Is 4e Blackmoor good for a newcomer to Blackmoor?

[Zeromaru X]

Well, I'm a totally noobster to Blackmoor. Literally, John Snow of Blackmoor. I know nothing of the setting (until I was pointed to this forum, I even had problems understanding the different Blackmoors, and I guess I'm still only grasping the basics). But, giving the importance of the setting to D&D, I want to know about it. Since 4e is one of my favorite D&D editions, and I have plenty material of it, I'm thinking in buying the 4e version of Blackmoor and giving it try.

But I have my doubts, since Blackmoor seems to be really a puzzle to me (I guess I'm drowning in a glass of water). Is 4e Blackmoor a good source for the setting? Can I expect to get the Blackmoor vibe in its 4e version? Its faithful to its original? How about the 4e exclusive stuff? Did that ruined the flavor or enhanced it? And, how friendly is for a newcomer to the setting? I mean, do I need previous knowledge about the setting to be able to play in Blackmoor 4e? Do I have to get other books to get the full experience or is all in the 4e book?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[RobJN]

I would make the investment in the Basic D&D module DA1 Adventures in Blackmoor, which is now available in PDF from dndclassics at the DMs Guild site. It gives a concise but very open ended summary of the setting, the goings on, the major players, and it also has an adventure attached to it It's not as jumbled and hard to grasp as the original Supplement II, or the judges Guild "First Fantsy Campaign" supplement (both of which I've tried to get through, only to give up as my internal editor kept wanting to go at those pages with a big, red pen). Along with what you get with the4e book, that should be enough to get you up to speed with the right amount of grit under your fingernails

[aldarron]

... Is 4e Blackmoor a good source for the setting? Can I expect to get the Blackmoor vibe in its 4e version?

Yes. The 4e book is a great resource to the setting. It is chock full of geopolitical info that is not dependent on the system you are using. Most of the material is taken from the various 3e books, but it is well edited and presented. I like the book a lot.

Its faithful to its original?

Uh, difficult to answer. Each version of Blackmoor was different in terms of both the time period it was set in and the game flavor. However, the history, geography, flora and fauna are all pretty consistent no matter what publication you are looking at.

How about the 4e exclusive stuff? Did that ruined the flavor or enhanced it?

I don't think it ruined the flavor, but I have a pretty severe allergy to 4e, so I can't speak with authority.

And, how friendly is for a newcomer to the setting? I mean, do I need previous knowledge about the setting to be able to play in Blackmoor 4e? Do I have to get other books to get the full experience or is all in the 4e book?

No, the 4e book is remarkably complete. You can run a whole campaign with just that book. However, I suspect once you start with Blackmoor, you will find yourself wanting to get the Da series and the FFC and maybe a couple of the 3e books.

[Zeromaru X]

Reading the book, yeah the book is pretty solid. I have some doubts, but those are for other stuff. Like you said, once I finish to read the book, I will be wanting for more Blackmoor.

[Rafael]

If you want to keep your costs low (which I recommend any n00b to any setting, or game), then the 4e book is already more than enough.

It's specifically designed to let you run the entirety of the (3e) MMRPG adventures - which you can find, in their entirety, and for free, here:

viewtopic.php?f=38&t=2827


With that, you should already be good to start a game that feels "authentic", and you should be able to run it for quite some time.


My personal recommendation, if you have no experience at all with the setting so far, is to get the unjustly-reviled "Dungeons of Castle Blackmoor" book that was released for 3e, though, and to mimic the original Arneson campaign, for a while, at least: Start with the town and the castle, and add things according to the needs of your game.


Or, if you want to stick with the MMRPG modules (all assuming that you don't have a campaign idea that you want to follow yet), I recommend going either the Heronport adventures, or, in all modesty, with the adventure I myself wrote for the MMRPG - "Tales from the Old Land":

viewtopic.php?f=38&t=2827


I think "Heronport" and "Tales" are the two most beginner-friendly adventures, among those that you can get for free, at least. The Redwood series is also pretty good, but not free, of course.


- Obviously, what Rob and Aldy wrote is also true: Really, all introductory material, for all editions of BM is so good that you can't really make any mistakes, no matter your choice. I also recommend you to spend those 20 bucks for the DA series in PDF; however, if you are a 4e DM, and already have the 4e book, it's sort of a lot of stuff to read.

My recommendation: First, get an overview. Then, work with the free - and, in part, extremely well done material - from the Heronport adventures to (ANDYEEEAAAHIAMPLUGGINGHERE) The Age of Theodore, AND THEN spend more money, expanding things specifically according to your needs. Most free stuff, when it comes to Blackmoor, is at least on par with the officially published material - and that is not at all meant to question the quality of the official publications. It's just that the fans did some really good work.

[Zeromaru X]

Thanks. I will download those adventures ASAP.