In this review we will talk about Anno Domini 1252, an old school solo tabletop RPG. This is not the first time we talk about solo role-playing games, a genre that is gaining ground in recent years. Before we begin, I want to thank Giovanni Poli and Coleman Piskins Roleplay Games for sending us a review copy allowing us to begin our crusade against the forces of good!
Although Anno Domini 1252 contains a well-detailed lore, the game faithfully follows the principles of the OSR (Old School Renaissence), the kind of games inspired by the very first editions of Dungeons & Dragons. Therefore this game has a very simple setting and regulation. Enter the dungeon, defeat monsters and find the treasure, hoping that nothing goes wrong.
Anno Domini 1252 is a game written by Giovanni Poli and composed of 165 pages in A4 format with a flexible cover. Inside there are several illustrations by Fabrizio Peraldo Neia, which will help you immerse yourself in the intriguing setting.
You can find Anno Domini 1252 on DriveThruRPG for $8.68 in digital version.
Review of Anno Domini 1252 – Evil Incarnate
As I told you at the beginning of this review, in Anno Domini 1252 we will play the villain. However, it is necessary to make an important premise. The game is set in 1252 in Burgundy, during a fierce repression by the Holy Inquisition. Our adversaries will therefore be the fanatics of the Christian religion, exponents of the holy office who have branded us as heretics. You can imagine how the line between good and evil is completely arbitrary.
We will have in our hands six Classes to choose from to carry out our personal crusade against the forces of the church. Each character will have unique abilities that will get stronger as we level up. Our protagonists are:
- Beast of the Underworld: Once a normal human being, they have been mutated by the Evil One into a very powerful and ruthless warrior.
- Heretic: a fervent follower of the Evil One that they worship, receiving help and powerful spells in return.
- Shapeshifter: blessed with the ability to change their body, they have always been an outcast. A spirit of vengeance with a single purpose.
- Necromancer: jealous custodian of ancient knowledge. Obsessed with the pursuit of power given by black magic.
- Witch: the quintessential enemy of the church. Loyal customers of the courts of the holy inquisition. The Corruptresses par excellence.
- Vampire: very personification of evil. Free from the burden of humanity, they are driven by the desire for blood.
Character Creation
Anno Domini 1252 succeeds in its main aspiration, which is to be a simple game that doesn’t get lost in useless details. Character creation follows this philosophy, taking no more than 10 minutes for the player.
We start by rolling four 8-sided dice and add up the best three. We repeat this operation three more times and arrange the results in the four characteristics which are:
- Strength: is the physical power of our character and its bonus will be added to the attack roll and the damage of our melee weapons.
- Reflexes: represents our characteristic for all tests of agility and stealth; we will also add its bonus to the attack and damage rolls of ranged weapons and to our defense roll.
- Instill Terror: represents the psychological pressure that we are able to exert on our opponents.
- Self-control: indicates our ability not to give in to the Evil One, avoiding turning into a bloodthirsty beast.
Each Class will then add bonuses and malus that complete our character. Finally, all we have to do is choose our equipment and we will be ready to launch our personal war against the inquisition.
The Mechanics of Anno Domini 1252
Completed the character, we just have to start playing. The manual provides us with all the elements to start our game using the Random Dungeon Creator (RDG). We will therefore randomly generate the places where our victims (or our perpetrators) hide. Taking advantage of a system of tables, we will define the type of place, the conformation of the rooms, the enemies, the traps and even the treasures. Everything will be rolled randomly leaving the player the possibility to define the nuances and fix the smudging.
With this system, after choosing to play a Necromancer, I created the location of my first raid. I spent about ten minutes generating this hunting lodge, taking the time to also define the motivations that prompted my character to face this challenge. The assault then lasted more or less the same amount of time, as luckily for me it turned out to be a fairly simple challenge. In fact, attack and defense will be managed by the player and the enemies will have fixed values that we will have to equal or exceed.
The manual provides everything we need to create a compelling challenge. Inside there is also a bestiary with a detailed description of the different enemies, so as to tease the imagination of the reader.
Final Thoughts
Anno Domini 1252 is a very simple TTRPG. Each game will last about half an hour, or even less once we memorize the results of the different tables. The real beauty of this game lies in its high replay value. Thanks to the simplicity of the regulation, we will be able to exploit its system to always create new challenges, reaching the halls of power ready to rip out the heart of the Holy Inquisitor.
Anno Domini 1252 puts in our hands all the tools to experience an exciting adventure, far from the stereotype of the spotless and fearless hero. We will be a tormented being, hunted by their enemies and hated by all. I recommend the purchase of Anno Domini 1252 to all those who want to put their imagination to the test by creating a story of massacres and revenge.