I love Free League games. I don't get to play enough of them. About a year ago I was at a con and got into an Aliens RPG game. Tons of credit to the guy who ran it (he was brilliant) but that system was so clean. It was the best con game I have ever been in
Alien is fun although every multi session Alien game has experienced a stress cascade. We either die horribly or are afraid to do anything that requires rolling stress dice, which gets old.
@@samflory Yeah I think Alien is a great game for shorter stories or perhaps a mini-campaign of a few chained stories. Trying to run longer campaigns with it gets a bit... well the games strengths becomes it weaknesses then.
I have Vaesen and The One Ring. The material quality is attractive, but the real strength of Free League is that they design the rules to fit the setting and type of game that goes with that setting instead of making a catch-all system that can be used for any game, but not nearly ass effectively. This really adds to the role-playing and world-building aspect.
As far as TTRPG adaptations goes, this one is the best I've played. They did such a great job to introduce every mechanic that makes a proper Blade Runner story (not a Cyberpunk story! Different beats!). And the game is really easy to pick up, is fast, exciting. The campaign I made, 3 interwoven Case Files, quickly became my favorite campaign as a GM ever.
Roy Batty: I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time... like tears in rain.
It is so powerful because it addresses the plight of mankind. Being sentient and knowing of our mortality. The great tragedy of being "dust in the wind".
Blade Runner is actually quite different to Cyberpunk. I played Cyber2020 back in the 90s and a long campaign of Cyberpunk RED when it was released. Although Blade Runner is obviously set in a cyberpunk world, the game has a very different feel. For us it was a lot more immersive and a lot more focused. While some could perceive that focus as a restriction, I think it works to achieve the feeling of the films. The big downside of the game is how high a bar it sets for GMs in terms of the level of preparation involved. Anyway it’s worth checking out.
I’ve run this four or five times at conventions, it’s perfect for a four hour session with players that haven’t played with each other before. Every time I ran it, a different way the investigation went and three different outcomes. It is important to remember that the Starter Set adventure is written specifically for the four Pre Gens. I personally think the game system is best run with just four players. Downside, the new case files (adventures) are written with the four Pre Gens from the starter set in mind. Even though the new adventures expand the number of classes, they don’t include Pre Gens for them, which I found to be very disappointing. I agree, it is an awesome game and I’m happy that Free League is continuing to support the IP with new content through 2025 at least.
font size and type is often one of my biggest complaints about a lot of TTRPG's. And if the fonts are slightly smudged for any reason (like in lots of the DnD phb's) than it's very hard for me to read
I've been playing roleplaying games for 36 years and one of the most memorable encounters ever was while playing the Blade Runner Starter Kit's scenario Electric Dreams.
I played the starter adventure at a convention. It was fun, the handouts were gorgeous. What stopped me from buying it was that, as a GM, all those glossy handouts and tight plot lines were not sustainable. The starter set kicks off with a very high bar for adventures/ missions. As a GM, I cannot spend hours and hours to make dozens of beautiful handouts for every game session. I'm not sure I can regularly produce such a high quality of tightly woven plot points and consequences on a regular basis, either. IF Free League committed to making a series of adventures/ missions as well done as the one in the starter set, I would be very excited. From a player perspective, the mechanics allow you to be absolutely godly if you focus on something, to the point that you will almost never fail. It allows the game to be heavily weighted in favor of the players, even though the BladeRunner setting is supposed to be grim.
I hear you. My feeling is the handouts are cool, but handouts every game gets old too. I can imagine replaying this (although the scenario IS so great). Cheers!
I had similar concerns but they are releasing a series of adventures in the style of the starter box and an asset pack to build your adventures around. I ran the second adventure and it was just as good as the first. I think even if you only ran the premade stuff it's still worth picking up the game. Right now I'm using it as a break from our usual game whenever new stuff comes out for it. It's a nice break from typical fantasy for us.
This game and their 4th Ed of the Twilight 2000 RPG is what sold me on Free League currently being the best game publisher out there. They have also put out amazing fantasy and horror games that have all been top flight. Just pretty much everything they have done has been gold.
Blade Runner has been my favorite movie for years. I have been buying all of the RPG stuff for a couple of years just as a collector. I haven't even opened either box set. Maybe I'll give it a try.
