In this review, we will talk about Goblin Slayer, a dark fantasy role-playing game based on the original work by Kumo Kagyu. First, we want to thank Isola Illyon for bringing the game to Italy and sending us a physical copy.
For those interested in purchasing it, you can find Goblin Slayer on the Isola Illyon website at a cost of €35. Together with the paper manual, you will also be provided with a PDF so that you can experience your adventure digitally. Furthermore, if you enter the code NODICEUNROLLED at the time of payment, you will not pay shipping costs!
Let’s Take a Look at Goblin Slayer
The Goblin Slayer role-playing game was born in 2019 in the wake of the success of the original work. We are talking about a manual of 532 black and white pages (only the cover is in colour) full of information in which the Japanese imprint of the author and the creation team can be widely felt.
While more and more role-playing games are streamlining the amount of information, leaving players with complete narrative freedom, Goblin Slayer rows in the opposite direction. This, mind you, is not a negative characteristic. Where some manuals sin by superficiality, Goblin Slayer provides an abandoned amount of information that provides the player with everything he needs, even basic advice (which many associations would benefit from):
After the session, be sure to clean everything. If you leave rubbish lying around you may not be allowed to use that space again
This is the first time a manual has reminded me to behave in a civil manner.
Having said that, the layout of the manual is functional to the text, even if it suffers a bit from the lack of illustrations starting from the chapter related to the setting. Until then, the reading, although fluent, is a continuous alternation of texts and tables which at times almost resemble a video game. Obviously, I specify that this choice was made by the original authors and Isola Illyon could not do anything but adapt to it.
The World of Goblin Slayer
In the production of the game, the editorial director involved the same author of the original work. Kumo Kagyu threw himself into the work with enthusiasm, delving into economics, food, languages, entertainment and much more in approximately 55 pages. A true work of world-building born at the hands of the author himself. A real pearl for manga lovers.
The Four Corners World is home to all the races featured in the manga. We will be able to play humans, elves, dwarves, lizardfolk and rhea, pawns in the hands of the gods intent on rolling the dice of destiny for them. The insights created by the author provide enough material to best detail the world, creating the missions that will allow our heroes to grow and improve. Instead of a grand mission to save the kingdom, our heroes will be given more modest quests in line with their rank. The beauty of this game is all concentrated in the little stories.
An Adventurer’s Long Road
The strong point of Goblin Slayer is the extreme customization that we can give to our character. In fact, we will not be limited by a single class, but we will be able to expand by strengthening certain aspects, creating explorer fighters, or warriors with the ability to use powerful spells. We will be the ones to choose the type of skill in which we want to specialize our character, creating a hero that adapts perfectly to our desires.
The creation of the character then focuses on two series of characteristics, the primary ones and the secondary ones. By combining one per category you cover all the cases that can be used to carry out tests. The feeling is that of a technical procedure but not too heavy, which is then simple to put into practice once the form has been filled out.
The game revolves around the most basic need of an adventurer: entering dungeons to solve missions, in order to obtain money and experience. When creating the character we will obviously start from the lowest rank. The first quests will therefore be simple, gradually becoming more complicated as you level up. A real social climb mission after mission will create moments and bonds that will shape the life of the adventurer. The story will not only be linked to the completion of the quests but also to all those events that lie between them.
Goblin Slayer Mechanics Review
Goblin Slayer has really simple mechanics, which are based on the roll of two d6 which will be added to a score given by the sum of the combination of Characteristics, Level, Skills and Equipment. The result must be compared with the Objective Score to be equalled or exceeded. This will very quickly determine whether the test was successful or not.
Goblin Slayer also offers critical success and failure, while implementing an interesting mechanic linked to Fate Points. In case we decide to use this resource before rolling the die, we will roll our two d6s and we will have to hope that the result is equal to or greater than the number of fate points possessed by the group. In that case the expense will increase the effectiveness of the test, turning a success into a critical success. If we are unlucky, however, we will not get anything, but we will still increase the number of fate points by one. You immediately understand how it is a precious reserve and that, if we abuse it, it will soon end.
Combat trials are very similar to the others; the threshold to overcome is always fixed, shown on the card of the creature faced.
Final Considerations
Goblin Slayer is a really interesting role-playing game, which achieves the goal of transporting the player into the world created by Kumo Kagyu.
The simple system and great character customization are the strong points of this game, which will allow strategy lovers to have fun creating the character of their dreams.
In some moments there is a lack of a greater graphic component which would help the imagination even of those who are not familiar with the related manga and anime. This is a small flaw which however does not ruin the reading at all but rather encourages you to delve deeper by directly recovering the original work.
Finally, I leave you the links to download the editable sheet and many insights into the setting and the system.
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