We really thank Horrible Guild that during Play 2021 in Modena gave us the physical quickstart of One More Quest that we will use to write this preview. It’s the right time because, on 25th of January, One More Quest will be a Kickstarter project. What is it? It’s a fantasy roleplaying game, hilarious and spectacular, set in a not-so-heroic world. It’s distinctive trait, the core of the system, is the way dice are thrown. Not rolled, thrown. Let’s make a step back.
The Origins of One More Quest: Dungeon Fighter
A decade ago from the brilliant minds of Lorenzo Silva, Aureliano Buonfino and Lorenzo Tucci Sorentino was born Dungeon Fighter, a very special board game. Players, in the role of fantasy pseudo-heroes, must face half-serious monsters in the rooms of dungeons. The peculiarity is that the combat takes place by rolling the dice towards a board designed as an archery target. A variety of launch modes make the game addictive and utterly fun. The same principle and the same world are also the basis of One More Quest. Lorenzo Silva remained among the authors, together with Hjalmar Hach and Federico Corbetta Caci.
What Can Be Discovered with this Preview of One More Quest
What I hold in my hands is a quickstart with more than 60 pages very colorful and well laid out.
First, the premise is that the game presented is still in constant development, so I warn you too that what I’m talking about may differ from the final product.
The introduction presents a very classic scenario, of heroes facing dungeons and other usual quests in exchange for money or part of the loot. The peculiarity is that everything is seen with a goliardic and humorous point of view.
One example is the game world, Middlewhere, described by the authors themselves as “croissant-shaped”. A world with all sorts of places, from the scary Dark Darkdom of Darkness to the warm beaches of Costa Dorada
What To Do but Especially How To Do It!
This One More Quest preview provides the normal ground rules for game management, testing, difficulty, combat, healing, and so on. Together here is the gem: how to execute the shots and the restrictions. It is worth mentioning the authors:
“Thrower must throw a single six-sided die with one side distinct from the others. The die must bounce at least once before it hits the Target. It must be thrown or rolled, not dropped, placed, or ejected from a dice tower. It must also land flat on the Target.”
Then there are the restrictions, specific actions related to the roll of the dice that are different for each type of roll. Test of Strength? The dice is thrown in balance on the elbow. Try to Intimidate? The die must be slapped. Proof of Stealth? The player pulls himself from under the table with only part of his head sticking out. And so on. There are 24 base skills and more skills given by equipment and talents . Headshots, punches on the table, flying pirouettes! And the restrictions can also be invented or, even better, combined in one shot. Game, set and match.
Dynamics are even more complex. There are the Conditions, which are further restrictions that can be imposed on the test. Then there are the Stunts, additional difficulties that the player chooses to increase the effect of the shot. Furthermore, it is also possible to use the mechanic of Push, throw another die from a reserve to add up the result. Depending on the aim and the result of the dice, you can also get epic successes or disastrous failures.
I quote with pleasure a small paragraph that promises in the complete manual indications for adapting the game to players with disabilities.
Adventurers and Adventure
As far as adventurers are concerned, it is not the purpose of this One More Quest preview to delve into the system. There are seven examples of characters, all created with classic descriptors such as Ancestry and Class or more narrative others like Archetype and Drive..
Only the introductory adventure is missing, which is called “House of the Wizard Bros”. To give you an idea, we talk about Starvard University, and the fraternity at the heart of the story is called Ligma-Meta-Pappa. I think I don’t need to talk further about the tone of the narrative. Little spoiler: it’s a dungeon. From me it could be anything, the hype of playing would be high anyway!
Final Consideration About the One More Quest Preview
At the end of the quickstart there is a collection of some grotesque and funny monsters, then the pages to build the Target and finally the cards of the characters in printer-friendly format. The product is flawless: it manages with clarity and speed to give the idea, arm the dice and throw players in a test game.
In general, One More Quest perfectly meets the main requirement that a game must have in my opinion: it has its “why”. It has a very strong mechanical identity, a well-defined narrative tone and an overall simplicity that makes it easy for novices to try and enjoy the game. The experience of the staff in making board game is visible.
If you enjoyed this preview, I invite you to download the free quickstart of One More Quest and take a closer look. Or you can directly go to the Kickstarter page from 25th January to discover more informations!
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