Dragon Warriors is a fantasy RPG originally released in the early 1980s (First Edition). It appears to have gained a loyal if smallish following in Britain (its home), Australia and to a much lesser degree in the US. Although its publishing life did not survive the onslaught of video games in the 1990s, its fanbase never gave up and with the new millenium a resurgence appears to have gathered strength.
A Revised Edition of the Rulebook was released in 2008 by Magnum Opus Press and has been followed up by a steady stream of support material. This review covers the Revised Edition. Box 1 at the bottom of this review summarizes the core difference between the Editions.
There are many good reviews of the system already available (see especially rpg.net), however almost all of them seem to be aimed at "old hands" (of which the current author is one). Therefore I thought it would be interesting to try and review the system from the point of view of someone who is familiar with RPGs in general - but has never come across DW before.
1. Overview
To start off with, here is a précis of what I think stands out about the game - the rest of the review then goes through the rulebook step by step.
Legend - a phenomenal setting based on a fantasy Europe in the middle ages, as if folk/fairy tales were true. Magic is ever present but far from mundane. Grim but nowhere near as dark or baroque as, for instance, WFRP.
Mechanics - the system uses the full gamut of dice: d4-d100, which is perhaps the most distinctively "old-school" feature. It has no single "core mechanic", although for most play you will be using two or three basic mechanics which are easy to get the hang of.
Classes (AKA Professions) - there are seven very distinct professions. No multi-classing and races apart from human are discouraged. NOT a system for power-gaming or minmaxing.
Magic - there are four different magic-using professions and a host of creatures who use magic often in subtle ways. However the game stresses that overt use of magic is not commonplace in Legend.
Writing Style - The writing uses a clear prose throughout, with many evocative examples (both in written and cartoon form), which both show how the rules can be put into practice and bring its atmosphere home. The rulebook is laid out in a slightly haphazard fashion but the system is fundamentally simple enough that this does not present a major obstacle to getting going.
2. Physical condition and appearance.
The book is a 256-page hardback, A4 size, with a solid glossy cover and good quality paper (some have complained the pages are too thin - personally I think they're fine). It sits open nicely at the chosen page and according to the main DW mailing list is pretty robust even after significant use. The print and fonts are clear and the pages are pretty full - I did not see any "padding guff" or blank pages.
The internal artwork is black and white and ranges from reasonable to good - it does not all appear to be by the same artist. One correspondent on the main DW mailing list really disliked the artwork however for my own part it is quite acceptable.
Finally the book does have some mistakes - for which a detailed (and thankfully short) Errata is freely available on the publisher's website - see Box 2 at the end for more details.
3. Introduction and Character Creation (chapters 1-6)
The book starts by explaining what Fantasy roleplaying is and how players, rules and GMs fit together. A "narrativist/story-telling" tone is clearly established here.
Then in jumps straight into Character Creation. The system uses the common approach of randomized Primary Attributes which then influence a set of Secondary Attributes.
Primary Attributes are fairly self-explanatory. They are rolled up on 3d6 each and tend to change only due to exceptional circumstances in the life of a character, or the use of magic.
Secondary Attributes are based on a character's profession and rank, then modified by above/below average primary attributes. They mostly work in pairs:
Other Attributes: Encumbrance - a reasonably flexible system which avoids detailed weight tables at the cost of putting a bit more onus on the GM to decide what is "reasonable".
Professions
The system has seven professions, summarized below.
The professions certainly allow for a little overlap in terms of equipment they can use, combat, magic and other skills, but there is no multi-classing. This does help really differentiate the professions and make for a variety of different responses to a situation given the makeup of the team.
In terms of balance, some of the criticisms of unbalanced professions which affected the first edition have now been dealt with, and only the Assassin is perhaps "too powerful" - although the rulebook stresses heavily that a GM should consider whether an Assassin even fits in their game and what his/her back-story is. In a very nice touch, when rolling up a character's background, an unlucky assassin may turn out to have acquired a vengeful pursuer (which only the GM knows about) from his past!
