Zweihander RPG Review

This Zweihander RPG Review is part of my “Best Tabletop RPGs of All Time” article. If you want to check out more TTRPGs and see how other top-tier tabletop RPGs are ranked, visit that page.

My Review – 76 / 100

Zweihander is a game that you either love playing and you would rate it a perfect 100/100, or you don’t hardly like at all, and may note even rate it among the best TTRPGs of all time. This game is that polarizing, which as you’ll see in this review, is part of why so many people flat out love the game.

To be very forthright with you though if you’ve never before heard of or played Zweihander, in my experience, most people would never play more than 1-2 sessions of this RPG before calling it quits.

I think that so long as you and your gaming group know what type of game you’re all getting into, if you start playing Zweihander, you should have a good shot of getting a long-term RPG campaign rolling.

Zweihander’s Uniqueness: (8/10)

There’s lots to talk about when it comes to unique aspects of Zweihander, but I’ll start with a few unique points when it comes to dice and rolling that I generally like:

Zweihander uses percentile dice, which I always think is interesting for tabletop RPGs as it provides a framework which can contain a great deal of both simplicity and complexity.
The game has “Fury” and “Chaos” dice, which are “wild dice” for damage and random effects when casting magic.
There’s also a “fortune pool” for players to re-roll dice, and a “misfortune pool,” for the dungeon master to do the same. These things I generally like.

On an entirely different note, Zweihander has the largest collection of tables for randomly-generating character traits of any game I’ve ever seen. You can generate your gender (…why?). Randomly generate your race (pretty cool). Races have randomly generated racial traits. There are also randomly generated character names, based on race and gender (ok, also pretty cool, I suppose). On and on it goes. You can’t fathom the number of randomly generated tables in this game, which I have to say, is pretty unique.

Zweihander is a multiclass sort of RPG. There are some class based RPG elements, but as your spend Reward Points (Exp), you improve your character however you see fit. To “Tier Up,” you need to reach certain milestones of character development, but doing so allows you a second, and finally, a third, “Profession” (class).

Of all the tabletop RPGs on this list, Zweihander is the most realistic, dark, grim, and gritty. If I had to summarize it into one aspect, I’d say that the amount of realism in Zweihander is the reason people either love or loathe this game.

Ease of Learning Zweihander: (5/10)

Character creation in Zweihander is very in-depth. I mentioned the tables for randomly-generating your character, above. A few more tables I didn’t mention, already: there are random tables for your character’s height, weight, build, and social class. This sounds really cool at first, but just think about it. It’s the kind of thing that’s really neat in a video game, but details like that in a TTRPG are a bit (way too) much.

The rules are also confusing when it comes to character creation in the following way: it seems like you must roll randomly for your character’s gender, archetype, and profession. There is some language in the rulebook that suggests players have the power to choose important details of your character, but it’s just that if you want to play the game exactly as-written, it’s really not clear what you should do.

When it comes to character classes, the game is still pretty confusing. I counted twice to make sure: there are 72 basic professions in Zweihander. There are also 46 elite professions. One important thing to note though, that is really good, is that just in the classes alone, there is literally an entire world of lore. You could easily build entire campaigns just by reading through the professions section in this book.

Is Zweihander realistic? Yes. Accessible? No, not really. If you really want to learn the game, you’re in for 672 pages (one of the largest among any tabletop RPG). I love the immersion and realism in Zweihander – it’s just too much for me, even as a hardcore tabletop gamer. I feel like Zweihander is a little bit like a novel and RPG rolled into one (again, a positive and negative trait).

I spend a lot of time playing with people new to tabletop RPGs. I love introducing the genre. It’s a passion of mine to help people find passion in tabletop gaming. The bottom line for me when it comes to Zweihander is that due to its complexity, it’s just not the game I would ever introduce to a first-time tabletop gamer.

I think doing so would easily overwhelm someone, and maybe even turn them off from the RPG genre if they thought every game was like this one.

Zweihander Presentation: (8/10)

Zweihander’s rulebook has nice coloring to show separate sections, along with easily-distinguishable headers.

