Root: The Roleplaying Game

by Brendan Conway (Contributor), Kyle Ferrin (Illustrator)

Genres: Role Playing Games

256 pages, Hardcover

Published December 1, 2021

Reviews

[Mimsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Root (placed in the same setting as the board game of the same name) is a d6 system where you play as a gaggle of anthropomorphic animals in a forest. Despite first appearances, the TTRPG has hidden depths and focuses heavily on faction wars after civil unrest. There are two main factions in the core book (in addition to unaligned denizens) and Travelers & Outsiders adds four more as well as 10 new playbooks for PCs. In Root, each action has branching consequences, and the mechanical ease of the game is complimented by the potential for complex dynamics with combat, RP, and exploration.

[Emmanuel Boston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adjusted my review from 4-stars to 5-stars because I realized that my reason for giving it 4 is personal rather than anything inherent in the book/game itself. As the GM of the game, every adventure I run becomes highly political-strategic, and it feels at odds with the artwork. I hesitated to dive into the RPG because it was based on the board game (which I love). I was afraid that an RPG built off a board game would become boring and only narrowly related. I was wrong on that front too. It holds extremely well to the source material and encourages thoughtful and insightful stories. There's not much in the way of GM assistance which is okay for a PbtA system, except that it is marketed as a game of Woodland Adventure that expects the GM to supply the world for the players. It's manageable as a veteran GM of various RPGs, but it would be a steep learning curve for someone picking this up to play with their friends. The artwork is cutesy and fun, but the gameplay rarely reflects that. Often it becomes an ironic foil to the grit required to face up against the marquise. Combat happens seldom, but some additional explanation on it would prove beneficial to GMs using the book. Espionage and political discourse happen frequently, and that to could use a little fleshing out. A few maps showing a typical fortress, mine, or woodland home would go a long way, and probably resolve almost all the tension I feel running the game. It's a hurdle other RPGs don't have to cross because of the crossover between expectations of the fantasy world and ours, but this anthropomorphic forest home creates enough of a conceptual barrier that I have to run with it and hope I don't regret my decisions later.

One of the strongest elements of this game is the presence of complex moral dilemmas. Each factions if fighting for what they really believe, and it provides incredible material for navigating ethical issues. Of course... the downside of that is that the deeper the players go, the more they just want to play arbitrator. GMs would be wise to increase the personal stakes for characters, giving them a no-holds-barred drive that they won't back down from.

New players looking to join in would be advised to know, the game can be whatever you make it... it doesn't all have to be blunderbuss and cutthroat lizards, enslaved miners and a village on the brink of starvation, orphaned rabbits and political negotiations... but the world does lean heavily in that direction.

[Joey · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun read! I know some people like to drag this book because they say that it doesn’t give you much to work with, but I disagree. It has a lot of mechanics to have fun with, and gives you enough setting info to really have fun writing some cool adventures. But I can see how it might not be for people who are more interested in just getting it to the table and not writing much of your own material. The writing itself isn’t always the best but otherwise I had a great time reading it and I can’t wait to run it!

[Andy Horton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little RPG based on the anthropomorphic forest creatures of the Root RPG. Has some very modern elements - PC pronouns, an X card mechanic to address distressing content, usage tracks - but is at heart an entertaining take on picaresque adventure with potential to be anything from cutesy to grimdark.

[Josiah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really promising. A little unusual in structure and how it's explained, but seems smart.

Only one way to find out. (Then will need to update rating...)

[Halton Winkler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, original setting! Clear and concise rules! Looking forward to run this soon.