Kalamar - first published 4e setting?!?

[pawsplay]

I've been yawning over Kalamar since before 3e. Imagine Greyhawk, but written in the style of a 1968 encyclopedia, and with less mind flayers.

 

[The Lost Muse]

I'd have to take a look, but I'd bet they just removed the 3.x magic items and class references from the book and released it as a 4e product.

They've updated the text to include the 4e classes. The races are: Dwarves, Elves, Gnomes, Half-Elves, Half-Hobgoblins, Half-Orcs*, Halflings, Hobgoblins, and 6 flavors of human.

* It is suggested that you use the orc statistics, but change the bonus stats, and possibly grab a human power.

Kenzerco has definately used the features of the PDF format to great advantage. Each chapter is bookmarked, with individual sections broken down.

The languages chapter details the major languages spoken on Tellene, including naming elements for each language. These are fantastic, as you can just combine a couple and have an appropriate character name to use. There are a couple suggestions as to bonuses DM's can give depending on whether or not characters are literate, or if they speak the proper language rather than common.

The chapter on the pantheon of gods has also been updated to reflect the changes in alignments, with an explaination of the reduction from 9 to 5 alignments. This pantheon is exhaustive, and I like that they include the various names each culture would call the gods rather than creating a new pantheon for each culture.

There is a table with names, locations, and levels of NPC's. THe highest level is 24, though most are well below that. I did notice what appeared to be some 3.X style multiclassing still on the list. There are a few warlocks, but no warlords. Some of the NPC's are given roles from the Monster Manual, rather than classes.

There is very little in the way of crunch, although perhaps they will be allowed to do a 4e phb. For people who already own the books, this is a waste of money. If you are looking for a consistent, old-school, detailed setting, here it is.

 

[Wes]

That's surprising considering the amount of 4e bashing Kenzer&co has delivered in WotC 4e's direction. Really ironic, too, seeing how Kalamar is to become their official Hackmaster setting when they eventually put out 5th ed Hackmaster.

I'd have to take a look, but I'd bet they just removed the 3.x magic items and class references from the book and released it as a 4e product.

I own every Kalamar product put out in the 3.x era and, despite my not nice words about the company, I really enjoyed the setting and I'd have to say it's been one of my favorite worlds to run/play a game in for years.

Ktulu

I wouldn't call it bashing as much as expressing personal preference, though I take the 'Gary-Speak' with a grain of salt (some don't). Or are you including comments from non K&C staff? K&C also created a forum specifically for the discussion of 4e, which is cool in my books. But opinions differ I guess.

As far as the PDF, yes $25 is steep for an e-release but that does include the full-color atlas as well as the updated campaign guide. It is correct that there's not much crunch, but the 3.X release was the same. IMO its a great snag if you're a fan of KoK and want a electronic version and the updates (ie. the full write-up on Half Hobgoblin) AND its a great snag if you're thinking about KoK but don't want to spring for the hardbacks.

 

[hong]

Syllables. Oh god the syllables.

 

[Treebore]

Bummer. Not my cup of tea.

Don't take his word for it. The campaign is friggin rich with details that would drive a person insane to create on their own, so reading it and absorbing it all will come across as very dry. However it is a very well detailed base line campaign that when you use it in "bite sized chunks" will turn into a very well fleshed out and vibrant setting when you integrate those mind numbing details into the game play in equally bite size chunks.

So check it out. It may very well still not be your thing, then again it could be the best setting ever for you.

 

[Treebore]

Syllables. Oh god the syllables.

So? What is one of the first things that really makes you realize your not in your native country anymore? The language the people around you are speaking. So this setting gives you lots of "foreign" words to use to help your players feel like they are in a foreign land.

Its amazing how little things like that can help players transport themselves.


Add in the rich variety of religious faiths they have created and your a long way to feeling like your in a different world. If you have the skills to use these things.


