Great video! I grabbed the box set for this a few months ago and immediately fell in love, not just with the game itself, but with Free League's quality overall. They've become one of my favorite publishers, and I want more of there stuff. I grabbed Walking Dead earlier this week, and I may grab Alien and Twilight 2000 tomorrow....
Dragonbane really does live up to its tagline of "Mirth & Mayhem". Lots of laughs at the table, and incredibly tight design, arguably the best I've seen. It's even tighter than Shadowdark IMO, and that's high praise, as SD is my go-to game for OSR-style play now. While Dragonbane does share some mechanics with Forbidden Lands, it won't replace FL for me since I do love procedural hexcrawls, and I think FL is best of type. They are both incredible examples of what Free League does, which is design some of the best games out there. The One Ring 2e is also outstanding, building on Cubicle 7's incredible 1e beautifully and logically. For those on the fence about getting Dragonbane, I say go for it! It has exceeded my expectations at the table by a wide margin. Beware though, combat can be deadly. Charging in is a losing strategy, since damage is quite high relative to the character's ability to absorb it. We came close to a TPK the first time I ran it, but it was still awesome. Everybody loved it, even when they thought they were doomed. I've never seen so much enjoyment out of such a dire situation. Dragonbane definitely does what it says on the tin.
Very much agreed, as you can probably tell from my different Dragonbane videos, I really like the system and the style. When I mentioned it replaced Forbidden Lands for me, I definitely wasn’t meaning as a slight to that game as I really enjoyed it… I just feel DB does everything I love about FL, with a more streamlined system. Thanks for watching and keep enjoying DB!
Yeah, so Mutant Year Zero is a game, but the system was so good they used it to build many many others. Just off the top of my head: Vaesen, Forbidden Lands, Tales From the Loop, Alien, Blade Runner, Coriolis, and Twilight 2000
While I really like your overview, I would not compare it to Forbidden Lands too much at all. Free League's dark fantasy RPG called Symbaroum is I think the closest thing to Dragonbane. It's actually based on the creators' love of Drakar och Demoner from 1990s. Same d20 roll under system without classes or levels, but instead of skill proficiencies, "special abilities" are feats. Highly recommend you check it out, there's a free starter PDF on their site.
Blues, thanks for weighing in! I actually have read and own the Symbaroum starter. I think that the roll under mechanic is very much similar to Symbaroum, but the use of Kin, Age based skill/attribute, magic system, beast AI, the travel rules, and the level of impact of the professions, very much are at least largely inspired by earlier Free League works, with Forbidden Lands being the one likely most familiar to my regular audience. Truthfully, a lot of these concepts were explore in Mutant Year Zero, but not many of my viewers are as familiar with that game. I appreciate your input, and I’m glad you enjoyed the video!
I'm down to only two fantasy RPGs now. Fantasy AGE 2e and Dragonbane. Each scratches a different itch. Dragonbane effectively replaced BX/OSE on my bookshelf. Dragonbane is so smooth and easy to modify. I'm creating home-brew Pulpbane and Spacebane variations.
I gave Fantasy Age a shot, but it just didn’t click for me as a solo. I would like to play it as a group game. I’d play Dragonbane in any format, setting, genre or group. It is a real sweet spot for my tastes.
Hi Justin, great video as always. I really like Dragonbane and have played through most of the solo adventure in the starter set but I prefer a bit more open ended adventures and the dungeon crawl got a bit samey after a while. The system is great fun and I think it might be my favourite Free League system. I have lots of content for Forbidden Lands but I would love to somehow mash it together with the superior mechanics found in Dragonbane but I’m too busy having just started a solo game of “The Black Hack”. I’ll ping you an email to grab your encounter sheets, they look brilliant!
John, I felt like the adventure for Alone in Deepfall Breach was a little bit deterministic, but the Oracle itself was quite good. I think the adventure was to get people into the headspace of solo play. Absolutely shoot an email this way and I will send it over to you!
Yeah, I understand it (and have used it) as a beginner’s module for soloing, but I haven’t understood it as “I’m stuck in Deepfall”. My mallard barely got out alive from his first delve, and he’s resting now, but my intention is to go into town to see what’s up.
