I'm a friend of Cody Pondsmith's and he poured so much of himself into this book. I remember multiple days when my wife and I were visiting and Cody would come home, say hi, and go right to bed. It's been really cool to see how well received this game has been. (I can also confirm his wife is an intense min-maxer)
Been going through the book today and aside from the game side the actual amount of personality in it is amazing so many funny and cool lil sode notes etc genuinely fun just to go through a rule book haha
Honestly, speaking as a fan of the game, i think the review leaves out the hidden negatives of the game. First off; Jedi syndrome; the rare class that super common -something which someone with as much experience as you could have picked up on. The witcher class is the most versatile, with witcher only stuff and not exactly cantrips but nearly as or as powerful spells as mage and priest. Doctor and healing system is negated when mage takes healing spell (mage instead of priest) , Even the most learned sage can only know commoner superstition about monsters , only Witcher can know the the truth and nothing inbetween, Crafting system does take a lot of work and would have been made better if only they made a few more tables clarifying it (i and other fans did on the reddit tho) .
I have played several sessions now. The jedi syndrome isn't so bad as all the classes have skill trees that dole out some unique abilities. My problem with the system is the critical system. Criticals that permanently maim characters happen way to often and wearing heavier armor makes you more likely to die or be maimed from a critical. Shields add no bonus to defense rolls. You would think blocking with a shield would be much easier than blocking with a sword or dagger. The system is naturally deadly. Hit points or generally low and most weapons do multiple dice of damage. I really wish more thought was given to how armor, shields, and cover interact with defense. Otherwise I really like the game.
@@monkerson5684 It is a reactive defense system that costs 1 stamina unless you spend your whole turn to defend actively. Also armor reduces damage taken.
@@ZalrokChaos1 Heavier armors do reduce damage but also make it more likely to take a critical hit. Unless it is a game featuring Monty Python, armor should make taking a critical less likely. This is easily fixed with house rules but I wish the authors would have caught the problem.
1st off signs are the most basic form of spell possible mages and sorceress is find them to be parlor tricks just funny little curiosities nothing more they're not as powerful by any stretch of the imagination and if they were they wouldn't abandon wiped out pretty much You might want to take some time to learn the Lore just saying
I’ve been running a two person campaign for a couple of weeks now and it is deadly but so much fun. The players are new to TTRPGs but they love how involved the combat is and that’s even with me down sizing npcs to accomodate them. It’s life path is the best background maker I have ever seen in an RPG. You’re guaranteed a unique and playable character and challenging combat. The only issue I have with this book is that there are several typos and printing mishaps like the man at arms table being lower on the page than the other ones. This isn’t an issue for me, but you will have to home brew your own campaign because there isn’t much in the way of published adventures. The same goes for the bestiary, there are fan made ones on the Witcher TTRPG subreddit if you can’t find what you need. But I can’t recommend this game enough.
I know next to nothing about the Witcher but you made this game sound great! I enjoy darker games where you need to save a village rather than an epic save-the-world type of adventures.
The first time I played The Witcher TTRPG my character nearly died and ended up losing an eye. And this game made it fun! Terrific stuff from R. Talsorian, and they have other great games too!
"Romance and how to not make it weird" reminds me about that story of a GM and a player that ended up kissing each other because of how much they where into their characters.
Thank you for uploading this video! I'm planning a Witcher campaign. I was originally going to run it in D&D 5e because that's the system my group is most familiar with. Then I heard of this Witcher TTRPG and I wasn't sure whether it would be adequate. Your video provides a lot of insight on this topic and is making me consider that this system might be fun. I will be talking to my group about it.
That was the first place I ever remember seeing a background generation system. I loved rollling up cyberpunk characters for that reason. For some reason I always ended up being a nomad?
@@rpgquestboard You might be interested in how Traveller approaches backstory generation then. It's a bit more...comprehensive. Interesting to learn about, at least.
Black Hack & White Hack are coming next week. Weird trivia: the "mainstream" products I review don't many views either! So I will stick to the smaller titles, as I like them better anyway.
The most extensive Lifepath character creation system I've seen is in Mutant Chronicles 3e, from Modiphius. Their version of Conan may have some of the bare bones, but isn't nearly so much of a "path". I believe their Infinity RPG is kinda close to MC3 in likeness, although a bit narrower in breadth. The R Talsorian games are okay but with fewer, and more brief, possible results. Always appreciative of lifepath creation systems either way.
I got this as a gift last x-mas. I literally pulled it down off my game book shelf on Friday to start read it. After hearing your review, I’m going to really dig into it.