You know the best way to check out Kalamar? Their modules, even if your going to 4E.

 

[Fenes]

25 Dollars is not steep for a PDF given the additional value it offers compared to a hardcover (search feature, bookmarks, protability). That's about one Pizza, soda and snacks, or the average food expense per player for a game session over here.

 

[CapnZapp]

The ONLY downside to the setting IMO is the naming conventions. Wow, Kalamar has some jarringly difficult to pronounce names. Names that are strange sounding for the sake of being strange sounding...kind of like the way a less than steller fantasy author would create. I'm not insulting the creators, but one of my peeves is naming conventions and Kalamar's naming conventions are IMO some of the worst. I am however very picky about such things so you can't necessarily judge using my point of view.

Give it a try.



Wyrmshadows

Unfortunately, the names became a showstopper for my group.

It took a few sessions, but then my players asked to play in a different world, where the names weren't so obviously created with a random generator.

Myself, I had noticed the problem, but hoped that the upsides of the setting coulkd compensate, but no. (I guess the plausible looking maps and atlases were something Kenzer could sell to DMs only).

Opening my Atlas on a random page (page 132) names include Pijkkurzagh, Thizhahagh, Lekkzhawazh, Khoviggazh and Thakakkazh. It quickly becomes all a blur.

But okay, those names are Orc. Let's flick to another page, uhhm... page 108! Oh, nothing but open ocean, okay...

Page 51! Okay, this is where Bet Kalamar itself resides, so no funny Orc names here.

However, the names still blur to the point of becoming indistinguishable... Sowido, Gobido, Livowido, Vevusido, Merido, Sika'ido, Rilido, Kuvido, Wirido, Tumufido, Naka'akido, Hudepido, Mothisefido, Polido, Thimido, Rogido, Ruwido, ... okay I'm going to stop here, my head hurts. (I'm going to apologize in advance for any misspellings which I'm sure I can't have avoided)

It makes me long for the days of faux-english names (Evilstown, Cape Death, Saint Good... ) and it makes me realize my players were right.

There may well be a lot of scholarly research behind the Kalamar campaign world, but it must have been confined to mostly the natural sciences - there certainly have been no professor Tolkien around to tell the authors their names suck, and badly at that.

 

[Fenes]

Page 51! Okay, this is where Bet Kalamar itself resides, so no funny Orc names here.

However, the names still blur to the point of becoming indistinguishable... Sowido, Gobido, Livowido, Vevusido, Merido, Sika'ido, Rilido, Kuvido, Wirido, Tumufido, Naka'akido, Hudepido, Mothisefido, Polido, Thimido, Rogido, Ruwido, ... okay I'm going to stop here, my head hurts. (I'm going to apologize in advance for any misspellings which I'm sure I can't have avoided)

It makes me long for the days of faux-english names (Evilstown, Cape Death, Saint Good... ) and it makes me realize my players were right.

There may well be a lot of scholarly research behind the Kalamar campaign world, but it must have been confined to mostly the natural sciences - there certainly have been no professor Tolkien around to tell the authors their names suck, and badly at that.

Actually, the names do look realistic to me.

Do they sound all alike? Of course they do. Foreign names often sound all alike to people not familiar with them. Even natives have to struggle with very similar names in their own home state.

"-ido" probably means "-village" or "town" in that language. I can't count how many of the names of villages in my home canton end in "-dorf".

I guess you'd go off about how all the "Dielsdorf" "Bassersdorf" "Regensdorf" and so on blur together. You're right in that - but you're completley wrong in that it's not realistic.

 

[hong]

So? What is one of the first things that really makes you realize your not in your native country anymore? The language the people around you are speaking. So this setting gives you lots of "foreign" words to use to help your players feel like they are in a foreign land.

Its amazing how little things like that can help players transport themselves.

Yes, they transport me to the Land of Syllables.

Tolkien got away with it because he was a professional. That doesn't mean YOU do.