For questions about Dragon Age RPG, a dark fantasy pen-and-paper game set in Thedas, the swords-and-sorcery world where the Dragon Age computer games take place. The tabletop role-playing game was originally published by Green Ronin Publishing in 2010. It is backed by the AGE System (see also the [age-system] tag).
For questions about Dragon Age RPG, a dark fantasy pen-and-paper game set in Thedas, the swords-and-sorcery world where the Dragon Age computer games take place. The tabletop role-playing game was originally published by Green Ronin Publishing in 2010. It is backed by the AGE System (see also the age-system tag).
In Dragon Age you and your friends take on the personas of warriors, mages, and rogues in the land of Thedas and try to make your names by overcoming sinister foes and deadly challenges. You may face down one of the vile darkspawn in ancient dwarven ruins, engage in a duel of wits with an Orlesian noble, or uncover the secrets of the Fade. You may win renown or you may die alone in the trackless wilderness. (Player's Guide 1.2.)
Setting
The game is set in Thedas, the swords-and-sorcery world of the various Dragon Age video games from BioWare.
Magic exists, however those who wield it are forcibly enrolled in The Circle of Mages and tightly controlled by the Templars, a group of warriors skilled in fighting and controlling Mages. The Templars are part of The Chantry, one of the major religious organizations. The Chantry is justified in controlling Mages because the use of magic can lead to possession by demons. The tension between Mages and Templars is the major conflict in the second video game, Dragon Age II.
There is a corruption in the world, called the Taint. Every few centuries, a horde of Darkspawn, creatures warped by the Taint, swarm over the surface world in a cataclysmic, nation-destroying event called a Blight. The first computer game, Dragon Age: Origins, is about stopping the Fifth Blight.
Further conflict comes from bitter national rivalries, the subjugation of the Elven race, and invasion by a mysterious people with a strange religion.
Dark Fantasy
The GM's guide describes the theme by using the phrases "no unicorns and rainbows", "life isn't fair", "actions have consequences" and "sometimes evil wears a smile"; then lightens the tone a little with "raising the banner of hope".
There are no black and white issues; everything is a shade of grey. You can't point at one group and label it "evil" because they all have some justification for their actions. Even the Darkspawn are victims.
Mechanics
Most actions are resolved by totalling three six-sided dice plus an attribute and comparing to a target number (or to the other party's total, in the case of an opposed test). A value greater than or equal to the target is a success.
One of the three dice is a different colour to the others. This is called the Dragon Die. On a successful roll, the value of the Dragon Die determines the level of success.
Publishing Details
The game is published by Green Ronin Publishing. The game has been published in three sets over several years. Set 1, covering levels 1 to 5, in 2009; Set 2, covering levels 6 to 10, in 2011; Set 3, covering levels 11 to 20, in 2014. An ultimate edition, collecting all three sets as well as new material, is due early in 2015.
