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<blockquote data-quote="Dykstrav" data-source="post: 5133954" data-attributes="member: 40522"><p>I got my copy of Hammerfast from Amazon today. It's a neat product, very 1E in flavor, with black-and-white art and several nods to classic D&D. I haven't had time to read it in-depth yet, but I'm actually really excited about it just from my first impressions.</p><p></p><p>Here are the things that I have issue with. I honestly didn't care one way or the other for the hex-based local area map on the interior cover. On one hand, I expected a map of better quality. On the other hand, I don't really care how pretty the map is as long as it is clear and functional. It is, so I'm satisfied. As for the layout of the town itself... Honestly, it's a bit bland. It's simple, so it'd be very easy to draw on a battle mat or lay out with dungeon tiles. On the other hand, there isn't really any prominent feature that stands out and identifies Hammerfast's unique history and background. I expected to see several blocks of tombs or ruins, but it looks much like any other small mountain town. I think the geography and architecture could have been more interesting.</p><p></p><p>Now for the good stuff. It comes with a miniatures-scale map, which I'm a sucker for. I'll buy more products just to get miniature-scale maps.</p><p></p><p>One of the things that I really loved was the subtle nod to the example dungeon presented in the 1E DMG--a ruined monastery, sacked by gnolls fifty years ago, reputed to contain a fabulous fire opal. That seems to be one of the coolest things about the 1E veterans, most every 1E DM has their own version of that example dungeon that's been fleshed out. I'm willing to use Hammerfast just to run a one-shot of that dungeon site.</p><p></p><p>I also really loved how the book de-emphasized the art. The simpler line art is not only evocative of previous iterations of the game, but it also leaves a bit more to the imagination. Honestly, I get tired of seeing so many action pieces where it looks like a panel from a CGI-laden movie or manga. A simple character illustration here and there is far more interesting to me, as well as showcasing the content more than the art. Count me a fan of this style. I like the style of the art and the amount of it. Honestly, I could do with even <em>less </em>art than this, but I'm also aware that I'm in a small minority of D&D fans in that respect.</p><p></p><p>I like how Hammerfast is also placed in a new area but relative to the Nentir Vale established in the DMG. I'd love to see the explicit, core points-of-light setting get its very own sourcebook, but I'm satisfied with seeing the world sketched out a bit more at a time.</p><p></p><p>Overall, I think that it was well worth the purchase price and I'd certainly buy something else like this. I can't wait to get a chance to actually read through the content in-depth and see what else is in here.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Dykstrav, post: 5133954, member: 40522"] I got my copy of Hammerfast from Amazon today. It's a neat product, very 1E in flavor, with black-and-white art and several nods to classic D&D. I haven't had time to read it in-depth yet, but I'm actually really excited about it just from my first impressions. Here are the things that I have issue with. I honestly didn't care one way or the other for the hex-based local area map on the interior cover. On one hand, I expected a map of better quality. On the other hand, I don't really care how pretty the map is as long as it is clear and functional. It is, so I'm satisfied. As for the layout of the town itself... Honestly, it's a bit bland. It's simple, so it'd be very easy to draw on a battle mat or lay out with dungeon tiles. On the other hand, there isn't really any prominent feature that stands out and identifies Hammerfast's unique history and background. I expected to see several blocks of tombs or ruins, but it looks much like any other small mountain town. I think the geography and architecture could have been more interesting. Now for the good stuff. It comes with a miniatures-scale map, which I'm a sucker for. I'll buy more products just to get miniature-scale maps. One of the things that I really loved was the subtle nod to the example dungeon presented in the 1E DMG--a ruined monastery, sacked by gnolls fifty years ago, reputed to contain a fabulous fire opal. That seems to be one of the coolest things about the 1E veterans, most every 1E DM has their own version of that example dungeon that's been fleshed out. I'm willing to use Hammerfast just to run a one-shot of that dungeon site. I also really loved how the book de-emphasized the art. The simpler line art is not only evocative of previous iterations of the game, but it also leaves a bit more to the imagination. Honestly, I get tired of seeing so many action pieces where it looks like a panel from a CGI-laden movie or manga. A simple character illustration here and there is far more interesting to me, as well as showcasing the content more than the art. Count me a fan of this style. I like the style of the art and the amount of it. Honestly, I could do with even [I]less [/I]art than this, but I'm also aware that I'm in a small minority of D&D fans in that respect. I like how Hammerfast is also placed in a new area but relative to the Nentir Vale established in the DMG. I'd love to see the explicit, core points-of-light setting get its very own sourcebook, but I'm satisfied with seeing the world sketched out a bit more at a time. Overall, I think that it was well worth the purchase price and I'd certainly buy something else like this. I can't wait to get a chance to actually read through the content in-depth and see what else is in here. [/QUOTE]
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