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Barroom Brawls

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Average Rating:4.4 / 5
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Barroom Brawls
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Barroom Brawls
Publisher: Raging Swan Press
by Paul K. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/22/2015 09:42:09

This was my first purchase from Raging Swan Press, and if this is indicative of their products, I'll buy more. It's billed as a Pathfinder sourcebook, but it's general enough to be easily converted to other systems (I bought it for a 5e D&D game). Unlike some products, the tables and outcomes listed here are just the right mix of fun and realism and it helps give you a quick reference when running a tavern fight, or a good source of inspiration. It's very attractive, well organized, and easy to read. Really I have no complaints, other than the all-black front and back covers - I skipped those when printing to save ink :-) Well worth the $1.

Unfortunately for me, I had prepped what I had hoped to be an epic tavern brawl to introduce a new NPC. Instead, the party Druid shifted into a bear and stopped everything down before it could get started. Damn players never do what they're supposed to ;-)



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Creator Reply:
Thanks very much for the review, Paul. I much appreciate it and I\'m glad you enjoyed Barroom Brawls! I hope (eventually) your players get to enjoy them as well!
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Barroom Brawls
Publisher: Raging Swan Press
by Aaron H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/12/2012 20:37:32

The following review was originally posted at Roleplayers Chronicle and can be read in its entirety at http://roleplayerschronicle.com/?p=21594.

Barroom Brawls provides quick, concise and easily accessible mechanics for a given gaming group to throw down, flip tables and get into a bawdy brawl at a moment’s notice. With a variety of fun prompts and at-a-glance inspirations, the material herein could be used for a planned-out plot and introduction of hooks or characters–or simply spontaneous mayhem after a hard adventuring session for rowdy rabble-rousers to cut loose and let off some steam. Let’s take a look at what it entails to really get the fisticuffs flying!

OVERALL

Barroom Brawls is short, sweet and entertaining in its offering of easy-to-use rules for ruining the taprooms of beleaguered barkeeps everywhere. While more powerful adventuring parties would require a bit more prep if the intent is to give an equal challenge (though certainly sometimes, a given group may just enjoy mopping the floor with patrons), inside are handy inspirations and reference material for chaotic bar ‘battlefield’ conditions and improvised weapons from tankards to table legs.

RATINGS

Publication Quality: 10 out of 10 Raging Swan’s high standards for editing and formatting continue in this concise mix with some nicely flavorful black and white artwork interspersed with the material presented (including of course frothy tankards aplenty.) The layout is unsurprisingly clean and professional–and as always there are very welcome elements of convenience, from thorough PDF book-marking to the material being nicely printer-friendly. Top marks.

Mechanics: 9 out of 10 We begin with a general overview of the elements of a barroom brawl–which breaks down into the Brawl Trigger or catalyst for the coming chaos; a collection of twenty triggers are provided with descriptions of prompts which might begin a given fight, which one could simply pick or roll randomly. After this are Brawl Events, sudden and unexpected twists which might change the ‘terrain’ of the tavern, shift the fight out into the streets or simply see some random sod smashing a chair over the back of one of the PCs–these serve to add a lot of spice and flavor to a given bout of fisticuffs. Again, these could be picked or rolled at your leisure.

Of course, the brawls can’t all be fun and games–for next comes the Brawl Aftermaths, potential consequences and outcomes for once all the dust and chandeliers have settled. Some of these are simple enough–damages and expenses as a result from rowdiness in a given establishment–while others offer potential hooks or opportunities for characters; perhaps the brawl served as cover for a robbery, or the proprietor was so impressed by a particular PC that they’re offered employment! This was one of my favorite sections of the supplement.

After these flavorful sections we have on tap a collection of sample brawlers for ready use; an iconic barkeep, a merchant, a member of the town watch and a sergeant-at-arms are offered as potential participants. We’re also presented with collected rules for non-lethal damage and maneuvering about a changing ‘battlefield’ as tables are overturned and drinks are spilled–Barroom Brawls also includes an amusing set of new conditions by way of Tipsy, Drunk and Hammered to toss out to tavern-goers at the table.

Finally, we wrap up with sections on taproom features and improvised weapons–both of which are suggested as print-outs for brawl participants, such that a given player can quickly eyeball their options before wading in tankards akimbo. On the whole, the mechanics are simple and straightforward, but no less sweet because of it–not only are there readily available references for a variety of improvised weapons to be found about a taproom melee, Creighton’s gone and put together furniture presented as terrain features.

Alongside the spontaneous events to start a tavern brawl or to occur during a brawl in progress, the sheer novelty of having these sorts of mechanics grouped cleanly and concisely makes for a fast and fun experience–while avoiding headaches (though the same cannot be said of the brawl’s participants!)

My only complaint regarding the mechanics herein is more a minor wish–I’d have loved to see the premise taken as an opportunity to include a set of new combat maneuvers flavored for pub-bound pugilists (e.g. a dirty trick splash of ale, etc.) Nevertheless, the mechanics are well-thought out, very functional and quick to pick up–introducing the system to a given game should prove a snap.

