The main problem I have with Kenzer's Geanavue

[Hard8Staff]

<<When anyone discusses Kalamar or Kalamar products, it always seems to me that there are two categories of gamers: ones who want ready-made conflicts and situations; and those who want a setting for conflicts and situations they create. The former will be disappointed, while the latter will usually be very pleased. Those who want hackfests ready to go 'out of the box' will wonder where the blood and gore is, those who just want a setting for their own encounters will be happy. >>

Interesting point. We've always considered the published adventures to be the forum for the blood and gore and the setting material as, well, setting. With the adventures we've gone and included PLENTY of setting material, mostly stuff we thought the DM would need to know to run the game properly. I wonder if we shouldn't include some sample encounters and/or sample scenarios (in greater detail than the current plot hooks) in the sourcebooks?

What do you guys think? We're listening!

Dave

 

[SHARK]

Greetings!

Hey Dave! Nice to hear from you, sir. I think that supplements should provide all the stuff for a setting--that a DM would need. That way, any "conflict" can be personalised and added in separately by the DM, rather than hardwired into the setting itself. That way, any DM can have a blank slate to work with.

Having said that, separate adventures can be produced that take a certain conflict to highlight, and explore, and so on. Thus, a specific adventure can detail a scenario with a rising evil cult. If the DM wants to incorporate such a cult into the city, then he can use the scenario information to do so. But another DM, who doesn't want to add it, doesn't have to buy the adventure, and thus, doesn't have to incorporate that into his campaign. That way, everyone's Gienavue City can remain strict and law-abiding, or others can have a city that is struggling with evil always trying to infiltrate and corrupt the society at large.

I think following such a format will have the best capacity to please the most people in a neat, functional way.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK