Slayers has some of the single most inspiring TTRPG design I've ever seen. Combat is asymmetrical in that each class behaves and plays in completely unique ways. They aren't "balanced" in a traditional sense, but they play well together and that's way more important. It has a decent amount of crunch, while still being rules-lite enough that really the entire fucking world is open and that's honestly sick as hell.
This game is a D&D Killer in every sense of the word, it's some of the strongest design you'll ever come across in the indie space.
Outside of this, Slayers has one of the strongest SRD's, and Open Licenses you'll find, which means everyone can make (and is encouraged to make) Slayers content. So there is a huge group of 3rd party Slayers content. Unlike another D&D you don't owe Spencer your money for using the Open License, which means there is a bustling group of third party content you can find here.
I know what you're here thinking though:
"You know, this game looks good, but I wish it was set in the wild west instead"
And like hold onto your fucking boots partner because I'm about to rock your goddamn world
Dust, A Slayers Supplement
Dust is an official supplement for Slayers that drops a desert into the middle of the setting, adds a new class (The Deadeye, a Rifle wielding motherfucker), a ton of new high quality content/maps/art, and 4 new Wild West Adventures, including of course a train robbery
Side note I love a train robbery
Anyway, Slayers is well worth the money, and if you've made it this far into this post without going up to get it what's wrong with you it's so good go get it.
Hi! Mechanically they are the same, though this version includes some updated rules for the classes. In addition, this version has lots of information and resources for the GM to get the game started, multiple adventures, custom art, and a much bigger collection of monsters!
One of my favorite game (and my players too). It's easy to learn, fast, amusing and the asymmetrical gameplay is SO SATISFYING. Plus, the community is very cool, lot of creations are coming, classes, monsters, districts... A must-have
What do you get when you cross a rules lite system, a rogue like environment, and fantasy monsters? You get Slayers, that's what! The rules are light enough that combat feels natural while it is happening, and the downtime will be enjoyable as there aren't things that bog it down with the endless minutia of finding the last hair of a skinless rabbit to obtain the final ingredient for that long sought after grimoire of unholdthinehandeth!
Slayers is a game that allows your table to delve deep into character development. This is done without the constant tracking of skills and advancements, yet it still allows everyone to feel as though progress is truly being made and is significant.
Each class brings its own unique flavor to the table as well. Whether as a blade or a gunslinger, each one has a unique mechanic that allows each one to shine in a different way. There are also more classes that are possible, and with the Creators Kit they can be brought to life!
Seriously though, grab Slayers. For the price of a fancy burger and fries, you can be out gathering intel on new districts as they appear.
EDIT: The following review is based on an older version of the game. It's at least tripled in size and content since then.
Slayers is a pen and paper rpg about monster-hunting in an infinite, self-generating city. It's also a heck of a good pick-up-and-play game, and basically perfect for one-shots or nights where a few folks don't show and you need a new game on the fly.
In length, it's 23 pages, with relatively bare layout and a little bit of art at the beginning that escalates to a lot of art by the end when you hit the monsters section.
Mechanically, however, Slayers is very solid throughout. It's a combat-driven game, with the PCs' ultimate purpose being to track down and eliminate a monster, and Slayers has a good crunch to it without getting too complicated. There's HP, but not massive amounts, and any damage feels significant. There's skills, but not a boatload, and each one feels relevant and useful. Rolls use a variety of dice, but always succeed on at least one 4+. Characters are Class-based, and there's only four Classes, but they feel *very* different and there's a lot of room for mechanical customization in each.
The setting isn't described in great detail, leaving it very open-ended, but there are a lot of GM tools, including a sample scenario, a bestiary, a GMing guide, and a single-page quick reference for the system rules.
Overall, I would strongly recommend Slayers to groups that want solid, game-y feeling mechanics in an otherwise lightweight system. And I'd recommend it especially to groups that like a focus on combat and gothic atmosphere.
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gosh this game is great! i love it a lot, and i can't wait to play it again!
Thank you so much! Heck yeah, glad you got to play it and hope you get to again soon!
Thanks for the Creator Kit.
I'm still going to publish games using your mechanics.
