Will all of you Ebberon-buyers become Blackmoor-buyers?

[DClingman]

I have a few questions, and I hope you can answer in more than one paragraph. How much difference will there be between Zeitgeist's version of Blackmoor and TSR's version? Last I heard of TSR's Blackmooor, they blew it up in some kind of nuclear-like explosion, and have gone the way of Atlantis.

Hmmm, well lets see. TSR's version of Blackmoor was indeed destroyed. Imo, quite unremarkably too....

The main differences for people to contemplate are these:

This is Dave Arneson's Blackmoor. It is not affiliated with Greyhawk in any way shape or form. Any overlap or references to anything Greyhawk are coincidental or being redefined. This also Dave's vision. Blackmoor as Dave wanted it to be. Not only does he work dilligently on the text, but he also has what we call "Gold Master Signoff". That's a video game industry term meaning he has the absolute final say on anything that goes out as Blackmoor. If we are done, ready to print and he wants changes, they go in. I am sure it's not too much of a leap to believe that Dave didn't want Blackmoor destroyed.

With regards to some of the known history that was published in DA1-4 and the First Fantasy Campaign (Judges Guild), we are still holding quite close to the general history. As was mentioned earlier, we have new races, new magic and some other new angles, but the core organization and structure of Blackmoor from TSR is still very apparent. I think I mentioned before that it will be comfortable for classic players who will note the rennovations, and hopefully like them.

Were we to effectively republish the old modules literally, I think that some people who love it from the classic viewpoint, but would get burned out on it. The newer players might be turned off right away without knowing the history behind those choices. The goofy stuff is the charm (and it hasn't been lost), but we wanted to see the world prosper in the direction it have been evolving for the last 15 years, out of the view of most players.

When you have a world that is 30+ years old, has been the longest running known campaign in RPG gaming and the impetus to the worlds most popular role playing game when it was just a glimmer of an idea, how can you pull out that skeleton from the first day it was born and project that back at a group of gamers who have advanced 20 years in gaming sophistication? It would be like forcing people who love 3e to go back and play 1e. In alot of cases, people came out of 1e and accept the growth of the system. Other people might thing OD&D is way to simplistic. "What do you mean I am an elf and that's my race and my job?". I personally came from the former, but that's not everyone I am afraid.

Honestly, we tried to do the best job we could to balance those factors. We are proud of our effort, but very humble in the face of the folks who will recieve it. We will alway appreciate your comments and criticisms. All we ask is a shot.

Is there truth to the rumors that you will present Blackmoor in three different time periods (past, modern, and future)?

Who told you that? Someone must be breaking an agreement to let that info out. Since you poked at it. Yes, it's true. Can't say anything else right now.

Dustin

 

[DClingman]

What I wonder about is, how much of it will be Dave Arneson's Blackmoor, and how much will be other peoples? Just how much of it did he actually write?

Still, mostly a moot point - I can't afford it at any rate.

Dave was very heavily involved with the core design of the game and the detailing of places and people in Blackmoor. We had a total of 5 writers on the project (It is a big book). Dave was very much involved in the process the whole way through. He isn't remote, he and I are in the same burg, so we worked directly together during the whole project. I mentioned the Gold Master Signoff earlier. This is most assuredly Dave Arneson's Blackmoor

Dustin

 

[qstor]

Will Return to the temple of the Frog be released in a .pdf or print version? My GenCon schedule is full But I'd like to play or run it.

This is a general Blackmoor question forgive my newbieness

Was Dave involved in the 2e supplement called Blackmoor at all?

And it's interesting that there's blackpowder. Another difference between EGG, Ed Greenwood and Dave as discussed in old Dragon articles.

Mike

 

[spectre72]

Will Return to the temple of the Frog be released in a .pdf or print version? My GenCon schedule is full But I'd like to play or run it.

I am also interested in this question since I am not going to be able to attend Gencon.

 

[Kanegrundar]

I think that covers most of the questions that Kanegrundar had. (I hope).

Dustin

Thanks for the reply.

I have to say that I'm interested, but it sounds like a lot of the things I'd really want to see from the setting won't appear until further down the line. This may very well be a wait until the sourcebooks that have what I'm looking for come out.

Kane

 

[Mouseferatu]

The classic fantasy races exist in Blackmoor. The halflings are bit closer to thier hobbit cousins in Blackmoor than in GH. We also have new halfling subrace called the Docrae. Those of you who saw the December Dragon (#312 I think) got to see the Docare Prestige class we printed up. The Docrae are alot more like GH halfings,but a bit more aggressive. The race was previously enslaved and they have alot of attitude.

Issue #315, actually. Can't imagine why I remember that so precisely. *whistles innocently*

(Of course, #312 is a really good one, too. )

 

[DClingman]

Will Return to the temple of the Frog be released in a .pdf or print version? My GenCon schedule is full But I'd like to play or run it.

This is a general Blackmoor question forgive my newbieness

Was Dave involved in the 2e supplement called Blackmoor at all?

And it's interesting that there's blackpowder. Another difference between EGG, Ed Greenwood and Dave as discussed in old Dragon articles.

Mike

Hi Mike!

Don't sweat not knowing things about the world. It's our job to let you in on them.

Dave did work on the DA series of modules in the mid 80's that included "Adventures in Blackmoor", "The Temple of the Frog", "City of the Gods" and, "The Duchy of Ten". He didn't do any work on the Blackmoor of Mystara stuff that occurred later on.

As for the gunpowder...steer clear. It's waaaay to volatile and people are on the lookout for fools and puny powder weapons.

Dustin

 

[DClingman]

Thanks for the reply.

I have to say that I'm interested, but it sounds like a lot of the things I'd really want to see from the setting won't appear until further down the line. This may very well be a wait until the sourcebooks that have what I'm looking for come out.

Kane

Sounds cool. One thing I would note, we are building all of this stuff up so that it has a natural progression with the storyline that will follow in modules and other sorts of efforts. Waiting too long to nab it might work against you. Additionally, we will be looking for playtester groups for those books. Those who know the setting are prime people to help out.

Good luck and most importantly have fun!

Dustin

 

[Nisarg]

Damn it,

I've always been a Blackmoor fan in a big way, but i have to say I think you're making a mistake in how you're unrolling it.

To not have the ultra-tech in the main book, or at least one of the very first sourcebooks.. to talk about steampunk but offer no crunch for it..

what it feels like is a throwback to the bad old 90s where you had product lines (brave new worlds, deadlands, etc) where you needed to buy a half-dozen books to get everything you wanted in a setting or game! People don't go for that kind of junk anymore... you need to have everything they need to run the setting with all the bells and whistles in the main book. It doesn't mean you can't later release a much more advanced "steampunk sourcebook" or "laser sword sourcebook", but you have to have the basic of it in the book itself.

As it is now, if I can't have my laser sword, I have to seriously rethink whether I want to shell out however much its gonna cost me to get the Blackmoor book. Why would you keep one of the main signiatures of Blackmoor, something that makes it different from the FR and other settings, out of the book? Why would you intentionally make Blackmoor more boring?

Goddamnit i want my laser sword!

Nisarg

 

[Gez]

The Egg of Coot? Is that a nab at E. Gary Gygax?