Great review! There are a lot of advantages to having the box version, but the book is likely to hold up better over time. Depends on how well you treat the rules in the box version 😅 This game has become one of my favorite Fantasy RPG's. The way monsters work, mechanically, is great! Good attempt at pronouncing "Drakar och Demoner" 👍🤘😎
I didn't realize/recall DB uses the same ability generation I use for OSR. I really dig that compromise! I need to take another look at DB at some point. I didn't think of it as a streamlined Y0E or Forbidden Lands though I noticed the similarities. For some reason DB just hasn't really appealed to me. Yet. But I'm happy it's so popular, so it should be seeing lots of support going into the future.
@@booksbricksandboards783 Yeah. That's cool! I've got the box so it's ready to go when I feel like it. I'm so deep into the OSR stuff now there's no helping. 😅 I'm waiting for the Gods of the Forbidden North kickstarter to finish now. So at least I'm branching off from Dolmenwood a little bit (cheating, I know). But that OSR mega sandbox adventure thingy looks so amazing I can't wait!
I think that is pretty common for players coming from newer systems. Dragonbane in that regard is very much in the vein of an old school philosophy… yes you get less actions on your turn, but the turns move so much faster that you end up with more to do in the same amount of time! Glad they are enjoying it. Great system!
This was a great overview! This game seems to be hitting a real sweet spot for many people. And the value of the core box is one of the best deals around! Made the bestiary a must pick up for me too. So far my only complaint was a lack of good encounter tables, and some treasure tables. Hence, your encounter doc looks great, sending DM!
Perp, thanks much! I have had several gamers tell me the same thing. Apparently we all had the same conclusion, I just had the channel to share my work, so my timing/luck was ideal. I will get it sent once I get a chance to check my BBB email! Thanks for watching!
Me and my friends started our ttrpg journey with Dragonbane (Drakar och Demoner) in high school some 20 years ago. We started playing again during covid but started with 5e. I was so excited to play Dragonbane and backed it (also bought a hard cover rules and bestiary). I've only run a one shot (at Christmas), and it might very well be the nostalgia and that this game diverts a whole lot from what we played, but I were a bit disappointed. I wanted Dragonbane to be our new go to game, but we've been playing Shadowdark now for a year and that just fits what I want as a GM better. I want to give Dragonbane a few more tries though, but as for now I'm sticking with Shadowdark. I'd love that pdf though and will email you!
@booksbricksandboards783 you did great! Much better then I would've done speaking a language that I don't understand. The first a in Drakar is a bit less rushed, but you nailed Demoner spot on! And thank you for the pdf!
Well, I did put some effort into that. Even though I put the Swedish chef in my videos, I have a lot of respect for the folks over there and wanted to be respectful. GREAT gaming stuff coming out of Sweden.
Purchased the Dragonbane boxed set then I immediately ordered the hard cover handbook and bestiary. Picked up the GM screen as well. My wife is waiting patiently to play a duck. We had recently listened to Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep together and also purchased the Blade Runner starter set and player handbook. I will be running Dragonbane first so it will be a while before we get to Blade Runner. Also we are moving so Dragonbane seems like the better choice for playing between trips to the other house. How is Tales from the Loop?
Tales From the Loop is both one of the earlier Mutant Year Zero engine games, as well as one of the more unique(focus on kids and a distinct difference in stakes since characters can’t die). If someone is wanting to play Stranger Things and focus on storytelling, this is that game.
Thank you brother. That bestiary is REALLY good. The new Kin the variety of beasties, and they added a basilisk (which I called out in my video in September for not being in the original). I hope you get it soon.
After experiencing Hyperborea, that is probably the only version of AD&D that I would run now. He really did something special with the bestiary, the classes, the combat maneuvers and the setting. That said, there is always room on my shelf for a game between Rules Lite and mechanically crunchy like Hyperborea. For me that is where Dragonbane sits. If I had all the time and a group into AD&D, Hyperborea would be my game of choice bar none!
Wings, that is a good idea. I have read the adventure and I really like it. Kind of a take on the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, with some fun fantasy twists. I liked that it didn’t take itself too seriously, and the “enemies” were 3 dimensional.
Great video. I've been watching Dragonbane for a while. Love the old school feel and simplicity. I've been wondering how it holds up over a long campaign though. Does the 1 action economy become a problem later on? Emailing you for the encounter sheet also. Great work!
I can’t speak from experience on the issue of Dragonbane’s action economy over a long campaign, but I do have experience playing other limited action economy games in long term campaigns (thinking BX, AD&D and 2e) and in those cases I think it actually made them MORE playable at high levels than some alternative systems (3e, Pathfinder and the likes). The reason being, it kept the dice rolls down and focused on meaningful activities instead of minutiae, for me that works better when you are already dealing with complicated multifaceted characters and complex systems as their framework. So I like that action economy in theory!