R Talsorian have been including Lifepath tables in their character creation for years. I first encountered them in their excellent Mekton RPG. Great review, BTW. You have intrigued me and I may seek out a copy at Dragonmeet convention next month.
Well done again, Professor. I like to think we’re cut from the same cloth in our tastes and preferred styles of gaming, so when you give a game a glowing review, it usually ends up in my library soon after.
My favorite part of the book is the crafting system. My players are not as enthusiastic about this game as D&D but the crafting system could be carried over such as players wanting a specific potion as an alchemist sending them to specific locations to get the ingredients.
Greatly enjoy when the game actually communicates with it audience and provides a variety of tools that could be used for other systems. Have greatly enjoyed Cyberpunk RED but haven’t had the opportunity to run (or play) the Witcher.
This one's a beautiful book and amazing for fans of the games (more than the books)... I use it for the lifepath tables and other random tables, 'cause the system itself is not great. But it has LOTS of great ideas that can be used in any game.
Wow, this rulebook looks awesome, I definitely want to pick it up after getting a peek inside with your review. I was concerned it would be somewhat shallow, just using the Witcher IP to rake in some cash, but it looks detailed and like it is a fully fleshed-out system.
Some rules are unclear on first or second reading. You will have to use Sage by R. Talsorian Games sometimes and make some homebrew but overall the rules have pretty hight quality. This system is more complicated than DnD (5e) but! It is complex, fun and awesome after few sessions. Way more "realistic" than DnD and still you can use this system in your own world or for some modules from other systems. Our first camping was heavly inspired by Lost mine of Phandelver and it was great!
How is it more complicated? This basically 3.5e but with a d10. It is very much a class based system even though it claims to be skill based. The only difference is that armor has damage reduction and that’s it.
Thank you for this review. I have decided to try this game out with some of my family at GenCon this year. Not sure if we will get the tickets but your review gave me enough info to want and try it.
My only issue with this game is that there is a slight lack of randomness in the mechanics (others may like this). A d10 plus skill of 1-13, makes very it difficult to turn over a superior character with a lucky roll. That said its probably easier to do than for a D&D hit point sponge. Other than that i really like this system. It's fast, furious and has opposed combat rolls which I love.
I have the exact opposite with this system. Even though you're. rather paradoxically, completely right. With a 20 percent chance of either a critical succes or failure that can stack the randomness is a huge balance problem in this game. One unlucky roll and your characer is dead, dismembered or out of any combat capability for sessions on end. My Man-at-arms got an unlucky roll and is a man-at-arm now. A big boss fight got one-shotted. So the system is rather hard in randomness, but when it does happen the effects are so desastrous it's hard to prepare or mitigate. Having said that, I do love the flavour and style of the Witcher so I'll be playing this for some time. EDIT: Which is, of course, mainly a combat problem.
A fun little house rule I put in the game to help cut out "main character syndrome" for mages and witchers: if a character wants to play a mage, they need to roll a 9 or 10 on a d10. A witcher, a 10. My table enjoys it because it adds the possibility of powerful players while leveling the chances a bit
Did you say in an earlier video that you don't review a game that you haven't played. How did it play? The art is cool, the tone is cool, but how does it play?
I got it the moment it came out as I was familiar with the quality of R. Talsorian Games (Talislanta rings a bell?). And I don't regret it but cherrish it each day.
One key point to note. This game is based on CD Projekt Red's video games and not directly the books or tv show. The art and some npcs are from those games. It is still using the books, but via the video game franchise. While those were excellent, it is important to note for those who come to the witcher from the tv show or books.
Glad you took our suggestion! There are people who want to hear your perspective on anything RPG, regardless of timing. I have a business, a wife and three kids and I don't buy anything when it just comes out. That crap is for 20 somethings and pay pigs.
The Witcher books are some of the best fantasy ever written. The RPG is great because of that, but also because of its realistic combat. Because combat can be so deadly, the game is more focused on non-combat role-play. The players cannot successfully try to fight their way out of every situation. But when combat does happen, it will be tense and memorable.
I thought Witcher 1&2 were meh at their release so I put off getting 3 because I thought I wouldn't like it. Well it was the first open world game to rival gothic 1&2 imo. I'd like to start on the books, but I don't read polish, and I know things get lost in translation
The art is gorgeous, the random tables look very useful, but the system looks much more complex than I like. And then… At 7:10 I paused to read the "Not Every Roll Has To Be Obvious" paragraph… What a terrible piece of advice! I'm sure it can work for some people, but I appreciate the McDowallian "Information-Choice-Impact" doctrine much more.
