Symbaroum

the game

Symbaroum is a fantasy tabletop RPG, often described as dark, gritty and deadly. It was first released in Swedish in 2014, then translated into English for a worldwide release in 2016. Since then, the game has captured the imagination of an ever-growing number of gamers and today the game-line encompasses a dozen hardcover books, along with several support products in the form of card sets, maps and more.

The Symbaroum rule set is a D20, roll under, fully player-facing system, designed to be quick, punishing, and easy to get into. Also, it is highly flexible and modular, so those who want more complexity are offered numerous optional rules, or can easily introduce their own house rules.

The game is also flexible when it comes to what type of games it facilitates – action and/or intrigue; one-shot scenarios and/or long adventure campaigns; serious stories and/or furious fun. However, one can argue that the flagship of Symbaroum is the acclaimed, six-part adventure chronicle The Throne of Thorns. Each of the standalone but interlinked episodes not only offer a massive adventure – they also introduce new lore, setting information, equipment, abilities, and optional rules.

the setting

The intimate, richly nuanced Symbaroum setting revolves around the Ambrians – a civilization that two decades ago were forced to flee their ancestral soil after a devastating war. Their new and promised land borders on the vast forest of Davokar, covering the remnants of the Empire of Symbaroum which fell into ruin hundreds of years ago. Brimming with natural resources and mythical treasures, the forest calls out to the Ambrians to be explored and exploited, but the road into its depths lays far from open. Not only are the shadowy halls beneath the foliage fraught with danger, monsters and infectious corruption; there are also the elves of the Iron Pact who have vowed to die to keep anyone from disturbing the ruins of old, warning that the ancient evil of Symbaroum stirs in its sleep. The horrors of Davokar are about to awaken.

Key features

• A fast-paced and flexible rule-set for creating player characters and acting in the game world.
• 5 playable races and 3 archetypes, divided into 15 occupations, as a basis for character creation.
• 35 abilities, 25 mystical powers, 33 rituals and a large number of weapons and armors to make each character unique.
• Detailed guidelines for how to create adventures; 38 monsters and adversaries, and 19 monstrous traits to arm the characters’ enemies with.
• More than 50 pages describing the game world’s history, geography and cultures, focusing on four particular settings: the Forest of Davokar, the fortune hunter’s town of Thistle Hold, the Ambrian capital Yndaros and the cliff of Karvosti where the barbarian clans convene.
• Symbaroum is a complete roleplaying game; all you need to play is paper, pen and a dice set.
• This roleplaying game is suitable for all adventurous humans, goblins and trolls from the age of 12.