It looks so evocative (re: artwork and ancestries like Mallard and Wolkin). So Dragonbane uses the same mechanics as Vaesen, correct? Vaesen is another game that I have held in my paws at my FLGS. Does this mean Vaesen is compatible with Dragonbane if someone wants to do a mashup?
Not really. Vaesen is a D6 dice pool game, whereas Dragonbane is a D20 roll under TN game. They use a lot of the same concepts but with a different mechanical solution. Pushing rolls, professions, skill driven instead of level driven, every object has a mechanical effect. Really this is even more prominent compared to Forbidden Lands, where a lot of the Journey rules are very similar and the use of Kin (instead of race) and how they affect the game. Also the concept of heroic abilities and spells are handled nearly identically across systems. I would say, Dragonbane is one step away from Forbidden Lands, 2 steps from Vaesen/Tales From the Loop, and 3 steps from Twilight 2000/Blade Runner. Each iteration of the Mutant Year Zero engine is a little different but similar enough to see what the mechanic is analogous to.
@booksbricksandboards783 now I'm wondering if I could use the FL world with Dragonbane. I have all the PDF's of both and have the physical copies of DB on the way, will really have to go through it now. Great video!
This is excellent, and that is seriously cool of you to share the table! One thing that I am very curious about is homebrewing for this system. I totally agree that it's potentially a perfect setting-agnostic engine. The only thing I'm struggling to understand is monster creation. The more I read the more I suspect that designers' philosophy leans toward a looser style than say D&D or Pathfinder. You could probably use Cairn's approach- generate the essential stats and then pick a particular special attack or defense, add flavor and any other unique attributes, but keep it to like 3 or 4 lines of text. What are your thoughts on homebrewing for this setting, or for adapting other settings to it?
I have already considered adapting it to Dark Sun. I was going to call it Dragonbane in the Land of the Dragon Kings. It has the swords and sorcery feel, weapons are already breakable in the rules (lower durability on bone weapons), the mentalist school is perfect for the types of powers psionics in Dark Sun have, and wild talents could be adapted from there. The kin would need to be adapted a bit, but not much. As far as monster creation, I would say I would use benchmarks… ie I want to create XX beastie. I know he is about as big as these, or as damaging as these or as tough as these comparably. Find comparables that exist in the system, and build from there. The AI monster behavior takes a bit more time, but mostly it is likely more reskinning of existing from other monsters for flavor. I will say, it feels more organically built for flavor than balanced for mechanics, which I like. It also takes the pressure off for trying to make it perfect. Thanks for watching and the conversation Simon!
@@booksbricksandboards783 Oh wow! Dark Sun would be brilliant! That is a setting that never got the love it deserved (IMO). I appreciate the guidance here, and I think that it's time for me to get to work! Thanks again for all you do! And definitely keep us posted on the adaptation!
@@marccaron6008 it really is a great fit for Dark Sun. It kind of abstracts the difficult to quantify parts of Athas, and you are left with just a great system.
Good review. I really liked Symbaroum. I adapted the setting to my Pathfinder 2e game. I could not convince anyone at the time to play a whole new game system. The D&D 5e version was not out yet. How does Dragonbane stack up as a World Setting? What brand is that Battlemat in your video, just curious.
Thanks Liam. Dragonbane as a setting, as far as this edition is concerned, is good in what it offers but asks for a lot of blanks to be filled in. What I mean is, what is presented and implied through the fluff and scenarios is very good, but there is not much in the way of a gazateer beyond the campaign book in the boxed set. The maps and stories are great fodder for a creative GM though. It is likely it was more fleshed out in previous editions. The mat is Chessex and about 20 years old 😉
Several third party publishers (and serious ones in Sweden like Eloso, Daniel Letho etc) have given spell expansions. With Necromancy, Dark Magic, Alchemy.
@@KjetilKverndokken If they're not brought to the english speaking market, it's irelevant for everyone not speaking swedish. Secondly, the amount of available monsters is low enough to prevent monster bloat even if they make 2 more bestiaries.
Honestly, I'm just waiting for a module/adventure book, before I jump unto the game. I hear fantastic things about it and the art looks amazing, but I just need a proper adventure book to get me started.
@@fufu1405 they all take place in the same region and can easily be ran as an interconnected series of adventures. The overall campaign arc involves piecing together an ancient relic, before the enemy. Pieces are scattered about the adventures. It’s pretty good.
