The Burning Wheel, anyone?

[TheGlyphstone]

I've had a copy of Burning Wheel Gold for a while, and I think it's a very fascinating system that I'd like to actually try and experience rather than simply read about. Any chance I'm not alone here? Anyone experienced enough with the game to try and run it?

[TheGlyphstone]

Poke, bump, etc.

[CarnivalOfTheGoat]

I've actually never encountered anyone who played these, but I've got a few of them that I "inherited" from a friend who married into a rather hyper-religious family and ditched all of his RPG stuff. None of them say "Gold edition" anywhere, most are from around 2002-05. The core book is definitely 2002.

Haven't played. Haven't read through in probably nearly a decade. But if you find someone who knows how it ticks and can make it all work, I'd likely be interested.

Given how obscure it is, I'm going to guess it'd probably be a VERY small group, though.

[TheGlyphstone]

Burning Wheel Gold is/was the newest edition, from 2011. It's not really a new edition, though, it just combines Burning Wheel Revised (the 2005 edition core rules) and the Character Creation system into a single book.

A small group is fine, and I'm kinda hoping to find people who are interested in learning it as well, since as you said it's pretty obscure. better to bring new faces in anyways.

[CarnivalOfTheGoat]

Burning Wheel Gold is/was the newest edition, from 2011. It's not really a new edition, though, it just combines Burning Wheel Revised (the 2005 edition core rules) and the Character Creation system into a single book.

A small group is fine, and I'm kinda hoping to find people who are interested in learning it as well, since as you said it's pretty obscure. better to bring new faces in anyways.

Hmmmm. So, then, how badly out of date is my edition? Utterly useless? Or are the "core elements" of how the system works pretty much maintained?

[TheGlyphstone]

Wikipedia says that the Revised edition incorporates 'significant rules and text changes'. The 'core elements' of lifepaths and how to resolve challenge tests are probably still the same or at least similar, though, even if all the details got altered.

[CarnivalOfTheGoat]

Ooogh, so probably most of the material I've got is dead matter. Ah well. If anything comes of it, I guess we can discuss the differences at that point.

[Shjade]

*looks up info on this game, having never heard of it*

Hm...backstory-intensive, learn-skills-by-using-them mechanics, really rules-heavy/intensive. That's an odd mix of "relevant to my interests" and "plsno." Though I suppose being loaded up with rules is less of a hurdle if everyone involved would be in more or less the same boat when it comes to learning them... :|a

[TheGlyphstone]

The rules-intensive part is sort of fuzzy, as well. The core mechanic is extremely simple - character generation takes up far more of the book than gameplay does, you resolve basically all obstacles with a single dice-pool roll versus a target number of successes, scaling up your dice for advantages and the target for penalties. There are some incredibly rules-intensive and complicated systems for combat, social combat, and magic, plus weird things like emotional stats, but they're all technically optional, since the game is built to be somewhat modular.

[Shjade]

Is any of this available to check out online somewhere? Mostly found reviews and the like.

[TheGlyphstone]

The company-store site has an option where you can download a free preview. It's only the first 74 pages of the book, but that covers the entire core gameplay mechanics (not actual character generation, though).

Costs nothing, but requires a valid email address to register with the online store:
https://www.burningwheel.com/store/index.php/core-books/burning-wheel-gold-hub-and-spokes.html

Beyond that, the only way to find a copy online involves eyepatches, parrots, and scurvy.

[CarnivalOfTheGoat]

*looks up info on this game, having never heard of it*

Hm...backstory-intensive, learn-skills-by-using-them mechanics, really rules-heavy/intensive. That's an odd mix of "relevant to my interests" and "plsno." Though I suppose being loaded up with rules is less of a hurdle if everyone involved would be in more or less the same boat when it comes to learning them... :|a

My understanding (not having played, but owning an older version) is it's one of those systems where character generation is complex and rules-heavy because it links your character heavily to the world. Actual play is not that rules-heavy.

However, that's an older version. I just downloaded the 'core' at the link Glyphstone provided and I'm going to have a look at it today/tonight...

[Shjade]

That sounds manageable!

Will have a look at that link when I'm a little less exhausted. *flops into bed z.z*


Edit: reading through, so far seems kinda neat. Dice mechanics have a really straightforward usage that's appealing, even if their choice of terminology make it sound more complicated than it is.

And that's it for the opening material. Man, this sounds...really, REALLY lengthy. I mean, with advancement pretty much requiring regular expenditure of Artha points to progress and Artha only being doled out at the end of each session, with opportunities for its spending intermittent and unpredictable...I imagine you'd have to more or less try to ignore that part of the game or it could end up being all you think about.

[TheGlyphstone]

You have to more or less ignore the printed advancement rules for any tabletop game being played via PbP anyways, so that's nothing different. Though Burning Wheel's 'advancement' is a lot more incremental than other games - Artha gets used+spent towards Epiphanies, but along the way you'll be advancing your existing skills and opening new skills with Beginner's Luck.

[TheGlyphstone]

Still hoping to find people interesting in experimenting with this.

[TheGlyphstone]

Monthly bump of bumposity.