The game is all about promoting roleplaying, as the designers feel that the act of roleplaying gets lost in many other tabletop RPGs. I agree with that sentiment. Also, the emphasis on roleplaying improves the overall presentation of Zweihander as everything in the book is customized for players to better roleplay their characters.

Zweihander Lore: (10/10)

When you’re talking Zweihander, you’re talking gritty Viking lore. Overall, the game is very realistic, in terms of being a low-fantasy setting. However, there is also a hint of Viking/ Norse magic (there are ogre races, dwarves, elves, etc. for instance).

In my humble opinion, everything about every aspect of the lore in this game is incredible. Zweihander is one of the absolute best games at creating realism, immersion, and getting players into the game’s lore – all of which makes roleplaying substantially easier.

As I mentioned before, consider Zweihander 50% novel, and you’ve got a good handle on proper expectations for playing the game.

Combat: (5/10)

I love when games offer depth within the core mechanics, so long as learning the game is also simple. In my mind, games that have an easy entry level, where I can explore options over time as I become more familiar with the game, are ideal.

Unfortunately, in Zweihander there are lots of options in combat from the very beginning, which is a problem. On the other hand, player skill plays a big factor in how battles unravel, which I really like. But since there is no “introductory course” in combat, as a player, you sort of have to learn all the available combat maneuvers and increase your skill in battle, all before you feel like you’re much use when it comes to combat. Basically, just a steep learning curve.

Another big problem with combat in Zweihander is the complexity of resolving attacks. With any given attack, players must resolve the follwing 8+ steps:

Chance to hit
Chance to dodge
Weapon stats
Damage
Damage threshold
Condition
Injury
Sacrificing fate points
And more

Obviously, the more that’s involved with calculating the resolutions to any given action of play in a tabletop RPG, the slower that game goes. For your reference, there are 6 total pages that explain a single attack action and how to resolve it. That’s a LOT.

Zweihander does not have fast-paced combat. It’s gritty. It’s cool. But it’s complex, extremely dangerous for your character’s lifespan, and doesn’t move fast at all. When it comes down to it, I think it’s the snail’s pace of the “immersive hard-core combat” that really makes the game boring for me.

Game “Flow”: (6/10)

The lore in Zweihander is great, which contributes to game flow. However, combat is slow. Plus, this is overall the most realistic TTRPG that I’ve ever seen. The real question is whether the realism is a positive or negative for game flow. Your personal answer to that question might just decide whether or not this game is for you and your gaming group.

Consider the following before you decide:

When playing a campaign, you have to account for your character’s injuries, disease, disorders that require psychosurgery, extreme weather, effects from intoxication, sleep deprivation, starvation, infection, blood loss, and much more.
You track your character’s carrying capacity based on your their strength score, for things like equipment and necessities. You also track things like arrows, food, rope, and other survival necessities.

For me, it’s too much. Too realistic.

I understand that Zweihander aims to be a roleplay game where people actually roleplay. But I normally find that people select their own desired level of roleplaying, no matter how many cues a TTRPG provides. There’s also nothing wrong with players selecting their own level of roleplaying for a game they play in their free time.

To give you an idea of how hardcore game realism tends to play out with a gaming group – and what I’d do were to play an entire campaign of Zweihander – is that most in-depth rules like those mentioned above (character injuries, carrying capacity, etc.) simple get ignored.

I like games better when the group glazes over details that are non-important to the game’s actual story – what I’m there to engage with in the first place.

Artwork: (4/10)

There’s plenty of black-and white-art in this game, which honestly fits the mood quite well. It’s dark, gritty, and medieval. In this regard, there’s some sense of satisfaction even from the art present in Zweihander that isn’t colored, or top-quality.

From a buyer’s perspective, however, I have to say that I’ve come to enjoy plenty of top-quality art with my tabletop RPGs. When it comes to Zweihander, I would’ve liked to see more fully finished and colored artwork. Even if there was more artwork that captured the gloomy aspects of the lore, and the colors were subdued to match, I think that would’ve been a great addition to the game’s rulebook.

Ease of Purchase: (10/10)

It’s easy to find Zweihander’s core rulebook on both Amazon and the Andrews McMell website.