Finally, this part of the book includes simple but richly described rules for rolling up prior professions, nationality and languages within the default feudal setting of Legend. With the exception of languages, these do not have nearly such a strong formal effect on play as, for instance, in WFRP. However as the book constantly stresses, the player and GM should make sure to factor them into their character's attitude while playing.
4. Adventuring and Combat (chapters 7-8)
This part of the book starts with a fair introduction to what player and GM should expect from a gaming session, perhaps with a slight emphasis on the "narrativist" way - as emphasised by the hints on "special cases" at the end of Chapter 7.
It goes on to give succinct but reasonable rules for most non-combat situations, including: NPCs, Surprise, Illumination or the lack of, Battle order, and locked doors. These are illustrated with clear examples of their use in play.
Next we have rules for sneaking around, tracking, climbing and falling, and general use of "tests" against Primary Attributes - again rounded out with examples.
Combat is dealt with in Chapter 8 - it is based on two rolls: ATTACK (do I manage to get past the enemy's guard?) and ARMOUR BYPASS (does my weapon then actually get past his armour to hurt him?). Armour Bypass varies with weapon type, whereas damage caused is basically fixed based on type of weapon used.
There are also simple and clear rules for moving into/out of combat, action sequence within the round, dodging, unconsciousness, fighting multiple opponents and recovery from wounds.
These rules are obviously much simpler than many other systems out there (especially D&D 3.5e), even including the optional rules at the back for variable damage and hit locations. Personally I have always found them just right for the somewhat gritty world of Legend, as...
Overall: combat is fast, fun and not to be taken lightly.
5. Magic (chapters 9-10, 13)
Magic is a crucial part of DW however as the book makes clear, magic-wielders are not the "rent-a-zappers" you get in some other systems - rather they are feared and even shunned by other folk, and the differences between the various professions little understood even by other adventurers. In addition in the default setting of Legend, certain magic-using professions are linked to specific regions of the world.
All four magic-using professions use the same basic mechanics for deciding upon the success of their spells, however they have different spellbooks and ways of recovering their magical powers. As with the other chapters, the rules are regularly illustrated with play examples.
6. Gamesmastering (chapters 11-12, 18)
These chapters start with more detailed rules for NPCs, as well as rules for situations which the player would not be aware of until it is "too late", such as: poison, morale, fright, and special vision for certain creatures and races. Special mention goes to the atmospheric rules on curses and madness which fit very well with the setting of Legend.
Next up are rules for Experience Points and increasing in rank - where one of my few criticisms of the game comes up. XP are mainly given for defeating opponents, and secondarily for completing an "adventure". This perhaps shows the game's roots in the 1980s when "Basic" D&D was at its height. Personally in games I GM, I prefer to give additional XP for good play, especially for a character exploiting his or her profession or background.
Importantly, XP are NOT gained simply for accumulating money which in the opinion of this author is a good thing. However there are detailed rules for acquiring equipment and its effective price in the poverty-stricken villages of Legend. Given the brutality of the combat system, buying a decent set of kit can make just as much a difference to your survival chances in the next adventure, as jumping up a rank.
Finally Chapter 18 (somewhat randomly stuck out on its own when it seems to fit better with Chapter 12) covers overland and sea travel.
7. Legend - the game setting (chapters 14-17)
I have mentioned before that the world of Legend is a key reason for why people who love DW really love it, and the book sensibly devotes over sixty pages to this world - with some brief guidelines for converting the system to other settings.
First of all there is a gazzetteer of the world of Legend - a fantastic version of medieval Europe between the 10th and 14th centuries. Each country is beautifully described and the whole is accompanied by several well-drawn maps. The game does NOT have an overarching meta-plot, however most countries have one or two core threads running through the rise and fall of their history. In place of a clearly-drawn struggle between "Good" and "Evil" the core themes are a mixture of human frailty, power politics and general historical evolution - all against a backdrop of superstition and wonder. I would defy any GM to read this section and not come out with at least three scenario ideas.
