Table-Tested Review of “Dragonbane”
I run games in public settings regularly and high fantasy games are always a safe choice when running spontaneous games. Dragonbane came highly recommended and I was looking for a game where I could say “hey, this is similar to D&D, do you want to give it a go?” without stretching the truth too much. It’s a game that has been around for a while in Scandinavia (1982 to be precise) and has recently gotten a new reimagined edition by Free League.
Some quick facts before I dive in.
- Game Designers: Tomas Härenstam (lead designer), Andreas Marklund, Krister Sundelin, Mattias Johnsson Haake, Nils Karlén, Kosta Kostulas
- Artists: Johan Egerkrans, Niklas Brandt
- Publisher: Free League
- Publication Year: 2023
- Page Count: 124
The Vibe
The game has what they call a “Mirth and Mayhem” playstyle, which is about fast and furious play, brutal challenges, but also a lot of humorous things; all while needing little prep.
From what I’ve read and heard so far, Dragonbane manages to cover both serious and silly playstyles. The adventure in the back of the core book is more on the serious side with the occasional silly bit, but many other published adventures also cover silly playstyles very well.
Players can play as either one of the “vanilla” choices in the fantasy genre (human, elf, dwarf, halfling) or as a wolfkin or mallard (basically a duck-person).
The Rules
Generally, there are some similarities to Free League’s Year Zero engine (like drawn initiative), but it’s a system that does stand on its own.
Character creation roughly includes picking (or rolling) a kin, a profession and age, getting a handful of abilities connected to those, assigning some stats and skills, calculating a handful of derived ratings, getting some gear and you’re ready to go. Spellcasters need to juggle some spells, but there are spell cards available.
The rules cover a lot of situations without being too complicated. Many rules are optional and the game holds up well even if you forget rules, though this can make play feel a bit generic. Some rules are fairly D&D-adjacent, some aren't at all. Overall, I thought the system was neat, with some tactical considerations to make, without bogging the game down with them.
Some edge cases in the rules lack clarity (escaping a brawl for example is not clear if the grappler or the target has to spend an action). There are no clear rules if spells last until the beginning or end of your next turn. But the game is meant to be played fast and loose and doesn't break easily, so these are less of an issue than one might expect.
There were some rules I wouldn’t put in my games, like fear effects that are very punishing or magical mishaps that can change a character's age drastically. But these things are easily homebrewed away.
I’m a big fan of the magic system - if you’re out of willpower points, you can gamble away your health points to keep going. I’m always a fan of straying away from rigid slot systems and making spells dangerous.
Play Impressions
From my two sessions, it appears to be on the deadlier side, at least on earlier levels. Character creation from scratch for 4 players took around an hour. Level 1 might be underwhelming to experienced players. It seems like a system that is most fun when played as a campaign, due to the progression system.
The adventure in the back was neat. It’s relatively short and to the point, while still offering enough to do in a session and to make some meaningful choices. It’s a fantastic introduction to the game.
Conclusion
Dragonbane is a good choice for groups looking for a traditional high fantasy experience without too many rules. I would definitely consider using the system for a D&D (or The Dark Eye) campaign module I don't want to run in the original system, but still keep the general “look and feel” of the high fantasy genre. There already are a lot of standard stat blocks covered in the book, published expansions and even fanmade content. Making your own stats is fairly easy, too!
Overall, it is still firmly rooted in traditional tabletop RPG design, though; with stats and grid combat and spell lists. So if those are not your cup of tea, this won’t be the fantasy game you’re looking for.
Other Systems
Still looking for a different fantasy game?
- Stick with Dragonbane, if you want classic fantasy adventure with fewer numbers to juggle
- Try Daggerheart, if you want mechanics that enable more dramatic and character-driven stories
- Try Pathfinder 2e, if you like deep character creation and balanced, tactical combat
- Try Dungeon World, if you want story-first gameplay
- Try Wanderhome, if you want a peaceful character-driven journey through a fantasy world
- Try The One Ring 2e, if you want to explore Middle-Earth and battle some orcs
- Try Shadowdark, if you want fast, deadly dungeon crawling with an old-school vibe
- Try Mörk Borg, if you want bleak, doom-soaked fantasy with light rules and heavy metal aesthetics
