DCC World

[Jeff LaSala]

Hey, Treebore...

A couple of things made me wonder if Kingdoms of Kalamar deities were used for basic inspiration.

I can tell you that at least a couple of us are old Realms fans, but I don't think any of us know a thing about Kalamar. All three of us had a fair amount of old Greyhawk inspiration (and the actual format of the god entries is the most obvious similarity to the original Greyhawk boxed set). And definitely one of us is a very hardcore Ravenloft fan.

Remember that Áereth is meant to be portable into a GM's own campaign, so the gods definitely provide a spectrum of style. Lots of archtype concepts, but even those we tried to give a new spin to. As well as at least a handful of what I hope are considered fresh ideas altogether.

[Treebore]

Yeah, Ravenloft rocks! Especially the 3E version. I was able to run a year long campaign before everyone became too tainted etc...

As for the Kalamar gods, there were only 3 or 4 similaritites, so I was leaning more towards coincidence with them.

I do like the setting. It isn't a "Wow! Knock my socks off!" kind of setting, but it is a very alive and fun kind of setting. I will definitely use it in the years to come.

I need to read more of the histories involving the Krakken and Naga. I have a feeling if anything in this setting is going to hit me with "Wow!" it is going to be in what you guys come up with for these creatures.

You guys definitely did something to be proud to have your names on. I also have a feeling that when more people see it in September in their various LGS' things are going to really pick up about DCC 35.

[DougP]

My DM picked up the box set at GenCon, but he also picked way too many other things at GenCon so he's letting some of it go to the rest of the group.

DCC #35 is mine for $50!

neener neener!

j/k

Fabulous product, gents!

It will serve double-duty as our main campaign location after we rotate DM's as well as the first campaign for my two sons and their friends.

[Harley Stroh]

Nice score!

//H

[Ken Hart]

Yeah, Ravenloft rocks! Especially the 3E version. I was able to run a year long campaign before everyone became too tainted etc...

Jeff and I have traded plenty of e-mails in recent months about our fondness for the Domain of Dread. DCC #5, Aerie of the Crow God, has served as the turning point for my Ravenloft players so far. I used it to introduce their developing arch-nemesis, a magebane vampire (from another GG product, Complete Guide to Vampires), and in typical Ravenloft fashion, he's not all bad -- which baffles the hell out of the players. They're stunned to find themselves having conversations with him. They've even made a deal with him ... yes, let's bring on those power checks....!

Back to the main topic, this Friday I'm likely going to start a DragonMech campaign using the new 0-level DCC adventure that Harley wrote for the boxed set. I just need to make some modifications to place it firmly in Highpoint. My group is really into the 0-level concept. I'm psyched!

--Ken

[superfan]

Yo Ken,

Nice to hear from you. Good luck with that campaign. I'm psyched as well about the Hall of the Minotaur adventure and mapped the thing out COMPLETELY in Dundjinni. Sent it all to senor Harley for use at GenCon. Don't know if it was printed out like the tourney maps were. On the whole I'm pleased with the maps, and consider several to be some of my best work, particularly the final mega map of the hilltop fortress. If you can't get the maps from Harley, don't hesitate to email me and I'll try to email you the files.

Harley, any chance of uploading these maps to the site now that the module is released???

Ben "superfan" Waxman

[tacojohn4547]

Calling Superfan (and my main man Harley),

Guys, the Hall of the Minotaur maps that made their debut at GenCon were great. I mean GREAT! G-R-E-A-T!

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE make sure that they get posted to the free downloads page. The lucky folks that get to play through Hall of the Minotaur should all have the good fortune to do so on Superfan's beautiful battlemaps.

Ben, as I've told Harley off-line, we're going to be running our big group through Minotaur in a couple of months, using two separate tables and two DM's, just like we did for the 1E Iron Crypt of the Heretics. It would really rock to be able to have your battlemaps for our session.

Of course, yours truly died a heroes death as the dwarven character at the hands of Harley at GenCon. So, I will once again be doning my "killer DM" tacojohn hat to lay waste to as many 0-level PC's as I can!

