Chronicle 004: Sword's Edge Review

SWORD'S EDGE


On May 6th of this year Rho Pi Gamma interviewed Fraser Ronald of Sword's Edge Publishing. During the interview they discussed the three incarnations that SEP. Sword's Edge was one of these incarnations, and after playing, one of the most enjoyable RPGs I've played to date. (You can click the following link to hear Rho Pi's review from June 10th.)

I think it was a week or so after that initial podcast that the co-host, Liz, ran us in a Serenity version of Sword's Edge. If anyone has played Serenity the RPG you will find that Sword's Edge may actually be a better system for the setting.

Now, as many of you know, I love to create character sheets. Liz had asked me to do the same for this system, even though, frankly, it doesn't need one. This system is designed in such a way that all you really need is a blank piece of paper. However, if I could have an "official" character sheet, I would say that this one -- the first of it's kind, to my knowledge -- can fit on an index card.  I have a friend in my other gaming group that wanted to create/find a game that you could support a character sheet on an index card. And this is it! Sword's Edge needs just enough information about the character, that you could jot down a couple of phrases and be done. there's no Ability scores, no Skill List, it's just a simple Who you are and what makes you 'you'.

Sword's Edge is less about the physical dice rolls and is one of the purest roleplaying games that I've played. Even when compared to Dresden Files/FATE, who share amazing similarities, Sword's Edge still wins the day when it comes down to ease of playing and flexibility.

The similarities start with Aspects: What Does your character do. In Dresden Files Aspects come in the form of background. First you have your career -- in Harry's instance he's a Wizard Private Eye. In Sword's Edge, depending on the setting, you could be a Ex-Browncoat turned Freighter (as if you were Mal from Serenity). Your career kind of defines your class, like Inara would be an Ambassador.

Second you have your Trouble (Fate) or Catch. What's going to keep you in the ball game. What can the GM (or players) use to really fuck up your life. In Fate, Harry's is Chivalry isn't dead damnit. Wash, from Serenity, might have Hopeless Romantic, for his wife Zoe. In Liz's game, I played Wash. She had originally given Wash another catch, but I knew that his love for Zoe might be just as big a hook as anything else -- in Sword's Edge you can have up to three hooks, whereas in Fate you can only have one [not much to go on].

Third you have your background. Who are you? In Fate you have five chances to define yourself. In Sword's Edge you only have three. But this could be anything that you feel defines your character. Mal has Serenity. Wash has 'I am a leaf on the wind'. While Jayne has Vera. These are descriptions or objects that make that character unique.

The best part is that all these aspects can be used to give advantages AND disadvantages in combat and non-combat situations. In both systems you're encouraged to come up with aspects that can be used as bonuses and negatives. So, while Wash may have the negative aspect of Coward, the other aspect Hopeless Romantic may now doubt push him into action, especially if it means saving Zoe's life -- as it did in the adventure Liz ran us in.

But the similarities pretty much stop there. Fate takes off and adds in skills and a complicated system on determining how magic works. Sword's Edge narrows your skills down to three aspects: Physical, Cunning, and Charisma. Mal is a great leader so he has a higher Charisma. Jayne is a brute giving him a higher Physical. Wash on the other had is pretty average in all three respects. And aspects can be tied to the traits as well.

Despite their similarities it is my opinion that Sword's Edge has the, um, edge, on roleplaying. It's only a slight (damnit) edge, because there's less numbers to worry about. I will probably be running a Fate based game at AnimeUSA this year, despite Sword's Edge being an easier game to pick-up and play. But both can be run as 'traditional' rpgs were once run: in the imagination, and not on some board with miniatures.

Well, that's my two cents on Sword's Edge. I hope you enjoyed my review.

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Next time on Dice Harder: a series of posts on What Makes a Character