d20 Blackmoor - Worth buying?

[jester47]

Holy carp! I think this is one of the best campaign settings I have seen in a while!

I came from a different approach. I never saw any of the blackmoor books before this one. I had read temple of the frog out of Supplement II: Blackmoor, but thats hardly a setting. So the only exposure I had to this setting was the map released by Zeitgeist based on the original that is on Dave's site.

So I did not know what to expect. I was thinking "Lo, another generic fantasy setting." and in truth, I got it cause Dave was signing. But then I started to actually read it.

Things I thought were cool:

The wizards vs sorcerers thing going on. That was cool. Sorcerers are outlaws- sweet!
The section explaining how the PrCs from the 3.5 DMG fit into the setting is great!
The use of wood and metal as additional element types- this makes a cool combination of chinese and classical western elements. Very clever.
The focus crystals- this is really neato.
The Elves are unique. But in a fluff way and not a crunch way.
The crunch is so minimal but very powerful! Really crunchy crunch! But not too much.
Lots of info on the people and places, but again, not too much.
Dwarves have steam tech! Cool!
Witch hunts! Inquisitors! Dragon Knights!
All around fun stuff.

Everything seems to be in just the right ammounts and I find it to be original without overdoing it on the mechanics side of things. It reminds me more of the Basic/Expert D&D than anything else, but it seems more original than that.

I REALLY REALLy like this setting (such a thing happening is rare).

Aaron.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Well, I hope that people start reviewing it soon. It'd be nice to see some reviews on the book in the old database from the fans.

 

[DClingman]

Here's a link to the current preview on the book at Silven Crossroads.

I think there will also be a review in the upcoming d20 Filtered.

I too am eager to hear some reviews. We have worked for while on the world and have big plans slated for it. We do very much listen intently to what people have to say.

Dustin

 

[Nisarg]

I will still check it out, but I suspect that with plenty of new feats and prestige classes, etc., it will not have the old "don't-fret-the-rules-and-kill- some-frogmen-with-lasers" feel to it.

Given that they INCOMPREHENSIBLY chose not to actually include the lasers, I get the feeling your suspicion would be right.

Its still a bizzare decision to me, from both the design and business standpoint, since the lasers/crashed ancient spaceship thing were what made Blackmoor stand out most from the other standard fantasy settings, and given that they had room to put something like five or six PrCs (most of which had little or no connection to the original setting) but didn't have room to stat out a laser sword... its very sad.

Nisarg

 

[Nisarg]

I too am eager to hear some reviews. We have worked for while on the world and have big plans slated for it. We do very much listen intently to what people have to say.

Dustin

Well then I hope you do listen to people like Akrasia and me, when we tell you that leaving out the ancient alien technology was a big screw-up.

See, to most people, the phrase "ancient alien technology" is a pretty cool phrase. Its exciting. When given the choice between having "ancient alien technology" in your setting or not, its generally wiser to have it; especially if given setting is famous for that in the first place. It will please the oldtime fans and I GUARANTEE will excite the younger ones (I can't see many potential new Blackmoor fans saying "you know, I'll like this setting, but only if its more bland and generalized as a fantasy setting, cause what I really need right now is a really vanilla standard fantasy setting, and certainly not a setting that details the impact of ANCIENT ALIEN TECHNOLOGY on a fantasy world.. no, that wouldn't be exciting or fun at all").

Nisarg

 

[Kormydigar]

I'm waiting for GURPS Blackmoor.

Now THAT'S a winning idea!

 

[jester47]

Nisarg,

I don't figure its too bad. d20 Future has lasers and energy swords, as does Grim Tales. If you want em, just import em.

Also, I think it wiser on Zeitgeist's part to keep the lasers out of the basic setting and save them for the exapansion "City of the Gods." This works better because there may be some DMs that don't want to go past the steam elements in their game (and even steam is pushing it). Its generally accepted that most people want more of the same but different when it comes to settings for D&D. Granted Zeitgeist is already dealing with a nostalgic niche market, so they might as well have included an energy sword and some lasers.

