Post by tavis on Aug 5, 2008 11:35:50 GMT -6
I hope it's appropriate to post here that Goodman Games will be publishing a book, Forgotten Heroes: Fang, Fist, and Song, to which I contributed the monk class and the introduction. I've certainly enjoyed reading robertsconley's previews of Points of Light, both because it looks like a great product for old-school gaming and because it's awesome to see OD&Ders letting their light shine, and I pray I'm not erring in making a similar post even if only the latter holds true in my case.
Although I spent as much prep time for my chapters meditating on Arneson's Blackmoor monk as I did watching Hong Kong action movies, I can't say that "Forgotten Heroes" is as general-interest as "Points of Light." The book is definitely not system neutral, and although I'm proud to make the old-school monk available to folks playing 4th Edition, I have to admit that even the Supplement II version isn't OD&D by many folks' criteria!
But here's a table that I created for the introduction (and that Mr. Goodman graciously gave me permission to share) which may nevertheless be entertaining for y'all.
Speculation about the real-world events that made us think the apocalypse would be a good theme for a book that re-introduced 1E D&D classes into 4th Edition is left to the reader
Although I spent as much prep time for my chapters meditating on Arneson's Blackmoor monk as I did watching Hong Kong action movies, I can't say that "Forgotten Heroes" is as general-interest as "Points of Light." The book is definitely not system neutral, and although I'm proud to make the old-school monk available to folks playing 4th Edition, I have to admit that even the Supplement II version isn't OD&D by many folks' criteria!
But here's a table that I created for the introduction (and that Mr. Goodman graciously gave me permission to share) which may nevertheless be entertaining for y'all.
TABLE 1. APOCALYPSES AT THE ROOTS OF FANTASY ROLEPLAYING
Exhibit A: The first RPG adventure ever published, created by Dave Arneson.
Evidence of apocalypse: A temple of frog-breeding monks holds the last pipe organ in existence, and a manual describing its repair that is written in a language they can no longer read.
Nature of the cataclysm: Lost in the mists of time.
The apocalypse’s contribution to the campaign: Provided the inventor of the dungeon adventure with a never-ending supply of ruins haunted by unnatural monsters that guard long-lost treasures with mysterious powers.
Relationship to the real world: Evolved from a love of fantastic literature at a time when the borders between science fiction and fantasy were much more open.
Exhibit B: The first RPG campaign setting ever published, created by Gary Gygax.
Evidence of apocalypse #1: The eastern half of the continent is an unearthly wasteland of rippling dust devoid of life.
Nature of the cataclysm #1: Two great empires destroyed each other with eldritch fire from the skies.
The apocalypse’s contribution to the campaign: Modern civilization is shaped by the spread of refugees from the disaster and the periodic discovery of pre-apocalyptic cairns containing artifacts of indescribable wealth and power, sometimes still in the hands of immortal demon-worshippers who survived the fall of the ancient empires.
Relationship to the real world: Written when the doctrine of mutual assured destruction required the Cold War superpowers to build underground bunkers so that some might survive nuclear war.
Cataclysm #2: Gygax completely obliterated his world at the end of his series of novels, although like every good apocalypse, a hope for renewal remained.
Relationship to the real world: The destruction was inspired by his frustration at the direction his campaign setting had taken after he left the company that published it.
Cataclysm #3: The campaign setting suffered a great war capped by a demonic incursion, as well as meddling by the God of Fate that resulted in bards and assassins being wiped out of existence.
Relationship to the real world: Followed the release of the Second Edition, in which bards and assassins were not initially supported as character classes.
Exhibit A: The first RPG adventure ever published, created by Dave Arneson.
Evidence of apocalypse: A temple of frog-breeding monks holds the last pipe organ in existence, and a manual describing its repair that is written in a language they can no longer read.
Nature of the cataclysm: Lost in the mists of time.
The apocalypse’s contribution to the campaign: Provided the inventor of the dungeon adventure with a never-ending supply of ruins haunted by unnatural monsters that guard long-lost treasures with mysterious powers.
Relationship to the real world: Evolved from a love of fantastic literature at a time when the borders between science fiction and fantasy were much more open.
Exhibit B: The first RPG campaign setting ever published, created by Gary Gygax.
Evidence of apocalypse #1: The eastern half of the continent is an unearthly wasteland of rippling dust devoid of life.
Nature of the cataclysm #1: Two great empires destroyed each other with eldritch fire from the skies.
The apocalypse’s contribution to the campaign: Modern civilization is shaped by the spread of refugees from the disaster and the periodic discovery of pre-apocalyptic cairns containing artifacts of indescribable wealth and power, sometimes still in the hands of immortal demon-worshippers who survived the fall of the ancient empires.
Relationship to the real world: Written when the doctrine of mutual assured destruction required the Cold War superpowers to build underground bunkers so that some might survive nuclear war.
Cataclysm #2: Gygax completely obliterated his world at the end of his series of novels, although like every good apocalypse, a hope for renewal remained.
Relationship to the real world: The destruction was inspired by his frustration at the direction his campaign setting had taken after he left the company that published it.
Cataclysm #3: The campaign setting suffered a great war capped by a demonic incursion, as well as meddling by the God of Fate that resulted in bards and assassins being wiped out of existence.
Relationship to the real world: Followed the release of the Second Edition, in which bards and assassins were not initially supported as character classes.
Speculation about the real-world events that made us think the apocalypse would be a good theme for a book that re-introduced 1E D&D classes into 4th Edition is left to the reader
