Warcraft and World of Warcraft

[klofft]

Hello all.

I just picked up a copy of the Warcraft campaign setting because it was a good deal and it had the Dungeons and Dragons label on it. It didn't dawn on me until later that this is not necessarily the same thing as the later-published World of Warcraft campaign setting.

Have I been screwed? Is the WoW setting just a revision of the one I bought? Or does the WoW just build on the the first? Or are they completely different beasts?

And, while I'm at it, anyone have any thoughts on the setting as a D&D setting? I only bought it to strip it of crunch and a little fluff for my kitchen-sink homebrew. Anything I should know about regarding power of the crunch in the setting vs. WotC settings? I don't like quasi-tech in my games and this setting seems to have a lot of it.

I have to admit: I know almost nothing about the world, as I largely ignored the original computer games and the MMORPG both.

Thanks for your help and insight in advance!
C

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The WoW setting takes place approximately four years later than the Warcraft setting. You didn't get screwed.

Frankly, I think Kalimdor's description in the Warcraft book is a lot more evocative than the very much taken-from-WoW version in the WoW books.

 

[Stormborn]

(I have the WoW but not the original so I am guessing here but...)

The WoW book is, essentially, a replacement PHB - a stand alone d20 based system using its own races, classes, spells, etc. The older Warcraft RPG was, IIRC, intended to be compatible with the DnD core rules, essentially a campaign setting as opposed to a different game. Given that you "only bought it to strip it of crunch and a little fluff for my kitchen-sink homebrew" you probablly got the better choice of the two.

 

[Ovistavin]

From what I understand the WoW revision was to make the table top roleplaying game resemble the MMORPG more than D&D. I have all 6 WarCraft RPG books, but none of the WoW ones and I haven't played the MMORPG so I can't be sure.

 

[Voadam]

Have I been screwed? Is the WoW setting just a revision of the one I bought? Or does the WoW just build on the the first? Or are they completely different beasts?

And, while I'm at it, anyone have any thoughts on the setting as a D&D setting? I only bought it to strip it of crunch and a little fluff for my kitchen-sink homebrew. Anything I should know about regarding power of the crunch in the setting vs. WotC settings? I don't like quasi-tech in my games and this setting seems to have a lot of it.

C

By my understanding the later one is a revision of the earlier one with an advanced timeline, different race and class mechanics, and complete PH rules.

I have only the Manual of Monsters and one warcraft gazetteer setting book (nabbed it when it was a free download), neither of the core books.

The Manual of Monsters has a very powerful LA +1 troll race that gets fast healing, good physical stats, natural armor, and claws.

I've played in a Warcraft RPG game that converted to WoW and it was a fun setting to play D&D in. I played a barbarian of the above mentioned jungle troll race which coverted from LA to racial levels in WoW and it was a lot of fun in both versions.

IME it is very easy to tone down the tech aspects and use it as straight swords, magic, and orcs fantasy D&D.

 

[klofft]

Thanks. This is very helpful. It does seem like I made the right choice because I did not want a variant PHB. Now I can try to hunt down the OOP original Warcraft books!

 

[Psion]

They do recylce some stuff in later books, but IMO the core book for WoW RPG is excellent and in every way an improvement over the D&D Warcraft book.

I actually found the Alliance PG disappointing and the retreads trashed good stuff that was in the first run books.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

The "Lands" sourcebooks are the best for fluff, IMO, since they're 90 percent travelogue. (And they even reveal some secrets not yet available to WoW players, including some lore that might never make it into the MMORPG.)

 

[Voadam]

Thanks. This is very helpful. It does seem like I made the right choice because I did not want a variant PHB. Now I can try to hunt down the OOP original Warcraft books!

http://www.rpgnow.com/index.php?cPath=64

Look at the logos on the cover for whether they are Warcraft or WoW.

 

[Scurvy_Platypus]

From what I understand the WoW revision was to make the table top roleplaying game resemble the MMORPG more than D&D. I have all 6 WarCraft RPG books, but none of the WoW ones and I haven't played the MMORPG so I can't be sure.

Actually, that's one of the most common complaints that I see about the Warcraft/World of Warcraft rpg... the fact that it _doesn't_ resemble the MMO more than D&D.

The majority of the complaints are "It's not really like the MMO but PnP instead of on the computer. Instead, it's D&D with a facelift." or some variation thereof.

I'm not one of those Warcraft/WoW lore monkeys, so I can't speak to the accuracy of the following:
Some people prefer the flavor of the Warcraft books (instead of the WoW books) because apparently WoW has retconned at least some of the lore that was set forward in the different games. Apparently when it went from the Warcraft to the WoW version, the books also underwent something of a change in terms of flavor. More focus on rules than lore (I don't have the WoW books so I don't know).

On the other hand, apparently the WoW version has better mechanical balance and consistency.

End of the day... I don't think it really matters that much. I've got the Warcraft version and am happy enough with it. If you're just after it for crunch... skip on it. It'll be a disappointment overall I think. Especially if you don't like tech/magictech. As a setting? Pretty groovy, and I'd run it if I wasn't already running something else.