Q&A with Jeffery Quinn

[Havard]

Where would I put those two modules? Hmmm... Interludes would go well near Jackport (Interludes: Brief Expeditions to Jackport?). Idylls could be set pretty much any where, but the Iron Hills would be a good spot or somewhere along the east border of the Dutchy of Tehn.

Interesting! Rafael has been telling me some really good things about Idylls. I think I will have to try and get my hands on these, especially now that I know where to place them...

As for the Mage Wars, that was mostly all Dustin Clingman's idea. It was a good way to explain the edition change and the schism in magic and class systems. Many of the little core ideas were there to help explain gaps in the original world design, edition changes, design team preferences, and Dave's whim.

That confirms some of our speculations. Thanks!

Another thing that was new in the D20 Sourcebook was the additional information about the elves (Cumasti/Westryn split for instance). Who came up with those ideas?

Dave's master idea was to have fun. Our "design meetings" took place in a number of emails and online chats where he'd tell us stories. The stories had very little to do with the topic at hand, if at all. But a month down the road you'd suddenly realize that the stories he was telling were helping to shape your perception of the world Blackmoor belonged to.

Brilliant! Emails and online chats you say? Sounds like someone is sitting on a goldmine there...

I swear he was psychic. He knew what you needed before you knew it yourself. He even knew about my third child 2 months before her conception with this line that he wrote on the inside cover of my Blackmoor book, "may all your treasures be tripled."

"Dave's Ideas" - there is really no way of knowing what else he had in store for Blackmoor. The 3e design teams were given a pretty free hand after the main campaign book. Other than some hand written campaign notes (some over 30 years old), our major references were the modules and setting material that wass already printed.

I hope this answers some questions for ya.

Again, its pretty interesting to hear how these processes worked.

Here's another question:

Do you have a favorite location or aspect of the setting that you find particularly interesting?

Havard

[Big Mac]

Havard found me over on the WotC Blackmoor group and invited me to join over here.

He did that to me once. :lol:

It's nice to see that the Blackmoor community is alive and kicking.

I'm glad to see this community building up.

I'm new to Blackmoor (as it currently says in my footer) and new to a few other D&D campaign settings (like Ghostwalk and Wilderlands).

I would like to see every setting have a community that keeps that setting alive.

I know, you want a hint... OK. One of the HUGE projects has a little tagline for it, "Grognards unite! Your Destiny has arrived."

Hmm. I'm a 3e man personally. Would that include my kind of grognard?

"Dave's Ideas" - there is really no way of knowing what else he had in store for Blackmoor. The 3e design teams were given a pretty free hand after the main campaign book. Other than some hand written campaign notes (some over 30 years old), our major references were the modules and setting material that wass already printed.

How much of what Dave Arneson showed you has gone into printed products? (Or to put it another way, if I buy all the books, how much Blackmoor ideas are missing?)

Can I get away with just buying the 3e products, or are there any pre-3e things that got missed out from the 3e line?

[Rafael]

BTW, we have this complex of questions on the page we call the "Coot's Seat":

The Coot's Seat:

• We are conscient that doing an interview by mail might be somewhat dry. So, as an introduction, please tell us that one joke you know!
  
  
  
• So, on to more serious stuff: What was your first ever roleplaying experience?
  
  
  
• What was the FIRST character you played?
  
  
  
• What was the LAST character you played?
  
  
  
• Did you ever play the role of the DM? - If so, how was your experience?
  
  
  
• What was your introduction to Blackmoor?
  
  
  
• What is that one thing you will always remember about your roleplaying/Balckmoor campaigns?
  
  
  
• You probably knew this one was coming: What's your favorite edition of D&D, and why?
  
  
  
• If you had to recommend a book to a fan of the Blackmoor setting, in order to give him or her some inspiration for a campaign, that would be...
  
  
  
• If you had the opportunity to redo the D&D movie again, your dream cast would be... (Please name a director, a male and a female lead!)
  
  
  
• And finally: A shoutout! What did you always want to tell the D&D fans out there?!