Thanks for the memories,

tacojohn4547

[Treebore]

With some of those encounters, and especially the minotaur it would be more of a challenge to have no PC deaths

[Harley Stroh]

With some of those encounters, and especially the minotaur it would be more of a challenge to have no PC deaths

Success in the adventure depends on planning. The minotaur is an outright death machine, and the PCs are intentionally overmatched. Every step of the way the party should be working on a plan ...

Maps: I'll get them up ASAP.

//H

[Mike_Ferguson]

I can tell you that at least a couple of us are old Realms fans, but I don't think any of us know a thing about Kalamar.

I'm not familiar at all with Kalamar. Heard many good things about it in passing, yes, but apart from that I don't know it - never read any of the books.

The reason I'm posting, actually, is because while I'm humbled and flattered by the (favorable) comparisons the DCC World has gotten to the old Mystara setting ... I don't really know much about Mystara, either! I never used or read any of the books for that particular campaign setting - my knowledge of it is limited to a few modules that used it, like Isle of Dread, Curse of Xanathon, and Drums on Fire Mountain.

The "vibe" I was shooting for when I wrote my sections of the DCC World was mostly Greyhawk, with some Forgotten Realms influences, as well as "Maelstrom", which was an original fantasy campaign world I used many, many moons ago. I guess I missed the mark since several people have commented "Wow! Old-school, just like Mystara!" ... but as long as people enjoy it, that's fine with me!

[Jeff LaSala]

Since it's totally on topic at the moment, I just wanted to point out that Mike Ferguson keeps a weblog where he talks about—for lack of a better term—gaming theory. It's pretty insightful, and he's comparing game design, GMing, and running games old and new. With pictures!

I won't link to there if he doesn't want me to...but Mike? What say you?

[Mike_Ferguson]

Oh, link away. Heck, if I was smart enough to add links to my .sig, I'd do it myself.

I don't always talk about things DCC-related, but my blog mostly sticks to gaming, whether it's running them, playing them, or writing them. I tend to ramble, but people seem to like it, so I guess I'm doing something right.

Harley and Jeff have pretty cool weblogs as well - I usually pick up some good insights while reading through them. Check out the links to them, which you can find in the .sigs to their posts ... unlike me, they're clever enough to figure that stuff out.

Edit #1: While I'm trying to figure out how to put this in all my posts, why make Jeff do all the work? Here's the link: http://emeraldlich.blogspot.com

Edit #2: Figured it out. Bully for me.

[Treebore]

With some of those encounters, and especially the minotaur it would be more of a challenge to have no PC deaths

Success in the adventure depends on planning. The minotaur is an outright death machine, and the PCs are intentionally overmatched. Every step of the way the party should be working on a plan ...

Maps: I'll get them up ASAP.

//H

Don't get me wrong, I love the module and the concept of it. Its just that I have not been blessed with players capable of such planning, as a group, for several years. I've had and do have a player or two capable of it, and hopefully that will be enough.

[Harley Stroh]

Tree,

Understood. Sorry my post was unintentionally dry.

You're absolutely right about the adventure – at GenCon we lost of a lot of PCs. My goal was to scare the players into planning. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't...

//H

[Hjorimir]

I have to say I'm a little surprised (maybe even a little disappointed) about the lack of teasers on this product. Purchasing a campaign setting is a pretty big investment (especially one that is $70).

Are there any plans to release any more previews or information in general about the setting. Sure, the lucky ones who grabbed a copy at GenCon have commented that it is heavy and beautiful, but nobody is really sharing anything supstantial in the way of a review.

As I'm really trying to decide between investing in DCC 35, Wilderlands, or Eberron I have to say that I've got almost no information on what this product is about while I can find quite a bit on the other two.

My gut tells me that DCC 35 is probably the best fit from what little I have read, but I'd love somebody to step up and play salesman and sell me on the product. I'm not at all interested in the crunch stuff, but I'd sure like to get a sampling of the flavor (if that makes sense).

Thanks.

[Harley Stroh]

All right, all you Superfan battlemap junkies: here is some of Ben's finest work to date. As seen, used, and abused at GenCon, the collected...

