RangerWickett said:
So, tell me, friend Wulf, how much is this standalone, and how much is it its own game/setting/thing?
Well, the other thread Sorcica pointed out is a pretty good "short summary" of specifics.
I suspect (and hope) that there are 2 or 3 ENworld reviewers who will review this fairly soon. I have been trying to anticipate a few things they'll mention.
First, Grim Tales is NOT a setting. It was designed from the beginning to be "setting-less." One of the main design considerations was to make sure that the rules supported as close to 100% of the d20 material you own and want to use.
It was also designed so that you can use the rules to emulate any kind of game you want-- provided, of course, it's low-magic and grim. I think this covers the majority of pulp stories, movies, comics, and so on, whether you want a fantasy game or a modern game or a cyber game.
We will, of course, support Grim Tales with what most would consider "settings" by way of our Adventure Sourcebooks (such as
Slavelords of Cydonia), but coming right out of the gate, I imagine there will be a few GM's (and maybe reviewers) who will say, "Great! Now what do I do with it?"
This is not a beginner's rulebook, it is a look "under the hood" of the rules so GMs can tailor their games to taste.
A lot of d20 "Main Rulebooks" pay lip service to the phrase, "Requires the use of the Player's Handbook" but such is not the case with Grim Tales. You absolutely WILL need your core books, or some other d20 materials, in order to "populate" your game with spells, equipment, monsters, guns, and so on and so forth.
Of course there is some material reprinted and revised from the D&D and Modern SRDs (classes, skills, feats, talents, combat, etc.) but because Grim Tales attempts to remain "neutral" in terms of setting, what we have done instead is to:
(a) Make sure that the rules are 100% compatible with the d20 rules you already own, so you can use them freely, and
(b) Give the GM the tools he needs to fill in the gaps.
I am very anxious to see how Grim Tales is received and reviewed. In my mind there is a particular kind of GM with whom it will be very popular-- and I expect there are a few thousand of them out there to make this book a success.
Wulf
