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I just got finished reading “Sherwood | A Game of Outlaws & Arcana”. I’m a very big fan of the Robin Hood tales. Before finding Sherwood I purchased “Shadows of Sherwood” by Kekla Magoon for reading pleasure and it joins a huge collection of Robin Hood books (including “No Good Deed” by Kara Connolly and “Robin Hood vs the Plague Undead” by James Black, both highly recommended!), RPGs (“Darkwood”, “OneDice Robin Hood” and “Furry Outlaws” in hard-copy), television shows (DVDs for both “Rocket Robin Hood” and “The New Adventures of Robin Hood”) and even miniature games (“Outlaws of Sherwood”)! And I have always wanted to run a Robin Hood style campaign so Sherwood for free was a no brainer.
So obviously, “Sherwood” as a pretty easy sell to me. But instead of just going ‘on the pile’ of Robin Hood RPGs I decided that this one was good enough to play.
So keep that in mind, that while I have some criticisms, it’s definitely going to be my next campaign.
First it’s a nice looking game, well laid out and very readable. There is not a lot of artwork in it - almost none - but the layout, font choice and Robin Hood related quotes definitely made up for it.
Both the use of the F* word in the first chapter and the admonition on Gender and Sexuality seemed a little gratuitous to me, these seem to be standard issue on a lot of “modern”, “indie” kids games.
And it definitely feels like an “indie” game. The rules are very fast and loose and there is quite a bit of hand waving throughout.
But there is just enough system that I think it can be played - how much house-ruling you’d want to do comes down to individual taste (as it should be). Alot of games like this need the GM to entirely write the game before they can be played. So this one stood right on the outer edge of not enough.
There are only four attributes - Endurance, Luck, Willpower and Wits. They are all capable of being “spent” to accomplish certain effects. Presumably the attributes will stay reduced until ’healed’ in the ‘downtime’ process.
There’s a bit more ‘presumptions’ to come.
Then you pick from a small selection of Background Abilities, and a larger section of Careers from which you will choose which table to roll on to get skills and/or Attribute boosts. The selection of careers is particularly interesting and flavorful and well suited to the genre.
All characters are also assumed to have “Troubles” from a table which are not ‘disadvantages’ so much as they are good story elements. Again, each player will have to do some writing to fill in the blanks, but they do get an additional skill level for their trouble.
Players are also told they have two “Connections” to PCs or NPCs. What is done with these are another thing GMs will have presume.
Money is replaced by “Resources” and while enough suggestions are given on how to use it is another area where the GM is given a very light hand.
Legend is another point resource representing the outlaw groups reputation and is spent on things such as favors from local villagers to perhaps hide them or provide an alibi. Another thing somewhat left to the GM to determine.
These both are also used as ‘experience’ points.
Finally the PC group must have a “Mission” and “Code” which is defined by the group and used ...however they wish.
Encumbrance is given a very light weight ‘slot’ treatment and weapons, armor and equipment is given one light page with a few Resource cost suggestions.
The rules define Skill Checks and Saving Throws along with Advantages and Disadvantages. Succeeding in a skill requires rolling two six-sided dice and achieving an 8 or more. Jack of all Trades talent might help here. Roll High.
Saving Throws roll under an attribute. Roll Low. Spending Luck might help here.
This and the way Careers are structured make me view this as a rather Traveller take on Robin Hood. Why not just use Cepheus? Well it doesn’t bother me, but your mileage may vary.
Combat has another ‘indie’ twist in that initiative is “conversational” (or argumentative) and that either opponents dont roll dice and whether a PC is hit in combat is dependent on their own Skill Roll or..... something else happens and the GM just has to figure it out. This is the most likely place where I think LOTS of house rules will be needed, but again it seems par for the course with modern indie games nowadays.
Damage is also given similar treatment and it appears that that there is no written way for PCs to die if the GM doesn’t want them to. There is also a fast recovery mechanism.
Downtime is what passes as experience and the type of healing, skill acquisition, research or resource gain is chosen.
There is also a magic system which is definitely one of the high points, that while not as strictly defined definitely has more meat on the bone while at the same time matching nicely with the genre - though I’m not real sure I remember Pyromancy coming up in any tales. But a nicely done system with lots of variety for those who want to add magic to their own games. Something which I have seen in Robin Hood tales.
A small set of NPCs are given the indie treatment of having a much smaller set of attributes - basically hit points, armor and attitudes.
Two one page adventures follow along with a set of inspiration books, tv shows and films.
So what do I think? I think it’s well done. It’s good points largely overcome its weaknesses and its style I can definitely work with to run and play the kind of Robin Hood style games I’d like to.
It’s not for inexperienced GMs at all. There is zero to negative hand-holding for new players. Another common indie trait.
As long as you know what your getting - an outline of a good game - and are prepared to fill-in-the-blanks yourself I can definitely recommend this game.
I hope there is more forthcoming.
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