tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094937232522894470.post3915874982521350831..comments2024-03-28T03:39:41.417-07:00Comments on Beyond the Black Gate: The High Fantasy CampaignAlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01682401446176099294noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094937232522894470.post-68484589429057573962019-10-04T01:52:10.642-07:002019-10-04T01:52:10.642-07:00Being a vampire is not what it seems like. It’s a ...Being a vampire is not what it seems like. It’s a life full of good, and amazing things. We are as human as you are.. It’s not what you are that counts, but how you choose to be. Do you want a life full of interesting things? Do you want to have power and influence over others? To be charming and desirable? To have wealth, health, and longevity? contact the vampires creed today via email: Richvampirekindom@gmail.comJerome Samsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00886505335771600600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094937232522894470.post-45919342904682591112010-02-26T08:50:38.602-08:002010-02-26T08:50:38.602-08:00@Sean Wills
I do think there will be a return to H...@Sean Wills<br /><i>I do think there will be a return to High Fantasy by some of the OSR as a reaction to the Sword & Sorcery and Science Fantasy settings and variant rulesets, as well as the fact that many of the 300 old schoolers are Silver Age gamers.</i><br /><br />You are reading my mind.<br /><br />I already commissioned my Peter Mullen cover for a High Fantasy OSR publication...<br /><br /><i>If the OSR can focus a game towards High Fantasy without the 'important NPCs must not die' rules of Dragonquest ...</i><br /><br />I guess you meant <b>Dragonlance</b>, not Dragonquest?<br /><br />@Trollsmyth:<br /><i>I think it's do-able, it just requires a bit of flexibility on the part of the DM and players. These things don't have to be on rails; after all, it wasn't part of the plan to split the party at the end of Fellowship of the Ring.</i><br /><br />Yes, it is do-able. <br /><br />I ran the whole Dragonlance campaign 1986~1991 in an <i>almost</i> sandboxy manner. I took the descriptions of the modules locations and reinterpreted them in a much more open way. Consequently, in my campaign the "Innfellows" didn't split at Tarsis, they completely missed the Blood Sea adventure, two characters infiltrated the Blue Lady's army, and Fizban wasn't ... who he was.<br /><br />But I would have liked it a lot more if the modules would have been written in a more open manner to begin with...<br />Though some parts of it effectively <i>were</i> sandbox hexcrawls - on the plain between Pax Tharkas and Thorbardin the players <i>could</i> have missed Fistandantilus' old fortress Skullcap, and Southern Ergoth played like RQ's sandboxy <b>Griffin Island</b> - the DM just needed to flesh out the places and factions that were only hinted at, not unlike Judges Guild's original <b>Wilderlands of High Fantasy</b>).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094937232522894470.post-54459452711611941152010-02-25T16:26:26.315-08:002010-02-25T16:26:26.315-08:00In terms of Sword and Sorcery versus High Fantasy,...In terms of Sword and Sorcery versus High Fantasy, how much high fantasy was really available at the time of the DMG's first printing? Nothing wrong with the old sword and sorcery and I think that many a reader could benefit from 'historical adventure' material like Harold Lamb and others, but Gary probalby worked with what was there as opposed to a single specific style no?Joe G Kushnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02454826299896049587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094937232522894470.post-1338641255772849162010-02-25T08:26:50.850-08:002010-02-25T08:26:50.850-08:00Sean: I think it's do-able, it just requires a...<b>Sean:</b> I think it's do-able, it just requires a bit of flexibility on the part of the DM and players. These things don't have to be on rails; after all, it wasn't part of the plan to split the party at the end of <i>Fellowship of the Ring</i>. The key, I think, would be for the DM to view the campaign from a very strategic attitude, having the great powers do their thing while the PCs scurry about underfoot, trying not to get stomped until they can find the right levers and clout necessary to save the day.