Nice review :-) If people are looking for published adventures for The Witcher, A Book of Tales was recently released with scenarios that can be played standalone or linked into a campaign tour of The Continent.
I love both the novels and the video games, so I've always been mildly interested in giving this a look. During the video, it looked as if the pages, as in the paper itself, was incredibly thin. Did I misinterpret things? I guess it doesn't matter if I stick to the PDF, which I'm definitely thinking of getting.
I was going to ask the same. I'd be terrified to turn those pages based on what I perceive to be glossy and thin/fragle; particularly, mid-upper and mid-lower.
If you've only read The Last Wish, and you like reading fantasy in general, I'd suggest picking up the later books of the series. The books get much better starting with The Blood of Elves when they move from being short story collections and into being complete novels.
I hesitated on this one because of how crunchy the combat is. Our group struggles with 5e already. The R Talsorian UA-cam channel has a good tutorial of the system though.
@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 I love it, for duels and small fights anyway. It'd take a long time to get the group to figure it out though. I think you're right, MB or BX d&d would be in their comfort zone.
Great review, the art looks great, system looks intriguing, those pages though, are they robust? They sort of look like the pages of a magazine, easy to tear or is that just the glossy shine?
You should check out the Witcher show, it's pretty good. This game looks very cool too, probably a good gateway for friends that like the show/game buy haven't played TTRPGs.
Witcher is deadly. There is no fate points(warhammer), no death saves or cheap and easy resurections(d&d). Sorry if something wrong with my english, it's not my first language.
Great Review. My first experience with the lifepath system was Mekton II back in the early 90s. Mekton is another Pondsmith classic. The d10 + skill system is also used in that game. I guess "if it ain't broke, don't fix it. " Soooo Um, when we going to play? :)
prof, would you do a tutorial series on other RPG combat styles designed for viewers already familiar with 5e? I've wanted to get into cyberpunk, mechwarriors, pathfinder, etc. but I've yet to see anyone do a combat sample designed for newcomers that is poignant and clearly laid out in stages from a basic round to more complex systems. The few videos that are out there are hours long and drip-feed information slowly and out of order with way too much exposition, umms and uhhs, or redundant info. Roll20 games are almost exclusively 5e now and I can't find anywhere locally to learn a new system. I know you'd be best to tackle the task! Give me a masterclass series on how to play other games.
I agree that there is a need for tutorials for different systems for people who are already familiar with the basic concept of RPGs. Like an RPG primer, in 10 minutes will tell you enough about the game so either you know if this is something you want to get into and dive deeper or, if you're handed out a character, you follow along during a game session without being too lost.
@@MrMaxBoivin exactly! short and sweet, use visual examples, make it timeless for the system/edition and not some poorly lit video that is 3 hours long and includes everything from deep lore, personal preferences, and anecdotal stories about "one time me and my friend did x" haha.
Great idea. Some of the most interesting content here has been the alt systems, but they are largely variants on the fantasy them and 3.5e/5e type rules (even if focus is on streamlining) maybe with some warhammer rpg covered. Not all--the reviews show some interesting systems. But you mentioned Mechwarriior, I'm also interesting in Cyberpunk [red]. Pretty sure Traveller came up in one of PDC's vids--how could it not with that character generation mechanism. But yeah, some overview type approach like you guys are saying. Not sure about "tutorial" per se, but I like the idea. Of course, these books cost money, which can impact feasibility.
Anyone know if the Prof has reviewed/played R. Talisorian Cyberpunk TT? Any version, although most recent Red version (Jumpstark kit or Core book) preferably. No, right? As non-fantasy/non-low-tech horror, possibly not of great interest all round. Dunno.
Unrelated question: if a hag liclves near a town do people know she's a hag or do they think they're cutting deals with an old lady who is probably evil etc... But isn't an actual monster?
No love for Cyberpunk? But I have the book myself. Definitely don't play this in the d&d mindset but more like a vampire the masquerade type of gameplay.
Oooh Mike Pondsmith is the creator of Cyberpunk whose ttrpg was adapted into a video game by CD Project Red. And now Mike Pondsmith’s son returns the favor by adapting CDPR’s video game into a trrpg.
This game is basically 3.5e with a d10. It is a class based system in practice even though it claims to be a skill based one in theory. The only real difference from D&D is how armor works as a damage reduction tool rather than making you harder to hit and that’s it. Would not recommend 4/10.
Maybe I should try it and if it is just for character creation. And I'ld like your opinion of "The Dark Eye", one of the most famous RPGs in Germany. :-D
I just finished my first book. It is called Trade Winds an Items & Services Compendium and can be found on Drive-thru RPG. It is an item book that focuses on mundane items.
