[DragonRaid] Character Creation

I had planned on doing a step by step walkthrough of Character Creation for DragonRaid game.  I posted on The Ruins of Murkhill forums as a first draft to doing a post here.  I discovered that the process of LightRaider creation does not allow many choices.  I am not making any claims that you cannot create and interesting or worthwhile character.  I am just pointing out that there are very few choices to be made during the process.  

LightRaider creation is basically a marathon session of rolling a d10 and writing down the results on a LightRaider Worksheet.   This is done for all of the Character Strengths and most of the Physical Attributes.  The remaining statistics are figured by taking different Character Strengths or Physical Attributes and adding them together then dividing by a set number.  The only areas that offer you a choice of options are Weapon Abilities and Optional Character Abilities; there are 14 Weapon Abilities and you can pick 3 while there are 11 Optional Character Abilities and you can also pick 3 of those.  

Rather than make a new post about character creation here I will just reproduce my other posts below.

This is going to be a step by step walk through of character creation for the DragonRaid game.  Characters in DragonRaid are known as LightRaiders.  It may be surprising to know that the chapter on character creation in the rulebook is barely more than a page long.  This is probably where the LightRaider Worksheet comes in handy with all the formulas on it.  In addition to those two items I opened the bag of StarLots (d10s) included in the box.  So it begins...

STEP 1 - Character Strengths
Each character has 9 attributes that are determined by rolling d10 for the rating in each; higher is better.  I got:

(LO) Love = 10
(JO) Joy = 5
(PE) Peace = 10
(PA) Patience = 1
(KI) Kindness = 8
(GO) Goodness = 2
(FA) Faithfulness = 2
(GE) Gentleness = 4
(SC) Self-Control = 10

STEP 2 - Physical Attributes
Physical Vitality (PV) is determined by adding Character Strengths and dividing by 2.
*It takes a minimum of 19 to be a LightRaider.*

(PV) Physical Vitality = 26

Strength and Agility are determined by rolling a StarLot

(ST) Strength = 3
(AG) Agility = 10

STEP 3 - Character Abilities
These 8 abilities are determined by taking a various number of the previously determined ratings and figuring the average score.  For instance, Listening is determined by PE x2 + PA + SC = total / 4

(CO) Courage = 5
(LIS) Listening = 7
(EN) Endurance = 5
(QM) Quiet Move =6
(HO) Hope = 4
(VIS) Vision = 2
(KN) Knowledge = 2
(WIS) Wisdom = 7

STEP 4 - Armor
Like the Bible verse says to put on the "full armor of God"...

(BT) Belt of Truth = KN = 2
(BR) Breastplate of Righteousness = GO = 2
(SF) Shield of Fate = all character strengths/9 = 5
(HS) Helmet of Salvation = HO = 4
(SS) Sword of the Spirit = 1 (automatic)
(BGP) Boots of the Gospel of Peace = (LO+JO+PE+GO+FA)/5 = 5

STEP 5 - Weapon Abilities
All LightRaiders have Solo Battle = PE + EN + COx2 = total/4

(SB) Solo Battle = 6

Pick 3 more from a list of 14

Dagger = (CO+SC+SB+AG)/4 = 7
Sling = (HO+CO+SC)/3 = 6
Sword = (CO+EN+SB+AG)/4 = 6

At this point, the LightRaider Worksheet must be turned over to complete calculations.

STEP 6 - Defensive Abilities
All LightRaiders have the following three Defensive Abilities.

(EE) Evade Enemy = (PE+PA+SC)/3 = 7
(RFI) Recover From Injury = (HOx3+CO+EN)/5 = 4
(RT) Resist Torture = (JO+FAx2+SC+HO+CO+EN)/7 = 4

STEP 7 - Optional Character Abilities
Pick 3 from a list of 11 possibilities.

