Dawnforge, Morningstar, and Frostholm
- Thread starter blackshirt5
- Start date
blackshirt5
First Post
Ouch.
SSS-Druid
First Post
d20Dwarf said:I don't know much about Frostholm, but I was happy to hear Justin would be stealing liberally from Midnight.
*snerk*
If Frostholm ends up looking anything like Midnight, it will likely be because of shared influences. ;-) Both know the great works of fiction and myth to perform Home Invasions on.
blackshirt5
First Post
Hmm; so, can you tell me more about Dawnforge, Mr. Dwarf?
Playable races, classes, anything?
Playable races, classes, anything?
goodmangames
First Post
Morningstar
Hey everybody,
Here's some more information on Morningstar. I'll also ask the author, R. Scott Kennan, to chime in, since he frequents these boards. As always, our web site (www.goodman-games.com) has plenty of information on all our releases.
I'm rewritten this post 5 times, but I can't sum up Morningstar quite the way I want to. Let me just put it this way: Morningstar is quite possibly the most brilliant D&D setting I have ever seen. I really mean *brilliant*. It is not just a world; it is a work of literature. It is like a massive jigsaw puzzle, where each element depends on every other element to make sense. This world has Secrets, with a capital S, and you have to think about what you read; there are mysteries hidden within the text that you'll only get after reading it a second time.
What makes the book most extraordinary, I think, is how cohesive it is. The new races, for example, are an integral part of the world's cosmology and are important to one of the greatest secrets of the age (which I won't reveal here). The new artificer class isn't just another "new core class"; it's the reason golems tend olive groves in the province of Triskatariot, making the golden age of Morningstar possible in the first place. The new system of spectrum magic isn't just a new way to look at magic; it's a defining trait of many of the world's places, and a key to the puzzle of the planar vortex that is driving the planet to catastrophe. The mysterious Prophecy that lurks throughout the land is far more than a DM tool to drive adventures; it's the greatest secret of the world, a secret that ties together many of the planet's mysteries and explains the bizarre events taking hold there.
Sorry if I'm gushing, but I really enjoyed editing this book.
It is at the printer right now, and should be in stores late September or early October.
Here's Scott's description of the world, which sums it up the best:
------------------
At Stake...
Two worlds of great natural beauty locked in a struggle that threatens to destroy them both. Thraxis and Arril: blue sisters sharing an orbit, with continents, seas, and life.
A world in the midst of an Age of Majesty many believe will never end: nine diverse Empires at the peak of magical and cultural achievement. A world that has never known an Age of Darkness, where men and women push themselves daily to greater heights. It is an age of innocence and hope, when possibility knows no bounds.
Elder races untouched by the decay of time, great monuments to man's resourcefulness and his hubris. Mystic power waiting to be claimed, and a destiny still in the making. Dragons ruling an empire, a land that can forge gods.
The Threat...
The Canticle of the Morning Star: an inscrutable living Prophecy that is either a warning, or a malevolent force leading mankind towards annihilation.
The world has become a beacon to those who wish to subvert, destroy or command, and they are flocking here, bringing their alien wars in a bid that will alter the course of history and the nature of reality. Celestials, demons, devils, gods, and a sophisticated race called The Strangers compete with men, elves, dwarves and halflings to recast this idyllic planet in their own images.
Salvation...
This book, which contains:
- Elder races of an ilk that have been banished from most other worlds: 3 supernatural subraces of dwarf, 5 types of fey elves.
- Two new core classes: the artificer, commander of elemental spirits called numina which animate devices of his own design, and the eidolon, champion of the people and a hero to defy legend.
- Rules for signature and countersignature magics that allow GMs and resourceful players to forge their own places of power. Strengthen yourself while hindering your enemies.
- A study on the Canticle, its threats, its potential, and tips on how to keep your players guessing.
- A world made for heroes of every description, where the greatest deeds are yet to be performed.
But everything comes with a price.
--------------------
For more information, check out the link below:
http://www.goodman-games.com/4100preview.php
Hey everybody,
Here's some more information on Morningstar. I'll also ask the author, R. Scott Kennan, to chime in, since he frequents these boards. As always, our web site (www.goodman-games.com) has plenty of information on all our releases.
I'm rewritten this post 5 times, but I can't sum up Morningstar quite the way I want to. Let me just put it this way: Morningstar is quite possibly the most brilliant D&D setting I have ever seen. I really mean *brilliant*. It is not just a world; it is a work of literature. It is like a massive jigsaw puzzle, where each element depends on every other element to make sense. This world has Secrets, with a capital S, and you have to think about what you read; there are mysteries hidden within the text that you'll only get after reading it a second time.
What makes the book most extraordinary, I think, is how cohesive it is. The new races, for example, are an integral part of the world's cosmology and are important to one of the greatest secrets of the age (which I won't reveal here). The new artificer class isn't just another "new core class"; it's the reason golems tend olive groves in the province of Triskatariot, making the golden age of Morningstar possible in the first place. The new system of spectrum magic isn't just a new way to look at magic; it's a defining trait of many of the world's places, and a key to the puzzle of the planar vortex that is driving the planet to catastrophe. The mysterious Prophecy that lurks throughout the land is far more than a DM tool to drive adventures; it's the greatest secret of the world, a secret that ties together many of the planet's mysteries and explains the bizarre events taking hold there.
Sorry if I'm gushing, but I really enjoyed editing this book.
It is at the printer right now, and should be in stores late September or early October. Here's Scott's description of the world, which sums it up the best:
------------------
At Stake...
Two worlds of great natural beauty locked in a struggle that threatens to destroy them both. Thraxis and Arril: blue sisters sharing an orbit, with continents, seas, and life.
