The Core Rules are now available at DrivethruRPG
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/218159/Glory-Road-Roleplay-Core-RulesThe Game Manager's Guide is now available at DrivethruRPG
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/296283/Glory-Road-Roleplay-Game-Managers-GuideGood move. Thanks.
This is a system that has been played since 1982. It differs from the most popular system of the time in many ways. Some of the more obvious ones.
1: The concrete nature of some of the elements of the system seem to make visualization, narration and thus immersion easier for many players. For example, if you take damage, you know that you are injured. HP, the concept is retained, do not represent an amorphous combination of luck, skill and physical damage. Your character will take damage, probably less often, but it will be damage that is easy to visualize and easy for a GM to narrate if desired: "The Hobgoblin's shete strikes Adork on the upper arm (hit location is optional but this was a one versus one fight) and does nine HP of damage." You, the player, know that your character is
hurt. Nine points won't stop Adork but the situation has become more dangerous.
2: Becoming more difficult to hit gives a greater sense of accomplishment than getting another glob of HP (HP are static) Of course, this isn't "realism," there is a factor of diminishing returns that prevents anyone from becoming an unhittable combat god. Target Number (T#) should be impossible to improve after awhile. However, this system feels more real than the abstraction of HP and a GM who wants to make improving T# more difficult or impossible after a certain level is free to do so. At least twelve people have run this game over the years since its inception and none of them have done that.
3: The magic system is somewhat "academic" in structure, with prerequisites and specializations.
4: Initiates and Hedge-Priests get their power from their deities. Powers list differ between the various cults and religions and the GM can pick and choose and make their own.
5: Four attributes, Size, Constitution, Intelligence and Dexterity impact the other six, Strength (impacted by Sz and Cn) Agility (impacted by Dx, by St (positively) and Sz(negatively)) Awareness, Stability, Charisma and (magical) Talent (all impacted by IN)
F: There are two action resolution systems. One is based on a D20 and basically handles situations where players and the GM are resolving actions by PCs and NPCs during an action scene. The other involves D% and is used for crucial situations and for spell-casting.
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