Disclaimer: This series is made possible by the generosity of the fine people of Free League Publishing, who provided me with a review copy of the game. No further compensation was provided to me, and all opinions in this series are mine.
Being someone who missed the bus on the original D&D in the 80’s and only having truly come into TTRPGs in the 90’s with Legend of the Five Rings and World of Darkness, I will admit that I only had a passing understanding of what made dungeon crawling RPGs a thing.
I knew they were fun. And I knew that people weren’t in it for the story.
So I came into this Let’s Study for Dragonbane with the lowest of expectations, and come out with the highest of praise.
A Thing of Beauty
One can’t begin talking about Dragonbane without actually considering the aesthetics. Free League Publishing is famous for it’s amazing work in terms of the look of their games, and Dragonbane is no exception.
The artwork of the game manages to convey the feel of the game’s claim of “Mirth & Mayhem”. Cartoonish elements like the Mallard race, mix delightfully with the darker fantasy bits of the game giving it a strange balance between a beer & pretzels kind of game… but also one that doesn’t let you let completely go of your tactical thinking.
The illustrations in the Core Rules are top notch, and consistent in tone, never feeling like they were cobbled together haphazardly. There was clearly very strong art direction, and the monster illustrations, in particular, were a highlight for me.
So Much Game In So Little Pages
Dragonbane doesn’t have much in terms of setting. Some things are implied, but hardly anything is really explained. That said, what IS there is a solid game where the mechanics are conveyed clearly, and in a fashion that gets you playing as soon as you can.
Players have a good number of options to play, and nothing feels particularly wrong. I don’t think there terrible “builds” in the game, as the skills and relatively small spread of HP means people occupy similar levels of power.
The Mechanics for Combat and Adventuring are complete, and while it might be a bit deadly, it does manage to play up the tactical nature of the game. Sure it’s funny at times, but there’s plenty of tense moments too when you’re not sure you’ll manage to survive an encounter, especially when up against a monster.
Solo Capable
As I mentioned in my coverage of the Solo Rules, Dragonbane is completely equipped, and adds what amounts to a full campaign for solo play in the Alone in Deepfall Breach. What’s more, there’s no need to go get a separate GM emulator or other tools, Dragonbane already has them all right there for you to use.
A Full Campaign
The Adventure book that comes in the corebox also includes 11 different adventures, all of which are strung together to form a campaign. That’s already quite a bit of playtime stuffed into a single box. Sure there won’t be too much in terms of say, cultural exploration, or A Game of Thrones-style backstabbing and politics, but Dragonbane knows what it wants to be and does it well.
Everything Else
The promise of a core set that had everything brought me way back to 1989, when I first opened my Star Frontiers Alpha Dawn boxed set and got dice, maps, the rules, and cardboard counters.
Finally seeing this format return in Dragonbane brought a tear to my eyes, as it makes it for an excellent gift to a budding new GM or a gaming group who is looking for a game that they can quickly get on the table and start playing.
Conclusion
Dragonbane deserves to be on your shelf, whether in physical format or digital via VTT. Free League Publishing delivers on the promise of a complete game in all fronts, and does so without sacrificing quality.
There’s so much already said about the value of this set, but I can’t stress enough the fact that the game itself is already worth almost twice the cost of the set itself. Sure there’s so much that hasn’t been written about the setting, but that’s something that I imagine Free League will be working to expand on very soon. Already they’ve released a Bestiary, and at the time of this writing they’ve already gotten The Path of Glory Adventure Campaign on Pre-Order!
Dragonbane is a must buy on anyone’s list and will certainly be among my first and strongest recommendations for anyone, from those new to the hobby who are intimidated by big rulebooks, to someone who is looking for a nostalgic kick with a streamlined system that’s easy to teach and run.
I hope this series is helpful for you. If you’re interested in getting your own copy of Dragonbane, you can buy it from the Free League Publishing Online Store or on PDF from DriveThruRPG.
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