Unlike some commenters I loved the Interlock System in CP2020. Version 3, not so much. For those familiar enough, could this combat system be called Saturday Night Sword Fight? Either way, I want to play this. I think RTG rocks.
Having played some R Talsorian Cyberpunk games, I really was not a fan of its combat system. And hearing the The Witcher RPG's combat system is a derivative of Cyberpunk combat system, it's a turn off for me. But then again, maybe that's all the more reason to avoid combat when playing this game. 😁 Everything else looks extremely interesting! Being an absolute fan of Knave, I definitely wanna check out The Witcher's random character background generator!
The layout is functional but honestly it looks extremely amateur for such a big IP. From how tables and text are formatted, to how pictures are cropped, to the choice of fonts and colors. They could have hired a designer for making it look professional. As it is I honestly wouldn't pay the asking price for such a bad looking book, even if the binding and paper are good.
This was a good review. I don’t enjoy running or playing games that are this deadly. I don’t want a game to end on a random roll. This is probably not the game for me
Yet life itself can end on a random roll, at any given time, so why play a game where you get to be a God? Different strokes for different folks, I guess.
@@bonbondurjdr6553 inappropriate how? I stated a fact. Real life is literally a random chance of death at any corner. Why then would we play games where the characters can’t possibly die?
@@bonbondurjdr6553 he said he doesn’t want a game to end on a random roll- first off, all games can come down to a single dice roll. Second, real life is also a single dice roll event.
I'm a friend of Cody Pondsmith's and he poured so much of himself into this book. I remember multiple days when my wife and I were visiting and Cody would come home, say hi, and go right to bed. It's been really cool to see how well received this game has been. (I can also confirm his wife is an intense min-maxer)
Tell Cody I loved his writing. I hope this video boosted sales. R. Talsrorian deserves it.
Been going through the book today and aside from the game side the actual amount of personality in it is amazing so many funny and cool lil sode notes etc genuinely fun just to go through a rule book haha
Romance & How to Not Make it Weird
That could be a stand alone tome applicable to all RPGs
...and perhaps to real life as well.
Honestly, speaking as a fan of the game, i think the review leaves out the hidden negatives of the game. First off; Jedi syndrome; the rare class that super common -something which someone with as much experience as you could have picked up on. The witcher class is the most versatile, with witcher only stuff and not exactly cantrips but nearly as or as powerful spells as mage and priest. Doctor and healing system is negated when mage takes healing spell (mage instead of priest) , Even the most learned sage can only know commoner superstition about monsters , only Witcher can know the the truth and nothing inbetween, Crafting system does take a lot of work and would have been made better if only they made a few more tables clarifying it (i and other fans did on the reddit tho) .
It's not a playlets review so I can't spot the flaws. Good value for the price, though.
I have played several sessions now. The jedi syndrome isn't so bad as all the classes have skill trees that dole out some unique abilities.
My problem with the system is the critical system. Criticals that permanently maim characters happen way to often and wearing heavier armor makes you more likely to die or be maimed from a critical. Shields add no bonus to defense rolls. You would think blocking with a shield would be much easier than blocking with a sword or dagger. The system is naturally deadly. Hit points or generally low and most weapons do multiple dice of damage. I really wish more thought was given to how armor, shields, and cover interact with defense. Otherwise I really like the game.
@@monkerson5684 It is a reactive defense system that costs 1 stamina unless you spend your whole turn to defend actively. Also armor reduces damage taken.
@@ZalrokChaos1 Heavier armors do reduce damage but also make it more likely to take a critical hit. Unless it is a game featuring Monty Python, armor should make taking a critical less likely. This is easily fixed with house rules but I wish the authors would have caught the problem.
1st off signs are the most basic form of spell possible mages and sorceress is find them to be parlor tricks just funny little curiosities nothing more they're not as powerful by any stretch of the imagination and if they were they wouldn't abandon wiped out pretty much You might want to take some time to learn the Lore just saying
I’ve been running a two person campaign for a couple of weeks now and it is deadly but so much fun. The players are new to TTRPGs but they love how involved the combat is and that’s even with me down sizing npcs to accomodate them. It’s life path is the best background maker I have ever seen in an RPG. You’re guaranteed a unique and playable character and challenging combat. The only issue I have with this book is that there are several typos and printing mishaps like the man at arms table being lower on the page than the other ones. This isn’t an issue for me, but you will have to home brew your own campaign because there isn’t much in the way of published adventures. The same goes for the bestiary, there are fan made ones on the Witcher TTRPG subreddit if you can’t find what you need. But I can’t recommend this game enough.