A world in the midst of an Age of Majesty many believe will never end: nine diverse Empires at the peak of magical and cultural achievement. A world that has never known an Age of Darkness, where men and women push themselves daily to greater heights. It is an age of innocence and hope, when possibility knows no bounds.
Elder races untouched by the decay of time, great monuments to man's resourcefulness and his hubris. Mystic power waiting to be claimed, and a destiny still in the making. Dragons ruling an empire, a land that can forge gods.
The Threat...
The Canticle of the Morning Star: an inscrutable living Prophecy that is either a warning, or a malevolent force leading mankind towards annihilation.
The world has become a beacon to those who wish to subvert, destroy or command, and they are flocking here, bringing their alien wars in a bid that will alter the course of history and the nature of reality. Celestials, demons, devils, gods, and a sophisticated race called The Strangers compete with men, elves, dwarves and halflings to recast this idyllic planet in their own images.
Salvation...
This book, which contains:
- Elder races of an ilk that have been banished from most other worlds: 3 supernatural subraces of dwarf, 5 types of fey elves.
- Two new core classes: the artificer, commander of elemental spirits called numina which animate devices of his own design, and the eidolon, champion of the people and a hero to defy legend.
- Rules for signature and countersignature magics that allow GMs and resourceful players to forge their own places of power. Strengthen yourself while hindering your enemies.
- A study on the Canticle, its threats, its potential, and tips on how to keep your players guessing.
- A world made for heroes of every description, where the greatest deeds are yet to be performed.
But everything comes with a price.
--------------------
For more information, check out the link below:
http://www.goodman-games.com/4100preview.php
Monster Manuel
First Post
Whoa. I don't know how to respond to what Joseph just wrote.
I actually responded to your thread on RPGNet, but it sank off the first page... Here's what I wrote:
Hey Blackshirt, how's it going? Long time no see. I'll do my best to answer your questions. Don't mind me when I repeat what I've told you in other threads, it's for the benefit of anyone who hasn't seen this stuff before.
I can help with Morningstar at least. It's at the printers right now, but it will be out in September. Goodman Games is publishing it. As for what its like; that's a hard one.
It's an epic-friendly classical age setting (that adheres to the Classical age only as much as standard D&D adheres to medieval Europe), where a Dark Prophecy has begun to undermine the status quo. As a consequence of the prophecy (Called the Canticle of the Morning Star), and the reflective and malleable nature of magic on this world, planar beings and deposed gods are descending on this place, bringing their alien wars with them.
The flavor of the setting is unlike any other setting out there, and I think it comes across well in the book, thanks to the maps, artwork and layout. It's gilded, yet otherworldly and sometimes a little disturbing. It probably has as much in common with the flavor of CoC's Dreamlands as a typical D&D campaign. But it's flexible and can be used to run any type of campaign within a spectrum that runs from horror to epic and beyond. The weight you put on its elements will define the experience you have with the setting.
If you'd rather ignore the Dark Prophecy metaplot, the setting still holds up as a unique take on the ancient world. The primary thrust of this book focuses on Brendir; a loosely Greco-Roman empire, which shouldn't present too many problems to players who are used to medieval fantasy. I tried to strike a balance between the familiar and the unique that allows people to ease into the world's paradigms at whatever speed they want to.
I like to think of it as a very spicy setting. Other cultural influences include imperial Ghana, Cambodia, India, Peru, and more. I tried to explore cultures that are often glossed over.
Even though I wrote it, it's an ensemble work, and all the pieces (writing, artwork, and layout) together make it what it is. (Note to publishers; if you can, work with Clayton Bunce of Morningstar* Maps. He does great work and goes the extra mile.)
See the link in my sig for more information, and feel free to ask any other questions you may have.
*Any similarity between the name of the setting and the cartography studio is coincidental.
I actually responded to your thread on RPGNet, but it sank off the first page... Here's what I wrote:
Hey Blackshirt, how's it going? Long time no see. I'll do my best to answer your questions. Don't mind me when I repeat what I've told you in other threads, it's for the benefit of anyone who hasn't seen this stuff before.
I can help with Morningstar at least. It's at the printers right now, but it will be out in September. Goodman Games is publishing it. As for what its like; that's a hard one.
It's an epic-friendly classical age setting (that adheres to the Classical age only as much as standard D&D adheres to medieval Europe), where a Dark Prophecy has begun to undermine the status quo. As a consequence of the prophecy (Called the Canticle of the Morning Star), and the reflective and malleable nature of magic on this world, planar beings and deposed gods are descending on this place, bringing their alien wars with them.
The flavor of the setting is unlike any other setting out there, and I think it comes across well in the book, thanks to the maps, artwork and layout. It's gilded, yet otherworldly and sometimes a little disturbing. It probably has as much in common with the flavor of CoC's Dreamlands as a typical D&D campaign. But it's flexible and can be used to run any type of campaign within a spectrum that runs from horror to epic and beyond. The weight you put on its elements will define the experience you have with the setting.
If you'd rather ignore the Dark Prophecy metaplot, the setting still holds up as a unique take on the ancient world. The primary thrust of this book focuses on Brendir; a loosely Greco-Roman empire, which shouldn't present too many problems to players who are used to medieval fantasy. I tried to strike a balance between the familiar and the unique that allows people to ease into the world's paradigms at whatever speed they want to.
I like to think of it as a very spicy setting. Other cultural influences include imperial Ghana, Cambodia, India, Peru, and more. I tried to explore cultures that are often glossed over.
Even though I wrote it, it's an ensemble work, and all the pieces (writing, artwork, and layout) together make it what it is. (Note to publishers; if you can, work with Clayton Bunce of Morningstar* Maps. He does great work and goes the extra mile.)
See the link in my sig for more information, and feel free to ask any other questions you may have.
*Any similarity between the name of the setting and the cartography studio is coincidental.
Similar Threads
