Sword World RPG
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Categories: Japanese role-playing games | Fantasy role-playing games | Record of Lodoss War | Role-playing game stubs
Sword World RPG (ソード・ワールドRPG Sōdo Wārudo Ārupīzī?) is a very popular Japanese role-playing game[1]. 10 million copies of the related books including rulebooks, novels and replays have been sold.[2] The current edition, known as the "Complete edition", was published in 1996, but the original was published in 1989, so many Japanese RPG gamers recognize it as a very classical role-playing game. Sword World RPG's system was given the name 2d6 System in 2003. Scrapped Princess RPG and Dragon Half RPG's system are also 2d6 System, though the games are only partially compatible.
Sword World 2.0It was announced that the newest edition Sword World 2.0 (SW2.0 for short) will be released in April 2008. It has a new campaign setting named Rakusia. There are 12 classes (Conjurer, Fairy Tamer, Fencer, Fighter, Grappler, Magi-tech, Priest, Ranger, Sage, Scout, Shooter and Sorcerer) and 6 races (Human, Dwarf, Elf, Rune-folk, Tabbit and Nightmare) in the basic rulebook. It uses only two 6-sided dice as with previous editions.
Sword World RPG in previous editionsSettingSword World's world, Forcelia, includes Lodoss island (of Record of Lodoss War) and Crystania continent (of Legend of Crystania). However, the largest continent, Arecrast is the main setting. Forcelia is ordinary fantasy world influenced heavily by games such as Dungeons and Dragons and RuneQuest. For instance, the GrassRunner race is similar to D&D's Halfling and several magic systems (spirit magic, sorcery and divine magic) is similar to RuneQuest's. Rune Soldier is Sword World RPG's novel and anime. Over a hundred light novels or replays (session logs) have been published. SystemSword world RPG's classes are called ginou (技能 lit. skill?). Each ginou has packaged a number of skills. It is considered as a hybrid system between class system and skill system, so it is often called class-skill system. There are 8 classes (Bard, Fighter, Priest, Ranger, Sage, Shaman, Sorcerer and Thief) for Player Characters and 2 classes (Dark Priest and Dragon Priest) for only NPCs. 5 major races (Human, Dwarf, Elf, Half-elf and GrassRunner) can become PCs. The game uses only two 6-sided dice, as other polyhedral dice aren't common in Japan. 2d6 dice roll is translated into a more wide range of random numbers by using a Rating table. Rating table is used for damage roll, damage reduction roll and such. An excerpt of Rating table as follow.
Key number is equal to weapon/armor's requirement strength, or power of spell. Heavier weapon/armor is stronger. Magic systems in ForceliaAll magic systems in Forcelia are called mahougo (魔法語 lit. magic language, magic tongue?) based upon belief in the power of words. Each magic system has a proper language system as follow, and the language has magic power in itself.
ReplaysGroup SNE pioneered a new book genre called replay. Replays are RPG session logs arranged for reading, similar in style to light novels. The first replay, Record of Lodoss War, is a replay of Dungeons and Dragons. From that time, replays became popular in Japan, and not only with RPG gamers; several characters and parties in replays are as popular as characters of anime. For example, the beautiful female elf Deedlit in Record of Lodoss War who is played by the (male) science fiction novelist Hiroshi Yamamoto.) Sword World's replays are popular, too. 43 books of Sword World's replays were published until July 2007. External links
References
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