THIS IS A REVIEW OF AN OLD VERSION OF THE GAME. I had the PDF forever and only now got to read it fully. I wasn’t aware that a new LITE version released just over a month ago until after I wrote this blog post. I skimmed through the new version and it seems to fill some of what I was looking for in this blog, which is great. I recommend getting both versions, as DEMO has the illustrations and LITE has the updated rules and more fleshed out setting.

On The Bones Of Bathala is a take on Philippine folklore and culture in RPGs that is different from mine. Its setting and atmosphere is oppressive and dangerous. I have not yet read Mork Borg, the chassis of this game, though from what I heard about it, it’s a great fit for this kind of atmosphere. Ar-Em Bañas is both writer and illustrator, and he did a spectacular job on both aspects.

Setting

Players enter Lambana, the world of engkantos, the mystical, mysterious and monstrous, but it is a world that is crumbling and rotting. Colonization was the apocalypse for them, but they try to maintain appearances. The deeper into this world players go, the more the facade is harder to keep. Details are slim, but what is here is really flavorful.

I don’t know if this is Ar-Em’s intent or I’m just thinking about it too much, but using hispanized terms for the denizens of this dying world shows how much the rot has spread. It’s good stuff.

Characer Creation and Player Rules

Players only have 4 abilities/attributes, distilled to just the bonuses, which is great. No need to adhere to the 6 attributes of D&D if it won’t really add anything to the game. Bonuses are determined by the profession or background picked, which makes character creation quick and easy.

HP is calculated with just the TOUGHNESS+d8. At 0 HP, players survive but only by a sliver. Below 0, they die. No rolls.

There doesn’t seem to be an advancement system as this game is meant for oneshots or short campaigns, so characters are stuck with low HP. This will really make them consider other methods other than straight up violence, which I love.

I also appreciate that players who had characters die could choose to resurrect as an engkanto and mess with the living characters. 

Tests/saves are d20+bonus against a difficulty rating (DR) ranging from 6-18. It’s not my preferred way of handling difficulty, as I am lazy and prefers rolling-under ability scores, but I do think it fits the feel of this game.

I adore the illustrations of the weapons, armor and trinkets. I first found out about On the Bones of Bathala when Ar-Em posted these illustrations on twitter. They’re eye-catching, stylish, and badass. 

GM Section

The section for Kamatayan, the GM, consists of a simple dungeon generator, d12 engkantos to encounter, and the Malabathala, the three-headed boss.

The dungeon generator has a d6 table for the general aesthetic, and a d12 rooms. The rooms themselves are very distinct from each other and would make for interesting dungeon points, but I find this generator lacking. The questions posed for each room could answer what is inside these rooms, but I would like to see some more concrete room stocking, if that makes sense.

The d12 engkantos are excellent. I love learning about Philippine folklore creatures, and there are some here that I haven’t discovered yet. I also love that they have different moves and fatalities, while not adding unnecessary complexity. That goes for the Malabathala, Tatlong Maria, too.

The last page of the GM section has a d6 table for what fate the surviving players meet when they step out of Lambana. It… doesn’t end well. It’s great.

Stuff I’d Like To See

This is just a demo version of On The Bones Of Bathala, so nothing shown here is final. Even then, it’s already in a playable and aesthetically pleasing state.

I would like to see rules and procedures for crawling Lambana. The game doesn’t seem to be focused on exploration, and the dungeon generator is linear, which is fine since for oneshots or short campaigns. Even then, I think timekeeping and random encounters could help the game.

For example, there are rules for short and long rests, which heal HP. I think resting should be a dangerous action. What keeps the players from taking long rests over short rests if there is no danger of getting ambushed? What keeps them from taking multiple rests to heal all their HP?

Overall, I think On The Bones Of Bathala is a neat game. I love seeing other people’s takes on Philippine legends and folklore in RPGs. If this is just a demo version, I’m excited to see what else Ar-Em has in store.