The Game: The Dark Eye
I have known about this game for a while, both The Dark Eye and the original German Das Schwarze Auge. I always wanted to own the original German, having taken German in both high school and college, but not using a language for, well longer than I care to admit, you lose it. Das tut mir leid.
The Dark Eye always attracted me as a sort of a darker fantasy RPG. A game where Mirkwood is replaced by the Black Forest.
I picked the 2nd Printing of the English edition at my local game auction. I grabbed the core rules and a bunch of add ons that I suspect came from the Kickstarter. There is a lot and it all looks so good. There is even a basic QuickStart.
The game is very moody, but also surprisingly, well, bright. The art is fantastic and the design and layout are great. A really gorgeous game. Can't wait to do something more with it. And there is just so much material to be had, both to buy and for free.
I went through the character creation and poured over the book. I am overjoyed AND overwhelmed with all the options. I can easily see why this game is so popular here and in Germany. It is a game I would love to do more with and there is even a Community Content section for fan-produced works.
This could become a new obsession if I allowed it.
The Character: Katherina
Katherina is a character I would have likely created in German class. I will say this, the Dark Eye character sheets are among the nicest I have ever used. Though now I also want to make a Dwarven Witch and maybe a version of my Larina. I might do them as part of a larger review.
I might be missing some of the details here, but I think I have her set.
Katherina
Character art by Ramona von Brasch
Female Human Middenrealmer Raven Witch
COU 12
SGC 13
INT 14
CHA 15
DEX 12
AGI 12
CON 13
STR 9
Life Points 32
Arcane Energy 40
Spirit 2
Toughness 1
Dodge 6
Experience Level: Experienced (1,100 AP)
Advantages
Spellcaster, Hidden Aura, Increased Arcane Energy (V), Increased Life Points (I), Difficult to Enchant
Disadvantages
Negative Trait (Obessesed with Magic)
Special Abilities
Tradition (Witch), Languages (4 when I know more of the languages), Curses (4), Flying Balm, Connection to Familiar, Mimicry
Skills
Physical: Flying 6, Gaukelei 4, Stealth 2
Social: Empathy 6, Fast-Talk 4, Persuasion 4
Nature: Animal Lore 4, Plant Lore 4, Survival 3
Knowledge: Astronomy 4, Geography 4, Magical Lore 3, Myths & Legends 5, Religions 4
Craft: Alchemy 4, Treat Disease 2, Treat Soul 4
Combat Techniques
Brawling 8, Pole Weapons 8
Familiar
Krähe (Raven)
SA: First Among Equals
Spells
Fighting Stick 5
Witch's Bile 4
Age: 18
Birthday: Nameless 5
Social Status: Free
Hair: Black
Eyes: Blue
Height: 5'5"
I am sure I need to pick out more spells and more rituals. Again, there is just SO MUCH here.
It's always nice to see TDE geting some love. DSA is one of my faourite RPGs of all time, and I always buy a new supplement when I go on holiday in Germany.
ReplyDeleteThere's a lot to absorb in the rulebook, especially at first, but it really does repay an in-depth look.
If you do get serious about it, I recommend the Optolith character generator (PWYW on Drivethru). It also has a bit of a learning curve, but once you get the hang of it you can make a character in about 15-20 minutes, and you won't have to worry that you missed something or keep checking your maths.
(Speaking of which, your PC is missing a lot of default spells. You get 2 cantrips (minor magics -- the ones without numbers) from the profession list for free, plus all the actual spells at the listed values. Also a dwarven witch would be... odd to say the least!)
Alea iactanda est, THANKS!
ReplyDeleteI did see that on DTRPG so I will pick it up.
I am also not surprised I missed things here. There was a lot to take in.