SONG OF BLADES AND HEROES VERSUS ADVANCED SONG OF BLADES AND HEROES: A PRIMER

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1 SONG OF BLADES AND HEROES VERSUS ADVANCED SONG OF BLADES AND HEROES: A PRIMER Song of Blades and Heroes was published in July 2007 and it was revised in Ganesha Games is now publishing an advanced version of the rules, but the old rules will not be discontinued, because the two sets appeal to different styles of gaming, and one can easily transition to the other. A few clarifications are needed. This PDF summarizes the differences between the two. 1) Basic rules remain in production. The basic books (Song of Blades and Heroes) continue to be printed and supported. They can be bought at 2) Core rules are unchanged: Most old profiles work just the same. Morale and activation are the same. Combat is the same. Profiles from the old books can be used alongside the new ones. The point system is the same. Measuring sticks are still Short, Medium, Long. 1

2 3) Advanced adds a detailed magic system. This has been asked for by fans. If detailed magic, with area effect spells, terrain altering enchantments, amulets, magic suits of armor and weapons aren t your cup of tea, keep using Basic rules. 4) A formal change: Special rules are now called Traits. Lots of ink saved. 5) Advanced books are 6x9 inches, with full color photographs and illustrations. This booklet has several examples. The PDF downloads of advanced books also include an inksaving version with page backgrounds and art removed, for those who print at home. 6) Advanced adds Reactions. Reactions are actions that happen during the opponent s turn. Basically, if a character fails any Q roll, an opponent can pick up any dice that rolled a failure and use them to activate his own figures in the opponent s turn. This new rule is optional, but most players who have tried it are not going back to the old system. The book also suggests several ways to limit reactions if they seem too much of a good thing (they are not; they just give a different game). The turn-over effect is still there. A player can spend two Reactions to take 2

3 In ASOBH he is: the initiative, thus creating the turnover effect like in basic SOBH. 7)Advanced adds shield/armor/weapon rules. These are just additional special rules (Traits). So you can use them, or not. Let s see an example. We have an Orc model with a small shield and a spear. In SOBH he is: Orc Spearman 23pts, Q4 C3, no Special Rules Orc Spearman 32 pts, Q4 C3, Traits: Long Reach, Melee Block In ASOBH, we added the Long Reach Trait, allowing him to count for outnumbering purposes when he is attacking with his long spear over the shoulder of a friend. It s a new ability, it s not overpowering, but it creates an interesting tactical situation. Long Reach is a Weapon-based Trait. This is marked with a (W) in the game: the Trait is lost if the Orc loses his spear (there are abilities that can disarm a character). We also gave him the Melee Block Trait. This lets him roll a die after receiving a melee hit and, on a roll of 5 or 6, lessen the effect of the hit, for example 3

4 turning a knockdown into a recoil. However, the small shield cannot block missiles or magic. There are other Block abilities. Some personalities may have Expert Block allowing them to block on a 4+. This does not create invulnerable characters because many weapons/attack types ignore shields (e.g. Flail attacks) or destroy them (Shieldbreaker). The Advanced profile costs a few more points, because it has additional abilities. The two profiles can be used together, and players using the point system can feel that the two are balanced. 8) Spellcasters now have 30+ spells to choose from. A SOBH Magic-User, under the new system, is simply a Spellcaster (a 0 point Trait) using the Transfix and the Magic Blast spells. The point cost is the same. The abilities of spellcasters are more nuanced. Every new book adds more spells and magic items. Here s a sample spell, the classic Fireball: 4

5 Fireball Tags: Area (Short). Variable Range, Extended Range, LoS Required, Holdable All models in the target area receive a fire-based attack with C= power +1. Walls of Fire are unaffected. Fireball is Lethal against Wall of Ice and Ice Elementals. Backfire: Caster takes a C2 fire-based attack. Each spell is a separate Trait with its own point cost. Each spell has a Backfire effect that happens when the spellcaster fails badly at his activation roll. Some spells are apparently less useful than others, but only have mild consequences when miscast. 9) More types of magic will be added in supplements. We have lots of different magic abilities planned. For example, Hammer and Forge adds a few more spells and a complete system for rune magic, runestones, runes etched into weapons or used as traps, runic blessings, and druidic, animalistic Feral Powers; the Elf supplement Leaf and Arrow will add more spells, enchanted arrows, magic birthmarks and more druid powers; 5

