DCC #35: Gazetteer of the Known Realms

Nahat Anoj · Post by **Nahat Anoj** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 6:41 pm

Smokeless Joe wrote:I really like the idea of zero-level characters as laid out in the GM's Guide of DCC #35. However, there's no real discussion on how they advance to first level.

Is there anything special about advancing from zero to first level? I'm guessing that's it's just like starting any other multi-class level, except that you start counting levels for feats and such.

So... no max hit points, no starting money, yes feats? That sorta thing?

The way I understand it, it follows the normal multiclassing rules, except that characters are never penalized for having just one level in their 0 level class.

Warduke · Post by **Warduke** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 6:51 am

i had the same understanding as JM

Hjorimir · Post by **Hjorimir** » Wed Jan 24, 2007 10:13 pm

I'm sorry, but as to my question about Sentri, it is public knowledge that he directs/leads the Order of the Sable March?

Thanks for the other feedback, though!

Post by **Harley Stroh** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 6:57 am

H,

My apologies. Yes, his role as commander is common knowledge. But his subversive work is not.

//H

Jeff LaSala · Post by **Jeff LaSala** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 7:03 am

For the record, Sentri was my first favorite NPC of Harley's invention. You've got to love a lawful good fighter who's forced to be chaotic and surrepticious for the sake of his people and land.

Hjorimir · Post by **Hjorimir** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 8:00 am

H-

Thanks much!

-H

Argamae · Post by **Argamae** » Fri Mar 02, 2007 6:35 pm

I know that there are game designers out there who love to put some sort of reference or hommage to certain authors or artists into their work. Was this the case with the naming of the CULT OF AKFOKAL NEL?
Because, if you spell the two last words backwards, they read: Len(ard) Lakofka - a known author (Lendor Isle Series for AD&D) in those good, ol' days... and one of the first D&D players (name patron of the "Leomund" spells)!

slimykuotoan · Post by **slimykuotoan** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 8:18 am

I soooo can't wait to pick this up.

jason.richardson · Post by **jason.richardson** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 11:37 am

Can you guys direct me to any on-line reviews of the boxed set?

Thanks,

jason

Jeff LaSala · Post by **Jeff LaSala** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 11:42 am

I know of only two:

http://www.rpgnow.com/product_reviews_i ... s_id=14497&

http://www.enworld.org/reviews.php?do=r ... id=3294790

If anyone else has more, yeah, please post 'em! Feedback (good or bad) = good.

Argamae · Post by **Argamae** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 2:35 am

Well, not exactly a full-blown review but I am running a Goodman-Games-Thread on our own Forum. Trying to get people interested in GG' modules and material. And I also posted some overview as to the Áereth world setting.
So, if anyone here is speaking German, please be welcome: Ritter Der Zeit.

quigonjim · Post by **quigonjim** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 11:20 am

Hi all.

Perhaps a rolled a 1 on my comprehend book check but I can't find an entry for Wyshalar who is listed both on page 18 and 48 of the GM's guide.

Thanks for your time,
-Jim

Jeff LaSala · Post by **Jeff LaSala** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 11:57 am

You actually rolled an "18," Quigonjim. In fact, Wyshalar is not detailed in this product, merely listed. There are a handful of other gods, too, who are listed but not given their own entry (not unlike the old Greyhawk books of old).

There may yet come a day when these named-but-not-described gods are given some space of their own.

Suffice to say that Wyshalar is a patroness of survivors. Half-breeds of any sort, anyone who's an outcast, or those with protection, often pray to Wyshalar for aid.

Were you hoping to use her in your game?

James Mishler · Post by **James Mishler** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 8:08 am

Harley Stroh wrote:
James Mishler wrote:Harley,

I've got a question about the population for the Freeholds. It is listed as being 42,601, which seems really low... and, it just so happens, is exactly the same population as Freeport, which is the next entry. They even have the exact same percentage mix of races.

It seems to me that the population figures for the Freeholds were accidentally copied from the population for Freeport. Can you post the population figures for the Freeholds here? Thanks!

Let me check my notes and post the proper data. Good catch!

//H

Harley,

Were you ever able to find that information?

quigonjim · Post by **quigonjim** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 10:28 am

Jeff LaSala wrote:You actually rolled an "18," Quigonjim. In fact, Wyshalar is not detailed in this product, merely listed. There are a handful of other gods, too, who are listed but not given their own entry (not unlike the old Greyhawk books of old).

There may yet come a day when these named-but-not-described gods are given some space of their own.

Suffice to say that Wyshalar is a patroness of survivors. Half-breeds of any sort, anyone who's an outcast, or those with protection, often pray to Wyshalar for aid.

Were you hoping to use her in your game?

Jeff,
Thanks for the reply; those old Greyhawk books are neat (although I didn't start playing until 1980 when there were three hardcover AD&D books). My reason for asking is that I am starting a new campaign set in Aereth in about a week and one of my players has expressed interest in following Wyshalar but doesn't have his heart set on her (he isn't playing a cleric).

We are starting with The Scaly God and one of my favorite things about it is the hidden/forgotten shrine to Sothulth – one of my players is going to go nuts

Thanks again,
-Jim
(If I posted a spoiler here let me know and I will edit it)

Jeff LaSala · Post by **Jeff LaSala** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 11:10 am

Bah! Who needs a cleric to follow a god?

