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Post by finarvyn on Jan 17, 2015 10:50:10 GMT -5
Just to get some discussion going, which is your favorite "flavor" of Blackmoor, and why? ------------------------- For me, it's the Twin Cities / FFC Blackmoor. (1) It was the first campaign. That's kind of cool.  (2) My first view of Blackmoor came through Supplement II and the Temple of the Frog, which was based on Dave's early campaign. (3) Other than Judges' Guild's Wilderlands campaign, Dave's FFC was the first look at someone else's campaign world that I got. I think it had many elements in common with mine (such as unit types from Chainmail) and was a big influence on the way I learned to develp a campaign world. (4) The FFC has a lot of ideas and details, but not so many as to force me to "learn" someone else's world. (The early World of Greyhawk folio was good in this way, too, as was the Wilderlands. For some campaigns I feel I have to do a lot of homework in order to "get it right.") What say you? |
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Post by Admin Pete on Jan 17, 2015 16:38:16 GMT -5
For me also, it's the Twin Cities / FFC Blackmoor. It was the first campaign and everything I have learned about that campaign and above Dave Arneson over the years tells me I would have have loved to have had to opportunity to play in his campaign. Like you Fin, my first glimpse of Blackmoor came through Supplement II and the Temple of the Frog, and for years that is all I knew about it.
In the 90's I good my hands on a copy of the First Fantasy Campaign and got a better look at it and a whole new appreciation of it. I also am fascinated because it was first and the mine out of which so many ideas came. I have never read the other later editions, by choice, since I don't want to confuse what I know from the oldest sources, I want to keep that imagine in my mind.
I love to hear stories from those that played in the Blackmoor campaign. Other than the glimpses from Supplement II of Blackmoor (and other glimpses of Greyhawk) I knew nothing about other campaigns for about the first 15-16 years that I was an OD&D player/ref.
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Post by tetramorph on Jan 17, 2015 22:29:43 GMT -5
Well, guys, I gotta vote the same, but for a far lamer reason than either of you guys:
I came back to D&D as an adult, found the Old School, found you guys, and so really the 0e Blackmoor is the only one I know. Not because I was around then. Not because I've been playing it since then. Only because it is the one that matches the edition of D&D I've returned to and become a fan of!
So there it is.
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Post by finarvyn on Jan 18, 2015 10:05:19 GMT -5
Well, guys, I gotta vote the same, but for a far lamer reason than either of you guys: I came back to D&D as an adult, found the Old School, found you guys, and so really the 0e Blackmoor is the only one I know. Not because I was around then. Not because I've been playing it since then. Only because it is the one that matches the edition of D&D I've returned to and become a fan of! So there it is. If you get a chance, you might track down the DA modules from TSR. They are for B/X D&D, which makes them pretty workable for OD&D, and are pretty well done overall. DA1 in particular is pretty cool. Dave had a hand in writing DA1 - DA3 and someone else did DA4, if memory serves me correctly. |
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Post by Admin Pete on Jan 18, 2015 23:49:13 GMT -5
Well, guys, I gotta vote the same, but for a far lamer reason than either of you guys: I came back to D&D as an adult, found the Old School, found you guys, and so really the 0e Blackmoor is the only one I know. Not because I was around then. Not because I've been playing it since then. Only because it is the one that matches the edition of D&D I've returned to and become a fan of! So there it is. If you get a chance, you might track down the DA modules from TSR. They are for B/X D&D, which makes them pretty workable for OD&D, and are pretty well done overall. DA1 in particular is pretty cool. Dave had a hand in writing DA1 - DA3 and someone else did DA4, if memory serves me correctly. I knew that, but I had forgotten it. I will have to track them down and take a look. |
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Post by The Semi-Retired Gamer on Jan 19, 2015 22:05:52 GMT -5
I voted with everyone else so far; you gotta go with what you know.
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Post by Admin Pete on Jan 26, 2015 13:25:42 GMT -5
I voted with everyone else so far; you gotta go with what you know. I know what you mean. For Blackmoor we need to get harvard to check with us. |
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Post by The Semi-Retired Gamer on Jan 26, 2015 15:22:27 GMT -5
I voted with everyone else so far; you gotta go with what you know. I know what you mean. For Blackmoor we need to get harvard to check with us. Havard would be a great addition! |
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Post by Admin Pete on Jan 26, 2015 22:56:41 GMT -5
I know what you mean. For Blackmoor we need to get harvard to check with us. Havard would be a great addition! Yes, he would, if anyone knows about Blackmoor, he is the guy. Speaking of great websites check out: The Blackmoor Archives |
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Post by havard on Jan 27, 2015 16:42:18 GMT -5
Hi guys! Thanks for plugging my site Perilous! I voted other. I love em all! I got into gaming in the 80s and I feel most comfortable with the style of RPG products from those times. So I naturally have a fondness for the DA modules. The original campaign is extremely fascinating though and the more I learn about it, it just continues to amaze me. The more recent material (D20/MMRPG books) shows other people's visions in addition to Dave Arneson's, but at the same time I am really happy that Dave got to see Blackmoor back in print again in the last decade of his life. I also think the D20 Blackmoor Sourcebook is a really good introduction to the setting for gamers of a new generation, not so much because of the rules, but the way the book is organized. So yeah, choosing is hard -Havard |
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Post by Admin Pete on Jan 27, 2015 22:36:00 GMT -5
I would love to see these other sources havard. I will have to look for an opportunity to get them. |
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Post by ffilz on Feb 12, 2015 17:52:07 GMT -5
I voted for FFC, though I usually use the DA series maps, but I don't really use much of the "what's going on" stuff anyway.
