Dragonbane Rulebook review — Lightweight but super fun!

Dragonbane is a fantasy roleplaying game by Free League. Inside this rulebook, you’ll find a fast D-20-based ruleset plus an introductory adventure. Dragonbane is light; it has 113 pages, but don’t let that stop you from playing. 

Dragonbane took me by surprise because I don’t normally like small roleplaying games. And while I did have some issues with the book and its length, it didn’t stop me from enjoying what this game had to offer. 

Writing and Layout 

The first thing I look at with any tabletop roleplaying game book is the writing and layout. Dragonbane had me worried because I am used to smaller games cutting corners in order to keep the game as light as possible. 

The layout and flow of Dragonbane are fantastic! The pictures are non-intrusive, and the cut-off for paragraphs is great. I especially appreciate that none of the paragraphs seem to have awkward or cut-off points. The artwork itself is gorgeous and fits the theme of the game overall. 

There is a lot to like here!

Dragonbane was very easy to teach to a group of 3 new players. This was because of how easy the rules flowed off the page, and while we did have hiccups with combat, the game itself wasn’t too difficult to run. I am a seasoned game master, and for me, it was a breeze to read through and get a one-shot going. 

The Action and Movement section has rules that make a lot of sense and are well-explained. Each explanation provided in the book rarely leaves room for interpretation in this section. For example, the actions chart on page 42 provides clear and concise rules for when those elements pop up in the game. 

Most monsters also have a random chart that they use to move. I love this because it feels different from what other games offer. Not every monster has this chart, though, because it is assumed that they would move like the players. Running combat is extremely easy, especially if you’re an experienced game master or have played a D20 system before. There is a twist here in that you want to hit 1s to succeed, and 20s are a critical failure. I like this a lot because otherwise the game would feel too similar to other D20-based game systems. For me, rolling under takes a lot of the mental load off of the players and eliminates the need to do large swaths of math. 

Character creation is interesting, too. First, Dragonbane has the classic classes we all know and love. Fighter, Mage, and Bard might all sound familiar to you, but there are some additions, too, like Knight, Hunter, Thief, Artisan, Scholar, and Mariner. I enjoy that these classes all have an air of familiarity while keeping things a touch fresh. For example, the Knight is basically a Paladin with a change of skin and a minor change of theme. I also appreciate how much Dragonbane leans into the skills a character has, and leveling up your skills is one of the best parts of the game because it adds a wave of customization to every player character. You can improve your skills at the end of each session, so this is also where the most character change will happen. 

Another thing that stood out to me is that this is a low magic game, and while the setting is well written, what I love about Dragonbane is that you can slot it into any low magic setting and play how you want. 

Final Thoughts 

Dragonbane does not have a section dedicated to being a game master, and I find that odd. If you were completely new to tabletop roleplaying games, you could struggle because of this. It also feels like an unnecessary thing to cut. There is a small section in the back that covers the role of the game master and general adventures, but this section only spans pages 101-113. While I do like the plethora of tables provided, I do feel like there was some space in this book to include more details.