IRON AGE FRP

Basic rules booklet

A supplement for any player;

S. A. Blackwood

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Written by:
S. A. Blackwood

Edited by:
S. A. Blackwood

Cover Illustration: Ive Svorcina

Web page: http://www.ironagefrp.com

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/IronAgeFRP

Drive through RPG product page: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/117654/Iron-Age-FRP-

Core-Rules

All information consisted in this book is a pert of the full product that goes by the name: Iron
Age FRP: Core rules, All rights reserved © 2012-2014 Stjepan Levačić.
This booklet is free to share and use exactly in the shape as it is found on this page.

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 CONTENTS
Credits 2
Contents 3
About 4
Creating a character and advancement 5
Tests 6
Combat 7
Spellcasting 8
Fear 8
Mass combat 9

Using this booklet:

This booklet should be sent to all the players that participate in the game. It consist of the most
basic rules that are required for each player to know. It will help even a more advanced players
to remind themselves of the rules.
This booklet is by no means a full core book but is meant as a help to new players and a re-
minder to more advanced players.

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 ABOUT THIS BOOKLET
This booklet is about the most basic of rules that every player needs to know and understand. It’s about help-
ing new players to easier learn to play Iron Age FRP, and it only consist of the most basic rules and infor-
mation that will make easier for new players to adapt to a new rule system.
Of course, there are a few exceptions to rules mentioned here, but they will be learned over the course of play,
things mentioned in this book will ease learning of those. Still it is advised that at least GM browses through
the complete Core Rules book as things mentioned here are just a drop in the ocean.

A few words by the author:

Have you ever wanted to play pen & paper RPG that would give you the same feel of thrill and realism novel
usually does. Did you want to experience the adventure where weariness can influence the success of that ad-
venture, and even make a last stand heroic by itself because of sense of achievement where warriors fell to
before their foes only when weariness overcame them.
When sword breaks and the warriors keeps going on, using everything at his disposal to keep fighting despite
the overwhelming odds.
Or even a warrior that stands before a charging ogre, firmly with a glint of battle in his steel colored eyes
while the army breaks and runs before the brute.
Or even if you wanted to experience love, attraction and maybe some more intimate moments in an RPG. The
system makes it quite easy for you to play out those moments without much description if you’re not in a
mood for them, while still incorporating those elements.
The realism of the game goes as far tat characters might die from a single arrow, while others yet may be
pierced by many and still go on fighting. Of course, an armor plays a great part in longevity of a character, as
the game uses damage reduction system. Though wearing a heavy armor might slow down a character and al-
together reduce the number of dodges available to him, and it might be bad choice in a duel, in larger battles
armor may mean the difference between life and death.

Is the gritty realism or fantasy epic your style of gameplay. Both can be achieved through Iron Age FRP. I’ve
gone to great lengths to create rules that balance between those two sides. While lower level professions tend
to draw on the realism side, the later level professions are most likely to be epic.

And while first three levels of professions consist of merchants, warriors, soldiers, officers, rangers, priests,
wizards, thief's, and assassins; higher level professions mostly consist of more powerful individuals like kings,
warlords, dragon riders, daemon lords, raherryn, dragon slayers, legendary warriors etc.

I will not bore you with further description of the things you will find in the full book, nor will I try to per-
suade you to get it. I will only try and describe my own experience with it.

For two years I’ve invested countless hours into bringing into a game all my experience and many hours of
play testing and simplifying rules. This is the game I most enjoy playing after all it was the game made with
me in mind. Now as it is finished no other game is good enough for me anymore, for I have created a perfect
game for myself. I cannot guarantee that it will be the best game for you as well, but as we share the love for
fantasy role playing games, (or you would not be reading this booklet) it might as well be.

To all of you that sent me your support and mails over this last year, thank you, for you have motivated me to
keep writing and developing the rules .

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 Creating a character
Follow eight steps character creation in Chapter II: Character creation.

Quite simple and easy to follow the way for creating a character.
For each primary characteristics roll 1d4 and add racial bonus.
For Toughness use a racial bonus, add Muscle and profession bonus.
For Stamina use racial bonus, add Endurance and profession bonus.

Professions:
Choose one of professions offered by background as your starting profession.
Write down all benefits that the Profession grants.

Advancement:
To advance in your profession and gain promotion to the next profession you need to spend experience points.
Once a character spends 100 xp he can use 20 xp to enter level 2 profession.
Once a character spends 300 xp he can use 30 xp to enter level 3 profession.
Once a character spends 600 xp he can use 40 xp to enter level 4 profession.
Once a character spends 1200 xp he can use 80 xp to enter level 50 profession.
Use training section of your profession card to train your characteristics and skills.
Cost to increase a level of the skill or characteristic to basic level is 10 xp.
Cost to increase the level of the skill or characteristic from basic to advanced level is 20 xp.
Cost to increase the level of the skill or characteristic from advanced to master level is 40 xp.
Cost to increase the level of the skill or characteristic from master to grandmaster level is 80 xp.

