Welcome back to the weekly Tabletop Games thread! This thread is where we can talk about all kinds of RPGs, card games, board games, etc. Whether you gather around a physical table in the real world, or use a virtual space to play with friends who may live far away from you, this is where you can discuss your favorites, ask for and/or receive recommendations, recap your recent adventures, or even find some people to play games with!

Discussion Prompt: Handsome Young Dugong is back this week with a TTRPG system review!

Hey, everybody, this week we’ll be looking at a system for, by, and about peasants who have to schedule their fantasy adventures around their day job, Weekend Warriors.

What is it?

Weekend Warriors is a game about medieval peasants who supplement their income with adventuring and dungeon-crawling.  It has a faintly Old School Renaissance (OSR) flavored approach to fantasy roleplaying, where power levels are low, discretion is the better part of valor, and looting tombs is the main plot point.  In addition to adventuring, characters have to roll to see how business was on the farm or shop.  If you don’t currently have opinions about how the price of turnip seeds affect your goals in the depths of a haunted crypt, you may well have them after playing.

 What are the mechanics?

The game uses the “Powered by the Apocalypse” dice mechanic, rolling 2d6 with a chance to roll a failure, a mixed success (success with a cost or drawback) or complete success.  The rolls can be used to attack, find hidden secrets, or determine how well the stock sold at the market this week.   Characters are defined by their playbooks, which grant them abilities reflecting their background as a farmer or crafter.  Gear is handled by purchasing unidentified “Supplies” that are defined during gameplay. 

What does the gameplay look like?

After naming one of her generic Supplies as a mirror, Brooke the Apothecary peeks around the corner, seeing a few shambling forms in the next room.  Working quickly to mix reagents together, she uses the move Fire Flask to toss a bomb into the room.  Her DM has her roll +Magic, so she rolls 2d6 + 2.  The dice show 11 total, making her roll a complete success.  Brooke marks off another Supply as used, and fire engulfs the skeletons in the next room.  However, they continue to move, and start clattering toward the doorway Brooke is hiding behind.  She checks her dwindling supplies while weighing the risk against the reward rumored to be ahead.  If only it hadn’t been such a lean week at the apothecary stall…

Niche

The focus on episodic play makes it a reasonable choice for drop in/drop out sessions, like those moments when you can’t advance your main campaign because a player or two didn’t show for the gaming session. 

Pluses

• The ruleset and supplemental module are free.
• The game is little less improv-dependent than a lot of games in the PbtA sphere.

Minuses

• Like most hybrid games, it will probably disappoint dedicated fans of both PbtA and OSR.
• The ruleset is fairly spartan compared to industry games.

Dugong’s advice

In any OSR–adjacent game, the real main character is the dungeon itself.  The more packed the setting is with secrets, treasures, and monsters, the better the game will be.

Where can I find it?

Available exclusively on itch.io. 

Thanks again to Handsome Young Dugong for providing this write-up! If you would like to suggest a prompt or contribute a write-up or discussion topic of your own, let me know in the comments!