====== Introduction ======

Welcome to the Ironbound System Reference Document (SRD), the foundational rulebook and design framework for a medieval-themed fantasy tabletop role-playing game built for modern tables.

Whether you are a Game Master crafting a gritty, lived-in world of high fantasy and low coin, or a player looking to forge an unforgettable hero, Ironbound offers a streamlined, flexible engine designed to keep the focus where it belongs: on the story, the choices, and the roll of the dice.

===== What Sets Ironbound Apart? =====

Traditional tabletop RPGs often bog down tables in complex math, rigid character silos, and restrictive licensing. Ironbound takes a fresh approach, defined by five core pillars:

**Fixed Target Numbers and Five Degrees of Success**: Say goodbye to complex situational modifiers. Ironbound uses fixed target numbers paired with a nuanced five-tier degree of success system, meaning every roll tells a vivid story of marginal success, outright triumph, or catastrophic failure.

**Favour and Slight System**:  Rather than having to remember dozens of modifiers to dice rolls, or worry about categories and avoiding game-breaking levels of stacked numbers, Ironbound uses a system of rolling and discarding additional dice.  This shifts the average result, without moving the highest or lowest.

**Frictionless Multi-Classing**: Character concepts should never be boxed in by arbitrary class restrictions. Ironbound features fluid, easy-to-use multi-classing rules that let you blend archetypes organically as your character evolves.

**Diverse and Expansive Backgrounds**: Who your character was before they picked up a sword or a spellbook matters. A broad, rich list of backgrounds provides immediate narrative depth, practical skills, and deep ties to the world.

**Accessible Magic**: Magic in Ironbound is potent, intuitive, and easy to run. It avoids cumbersome tracking or overly dense rules layers, allowing spellcasters to weave arcane and divine wonders smoothly into play.

**Open Access (CC-BY License)**: Ironbound is built for the community. Published under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license, creators, homebrewers, and publishers are empowered to build upon, hack, and share their own worlds and supplements using the system.