"Family-friendly" version of SotDL gets Re-Named

[Aldarc]

From Shadow of the Mad Wizard to Shadow of the Weird Wizard. Based upon what little I caught on Twitter, Schwalb may have received a little push back about calling it the "Mad Wizard," due to potential insensitivity to mental illnesses, but I actually like "Weird Wizard" better anyway.

That said, I am excited for this project, and the echoes of Greyhawk are unmistakably transparent.

The World of the Wizard
This is already longer than it should be, so let me give you a snapshot of what the setting’s like and then we’ll move on with other posts about specific aspects of the game. The changes I made and the reasons for those changes.

1. Civilization has grown and fallen at least twice before. The first place it fell is a faraway place known as the Devastation. It’s a place of nightmare, fire, and death. Don’t go there. The second place is the Old Country, which was dominated by the Great Kingdom. Unfortunately, the Lord Commander of the Paladins murdered the Pontifex of the High One, burned the Cathedral of Hope, and ended the royal line. These actions plunged the kingdom into a civil war that’s still raging. Not the best place to hang your hat.
2. People flee the Old Country in droves, seeking refuge in a place known as the Lands of the Weird Wizard, a mysterious, eccentric, bearded fellow whose reckless use of magic has made these New Lands rather strange and mysterious. It’s not an ideal place to rebuild, but it’s the best hope anyone has. Best of all, the Weird Wizard hasn’t been seen for years and is thought to have withdrawn to the Clockwork City, which rises from a blasted, shattered plane, under a sky that burns and in which drift chunks of rock crawling with weird things.
3. Your characters are among the refugees looking to start again having escaped the troubles in the Old Country. You likely begin in the Borderlands, a stretch of territory that forms a band between the Old Country and new and set out on expeditions into the unknown to blaze a trail for settlers. You might battle strange monsters, explore old ruins of faerie cities, broker peace with orc tribes, find treasure, and, maybe, eventually, become renowned enough that you can carve out places for yourselves to rule.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Really happy to see a SotDL version with the edginess knob turned a little down. I personally love the gritty Demon Lord, but restlessly murdering my casual players character while they go mad can get a little irritating for them. I think Weird Wizard will play better for them.

 

[TwoSix]

Super excited about this. From posts on Reddit, it's going to be closer to D&D in tone, but maintaining backwards compatibility with SotDL.

 

[Aldarc]

Super excited about this. From posts on Reddit, it's going to be closer to D&D in tone, but maintaining backwards compatibility with SotDL.

I'm curious whether the heritages will receive an update that is less fairytale, such as banes for fey utilizing iron weapons.

And since Shadow of the Weird Wizard is inspired by Greyhawk, I'm curious what other nods there will be to the setting, particularly the deities themselves.

 

[Morrus]

I saw this being discussed on Facebook by Rob.

The term "mad" was also used by WotC, so Mad Mage and Mad Wizard may have been very close too.

 

[Orius]

And of course the Mad Caster is the fantasy equivalent of the Mad Scientist.

 

[CubicsRube]

I saw this being discussed on Facebook by Rob.

The term "mad" was also used by WotC, so Mad Mage and Mad Wizard may have been very close too.

I was wondering that myself.

 

[dragoner]

I was wondering that myself.

I saw the same post on fb also, generally the reaction is good, and personally I think "Weird Wizard" sounds better.

 

[CubicsRube]

I saw the same post on fb also, generally the reaction is good, and personally I think "Weird Wizard" sounds better.

It's an appealing alliteration altogether

 

[Bohandas]

Speaking as someone who takes prescription mood stabilizers I feel the renaming was unnecessary.