Grim Tales: SLAVELORDS of CYDONIA - Advance Copy: Taking Q&A!

[Piratecat]

I keep reading the thing, and it just keeps getting better. I'm loving the breakdown of behind-the-scenes political machiniations and how'll they'll affect the PCs, allowing the DM to get them as much or as little involved in the political aspect as the group wants -- and offering good alternatives if that isn't their thing.

I keep running across fantastic crunch, and then on the same page see sneaky plot twists that do my heart good. It's a great combination.

 

[tameszu]

Just wanted to clarify an ambiguity about the En World review: as GlassJaw correctly writes in his review, Slavelords is a 238-page hardcover. Its suggested retail price is $34.95.

(The information for a shorter, perfect bound book were submitted to En World before we realized how massive the final product would be.)

 

[JoeGKushner]

This may sound a little off but...

I've been reading the Black Company book for a while now. It's magic system is different than Grim Tales (although people can still take damage from spellcasting!) and was wondering... do you think that it would be difficult to run Slavelords with it? Very similiar to d20 fantasy save combat is more dangerous, healing less frequent. Are there enough places for characters to rest? Since Grim Tales doesn't necessarily have anyone filling the cleric role, I imagine so.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

This may sound a little off but...

I've been reading the Black Company book for a while now. Do you think that it would be difficult to run Slavelords with it?

I haven't seen Black Company yet, but I would be surprised if it would be "difficult" to run Slavelords with it.

I don't know how it would fit, fluff-wise...

Wulf

 

[BryonD]

Are there enough places for characters to rest? Since Grim Tales doesn't necessarily have anyone filling the cleric role, I imagine so.

I can answer that part.

The structure of Slavelords is very much open to GM control.

The various mini adventures that make up the story can be mixed and match in a wide variety of ways. A GM can have the party neck deep in three different parts at one time, or take them individually. They can go back to back or be spread out with some down time between. Its like adventure legos - cool pieces that you can put together the way you want. So you can give the party as much or as little down time as you see fit.

 

[tameszu]

I've been reading the Black Company book for a while now. It's magic system is different than Grim Tales (although people can still take damage from spellcasting!) and was wondering... do you think that it would be difficult to run Slavelords with it? Very similiar to d20 fantasy save combat is more dangerous, healing less frequent.

I'm not familiar with Black Company, but the description of "similar to d20 fantasy save combat is more dangerous, healing less frequent" is completely consistent with a description of GT.

As far as magic system goes, Slavelords is a rather low magic setting. Spellcasting enemies do appear, along with a new variant spellcasting system and it's possible to play a spellcasting character, although they may find advancement opportunities limited, but on the whole, I'd say that 70-80% of the book is magic-free (depending on whether you count psionics).

ByronD's description is also completely spot-on--opportunities to rest are to a great degree up to the GM's descretion, although it also greatly depends on the scene and how much leeway you want to give to "realism." In particular, some of the more intense battle passages during the climax of the "war" section may be challenging because of the compressed time frame.

BTW, BryonD, where and when did you get your copy? Any thoughts?

 

[drnuncheon]

Its like adventure legos

Sold.

Well, I was before anyway, but "adventure Legos" is just a cool phrase.

Now I need to figure out where the heck I'm going to fit it in to my schedule.

J

 

[BryonD]

BTW, BryonD, where and when did you get your copy? Any thoughts?

I received my copy directly from the source.

I don't really know what else there is to say in regard to the quality.
I've mainly read the setting specific appencies and the first two chapters and skimmed the rest. But I'm really blown away. I expected very good and got better. I've read chapter one several times over now because I really want to absorb all of the texture.

I guess I am a hair intimidated. But not in a bad way. More like when I first rode a roller coaster at age 9.

It is going to be great. But its going to be work. Real fun work.

I'm planning to set it in June 1918. The PCs will be American Soldiers with the "great fortune" of getting sent to Central America to secure a potential new energy source, instead of being shipped off to France.

There is plentiful material there for you to easily play quite a few sessions in whatever genre you prefer. Then the point of no return comes and it won't matter how you got there.

Edit: I just realized that you are one of the authors. um, Awesome. Now go away and write something else.

Anyway, from that point of view, I'd say that I pretty much never run modules. I've got a multi-year game going that is all my own creation, setting and plot. So I think I am a pretty good GM. I'm good enough to run this thing, but not good enough to have come up with it myself. I think this is exactly the kind of thing that can take my game up one more notch.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

I'm good enough to run this thing, but not good enough to have come up with it myself.

Wish I'd had that quote to put on the cover of the book. That's about as close to a mission statement as I can imagine. All this time chatting back and forth and we never realized: You're my target customer, man!


Wulf

 

[scourger]

Sounds like another good sound bite for a web site.

By the way, it would be nice if the BAG web site were updated to allow PayPal purchase of this item directly from the publisher. I am waiting to see if I get this week or next month for my birthday. After that I'll probably buy it direct or from an eBay store.

Also, Wulf et al, please put a link in your sig to the BAG web site.