Love the review. Can't wait for more painting videos, running the game videos, and of course my favorite: real campaign updates from the Professor! All these Dungeon Craft videos are so great
Love Free League. Regarding font size: every page has an empty black border that could be eliminated, on the top, bottom, and far side (away from the spine). The page could be scaled up by probably 10% to help with font legibility.
The single best con session I've ever been in was a Blade Runner game where I played Willem Novak. I delivered such a sales pitch to Jelle Schylar that it blew the DM's socks off and changed the course of the adventure.
It looks absolutely gorgeous. I've been curious about it for a while, but haven't had a chance to look it over closely at my FLGS. Thanks for the review!
Blade Runner is the game I plan on running in the near future. I love the art style of the book and how it's practically steeped in the atmosphere of the movies.
The scenario in the starter is amazing by itself but also by the pictures, proof etc…we are very quickly deep in the heart of the game, the moral dilemna between humain and replicant, a must havé definitely..
Always good to see different RPGs in the spotlight. Not sure about the longevity of these branded settings though. I found I could run Alien with Mothership and expect there are other systems (Cyberpunk?) that give the Bladerunner experience.
Free League has done a superb job with Blade Runner and Alien. These two lines alone have set a VERY high bar for RPGs, be it mechanics, art, layout down to the background material. Excellent video!
Running some free play games for The Quelmar Realm at PAXu this year. I really hope to see Matt and the Lurking Fears gang while I’m there 💜. Bladerunner is a good time. Great review, thanks!
I found this overview of the Blade Runner rule book quite helpful. I do like these kind of vids; especially non-fantasy, but not only. I knew this one was coming in Oct thanks to a a reply PDM had made--still didn't get it offered up by the algo until now, but I'm trying a few things. I do appreciate some decent production value along with an interesting setting and some new engaging rule set. I liked the little dice exposition. I think I'll pick this up so I can see for myself. Thanks for this.
All the art, game design and Christian Granath's graphic design are amazing, but I really love Joe LeFavi's setting (Lead Setting Writer), which shows a clear and expert understand of the Blade Runner world. Also, the investigative roleplaying is second to none. Just absolutely hit it out of the park with this game!
That's actually the most encouraging comment I've received. I do the news, but I REALLLY like showing people games. I have several reviews coming up in October & November. Stay tuned!
Yeah awesome setting and RPG system. Played the first scenario and my group is currently completing a second case. I play Percival. The Chasing mechanics are cool too, and playing as an Analyst it's really fun to scrutinize the handouts of crimescenes to find clues. Very supprised you ran the first scenario in only 2 h 30. I'm playin in a very experienced gaming group and roleplay drags (not in a bad sense) the scenarios up to 2-3 sessions of 2.5 hrs each (4 players)
I own the Starter Set, it's absolutely top-notch production as you'd expect from Free League. They are the top of the TTRPG industry as far as quality goes.
hi professor, I noticed the video came out at 1:36 PM here, I suppose it was made public manually in youtube studio and thst it wasnt scheduled for publishing in advance. If I'm correct, I'm curious why. Does it help with the algorithm? Is it because you publish videos as soon as they are ready? You have demonstrated before that you know a lot about the algorithm. I'm curious and I dont expect a reply, but if you take the time to reply I would appreciate it a lot.
I just bought FLP's Alien core book. Going to run Chariot of the Gods. I will say the book is super high quality, maybe the highest quality TTRPG book I've ever owned, other than the special edition of the 3.5e DMG.
I've played it a couple times now and my biggest issue with it is that I am not a detective in real life and the intro adventure we did was dependent on asking the right questions, visiting the right locations, tracking a lot of clues, and putting pieces together. It felt more like work than a game to me. Some nice stuff, for sure, but I don't know if it's my kind of RPG.
A lot depends on the GM's ability to finesse. I move things forward if the players ask the "directionally right questions." I found "Electric Dreams" was fun for the non-problem solvers but LOTS of fun for my mystery-loving wife.
Thanks for the review PDM, and I have to say: Based on your review I'm mightily tempted to pick this up. Most of Free League's stuff is outstanding, seems this is no different. Appreciate the vid!
The module with the plot graph, handout materials and multiple endings look simple to run and amazing to play in but makes me think that writing your own adventures for this game requires some serious effort, time and writing talent. Significantly more than the heroic fantasy I'm familiar with, to the point that it seems that printed adventures are the only way to play. You can start a dnd campaign with "here's a cave, explore it". While this game 1st adventures requires a flowchart to be run. Maybe I'm just dnd-brained but the amount of moving parts I can come up with and keep in mind is not that high.
