FEAR RPG is a free and
complete pencil-and-paper fantasy roleplaying game.
Last updated on 1 April
2023.
Download the 13th
Edition rulebooks here for free!
Rulebook (10th edition) available in print on www.lulu.com
Review of FEAR at thefreerpgblog.blogspot.com
Why?
Some
role-playing games are so simplistic that any realism is lost. Ever played a
game where:
· only thieves can pick
locks?
· rapiers do the same type
of damage as clubs?
· each combatant makes one
attack every ten seconds, and can only wear one type of armour?
This
game has been designed from scratch to be realistic yet flexible. There is
enough depth to satisfy experienced role-players and enough explanation for
novices. The rules provide:
· 13 character races;
· 180 detailed monster
descriptions;
· 499 spells in 13 schools
of magic;
· a simple and flexible
skill development system;
· a realistic combat system
that allows:
o
second-by-second
attacks;
o
different
pieces of armour to be worn on different parts of the body;
o
no
tracking of hit points;
o
severe
injuries to be modelled simply.
FEAR
RPG can be adapted to virtually any fantasy world invented. Just add dice
(d10s) and imagination…
Authorship and Contact
Information
FEAR
RPG was created by Paul Jeffcoat, with suggestions from Dale Broadbent, James
Lowe and Chris Murtagh.
It
has been published on the internet to get feedback from other role-players. If
you have any comments or suggestions, please email them to:
Last Rule Update
Changes c.f. Twelfth Edition (5
November 2022):
Character
Generation
Added
skills whose advantage is affected due to race.
Gave
fighter PCs a choice of two advanced combat spells to advantage, reflecting
race.
Actions
Massively
reduced the number of difficulty rolls for the GM. Instead, she sets the
difficulty as a target number. This increases consistency - players know how
hard an action will be to attempt. Difficulty Rolls kept for PCs (e.g. a PC's
Stealth is opposing an NPC's Observation) and some other cases, e.g. Prayer
Rolls, Development Rolls, foraging for herbs.
Introduced
automatic failure with a roll of a 1, and the Fumble Roll.
Blind-Fighting.
Explained impact on spell-casting of blindness.
Medicine.
Clarified rules for first aid and surgery.
Geography
- rolling to see if lost.
Added
Climbing skill, separating it from Gymnastics.
Added
Foolery, separating it from Expression.
Added
advanced combat skills: Giant Slaying, Momentum, Bloodied and Preserve Arrows.
Renamed
Sailing as Watercraft.
Magic
Renamed
difficulty as rank.
Scrapped
over-casting.
Allowed
slow casting of incantations as routine action.
Simplified
rules for casting exclamations in quick succession.
Dies
need studying after a period of weeks not days, and vectors must be held to be
used.
Halved
time required to memorise a spell, to compensate for raised spell Difficulty.
Indexed
loss of spell-casting ability.
Add
explanations for dire fumbles for Summon Demon.
Aeromancy:
Added Guardian Satellite. Wand spell - added protection vs magic injuries and
loss of spell-casting ability.
Healing:
Heal Injury now dabbler, Still The Lungs now Apprentice. Scrapped Heal
Comrades. Balance Humours - added notes on drunkenness.
Nature:
Added The Leaf is my Robe, Find Plant, Hobble Steed, Steady Mount, Run Now,
Hope is in Speed!
Necromancy:
Dust Ward - added difficulty variant.
Gifts
for priests. Added resilience for apostles. Enhanced Ebony Tears and Night's
Blood. Indexed Medusa and added rules for avoiding her gaze.
Optional
Races
Ettins - noted that one head may sleep whilst the other remains
awake.
Crystal
Troll - altered Absorption Roll.
Changeling
- limited spore attack frequency, increased damage of acidic touch.
GM
Added
Target Number - rather than GM making Difficulty Rolls.
Harms
Beyond Combat
Revised
Wound Rot disease.
Advanced
Magic
Added
explanations for dire fumbles for Demonic Assassin and Expel.
Alchemy:
Added Cast Prosthesis.
Curses:
Added Vaporise Poison.
Healing:
Added Clone, Carve Prosthesis.
Bestiary
Renamed
Observation as Senses.
Ghosts
and Wights have the power to possess the living.
Death
Knight - cast Summon Fog and Freeze.
Graveroot - cast Summon Fog.
Krackens - noted tactic of flinging grappled victims, who
take falling damage.
Master
Fungoid - euphoric spore attack.
Icthid Shaman - enthralling lure attack.
Added
Ironclad Beetle (mount), Glyptodon, Terrorbird, Tails
of Apep, Giant Clam, Horned Hare.
Goods
Added
rushlights as light source.
Added
Willow Bark, Bezoak and Duckroot
herbs.
Treasure
Added
potions of eel form and water breathing.
Dwimmer Geode - added power to restore loss of
spell-casting ability.
Added
Club of the Ancients, Chests of the Sultana, Shield of Closing, Carpet of
Flying, Swan Lily, Whip of Spell-Kissing, Helms of Bravery and Cowardice, Mask
of Miasmata, Sword of Atonement, Ring of Evasion,
Ring of Carousing, Trident of Teeth Summoning, Ring of Blood Frenzy, Skull of
Saint Vile, Skull of Saint Vors.