Dark Legacies (D20)

[yipwyg]

I was wondering if anyone picked this product up at Gencon. The website says it is a low magic fantasy setting that takes place on earth in the far future.

Any info or thought on this product would be appreciated.

Thanks

yipwyg

website for product is

http://www.redspirepress.com/

 

[BlakeT]

I'm curious to hear any reviews of it myself. I'm waiting for my FLGS to get a copy in so I can take a look at it.

It really sounds interesting to me.

 

[RogueRonin]

I also have seen pictures and previews for it, but no reviews, and I havent seen one in any store near me. The site says it's out, so we'll just have to keep watch I guess.

 

[GlassJaw]

The developer has posted in her a few times. Red Spire Press I think. You can find some info on the site (but not much).

website for product is

http://www.redspirepress.com/

Uhh, yeah. Duh.

 

[BlakeT]

In my case I'd like to read a few reviews of it before ordering it online somewhere. Ideally I'd like to flip through it at one of the FLGS in my area to get an idea of how complete it is, but I'd settle for some indepth reviews if I can't get the book locally.

I'm semi-hesitant, despite how good it sounds, to buy another setting as I already have a few that I'll never use. Though if the book turns out to look as cool, and read as well, as it sounds then I'll buy it no matter what. Never hurts to have too many great supplements is my theory.

 

[Red Spire Press]

Here's my review: it's excellent!

In all seriousness, if you're scared about buying "just another campaign setting book," don't be. The Player's Guide does serve as a primer for the Dark Legacies setting but it's so so much more than that, filled to the brim with intricate, fun, and unique crunch. To quote our products page:

• New and variant races, from humans to half-demon hybrids
• Unique classes tailored to low-magic gaming, including the arcanist, lurker, and priest
• New skills, feats, and adventuring guidelines detailing alternatives to combat
• A complete arms and equipment section, including mechanical weaponry, piecemeal armor, and expanded weapon and armor upgrades
• A dark new spellcasting system that adds casting difficulty and moral ramifications to magic use
• 60 new demonic spells (behold the Armageddon Device!)
• Grit & Consequences: supplemental rules covering lethal combat and the consequences of using magic, including a complete spell failure system, corrupting taint, and demonic possession
• Brand new "Voice" mechanic used by priests to summon supernatural powers
• A full color map of post-Reversion Earth

It's the product of two and a half years of hard work, love, and dedication, exhaustively play-tested. I hope to see reviews soon but it's only started hitting stores in the last week, including the enworld store: http://enworld.rpgshop.com/product_info.php?products_id=35649& so it may be a bit yet! I believe Osseum handed out some copies to reviewers at gencon so maybe sooner than later. Cheers.

 

[BlakeT]

Well I bit the bullet when I got lucky today. One of the FLGS in my area happened to have a copy on the shelf and I leafed through the book for a good ten minutes before plunking down my cash.

You guys did a great job putting the book together and it really sounds good. I hope to be able to sit down and read through it totally this week and I'll post my thoughts on the board when I'm able to.

Really good looking, and sounding, book for sure.

 

[Psion]

I got a copy in my last osseum shipment. I have to do the gencon stuff first, so a review may be a ways off. It is formatted very nicely, which was a pleasant surprise (most of the time when I open a book from a publisher I have not heard of before, I expect an eyesore when it comes to layout.)

I haven't read it that thoroughly yet, but it seems to be a bit like Darkness & Dread in that it had a lot of WHFRP sensibilities.

One thing bugged my right off the bat. It stated that it eschewed labels of good and evil in preference to a "more mature" relativistic approach. If you think your game is best with a relativistic approach that's fine. But deliberately labeling it as a "mature" approach strikes me as displaying a bit of a chip on the shoulder, and perhaps a bit naive about the ethical philosophy associated with the word.

I acknowledge that is probably extremely nitpicky and the author probably REALLY didn't mean to come off that way. Perhaps it's a symptom of having been in one too many alignment argument with folk who invoke terms like relativistic and absolutist and not even understanding what they mean.

 

[Red Spire Press]

I got a copy in my last osseum shipment. I have to do the gencon stuff first, so a review may be a ways off. It is formatted very nicely, which was a pleasant surprise (most of the time when I open a book from a publisher I have not heard of before, I expect an eyesore when it comes to layout.)

Always nice to hear

One thing bugged my right off the bat. It stated that it eschewed labels of good and evil in preference to a "more mature" relativistic approach. If you think your game is best with a relativistic approach that's fine. But deliberately labeling it as a "mature" approach strikes me as displaying a bit of a chip on the shoulder, and perhaps a bit naive about the ethical philosophy associated with the word.

I acknowledge that is probably extremely nitpicky and the author probably REALLY didn't mean to come off that way. Perhaps it's a symptom of having been in one too many alignment argument with folk who invoke terms like relativistic and absolutist and not even understanding what they mean.

No chips here. The word "mature" is only used because some of the content of the book is intended for a "mature audience," meaning an older audience. It's not a jibe of any sort. Being specific about the lack of alignment is important, so that there's no confusion at certain rules and restrictions throughout the book, where it would normally play a signifigant part in a D&D campaign. For example, though priests can "fall" as a result of committing nasty acts, they don't lose their powers. My apologies if it came across otherwise.

 

[JoeGKushner]

I didn't get a review copy at the Con, but I did receive one from Osseum. However, like Psion, I'm being crushed by World's Largest Dungeon. Hopefully soon.

I havep aged through the book and man, you guys outdid yourselfs. Up there with Privateer Press and GW in the art department.