I know next to nothing about the Witcher but you made this game sound great! I enjoy darker games where you need to save a village rather than an epic save-the-world type of adventures.
Tbh he's good at making anything sound interesting!
The first time I played The Witcher TTRPG my character nearly died and ended up losing an eye. And this game made it fun! Terrific stuff from R. Talsorian, and they have other great games too!
"Romance and how to not make it weird" reminds me about that story of a GM and a player that ended up kissing each other because of how much they where into their characters.
Been curious about this game for awhile, so thanking you for the review Professor. Much appreciated.
The Pondsmith dynasty continues the tradition of making an RPG out of something a Pondsmith likes using the interlock system.
Thank you for uploading this video! I'm planning a Witcher campaign. I was originally going to run it in D&D 5e because that's the system my group is most familiar with. Then I heard of this Witcher TTRPG and I wasn't sure whether it would be adequate. Your video provides a lot of insight on this topic and is making me consider that this system might be fun. I will be talking to my group about it.
This is all very heavily reminiscent of Cyberpunk 2020, very interested in checking this out.
That was the first place I ever remember seeing a background generation system. I loved rollling up cyberpunk characters for that reason. For some reason I always ended up being a nomad?
@@rpgquestboard You might be interested in how Traveller approaches backstory generation then. It's a bit more...comprehensive. Interesting to learn about, at least.
Happy to see you doing reviews on non mainstream products I'm a huge fan of cyberpunk and glad to hear that they didn't disappoint with The Witcher
Black Hack & White Hack are coming next week. Weird trivia: the "mainstream" products I review don't many views either! So I will stick to the smaller titles, as I like them better anyway.
Lifepaths were such a defining feature of cyberpunk which Mike pondsmith wrote so many years ago. It’s great to see it again.
The most extensive Lifepath character creation system I've seen is in Mutant Chronicles 3e, from Modiphius. Their version of Conan may have some of the bare bones, but isn't nearly so much of a "path". I believe their Infinity RPG is kinda close to MC3 in likeness, although a bit narrower in breadth. The R Talsorian games are okay but with fewer, and more brief, possible results. Always appreciative of lifepath creation systems either way.
Been playing Chronicles since 1e. The life paths is really cool 🙂
Mutant Chronicles life path character creation is more extensive than Burning Wheel?
@@alamos52 Never tried Burning wheel, but you roll from birth to you start the game in Chronicles 🙂
I'm only moderately interested in the whole Witcher thing, but I think you've sold me on the game system.
I got this as a gift last x-mas. I literally pulled it down off my game book shelf on Friday to start read it. After hearing your review, I’m going to really dig into it.
R Talsorian have been including Lifepath tables in their character creation for years. I first encountered them in their excellent Mekton RPG. Great review, BTW. You have intrigued me and I may seek out a copy at Dragonmeet convention next month.
Well done again, Professor. I like to think we’re cut from the same cloth in our tastes and preferred styles of gaming, so when you give a game a glowing review, it usually ends up in my library soon after.
By same cloth, you mean a game where you’re not an invincible God, and might actually die? My kinda cloth
I’m not even through watching this video and I am already ordering a copy of this book!
Cool. Tell them I sent you.
The systems looks pretty cool, but the super long Character Sheet is a bit daunting.
I'm right there with you. Simple is better. But I would absolutely use this as inspiration.
My favorite part of the book is the crafting system. My players are not as enthusiastic about this game as D&D but the crafting system could be carried over such as players wanting a specific potion as an alchemist sending them to specific locations to get the ingredients.
Greatly enjoy when the game actually communicates with it audience and provides a variety of tools that could be used for other systems. Have greatly enjoyed Cyberpunk RED but haven’t had the opportunity to run (or play) the Witcher.
This one's a beautiful book and amazing for fans of the games (more than the books)... I use it for the lifepath tables and other random tables, 'cause the system itself is not great. But it has LOTS of great ideas that can be used in any game.
Wow, this rulebook looks awesome, I definitely want to pick it up after getting a peek inside with your review.
I was concerned it would be somewhat shallow, just using the Witcher IP to rake in some cash, but it looks detailed and like it is a fully fleshed-out system.
What a review! Definitely going to check this out!
Some rules are unclear on first or second reading. You will have to use Sage by R. Talsorian Games sometimes and make some homebrew but overall the rules have pretty hight quality.
This system is more complicated than DnD (5e) but! It is complex, fun and awesome after few sessions. Way more "realistic" than DnD and still you can use this system in your own world or for some modules from other systems.
