system you play with. The setting, the gameplay, the amount of die rolls -- it just depends on the GM.
All the DnD games I DMed were low-magic. Getting a +1 sword was a Big Deal (tm). And typically, items with beneficial effects also had drawbacks -- i.e., that +1 sword drew a lot of not-so-positive attention from NPCs. Playing magic-users or clerics was discourage (though not that big a deal, since I required 'natural' die rolls for stats -- it was a rare cleric who was wise enough / pious enough to cast a lot of healing spells)
My point is that while differing rules systems can provide better frameworks for a good game, it's up to the GM and the players to make a good game. It really helps if the GM and the Players are all very honest when they discuss what kind of world it's going to be.
"Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
Why? Simple: his books, though certainly original, are consistently the least balanced in the DnD world.
One perfect example of this is The Book of Vile Darkness (BoVD). Anyone that's actually used this book knows that the creatures inside are far more powerful than they are listed as. The result is an imbalanced game where the players and DM alike constantly have to second-guess the information inside the book. Wise DM's often outright ban it.
What about Malhavoc Press? Those books make the ludicrous foes found inside the BoVD look like child's play. Malhavoc Press books consistently bend and break the DnD system, and an experienced DM carefully restricts their useage.
So, does my rant have a purpose? Yeah, it does. Monte Cook should be relegated to an "idea man," where he comes up w/ ideas and leaves the implementations to people that know what they're doing. Unfortunately, he has a direct hand in his creations. This results in the George Lucas effect, where something that could have been wonderful is turned into a horrid aberration. All you really need to know is to stay away from any product with his name on it. (The only exception being the core DND books.)
And, no, I'm not trolling. I'm speaking from a wealth of experience with this man's books.
/dev/random
Bell curve on the stats, that's where the fun was. Not this modern, computer shit where characters get ever-climbing stats that are rendered meaningless by generalization curves.
You guys understand that AC, etc. are no longer linear scales that you can work to improve, right? That they define a "proper" AC point for a given level, and anything more than 20% below that might as well be naked, even if it's AC 1000, and anything much above that is about 1.20% as effective, end of story? (Note: This must be done to combat twinking, so twinking has corrupted the system behind the scenes. Sad.)
The likelihood of being hit is then scheduled according not to the AC, but to the desires of the developers as to how often you should get hit at that level with "average" equipment, "infinitely good" equipment, and poor equipment (= naked). Average = (say) hit 1 of 4 times vs. average monster that level. Good equipment = 1/4.5 times, and infinitely good peters out to 1/5 times, no more.
It's fine to balance, but removing the linearity makes for much more boring "stat maxing". Hoo-rah. The difference between Super Chestplate of Awesomeness and Super Duper Chestplate of Awesomeness is 1 fewer hits out of 100?!?!?
Are there any games still like this out there, like old-school D&D? Anybody know what I'm talking about? Any "18 ints" out there who can parse the question and give an intelligible answer?
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
Your DM is inept. Sack him.. We've been gaming for a couple of months with 3.5 rev rules. Started at 3rd and got to 6th level by now. In between, we've rescued hostages, fought goblins, ogres, hill giants, pteranadons and a bunch of giant bugs, acquired a pet Dire Weasel, met an angel, discovered ancient temples with powerful secrets, accidentally found ourselves on the wrong side of the planet, and are currently preparing to defend an abandoned but strategic dwarven city from a half-demon and his band of duergar. Fun times!
I hear you my friend!
:D
Now a days its all about getting under the skin of your character, playing the part to the full! BECOMING the role! I have acutaly played with groups that didnt want to use stats or skills at all, they just wanted to write character descriptions for three hours.
It was a relief when my group from the old days got togeather over christmas and dusted off our old heroes! Fireballs flew, dices where rolled, critical hit tables where once again hailed as manna from heaven!
I do enjoy some modern role playing. Its fun to dwell deep into a character, but sometimes I just want to take up my old Talornin a level 23 mage (I used MANY years to get him here) and battle dragons and liches once again for old friendships sake!
Man, Im almost crying now!
When in danger, whewn in doubt! Run in circles, scream and shout!
Any game that relies upon individual combat for progression will end up being tactical.
If for no other reason than the players will want to be VERY specific when their characters are in danger.
This was not a "D&D thing". Go pick up an issue of Dungeon Magazine, and you'll see that the art of the dungeon crawl in modern D&D is not dead. In fact, it's now more popular than ever. There are, however, a practically infinite number of ways to run a game, and your DM might decide to run a ROLE-playing game, rather than a role-PLAYing game. That's their call, and you should let them know what you think.
For old-time's sake, I ran the first session of my new D&D game (my first D&D game in most of a decade) as a dungeon crawl, and I was shocked that my players actually liked it. Sure, I was unsteady with the new rules and taking far too long at combat, but sometimes players just want to go kill something.
Of course, they also enjoy the role playing, but it's not an either-or proposition at all.
Monte Cook's stuff is all great for a very particular style of RPG play that I personally despise -- the "life is cheap" style of gaming. There are no heroes, because PCs can and will be dropped like flies almost at whim. Evil is stronger than good, and the world is very bleak. It's a very old-school way of play where you don't really identify well with your characters either due to lack of interest or as a defensive mechanism if you're trapped in a game with GM like that.
Personally, I dislike Monte Cook's stuff too.
If it's for-profit but free, you're not the customer -- you're the product (e.g., the Slashdot Beta's "audience").
My opinion is that is the fault of the DM, not the rules or the game. Some people want that game, so the DM should be able to deliver that, but if you want a hack and slash sort of game, then that's what you should be able to play.
As an example, in a game I started recently within 10 minutes of sitting down (character creation was done via email before the session) the characters had been in a bar brawl, were falsly accused of murder, and were on the run from the law trying to clear their names. The session ended 4 hours later with them having a massive fight against flayed monks and an evil cleric in a long forgotten tomb they uncovered.
Either look for a new DM or explain to your current one what you would like to try for just one session. It can be a blast if you play the game that fits you. There is alway room for the other stuff here and there (investigating, contact building, negotiating) but if you want hack and slash, d20 can certainly do that.
Was that night on the marge of Lake LaBarge I cremated Sam McGee...
This is not innovative in any way - much better games have existed for nearly twenty years - games that created innovative ideas which seemed to have become industry standards, like point-based chargen and skill-based character design. The release of a low-magic version of a game that has barely evolved since the late eighties is not news.
James P. Barrett
"When I was in the US several years ago I visited a mall, and noticed that they had a D&D shop next to the mall eatery."
The US is a big, diverse place. Where were you? What kind of negative comments did you hear? Depending on locale, I'd expect different kinds of negative comments. "That game store just wants to sell warhammer miniatures and the guys that work at the counter don't even know anything about the games they sell..." That's one variety. "Those heathen devil worshipping sinners with their evil satanist dungeons and dragons..." is another. The former, I might understand. As for the latter, I expect to hear similar things outside clothing and music stores.
There's 'The popular culture', and then there are 'popular cults.' Don't confuse the two. It's not just a USAn phenomenon. They have outspoken religious fanatics in many other countries too.
-fb Everything not expressly forbidden is now mandatory.