Pencils & Powers (2017) Board Game

Pencils & Powers is a board game released in 2017, designed by Mark A. Jindra. It falls under the adventure, dice, fantasy, and print & play categories. The game is suitable for 1-8 players, with a recommended age of 12 and above. The gameplay involves dice rolling and paper-and-pencil mechanics, adding an element of strategy and chance to the game.

Game Components of Pencils & Powers

Game Sheets: Players use these to record their progress, track monsters, treasures, and their hero’s stats.

Dice: Three six-sided dice are rolled to determine various actions such as exploring, fighting monsters, and collecting treasures.

Pencils/Pens: Necessary for marking and writing on the game sheets.

Optional Accessories: May include tokens or markers for tracking gold, damage, and other in-game elements.

How To Setup Pencils & Powers

To set up the game, players start by rolling the three dice until all three show different numbers. These numbers are then assigned to different aspects of the game: one die for gold, one for treasures, and one for monsters. Players then number the treasures and monsters on their game sheet according to the rolled numbers. The setup involves placing the skeleton king and other skeletons in designated rooms and ensuring that the treasure key to the final boss’s room is correctly positioned.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Roll and Write: Players roll dice and write down the results on their game sheets to progress through the game.

Dice Assignment: Dice are assigned to exploring, fighting monsters, and collecting treasures.

Leveling Up: Heroes can level up by defeating monsters and collecting treasures.

Combat: Players engage in combat with monsters, using rolled dice to determine attack and defense values.

Objective: The primary goal is to beat the skeleton king and generate a high score based on the player’s performance at the end of the game. It is essentially a beat-your-own-score system.

Player Experience

Playing **Pencils & Powers** offers a solitary or cooperative adventure experience where players navigate through a dungeon, fight monsters, and collect treasures. The game requires strategic thinking in assigning dice rolls and managing resources effectively. The ascending difficulty of monsters and the presence of cursed treasures add an element of challenge and excitement. Players can enjoy the game’s replayability due to the random nature of dice rolls and the different outcomes each game can produce.

Pros

High Replayability: Each game offers a unique experience due to the random dice rolls and different monster placements.

Simple yet Engaging Mechanics: The roll-and-write mechanism is easy to learn but challenging to master.

Portable and Accessible: The game requires minimal components, making it easy to take and play anywhere.

Solo and Cooperative Play: Suitable for both solo and cooperative gameplay, offering versatility.

Cons

Limited Social Interaction: As a primarily solo or cooperative game, it may lack the social interaction some players seek in a board game.

Dependence on Randomness: The game’s outcome is heavily dependent on dice rolls, which may not appeal to players who prefer more strategic control.

Potential for Repetition: The repetitive nature of rolling dice and filling out sheets might become monotonous for some players.

Personal Thoughts on Pencils & Powers

**Pencils & Powers** is ideal for fans of roll-and-write games and those who enjoy dungeon-crawl adventures. It is particularly suited for players who appreciate solo or cooperative gameplay and are looking for a game that is easy to learn but offers a good level of complexity. The game’s portability and minimal setup make it a great choice for players on the go or those with limited storage space. However, it may not be the best fit for players seeking high social interaction or those who prefer games with less randomness and more strategic depth.

We are supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, at no extra cost for you. Learn more.