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Ptolus ongoing review p.1...10
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<blockquote data-quote="Thomas Percy" data-source="post: 3003204" data-attributes="member: 11931"><p>IV. Cosmology and Religion</p><p></p><p>This chapter is hard to review without spoilers… so forgive me… if I have a choice between a review which spoils the game of the readers, or review a little hard to understand, I choose the second. </p><p></p><p>So, Ptolus world was created by now-forgotten god for the purpose. He devised it as a trap for other evil gods, demons and another scum collectively called Galchutt. The creator was tired of the Galchutt, which corrupted and anihillated every world he created. So, he constructed mega-prison which looks like another world. </p><p>Entertainment guaranteed! </p><p>Because no outsider (including gods) can’t leave Ptolus world until someone breaks a seal on the moon (which disappeared, as I mentioned above), these Galchutt live near the mortals (or in etheral plane) and do ugly things from nearly 11.000 years. Well, they are sleeping hibernated right now… guess where?... and guess what time they will wake up?</p><p></p><p>Among their (I mean Galchutt) most ugly deeds was a creation of a few quasi-Saurons with complicated names, who tried to demolish the world a few times and always they were beaten by various fellowships of „the something”. Most of these second rank bad guys left as an inheritance some ugly gifts for the world, such as:</p><p>- the spire (from the city by the spire)</p><p>- abandoned dwarven kingdom under the city of the spire</p><p>- warehouses full of cursed artifacts (not only magic) in the city</p><p>- interdimensional shadow world realm in the city</p><p>- and many things even more ugly.</p><p>Be warned! City by the Spire is like a barrel full of dynamite! Now, I understand, why here in Ptolus, there are hundreds of adventurers! </p><p></p><p>Because the world is a prison, Monte altered some 3,5 rules to make every calling and Gate-like spell one way ticket. Honestly, I don’t understand these rules fully, I don’t want to use this them, because I like these spells such as they are in 3,5. I don’t worry about too many powerful outsiders in my world, because I assume after Planescape (and after Hordes of the Abyss now!) that there are no unlimited number of e.g. balors. And the world of Ptolus can be a prison for evil gods only, not for demons/devils too. Maybe I’m wrong. </p><p></p><p>The Church of Lothian is a Christian-like (before schizm, like Rome today) monoteistic church, which tolerates other minor non-evil gods. I find it perfect solution, because it’s nice and for politeism and syncretism lovers in fantasy and for monoteism lovers, and last but not least: this semi-medieval world has a semi-medieval church! And if you need some factions within The Church, you have various saints’ cults and various monastic and knighthood orders. When a priest violates Church’s law, he’s rebuked, but not befrocked, because the fact he still has the spells is a proof of god’s will. I like this Monte’s solution.</p><p></p><p>Cults of Chaos. Many evil and chaotic secret societes are must be in the city setting! Monte creates a lot of them: some stupid as a mob of ranchers, some wicked like Machiavelli, some disgusting like diseased body eaters, some based on the prophecy of end of the world. </p><p></p><p>It’s a good chapter even for idea miner, and the DM who want to insert Ptolus into another world with another cosmology. </p><p></p><p>V. History</p><p></p><p>This is another chapter full of fluff and epic adventure ideas for every DM. </p><p></p><p>Again, for many Malhavoc readers, such things as Bannewarens, Ochremeshk, Eslathagos Malkith, The Ghul, The Age of Elder Titans, or rise and fall of Tarsis Empire may be not new. But I’m not Malhavoc fan, because I don’t like dungeon crawl adventures, and I never have enough patience to read „Retun to the Temple of Elemental Evil” or „Bannewarens”. I assume there are a lot of cool crunch and tactics there, but I felt asleep every time I tried to read such a book. </p><p>And now I’m rewarded! </p><p>Monte gathered most of his best stories into interesting, inspiring, and very easy to understand and navigate fluff chapter. I see, there will be a lot of dungeon crawl in the Ptolus – but, after the reading of this chapter, I see it will be crawling with sense. Sorry, I’ll say no more, because these stories are for DM only, and I don’t want to spoil a game for my reader. If you like world-shaking epic intigues like Lord of the Rings – you will like this chapter. If you like political intrigues – you’ll like this chapter. If you like dungeon crawl with good story in the background – you will like this chapter.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Once again, sorry for my bad English, sorry for my editorial mistakes (I wrote it in the hurry), sorry that I have no patience (and many more) to make this review such deep and professional as these of eg. Merric, or JoeKrusher. The weekend starts, I will have two full day game sessions, so I will continiue after minimum two days break.