Slayers has some of the single most inspiring TTRPG design I've ever seen. Combat is asymmetrical in that each class behaves and plays in completely unique ways. They aren't "balanced" in a traditional sense, but they play well together and that's way more important. It has a decent amount of crunch, while still being rules-lite enough that really the entire fucking world is open and that's honestly sick as hell.
This game is a D&D Killer in every sense of the word, it's some of the strongest design you'll ever come across in the indie space.
Outside of this, Slayers has one of the strongest SRD's, and Open Licenses you'll find, which means everyone can make (and is encouraged to make) Slayers content. So there is a huge group of 3rd party Slayers content. Unlike another D&D you don't owe Spencer your money for using the Open License, which means there is a bustling group of third party content you can find here.
I know what you're here thinking though:
"You know, this game looks good, but I wish it was set in the wild west instead"
And like hold onto your fucking boots partner because I'm about to rock your goddamn world
Dust is an official supplement for Slayers that drops a desert into the middle of the setting, adds a new class (The Deadeye, a Rifle wielding motherfucker), a ton of new high quality content/maps/art, and 4 new Wild West Adventures, including of course a train robbery
Side note I love a train robbery
Anyway, Slayers is well worth the money, and if you've made it this far into this post without going up to get it what's wrong with you it's so good go get it.
What are the differences between this and the old version? Are they mechanically the same?
Hi! Mechanically they are the same, though this version includes some updated rules for the classes. In addition, this version has lots of information and resources for the GM to get the game started, multiple adventures, custom art, and a much bigger collection of monsters!
Thanks!
One of my favorite game (and my players too). It's easy to learn, fast, amusing and the asymmetrical gameplay is SO SATISFYING. Plus, the community is very cool, lot of creations are coming, classes, monsters, districts... A must-have
What do you get when you cross a rules lite system, a rogue like environment, and fantasy monsters? You get Slayers, that's what! The rules are light enough that combat feels natural while it is happening, and the downtime will be enjoyable as there aren't things that bog it down with the endless minutia of finding the last hair of a skinless rabbit to obtain the final ingredient for that long sought after grimoire of unholdthinehandeth!
Slayers is a game that allows your table to delve deep into character development. This is done without the constant tracking of skills and advancements, yet it still allows everyone to feel as though progress is truly being made and is significant.
Each class brings its own unique flavor to the table as well. Whether as a blade or a gunslinger, each one has a unique mechanic that allows each one to shine in a different way. There are also more classes that are possible, and with the Creators Kit they can be brought to life!
Seriously though, grab Slayers. For the price of a fancy burger and fries, you can be out gathering intel on new districts as they appear.
EDIT: The following review is based on an older version of the game. It's at least tripled in size and content since then.
Slayers is a pen and paper rpg about monster-hunting in an infinite, self-generating city. It's also a heck of a good pick-up-and-play game, and basically perfect for one-shots or nights where a few folks don't show and you need a new game on the fly.
In length, it's 23 pages, with relatively bare layout and a little bit of art at the beginning that escalates to a lot of art by the end when you hit the monsters section.
Mechanically, however, Slayers is very solid throughout. It's a combat-driven game, with the PCs' ultimate purpose being to track down and eliminate a monster, and Slayers has a good crunch to it without getting too complicated. There's HP, but not massive amounts, and any damage feels significant. There's skills, but not a boatload, and each one feels relevant and useful. Rolls use a variety of dice, but always succeed on at least one 4+. Characters are Class-based, and there's only four Classes, but they feel *very* different and there's a lot of room for mechanical customization in each.
The setting isn't described in great detail, leaving it very open-ended, but there are a lot of GM tools, including a sample scenario, a bestiary, a GMing guide, and a single-page quick reference for the system rules.
Overall, I would strongly recommend Slayers to groups that want solid, game-y feeling mechanics in an otherwise lightweight system. And I'd recommend it especially to groups that like a focus on combat and gothic atmosphere.
Hi!
I think you might be reviewing an older copy of Slayers, because the current PDF is 60 pages with a new layout and art!
But I appreciate your writeup and sharing your thoughts with the game!
Ah, darn. I'll update the review with a headline saying it's based on an older version. Thank you for catching this!
Thank you so much for the kind review, I really appreciate you taking the time!