“Try Before You Buy” is an occasional segment of Astral Projections. It spotlights free (or nearly free) supplements, quick-start rules, and modules for various RPGs. This week’s product is the 117 page quickstart for the popular Symbaroum RPG. My son has been raving about this dark fantasy RPG since he first played it at GNC a few years back. I’ve never been able to get into a session, but now I have a chance to see what it’s all about.
First off, there is a lot included. I think it’s more of an abridged version of the core book than a typical Quick Start. Most quick starts have just enough on stats, skills, equipment, magic, background and so forth for GM and players to get through an introductory module. Not Symbaroum QS. There’s 20 pages of in-game history and backstory for starters, not counting details covered in the rest of the eighty-plus pages. This is much less than the three chapters included in the core book, but considerably more than most quickstarts include for a unique setting. Magic systems, NPC and creature types, and equipment are also covered fairly thoroughly, although only a few weapons and adversaries of each have full statblocks. Likewise, only a few spells and Abilities (most analogous to skills) have descriptions.
Playable races in the quickstart and core books are limited, compared to most fantasy RPGs. Humans, changelings (human replaced by an elf as an infant), goblins, and ogres are the only options. The latter two races are not quite the same as in most fantasy milieus. The three non-human races are generally looked down upon by humans.
The various magic traditions, like equipment, get their own chapter, with solid overviews of the various types of magic-users–theurgs (clerics), wizards, witches, etc. A few spells and rituals, those used in the module, have full descriptions, as I mentioned. Most magic doesn’t have a very positive reputation in Symbaroum, except for Theurgy and wizards supporting the Ambrian queen. There’s good reason for this, as using magic is one of the ways to gain Corruption, a soul-deep taint/infection that results in horrific physical and mental changes over time.
I wish I understood (and could explain!) the Corruption mechanic, beyond, “It exists, there’s permanent and temporary types, and you get it from spell-casting, undead, etc.” but there was little more said in the quickstart. It also didn’t seem to come up much in the module, so perhaps that’s why what is clearly a key part of the setting gets short shrift. My son mentioned it when talking about his play experiences and said that it gave an “Arthurian” feel to the magic system.
The key mechanic is easy to pick up for anyone who’s played D20-based fantasy games. There are eight Attributes (characteristics)–Accurate, Cunning (intellect), Discreet (stealth), Persuasive, Quick, Resolute, Strong, Vigilant–with values from 5 to 15 and modifiers from +5 to -5, in that order. Tests are usually an Ability score value versus the modifier (not value) of an opponent’s score (or a specific Difficulty). Damages are given in a polyhedral die type, which again is typical for D20 games.
Characters also have one or two Traits, tied to the race, and Abilities (skills). Character creation isn’t covered in the quickstart. However, there are five pregens included to be used with the “Blight Night” module. The text mentions a sixth pregen, but Karla was left out. Five, however, will be enough for many groups. “Blight Night” itself, is a simple “Defend an Inn” scenario, which does have some ties to the larger world of Symbaroum. The remainder of the book is an overview of the “Throne of Thorns Chronicle” campaign, a series of 6 module sourcebooks.
If you like the quickstart, the full core rulebook is about US$35, with other books in the line priced about the same. The PDF is available from Modiphius for 13 Euros or on the Drive Thru RPG site for $24.
Linda Whitson
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