(Erde is German for Earth)
Now, without knowing too much about the setting and its' adventures, I wonder, given the hint in the name ***Earth <--> Oerth***:embarrass ,
if the setting is easily compatible and if I should make the investment for the sourcebooks.
I am unlikely to change my *core* setting, so I won't run any Erde campaign, I believe. But, in short, are Codex of Erde and the the other support products like Castle Zagyg, or City of Gaxmoor, just Greyhawk adventures under a new name or is this a whole new rpg complex?
RafaelGary has this multiverse thing going on, where there are numerous versions of the same world, just in different timelines and dimensions. Pretty much like the TV show "Sliders" from the 90's.
Oerth is one alternate reality of Earth, so is Yarth from his Sagaard stories, and Aerth from his Legendary Adventures game, as is Erde from Troll Lord Games. Each of them has things in common with the real earth, but yet is totally different.
If you invest in the sourcebooks, unless you have deep knowledge of the Greyhawk world and it's influences, you may not get much out of them. Gary has alot of ideas that he had for Greyhawk that he can no longer use and therefore he recycles them, creating something new with the same theme, but not the same thing as it was before. So therefore unless you know what to look for, you may not find anything at all similar to the Greyhawk you know in his Erde setting.
Halber
) focus, like my older explorations of Oerth, on the Aerdy Kingdom and its mysteries.As far as I know, Mr Gygax was not the mastermind behind that region, but mainly Carl Sargent.
So my problem is that I doubt his work being of use in a Eastern Flanaess campaign. (No offense please, it's just that I am a poor student who can't spend 40 ⁈ just to buy some default adventures
) However, I consider Erde an interesting setting. That idea of Outremere... like with any other rpg it starts intriguing me just because I like the name.
Thank you, Halber!
As far as I know, Mr Gygax was not the mastermind behind that region, but mainly Carl Sargent.
So my problem is that I doubt his work being of use in a Eastern Flanaess campaign.
That is just not true.
Just because EGG didn't write a book the size of Ivid the Undying over the Great Kingdom doesn't mean he didn't know what was happening there, nor had prepared material about the location (or about the rest of the Flanaess for that matter)
The entire Gord the Rogue series of novels offers proof of that. I just wish their entire gaming content had found its way into WoG accessories
The articles EGG wrote about WoG in Dragon Mag. (especially the articles about armed forces of the various countries) is another.
Of course, it takes time and resources to track down all those bits of info left and right, often in sources that haven't been reprinted and/or aren't available to newer fans of the setting.
Certainly, CS did a great job (IMHO) fleshing out the setting but saying EGG hadn't isn't fair.
-- the WoG was an influence on it
-- Codex of Erde has a Gygax adventure in it (nominally tied to Gaxmoor, but easily useable without it)
-- Ernie and Luke Gygax's Gaxmoor, originally set in the World of Greyhawk, was published in the Erde setting
-- the Castle Zagyg series is the Castle Greyhawk dungeons set in a newly created 30x50 mile area designed to be placed in any world (with a compatible sensibility, of course) but nominally set in Erde
That is just not true.
...
Certainly, CS did a great job (IMHO) fleshing out the setting but saying EGG hadn't isn't fair.
Surely Mr Gygax created the main concept for the entire Flanaess, if not for entire Oerth!
Although, as far as I know, his publications for Greyhawk deal mostly with the western part of the Flanaess; when Mr Gygax left the company, TSR tried to change the setting's focus.
So, not having read all of the Greyhawk books, not to mention the older novel series, I wonder if the Eastern Flanaess has really a *Gygaxian* flavour or is just *the fantasy setting next to his one*.
This brings me to the question if *Erde* , Mr Gygax' newest project, can really help me to design a Aerdy campaign or if they are just other *default* adventures to be shaped and inserted in any game world.
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Today, I spotted Codex of Erde on ebay! - what inevitably means that it will be added to the *Royal Library of Rauxes* sooner or later... :D
What do you think, would Outremere fit on Oerik? *So happy to have found the book for a fair price*
Is Castle Zagyg out yet?