Halls of the Minotaur maps!

http://www.poisonclanpress.com/HoMmaps.zip

There's even one of my rough drafts included in the download, just to give you an idea of the hassle Super goes through creating our maps.

Now, I just tested the download and it ran for me, but let me know if it doesn't work for you for some reason. We'll have these posted on the download page soon, but until then, consider yourself an insider.

=====

Hjorimir,

I hear you, but I'm trying to find a way to "sell" you without betraying my bias. We don't have final PDFs for preview yet, but hope to soon. Between now and then I'll try to post some material to sway your opinion.

//H

[Hjorimir]

Hey, HS, your bias is fine (it's a good sign that you're proud of your work). Maybe some insight on some of the background material or any of the stronger plothooks.

I understand (at least I THINK I understand) that there isn't one overall metaplot, which I'm perfectly fine with as this leaves me more room as a DM. But some of what is going on that might spawn some campaign ideas would be nice.

Anyway, I look forward to your post(s).

[Harley Stroh]

Hey, HS, your bias is fine (it's a good sign that you're proud of your work). Maybe some insight on some of the background material or any of the stronger plothooks.

I understand (at least I THINK I understand) that there isn't one overall metaplot, which I'm perfectly fine with as this leaves me more room as a DM. But some of what is going on that might spawn some campaign ideas would be nice.

Anyway, I look forward to your post(s).

Ah... that I CAN do.

//H

[Ken Hart]

All right, all you Superfan battlemap junkies: here is some of Ben's finest work to date. As seen, used, and abused at GenCon, the collected...

Halls of the Minotaur maps!

Wow... that's nice. Terrific work, Ben, and thank you, Harley.

--Ken

[superfan]

Thanks Ken!

When Harley asked, I HAD to help out my main man! To play "salesman" for Hj in his message above, I personally think that the two modules alone are worth the 70 bucks, especially after being disappointed with the 70 buck "Rappan Athuk Reloaded" and "World's Largest Dungeon." The only project that is comparable in price and that offers similar value IMHO is Ptolus which is worth everyone's money.

The maps in the boxed set are gorgeous!
The two modules ROCK. Minotaur has full color battlemaps to download.
TONS of gaming material.
A collector's wet dream!

IMHO, a worthwhile buy! Buy your oversize black and red dragon minis on Amazon and buy DCC 35 with the money you save!

Ben "superfan" Waxman

[Hjorimir]

Heh, thank you, superfan, but how about some details on that gaming material? Maybe talk about some of the locations or nations and what it is exactly you like about them?

[Jeff LaSala]

Hey, Hjorimir. I'm not sure just how much we can say about the DCC world, but here's a tiny bit:

A few of the DCCs of old mention an empire known as Crieste. It's arguably the most central realm in the whole setting, situated in the Northlands. The Empire of Crieste occupies that big Italy-esque-shaped peninsula (on the map below, which is posted on the DCC#35's main page), as well as part of the mainland around it.



Across the water beneath it is the Southern Province, a country that seceded from the Empire, and way across the Empyrean Ocean to the west is a cluster of isles along a coastline that's called the Criestine Colonies.

Think of the Empire as a kind of amalgam of Britain, Italy, and France in their prime, given a hell of a lot of magic, add a child emporer, a web of governors, a particularly wicked royal vizier, a valiant and noble captain of the guard, a fierce navy, and then put it on fantasy's equivalent of steroids. And you've got yourself some excellent roleplaying ground, good for good political intrigue, good old fashion swashbuckling, or some straight dungeoncrawling....because just about every nation is built on the ruin of an older age.

But that's just one of Áereth's nations.

[Maliki]

Yes, some details for us who have to wait until they reach the stores, would be nice.

[goodmangames]

Hi Hjorimir,

I'll be posting some PDF previews of the boxed set as it gets closer to release. Are there any topics in particular that you're interested in seeing?

-- Joseph

[jason.richardson]

Yay! #$%@ing-A, Amazon.com now has it listed discounted:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/097796 ... MQKIY8D20H