Kobold’s ‘Soulslike Roleplaying’: Dungeons & Dark Souls Abound in New 5E Supplement
Kobold Press attempts to thread a difficult needle with Soulslike Roleplaying new supplement that promises the Dark Souls experience in 5E.
Dungeons & Dragons is a game of vaguely medieval fantasy with fighters in heavy armor and sorcerers hurling fire at a lot of skeletal enemies. Dark Souls is a game of vaguely medieval fantasy with fighters in heavy armor and sorcerers hurling fire at a lot of skeletal enemies. Should be easy to combine the two, no?
It’s a curious thing. Because D&D translates to video games very well. In the early days of video gaming, D&D influenced games like Wizardry and Ultima, and even across the seas, Final Fantasy. One doesn’t have to look too far into Sen’s Fortress in Dark Souls to recognize the influence of a hateful DM, designing unfair gotcha traps and putting enemies in hard-to-reach places with easy access to shoving you into the abyss.
But porting video games into D&D? That’s always been much more of a challenge. It’s doable, but you have to really look at what you’re working with and what people are doing at the tabletop. The Dark Souls RPG had its own pains, with its stamina pool and attempt to add dodge rolls to D&D.
Kobold Press has a new supplement, titled Soulslike Roleplaying, which attempts that challenging feat in a relatively small number of pages. Just in time to try it after your group finishes drooling over that Shadow of the Erdtree trailer.
Soulslike Roleplaying
Perhaps the most striking thing about the supplement is its length. It’s only 15 pages. But those fifteen pages are dedicated to capturing the essence of Soulslike games. What does that mean, exactly?
Well, for one, the game adds a parry and evade mechanic in the form of reactions that let you “evade combo attacks and parry blows before delivering critical counterattacks.” It’s an attempt to translate the timing and precision of Soulslike games into a turn-based experience.
It’s doable, but a meaty, crunchy task. You will also spend souls (aka the XP you earn from killing a monster) on both gear and leveling up, which is actually pretty cool. And naturally, there’s a mechanic for dying and being reborn which seems pointed at Dark Souls’ “hollowing” system.
Here are a few other things to expect from the game:
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- Discover the Five Core Rules of Soulslike Roleplaying!
- Add new combat options, legendary items, and NPCs to help players survive in a bleak and crumbling world.
- Play an introductory adventure in the grim world of Soulslike Roleplaying – reclaim your true soul from Ebonwrath the Blackdrake!
Light the bonfire and descend deeper into the dungeon. Try not to die. If you do, it won’t stop you for long.
All of this, for the low low price of $3.99. That’s cheaper than adding an extra piece of avocado to your sandwich these days.
Check out Soulslike Roleplaying at Kobold Press
Prepare to die. And then run back to where you dropped all your souls.
