Doyce has been running the collective Consortium (me, Margie, and Katherine) through a small game using the new Dragon Age RPG from Green Ronin. We’ve actually met over two consecutive weekends, which based on the last year or two is like a long-term campaign for us.
System: Dragon Age comes across as a very D&D-style sort of game, but simplified and streamlined even from the 3.x days. In most cases that works; in a few, I’m still making mental adjustments.
The basic dice mechanic works off of d6s (except for some of the character creation). Most rolls are made off of 3d6, with one of the dice (usually a different color) designated as the “dragon die.” Rolls are modified by the applicable attribute (which, at starting level, is generally 0-4) plus specialized talents (“focuses”) within those attributes. Rolls are made against a basic difficulty scale, or against the opponent’s defense, or against a counter-roll.
The dragon die serves as a multi-purpose bonus randomizer — a brilliant little bit of streamlining. So, for example, if you succeed in your attack and any of your 3d6 were doubles, then you get bonus “stunt” effects you can choose from based on the value on your dragon die — anything from inflicting extra damage, to extending an attack to a nearby person, to adding to your defense for a round. Since you get to decide upon what stunts you want, it also provides some nice tactical control during the game.
So if I roll 4-4-[3], for a total of 11, then if that hits, my double-4s mean I get to look at my dragon die (a 3 in this case), and choose from the stunt table for up to 3 points of stunts.
It’s a sweet little mechanic that comes up frequently enough to be helpful, is not so automatic as to not feel exciting, and does it all with a single roll of the dice. Roll in your damage dice at the same time (presumably a still different color), and you can do everything with a single roll.
There’s a similar set of stunts for spellcasting, which works off of a selected list and burns mana as a regulator.
Though combat is, as in most games of this sort, the core of the system, the mechanic works across the several attributes to allow any sort of conflict to be done.
Tactically combat is pretty simple — perhaps to a small fault. While I applaud the optional use of either squares or hex maps (with a 2 yd / unit scale), that there’s no zone of control or chance of an attack of opportunity if you run between the two fighters to get to the mage just feels wrong.
Character generation is interesting (beyond the alternate rule that Doyce ran us through); paradoxically, you choose your character concept before you roll your dice for attributes, which could lead to some odd (if partially correctable) attribute levels (e.g., deciding you want to run a great fighter but subsequently rolling up poor strength); the character concepts suggested in the rules are less mechanical and more inspirational (e.g., the runaway guttersnipe, the cynical mercenary, the moody artist), which gets around that.
The attributes you roll against are Communication, Constitution, Cunning, Dexterity, Magic, Perception, Strength, Willpower. Based on a background you choose, you gain some focii within some of these; others come from the class (Mage, Warrior, Rogue, with specialties within) you choose. Character advancement by the familiar XP/Level mechanic includes increasing these attributes; on even levels you get to bump up attributes in your class focus, while on odd levels you do it for the (longer) list of non-class attributes, thus leading to obvious advancement for the class while allowing you to fill in gaps in your build.
There some light character mechanics to encourage role-play — listing of goals and ties to the rest of the party — but 90% of what you do is based on the attributes and equipment you have. Like I said — a streamlined D&D sort of system.
Setting: The basic Dragon Age RPG system could be easily used in any setting with some minor tweaking of the backgrounds, but the game materials are based upon the Bioware Dragon Age: Origins computer game. This is a darkish fantasy realm, full of politics and prejudice and oppression blended with dire menaces from the past that may be returning to the present. It’s possible to play it without being quite so dire as all that, but you could make something pretty darned gloomy and blood-soaked.
The DA setting, regardless, is pretty rich, with enough glimmers of originality in how it juggles together the standard fantasy tropes to make it enjoyable to explore. While you don’t have to use it, you could definitely do worse.
Overall: Well, overall it’s just been fun playing again. Regardless of that, the game mechanics are straightforward, understandable, but not so simplistic as to take away from the fun. They let you do things quickly that you want to do quickly, avoid the uber-tactical control of D&D 4e, but also give you room to do something more than just ring an anvil chorus of weapons round after round. Add in a good GM, and it’s a very pleasant gaming experience.
Thanks for posting this.
Indeed, it is finding a game that I thought skirted the three-way border between the boring anvil chorus, the “decision paralysis” of 3.x (or 4.x) DnD, and the (sometimes) exhausting needs of ‘constant invention’ games like Fate or DitV that made me the most excited to play it (and, more, to play it with you’uns — I thought it might suit all-and-sundry fairly well, and so it seems to have done).
Yes, it lacks things such like zones of control and attacks of opportunity, but frankly I don’t think AoO’s mirror reality as much as they mirror a need for such a mechanic in DnD.
From the cinematic point of view, I can think of a dozen instances where the hero charges through a melee, intent on his foe, and gets through the tumult just fine because most of those enemies are focused on someone else. Speaking to my (fading) memory of sparring, I can’t say I had enough mental acuity to keep track of what my immediate opponent was up to, let alone expand my awareness to the point where I could interfere with the advances of someone nearby who was advancing on a foe of their own.
