Today, our search for tomes to read and worlds to explore will lead us to a very special experience with our review of the gamebook Osgroth e Osgroz. While sometimes it can be challenging to play one character, in this work we’ll be playing two—or rather, one with two heads. We thank Emanuele Zammarchi and Tora edizioni for providing us with a copy of the first volume of the Sangue e Ossa series, allowing us to take on the role of a fierce and powerful Eotiin.
If you can’t wait to smash everything that moves, you can buy this gamebook on the Tora Edizioni website for around €16.90.
A First Look at Osgroth e Osgroz
Osgroth e Osgroz is a 305-paragraph gamebook that takes us on a truly captivating adventure, facing the threat of a terrifying fate. I won’t go into detail, of course, but our peaceful Eotiin life of plunder and delicious banquets will be shattered by an unexpected adversary. A terrible sentence will weigh upon us. Our brother will soon face death, and for an Eotiin, that means the end.
The extraordinary beauty of our protagonists and our unfortunate adversaries are shown by Cristina Calvagno evocative black and white illustrations, which allow us to immerse ourselves even more in the events of the gamebook.
Mechanics Analysis
The mechanics for managing evidence are quite simple as they are based on the choice of approach.
As I mentioned, we’re an Eotiin, and as such, we have two distinct personalities. We can choose whether our dominant personality is Osgroth the impetuous or Osgroz the shrewd. I don’t need to explain the consequences of each approach, but I must say this mechanic was really fun to play. The two protagonists are eager to have their say, always favoring their own approach and cursing the other for stupidity or cowardice.
Review of the Combat in Osgroth e Osgroz
The combat in the gamebook is very simple and fast-paced, following a similar philosophy to the trials. Here too, we’ll have to choose when to fight using Osgroth’s approach and when to use Osgroz’s one. Osgroth’s arm is the most muscular, and his weapons are designed to completely destroy his opponent. If we choose to give him the command, our weapon roll will be based on a d12. If we choose a more strategic approach, our weapon roll will be a d8, but since Osgroz studies the enemy before striking, we can reroll the ones and twos.
I’ve talked about weapon rolls, so now let’s explain combat in detail. Both you and your opponents will have an attack and defense score. Each turn, you roll the weapon die and add it to your attack score. If you roll more than your opponent’s defense, you deal damage equal to the difference. The same goes for defense. You add the result of a 6-die to your fixed value and compare it to your opponent’s attack score.
Final Considerations of the Review of Osgroth e Osgroz
Osgroth and Osgroz is a truly entertaining gamebook that offered me an unexpected experience. Playing a character with two such unwieldy personalities was truly fascinating.
The story is gripping, full of constant clashes, with a huge sword of Damocles hanging over our heads. I can’t wait to see which personality you’ll choose to favor!
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