TROS - Critics and Reviews

Now That's a Sword by Ken Hite
"There are two, perhaps contrasting, goals in The Riddle of Steel: to create a truly "realistic" system of blade combat (the game is "approved by the Association for Renaissance Martial Arts"), and to create characters that live, succeed, and grow based on their goals, passions, and personalities. The sword-fight rules, well, rule...The character rules rule even moreso. ... the world is a well-done manque, and the system is sharp, deadly, and beautiful.

The Riddle of Steel Review by Ron Edwards
"The Riddle of Steel isn't just a snappy title: it's the focus of this highly-enjoyable sword and sorcery game that asks, "What is worth killing for?" A detailed, realistic combat system combined with story-driving Spiritual Attributes let you answer that question."

The Riddle of Steel Playtest Review by Brian Leybourne
Style: 5 (Excellent!); Substance: 5 (Excellent!)
"An excellent game with a nifty system that's well worth a look if you're sick of generic fantasy and/or all the D20 games out there."
(Brian wrote this well before we dragged him into Driftwood Publishing to write Of Beasts and Men...talk about your loyal fans!



The Riddle of Steel in Review
		Since TROS was first published it sparked a bit of controversy (and a 2,000 post thread on RPG.net). This led to a lot of word-of-mouth advirtising as people tried to confirm the things that they'd heard about the game. A slew of reviews naturally followed. Here is every review that I'm aware of, even if I don't like it.



More About TRoS NEW! Realism in FRPG Combat, by ARMA Director John Clements What is TROS? (about the game) Spiritual Attributes, or "What's the Point?" FAQ (and their answers) Real time combat? Sort of...		Now That's a Sword by Ken Hite "There are two, perhaps contrasting, goals in The Riddle of Steel: to create a truly "realistic" system of blade combat (the game is "approved by the Association for Renaissance Martial Arts"), and to create characters that live, succeed, and grow based on their goals, passions, and personalities. The sword-fight rules, well, rule...The character rules rule even moreso. ... the world is a well-done manque, and the system is sharp, deadly, and beautiful.
		The Riddle of Steel Review by Ron Edwards "The Riddle of Steel isn't just a snappy title: it's the focus of this highly-enjoyable sword and sorcery game that asks, "What is worth killing for?" A detailed, realistic combat system combined with story-driving Spiritual Attributes let you answer that question."
		The Riddle of Steel Playtest Review by Brian Leybourne Style: 5 (Excellent!); Substance: 5 (Excellent!) "An excellent game with a nifty system that's well worth a look if you're sick of generic fantasy and/or all the D20 games out there." (Brian wrote this well before we dragged him into Driftwood Publishing to write Of Beasts and Men...talk about your loyal fans!
		What is the Riddle of Steel? Review by Chris Safruik Style: 3 (Average); Substance: 5 (Excellent!) "The Riddle of Steel is a “Blood Opera” style fantasy role playing game from Driftwood Publishing, headed by Jake Norwood. It boasts a gritty, realistic combat system, freeform “create a spell on the fly” magic and an innovative character advancement system...if what you want is player driven, intense games that ignore the formulas, then I heartily recommend you get this game."
		The Riddle of Steel: Roleplaying with and Edge Review by Jon Harmon Style: 3 (Average); Substance: 5 (Excellent!) "A new dark fantasy game that for the most part lives up to its claims of uniqueness
		The Riddle of Steel Review by James A. Beggs Style: 4 (Classy & Well Done); Substance: 4 (Meaty)
		The Riddle of Steel Quickstart Review by Blake Hutchins Style: 3 (Average); Substance: 5 (Excellent!) "TROS is a set of RPG rules and a gritty medieval fantasy milieu in which to stage adventures. Driftwood’s website spiel claims TROS offers a powerful and flexible magic system, story- and roleplaying-based character progression, and “the most realistic, dangerous, and strategic RPG combat system ever developed.” The Quick Start Rules cover all these elements and present a slice of the default game setting, a world called Weyrth." Download the TROS Quickstart Rules!
		Riddle of Steel Review by Jeremy Duffer "The Riddle of Steel is a fantasy role-playing game that does what I thought was impossible. The Riddle of Steel offers a viable fantasy role playing game that can stand alongside and some places surpass the venerable Dungeons & Dragons."
		Zagadka Stali (The Riddle of Steel) Review in Polish by Adam Waskiewicz "Z czystym sumieniem moge goraco polecic ten system wszystkim milosnikom dobrego fantasy, jak i tym, którzy w RPG szukaja inteligentnej rozrywki, a nie tylko bezmózgiego wygrzewu." (Translation: With a clear conscience I can strongly reccomend this system both to all lovers of good fantasy, as well as to those who seek intelligent entertainment in an RPG, and not just a mindless distraction.)
		A Harniac's Review of The Riddle of Steel by Mark "Spartan" Winkelman "The Riddle of Steel is in my opinion a ground-breaking FRPG. While it is true that many aspects of it are not "never before seen" features, the blend of these aspects is unique."

		TROS has also been reviewed in France's BackStab Magazine, and in Games Unplugged (A-).


		All contents of this site are Copyright © 2000-2005 Driftwood Publishing or the original artist. All rights reserved. Questions concerning this site or Driftwood Publishing may be directed to seneschal@theriddleofsteel.net.

The Riddle of Steel in Review

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