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Old 04-06-2018, 08:50 AM   #1
Kromm
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Default GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Setting: Caverntown

A-way a-way down
Under the sun, underground
You'll find my hometown
— Master Bard Sivel
GURPS Dungeon Fantasy has a lot of "implied setting": the Frozen North, Forbidden East, and Steamy South border the King's realm, home to a host of guilds that control settlements where the Town Watch keeps the peace and everybody knows about Hell Gnomes, The Devil, Elder Things, and other menaces. Yet it's all extremely generic. When names are dropped (like the mysterious "Teclá" mentioned in GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Monsters 1, and the locales in GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Adventure 1: Mirror of the Fire Demon), they're left there for the GM to pick up.

GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Setting: Caverntown is the first of what we hope will become a series aimed at changing that. It details a town that can serve as a brief stopover between quests, the focus of an adventure or three, or even the heroes' home base. While it remains generic enough to fit into the majority of existing Dungeon Fantasy campaigns, it also names specific people, places, things, and events . . . and certainly, it's anything but typical! Did I mention that it's underground, sustained by magic, and at the heart of a huge dungeon complex?

But Caverntown has more to offer than just an interesting premise and a bunch of hard-to-pronounce fantasy names. It's the first supplement in the Dungeon Fantasy series to discuss how civilization survives and enforces its laws in the face of monsters – and delvers. To cover searching for, modifying, and ordering gear (including magic items). To offer costs for magical services such as healing and magic-item identification. To present rules for settling down and buying property.

A-well a-well a-welcome to Caverntown!


Store Link: http://www.warehouse23.com/products/SJG37-0343
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Old 04-06-2018, 09:57 AM   #2
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Default Re: GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Setting: Caverntown

I like the way this book is laid out. It also gave me lots of ideas for my Dungeon Fantasy campaign that's been going for the past couple years. I'm about to have the party being introduced into a city that actually exists in hell. This book gave me great ways of going about setting up the city.

Thanks for this!
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Old 04-06-2018, 10:20 AM   #3
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Default Re: GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Setting: Caverntown

Kromm's writing is excellent as always, and the introduction to the town is hilarious. It seems quite comprehensive in covering information that delvers and GMs need to know. It's a little light on things for PCs to do, but there is no shortage of adventure seeds for the GM to elaborate on.

Overall, well written, an enjoyable read, and a welcome addition to the Dungeon Fantasy line. Hopefully, we'll see more such setting materials in the future, both as adventuring locales and as places to visit between adventures.
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Old 04-06-2018, 11:20 AM   #4
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Default Re: GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Setting: Caverntown

I loved the book.
Good setting and info for the town but a lot of work was added that works for most towns so its worthwhile for most fantasy games.
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Old 04-06-2018, 11:21 AM   #5
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Default Re: GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Setting: Caverntown

Great news! I'll have to check it out.

This appears to be more in the direction I prefer: supporting game "pieces" that I can apply to play rather than just more rules that I have to integrate before play.

Thank you.
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Old 04-06-2018, 11:43 AM   #6
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Default Re: GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Setting: Caverntown

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom H. View Post
Great news! I'll have to check it out.

This appears to be more in the direction I prefer: supporting game "pieces" that I can apply to play rather than just more rules that I have to integrate before play.

Thank you.
Yeah, I like new crunch but too many rules (especially if scattered or hard to remember where they are) can be a drawback.
I almost never use a setting as is either so skip most of them.
However ones like this are good for mining ideas to use elsewhere and those are the ones I buy.
It also was a pleasant read.
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Old 04-06-2018, 11:44 AM   #7
Kromm
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Default Re: GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Setting: Caverntown

Quote:
Quote:
Originally Posted by GodBeastX View Post
Thanks for this!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nemoricus View Post
Kromm's writing is excellent [...] well written, an enjoyable read
Quote:
Originally Posted by Refplace View Post
I loved the book.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom H. View Post
Thank you.
Thank you all for the kind words. I wrote this during a tough time in my life (ongoing), so it's great to hear it isn't a flop.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nemoricus View Post

It's a little light on things for PCs to do, but there is no shortage of adventure seeds for the GM to elaborate on.
Ultimately, that was my goal – I want the heroes to get the heck out of town and have adventures. But if they stay, be sure to take a closer look at Other Entrances (p. 8), Other Weirdness (p. 10), Visitors (p. 12), Urban Dangers (p. 25), Deputy Delver (p. 27), Settling Down (pp. 28-29), Random Events (p. 30), and Undertown (p. 35) for at least a few ideas.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Refplace View Post

[...] a lot of work was added that works for most towns so its worthwhile for most fantasy games.
Almost all of Chapter 4 and large parts of Chapter 3 are fairly portable to pretty much any fantasy city that's intended as a base for professional adventurers.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom H. View Post

[...] supporting game "pieces" that I can apply to play rather than just more rules that I have to integrate before play.
To be fair, there are more rules here – but yes, most can be added in during play. Nothing here adds an "essential" new character type, overpowered gear, or options that are likely to destroy the campaign economy.
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Old 04-06-2018, 12:39 PM   #8
Tom H.
 
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Default Re: GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Setting: Caverntown

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm View Post
Thank you all for the kind words. I wrote this during a tough time in my life (ongoing), so it's great to hear it isn't a flop.
Yes, in general, there are many rough patches in life. And in general, the world could use more support from fellow humans.

I hope you manage the best you can with whatever you are going through at the moment Kromm.
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Old 04-06-2018, 12:49 PM   #9
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Default Re: GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Setting: Caverntown

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Originally Posted by Tom H. View Post
Yes, in general, there are many rough patches in life. And in general, the world could use more support from fellow humans.

I hope you manage the best you can with whatever you are going through at the moment Kromm.
Seconded.

I wish you all the best, Sean.
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Old 04-06-2018, 04:13 PM   #10
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Default Re: GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Setting: Caverntown

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Originally Posted by Kromm View Post
Thank you all for the kind words. I wrote this during a tough time in my life (ongoing), so it's great to hear it isn't a flop.
It certainly isn't. It's twistedly ingenious, and interesting even to someone who isn't that much into dungeon fantasy.

I hope your real life issues are resolved well.
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