Epic/High fantasy game for a one-shot introductory game

[Joshua Randall]

Agon. You (can) play as literal demi-gods.

AGON: Forge your legend in the trials of glory.

Each island is a nice self contained "shot" for your one-shots.

 

[TheHand]

What about Dragonbane? Do you consider it fine for new beginners?

I like Dragonbane and I think it could work, but it can be very lethal and requires a certain tactical mind to survive dangerous combats. Players will need to know when to use their action to defend vs attack, for instance.

If I were going to use Dragonbane for beginners I would probably beef up character hp to some degree and give everybody Defense or the Fast Footwork heroic talents.

 

[RolRàpid]

I like Dragonbane and I think it could work, but it can be very lethal and requires a certain tactical mind to survive dangerous combats. Players will need to know when to use their action to defend vs attack, for instance.

If I were going to use Dragonbane for beginners I would probably beef up character hp to some degree and give everybody Defense or the Fast Footwork heroic talents.

Agreed. That was a feeling I had about the game. It's an easy game...but not so much for a first impression where I'd like to give the players a "free-form playing" without much concerns on the tactical aspects of the game. Thank you.

 

[Wolfpack48]

What about Dragonbane? Do you consider it fine for new beginners?

It's pretty darn intuitive. It could actually be the best game for beginners. I'm running it with Greyhawk and we're having a grand time.

 

[RolRàpid]

What about Dragon Warriors? Any experience with beginners anyone?

 

[dbm]

Dragon Warriors is one of my favourite old school RPGs, I played it back when it first came out and probably played it as much as BECMI D&D. The out-of-combat stuff is a little thin by modern standards but the game is still solid.

I wouldn’t really describe it as epic or high fantasy personally. It’s more a low fantasy feel to my mind.

Great game though!

 

[The Soloist]

What about Dragonbane? Do you consider it fine for new beginners?

Dragonbane is perfect for beginners. The core box is great value for the price and contains a campaign with 11 short adventures the players can do in any order they want.

If I were 15 again, I would love to start with Dragonbane. It comes with pregen characters, so you can start playing right away and explain the game as you go.

 

[Autumnal]

Soulbound is on my list of games I dreamed of/wished for as a teen. I’d present a select version of the backstory: a universe before this one blew up, some forces survived, loose alliances of Order, Death, and Destruction all face off against Chaos, show them pictures and zoom in on the ones they’re interested in.

 

[Aldarc]

Agreed. That was a feeling I had about the game. It's an easy game...but not so much for a first impression where I'd like to give the players a "free-form playing" without much concerns on the tactical aspects of the game. Thank you.

My partner is a TTRPG noob. After floating a variety of different fantasy TTRPGs their way over the past five or so years, they have so far found Dragonbane and Fantasy AGE the easiest and most enjoyable. (They also liked Fabula Ultima, but they ran that one as a GM using the Press Start tutorial adventure.)

I talk a bit about running DB for my partner for the first time here and here. While there are some tactical elements to combat in DB, it mostly entails understanding the interaction of turn order and the one-action economy. This basically boils down to whether it's best to Attack, Dodge/Parry, or do some other action based on when you go versus when the monsters go. There are not that many moving parts for starting characters, as you will generally only have about two abilities (apart from mages): a kin ability and a profession ability. The roll under skill-based system also meant that players have any easy time knowing what they had to roll without me telling them. IME, the card-based initiative also makes things a bit quicker than typical d20 initiative, and flipping the card over after a turn provides a clear visual/interactive component to rounds.

Fantasy AGE is basically like a fantasy d20 system that is played with a 3d6 resolution system that uses stunt points when doubles are rolled. Players can spend the stunt points on cool effects. My partner found FAGE easier than D&D 5e, because again there were less moving parts. They liked the stunt point system as well as the magic system, which they found easier to manage than D&D.

 

[QueenofElflandsSon]

Have you considered Pendragon?

Starter set here: Pendragon Starter Set

Note the pre-generated character sheets you can download towards the bottom.

I'm not sure what exactly you're looking for besides "Epic/High Fantasy," so I don't know exactly how well this fits your bill. The game is pretty tightly tied to the setting of Arthurian Britain; that's at least close to what I think of when I hear, "Epic/High Fantasy."