The dungeon is a flowchart and is a point-crawl. I think with a little effort and practice you could do it easier than u think. An investigation could lead to an abnondaned building where the gang of criminals are (dungeon lair), or to the corporate laboratory (wizard's tower). I agree, a pure mystery investigation is the toughest to come up with from nothing, but I have run and played in sci-fi that was just reskinned from fantasy.
I think it depends on people’s habits; for some, a D&D adventure requires a lot more preparation. I have a friend who often runs this kind of game, and generally, there’s no need for a super complex plot. Sometimes his adventure is outlined in just a few lines. First, he defines the crime, then the motive, and finally the evidence or clues. After that, he improvises a lot, and the placement of the clues isn’t necessarily determined in advance. He gives them based on the evolution of the plot and the players’ ideas. Sometimes, he even involves us in the process: “Why do you think this corporation is involved?” “Oh, I like that idea, I’ll keep it for the rest of the campaign.” For him, D&D requires much more preparation. He has to know all the spells and abilities, prepare all the encounters, and balance them. It seems very difficult for him to improvise in D&D.
Read The Alexandrian blog or his book to see how dungeons are actually no different to flowcharts when it comes to planning. He has a series called Gamemastery 101 and goes into detail about ‘node-based design’. The book is even better at showing that dungeons are just a system of nodes, or effectively a flowchart mapped out in space. The characters move from one room (or node in the flowchart) to another. I do agree that the handouts in Blade Runner do set a very high bar for GMs however, it’s definitely not a game you can run week to week if you’re trying to reach a similar standard of presentation.
It is crazy how Free League is involved with one master piece after another. Very talented group of people, they are lot for the hobby with their approach. And Blade Runner was such a great franchise too, it deserved quality content.
Ha! Just finished a run of Electric Dreams couple days ago and starting a new one next week. Awesome ruleset, even better scenario, highly recommended, on a sale it's ridiculous value!
Okay but why they rank the stats and skills from A to D, when in the very next sentence they say that those map to d20 - d6? Just write down the dice size instead of jumping through the extra hoop.
@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 correct, you explained it fine. I own this game and Twilight 2k and just don’t know what the point if it could be. I love the Year Zero Engine and almost everything FL puts out!
Love Aliens RPG I run adventures at the local conventions, it’s always great fun! I also boughtBlade Runner but have avoided reading it, so I can experience it as a player first 🤞
I quite like the Year Zero Engine. Maybe I'll have to pick this one up. My only issue with Aliens RPG is the limited number of creatures. Having some more stat-blocks would make it easier to homebrew my own monsters (for variety).
Have always wanted to try this game, and really look forward to more Free League games. Have had an awesome experience with all the ones I have tried so far!
I love every game by free league. Dragonbane (a fantasy rpg world), Symborium (a dark fantasy world), and Lord of the rings ( the non 5th edition reskin) are all great.
Uh oh... Leon is gonna flip out on Deathbringer. Good review of what looks like a good game. Everything I need to decide if it is for me, and no spoilers. perfection.
Basically love everything published by Free League
yeah! free league is amazing! I got hooked on them by twilight2000 :) but im thinking about to get blade runner
Alien RPG its amazing
I love Dragonbane and Coriolis! Oh, and Tales From The Loop! Free League is absolutely amazing!
Forbidden Lands, if you want an old school post apocalyptic fantasy game. Interesting twists on traditional DnD races.
Truth
I love Free League games. I don't get to play enough of them. About a year ago I was at a con and got into an Aliens RPG game. Tons of credit to the guy who ran it (he was brilliant) but that system was so clean. It was the best con game I have ever been in
Alien is fun although every multi session Alien game has experienced a stress cascade. We either die horribly or are afraid to do anything that requires rolling stress dice, which gets old.
@@samflory Yeah I think Alien is a great game for shorter stories or perhaps a mini-campaign of a few chained stories. Trying to run longer campaigns with it gets a bit... well the games strengths becomes it weaknesses then.
@@Eirath It certainly make you afraid of the Aliens and it does horror well.