This is followed by detailed rules backed by strong contextual information for various "between-adventure" happenings such as Crime and Punishment, Jousting and literacy. These are very much grounded in a "gritty" approach to medieval literacy, and the etymological relations between languages, which means that your characters may well come upon a scroll which is written in a language none of them can read! Who can they pay to translate it for them?
8. Creatures (chapter 20)
This chapter contains stats and basic descriptions for some eighty creatures. There are the FRP standards such as Orcs and Elves, however these take second place to the eery and fey creatures from british mythology such as Boggarts, Ire Goblins and Hobgoblins. Even Goblins are much more "naughty tricksters" than "weak Orcs".
This chapter is perfectly usable however coming from the First Edition I found it a little disappointing as much of the original artwork and atmospheric creature descriptions have been removed - I understand they have been included in the DW Bestiary which can be purchased separately.
9. Introductory Scenario (chapter 19)
This is a twenty-page scenario newly written for the revised edition, which focusses on exercising the game rules. It has all the classic elements of a DW scenario: ancient legends come back to haunt the present, fearful villagers and scheming nobles. Magic is present as much to trick the players as to confront them directly.
A Revised Edition of the Rulebook was released in 2008 by Magnum Opus Press and has been followed up by a steady stream of support material. This review covers the Revised Edition. Box 1 at the bottom of this review summarizes the core difference between the Editions.
There are many good reviews of the system already available (see especially rpg.net), however almost all of them seem to be aimed at "old hands" (of which the current author is one). Therefore I thought it would be interesting to try and review the system from the point of view of someone who is familiar with RPGs in general - but has never come across DW before.
1. Overview
To start off with, here is a précis of what I think stands out about the game - the rest of the review then goes through the rulebook step by step.
Legend - a phenomenal setting based on a fantasy Europe in the middle ages, as if folk/fairy tales were true. Magic is ever present but far from mundane. Grim but nowhere near as dark or baroque as, for instance, WFRP.
Mechanics - the system uses the full gamut of dice: d4-d100, which is perhaps the most distinctively "old-school" feature. It has no single "core mechanic", although for most play you will be using two or three basic mechanics which are easy to get the hang of.
Classes (AKA Professions) - there are seven very distinct professions. No multi-classing and races apart from human are discouraged. NOT a system for power-gaming or minmaxing.
Magic - there are four different magic-using professions and a host of creatures who use magic often in subtle ways. However the game stresses that overt use of magic is not commonplace in Legend.
Writing Style - The writing uses a clear prose throughout, with many evocative examples (both in written and cartoon form), which both show how the rules can be put into practice and bring its atmosphere home. The rulebook is laid out in a slightly haphazard fashion but the system is fundamentally simple enough that this does not present a major obstacle to getting going.
2. Physical condition and appearance.
The book is a 256-page hardback, A4 size, with a solid glossy cover and good quality paper (some have complained the pages are too thin - personally I think they're fine). It sits open nicely at the chosen page and according to the main DW mailing list is pretty robust even after significant use. The print and fonts are clear and the pages are pretty full - I did not see any "padding guff" or blank pages.
The internal artwork is black and white and ranges from reasonable to good - it does not all appear to be by the same artist. One correspondent on the main DW mailing list really disliked the artwork however for my own part it is quite acceptable.
Finally the book does have some mistakes - for which a detailed (and thankfully short) Errata is freely available on the publisher's website - see Box 2 at the end for more details.
3. Introduction and Character Creation (chapters 1-6)
The book starts by explaining what Fantasy roleplaying is and how players, rules and GMs fit together. A "narrativist/story-telling" tone is clearly established here.
Then in jumps straight into Character Creation. The system uses the common approach of randomized Primary Attributes which then influence a set of Secondary Attributes.
- Primary Attributes: Strength, Reflexes, Intelligence, Psychic Talent, Looks and Health Points
- Secondary Attributes: ATTACK, DEFENCE, MAGICAL ATTACK, MAGICAL DEFENCE, EVASION, STEALTH, PERCEPTION
Primary Attributes are fairly self-explanatory. They are rolled up on 3d6 each and tend to change only due to exceptional circumstances in the life of a character, or the use of magic.