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Thomas Percy, post: 3003204, member: 11931"] IV. Cosmology and Religion This chapter is hard to review without spoilers… so forgive me… if I have a choice between a review which spoils the game of the readers, or review a little hard to understand, I choose the second. So, Ptolus world was created by now-forgotten god for the purpose. He devised it as a trap for other evil gods, demons and another scum collectively called Galchutt. The creator was tired of the Galchutt, which corrupted and anihillated every world he created. So, he constructed mega-prison which looks like another world. Entertainment guaranteed! Because no outsider (including gods) can’t leave Ptolus world until someone breaks a seal on the moon (which disappeared, as I mentioned above), these Galchutt live near the mortals (or in etheral plane) and do ugly things from nearly 11.000 years. Well, they are sleeping hibernated right now… guess where?... and guess what time they will wake up? Among their (I mean Galchutt) most ugly deeds was a creation of a few quasi-Saurons with complicated names, who tried to demolish the world a few times and always they were beaten by various fellowships of „the something”. Most of these second rank bad guys left as an inheritance some ugly gifts for the world, such as: - the spire (from the city by the spire) - abandoned dwarven kingdom under the city of the spire - warehouses full of cursed artifacts (not only magic) in the city - interdimensional shadow world realm in the city - and many things even more ugly. Be warned! City by the Spire is like a barrel full of dynamite! Now, I understand, why here in Ptolus, there are hundreds of adventurers! Because the world is a prison, Monte altered some 3,5 rules to make every calling and Gate-like spell one way ticket. Honestly, I don’t understand these rules fully, I don’t want to use this them, because I like these spells such as they are in 3,5. I don’t worry about too many powerful outsiders in my world, because I assume after Planescape (and after Hordes of the Abyss now!) that there are no unlimited number of e.g. balors. And the world of Ptolus can be a prison for evil gods only, not for demons/devils too. Maybe I’m wrong. The Church of Lothian is a Christian-like (before schizm, like Rome today) monoteistic church, which tolerates other minor non-evil gods. I find it perfect solution, because it’s nice and for politeism and syncretism lovers in fantasy and for monoteism lovers, and last but not least: this semi-medieval world has a semi-medieval church! And if you need some factions within The Church, you have various saints’ cults and various monastic and knighthood orders. When a priest violates Church’s law, he’s rebuked, but not befrocked, because the fact he still has the spells is a proof of god’s will. I like this Monte’s solution. Cults of Chaos. Many evil and chaotic secret societes are must be in the city setting! Monte creates a lot of them: some stupid as a mob of ranchers, some wicked like Machiavelli, some disgusting like diseased body eaters, some based on the prophecy of end of the world. It’s a good chapter even for idea miner, and the DM who want to insert Ptolus into another world with another cosmology. V. History This is another chapter full of fluff and epic adventure ideas for every DM. Again, for many Malhavoc readers, such things as Bannewarens, Ochremeshk, Eslathagos Malkith, The Ghul, The Age of Elder Titans, or rise and fall of Tarsis Empire may be not new. But I’m not Malhavoc fan, because I don’t like dungeon crawl adventures, and I never have enough patience to read „Retun to the Temple of Elemental Evil” or „Bannewarens”. I assume there are a lot of cool crunch and tactics there, but I felt asleep every time I tried to read such a book. And now I’m rewarded! Monte gathered most of his best stories into interesting, inspiring, and very easy to understand and navigate fluff chapter. I see, there will be a lot of dungeon crawl in the Ptolus – but, after the reading of this chapter, I see it will be crawling with sense. Sorry, I’ll say no more, because these stories are for DM only, and I don’t want to spoil a game for my reader. If you like world-shaking epic intigues like Lord of the Rings – you will like this chapter. If you like political intrigues – you’ll like this chapter. If you like dungeon crawl with good story in the background – you will like this chapter. Once again, sorry for my bad English, sorry for my editorial mistakes (I wrote it in the hurry), sorry that I have no patience (and many more) to make this review such deep and professional as these of eg. Merric, or JoeKrusher. The weekend starts, I will have two full day game sessions, so I will continiue after minimum two days break. [/QUOTE]
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