The Life Of Iron Core Ruleset (Beta Version 0)

Nothing grows in the fields. The fiery winds of upheaval and war have turned them to black-charred ruin and clogged the wells with their ashes. Townships once prosperous and idyllic have grown accustomed to the taste of starvation. There are whispers of plague, whispers of demons, whispers of sorcery.

In times like these, the people turn to iron for their answers.

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The Life Of Iron is a cooperative, narrative-focused tabletop role-playing game system for groups consisting of at least one GM and 3-5 other players. Built around a novel core system where the goal is to increase the size of the die used for any given roll, it features rules for in-depth combat designed to create tense, dynamic fight scenes and an open-ended magic system that gives players near-absolute freedom to craft their own spells, though not without potentially explosive consequences.

Games of The Life Of Iron are expected to take place in harsh, gritty settings, where bandits and thieves lie in wait around every corner and a pocketful of coin puts a target on one's back. Characters are unlikely to have any supernatural abilities—and those that do keep them a close-guarded secret. Sorcerers are feared in nearly every corner of the world, so much so that discovery is often tantamount to a death sentence. The players have little time to rest, and must stay on the move if they want to earn enough coin to keep them fed and secure a roof over their heads at night.

The Core Ruleset contains all the information necessary for prospective GMs to run a game of their own using this system. Pre-written adventures in Maharel, the official world of The Life Of Iron, are currently still in development. As a beta release, the game is expected to see changes in the future based on feedback from playtesters, so all readers are valued and any comments are more than welcome. I hope you enjoy!

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Written and (barely) illustrated by Justin Elder
Free to download and play, but tips are greatly appreciated.