Secondary Attributes are based on a character's profession and rank, then modified by above/below average primary attributes. They mostly work in pairs:
- ATTACK - DEFENCE gives basic to-hit roll for physical combat
- MAGICAL ATTACK - MAGICAL DEFENCE gives target roll for direct magical/psychic attacks
- STEALTH - PERCEPTION gives target roll for sneaking, hiding and related activities
- SPEED - EVASION gives target roll for dodging projectiles (including thrown, falling objects and certain spells)
Other Attributes: Encumbrance - a reasonably flexible system which avoids detailed weight tables at the cost of putting a bit more onus on the GM to decide what is "reasonable".
Professions
The system has seven professions, summarized below.
- Barbarian - an attack-focussed tough guy
- Knight - all round fighter, with particularly dangerous skills at higher levels
- Assassin - sneaky and deadly, though no match for other two in a straight fight
- Sorcerer - the purest "magic user", scrawny in a physical fight, deadly with magic
- Elementalist - also heavily focussed on magic, but very linked to their chosen primary and secondary elements - can become extremely powerful at higher ranks
- Mystic - fighters who augment their physical skills with subtler spells and magical powers
- Warlock - rather like a cross between a sorcerer and a knight, though a little weaker than either at magic or fighting
- skill acquisition is not on a consistent basis - it comes in fits and starts as different professions increase in rank
- there is no standard mechanic for applying skills - each comes with its own "mini-rules"
The professions certainly allow for a little overlap in terms of equipment they can use, combat, magic and other skills, but there is no multi-classing. This does help really differentiate the professions and make for a variety of different responses to a situation given the makeup of the team.
In terms of balance, some of the criticisms of unbalanced professions which affected the first edition have now been dealt with, and only the Assassin is perhaps "too powerful" - although the rulebook stresses heavily that a GM should consider whether an Assassin even fits in their game and what his/her back-story is. In a very nice touch, when rolling up a character's background, an unlucky assassin may turn out to have acquired a vengeful pursuer (which only the GM knows about) from his past!
Finally, this part of the book includes simple but richly described rules for rolling up prior professions, nationality and languages within the default feudal setting of Legend. With the exception of languages, these do not have nearly such a strong formal effect on play as, for instance, in WFRP. However as the book constantly stresses, the player and GM should make sure to factor them into their character's attitude while playing.
4. Adventuring and Combat (chapters 7-8)
This part of the book starts with a fair introduction to what player and GM should expect from a gaming session, perhaps with a slight emphasis on the "narrativist" way - as emphasised by the hints on "special cases" at the end of Chapter 7.
It goes on to give succinct but reasonable rules for most non-combat situations, including: NPCs, Surprise, Illumination or the lack of, Battle order, and locked doors. These are illustrated with clear examples of their use in play.
Next we have rules for sneaking around, tracking, climbing and falling, and general use of "tests" against Primary Attributes - again rounded out with examples.
Combat is dealt with in Chapter 8 - it is based on two rolls: ATTACK (do I manage to get past the enemy's guard?) and ARMOUR BYPASS (does my weapon then actually get past his armour to hurt him?). Armour Bypass varies with weapon type, whereas damage caused is basically fixed based on type of weapon used.
There are also simple and clear rules for moving into/out of combat, action sequence within the round, dodging, unconsciousness, fighting multiple opponents and recovery from wounds.
These rules are obviously much simpler than many other systems out there (especially D&D 3.5e), even including the optional rules at the back for variable damage and hit locations. Personally I have always found them just right for the somewhat gritty world of Legend, as...
- combat is fairly brutal: you don't have oodles of Health Points and after surviving one fight you need to think carefully about who takes point in the next one
- magic/special weapons really count - even a +1 sword is enough to turn a player's "edge" into a clear advantage.
- the difference between the professions also counts - a Sorcerer or Elementalist even above first rank, will not last long in the front line of a melee.
