Francesca Viganò
Before going into the Dragonbane review, I want to thank once again Free League Publishing for sending us the material to be able to tell you about this very interesting game.
If after reading this review you want to buy it, you can find it in the official store of the publishing house. To give you some idea of the price, the bundle which contains, in addition to the basic box, also the master’s screen and a set of additional dice, is available at around 82 euros.
If it seems to expensive figure, know that in the core set there are all the materials to be able to play a lot before thinking about writing something of your own. Inside you’ll find:
- Rulebook with fast and effective D20-based game rules for character creation, skills, combat, magic, and travel
- Adventures book with eleven complete adventures, to be played separately or tied together in the epic Secret of the Dragon Emperor campaign
- The booklet Alone in Deepfall Breach letting you play Dragonbane solo
- A huge full-color map of the Misty Vale
- Illustrated playing cards for adventures, treasure, and more
- Ten transparent polyhedral dice, including two custom D20s
- Five pre-generated characters
- Five blank character sheets
- Cardboard standees for characters and monsters
- Double-sided battle mat
If the game tickles your fancy but you would like to have a taste of it in some way, you can find the free quickstart on the publisher’s store; it is a great way to appreciate not only the structure of the mechanics but also the narrative and artistic structure. All aspects that we will analyze in this review..
I also remind you that, as with all the titles of the Swedish publishing house, the modules for digital platforms Foundry VTT e Roll20 are available.
A Leap into the Past to Look to the Future
Drakar och Demoner (“Dragons and Demons” the original Swedish title of the game) was born in 1982 and based on the first RPGs of another historic publishing house: Chaosium. In its first incarnation, Drakar och Demoner was a transposition of Magic World. Over the years, the game has taken on a life of its own in Sweden and has a dozen editions. The importance of the past and the evolutionary process of this game is evident from the words (present in the preface of the manual) of Tomas Härenstam, co-founder and CEO of Free League Publishing:
Our quest was to journey far and wide into four decades of Nordic roleplaying history and find the essential elements of this game. What truly made it great. Then, to bring those pieces of legacy back to life and mold them into a new game for the 2020s, using four decades of evolution
in game design and our own decade of creating Free League RPGs.
A Derivative and Integrated Gaming System
As we will see in this review, Dragonbane essentially has a d20-based rule system with roll-under mechanics. However, we cannot limit ourselves to this statement to really define this game which promises to become the new benchmark for classic fantasy setting adventures.
Dragonbane is in fact an excellent compromise between old-school systems and the evolution that the most famous role-playing game in the world has had over time. Actually, Free League does something more and better in this fast-paced adventurous flavour game; integrates some mechanics of the Year Zero Engine system into the rules, managing to build an almost perfect balance. Yes, because instead of becoming a mixture of conflicting ideas, this choice is a fluid and natural mixture, as if the two systems of rules had always been linked.
We will discover together how it is an excellent game for long campaigns, but with a perfect mood also for one-shots to be experienced in a night with friends.
Tradition with Roles and Innovation with Approaches
The Rules Manual is extremely clear in defining the roles at the table: there are the Players and the Game Master, and it is equally clear what the duties of each role are.
Players play the adventurers in the world of Dragonbane, deciding what their characters think and do but not what happens to them. The Game Master describes the world, plays NPCs, and moves monsters. We could stop here but I think it is important to underline two details that are included in the description of the role of the Game Master.
It’s the GM’s job to put obstacles and challenges in the player characters’ way, forcing them to show what they’re made of. But it’s not up to the GM to decide everything that happens in the game and in any case certainly not how the story should end. The Rules Manual states that the game is a conversation between the Players and the Game Master and that how things will go will be decided together by playing. Of course, in some moments the situation will become critical and it will be necessary to roll the dice to find out how events develop, but the game remains a dialogue, a shared narrative between players with different roles.
Playing Solo: Dragonbane Solo Mode Review
Dragonbane is meant to work best with parties of 3-5 players. In a playful landscape, however, which is getting closer and closer to those who want to experience a role-playing game alone, I find it was an excellent idea to provide a solo mode. In the core set, there is in fact the adventure Alone in Deepfall Breach, to be played without the presence of the Game Master .
Within the 12 pages dedicated to this plot, there are all the indications for creating your own character and the changes to the rules to allow the specific approach to this modality. In fact, the system provides that the lone hero has an additional heroic skill to choose from a shortlist that includes two new ones. The module is full of tables in order to be able to manage many aspects with a simple dice roll.
