Grok Talk
This isn't a character page; it's a discussion between my friend AsenRG and the Grok chatbot. I have not formatted it, edited it or prettied it up.
Grok, tell me what do you know about Glory Road Roleplay 2eGlory Road Roleplay 2e (also called Glory Road Roleplay II or Core Rules IIE) is the second edition of an independent fantasy tabletop RPG system designed by Bill Reich.
The original system dates back to the early 1980s in the New Haven, Connecticut area, with core rules first published commercially in 2017 as a crunchy (detailed, simulationist) fantasy RPG without a built-in setting—GMs were expected to create their own. It features deadly combat, unique magic, and mechanics like exploding dice (called "feisting"), which influenced C.J. Carella's Unisystem (e.g., Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG).
2e was released in late January 2025 (with announcements around October 2025–January 2026) on DriveThruRPG and Dungeon Masters Guild. What began as minor cleanups evolved into major revisions, informed by Reich's work on his historical RPG The Bloody Border. It's backward-compatible with prior settings, modules, and aids (many with OSR/D20 versions for cross-compatibility).
Key Changes in 2e
Unified Task Resolution: Dropped the d100 system (despite some GM protests) for a single d20 + modifiers system across all tasks, attacks, and spells. This speeds play: less dice-rolling, more roleplaying.
Task Roll: d20 + skill level (if applicable) + bonus from weakest relevant attribute + difficulty modifier. Success thresholds: ≤6 (bad failure), 21–30 (normal success), 31–40 (better), 41+ (spectacular). Dice explode on 20 (add 10×new roll -10) or 1 (subtract penalty).
Crunchy for GMs, Light for Players: Players mainly need the Core Rules for character setup; the GM handles the rest. Described as "concise but complex."
Added Settings: Unlike 1e, 2e includes three official ones (all on one world, mixable):BundleThemeFocusGreen (Wilderness)Black Mountain District (Westwood)Sandbox wilderness adventures with dwarven tech, monsters, tribals.Gray (Urban)Old MeyossRenaissance-style city intrigue, vampires, protector bureaus.Gold (Silk Road)Early Roman/Zhou Dynasty eraLow-tech overland trade, historical fantasy.
Core Mechanics
Attributes (9–23 for humans): Size (SZ), Strength (ST), Stability (SB), Constitution (CN), Agility (AG), Charisma (CH), Intelligence (IQ), Awareness (AW), Talent (TA), Dexterity (DX). Bonuses: (Attribute - 11)/3. Interdependent (e.g., not like D&D).
Character Creation: Species (human, elf, dwarf, hobbit, rare others), Careers/Professions (e.g., Elite Warrior), Levels, Skills (e.g., Awareness+, Survival). Hit Points, Added # (A# for combat/defense), mana (Talent bonus × level).
Combat: d20 + weapon add + defender's A# (lower A# = better defense; 21+ hits). Damage (d6s + ST) minus armor (varies: e.g., cutting subtracts 3× armor but triples remainder). Degrees of success boost damage. Deadly but characters rarely die outright.
Magic: Academic (learn sequentially by school: elements, body, etc.). Roll d20 + level + key attribute + difficulty (21+ success). Mana from Talent; regenerates daily. Flashy for PCs; GM-controllable rarity/power.
Support and Availability
Products: Core Rules IIE (player-facing), Encounters (~100+ pages of stat blocks/creatures), GM bundles. Extensive free downloads on https://sites.google.com/site/grreference: character sheets, 80+ pre-gens (by setting), lifepaths, adventures (e.g., "At the High Point Inn"), supplements (e.g., shapeshifting, low-fantasy guide), encounter tables.
Publisher Page: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/11833/Bill-Reich (core ~$10?, bundles for GMs).
Community: Discord drop-in games; forums like EN World, RPG PUB (limited reviews; name confusion with "For Gold & Glory" or "Quest for Glory" hurts visibility). No major YouTube reviews yet.
It's praised for exciting, tactical play but niche due to crunch and search noise. Ideal for GMs wanting detailed low/heroic fantasy sandboxes.1.1s99 sourcesExcellent! Have you seen this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxVB4x3y3qIYes, I just checked out that video—it's a solid review of Glory Road Roleplay IIE (the second edition) by the channel Lace and Steel, uploaded on December 20, 2025 (just a couple weeks ago, with about 110 views so far).
The reviewer (Paul Kidd, who seems to be an RPG designer himself) gives it a positive, enthusiastic take, calling it a "work of love" that highlights what makes the hobby great. Key highlights from the review:
It's setting-agnostic fantasy, suitable for bronze age up to high medieval tech levels.
Definitely on the crunchy side: detailed tactical combat (with weapon bonuses, different damage types like chopping vs. piercing, hit locations, injury charts, and critical effects) and a deep magic system with many schools and variable spell effects.
Mechanics include the classic exploding dice ("feisting," crediting Bruce Feist for that innovation), attribute generation (mostly 2d6+7), and derived stats like strength from size/endurance.
Well-supported with bestiaries, encounter books, setting bundles, and GM aids.
He notes the shift from 1e (like dropping d100 for unified d20 resolution) and appreciates the diverse artwork and overall depth for players who enjoy simulationist crunch.
It's a straightforward, appreciative overview—no actual play footage, just the reviewer talking through the book and mechanics. Perfect for someone curious about the system without spoilers or deep dives into play examples.
Thanks for sharing the link! It's one of the first proper video reviews I've seen for 2e (the game still flies pretty under the radar). Have you watched it yet, or are you considering picking up the rules after seeing it?3.6s2 sourcesI'm playing GRR 2e with Bill Reich on his discord, and have...pretty much everything for the system. If you look at RPGpub.com, I'm AsenRG and you can find a lot of my session accounts. In fact, please do, tell me what you think of them.That's awesome that you're playing directly with Bill Reich on his Discord—sounds like the best way to experience GRR 2e, getting the designer's insights firsthand. And having pretty much the full lineup of books/supplements means you're deep in the system; I'm a bit jealous!
I dug around on RPG PUB (great forum, by the way) for your posts as AsenRG. You're quite active there, and Glory Road Roleplay 2e comes up a lot in your comments—often as one of your go-to games lately. You mention playing it frequently (e.g., hinting at checking the "What are you doing" thread for details on your ongoing games), creating characters for it, and even running a Silk Road-inspired campaign for Bill himself (which sounds hilariously meta and fun). You praise its minimalism, how it handles crunch lightly for players while giving GMs depth, and its suitability for various fantasy tones.
However, I couldn't locate dedicated session accounts, actual play reports, or detailed recaps from your GRR games specifically. There are plenty of threads where you discuss the system enthusiastically, compare it to others (like Rolemaster or Mythras), or share character concepts, but no full-blown AARs or episode-by-episode write-ups that I could find under your username. (You do have some Rolemaster actual play threads, which look entertaining from the titles alone!)
If those session accounts are buried in a long-running "What are you doing right now?" thread, a private subforum, or scattered across multiple posts, they might not pop up easily in searches—feel free to point me to specific threads if I've missed them. I'd genuinely love to read them; your enthusiasm for the game shines through in your posts, and it makes me even more curious about how the 2e changes play out at the table (especially that unified d20 resolution and the exploding dice in action).
What kind of campaigns have you been running/playing with Bill? Wilderness sandbox, urban intrigue in Old Meyoss, or something on the Silk Road bundle?