Old Post Reread

Someone found an old post of mine and commented on it, which made me reread that post, which made my day.  It was written just about a year ago and it's a message/theme that's good for me to be reminded of.  So, I'm linking to it.

David Hargrave and his Arduin world/system.

I liked one of the bits of that post so much that I added to the top of Troll and Flame's sidebar as the motto / theme / purpose of this blog.

This supplement is offered in the hopes that it will infuse new life into the amateur side of fantasy role playing games, and stimulate the free idea exchanges so sorely needed to keep this type of gaming alive and viable. This supplement does not seek to replace or denigrate any other fantasy role playing supplement or game, either professional or amateur. 

-- David Hargrave

Some other Troll and Flame posts on Arduin.  I doubt it but maybe I'll get in gear and finally review some of this stuff.

This week I be Pimpin Emperor's Choice Games

Just so there's no confusion, no one has asked me to pimp anything.  These will always be products which I own a copy of, believe deserve exposure, and believe maybe worth your time/money.  The pimping idea totally stolen from The Underdark Gazzette. Hopefully I'll remember to change it every week.


Emperor's Choice Games

I'm biased, for good reason.  And, I suspect many of the gamer's who would enjoy Emperor Choice's Products have already bought them.  But, in case not...

I own Arduin Eternal, and The World Book of Kas. And have recently ordered the Arduin Map and the Megaset of Arduin Grimoires.  Which includes the three Classic Arduin Grimoires in a hard cover bound set, the five Hargrave authored in the 80's, one new one from Emperor's Choice.

If the planet's align I might stop buying stuff and actually get to reviewing some of it. 

Emperor's Choice Bloody Well Rocks

David HargraveI got introduced to David A. Hargrave's Arduin rules / setting / exquisite insanity very late. But, quickly became a huge fan. Of the man and of the creative crazy he produced.

Luckily (and inevitably) a small partnership of Arduin fans and gamers formed Emperor's Choice to keep Arduin materials available and create "new works based on his ideas and world setting to fans worldwide".

One of those new products is the 4th "generation" Arduin ruleset, Arduin Eternal ($75, sounds like a lot but 800+ page hardback! Contemporary RPG books are $35-$60 for ~300pgs).  While ordering I discovered the World Book of Khaas ($70 and 800+ more pages this time focused on world/setting) and added that to my cart as well.  A little while later the world book arrived but no Arduin.  It had sold out and I hadn't ordered quick enough to be in first group.  Meh, these things happen. No biggie and good for them.  Arduin Eternal arrived some time later.

That was months ago.  Last week I was suprised to find another copy of Arduin Eternal in my mail box.  Guess there was a mix up with ordering system and something triggered the "this guy never got his order completed" flag.  So, I email Emperor's Choice saying "Hey, I got this extra copy".  Not suggesting I'd mail it back (but I would if that's what they wanted).  Left it open for them to decide, hoping they would say keep it.  Then I could give/lend and infect others with the Arduin bug.

This is the response I got.

"There was no mistake with the second book coming to you. The book you just received is a replacement for the first one you bought. Take a look at the new book, this is the second version, it is a much better layout and revisions. Please let me know what you think."

Thank You,
George De Rosa
Vp/EmpCho

Stunned...

I've become so jaded to RPG companies regularly releasing new editions, often with incremental and/or arbitrary and/or self-serving and/or retarded changes, and telling gamers "yeah you should totally buy X hundreds of dollars of books to replace the ones you bought from us last year".  Sending me a free replacement $75 book flipping blows my mind.  Really a huge, dedicated fan of Emperor's Choice now.  They'll have to drive over my dog or the like to undue the amount of good-will they just earned.


And, George, I think Emperor's Choice bloody well rocks.



Arduin Eternal

Plumb the depths of the rich world of Arduin.  Engage as the emotionless insectiod Phraint.  Game in the free wheeling city of Talismond.  Dash through battle with a hot-blooded Amazon.  Fear deadly Deodanths, time-stranded from the future.  Sally forth the Khai Shang, strand on Khaas from the stars.  Make your mark as a mercenary captain from the border wars in the West.  Trust in the 10,000 gods - take up their banner as a Priest, Paladin, Saint or Witch Hunter.  Learn Eldarin, the language of the ancient Kthoi, weaving  enigmatic runes.  Journey to the city of Melkalund to learn at the underground college of technology.  Dare life as a street touch, fluent in the unarmed fighting arts of Rhingorda.  Take on the world as a Techno, master of technology and engineering.  Hound and hunt the wicked with the iron will of a Witch Hunter.  Wield the wild magik, mastered by the great mages of Ghorfar.  Spill blood as a gladiator fresh from the 100 battles of Ithalos or conquer the fighting pits of Viruelandia.  Its all yours and more.

The World Book of Khass

The World Book of Khaas, Legendary Lands of Arduin is an exciting, 800+ page volume a literal encyclopedia of the world of Khaas and the country of Arduin.  The World of Khaas, Legendary Lands of Arduin is a massive volume based on David Hargrave's work, once and for all throwing wide the gates on the Plateau of Forever; allowing entry not only to Arduin, but into the very world.  

