A first look at Destan's Valus sourcebook

[Lela]

I agree WizarDru, or perhaps we could begin an online glossary (.html is built for just such a thing, of course). What say ye Ryan?

I'd be happy to help out/put it together. In fact, if you had it ready now I'd do it and use it for an assignment as well. Regardless, let me know.

I assume you're looking for XHTML 1.0 Transitional standard?

 

[Destan]

Skimmed the sourcebook and tried to pick out words that may be confusing for inclusion in a potential glossary. List is below. Please let me know if I'm missing anything. I had to limit it somewhat - if I started putting in the various ethnic groups and geographic locales, the list would be longer than some Dungeon adventures. If I'm missing something you think should be included, please email me rather than batter this thread - fakerjsmalls@yahoo.com. Just drop the "fake" from the email address. Thanks.

- D


Angulum
Ascendancy
Aza-bin
Covenguard
Divine Awareness
Divine Retribution
drel
Drimm
durven
dwem
Elder Races
Epala
gammhedrel
Genn
Greater Being
Guardian
Gul-Drimm
hek
Hor Valu
horadrel
hulldurv
Jann
Loamlands
Luc Valu
morhedrel
New Faith
Old Faith
Orda-Drimm
pardadrel
pem
Prada
Restricted Creatures
Risen Faith
Risen Gods
roven
rûcken
Saficea
Sixty-Three Nights of the Long Wailing
stondurv
Suppression
trull
Tundreth Clans
Ulma-Drimm
Weanlings

 

[Crothian]

Well, I read through it all reviewed it and had a day to just sit on it thinking about the book. Heck, the book even has gotten a conversation among the reviewers over it. I tendto read books cover to cvover and this was no different, excpet it was fun. A lot of RPG books tend to read a bit like text books especially settings. This one I sat down with on the couch and before I knew it I was done. There is just so much informaiton here that its am,azing it was packed in there that tight.

I know there was another thread around here somewhere that asked the question: Would you want to play in Valus? I would. Its doubtful I'll ever get that oppurtunity, but with luck someday I will.

 

[Voadam]

What's the current year in the setting?

I'm about a hundred pages into it and the Carrick-Rhelm civil war is referenced as recent with dates but I've forgotten where it says what the current year is.

Also I like the explanations for the different sources of divine power for Paladins, Clerics, and druids, but there doesn't seem to be info on divine ranger spells, are they connected into specific gods, the Father/Mother, or other?

 

[neg]

Looking forward to mine.

Well I got off my lazy butt and ordered my copy of Valus today. The limited edition of Ippizicus finally pushed me over the edge and I had to purchase both of them.

I am looking forward to reading through them Ryan as I am sure they deliver the quality we have come to expect from your writing.

Can we expect further support for Valus from you and Different Worlds?

-neg

 

[WizarDru]

Crothian forgot to mention that he wrote up a review .

The current year, as per the sourcebook, is 1003 WE (Winter Epoch). That's the calendar used by Carrik and Luc Valu, the two major nations on the Valus. Rhelm (the nation that broke away from Carrik) uses a calendar based on the year they won their independence (138 VY - Victory Years). Most other nations use a different system, such as the island of Gordia to the North or the Apian Empire, Patriarchy of Genn, Basilica or Aradeeti on the mainland.

I think this info is on page 18 or so, but I don't have the book in front of me.

The question about Rangers is a good one. Maybe they unconsciously get their abilities from the dead child-gods...but I'd suspect they don't think about it, or don't view them as spells at all, per se. I mean, maybe many of the ranger spells like longstrider and pass without trace could be seen as just advanced techniques, in their eyes? Destan?

(Note: some quick math will tell you that the end of the Carrik-Rhelm war took place on 865 WE)

Edit: fixed stupid typo. Math...not a strong point.

 

[Destan]

What's the current year in the setting?

1003 W.E. (Winter Epoch) - p. 16

The current year can be a bit confusing (hell, it confuses me) because it's "different" depending upon the group/religion/whatever. We have all these peoples that attribute "Year 0" to different significant events. And then you have the druids who count down instead of up, waiting for Saficea to awake. Over on the mainland Aradeeti use lifetimes instead of years, and the dang Rorns refuse to count the years until the return of their Witchking. What a mess.

The book (and I) stick with 1003 WE as the current year and use WE as the common factor between all the dates.

The Carrik-Rhelm civil war occurred from 861 WE - 865 WE. (An easy way to remember that, if you're from the U.S., is the parallel to our own Civil War, 1861-1865).