(CLS) Climb Skillfully = (JO+PE+PA+SCx2+EN+CO)/7 = 6
(SE) Sense Evil = (GOx2+KN+CO)/4 = 2
(TE) Track Enemy = (JO+PA+SC)/3 = 5

At this point, the LightRaider Worksheet is completely filled out.  The next step should be transferring the numbers to the LightRaider Character Sheet.

DragonRaid - a Closer Look (Part Four)

This is the final post in this series examining DragonRaid; this post was preceded by part one, part two, and part three   .  This post looks at the secondary material included in the box.

 

4 sheets of counters are included in the box.   

4 battle grids; 2 square and 2 hex.

1 Battle Worksheet (laminated).

Dice (not inked).

Coupon (a set of inked dice at a discount).

A flyer with a link to a reproduction of the audio cassette originally included.

2 pads of Character Worksheets (for character creation).

1 pad of Character Sheets.

DragonRaid themed note-taking sheets.

2 Bookmarks.

1 flyer for The Gryphon Heist.

An ink pen.

I have completed my examination of DragonRaid but I am not finished tinkering with the game.  I am going to go through character creation and try out a game session.  Look for more in the future...

DragonRaid - a Closer Look (Part Three)

 This post was preceded by part one and part two of this series.

Adventure Guidebooks

The boxed set includes three modules which are labeled as Adventure Guidebooks.  Of course, they serve the same purposes as modules in Dungeons & Dragons.  These adventures should be played in the order pictured to the left as each book is noted as  Adventure One, Two, or Three on their respective title page.  The shortest adventure is 43 pages while the longest one is 77 pages and each one comes with removable resources in the middle such as cue cards, player briefings, maps and even more types of visual aids.

Adventure Master Manual

The Adventure Master Manual is also labeled as a "Leader's Reference" on the cover.  This is the only book in the box to come in a 126 page loose-leaf three hole punched format.  My initial impression is that this book will be referenced at times so it will prevent wear and tear by having it in a binder.  The contents are split into nine sections. Most of the information seems to cover the skills associated with your responsibilities as an Adventure Master and improving your skill in those areas.   Other topics include handling game problems, the allegory of DragonRaid, witnessing to non-Christians, and an index.  At first glance the standout section of interest seems to be section seven, Game Aids.  Many of the charts and lists in this area could have been collected in a product similar to the Dungeon Master's Screen.  In fact, that is the only thing that seems to be "missing" from this boxed set but it certainly is not necessary for play.   

I am going to wrap this post up now so I keep it all on the topic of Adventure Master resources.  The next (and final) post will cover the rest of the material included in the box such as character sheets, battle grids, and more.

DragonRaid - a Closer Look (Part Two)

The A-Z for April is completed so it is time to resume regular posting.  Continuing from part one of my DragonRaid posts...

DragonRaid: Rulebook 

The next section of the DragonRaid: Rulebook is The Armor of God.  This section mentions that people are instructed to "put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes" (Ephesians 6:11). The special abilities of LightRaider Armor is explained in this section along with the six items that make up the Armor of God.  This is a great way to tie the game to the source material.  It would be worthwhile to adopt something like this for a traditional fantasy campaign where the paladins were clearly based on Christian Knights.

Battling Sin Enchantments is the next section.  Think of these as a curse or affliction that will harm the LightRaider in a spiritual or physical manner until they are overcome.

Combat Procedures is the largest section of this book at ten pages.  There is information on most of the typical combat rules and options as found in the typical fantasy game of this time period.  In addition, there are some advanced combat rules, rules for battling Dragon Slaves, a critical hit chart, and some additional rules for fighting Dragons.  

The remaining four and a half pages contains seven small sections of rules. Rescue  discusses rescuing LightRaiders from Sin Enchantments; why it is not included with the Battling Sin Enchantments section is not clear to me.  Using Wordrunes and Teamrunes serves as a quick rundown on their format and use. Improving A Character explains the method of advancing your character through Maturity Units - think Experience Points - to reach the "glory and perfection of the Overlord of Many Names".  In real world terms, trying to follow the example of Jesus.  Loss of Maturity Units is an explanation of how to lose Maturity Units and the effect of doing so.  Team Action emphasizes that this is a team game rather than a competition.  Role Playing is a brief explanation of the subject.  Improving The Game offers up some suggestions on increasing the fun and enjoyment of the game session.

