[MEG] The sleeping lion awakes, 2 books at the printer for December!

[MEG Hal]

For those of us who worry about things like mature content, could you spread a little light on that regard? Actual mature content or titilation?

I will try and get Ed Cha in here to tell you more about that, thanks Har.

 

[trancejeremy]

For those of us who worry about things like mature content, could you spread a little light on that regard? Actual mature content or titilation?

Well, having read it, I would say "Neither, really". It's just the tone of the module is more horror than anything else. And there is one monster in the module that is somewhat disturbing (the thing on the cover). But if it were a movie, it probably wouldn't even be PG-13.


(Let me just point out that I wrote a review of it here...

http://www.geocities.com/nofrills_reviews/d20oester.htm

Though there is also a slightly different one at RPG.net which seems to be down right now...)

 

[Ed Cha]

Is the module for any particular setting, or is it generic?

I would dare say that the World of Whitethorn line has probably the most generic setting backdrop for d20 right now.

That doesn't mean it's bland or boring, but if you believe that the standard cultural backdrop for most fantasy settings is Western European (in this case, specifically Celto-Saxon with a little bit of Viking and Gallic) then this could be an accurate statement.

You can find out more information here:

http://www.openworldpress.com/

Further details about the World of Whitethorn and island nation of Calbrennia should be included in "World of Whitethorn 1C: The City of Calas" due sometime next year.

Thank you for your interest!

 

[Ed Cha]

and in further response to Byrons_Ghost, the things I like about Ed's work is that you can drop The Hamlet of Thumble pretty much anywhere, and the residents are so well fleshed out that it almost doubles as a book of NPCs. I am eagerly anticipating The Village of Oester.

Thanks for the explanation and support, Hairy Minotaur! I'm glad you're looking forward to the next installment.

Each adventure setting is designed to be highly reusable as both a rules supplement and location book. The product line is based on a modular "world-building by adventure" format.

In "World of Whitethorn 1A: The Hamlet of Thumble", about 60 residents are detailed with full stats and personality descriptions. Even the children are given names.

For the upcoming "World of Whitethorn 1B: The Village of Oester", the level of detail is the same for each individual NPC, but the scale is different. Instead of describing every single adult resident in the town included (Mullikin, a town located on the way to the village), I've detailed only its most important locations. This is still a couple dozen businesses and residences, with about 50 shown on the map.

As Trancejeremy aptly noted in his review, "The Village of Oester" is a bit of a misnomer because it is largely abandoned and you'll find more people in the town of Mullikin. However, it is named so because the primary adventure and many of the side encounters are related to Oester, not Mullikin. You do get maps and descriptions for both locations.

So this product includes a village and a town that you can reuse again and again. There is also a marsh (with descriptions of its residents), too, and of course, a primary adventure, plenty of side encounters, new rules, and much more.

 

[Ed Cha]

For those of us who worry about things like mature content, could you spread a little light on that regard? Actual mature content or titilation?

I think Trancejeremy's assessment is pretty accurate, but it you'd really have to judge for yourself. This is a tale of betrayal, seduction, revenge, demons, undead, and black magic though.

There could possibly be an unedited version later though that is not likely to make it to print.

 

[Ed Cha]

(Let me just point out that I wrote a review of it here...

http://www.geocities.com/nofrills_reviews/d20oester.htm

Trancejeremy's reviews are straightforward and honest. He does an excellent job of telling you what the product is and isn't, covering all the important details along the way.

There are also a couple of other advance reviews here:

http://www.gamingreport.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=766

http://www.gamewyrd.com/review/382

 

[MEG Hal]

A free Player's Handout: A Brief History of the Kingdom of Calas, is now available as background information for your PCs in the World of Whitethorn. This recounts the official history of the region on the map included in both "World of Whitethorn 1A: The Hamlet of Thumble" and "World of Whitethorn 1B: The Village of Oester".

http://www.openworldpress.com/b.php?p=history_calas