Roll Player: Fiends & Familiars

Roll Player: Fiends & Familiars Deep Dive

What the Community Thinks About Roll Player: Fiends & Familiars

Board Games UnLocked is the channel behind all three sources, and its verdict on this expansion is consistently favorable. In a list of the top expansions of 2020, the host placed Roll Player: Fiends & Familiars sixth and called it a phenomenal expansion, while still ranking Roll Player: Monsters and Minions higher because that expansion gave characters more to do. In a dedicated solo-play review, the same channel gave the expansion a nine out of ten and said it does not bog the game down. Earlier, in a list of anticipated 2020 expansions, the host was looking forward mainly to new monsters, noting that Monsters and Minions had offered relatively few of them.

The main point of agreement is that the expansion adds depth without adding bloat. The host of the 2020 list admitted to expecting "just more content" before finding more depth than expected. The points of disagreement concern the Fiends, which the solo reviewer called very annoying even while recommending the expansion.

Core Mechanics That Define Roll Player: Fiends & Familiars

Dice Drafting and Initiative

Roll Player is built on drafting dice, and the expansion layers onto that through the initiative track. According to the solo review, the number of dice a player rolls depends on how many players act before them in the market, so a player third in line rolls two dice. The Call to Adventure card works as a timing marker: until it appears in the market, the initiative cards carry two dice instead of one. That speeds up character building before the game returns to a single die. Taking a higher-value die can mean rolling the enemy die, which may pull away a card the player wanted or trigger a monster fight.

Fiends as Balancing Obstacles

Fiends are the expansion's main source of friction. The 2020 list host explained that Fiend cards come out at certain levels of the market, so a player chasing a strong die may have to take a Fiend that rolls two dice and removes cards they wanted. The solo host described this as the same kind of decision a player would face in a multiplayer game, where players compete for the same high dice. Fiends can be banished for five gold or a Charisma token, and the 2020 list host noted that removing a Fiend can earn victory points through different levels of cards.

The Roll Player: Fiends & Familiars Experience

Multiplayer Tension in a Solo Game

The solo review frames the expansion through solo play, and the experience it describes is a tense two-player game. The host says the dice "come out like normal" and that the variant "simulates a two-player game pretty well," with the difference that the other player cannot look at your board or hate-draft. Each initiative choice carries a real cost, which the host says makes you "really think about it." Scoring then turns the result into a title, with a total under 24 making you an NPC and a 42 falling one point short of a true hero.

Frustration Softened by Tension

Reviewers are open about the friction. The solo host calls the Fiends "really really really annoying" and gives an example of a Fiend that doubles the cost of skill cards, a penalty that would have blown apart a traits strategy. The host also says the Fiends are not broken, since a player can usually still make things work through the abilities of their other attributes. The host credits them with balance, saying they make players second-guess whether to take a high die when a Fiend will roll two dice in its place.

What Makes Roll Player: Fiends & Familiars Stand Out

Familiars Add Versatility and Character Depth

Every player gets a familiar with its own special ability, class, and die colors. The solo host explains that sometimes the dice do not work for your character but do work for your familiar, and that even when neither fits, the die can still be placed to gain a benefit. The Fsofy video's host says the familiars and fiends together will "add more depth to your character," giving players more to work with when they roleplay.

A Streamlined Pace and a Condensed Rulebook

Reviewers say the expansion makes Roll Player faster rather than heavier. The solo host argues that it "doesn't bog the game down any in any way," and credits the Call to Adventure timing with keeping the game quick without making it feel short. The rulebook also earns praise: it condenses the rules for Monsters and Minions alongside the base game and shows setup for the market deck with this expansion alone or with both. The host recommends playing with both expansions because the shared rulebook keeps the added complexity manageable.

Potential Drawbacks

Fiends Can Be Punishing

The most direct criticism is that Fiends are unpleasant to deal with. The solo host says they can be "really really really annoying," and the cost of a single Fiend can undo a plan built around one kind of card. Banishing a Fiend is possible, but the reviewer points out that it costs gold or a Charisma token, so the remedy is itself an expense.

Less Content Than Monsters and Minions

Some reviewers see the expansion as modest by comparison. The solo host says it is "definitely a lot less" than Monsters and Minions, which added many more monsters, and the 2020 list host placed Monsters and Minions above it because that expansion gave characters more to do. The concern is less about quality than about scale, since the solo host still describes the expansion as "not a bad expansion" and gives it a high rating.

If You Enjoy Roll Player: Fiends & Familiars

Players who enjoy the familiars and character building in Roll Player: Fiends & Familiars will find similar satisfaction in Role Player: Monsters and Minions, which the 2020 list host ranks as the stronger of the two and which the solo review recommends pairing with this expansion. Players drawn to the roleplaying side of the game may also see a link to Dungeons & Dragons. The Fsofy video's host said a completed character could be taken straight into play of "real - D 3.5 edition," and described the upcoming Role Player Adventures as "essentially D&D but dice drafting." Players looking for a campaign-driven version of that experience will find it in Role Player Adventures, where the 2020 list host says players can build a character and truly go out on an adventure with them.