Dragon Bane Solo Sessions
Dragon Bane solo setup.
This week I have play a lot of solo tabletop RPG sessions. While I got some in of my game Rift Walker, it was really exciting to get in some sessions of Dragon Bane. I printed out a character sheet and play with the digital files of the core set to start with. I had read the rules before and heard about it a lot in community forums, but I wanted to make sure I like it before committing to buying the physical set. After rolling up a Mallard with some good strength and will power, I decided to make artisan who was a blacksmith. Taking a hammer, which I eventually upgraded to a sword, I was able to use the included solo rules to jump into Deep Fall Breach. After one session, I was hooked.
My first dragon with my crafted enchanted broadsword.
I went and picked up the Core set and loved the little standees and all the included paraphernalia. A couple of maps, a bunch of books, some cool dice and more cards than you can poke a stick at were included in the box. I played through all of the missions of the included Deep Fall breach adventures. I had to break at point to go on side missions for more coin and in search of increments to make a magical blade. This was needed because I rolled up needing to fight a Wight, which I lost twice too, having to flee from. I got him in the end. A Dragon with my newly modified magic weapon under the effect of enchant weapon.
The included tables in the solo guide and the rule book are fantastic. They are often thematic but also general enough so that you can add your own spin to the results. I love the threat system, which is something I have used in my solo gaming before, but love how it is hard coded into the missions so that there is a time limit. The treasure cards are great, which help give a sense of physicality to the game. The improvised weapons and terrain the cards help create interest. I have included some NPC cards and some other generator dice that I use all the time in solo play to add to what is included. I also printed out some of the tables again and set up a little GM screen area.
My fight against the wight.
The gameplay loop is good. I like how it is a mixture of monster and player facing rolls. The choice between using your action to parry/dodge and attack is always a difficult choice that leads to tactical fun. The solo rules introduce a Heroic Ability call “One Man Army” that leads to you having 2 initiative cards in the turns, which makes things a little more engaging for the single player. There is also a great system for monster just rolling attacks. This is something that RuneHammer games do as well, which is a good feature. This is something I use in solo rules for my own game Rift Walker but would consider adding it to the main game as well. The world itself feels very sword and sorcery, which is great for a low magic setting. I like a little more magic around, but this is something I could tweak by adding a quest for a magic weapon. Of course you get one at the end of the breach, but it was fun to do more! I would love to try a more prescriptive solo supplement with it to reduce some of the cognitive load of playing that can be found in these types of solo gaming materials. Maybe I could try out that supplement put out by the YouTuber, Man Alone. But what is included in the box is awesome. I so look forward to doing more and will of course let you know the outcomes!
