I picked my copy up on Thursday, but have come nowhere near reading the whole thing. It's a pretty chunky book.
I don't know that I would describe it as 70% rules, 30% world, though that isn't far off the mark. Of course, this is meant to be the core book so you have to leave a LOT of room for CharGen. Each Order is given about 1 1/2-2 pages of coverage. There are also about 5 different fields of spellcasting to cover, monsters, grimoires, equipment, etc.
If I have a gripe thus far (aside from a few layout elements), its this: while there is mention of Muslim orders of witch hunters, there is almost NO coverage of the middle east and north Africa in the game. It's very Euro-centric. Now is that a bad thing? Maybe not for most people. But I've grown kinda tired of the Euro/Western Centrism of FRPGs these days. I also lament that there are a lot of folks who might play this who will not be able to find archetypes or backgrounds to fit their cultural identity. It's not so much a flaw in the game as it is a missed opportunity, IMHO. I expect there are plans for a Middle Eastern sourcebook, but really if the Muslims are big-time witch hunters (as they should be) then that should be given more than lip service in the core book. I mean, Native Americans get their own Order, so why not?
The game system seems nice and streamlined. In fact, I believe they only take up about 20 pages. For those of you like me, who are looking to adapt this material to Solomon Kane in a few months hence, here are some important details:
10 Threats (monsters), complete with mooks, lieutenants, and villains, and details on their organizations and roles in the world.
4 Grimiores, complete with legends and spells (benign and malign)
5 Fighting traditions (swordsman schools)
9 Orders of Solomon (witch hunter organizations)
I expect a lot of the GM advice chapter will be useful as well. And there is plenty of history and national details, much of which may be useful to some degree or another.
Tom
I don't know that I would describe it as 70% rules, 30% world, though that isn't far off the mark. Of course, this is meant to be the core book so you have to leave a LOT of room for CharGen. Each Order is given about 1 1/2-2 pages of coverage. There are also about 5 different fields of spellcasting to cover, monsters, grimoires, equipment, etc.
If I have a gripe thus far (aside from a few layout elements), its this: while there is mention of Muslim orders of witch hunters, there is almost NO coverage of the middle east and north Africa in the game. It's very Euro-centric. Now is that a bad thing? Maybe not for most people. But I've grown kinda tired of the Euro/Western Centrism of FRPGs these days. I also lament that there are a lot of folks who might play this who will not be able to find archetypes or backgrounds to fit their cultural identity. It's not so much a flaw in the game as it is a missed opportunity, IMHO. I expect there are plans for a Middle Eastern sourcebook, but really if the Muslims are big-time witch hunters (as they should be) then that should be given more than lip service in the core book. I mean, Native Americans get their own Order, so why not?
The game system seems nice and streamlined. In fact, I believe they only take up about 20 pages. For those of you like me, who are looking to adapt this material to Solomon Kane in a few months hence, here are some important details:
10 Threats (monsters), complete with mooks, lieutenants, and villains, and details on their organizations and roles in the world.
4 Grimiores, complete with legends and spells (benign and malign)
5 Fighting traditions (swordsman schools)
9 Orders of Solomon (witch hunter organizations)
I expect a lot of the GM advice chapter will be useful as well. And there is plenty of history and national details, much of which may be useful to some degree or another.
Tom
