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About two weeks ago, I decided to take another look at Iron Gauntlets (or IG, as I will be referring to it), and let me just say it was well worth it. Let me also say I wish I had given this game my full attention earlier, because it is an excellent entry that manages to stand apart in a crowded fantasy RPG market.
IG is available in a number of forms. There is a core pdf version, weighing in at 112 pages, an Expanded Version, which clocks in at 186 pages, and a softcover Expanded Version as well. I reviewed the Expanded Version pdf, which includes battlemaps from 01 Games and a sampling of Disposable Heroes.
The writing style is clear and friendly. If I were new to roleplaying or even GMing, I think the thoroughness and clarity with which the material is presented would give me a boost of confidence. Another item I liked from the opening pages is that IG disdains just the standard "What is a Roleplaying Game" section? No, within the first few pages, IG asks the reader questions about both character and campaign. These questions are designed to get the gears turning, and strive to put the reader in the right state of mind for character creation and the game itself.
Of course, character creation soon follows. Iron Gauntlets uses the Impresa Modular System, which you can get a peek at here. With Impresa, characters are built, not rolled, with a point allocation method. Not unique, but very well done, and as with the rest of this book, clear-cut and easy to understand. Characters are a mix of Skills, Vocations, Gimmicks (which work close to Traits or Advantages/Disadvantages), and Backgrounds. one of the best features of IGs is that all of the above--from Vocations to Skills to Backgrounds--are extremely easy to build for game customization. For adding and adapting to your game, IG deserves an A+.
The Impresa system is, well, impressive. There are 5 self-explanatory abilities (stats): Fitness, Awareness, Creativity, Reasoning, and Influence. Each ability is tied to a skill--for example, Tumbling or Brawling are Fitness-based skills. Say I have an ability of 4 in Fitness, and a Skill of 6 in Tumbling. That means I roll 4 10-sided dice when using that skill. Any rolls below a 6 (my Tumbling skill) count as "steps", or successes. These steps are referenced to the difficulty of the task in question. So, if I had to perform using my Tumble skill vs. a difficulty of three (a Complex task), I would need 3 dice to be under my skill rating to succeed. Not too difficult, is it? Again, the rules in IG are presented in an extremely friendly, well-written manner.
We've already discussed the most outstanding features of Iron Gauntlets. If the first sections of this book don't grab you and hold you, then you aren't likely to find much the rest of the way to do it. The Equipment section is adequate. The Magic section wasn't exactly to my liking, but is built on the basic steps of three traditions of magic. The idea seems to be within these separate traditions, the basic spells can be used or defined to gain the effects of more standard fantasy gaming spells, but it wasn't my favorite part of IG for me. Still, the magical traditions of IG are well-explained, and should be at least serviceable. And if you'd like to change the magic system around a bit, I guarantee you'd have a far easier time in IG than you would in regard to the mechanics of many other games.
The Bestiary covers the basics, as well as a few twists on basic monsters (you'll enjoy the system for ensuring no cookie-cutter stats for the monsters; like the rest of IG, simple yet effective).
The GM (Behind the Scenes) section is another bright spot, with plenty of good advice ranging from the varying roles of the GM to how to get your favorite fantasy spells out of IG's magic system. There are also a goodly amount of adventure ideas, a default campaign background, and even rules for diceless play. There are also reference charts and character sheets for ease of gaming.
Iron Gauntlets provides two things in abundance--comfort and flexibility. A first-time gamer won't feel out at sea thanks to the fantastic writing and simple rules, yet a veteran gamer shouldn't feel constrained by a ruleset that doesn't do what he wants. On the contrary, the modular nature of IG is perfectly suited for GMs who want maximum breathing room within a workable set of rules. Speaking personally, this game also brought back "that old feeling" so many of us had when we started gaming--the thought of unseen worlds, heroic, empowered characters, and solid rules that spoke of opportunity, not limitation.
If I were introducing a novice gamer into the world of RPGs, I would steer them towards Iron Gauntlets. Why? Because the system is smashingly easy to pick up, character creation can handle any concept while keeping it in a playable frame, and because I believe even a rookie could sit down, read through the opening parts of Iron Gauntlets once, and have a pretty good idea of how this thing called an RPG should work. As a hobby, many of our "entry-level" games are of a medium complexity, or at least have mutated to a point where one session with a rules lawyer could turn someone off to gaming for good. In Iron Gauntlets, with it's Zero Intimidation Factor and A+ on Learning Curve and Playability, new gamers just may have their best entrance vehicle yet.
Veteran gamers should probably tag along.
(Note: This review also appeared in its entirety on RPG Blog).