@@samflory yeah I can see where that would get rough to play over time. As a one shot it was damn near perfect
I find the Free League games tent to be short lived in my group. They do one big dang scenario, but they are harder to turn into a campaign.
I have Vaesen and The One Ring. The material quality is attractive, but the real strength of Free League is that they design the rules to fit the setting and type of game that goes with that setting instead of making a catch-all system that can be used for any game, but not nearly ass effectively. This really adds to the role-playing and world-building aspect.
As far as TTRPG adaptations goes, this one is the best I've played. They did such a great job to introduce every mechanic that makes a proper Blade Runner story (not a Cyberpunk story! Different beats!). And the game is really easy to pick up, is fast, exciting. The campaign I made, 3 interwoven Case Files, quickly became my favorite campaign as a GM ever.
Really like this stuff more than covering 2024 D&D bashing/drama... There's enough of that on other channels.
Good video. Keep 'em coming.
Roy Batty: I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time... like tears in rain.
That line still gives me chills many decades later. One of the most powerful moments on film
It is so powerful because it addresses the plight of mankind. Being sentient and knowing of our mortality. The great tragedy of being "dust in the wind".
I'd have made him do it again and say 'Tannhäuser' properly.
Fantastic scene.
Best monologue in the film. Stunning. Time to Die!
The older I get, the more I appreciate clear, legible, easy-on-the-eyes type face and font choices.
Makes me want to dig out Cyberpunk... a true classic.
Blade Runner is actually quite different to Cyberpunk. I played Cyber2020 back in the 90s and a long campaign of Cyberpunk RED when it was released. Although Blade Runner is obviously set in a cyberpunk world, the game has a very different feel. For us it was a lot more immersive and a lot more focused. While some could perceive that focus as a restriction, I think it works to achieve the feeling of the films. The big downside of the game is how high a bar it sets for GMs in terms of the level of preparation involved. Anyway it’s worth checking out.
@@Pneumanon gee thanks. I had no idea.
Is your forehead a little undersized and slightly deformed?
I feel lucky to be around for this feast of quality gaming products... I started playing in the age of Red Box D&D
Deathbringer's last comment was awesome!
I’ve run this four or five times at conventions, it’s perfect for a four hour session with players that haven’t played with each other before. Every time I ran it, a different way the investigation went and three different outcomes.
It is important to remember that the Starter Set adventure is written specifically for the four Pre Gens. I personally think the game system is best run with just four players.
Downside, the new case files (adventures) are written with the four Pre Gens from the starter set in mind. Even though the new adventures expand the number of classes, they don’t include Pre Gens for them, which I found to be very disappointing.
I agree, it is an awesome game and I’m happy that Free League is continuing to support the IP with new content through 2025 at least.
font size and type is often one of my biggest complaints about a lot of TTRPG's. And if the fonts are slightly smudged for any reason (like in lots of the DnD phb's) than it's very hard for me to read
Yes, I think making books easier to read is a great idea.
You cannot fault the quality of products by Free League; it's always top notch. Now I have that song, "Electric Dreams" in my head.
I almost picked this up at the local store yesterday. It's on my Christmas wish-list.
I've been playing roleplaying games for 36 years and one of the most memorable encounters ever was while playing the Blade Runner Starter Kit's scenario Electric Dreams.
Everything Free League is stellar!
Ah nice, just finished the last video where you say come back wednesday for the Blade Runner review... and yes, it's a great game!
I played the starter adventure at a convention. It was fun, the handouts were gorgeous. What stopped me from buying it was that, as a GM, all those glossy handouts and tight plot lines were not sustainable. The starter set kicks off with a very high bar for adventures/ missions. As a GM, I cannot spend hours and hours to make dozens of beautiful handouts for every game session. I'm not sure I can regularly produce such a high quality of tightly woven plot points and consequences on a regular basis, either.
IF Free League committed to making a series of adventures/ missions as well done as the one in the starter set, I would be very excited.
From a player perspective, the mechanics allow you to be absolutely godly if you focus on something, to the point that you will almost never fail. It allows the game to be heavily weighted in favor of the players, even though the BladeRunner setting is supposed to be grim.
I hear you. My feeling is the handouts are cool, but handouts every game gets old too. I can imagine replaying this (although the scenario IS so great). Cheers!
