W thanks Free Leaue that sent us a preview copy of Treasure Hunts in Davokar to allow us to write this review. It is a Symbaroum starter set created to go treasure hunting in the dark forest of Davokar. It’s possible to preorder it for $40 from the Symbaroum official site.
For that price you’ll get:
- A 64 pages book with the starter rules.
- A 64 pages book with two adventure locations and a brief excursus of the Symbaroum setting.
- One dice set.
- A double-sided map of Davokar and of Thistle Hold, the city of the treasure hunters.
- Another double-sided map picturing the adventure locations of the second book.
- Six pregenerated character sheets (five characters and a mystical companion)
Soon after the purchase it will be possible to download the PDF versions of the books and the character sheets.
One Step Back: Symbaroum and the Davokar
Symbaroum is a dark fantasy rpg born in 2014, based on the d20 (but players must aim at low results). It featues a fast system, centered on players, with a very quick learning curve and a good modularity based on several optional rules born to customize complexity and immersion in the game. The growth of the characters is mostly horizontal and there is generally a fair amount of mortality.
Symbaroum is set in Ambria, a newly born kingdom founded by people fleeing from the home country due to a devastating war. Their new home stands at the doorsteps of an immense, mysterious and dark forest, the forest of Davokar. The setting allows for either a more social approach, characterized by the intrigues of the kingdom, or can focus more on action and exploration, thanks to this huge forest full of epic locations, the remains of the ancient Empire of Symbaroum and lethal adversaries.
The game also features a top-notch graphics compartment, lots of high-quality accessories and a variety of products, featuring the epic six-book campaign entitled The Throne of Thorns.
Review of Art, Layout and Materials of Treasure Hunts in Davokar
We certainly do not discover today the extreme quality of the products published by Free League. Treasure Hunts in Davokar is confirmed made with extreme care (sylica gel in the box is a touch of class). The materials are strong, the quality of the paper, especially the maps, is truly appreciable.
Art and layout are of high quality too. The images in this starter set are mostly taken from previous manuals, but for those who have not had the pleasure of admire them, it is worth rubbing the eyes. It’s hard not to be amazed by the talent of illustrator Martin Grip. The covers of the two manuals are beautiful and the careful and elegant layout makes you want to read each page as quickly as possible in order to move on to the next.
Book I: Starter Rules
The first book, the one with the rules, takes the reader by the hand, introducing him in about ten pages to the world of Symbaroum. With extreme mastery, everything you need to know is briefly exposed to have a sufficiently clear and complete idea of the basics of the game world.
The following parts allow a brief but exhaustive excursus on classes, races, skills, rules and equipment. The simplicity of the Symbaroum system and its modularity help in this case to create a basic version, presented in this manual, concise but enjoyable.
It is perfect for quickly getting an idea of how Symbaroum is like to evaluate whether to go deeper with the purchase of other manuals. The book ends with a very interesting chapter dedicated to the presentation of the five pregenerated characters. They all have a personal goal and a common one, for helping the immersion of the characters in the story and sealing an implicit cohesion in the group.
Book II: Setting and Adventures
If the first book is basically a mini player manual, the second is dedicated to the Game Master. The first chapter is dedicated to the latter, providing some quick but important tips on this central role of the game. Then we enter the heart of the contents.
First, the location of Thistle Hold is presented with an excellent level of detail. It is in fact one of the main places of the setting, the starting point of many adventures, thanks also to its central position between Ambria and Davokar. Subsequently, a set of rules and tables is presented to organize expeditions in the forest, with a particular focus on treasure hunting. A short bestiary follows with just over a dozen creatures detailed and provided with the new and handy stat blocks.
Finally, the last 25 pages describes two one-site adventures. They are two simple but fascinating locations designed for novices. In fact, they have undeniably been designed for players with no experience, to welcome them by wrapping them in an engaging atmosphere but with a level of difficulty that does not prevent the fun and the discovery of the potential of Symbaroum. They were born to have the pre-generated characters as protagonists and to be played in sequence, although neither of these two things is mandatory.
Final Considerations of the Review of Treasure Hunts in Davokar
When you play on the stock market and want to invest money in stocks, you are always looking for the perfect entry point. It is the moment in which a stock falls and it is more convenient to buy for future gains. For all the reasons that I have explained to you in this review of Treasure Hunts in Davokar, I believe that this starter set represents the perfect entry point for all those who have never yet had the pleasure of entering the forest of Davokar and the game of Symbaroum. It offers a broad view of what this game is, from the physical quality to the content. You can quickly start playing and it is full of details added to help newbies get great results.
Even those who already know the game might get something interesting. The adventures are new and the new stat blocks are introduced for the first time. They will be used in the future Symbaroum products; it is however undeniable that this product is designed for newcomers.
In these times of social and globality it is difficult for those who love and follow the world of roleplaying games not to have heard of Symbaroum. But in such an abundance of titles it is more than possible that you have not yet made an attempt to try it. The perfect opportunity has arisen. If you like treasure hunting, start grabbing this little gem!