+- The Comeback Inn (https://blackmoor.mystara.us/forums)
+-- Forum: The Garnet Room - Blackmoor General Forum (https://blackmoor.mystara.us/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=34)
+--- Forum: General Blackmoor Discussions (https://blackmoor.mystara.us/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=5)
+--- Thread: Off to play in a D&D game today, set in Blackmoor... (/showthread.php?tid=2249)
Pages:
1
2
Off to play in a D&D game today, set in Blackmoor... - chirine ba kal - 01-28-2017
I was invited to play in a friend's D&D campaign, set in Blackmoor. He's using the D20 version, I think, and I found it very sad that a lot of the Blackmoor I knew and adventured in with Dave had been 'edited out'. The game was fun, but I won't buy the books; not enough Arneson in them for my taste.
Off to play again today; I'm finding that my 'experienced player' knowledge of tactics and adventuring seems to be helping the other players.
I'll keep you posted.
Re: Off to play in a D&D game today, set in Blackmoor... - Yaztromo - 01-29-2017
Enjoy that!
Re: Off to play in a D&D game today, set in Blackmoor... - chirine ba kal - 01-29-2017
Yaztromo Wrote:Enjoy that!
I did, thank you; great game, and great players.
I was genuinely astonished that the famous 'city' map of Blackmoor Castle by Dave, showing the castle and environs, appears nowhere in the D20 books. I'm going to have to make a copy of it for the GM. I'm still astonished that Gertie's island - 'lizard Rock', if I recall, is simply gone from the map.
Ah, well; we had fun, anyway!
Re: Off to play in a D&D game today, set in Blackmoor... - finarvyn - 01-30-2017
I like the First Fantasy Campaign book a lot more than the d20 Blackmoor stuff. I figure it's as close to "pure Arneson" as we are ever going to get.
Re: Off to play in a D&D game today, set in Blackmoor... - Havard - 01-30-2017
chirine ba kal Wrote:Yaztromo Wrote:Enjoy that!
I did, thank you; great game, and great players.
I was genuinely astonished that the famous 'city' map of Blackmoor Castle by Dave, showing the castle and environs, appears nowhere in the D20 books. I'm going to have to make a copy of it for the GM. I'm still astonished that Gertie's island - 'lizard Rock', if I recall, is simply gone from the map.
Ah, well; we had fun, anyway!
Thanks for letting us know about your game Chirine! It is cool that you get to play Blackmoor again. Those guys are lucky to have you in the group. I wonder if the absence of the city map has to do with copyright issues, but I would not think so since the dungeon maps appear in both the FFC and the d20 line.
They did add some things in the d20 line that probably was not from Arneson. On the other hand, the d20 line is set 30 years after the situation as detailed in the FFC so perhaps that could also account for some changes? Much of the 30 year leap also appeared in the DA modules from the 1980s and I think Dave had more of a hand in developing those modules (except DA4), even though he did have a co-author on that project (Ritchie).
Anyway, let us know how this game continues!
Oh, and tell us about your character!
-Havard
Re: Off to play in a D&D game today, set in Blackmoor... - chirine ba kal - 11-19-2017
Havard Wrote:Thanks for letting us know about your game Chirine! It is cool that you get to play Blackmoor again. Those guys are lucky to have you in the group. I wonder if the absence of the city map has to do with copyright issues, but I would not think so since the dungeon maps appear in both the FFC and the d20 line.
They did add some things in the d20 line that probably was not from Arneson. On the other hand, the d20 line is set 30 years after the situation as detailed in the FFC so perhaps that could also account for some changes? Much of the 30 year leap also appeared in the DA modules from the 1980s and I think Dave had more of a hand in developing those modules (except DA4), even though he did have a co-author on that project (Ritchie).
Anyway, let us know how this game continues!
Oh, and tell us about your character!
-Havard
Thanks for your reply! No idea why the map was left out- there's a lot of stuff that's simply gone, and it's simply not the Blackmoor I knew and loved. Things have not gone well; I had a 'rules lawyer' in a recent game session who reamed me a new one for "not knowing the rules and so should not be playing in this group." Okay, I said, and handed in my PC sheet to the GM and resigned from the group. Then I told the guy who I used to play D & D with - couple of guys named Dave and Gary - packed up my stuff and left. Couple of weeks later, I'm in the FLGS where this campaign is being run, and the GM and other players apologize and invite me back to GM for them as they want to visit Lord Chirine and his family. So, I'm doing 'local color' and the real GM is doing the game mechanics.
