Dragonbane general thread

[overgeeked]

I think the more ‘sword & sorcery’ vibe of Dragonbane means it’s totally cool to have fewer but more unique and dangerous monsters.

I haven’t got the game to the table yet but I get the feeling that Dragonbane adventures are not going to be a series of ‘level appropriate encounters’ but rather more like the Conan stories with more human(oid) antagonists and the odd monster which is almost more a puzzle than a straight-up fight. The fact that monster attacks always hit turns them into more of a unique challenge where I would hope my players try to reconnoiter, maybe try to research the enemy if they can, and then look for a specific way of resisting it’s attacks. It gives very strong Witcher vibes.

That’s my assessment also. I’ve got it to the table a little. But from reading the modules it’s mostly NPC baddies with the occasional monster boss. And it definitely gives off a sword & sorcery vibe to me as well.

I’m not sure I’d even say the monsters are puzzles in the sense of defined solutions. Some of them are with their listed weaknesses or ways to beat them, but most have neither. It strikes me as more akin to “prep situations, not plots” or “present challenges, not solutions.”

 

[Bill Zebub]

Dragonbane also draws a distinction between monsters and NPCs, not just descriptively but also with a number of mecnahics. NPCs belong to a "kin" and, in general, you might have to fight them but you might not. Monsters are just monsters.

The official adventures describe a lot of NPCs, and some factions, with competing goals and interests, in a sandboxy environment. Which is very Conan-esque.

FWIW, I would also wish for another Bestiary, but with fewer Kin and more Monsters.

 

[Spellslinging Sellsword]

Regarding monsters and auto-hit, anyone houserule that to make standard to hit rolls?

 

[overgeeked]

Regarding monsters and auto-hit, anyone houserule that to make standard to hit rolls?

I haven’t seen anyone talking about it. I’m sure someone has though. The book says monsters roll against a 15 for any important checks. You could use that. But that drops their lethality a bunch. You could have them roll against an 18 to only slightly reduce their lethality.

I wouldn’t use that house rule. To me, the fun and the point of monsters auto-hitting and doing so much damage compared to the PCs HP is to keep things deadly and force the players to think rather than simply rush into combat with monsters.

 

[Bill Zebub]

I haven’t seen anyone talking about it. I’m sure someone has though. The book says monsters roll against a 15 for any important checks. You could use that. But that drops their lethality a bunch. You could have them roll against an 18 to only slightly reduce their lethality.

I wouldn’t use that house rule. To me, the fun and the point of monsters auto-hitting and doing so much damage compared to the PCs HP is to keep things deadly and force the players to think rather than simply rush into combat with monsters.

Agreed. Not that I have a ton of experience, but in the combat I’ve seen the auto hit really works.

Monsters tend to be solo, so auto-hit is one solution the action economy problem when PCs outnumber their foes. A monster that missed attack rolls is going to get steamrolled by all the attacking PCs.

And adversaries who come in groups are probably not monsters but kin/NPCs, and thus will roll to hit.

 

[overgeeked]

Dragonbane also draws a distinction between monsters and NPCs, not just descriptively but also with a number of mecnahics. NPCs belong to a "kin" and, in general, you might have to fight them but you might not. Monsters are just monsters.

Yeah. I love that setup. Though I do wish they’d make more monsters explicitly able to be negotiated with. It would be a lot of fun to have monsters with explicit goals and wants roaming around the PCs have to deal with. They’d be very persuasive quest givers, especially with how deadly most are. A few of the random encounters and adventure seeds do this, but not many.

The official adventures describe a lot of NPCs, and some factions, with competing goals and interests, in a sandboxy environment. Which is very Conan-esque.

Makes for a very rich environment to play in. Absolutely my preferred style of play.

FWIW, I would also wish for another Bestiary, but with fewer Kin and more Monsters.

I don’t mind the kin being there, but yeah it does feel like a fairly thin monster book. It’s got what 63 entries. About 1/3 are NPCs rather than monsters. But with the randos and seeds you have about 126 adventures waiting for you. At one or more sessions each, that’s quite a bit of play.

I know it’s super easy to convert monsters from D&D-likes and BRP games, and there’s a slowly growing 3PP scene for Dragonbane, but official is often better and gives you more of that uniquely Dragonbane feel.

 

[Aldarc]

Yeah. I love that setup. Though I do wish they’d make more monsters explicitly able to be negotiated with. It would be a lot of fun to have monsters with explicit goals and wants roaming around the PCs have to deal with. They’d be very persuasive quest givers, especially with how deadly most are. A few of the random encounters and adventure seeds do this, but not many.

Makes for a very rich environment to play in. Absolutely my preferred style of play.

You can negotiate with some monsters. For example, I believe you can negotiate or persuade the Robber Knight in the adventure that comes in the core book.

 

[Wolfpack48]

Regarding monsters and auto-hit, anyone houserule that to make standard to hit rolls?

Just remember that most “auto hits” come with a free reaction roll (basically a saving throw) of some kind. So effects can be reduced or even nullified. I wouldn’t house rule this either. The point is to make monsters a more serious threat.

 

[overgeeked]

You can negotiate with some monsters. For example, I believe you can negotiate or persuade the Robber Knight in the adventure that comes in the core book.

Yeah. There’s maybe 4-5. I remember the cave troll is another one. To me, anything that has intelligence can be talked to, reasoned with, or negotiated with. If it’s smart enough to have any goals more complex than mere survival, you should be able to socially interact with it to some degree.

Anyone looking for another monster book for Dragonbane should check out the Monster Overhaul. It’s an incredibly useful resource. You’ll have to do the stats and attacks yourself, but it’s a damned good monster book.

 

[aramis erak]

For those who’ve at least read Dragonbane, what content do you think is missing, if any? I don’t mean rules per se, just general stuff. Like more spells, monsters, professions, kin, etc. I know there’s the Expert book in the offing.

non-monster enemies. It's short on them.