TO BE OR NOT TO BE A VILLAIN is an innovative approach to combining TTRPG with HAMLET

Hamlet is one of William Shakespearethe most famous and beloved tragedies. To be or not to be a villain it’s a 5th edition (OR Zweihander RPG) adventure inspired by this famous comedy and it looks amazing! First, I want to make this very clear To be or not to be a villain it uses the rules and mechanics of popular tabletop RPGs, but from how I’ve read it (a free copy was provided for review), it feels more like a standalone game. You will need no less than 11 people to play this game: two Game Masters and nine players. You’ll need two rooms with tables (one can be smaller than the other) or if you’re playing online, a way to separate yourself into two groups. I’m amazed at how fun it sounds!

Take on the role of a lifetime as one of the Nine Nobles in this tabletop RPG that reimagines Hamlet. In this adventure, players will cooperate and plot against each other for the throne of Denmark.

Experience the world of Hamlet like never before in this unique tabletop RPG.

For more than a century, Denmark has been at war with Norway. But after an uneasy ceasefire was brokered, old King Hamlet died under mysterious circumstances. When a monarch dies without having officially named a successor, this leaves the kingdom to the noble council. And with it, their vote for who will inherit the throne. Become General Claudius, Queen Gertrude, Polonia, Ophelia, Laertes, Horace, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern or even young Prince Hamlet.

This book contains two adventures, one compatible with the fifth edition of the world’s oldest RPG and the other Powered by ZWEIHÄNDER RPG.

Some important notes are that players must use the pre-generated characters. To be or not to be a villain it was not designed to allow for custom player characters. However, that doesn’t mean the game is always the same. The people you play with will make different choices every time you play and shake things up. We all have that one friend who will always make chaotic decisions.

The inclusion of two GMs is an intriguing design choice, but since I’ve reviewed it, it makes a lot of sense and keeps the game moving. During an act, players can spend story tokens to play out a side scene with one of the GMs (considered the playwright, the GM who handles the main scenes is the director) and possibly other characters. This is a very intriguing feature.

At the end of the game, who will rule Denmark? How will they come to power? Players are capable of making decisions and we all know how that can go. Your game could become full of lies and betrayals, it could become a bloodbath or it could see the peaceful evolution of a democracy for Denmark. Who knows, and that’s what got me so excited!

There is so much inside To be or not to be a villain, which I can’t even address half of it here. If anything I’ve mentioned even remotely intrigues you, stop reading this and go buy it at DriveThruRPG (affiliate link) now! The supplement comes from Giacomo Introcaso AND Rudy Bass through Andrews McMeel Publishing.