6 Steam and Cogs will add spells that interact with steam-powered and clockwork-powered automata, and so on. 10) Spells are described by tag words. Each spell, in addition to its description, has a series of tag words detailing how the spell works. This lets us save space in the book and makes the rules easier to remember. All Wall spells, for example, follow the same general rules. All Variable Range spells calculate range in the same way; and so on. Supplements will add new tag words. 11) Every Advanced supplement has a set of simple narrative based campaign rules. Instead of breaking out your calculator, you can level up one of your surviving characters every time you win a game. No book-keeping is needed besides updating that profile. The updates that a character can take are described in the campaign section. There are generic upgrades that can be taken by anyone, and specific upgrades that can be taken only by characters belonging to a certain theme, race or 6

7 organization. For example, all characters in the Guild of Thieves can take Stealth, Traps and Thievery. All Orcs of The Bloody Blade Tribe can take Dashing or Bashing Blow; and so on. 12) Many profiles in the new books are arranged in experience progression. So for example you can have a Beginner Thief, a Thief, an Expert Thief, a Veteran Thief, and a Guildmaster Thief on a roster. In general, you can upgrade a character from one of these levels to the next, for example spending one upgrade to turn your Expert Thief into a Veteran Thief. This gives a feeling of progression. 13) In the Advanced rules, Players are encouraged to assign story-based advancements to characters. No hard and fast rules are provided, but a few examples are given. Remember that nameless Halfling Scout who passed his Terror check when fighting the Great Necromancer? Let s give him the Fearless Trait. That dwarf who gave the final blow to the ancient dragon? He earned his Dragonslayer Trait, didn t he? Or maybe he will become the Dwarves Inspired Commander. 7

8 14) Ganesha Games makes miniatures now. We already have a lot of nifty fungus folk figures and a hog-riding halfling available on and we are currently producing Dwarves and Hobgoblins. No, this does not mean that you will be required to use the official figures. The rulebooks will have plenty of generic, universal profiles so you can continue to use ANY figure you already have. But you can also support us by pledging on our Kickstarters and buying our figures. 15) Song of Blades has an official setting now. It s optional, so you can use it or just ignore it, but it s designed to accommodate any figures or cultures you want. The world is called Norindaal, has seven major land-masses (An Mòr, Kardalok, Qaarra, Monda Daenar, Dunvania, Edda and Andamon), one visible moon and Daikesti, a Silver Moon visible only to High Elves and astrologers. Centuries ago, after they created the three pillar races (Dwarves, Humans and Reptile folk) the Gods were displeased with Norindaal, as the place was being overrun by dinosaurs, dragons, giants, demons, chaos monsters and evil mutant reptilian races. They inflicted a century of meteor swarms and floods 8

9 upon the world. This event was called the Century of Rain and Fire. Most of the evil races were destroyed, but some adapted to an amphibian lifestyle or magically entombed themselves, only to be rediscovered later by Dwarves mining for gold and gems. Dwarves discovered Elves in meteorites, freed them and so Elves came unto the world. The Elves are split into many sub-races. The Dwarves are now regretting helping them out of their stone tombs. While looking for the EverBounty, a potentially inexhaustible mother lode of gold and gems, Dwarves freed demons and antediluvian monsters, 9

10 bringing ancient evils back into the world. Dwarves who refused to work on those mines were cast out. Collectively known as Outcasts, they are themselves divided into many different cultures (the Branded, the Prairie Pirates, the shamanistic Pelters, and the steam-tech-powered Grinders). In addition, an Undead curse spread through the population of Malegund turning all of its inhabitants into undead monsters under the control of Darran Dur, the Dwarven Lich King. The area of An Mòr called the Sun-Kissed Vale is where the Fungi Folk are located. Fightin Fungi is the first official book for Advanced Song of Blades and Heroes and is already available as a PDF on and as a paperback and miniatures on Fungi Folk are an important presence on Norindaal, so they will pop up in other books. Hobgoblins are a militaristic, nomadic people living on the steppes between the Sun- 10

11 Kissed Vale and Kestar Kell, homeland of the Dwarves. 15) We will publish narrative based campaigns. The first, Unicorn Hunt, is in playtest right now and should be available January, These will be short books with 3-5 linked scenarios and narrative based progression for the characters. Each book will have scenarios and all new rules and profiles needed. Profiles will be offered for both basic and Advanced Song of Blades and Heroes. If you are interested in Advanced Song of Blades and Heroes, you can pre-order it now and be part of the playtest during our Song of Blades: Hammer and Forge Kickstarter. Join the Kickstarter to be part of this exciting new version of the rules. 11