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ShortQuests -- Pocket Sized Adventures! An all-new collection of digest-sized D&D adventures designed for 1-2 game sessions.

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Bill Zebub" data-source="post: 9864924" data-attributes="member: 7031982">I played some Dragonbane again last night, and remembered a few more differences from D&D that I liked and wanted to share:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">There are no dump stats other than Charisma (which is only important for social skills and followers); they all have uses that everybody needs.  And the way they are used is both more complicated than "+/-1 per 2 points" and more forgiving, meaning that while higher is better than lower, the delta isn't as impactful.  It makes character creation tricky and interesting, but you don't have to sweat bad rolls, either.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Also, the recommended creation method is interesting: it's 4D6-1, but you assign them as you roll them, and are allowed to swap one pair at the end.  Think about that.  It's actually a pretty clever way to allow choice but also end up with interesting attribute allocations.</li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Your attributes only determine your initial skill level across the skills, but then they do not affect the roll, so even with a low attribute you can still (eventually) max out the skills you care about.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">That point about skills is part of a broader pattern: initial character choices are really only initial character choices.  Even your "profession" only determines starting skills, starting gear, and your first Heroic Ability (basically a feat).  As you progress it's a la carte, although some combinations (e.g. metal armor and spellcasting) don't mix well, and some attributes will limit the kinds of (non-skill) things can be good at (for example, with low strength you can still max out swords skill, but you won't be able to wield the better swords, and you will never get a strength-based damage bonus). </li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Your hit points basically never increase (some narrow exceptions).  Instead, your ability to dodge ("evade") and parry improve.  Which means a giant's club or a dragon's bite is always dangerous, at any level, but you get better at avoiding it.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Character progression is only through improving skills (including weapon skills) and earning more Heroic Abilities. <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">If you use a skill and roll a natural 1 or 20 you mark that skill.  At the end of the session, for every skill that is marked (plus a couple of extra of your choice) you roll a d20: if you roll above the current skill level, it goes up 1. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Heroic Abilities are treated differently: basically you pick one at points that would correlate to "Milestone Leveling" in D&D.</li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Initiative is "rolled" at the start of every round, but it's done by drawing cards numbered 1-10 (groups of adversaries share a card). <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Monsters have a "ferocity" score, which is the number of initiative cards they draw.  On their turn, the GM doesn't decide what monsters do: every monster has a random table of actions, many of which affect multiple PCs.</li> </ul></li> </ul></blockquote>

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