[Black Company] I have the book...any questions?

[HeapThaumaturgist]

It was sort of an idle grumble. I'm less enthused about working something into my game knowing, from the begining, that if it turns out really well and becomes something new and interesting it's still not OGC.

If the magic system is entirely tied to the Wizard class, as well, the whole thing is probably of less use to me in general. My plan has always been to use Grim Tales for character creation. I'm sure the stuff from the Wizard class could be talent-ized for a GT game, but it's looking more and more like another shoe-horn conversion deal.

OGC and d20 generalized, I could pick the magic system up as a whole and port it around if I wanted to. This is what the system sounded like at first. Now it's begining to sound like a class-specific system tied into the IP of Black Company. I've already got my hands full shoe-horning d20 Future into anything remotely resembling utility.

--fje

 

[Yuan-Ti]

Heap,

Not sure it is as bad as you make it out, but mainly because I am not clear what you want it for. Is it tied to the Wizard class? Yes. Were you planning on using it with standard classes -- Wizard, Druid, Cleric, etc.? In that case, yeah, you will need to redesign those classes with class abilities giving them additional magnitude and talents at certain levels. You would also have to develop your own set of talents if your intent is to recreate D&D magic with a different system. Like many good setting books with new magic systems, the system is designed to fit the setting and not to be easily ported to other settings.

Having only skimmed the magic section, I think I am going to like it much better than the Conan system... a system I liked well enough already.

I am already thinking some players will balk at the grevious injuries rules. Unless, of course, they like playing Warhammer Fantasy RP.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Still reading it. In some ways, it acts as a nice companion to the Black Company novels. It's nice to see the breakdown of the books in chronological order, the character's game stats, and the world map and details of the setting in one spot.

Some of the new core classes are interesting. I might use the ranger here for the standard ranger. I don't know what it is, but most of my players, and myself for that matter, don't like the spellcasting ability of the ranger. Scout is another one that'll probably get yanked into the game. My players and I are looking over the berserker and barbarian and seeing which one we like better.

Still haven't gotten around to the spellcasting yet so no idea how the magic system works but based on magnitutde and feats mentioned elsewhere, it seems the stronger your feats and magical aptitute, the stronger you yourself are. I see things like, "You're just short of a god!" here and there. I figure no wonder the game doesn't have any D&D style deities, these guys like the Dominator and Kina would've kicked their butt a long time ago.

 

[Desdichado]

Like many good setting books with new magic systems, the system is designed to fit the setting and not to be easily ported to other settings.

I think it's more accurate to say that it's not easily integrated with other magic systems. You could easily use the classes (including the wizard and magic) from BC in another setting. It'd be really interesting to run something like Eberron or Iron Kingdoms, as a matter of fact, with BC magic. It'd give the setting a nice gritty feel.

Oh, and Joe, that's odd; I'm the same way about rangers and magic. Of course, a big part of that is probably that I really like the hunter/guerilla warrior/woodsman archetype and I'm a bit particular on how it's structured.

 

[JoeGKushner]

I like the concept of rangers.

I just don't like them as spell slingers.

I used the mercenary ranger and hunter from AEG's Mercenaries for a while.

The Woodsman from Wheel of Time got some use.

As you can tell, I've been messing with 3rd party resources to 'fix' the ranger for a while.

The paladin and bard, I don't mind as much. It's just the ranger is supposed to be this self sufficient type of character and having spells is like... cheating or something.

And using the Black Company in the Iron Kingdoms? That thought has a lot of merit. I was thinking of mixing it a bit with Dark Legacies to see what spilled forth.

 

[Desdichado]

And using the Black Company in the Iron Kingdoms? That thought has a lot of merit. I was thinking of mixing it a bit with Dark Legacies to see what spilled forth.

Yeah, in some ways, I think the Iron Kingdoms is poorly suited for the D&D rules, and something more Black Company-like seems almost to fit it better. But you know me; always anxious to mix something up and try something a little different...

 

[rjs]

I
I was thinking of mixing it a bit with Dark Legacies to see what spilled forth.

Now that sir is a VERY interesting idea. In fact, I believe Dark Legacies has a soldier class too. Hmm. Black Company crosses the Plane of Glittering Stone to Earth 2999. That, IMO, is a beautiful thing. But, then, you can really link BC to just about any other setting. Want to fight in the Trojan War? Beat the crap out of some werewolves? Topple the pharaohs? Just link the world to the Plane of Glittering Stone and voila, instant campaign.

 

[Maester Luwin]

Whay about the Company banging on the gates of Sanctuary? Maester Luwin

 

[rjs]

Whay about the Company banging on the gates of Sanctuary? Maester Luwin

Well that, of course, is a given

 

[Yuan-Ti]

Campaign Setting: I'm toying with mixing BC with a Malazan campaign...

Magic: Guys (especially RJS!), I am working on some magic examples. I already posted a sample level 1 Wizard and will work on some spell options for him tomorrow. Please look it over and critique. I'm doing this on the Green Ronin boards. Eventually, I will post the results in a thread here, to advertise the setting.

http://www.greenronin.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=5918