Have you ever wanted to play Dungeons and Dragons but find keeping track of statistics and player information difficult? Are you one of the many gamers who fell in love with the 2023 Game of the Year? Well if you answered yes, then you are in luck because the creators of Baldur’s Gate 3, Larian Studios, has an upcoming tabletop roleplaying game that is much more accessible than Dungeons and Dragons.
At PAX East, we had the opportunity to meet with Larian Studios to preview their upcoming game Divinity: Original Sin The Board Game. How does it compare to other tabletop games?
For the meeting, we were paired with two random players who had been waiting eagerly in line waiting to play the game. Rather than having to memorize your character sheet and having to decipher your abilities, your abilities and stats are laid out clearly in front of the player.
Divinity: Original Sin: The Board Game differs itself from other tabletop games by allowing the player to be any class they desire. On top of the ability to create your own type of character, choosing how you undertake your adventure can be randomly generated.
Once you are prepared to set out on an adventure, find out which scenario you will take. Once you have arrived at the destination, the party must decide how they want to tackle the area. Do you want to go in stealthfully or do you want to go in loudly and with force?
Once the player has made their decision that player will then have to roll a skill check. Each player’s card indicates if they get a bonus to their roll.
Once the player rolls, the area card is flipped over and it is revealed how many positive hits the player would need to pass. If the player fails their roll, they can choose to use their Source Token to reroll the dice. Once that outcome is decided, the player adheres to the card’s rules.
After the first player completes their turn, the next party member can decide if they want to go the same route as their ally or go an alternate direction. Once in the building, the player can use their action points to move throughout the area.
Each path the player takes costs one action point. Once in a room, the player can then search for hidden items or enemies. When interacting with objects, there is a chance to alert the guards.
Some interactions will make the player draw a card and read a scenario. Once the scenario is read, the player must then follow through with what the card says; if there are no consequences, the player must decide if they want to complete the action or throw away the card.
If the card says to exit the area and level up, the player who drew the card can decide if they want to enact or discard it; if they choose to exit the area, the part as a whole leaves. if you find what you are looking for early on, you can easily move on but you might miss something special.
Combat within the game is fairly simple as well. In order to move from room to room, one action point is expended. At the start of the encounter, a dice roll determines if the players will go first or if the enemies will. Each enemy has an indicator that shows the enemies’ armor and health points.
Each of the enemies’ attacks, range, and item can easily be seen on their card. Players can choose to combo their abilities in order to deal extra damage.
By using status effects, players can combo their abilities. An ally using an oil attack makes it easy for a player to light the oil on fire; if an ally makes the floor wet, an ally can use electricity to deal extra damage.
Overall, the Divinity: Original Sin: The Board Game is a fun blend of tabletop RPG elements while introducing newer players to role-playing games. The game seems to offer a variety of adventures providing hours of gameplay and fun.
The action point system is fairly easy to understand whether you are a beginner or a seasoned veteran. The action point system and the encounter clock are fairly easy to manage and even novice players can grasp the concept quickly. If you are looking for a new game to play with your friends, then this a game to consider. Check out our review for the Divinity: Original Sin video game, too!