Aptitudes:
Aptitude requirements and costs are written down in Chapter III: Skills & Aptitudes
Spend xp required and write down aptitudes.

Promotions:
In the promotion section, a character has a list available professions, at any time he can enter any level 1 pro-
fession for which he meets the requirements.
XP requirement is mentioned above, in Advancement section.

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Tests
There are several types of test in Iron Age FRP.

Primary characteristic tests.

Primary characteristics: Muscle (Mus), Endurance (End), Reflexes/ Coordination (RC), PB (Physical beauty),
Will Power (WP), Memory (Mem), Int (Intelligence, Charisma (Cha)

To make a primary characteristic test roll 1d20 (one twenty sided die), if the roll is equal or lower to your pri-
mary characteristic, the test is successful.
If your primary characteristic is of basic level you have one reroll per day, each reroll is usable only once per
characteristic test.
If your primary characteristic is of advanced level you have two rerolls per day, each reroll is usable only once
per characteristic test.
If your primary characteristic is of master level you have three reroll per day, each reroll is usable only once
per characteristic test.
If your primary characteristic is of grandmaster level you have an unlimited number of rerolls per day, each
reroll is usable only once per characteristic test.
Opposed primary characteristics tests:
Both characters roll the twenty sided die, and the character which roll is lower than the characteristics against
which they were testing and had the greatest degree of success wins.
Degree of success:
Number that shows the difference between the required roll and actual roll.
E.q. If a character has a muscle of 10 and he rolls 2, his degree of success would be 8.

Skill tests
There are two types of skills Simple and Trained.
To make a skill test roll 1d20 and if the number rolled is equal or lower than the skill number the test is a suc-
cess. If the roll was a critical success(1 on d20), skill is considered to be of one level higher.
E.g. If it is of basic level it is considered advanced, etc.

Simple skills:
Skills that can be used even if the character does not have at least basic level in them.
In the case of unproficient use of a simple skill, a character does not add skill bonuses but uses a raw primary
characteristic number.

Trained skills:
Trained skills cannot even be attempted if the character does not possess at least basic level in them.

Opposed skill tests:

In the case when one character has a higher level of skill and he succeeds in test, a character with a lower level
of skill does not have even to make a test (well he can still roll a 1 and increase a skill level for that test.), a
character with higher level of that skill always wins the opposed skill test if he was successful in his test.
If both characters have the skill of the same level a character with the greater degree of success wins.

Critical success and fumble on skill tests.

The most basic rule is that if a character rolls 1, his skill is considered increased by 1 level. If he rolls 20 he
fails, and sometimes even breaks his tools or material depending upon the type of test. If the test was on melee
skill, a character loses all other actions/ attacks for that round.
There are several skills in Iron Age FRP that directly influence the combat. Melee skill (MS), Ranged skill
(RS), Acrobatics, Armor skill, Ride.
Each of those skills have 4 levels: Basic, Advanced, master and Grandmaster.
There are several types of maneuvers in the game. Unproficent and non-combat maneuvers can be used by all.

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Combat
For each level of melee skill or ranged skill a character has a specific allotment of maneuvers. They are set in-
to categories Basic maneuvers, Advanced Maneuvers, Master Maneuvers, Grandmaster Maneuvers.

Stamina cost of combat: Each round a character uses a complete or two partial actions he uses 1 stamina
point. In rounds when he uses only partial action he does not use stamina point, but after a minute of such light
fighting a character would use 1 stamina point.

Melee skill (MS)

Learned separately for each weapon. A character can even learn how to use bows and crossbows in melee
combat. Each additional level above basic increase Speed by +1(Speed represents a number of attacks with a
specific weapon). Basic speed with a melee weapon is 1.
Light weapons have their basic speed increased to 2, while heavy weapons have their level reduced to 0.
If a character has 0 as his Speed, he needs to use a Complete action to perform a single attack. If he wants to
move and attack, he has to use Charge maneuver.
E.q. A character with an advanced level in long blade would have 2 attacks with a long sword.

Fighting with a weapon in each hand: The character suffers –4 to MS with a weapon in his off hand if that
weapon is not light.
Further more the Speed of weapon held in off-hand is halved (always round down). When a character has only
a single weapon in one hand, he can use the other hand as a light offhand weapon.

