History TabletopGame / BurningWheel

* GenreSavvy: The book assumes the players have experience with common fantasy tropes and is written accordingly. Many of the rules themselves are genre savvy. Orcs, for instance, have a trait that simply makes them run faster if they're fleeing combat in a cowardly panic.

''Burning Wheel'' is a roleplaying system created by [[Website/TheForge Luke Crane]] in 2002, revised to the aptly-named ''Burning Wheel'' revised 2005, and re-updated to Burning Wheel Gold in 2011. Character creation ('Character Burning') is done by choosing 'lifepaths' within each of the playable races. The main setting is unapologetically even more [[Franchise/TolkiensLegendarium Tolkienesque]] than the basic ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' including Trolls that turn to stone in sunlight and Orcs who were formerly elves. For Men, however, the lifepaths are designed based on 12th-century France, so it's also much more medieval than many fantasy {{RPG}}s.

''Burning Wheel'' is a roleplaying system created by [[Website/TheForge Luke Crane]] in 2002, revised to the aptly-named Burning Wheel revised 2005, and re-updated to Burning Wheel Gold in 2011. Character creation ('Character Burning') is done by choosing 'lifepaths' within each of the playable races. The main setting is unapologetically even more Tolkienesque than the basic D&D including Trolls that turn to stone in sunlight and Orcs who were formerly elves. For Men, however, the lifepaths are designed based on 12th-century France, so it's also much more medieval than many fantasy {{RPG}}s.

There are currently three extra rulebooks in addition to the main rulebook, which explains the core rules and introduces four base playable races (Dwarfs, Elves, Men, and Orcs) and their lifepaths. The Monster Burner introduces four more playable races: Roden (anthropomorphic rodents), Great Spiders (giant intelligent spiders), Trolls, and Great Wolves (giant wolves ranging from Tolkien's Wargs to those in Anime/PrincessMononoke) along with many monsters and the rules to create more. The Magic Burner introduces more magic systems, some new lifepaths who use these systems, rules for creating your own, and describes some of the archetypal mages (both good and evil). The Adventure Burner is mostly system commentary and campaign creation advice.

Several books with additional settings and rules were written. Burning Sands: Jihad is Franchise/{{Dune}} with the SerialNumbersFiledOff very, very minimally. The Blossoms are Falling is Burning Wheel set in Heian-era Japan... which means the katana has not yet been invented and the term "bushi" is far more common than "samurai," who are only just rising to prominence. Under a Serpent Sun was a PostApocalyptic adaptation that was bleak even for that genre and inspired by (and full of ShoutOuts to) Music/AtTheGates; it was disowned by Luke Crane for being basically flawed and unplayable.

Two other full games use adaptations of the ''Burning Wheels'' rules but require no additional books: ''TabletopGame/BurningEmpires'', which uses the ''Iron Empires'' science-fiction setting and ''ComicBook/MouseGuard'', which adapts the graphic novels of the same name to RPG form.

* AllTrollsAreDifferent Based on Tolkien's trolls the basic Burning Wheel troll is big, dumb and turns to stone permanently when exposed to sunlight. However different traits can give the horns, hooves, an unexplained likableness and even an immunity to sunlight. They're still likely to be bigger, dumber and tougher than any other PC race, but apart from that they can be very different.

Several books with additional settings and rules were written. Burning Sands: Jihad is Franchise/{{Dune}} with the SerialNumbersFiledOff very, very minimally. The Blossoms are Falling is Burning Wheel set in Heian-era Japan... which means the katana has not yet been invented and the term "bushi" is far more common than "samurai," who are only just rising to prominence. Under a Serpent Sun was a PostApocalyptic adaptation that was bleak even for that genre and inspired by (and full of ShoutOuts to) AtTheGates; it was disowned by Luke Crane for being basically flawed and unplayable.

''Burning Wheel'' is a roleplaying system created by Luke Crane in 2002, revised to the aptly-named Burning Wheel revised 2005, and re-updated to Burning Wheel Gold in 2011. Character creation ('Character Burning') is done by choosing 'lifepaths' within each of the playable races. The main setting is unapologetically even more Tolkienesque than the basic D&D including Trolls that turn to stone in sunlight and Orcs who were formerly elves. For Men, however, the lifepaths are designed based on 12th-century France, so it's also much more medieval than many fantasy {{RPG}}s.

