Swordbearer (role-playing game)

Swordbearer is a fantasy role-playing game. It was originally published by Heritage Games in 1982, and then republished by Fantasy Games Unlimited in 1985. The game was written by B. Dennis Sustare with contributions from Arnold Hendrick. Illustrations are by Denis Loubet and David Helber. The Heritage edition cover art was by Helber; the FGU edition's cover art was by Bill Willingham.

Swordbearer was designed by B. Dennis Sustare with Arnold Hendrick, featuring art by Denis Loubet. It was first published in 1982 by Heritage USA as a digest-sized box with three digest-sized books (two 48 pages, one 32 pages), a character sheet, and dice.

Fantasy Games Unlimited (FGU) purchased the rights to Swordbearer, and also bought Heritage's old stock, something that FGU's Scott Bizar felt was a necessary part of such a deal. In 1985 FGU republished the game in the same format with new cover art by Bill Willingham; later that year, FGU published a second edition as a boxed set containing two books (one 60 pages and one 32 pages).

Swordbearer is a fantasy system with some innovative ideas. Characters have no classes or professions, instead learning whatever skills are appropriate from six different "spheres" of skills. In this moneyless system, successful characters increase in social status, automatically gaining whatever material benefits their status confers. Playing out of character can result in loss of social status. Magic is based on elemental summoning and spirit control. The "Characters" and "Fighting" book (48 pages) included character creation, skills, equipment, and combat. The "Elemental Magic" and "Spirit Magic" book (32 pages) describes the magic system in detail. The "Racial Index" and "Gamemaster's Guide" book (48 pages) covers intelligent races, monsters, and how to run the game.

The game broke a lot of ground. Among its innovations were:

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