# the Burning Wheel tags: #game/rpg/burning-wheel ![[the Burning Wheel (cover).jpg]] ## Summary _The Burning Wheel_ is a tabletop roleplaying game designed by Luke Crane that famously prioritizes a character's "Beliefs, Instincts, and Traits" over their ability to swing a sword or avoid a fireball—though it certainly has enough rules for those, too. It is a game of high-friction mechanics where you fight for what you believe in, usually while bleeding out in a ditch because you failed a "Steel" test. The system prides itself on being a "black box" of interlocking gears that punish casual play and reward those who enjoy reading five-hundred-page manuals. It effectively simulates the grim reality of being a medieval peasant with high aspirations and a very low life expectancy. ## Core Die Resolution Mechanics The game utilizes a pool of six-sided dice (d6). When a character attempts a task, the player assembles a pool based on the relevant Skill or Stat. 1. **Obstacles (Ob):** Every task has a fixed "Obstacle" number. To succeed, you must roll a number of "successes" equal to or greater than the Ob. 2. **Success Threshold:** By default, any die result of 4, 5, or 6 counts as a success. This is known as "Black Shade." 3. **Shade-Shifting:** This is the game's version of ascending to godhood. "Gray Shade" dice succeed on a 3 or higher, and "White Shade" dice succeed on a 2 or higher. Shifting your shade is an arduous process involving "Artha" (the game's meta-currency) and usually a lot of trauma. 4. **Artha:** Players earn Fate, Persona, and Deeds points by playing toward their Beliefs. You spend these to "open-end" 6s (roll them again for more successes), add dice, or double your exponent. 5. **Let It Ride:** A foundational rule stating that a player only rolls once for a specific intent. The result stands until the situation changes significantly. No "fishing" for better rolls here; if you fail to pick the lock, you've failed until you find a bigger hammer or a different door. ## Edition Changes - _**The Burning Wheel**_ **(Classic/First Edition):** The 2002 original was a two-book set (_The Burning Wheel_ and the _Character Burner_). It introduced the "Scripting" combat systems (Fight! and Duel of Wits) which involve pre-planning three actions at a time and watching them collide spectacularly with your opponent's choices. - _**The Burning Wheel Revised**_**:** Published in 2005, this version filed down the "rough edges" of the original, clarifying the scripting mechanics and refining the "Range and Cover" system for ranged combat. - _**The Burning Wheel Gold**_**:** The 2011 "definitive" edition consolidated the rules into a single, massive volume. It introduced significant changes to the "Circles" and "Resources" mechanics, moving away from simple stat checks toward more integrated lifecycle systems. - _**The Burning Wheel Gold Revised**_**:** The 2018 update fixed various typos and clarified the "Bloody Versus" rules—a streamlined combat option for people who don't want to spend two hours scripting a three-second knife fight. ## References - [Official Store - Burning Wheel Headquarters]([https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.burningwheel.com/the-burning-wheel-gold-revised/ "null"](https://www.burningwheel.com/burning-wheel-gold-revised/)) - [The Burning Wheel Review - Shut Up & Sit Down](https://www.shutupandsitdown.com/rpg-review-burning-wheel/)