Our first camping was heavly inspired by Lost mine of Phandelver and it was great!
How is it more complicated? This basically 3.5e but with a d10. It is very much a class based system even though it claims to be skill based. The only difference is that armor has damage reduction and that’s it.
Thank you for this review. I have decided to try this game out with some of my family at GenCon this year. Not sure if we will get the tickets but your review gave me enough info to want and try it.
Dude IDK, but Roach being on the house 10/10. Otherwise thanks PDM.
Good review!
I respect alternative points of view.
My only issue with this game is that there is a slight lack of randomness in the mechanics (others may like this). A d10 plus skill of 1-13, makes very it difficult to turn over a superior character with a lucky roll. That said its probably easier to do than for a D&D hit point sponge. Other than that i really like this system. It's fast, furious and has opposed combat rolls which I love.
I have the exact opposite with this system. Even though you're. rather paradoxically, completely right.
With a 20 percent chance of either a critical succes or failure that can stack the randomness is a huge balance problem in this game.
One unlucky roll and your characer is dead, dismembered or out of any combat capability for sessions on end.
My Man-at-arms got an unlucky roll and is a man-at-arm now. A big boss fight got one-shotted.
So the system is rather hard in randomness, but when it does happen the effects are so desastrous it's hard to prepare or mitigate.
Having said that, I do love the flavour and style of the Witcher so I'll be playing this for some time.
EDIT: Which is, of course, mainly a combat problem.
@@Psmeijers that's a good point. I'm a WFRP and Rolemaster fan though so I love a bit of danger in my combat!
That Life-Path background set up was also in Cyberpunk 2020. Good Stuff!!
Doesn't look like a system I'd want to play, but it DOES look like an inspirational resource I'd want to HAVE!
A fun little house rule I put in the game to help cut out "main character syndrome" for mages and witchers: if a character wants to play a mage, they need to roll a 9 or 10 on a d10. A witcher, a 10. My table enjoys it because it adds the possibility of powerful players while leveling the chances a bit
Did you say in an earlier video that you don't review a game that you haven't played. How did it play? The art is cool, the tone is cool, but how does it play?
And I was just thinking of picking this up and wondering about recent reviews ... thanks for the mind reading reply.
I am sold. Just went and bought it.
I love any game with a lifepath-style system, like Traveller and Cyberpunk (which is made by the same company/family).
Awesome review, I'll definitely consider picking this up.
Thanks.
I got it the moment it came out as I was familiar with the quality of R. Talsorian Games (Talislanta rings a bell?). And I don't regret it but cherrish it each day.
I love The Witcher!!! Another great review by the Professor!!!
One key point to note. This game is based on CD Projekt Red's video games and not directly the books or tv show. The art and some npcs are from those games. It is still using the books, but via the video game franchise. While those were excellent, it is important to note for those who come to the witcher from the tv show or books.
Glad you took our suggestion! There are people who want to hear your perspective on anything RPG, regardless of timing. I have a business, a wife and three kids and I don't buy anything when it just comes out. That crap is for 20 somethings and pay pigs.
Death bringer even wears nilfgardian armour, I'm sure that's been said many times but I can't help but mention it in the Witcher video
The Witcher books are some of the best fantasy ever written. The RPG is great because of that, but also because of its realistic combat. Because combat can be so deadly, the game is more focused on non-combat role-play. The players cannot successfully try to fight their way out of every situation. But when combat does happen, it will be tense and memorable.
I thought Witcher 1&2 were meh at their release so I put off getting 3 because I thought I wouldn't like it. Well it was the first open world game to rival gothic 1&2 imo. I'd like to start on the books, but I don't read polish, and I know things get lost in translation
@@drowningin the Witcher books are great in English and I could not tell it was translated. They are probably even better in Polish though.
The art is gorgeous, the random tables look very useful, but the system looks much more complex than I like. And then…
At 7:10 I paused to read the "Not Every Roll Has To Be Obvious" paragraph… What a terrible piece of advice!
I'm sure it can work for some people, but I appreciate the McDowallian "Information-Choice-Impact" doctrine much more.
I don't remember that. Been a few months since I taped this.
Looks cool! You should read the Witcher series. It is a lot of fun and fairly different than other fantasy!
I did. Read the 1st book. Pretty good.
You know ngl another awesome use for this game sounds like coming up with characters for writing a book!
Could be!
I would heavily advise against it, as you could run into legal problems. If you do not plan on selling such a book, then yeah, why not.
Nice review :-) If people are looking for published adventures for The Witcher, A Book of Tales was recently released with scenarios that can be played standalone or linked into a campaign tour of The Continent.
