"A Song of Ice and Fire" in May issue of Dragon...

[Roland Delacroix]

Mixed. SoIaF is not the high magic of D&D. It also is more RP orientated than D&D. I would preffer to see the WoT classes and ruleset applied to SoIaF, IMO they are more orientated to a lower-magic high-RP setting.

On the other hand, semi-official rules about SoIaF are really cool. I just hope they don't suck out loud like some similar Dragon articles.

 

[William Ronald]

This sounds like a good issue. I enjoy Martin's writing, and attention to detail. (Mind you, I would not want to be one of his characters.)

Also, Westeros does have a long history behind it, and a sense of that history is found in the books. I have found that what makes most good fantasy and science fiction novels succeed are believable characters and settings.

 

[Voneth]

To my knowlege, this series is even more low magic than WoT. It reminds me of the old Pendragon game, magic was in the hands of NPCs and the GM. (I haven't read the latest novel yet, so there may acutaly be a wizard, but I doubt it.)

In that respect, if you rip all the magic using classes out of DND, you have a good start.

 

[eXodus]

i certainly have loved that series. three books into it and it has surpassed the wheel of time in every aspect. martin has created a rich and exciting world full of amazing history, myth, lore, and characters.

dragon will drop the proverbial ball.

seriously though. the first three books are totalling some near 3000 pages. plus it is such a low magic setting. the demihuman races are legend and little more. i simply do not see how dragon can take such an incredible world and make it into something that does it justice in thirty pages of dragon magazine.

i am happy that they are willing to bring such a great series and showcase it to the gaming community. but i do not think that the d20 system currently has the appropriate rules to allow one to play out a good rendering of martin's books. d20 does not have much in the way of mass combat rules, and the books are filled with mass warfare.

it would be a welcome shock if i end up being wrong and the magazine produces something wonderful. but, i seriously doubt they will. it will have the flavor of martin's world, but the taste will not quite be there.

 

[Uruush]

It'll likely be the first Dragon magazine I put money down for if they do a decent job. Doesn't seem suited to D&D at all though. SoIaF is lower magic than even Harn by a long shot - it's basically England. Not expecting much - I haven't thought much of Dragon the few times I've paged through it.

 

[fusangite]

We don't yet understand the principles of magic in Martin's universe. I think this is jumping the gun. When the series is done, then it's time to start modeling a game.

 

[Sagan Darkside]

We don't yet understand the principles of magic in Martin's universe. I think this is jumping the gun. When the series is done, then it's time to start modeling a game.

Bingo. The books make not of the world being once having much more magic, and throughout the series it seems magic is coming back into the world.

It is low-magic now, but tomorrow..

SD

 

[RodneyThompson]

It may be a little early, yes, but I'll still buy it and enjoy it for now. Perhaps the writers were able to consult Martin on what he has planned at least for Feast of Crows, so maybe it won't be inaccurate.

I love the series. In fact, the books have a heavy influence on a project I'm doing for Green Ronin right now, so I'll be interested to see what the Westeros setting includes.

 

[Umbran]

My reaction is mixed, but for a bit of an odd reason.

I loved the first book. And I didn't want to quickly burn through the others, and then sit waiting for the end. I figure the books aren't going anywhere, and right now I'd only have to re-read one book.

So I haven't read them all. Which means that there's apt to be many spoilers for me in the issue.

 

[Jesse Decker]

Issue #307 will have an overview of the setting, a close look at some of the most important characters, a close look at King's Landing and the ice wall in the north, a few Westeros monsters, and an interview with George R.R. Martin. We'll also include some advice on playing in a low-magic setting, so that DMs have some help giving their players the feel of the setting. For players, we'll include tips on how to mine the setting for character ideas, naming conventions, and other character elements.

I think everyone realizes that we're talking about 30-40 pages of magazine content, not the 300+ page sourcebook that could easily be done on the setting. Because of that, Westeros purists are almost certainly going to want more material. However, I think we're striking the right balance between introducing the setting to those who haven't read the books, presenting playable Westeros material for fans of the series, and keeping a nice mix of non-Westeros content in the issue.

The authors are Wolfgang and Shelly Baur. Wolf is a long-time industry veteran, having worked for TSR, Wizards, and other companies as both a freelancer and a full-time staff member.