Aaron.

 

[Nisarg]

Nisarg,

I don't figure its too bad. d20 Future has lasers and energy swords, as does Grim Tales. If you want em, just import em.

Also, I think it wiser on Zeitgeist's part to keep the lasers out of the basic setting and save them for the exapansion "City of the Gods." This works better because there may be some DMs that don't want to go past the steam elements in their game (and even steam is pushing it). Its generally accepted that most people want more of the same but different when it comes to settings for D&D. Granted Zeitgeist is already dealing with a nostalgic niche market, so they might as well have included an energy sword and some lasers.

Aaron.

The way I see it there were two potential "mission statements" they could have made for the Blackmoor setting:

Number 1: "Blackmoor is the oldest D&D setting. Its an exciting classic fantasy world".

Number 2: "Blackmoor is the oldest D&D setting. Its an exciting classic fantasy world, that has been radically affected by the discovery of an ancient alien spacecraft, which has had an impact in this fantasy medieval society's culture and technology, giving lots of opportunity for play that differs from the standard of D&D fantasy settings".

The number 2 option doesn't take away anything, instead it adds a factor that makes Blackmoor unique.

There's also a world of difference from taking the futuristic stuff from D20 future or Travller or SW or whatever and adding it to your fantasy setting (I could do that with the Realms or Eberron, if I wanted to), and having the tech in the actual setting itself, detailing how this ancient spaceship has affected the course of Blackmoor's history and its culture to date. Just tacking it on at the end is not the same thing, not by a longshot.

Nisarg

 

[jester47]

I can see your point. But I think it might be better saleswise for them to do this:

"Blackmoor is the oldest D&D setting. Its an exciting classic fantasy world,

As presented in Dave Arneson's Blackmoor

that has been radically affected by the discovery of an ancient alien spacecraft, which has had an impact in this fantasy medieval society's culture and technology, giving lots of opportunity for play that differs from the standard of D&D fantasy settings".

Leaves a lot of room open for supplements!

It has been said that the book that is out now is not all of the setting so you can expect the tech to show up eventually in another book.

I like Vanilla-but-different settings, and I never really paid much attention to blackmoor back in the day. So this is my first take on it and I think this one rox my sox. What we have been presented with is a pretty darned good fantasy setting, even if it wound up being just one book.

Also, I think 6 PrCs is pretty darned good when you consider other products.

Aaron.

 

[Nisarg]

Leaves a lot of room open for supplements
It has been said that the book that is out now is not all of the setting so you can expect the tech to show up eventually in another book.

Also, I think 6 PrCs is pretty darned good when you consider other products.

Aaron.

I fear the problem is these days D&D settings are in a go/no-go situation. Either they hit it big right at the start, or they just won't go anywhere. To promise there'll be cool stuff later on, really doesn't help.

For one thing, I would feel cheated. Its a tease. Its leaving out the part you really want, and forcing you to spend more money on another book or books.

Second, most newbies will just judge the setting by this main book. If the main book is:
1. boring
2. incomplete, as you admit it is
3. a ploy to sell future books
then its going to end up having a very hard time getting D20 readership.

At the very least, you will end up with many people feeling like I do: totally unwilling to even CONSIDER buying it until there's an actual supplement out for the tech stuff, and even then not unless the tech stuff is more than just stats, but actual details about the social impact of the tech. The latter, BTW, is why I feel it was so essential that the tech should have been in the main book.. now instead of being able to know from the start how the alien tech affected the Duchy of Blogg, all we'll get is medieval-bog-standard Duchy of Blogg, plus lasers. Whoop-de-freaking-do.

There was a chance to redo Blackmoor for the 21st century, as a setting that actually created a kind of social consequence for the presence of the "city of the gods". Hell the very name implies that Blackmoor's culture was deeply affected by this tech.. they think it belongs to the GODS. There was so much possibility there.. and now instead its been whitewashed and used as an advertising tease. Horrifically disappointing.

Nisarg

P.S.: D&D needs 6 new PrCs like it needs another bog-standard fantasy setting.