Dragonbane - Modern Sword and Sorcery Roleplaying
Dragonbane from Free League Press is a revival of the veteran Scandinavian RPG, Drakar och Demoner ("Dragons and Demons"). Originally based on Chaosium's Magic World, which was based on their Basic Roleplaying (also receiving its own revival!), this new version incorporates elements of Free League's Year Zero Engine. It then blends in classic Drakar och Demoner and modern 5e elements. The result is a refreshing RPG that feels familiar yet makes more sense than what you've expected from a fantasy RPG. Packaged in the excellent art direction and print quality expected from Free League, this is a game that anyone looking for a break from the usual fantasy RPG should pick up.
Familiar but Better
Some of the basic mechanics of Dragonbane will feel very familiar if you have played Dungeons & Dragons 5e. The basic roll is a d20 versus a target number. Certain situations allow for advantages and disadvantages (here called Boons and Banes). And you have a race/class combination though they are called Kin and Profession here.
The difference though is primarily about what the character is capable of doing and not about the challenges presented by the GM. The target number for rolls is always something found on the character's sheet, usually tied to an Attribute score. Using a skill requires rolling equal to or under that skill's derived level. For example, a starting character with a 14 Strength trained in Swords would need to roll equal to or under a 12 (A Strength score of 14 provides a base chance of 6, and training doubles it). From there, modifiers like armor, parrying, dodging, and terrain can modify whether or not they succeed but the initial focus is on the character's actual talent. This has hints of legacy mechanics like THAC0 but keeps the logical simplicity of a modern RPG. As has become popular in other retro-clones, using magic is also a skill. Casting a spell requires rolling against that magic school’s skill level just like attacking someone or picking their pocket.
There are 6 Kin - mostly standard fantasy fare but the Mallard and the Wolfkin are the standouts. Yes, Dragonbane continues the long tradition first started in Blackmoor and Runequest of anthropomorphic ducks and Dragonbane's Mallards go full Carl Barks! Just like Donald Duck, you can lose your temper to get a boon on a roll but after that, you have the Angry condition.
The 10 Professions, again, are the standard fantasy fare with the exception of Artisans, Merchants, and Scholars being added to the mix. Notably absent are clerics, priests, or any sort of "divine" caster. Healing magic still exists but it is Animism magic that is learned by a mage and not granted by a higher power. This is one way that Dragonbane leans into the classic sword and sorcery aesthetic.
Kins and Professions provide base Heroic Abilities, which are half feat/half class abilities if you are relating to this through a D&D lens. They are abilities that are more powerful than skills that usually have a cost. Other than the two or three granted by your Kin or Profession, the abilities your character possesses will ultimately be up to you. There are no class levels or progression tables. Most character growth is through the skills and you gain a new Heroic Ability when you cap out on a skill. When that happens you choose the one you want. These abilities may have a pre-requisite like a certain level in a skill but otherwise, you can tailor the character how you want.
Combat follows the skill-based mechanic already discussed but allows for armor, parrying, and dodging. Armor reduces damage rather than preventing a hit. Parrying is a reaction that takes the place of your regular action but occurs at the same time as an attack against you. You roll your skill with either a weapon or shield against their attack roll. If you succeed, you successfully parry and take no damage. However, you may damage your weapon or shield making it unusable until repaired. Dodging is similar to parrying but you roll your Evade to get out of the way. Beating their attack roll means you succeed. Dropping to 0 HP results in the same Death Roll mechanic as 5e, though you roll against your Constitution score instead of it being a straight 50/50. There is an optional rule that if you do survive, you risk a severe injury that will take a long time to heal. This is a rule that 5e could use to give more weight to death saves.
Critical rolls still exist in Dragonbane, though they are in reverse from 5e. Because you are trying to roll under a number, a natural 1 (or Dragon) is a critical success and a natural 20 (a Demon) is a critical failure. There is an optional "advanced" rule that allows you to push your rolls. This means you re-roll and take that result instead but then suffer a condition (like the Angry condition from the Mallard example above) based on the attribute that Roll used. Until it is cleared you can no longer push rolls for that attribute.
The Old-School Vibe
Dragonbane feels like an old-school game wrapped in modern game rules. The rules are designed to feel complex but ultimately light. Flexibility in character design feels like it should be overpowered but Dragonbane is decidedly low-powered. Heroic Abilities are only gained after a skill hits the maximum of 18 and that may take many game sessions to occur. Even then, they (along with spells) cost Willpower Points to use. Meaning you have a finite amount of use before you have to default to a weapon or retreat to rest and recover.
The tone of Dragonbane also feels like classic sword & sorcery. It has that perfect balance of fantasy and realism. Yet, much like true sword & sorcery, there is levity as well. Magic and fantastical creatures exist, but the vast majority of people are unable to deal with them. To quote the book, "The world of Dragonbane is full of misty forests, deep ravines, steep cliffs, and forgotten caves. It is a world of adventure and danger, of ancient beasts, hidden treasures, and dark cults working in the shadows."
Play Anytime
Dragonbane comes with support for many different ways to play the game. The boxed set has everything you need to play one-shot adventures set in an open-world setting called the Misty Vale. These can be standalone or episodes in a longer campaign. Opening this box felt like opening an old RPG from four decades ago. Maps, dice, standees, it all felt like I was opening an old TSR boxed set. It’s nice to see a different format than the “5e form factor” that most RPGs fall into these days.
There is also a great solo game mode that prompts you to create dungeons to explore on the fly. It's very procedurally generated and will feel like you are playing a roguelike game in your imagination. Like those games it's also particularly deadly and my Mallard Bard, Rhys of Quack Moors, only lasted a session or two! The solo game also gives the GM the opportunity to learn the rules through play rather than waiting for the first group game. The solo quests are short and usually take around an hour at most.
Free League has also stated that they are committed to supporting online play with all of their games and VTT support is coming later this year.
Final Thoughts
Any time that I see a new fantasy RPG, I ask myself "Why should I play this instead of D&D?" Excluding the corporate missteps that have occurred with Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro over the years, 5e is an easy-to-play and easy-to-teach game. I've taught more people how to play 5e in the decade that it has existed than in the 25 years of my RPG hobby before it. So, the game has to have something worth spending time on.
In the case of Dragonbane, the reason for playing it is simply that it does 5e better than 5e. It takes the core mechanics of 5e and then makes them fit more logically. Spellcasting should be a skill that wears on the mind as the caster bends reality rather than an arbitrary number of spells they can keep in their head per day. Armor should reduce damage and training should make it harder to hit someone. Target numbers should be about the character's aptitude rather than about the difficulty of the task at hand.
The updated retro feel of Dragonbane is also quite attractive to those who may be looking for a break from D&D and WotC. It bridges the gap between new and old school just as equally as well as other modern/OSR hybrids like Shadowdark and Five Torches Deep.
Lastly, I can't praise the artwork of Johan Egerkans enough. It evokes classic fantasy illustration like Brian Froud or Tony DiTerlizzi and draws my eyes to every page. I want to know more about every character, creature, and place shown in this book.
If you want to see how Dragonbane is played, check out my Dragonbane playlist on the DMing the World YouTube channel.
