Dragonbane by Free League

[aramis erak]

Oh, I’d also like to add that the nature of the professions, the limitations on HP, and the skill setup change the tenor of the game from high octane dungeon delving of D&D into something more like exploration and interaction, at least from my very cursory analysis.

The included adventures are mostly dungeon crawls with inherently hostile denizens...

 

[John R Davis]

I have played it a couple of times at a Con
It was ok

 

[deganawida]

The included adventures are mostly dungeon crawls with inherently hostile denizens...

Well, I did say it was a cursory analysis. Haven’t gotten to the adventures yet

 

[Reef]

Well, I did say it was a cursory analysis. Haven’t gotten to the adventures yet

I had the same reaction as you, and then was flummoxed by the inherently combat intensive dungeons. It feels like it should be a system that rewards finding ways around combat, through negotiation or cleverness, with combat being a brutal but exciting final option. But the adventures don’t necessarily seem to be set up that way on a quick read-through.

It got me thinking that maybe I need to find some old school adventures, where people at least claim that providing ways of bypassing combat was standard (I was too young back in the day…we’d just try to kill everything, and die…heh).

 

[Reynard]

I had the same reaction as you, and then was flummoxed by the inherently combat intensive dungeons. It feels like it should be a system that rewards finding ways around combat, through negotiation or cleverness, with combat being a brutal but exciting final option. But the adventures don’t necessarily seem to be set up that way on a quick read-through.

It got me thinking that maybe I need to find some old school adventures, where people at least claim that providing ways of bypassing combat was standard (I was too young back in the day…we’d just try to kill everything, and die…heh).

Whether there are solutions beyond killing everything you meet is a GM problem, regardless of edition or game.

 

[Reef]

Whether there are solutions beyond killing everything you meet is a GM problem, regardless of edition or game.

True. But when the dungeons are small with little opportunity for choosing different way through, with dangerous monsters that are unavoidable, and humanoid npcs that are described as being inherently hostile and unlikely to negotiate, it feels a little hampering.

At least on a first read through.

 

[Reynard]

True. But when the dungeons are small with little opportunity for choosing different way through, with dangerous monsters that are unavoidable, and humanoid npcs that are described as being inherently hostile and unlikely to negotiate, it feels a little hampering.

At least on a first read through.

I was more referring to people thinking old D&D modules would inherently give you these options. I think we have all played with GMs that made you fight everything in the Caves of Chaos.

As to the Dragonbane adventures, I like that they present short dungeons, usually after some exploration. It is still basically a game about going into holes, killing things, and taking loot.

 

[aramis erak]

I was more referring to people thinking old D&D modules would inherently give you these options. I think we have all played with GMs that made you fight everything in the Caves of Chaos.

As to the Dragonbane adventures, I like that they present short dungeons, usually after some exploration. It is still basically a game about going into holes, killing things, and taking loot.

One which, unlike D&D OE, AD&D, AD&D2, BX, BECMI, D&D Rules Cyclopedia, D&D 3e, D&D 5e, and presumably D&D 4E, is unforgivingly deadly.

Rests are vital, but note the prohibitions on repeats...
Warn players about dump-statting Con - it's not just a bad idea, it's a near guarantee of short lived characters in the corebox adventures. Why? Because not only does it set HP, it also is the Death Save.

 

[Shardstone]

What I like about Dragonbane is that it is currently at such a state that you can build on top of it a LOT and use it as a base for very fun mid-crunch games. I consider Dragonbane to be a polished, more streamlined, more modern OD&D; it scratches the same itch as that game for me but with flatout better rules, better immersion with its mechanics, and just as much potential to make it into the game you want it to be.

Big fan. Currently working on a Mythic hack now where characters are highter tier and with some new mechanics for cinematic challenges. Also working on a weapon supplement and testing out using tapping (turning your initiative card horizontal, ala MtG) in combat.

As a game designer, Dragonbane is just an absolute treat to play with.

 

[Maggan]

If you're looking for an adventure in the boxed set which is less of a dungeon bash and more centered around building a relationship with a frenemy, I suggest looking at Trollspire (which I wrote).

It has turned out to be frequently used when introducing new players to the game, and tries to be something different from the standard dungeon delve while still being exciting.