I know it seems a lot, but please answer them if you like!

[Rafael]

Where would I put those two modules? Hmmm... Interludes would go well near Jackport (Interludes: Brief Expeditions to Jackport?). Idylls could be set pretty much any where, but the Iron Hills would be a good spot or somewhere along the east border of the Dutchy of Tehn.

As for the Mage Wars, that was mostly all Dustin Clingman's idea. It was a good way to explain the edition change and the schism in magic and class systems. Many of the little core ideas were there to help explain gaps in the original world design, edition changes, design team preferences, and Dave's whim.

Dave's master idea was to have fun. Our "design meetings" took place in a number of emails and online chats where he'd tell us stories. The stories had very little to do with the topic at hand, if at all. But a month down the road you'd suddenly realize that the stories he was telling were helping to shape your perception of the world Blackmoor belonged to. I swear he was psychic. He knew what you needed before you knew it yourself. He even knew about my third child 2 months before her conception with this line that he wrote on the inside cover of my Blackmoor book, "may all your treasures be tripled."

"Dave's Ideas" - there is really no way of knowing what else he had in store for Blackmoor. The 3e design teams were given a pretty free hand after the main campaign book. Other than some hand written campaign notes (some over 30 years old), our major references were the modules and setting material that wass already printed.

I hope this answers some questions for ya.

And many thanks! I just returned from a short journey, but I have a few things more I'd like to ask you...

[JPQuinn]

"Grognards unite! Your Destiny has arrived."

Teasers!!!!!

... ...
This is a mock-up cover for the first dungeon adventure using Destiny. And one of the NPCs the players encounter. Please note: all of the above information is still very early in the layout stages and may appear differently in the final product.

Hmm. I'm a 3e man personally. Would that include my kind of grognard?

Maybe not "your type" (though I wouldn't consider 3e old enough to be grog-worthy yet). But if you like Blackmoor, Wilderlands, the 3e Dungeon Crawl Classics series, and anything from 3e that was "retro-styled," then you'll love Destiny.

I only mention it in this forum because: A) I am a shameless self-promoter; B) I give a large tip of the hat to Blackmoor and the ground-breaking work that people like Dave Arneson, Bob Bledsaw, E Gary Gygax, Robert Kuntz, and other "grognard" pioneers hammered from a few scratched together rules back in 1970; C) like The Final Fantasy Campaign (aka - Blackmoor 4e) and even Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition as a whole, Destiny is also a progressive and visionary masterpiece of game mechanics which would have most assuredly piqued Dave's interest; and D) I would like some of the talented few from this board to test the system and be recognized.

How much of what Dave Arneson showed you has gone into printed products? (Or to put it another way, if I buy all the books, how much Blackmoor ideas are missing?) Can I get away with just buying the 3e products, or are there any pre-3e things that got missed out from the 3e line?

I would say Dave had ideas and enough written information for a least another 500 to 1000 pages. And the development teams scrambled to keep up with him. So, I don't think there would have ever been an "end" to the information that he had. I'm sure Greg and Robert (both on this board and played in his first campaign) can attest to that.

And as for the 3e books. A great deal of info is in there, but there is a bunch missing that we weren't allowed to touch (due to licensing agreements). Be sure to check out Basic Dungeons & Dragons, 1e D&D, and pretty much anything with Mystara and Greyhawk in it. You are bound to pick up some information in all those (plus sources like the WotC website, this site, Havard's dark and dusty mind, etc.). And brushing up on the older editions will aid you in becoming "grog-versed" (I believe there is an age prerequisite to become a grognard, check with your FLGS for what the prerequisites are in your area).

BTW, we have this complex of questions on the page we call the "Coot's Seat."

I will answer these in a different post and after I have had some time to think up some good answers. ("First character," really? That was 30 years ago!) hock:

[Rafael]

Maybe not "your type" (though I wouldn't consider 3e old enough to be grog-worthy yet). But if you like Blackmoor, Wilderlands, the 3e Dungeon Crawl Classics series, and anything from 3e that was "retro-styled," then you'll love Destiny.