There is an 80’s version that was BRP, but I’m not sure it was translated to English. If it was I have not seen those copies floating around. One of the intentions of my channel is to let people know so that they can figure out before buying whether a game is their style or not. Sounds like you saved some money, so good deal!
It’s so weird. I got my Rule book, Bestiary, and pawns 2 weeks before it was supposed to ship out. Also, with all respect-forbidden lands is amazing…and would lose much of itself with a D20 system. But then again, I have had d20 fatigue. Right now I’m all about d12+d6, D100, and d6 dice pools.
Mine shipped before the release date, but it kept floating around the Midwest circling my house (got within 60 miles multiple times over several weeks before moving several states away. Free League was good about reaching out to the postal service and had it resolved within a couple days of my complaint. Good folks. Regarding Forbidden Lands, it is a matter of personal taste, but my enjoyment of the streamline version in Dragonbane is much more than just the switch to a d20. Dragonbane removed unnecessary procedural elements, sped up combat, and generally just trimmed it down. Part of the speeding up is certainly the switch to a single die from a dice pool, but part is removing some of the really detailed procedural stuff. While it makes for a detailed experience in FL, I’m happy to have a faster game that offers a few less options in DB. Again, personal preference and nothing wrong with Forbidden Lands.
@@booksbricksandboards783 It’s kinda funny-I watched my forbidden lands order float around the u.s. for more than 2 months doing what your DragonBane order did-but my Dragon Bane order came so fast (I had preordered it when it first came available-I imagine you did too). You’re right-it’s a personal taste thing. I play solo more and more this last year and Forbidden Lands is great for when I want to hunker down and have a really slow and deliberate in depth game. Dragon Bane is great due to how trimmed down it is as you said. You can easily pick up and play or put it down when ever. I do wish the Oracle was a little more robust. Free league is killing it. I can’t wait for my physical“Moria-Through the doors of Durin” .
We are on the same page 100% Marsh. If I had the time, I’d probably lean more towards FL. With two kids, a demanding regular job, several community activities, and so on, I just find I have less and less game time. So DB being able to grab some dice and just start running is pretty perfect for me. Free League is INDEED killing it. They take more of my shelf space with every release. They are one of my top 3 RPG publishing companies.
Great video! I grabbed the box set for this a few months ago and immediately fell in love, not just with the game itself, but with Free League's quality overall. They've become one of my favorite publishers, and I want more of there stuff. I grabbed Walking Dead earlier this week, and I may grab Alien and Twilight 2000 tomorrow....
I have both of those as well, and they are equally worthwhile! Thanks for watching and sharing!
Justin. What an excellent review of what I agree to be a most exciting and excellent game.
Thank you! I put a lot of time into trying to be fair despite my overwhelming bias in favor of
the game.
Dragonbane really does live up to its tagline of "Mirth & Mayhem". Lots of laughs at the table, and incredibly tight design, arguably the best I've seen. It's even tighter than Shadowdark IMO, and that's high praise, as SD is my go-to game for OSR-style play now. While Dragonbane does share some mechanics with Forbidden Lands, it won't replace FL for me since I do love procedural hexcrawls, and I think FL is best of type. They are both incredible examples of what Free League does, which is design some of the best games out there. The One Ring 2e is also outstanding, building on Cubicle 7's incredible 1e beautifully and logically. For those on the fence about getting Dragonbane, I say go for it! It has exceeded my expectations at the table by a wide margin. Beware though, combat can be deadly. Charging in is a losing strategy, since damage is quite high relative to the character's ability to absorb it. We came close to a TPK the first time I ran it, but it was still awesome. Everybody loved it, even when they thought they were doomed. I've never seen so much enjoyment out of such a dire situation. Dragonbane definitely does what it says on the tin.
Very much agreed, as you can probably tell from my different Dragonbane videos, I really like the system and the style. When I mentioned it replaced Forbidden Lands for me, I definitely wasn’t meaning as a slight to that game as I really enjoyed it… I just feel DB does everything I love about FL, with a more streamlined system. Thanks for watching and keep enjoying DB!
Ill have to look into this Mutant Year Zero stuff.
Yeah, so Mutant Year Zero is a game, but the system was so good they used it to build many many others. Just off the top of my head: Vaesen, Forbidden Lands, Tales From the Loop, Alien, Blade Runner, Coriolis, and Twilight 2000
@@booksbricksandboards783 ah! I've been meaning to pick up Vaesen when I have my pennies all saved up.
