Green Ronin’s Dragon Age is the gold customary of tabletop RPGs tailored from video games. It captures all the joy of Bioware’s distinctive setting, the enjoyment of fascinating characters, and packages the whole expertise right into a system that appeals to RPG veterans and newcomers alike. Unfortunately, Bioware’s approval course of is a extra crafty foe than any darkspawn, which left us ready 4 years for a brand new launch in GR’s Dragon Age line – which is excruciating when the final product was a brand new core e book.
The newest sourcebook, Faces of Thedas, is devoted to porting sequence components that couldn’t slot in the principle quantity, most notably nearly all of Bioware’s companions. Players can lastly banter with Varric, bond with Alistair, and flirt with Isabela with out worrying about correct fight statistics if the darkspawn assault your camp. Add some expanded relationship guidelines and Faces will really feel like an important add-on for Dragon Age followers. The solely query is whether or not your tabletop group was making do with home guidelines as a substitute.
The overwhelming majority of Faces of Thedas’ 130 pages is devoted to, unsurprisingly, the acquainted faces of Thedas. Green Ronin has included full stat blocks for essentially the most memorable companions and NPCs from Origins, Dragon Age 2, and Inquisition, together with detailed histories, character notes, and previous relationships. The checklist additionally options a couple of main villains and antagonists, together with Loghain, Flemeth, the Architect, and the Archdemon himself. Game masters may even introduce Bodhan and Sandal Feddic as shopkeepers in the event that they so select.
“Faces of Thedas includes variants that match your chosen world state. Alistair, for example, has stat blocks for Alistair the Warden, Alistair the Drunk, and King Alistair”
These memorable figures are largely supposed for game masters to run as NPCs, however gamers can take management as wanted. If a brand new participant is visiting your ongoing game, it’s far simpler to present them Zevran or Cassandra than design a brand new character from scratch. And in the event that they stick round for the marketing campaign, every entry consists of development recommendations so gamers can degree them up alongside the get together.
As you would possibly anticipate, Dragon Age companions change dramatically relying on decisions you made within the sequence. For that motive, GR included variants that match your chosen world state. Alistair, for instance, has stat blocks for Alistair the Warden, Alistair the Drunk, and King Alistair. It’s a minor contact, however one which lets game masters customise the setting to the group’s liking.
Beyond character statistics, there actually isn’t a lot from a gameplay perspective for gamers looking for new mechanics. What’s extra, Faces of Thedas doesn’t embody each single companion, which implies your private favourite won’t be included. Most notably, DLC characters like Shale and Tallis didn’t make the lower, the latter of which was particularly shocking since GR already covered her in a PDF supplement. All the identical, having so many officially-tested companions in a single place is immensely useful, saving you the time of scouring Reddit for customized statistics. It additionally makes Faces of Thedas an fulfilling learn in itself, as you flick through its pages and reminisce about your favourite in-game encounters.
The second Faces of Thedas chapter provides organisations pulled straight from video game lore. Your hero might be a part of Kirkwall’s legal underworld with the Coterie, battle darkspawn alongside the Legion of the Dead, or deal with assassination contracts from the House of Crows. Each entry outlines guidelines for becoming a member of and advancing inside an organisation, in-game advantages as a member, and honorary titles your character would possibly earn. Game masters additionally get suggestions for operating the organisation, each as allies and potential antagonists.
This chapter is transient in comparison with companion entries, and does little greater than adapt organisations that weren’t within the core e book. But these entries do add setting flavour and doable character targets that assist Dragon Age followers acclimatise to the tabletop version.
Romance and relationships are core options of most Bioware games, to the purpose that it’s shocking Green Ronin didn’t tackle them in additional element. The main romance mechanic was buried inside Dragon Age’s crit system, the place gamers might try to seduce anybody, however required stunt factors to set off an emotional connection. In Faces of Thedas, Green Ronin goes a couple of steps additional with a relationship system that addresses any doable character bond, constructive or damaging.
In this new system, all participant characters start with two bonds that spotlight their emotions for a selected particular person, be they a good friend, mentor, potential romantic accomplice, or rival. As gamers degree up, they earn depth factors which will be invested in present relationships, or used to forge new ones. As a relationship’s depth will increase, characters earn free stunts for actions referring to that bond, encouraging gamers to develop the bond in-game.
The relationship chapter is the shortest part of Faces of Thedas, however it covers a variety of potentialities to your Dragon Age marketing campaign. Characters who want to be self-sufficient like Morrigan can make investments factors in themselves, boosting their skills once they stand alone. Players should get permission earlier than initiating relationships with different gamers, even when to maintain issues from turning into awkward across the desk. If a bonded NPC dies, depth can routinely be reinvested throughout your different relationships to indicate who your character turns to when addressing loss.
For Dragon Age tabletop followers, your use for Faces of Thedas will probably be extremely particular. Unless you’re planning to place each character into your marketing campaign, most readers will solely draw from a couple of choose pages and ignore that. For some gamers, that can make a $35 quantity really feel overpriced, regardless of the apparent love for Dragon Age that GR poured into it. Faces of Thedas may really feel pointless to teams who already developed customized companions over the previous 4 years.
“The opportunity to interact with fan-favorite characters will have immense value for Bioware fans, and the relationship rules can encourage roleplay opportunities for new players”
But the chance to work together with fan-favorite characters may have immense worth for Bioware followers, and the connection guidelines can encourage roleplay alternatives for brand new gamers. Even in the event you by no means attempt the tabletop RPG, Faces of Thedas would make a terrific espresso desk e book because of its wonderful art work {and professional} format.
Faces of Thedas is a good useful resource, however an elective one for game masters working from the core e book. Your mileage with it is going to rely in your love for Dragon Age itself – and whether or not your group would relish to alternative to reminisce with some previous mates.
Dragon Age gamers and game masters can pre-order Faces of Thedas from Green Ronin, and acquire a PDF copy instantly for an extra $5.
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