Roll Player: Fiends & Familiars Review - with Tom Vasel

[@SladeWeston]

Good review. I think one important bit was missed. Because fiends can be removed via Cha tokens, the usefulness of charisma goes way up. Previously Cha was very commonly used as a dump stat. I know I would regularly use my starter dice to fill up my Cha stat but the bonus just wasn't as useful as the others. With F&F, I find myself often wishing for an open Cha attribute spot so I can score the bonus. Additionally, and you did touch on this, I really enjoy the watering down of armor sets. I thought they were just a bit too powerful previously and often allowed veteran players to run away with games where while newbies purchases things that looked more fun. The rebalancing was very helpful into bring armor sets down to an appropriate power level. Lastly, having played a LOT of Roll Player, I can tell you that the game gets a bit easy. Before F&F it was rare that someone wouldn't get max points against the monster, which really diluted the impact of the final battle. F&F upped the difficulty on everything resulting in a overall harder game and as a result, the final battles feel more epic. As said, an excellent addition, but I agree that the game is complete. Unless of course you want to have an adventure with the character you made. For that I'm going to need Roll Player Adventure which goes on KSer in a couple days. HYPE!!

[@ryek05]

I usually use starting dice for filling INT as I reroll terrible :D and the rest goes to CHA indeed. I do not have this expansion yet but these two colored low numbered dice might fit with the trait card that gives you 2 points for each attribute under 5.

[@andrewmoulton8019]

Bang on review. Roll Player with the first expansion is a must, “essential”! Second expansion is a great addition with the fiends and familiars. This game is complete with the 2 expansions.

[@ThymeKeeper]

Monsters and Minions was one of the greatest expansions ever made, so saying this one isn't quite as good isn't much of a criticism.

[@BrianGeringer]

And........ it STILL got an EXCELLENT! I didn't see that coming!! Role Player is one of the best most fun games. Even my kids love playing it!

[@Roundtablist]

Picked up the big box along with the play mat and the lenticular monsters yesterday. Really enjoying it so far!

[@vonwoolf9963]

1:08 - Legend says the red dice is still spinning to this day.

[@pixxelwizzard]

"I'm drowning in variety and that's a happy place to be." I think we just found Tom's epitaph. XD

[@adameves5970]

Don't forget that the Familiars have a much LOWER stat requirement. THEY are who the split dice are for. The clear dice are still for your main character. A 4 is a HUGE boost for your familiar, and the split die could match the backstory AND your character color (for bonus points) at the SAME TIME!

[@mikevandebunt811]

It is probably not a coincidence that there was a canine warrior race in the Traveller RPG called the Vargr. Likely an homage.

[@winterplum]

I generally agree with your review. The smaller numbered split dice are not as good for reaching character goals, but the familiars seem to feed on lower goals, so those dice would be necessary for that, as well as accomplishing more exacting numbers on the main character sheet. In any case, yeah, the first expansion is terrific, followed with the newest one. Nice overview! :)

[@facepalmjesus1608]

next expansion idea: Realms & Relics! players can go instead of the market/minion fight , to explore new quests and realms and find precious artifact items...exploring can be cooperative among the players

[@pierrewhite2062]

Looks like a great addition

[@GamingMansion]

I'd rather have the familiars be another card type possible to buy in the market, this way it would be more RPG-like because it would be player's choice to go the familiar's route or not when building the character.

[@srensrensen6069]

Hi all Anyone who know this expansion will do the solo experience better? Was it dice tower who did not liked it solo because it seemed to be to easy in solo, I can't remember.

[@KabukiKid]

I do sort of wish the Big Box had a proper insert to store everything. I guess I need to research and buy one. ;-)

[@edwardliddell501]

KabukiKid, there was an option to buy one with the KS. I can't remember which company, but I'm guessing it will be available at some point if it isn't already.

[@KabukiKid]

@@edwardliddell501 Yeah... I am not in to buy one sort of blind like that. I'll give it a bit of time and then compare the ones that become available. :-)

[@johnsonnavinr2522]

@@KabukiKid I got the inserts. I will report when I get everything situated and actually play the game with friends to see set up and take down time.

[@nomascontrol]

Folded space insert is amazing and cheap (just have to build it yourself)

[@fishfleas]

I prefer the implementation of minion rewards better in this. The fiends add another interesting level of strategy. Fiends make it harder to just take the top die, but there are combinations of abilities that encourage fiend interaction. I would recommend this expansion over monsters and minions. Just my thoughts

[@CriticalComplainer]

I agree with Tom; the Fiends felt a little... off. Like; it felt like this was their third concept choice and they just decided on something for the sake of having it. I think fiends could have been used as a push-your-luck in a more optional way. Like; "Hey, when you pick up your dice, you can ALSO grab a random double-colored dice, but you take a Fiend." or something. I don't know. Familiars are aight.