- armour is important (as it was in the medieval world) - those characters who can use and get hold of the best armour will benefit hugely from it.
- ganging up makes a huge difference as outnumbered fighters must split their DEFENCE against all opponents - this means that the right (or wrong, depending on your point of view!) tactical choice can be lethal.
Overall: combat is fast, fun and not to be taken lightly.
5. Magic (chapters 9-10, 13)
Magic is a crucial part of DW however as the book makes clear, magic-wielders are not the "rent-a-zappers" you get in some other systems - rather they are feared and even shunned by other folk, and the differences between the various professions little understood even by other adventurers. In addition in the default setting of Legend, certain magic-using professions are linked to specific regions of the world.
All four magic-using professions use the same basic mechanics for deciding upon the success of their spells, however they have different spellbooks and ways of recovering their magical powers. As with the other chapters, the rules are regularly illustrated with play examples.
- Sorcerors are the general magic-users with a wide range of spells and a healthy number of magic points per day
- Elementalists have a limited range of spells and limited magic points outside their chosen elements, but at higher ranks the spells can become extremely powerful - and the use of their natural affinity with their chosen elements to alter the course of play is encouraged.
- Warlocks as magic users start out like weaker versions of sorcerors and as you go up in rank the difference accentuates - balanced out by the Warlock's reasonable combat stats and additional magical abilities which give him an edge in combat.
- Mystics are more like "fighters with psionics" and their spells are focussed on enhancing their own physical abilities. Interestingly, they have a semi-random way of getting "psychic fatigue" and losing their powers for the rest of the day - which makes spellcasting always a calculated risk for them.
6. Gamesmastering (chapters 11-12, 18)
These chapters start with more detailed rules for NPCs, as well as rules for situations which the player would not be aware of until it is "too late", such as: poison, morale, fright, and special vision for certain creatures and races. Special mention goes to the atmospheric rules on curses and madness which fit very well with the setting of Legend.
Next up are rules for Experience Points and increasing in rank - where one of my few criticisms of the game comes up. XP are mainly given for defeating opponents, and secondarily for completing an "adventure". This perhaps shows the game's roots in the 1980s when "Basic" D&D was at its height. Personally in games I GM, I prefer to give additional XP for good play, especially for a character exploiting his or her profession or background.
Importantly, XP are NOT gained simply for accumulating money which in the opinion of this author is a good thing. However there are detailed rules for acquiring equipment and its effective price in the poverty-stricken villages of Legend. Given the brutality of the combat system, buying a decent set of kit can make just as much a difference to your survival chances in the next adventure, as jumping up a rank.
Finally Chapter 18 (somewhat randomly stuck out on its own when it seems to fit better with Chapter 12) covers overland and sea travel.
7. Legend - the game setting (chapters 14-17)
I have mentioned before that the world of Legend is a key reason for why people who love DW really love it, and the book sensibly devotes over sixty pages to this world - with some brief guidelines for converting the system to other settings.
First of all there is a gazzetteer of the world of Legend - a fantastic version of medieval Europe between the 10th and 14th centuries. Each country is beautifully described and the whole is accompanied by several well-drawn maps. The game does NOT have an overarching meta-plot, however most countries have one or two core threads running through the rise and fall of their history. In place of a clearly-drawn struggle between "Good" and "Evil" the core themes are a mixture of human frailty, power politics and general historical evolution - all against a backdrop of superstition and wonder. I would defy any GM to read this section and not come out with at least three scenario ideas.
This is followed by detailed rules backed by strong contextual information for various "between-adventure" happenings such as Crime and Punishment, Jousting and literacy. These are very much grounded in a "gritty" approach to medieval literacy, and the etymological relations between languages, which means that your characters may well come upon a scroll which is written in a language none of them can read! Who can they pay to translate it for them?
8. Creatures (chapter 20)
This chapter contains stats and basic descriptions for some eighty creatures. There are the FRP standards such as Orcs and Elves, however these take second place to the eery and fey creatures from british mythology such as Boggarts, Ire Goblins and Hobgoblins. Even Goblins are much more "naughty tricksters" than "weak Orcs".