DragonRaid: LightRaider Handbook

This book is a different size than the other manuals in the box.  This Player's Guide is index-sized, spiral bound, and weighs in at 141 pages!  This small book is split into seven sections plus an index. I will give some details of each section but I have not had time enough to read this book.

Introduction to DragonRaid opens up with a welcome letter from the President of the Dragonraider Academy.  It is assumed your character has graduated after four years of study.  This section ends with a summary of the creation of the game world EdenAgain, the rise of evil in the form of the Dragons, and the original rescue by the OverLord of Many Names.

The Dark Enemy details the origins and game statistics of The Great Red Dragon (Satan).  This section also details the different types of Dark Creatures such as Goblins and Trolls.

The Victims of EdenAgain briefly explains that dragon slaves (sinners) have fallen under the influence of the Dragon and the goal of LightRaiders is not to kill them but to save them.  Some will be rescued and have a change of heart and join the ranks.

The Fellowship of the Light covers several subjects from The OverLord of Many Names, The Sacred Scrolls, WordRunes, Celestial Guardians, and LightRaiders and the TwiceBorn.

The World of Talania is given a brief overview in this section.  Talania is one of the five continents of EdenAgain and is where the Liberated Lands and the Dragon Lands are located.  

WordRunes and TeamRunes details the 60 WordRunes and 20 TeamRunes available for use by LightRaiders in the game.  

Appendices contains two brief sections.  First, a call to discipleship; spreading the Gospel to the those that have not heard it yet.  Second, a Character Journal that provides space to record the further exploits of characters in greater detail.  

An index closes out the book.  

More information will be in the next post.

-----------------------------

I admit that I have not read every word of any of these books but something that stands out to me so far is that I have not found anything denouncing D&D or other games as "tools of Satan".  This is surprising for me because this game was around during the Satanic Panic.  The impression I get so far is that DragonRaid is just being offered up as another alternative product available that happens to combine the roleplaying hobby with Christianity to present a tool for proselytization of others and reinforcing beliefs.  I have heard that DragonRaid was lumped in to the whole mess right along with D&D and other games back then.  I will keep my eyes posted for anything that contradicts my impression as I continue to go through these books.  If anyone can shed some light on this I would definitely be interested in hearing it.

 

DragonRaid - a Closer Look (Part One)

As mentioned in my other post, I finally bought a copy of the DragonRaid boxed set.  I am going to use some posts to take a closer look at this game.  This is not a review but just thoughts and observations about the contents of this boxed set.

The Contents

There is a ton of material inside this box!  There are seven manuals of various lengths (New Player Briefing, LightRaider Handbook, Adventure Master Manual, Rulebook, and three Adventures), Character Sheet pad, LightRaider Worksheets, a laminated Battle Worksheet, a set of StarLot dice, a Shadow Stone die, maps, counters, and some fluff (bookmark, discount coupon, and an ink pen). The only thing not included is the old cassette tape that serves as an introduction to the game but the recording is available on their website.  I am pretty impressed by how much stuff they have crammed into the box. If you replace the cassette tape pictured below with another adventure manual then you have an accurate representation of the non-fluff material inside the box.

DragonRaid: New Player Briefing

The New Player Briefing seemed like a logical choice on where to begin my observations so that is what I did.  New Player Briefing is a slim volume of 15 pages divided into 8 small chapters serving as an introduction to DragonRaid.

The opening chapter, The Great Rescue on Eden Again, sets up the basic premise of the game.  There will be much that is familiar to someone with basic knowledge of Christianity or the Bible.  This section touches on the act of creation, the war in heaven, the rise of evil, enslavement of chosen people, and the coming of the rescuer is all here but adapted to a fantasy role-playing setting.  It made me interested in playing.

