Heian-era Japan. "You play fearsome bushi trapped between honor and shame, wise Shinto priests who seek to placate the spirits who protect Nihon, powerful Buddhist monks who pray for the souls of the dead while plying strong influence at court, and powerful courtiers battling for control of the failing state." Game mechanics and philosophy Burning Wheel play revolves around the players generating a detailed background history for their characters, along with core motivations and ethics (Instincts and Beliefs) that connect them to the storyline and to the other PCs. Story is intended to develop organically rather than being pre-scripted, as a number of the game mechanics (e.g., pre-negotiated roll or scene outcomes, the 'Let it Ride' rule, absence of hidden information) exist to prevent GM railroading and help promote co-operation and trust between the players. (This is quite distinct from agreement among the PCs, who may argue and even fight within the context of the rules.) The GM is encouraged to create problems and challenges that specifically probe and test the Beliefs and Instincts of the PCs, and as a consequence characters frequently undergo significant change in their goals and attitudes over time. The game also includes a variety of quite complex, but technically optional, sub-systems for dealing with combat, chases, negotiation and spellcasting. Editions The original rules (now referred to as Burning Wheel Classic) were published 1 November 2002. A second edition, incorporating significant rules and text changes and generally referred to as Burning Wheel Revised, was published 5 May 2005. A single-volume 600-page hardcover third edition, Burning Wheel Gold, combined the contents of Burning Wheel Revised and Character Burner and was published 11 August 2011. In every case, the actual name of the game, as displayed on the cover art, is simply The Burning Wheel. The three editions share many underlying concepts, but their rules are not entirely compatible. Following a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2016, a second book pertaining to the "Burning Wheel Gold" edition line was edited, the "Burning Wheel Codex". The "Burning Wheel Codex" updates the material from the Adventure, Monster and Magic Burner books for the previous Revised edition to the Gold rules, and also adds some new, original material and artwork. Related games Luke Crane also wrote Burning Empires, a science fiction RPG based on the Iron Empires graphic novels by Christopher Moeller. Burning Empires shares many mechanics with Burning Wheel, and was