It's Chirine, translated into D & D stats and from 1976 as he was rolled originally in Phil's campaign. Nominally a 'Cleric', but considered a 'Paladin' per a ruling by Gary in 1979 at a Gen Con.
No idea how this will all play out, really, and just hoping that the players have a good time.
Re: Off to play in a D&D game today, set in Blackmoor... - chirine ba kal - 11-19-2017
finarvyn Wrote:I like the First Fantasy Campaign book a lot more than the d20 Blackmoor stuff. I figure it's as close to "pure Arneson" as we are ever going to get.
I'd agree. The D20 books just don't have that 'Arneson feel' to them; I don't know why. Maybe I'm spoiled, and know too much...
Re: Off to play in a D&D game today, set in Blackmoor... - Havard - 11-19-2017
chirine ba kal Wrote:finarvyn Wrote:I like the First Fantasy Campaign book a lot more than the d20 Blackmoor stuff. I figure it's as close to "pure Arneson" as we are ever going to get.
I'd agree. The D20 books just don't have that 'Arneson feel' to them; I don't know why. Maybe I'm spoiled, and know too much...
I think that the people working with Dave Arneson at Zeitgeist Games were really torn between trying to appeal to those of us interested in the early days of gaming and those simply looking to expand their D&D 3rd Edition Games. The RPG business being as tough as it is I can understand them wanting to draw in as many d20 fans as possible, but looking back I would have loved it if they had focused more on stories from the original campaign and a little less on new feats, prestigue classes and other things that were linked to that edition of the game. I think it was an opportunity missed not to include the kind of stories shared in this forum by the people who played with Dave as well as more stories from Dave himself. I actually think that most 3E fans would have loved this too.
But hindsight is what it is and it is easy to look back and see how things could have been done differently. Overall, I am glad that I own both the Blackmoor material from the 70s and 80s and the books that came out in the 2000s so I can use all of them in my games. I also love the stories shared here at The Comeback Inn and that really enhances my games too.
-Havard
Re: Off to play in a D&D game today, set in Blackmoor... - chirine ba kal - 11-19-2017
Havard Wrote:I think that the people working with Dave Arneson at Zeitgeist Games were really torn between trying to appeal to those of us interested in the early days of gaming and those simply looking to expand their D&D 3rd Edition Games. The RPG business being as tough as it is I can understand them wanting to draw in as many d20 fans as possible, but looking back I would have loved it if they had focused more on stories from the original campaign and a little less on new feats, prestigue classes and other things that were linked to that edition of the game. I think it was an opportunity missed not to include the kind of stories shared in this forum by the people who played with Dave as well as more stories from Dave himself. I actually think that most 3E fans would have loved this too.
But hindsight is what it is and it is easy to look back and see how things could have been done differently. Overall, I am glad that I own both the Blackmoor material from the 70s and 80s and the books that came out in the 2000s so I can use all of them in my games. I also love the stories shared here at The Comeback Inn and that really enhances my games too.
-Havard
I think you've hit the nail on the head, here. The Zeitgeist books are very good, and very solid I think. But to me, the feel like a much 'newer' product of the game hobby and industry then the pioneering campaign that Blackmoor was. In fairness to them - and I do agree with you about their dilemma! - the later Greyhawk materials have the same issues. Not enough Dave and gary, to my tastes. Is it worth buying? Yes, as a game book, but not as an evocation of Dave's Blackmoor the way he played it.
I run into the same issues when talking about Phil's style of game play with 'modern' gamers; they often have issues with the idea that he did not - like Dave also did not - play by 'the letter of the rules' and instead played by the spirit of them. About all I can keep doing is demo games that show how they did things, and tell as many stories about them and their games as people are interested in listening to...
Re: Off to play in a D&D game today, set in Blackmoor... - Yaztromo - 11-19-2017
chirine ba kal Wrote:I run into the same issues when talking about Phil's style of game play with 'modern' gamers; they often have issues with the idea that he did not - like Dave also did not - play by 'the letter of the rules' and instead played by the spirit of them.I have the same problems, but it is OK: everybody is entitled to play to the style they prefer. I get way too bored at games run by rules lawyers and they feel insulted at games run the way I prefer.
I can live with this.