And of course some of the game echoes-if-not-mirrors a CRPG/MMO, in where there are no such ‘zones of control’ and yet somehow we get along just fine — such things are handled with aggro-generating abilities (which, in our DA game, we aren’t high enough level to get/need/want, yet).
I suppose it’s more cinematic in that way, rather than tactical.
That said, those other moments where I can use the already-present stunt system to, effectively, drag an enemy out from hiding under a wagon, by her hair — a maneuver that in DnD would have taking a half-dozen page flips and a tedious amount of effort to grok mechanically, let along accomplish — well, that makes up for it. 🙂
I have more to say on this topic and this game, which I’m glad you’ve beat me to a bit — look for a post soon about the drudgery of the Anvil Chorus. 🙂 Thanks!
I think it does occupy that sweet spot. Which isn’t to say that at least 2 of the other points of that triangle (and I’ll let you guess which two) aren’t also keen in their own ways.
My concern — and it may turn out to be unfounded as we go along, as Doggy (present and future) seems to be making up for it some — is that I want to Protect the Mage, and with just me and the Templar NPC and the wide-ranging bowman, that’s darn tough to do when someone can just scoot around us with no difficulty.
(Also missing flanking, but …)
Absolutely no reason we can’t houserule in a bonus for flanking. None at all. I’m all in favor if everyone else is. +1 bonus. Need someone directly opposite. Melee-only. Done.
I personally think (and I’m backed up more than a little in this thinking by Rob Donoghue’s thoughts here: http://rdonoghue.blogspot.com/2009/12/dragon-age-leaving-out-egg.html) that some of the sketchy or perhaps-not-as-complete-as-they-might-be systems in DA might have been left so purposely — that it is by our own tweaking and custom-fitting that we take a much more personalized ownership of the game than a receipt offers.
As for the AoO’s — well, it’s worth noting that a player loses, usually, nothing if they simply ready their action in anticipation of an enemy’s aggression, rather than swinging on their turn. It’s not perfect, but it’s an option already fully supported. DnD only allows one AoO a round anyway. 🙂
As you level up, you’ll get better ways to protect the mage — suitably so, as those fictional heroes get more used to one another and themselves.
Until then, it’s worth remembering that she’s plenty scary in her own right. 🙂
Also, this: http://random-average.com/DragonAge/TacticsTalent
Hmmm. Not sure that simplifies things more than an AoO house rule, but it’s certainly a tighter fit into the game structure.
The idea of putting \simplifies\ and \AoO house rule\ into the same sentence makes me laugh in that \oh my god it really hurts\ way.
Personally, I don’t like AoO. Never did. Don’t like what they do to gameplay and don’t agree with the supposed realism.
Readied actions, to the exclusion of other actions? That I believe. (Also, as you say, it’s already part of the system – just more of it.)
I just think there ought to be something that causes a risk or penalty if someone is engaged in swordplay with me, then choses to simply run around me to get to something of value behind (the mage, the gem, the trap door lever, the exit pod, whatever). The only “cost” is that they don’t get to take a swing at me in doing so.
I suppose I can run after them, but it still feels sloppy.
Note that if that’s my greatest objection, then I’m obviously stretching a bit to find something to bitch about. 🙂
I understand what you’re saying, but you’re kind of talking about two different things: one, a guy disengaging from you after having already started fighting you; two, someone running by about six feet away, while you’re doing something else. I don’t think that second situation is one that’s easy to interfere with unless you’re “readied” for it.
Come to that, I don’t have a problem with the first instance, either, unless he’s literally bulling over you to get to someone else, because, frankly, it’s not that hard to disengage from someone and run away – it becomes an armed footrace, really.
I fully agree that we lose a tactical layer without AoOs there, but it’s a layer I purposely sought to get rid of 🙂 — after trying 4.0 with Katherine, and seeing everyone jump on/correct every. single. move. she. made. on. the. map, I’ve been keeping my eye out for something that used the map, but with which, quite frankly, it was harder to do anything wrong.
Where you figure out line of sight by just eyeballing it, et cetera, and where the penalties to doing certain things (firing into melee) are there to challenge MUCH more than penalize.
1. I agree there’s a difference between “stop the guy sprinting downfield” and “stop the guy from ducking around you from a stop.” Though AoO covers both, ahem.
2. Not talking about someone pointing over your shoulder, saying, “Look, it’s Haley’s Comet,” then beating feet the opposite direction. I’m talking about the guy who just charged up at you, swinging, exchanging blows, and then he takes a 6-foot step to the left and runs past you.
3. Now, yes, given the highly tactical nature of 4e, not only by rules but every class having its own particular means of adjusting the tactical situation …. yes, that’s somewhat overkill, even for grups, let alone for K. And, yes, that simplifies things a lot for her (and, heck, for us). And without causing too much heartburn except for argumentative folks like me. 🙂