Introduction

Quick-Start Rules
Design: Robert J. Schwalb and Steve Kenson Additional Writing: Jesse Scoble Editing: Kara Hamilton
Development: Steve Kenson Art Direction and Graphic Design: Hal Mangold
Cover Art: Christophe Swal Cartography: Andrew Law
Interior Art: Mark Evans, Pat Loboyko, Christophe Swal and Mike Vilardi
Green Ronin President Chris Pramas
Green Ronin Staff Bill Bodden, Steve Kenson, Nicole Lindroos, Hal Mangold, Chris Pramas, Evan Sass, Robert J. Schwalb, Marc Schmalz
A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying Quick-Start is ©2008 Green Ronin Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Reference to other copyrighted
material in no way constitutes a challenge to the respective copyright holders of that material. A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying, Green Ronin,
and their associated logos are trademarks of Green Ronin Publishing, LLC. Printed in the U.S.A.
A Song of Ice and Fire is © 1996-2008 Geroge R. R. Martin, All rights reserved

Green Ronin Publishing 3815 S. Othello St., Suite 100 #304 Seattle, WA 98118
Email: [email protected] Web Site: www.greenronin.com

Ours Is the Fury!

Welcome to the beginning of A also has no predetermined
Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying! “He is the prince that was promised, and his is the song of ice and fire.” ending; play can continue for
Many different paths may have as long as you and the other
brought you here, and we’ll take —A Clash of Kings players wish, and your story
a look at them before we dive can stretch over many different
into the world of adventure, excitement, opportunity, and betrayal that is the play sessions, just as a novel does over many chapters, and even many books
Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. in an ongoing series.
These Quick-Start rules and the adventure Journey to King’s Landing are
mean to be your introduction to both the A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying What Is A Song of Ice
game and to the fantasy world detailed in George R.R. Martin’s best-selling
series of novels. and Fire Roleplaying?
What Is Roleplaying? A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying (or SIFRP for short) is a game based on the
best-selling fantasy series by George R. R. Martin, a sweeping epic of war
and the struggle for political power and survival set in the Seven Kingdoms
In a roleplaying game, you and other players take the roles of characters in an of Westeros. The series encompasses the novels A Game of Thrones, A Clash
adventure story. One of the players, called the Narrator, takes on the job of of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, and the forthcoming A Dance
starting the story and telling you about the situations your characters find With Dragons.
themselves in. The players decide what their characters do, and the game rules
determine how successful they are. The Narrator then moves the story along In this world, seasons last for years, not months, and family generations can be
by describing what happens next, and so forth. As the game unfolds, you traced back for thousands of years to the Age of Heroes. Ancestral weapons
detail an entire story involving your characters, like the chapters of a novel may be worth more than a lordling’s only daughter, and castles may have
or the episodes of a television series. flown a score of banners in their storied histories.
Roleplaying games are unique in that no one player “wins” the game, since Magic lives mostly in the myths and faded dreams of earlier generations. The
the goal is for everybody to have fun creating the story. A roleplaying game learned maesters say it died out a lifetime ago, with the last of the dragons,

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Introduction

but others say it still exists amongst the maegi and warlocks of the exotic along the way. You’ll also find a complete set of pre-generated characters for
eastern lands. playing this adventure.
A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying is about Machiavellian court politics, family Would-be players should read over the material other than the adventure,
alliances and enmities, the rise and fall of kingdoms, and the clash of armies, becoming familiar with the game’s rules. One player, the Narrator, should also read
but it is also about honor and duty, family, the responsibilities of leadership, the adventure in order to get the game started.The players (up to six) choose which
love and loss; tournaments, murders, conspiracies, prophecies, dreams, war, characters they wish to play—roll dice if there’s a conflict, with the highest roll
great victories, and terrible defeats. It’s about knights, both false and true… getting to pick first. Then the Narrator starts off the adventure by describing the
and it’s about dragons. first scene to the players and letting them choose how their characters react.
Welcome to the world of A Song of Ice and Fire, and remember the words of You may wish to pause the action of the game from time to time to consult
House Stark: “Winter is coming.” the rules found in this book until you’re familiar and comfortable with them.
There’s nothing wrong with this, and you may need some practice before
How to Use This Book you’re completely familiar with how everything in SIFRP works. The character
sheets in this book include summaries and quick references of important
game information for ease of use during play.
A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying Quick-Start is intended to give you a taste
of the SIFRP game and how it plays. Included in this book is a summary Most of all, have fun spinning out your first A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying
of the game’s rules and how it is played, along with a short introductory tale! Use your imagination and, if the game strikes out in an unexpected
adventure, “Journey to King’s Landing,” wherein a small band of characters direction, run with it! Make things up and spin scenes and events out as
travel through the Seven Kingdoms and face danger at one of their stops necessary to make the story fun and interesting for everyone.