Good review. I'm looking for an alt to 5e that my players will enjoy and this is on the list.
Glad I could help
Hey prof! Great video. You should do a video on handling romance in games. I'd love to hear your take on it.
This looks absolutely fantastic, I gotta grab a copy!
Any chance on a video on Cyberpunk RED ?
Probably not. The reviews haven't been pulling in big numbers.
So my copy isn’t the only one who’s man-at-arms skill tree table is drastically dropped on the bottom of the page for some reason?
I love both the novels and the video games, so I've always been mildly interested in giving this a look.
During the video, it looked as if the pages, as in the paper itself, was incredibly thin. Did I misinterpret things?
I guess it doesn't matter if I stick to the PDF, which I'm definitely thinking of getting.
I was going to ask the same. I'd be terrified to turn those pages based on what I perceive to be glossy and thin/fragle; particularly, mid-upper and mid-lower.
If you've only read The Last Wish, and you like reading fantasy in general, I'd suggest picking up the later books of the series. The books get much better starting with The Blood of Elves when they move from being short story collections and into being complete novels.
The life path system had it's origins in Pondsmith's original games Metron and Cyberpunk.
Lol accidentally left the volume cranked and that lightning crack
I hesitated on this one because of how crunchy the combat is. Our group struggles with 5e already. The R Talsorian UA-cam channel has a good tutorial of the system though.
If you don't like crunch I'd suggest a simpler system. Mork Borg has a similar vibe.
@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 I love it, for duels and small fights anyway. It'd take a long time to get the group to figure it out though. I think you're right, MB or BX d&d would be in their comfort zone.
Have you ever read Symbaroum? I bet you would love it
Nice. I'll have to check this one out.
Great review, the art looks great, system looks intriguing, those pages though, are they robust? They sort of look like the pages of a magazine, easy to tear or is that just the glossy shine?
They're a little thin.
@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 Thought so, shame but it still looks great.
Is it something you plan on playing?
Pretty book, but I prefer a simpler kind of TTRPG system, therefore not my style 😅
You should check out the Witcher show, it's pretty good. This game looks very cool too, probably a good gateway for friends that like the show/game buy haven't played TTRPGs.
Go read Elric instead!
@@bonbondurjdr6553 ehm... Why instead and not also?
A better response would be the fantastic Witcher novels!
@@KjetilKverndokken because the Witcher is plagiat.
Witcher is deadly. There is no fate points(warhammer), no death saves or cheap and easy resurections(d&d).
Sorry if something wrong with my english, it's not my first language.
Great Review. My first experience with the lifepath system was Mekton II back in the early 90s. Mekton is another Pondsmith classic. The d10 + skill system is also used in that game. I guess "if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
"
Soooo Um, when we going to play? :)
prof, would you do a tutorial series on other RPG combat styles designed for viewers already familiar with 5e? I've wanted to get into cyberpunk, mechwarriors, pathfinder, etc. but I've yet to see anyone do a combat sample designed for newcomers that is poignant and clearly laid out in stages from a basic round to more complex systems. The few videos that are out there are hours long and drip-feed information slowly and out of order with way too much exposition, umms and uhhs, or redundant info. Roll20 games are almost exclusively 5e now and I can't find anywhere locally to learn a new system. I know you'd be best to tackle the task! Give me a masterclass series on how to play other games.
I agree that there is a need for tutorials for different systems for people who are already familiar with the basic concept of RPGs. Like an RPG primer, in 10 minutes will tell you enough about the game so either you know if this is something you want to get into and dive deeper or, if you're handed out a character, you follow along during a game session without being too lost.
@@MrMaxBoivin exactly! short and sweet, use visual examples, make it timeless for the system/edition and not some poorly lit video that is 3 hours long and includes everything from deep lore, personal preferences, and anecdotal stories about "one time me and my friend did x" haha.
Great idea. Some of the most interesting content here has been the alt systems, but they are largely variants on the fantasy them and 3.5e/5e type rules (even if focus is on streamlining) maybe with some warhammer rpg covered. Not all--the reviews show some interesting systems. But you mentioned Mechwarriior, I'm also interesting in Cyberpunk [red]. Pretty sure Traveller came up in one of PDC's vids--how could it not with that character generation mechanism.
But yeah, some overview type approach like you guys are saying. Not sure about "tutorial" per se, but I like the idea.
Of course, these books cost money, which can impact feasibility.
@@ttprophet And none of the "what is an RPG" or "Those are polyhedral dice" stuff.