Price & How Many Books Do You Need to Play: (10/10)

You can purchase Zweihander as an ebook for only $20. Kindle for only $11.49. Even the hardcover printed version isn’t bad. I have to say that I truly appreciate the accessibility of this game.

Fame & Availability of Supplemental Material: (10/10)

Zweihander has lots of supplemental gaming material. It is very famous as it’s one of DriveThru RPGs top-selling games ever at over 90,000 copies. If you wanted to start a Zweihander campaign though, as I mentioned before, there’s so much lore in the core rulebook alone that you’d probably never even need supplemental books to keep a great story going.

The only challenge with finding a group to play Zweihander would be connecting with gamers who like this realistic style. But, go to your local gaming store, and you’re bound to find someone who’s heard of the game, and is willing to play.

Zweihander is Produced By:

Andrews McMeel Publishing

Rethinking D&D: Design Oriented Conversations to Improve the Game

By Jacob Tegtman • May 5, 2026

Transcribed content from our recent YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2pHaAcKDbo Transcription [00:00:00] I want to start talking more about Dungeons Dragons and game design So far on this channel it's really been a news style kind of coverage where new things are happening new books are releasing and so forth But one of the things I've experienced and probably a lot of other people have as well is that Dungeons Dragons hasn't really improved as a game over the last many editions I started playing Dungeons Dragons at 3.5e Many of you probably were around the same time Maybe there's a lot of 5e players originals out there or there's you know basic or advanced Dungeons Dragons players I love Dungeons Dragons It was my introduction to the TTRPG hobby and TTRPGs are one of the main pillars of my life in a way I've spent most of my life making games creating supplemental [00:01:00] material for Dungeons Dragons exploring some of the lesser-known TTRPGs the indie games and trying to understand why I love it so much and then bring that joy to as many people as possible in as many ways as possible I think there's a lot of ways to play this hobby But one of the disappointing things to me is that D&D 3.5 compared to say 5.5e now is there's still a lot of things I prefer in 3.5 And as I've learned about basic and advanced D&D there's a lot of things I prefer even in those games So if you're not getting what you really want out of Dungeons Dragons this is kind of the direction I wanna take things I still love D&D This channel isn't gonna become about roasting D&D or even necessarily going to a ton of other TTRPGs and reviewing them And I mean there's a million other games out there you can try and a lot of them are great Pathfinder Daggerheart I've reviewed a [00:02:00] lot of them on the Eternity website But what I wanna do is present some of the ideas that myself as a game designer I've come up with over the last Well I I've probably been designing or editing games since I was about six Uh I think I was 12 when I first made a map where people could play through and you know actually engage in a a full-fledged game that I made So Let's say twenty-four years of game design experience for myself I'm a at this point a hobbyist so I'm not a professional I've never worked for Wizards of the Coast or any other publishing company I have published my own TTRPG and I'll be sharing that more in the future But all of that aside I wanna start talking about in this channel still some of the news things that are coming out but I wanna share it from the framework of here's maybe how you can take this and make it better There's a lot of elements in [00:03:00] D&D that I wanna be talking about that I think are cool but we could make a lot better So some of those topics number one being initiative I think initiative is very uninspired There's nothing wrong with it right Like the initiative system for D&D gives you everything you need to play a combat encounter It's very simple You roll a d20 you add your modifiers If you have like the alert feat in 5E Then you get to go faster and going faster typically means that you're gonna get like one extra turn than a lot of your other friends at the table or enemies that you're facing Because say you're you're seven rounds in you're taking your seventh turn they've only had six but then all the enemies are dead um that's kind of the the value of initiative right Like so going first does matter but it's not that exciting is it Like you just roll you add your bonus and then you're locked in like a static initiative for the rest of the battle [00:04:00] And these kind of issues with D&D lead to very stagnant situations where people take their turn and then they pull out their phone and they know that it doesn't really matter if they're engaged at the table because for the next five ten fifteen minutes going around the table for everybody to take their turn depending on how well the dungeon master runs a combat encounter they could have literally