Product– Hellboy: the RolePlaying Game
System- Dungeons and Dragons 5e
Producer– Mantic Games
Price– FREE here https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/324717/Hellboy-The-Roleplaying-Game-Quickstart?affiliate_id=658618
TL; DR– WORTH IT! 100%
Basics– GONNA BE SORE IN THE MORNING! Hellboy jumps from three movies and multiple comics into an RPG. This kickstarter is for a Dungeons and Dragons 5e expansion featuring the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defence. Is this a cash grab or something full of soul?
Mechanics or Crunch– This is 5e, which is good, but it’s so much more. This game has the standard 5e mechanics but adds its own touches like new ways to heal in a fight as well as doom and ingenuity. These are new pools that are like inspiration or hero points, but a full new system that makes this feel like the comics. Players roll an extra d10 with 1s earning doom points, points for the GM to hurt/mess with players, and 10s earning ingenuity, points for the players to play with. It feels pulpy and something that honestly DMs might steal for other games they run that need a comic feel. It’s easy to slap a coat of paint on a fighter and be done, but honestly this book does a lot more to make the game its own. 5/5
Theme or Fluff– This isn’t a full product, but the adventure and the overall pieces makes me think Hellboy. Sure I know where the pictures come from as there isn’t a ton of new art, but who cares. I like the pieces here and think that this feels right in the Hellboy world. Heck there is a full free adventure that feels like a BPRD comic. Solid world building here. 5/5
Execution– PDF? YEP! Hyperlinked? YES! The big boys of the RPG world can’t even pull that off and this FREE PRODUCT comes out swinging with solid text design and flow, good execution of its pieces, and a great explanation of how to play 5e that even the base 5e book might have trouble matching while giving me new toys to play with. I would like a bit more pictures to break up text, but if this is the full book, I’ll be happy. 5/5
Summary-I love the Hellboy comics, the hellboy movies (yes even the latest one), and I love DnD 5e. This is a no brainer for me. Solid old and new mechanics, solid world building and theme,and solid execution of a PDF make this something you should get NOW. Heck, even if you don’t want to pay THIS IS FREE! The base buy-in of the RPG is about 14 bucks, and I honestly expect that from MUCH smaller companies for MUCH less. Check this one out! 100%
Throat Punch Games 