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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Blackbrrd" data-source="post: 9645023" data-attributes="member: 63962">I have run two sessions. The first one completed "The sinking tower" module, the second one nearly finished the "Riddermound" module. Both are freely available.My takeaway is that the combat is more interactive than D&D combat. I like that you can parry, evade or attack with your action, not just attack. I liked how armor worked (damage reduction). I liked how you roll against your own skill. I liked how monsters always hits. I liked how you generally succeed with your main skills. The heroic abilities have a big impact on combat and makes the characters feel distinct. I liked how you could push rolls and take a negative condition.I must say the initiative system was superb.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Everyone knows who's turn it is due to the cards</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Changing initiative cards added a very fast way of handling held/ready actions</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Less bookkeeping (everyone draws a card, places it face up and then the character/monster with the lowest number just starts)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Easy to adjust difficulty on the fly by adjusting ferocity rating (number of initiative cards for a monster per round) of monsters depending on player count.</li> </ul>Fights were generally over very quickly and in few rounds, but I felt they had more depth than the usual D&D fight. The reason for the quick combats was partially the initiative system, partially the roll-under-your-own-skill-mechanic and partially the high damage/low hp.I have mostly been a D&D DM and player since the Basic D&D Red Book and have since played AD&D 2nd edition, 3e, 3.5, 4e and 5e. I was getting a bit tired of slower combat and decision paralysis together with high hp at higher levels. Dragonbane combat is more interactive I would say. I have been a Call of Cthulu player and was looking at other BRP derived games when I came across Dragonbane.I ended up buying the Core Set (which comes with a short/medium campaign), the Bestiary and the Path of Glory campaign. I really liked how the two free modules was to DM and how they engaged the players. They are less about a room filled with 3 goblins followed by a room with 2 goblins and a hobgoblin and more about social interaction, exploration and puzzle solving. Often combat was avoidable just like in the excellent 5e module "The wild beyond the witchlight" which I have DM-ed.It will be interesting to see how it will be to DM a longer campaign. I am planning to run the core set Dragon Emperor campaign followed by the Path of Glory campaign with the same characters.</blockquote>

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