I had similar concerns but they are releasing a series of adventures in the style of the starter box and an asset pack to build your adventures around. I ran the second adventure and it was just as good as the first. I think even if you only ran the premade stuff it's still worth picking up the game. Right now I'm using it as a break from our usual game whenever new stuff comes out for it. It's a nice break from typical fantasy for us.
Awesome. I was GMing Alien RPG a few tables over from where you were running Bladerunner at Gencon. Looked like a blast.
This game and their 4th Ed of the Twilight 2000 RPG is what sold me on Free League currently being the best game publisher out there. They have also put out amazing fantasy and horror games that have all been top flight. Just pretty much everything they have done has been gold.
I concur.
Blade Runner has been my favorite movie for years. I have been buying all of the RPG stuff for a couple of years just as a collector. I haven't even opened either box set. Maybe I'll give it a try.
The Deathbringer quote at the end
This is a "how to" of review videos. Excellent quick run through. Made me feel like I want a product that I don't think I actually want.
I've been looking forward to this review! Blade Runner is such a cool setting, and to have it so nicely done as an INDEPENENT TTRPG is even better!
Nice. Love playing/running the Cyberpunk TTRPG and this seems like it would be a good source of inspiration. Especially for Cop based campaigns.
Love the review. Can't wait for more painting videos, running the game videos, and of course my favorite: real campaign updates from the Professor! All these Dungeon Craft videos are so great
Love Free League. Regarding font size: every page has an empty black border that could be eliminated, on the top, bottom, and far side (away from the spine). The page could be scaled up by probably 10% to help with font legibility.
The adventure module is so well made. Had such a privilege to play it at a game store.
Really enjoy those reviews! You just have a way of making me want to be in this world. Keep going Professor ❤
The single best con session I've ever been in was a Blade Runner game where I played Willem Novak. I delivered such a sales pitch to Jelle Schylar that it blew the DM's socks off and changed the course of the adventure.
It looks absolutely gorgeous. I've been curious about it for a while, but haven't had a chance to look it over closely at my FLGS. Thanks for the review!
Great video. If we can ever get away from fantasy RPGs, might give this a try.
Great overview. I also appreciated how concise it was. You did a great job of focusing on all the main points.
Blade Runner is the game I plan on running in the near future. I love the art style of the book and how it's practically steeped in the atmosphere of the movies.
The scenario in the starter is amazing by itself but also by the pictures, proof etc…we are very quickly deep in the heart of the game, the moral dilemna between humain and replicant, a must havé definitely..
love learning about new games on the channel!
Always good to see different RPGs in the spotlight. Not sure about the longevity of these branded settings though. I found I could run Alien with Mothership and expect there are other systems (Cyberpunk?) that give the Bladerunner experience.
Free League has done a superb job with Blade Runner and Alien. These two lines alone have set a VERY high bar for RPGs, be it mechanics, art, layout down to the background material. Excellent video!
Running some free play games for The Quelmar Realm at PAXu this year. I really hope to see Matt and the Lurking Fears gang while I’m there 💜. Bladerunner is a good time. Great review, thanks!
I truly LOVE all videos by Dungeon Craft!
THANK you.
"Who killed whom"* Prof (Eng lit) xx
@@GldnMnky like latin?
I found this overview of the Blade Runner rule book quite helpful. I do like these kind of vids; especially non-fantasy, but not only. I knew this one was coming in Oct thanks to a a reply PDM had made--still didn't get it offered up by the algo until now, but I'm trying a few things.
I do appreciate some decent production value along with an interesting setting and some new engaging rule set. I liked the little dice exposition.
I think I'll pick this up so I can see for myself.
Thanks for this.
All the art, game design and Christian Granath's graphic design are amazing, but I really love Joe LeFavi's setting (Lead Setting Writer), which shows a clear and expert understand of the Blade Runner world. Also, the investigative roleplaying is second to none. Just absolutely hit it out of the park with this game!
Please keep these coming. I wouldn't have known about this awesome game apart from this video.
That's actually the most encouraging comment I've received. I do the news, but I REALLLY like showing people games. I have several reviews coming up in October & November. Stay tuned!
The RUclips channel "Upturned Tables" has some great liveplays of this game: ruclips.net/p/PL5oFq35xgW-fvX2Bwfv0XGIp87Qq0hfeW&si=7SEncuCah4Go7-Yk
Wowsers!
Awesome review, Professor!!!
Thanks for your time and effort.