Frank
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Post by Falconer on Feb 14, 2015 19:27:03 GMT -5
FFC. Straight up Arnesonian goodness. The other versions tried to adapt it for the tastes of the day (DA = Dragonlancey high fantasy railroads; Zeitgeist = heavy on the d20 crunch like skills, feats, and prestige classes).
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Post by Admin Pete on Feb 14, 2015 20:07:51 GMT -5
FFC. Straight up Arnesonian goodness. The other versions tried to adapt it for the tastes of the day (DA = Dragonlancey high fantasy railroads; Zeitgeist = heavy on the d20 crunch like skills, feats, and prestige classes). Hey Falconer, it is truly hard to beat FFC. It is truly the document we would love to have for a lot of the old campaigns. |
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Post by havard on Feb 21, 2015 10:22:33 GMT -5
FFC. Straight up Arnesonian goodness. The other versions tried to adapt it for the tastes of the day (DA = Dragonlancey high fantasy railroads; Zeitgeist = heavy on the d20 crunch like skills, feats, and prestige classes). Although I like the D20 books, I do agree that there was too much emphasis on the d20 crunch bits. I think your characterization of the DA modules is unfair though. Even though there is a 1980s style storyline in each module, that storyline is not necessarily railroady. Also, there is lots of additonal material in each module (DA1 especially) to run more sandbox style adventures in the setting. Each era of Blackmoor products has its own strengths and weaknesses IMO. While the d20 books are far from perfect, what I do like about them is how they are organized, making it much easier to get into the world of Blackmoor than both the DA modules and the material from the 1970s (Supp2 &FFC). -Havard |
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Post by robjn on Feb 21, 2015 11:27:16 GMT -5
Since I had to pick one, I went with my first exposure to the Blackmoor setting, the DA-series of modules. It is what I knew first, and the iteration with which I am most familiar. Alien evils, the promise of high technology, insidious cults (with mutant frogs, no less!) rubbing shoulders with pulpy fantasy cities filled with (or sacked by) larger-than-life characters....  Given a second choice, I'd go with my own fast-forwarded tinkering with the established canon, known around the Comeback Inn forums as "Thorn's World That Was." |
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Post by Bandersnatch on Jul 28, 2015 15:32:55 GMT -5
The original era is my favorite by far, it is the gold standard to measure yourself against!
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Post by The Master on Dec 6, 2016 16:52:16 GMT -5
I always jump at the chance to find out about the original game. Shame Arneson did not right his own memoirs.
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Post by Admin Pete on Dec 8, 2016 12:44:51 GMT -5
I would have loved to have read an autobiography by Arneson; however, I rather doubt that his personality lent itself to such an endeavor. Which also explains many other things and that is a compliment to him even though it made him less well known.
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Post by Hexenritter Verlag on Feb 3, 2018 23:26:21 GMT -5
I voted other - As I owned the Zeitgeist era Blackmoor books & loved the depth of the setting BUT after I read FFC I can say I really like it as well & will likely use it to flesh out Blackmoor in Greyhawk. Plus you got to love the humor in the FCC booklet.
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Post by True Black Raven on Mar 13, 2018 23:03:02 GMT -5
The original is the best IMO.
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Post by Robert the Black on Jun 21, 2018 12:43:32 GMT -5
I'm only interested in the original Blackmoor not the later stuff.
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Post by Yaleric on Jun 29, 2018 20:12:23 GMT -5
Just the first option and not very in depth at all on that.
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Post by Warrior Twin One on Aug 21, 2018 0:51:36 GMT -5
Option 1.
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Post by Warrior Twin Two on Aug 22, 2018 9:55:48 GMT -5
That's the only real Blackmoor. |
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Post by clooney on May 2, 2022 11:57:30 GMT -5
The original Twin Cities Blackmoor, before Gygax saw it.
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Post by Q. F o s t e r on May 2, 2022 12:16:26 GMT -5
Gimmie, Gimmie the original.
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Post by Ibizan Zamway on May 2, 2022 12:19:09 GMT -5
Twin Cities, the only real Blackmoor.
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Post by Snuffy Smith on May 3, 2022 12:47:24 GMT -5
Only the original for me.
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Post by nobody on Jun 16, 2022 19:32:03 GMT -5
That's the only real Blackmoor. I agree. |
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