Official D20 Dave Arneson's Blackmoor Sourcebook Thread

[Havard]

As suggested by Big Mac, here's an official thread for one product I'm guessing many of us own.
What are everyone's thoughts on this book? What are your favorite features, what would you have liked to see differently?

Havard

[Dave L]

I've just bought the pdf of this and the player's guide from RPGnow (the rest will have to wait until funds allow), and even though I'm pretty much a Blackmoor newb, I'll let you know my thoughts once I've read it.

[Rafael]

Big MAc must come back, BTW!!!

Where did he go!?

[Rafael]

Well, as to the book itself, I have rather mixed feelings:

It could have been organized better , and some parts are way to sketchy for my taste,
but then again, I use it in almost all my games, and the adventure by Jeffery Quinn was extraordinarily cool.


I think the 4e book was a significant improvement, though I fear I can't measure it objectively; it's always in my bag when I go somewhere to game. Ask me rather if D&D's Monster Manual is good or bad.

[Havard]

I've just bought the pdf of this and the player's guide from RPGnow (the rest will have to wait until funds allow), and even though I'm pretty much a Blackmoor newb, I'll let you know my thoughts once I've read it.

Congrats! Looking forward to hearing what you think

Havard

[Havard]

Big MAc must come back, BTW!!!

Where did he go!?

You scared him away with your anti spelljammer posts. :roll:

Havard

[Rafael]

Big MAc must come back, BTW!!!

Where did he go!?

You scared him away with your anti spelljammer posts. :roll:

Havard

But I LOVE Spelljammer.

It tastes so good when it's raw and still a little bloody. You put potatoes and oregano with it, and mmmmmh...

[Havard]

Well, as to the book itself, I have rather mixed feelings:

It could have been organized better , and some parts are way to sketchy for my taste,

I guess I agree, but to be fair I think it makes for a really good introduction to the setting. Many years later, it is easy to see that there are some things I would have liked to see done differently of course;

There are a few paragraphs devoted to tech, but not a single item or rules description of how these things work.

Too much page space devoted to game mechanical stuff that doesnt have too much to do with the setting.

The sections dealing with the Duchy of Ten, the Plains of Hak etc could have been reduced and moved to separate products, but this may have had something to do with the lisence as well.

but then again, I use it in almost all my games, and the adventure by Jeffery Quinn was extraordinarily cool.

Agree. "Ties that bind" is a great adventure

I think the 4e book was a significant improvement, though I fear I can't measure it objectively; it's always in my bag when I go somewhere to game.

Hardly surprising since the designers had years of experience after putting out the first version. There are many things in the 3E book that were not included in the 4E book though. I am having trouble deciding which one I like the best.


-Havard

[Dave L]

Okay, I've speed read through the pdf, concentrating more carefully on the setting material, which from a Blackmoor newb's point of view was remarkably helpful.

So I suppose my favourite part was the background detail given for the settlements, and the history of interactions between each major power-bloc.

I have two main comments on what could have been done differently, the first of which is:

"Where was the proof reading?"
As someone only passingly familiar with the setting I picked up loads of errors - are these specific to the pdf, or does the printed book have them as well?

I mean, they even spelt the Duchy of Ten as the "Dutchy" - on the map! hock:

The second comment is perhaps more constructive:

"What about the rest of the world?"
Perhaps I've been spoiled by the wealth of Mystara material, but there wasn't even an outline map of the continent, and there was precious little on the Thonian empire. You only learn the name of the capital, Mohacs, in the write-up on Uther.

I understand the campaign setting is "Blackmoor", but surely in 30 years groups have travelled off the edges of the map? Just a map outline with maybe some national borders drawn on it would have helped to see how "The North" fitted in with the rest of the world.

Okay, I know there is more than one "Blackmoor", and that might have made it difficult, but it's something I would have liked. Simply to have seen the extent of Thonia would have been interesting.

[Rafael]

ZGG's proofreader, I hope Dustin and Jeff can laugh about this:



Yeah, it has to be said, some of the publications by ZGG had the worst proofreading I ever saw on an RPG product; however, this changed with the later books.

As to where BM is located, that I guess was left out to keep the setting flexible; if you need some inspiration, try the JG approach,




Or check the "Maiden's Blackmoor" booklet we released.