Hex Ferrum
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HEX FERRUM is a FULLY FINISHED dark fantasy tabletop RPG that combines tactical depth with narrative-driven gameplay. The game system, setting, lore, and rulebooks have been created by Finnish game designer Jan-Erik Ehrström and have their origins in Parabellum RPG, first published in 2006.
Set in the grim world of Vidoq, the game features paranormal powers, occult forces, political struggles, ancient mysteries, and a living world that reacts to player choices through both storytelling and game mechanics.
HEX FERRUM HAS A FREE QUICKSTART!
Download it now and step into the world of Vidoq: https://hexferrum.gumroad.com/l/letaif
PLAYER'S RULEBOOK COVERS
GAME MASTER'S RULEBOOK COVERS
At its core, Hex Ferrum unifies tactical simulation and narrative freedom. The system is designed so that neither is sacrificed. Its modular rules support both deep, simulationist gameplay and a faster, more streamlined playstyle, depending on the situation and the preferences of the players.
Hex Ferrum is finished and is ready for publication. It consists of two rulebooks: Player's Rulebook and Game Master's Rulebook. Hex Ferrum will be published as printed books and PDF.
- 100 % finished and ready for publication
- Two A4 hardcover rulebooks (Player's Rulebook & Game Master's Rulebook) – totaling 830 pages
- 550 illustrations and detailed maps
- A 38-page introductory adventure The Ashes of the Inquisitor included
- Creature Compendium with 120 beings and animals included
- Over 4000 hours of design and 1000 hours of playtesting
JOIN THE BLACK WEDDING! Quickstart is available as a free download: https://hexferrum.gumroad.com/l/letaif
Visit the Hex Ferrum website for additional information, free downloads, a link to the art gallery, and a press kit: https://www.hexferrum.com
KEY FEATURES
In Hex Ferrum, the path of the warrior is only one of many. The game system supports rich, mechanically meaningful non-combat gameplay, allowing you to leave your mark on Vidoq through art, science, or social influence.
Whether you favor precise, tactical planning or spontaneous, narrative-driven gameplay, the system adapts to your vision. It seamlessly integrates the rules with the world of Vidoq for a deeply immersive and unforgettable experience.
- Complete Freedom of Identity: Players can pursue countless paths—from occultists, paranormalists, and witch hunters to merchants, artists, explorers, scholars, craftsmen, and warriors—shaping both their own destinies and the evolving world around them.
- Tactical & Consequential Combat: Combat uses a hit-location-based custom d20 system where armor, positioning, and long-term consequences matter.
- Deep Character Progression: Progression extends beyond numerical scaling. Many skills evolve into entirely new capabilities that change how you interact with both the mechanics and the world itself.
- Systemic Non-Combat Paths: Social influence, reputation, crafting, and manipulation are integrated as meaningful mechanics. These are not secondary content, but parallel progression systems with a major impact on your journey.
- Multiple Modes of Play: Unified rules ecosystem rather than a collection of separate subsystems. Core Rules, Quick Combat System, and Quickstart Mode are different expressions of the same underlying mechanics, designed for different pacing needs.
SEE THE GAME IN ACTION
Curious how Hex Ferrum actually plays?
These short demonstrations show the combat system in action and demonstrate how the modular ruleset works in practice. The first video showcases the Core Rules for deep, simulationist gameplay, while the second highlights the Quick Combat System for faster, more casual play. Watch the videos below!
USING SKILLS
The following video demonstrates how to use skills, i.e., how to perform a Skill Check during gameplay. Watch the video to learn more about Hex Ferrum!
GAME WORLD
Discover the sprawling, dark-toned world of Vidoq. With 24 distinct realms, each with its own cultures and belief systems, it is a stage designed for both epic conflict and high-society intrigue. The Game Master's Rulebook contains lore covering every realm.
Vidoq is a world of competing religions, occult guilds, trade empires, airship fleets, corrupt courts, and shifting moral landscapes. Ancient forces linger in forgotten lands, while entities from other planes of existence influence the fate of entire realms. Player actions reshape future possibilities within a living, reactive world.
Vidoq is not a land of black and white. It is a tapestry of shifting moralities, where zealous religious wars create opportunities for heroism and where hidden cabals worship beings from stranger realms. And beyond the Great Kingdoms await mysterious lands with powers that have their origins in ages almost lost in time.
- Courts of Corruption: Navigate the glittering, dangerous masquerades of decadent aristocrats where a whisper can be as deadly as a blade.
- Mysticism and the Occult: From secretive occult cults to the powerful Paranormalist guilds, the supernatural is woven into the very fabric of daily life.
- Religious Wars and Witch Hunts: Religious factions clash bloodily, and ruthless witch hunters chase heretics to bring them to justice before the Conclave of Custodians.
- Untamed Frontiers: Sail beyond known seas or soar toward the ruins of distant lands that inspire awe and terror in equal measure.
- Mythological Civilizations: Beneath the oceans and beyond the wastes lie the remnants of ancient cultures, nearly forgotten, yet remaining sources of great power.