Without making any spoilers about the plot, I want to clarify that it is a very stimulating classic dungeon crawling that I also recommend to those who want to approach the game for the first time. The adventure can also be adapted for small groups without a Game Master.
Kins and Professions in Character Creation
The character creation steps in Dragonbane are simple and sequential. In about twenty minutes our adventurer is ready to embark on an adventure. If it seems like a long time, I can instead tell you that, since it is a system that is not a pure OSR, the choices must be a little more weighted. If, on the other hand, it is the Game Master who prepares the cards (with in mind a precise idea of which characters are most suitable for the adventure he has prepared), in ten minutes he can easily fill in the cards and propose them to the table.
However, let’s see together, in this review, how the characters are structured in Dragonbane.
Let’s start by saying that in Dragonbane the characters belong to a lineage; there are six to choose from, some very classic and well-known, others decidedly more original, at least for the canonical playful panorama. Let’s see them together. In addition to the classic Human, Elf, Halfling and Dwarf we also have the Mallard, a kind of anthropomorphic duck, and the Wolfkin, an anthropomorphic wolf. For each kin, there is a quick description, some examples of typical names and the innate ability of the lineage itself.
The second step for creating the character is to choose the Profession among ten options. Each profession has a Key Attribute, some Abilities and a Heroic Ability. For each profession it is possible to choose (or roll randomly, using a 6-sided die) from the table presented the weapon that the character will use and, if he wants, the nickname by which he is known.
Simple and Immediate Creation Mechanics
The choice of age and name is left to the choice of the player (or for the laziest to the dice roll). The characteristics, six in all, instead must be pulled with a very simple procedure; 4d6 are rolled, the worst score is removed and the sum of the remaining ones will give the value of that characteristic. Obviously, the procedure must be repeated for each characteristic.
From the values of the characteristics derive some elements of the form. First of all the movement, expressed in meters, the hit points, the damage bonus and the will points. I pause for a moment on this element just to specify that will points are used to use spells, but also to use innate ability.
I would like to point out another important element of this game that takes its cue from the OSR but looks to the future; the game mechanics provide for intelligent management of the encumbrance. Characters may carry up to a certain number of items in their inventory, the combined weight of which does not exceed half the character’s strength value. So weapons, shields and armour are off this count as long as they are worn.
Dragons and Demons in Dragonbane
Drakar och Demoner is the title of the game in the Swedish language and, as we have already said, it means Dragons and Demons. Without wanting to bother with the setting, we are always talking about a classic fantasy game and therefore we will see, in our adventures, a certain number of dragons and probably as many demons. Know that these two terms are also closely related to game mechanics.
Dragonbane is a game with a d20-based rule system with roll under mechanics, as we said at the beginning of the review, and manages critical success and critical failure as a canonical regulation. If in fact 1 comes out on the d20 we will have obtained a critical success, or a Dragon. If instead comes out 20 we will have obtained a critical failure or a Demon.
The rules clearly don’t end here, but if I had to tell you about all the possible nuances of this game, this review would never end.
This doesn’t mean it’s a complicated system; in its leanest form, it can be on the table in a half-hour. However, Free League has thought of everything, even Dragonbane‘s versatility and longevity. Beyond the mechanics that I have presented to you, in fact, there are others, such as for example forcing the die in case of failure, which fall within the basic regulation. In addition to these, in obvious and practical green boxes, there are also many optional rules that you may want to add to make the gaming experience more complete and complex. This means, for example, managing turns differently or including particular outcomes in case of critical failures during fights; or, again, special attacks and magical “messes”.
Dragonbane Combat Review
However, let’s see still some interesting details of the rules. At the beginning of this review, we underlined that Dregonbane is a game with strong OSR colours and this nature is also reflected in the management of the combat.
Combat is handled in turns, each representing approximately ten seconds of time. At the beginning of each round, it is decided who has the initiative, i.e. in which order the fighters will act. To do this, each player draws a card from a deck numbered 1 to 10. Similarly, the Game Master draws for the opponents. Whoever draws the lowest number is the first to take the initiative. In Dragonbane you can’t delay the action; however one of the optional rules provides that you can exchange your own card with that of another character, so as to make combat more effective or advantageous.
