The Roll for Combat 5E books are a delightful blend of Pathfinder 2E and 5E options and ancestries, monsters, and quirky settings. They offer a lighthearted, more kid-friendly view of 5E and character options, making them a unique and exciting addition to your RPG collection. Whether you want to play as a dragon or a mimic, these books have got you covered. And while you might become a bit overpowered in some aspects, a simple adjustment to the adventure challenges will keep the game balanced and enjoyable.
The art here is more suitable for kids, and I prefer this to the current modern-style art in many books, which comes across as defensive, ham-fisted, and a bit silly. I love old-school art, but this all-ages style is an excellent second place, and I prefer this to the modern people in fantasy D&D 2024 art. The art team here is careful not to interject "their ideas of what your game should be" in the imagery, and they just illustrate and inspire instead of screaming a viewpoint at you. It is a good, middle-of-the-road art direction suitable for all ages, and I appreciate the effort to maintain tone and consistency - and the art is super high-quality throughout.
When the designers create ancestries, they do "ancestry feats" that increase power as you level, like in Pathfinder 2E. I would love to see this team rebuild the core races with these leveled feats, but then again, if you want that, play Pathfinder 2E. Still, I would love to see them remake elves, drow, dwarves, halflings, humans, and dragon-born races with their own "spin" on things.
These books, mixed with a neutral 5E system, such as Tales of the Valiant, make for a great combination. ToV makes for a perfect "books plus" game for most 3rd party content; it keeps 99% of 2014 compatibility, the books are self-contained, and it stays far away from the mess of Wizards and the paywall walled garden.
I just want PDFs, books, and a stable, sane version of the 5E rules without a dramatically new system added to the game. Level Up A5E is impressive, but for third-party books like BattleZoo, having a clean-room core system makes playing them all the better.
ToV does the job of being that clean room. 2014 version, 5E core system, without the baggage or controversy.
This team does a lot of fantastic stuff, and while the art is more for kids than the 'edgy mature crowd' or 'old school purists' - I appreciate the quality and strong consistency here. The art isn't "too modern" because D&D 2024's self-referential art feels like looking at people from a gaming convention rather than adventurers in a fantasy world. Here, the art stays "in character" and "in the world," and the feeling of "looking into a strange world" is powerful.
They have a campaign adventure, a battle pets book, and many books covering alternate ancestries, and they are really one of the best "imagination-themed" books out there for both 5E and Pathfinder 2 right now. If you had a kid at your table "wanting to play a dragon," you could make it work with these books. And instead of making "everything the same" as the current version of D&D tends to do, this leans into making every ancestry "different and special" - which is a far more laudable goal than giving up and saying "anyone is anything and it is all the same."
In one of the books, you can play a dungeon. It is hilarious, but the idea of a sentient dungeon improving and gaining levels to create deeper levels and more challenges is fantastic and creative. The level one Tomb of Horrors was probably a giant rat in a 20x20 room, with a puzzle about 'sand and time' on a locked chest with 200 silver pieces.
That's it! Come back next time; one of the first halls may be ready!
These are highly imaginative books where choices have meaning, and the options are all equally good. Parts of these books are silly, stupid, and hilarious - which is what a lot of gaming is missing. The fun is back with these books. Some choices will likely cause "imbalances," but who cares when you are having fun? Just tweak your encounters or toss in enemies that can fly, too.
Highly recommended if you are into very imaginative play where who you are matters, and the theme of your adventures revolves around the progression of yourself and how the world around you reacts to that.
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