Today’s review is about Adventurers! Dungeon Special Edition, an Old School-style role-playing game created by Umberto Pignatelli, author of role-playing games and other game-books since 2008.
Adventurers! is a generic and light RPG, framed from time to time in different settings. The subject of our review is the most classic form of play: the exploration of dungeons.
We thank La Terra dei Giochi for providing us with the manual. If you are interested in buying it, you can find it on their website at a price of € 12.90 for the paper version, € 6.90 for the digital version.
Light Manuals & Heavy Armor
The paper product has roughly standard dimensions (slightly larger than an A5), with about 80 pages and a particular cover with soft touch finish. Very pleasant to the touch, but only to be handled with very clean hands to avoid leaving marks and stains!
The front illustration, in color, is very well done, and details of it – in black and white – are reproduced at the beginning of the chapters. Unfortunately, even though the images inside are of equal quality, they are very few in number and simply serve as a frame for the columns of text. The quality is there, but I would have liked a little more quantity.
Review of the All-in-One Rules of Adventurers!
A distinctive feature of the manuals of the Adventurers! series, unlike similar products, is the inclusion of everything necessary for the game. The manual is divided between the guide for the player and the guide for the game master, with an interesting section dedicated to the bestiary, with the description of the creatures that can be encountered during the adventures. An appendix of indispensable game sheets completes the volume.
You immediately breathe in the promised Old School atmosphere. We find the typical fantasy characters (warrior, wizard, cleric…) engaged in the exploration of dungeons full of monsters, deadly traps, and treasures.
In my opinion, Adventurers! Dungeon is not a game for absolute beginners, but requires a certain minimum amount of experience. The rules described, although simple and easy to manage, are often very general. You need to be familiar with the subject in order to manage a smooth and fun session for everyone.
The game mechanics are based on the 2d6 roll system, plus the ability modifier. The latter is very often chosen by the game master based on the type of test. A roll of 7 or higher is considered a success.
Characters in Adventures!
Each player has to deal with the creation of his character. It starts from the concept (archetype and definition, ex: unlucky wizard), the choice of race, traits, and skills.
Each skill has a basic and an advanced version, making hero progression simple but extremely effective.
The magical component is organized into “spheres of power”, each of a different type (damage, evocation, healing…), enclosed in three macro categories: arcane, divine and nature.
Finally, you determine attack, defense, and choose equipment.
The latter are closely linked, as the offensive and defensive capabilities of each hero depend on the weapons and armor with which he is equipped.
Advancement for Everyone
In addition to the experience of individual adventurers, it is also possible to advance the companies of heroes as a whole, that is the group of characters who travel and explore together. In addition, even the fortresses that welcome them (castles, wizard’s tower…) develop and grow as time passes in the game world. This would suggest a long-term type of game, for campaigns designed to run long-term. However, experience teaches how exploring a dungeon can be a short-term activity (a few sessions, or even a single one shot). The game master could therefore envisage a prolonged game with a view to secondary adventures in series’, rather than a single major or main quest.
In the section dedicated to the game master, a method of creating the dungeon in levels is suggested, called “abstract design”. This system is characterized by the absence of a real map, and can facilitate and accelerate the preparation of the game. The presence of a drawn map is however, in my opinion, a really important component. Each participant should have the opportunity to identify themselves as best as possible in the typical atmosphere of role-play.
Conclusions of the Review of Adventurers! Dungeon Special Edition
My general feeling is that this is mainly a technical game. The space for interpretation, although encouraged, is significantly reduced compared to fighting and dice rolls.
PROS
More experienced players can take advantage of a quick-reading manual that allows you to organize a simple but complete game.
CONS
Newbies may be baffled by numbers and rules and find themselves resorting to reading the system several times during a session.
Lastly, despite the fact that some typos and some errors don’t affect the flow of reading too much, the text needs further refining.
That said, if you are looking for an exploration of dungeons without too many frills and with Old School features, you will certainly appreciate what Adventurers! Dungeon Special Edition offers.