In his turn, each character can make one movement and one action. Some actions can be performed on the opponent’s turn, such as a parry or dodge; in this case, on his turn, the character can only move because he has already performed his action.
Magic: between Charm and Gaps
Like a classic fantasy game, magic could certainly not be missing.
There are several schools of magic in Dragonbane, each with a unique take on what magic is and how it works. Three schools of magic are indicated in the manual: animism, mentalism and elementalism. The manual hints at the possibility that there are other schools of magic in the world of Dragonbane. Among them are also necromancy and other dark arts, leaving the way open to possible expansions.
The variety of spells is not very high, to tell the truth, and perhaps this part of the regulation could be expanded in the future. In any case, at the moment, wizards have a fair choice considering the three schools of magic proposed. To cast spells, as we mentioned at the beginning of this Dragonbane review, willpower points must be spent and you must roll below the skill score in the relevant school. If the roll is successful, the spell has an effect, otherwise it has no effect. Cantrips are always successful and cost only one Willpower point.
A Bestiary that is a Whole Program
Inside the Rule Manual there is a large chapter dedicated to beasts and monsters, given that the characters, in Dragonbane, will not only encounter dragons or demons. Each creature presented is different; it ranges from humanoids to real monsters. Each has a brief description and a practical table with useful information for the fight: ferocity, size, movement, hit points and defence. Unlike other games, when it comes to combat, Dragonbane offers a random choice of attacks used by these creatures.
In this part of the manual, 15 creatures are presented and, in closing, a list of 11 common animals with their own statistics.
Going on an Adventure, Strategies and Tips for the Game Master
At the end of the Rules Manual, we find a very interesting chapter reserved for the Game Master to help him structure the adventures. In this section, there are also all those details, such as indications on the search for food in wild places, perfect for making the game world alive and vibrant.
Don’t miss the tips on how to manage NPCs and create adventures. Each step can be left to the free creativity of the Game Master even if the manual, in clear old-school style, has a fair number of tables that can be exploited.
Dragonbane Premade Adventures Review
Among the materials present in the basic box there is also the book of adventures. In this booklet, there are 11 adventures that make up the Secret of the Dragon Emperor campaign. They can be played in any order you like, with the exception of Fog Island which is the final act of the campaign.
However, if you don’t want to deal with the complexity of a campaign, know that each storyline can be played individually unrelated to the others. Each adventure features an introduction for the Game Master, and a table with a list of random events, locations and NPCs.
Without making any spoilers, I can say that I tried Riddermound, the first scenario proposed in the manual. I found the scenario intriguing and difficult enough in full old-school style, and the other storylines are no less. Each story is based on solid narrative cues and the playability is decidedly high.
However, I felt the lack of a detailed setting to lean on. Let’s face it, the misty valley that is the backdrop to Dragonbane has its charm; however, the setting is only hinted at and even for the playable lineages there is a lack of in-depth analysis. This a gap that I hope we will see filled in future expansion books.
Dragonbane Aesthetic Review: A Feast for the Eyes
Dragonbane’s presentation is great; the box that contains the basic set is solid and the quality of the print is very high. A bit like for Vaesen, the choice of a font without artifice is a winner and the colours (green, ocher and red) are particularly pleasant as well as facilitating the search for the important elements and not tiring the eye. Two-column printing is now, with some evidence, the best solution for the A4 format.
However, Dragonbane is not just paper and printed characters, to make everything wonderfully fascinating, vibrant and magical are the illustrations by Johan Egerkrans. If you liked Vaesen you will love Dragonbane. Every illustration is perfect for context, whether it’s an NPC’s face, a creature, or a full-page panorama.
The maps, by Francesca Baerald and Niklas Brandt, are great for transporting players into the game world as well as being perfectly usable as boards once transported on paper.
Dragonbane Review Conclusions
Let’s keep in mind one last detail; this is the first opportunity to appreciate this RPG. For decades it has been successful at home without the need to expand to an English-speaking audience and this is a clear indication of quality.
In conclusion, as I hope this review shows, Dragonbane is a game that is really worth having in your library. The quality of the materials is (as always, when it comes to Free League) very high, to the point of approaching a collector’s item not only for the illustrations. If you’ve read this far and still haven’t fallen in love with this game, I suggest you try the free quickstart; I’m sure it will make you appreciate more than my words a game that can lead the old-school genre into the future.
