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Old 06-27-2019, 05:33 PM   #111
DouglasCole
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Default Re: Nordlond: The Citadel at Nordvorn

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Just got my copy, (New Zealand)
Wow. That was what, a week or two?

Not bad, Royal Mail!
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Old 06-27-2019, 05:49 PM   #112
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Default Re: Nordlond: The Citadel at Nordvorn

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Wow. That was what, a week or two?
Just over two weeks.
I'm liking the heft of this tome.
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Old 06-27-2019, 07:42 PM   #113
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Default Re: Nordlond: The Citadel at Nordvorn

Got the PDF yesterday. It's interesting, but a little hard to digest. It feels like every bit of world-building depends on every other bit of world-building. I'm also a bit puzzled by the apparent use of corpse-golems as the setting's generic undead—are they undead rather than constructs in this setting? Do they have hands or do they sprout blades on rising?
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Old 06-27-2019, 07:55 PM   #114
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Default Re: Nordlond: The Citadel at Nordvorn

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Got the PDF yesterday. It's interesting, but a little hard to digest. It feels like every bit of world-building depends on every other bit of world-building.
Not quite sure how to react to that. Can you give some examples? The interrelated plotlines are pretty deliberate, and ensure that a group of players will make friends and enemies no matter with whom they interact. I did provide a handy relationship map in the back to help sort it out.

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I'm also a bit puzzled by the apparent use of corpse-golems as the setting's generic undead—are they undead rather than constructs in this setting? Do they have hands or do they sprout blades on rising?
They are not the setting's generic undead. They're a very particular type of construct/animated creature that was a result of the particular energy of the spot where the village was built. They do not sprout blades; they have hands.

I wanted a "risen dead" threat that could not simply be shoo'd away by Turning.
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Old 06-27-2019, 09:26 PM   #115
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Default Re: Nordlond: The Citadel at Nordvorn

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Not quite sure how to react to that. Can you give some examples? The interrelated plotlines are pretty deliberate, and ensure that a group of players will make friends and enemies no matter with whom they interact. I did provide a handy relationship map in the back to help sort it out.
For one thing, I'm glad the glossary is there, but having to flip to it regularly slows the reading process down. Plus, not every unfamiliar term is in there. Here's a few examples of questions I couldn't quickly answer for myself reading the book, all of them raised literally on page 1 (TBF that's the page with the numeral "1" at the bottom, not the first page of the preface):
  • How bad is it that "Faerie raiding" is a thing that happens? Put another way, what's the Faerie's threat level? The preface has them has them locking away the godlike Elder Dragons in some sort of stasis, but in the "Quick Start" box on p. 3 a group of Faerie is suggested as a nice easy fight for new PCs.
  • Frostharrow—what’s that? Something to do with Faerie I take it, but it’s not entirely clear.
  • Dragongrounds—is the Endalaus Forest part of the Dragongrounds, or do the Dragon grounds lie beyond it, or in an entirely different direction, or what?

I'm not asking these questions because I feel permanently stumped on them; I suspect I could work out the answers eventually. But it's a snapshot of what it's like trying to digest the new setting. It's a bit like reading GURPS Martial Arts: Technical Grappling for the first time, actually.
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Old 06-28-2019, 05:53 AM   #116
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Default Re: Nordlond: The Citadel at Nordvorn

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Originally Posted by Michael Thayne View Post
For one thing, I'm glad the glossary is there, but having to flip to it regularly slows the reading process down. Plus, not every unfamiliar term is in there. Here's a few examples of questions I couldn't quickly answer for myself reading the book, all of them raised literally on page 1 (TBF that's the page with the numeral "1" at the bottom, not the first page of the preface):
  • How bad is it that "Faerie raiding" is a thing that happens? Put another way, what's the Faerie's threat level? The preface has them has them locking away the godlike Elder Dragons in some sort of stasis, but in the "Quick Start" box on p. 3 a group of Faerie is suggested as a nice easy fight for new PCs.
  • Frostharrow—what’s that? Something to do with Faerie I take it, but it’s not entirely clear.
  • Dragongrounds—is the Endalaus Forest part of the Dragongrounds, or do the Dragon grounds lie beyond it, or in an entirely different direction, or what?

I'm not asking these questions because I feel permanently stumped on them; I suspect I could work out the answers eventually. But it's a snapshot of what it's like trying to digest the new setting. It's a bit like reading GURPS Martial Arts: Technical Grappling for the first time, actually.
The Faerie are a monster class, so you have strong and weak ones. The nordalfar are a good starting encounter for a group of PCs, while the Faerie lords are, well, plot devices.

the Frostharrow is the north end of the Vesturham mountain range, straight northeast of the Veiddarlond. You're right - the exact location isn't defined in Nordvorn, but it is shown in Hall of Judgment.

If I ever collect all the books into one large setting tome, there will be a larger scale map.

Finally, the Dragongrounds are more or less the area north of Audreyn's Wall from Nordvorn east.
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Old 06-28-2019, 11:18 AM   #117
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Default Re: Nordlond: The Citadel at Nordvorn

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I wanted a "risen dead" threat that could not simply be shoo'd away by Turning.
We need to do something about turning. I kinda like Peter's solution. (here)
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Old 06-28-2019, 12:45 PM   #118
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We need to do something about turning. I kinda like Peter's solution. (here)
I made my own turning system where it costs Divine energy reserve points to turn monsters. Zombies up to 10 of them can be turned for 1 energy point, 11 to 20 zombies for 2 and so on. More powerful undead cost 2 for each one and they defend with their high Will. Demons cost 3 to 5 depending on how powerful they are. Some clerics can turn faerie and other spirits too if they are worshippers or intolerant deities. The points add up and after the cleric decides to turn the undead then I tell them the cost in points and they can decide to pay them or abort the turning. They can also decide which undead to focus on like the zombie horde instead of the demon leading them.

In my concept the cleric does not just display his religious symbol, instead he is focusing Divine energy through his holy item in order to turn the undead. This requires fatigue and Divine energy reserve points to do.
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Old 07-01-2019, 09:10 AM   #119
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Default Re: Nordlond: The Citadel at Nordvorn

My review
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Old 07-01-2019, 10:36 AM   #120
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Default Re: Nordlond: The Citadel at Nordvorn

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Thanks for that. I hope that others follow your lead and post comments and reviews - feedback is rare and valuable.
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