Start Here
Begin here if Of Iron & Thorns is new to you.
Of Iron & Thorns is a dark fantasy OSR ecosystem where Italian local history is reborn as myth, horror, sanctity and war.
It is not a historical reconstruction. It is an alternate medieval Regnum Italiae: a world of city-states, relics, saints, tyrants, demonic ruptures and ancient peoples altered by judgement, heresy or forgotten powers.
What do you play?
The default age of play is the Fourth Era, the main campaign setting of Of Iron & Thorns. Here, Aemilia, the First Scenario, is the first land where the world descends from chronicle into playable history. Its cities, canals, castles, saints, factions and cursed bloodlines are the first theatre of play — but not the last boundary of the world.
What rules does it use?
Future releases will be built for The Corona Hack, an OSE Advanced Fantasy hack designed for old-school play in a realistic, grim and sacramental world. It keeps the bones of old-school play and binds them to humors, wounds, sanctity, damnation, relics, careers and local history.
What are the different Eras?
Of Iron & Thorns unfolds across three playable eras. The Fourth Era is the main campaign setting. The Third Era — the Age Without Empire — is the era of Gorgoth’s solo gamebooks. The Fifth Era, Anno Lacrimarum, waits beyond the First Trumpet. Each Era is both a time of the world and a different form of play.
What if I own the older 5E adventures?
The early chronicles of Of Iron & Thorns were written for 5E. They remain canonical. Future releases will be built for The Corona Hack, and Legacy Conversion Notes are planned to bridge older material into the new old-school form of play.
Where should I begin?
Read the World to understand the setting and its peoples. Read the Eras to understand the different ages of play. If you want the rules, read about The Corona Hack. If you are ready to play, go to Publications for available adventures.
Next Steps