Before we begin our review of Quest & Answers, I would like to thank the author, Anton Blender, for providing us with a digital copy of his work. This project was also made possible thanks to a crowdfunding campaign.

If, after reading this review, you would like to purchase the product, you will find it on the Itch.io website for 10 dollars (approximately 10 euros). It is only available in English. You will also find two adventures on the same site, each costing $2.50 (just under 3 euros), as well as the character sheet, tokens, treasures and the Host sheet, which are free of charge.

A New Way to Solve Tests

Quest & Answers is a tabletop roleplaying game based on answering thematic questions, similar to Trivial Pursuit. Players move their characters through wondrous adventures and explore dungeons in search of treasure. Each time they encounter an obstacle, rather than rolling the dice, they must answer a question randomly drawn from a special deck.

If someone is faced with a question they don’t know the answer to, the other players can help them. They can work together as a team to find the answer.

Players can decide to increase the success rate for passing trials in two ways: by using Quest Points or Talents. The former are obtained during the game by defeating monsters or by using certain skills in specific situations. These points are represented by tokens that are placed in a pile in the centre of the table. When taking a test, each player can use a Mission Point to change the quiz category (before the question is asked) or to get a new question from the current category (before the answer is given). Talents are specific to each character and give them special bonuses in certain situations.

Quest & Answer Character Review

In Quest & Answers, characters have six skills: Reflexes, Wits, Health, Fight, Spirit and Fate. Each skill is matched with a category of questions, such as: Geography, History, Cinema, Music, Art and General Culture. The choice of categories is at the discretion of the group and the host, who is the person leading the session.

To be honest, it’s more important to choose the character according to his role than to create him. The role represents the character’s function within the group and determines the order of skills on the card, as well as the talent he possesses. Each role has different strengths, so it is best to cover all roles to ensure characters are well prepared for whatever they may face during the adventure.

The Roles that players can assume are:

• Adventurer who seeks treasure for glory or out of a sense of duty.
• Believer who supports a deity and protects the group.
• Fighter who is an expert in the art of war.
• Guide who leads the group away from danger.
• Sage who uses magic to bend reality to his will.
• Scoundrel who possesses useful skills, but they cannot always be trusted.

The character creation process continues with the selection of a name, species and physical appearance.

Random Questions in Place of the Dice

As I anticipated, the tests in the adventure game are based on trivia. To do this, players must choose a game of this type containing at least six categories of questions. Players then assign each skill to one of these categories, ready to start playing.

Thus, dungeon exploration, confrontations and trials are left to the group and its knowledge of various topics, which are not necessarily related to fantasy literature or the world of roleplaying games.

But let’s take a look at how the key elements of an adventure work in principle.

Exploring Dungeons

Searching for treasure in a dungeon can be a daunting challenge. Those who have faced one before know this well. In Quest & Answers, the Host asks for a Group Exploration Test every time characters enter a new room. This feature gives characters the chance to locate all the traps, doors and treasures in the room.

If players correctly answer at least half of the questions, they discover all the noteworthy features of the room. This gives them a description of the room, and they find out if the door to the next room is sealed or locked, if there are any traps and treasures. Secret doors are the only exception; these are only discovered if the group answers all questions correctly.

Traps and Environmental Hazards

As we said, secret doors can only be found if you answer all the questions correctly during a Group Room Search Test. Once found, they can be opened without a skill test. As in any good dungeon, of course, the characters will also have to deal with different types of traps. If characters find a trap while searching the room, they must disarm it before continuing their exploration.

Environmental dangers are situations that do not involve intelligent creatures. Examples include underground rivers or chasms that need to be crossed, and unstable tunnels that could collapse.

Review of the Combat in Quest & Answers

As one might imagine, exploring dungeons involves risks beyond environmental hazards. As in other roleplaying games of this type, the characters will have to engage in real combat to defeat creatures and monsters. In Quest & Answers, however, as dice are not used, it is the players who decide which of the characters will act first in combat. The Host then asks all players to state their desired order of action, which remains fixed throughout the fight.

In Quest & Answers, monsters have four levels: Minor, Major, Massive and Mighty. A monster’s level determines how many rounds it fights for and how many successful character attacks are required to defeat it. If monsters appear in a group, they act as a single opponent. When fighting a group of monsters, players do not have to specify which monster they are attacking, and each blow applies to the entire group.

During their turn, each character can act, either to attack the monster or to create an advantage for themselves or their allies. To attack, players must make a Fight Skill check. If this is successful, players describe their attack, and the Host notes a success against the monster. If it fails, the monster counterattacks.

To win the fight, the characters must hit the monsters a certain number of times before the end of the final round. The Host knows this number, without telling the players until the end of the combat.

Magic and Spells

In this game, magic is represented by two things: spells and magical items. Only the Sage character can cast spells; however, magic items can be used by all characters.

In Quest & Answers, there is no set list of spells to choose from, and there is no limit to the number of spells a character can cast during an adventure. To cast a spell, the player gives it a descriptive name that indicates its purpose, then takes a Spirit test. If the test is successful, the player describes the spell’s outcome; if it fails, the host imposes a penalty and describes the scene.

Quest & Answers Aesthetics Review

Quest & Answers is a booklet of fewer than 30 pages, written in a legible font that is easily understandable, even by non-native English speakers. Its compact size and black-and-white illustrations on a white background allow it to be printed independently.

Jordan Higgins’ illustrations are beautiful and capture the old-school atmosphere of the game perfectly, making it accessible to those unfamiliar with roleplaying games.

Conclusions of Quest & Answers Review

In conclusion, I can say that Quest & Answers reimagines the traditional adventuring group by transforming it into a trivia team that collaborates to explore a dungeon by answering a variety of questions together. Purists of the old-school genre might not appreciate the ruleset, which strays far from the tradition, but the simplicity of the approach and the affordable price make it a good option for casual play. It should be noted, of course, that the method of solving the trials is not intended to be immersive, but rather deliberately deviates from the narrative to entertain players differently.

It is ideal for one-shots, especially since it turns more traditional sessions into a party game. Perfect for a break from a long campaign, it can be a nice way to introduce new players to roleplaying.

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