While I really like your overview, I would not compare it to Forbidden Lands too much at all. Free League's dark fantasy RPG called Symbaroum is I think the closest thing to Dragonbane. It's actually based on the creators' love of Drakar och Demoner from 1990s. Same d20 roll under system without classes or levels, but instead of skill proficiencies, "special abilities" are feats. Highly recommend you check it out, there's a free starter PDF on their site.
Blues, thanks for weighing in! I actually have read and own the Symbaroum starter. I think that the roll under mechanic is very much similar to Symbaroum, but the use of Kin, Age based skill/attribute, magic system, beast AI, the travel rules, and the level of impact of the professions, very much are at least largely inspired by earlier Free League works, with Forbidden Lands being the one likely most familiar to my regular audience. Truthfully, a lot of these concepts were explore in Mutant Year Zero, but not many of my viewers are as familiar with that game. I appreciate your input, and I’m glad you enjoyed the video!
I'm down to only two fantasy RPGs now. Fantasy AGE 2e and Dragonbane. Each scratches a different itch. Dragonbane effectively replaced BX/OSE on my bookshelf. Dragonbane is so smooth and easy to modify. I'm creating home-brew Pulpbane and Spacebane variations.
I gave Fantasy Age a shot, but it just didn’t click for me as a solo. I would like to play it as a group game. I’d play Dragonbane in any format, setting, genre or group. It is a real sweet spot for my tastes.
I got the hardcover rules and bestiary in addition to the box set too. They looked too good not too have.
Good choice sir!
Hi Justin, great video as always. I really like Dragonbane and have played through most of the solo adventure in the starter set but I prefer a bit more open ended adventures and the dungeon crawl got a bit samey after a while. The system is great fun and I think it might be my favourite Free League system. I have lots of content for Forbidden Lands but I would love to somehow mash it together with the superior mechanics found in Dragonbane but I’m too busy having just started a solo game of “The Black Hack”. I’ll ping you an email to grab your encounter sheets, they look brilliant!
John, I felt like the adventure for Alone in Deepfall Breach was a little bit deterministic, but the Oracle itself was quite good. I think the adventure was to get people into the headspace of solo play. Absolutely shoot an email this way and I will send it over to you!
Yeah, I understand it (and have used it) as a beginner’s module for soloing, but I haven’t understood it as “I’m stuck in Deepfall”. My mallard barely got out alive from his first delve, and he’s resting now, but my intention is to go into town to see what’s up.
I placed the breach in a spot underneath a town in my game. Also, mallards are awesome, love the whole concept. 😀
Great video, sir! Dragonbane is indeed really great, and fun at the table with deadliness! 👊🤓
Amen to the deadliness. My solo play I did for the channel ended in a gruesome demise! Lol
Great review!
There are a lot of advantages to having the box version, but the book is likely to hold up better over time. Depends on how well you treat the rules in the box version 😅
This game has become one of my favorite Fantasy RPG's. The way monsters work, mechanically, is great!
Good attempt at pronouncing "Drakar och Demoner" 👍🤘😎
Agreed! On the pronunciation, I looked up the phonetic spelling and still wasn’t sure lol.
@@booksbricksandboards783 i moved to Sweden with my wife (shes from here) and I still trip over a lot of the words 😅
Sweden is a beautiful country, and I’m pleased that they make so many great games! Half of my shelf is Free League. 😀 thanks for watching Mark!
I didn't realize/recall DB uses the same ability generation I use for OSR. I really dig that compromise!
I need to take another look at DB at some point. I didn't think of it as a streamlined Y0E or Forbidden Lands though I noticed the similarities. For some reason DB just hasn't really appealed to me. Yet. But I'm happy it's so popular, so it should be seeing lots of support going into the future.
There is a lot of carryover concepts from MYZ in DB. I’m a big fan of the system.
@@booksbricksandboards783 Yeah. That's cool! I've got the box so it's ready to go when I feel like it. I'm so deep into the OSR stuff now there's no helping. 😅 I'm waiting for the Gods of the Forbidden North kickstarter to finish now. So at least I'm branching off from Dolmenwood a little bit (cheating, I know). But that OSR mega sandbox adventure thingy looks so amazing I can't wait!
I have had my eye on the Dolmenwood stuff for a while, so it will likely find its way to my shelf.
@@booksbricksandboards783 Yeah. I've been running most of my games in the setting the last few years and the system is my absolute favorite as well.
