FEAR RPG is a free and complete pencil-and-paper fantasy roleplaying game.
Last updated on 12 May 2017.
Download the rulebook
(9th edition) for free here!
Rulebook (9th
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.
Ninth Edition!
Major update.
Character Generation chapter:
Removed infra-vision. Some of the standard PC races have night vision, but none can see in total darkness - making the dark more frightening.
Removed reference to Goblinoids being scared of daylight. Perhaps early generations were, but no longer.
Racial Averages table - Halfling now EM=6, EN=4.
Racial lifespan modified by +CO+LU to reflect natural variation.
Added racial predispositions to certain skills, to enhance the differences between races.
Actions chapter:
New Advanced Melee Skills - Manoeuvre in Armour and Studied Strike.
Orcish language renamed Darkspeech.
Combat chapter:
Revised Attack Strengths and ranges for thrown and missile weapons, to reflect the user's ST.
Cross bow Strength Penalty is added to reload duration (see asterisk under table).
Damage section restructured to reflect new rules for humours and ailments.
Magic injury table revised.
Magic chapter:
Spell effect duration now: irrevocable infinite (aka persistent), irrevocable instantaneous (instantaneous), revocable infinite (sustained), revocable finite (limited).
Allowed all revocable finite spells (durations of SC secs, mins, hours, etc.) to be cast as revocable infinite with loss of 1 point from Magic skill (GM's discretion).
Worsened the length of spell-casting loss following spell-casting failure.
Talismans - changed to wands, staves and staffs.
Reword spell foci. Now spell components, divided into:
vectors - which link to a target and allow remote spell-casting, for almost all spells; and
dies - which are required to cast spells of proficient difficulty and greater. The requirement for dies weakens magicians somewhat, and provides quest goals.
ALCHEMY
Added Item Familiar spell. Sentience revised accordingly.
Sentience spell - scrapped flying item at SC>=15.
Added simple Golem spell to proficient difficulty. Added soul trapping into a Golem into Sentience spell.
Added Golem Resurrection.
CURSES
Added Reveal Miasma, Absorb Poison, Inhale Miasma, Excrete Poison and Exhale Miasma spells.
Scrapped Poison Blade, Transfer Infection, Transfer Poison.
Amended Summon Demon so that caster's gain their own Demonic Wrongness field, leading to them being shunned by society.
HEALING
Added Balance Humour spell.
Scrapped Cure Ailment, Heal Stun, Cure Disease, Cure Poison, Heal Mind.
Amended Diagnosis spell to note that it reveals humours in excess, and the body systems afflicted.
Explained what spell tattoos look like.
MIND
Added Plant Memory spell.
Master spell - scrapped permanent version ending on caster's death.
Moved Name of Power to Mind, and expanded its scope.
NATURE
Defined beasts as instinctive intelligence or less.
NECROMANCY
Added Spectre Light spell.
Scrapped Detect Undead.
Amended Breath of the Grave to induce miasma.
PYROMANCY
Added Fire Blast spell.
Scrapped Fiery Vengeance.
TERRAMANCY
Removed Troll resurrection via Statue Form - now achieved via Gnome or Earth Priest.
WIZARDRY
Added Inscribed Trigger and Long Door spells.
True Name added to Wizardry.
Break Focus scrapped.
Optional Races chapter:
New PC race - Crystal Troll.
Icthoids are bioluminescent, so they can see in total darkness.
Character Development chapter:
Rules for advanced age and decrepitude.
GM chapter:
Optional rules, including the Repute attribute and a Luck Re-Roll system using playing cards.
Essay on the country inn, to illuminate the state of mundane life.
Revised planes of existence - now the Spirit Realm and the Demonic Realm ("The Labyrinth").
Bestiary chapter:
Added Slave Demon, Bloodsail Jellyfish, Sea Serpent, Tree Mantis, Golden Crab and Giant Newt.
Replaced Void Hart with Briar Hart.
Moved Cloud Serpent from Demons to Reptiles.
Revised Plague Demon to reflect miasmas.
Revised creature's poisons to simplify their effects, and to match changes to poisons reflecting the introduction of humours.
Rationalised habitats and random encounter tables.
Restructured chapter.
Changed demonic wrongness back to a HI affect, instead of spell disruption. HI worsened by Class/2, radius 2xClass.
Psychoses chapter:
Tweaked to reflect new rules for humours and ailments.
Goods and Services chapter:
Revised coinage - just tin, copper and platinum coins scrapped as not commonly used in medieval times. Revised set of coins: gold drakes and suns, silver moons and stars, bronze crowns and shields.
Revised herbs, poisons and diseases to reflect the introduction of humours and the healing of ailments.
Added appearances for plant herbs and poisons.
Increasing resistance to poisons and diseases as Resistance Rolls are passed.
New poisons - Magebanes - disrupting spell-casting ability. Also Demon's Blood, Earweed, Tonguebind, Eyeblind, Gloomspore.
New herbs - Nulweeds - increasing resistance to spells.
Diseases now spread by miasmas. Their effects are simplified, and now include permanent attribute loss. Added the common cold and flu for comparison.
Treasure chapter:
Revised the tables for composition and powers.
Provided a worked example of treasure generation.
New dispelling potions - that dispel a spell affecting the drinker.
New potions to restore humours.
New potions to transport drinker to Spirit and Demonic Realm.
New legendary items - the Sceptre of Disarray (and Djinn aka Genie), and the Midnight Silverhorn, a cure for lycanthropy.
Tweaked Wand of Towering to limit its use.
Wand of Toadstool Towering added.
Ent wood and bow making.