Fighting with two handed weapons: Heavy weapons must be used in this manner. If a one handed non-light
weapon is used in this manner, the damage is increased by +1.
While fighting with two hands, the character can use unarmed attack (leg, knee, elbow) for additional attacks,
though in that case he forfeits his dodges (this attack counts as an off-hand attack).
Number of attacks with off-hand is equal to half the speed of character’s unarmed attack.

Parry: A character can use any number of his attacks to block an incoming attack, but only if he uses maneu-
ver that has (D) after his name.
Me makes MS(weapon he is using to block) skill test, and if he was successful, he blocks the attack.

Ranged skill (RS)

Learned separately for each weapon. Can be used for melee weapons, though in that case a character throws
that weapon. Basic Speed of a ranged weapon is 0, though a maneuver such as Reload increase that speed to 1
for the first round of combat.

Ranged weapons and parrying: Ranged attack cannot be parried or dodged if a character doesn't have inhu-
man reflexes trait, or he is using a weapon with the defensive quality to parry.

Acrobatics
Shows the number of dodges a character can perform in a single round. Basic level grants 1 dodge, advanced
level 2 dodges, etc.
No two dodge attempts may be made against the same attack.
No dodge attempt may be made against the attack that the character tried to parry.
A character cannot dodge ranged weapons unless he has inhuman reflexes trait.
Number of dodges is reduced by the type of armor a character wears. For every two points of Protection the
armor grants, a character wears the dodge Speed is reduced by 1.
A character cannot dodge in a surprise round unless he has an inhuman reflexes trait.
All dodges may be used only while performing a maneuver that has (D) after its name.

Drawing a weapon
Drawing a sheathed weapon reduces the Speed of that weapon by –1 for the duration of current round.

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Armor skill
A character that wears armor suffers penalties. –1 to RC based tests per 1 Point of protection and +1 to Stami-
na drain and number of dodges per 2 points of protection.
For each level of Armor skill, RC penalty is reduced by 2, and Stamina drain is reduced by 1.
Number of dodges cannot be increased by means of armor skill.
E.q. Mentioned character has RC of 10, master level in acrobatics skill and master level in armor skill. The
character wears plate and mail which would give him Protection of 5. That would normally give him –5 to RC
based skill tests, +3 to Stamina drain and would reduce the number of dodges he can do each round by 3. But
because he has a master level in armor skill the only penalty he faces is reduction of the number of his dodges
to 0. If he removed his mail armor, his Protection would be reduced to 3, but he would have a single dodge
each round.

DAMAGE TESTS
Each damage is rolled by rolling a damage die, no matter the source of damage. Damage die is ten sided die
(d10). To that roll weapon damage is added + Mus/2 for melee weapons.

Critical damage:
If you roll 10 on ten sided die, make another skill test (MS for melee weapons, RS for ranged weapons and
Occultism for Spell damage) if the test was successful roll another ten sided die and add it to the total damage.

SPELLCASTING
Spell difficulty (SD): Roll number od d12 (twelve sided dices) equal to your characters Radiance. If the num-
ber rolled is equal or higher than spell SD test, the spell is successfully casted. If it is a fail make an occultism
test or suffer the consequences described in Iron Age FRP: Core Rules book Chapter IX: Spellcasting & Faith

Stamina cost (SC): Number that show how much stamina a spell uses.
If there are two numbers, for example 3/1, the first number says how much spell drains instantly, and the other
one how much each sustains spends. Read duration below.

Duration (Dur): Number that shows how long spell effect lasts. There are often two numbers (4min/1 min);
the fist number shows how long the spell lasts before it needs sustaining. The second number shows how often
if must be sustained.

Sustaining a spell: After duration of the spell (4 min/1 min), which is 4 min in this case, if he wants to pro-
long the effect of the spell a character must succeed in Occultism test, if the test is successful spell lasts for
another time written after ‘/’, 1 in this case before having to make another sustain test. Each time a character
makes sustain test he is drained of sustained SC, number after’/’ in SC entry, which is 1 in the example above).
Spell cannot be sustained if the character rested in the meanwhile.

MORAL ALINGMENT:
Some spell types require either low or high moral alignment. True Source spells require very high moral align-
ment, while dark magic like sorcery and necromancy needs as low as possible. (it goes from –20 to +20, from
–4 to +4 is considered a normal human alignment). Your moral alignment is changing after each session de-
pending upon your actions.

FEAR
Make Fear test only is a creature or situation have a fear factor higher than Bravery of participating characters.
Some creatures or character have Fear Factor (FF), and all have Bravery (Br). To calculate fear number sub-
tract the Bravery of a recipient from Fear Factor of the cause of fear.
Fear Number= FF-Br
The result is Fear number. If that number is higher than 1, a character must succeed in WP test or suffers the
effects of fear.
If Fear Number results in 0, that character does not have to make a WP test.

