Dragon Warriors
Encyclopedia
Dragon Warriors is a fantasy
role playing game system written by Dave Morris
and Oliver Johnson and published by Corgi Books between the years 1985 and 1986. In 2009 it was re-collected in a new hardcover edition by Mongoose Publishing. This print run included the publication of several supplements to the Dragon Warrior's world "Legend", but as of September 2010 this publication run has been discontinued, with no further supplements to be published. Unlike most RPGs which were (and are) primarily presented as box sets or large hardback or softback books, Dragon Warriors consisted of six paperback
book
s of ordinary size. This innovation may have contributed to its demise as the books superficially appeared to be some sort of gamebook
rather than a full-fledged role playing system.
Aside from its publishing format Dragon Warriors was chiefly notable for having a game system which was quick to use and easy to learn whilst retaining enough flexibility and realism to satisfy role playing aficionados.
Dragon Warriors is set in the world of Legend, the same as that of the Blood Sword
game books.
Magnum Opus Press announced that Mongoose Publishing
would publish a new edition in October 2008. This has now arrived in hardback, and is essentially the previous books collated into one, without the incremental rules. It contains new artwork, some revised material and better organisation.
As of April 2011, Serpent King Games is the owner of Dragon Warriors, and plans to re-publish updated versions of the Mongoose books.
, as well as a few new monsters, magic, and items, although the scenarios make up the bulk of the book. It was published in 1985 and has 192 pages.
such as a complete world map and the accompanying descriptions of far away lands and cities. Sections are also devoted to popular myths or rare items, both of which lending themselves to become starting points of new adventures. It was published in 1986 and has 272 pages.
Dragon Warriors requires the use of the whole spectrum of polyhedral dice: d4, d6, d8, d10 (d100), d12, and d20. The game's designers have since stated that utilising mechanics that involve polyhedral dice, rather than just simply common six-sided dice, was an error of judgment, and could have had an effect on the accessibility of the original series.
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role playing game system written by Dave Morris
Dave Morris
Dave Morris is a British author of gamebooks, novels and comics and a designer of computer games and role-playing games.-Biography:Dave Morris is a graduate of Magdalen College, Oxford where he read Physics from 1976-79....
and Oliver Johnson and published by Corgi Books between the years 1985 and 1986. In 2009 it was re-collected in a new hardcover edition by Mongoose Publishing. This print run included the publication of several supplements to the Dragon Warrior's world "Legend", but as of September 2010 this publication run has been discontinued, with no further supplements to be published. Unlike most RPGs which were (and are) primarily presented as box sets or large hardback or softback books, Dragon Warriors consisted of six paperback
Paperback
Paperback, softback or softcover describe and refer to a book by the nature of its binding. The covers of such books are usually made of paper or paperboard, and are usually held together with glue rather than stitches or staples...
book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
s of ordinary size. This innovation may have contributed to its demise as the books superficially appeared to be some sort of gamebook
Gamebook
A gamebook is a work of fiction that allows the reader to participate in the story by making effective choices. The narrative branches along various paths through the use of numbered paragraphs or pages...
rather than a full-fledged role playing system.
Aside from its publishing format Dragon Warriors was chiefly notable for having a game system which was quick to use and easy to learn whilst retaining enough flexibility and realism to satisfy role playing aficionados.
Dragon Warriors is set in the world of Legend, the same as that of the Blood Sword
Blood Sword
Blood Sword is a series of gamebooks created by Oliver Johnson and Dave Morris and published by Knight Books in the late 1980s. The books were illustrated by Russ Nicholson and the maps supplied by Geoff Wingate...
game books.
Magnum Opus Press announced that Mongoose Publishing
Mongoose Publishing
Mongoose Publishing is a prolific British manufacturer of role-playing games, miniatures, and card games, actively publishing material since 2001...
would publish a new edition in October 2008. This has now arrived in hardback, and is essentially the previous books collated into one, without the incremental rules. It contains new artwork, some revised material and better organisation.
As of April 2011, Serpent King Games is the owner of Dragon Warriors, and plans to re-publish updated versions of the Mongoose books.
Books: Original Series
Books 1-3 were published together and established a coherent and fully featured, if lightweight game system. The latter three books were released one at a time and added depth to the game.Book 1: Dragon Warriors
Dragon Warriors (ISBN 0-552-52287-2) was the original book. It included rules for combat, a listing of weapons and armor, and a selection of opponents. The game offered a choice of warrior classes, Knight and Barbarian, as well as the necessary information required to play a Human, a Dwarf, or an Elf. The book was published in 1985 and has 208 pages.Book 2: The Way of Wizardry
The Way of Wizardry (ISBN 0-552-52288-0) expanded the original game to include magical spells, potions, and devices. It added Mystic and Sorcerer to the available classes. It was published in 1985 and has 176 pages.Book 3: The Elven Crystals
The Elven Crystals (ISBN 0-552-52289-9) provided three long adventure scenariosAdventure (role-playing games)
An adventure is either a published or otherwise written collection of plot, character, and location details used by a gamemaster to manage the plot or story in a role-playing game. Each adventure is based upon a particular gaming genre and is normally designed for use with a specific game or gaming...