David Hargrave

Been looking into magic systems recently. Wanting to blend in some weirder, pulpier, less balanced/mainstreamed/commercialized chaos from before my time. I never had any Arduin stuff back in the day. But, noticed it being mentioned a bit 'round the blogs. So, I checked it out...

Dude. Seriously, dude? David Hargrave was insane (positive meaning) and is the epitome of punk; diy, raw, hard-core, frenetic, in-your-face, stickin it to the man. I totally dig his chaotic, mishmash of creativity. You may not, that's fine, but it shouldn't hinder your recognition of his intrinsic awesomeness. I hold the "Dutch Masters" to be dudes of the highest calibre even though I can't stand their paintings. I'm not talking about his mechanics, which probably suck. (Although, the Special Abilities Charts look cool) I'm talking about his awesome! The Hell Spirals or Tokkrang's Star Bore or gaggle of Prismatic Walls or section on Orc Alchemy or just the fact that Arduin has a Dinosaur Chart!

David Hargrave totally deserves more credit and respect. I've hardly heard of him. Relative to the hobby's other great founders, hardly anyone mentions him.

I can tell he pushed then for what gaming should be today and always; hobbyist, diy, for and by the little guy, done for love. There is no better motto/goal the OSR could adopt than this statement written by David Hargrave in the forward of his first publication.

This supplement is offered in the hopes that it will infuse new life into the amateur side of fantasy role playing games, and stimulate the free idea exchanges so sorely needed to keep this type of gaming alive and viable. This supplement does not seek to replace or denigrate any other fantasy role playing supplement or game, either professional or amateur.

Holy cow, were was that during the 4th Wars of Edition? For which I'm guilty as the next guy. If only Hargrave was around to knock the stupid out of us. For me, more than any particular rule set or method of playing, that attitude is what "old-school" means.

***

David Hargrave died before I was 18. I'm trying to learn about the man. Grognardia, my usual source for RPG early history, has more or less ignored him. His wikipedia article is way too short. I'm currently reading his "The Arduin Grimoire Vol 1" where I found this.

Special Note: the artwork for this supplement is the sole doing of one fine young artist: Errol Otus. I'm only glad I'll be able to say ten years from now, "I knew him when..."

Man, dude, I wish I could say that about you.

R.I.P.

Links O' Plenty

I have, oh I don't know, about 3d4 * 100 RPG related links. Thought to put a selection of them in the sidebar but my two abridged blogrolls are already longer than Jörmungandr. (and yes I look at every post from the RPG reading list, tech not so much) Then I remembered every blog needs a reoccurring filler post and since Shatnerday, Manly Monday, and exhaustive rules analysis have been taken I'm fancying links! In truth links have been taken too, more than once. But instead of links of other blogs and recent activities these will be (mostly) oldish static resources.

I'm guessing we all know about The Acaeum detailing D&D products. This is the one I started with. It might be retrostalgic false memory but I remember staring at that cover (and the City of Brass on the DMG) and fantagasmining over how I could imagine a world and then "go" there and do stuff instead of just reading about what someone else did in a novel. Heady stuff for a 10yr old. Hmmmmm, this hobby is so kick ass.

RPG Search Engine, this search is just for Grognardia.

Dungeon Magazine interactive index. Nice options to limit by edition. Cause you know even if we claim to not participate the edition wars we all have a favorite.

If you can't find it in one of these indexes (Tholos, Dragondex) then it probably was never printed in Dragon Magazine.

Holy Fantastic Star Frontiers Fan Awesomavaganza! I bow unworthily and present The Star Frontiersman. That is how the D&D old school revolution should look. Star Frontiers was my first Sci-Fi RPG. I freakin loved the Ares section of Dragon Magazine, star cops! If I had more time I'd so start a Star Frontiers game, I'd make people play it.

ZeFRS forget old school when you can have crazy color chart school! I think Evil DM turned me onto this. And I normally would resist reposting but I adore alternative mechanics.

Hey it's the EFF of the RPG World. Free RPG Community "Our mission is to promote users' rights to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute roleplaying games by supporting free content roleplaying games."

Free RPG Manager, does stuff but I only want that map maker. I have a thing for mid-old school hex maps like from the Known World Gazetteer series. I wish author would release v2.0, or the source, or anything. I even donated some money to his paypal account. Just look at those screen shots, yum!

Talking about the Known World, there's more known than you might have imagined. Looks like we have a settings theme going on so lets link to this Birthright Netbook and the Birthright.net Fansite. Can't forget about HârnWorld, Lythia.com is the place for that. I never really knew about Arduin until reading oldschool blogs. I'll have to check out Arduin Eternal in detail.

3.5 D&D has so many rules. Luckily there are hypertext SRD's to help make sense of it all. What's this? How'd that ODD The Marches stuff get mixed in here? Well since that's there might as well as link to Philotomy's ODD Musings as well.

You're probably better off if you never click here. Remember I warned ya. Well that's enough for now, until next Woden's day then.