- Beings of Immense Might: Within the cold, dark embrace of the waves and beneath crumbling ruins rest creatures whose powers can crush kingdoms—or create them.
Vidoq is a land of secrets. Those who seek the truth often find something far older, and far less merciful, than they ever imagined.
THE GAME SYSTEM
Hex Ferrum is built for players who demand more from their game system. Move beyond simple dice rolls into a system where decisions have mechanical and narrative weight.
- Unmatched Freedom: Create truly unique characters using 50 professions and a library of 300 evolving skills.
- Skills are not just static bonuses: They evolve qualitatively, unlocking new mechanics and world-altering powers as you master your craft.
- Lethal Combat: Experience a tactical, hit-location-based, custom d20 resolution system with separate Attack Rolls and Defense Rolls, where armor matters, stakes are high, and every mistake has consequences.
- Paranormal Mastery: Harness powers that can shift the world and reality itself: from conjuring blazing pyres to summoning mighty entities from strange planes of existence, or even crossing into other planes yourself.
Your choices in combat, exploration, and social interaction are not just resolved by dice. They shape factions, influence key characters, and alter future possibilities throughout Vidoq.
1. Meaningful Character Growth, Not Linear Progression
Character development is not just numerical scaling. Many skills evolve into new capabilities, unlocking new interactions with both mechanics and the world itself.
2. Tactical Depth Without Lock-In
The system supports high-detail tactical combat with hit locations, armor interaction, and resource pressure, but can shift into streamlined resolution without breaking continuity. You choose the level of granularity per situation, not per campaign.
3. A World That Reacts to Your Standing
Factions, politics, and supernatural forces actively respond to your character’s mechanical progression. Your reputation, professional standing, and successes drive the narrative, forcing power structures to adapt to your choices in measurable ways.
4. Non-Combat Play Is Systemic
Social influence, reputation, artistry, craftsmanship, and manipulation are not side systems. They are integrated progression paths with consequences often equal to combat.
5. One Game, Multiple Modes of Play
Instead of splitting into separate rulesets or supplements, Hex Ferrum is a unified ecosystem. Core Rules, Quick Combat, and Quickstart Mode are expressions of the same system, not separate games.
Hex Ferrum is built for groups who want a world that feels authored, but behaves like it has its own internal logic independent of the players.
ABOUT THE DESIGNER
Jan-Erik Ehrström is a Finnish game designer, writer, and visual creator holding Master of Arts degrees in History (University of Turku) and Game Design & New Media (Aalto University).
He has been involved in tabletop role-playing games since the 1980s and has worked across writing, game design, and visual production for more than 25 years.
Hex Ferrum is the culmination of decades of work in role-playing game design, worldbuilding, history, and interactive storytelling. Its roots trace back to Parabellum RPG, first published in 2006.
Other published works include:
• Metallion (2019)
• The Mystery of Waverley House (2025)
MEDIA & EVENTS
TRACON
On September 4, Jan-Erik Ehrström hosted a presentation at the Tampere tabletop RPG and anime convention, Tracon, drawing strong interest from attendees passionate about tabletop game design. The core of the presentation focused on the Hex Ferrum TTRPG, through which Ehrström explored a challenging topic: how to successfully combine tactical and lightweight playstyles. The talk examined these design hurdles and presented concrete solutions implemented in Hex Ferrum.
Highlighted design solutions included:
Modular rule system: A flexible framework that adapts to player needs.
Accessibility: Professions and gameplay designed for fast comprehension and smooth pacing.
Practical tools: Clear bookkeeping methods alongside streamlined indexes and directories.
The Black Wedding Quickstart: A concise starter module capturing the heart of the system, enabling new players to master the basics in mere minutes.
ROPECON
On July 24th, Jan-Erik Ehrström gave a talk on Hex Ferrum at the Ropecon tabletop role-playing convention. The presentation covered key aspects and rules of the game, while introducing the world of Vidoq and its core themes, providing a natural foundation for building stories, adventures, and campaigns. The session also explored the design philosophy and goals behind Hex Ferrum, detailing the reasoning behind the key choices and solutions made during its development.
GEEK NATIVE
Hex Ferrum was featured by Geek Native in an article covering the upcoming Gamefound campaign, the game's mechanics, the world of Vidoq, and its development journey.
Read the article:
AI DISCLOSURE
Hex Ferrum contains AI-assisted artwork.
The game system, rules, setting, lore, worldbuilding, layout, and written content have been created by Finnish game designer Jan-Erik Ehrström and are entirely human-authored. The game design and the content as well as the world of Vidoq have their origins in Parabellum RPG, created by Jan-Erik Ehrström, and published 2006.
The illustrations used throughout the rulebooks were created using AI-assisted image generation as part of the visual production process. The artwork was subsequently selected, edited, post-processed, and prepared for publication by the creator.
No AI was used in the creation of the game mechanics, rules, lore, worldbuilding, or written content. While translation tools assisted in bringing the text from Finnish to English, the final text has been thoroughly reviewed and refined by the creator to ensure high narrative and mechanical quality.
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