No. Maybe next month (for the first part, Yggsburgh), but as with any small press, don't count on it until it's released.
By the way, the original Greyhawk origin for Gaxmoor is here.
As far as I can see, Gary's work and post-Gary TSR work both cover eastern and western Flanaess about equally. I can't think of any non-TSR/WotC stuff (except some New Infinities novel references) that's obviously suited to the Great Kingdom.
That link is as dead as Vecna!
:D
Although, as far as I know, his publications for Greyhawk deal mostly with the western part of the Flanaess; when Mr Gygax left the company, TSR tried to change the setting's focus.
So, not having read all of the Greyhawk books, not to mention the older novel series, I wonder if the Eastern Flanaess has really a *Gygaxian* flavour or is just *the fantasy setting next to his one*.
This brings me to the question if *Erde* , Mr Gygax' newest project, can really help me to design a Aerdy campaign or if they are just other *default* adventures to be shaped and inserted in any game world.
Go here for some articles Gygax wrote on eastern Oerik (under Greyhawk's World):
http://members.aol.com/bobhrad/files.htm
Erde, or just about any other fantasy setting can be cannibalized and used to fill out the details of any part of the Flanaess. Use what you can afford, it's your game.
Halber
Try it again.
Errr...welll...
It worked then...
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Thanks again, Halber!
I'll read these articles and look what I can get out of them!
Besides, as I finally decided to buy Codex of Erde in any case, I could write a short review here concerning possible similarities and connections to WoG.
I personally discovered that tremendous industry that lies behind that d20 license in the last few months and I am absolutely marvelled!
What do you think? Will some of these gaming worlds ever come to rival the *official* wizards product lines?
What do you think? Will some of these gaming worlds ever come to rival the *official* wizards product lines?
if you refer to the Forgotten Realms, then no, I do not think so.
I think that the jurry is still very much out on Eberron, and that in the end it would be possible for some of the settings out there to end up more popular (settings that were formerly TSR game worlds that have been liscensed by WOTC to other companies might be a good bet for this, Ravenloft springs to mind, although I have found White Wolf's ravenloft books to be somewhat dissapointing). Sword and Sorcery's Scarred Lands setting also seems to have a faithful following, although how they are viewed in the long run remains to be seen.
Since Troll Lord is running a clearance sale right now, I *would* recommend you get Codex of Erde for $10, Lost City of Gaxmoor for $5, and Dark Druids for $3. But, pre-Zagyg at least, the most crucial Troll Lord book for Greyhawk is Living Fantasy, which amounts to nothing less than an exposition of how the societal structure of the World of Greyhawk works.
I am interested in buying it, but, as I never before purchased a book this way, I wonder if the shipping costs from the United States to Europe would not be equal to what I pay here for it. Can you give me a clue?
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Scarred Lands could really be an option, as the setting has a similar tone as Eberron, as far as I know. (Never played it, only heard about it.)
I personally recommend a module I found for free download on the web:
It is called World of Gaile, and borrows heavily from LotR, Forgotten Realms and Lankhmar, I believe.
I am sure that I will set up some campaign there someday!
Eberron is principally a setting for WotC to license for computer games and movies, and this is what will determine how 'big' it gets, not the RPG line.
The quickest and cheapest way to ship about 400 pages' worth of US-letter-format books from the States to Europe is via a $10 Global Priority Mail envelope. Any non-automated US seller will be able to use that service.
*miracles still seem to take place from time to time* my personal sponsors/coaches (mom & dad) decided to give me the CoE book as a late birthday present
didn't think they'd even know what RPGs are *because it's from that man who made up that game you play and we thought you would like it* (I think they mistook the son for the father Gygax)
:bounce:
I'll doubtlessly remember that info, should I buy fother Troll Lord books, such as the upcoming Yggsburg series.
Thanx!