[@AthexTube]

Have been waiting for this one, seems like it might be ok to either get this one or the first expansion but maybe not both.

[@cartergreen2309]

I have both and I prefer playing with both expansions. More variety and more fun. Like tom said he slows the game down a LITTLE bit but not enough that is drastically changes or overstays its welcome. M&M is a 10/10 and F&F is a 9/10 imo and I would always play with both of them unless maybe teaching the game and only then would leave out F&F.....maybe

[@AthexTube]

@@cartergreen2309 Thanks! I just picked up rollplayer, so was thinking about what expansions to get in the future. I will consider that. I am really looking forward to the rollplayer adventures kickstarter

[@Fighterfan69]

I have both. The fiends really add an interesting dilemma. Do you take the high pipped dice or not? It all balances out though which is a surprised. Fiends may be annoying but they aren't that bad to deal with. Why not take the risk of taking the high dice?

[@AthexTube]

@@Fighterfan69 I havent played the Friends expansion but based on Toms comments he felt it took away from some of the fun. Its not clear if I would feel that way though.

[@adamholt5395]

Tom I hope you have a video showing how you managed to fit everything into that box. I just kind of made it up and just threw everything in there.

[@Monkeyb00y]

Here is how I got everything into mine... kzbin.info/www/bejne/p5fPeGWGZ8abgqs

[@gabrielthornmusic]

I was surprised by the seal of excellence at the end (in a positive way).

[@nathanmichael167]

Good review. I liked the expansion but I feel that without a clear solution for the armor sets the expansion hurts an aspect of the game with no solution for it. As the other user indicated, the charisma strenghtening does make up for some things. The games we played were so much tigheter because there was no dump stat anymore.

[@EfrainRiveraJunior]

I'm intrigued.

[@shaun891]

You listed this as 1-6 player.....it is officially a 1-4.....M&M is needed for 5p, but there isn't an official 6P option that I am aware of....

[@Skorrigan]

Was waiting for this one!

[@Hardcorestilllives]

Damn, this looks so great :O

[@errolwilde1656]

Seems like a silly way to accommodate 3 more dice. Why not just have you draw 2 more dice at the beginning and have 1 more round, or some combination of that.

[@notsaved]

is the Call to Adventure card trolling?

[@javierlam3783]

Can anyone explain why I should get M&M instead of this for my first (and possibly only) expansion? From what I see, F&F includes the major concepts (monsters and minions cards) from M&M. While also introducing more fiends and familiars. Yet, many people seem to advise me to get M&M over F&F. Issit because F&F adds too much bloat? Or is it because the boost dice from M&M are that much better?

[@RvLeshrac]

Real late, but F&F just messes with the game flow a bit too much, you're probably going to enjoy M&M more as your only expansion.

[@akselhansen304]

I'm curious what do u elite gamers think of settlers of catan, its many expansions and the spin offs? :)

[@thecocktailian2091]

Expansions are always a challenge. The first Expansion was quite good. Further expansions are going to be lesser rather by nature. I personally find they just bloat a game. I understand a lot of folks enjoy the bloat, just look at a gamers diet. I'll enjoy the Monsters and let the familiars enjoy their natural lives in the wilds.

[@Yaoau]

Is more things suppose to be better?

[@pierrewhite2062]

Yes it's called an expansion. To expand. Meaning more.

[@Yaoau]

@@pierrewhite2062 more =/= better

[@cartergreen2309]

It's just more variety and more thematic with the expansions. I consider them both essential. Roll Player used to be around number 90 in my top 100 and with M&M it jumped into the 20s and with F&F it jumped into the teens.

[@Fighterfan69]

It's what get's me playing the game more. If there is an expansion of a game that I enjoy and they added more things, absolutely I'll get it. Anxiously waiting Anachrony and Spirit island Island expansion.

[@PandaOfElastic]

@@Yaoau Have you actually played Roll Player? Have you played it with and without the Monsters and Minions expansion?

[@3z5p935]

The amount of 'your opinion is wrong' statements in the comments is cringe

[@Dalmatinac3]

The base game is fine as is and is enough of a gane. This is just too much. Big box and all these expansions. All unnecessary.