03-10-2010, 11:03 AM
This might be an old school thing. Lately, I have begun to view Arneson's Blackmoor as a kind of connect the dots puzzle. As I mentioned in another thread, the FFC doesnt IMHO provide a fully fledged setting. Instead, it gives us the "dots" and its up to us to draw the lines between the dots. This is probably why many of us have somewhat differing takes on the settings too. Some draw straight lines and others do not. Some even choose to ignore a dot or two! Perhaps this freedom is a strength in the setting.
Connecting the dots, or filling out the details, making the unspoken connections. That is alot of fun though! This is pretty much what most of my posts on Blackmoor over the last 6 years have been about. What is the Egg of Coot? If there are dinosaurs, then where did they come from?
I think in some ways this was an opportunity missed in the D20 line. I was just rereading the otherwise excellent Clock & Steam (C&S) sourcebook, when I noticed something: Yes, Blackmoor has always had tech, so having a sourcebook about it for the D20 version makes sense.
My first question: Where did it come from? C&S provides a decent history about how gnomes started coming up with clockwork stuff and Dwarves got involved with their steam engines and then they all joined forces with the Blackmoor university.
Wait! Gnomes. Dwarves. University. All good, but what is missing? You have an entire sourcebook about tech, and no reference at all to the City of the Gods? Wouldn't that be the most obvious source for technology in the setting? And what about the Blue Rider with his mechanical armor and robotic horse? Why aren't they in there? Those are the kind of connections that I would have made.
I don't want this to be read as a criticism of the Clock & Steam Sourcebook, which is a great and well written sourcebook, but its just an example of something I feel is missing from many of the D20 Blackmoor books.
Oh, well...more for us to do?
Havard
Connecting the dots, or filling out the details, making the unspoken connections. That is alot of fun though! This is pretty much what most of my posts on Blackmoor over the last 6 years have been about. What is the Egg of Coot? If there are dinosaurs, then where did they come from?
I think in some ways this was an opportunity missed in the D20 line. I was just rereading the otherwise excellent Clock & Steam (C&S) sourcebook, when I noticed something: Yes, Blackmoor has always had tech, so having a sourcebook about it for the D20 version makes sense.
My first question: Where did it come from? C&S provides a decent history about how gnomes started coming up with clockwork stuff and Dwarves got involved with their steam engines and then they all joined forces with the Blackmoor university.
Wait! Gnomes. Dwarves. University. All good, but what is missing? You have an entire sourcebook about tech, and no reference at all to the City of the Gods? Wouldn't that be the most obvious source for technology in the setting? And what about the Blue Rider with his mechanical armor and robotic horse? Why aren't they in there? Those are the kind of connections that I would have made.
I don't want this to be read as a criticism of the Clock & Steam Sourcebook, which is a great and well written sourcebook, but its just an example of something I feel is missing from many of the D20 Blackmoor books.
Oh, well...more for us to do?
Havard
Currently Running: The Blackmoor Vales Saga
Currently Playing: Daniel S. Debelfry in the Throne of Star's Campaign
Currently Playing: Daniel S. Debelfry in the Throne of Star's Campaign