Burning Wheel is a roleplaying system created by Luke Crane in 2002, revised to the aptly-named Burning Wheel revised 2005, and re-updated to Burning Wheel Gold in 2011. Character creation ('Character Burning') is done by choosing 'lifepaths' within each of the playable races. The main setting is unapologetically even more Tolkienesque than the basic D&D including Trolls that turn to stone in sunlight and Orcs who were formerly elves. For Men, however, the lifepaths are designed based on 12th-century France, so it's also much more medieval than many fantasy {{RPG}}s.

Two other full games use adaptations of the ''Burning Wheels'' rules but require no additional books: BurningEmpires, which uses the ''Iron Empires'' science-fiction setting and ''ComicBook/MouseGuard'', which adapts the graphic novels of the same name to RPG form.

!!Tropes:

* AllTrollsAreDifferent Based on Tolkien's trolls the basic BurningWheel troll is big, dumb and turns to stone permanently when exposed to sunlight. However different traits can give the horns, hooves, an unexplained likableness and even an immunity to sunlight. They're still likely to be bigger, dumber and tougher than any other PC race, but apart from that they can be very different.

There are currently three extra rulebooks in addition to the main rulebook, which explains the core rules and introduces four base playable races (Dwarfs, Elves, Men, and Orcs) and their lifepaths. The Monster Burner introduces four more playable races: Roden (anthropomorphic rodents), Great Spiders (giant intelligent spiders), Trolls, and Great Wolves (giant wolves ranging from Tolkien's Wargs to those in PrincessMononoke) along with many monsters and the rules to create more. The Magic Burner introduces more magic systems, some new lifepaths who use these systems, rules for creating your own, and describes some of the archetypal mages (both good and evil). The Adventure Burner is mostly system commentary and campaign creation advice.

Two other full games use adaptations of the Burning Wheels rules but require no additional books: BurningEmpires, which uses the IronEmpires science fiction setting and MouseGuard, which adapts the graphic novels of the same name to RPG form.

This game includes examples of:

There are currently three extra rulebooks in addition to the main rulebook, which explains the core rules and introduces four base playable races (Dwarfs, Elves, Men, and Orcs) and their lifepaths. The Monster Burner introduces four more playable races (Roden (anthropomorphic rodents), Great Spiders (giant intelligent spiders), Trolls, and Great Wolves (giant wolves ranging from Tolkien's Wargs to those in PrincessMononoke) along with many monsters and the rules to create more. The Magic Burner introduces more magic systems, some new lifepaths who use these systems, rules for creating your own, and describes some of the archetypal mages (both good and evil). The Adventure Burner is mostly system commentary and campaign creation advice.

Several books with additional settings and rules were written. Burning Sands: Jihad is Literature/{{Dune}} with the SerialNumbersFiledOff very, very minimally. The Blossoms are Falling is Burning Wheel set in Heian-era Japan... which means the katana has not yet been invented and the term "bushi" is far more common than "samurai," who are only just rising to prominence. Under a Serpent Sun was a PostApocalyptic adaptation that was bleak even for that genre and inspired by (and full of ShoutOuts to) AtTheGates; it was disowned by Luke Crane for being basically flawed and unplayable.

Several books with additional settings and rules were written. Burning Sands: Jihad is {{Dune}} with the SerialNumbersFiledOff very, very minimally. The Blossoms are Falling is Burning Wheel set in Heian-era Japan... which means the katana has not yet been invented and the term "bushi" is far more common than "samurai," who are only just rising to prominence. Under a Serpent Sun was a PostApocalyptic adaptation that was bleak even for that genre and inspired by (and full of ShoutOuts to) AtTheGates; it was disowned by Luke Crane for being basically flawed and unplayable.

