30 seconds of thumbing through the core rulebook of this originally Swedish RPG reveals its true strength - atmosphere. The world of Symbaroum is initially not a very big one but it is BIG on mood and the admittedly limited area provided in which GMs will ply their trade is oozing with a dark, mysterious and even somber ambience. This Grimdark setting clutches at the reader from descriptive text and awe-inspiring artwork. (I will admit the artwork had more of an effect on me than any other game I can remember)

A struggling monarchy and its people, forced to flee its homeland after victory over dark forces left it cursed, settling in lands where they are not welcome and confronting evils half forgotten in legend. Its epic despite the small scale in which it is presented and provides tons of opportunity for GMs to flex and Players to explore. The central theme of the setting, the massive and foreboding forest of Davokar dominates the map and the setting and promises endless adventure, and probable TPKs as well. Yes, this world is dark and the rules back the feeling up with a gritty and unforgiving approach.

The rules are fairly simple, light even, in my opinion - so much so I found myself looking, and not finding, certain staples in most systems. Grappling rules for example, or the choice of a defensive stance while in combat. Many of these kinds of options and details are reported to be upcoming in soon to be released handbooks and the like but they are missed here, but not to a tremendous degree. The rules that are provided are more than enough to venture forth into this fascinating setting and that is the true value of Symbaroum to my mind. Deadly combat, interesting and unique traits and abilities, corrupting magic and plenty of room for individualization of character are all here and dripping with the same dark faerie like feel that permeates all.

The core book also comes with an intro adventure. Its quite short and linear but does a good job of introducing new characters to the system and the world in general. As a bonus it serves as a lead in to the larger adventure which follows in a couple of modules already translated and available in hardcopy or PDF.

I was taken by this product and the world it introduces. So much so it dominated by thinking for days, and still is. The decidedly European taint gives it a strange sort of alien aspect where even the familiar seems mysterious. The Scandinavian origin is evident in the mythos behind the evil elves, lumbering trolls, wild barbarians and sinister witches in the wood. I found myself lost in a storm of ideas emerging from the cold mists and haunted glades of Symbaroum and could not wait to play!

I am reading this book myself at the moment.  There is something about this game, the "It Factor", perhaps, but yeah, it has me pretty stoked to give it a run. I certainly echo your thoughts on ambiance and artwork.  After several years of playing high-action, high-fantasy stuff, I've been in the mood for something exploration-focused with a palpable feeling of danger...  Bingo! This is it.  

System-wise, it actually reminds me a bit of Cypher System in terms of crunch and basic mechanics. Normally that would be a big deal-breaker, but I *think* I like what they've done here.  Cypher characters feel very thin (3 attributes + a few special abilities) compared to Symbaroum characters with their 8 attributes + 5 abilities/powers based on occupation and race (for a starting character).  Symbaroum characters seem much more tangible to me.  And those 8 attributes represent base target numbers (roll-under) for seemingly everything you do in the game.  Simple and intuitive.  I read one blog that compared it to BRP in that regard.  Plus, in Symbaroum, your special items are yours to keep as opposed to the use-and-discard approach of Cypher. So if you find a cool artifact, that becomes part of your character's identity as well.

The biggest criticism I have is that the setting details are a bit thin.  Most things are described in a basic sense, but often leave you wanting a bit more. Hopefully, the Jarnringen team is planning to flesh things out with some meaty supplements.  Maps and floorplans of some of the incredible sites depicted in the artwork would be fabulous!

I could ramble on, but suffice it to say I am also inspired to play this thing sooner or later!

I also was a little disappointed they didn't provide more info on the setting but was told by a couple of their developers in a chat that they wanted to provide a framework for GMs to branch out on their own from. Sounded like "We will get to it later" in Swedish to me but I took their word for it and branched out immediately, selecting a kind of out of the way corner of the map and just started dreaming.

What about the shadows

Testing...

EDIT: Sorry, the forum locked me out a few times, thought it might be a bug. In short, yeah, I agree with the above assessment. I enjoyed the book, though my overall verdict was probably quite a bit more negative: The rules, in this case, are almost superfluous -  the setting is what makes this game worth a look. I would have welcomed more material on the setting, and less of a frame ruleset that experienced DMs will likely skip with more ellaborated systems they already use.

But, overall, certainly a buy that I don't regret.

Ill admit I considered using another system as well but decided to give the whole package a try as is. Some systems have an almost symbiotic relationship with their accompanying settings, only truly showing promise when utilized as the original designer intended. Ill give Symbaroum the benefit of the doubt for now and see how it runs.

Quote from: rgrove0172;923959Ill admit I considered using another system as well but decided to give the whole package a try as is. Some systems have an almost symbiotic relationship with their accompanying settings, only truly showing promise when utilized as the original designer intended. Ill give Symbaroum the benefit of the doubt for now and see how it runs.

Let us know how it goes. I had the similar thought process. Things I like are the skill rules, corruption, shadows ... and something else I cannot recall at the moment.