GVDammerung
First Post
Title - Castle Zagyg - The East Mark Gazateer
Publisher - Troll Lord Games
System - Castles and Crusades
Format - Folio containing 2 booklets and 4 small poster maps
Pages - 72 pages plus 4 maps
MSRP - $20
Rating - 5 Stars
Reviewer - Glenn Vincent Dammerung aka GVDammerung
Reviewer’s Note - I purchased this product at Gencon 2007. As a Greyhawk fan, the Castle Zagyg line interests me. I do not, however, presently play Castles and Crusades.
Troll Lord Games last year released the hardback Castle Zagyg: Yggsburgh, Vol 1. At the 2007 Gencon game fair in Indianapolis, they have released Castle Zagyg: The East Mark Gazetteer in a folio format that will be immediately familiar to long time fans of the World of Greyhawk. The two products are different but related in more than being both products in the Castle Zagyg line.
The Yggsburgh hardback included information, not on Castle Zagyg itself, but on the East Mark setting, wherein the Castle is located, and the nearby city of Yggsburgh, also located therein. The famed wizard’s castle will be itself described in, as I understand it, two boxed sets (formerly to be hardbacks) - The Upper Works and The Dungeons.
The East Mark Gazetteer, as the name suggests, revisits the East Mark in 24 pages. It does so in one of two included booklets. In revisiting the East Mark, the first of the Gazetteer booklets reproduces material already available in the hardback but it is not simply a reprint. The information in the Gazetteer is reorganized and expanded upon. Given the extensive presentation in the hardback, this is hugely helpful as the Gazetteer booklet cuts directly to the chase, where the hardback meanders quite a bit. For GMs wanting to run the East Mark, the folio presentation is entirely useful. Together, the Gazetteer and the hardback work hand in glove. This is not a case of selling the same information twice.
The Table of Contents for the Gazatteer of the East Mark is as follows:
Forward
The East Mark in Relation to the Whole of the Urth & Celestial Heavens
Weather & Climate
Trees of the East Mark
A Brief History of the East Mark
An Examination of East Mark Populations
East Mark Society
Ancient and Current Languages
The Free Town of Yggsburgh
Geographical Features of the East Mark (the largest section, btw)
Deities of the East Mark
Appendix I - Noble Hierarchies & Honorifics
Appendix II - Heraldry of the East Mark
Appendix III - Knighthood
It should be noted that the East Mark has a variety of terrain features (forests, swamps, rivers, hills, meadows, cities, towns, hamlets etc.) comprising some 1,500 sq miles. This is the equivalent of about two 30 mile hexes, more or less, as I understand it. As such, the East Mark is somewhat unique in depicting an area not as large as a country or duchy etc. but larger than a city or manor holding and its immediate surrounds. The East Mark is bite sized and can be easily dropped in any setting. With its wealth of detail, this makes the East Mark handy to any GM who needs a medium sized area described in detail.
The second booklet included with the East Mark Gazetteer is the entirely new The Mouths of Madness. Part sourcebook and part adventure, The Mouths of Madness in 48 pages describes for play the caves and diggings that border or skirt the plateau upon which Castle Zagyg proper is built. Several entryways from the Mouths of Madness into Castle Zagyg are described but all are presently blocked - at least until the Upper Works and Dungeons accessories are released. To this extent The Mouths of Madness is a teaser for Castle Zagyg, at the same time being the first look at the actual environs of the Castle.
The Table of Contents for The Mouths of Madness booklet is as follows:
Part 1: Introduction
---For the Castle Keeper
---Background for the Players (Levels 1st - 3rd Recommended)
Part 2: Random Encounters
Part 3: The Wilderness
---Old Castle Track
---Little Hillwood
---False Urt River
Part 4: Approaching Castle Zagyg
---The Ravine
---Castle Bluff
---The Mouths of Madness
Appendix A: Zagyg’s Curse of Fog and Frogs
Appendix B: The Swamp Rats
Appendix C: New Magic Items & Monsters
Part 4, The Mouths of Madness, consists of the following areas, each further subdivided into encounter sites of rooms, caves, passages etc. Each encounter site is fully described and populated -
A. Wolf Den (3 encounter sites)
B. Kobold Lair (6 encounter sites)
C. Ogre Cave (2 encounter sites)
D. Goblin Lair (12 encounter sites)
E. Bat Cave (1 encounter site)
F. Snake Pits (1 encounter site)
G. Watery Caves (4 encounter sites)
H. Orc Lair & Cursed Caves (13 encounter sites)
I. Hill Giants Entrance to Castle Zagyg (1 encounter site)
J. Owlbear Den (1 encounter site)
K. Elf and Half-orc Entrance to Castle Zagyg ( 1 encounter site)
L. Bear Den (1 encounter site)
M. River Rats’ Cavern (1 encounter site)
N. Floating Fungi Caves (2 encounter sites)
O. Dwarf Entrance to Castle Zagyg (1 encounter site)
P. Stirge Den (1 encounter site)
Q. Bugbear Cave (1 encounter site)
R. Hobgoblin Lair (4 encounter sites)
S. Gnoll Lair (5 encounter sites)
As can be seen from the above listing, The Mouths of Madness present an extensive area to be explored. Many of the encounter sites are connected via secret doors or directly. It is thus possible to explore the various areas separately or as a larger dungeon complex if the players are on their toes.
