Sword Noir, Second Edition

Imagine a barbarian prince embroiled in the criminal underworld of a cosmopolitan city as they seek for an artifact in the shape of a falcon statue. Consider two accomplished thieves—one an urbane duelist and the other a brawny skald—hired by a wealthy retired general to deal with a blackmailer, only uncover multiple murders tied to the general’s children. Envision hardboiled crime fiction in the worlds of sword & sorcery.

That’s Sword Noir.

The concept of Sword Noir is a combination of hardboiled fiction, the film noir it inspired, and sword & sorcery. The setting is noir while the characters are drawn from sword & sorcery tales. The PCs live in a world filled with injustice and apathy. Treachery and greed dominate and hope is frail. Violence is deadly and fast. The characters are good at what they do. They are specialists. Trust is the most valued of commodities—life is the cheapest. Grim leaders weave labyrinthine plots which entangle innocents. Magic is real and can be powerful, but it takes extreme dedication to learn, extorts a horrible price, and is slow to conjure.

Now is the time for your characters to walk down mean streets, drenched in rain, hidden in fog, and unravel mysteries, murders, and villainy. Sword Noir 2E is based on Sword's Edge, also available on itch.io.

NOTE: This system requires cooperation at the table and a shared goal of telling a great story. It is the premise of SEP systems that the game experience should be fun for everyone and no player should be made uncomfortable unless that is a part of the experience of which they were informed and to which they agree. Shared respect and consideration among all participants are key to achieving a satisfying and enjoyable game for everyone at the table. If you disagree, this system and SEP games more widely are not going to meet your expectations or complement your play style.