Anyone know if the Prof has reviewed/played R. Talisorian Cyberpunk TT? Any version, although most recent Red version (Jumpstark kit or Core book) preferably. No, right?
As non-fantasy/non-low-tech horror, possibly not of great interest all round. Dunno.
It is good to see discount Elric getting a good TTRPG treatment at least.
😄
Le GASP! DB, throwing down the gauntlet on the Witcher Garalt. Now there is a match I would pay good GP to see!
How timely. I happen to be starting a home game of this tomorrow
Unrelated question: if a hag liclves near a town do people know she's a hag or do they think they're cutting deals with an old lady who is probably evil etc... But isn't an actual monster?
No love for Cyberpunk? But I have the book myself. Definitely don't play this in the d&d mindset but more like a vampire the masquerade type of gameplay.
Sounds great professor. Thanks for the review.
Oooh Mike Pondsmith is the creator of Cyberpunk whose ttrpg was adapted into a video game by CD Project Red. And now Mike Pondsmith’s son returns the favor by adapting CDPR’s video game into a trrpg.
Pondsmith is a LEGEND.
I'm happy to hear this review!
You say Lifepath, and I hear Cyberpunk. :D
Oh, the Interlock system of Old School R.Talsorian games?
Yep.
This looks like a top notch book.
Awesome! Please review Harnmaster next
This game is basically 3.5e with a d10. It is a class based system in practice even though it claims to be a skill based one in theory. The only real difference from D&D is how armor works as a damage reduction tool rather than making you harder to hit and that’s it. Would not recommend 4/10.
Maybe I should try it and if it is just for character creation.
And I'ld like your opinion of "The Dark Eye", one of the most famous RPGs in Germany. :-D
Great review!!! Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Looks interesting. I'd give it a read.
thanks for the review!
Sounds like the CP2020 life events chart got a fantasy reskin 😉
This looks so cool but I'd have such a hard time keeping myself from just playing Geralt
Great stuff friend 👏 👍
I just finished my first book. It is called Trade Winds an Items & Services Compendium and can be found on Drive-thru RPG. It is an item book that focuses on mundane items.
Lol. Does Deathbringer ever wiggle his nose? (If you are old enough, you will get the reference) :-)
Looks solid. You sold me!
Unlike some commenters I loved the Interlock System in CP2020. Version 3, not so much. For those familiar enough, could this combat system be called Saturday Night Sword Fight?
Either way, I want to play this. I think RTG rocks.
I've got a copy of a copy of those fnff rules somewhere. They kept me entertained
This looks good.
Having played some R Talsorian Cyberpunk games, I really was not a fan of its combat system. And hearing the The Witcher RPG's combat system is a derivative of Cyberpunk combat system, it's a turn off for me. But then again, maybe that's all the more reason to avoid combat when playing this game. 😁
Everything else looks extremely interesting! Being an absolute fan of Knave, I definitely wanna check out The Witcher's random character background generator!
That's why you use diplomacy and a ransom system (like Runequest) whenever possible. Also tactical thinking is a must.
I'm starting to feel wary about PDM's videos... Every time I watch a review video I add the recommendation to my wish list :/
wow nice game i buy it for christmas
The layout is functional but honestly it looks extremely amateur for such a big IP. From how tables and text are formatted, to how pictures are cropped, to the choice of fonts and colors. They could have hired a designer for making it look professional. As it is I honestly wouldn't pay the asking price for such a bad looking book, even if the binding and paper are good.
"In a skill-based game, you're going to have a long character sheet."
Not true for Call Of Cthulhu
Yeah but the writing is Tiny! 😆
What type of dystopia have we landed in where people go straight from mentioning the novels to the show without even mentioning the games?
Yeah. I'm not a video game guy so I only vaguely know of their existence (never seen the TV show either). I just read the book. Which I liked.
Thanks.
This was a good review. I don’t enjoy running or playing games that are this deadly. I don’t want a game to end on a random roll. This is probably not the game for me
Yet life itself can end on a random roll, at any given time, so why play a game where you get to be a God? Different strokes for different folks, I guess.
@@thetowndrunk988 this is not even an appropriate response and you know it.
@@bonbondurjdr6553 inappropriate how? I stated a fact. Real life is literally a random chance of death at any corner. Why then would we play games where the characters can’t possibly die?
@@thetowndrunk988 that's not what he said, and games aren't real life.
@@bonbondurjdr6553 he said he doesn’t want a game to end on a random roll- first off, all games can come down to a single dice roll. Second, real life is also a single dice roll event.
I could buy this for the romance rules alone. As a DM and a guy, it does get weird when romance comes into play, in a table with four other dudes.