A Question About Blackmoor

[Angel Tarragon]

Goodman Games partnered with Zeitgeist Games to bring us the Blackmoor RPG. However, having recently bought the most current issue of Dungeon Magazine (January 05), and looking over the Greyhawk map, I am a bit flustered. To the northeast of the Burneal Forest is an area known as Blackmoor, with Blackmoor town resting inbetween the opening of the peninsula that juts into Blackmoor Bay.

My confusion, lies in Mystara. I could have sworn that Blackmoor was a part of the Mystara world, until it blew itself up. Please correct me if I am wrong in my assumption about this. Or is it that there are two different Blackmoors?

 

[demiurge1138]

As far as I know, Gygax put Blackmoor into Greyhawk as a tribute to Arneson's more expansive Blackmoor setting.

Demiurge out.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Anyone else have any input on this?

 

[king_ghidorah]

Blackmoor goes back to the beginning of D&D. Blackmoor was the name of one of the pamphlets that expanded the original boxed set, and Blackmoor was incorporated into the WoG and the Known World/Mystara, but it began as Dave's campaign world. At one point, it was published by Judges' Guild as "First Fantasy Campaign" or something similar, rather than Blackmoor.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Blackmoor's got a funny history that way.

It was originally its own setting. TSR put it into Greyhawk. TSR later put it into Mystara. But it was never created with that in mind, and bringing it back to its own setting, independent of the others--as Zeitgeist has done--is very much in the spirit of what it was created to be.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Thanks King Ghidorah and Mouseferatu. I finally have no choice but to purchase the updated material! Arrrgh! More money that needs to be spent so that my Greyhawk campaign is 3.5 correct. Bananas, crackers and nuts.

 

[pogre]

Thanks King Ghidorah and Mouseferatu. I finally have no choice but to purchase the updated material! Arrrgh! More money that needs to be spent so that my Greyhawk campaign is 3.5 correct. Bananas, crackers and nuts.

Not to discourage your purchase of Blackmoor, but I do not think the new Blackmoor campaign material will intersect with the Greyhawk material in any way.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Zelligars Apprentice]

Four Different Blackmoors

The Blackmoor setting that is just coming out is ENTIRELY SEPERATE from the World of Greyhawk nation of Blackmoor.

As far as I know, there were four different settings called Blackmoor out there:

1) Dave Arneson's orginal campaign world. He is co-creator of the original D&D rules, and used them to run his game. This was one of the first D&D settings to be published (I think by Judge's Guild).

2) The nation of Blackmoor in the World of Greyhawk. This was placed there by Gary Gygax as a tribute to Mr. Arneson's contribution to the game.

3) The ancient nation of Blackmoor in Mystara. This was incorporated into Mystaran history after Mr. Arneson wrote a series of modules detailing it for that edition of D&D.

4) The newest product. This appears to be a reworking of Mr. Arneson's original campaign world.

The point is, while all of these have some similarities, they are completely seperate products (except maybe #1 and #4). So please DON'T feel obligated to buy it to make the World of Greyhawk complete.

If you WANT to buy it, that's different.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

I would love to buy it! That was just a happy little rant. As per four different Blackmoors: wacko! I'd love to try to integrate the new (Goodman) Blackmoor into Greyhawk, even if it does just end up being pieces of it here and there. It would alos allow me to get some use out of Ecyclopaedia Arcane: Chronomany.

 

[Jupp]

Blackmoor appears in several settings AFAIK. Initially it was considered its own campaign world/area (created in the late 60s). In the Gygax' GH folio/boxed set Blackmoor was part of the Flanaess. But it was removed from GH and put into Mystara later on. I think it was also mentioned that Blackmoor somehow got removed from the surface (OD&D Supplement 2: Blackmoor, Adventures in Blackmoor, City of the Gods). I am not sure but I think there even exists a Blackmoor in the Realms but that could be just me brain working the wrong way or there is no connection to the Arneson Blackmoor at all.

It's said that the removal of Blackmoor from GH into the Known World was a political decision back then. I think the reason was licensing and intelectual property problems. If memory serves me right it was not EGG that put it there but the dear Mr. Blume and company. But dont hang me up on that one

IIRC Blackmoor has an appereance in Living Greyhawk again, but I am not sure to what extend.