nothing to do especially if they don't have any reactions so forth So you kinda see this with initiative number one You see this w even with basic things like hit chance and these kinda tie in a lot because players will roll saves when it's not their turn and it gives them sort of something to do at least But with AC it's just a static value it's a situation where the dungeon master may not even need the player because a lot of DMs they write down their player's AC Before the battle even starts So they know when they're rolling behind their uh little table or you know whatever however they [00:05:00] use it maybe as a DM you're just rolling out in the open so anybody can see the D20 Other people hide that number but if they roll a five and the monster's got a plus ten or whatever they just know that they hit somebody who has a fourteen or lower right So they don't even really need the player You just Dungeon Master rolls you take X amount of damage and then all the player has to do is record that on their character sheet then they can get back to their iPhone right Like that's lame There's a lot of situations like this that could be improved I also think it's really interesting looking at old school D&D and other [00:06:00] channels talk about this kind of thing a lot and I think it's something that we could bring back to modern D&D with very good results would be things like the dungeon turn or random assigning of how enemies or NPCs feel towards the party I don't think that the critical role way of playing D&D the the theatrical way of playing D&D is necessarily the best way of playing D&D And I don't have anything against that I really like narrative gameplay A lot of the dungeons um a lot of the campaigns that I have dungeon mastered for have been fairly narratively driven And I really like I I've never written a novel but I like writing the the campaign style novels and then being free to adjust that as my players make decisions But I also think it it isn't necessarily the best way sometimes I've [00:07:00] been very inspired as a dungeon master and I've come up with great narrative plots that my players are super into and it makes for an amazing twenty-five to thirty-five session campaign over the course of a year year and a half that people love and we still talk about And there's been a lot of times as well where I'm not very inspired but I'm still trying to rely on those kind of plot points that older styles of D&D don't make you use because they generate a lot of that for you Emergent storytelling is the term I'm looking for where you don't necessarily know what plot is going to come out of the story but sometimes that's much better because at those moments in my own campaign creating where I haven't been the most inspired those campaigns can die really easily Those are the campaigns that last anywhere from two to seven sessions and just like you often hear about most campaigns die after seven sessions Those are the ones that don't make it [00:08:00] So I think that there are a lot of great older ideas that for some reason the newer versions of Dungeons Dragons didn't bring forward I also think that D&D being a fairly old game and don't get me wrong I love older games I play them all the time but it's surprising the lack of innovation I think that has been in the industry over the past What I mean when did D&D come out I Is it I can't think off the top of my head Is it forty fifty years I'm surprised there isn't better stuff Um and don't get me wrong I I love the other games too I love Pathfinder I love Daggerheart I think they're all cool but I think we can do better And so I'm not necessarily saying I have all the ideas for what could make it better but over my twenty years of designing games twenty plus I've come up with some very simple ideas that I wanna share with you and I think that when you try them out for yourself give me some feedback let me know what you think um I think together we can come up with something that is [00:09:00] substantially better And so that's my goal Everything from the mechanics of initiative in combat to the way campaigns develop narratively to player agency to things like allowing dungeon masters to also play characters in their own campaigns within limited scopes perhaps sharing the roles of dungeon master I think there's a lot of things that we could do to actually truly advance the TTRPG hobby genre beyond what we've seen so far So that's the direction that I plan to take with the channel moving forward I'm looking forward to some of these first videos We're gonna talk about the initiative system We're gonna talk about the hit chance system and I can't wait to get your feedback on it But hopefully this is a turn for me away from just new style stuff and towards stuff that you can use in your campaigns [00:10:00] like tomorrow And I hope that you enjoy it and I hope to hear from you on topics that you want to see improved in your own D&D games And again I think together we can come up with some truly amazing improvements So until next time talk to you then.

