Could ZGG Blackmoor products become more useful to you?

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

havard

Oct 14, 2007 8:56:21
How many of you involve Blackmoor in a way that affects your campaigns in some way or another?

It may be just my impression, but I don't think the majority of Mystara fans are buying the ZGG Blackmoor line. Assuming that this is true, is this because you are happy with what you already own, that you don't consider ZGG material canon, or because of the contents of those books?

One thing I can see is that Blackmoor doesnt come into play too often. If it does, it involves artifacts like the Radience, which comes from the Future Blackmoor and not the classic Blackmoor era dealt with in the DA series and the ZGG line. Is there any way future Blackmoor books could be written in a way that would appeal more to Mystara fans?

For the record I dont work for ZGG, but I wish them success and I it would be awesome if they could also fill the needs of the Mystara fans.

Havard
#2

agathokles

Oct 14, 2007 9:21:57
How many of you involve Blackmoor in a way that affects your campaigns in some way or another?

It may be just my impression, but I don't think the majority of Mystara fans are buying the ZGG Blackmoor line. Assuming that this is true, is this because you are happy with what you already own, that you don't consider ZGG material canon, or because of the contents of those books?

I suppose it's a mix of those -- I do have "Adventures in Blackmoor" and "City of the Gods", I don't plan on using Blackmoor as more than a background element for a long time, and I don't need 3e rules. I have a mild interest in how Blackmoor could be made more compatible with Mystara, but ZGG material doesn't seem to be going that way.

One thing I can see is that Blackmoor doesnt come into play too often. If it does, it involves artifacts like the Radience, which comes from the Future Blackmoor and not the classic Blackmoor era dealt with in the DA series and the ZGG line. Is there any way future Blackmoor books could be written in a way that would appeal more to Mystara fans?

You are right in that -- Mystara deals mostly with "future Blackmoor". However, certain elements such as the Kogolor dwarves could be strengthened by Blackmoor support -- unfortunately, the idea of Blackmoor that evolved in Mystara is quite different from the original one, e.g., Kogolor Dwarves are not the same as Blackmoor Dwarves, etc.

GP
#3

slashnull

Oct 14, 2007 17:40:54
Is there any information out there about this line? I've only ever used the future blackmoor stuff, I've never even read the DA modules!
#4

agathokles

Oct 15, 2007 4:42:56
Is there any information out there about this line? I've only ever used the future blackmoor stuff, I've never even read the DA modules!

See Havard's webpage (the link is in his signature).
#5

havard

Oct 16, 2007 14:05:02
I suppose it's a mix of those -- I do have "Adventures in Blackmoor" and "City of the Gods", I don't plan on using Blackmoor as more than a background element for a long time, and I don't need 3e rules. I have a mild interest in how Blackmoor could be made more compatible with Mystara, but ZGG material doesn't seem to be going that way.

I'm trying to make them focus less on rules and more on contents. IMO that would especially make sense in light of 4e, but we'll see how that goes.

You are right in that -- Mystara deals mostly with "future Blackmoor". However, certain elements such as the Kogolor dwarves could be strengthened by Blackmoor support -- unfortunately, the idea of Blackmoor that evolved in Mystara is quite different from the original one, e.g., Kogolor Dwarves are not the same as Blackmoor Dwarves, etc.

How about a Dwarf supplement labelled Regent of the Mines detailing the dwarven lands in Blackmoor, but also dwarves outside that particular region? A 'patch' they could throw in would be something like "dwarven resistance to magic has been declining over the last few decades. Some believe this as a direct result of their increased interest in technology". This could explain why Classic Era Blackmoor Dwarves would operate under the same rules as AC1000 dwarves. At some point in Blackmoor's history they would lose that ability, but later regain it through Kagyar's reforging.... Just an idea. Similarly an Elf supplement, though focusing on the Cumasti and Westryn could also contain info on elves on other continents, perhaps alluding to the development of the Blacklore elves, even though that might be a bit early...

Havard
#6

agathokles

Oct 16, 2007 14:14:45
How about a Dwarf supplement labelled Regent of the Mines detailing the dwarven lands in Blackmoor, but also dwarves outside that particular region? A 'patch' they could throw in would be something like "dwarven resistance to magic has been declining over the last few decades. Some believe this as a direct result of their increased interest in technology". This could explain why Classic Era Blackmoor Dwarves would operate under the same rules as AC1000 dwarves. At some point in Blackmoor's history they would lose that ability, but later regain it through Kagyar's reforging.... Just an idea.

Uhm, it doesn't look that believable, IMHO. It could be that the Blackmoor dwarves were a specific subculture, distinct from other Kogolor dwarves, though, and that Kagyar modeled the new dwarves on the Blackmoor model rather than the Brunian ones. Perhaps they had developed the magic/radiance resistance due to other issues local to the Blackmoorian area (e.g., developing a resistance to the Egg of Coot magics)?

Similarly an Elf supplement, though focusing on the Cumasti and Westryn could also contain info on elves on other continents, perhaps alluding to the development of the Blacklore elves, even though that might be a bit early...

The problem with Blackmoorian Elves are not the Blacklore, but the Elves of the original Blackmoor supplements, who don't seem that different from modern elves -- perhaps they're a bit more "elvish" than some Alfheimers, but the new Blackmoor Elves seem to be quite different.

GP