<br /><br />And the Old School has lots of things in place already to make High Fantasy work: an emphasis on hirelings, logistics, and mass-battles for your overland treks, sieges, and epic clashes; the idea that the political clout of the PCs waxes along with their levels; and the rarity, importance, and untrustworthiness of magic items.trollsmythhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01895349218958093151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094937232522894470.post-79000103282864162612010-02-24T13:37:16.918-08:002010-02-24T13:37:16.918-08:00I do think there will be a return to High Fantasy ...I do think there will be a return to High Fantasy by some of the OSR as a reaction to the Sword & Sorcery and Science Fantasy settings and variant rulesets, as well as the fact that many of the 300 old schoolers are Silver Age gamers. I'm more into scenarios than sandboxes so gaming sessions where there are objectives are second nature to me. If the OSR can focus a game towards High Fantasy without the 'important NPCs must not die' rules of Dragonquest then I'm sure there'll be anime-style adventure paths produced at some point.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094937232522894470.post-89849236218258760802010-02-24T12:59:12.225-08:002010-02-24T12:59:12.225-08:00@Al: > nodding <
@Boo: Though not likely to...@Al: > nodding <<br /><br />@Boo: Though not likely to ever(again) run anything High-(fantasy or Space Opera) again, I see your point. :D<br />--My question was more generalised than -centric.Timeshadowshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09952601433965644275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094937232522894470.post-21869685906411095342010-02-24T12:19:06.656-08:002010-02-24T12:19:06.656-08:00Good post. I've been thinking about this a lot...Good post. I've been thinking about this a lot of late. I've run plenty of pulp fantasy in the last few years, and my most recent campaign set out to explicitly be a return to the kind of trashy multi-volume series fantasy I loved as a teenager.<br /><br />@Timeshadows: isn't it really just a matter of giving your sandbox enough clues to make the players want to pursue the seven steps on their own? One of the most important parts of sandbox play is that the world moves on regardless of what the players do. The Dark Lord's forces continue to take a dump all over your hex map until the players decide to get involved. (Most) players I know could only encounter so many burned and looted villages before deciding to kick the Dark Lord's ass and take his stuff.<br /><br />In fact, my current players would probably be more motivated by the prospect of Dark Lord Loot than by any concept of heroism. Either way, the Dark Lord's goin down!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00862556389958594140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094937232522894470.post-21091277916405492462010-02-24T12:03:45.239-08:002010-02-24T12:03:45.239-08:00oops I meant 2 and 5 :(oops I meant 2 and 5 :(Alhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01682401446176099294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094937232522894470.post-22560485176026998332010-02-24T12:02:59.517-08:002010-02-24T12:02:59.517-08:00I suppose episodes 2 and 4 could be run sorta sand...I suppose episodes 2 and 4 could be run sorta sandboxy though, possibly with some sort of time constraints applied.Alhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01682401446176099294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094937232522894470.post-43885716761497617772010-02-24T11:59:42.835-08:002010-02-24T11:59:42.835-08:00Al, thanks.
--I thought that that was your meaning...Al, thanks.<br />--I thought that that was your meaning, but I didn't want to assume. :)<br /><br />Best,Timeshadowshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09952601433965644275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094937232522894470.post-27185339410474643962010-02-24T11:57:27.804-08:002010-02-24T11:57:27.804-08:00That's definitely not a sandbox setup!:) I was...That's definitely not a sandbox setup!:) I was trying to say (badly, as usual) that by not hammering out too many of the specifics ahead of time, you could possibly still enjoy some of the sandbox-type benefits like letting some elements of the campaign develop organically through play.Alhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01682401446176099294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094937232522894470.post-90132455039271732612010-02-24T11:29:33.249-08:002010-02-24T11:29:33.249-08:00Al, can one, in your opinion, really have a High F...Al, can one, in your opinion, really have a High Fantasy Sandbox campaign?<br />--There seems to be a LOT of formula to that Seven-Step programme.<br /><br />Would the Sandboxing come from the meandering about in The Realm looking for Objects of Power and such, or simply traversing the expanse?Timeshadowshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09952601433965644275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094937232522894470.post-52795431030956600922010-02-24T10:48:23.288-08:002010-02-24T10:48:23.288-08:00That Hildebrandt cover brings me waay back. The pe...That Hildebrandt cover brings me waay back. The pencil drawings inside inspired many high fantasy games.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15375615378259386972noreply@blogger.com