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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Messageboard Golem" data-source="post: 2015408" data-attributes="member: 18387">O.K. first of all, yes - the crunch alone is worth the $50 price tag.  Even if you want to use your own setting this book contains everything you need to run a grim and gritty campaign.  That's something that I see asked for a lot of various boards and finally there's a well balanced product that takes a comprehensive approach in meeting that need.  From the magic system, to the combat system, to the death and dying rules, to character equipment, and more - everything is designed towards that grim and gritty style with more emphasis on the characters themselves, instead of what magical gear they're carrying.  In this campaign setting there will be very few magic items by nature of how the rules for them work (nor are they needed).As far as not having read the novels.  The book provides a LOT of detailed information about the world.  There is enough here that somebody with no exposure to the novels could run the campaign setting.  However, I'd recommend that anyone choosing to use the setting ought to read at least the first trilogy of novels (The Black Company, Shadows Linger, The White Rose) for two reasons:1. Reading at least these three books will help you really immerse yourself in the "feel" of the world.  The authors do a good job explaining what that feel is and how to capture it in the game, but the best way to experience it is first hand - by reading the source material.2. If you enjoy gritty fantasy, these are the best books you're likely to read.The first three form a complete story by themselves.  After that The Silver Spike ties up some loose ends, and The Books of the South and Glittering Stone take the story down a new path.  A kind of "further adventures of" the main characters.Anyway, once you read the books, you can better understand one character's comment in the novels, - "Holy #@$&!!  Taken!!"</blockquote>

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