GMB - My Gaming Blog: April 2022

Dragonscales RPG - Character classes Review

This is the first in the series of articles about Dragonscales RPG

Having participated in the game since the beginning, and having run a at least 100 sessions, I offer this up to anyone looking for system that is Fun, flexible and Interesting

The game uses PLAYING CARDS instead of dice and I will cover this mechanic in another post

RANK AND QUESTS

This advancement is based on RANK and QUESTS, not experience points. As your Character Type completes quests you get Advancement Abilities and possible Hit Point Card Draw

Rank is how many cards you pull to Attack, use abilities, and just about anything other than defense (Always 1 card, unless a Magical item alters that)

Part 1: The Characters

This will be about the characters:

Now I have played a few characters but mainly the Forest Caretaker and most of my review will be based on the players who have played the classes and my observations of them.

All characters start off with Stuff and money, all were merchants coming into Concord with a wagon or container of goods to sell so none are broke adventurers starting with a short sword and leather armor.

Nearly all characters (except Forest Caretakers) can make magical items using Dragonscales

Fang Warriors, Templar Warriors and Crusaders

Fang Warriors are weapon masters, usually choosing one weapon to fight. Fang Warriors reach 3rd rank with 12 Quests

Templar Warriors are a Holy Fighters who strength is fighting the Undead, Templars Reach 3rd Rank at 13 Quests. They are given Holy Spear, Sword and Shield at Rank 1

Crusaders are akin to the AD&D Paliden as they are directly tied to a Deity. Crusaders reach 3 Rank with 6 Quests. Crusaders are always given a holy war hammer and a holy symbol along with Holy Leather Armor. They are also responsible for setting up Way Stations for Travellers at each Rank advancement

Dragon Eye Mages

These are the Magic Users of the Realm, They will reach 3rd Rank at 9 Quests and get a steady draw of hit points each Milestone but slower than some of the other characters. There abilities gained are in line with them being magic users. and although they are not meant for hand to hand combat, at 5 Quests, they can throw 3 war darts a melee round. Their spells even at 1st rank makes them formidable and worthwhile.

Fortune Hunter

These are the Thieves of the Realm, They will reach 3rd Rank at 9 Quests and get a slightly better draw of hit points than Mages. Skilled at opening locks, climbing into difficult places, and sensing trouble in warrens and caves. While they can be very effective against Dragons, they are best at getting into places and knowing the values of all gems

Forest Caretaker

Modeled after the Beastmaster, he has animal companions and knowledge of the forests. They will reach 3rd rank with 4 quests and they have the best Hit point advancement in the game. the only drawback is they cannot use metal weapons or armor

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PART 2 - Creating Characters

Fang Warrior Must have a face card ♠ to be a warrior
Dragon Eye Mage Must have a face card ♦ to be a mage
Forest Caretaker Must have a face card ♣ to be a caretaker
Templar Warrior Must have a face card ♥ to be a templar
Crusaders Must have a face card ♦ to be a Crusader
Fortune Hunter Must have a face card ♦ to be a hunter

The First step is to Determine your 4 Starting Cards.

You will need to select 4 cards

Shuffle the cards of your deck and deal out two different rows of four Character Creation cards. If either row is all black cards discard those and deal another row until you have two rows of four with some red cards.

Special Note: You may exchange one card from the row you don’t like with a black card or a low card from the row of four you do like.

Drawing Initial set of Hit points ♥

HIT POINTS every new first rank character starts with ten hit points and a card draw. The card’s number is added to the ten points. You draw until you get a ♥ card. If a player drew a queen of ♥‘s they add 12 points to the 10 initial hit points for a total of 22.

Select your God

Once you select your god, you write the powers they grant to you.

Once you determine your Profession, you get a wagon of Gear as every character starts out with a bunch of items to sell, keep or use. I do recommend opening a shop and selling a bunch of stuff just get a little cash flow, but the game should not be about being a merchant, I have had players who did have success of minding their booths and adventuring...

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Playing Notes: Forest Caretaker

I have been playing a Forest Caretaker for a long time now and here are some thoughts on the Character Type:

Even at a low rank, do not ignore your animals, they are pretty powerful and can do some amazing things
Your backpack is the greatest tool you have, you can put anything that fits in it and no one else can see it
Your Hit Point Draw is very substantial starting with 4^th Quest point
I always try to find a surprising way to showcase my abilities, I am always mindful of my animals and what they are doing.

Some things I try to do in every game