Our common world
The Dragon Riders take us to the Empire, a fantastic world whose inhabitants once drew magical power from the Darkness and Evil Lands. These actions caused cracks in reality, and deadly beasts called Chimera burst through them. They started not only to kill people, but also to destroy entire civilizations. The so-called The time of night, during which people hid from monsters and fought for survival.
And then Aslaug, the dragon god, arrived. It was because of him that the world was saved. He Bonded with a human named Ves, who also became the first Dragon Rider, and together they went to fight the Chimera. Thanks to Aslaug, other dragons summoned by him also arrived. The First Wing was formed, i.e. a group of heroes effectively fighting monsters from another dimension. The empire began to rebuild, more volunteers joined the ranks of the army, but the threat has not completely passed. Chimeras still attack this place, although now people are not without a chance. Let’s add that Aslaug himself is gone, but thanks to the priests and temples, his voice can still be heard, and his Chosen guard the safety of the Empire.
And this is where we and the heroes we create come in. Unlike many other RPGs, we’re not starting from scratch here. From the very beginning, we jump on the dragon’s back and rise into the air to go into battle. It is worth mentioning here that not every human living in the Empire becomes a Dragon Rider, so we actually belong to a select few. We also get to choose how strong our bond with an unusual mount is and what abilities we have. We also choose how we came to fight in the Wing now. The world itself, in a sense, is not finished. The creators, however, were not lazy at all. This land is extensive, has its own history, cities and characters. However, a gate has been left for players who can choose one of the cities or countries located here, but they can also add something from themselves and invent their own country or even an entire civilization, add a description and include it within the borders of the Empire. It is certainly an interesting option to help you get more into the atmosphere and enter the game!
The chosen ones to fight!
Creating your own state is, of course, just an additional element. For the player, the most important thing in any RPG is to create your own character. We start by choosing one of the nine Archetypes. We can be e.g. Hero, Aristocrat, Hunter, Avenger or Craftsman. Then distribute your Attribute points, and then your Skills and Talents. Of course, each Archetype has its own set that makes it unique, but we can always mix it up a bit and make something according to our own idea.
Another important thing is to determine the Bond that binds us to the dragon. And here we come to something more unique to the Dragon Riders. We must first determine what connected us to our mount. Warriors will probably point to Bravery, and Aristocrats – Sophistication. More precisely, it means that the dragon saw something special in you, thanks to which he agreed to cooperate with you. As I mentioned before, not everyone can become a Dragon Rider, which is why only extraordinary people become the Chosen. When you are together during an adventure, your Bond will strengthen the trait you choose. However, in scenes without a dragon, such as when you end up in an inn, the skill level will drop significantly. So if you have sacrificed your skills in combat, I advise you not to start a fight in the tavern, because while with the dragon you would be able to kill the Chimera, without it you may even get hit on the head by the innkeeper.
The rest of the choices are more story stuff, but no less important. You will have to decide what your character’s name is, what he looks like, where he comes from and what his motivation is. Each hero, becoming a Dragon Rider, also hears the words of the dragon-god Aslaug himself. They are important because they can also inspire or direct the character to action. You can come up with these words yourself, although you can also find examples in the textbook.
And finally, one more, extremely pleasant choice that you will probably spend some time on. Well, you decide what your dragon will look like! Do you want him to have blue scales? Tail spikes? An extra pair of wings? Did it breathe green fire or spit acid? No problem! You can also take the example of Toothless, Smaug or Deathwing. Everything in this matter depends on you!
Have I defeated the Chimera?
It’s time to move on to the mechanics of the Dragon Riders . This one was based on the Year Zero Engine, used in titles such as Mutant: Year Zero , Secrets of the Loop or Vaesen . For the less initiated, I explain that we will mainly use six-sided dice here. How many we take them in hand will depend on our Attributes and Skills. Of course, the more, the better. Usually during the test we will have to roll at least one six. However, you have to be careful with the ones, because these will bring us negative effects.
The creators also introduced some of their own novelties to the system. One of them is above all the already mentioned Więź. When the dragon is not with us, we must subtract from our dice pool as many points as we have invested in Bond. But when our reptilian companion accompanies us, we convert the appropriate number of d6s to d8s. Now we will be successful when throwing a six, but also a seven and an eight, and the latter will automatically give us two successes!
Another interesting rule here is that the Game Master practically doesn’t roll dice here – unless instead of choosing which attack the Chimera uses, she wants to leave it to chance. The situation in the fight depends on the throws and decisions of the players. The level of epicness of the clashes is increased by mechanisms that support conventions, such as the ability to cover another character, a shared pool of bonus dice to help dodge blows, or the powerful but risky Wing Maneuver, reflecting the cooperation of several characters and their dragons during combat. We should also mention Momentum Points. We receive them before the session, and using them gives us an additional six six-sided dice! You have to think about when it’s best to use them. At the same time, their use is related to the fact that they go to the Game Master, who in turn can use them against the player. However, this will work the other way again and the Momentum Points will go back to the player. Thanks to this, the battle will certainly become even more exciting and epic.
This is, of course, just a shortened version of the rules. Everything is described in detail in the manual. I will add, however, that the mechanics here are quite simple and user-friendly, so even beginners should be able to master it and start playing quickly.
Not just a word
Although a textbook, like a book, should not be judged by its cover, it is known that it usually catches our eye and tempts us to buy it. In the case of the Dragon Riders, this principle also works and we already know at a glance what we are dealing with. It’s even better when it’s open. Beautiful graphics decorate not only the setting, but also the interior. They invite us and draw us into this epic world, presenting great battles, magnificent dragons and beautiful landscapes. There are also examples of heroes that we will be able to play.
However, the graphics are more secondary. It’s more about how the mechanics are described. As I mentioned earlier, the rules are easy to learn. The authors have explained them in such a way that they are accessible to old-timers, but also amateurs. So if you are looking for a title to start your adventure with RPGs, Dragon Riders will be suitable for this. The Game Master has everything laid out here, from Session Zero, through useful tools, magic, to gameplay. And what else will you find inside? There is also a description of the world and its history, helping to set the mood. There was also a Bestiary. In other words: we have everything we need for fun at the table.
Accessories
Dragon Riders is a fan-funded game on Pomoc.to. Thanks to the great popularity and interest, the project managed to exceed the necessary amount, and several add-ons were also available to the players. These are the two additional manuals – Scale and Crystal and Outer Provinces. The first of them gives us several ready-made scenarios for adventures. This is of course extremely useful for all new Game Masters out there. The second, in turn, expands our knowledge of the geography of the Empire. In addition, we can get a beautiful, solidly made Game Master Screen. Of course, the curtain contains the whole set of the most necessary information about the system. It will prove to be an invaluable cheat sheet during your adventure. In addition to all this, there are six-sided dice specially prepared for this title with a dragon symbol in place of the six and a set of tokens. So equipped, we can go to fight the Chimera!
An epic role-playing game?
RPG Dragon Riders is a title worth picking up. Based on a well-known system, but with introduced innovations, it works well and makes it possible for us to go to the game very quickly, and the introduced solutions will actually allow us to fight epic battles on dragon backs. It is known, however, that role-playing games are not only clashes, but also a story. And here, too, everything looks good, thanks to the detailed descriptions of the world and the explanation of the story. In addition, users can also add a lot of their own. The beautifully produced manual and appendices also deserve praise. Then it’s worth visiting the Empire and becoming one of its heroes!
If you would like to get a sample of what awaits you before buying, you can also reach for a free starter, which you can find here !