A World of Ice and Fire

The events of George Known as the War
R.R. Martin’s saga, “When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground.” of the Usurper, or
A Song of Ice and Robert’s Rebellion,
Fire, take place on —Cersei Lannister, A Game of T hrones this conflict saw
the island continent Robert unite many
of Westeros, a realm known as the Seven Kingdoms. The Targaryen dynasty of the great houses behind his cause and launch a terrible crusade to kill
ruled Westeros for centuries, but fifteen years before the series begins, they the Targaryen family, root and branch.
were overthrown in a bloody conflict remembered as the War of the Usurper.
A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying focuses on the period leading up to the The war was bloody and brutal, but it was short-lived, with the Targaryen
first book, A Game of Thrones. The new king, Robert Baratheon, has presided death knell rung on the banks of the Trident. There, Robert Baratheon
over a decade of uneasy peace but change is in the wind. Few know it yet, slew Crown Prince Rhaegar, shattering his breastplate, and turning the
but winter is coming. tide of battle. As Robert and his allies marched toward King’s Landing,
Tywin Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock, approached the city. The Mad
King, thinking his old ally returned to save his reign, threw open the gates,
History welcoming the enemy to sack the city.

Aegon Targaryen, known to history as the Conqueror, invaded and united While his home crumbled around him, Aerys II seized on one last hope
Westeros. His forces swept across the land, wresting control from the and plotted to burn the city to ashes. Before he could enact his plan, a
Andal lords, who themselves had conquered the First Men thousands of member of his Kingsguard, Jaime Lannister, betrayed his oaths. Within
years ago. The dynasty King Aegon founded lasted for nearly three hundred sight of the sinister Iron Throne, seat of power over all of Westeros, Jaime
years. Despite many tumultuous upheavals, including civil wars, uprisings, Lannister murdered King Aerys II. With that one betrayal, the city was
and rebellions, the Targaryens survived, but all things end, and so did the saved and the war was ended. Robert Baratheon was named King of the
Conqueror’s dynasty when King Aerys II ascended to the throne. Known Realm and wedded Tywin Lannister’s daughter to gain her family’s great
as the Mad King, he ushered in the fall of this once great and mighty wealth and support.
house.
Upon the Iron Throne
A Madman’s War It is now the reign of Robert Baratheon, the First of his Name, King of the
Aerys II was cruel and insane. He saw enemies in every shadow and turned Andals, and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms
his subjects against him through inhumane acts of despotic power. In the and Protector of the Realm. His ascent brought renewed stability to Westeros,
end, Robert Baratheon, Lord of Storm’s End led an uprising against the reviving the Seven Kingdoms after the madness of Aerys II. That said, these
king after Crown Prince Rhaegar Targaryen abducted Robert’s betrothed. last years have not all been peace, and Robert’s reign has seen its fair share

