For those not familiar with Ganesha games's other series (such as "Song of Blades and Heroes" or "Flying Lead"), ToBaH is a tactical-skirmish-game-turned-rpg with tiny character sheets. Characters can be summed up as a few core stats, a short list of traits and maybe a magic word list for magic users. These simplified characters lend themselves to a lightweight system that is (generally) easy to pick up and play. Because this focuses on individual characters rather than a warband, the rules are a step more detailed and complex than its wargame relatives.

For those familiar with SoBaH and whatnot: this takes the current systems you would be familiar with and makes them more interesting by upping the complexity. Quality rolls are done differently, making use of multiple (potentially exploding) dice and traits boosting individual dice rather than the stat itself. Damage is taken a step further, with an additional roll applying additional effects on top of whether a character recoils or is wounded. For example, a character may drop their weapon or give opponents a free hack on a recoil. Also, characters roll for initiative, which determines when they get their chance to roll for activation, and rather than ending their turn outright, they risk a critical fumble.

Most of the traits supplied are tailored towards a stock medieval fantasy setting with some primitive firearms. The magic system is centralised around magic words: combine two or more to create a spell and describe its intended effects, with the ensuing roll determining its capabilities and strength. The flexibility is great but customising a spell on the fly will be a little rough on beginners.

I found the game to be pretty neat, but I found some rules as written to be convoluted or confusing. Also, I made the mistake of thinking this was the only book you'd need to play, finding it lacking at times: Some topics are touched upon but never elaborated and although example characters are supplied outisde the book, it is devoid of any example creatures or monsters. Turns out you will want Tales of Beasts and Perils (aka the GM guidebook) as well.

Tales of Blades and Heroes is an RPG based on Andrea Sfiligoi's excellent Song of Blades and Heroes fantasy wargame.

This book adds a full suite of RPG flavored special rules to Song of Blades and Heroes. The result is what I will call an RPG wargame.

The RPG elements are well-thought-out, and I think they would play well.

Will I use it? If I were going to play an RPG with other people, this would be at the top of my list. It has integrated combat balance, which makes it far superior to most other RPG's I've tried. I mostly play solo RPG's, and I think it'll work just fine in that context using the Mythic GM Emulator to automate the RPG elements of the game, and Lone Blade to handle combat AI. I think I'll try it.

After more more than two decades of roleplaying, I find the holy grail in the shape of TALES OF BLADES AND HEROES.

The good: Easy and fast rules but deep enough to portarit characters and their abilities, and a limitless options magic system. Beware: if you are a fan ranks, modifiers and detailed to the core mechanics, this is not for you; if you want fast and fun games or/and games in which roleplaying can prevail over mechanics, with vast freedom for character creation without class or race restrictions, this is for you. Another remarkable aspect is the union with tactical miniature gaming; this is a perfect mix of RPG and fantasy wargaming if you want, and can be used as a wargame on it´s own (being based on Song of blades and heroes)

The bad: No setting and no profiles for monsters and antagonists; it´s not really a bad thing for experienced gamers, but a couple more pages with goons and setting ideas could help newcomers.

Keeps true to the SBH engine Quality artwork throughout the book. Mechanics make for a quick and lite role-playing session with options to increase complexity. Rewards role-play. Open ended to allow freedom of how your character develops. I have been waiting on this book for a while and was not disappointed. Thanks.