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Apprentice Greytalker
Joined: Oct 23, 2008
Posts: 9
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Sat Oct 25, 2008 12:25 pm
City of Greyhawk
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I was thinking about hunting down the City of Greyhawk box set for 2nd ed. Just wondering if the set is worth it or not. Does anyone have any review/criticism as to whether or not this is a good set?
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Black Hand of Oblivion
Joined: Feb 16, 2003
Posts: 3836
From: So. Cal
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Sat Oct 25, 2008 6:18 pm
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Pros: The boxed set is chock full of gobs of information. The "Folks, Feuds & Factions" book is full of useful information on the powers that be in the city. The adventure cards can be useful too for simple scenarios. Some of them could be fleshed out as part of a full blown adventure with a bit of effort. This is definitely a DM's boxed set, not a player's.
Cons: the 3-d picture map of the city looks like it was done for a Care Bears cartoon backdrop. It still looks OK though. Overall the city does not come off as being seedy/scummy enough for my taste, but that is easily fixed through roleplaying and description on the part of the dm.
Overall I recommend it highly.
Last edited by Cebrion on Mon Oct 27, 2008 9:11 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Apprentice Greytalker
Joined: Oct 23, 2008
Posts: 9
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Sat Oct 25, 2008 9:02 pm
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Thanks for the input Cebrion. I'm curious...does it feel like Greyhawk (know what I mean?) or is it kind of a generic city you can put in anywhere? I guess what I'm asking is...Is it a good representation of the City of Greyhawk?
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CF Admin
Joined: Oct 14, 2003
Posts: 586
From: Rel Astra
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Sun Oct 26, 2008 9:46 am
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It's a good product, but was similiarly done with The Adventure Begins, which I would imagine you could find much cheaper and more easily. _________________ Kneel before me, or you shall be KNELT!
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Adept Greytalker
Joined: Jul 29, 2006
Posts: 503
From: Dantredun, MN
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Sun Oct 26, 2008 12:36 pm
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Yes, it's definitely a worthwhile set to have. Carl Sargent had a hand in one of the two books, Folk, Feuds and Factions, which contains the most useful information. Unlike most Greyhawk authors, Sargent obviously read the first two Gord books and the old Dragon Magazine "Updates from Around the Flanaess" and it shows.
Cebrion wrote: |
Overall the city does not come off as being seedy/scummy enough for my taste, but that is easily fixed through roleplaying and description on the part of the dm. |
This is my main gripe with the CoG box. The description of Old City in Expedition to Greyhawk Ruins remedies this a little but it's still important to glean some inspiration from the Gord and Lankhmar novels to make the city a little more seedy.
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Journeyman Greytalker
Joined: Sep 12, 2005
Posts: 266
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Mon Oct 27, 2008 11:13 am
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IMHO this is one of the best D&D/AD&D products in any setting and any edition. The detail it provides and wealth of adventure hooks and NPCs included could keep a campaign running for years and then give you a whole new campaign for the next few years .
Sorry if this seems a bit OTT but this product was the basis on which later products detailing the city and the domain were built (including LG). If you can find it in hard copy, buy it and if not, source a download somewhere!
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Black Hand of Oblivion
Joined: Feb 16, 2003
Posts: 3836
From: So. Cal
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Mon Oct 27, 2008 9:19 pm
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dsdm23 wrote: |
Thanks for the input Cebrion. I'm curious...does it feel like Greyhawk (know what I mean?) or is it kind of a generic city you can put in anywhere? I guess what I'm asking is...Is it a good representation of the City of Greyhawk? |
I'd say yes, but it could be stuck into any campaign world. As usual, each DM will make it their own to suit their own style of campaign play. Every single part of the city is not fully detailed so there room to simply add in thigns that you want located there. You can of course choose to alter anything you want to in the first place if it doesn't suit your personal vision of Greyhawk. The simple realtiy is that everyone's vision of Greyhawk varies, if only slightly(usually).
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