Dragonbane Rulebook

In the oldest times, dragons and demons ruled the world. Opposing principles – order and chaos, law and madness – that kept everything in a terrible balance. That struggle never ended. It just went underground, buried beneath the ruins of fallen kingdoms. That is where you come in.

Dragonbane is a classic fantasy roleplaying game from Free League Publishing, rooted in the Swedish tradition of Drakar och Demoner – Scandinavia’s first and longest-running TTRPG, originally published in 1982. This hardcover rulebook is the standalone book edition of the game system: 124 full-color pages covering character creation, skills, combat, magic, and travel, plus the introductory adventure The Castle of the Robber Knight.

The system uses a skill-based D20 mechanic where rolling low means success – straightforward enough for new players, with enough tactical depth for veterans. Combat moves fast. A round lasts ten seconds. There is room for laughter at the table alongside genuine danger, which is exactly what Free League calls “mirth and mayhem roleplaying”.