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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!

Players’ Manual, GM’s Manual

 

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:

email_address

 

 

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.