One More Quest (Tabletop RPG)

One More Quest is a unique entry into the world of tabletop role playing games.  When I say it is a dice-chucking RPG, I mean it LITERALLY is a dice-chucking game.  The value of the die rolled is not as important as where it lands on the table.  Players must toss one or more 6 sided dice onto the table, trying to get them to land in the center of a target ring.  Rolls closer to the center represent a better outcome.  As with most RPGs, players create characters with abilities and skills which give them advantages to specific situations.  What brings particular levity to the game is the requirement that players must toss their dice in a certain way, depending on the situation.  Are you doing a stealth check? Make your roll crouching low to the table?  Some sort of intelligence check? Bounce it off your forehead, etc..  Players’ skills provide bonuses, but also incur a “cost” such as a ranged attack requiring rolls from a step away from the table.  These can be combined so one might end up rolling extra dice with bonuses, but throw them backwards, with your off hand, and they must bounce twice before hitting the target.  Clearly the game is not going to provide a dark, long-term strategic RPG, however it can provide a night of hilarity as long as everyone knows what they’re getting into.  I’m posting a note about the game because it is currently up on Kickstarter for just a few more days.  If it sounds like it might be your cup of tea, feel free to check it out!   Read on to find further thoughts I’ve had about the free playtest copy that is available.

The publisher, Horrible Guild, is known for a wide range of (mostly lighter-weight) boardgames.  While this foray into the world of RPGs breaks new ground, it is only a dice-throw away from some of their previous work.  Dungeon Fighter (which should be in retail channels any week now) is a cooperative game of dice chucking that shares many commonalities with One More Quest.  Dungeon Fighter, as the name implies, is a game based around combat in a “dungeon”.  Players “attack” monsters by rolling dice onto a central target on the table.  Dice landing closer to the middle of the target have a greater positive effect, while missing the target entirely allows the “monster” to attack back.  The goal is always to meet or exceed the difficulty number declared by the Each player has a character that increases in power over the course of the game, with special abilities that trigger off faces rolled on the dice.  Dungeon Fighter leans towards the silly side of things by requiring players to roll their dice in unusual ways.  Anyone can roll (with one bounce) onto a target, but can you do it under your leg with your eyes closed?

One More Quest takes the Dungeon Fighter system to a new level.  The crazy/silly/funny dice rolling rules and styles are still in effect, but now it is a full fledged open-ended role playing game.  One player serves as the Supreme Dungeon Master, coming up with story elements and challenges for the other players. To resolve a challenge (action, skill, whatever…) the SDM chooses a difficulty number, players roll one or more dice onto the target and compare their total with the difficulty.  A roll will score successes based on where it lands on the target, with points doubled if the die lands with its special face-up. This includes misses, so hopefully you aren’t rolling a special side if you miss the target, or you’ll see the SDM smile with evil glee before letting you know what new trouble you have just created.  Of note, rolling a 10 or above (regardless of the difficulty) is always an Epic Success and is sure to have some sort of amazingly good outcome for the player.

Dice rolling at a target is no longer just for combat, but now also used for skill checks and other game interactions.   Players have six attributes, each associated with three different skills.  Each skill is associated with a specific style of rolling the die toward the target.  Throwing (Dexterity) requires players to throw the dice from a step away from the table, while Perform (Charisma) requires a player to spin around fast and release the die towards the target.  In addition to skills, players have equipment that function in a similar way.  When used, equipment will add to a player’s total success score, but burden the player with a specific limitation to the roll.  So, a player might use their wand (you must spin the dice like a top) to make an attack.

If that isn’t enough, in addition to the basic die rolling “limitation”, players have special abilities called Stunts that let them stack on a second rolling limitation.  For example, normally a wizard would use their wand to attack with a +2 bonus, but it would require them to spin the die like a top rather than just toss it.  However, by choosing to use a stunt they could make their attack ignore enemy armor.  However, they would now also have to make sure the die bounced at least twice (instead of once) on the table before landing on the target. 

Things can quickly spin out of control (hopefully in a “fun” way) because one of the consequences of particularly bad previous interaction (like a wound making a player Wince – roll from within your elbow) or tough situations set up by the SDM (like lying prone – roll releasing from below the table) applies yet another layer of rolling limitations.  These stack, so attacking something from far away (Range) while lying down (Prone), means a player rolls from below the table, one step away from the table edge.  It gets even “worse” as a player can Push when attempting a roll, which gives them one or more additional dice to throw. Of course, they will obviously have the SDM declare yet another limitation to add to their throw.

The result is a night (or several) of combined storytelling interspersed with silly dice chucking.  Someone looking for a “serious” night of gaming need not apply.

Verdict:

Tabletop RPGs typically fall along a spectrum between a very detailed, tactical, rules-heavy style of play where most actions require a specific dice roll and have set outcomes.  On the other end is a more fast and loose story-centric style of play where rolling dice (if there even is any dice) is primarily a guide to how the story progresses, with the players (both sides) work together to tell a story.  One More Quest lies closer to the latter.  Players are still rolling dice, but the results are often interpreted by the players to move the story forward.  Like improvisational comedy, the game encourages a “yes, and” approach where gamers come up with ideas and others (other players or the SDM) run with that idea but layer additional spins on top of the situation.

One More Quest relies heavily on the basic dexterity-based mechanics of Dungeon Fighter.  Rolling dice in silly ways, trying to hit a central target to resolve the consequence of an action.  In fact, the default backstory of One More Quest is having the players explore a dungeon, so much of the time the RPG will look very much like a game of Dungeon Fighter.  One More Quest simply builds on the same combat mechanics, but introduces new encounter options (such as using non-combat skills) and a more long-term system for character advancement and development.  The two are so similar, that a player’s enjoyment of one will almost always predict their enjoyment of the other.  Anyone who dislikes the silliness of one, is probably not going to like the other.  In many ways, One More Quest is like Dungeon Fighter where players can create their own Dungeon Fighter story/expansions as they go along.  The two diverge in the consequences of a roll.  

As a boardgame, Dungeon Fighter has a goofy way of resolving character interactions but the rolls almost always lead to a specific result with the players having an overall goal to “win” the game..  In contrast, the One More Quest RPG has a similarly goofy way of resolving interactions, but players use rolling results in a more fluid way to try to tell a story arc that may or may not have a predetermined outcome.  Since the RPG is so open-ended, players must really enjoy the fast and loose style of play.  Thus, players who really need a “win” condition may enjoy one, but not the other. Perhaps the best description of One More Quest would be a game of Dungeon Fighter, but a version that is open-ended, guided by player creativity, and one that provides a large amount of player customization and progression. For me, the goofy style of One More Quest could make for a single (or possibly the occasional) fun evening of silliness but it isn’t going to overtake my regular tabletop RPG nights. 

If this all seems interesting, hop on over to the Kickstarter (ending on Feb 15th) to take a closer look.  You can pick up a completely digital version of the game (a PDF of the rulebook and a printout of the target, you’ll have to use 6-sided dice you have lying around) for about $25 and a physical product (book, target, and dice all in a box) for around $60. 

Kid Factor:

Since it is all about story, players bring their own maturity-rating to the game.  Anyone able to roll a die is eligible to play, but the SDM should at least be comfortable enough with the rules to create appropriate challenges and be able to assist players in how they resolve their actions.


*Note, I haven’t been paid for this preview of the title, but I have been provided with the occasional review copy of Horrible Guild’s boardgames in the past.

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