Turn Your D&D Character into a Lich: Official Path of the Lich Feats

By Jacob Tegtman • April 29, 2026

Transcribed content from our recent YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=an8LlwVXGns Transcription Becoming a lich in D&D has – usually – been something reserved for villains. But in one of the latest Unearthed Arcana from early April, that line gets a little blurrier. Really cool way that they approached this: there’s now a feat-based system that allows players to work toward lichdom for their characters, over time. So today, we’re going to walk through what becoming a Lich officially looks like—and whether it’s something you’d realistically use in a campaign. Because... you know... with the new D&D seasons releases, and Spring time being about the “horror genre,” nothing says “become a lich” like green trees and budding flowers. So, here we are! Welcome back to Eternity TTRPG—your go-to place for Dungeons & Dragons content, news, games, and updates. Today we’re looking at the Path of the Lich from the new Villainous Options playtest. To understand the system, it helps to start with the lore. A lich in D&D is a spellcaster who avoids death by binding their soul to an object—commonly called a phylactery, or in this case, a spirit jar. The process is intentionally grim. It involves creating that phylactery vessel, performing a ritual, and effectively dying—only to return as an undead being sustained by magic. Mechanically and narratively, liches are defined by two things: Their detachment from mortality And their dependence on that external object . Kind of like a horcrux, from Harry Potter. That phylactery is what makes a Lich difficult to destroy, and why they’ve historically been used as long-term antagonists, such as during one of my personal favorite adventures of all times: the original Tomb of Horrors. The Path of the Lich is part of a broader Unearthed Arcana release focused on “villainous” character options. Instead of a subclass, as a very interesting take on things, this is structured as a sequence of feats. Keeping the Lich path separate from any class means that no matter what you play as, you can make a Lich out of it! This means that your fighter, for example, could be a Lich, or your rogue (not that you’d ever play a rogue), and you can have that “undead character” without tying yourself to the traditional “Lich-as-a-spellcaster” archetype. The Lich progression looks like this: You begin by defining a Lich Rite , at any level, which is mostly narrative At level 4, you take Lich Initiate Between levels 5 and 11, you select at least one additional related feat, from the options of arcane restoration, transfer life, or undead grasp And then at level 12 or higher, you take Lich Ascension , to officially become a Lich So rather than a single transformation, your character goes through a gradual shift in both mechanics and tone, which is very based in D&D lore. The Lich Rite feat is worth discussing in some detail, even though it doesn’t have strict mechanical weight. This first feat in the Lich chain sets the narrative expectation for becoming a full-blown Lich, by providing the character with a sort of quest they must first complete, such as: Consuming a large number of souls Using magic to conceal yourself from the gods of death Brewing potions from slain foes Or severing your connection to any afterlife, entirely These aren’t small story beats. They really do imply a campaign where moral boundaries are actively being crossed—or at the very least, being questioned. So, before mechanics even come into play, there’s already a conversation to have at the table. Next, is the Lich Initiate feat. This is the foundation. You create your spirit jar , which functions as your anchor, the basis for your phylactery. You also gain Soul Siphon , allowing you to consume the soul of a defeated humanoid for a small damage boost. There’s also a risk component—if your spirit jar is destroyed, you suffer penalties until it’s replaced. You then choose how to build on your lich path with a third feat that improves soul siphon: Arcane Restoration lets you convert soul siphon uses into spell slot recovery Transfer Life turns soul siphon uses into temporary hit point bonuses for allies Undead Grasp adds a control option through paralysis These are fairly modular feats. They don’t radically change your role, such as by forcing you into becoming a full-fledged Lich spell caster, but they do add magical efficiency and utility depending on your build. Finally, at level 12, the transformation to Lichdom completes. You: Become Undead Gain resistance to necrotic and poison damage Get access to Fear without expending spell slots And gain a form of rejuvenation tied to your spirit jar That last point is the most significant mechanically. It introduces a conditional form of returning after death, assuming your phylactery remains intact. So, is the Path of the Lich actually worth taking? Mechanically, it’s solid. You’re getting: Incremental power increases Some resource flexibility And a strong late-game feature tied to survival But the bigger consideration isn’t mechanical—it’s contextual. This kind of progression assumes: A campaign that supports darker character arcs A group that’s comfortable with those themes And a DM willing to integrate the consequences of these morally very-dark-gray life choices In a more traditional heroic campaign, it may not fit at all. The path of the Lich feels less like a standard player option, and more like a tool for specific types of stories. If used carefully, it could support a long-term character arc focused on ambition, cost, and transformation. It allows players to experience some really interesting game mechanics that have long been reserved mainly for monsters or main campaign villains. If this feat path is used casually, it does risk feeling out of place—or undercutting the tone of the game. And let’s just remember, since it’s still Unearthed Arcana, parts of this entire path are also likely to change based on feedback. So the real question is: are you going to play a lich in your next campaign? Or do you think lichdom works better as something players confront… rather than become? Let me know in the comments. And if you want more D&D news and breakdowns like this, consider liking and subscribing. Thanks for watching!

