Beta 2.0 - The Return From Elba

With additional design by Andrew (Commander Kettle.)

• Reorganized the rules into several documents available as individual PDFs hosted here on CallMeEzekie.store

• Added Quick Character Creation.

• Total Rework to progression including Estates and Dynasties, the new name for the previous Bloodline system.

• Added premade NPCs section. Each NPC comes with a brief description and equipment recommendations.

• Civilian NPCs are broadly organized into 3 social classes. Military NPCs include dedicated sections for cavalry, early modern infantry, linear infantry, and the navy. Every section includes an exposition explaining the NPC’s broader historical context.

• Firearm complexity has been renamed to Technical Requirement (Tech Req.). Artillery complexity remains untouched.

• Tech Req. is now a penalty to hit with all firearms that have one, offset by a character’s technical skill. This makes Technical a very important skill if you want to use advanced firearms. (No more Pike & Shotte era machineguns unless your character heavily specced into it.)

• Rebalanced custom firearm creation for the new Tech Req. stat and for balance in general.

• Remade all pre-made firearms to adjust for Tech Req. and other balance changes.

• Custom firearms now support historical TL3 revolvers.

• Removed multiple barrels and integrated melee weapons, the implementations of which had too many edge cases.

• Melee weapons bonus to hit has been renamed to “Melee Bonus.” Melee bonuses are both offensive and defensive: a bonus to hit, and also a penalty applied to melee attacks targeting you.

• Armor rework - armor is now a simple damage deduction offset by attacking weapon penetration. Shields can still be used a limited number of times per round to increase protection.

• Buffed melee weapon damage but lowered penetration to make armor more important.

• Simplified Bayonet rules. Affixing a bayonet now allows melee attacks to be made with a firearm as though it were a short spear, spear, pike, or newly added stabbing spear (representing the shortest such weapons like the Japanese Pillow Spear) based on the firearm’s barrel length

• Reworked equipment and gear into the new Tools system. Tools can be created for listed skills following some broad guidelines with Historian oversight, similar to the outfit system. Outfits remain unchanged

• Renamed Horseback penalty to Mounted Action Penalty because it is hard to fight from camelback too.

• A character with Athletics 10 or above may move 1 additional m/yds per move action. A character with Athletics 25 or above may move 2 additional m/yds per move action.

• Additional editing passes clarifying rules and examples.

• It is now 10% less likely to roll a poor family background and 10% more likely to roll wealthy.

• Failing a tap load now disables a weapon for the rest of the encounter.

• Rain now gives penalties to hit instead of increasing complexity/tech req.

• Added an exposition in ship creation regarding Tons bm vs displacement tons. It also explains the difference between the tonne, long ton, short ton, and how they are used in Iron & Blood.

• Added several historical paintings.

• Changed Army Support Engineer’s Survival Roll to Vitality from Control

• Added the Poleaxe.

• Rebalanced bows and crossbows so bows are better to a character specialized in archery but crossbows are better for everyone else, even reducing the penalty for lacking Marksmanship.

• Renamed dynamic character creation to lifepath character creation.