* BigBadassWolf Great Wolves are horse-sized wolves of human intelligence. Some are born into, or captured and enslaved by, the 'forces of darkness' to act as mounts for Orcs. Some become shaman-like spirit speakers or use ancient magic. Most just live like wolves and avoid contact with any bipeds save the occasional Elf.
* BoringButPractical: Recipe for success in Burning Wheel's Fight! subsystem: reduce your opponent to zero dice using locks; slit his throat at your leisure.
** It should be noted that it's usually much harder to grab and immobilize someone than it is to stab him. If you're going for a submission hold against someone swinging a sword, you may lose limbs before you get a lock.
** Boring but practical is really wearing armor, probably using a shield, and using a good weapon. You can be tricky with wrestling moves or close quickly with a knife, but playing as a stereotypical knight will work wonders.

* ArmorAndMagicDon'tMix: Entirely averted. Sorcerous lifepaths don't include training with arms or armor, and spells are expensive enough that you may not be able to afford armor, but nothing stops an experienced or high-lifepath character from being a MagicKnight.

** Heavy armor can still shrug off some arrows, but against a longbow (greatbows) with bodkin arrows you'll need immense luck not to take wounds even through plate armor.

** There's no playing, just aversion, although it should be noted that it's possible, albeit very, very difficult, to kill someone in a single blow. That blow just has to be through the heart or similarly lethal.

Also notable is the inclusion of Emotional Attributes for the traditional fantasy races. While Elves, Dwarves and Orcs are more powerful inherently than humans, they suffer from respective attributes that advance under appropriate conditions and can make a character unplayable if pushed too far. Elves suffer from Grief, Dwarves from Greed, Orcs from sheer Hatred and Dark Elves from Spite. Humans have an optional variant of the subsystem known as Faith, which is more or less ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin.

Burning Wheel is a roleplaying system created by Luke Crane in 2002, revised to the aptly-named Burning Wheel revised 2005, and re-updated to Burning Wheel Gold in 2011. Character creation ('Character Burning') is done by choosing 'lifepaths' within each of the playable races. The main setting is unapologetically even more Tolkienesque than the basic D&D including Trolls that turn to stone in sunlight and Orcs who were formerly elves. For Men, however, the lifepaths are designed based on 12th-century France, so it's also much more medieval than many fantasy RPGs.

** Uh, no. Even at closest range armor still counts. You have to actually have someone incapacitated to bypass armor. You can do that by getting close, wrestling them to the ground, and immobilizing them, but not just by being close.

* BigBadassWolf Great Wolves are horse-sized wolves of human intelligence. Some are born into, or captured and enslaved by, the 'forces of darkness' to act as mounts for Orcs. Some become shaman-like spirit speakers or use ancient magic. Most just live like wolves and avoid contact with any bipeds save the occasional elf.

* OneHitKill: A black-shade wound tolerance meeting a grey or white-shade attack ends up like this.

Burning Wheel is a roleplaying system created by Luke Crane in 2002 and updated in 2005. Character creation ('Character Burning') is done by choosing 'lifepaths' within each of the playable races. The main setting is unapologetically even more Tolkienesque than D&D including Trolls that turn to stone in sunlight and Orcs who were formerly elves.

The system's main agenda is focus on generating conflict and eschewing minor dice rolls for advancement of the story. It is stated by the author that events in-game should involve as much personal stake as possible for the characters. If there is no conflict, no dice are rolled. Complimentary to this is the advancement system: rolling anything related to a character that can improve, in most cases even if the roll fails, advances your skill if there is something at stake involved in rolling. The result is that redundant dice checks are eliminated in lieu of story advancement.

There are currently 5 books out for the core rules. The Core Book explains the core rules, the Character Burner introduces the 4 base playable races (Dwarfs, Elves, Humans and Orcs) and their lifepaths. The Monster Burner introduces 4 more playable races (Roden (anthropomorphic rodents), Great Spiders (giant intelligent spiders), Trolls and Great Wolves (giant wolves ranging from Tolkien's Wargs to those in PrincessMononoke) along with many monsters and the rules to create more. The Magic Burner introduces more magic systems, some new lifepaths who use these systems, rules for creating your own, and describes some of the archetypal mages (both good and evil). The Adventure Burner is mostly system commentary and campaign creation advice.

There is also the BurningEmpires book which allows you to use the system in the IronEmpires setting and includes all the rules for doing so.