Doom answers this question by explaining to Conan that the true strength of steel is in the hand that wields it – in other words, it is the resolve and commitment we bring to a task, not the quality or quantity of tools we use in performing it, that is the most important factor in determining success.

Possibilities include: faith (defending a religion or philosophical worldview), passions (love, hate or other strong emotions for someone or something), conscience (personal ethics), drive (a particularly strong intent or purpose), destiny (a future foretold), and luck (general good fortune and coincidence).

It brings a slight cinematic atmosphere to the game in that the hero can suffer defeat, but has uncanny luck and persistence in the crucial elements of the story.

The official fantasy world of the game, Weyrth, also shows strong influences of our world's history among its imaginary cultures and peoples, with some of the most well-developed being those inspired by Eastern Europe, such as Zaporozhya (from the Polish historical term for Ukraine) and the Rzeczpospolita, the Polish word for "Commonwealth".

[2] As of early 2013, there was some worry among the fan community of The Riddle of Steel that the RPG might perhaps no longer enjoy viable commercial release channels.