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 A World of Ice and Fire

of rebellion and uprising, and there are whispers of corruption, plots, and
treasonous talk spilling from King’s Landing, the seat of Robert’s power. The Westerlands
Worse, not all the Targaryens were slain in Robert’s war. Rumors of The Westerlands are home to the Lannisters who rule from
the last heir exiled to the Free Cities drift into the ports of the Casterly Rock. The region is also home to some of the richest
Seven Kingdoms, where those still loyal to the old dynasty gold and silver mines in all the Seven Kingdoms. It is a small
cling to their vows in the hopes of one day restoring the region, dominated by Lannisport and the Rock, the seat
rightful rulers to the throne. of power for Lord Tywin Lannister, Warden of the West
and father of Queen Cersei.
The Seven The Reach
Kingdoms South of the Westerlands sits the Reach, the largest region
next to the North. Its northern boundary is the Gold
The Seven Kingdoms are greater than the man seated
Road, which runs from the Rock to King’s Landing, and it
on the Iron Throne, and these mighty realms have stood
includes everything to the southwest of the Stormlands and
since before the Targaryens. They trace their lineage back
Dorne. The Reach contains the Shield Islands, the Arbor, and
to the Age of Heroes, when magic permeated the land, dark
the vast city of Oldtown. It is rich and vibrant, warm and bountiful,
things crept in the light of the winter moon, and the greatest deeds of
and ruled by the Tyrells of Highgarden.
mortals were done.

The North The Stormlands

The Stormlands, south of King’s Landing and Blackwater Bay and
Far from King’s Landing is a wild and untamed region
east of the Reach, stretch down to the Sea of Dorne. The
known simply as the North. Distance allows the people
Stormlands are small, but filled with thick forests of the
of this land to preserve the customs passed down since
rainwood and the kingswood. The Stormlands also include
the days of the First Men. Bounded by the Wall, a
Shipbreaker Bay, Cape Wrath, and the Isle of Tarth. The
continent-spanning barrier constructed of solid ice
Baratheon family seat is at Storm’s End, held by King
to the north, the Bay of Ice to the west, the Bay of
Robert’s younger brother, Lord Renly Baratheon.
Seals to the east, and the boggy wetlands of the Neck
to the south, it is oft-regarded as an uncivilized land,
where men worship strange gods and hold to stranger Dorne
beliefs. Ruling the North is Lord Eddard Stark of This region, the most southern and hot-blooded realm of
House Stark, who governs his lands from his sprawling Westeros, lies between the Sea of Dorne and the Dornish
castle Winterfell. Marches, where the Red Mountains form a natural border
with the rest of Westeros. Dorne also forms the shore of the
The Vale of Arryn Summer Sea. It is ruled by the Martells from Sunspear.
South and east of the North is the Vale of Arryn, surrounded by the
stony peninsulas of the Fingers, the rocky and barren Bay of Crabs, and the The Iron Islands
foreboding Mountains of the Moon. Lord Jon Arryn, Warden of the East, The Iron Islands sit most apart from the other realms, lying off the western coast
Defender of the Vale, and Hand of the King rules these lands of Westeros, but touching the edges of the North, the Riverlands, and
from his mountain fastness called the Eyrie. the Westerlands. The Iron Islands lie in Ironman’s Bay, west of the
Trident and the Neck, and contain seven notable islands and
The Riverlands many sea-swept chunks of rock. The ironmen follow their
own religion, the Old Way of the Drowned God, and this
The Kingsroad, which runs all the way from the Wall
makes them distinct from the other peoples of the Seven
to King’s Landing in the south, passes by the western
Kingdoms. House Greyjoy of Pyke rules the ironmen
border of the Vale, paralleling the mighty waters of
the Green Fork of the Trident. The Trident marks the
Riverlands, a lush and bountiful region ruled by House King’s Landing
Tully from Riverrun. It contains the lake called Gods Home to the king and queen and seat of the Iron Throne,
Eye, which holds the Isle of Faces, the site of an ancient King’s Landing is the heart of the Seven Kingdoms.
pact between the First Men and the mysterious children Once seen as the territory of the Targaryens (whose home
of the forest. The Riverlands are bordered by the Neck to and seat were on the isle of Dragonstone), King’s Landing
the North, the Vale to the east, the Westerlands to the west, remains the capital under King Baratheon and Queen Cersei.
and King’s Landing and the Reach to the south. It is the largest city in the Seven Kingdoms, and the center of
trade, politics, and adventure.

The stage is set, the players are in their places…

Step into the world of Westeros,
and try your hand at the Game of Thrones!

