{"id":17104,"date":"2010-04-13T10:10:57","date_gmt":"2010-04-13T16:10:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/?p=17104"},"modified":"2010-04-13T10:10:57","modified_gmt":"2010-04-13T16:10:57","slug":"dragon-age-rpg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2010\/04\/13\/dragon-age-rpg.html","title":{"rendered":"Dragon Age RPG"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/div>\n

Doyce has been running the collective Consortium (me, Margie, and Katherine) through a small game using the new Dragon Age RPG<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

System<\/strong>: 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.<\/p>\n

The basic dice mechanic works off of d6s (except for some of the character creation).\u00a0 Most rolls are made off of 3d6, with one of the dice (usually a different color) designated as the “dragon die.”\u00a0 Rolls are modified by the applicable attribute (which, at starting level, is generally 0-4) plus specialized talents (“focuses”) within those attributes.\u00a0 Rolls are made against a basic difficulty scale, or against the opponent’s defense, or against a counter-roll.<\/p>\n

The dragon die serves as a multi-purpose bonus randomizer — a brilliant little bit of streamlining.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Since you get to decide upon what stunts you want, it also provides some nice tactical control during the game.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0 Roll in your damage dice at the same time (presumably a still different color), and you can do everything with a single roll.<\/p>\n

There’s a similar set of stunts for spellcasting, which works off of a selected list and burns mana as a regulator.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Tactically combat is pretty simple — perhaps to a small fault.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The attributes you roll against are Communication, Constitution, Cunning, Dexterity, Magic, Perception, Strength, Willpower.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0 Like I said — a streamlined D&D sort of system.<\/p>\n

Setting<\/strong>:\u00a0 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 <\/em>computer game.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0 While you don’t have to use it, you could definitely do worse.<\/p>\n

Overall<\/strong>:\u00a0 Well, overall it’s just been fun playing again.\u00a0 Regardless of that, the game mechanics are straightforward, understandable, but not so simplistic as to take away from the fun.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Add in a good GM, and it’s a very pleasant gaming experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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 … Continue reading “Dragon Age RPG”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17104","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gaming"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":17082,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2010\/04\/11\/tweets-from-2010-04-11.html","url_meta":{"origin":17104,"position":0},"title":"Tweets from 2010-04-11","author":"***Dave","date":"Sun 11-Apr-10 12:30am","format":false,"excerpt":"All those hours of sleep I missed this week? Just recovered a chunk of 'em. Huzzah! (Yawn.) # Much enjoying Dragon Age RPG Doyce is running us thru. Solid D&D-style rules, good scenario, and K had the best RP moments today. Fun! #","rel":"","context":"In "~Tweets"","block_context":{"text":"~Tweets","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/tweets"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":644,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2001\/09\/08\/on_knowing_when.html","url_meta":{"origin":17104,"position":1},"title":"On knowing when to hold ’em, as well as when to fold ’em","author":"***Dave","date":"Sat 8-Sep-01 9:13am","format":false,"excerpt":"On knowing when to hold 'em, as well as when to fold 'em Dice were not my friends last night. 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