Dragonbane is the latest TTRPG from Free League Publishing and marks a return for this OSR RPG - a popular Swedish role-playing game known as Drakar och Demoner. Releasing in August 2023, Dragonbane is a classic fantasy TTRPG that works well as an introduction to tabletop gaming. Even for veterans, it offers an easy-to-learn ruleset that won't bog down GMs or players with overly complicated mechanics. But with hard-hitting monsters, it's no walk in the park, either. In fact, "fast and furious play" is one of the main selling points.

Dragonbane truly succeeds at its deceptively simple premise, sure to delight anyone who enjoys fantasy RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons or Forbidden Lands. This is an accessible and inviting game, even if the difficulty and balance feel a bit off at times. Dragonbane plays to its strengths, though, with an interesting world full of adventure, a lively bunch of playable races, and plenty of mysteries to uncover. The Misty Vale feels like a living place that adventurers will definitely want to explore - one with history and plenty of locations to check out. In fact, the 11 adventures included in the Core Set work well as standalone sessions or can be united in a single long-running campaign - The Secret of the Dragon Emperor.

What's Included In The Dragonbane Core Set

At launch, there is a Core Set available, a GM's screen, a dice set, and a free Dragonbane Quickstart Guide up for grabs. For anyone looking to get into Dragonbane with as much ease as possible, the Core Set is highly recommended. The box set comes with a host of goodies - dice, cards, and a full-color map, to name a few. It also comes with a solo adventure and pre-generated character sheets for anyone who wants to jump into a session as quickly as possible.

The following items are included in the Dragonbane Core Set:

• Dragonbane rulebook
• Dragonbane Adventures book with 11 complete adventures
• A solo adventure called "Alone in the Deepfall Breach"
• Illustrated playing cards
• 10 dice, including two custom D20s
• A full-color map of the Misty Vale
• 5 pre-generated character sheets
• 5 blank character sheets
• Cardboard standees for characters and monsters
• Double-sided battle mat

Dragonbane TTRPG Gameplay Overview

The central roleplaying and gameplay mechanics of Dragonbane will feel right at home to anyone already familiar with fantasy RPGs, but it still does plenty to make itself feel unique. The playable races and classes are a lot of fun. A personal favorite - the mallard - is a duck race that highlights both the silliness Dragonbane can lean into and the ways in which the RPG sets itself apart from other fantasy games. And while sessions can be silly and rules are fairly easy to learn, Dragonbane isn't easy. Enemies will hit hard - and often - while characters (at least, the pre-generated ones) feel really squishy. Many of the rules are optional, however, so the GM and party can agree on ways to make sessions easier if they need to (or just decided on which rules work best for the group).

Overall, the solo adventure serves as a nice introduction to the game, especially for anyone wanting to GM and learn the ropes first. For this review, adventures in the village of Outskirt and the barrow of Riddermound were played with a group of 5 after the solo adventure was completed alone. No spoilers, but both offered something different and served as a great way to kick off the larger The Secret of the Dragon Emperor campaign should a party want to continue (and this party certainly did).

Dragonbane has so far lived up to its "mirth and mayhem" tagline, offering both humor and challenging enemies (sometimes all at once). The Core Set, comparable in items and quality to the excellent Pathfinder Beginner Box, provides everything needed to jump into the realm of the Misty Vale. Of the many TTRPGs played this year, Dragonbane stands out as one of the best.