All of your videos are helpful and informative
Thank YOU for watching all of them!
I like how it went all out on delivering a theme
Yup.
Yeah awesome setting and RPG system. Played the first scenario and my group is currently completing a second case. I play Percival. The Chasing mechanics are cool too, and playing as an Analyst it's really fun to scrutinize the handouts of crimescenes to find clues. Very supprised you ran the first scenario in only 2 h 30. I'm playin in a very experienced gaming group and roleplay drags (not in a bad sense) the scenarios up to 2-3 sessions of 2.5 hrs each (4 players)
Of course it is, it's published by Free League.
This game is on the list to try in the future!
Seems cool. Nice to see a pre-made adventure have awesome handouts. Sets the bar real high. Nice
Superb review, PDM. I hope it makes numbers for you!
Thanks. It's doing okay. But that won't stop me from review more games!
dude 3:30 in I'm all in! Love Blade Runner, old enough to have seen it in the flicks. Thanks for the heads up!
The lore alone is motivating me to get this book. Hopefully I can get it to the table as well
I own the Starter Set, it's absolutely top-notch production as you'd expect from Free League. They are the top of the TTRPG industry as far as quality goes.
Holy crap. That looks so cool! I think I gotta own this. Thanks for the review, Prof!
that was a fun game, the handouts really made it feel immersive
Really cool. I prob never would have looked at the Bladerunner ttrpg, but now may have to check it out. Looks worthwhile. Thanks
I love ALL Dugeon Craft videos!!!! ❤
hi professor, I noticed the video came out at 1:36 PM here, I suppose it was made public manually in youtube studio and thst it wasnt scheduled for publishing in advance. If I'm correct, I'm curious why. Does it help with the algorithm? Is it because you publish videos as soon as they are ready? You have demonstrated before that you know a lot about the algorithm. I'm curious and I dont expect a reply, but if you take the time to reply I would appreciate it a lot.
Thanks for reviewing this! Can't wait for Replicant Rebellion.
Thank you for covering this!
Dungeon Craft is the best! Everyone on RUclips should see this.
I just bought FLP's Alien core book. Going to run Chariot of the Gods. I will say the book is super high quality, maybe the highest quality TTRPG book I've ever owned, other than the special edition of the 3.5e DMG.
That book looks AMAZING. And I love that it's called "electric dreams".
Yeah. Great nod to the great book.
Bladerunner is amazing! I've had the starter kit for a while, it's incredible
I watched the Glass Cannon network play Firey Angels, and it looked like it was a lot of fun. Good Times.
I'm on a Starter Set hunt right now. I guess this one is going on the list. Sounds like a very nice intro to the game and the world.
I've played it a couple times now and my biggest issue with it is that I am not a detective in real life and the intro adventure we did was dependent on asking the right questions, visiting the right locations, tracking a lot of clues, and putting pieces together. It felt more like work than a game to me. Some nice stuff, for sure, but I don't know if it's my kind of RPG.
A lot depends on the GM's ability to finesse. I move things forward if the players ask the "directionally right questions." I found "Electric Dreams" was fun for the non-problem solvers but LOTS of fun for my mystery-loving wife.
Thanks for the review PDM, and I have to say: Based on your review I'm mightily tempted to pick this up. Most of Free League's stuff is outstanding, seems this is no different. Appreciate the vid!
I love everything DungeonCraft...
The module with the plot graph, handout materials and multiple endings look simple to run and amazing to play in but makes me think that writing your own adventures for this game requires some serious effort, time and writing talent.
Significantly more than the heroic fantasy I'm familiar with, to the point that it seems that printed adventures are the only way to play.
You can start a dnd campaign with "here's a cave, explore it". While this game 1st adventures requires a flowchart to be run.
Maybe I'm just dnd-brained but the amount of moving parts I can come up with and keep in mind is not that high.
I was thinking very close to the same thing.
The dungeon is a flowchart and is a point-crawl. I think with a little effort and practice you could do it easier than u think. An investigation could lead to an abnondaned building where the gang of criminals are (dungeon lair), or to the corporate laboratory (wizard's tower). I agree, a pure mystery investigation is the toughest to come up with from nothing,
but I have run and played in sci-fi that was just reskinned from fantasy.
Maybe it's just me, but I am always thinking how to re-skin an adventure for sci-fi or cyberpunk. I find it a great creative exercise.
