Northern Crown?

[dougmander]

Anyone think of limiting or removing the cleric and wizard class and just using the new classes from the book? It seems to me that some of the spells from both classs like fireball, blade barrier and raise dead (Just to name a few) might be overpowering for a historical fantasy type game.

Maybe healer from MHB would work in place of cleric? And natural philospher in place of the wizard/sorcerer classes?

Just a thought..

Mike

Natural philosophers can create some pretty flashy effects, too, including lightning bolt, wall of ice, and stinking cloud. And druids might have to go, too. Witches you might be able to leave in, since their magic tends to be less flashy.

I guess it all depends on whether your players would be happy playing in a low-magic game. What if magic still existed in your campaign, but worked Conan-style, with terrible physical and spiritual risks for those who used it? There would still be wizards and sorcerers, but they would be rare, and the amount of magic they could employ per encounter would be limited. Maybe you could take the Northern Crown setting information and adapt it to Grim Tales?

 

[jdrakeh]

I'm a sucker for American folklore, so I nearly picked this up today (Spycraft 2.0 won out by a hair). I can envision campaigns built around such legends as Headless Valley (which, I suppose, is technically a Canadian legend), encounters with the folkloric Wendigo (which differs quite a bit from the D&D version), the Manitou Mountain / Cheyenne Mountain folk tale (Manitou versus The Great Serpent), lost treasures galore (many of those exist in American folklore), etc, etc, etc. The question of 'What could I use this for?' never entered my mind - instead, my question was 'What couldn't I use this for?'

 

[dougmander]

I'm a sucker for American folklore, so I nearly picked this up today (Spycraft 2.0 won out by a hair). I can envision campaigns built around such legends as Headless Valley (which, I suppose, is technically a Canadian legend), encounters with the folkloric Wendigo (which differs quite a bit from the D&D version), the Manitou Mountain / Cheyenne Mountain folk tale (Manitou versus The Great Serpent), lost treasures galore (many of those exist in American folklore), etc, etc, etc. The question of 'What could I use this for?' never entered my mind - instead, my question was 'What couldn't I use this for?'

Speak of this Headless Valley! I don't know that one.

 

[jdrakeh]

Speak of this Headless Valley! I don't know that one.

Here is a link. Headless Valley was essentially a turn of the century 'lost world' legend - complete with vast riches, pre-historic monsters, and murderous savages. In Canada.

While the legend technically postdates the period in which Northern Crown is set, there is actual historical evidence to suggest that the valley was, indeed, home to Mastadons after the Ice Age (the valley was largely left untouched by glaciers).

In short, there is some real potential for an engaging Northern Crown campaign there. In fact, now that I'm talking about it, I kind of wish I had picked up NC instead of Spycraft 2 the other day.

 

[dougmander]

While the legend technically postdates the period in which Northern Crown is set, there is actual historical evidence to suggest that the valley was, indeed, home to Mastadons after the Ice Age (the valley was largely left untouched by glaciers).

Jeferson's Army of Discovery sets out to capture a live mastodon, maybe?

 

[jdrakeh]

Jeferson's Army of Discovery sets out to capture a live mastodon, maybe?

Or even a mineral survey. Really, anything to get a party into the valley - once they're surrounded by savage, cliff-dwelling, cannibals and giant, pre-historic, lizard any pretense of basic exploration becomes moot - the goal becomes survival!

 

[qstor]

The areas of Northern Crown I'm most eager to expand are the city of Havana, the mean streets of Nieu Amsterdam, and the courtly society of Charles Town. They haven't been fleshed out in nearly the same detail as Boston and Sophia.

I think it would be cool to have some articles in Franklyn's Almanack focusing on different cities. Kinda like they've done in the old Dragon Magazine articles for the cities of Earth or of the newer ones for the Forgotten Realms and the Greyhawk cities in Dungeon.

Mike

 

[Qualidar]

I know that most of this thread is old, but in case anyone is still reading this: I love these books. I picked them up over the weekend and am cramming to run a one shot in a couple of weeks. For people thinking of buying these, but are on the fence, here are some of the things I love (based on reading just a chapter and a half, and a lot of skimming):

I love the potential for intrigue: spies, political maneuvering, witch cults and puritan spies.

I love the positive vibe of the setting: slavery largely wiped out and a pseudo-nation of Cimaroon freedom fighters, native americans as true keepers of the earth who seem to have the magical power to hold back the excesses of colonialism.

I love the "sense of wonder" (can I use that phrase without getting the thread locked? ): I'm picturing massive stone ruins overgrown by the forests, remnants of the time of the giants and repositories of ancient secrets, far up unexplored rivers.

I love the potential for swashbuckling fun: buccaneers, rakes, rapiers and muskets.

I love the potential for horror: unexplored primeval forests brooding over isolated colonial villages, witches and puritan zealots, headless horsemen, animated scarecrows, new orleans' vampires and voodoo priests.

Finally, I love the details, for instance the Albians: Servants of the Faerie Queen Gloriana (child of Queen Elizabeth and Oberon). There's tons of great stuff like that.

~Qualidar~

 

[Qualidar]

Also: any news on that Boston book?

~Q~

 

[dougmander]

I'm still working on the Boston book.

In the meantime, you might enjoy the full-length Northern Crown adventure The Onondaga Mission in the current issue of Franklyn's Almanack.

Your previous post warmed my heart.