“New Dark D&D Subclasses: for Bard, Druid, & Warlock” Blog

D&D Unearthed Arcana: New Dark Subclasses

By Jacob Tegtman • April 28, 2026

Transcribed content from our recent YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_DQ3rc0Xes Transcription Wizards of the Coast has released three new subclasses in their latest Unearthed Arcana, focusing on darker themes like death magic and corruption mechanics. They’re free to access and already generating a lot of discussion in the community. Welcome back to Eternity TTRPG—your go-to source for D&D and tabletop RPG news. Let’s take a look at what’s included in this latest release, and how these classes might fit into your game. If you aren’t familiar, Unearthed Arcana is Wizards of the Coast’s official playtest material, where new subclasses, rules, or mechanics are released for public feedback before possible full publication. New Unearthed Arcana releases don’t follow a strict schedule of new subclass releases, but they tend to appear a few times a year depending on development cycles. There’s also no fixed order for which classes get new subclasses—design choices are usually driven by current design goals, themes, or upcoming products rather than a rotation system. This could in part be driven by the “D&D Seasons” that we’re now seeing from Wizards of the Coast with their planned product release schedule, this year. Getting right into things though, the subclasses this round are: College of Mourning (Bard) Circle of the Primeval (Druid) A revised Fiend Patron (Warlock) The College of Mourning focuses on death-related magic. Instead of traditional inspiration, it blends necrotic damage with support abilities, allowing bards to deal damage while also healing allies. Community reactions have noted the strong thematic direction. One Reddit user described it as a good fit for darker character concepts, though some DMs may need to consider how it fits their campaign tone. Mechanically, early impressions suggest it’s relatively balanced, with its healing and damage requiring positioning and timing. The Circle of the Primeval explores a more ancient and unfamiliar side of nature. Instead of typical beasts, their Wild Shape options include more unusual, sometimes unsettling forms—drawing on prehistoric or aberrant inspirations. At 6th level, their “Primordial Awakening” feature allows additional effects like resistance to psychic damage and abilities that can disrupt enemies mentally. Some players like the new, darker style of this subclass as a change of pace, while others worry it might not fit the tone or gameplay balance of more classic, heroic D&D campaigns. This subclass may work best in settings where the implied, dark themes of the subclass are already established and agreed upon by the group. The updated Fiend Patron introduces a more structured approach to corruption mechanics. The new “Infernal Bargain” system allows warlocks to gain temporary power in exchange for accumulating “Corruption Points.” As corruption points increase, characters gain benefits—but also drawbacks, including possible DM influence over certain decisions at higher levels. To be clear, Corruption Points are gained each time the warlock uses their Infernal Bargain feature to gain their temporary power increases. This system has sparked discussion around player agency. Some players appreciate the mechanical representation of risk and consequence, while others are cautious about how it might be implemented at the table. Overall, it adds a clearer framework for storytelling, but likely requires strong communication between players and DMs. Community discussion around these subclasses has been active, particularly among DMs considering how to integrate them. Some concerns focus on tone—especially in campaigns that already have a defined setting or theme. Others are more mechanical, particularly around balance and player agency. Wizards of the Coast has included guidance in the document, including suggestions for implementation and reminders to use session zero discussions and safety tools when introducing darker themes. If you’d like to play these subclasses at your table, You can download and learn more about them for free on D&D Beyond or through official Wizards of the Coast Unearthed Arcana posts. I’ll include links in this video’s notes, below. Quick episode today, but that about wraps things up! So, what are your thoughts on these new subclasses? Would you include them in your campaign, or do they feel too specific in tone? Let me know in the comments. And if you enjoyed this breakdown, consider liking the video and subscribing for more weekly D&D news. Until next time my friends—keep rolling those 20’s.