My players were really skeptical of the very tight action economy in combat (as was I), but now we appreciate how fast and fun it can be.
I think that is pretty common for players coming from newer systems. Dragonbane in that regard is very much in the vein of an old school philosophy… yes you get less actions on your turn, but the turns move so much faster that you end up with more to do in the same amount of time! Glad they are enjoying it. Great system!
This was a great overview! This game seems to be hitting a real sweet spot for many people. And the value of the core box is one of the best deals around! Made the bestiary a must pick up for me too. So far my only complaint was a lack of good encounter tables, and some treasure tables. Hence, your encounter doc looks great, sending DM!
Perp, thanks much! I have had several gamers tell me the same thing. Apparently we all had the same conclusion, I just had the channel to share my work, so my timing/luck was ideal. I will get it sent once I get a chance to check my BBB email! Thanks for watching!
Me and my friends started our ttrpg journey with Dragonbane (Drakar och Demoner) in high school some 20 years ago. We started playing again during covid but started with 5e. I was so excited to play Dragonbane and backed it (also bought a hard cover rules and bestiary). I've only run a one shot (at Christmas), and it might very well be the nostalgia and that this game diverts a whole lot from what we played, but I were a bit disappointed. I wanted Dragonbane to be our new go to game, but we've been playing Shadowdark now for a year and that just fits what I want as a GM better. I want to give Dragonbane a few more tries though, but as for now I'm sticking with Shadowdark. I'd love that pdf though and will email you!
How’d I do on my attempt to pronounce the Swedish version of the title?😉 Shadowdark is a great game, nothing wrong with preferring that over DB.
@booksbricksandboards783 you did great! Much better then I would've done speaking a language that I don't understand. The first a in Drakar is a bit less rushed, but you nailed Demoner spot on! And thank you for the pdf!
Well, I did put some effort into that. Even though I put the Swedish chef in my videos, I have a lot of respect for the folks over there and wanted to be respectful. GREAT gaming stuff coming out of Sweden.
Purchased the Dragonbane boxed set then I immediately ordered the hard cover handbook and bestiary. Picked up the GM screen as well. My wife is waiting patiently to play a duck.
We had recently listened to Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep together and also purchased the Blade Runner starter set and player handbook. I will be running Dragonbane first so it will be a while before we get to Blade Runner. Also we are moving so Dragonbane seems like the better choice for playing between trips to the other house.
How is Tales from the Loop?
Tales From the Loop is both one of the earlier Mutant Year Zero engine games, as well as one of the more unique(focus on kids and a distinct difference in stakes since characters can’t die). If someone is wanting to play Stranger Things and focus on storytelling, this is that game.
Awesome video! Glad you finally got the delivery. Hopefully I’ll get a bestiary here soon too.
Thank you brother. That bestiary is REALLY good. The new Kin the variety of beasties, and they added a basilisk (which I called out in my video in September for not being in the original). I hope you get it soon.
@@booksbricksandboards783 I really think this is the golden goose for Free League. I hope they can keep with it.
Sounds really cool. I am currently waiting on my copy of Hyperborea to arrive. Howard and Lieber is just my wheelhouse.
After experiencing Hyperborea, that is probably the only version of AD&D that I would run now. He really did something special with the bestiary, the classes, the combat maneuvers and the setting. That said, there is always room on my shelf for a game between Rules Lite and mechanically crunchy like Hyperborea. For me that is where Dragonbane sits. If I had all the time and a group into AD&D, Hyperborea would be my game of choice bar none!
The die-drop encounter tables is a great idea!
Paavo, welcome back to the comments buddy! I enjoy die drop tables myself, so anytime I find a new place to build one, I’m on it.
I hope you do a review of the adventure in the new hardcover core book
Wings, that is a good idea. I have read the adventure and I really like it. Kind of a take on the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, with some fun fantasy twists. I liked that it didn’t take itself too seriously, and the “enemies” were 3 dimensional.
The hardback has tables of treasure and materials, which are only available as easy to lose packs of cards in the box set. It is much more durable.
Good call, the appendices are pretty good overall!
Nice video!
Thanks I appreciate it. Hopefully I provided a little insight to the game.
Great video. I've been watching Dragonbane for a while. Love the old school feel and simplicity. I've been wondering how it holds up over a long campaign though. Does the 1 action economy become a problem later on? Emailing you for the encounter sheet also. Great work!