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Characters

Characters
In A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying, each player controls one or more
characters, sometimes called player characters or PCs, to differentiate them
from the other characters in the game. A character is your alter ego; it’s your
Abilities
door to the Seven Kingdoms, your persona, avatar, or proxy in the game. Abilities define how the characters interact with the world. They describe
those areas in which a character excels and those in which he could use a
Characters have various defining game traits, but a character is more than
bit of help. A character’s abilities also provide a glimpse of style, possibly
just a set of numbers; your character has a history, personality, goals, outlooks,
motivation, and strategy in surviving the game of thrones or the battlefield. Of
ambitions, beliefs and more. It’s up
course, to the untrained eye, abilities
to you to decide what your character
“[H]ard places breed hard men, and hard men rule the world.” look very much like a collection of
looks like and how he or she behaves,
since creating, defining, and playing —Balon Greyjoy numbers, but these numbers have
meaning and in them is where lives
your character go a long way toward
your character.
making the game fun. This section provides an overview of how SIFRP defines
characters, using abilities, qualities, and destiny.
Ability Rank
A character’s rating in an ability is measured by rank, a number listed after
Important Terms the ability, like “Athletics 2” or “Fighting 4”. The greater your rank, the better
you are at using that ability. Rank says a lot about your character and knowing
The following terms are used regularly in A Song of Ice and Fire what it means can help you translate the numbers into useful descriptions.
Roleplaying. Abilities are ranked from 1 (the lowest) to 7 (the highest), as follows:
ability: One of the defining game traits of a character. Abilities
Rank 1 — Deficient
are measure by rank.
This rank in an ability means you’re deficient. Routine tasks are a challenge.
ability test (or simply test): Using an ability to attempt an action
Generally, an ability at this rank is the result of some other physical or mental
where the outcome is in doubt. A test involves rolling a number
deficiency.
of six-sided dice (the test dice) equal to the tested ability’s rank
and adding them together. Rank 2 — Average
bonus die: A bonus die is an extra die rolled during an ability Most folks in Westeros have abilities at this rank. Having rank 2 in an ability
test, but then a number of low dice equal to the number of bonus means you can handle routine tasks and manage challenging things given
dice rolled is dropped from the test before the remaining dice are enough time. Certain things, however, are beyond your ability. Abilities start
added to determine the result. out at rank 2 by default.
character: A player’s assumed persona in the context of the game.
Rank 3 — Talented
degree (of success): A measure of how successful an ability test is,
A cut above the average, having rank 3 in an ability means you have a special
beyond mere success or failure.
knack or a minimum amount of training, such as a few hours put in with a
Destiny Points: A measure of a character’s future potential, used practice sword or having ridden a horse a few times in your life.
by players during the game to influence fate and outcomes where
that character is concerned. Rank 4 — Trained
dice: Randomizers used to determine the outcomes of uncertain At this rank, you combine your natural talents with extensive training.
events in the game. SIFRP uses six-sided dice, sometimes Your skill exceeds that of the average individual. You can confidently tackle
abbreviated “d6”. challenging tasks without trouble and, with a little luck, can pull off some
pretty impressive stunts.
drawback: A character quality with a negative affect on the
character, such as a disability. Rank 5 — Accomplished
modifier: A bonus or penalty that applies to the result of an ability Intensive training coupled with natural talent places you far above the
test, expressed as +# or –#. common man. In fact, people with rank 5 are often the best at what they do
penalty die: A die subtracted from the test dice (starting with the in an area, having surpassed their peers in their craft.
lowest first) after any bonus dice have been discarded, before the
Rank 6 — Master
dice are summed to determine the result.
By rank 6, you are considered one of the best in the world at the ability. People
quality: A positive character quality, providing a particular defined
use you as an example, seek you out to learn and improve their training, or
game advantage.
simply to meet you.
rank: A measure of a character’s ability, ranging from 1 (impaired)
to 7 (legendary). Abilities have an average rank of 2 by default. Rank 7 — Paragon
result: The value arrived at by adding up all of the test dice rolled Rank 7 is as high as any can hope to achieve. So rare is this rank, people with
for an ability test. this level of ability are considered legends, once in a generation, if that.
SIFRP: An abbreviation for A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying. Refers
to the game, as opposed to the A Song of Ice and Fire novel series.
Specialties
Where rank represents talent combined with training, Specialties reflect a
test die: A die that is rolled and added as part of an ability test.
narrowing of an ability’s focus, the result of specific development in one of

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