Zothique D&D (Moldvay)

[Desdichado]

If you're not familiar with Clark Ashton Smith, his books are back in print.

Most of his stories are also in the public domain in the US and therefore available online.

 

[diaglo]

Note that Castle Amber uses Clark Ashton Smith's Averoigne as a setting, not Zothique. Averoigne is a fictitious region of medieval France, Zothique is the last continent on earth thousands of years in the future. Not that Castle Amber isn't worth looking at.

Clark Ashton Smith is awesome. My favorite of the Mythos authors. In fact, though he is best known for his Mythos stuff, he transcends the Cthulhuverse in a lot of ways, and much of D&D is based on his work.

you're not telling me anything i don't already know. but thanks for the help to let others know. i kinda left all that out as i know Korgoth and he me.

 

[Korgoth]

A thought: B4 The Lost City would fit almost perfectly in Zothique.

 

[Korgoth]

Update: I've changed my mind about "Necromancers" after looking at a few relevant stories closely ("Empire of the Necromancers" and "Necromancy in Naat").

I'm going to be allowing Magic-Users, but restricting spell acquisition to scrolls recovered during play. I'm going to police "evocation" spells to keep a lid on magic missles and fireballs. But I think Magic-Users will fit just fine.

On the other hand, Clerics will mostly be of Chaotic alignment and without cure spells (Cures and Raises have to be cast in reverse). In special cases I might allow a non-Chaotic Cleric... but not Raise Dead in any case.

For healing, I'll be allowing Fighters a new class ability: First Aid. A character may receive treatment once per day for 1d3 hp regained. Treatment takes 1 Turn and no one can treat himself or more than 6 subjects per day. Natural healing at 1d3 points per day of complete rest is also allowed.

I'm currently working on B4: The Lost City. There's really very little adaptation to do. I'll be placing it in the Celotian Waste. Of course I'll be expanding the lower levels and the city, working toward an eventual goal of 'restoring' Cynidicea. There will be an appropriately Clarkian take on that, of course.