I've considered putting together a yearly timeline, but I gotta finish the glossary first, and it seems that's about to explode into something much larger than I had hoped.

Also I like the explanations for the different sources of divine power for Paladins, Clerics, and druids, but there doesn't seem to be info on divine ranger spells, are they connected into specific gods, the Father/Mother, or other?

Honest? My first thought was, "Heck, I don't know." So I went back and took a look.

Ranger is a profession, not a religion, in the Valus. So you can easily have rangers that worship the Druidic Old Faith (especially if, for example, you were running a roven character). Or you could have rangers who worship Avanu (p. 61 list the gods with their most common types of followers, and rangers fall under Avanu). Or you could practice pantheism like most Valusians, or not worhsip any of 'em.

So...the question is begged: From where do rangers get their divine spellcasting capability? For Old Faith rangers, they'd likely attribute it to the Child-Gods (similar to druids). For Risen Faith rangers, it'd be whichever god they worshipped (most). For others, it would depend on the DM/campaign. Two additional options are to treat ranger spells as not-really-spells (like Dru mentions, below, though some - like entangle - may be hard to attribute in this manner), or to run non-spellcasting rangers (I believe there's a version in UA).

Can we expect further support for Valus from you and Different Worlds?

I hope so. I know a couple other writers (from right here at EN World) have submitted or are in the process of submitting Valus-based proposals. One deals with the fey of the Valus (wicked, mischevious little bastards), and the other is another module, similar in scope to Ippizicus.

I'm talking with them about the next project; one of the things I'd like to do is do a sourcebook for Gordia - Viking/Norse history has always fascinated me, and I think there may be a market since the release of the cold-based rules books. Would also like to discuss naval warfare (on a longship vs. longship level), rune stones, ritual magic, blood magic, bartering, clan-based prestige classes, etc. That sort of thing.

I really enjoyed writing the Ippizicus module but that hasn't sold nearly as well as Valus, so I may have to look at sourcebook instead of another adventure offering.

Anyway, thanks for grabbing a copy. I was told (and confirmed) that Amazon.com is out of copies, so hopefully more are being (or have been) sent to them. Nobleknight.com has 'em, too (for cheaper, methinks).

And Crothian, thanks for the review. It'd be interesting to hear what you reviwers are talking about behind the scenes, so to speak. But only if it won't hurt my feelings.

D

p.s. If you're a writer, give DWP a ring. Allan (grodog here on the boards) is the editor and general Big Man On Campus. He should be able to help you.

p.s.s. Anyone combine Grim Tales with Valus? I know both products are fairly new to the market, but I'm extremely interested in hearing if/how they mesh with one another. Kick me an email if you have: fakerjsmalls@yahoo.com - just drop the 'fake'.

 

[Crothian]

And Crothian, thanks for the review. It'd be interesting to hear what you reviwers are talking about behind the scenes, so to speak. But only if it won't hurt my feelings.

At times we discuss a book's strengths and weaknesses especially when one reviewer sees it in one light and another sees it in another. Though its rare that so many of us review the same book.

 

[Lela]

Sounds like dates would be something else to drop in the glossery.

Two additional options are to treat ranger spells as not-really-spells (like Dru mentions, below, though some - like entangle - may be hard to attribute in this manner), or to run non-spellcasting rangers (I believe there's a version in UA).

I'm not sure about UA, but there is a good one in CW. It tends to give some good trade offs, such as an increased movment rate. Though some of it is just giving you the spells in special ability form.

Still I like the flavor.

 

[JoeGKushner]

I'm getting ready to review the book myself.

The writing is good.

The map on the cover is good. Not larger map internally or fold out. That's okay to a point. Iron Kingdoms and Eberron didn't have one either.

As John Cooper noted, there are some editing issues in game mechanics and the writing.

Art is fair in some places, good in others. Needs to be more of it though. I don't recall a single piece illustrating the new race in the book.

Layout is sound if a little simple.

Organization is a bit off. Finding out that the setting uses a silver standard in the back for example, takes a little getting used to as that sp thing is mentioned all over the place earlier. I didn't know if it was talking about a silver standard or if it was going the route of Dragonlance and using steel pieces or something else.

Renaming the classic races seemed okay. I'm never fond of renaming the classic races just for an 'exotic' flavor. The dwarves were renamed something and almost always refered to as dwarves throughout the book anyway so they might've just as well stayed dwarves.

Material on clerics, druids, and paladins, all bring new life to those classes. A good thing as they are often in danger of becoming pigeonholed into certain aspects. Wizards and sorcerers though, it appears have done nothing in the campaign setting.

Just some random observations. More clarity when certain parts reread.