First Time Running Dragonbane RPG
Hey! Guess what I played last weekend? It’s another tabletop role-playing game from one of my favorite publishers, Free League. This game is set in a high-fantasy world where players can choose to be a Dwarf, Elf, Halfling, Human, Mallard, or Wolfkin. It’s called Dragonbane, a Swedish game where you and your players explore the Misty Vale and battle brutal foes. I had a blast diving into its immersive world and tackling its unique challenges.
"Dragonbane is a classic fantasy tabletop role-playing game full of magic, mystery, and adventure. It is designed from the ground up to facilitate fast and furious play, with very little prep time and adventures that are a breeze to run."
The game focuses on stats similar to D&D: roll 4d6 and drop the lowest die to determine your stats, which you then place in order. I allowed my players to move two points to where they wanted based on their class. Depending on your stats, you allocate skill points. The neat thing about character creation is that you can let the dice dictate what you’ll play. You’ll choose your Kin (Race, Background), Class, Age, and starting gear. This makes character creation quick and exciting.
I have the Dragonbane box set, which includes the core rulebook, an adventure book (perfect for running games at the local gaming bar), a solo adventure, and several decks of cards for initiative, improvised weapons, and treasure. The box set also contains character sheets, making it a comprehensive package for diving into the game.
This game reminds me a bit of Call of Cthulhu, Cairn, and Into the Odd with its roll-under system. Players roll a d20 during gameplay:
- 1 is a dragon (Critical Success)
- 20 is a demon (Critical Failure)
Dragonbane offers challenging monsters that can hit really hard! But don’t worry, players can hit hard too. I particularly love the ferocity stat on some of the monsters. Some creatures even have more than one ferocity, making them incredibly lethal by acting in different initiative orders within the same round! Monsters without skills will use a dX table, which allows them to attack, boost, or do something narratively cool. It's almost like having an AI monster. The dice help the game master provide vivid descriptions of what the beast does and then inflict effects or damage.
For Example:
Worg Rider
| Ferocity: | 2 | Size | Normal | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Movement | 20 | Armor | 0 | HP | 24 |
| Monster Attack | |||||
| D6 | AttacK | ||||
| 1 | Pounce: The ferocious worg pounces on a player character and slams the victim violently to the ground. The attack inflicts 2D8 bludgeoning damage. | ||||
| 2 | Swing from Above: The worg leaps over a chosen player character and its rider swings his serrated scimitar from above, inflicting 3D6 slashing damage. | ||||
| 3 | Ravenous Howl: The worg raises its head to the sky and lets out a famished howl. All player characters within 10 meters must make a WIL roll to resist fear. | ||||
| 4 | Battle Shout!: Shout! The worg rider rallies his underlings. All remaining scouts get a boon to all attacks until the worg rider’s next turn. | ||||
| 5 | Worg Bite: The worg grabs a victim in its drooling maw and starts swinging them back and forth. The attack inflicts 2D10 piercing damage and the victim is hurled 2D4 meters and lands prone. | ||||
| 6 | Spear Charge!: The worg rider tries to skewer a player character with his spear by charging straight at them. The attack inflicts 3D8 piercing damage but can be parried. |
In addition to these mechanics, Dragonbane introduces Boons and Banes that add extra layers of strategy. When the Game Master sees external factors at play, like aiding another player or attacking a prone opponent, players can roll 2d20 and keep the lowest result (Boon). Conversely, if a player interferes or shoots from long range, they roll 2d20 and take the highest result (Bane). These elements make gameplay more dynamic and reflective of the scene’s context.
Each Kin and Class in Dragonbane also has a unique Ability that players can activate by spending their Will points. These Abilities add depth to character actions and decision-making, providing various ways to influence the game. Additionally, spellcasting is tied to Will.
When a magic-user casts a spell, they must spend a Will point and roll against their school of magic skill. If the spellcaster succeeds, the spell functions as described in the core rulebook. Some spells, known as Magic Tricks (Cantrips), cost only 1 Willpower (WP) to cast. Other spells can cost 2 WP per power level, with player characters able to access up to 3 power levels.
I’m still adjusting to the spell mechanics in Dragonbane, which are tied closely to Willpower (WP). When a spellcaster’s WP reaches 0, they must choose a die (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, or d20) to roll. The result will both produce WP and inflict the same amount of damage to the caster. This mechanic adds an element of unpredictability and lethality to spellcasting, requiring characters to be extra cautious and tactical when depleting their WP.
If you’re interested in learning more about Dragonbane, you can find it on the official Free League website or at your favorite TTRPG online, Dragonbane Quickstart book for free! and your favorite in-person comic and gaming stores. This game is easy to learn and a lot of fun to play! Dragonbane also has its own Reddit community where game masters share their homebrew rules and new players can ask questions. There’s always someone eager to help! Free League has become my favorite TTRPG publisher, with Mork Borg, Pirate Borg, and now Dragonbane! Next, I will try to run the Alien RPG, which is also a Free League game!
Note: Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them. This helps support my work and keeps the content coming. Thank you!
For those who prefer to play virtually, I have Dragonbane VTT Tokens available for free on my Itch.io page!