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MASS COMBAT
Use Core book to calculate your characters Attack, Defense, Morale and Manpower.
Man Power equals 10 Toughness. (for PC’s calculate 10 T damage to all locations for every 10 T of damage,
for others use their true manpower. Toughness/10 –always round down)
Each round designate actions of your units (or even players alone) and make Attack test, 1d10+ Attack of unit.
The enemy makes roll of 1d10 +Defense. The difference between Attack and Defense is number of MP
(Manpower) is reduced from the defending unit.
In the same round defending unit Attacks, roll 1d10+Attack, and then roll 1d10+Defense for the attacker.
The difference between Attack and Defense is the number of MP (Manpower) reduced from the attacking unit.

For each round of MASS combat, a unit spends 12 stamina points.

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 TABLES
To hasten the gameplay you might want to have the most important tables all on
one place.

Maneuver tables

Fear tables

Mental disorder tables

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 Maneuver tables

Table 26: Untrained maneuvers & non-combat maneuvers can be used with even by character unproficent with weapon
Action name: Action type: Effect
All out attack (AD) Complete Perform all attacks and dodges, able to move only 1 p
Acrobatics (D) Partial/Complete Make acrobatics test, move without provoking free attacks
Basic attack Partial/Complete Single attack (MS or RS). If speed is 0 use Complete action
Bracer block Bound Enemy hits body part of your choice, your speed –1
Cast a spell Spellcasting Cast spell, Chapter IX: Spellcasting and faith
Dodge Bound Single dodge if speed is 1 or more
Maneuver Partial Move 1 pace without provoking free attacks
Push/Rush Partial/Complete Push or rush the enemy
Retreat (D) Complete Move directly away from enemy, use all dodges and parries
Reload Partial Increases speed of ranged weapon by 1 for one round
Run Complete Mov X 3; RC –2; enemy –2 RS, +2 MS;
Sprint Complete Mov X 4; RC –4, enemy –4 RS, +3 MS
Walk Partial Move your movement in paces

Table 27: Basic maneuvers

Action name: Action type: Effect
Charge Complete Mov X 2 min 2 p, +2 MS, able to perform with speed 0
Defensive attack (D) Partial/Complete Speed –1, +2 dodge and parry
Parry Bound Switch attack for parry, use RC (exception: dwarf fighter trait)
Reckless attack Complete Speed +1, no parries or dodges, enemy +2 MS/RS for rnd
Target Bound Target specific body part, MS/RS –4

Table 28: Advanced maneuvers

Action name: Action type: Effect
Aggressive attack (A) Complete Speed +1, no parries and dodges
Bastion of defense (D) Partial/Complete No attacks, Parry speed +1, +2 to parry and dodge
Careful aim Bound +2MS/RS per Speed –1
Exploit weakness Bound If an attack hits by Armor weakness ignore Prot, Speed –1
Jump attack Complete +2 MS +2 dmg, ignore one extra Protection, enemy +2MS/RS
Pummel Bound Req. Crushing; Speed –1, make Mus test or be knocked down
Receive charge Complete Perform single attack when the enemy comes within reach
Swift attack Complete +1 Speed, -2 dmg

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Table 29: Master maneuvers
Action name: Action type: Effect
Disarm Bound Disarm enemy, Speed –1 ; Speed –2 if disarming heavy weapon
Parry and riposte Trigger Make free attack after each parry you successfully perform

Table 30: Grandmaster maneuvers

Action name: Action type: Effect
Execute Bound Deal massive damage to an enemy
Multyshot (A) Partial Use all attacks as a partial action
Whirlwind of death(A) Complete Move full movement, attack all who come within reach during
movement. No parries or dodges subject to free attacks

FEAR

Table 42. Fear number Table 43. FF and numbers

Fear number Effect Number of creatures in relation Modifier to FF
to characters
1 - 2 to skill tests
2 - 4 to skill tests 1 / 100 -4

3 Turns and runs 1 / 50 -3

4 Freezes in fear 1 / 20 -2

5 Cower in fear or runs tears in eyes (MD+1) 1/5 -1

6 Drops unconscious (MD +2) 0 0

7 Dies (MD +2 if he survives) 5 +1

20 +2
50 +3
100 + +4 (max)

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 MENTAL DISORDER
Each time character’s MD is increased by 1 roll 1d12 and add total MD to the roll. If the result is the same as the number beside the
disorder, the character develops that disorder. Same disorder may be ‘suffered’ multiple times, each time its severity is increased by
+1.

Table 44. Mental Disorders

13 Addiction

14 Anxiety/ panic

15 Feral madness

16 Night terror

17 Bipolar disorder

18 Phobia

19 Neurotic disorder

20 Multiple personality

21 Morally abhorrent

22 Foreign entity possession

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