I can’t speak from experience on the issue of Dragonbane’s action economy over a long campaign, but I do have experience playing other limited action economy games in long term campaigns (thinking BX, AD&D and 2e) and in those cases I think it actually made them MORE playable at high levels than some alternative systems (3e, Pathfinder and the likes). The reason being, it kept the dice rolls down and focused on meaningful activities instead of minutiae, for me that works better when you are already dealing with complicated multifaceted characters and complex systems as their framework. So I like that action economy in theory!
It looks so evocative (re: artwork and ancestries like Mallard and Wolkin).
So Dragonbane uses the same mechanics as Vaesen, correct? Vaesen is another game that I have held in my paws at my FLGS. Does this mean Vaesen is compatible with Dragonbane if someone wants to do a mashup?
Not really. Vaesen is a D6 dice pool game, whereas Dragonbane is a D20 roll under TN game. They use a lot of the same concepts but with a different mechanical solution. Pushing rolls, professions, skill driven instead of level driven, every object has a mechanical effect. Really this is even more prominent compared to Forbidden Lands, where a lot of the Journey rules are very similar and the use of Kin (instead of race) and how they affect the game. Also the concept of heroic abilities and spells are handled nearly identically across systems. I would say, Dragonbane is one step away from Forbidden Lands, 2 steps from Vaesen/Tales From the Loop, and 3 steps from Twilight 2000/Blade Runner. Each iteration of the Mutant Year Zero engine is a little different but similar enough to see what the mechanic is analogous to.
The art in each is very similar and a big selling point for me!
@booksbricksandboards783 now I'm wondering if I could use the FL world with Dragonbane. I have all the PDF's of both and have the physical copies of DB on the way, will really have to go through it now. Great video!
@@anthonybernardo2214 You definitely could. Dragonbane is first a system, and second a setting. You could run it in any fantasy setting pretty well.
This is excellent, and that is seriously cool of you to share the table! One thing that I am very curious about is homebrewing for this system. I totally agree that it's potentially a perfect setting-agnostic engine. The only thing I'm struggling to understand is monster creation. The more I read the more I suspect that designers' philosophy leans toward a looser style than say D&D or Pathfinder. You could probably use Cairn's approach- generate the essential stats and then pick a particular special attack or defense, add flavor and any other unique attributes, but keep it to like 3 or 4 lines of text. What are your thoughts on homebrewing for this setting, or for adapting other settings to it?
I have already considered adapting it to Dark Sun. I was going to call it Dragonbane in the Land of the Dragon Kings. It has the swords and sorcery feel, weapons are already breakable in the rules (lower durability on bone weapons), the mentalist school is perfect for the types of powers psionics in Dark Sun have, and wild talents could be adapted from there. The kin would need to be adapted a bit, but not much. As far as monster creation, I would say I would use benchmarks… ie I want to create XX beastie. I know he is about as big as these, or as damaging as these or as tough as these comparably. Find comparables that exist in the system, and build from there. The AI monster behavior takes a bit more time, but mostly it is likely more reskinning of existing from other monsters for flavor. I will say, it feels more organically built for flavor than balanced for mechanics, which I like. It also takes the pressure off for trying to make it perfect. Thanks for watching and the conversation Simon!
@@booksbricksandboards783 Oh wow! Dark Sun would be brilliant! That is a setting that never got the love it deserved (IMO). I appreciate the guidance here, and I think that it's time for me to get to work! Thanks again for all you do! And definitely keep us posted on the adaptation!
@@booksbricksandboards783 Using it for Dark Sun is gold. Thanks for the suggestion.
@@marccaron6008 it really is a great fit for Dark Sun. It kind of abstracts the difficult to quantify parts of Athas, and you are left with just a great system.
I am just embarking on running Icewind Dale using Dragonbane. Should be quite a ride.
Good review. I really liked Symbaroum. I adapted the setting to my Pathfinder 2e game. I could not convince anyone at the time to play a whole new game system. The D&D 5e version was not out yet. How does Dragonbane stack up as a World Setting?
What brand is that Battlemat in your video, just curious.
Thanks Liam. Dragonbane as a setting, as far as this edition is concerned, is good in what it offers but asks for a lot of blanks to be filled in. What I mean is, what is presented and implied through the fluff and scenarios is very good, but there is not much in the way of a gazateer beyond the campaign book in the boxed set. The maps and stories are great fodder for a creative GM though. It is likely it was more fleshed out in previous editions.
The mat is Chessex and about 20 years old 😉
Dragonbane seriously needs a spell expansion. I also hope this isn't the only bestiary.
