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FEAR RPG is a free and complete pencil-and-paper fantasy roleplaying game.

Last updated on 8 August 2018.

Download the rulebook (10^th edition) for free here!

Rulebook (10^th edition) available in print on www.lulu.com

Check out the review of FEAR at thefreerpgblog.blogspot.com

Why?

Some roleplaying 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?

Other roleplaying games are so complex that they become unplayable. Ever played a game where:

• each character has hundreds of different skills?
• keeping track of damage in combat requires a qualification in accountancy?
• you have to buy twenty rulebooks to get a decent set of rules?

FEAR RPG was born out of frustration with these types of roleplaying games, and has been designed from scratch to be realistic yet flexible. The rules can be adapted to any fantasy world you care to use. Hopefully there’s enough depth to satisfy experienced role-players, and enough explanation to get novices started too. Sadly, I’m not an artist so there are no pretty pictures to break up the text and tables. If anyone has fantasy artwork they don’t mind me using, please contact me!

What do you get?

FEAR RPG provides:

• 11 classic fantasy PC races;
• 130+ detailed monster descriptions;
• 270+ spells in 12 schools of magic;
• a simple and flexible skill development system;
• a realistic second-by-second combat system.

FEAR RPG can be adapted to virtually any fantasy world invented. Just add dice (1d10s) 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

Previous updates are listed on the Rules page.

Tenth Edition!

ACTIONS chapter

Scrapped Follow Through skill.

Revised swimming speeds.

COMBAT chapter

Scrapped near-miss rules. Too complicated and leads to perverse behaviour, i.e. always aiming attacks at a third division body location.

Clarified rules for breaking shields and parrying projectiles - both require an advanced melee skill.

Weakened brute force attacks.

Simplified Defence so it does not change if in melee or other types of combat.

Simplified exsanguination, and added reference to leeches for bloodletting.

Divided Mortal injuries into Mortal Slow and Mortal Fast, to increase tension in combat and the importance of CO.

MAGIC chapter

Decreased spell-casting difficulty slightly.

Lessened duration of loss of spell-casting ability due to spell-casting failure.

Changed limits on which spells can be memorised to force specialisation into fewer disciplines.

Aeromancy:

Added Silence and Noise spells.

Amended Lightning Ball to introduce ball lightning.

Alchemy:

Weakened Work Material as too powerful.

Added Summon Alkahest spell.

Curses:

Added Projection spell.

Force:

Added Break Bonds spell.

Healing:

Added Ignore Exhaustion spell and Armour, Creature and Sanctuary Tattoo spells. Amended Ignore Pain.

Hydromancy:

Amended Summon Current to produce whirlpools. Added Ice Shroud. Made Water Bolt novice not dabbler.

Mind:

Added Possess Senses spell.

Nature:

Added Beard of Bees spell. Reordered some of the beast ability spells.

Necromancy:

Added Raise Carcass spell.

Pyromancy:

Added Smoke Form spell.

Terramancy:

Added Standing Stone spell.

Wizardry:

Added Summon Coin and Night Watch spells. Increased penalty for use of Restoration spell.

Pious magic:

Added rules for congregations.

Added extra Chaos Gifts.

Added table linking gods to months and constellations.

BESTIARY chapter

Creature's Defence now equals their Nimbleness.

Revised movement rates.

Added Giant Centipede, Etherlich and Gargoyles.

Reworked Gonchong as Slaver Demon.

Reworked Rust Monster as Disarmer Scarab.

Renamed Balrog as Fire Fiend, and Ent as Green Man.

Scrapped Beholder.

Tweaked Basilisks.

PSYCHOSES chapter

Moved into Character Development chapter.

GOODS AND SERVICES chapter

Added smelling salts.

Increased rarity and cost of Cleric's Trefoil (spell casting restoration).

Added herbs for imunity to Demonic Wrongness and undead cold auras.

Tightened rules for finding herbs, to reduce number of doses found.

TREASURE chapter

Added Pelican Alembic.

Added alkahest.