How portable is Geanavue to other settings?

[Jackcarter]

The subject says all. When I looked at it, it seemed interesting, but there were several things that made me pause. I run a canonical FR game and compared to it, the power level seemed awfully low, even lower than Greyhawk. Hardly any NPC was above 12th level, if I remember correctly. Plus, I would've have to change all of the names.

What's up with the names? Okie, I've heard it million times from people like Arcady that Kenzer came up with their own, consisent form of language or whatever. I don't care. They are ungodly ugly to look at and even worse sounding. Call me dumb, but I'm perfectly fine with Celtic/Germanic/Nordic/Anglo/whatever derivitives used in most fantasy settings. I don't want the language from Mars.

More importantly, though, the level of magic seemed too low, even at the default level. Am I right?

Even though it's detailed, if my initial impressions are correct, I'd have to change too many things.

Those with it and familiar with FR, can it be ported to FR without massive changes? For reference, I have a very detailed book on the life, people, economy, and shape of the Periclean Athens that I can use for a city by populating it with my own NPCs and magic; thus, Geanavue would be useless to me if I had to make up or bump up the npc power levels, raise up the magic, and do other inconvenient things.

 

[Kaptain_Kantrip]

See my other Geanavue thread for my conversion notes of what's needed to turn Geanavue into a Zhentil Keep like setting.

The power level and magic level are extremely low by FR standards, even Greyhawk standards, which is greatly appreciated by uber-munchkin haters like me, but would be a big adjustment for "as is" FR lovers like you.

Okay, the names suck, suck, suck, IMO. I really, really dislike the Kalamaran dialect, and find it even more irritating than FR's self-important super-names like Storm Falconfinger, Dogood Brightblade, Jimminy Giantkiller, etc.

I need a map of Geanavue without all the terrible Kalamaran street/place names on it so I can fill them in myself with my own.

 

[der_kluge]

I read a thread like this and think to myself "Oh God, I hope we didn't put annoying names into Bluffside". Actually, I kind of liked some of the names we came up with.

So what kind of names are we talking about with Geanavue? Not seen the book myself.

 

[DWARF]

WRONG!!! That's not Kalamarean in Geanavue, that's Reanaarean! There's more than a half dozen dialects in Tellene (the continent for Kalamar) and they each have their own style. I like the names in Geanavue. since with a little pratice they are workable. (Imagine the first time you said Mordenkainen!)

 

[Kaptain_Kantrip]

Mordenkainen was easy. Every name in Greyhawk was easy at first glance except Iuz (but we always pronounced it Eye-UZ).

Even FR (with names like Selfaril Umdolphin, Fzoul Chembryl, Szass Tam, etc.) was nothing compared to Kalamar naming conventions...

Try saying (much less memorizing) Kalamar's nonsense words:

aumaduumararuumadoom
aaaglaaathnaar
goobagobbageebaa
mixiilpliixxaaan
huffsahiixaahuffaanstufaan
and my personal favorite: Ramaalamaadiingdonggh!!!

It drives me buggy, dammit!

 

[Nightfall]

Which is why I'm glad Klugie you guys used easy names like Odin and Ragernsson for example. Not to mention easy names like the Neave.

 

[Jackcarter]

Kluge, like Capt Crunch (heh, I just couldn't resist...) said, names are horrible. The worst part is, they are completely unmemorizable. I've glanced at the book, but I can't recall single name. Mordenkainen, on the other hand, was vaguely remembered after the first time I read ADnD PHB. In fact, I thought it was cool.

When there's a name like Cheff the Deshackler, it's hard not to bust out loud, let alone take the npc seriously.

Kluge, when will Bluffside come out? I'm assuming that you're affliliated with the company, as your post seem to suggest. I wasn't too impressed with the Interlude, but then I really didn't look at it closely. However, I do hope that your city book will better portable, i.e., have at least the default level of magic and few high level npcs. Gena-whatever, from what I can see, seems too low-magic and low-powered for my use.

 

[Kaptain_Kantrip]

I didn't care for Interludes, either, despite all the hype. The cover art was poor, as well.

 

[der_kluge]

Don't mean to hijack your thread here. You can complain about Interludes all you want (*sounds of complaints grow loudly in the background*) - I only proofread it.

Bluffside should be in stores next week. Pre-orders went out on Saturday (23rd). I should get _MY_ copy this week (no, you can't have it), but it should make it to the masses by next week.

I tend to think that Bluffside is moderately magical. There are some low-magic elements in it, like all the regular merchants just trying to scrounge by, but there are some higher level magical elements in it, too. Like, the polymorphed white dragon that hangs out at a local pub getting sloshed all the time. Or, the temple to "The Ethereal One" that is larger on the inside than it is on the outside.

Or, one of my personal favorites, the Frost Giant Cleric with his "Human's Bane" Axe (I think he has an axe) that hangs out at the Temple of "The Frozen One".

But the names are cool. Andrew, one of our writers, was just great at names. "Kiki McGurk" was one of my favorites. Even weird things have normal names like "Carl, the Gray Ooze". I know there were some others that were cool, but I'm drawing a blank now. Definitely NOTHING like what you described. Jeez!

 

[Kaptain_Kantrip]

What?! You didn't name anyone "Hummaglummagweddlethorp, High Master of Hojaax Heidelbuum, Master of the Crimson Griix and Lord Protector of Dumdedumm-On-Stine?" I'm shocked.

Here are the things I would cut out of Bluffside if I were writing (or running) it:

1) Carl, the Gray Ooze (WTF?)
2) Kiki McGurk, whomever s/he may be
3) The polymorphed white dragon getting sloshed at the bar
4) The Frost Giant cleric (admittedly, the least silly one mentioned)

I would replace them with:

1) Carl, the black pudding
2) Lucy McGillicutty, Skank Queen of Crack Row
3) A sassy cyborg bartender who squirts beer out her nipples
4) A fire giant cleric in the temple of the frozen one to confuse the PCs! Duuuuuude!!! That would rock! LOL