Value Add: 10 out of 10 It’s likely safe to say that there is a frightening drought of drunken brawls in most adventuring circles–and that for all the origins of organized groups springing forth from gathering at a tavern, far too few fisticuffs accompany most tales as they unfold. Tongue-in-cheek aside, folks generally don’t delve into such situations strictly to avoid flipping through books to round up the appropriate mechanics–and thus Creighton’s endeavor to bring together a nice collection of the lot makes for a very practical product.

Ultimately, Barroom Brawls is added fun–easy to implement and use and a nice change of pace from pounding (or being pounded by) ogres and their ilk. Personally, I’m fondest of the proposition within to utilize a good old-fashioned tavern brawl as a means of introducing rival adventurers to a party of players–but at the end of the day, it’s precisely the sort of affordable supplement that serves splendidly in any GM’s toolbox for a rainy day.

Overall: 10 out of 10 Barroom Brawls is a shot-glass-sized supplement that packs a punch; Creighton Broadhurst has done a fine job of bringing together a thematic and functional collection of rules apt to bring a breath of fresh air to any table’s adventures. If you’re looking for an interesting way to introduce new hooks or characters with a classic approach or just keen for an unexpected change of pace, this is a fine way to pull it off. Pound for pound, the material herein serves to expand options for entertainment at a very affordable price; grab it, print some quick reference sheets for your players and embrace a bawdy brawl!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Barroom Brawls
Publisher: Raging Swan Press
by Douglas S. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/11/2012 23:43:28

This is a fun product. Three charts to determine what starts a brawl, what happens during the brawl, and what happens at the end. Stat blocks for the Watch and a couple bystanders. Improvised weapon rules, drunken conditions, terrain/environment modifiers . . . what's not to love? Now the GM has a quick reference for how difficult it is for the PC to not only leap on top of a barrel of ale, but also the difficulty in balancing on it while fighting.

This supplement will alleviate a lot of the headaches a GM might face when running a brawl. There are a couple assumptions made that should be noted: 1) It doesn't go into detail about how to track all the combatants. After all, the story should be about the PCs, so the GM is instructed to describe the overall flow of the brawl. 2) Lethal damage is the exception, not the rule.

Although the rules are for Pathfinder, the three charts can easily be adapted for other genres. The Watch is changed to Space Station Security, while a drunkard grabs a personal data device (instead of a few gold coins) and bolts for the door.

Since I like playing with miniatures, this supplement will go great with some cardstock tavern decor. A tavern fight is more than just another dungeon encounter. It's a fun way to let off steam, be a little silly, and let the characters' personalities come through.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Barroom Brawls
Publisher: Raging Swan Press
by Thilo G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/02/2012 07:40:03

This pdf is 15 pages long, 1 page front cover, 1 page advertisement, 2 pages editorial, 1 page ToC/foreword, 1 page SRD and 1 page back cover, leaving 8 pages of content, so let's check this out!

Brawls in taverns are among the quintessential iconic experiences of adventuring life and I gladly and fondly recall reading about a certain Cimmerian's exploits in bars. In PFRPG, though, the overall execution of the bar brawl is problematic - several rarely used rules are utilized in bar brawls, including improvised weapons, unarmed combat etc. This pdf now aims to help beleaguered DMs to run the iconic bar fights, so how does this work?

First of all, we have to get the action started, potentially with one of 20 new barroom brawl triggers and then the action starts - a one-page d%-table provides ample special events to simulate the chaos of such a brawl, including tipped beer kegs, fire etc. Of course, a table of aftermath consequences of such a brawl are provided as well and might make for a variety of adventure hooks.

What's a brawl without brawlers, though and thus stats for barkeeps, merchants and watchmen are included in the pdf as well. Rather cool, we also get 3 new conditions: Tipsy, drunk and hammered, all three with their progressively increasing bonuses, but also with slowly accumulating penalties. Two thumbs up for these conditions that make scaling between states of drunkenness possible!

Of course, as we all know, brawls are cool because they utilize a variety of taproom features - from kegs to tables to stools, a table deals with neatly-aligned acrobatics and strength DCs for you to consult: Want to know what it takes to overturn a full keg? And which benefits you can get (e.g. higher ground)? Consult the table and you'll have the Str-DC, acrobatics-DCs etc. all neatly lined up!

The deal is completed by yet another page helping with the most common of improvised weapons, 12 to be precise, ranging from stools to tables and mugs.

Conclusion: Editing and formatting are top-notch, as I've come to expect from RSP. Layout adheres to RSP's elegant 2-column printer-friendly b/w-standard and the artworks provided are neat. The pdf comes with extensive bookmarks and a printer-friendly extra version. Hell yeah! This pdf is one of the most useful little pdfs out there. Even if you haven't prepared anything in advance, this little, humble file enables you to run an interesting, exciting bar brawl. The respective rules are concisely presented and the information on the respective components is easy to locate. Were I to utter any form of criticism, then that I would have loved to see more actions with sample DCs (climb up stairs, jump from table to table or head, etc.) and even more events and improvised weapons - to cut my ramble short: I want more! Seeing the extremely low price and the stellar content, I'll essentially am forced to all-out recommend this stellar little pdf. You'll be hard-pressed to find a 2-buck file as fun and useful as this one. My final verdict will be 5 stars + Endzeitgeist seal of approval.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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