Both the Gazetteer booklet and The Mouths of Madness are written by E Gary Gygax, with Jeff Talanian (Canonfire.com and ENWorld’s Ghul) chipping in to lend a hand in the proceedings. It is safe to say that EGG has lost nothing for the years he has been away from Greyhawk. Both booklets are excellent reads and offer up adventure in the classic Gygaxian style. This is undisputably a very good thing. It is such a good thing that one can but wistfully reflect upon what might have been had EGG continued at Greyhawk’s helm. No one creates RPG material like EGG and it is great to see him back as close to Greyhawk as can be reasonably hoped. The booklets in The East Mark Gazetteer are top notch and will remind every Greyhawker who EGG brought to the setting why EGG was and still is The Man. For those who came to Greyhawk post-EGG, The East Mark Gazetteer is an opportunity to experience the particular brand of wonder that only EGG’s presentation of a new world can provide.
But wait! There’s more. The East Mark Gazetteer includes 4, count ‘em 4, poster maps! While not full sized poster maps of eight panels, they remain sizeable. All are on extremely heavy stock paper and all are in full color! As a map maven, this tickles me pink. We have:
1) A full color, single panel map of Yggsburgh. This is extremely handy because the Yggsburgh map in the hardback was printed on the reverse of the East Mark map. Now, DMs have a perfectly sized play map.
2) The largest of the remaining maps is one of The Mouths of Madness. This is very serviceable as a look at the precise geography immediately giving way to Castle Zagyg, to say nothing of the encounter areas, even if it is an awful tease for the material to come.
3) Next is included a full color map of the area of the Castle Track, the road that leads to Castle Zagyg, and the immediate surrounds. This is like a Map Quest view pulled out from the Mouths of Madness Map. Very nice touch!
4) Finally, we have a new full color rendition of the East Mark itself - a view, pulled out once again, save from the Castle Track map. Two panels, and smaller than the hardback map of the East Mark, this new East Mark map is perfect for in game use as it is much more wieldy at the table.
These are the contents of The East Mark Gazetteer. All may be had for only $20. If I need to tell you this is a steal of a deal . . . well . . . I don’t think I need to tell you that. It’s a steal of a deal!
When I first learned of Castle Zagyg: The East Mark Gazetteer, I had my doubts it would be worth the money. I have no further such doubts.
If you have not purchased the hardback Castle Zagyg: Yggsburgh Vol. 1 at $40 because you have some doubts about what you will get (it is an excellent product in its own right, btw), Castle Zagyg: The East Mark Gazetteer gives you an opportunity for half the price to see what EGG is up to with the Castle Zagyg product. You will not be disappointed.
If you have purchased the hardback Castle Zagyg: Yggsburgh Vol. 1, Castle Zagyg: The East Mark Gazetteer is, IMO, a must buy. It makes using the hardback easier while providing a wealth of new information. What is more, there is a charm to the Gazetteer that was not present in the hardback. I’m not sure why that should be but I picked up on it immediately. As an old Greyhawk fan, reading the Gazetteer was like meeting an old friend again and meeting a new one at the same time.
To be clear, you can use Castle Zagyg: The East Mark Gazatteer without the need to own any other products. It is complete in and of itself (The Mouths of Madness are then ruins, or a warren not unlike the famed Caves of Chaos). It can and does well supplement/support the other Castle Zagyg line products, as well, however.
I find no flaws in this product. It is simply a joy. Even if you don’t think Castle Zagyg is for you, just as a gamer you owe it to yourself to experience Castle Zagyg: The East Mark Gazetteer. This is gaming as it once was, updated for the current time. Come on; for $20? This is a no loose proposition.
