This is the 2008 "remake" of the 1985 game Dragon Warriors which originally appeared as 6 paperbacks. I do not own the original books nor have i played it before, so this review is from a newbie standpoint 
On the production value side, the hardback has a great cover of a bunch of guys (yes, no bikini-clad girls and no non-humans) descending on a flight of stairs toward adventure, which evoke a nice nostalgia feeling from my first years of gaming with DnD Basic. Inside, the text is clear, the layout classic with no frills and the art is almost always good and evocative of classic party adventures and encounters, even if some sections could have had a bit more of it.
Contentwise, the book has all you need to play : Character creation, which uses professions (2 fighters, knights and barbarians, 4 magic-users, sorcerers, mystics, elementalists and warlocks and assassin) as templates for PCs defined by Str, Reflexes, Int, Psychic Talent and Looks, each given special abilities to aid in adventuring; Adventuring rules, including combat, which use att - def on d20 to hit and an armour bypass roll to inflict damage, magic, which use spell pts and resistance rolls, and other hazards; a Gamemastering section, which includes optional rules; an Atlas describing summarily the lands and customs of Legend, the game setting, including rules for a justice system; an introductory adventure and even a pretty full, if succinct, Bestiary.
On the value side, considering you can get all of this for 22.95$ as a PDF, or 39.95$ for the hardback, this is a great buy
I bought the book when i was looking for a simpler system to switch to from DnD 3.5 with my group of players (all newbies). I had considered using a modified version of DnD Basic or Castles and Crusades, but i found Dragon Warriors intriguing enough to give it a try. I'm told the current version is slightly different from the original, but one quickly realizes this is no 4E nor 3.5. The rules are less complex or encompassing (i had to whip up something to convert my group's PCs, which include a dwarven rogue and a gnomish wizard, to DW since the game is more humanocentric than DnD), but that was also the case for DnD Basic back in the days, and if you can live with that, you will find a very nice fantasy game with lots to offer
On the production value side, the hardback has a great cover of a bunch of guys (yes, no bikini-clad girls and no non-humans) descending on a flight of stairs toward adventure, which evoke a nice nostalgia feeling from my first years of gaming with DnD Basic. Inside, the text is clear, the layout classic with no frills and the art is almost always good and evocative of classic party adventures and encounters, even if some sections could have had a bit more of it.
Contentwise, the book has all you need to play : Character creation, which uses professions (2 fighters, knights and barbarians, 4 magic-users, sorcerers, mystics, elementalists and warlocks and assassin) as templates for PCs defined by Str, Reflexes, Int, Psychic Talent and Looks, each given special abilities to aid in adventuring; Adventuring rules, including combat, which use att - def on d20 to hit and an armour bypass roll to inflict damage, magic, which use spell pts and resistance rolls, and other hazards; a Gamemastering section, which includes optional rules; an Atlas describing summarily the lands and customs of Legend, the game setting, including rules for a justice system; an introductory adventure and even a pretty full, if succinct, Bestiary.
On the value side, considering you can get all of this for 22.95$ as a PDF, or 39.95$ for the hardback, this is a great buy
I bought the book when i was looking for a simpler system to switch to from DnD 3.5 with my group of players (all newbies). I had considered using a modified version of DnD Basic or Castles and Crusades, but i found Dragon Warriors intriguing enough to give it a try. I'm told the current version is slightly different from the original, but one quickly realizes this is no 4E nor 3.5. The rules are less complex or encompassing (i had to whip up something to convert my group's PCs, which include a dwarven rogue and a gnomish wizard, to DW since the game is more humanocentric than DnD), but that was also the case for DnD Basic back in the days, and if you can live with that, you will find a very nice fantasy game with lots to offer
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