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Post by delta on Aug 6, 2021 7:50:05 GMT -6
You may know that Necromancer Games is publishing a newly-revised version of Gary Gygax's Necropolis adventure, this time for 5E and Swords & Wizardry systems. A possibly controversial choice, no doubt. This Sunday we've got the designer Mark Greenberg on our weekend D&D talk show so we can get some answers out of him about his approach to the revised work. Everyone's invited to join in the live chat this Sunday @ 1 PM ET. What should we ask Mark while we're there?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2021 11:50:08 GMT -6
I'm curious as to Frog God Games' adventure design philosophy, specifically when releasing adventures like this or City of Brass for both 5e and Swords & Wizardry. What's the balancing or world flavor approach they take to present the same scenario for two systems with such fundamentally different play expectations and flavor?
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Post by delta on Aug 8, 2021 9:34:14 GMT -6
I'm curious as to Frog God Games' adventure design philosophy, specifically when releasing adventures like this or City of Brass for both 5e and Swords & Wizardry. What's the balancing or world flavor approach they take to present the same scenario for two systems with such fundamentally different play expectations and flavor? Great question, I'll add that to my list. I'm even a little clear right this second about whether there's a single book that supports both systems, or if you get separate books for each (they've certainly had separate releases in the past for stuff like Rappan Athuk). Thank you! |
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Post by jeffb on Aug 8, 2021 16:13:51 GMT -6
Good interview, enjoyed listening but definitely reinforced my decision to not buy-in. Editing is fine. Gary definitely needed an editor at times, but this sounds like much more than an "edit". This sounds like Mark simply re-wrote everything he didn't like about Gary's adventure (which sounds like a substantial amount). Why bother? It's like Bruce Cordell's "Return to the Tomb of Horrors" or the other "Return to" adventures WOTC did in the late 2E era. IOW- this is "Return to the Necropolis", not "Necropolis".
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Post by delta on Aug 13, 2021 11:15:12 GMT -6
Good interview, enjoyed listening but definitely reinforced my decision to not buy-in. Editing is fine. Gary definitely needed an editor at times, but this sounds like much more than an "edit". This sounds like Mark simply re-wrote everything he didn't like about Gary's adventure (which sounds like a substantial amount). Why bother? It's like Bruce Cordell's "Return to the Tomb of Horrors" or the other "Return to" adventures WOTC did in the late 2E era. IOW- this is "Return to the Necropolis", not "Necropolis". Hey, I'm really happy you listened to it! My takeaway is that Mark's changes sounded a bit more surgical than I previously expected. If he was working mostly from the earlier 3E Necropolis by Necromancer (which is a very close translation of Gary's), and really thinking closely about certain tweaks, that actually gave me more appetite for it (esp. with an old-school Swords & Wizardry version available). From what I can see the dungeon layouts are really identical, for example. But 100% respect if it sounded like too much for you (or others), and thrilled if we could provide some info to help with that decision. :-) |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2021 16:24:27 GMT -6
He made a fair point re: my system difference concern. I suppose it's broadly true that D&D characters at various levels face more or less the same progression of enemy types from 0e through 5e.
One major difference he glossed over, however, is that whereas 5e rewards XP by the book for getting into those fights, original edition doesn't to the same degree. I still feel like this would realistically engender different design philosophy between the two ends of the spectrum. I still feel this is not perfectly addressed by companies who try to have it both ways, like FGG or Goodman Games.
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Post by geoffrey on Aug 14, 2021 17:13:53 GMT -6
I enjoyed listening to the interview. Of course it would be nice if Gary had been able to publish this adventure using the AD&D rules, but that was not to be. It sounds to me as though Mark Greenberg did the best he could given the situation. I don't blame him at all for not making the adventure for 18th-level characters since module sales drop as their intended character level rises. I'd rather people actually play a lower-level Necropolis than not play a higher-level Necropolis. While the price tag is too rich for my blood, I wish Necromancer all the best with this module.  |
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