Usefulness of Scarred Land's Hollowfaust

[Deadguy]

Well, I must say, this whole place sounds cool! Cool enough to go out tomorrow and buy a copy. Thanks guys for the advice.

I'll try and let you know how it all pans out (though knowing my players they'll change their plans completely ).

One more quick question though: to what extent is the nature of the city determined by its locale? Is it very tied into its physical location (I note the reference to the volcano)? In other words, how much of it surroundings would I really need to port over to avoid changing the place and its history too much?

 

[Nightfall]

Well, I must say, this whole place sounds cool! Cool enough to go out tomorrow and buy a copy. Thanks guys for the advice.

I'll try and let you know how it all pans out (though knowing my players they'll change their plans completely ).

One more quick question though: to what extent is the nature of the city determined by its locale? Is it very tied into its physical location (I note the reference to the volcano)? In other words, how much of it surroundings would I really need to port over to avoid changing the place and its history too much?

*knows about players and their mercurial ways* Good luck!

Well personally I LIKE the volcano BUT as long as you can find a place where there's a LOT of negative energy, like say the site of a major natural disaster like an earthquake or hurricane strike. In any case, I don't think you need to worry THAT much about the surroundings, but I personally like it the way it is! Doesn't mean you can't change it though.

 

[Voadam]

Just a moderating note, While I found it had good themes and some neat ideas, the editing is atrocious and detracted from my enjoyment of the book. Things like a whole column of text out of order, major discrepancies between prc flavor text and requirements, and reading it straight through groups and people were referenced before they were introduced so it was a bit confusing. I also dislike intense totalitarian autocracies so it kept giving me bad vibes (annoyed bad, not this is cool darkness stuff), but that is LAWFUL Neutral for you.

I would say the physical isolation and threat of outside enemies are elements important to making Hollowfaust work as far as portability. It is basically the human outpost stronghold in a hostile physical and racial/political climate.

The other option for your campaign is the 2e supplements for Jakandor where they have a magical LN society based off of zombie labor.

 

[Nightfall]

Voad. *tsks* You don't think I'm moderate enough? I CERTAIN will agree with two of your gripes. The layout people SINCERELY messed up in regards to certain things being out place (like putting Nemorga's description and THEN not placing the God box text stuff next to it. Or the fact they messed up on the Essense Shift, in moving the column in to the wrong places. And don't get me started on the fact they basically GLUED the OGL onto the back of the book. Plus the map. I really didn't care that much for the map, but at least they've been consistant with that. Anyway that's what I have to say for some of my gripes.

I personally though like the Authortian, not Toltarian(sp) feel for the city. Made it feel like it was a safe city EVEN if stuff is going down inside it. Much nicer than Hedrad!

 

[Deadguy]

Ah well, White Wolf have never been immune to layout problems (after all they practically made 'Page XX' their own stylistic mark!), so I can accept some... difficulties.

I see the slight difference of opinion regarding how much the city's nature is a function of its location. It's not a problem slotting it in to my setting (the Shattered World is peculiarly tolerant of locale, being as its made of thousands of separate 'islands'), but if it requires certain sorts of terrain then I may have more problems (e.g. does it need vast deserts or large forests to feel right?).

I can understand the need for a city of necromancers to need a strong authoritarian streak - it's hard to get people to forget that Necromancy is not inherently a wicked practise, and I assume that they must have some problems with some of their own getting too carried away with the powers of life and death!

Actually, one thing I forgot to ask (maybe I should just buy and read the thing myself.. but still another's opinion is useful): how much 'adventure' is inherent in the city? By this, I mean how easy is it to run stories that involve just the city and its inhabitants? Some fantasy cities can seem either a little 'sterile' of stories, or be focussed on one particular story. Since I hope my PCs would hang around for a little while, are there plenty of hooks for things that they might do whilst there? (If it matters they are levels 8 through 10).

 

[ColonelHardisson]

I don't think Holoowfaust necessitates a specific type of terrain to surround it, besides the fact it is best placed in the midst of really inhospitable terrain. Even so, you could make it fairly small area depending on just how hostile or inaccessible you make the terrain.

As for adventure in the city itself, I'd say it's best suited for roleplay-intensive adventuring, such as mysteries or intrigue.

Nightfall - by the way, I actually do like the Scarred Lands. Remember, I was one of the ENnies judges, and we ended up recognizing SL a few times.

 

[Barastrondo]

One more quick question though: to what extent is the nature of the city determined by its locale? Is it very tied into its physical location (I note the reference to the volcano)? In other words, how much of it surroundings would I really need to port over to avoid changing the place and its history too much?

I'd say in order to get the most use out of the city, you should account for the following:

1) Hollowfaust arose because several powerful necromancers traveled to a ruined city where there was lots of death energy — essentially, where practically the whole city died at once, thus creating an important site for research into necromancy. In this case, it's a Pompeii-style volcanic eruption that killed the city. You can choose something else, but the presumption is "ruined city that died all at once."

2) The city became a city, and not just a tiny enclave, because it accepted a flood of refugees. You should probably account for what these refugees were fleeing, where they came from, and why they accepted the necromancers' rule as preferable to what they could have gotten elsewhere. (The other reasons for citizens to live in the city rather than anywhere else, such as primo sanitation and a considerably low crime rate, aren't reliant on locale at all.) The city has also withstood several sieges from hostiles, which you may or may not want to duplicate depending on where you slot it, but they do give the citizenry added reason to be happy where they are, so it's another consideration.

3) This is kind of optional, but the volcano also provides a distinct physical separation between where the necromancers live and where the ordinary citizens live (it's full of chambers, passages and vaults where the labs and undead storage facilities — ah, barracks are placed). The necromancers don't live directly among the citizenry, which changes the tone a bit. You might want to think about another physical feature like that which could be used to separate Guilds business from city business.

Those are the things I'd strongly consider porting over; everything else is pretty darn mutable. IMO, natch.

 

[Nightfall]

Nightfall - by the way, I actually do like the Scarred Lands. Remember, I was one of the ENnies judges, and we ended up recognizing SL a few times.

Well didn't want to assume anything Coln.

Btw Deadguy, I'd listen to Ethan there. He wrote the darn thing after all!

 

[Deadguy]

Thanks Ethan! Well, you can't do better than get the advice of the book's own author. Though Nightfall, you do come a very close second!

I think I can incorporate all those elements into the locale of a single fragment (the units of the Shattered World's terrain).

I can't wait to get a hold of the book now!

BTW, Voadam (or any other), I took a long break from AD&D2, so I haven't heard of Jakandor before. Perhaps you could elaborate?

 

[Nightfall]

Thanks Ethan! Well, you can't do better than get the advice of the book's own author. Though Nightfall, you do come a very close second!

Don't worry Dead, you don't have to kiss up to me to make your game work. But helps! *is just teasing* I hope things go well with your game.