Publisher - Troll Lord Games
System - Castles and Crusades
Format - Folio containing 2 booklets and 4 small poster maps
Pages - 72 pages plus 4 maps
MSRP - $20
Rating - 5 Stars
Reviewer - Glenn Vincent Dammerung aka GVDammerung
Reviewer’s Note - I purchased this product at Gencon 2007. As a Greyhawk fan, the Castle Zagyg line interests me. I do not, however, presently play Castles and Crusades.
Troll Lord Games last year released the hardback Castle Zagyg: Yggsburgh, Vol 1. At the 2007 Gencon game fair in Indianapolis, they have released Castle Zagyg: The East Mark Gazetteer in a folio format that will be immediately familiar to long time fans of the World of Greyhawk. The two products are different but related in more than being both products in the Castle Zagyg line.
The Yggsburgh hardback included information, not on Castle Zagyg itself, but on the East Mark setting, wherein the Castle is located, and the nearby city of Yggsburgh, also located therein. The famed wizard’s castle will be itself described in, as I understand it, two boxed sets (formerly to be hardbacks) - The Upper Works and The Dungeons.
The East Mark Gazetteer, as the name suggests, revisits the East Mark in 24 pages. It does so in one of two included booklets. In revisiting the East Mark, the first of the Gazetteer booklets reproduces material already available in the hardback but it is not simply a reprint. The information in the Gazetteer is reorganized and expanded upon. Given the extensive presentation in the hardback, this is hugely helpful as the Gazetteer booklet cuts directly to the chase, where the hardback meanders quite a bit. For GMs wanting to run the East Mark, the folio presentation is entirely useful. Together, the Gazetteer and the hardback work hand in glove. This is not a case of selling the same information twice.
The Table of Contents for the Gazatteer of the East Mark is as follows:
Forward
The East Mark in Relation to the Whole of the Urth & Celestial Heavens
Weather & Climate
Trees of the East Mark
A Brief History of the East Mark
An Examination of East Mark Populations
East Mark Society
Ancient and Current Languages
The Free Town of Yggsburgh
Geographical Features of the East Mark (the largest section, btw)
Deities of the East Mark
Appendix I - Noble Hierarchies & Honorifics
Appendix II - Heraldry of the East Mark
Appendix III - Knighthood
It should be noted that the East Mark has a variety of terrain features (forests, swamps, rivers, hills, meadows, cities, towns, hamlets etc.) comprising some 1,500 sq miles. This is the equivalent of about two 30 mile hexes, more or less, as I understand it. As such, the East Mark is somewhat unique in depicting an area not as large as a country or duchy etc. but larger than a city or manor holding and its immediate surrounds. The East Mark is bite sized and can be easily dropped in any setting. With its wealth of detail, this makes the East Mark handy to any GM who needs a medium sized area described in detail.
The second booklet included with the East Mark Gazetteer is the entirely new The Mouths of Madness. Part sourcebook and part adventure, The Mouths of Madness in 48 pages describes for play the caves and diggings that border or skirt the plateau upon which Castle Zagyg proper is built. Several entryways from the Mouths of Madness into Castle Zagyg are described but all are presently blocked - at least until the Upper Works and Dungeons accessories are released. To this extent The Mouths of Madness is a teaser for Castle Zagyg, at the same time being the first look at the actual environs of the Castle.
The Table of Contents for The Mouths of Madness booklet is as follows:
Part 1: Introduction
---For the Castle Keeper
---Background for the Players (Levels 1st - 3rd Recommended)
Part 2: Random Encounters
Part 3: The Wilderness
---Old Castle Track
---Little Hillwood
---False Urt River
Part 4: Approaching Castle Zagyg
---The Ravine
---Castle Bluff
---The Mouths of Madness
Appendix A: Zagyg’s Curse of Fog and Frogs
Appendix B: The Swamp Rats
Appendix C: New Magic Items & Monsters
Part 4, The Mouths of Madness, consists of the following areas, each further subdivided into encounter sites of rooms, caves, passages etc. Each encounter site is fully described and populated -
A. Wolf Den (3 encounter sites)
B. Kobold Lair (6 encounter sites)
C. Ogre Cave (2 encounter sites)
D. Goblin Lair (12 encounter sites)
E. Bat Cave (1 encounter site)
F. Snake Pits (1 encounter site)
G. Watery Caves (4 encounter sites)
H. Orc Lair & Cursed Caves (13 encounter sites)
I. Hill Giants Entrance to Castle Zagyg (1 encounter site)
J. Owlbear Den (1 encounter site)
K. Elf and Half-orc Entrance to Castle Zagyg ( 1 encounter site)
L. Bear Den (1 encounter site)
M. River Rats’ Cavern (1 encounter site)
N. Floating Fungi Caves (2 encounter sites)
O. Dwarf Entrance to Castle Zagyg (1 encounter site)
P. Stirge Den (1 encounter site)
Q. Bugbear Cave (1 encounter site)
R. Hobgoblin Lair (4 encounter sites)
S. Gnoll Lair (5 encounter sites)
As can be seen from the above listing, The Mouths of Madness present an extensive area to be explored. Many of the encounter sites are connected via secret doors or directly. It is thus possible to explore the various areas separately or as a larger dungeon complex if the players are on their toes.
Both the Gazetteer booklet and The Mouths of Madness are written by E Gary Gygax, with Jeff Talanian (Canonfire.com and ENWorld’s Ghul) chipping in to lend a hand in the proceedings. It is safe to say that EGG has lost nothing for the years he has been away from Greyhawk. Both booklets are excellent reads and offer up adventure in the classic Gygaxian style. This is undisputably a very good thing. It is such a good thing that one can but wistfully reflect upon what might have been had EGG continued at Greyhawk’s helm. No one creates RPG material like EGG and it is great to see him back as close to Greyhawk as can be reasonably hoped. The booklets in The East Mark Gazetteer are top notch and will remind every Greyhawker who EGG brought to the setting why EGG was and still is The Man. For those who came to Greyhawk post-EGG, The East Mark Gazetteer is an opportunity to experience the particular brand of wonder that only EGG’s presentation of a new world can provide.
But wait! There’s more. The East Mark Gazetteer includes 4, count ‘em 4, poster maps! While not full sized poster maps of eight panels, they remain sizeable. All are on extremely heavy stock paper and all are in full color! As a map maven, this tickles me pink. We have:
1) A full color, single panel map of Yggsburgh. This is extremely handy because the Yggsburgh map in the hardback was printed on the reverse of the East Mark map. Now, DMs have a perfectly sized play map.
2) The largest of the remaining maps is one of The Mouths of Madness. This is very serviceable as a look at the precise geography immediately giving way to Castle Zagyg, to say nothing of the encounter areas, even if it is an awful tease for the material to come.
3) Next is included a full color map of the area of the Castle Track, the road that leads to Castle Zagyg, and the immediate surrounds. This is like a Map Quest view pulled out from the Mouths of Madness Map. Very nice touch!
4) Finally, we have a new full color rendition of the East Mark itself - a view, pulled out once again, save from the Castle Track map. Two panels, and smaller than the hardback map of the East Mark, this new East Mark map is perfect for in game use as it is much more wieldy at the table.
These are the contents of The East Mark Gazetteer. All may be had for only $20. If I need to tell you this is a steal of a deal . . . well . . . I don’t think I need to tell you that. It’s a steal of a deal!
When I first learned of Castle Zagyg: The East Mark Gazetteer, I had my doubts it would be worth the money. I have no further such doubts.
If you have not purchased the hardback Castle Zagyg: Yggsburgh Vol. 1 at $40 because you have some doubts about what you will get (it is an excellent product in its own right, btw), Castle Zagyg: The East Mark Gazetteer gives you an opportunity for half the price to see what EGG is up to with the Castle Zagyg product. You will not be disappointed.
If you have purchased the hardback Castle Zagyg: Yggsburgh Vol. 1, Castle Zagyg: The East Mark Gazetteer is, IMO, a must buy. It makes using the hardback easier while providing a wealth of new information. What is more, there is a charm to the Gazetteer that was not present in the hardback. I’m not sure why that should be but I picked up on it immediately. As an old Greyhawk fan, reading the Gazetteer was like meeting an old friend again and meeting a new one at the same time.
To be clear, you can use Castle Zagyg: The East Mark Gazatteer without the need to own any other products. It is complete in and of itself (The Mouths of Madness are then ruins, or a warren not unlike the famed Caves of Chaos). It can and does well supplement/support the other Castle Zagyg line products, as well, however.
I find no flaws in this product. It is simply a joy. Even if you don’t think Castle Zagyg is for you, just as a gamer you owe it to yourself to experience Castle Zagyg: The East Mark Gazetteer. This is gaming as it once was, updated for the current time. Come on; for $20? This is a no loose proposition.