Tell you what. If you're player does decide to go with Wyshalar, I'll see if I can't toss you a few more potential bits of information about her. Just say the word.

quigonjim · Post by **quigonjim** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 1:48 pm

Jeff LaSala wrote:Bah! Who needs a cleric to follow a god?

Tell you what. If you're player does decide to go with Wyshalar, I'll see if I can't toss you a few more potential bits of information about her. Just say the word.

Awesome, thanks. What I do have a need for is a god/dess who has a love/art/beauty aspect; I am planning to add the love aspect to Myna rather than write my own but if you had any ideas/plans in that area I would be thrilled to hear them if you feel like divulging any. If not I think adding the love aspect to Myna's luck aspect works fine.

Thanks again,
-Jim

Jeff LaSala · Post by **Jeff LaSala** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 4:24 pm

Jim,

The only reason I might steer away from Myna for love/art/beauty is that this would relegate both her and the tenets of love into that realm of fickle affection. Most settings do this: most goddesses of love are chaotic and flighty, like Sune Firehair or Venus/Aphrodite. They're more about pleasure than love.

In keeping with the other gods of Áereth, I'd want to avoid that. What's probably more appropriate is that there is no singular god of love, but rather mortals, depending on what they believe, turn to their god of choice to affiliate it.

So, for example, someone who wants only whimsical affection or "puppy love" might in fact pray to Myna anyway, since she is the goddess of fortune and change. But a man who wishes to wed his true love might pray to Valdreth, god of longevity and integrity, or Gorhan, god of chivalry...or even Thormyr, god of duty and honor. In turn, a young noblewoman seeking to make a binding marriage (for her family's fortune) might instead make an offering to Teleus, god of law. Make sense? This isn't why there isn't one god of love; because love has many different angles. Something like that.

Of course, you also said art and beauty. But both of those can be attached to many other gods as well. Ireth might fit the bill, but so might Pelagia or Ulesh.

quigonjim · Post by **quigonjim** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 12:00 pm

Jeff,

That really does make sense. Thank you very much for your keen insight and advice.

-Jim

Ogrepuppy · Post by **Ogrepuppy** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 3:50 am

A very minor, niggling point, but I just want to clarify:

In the section regarding Crieste, page 8 in my Gazetteer. Under the entry for Axebury: "...the folk of Axebury make their living harvesting timber for the dark glades {referring to Mosswood}."

I'm guessing that should be from? Or am I completely missing which 'glades' are being discussed?

Post by **Harley Stroh** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 5:59 am

Your edit is the right one, Ogre.

//H

Jeff LaSala · Post by **Jeff LaSala** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 7:22 am

That said, how interesting might this be if you let the typo stand?

"...the folk of Axebury make their living harvesting timber for the dark glades."

Some sort of sinister cannibalistic treants, perhaps, who want lumber from a rival forest?

tacojohn4547 · Post by **tacojohn4547** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 7:26 am

From Grimstaff’s review on En World:

[snip] The Ugly: Gamers have been complaining about hard to read gamebooks for years now, and no one's listening to us, so I don't know why I bother, but yeah, the print is hard to read sometimes with the fancy watermarked pages, blah blah blah. [snip]

From w earle wheeler’s comment on En World

My only complaint about it is that the text is hard for me to read over the grayscale image background. I asked many people if this would be a problem before I bought it, and everyone (including Mr. Goodman) assured me it shouldn't be. Since I haven't heard it mentioned by anyone else, I assume that my problem with this is unique, and most people won't have difficulty reading the books.

I guess I just need to invest in a new reading lamp?

From trancejeremy’s comment on En World

No, I just got it myself, and I too find the text extremely hard to read.

How is the .pdf version of DCC #35 on this point? Was the .pdf version of the DCC World campaign setting released with the grayscale watermark background intact, or is the .pdf version a low-ink (i.e., enhanced readability) version of the Known Realms?

Perhaps using the .pdf is an option for those that find the printed books difficult to read?

tacojohn4547

Save Vs. Death Ray · Post by **Save Vs. Death Ray** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 8:06 am

My understanding is that the .pdf includes a low-ink version, but I haven't bought it myself. I stuck with the print version, which, for myself, is not hard to read.

Clearly for some folks it is. I wish there was a way to resolve this, since for many folks readability is the only drawback, and I hate to see people knock on DCC world. One of the reviewers said that otherwise the product was excellent.

Ogrepuppy · Post by **Ogrepuppy** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 6:05 pm

Jeff LaSala wrote:That said, how interesting might this be if you let the typo stand?

"...the folk of Axebury make their living harvesting timber for the dark glades."

Some sort of sinister cannibalistic treants, perhaps, who want lumber from a rival forest?

Lumber? Bah. They love the taste of elf-flesh. Just change 'lumber' to 'limbs' and you have something much more ambiguous.... (Being Mosswood, I'd think Swamp Thing would find elves to be very tasty morsels.)

(I was very seriously considering leaving the typo, but it just didn't quite fit with my sinister cannibalistic plans.)

Goodman Games

DCC #35: Gazetteer of the Known Realms

Re: Zero-Level advancement?

re:

Wyshalar?

En World review follow-up