01-11-2015, 08:36 AM
Good question.
This is all going to be subjective.
Standard Fantasy, I agree, but what is that these days? My impression is that Blackmoor is more Dark Ages/Arthurian in its atmosphere. Perhaps also closer to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings in style than how much of D&D developed into its own branch of the genre later on.
Some other important themes:
Civilization vs. Decadence
Whether it is the drug abusing, pleasure seeking cowards of the Peaks, the Hedonistic Afridhi or the decaying Thonian Empire; they all contrast against King Uther and Blackmoor being a beacon of justice and enlightenment.
Wilderness
Greyhawk has its Lankhmar-ish City of Greyhawk, the Forgotten Realms has Waterdeep. There are cities (Maus comes to mind) in Blackmoor too, but they are in the background while small towns surrounded by wilderness is the core of the setting. Blackmoor is a remote province in the North. Arneson never even gave us a map of the world beyond that region. This makes the Wilderness aspect even more imposing than in many other settings.
Ancient Evils
This is more of a sword & sorcery theme actually. The Egg of Coot, the Temple of the Frog, the demons from the lower levels of the Blackmoor Dungeon. All point to the idea that the human world is built on the ruins of a more ancient and sinister one that still has not completely let go.
Gonzo
If you go by the later material, you would say lasers, robots and space ships. This is really one of the major issues when it comes to how Blackmoor appears different from other settings. But if you look at Dave Arneson's DMing style, I think it is better to explain these things as examples of his Gonzo attitude. To me this is basically the same as the "why not" attitude. If the DM or players think it might be fun, throw it in there. That's where the Space Ship, Nazis, Frogmen and everything came from, I think.
-Havard
This is all going to be subjective.
Standard Fantasy, I agree, but what is that these days? My impression is that Blackmoor is more Dark Ages/Arthurian in its atmosphere. Perhaps also closer to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings in style than how much of D&D developed into its own branch of the genre later on.
Some other important themes:
Civilization vs. Decadence
Whether it is the drug abusing, pleasure seeking cowards of the Peaks, the Hedonistic Afridhi or the decaying Thonian Empire; they all contrast against King Uther and Blackmoor being a beacon of justice and enlightenment.
Wilderness
Greyhawk has its Lankhmar-ish City of Greyhawk, the Forgotten Realms has Waterdeep. There are cities (Maus comes to mind) in Blackmoor too, but they are in the background while small towns surrounded by wilderness is the core of the setting. Blackmoor is a remote province in the North. Arneson never even gave us a map of the world beyond that region. This makes the Wilderness aspect even more imposing than in many other settings.
Ancient Evils
This is more of a sword & sorcery theme actually. The Egg of Coot, the Temple of the Frog, the demons from the lower levels of the Blackmoor Dungeon. All point to the idea that the human world is built on the ruins of a more ancient and sinister one that still has not completely let go.
Gonzo
If you go by the later material, you would say lasers, robots and space ships. This is really one of the major issues when it comes to how Blackmoor appears different from other settings. But if you look at Dave Arneson's DMing style, I think it is better to explain these things as examples of his Gonzo attitude. To me this is basically the same as the "why not" attitude. If the DM or players think it might be fun, throw it in there. That's where the Space Ship, Nazis, Frogmen and everything came from, I think.
-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