Looks nice enough, but will the NPC files be on cards, like for 4e and WHFRPG 3e?

Because that would be a major downer for me.

C) like The Final Fantasy Campaign (aka - Blackmoor 4e) and even Dungeons & Dragons Fourth Edition as a whole, Destiny is also a progressive and visionary masterpiece of game mechanics which would have most assuredly piqued Dave's interest

*Smirks, and points to forum header.*

If you really called it that way, I shall introduce this character to my next adventure:

and D) I would like some of the talented few from this board to test the system and be recognized.

Sure, and much obliged. (Oh, you didn't mean me?! :oops: )

I would say Dave had ideas and enough written information for a least another 500 to 1000 pages. And the development teams scrambled to keep up with him. So, I don't think there would have ever been an "end" to the information that he had. I'm sure Greg and Robert (both on this board and played in his first campaign) can attest to that.

Do you have any idea what happened to Dave's writings after the end of the license? - I mean, even though Blackmoor is out, there are still things like the "Adventures in Fantasy" and other games that would be worth a look for a grognard.

And as for the 3e books. A great deal of info is in there, but there is a bunch missing that we weren't allowed to touch (due to licensing agreements).

Like, for example...?

("First character," really? That was 30 years ago!) hock:

I had somewhat of the same problem - creepy when you think how long ago this was...

[Havard]

Havard found me over on the WotC Blackmoor group and invited me to join over here.

He did that to me once. :lol:

Its my "thing"!

Can I get away with just buying the 3e products, or are there any pre-3e things that got missed out from the 3e line?

There is still material in DA1-4 that was never brought over to any of the 3E books. Specifically DA4 is particularly missed. There was also a DA5 that was written but never published by TSR and also never published for 3E.

Just to mention a couple of things...

Havard

[Havard]

"Grognards unite! Your Destiny has arrived."

Teasers!!!!!

Interesting. That character sheet looks very similar to the stat blocks for the old WEG D6 game. Do the similarities go beyond that? If so that would be awesome. I love that game!

And as for the 3e books. A great deal of info is in there, but there is a bunch missing that we weren't allowed to touch (due to licensing agreements).

Could you be more specific about what you were or were not allowed to publish? What sort of products would have been within the lisence beyond those we have seen so far, for instance?

this site, Havard's dark and dusty mind, etc.).

-Havard

[JPQuinn]

It was some time ago, but things like Thonia (btw, use Karamekos... same idea, geography, culture, religion, etc), jarls, the Iron Duke, Dutchy of Ten, hobbits, etc.

Btw, the "hobbits" of old became the halflings of Blackmoor. While the docrae were the 3e halfling race we reinvented to compensate the edition difference between the races.

As to the D6 question.... :twisted:

And no. The NPCs don't have cards. And no, you can't play Cloud Strife.

As to the Lost Tome of the Forgotten Arneson's Blackmoor Lore, I have no idea where it is currently located, what the plans are for it, etc. Be sure to lurk in the garbage pits, cruise the yard sales, and stalk the streets of Florida for the next few years, at least until we know its where-abouts.

[Havard]

It was some time ago, but things like Thonia (btw, use Karameikos... same idea, geography, culture, religion, etc), jarls, the Iron Duke, Dutchy of Ten, hobbits, etc.

It is strange that these were left out of the lisence. With Thonia and Ten I assume that has to do with those appearing in other settings? Hobbits go without saying ofcourse.

Btw, the "hobbits" of old became the halflings of Blackmoor. While the docrae were the 3e halfling race we reinvented to compensate the edition difference between the races.

Yeah, I assumed as much. I like the halflings of Blackmoor. The Docrae are interesting, but IMO they could have benefited from being made even more exotic. Perhaps if a race book had ever been made. Were race books or monster books ever considered?

As to the D6 question.... :twisted:

Sweet! D6 is OGL now anyway, not that you need a lisence to use game mechanics I guess.

I would volunteer as a play tester, but my players are too busy to even keep the Blackmoor game going with any sort of regularity...


Havard