I could see an advanced or expert companion book as a great way to add some schools of magic and professions, as well as some heroic abilities.
There are a lot of third party books out and more coming.
Monster bloat from D&D is not needed though ;)
Several third party publishers (and serious ones in Sweden like Eloso, Daniel Letho etc) have given spell expansions. With Necromancy, Dark Magic, Alchemy.
@@KjetilKverndokken If they're not brought to the english speaking market, it's irelevant for everyone not speaking swedish. Secondly, the amount of available monsters is low enough to prevent monster bloat even if they make 2 more bestiaries.
@@Iulian111 but they are, but made by swedes that really know the game 🤷
Honestly, I'm just waiting for a module/adventure book, before I jump unto the game. I hear fantastic things about it and the art looks amazing, but I just need a proper adventure book to get me started.
Free League has so many irons in the fire that might be a while. They do have the campaign in the boxed set.
@@booksbricksandboards783 Is it any good? I thought it was just a bunch of standalone adventures.
@@fufu1405 they all take place in the same region and can easily be ran as an interconnected series of adventures. The overall campaign arc involves piecing together an ancient relic, before the enemy. Pieces are scattered about the adventures. It’s pretty good.
There are also some 3rd party adventures available on DrivethruRPG
Thanks for this. I thought it was a BRP game. Good to know it's not for me.
There is an 80’s version that was BRP, but I’m not sure it was translated to English. If it was I have not seen those copies floating around. One of the intentions of my channel is to let people know so that they can figure out before buying whether a game is their style or not. Sounds like you saved some money, so good deal!
BRP Magic World and Drakar och Demoner( older editions) are mostly the same thing.
@@jonasang9676 thanks for the information! Appreciate it.
It’s so weird. I got my Rule book, Bestiary, and pawns 2 weeks before it was supposed to ship out.
Also, with all respect-forbidden lands is amazing…and would lose much of itself with a D20 system.
But then again, I have had d20 fatigue. Right now I’m all about d12+d6, D100, and d6 dice pools.
Mine shipped before the release date, but it kept floating around the Midwest circling my house (got within 60 miles multiple times over several weeks before moving several states away. Free League was good about reaching out to the postal service and had it resolved within a couple days of my complaint. Good folks. Regarding Forbidden Lands, it is a matter of personal taste, but my enjoyment of the streamline version in Dragonbane is much more than just the switch to a d20. Dragonbane removed unnecessary procedural elements, sped up combat, and generally just trimmed it down. Part of the speeding up is certainly the switch to a single die from a dice pool, but part is removing some of the really detailed procedural stuff. While it makes for a detailed experience in FL, I’m happy to have a faster game that offers a few less options in DB. Again, personal preference and nothing wrong with Forbidden Lands.
@@booksbricksandboards783
It’s kinda funny-I watched my forbidden lands order float around the u.s. for more than 2 months doing what your DragonBane order did-but my Dragon Bane order came so fast (I had preordered it when it first came available-I imagine you did too).
You’re right-it’s a personal taste thing. I play solo more and more this last year and Forbidden Lands is great for when I want to hunker down and have a really slow and deliberate in depth game. Dragon Bane is great due to how trimmed down it is as you said. You can easily pick up and play or put it down when ever. I do wish the Oracle was a little more robust. Free league is killing it. I can’t wait for my physical“Moria-Through the doors of Durin” .
We are on the same page 100% Marsh. If I had the time, I’d probably lean more towards FL. With two kids, a demanding regular job, several community activities, and so on, I just find I have less and less game time. So DB being able to grab some dice and just start running is pretty perfect for me. Free League is INDEED killing it. They take more of my shelf space with every release. They are one of my top 3 RPG publishing companies.
So this is a solo RPG system, if so could 2 players play GMless with this system?
Raven, yes you certainly can. The oracle replaces the GM, so you could have as many players/characters as you want and run the oracle as the GM.
@@booksbricksandboards783, thank you!
There is a Solo/Coop manual in the box. Otherwise this is a traditional play with your friends ttrpg.
@@KjetilKverndokken, thank you!
Does it come with a PDF
I bought mine from Free League direct, and it did come with a PDF. If you buy from a different source you won’t get the free pdf.
Thats good advise. I use a computer setup for my dungeon master screen
I really like dealing with Free League. They make great products, they have great service, and they always seem to give me more than I expect.
If you buy it from a store that have the pdf program (bits and mortar) you will be able to get the pdf