I went to the Midgard Campaign Setting book launch on Saturday at AFK Tavern (the gamer tavern in Everett, WA). It was open to anyone who wanted to wander in, and luckily I live just down the highway.
AFK is always a fun place, with lots of gamers playing all sorts of games (and eating and drinking to keep the place in business), but I'd never been to an event there. They had themed drinks and food based on the book, waitstaff in costumes, and some customers in costumes too (one guy came in wearing chainmail, awesome!).
Oh, and I got to talk briefly to Wolfgang Baur and Jeff Grubb, and got a free extra glass of mead they happened to have sitting around (how often does THAT happen!).
Anyhow, I haven't had more than a couple of hours to read the book, but it's pretty awesome from what I've seen. Stuff I like best:
-- As Wolfgang said last night, their design philosophy is like a raven. They pick up shining bits from all over, and weave it into a coherent nest. I'm a huge history buff, so I love looking at places like "Illyria" and "Magdar" and getting what they mean (coastal former Yugoslavia and Hungary), except that they are D&Dified in interesting ways.
-- Seems totally edition neutral (Kobold Press being the "Switzerland of the Edition Wars"), so probably a darn good 5e setting. It's officially written for Pathfinder and AGE, but it weaves in "Dragonkin" (kinda like Dragonborn, but different) and Gearforged (kinda like those mechanical folks in late 3rd Edition, Warforged, I think) and some Tieflings, without them feeling weirdly artificially to me. Of course they are Dragonkin in the east -- why not? Their armor looks Middle Eastern, it all makes sense. (And I'm a grognard, not a fan of 4e-like stuff.)
-- It's also original. A setting where Kobolds and Minotaurs are important races? Interesting. A European-based setting missing the UK, France, and Spain (where they'd be on the map are mostly uninhabited wastelands)? Fascinating. And oh yeah, there's an Empire of the Ghouls.
-- Lots of little extras. Horse breeds. Ley line magic. The Shadow Court. Even though I don't plan to end my "forever" Greyhawk campaign (remember, I'm a grognard), there's lots of cool stuff to "raven away" to your own campaign here. Where can I fit in the City of Zobeck -- gotta find a place.
-- The art is gorgeous. I was surprised at its quality, but I guess I shouldn't have been.
Yes, a gaming tavern! | AFK Tavern
A Bridge to Another World / Kobold Quarterly
AFK is always a fun place, with lots of gamers playing all sorts of games (and eating and drinking to keep the place in business), but I'd never been to an event there. They had themed drinks and food based on the book, waitstaff in costumes, and some customers in costumes too (one guy came in wearing chainmail, awesome!).
Oh, and I got to talk briefly to Wolfgang Baur and Jeff Grubb, and got a free extra glass of mead they happened to have sitting around (how often does THAT happen!).
Anyhow, I haven't had more than a couple of hours to read the book, but it's pretty awesome from what I've seen. Stuff I like best:
-- As Wolfgang said last night, their design philosophy is like a raven. They pick up shining bits from all over, and weave it into a coherent nest. I'm a huge history buff, so I love looking at places like "Illyria" and "Magdar" and getting what they mean (coastal former Yugoslavia and Hungary), except that they are D&Dified in interesting ways.
-- Seems totally edition neutral (Kobold Press being the "Switzerland of the Edition Wars"), so probably a darn good 5e setting. It's officially written for Pathfinder and AGE, but it weaves in "Dragonkin" (kinda like Dragonborn, but different) and Gearforged (kinda like those mechanical folks in late 3rd Edition, Warforged, I think) and some Tieflings, without them feeling weirdly artificially to me. Of course they are Dragonkin in the east -- why not? Their armor looks Middle Eastern, it all makes sense. (And I'm a grognard, not a fan of 4e-like stuff.)
-- It's also original. A setting where Kobolds and Minotaurs are important races? Interesting. A European-based setting missing the UK, France, and Spain (where they'd be on the map are mostly uninhabited wastelands)? Fascinating. And oh yeah, there's an Empire of the Ghouls.
-- Lots of little extras. Horse breeds. Ley line magic. The Shadow Court. Even though I don't plan to end my "forever" Greyhawk campaign (remember, I'm a grognard), there's lots of cool stuff to "raven away" to your own campaign here. Where can I fit in the City of Zobeck -- gotta find a place.
-- The art is gorgeous. I was surprised at its quality, but I guess I shouldn't have been.
Yes, a gaming tavern! | AFK Tavern
A Bridge to Another World / Kobold Quarterly