What is Dragonraid? explains that the game is "an action adventure story for spiritual learning and fun.".  While a player can expect the typical activities of most fantasy role-playing games two things set them apart from characters in other games.  First, the use of WordRunes in play.  WordRunes are pieces of scripture used in small prayers for aid.  Second, the characters are Lightraiders.  As a Lightraider, their main purpose is to serve the Rescuer - a representation of Jesus Christ - the son of the High One.  

There are also the typical chapters included in most games scattered throughout the book.  Definitions covers nine terms and their meaning in DragonRaid.  Your Character is a brief synopsis of your characters' place in the game.  The Adventure Master serves the same role as a Dungeon Master or Game Master in other games.  Role Playing is a brief explanation of how to play.  DragonRaid Tools explains how to use the dice and gives some basic information each character is expected to know at the start of play.  The Lightraider Test serves as the first adventure for new characters.

DragonRaid: Rulebook

The rulebook is the next book I read. It is another slim volume of only 24 pages split up into 15 chapters.  The first four chapters expand on typical subjects such as game definitions, game equipment (contents of the DragonRaid box), using the starlot and shadow stone (included dice), and success or ability checks.  The biggest deviation from the standard game expectations is that the players us the crystalline d10 (the starlot) while the adversaries use the dark d8 (the shadow stone) when determining success on ability checks.  

Creating a Character  is the next chapter of the rulebook.  It is recommended that you use a LightRaider (player character) Worksheet while creating your character.  You will roll the starlot to determine the score of nine Character Strengths: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.  In addition, there are also eight Character Abilities such as Courage, Hope, and Wisdom.  You will round out your character with information on Weapon Abilities, Armor, Physical Vitality, equipment, etc.

 

Continued in Part Two...

Upcoming Projects

I always seem to have several creative projects ongoing at one time.  I admit that I am not very focused in that aspect of my life.  I just can not focus solely on one creative endeavor or I will burnout and put it down and there is no telling when I will pick it back up at that point.  Listed below are some things I am currently working on and will post about in the near future.

DRAGONRAID

I remember seeing the ads for DRAGONRAID in issues of Dragon Magazine from the 1980s.  I always wanted a copy but I never did see it in any of the stores so I never got around to adding it to my collection.  All these many years later and I discovered that the company printing the game is still around and I decided to order a copy of the boxed set to satisfy my curiosity.  I am pretty impressed just with the contents stuffed inside this box.  I will be going through the contents and offering up my thoughts and observations; not necessarily a review.  I suspect it will take 3 - 5 posts to do that and maybe it will lead to more posts in the future.  

MINIATURES

I am continuing to paint more miniatures for use in games.  Most of them have been from the Reaper Bones line but I will not hesitate to pick up whatever works for my games.  The picture above shows a row of possible player character minis (top row) and some encounters (Kobolds, Mind Flayer, Minotaur, and a Mimic to name some) that will most likely see use in the games.  I am sticking to what seems like the mostly used encounters right now so I will get maximum use from my efforts.  I plan on adding more exotic types of miniatures when needed. 

CAMPAIGN WORLD

I am scaling things back.  No, not the possibilities and opportunities but the information.  I used to crave all the encyclopedic facts that some campaign worlds offer but that does not fit my current mood.  I am taking the "less is more" approach as the map above can show.  The bigger world is still out there and all sorts of possibilities await the characters but all of it is starting small and local.  The actual discovery of the larger world needs to take place instead of having all of that information logged at the start.  Gaming like that is cool but I am at a point where I would rather just play instead of trying to figure out all sorts of minutia beforehand. Simply put, bang for the buck. 

OTHER

The above list is by no means comprehensive. I have a notepad handy for jotting down ideas and expanding on stuff I have already in progress.  There will certainly be posts about GURPS Dungeon Fantasy RPG, The Fantasy Trip, D&D 5E, house rules, my own games, and all sorts of related items.  Stay tuned...