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

[GlassJaw]

You've had a few days to drool over it. You owe a review!

Well I've been away most of the weekend because of the holiday. I'm hoping to have something by the end of this week.

A few days really doesn't do this tome justice. As I said before, there is a TON of content in here.

How flexible are the scenarios that Wulf presents?

I'd say very flexible. In each chapter, there is one main quest that must be completely in order to get to the next but even that can be accomplished in a variety of ways. Getting to that point is very flexible as many different scenarios and adventures are listed. You can use as many or as few as you want.

How fast or slow can this go? What are leveling times like?

Again, this is pretty much up to the GM. You can jump right to the main quest in a section if you want to jump ahead. As far as leveling goes, XP awards are listed but they are mostly story awards. It's not really a "kill everything that moves" type of campaign.

And from what you've read what era do you think Wulf had mind for characters to start (I know it could be any but...)?

I know it's not the answer you want to hear but honestly, it's very tough to say. I'm basing this mostly on the first chapter which gives desriptions of starting backgrounds based on 3 time periods: archaic, modern, and post-apocalyptic. I got a future/post-apocalyptic vibe from it but again, it really works in a variety of time periods.

Any magic that can be aquired while on Cydonia?

Yes but it's pretty sparse. There is a unique form of magic that the sli'ess use but from what I've found so far, acquiring magic is piecemeal at best. There may be more of an opportunity to learn magic that I just haven't got to yet.

 

[Maester Luwin]

Sounds good!!! Thanks for the info GlassJaw! Maester Luwin

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

What are leveling times like? I would presume that there are level "checks" in there somewhere.

This is on my short list of expected "gripes."

We mention story awards from time to time, but for the most part leave XP up to the individual GM.

(Side note here: This is a campaign for experienced GMs and players.)

Personally, the method I would use is a more "cinematic" approach to level up the PCs when you feel it's appropriate. Each Book of the campaign is appropriate for a 4-level span (1st-4th, 5th-8th, 9th-12th, etc.) and there are certainly Adventures within each Book that stand out as good cliffhangers where the resolution may be worth levelling up the PCs as a reward.

And from what you've read what era do you think Wulf had mind for characters to start (I know it could be any but...)? Fanatsy characters would start with more melee prof than a modern char.

You'll bring what you want to the book. (When I read it, I had a League of Extraordinary Gentlemen thing going on, so that's sort of how it came across to me, but I know for a fact that the writers weren't thinking the same thing!)

Wulf

 

[Fenris]

Personally, the method I would use is a more "cinematic" approach to level up the PCs when you feel it's appropriate. Each Book of the campaign is appropriate for a 4-level span (1st-4th, 5th-8th, 9th-12th, etc.) and there are certainly Adventures within each Book that stand out as good cliffhangers where the resolution may be worth levelling up the PCs as a reward.

You'll bring what you want to the book. (When I read it, I had a League of Extraordinary Gentlemen thing going on, so that's sort of how it came across to me, but I know for a fact that the writers weren't thinking the same thing!)

Wulf

Thanks for the clarification Wulf. That sounds perfect. I don't level on XP now so it will work great. The Book breakdown gives me a guidline so I don't get them there too fast or too slow.

As for other things, I am just can't wait for the book! So I am trying to divine what I can to set it up. But I figured out a way.

I can't wait for this thing. I am really excited. I don't usually buy adventures or modules or setting things, prefering to homebrew, but you have made this too tempting Wulf! How soon till the printer is done with the run and they start hitting stores?

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

I don't usually buy adventures or modules or setting things, prefering to homebrew...

I think a homebrewer could really go to town with the product. There's enough there for any GM to run the whole campaign, but not so much that you don't have a lot of room to expand-- almost a whole planet, after all.

How soon till the printer is done with the run and they start hitting stores?

They are already on their way. I reckon 2-3 weeks and they should be on shelf.


Wulf

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Fanatsy characters would start with more melee prof than a modern char.

A thought just occurred to me re-reading that comment.

Even though there are energy blasters and such on Cydonia-- disruptors, for example, project a cone effect, and will be much appreciated by Smart heroes-- melee characters will still be extremely important.

It's only in melee that massive damage stops being a fluke and starts being a regular occurrence. It will take a melee character to regularly drop mooks by exceeding their massive damage threshold. With a good Strength and some Melee Smash talents, you can expect your attacks to be more consistently deadly than most firearms (which is, I think, perfectly cinematic).

 

[GlassJaw]

I think a homebrewer could really go to town with the product

I totally agree. This will pretty much be the crux of my *ahem* upcoming review.

This is not a product for the casual gamer. Nothing is spoon-fed to the GM. It's comprehensive and full of content and requires a dedicated GM to setup and run. There are actually a few spots here and there that are pretty difficult from a GM'ing standpoint to pull off. But if you put in the effort, what a campaign it will be.

If you want to actually run a cinematic campaign, this is the book for you. It's not a linear module or a dungeon delve. It's not even just a campaign sourcebook. It's essentially a timeline ready for you to unleash and unravel. Combine that with the fact that it can fit into any timeframe you can imagine and you have a truely unique product.

 

[scourger]

This will pretty much be the crux of my *ahem* upcoming review.

The more recent comments by the publisher make this product look more dependent on Grim Tales. Can you specifically address compatability with standard D&D d20 rules in your review, GlassJaw? I love the idea of this module, but my past experience with "conversion notes" has been sketchy.

 

[Fenris]

The more recent comments by the publisher make this product look more dependent on Grim Tales. Can you specifically address compatability with standard D&D d20 rules in your review, GlassJaw? I love the idea of this module, but my past experience with "conversion notes" has been sketchy.

You won't have any problems really. Grim Tales is merely a different path to a character concept. But in the end a Core character and a Grim Tales Character could be neigh indistuinguishable. In fact I am playing a Grim Tales character in a standard D&D game now! I do just fine. Once you have a BAB, saves, skills, feats etc it doesn't matter how you got there. The real difference is Talents replaceing class features and those replicate core mostly anyway.

So even if the bad guy is listed as a Tough4/Strong3. Ignore it. Look at the BAB and the attack and the skills. How they were assembled won't matter for you.

If you have concerns, I would urge you to check out earlier threads from when GT was first out. Wulf answered many similar questions.

 

[Von Ether]

It's both and more! The first half of the book is a full 1-20 campaign but in the process, it fleshes out the world of Cydonia. The second half of the book is the crunchy stuff: the races, monsters, mass combat system, new equipment, etc.

Very cool. Pinnacle Ent. is doing the same sort of format with their Savage World settings. You get a mega adventure along with your game setting. While I am not big into gaming nostoliga, I do like the whole "discover the setting as you go" style these games give.