I think it depends on people’s habits; for some, a D&D adventure requires a lot more preparation.
I have a friend who often runs this kind of game, and generally, there’s no need for a super complex plot. Sometimes his adventure is outlined in just a few lines. First, he defines the crime, then the motive, and finally the evidence or clues.
After that, he improvises a lot, and the placement of the clues isn’t necessarily determined in advance. He gives them based on the evolution of the plot and the players’ ideas. Sometimes, he even involves us in the process: “Why do you think this corporation is involved?” “Oh, I like that idea, I’ll keep it for the rest of the campaign.”
For him, D&D requires much more preparation. He has to know all the spells and abilities, prepare all the encounters, and balance them. It seems very difficult for him to improvise in D&D.
Read The Alexandrian blog or his book to see how dungeons are actually no different to flowcharts when it comes to planning. He has a series called Gamemastery 101 and goes into detail about ‘node-based design’. The book is even better at showing that dungeons are just a system of nodes, or effectively a flowchart mapped out in space. The characters move from one room (or node in the flowchart) to another.
I do agree that the handouts in Blade Runner do set a very high bar for GMs however, it’s definitely not a game you can run week to week if you’re trying to reach a similar standard of presentation.
Agreed that is a great actual play on Me Myself and Die. Picked it up afterwards.
It is crazy how Free League is involved with one master piece after another. Very talented group of people, they are lot for the hobby with their approach. And Blade Runner was such a great franchise too, it deserved quality content.
Yup.
Ha! Just finished a run of Electric Dreams couple days ago and starting a new one next week. Awesome ruleset, even better scenario, highly recommended, on a sale it's ridiculous value!
Thanks for the review PDM.
I love ALL Dungeon Craft videos!
Okay but why they rank the stats and skills from A to D, when in the very next sentence they say that those map to d20 - d6? Just write down the dice size instead of jumping through the extra hoop.
I can’t wrap my head around what is that logic behind this either. Twilight 2k does this too and I can’t figure why for the life of me.
I probably didn't explain it correctly--that is the shorthand character sheet. The more detailed character sheet on the other side does that.
@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 correct, you explained it fine. I own this game and Twilight 2k and just don’t know what the point if it could be. I love the Year Zero Engine and almost everything FL puts out!
The book is gorgeous. Amazing art and design.
Even though I don't have a group to play with I want to order this set for the lore and art alone.
Love Aliens RPG I run adventures at the local conventions, it’s always great fun!
I also boughtBlade Runner but have avoided reading it, so I can experience it as a player first 🤞
I ran the starter set adventure, took 3 sessions with 3 players. It was an incredible experience and ended in an appropriately bleak Blade Runner way!
Will give it a try! Thank you professor.
That layout is beautiful.
I had not known how much I wanted to play this game until now! Thanks for the review, and yes: Free League loves their small artsy text (lol)
I recommend the starter set to see if your players like it. But yeah, it's great.
The book and extras are gorgeous, I'm glad to have it even if i doubt I will find people to play it with!
I love the Blade Runner RPG. I need to get a group running with it
Very good review! Feel free to branch out more like this in future
I can't believe I had that in hands and didn't take it home. That might change.
I quite like the Year Zero Engine. Maybe I'll have to pick this one up. My only issue with Aliens RPG is the limited number of creatures. Having some more stat-blocks would make it easier to homebrew my own monsters (for variety).
This looks Fantastic! Thanks for the Review!
I enjoy all of Dungeon Craft videos 🎉🎉😅
Thank you!
I generally don't go for handouts, but these are excellent.
Great Review as always DungeonCraft!
PDFs available for core rules and starter set if you're like me and need to magnify text on my PC in order to read small print.
Have always wanted to try this game, and really look forward to more Free League games. Have had an awesome experience with all the ones I have tried so far!
I love Free League but really struggle to get into their home system, so only really enjoyed Dragonbane so far. Interested to see what you say here...
Excellent video. I do think the print is small and a bit cluttered on finding things but beautiful!
I love every game by free league. Dragonbane (a fantasy rpg world), Symborium (a dark fantasy world), and Lord of the rings ( the non 5th edition reskin) are all great.
Uh oh... Leon is gonna flip out on Deathbringer.
Good review of what looks like a good game. Everything I need to decide if it is for me, and no spoilers. perfection.