Thanks to RPG games, you can visit different worlds and become their hero. This time we are visiting Slavia, a land that will be strongly associated with the beginnings of the Polish state. Pray to your ancestors, take your axes in your hand, let's go!
Welcome to Slavia
At the beginning, it is worth getting acquainted with the world that we will travel. Slavia is a continent with several regions, including the Great Grove, the Plain of Cieszywoja, the Corner of Pomerania, Eternal Rivers, Montenegro, Slavenia and the Ice Wastes. The peoples inhabiting them differ in terms of their traditions and appearance. However, they all worship the same gods, such as Swaróg, Perun or Kupała. Even though they sometimes quarrel, they try to stick together and not start wars between them. Together they repel the invasions of the Germanic people living in the west. The local inhabitants deal with such things as fishing, pottery, herbalism or cultivating the fields. There are also hunters, mercenaries and soldiers who guard the remaining villagers and the mines that rule them. In addition to hostile neighbors, dangerous creatures, demons and the undead lurk in the forests covering the land. And while you can still manage the blanket on your own, when we are attacked by a chickadee, a harcuk or a caduck, it would be better if we had a monster killer who would be able to deal with it. And when he is not there? Well, there’s always prayer left. If you made sacrifices in the morning, perhaps fate will be favorable to you, your ancestors will intercede for you and you will be able to survive. And that’s how life in Slavia flows. One mows the grain, the other forges a weapon, and another stands guard with an ax and a shield. And you just have to be careful that the black cat does not run across the road, because then the bad luck is guaranteed. who can handle it. And when he is not there? Well, there’s always prayer left. If you made sacrifices in the morning, perhaps fate will be favorable to you, your ancestors will intercede for you and you will be able to survive. And that’s how life in Slavia flows. One mows the grain, the other forges a weapon, and another stands guard with an ax and a shield. And you just have to be careful that the black cat does not run across the road, because then the bad luck is guaranteed. who can handle it. And when he is not there? Well, there’s always prayer left. If you made sacrifices in the morning, perhaps fate will be favorable to you, your ancestors will intercede for you and you will be able to survive. And that’s how life in Slavia flows. One mows the grain, the other forges a weapon, and another stands guard with an ax and a shield. And you just have to be careful that the black cat does not run across the road, because then the bad luck is bricked.
Gods, help me!
Full name of the RPG game published by Hengal, written by Wojciech Wons to Slavs: Mythological Role Playing Game. And in fact, Slavic mythology plays a very large role in it. Our heroes will pray to their gods, who in turn will bestow their grace on them. However, if we fail to worship, we can expect appropriate punishment. In addition, during our adventures, we will meet numerous creatures known from native folklore. Rusałki, Popielniki, Złynie and even Leszy are just a few of them. Most will not be friendly towards us and we will have to face them. One more important thing is superstition. A walk under a ladder, a broken mirror or black ravens can bring us bad luck. In turn, a stork flying over the heads of the heroes or a cuckoo on our right will bring us luck. Interestingly, not only the events in the game will affect the fate of the character.
It takes time for everything
A manual for edition 1.5 of the game Slavsit looks very good visually. The cover itself will show us the world in which our adventure will take place. Inside, there is also nothing to complain about. Black and white pictures showing the everyday life of Slavia’s inhabitants, monsters or places will bring the right atmosphere. It is known, however, that we will care more about the content. The creators tried to provide a useful introduction. If you haven’t had the opportunity to play an RPG so far, you will find there an explanation of what this type of game is, how to start it and what you will need. An exemplary game will also make the start easier. Then the Slavs are waiting for us. We start, of course, with character creation. In this case, it is quite simple. It is enough to follow the instructions in the manual and step by step create our hero. Unfortunately, we will have to spend a lot of time on this. Although in many cases it is the bones that will decide our fate, you will have to choose a few things yourself. So be prepared to spend your first session outside of the game.
Before starting the game, the Game Master must read the manual cover to cover. The rules are not too complicated. In most cases, we will have to roll two hexahedrons and add the appropriate skills and attributes, and then compare them with the opponents’ rolls or the difficulty table. Players who participated in my session complained in this case that the cards are not clear and sometimes it is difficult for them to find and count all the points. I hope the developers will find a better solution in the future. It is worth adding that in the case of throws, gods can also affect our fate. If there are two sixes and you shout “the gods are with me!” extra happiness awaits you. With two ones and the shout “the gods have abandoned me!” you will slightly reduce the bad luck that awaits you.
However, reading the entire manual will not ensure smooth gameplay. There are a few rules during the game, such as close combat, archery or escape attempts, which you will only learn over time. Initially, you will have to look at the book. Even more often you will have to check the table of bad luck, favor, fears, loss or revenge of your ancestors, which cannot be remembered. However, if you make the appropriate tabs, you will make the task much easier.
Comparison of the Slavs
As I have already mentioned, the manual I am describing is edition 1.5. How is it different from the original? The developers corrected some bugs and added a lot of interesting elements. The first thing you will probably notice is adding a map at the beginning and end of the manual showing the regions of Slavia. The book also includes a table with the difficulty scale for the heroes, a few new curses have been added to keep the repetition as low as possible, and the previously described superstitions have been introduced. Our heroes will also be able to use Thread Mokosz, which at the start will give us an additional attribute or develop one of the features. We will also be able to use a few points ourselves to improve our character. When generating a Slav, we will also get an important object, place, purpose of life or a keynote that should make it easier for us to play it. Thanks to changes in combat mechanics, duels should be much smoother and more spectacular. The process of getting drunk with alcohol will also be different. The bestiary has been expanded and an adventure has been added that should allow us to start more easily. These are just a few of the numerous changes designed to provide us with even more interesting gameplay.
Adventure Time!
If you are looking for an RPG in which swords, shields, spears and bows will move, and you would like to feel at home, then the Slavs are definitely a game for you. Even novice Game Masters should easily cope with the mechanics used here. All you need to do is follow the handbook, which will guide you and we’ll be fine. Of course, you need to spend some time creating heroes and mastering the rules, but it’s worth it! More experienced players should also be pleased. An interesting world and opponents will make you happy to come back to Slavia. So it’s time to pray to Swarog, take Dobrogost, Miłobog, Wojciech and Ludomira with you and hit the trail!