, as well as a few new monsters, magic, and items, although the scenarios make up the bulk of the book. It was published in 1985 and has 192 pages.
Book 4: Out Of The Shadows
Out of the Shadows (ISBN 0-552-52333-X) added rules for the Assassin class. It includes rules for stealth, martial arts, alchemy, and trance-magic. It also includes a new selection of monsters, which for the most part are more powerful and less common than the ones featured in Dragon Warriors. It was published in 1986 and has 256 pages.Book 5: The Power Of Darkness
The Power of Darkness (ISBN 0-552-52334-8) added rules for the Elementalist class. It includes new spells as well as an epic adventure scenario making up the bulk of the book. It was published in 1986 and has 192 pages.Book 6: The Lands Of Legend
The Lands of Legend (ISBN 0-552-52335-6) adds rules for the Warlock class. It also includes several elements for campaign settingCampaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
such as a complete world map and the accompanying descriptions of far away lands and cities. Sections are also devoted to popular myths or rare items, both of which lending themselves to become starting points of new adventures. It was published in 1986 and has 272 pages.
Dragon Warriors rulebook
Dragon Warriors rulebook (ISBN 978-1-906103-96-5) is the first book of the re-released series. The original material from the six Dragon Warriors books of the 1980s has been re-edited and updated, including new covers and artwork. The new material has been overseen and approved by the original Dragon Warriors authors, Dave Morris and Oliver Johnson, and includes a new introduction to the rulebook by the former. The 8.5" x 11" hardback book was published is 2008, and has 256 pages.Dragon Warriors Bestiary
Dragon Warriors Bestiary (ISBN 978-1-906103-99-6) is the second release of the re-released series. It is a supplement containing a large list of monsters from the world of Legend along with a set of Random Encounter Tables for various terrain. It also contains an expanded Treasure/Habitat tables for the new and existing monsters. The book itself is a softback at 88 pages in length and was released in 2008.Dragon Warriors Friends or Foes
A supplement containing 36 NPC characters for inclusion in campaigns.Additional Campaigns
Published so far are The Elven Crystals (taken from book 3 of the original series), Prince of Darkness (taken from book 5) and Sleeping Gods (a compilation of the adventures contained in books 1, 2, 4 and 6).Magnum Opus Press
Magnum Opus Press has released 2 issues of Ordo Draconis: a pdf-format fanzine featuring adventures, new professions, and other material for the Dragon Warriors RPG re-release. In August 2010 they released a 54-page pdf adventure titled Fury of the Deep; it is a digital-only release that will not be issued in printed form. These are available through sites that sell electronic versions of roleplaying games, such as DriveThruRPG and RPGNow.Game System
Like a number of RPGs, Dragon Warriors uses a variety of contextual rule systems rather than a single encompassing game mechanic or dice system. However, there are two primary mechanics within the game. The first is the opposed score system, where an ability value of a character or creature is subtracted from the opposed ability value of another to generate a number that must be rolled below on either a d20 or 2d10. Examples are ATTACK vs. DEFENCE, MAGICAL ATTACK vs. MAGICAL DEFENCE, STEALTH vs. PERCEPTION, and SPEED vs. EVASION. The second main mechanic involves an attribute score being compared to a difficulty score determined by the GM. If the attribute is equal or above to the difficulty, then the character succeeds automatically, otherwise they must roll below their attribute score on d20.Dragon Warriors requires the use of the whole spectrum of polyhedral dice: d4, d6, d8, d10 (d100), d12, and d20. The game's designers have since stated that utilising mechanics that involve polyhedral dice, rather than just simply common six-sided dice, was an error of judgment, and could have had an effect on the accessibility of the original series.
See also
- Blood SwordBlood SwordBlood Sword is a series of gamebooks created by Oliver Johnson and Dave Morris and published by Knight Books in the late 1980s. The books were illustrated by Russ Nicholson and the maps supplied by Geoff Wingate...
: A series of gamebooks set in the same fictional world as Dragon Warriors.
External links
- Magnum Opus Press Dragon Warriors Page
- The Unofficial Dragon Warriors Homepage
- DW Repository
- Advanced Dragon Warriors - an extension to the Dragon Warriors RPG system
- Maps of Legend, the Dragon Warriors world
- Dragon Warriors Wiki
- Dragon Warriors Discussion Group (dragwars) at yahoogroups
- Serpent King Games, current owners of Dragon Warriors