This chapter is perfectly usable however coming from the First Edition I found it a little disappointing as much of the original artwork and atmospheric creature descriptions have been removed - I understand they have been included in the DW Bestiary which can be purchased separately.
9. Introductory Scenario (chapter 19)
This is a twenty-page scenario newly written for the revised edition, which focusses on exercising the game rules. It has all the classic elements of a DW scenario: ancient legends come back to haunt the present, fearful villagers and scheming nobles. Magic is present as much to trick the players as to confront them directly.
Box 1 - Differences from First Edition
This edition really is "Dragon Warriors 1.1" as I believe the publisher once described it. However there are some significant changes - most notably in the balancing of the various character professions. I summarize these changes below for the convenience of old hands. Personally I think the changes are welcome.
Assassins: skills are no longer scaled by rank, and skills are selected (rather than being bestowed automatically).
Barbarians and Knights: now have the new skill 'Tracking', while their ability to ride fully-trained warhorses is now listed explicitly as a skill.
Elementalists gain a degree of protection against the elements they command (so fire Elementalist, for example, has a better chance of avoiding a dragon's breath, the Dragonbreath spell, and other fiery hazards). They also have a new ability to spontaneously create small quanities of their commanded elements (this costs them Magic Points). This can be used to blast at foes, or as creative solutions to the obstacles adventurers face. Finally, the Elementalist spell list is slightly tweaked (the spell Create Light Breeze no longer exists, as that is part of the "spontaneous creation" ability - a new spell takes its place).
Mystics can change the focus of their Spell Mastery (it takes a week to do so), but only certain spells can be Mastered, and Invigorate is not one of them. The spells available for Mastery depend on rank; a 1st-rank Mystic can only Master a single spell, but a 3rd-rank Mystic can choose one of three spells to have "always on", and can change from spell to spell, given time. Mystics no longer risk bungling a spell if wearing enchanted armour;
Warlocks have slightly lower basic stats.They can no longer wear plate armour without penalty. At 2nd rank (and above) they can cast certain self-improvement spells together, allowing them to "power up" quickly in combat.
Assassins: skills are no longer scaled by rank, and skills are selected (rather than being bestowed automatically).
Barbarians and Knights: now have the new skill 'Tracking', while their ability to ride fully-trained warhorses is now listed explicitly as a skill.
Elementalists gain a degree of protection against the elements they command (so fire Elementalist, for example, has a better chance of avoiding a dragon's breath, the Dragonbreath spell, and other fiery hazards). They also have a new ability to spontaneously create small quanities of their commanded elements (this costs them Magic Points). This can be used to blast at foes, or as creative solutions to the obstacles adventurers face. Finally, the Elementalist spell list is slightly tweaked (the spell Create Light Breeze no longer exists, as that is part of the "spontaneous creation" ability - a new spell takes its place).
Mystics can change the focus of their Spell Mastery (it takes a week to do so), but only certain spells can be Mastered, and Invigorate is not one of them. The spells available for Mastery depend on rank; a 1st-rank Mystic can only Master a single spell, but a 3rd-rank Mystic can choose one of three spells to have "always on", and can change from spell to spell, given time. Mystics no longer risk bungling a spell if wearing enchanted armour;
Warlocks have slightly lower basic stats.They can no longer wear plate armour without penalty. At 2nd rank (and above) they can cast certain self-improvement spells together, allowing them to "power up" quickly in combat.
Box 2 - Further reading
Errata for the rulebook can be downloaded from the publisher's website: Downloads | Magnum Opus Press
This page also offers various play aids and a conversion tool for existing characters built in the d20 system.
A significant amount of fan-contributed material is available from the DW Wiki: Gamesmasters' Resource - Home Page - Dragon Warriors Wiki (Roleplaying)
This page also offers various play aids and a conversion tool for existing characters built in the d20 system.
A significant amount of fan-contributed material is available from the DW Wiki: Gamesmasters' Resource - Home Page - Dragon Warriors Wiki (Roleplaying)
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