Rogue Games Tabbloid -- August 5, 2009 Edition

5 August 2009

Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR [email protected]

ROGUE FEED

This 24-page module succeeds, in my opinion, not because it so closely mimics the look of the TSR modules of old (right down to the cover artwork by Peter Mullen, everyone’s favorite Erol Otus stand-in), but because it possesses that elusive quality of “cleverness.” The author takes a somewhat hackneyed premise — investigate weird goings-on at an ancient temple — and spins it into an imaginative site-based adventure that’s easily usable in any campaign — not high art by any means but still something well worth celebrating.

REVIEW: The Fane of Poisoned Prophecies AUG 04, 2009 01:33P.M.

The Fane of Poisoned Prophecies takes place within a Sun Temple that houses an oracle whose prophecies are sought out near and far. When her oracular powers seemingly start to fail, providing false pronouncements to those who seek them, it arouses suspicion and the player characters set out to investigate. Once at the Sun Temple, the characters must contend with its sacred guardians, as well as otherworldly invaders who’ve taken over the Temple and are the cause for the oracle’s feigned prophecies. In the process, they discover the true purpose of the Temple and the secret that lies hidden within its walls. My apologies if that description is vague, as I didn’t want to give away the Temple’s secret, which is something I think D&D has lacked for some time and that fits in well with its pulp fantasy roots. At the same time, the secret is a mere prelude for what is to come, as this module is the first of a proposed trilogy, the second of which will likely deal with the topic in greater detail. Indeed, if there’s one thing that disappointed me about The Fane of the Poisoned Prophecies, it’s that its cleverest idea is mostly alluded to rather than actually presented within its pages. Yet, the idea is clever enough that it gives a wonderful ambience to the entire module that enjoyably propels it along. I can only hope that its sequel is in fact published and lives up to the expectations this module generated. This adventure module uses the AD&D 1e rules and proudly states that fact on the cover. Why it didn’t use OSRIC I cannot say. It’s intended for a party of 4th-6th level characters and should definitely prove a challenge. Many of the monsters it uses are from later AD&D books, like the Fiend Folio and Monster Manual II, which gives the whole thing a slightly “weird” quality vaguely reminiscent of The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun, although not quite as intense, perhaps because the writing is much more workmanlike than was Gygax’s. The interior artwork by Jason Braun and Andy Taylor varies in quality, with the best pieces being those of Taylor, an artist whose work has, I think, improved considerably over the last year and whose style is wholly his own rather than being imitative of any of TSR’s stable from the Golden Age.

I’m pretty well known as a guy who would like to see the old school renaissance do more than endlessly rehash Keep on the Borderlands and ape TSR’s trade dress circa 1978. While I’m quite happy to use cloned rules, I’m far more reluctant to use cloned adventures, which is what I fear a great many recent old school adventures amount to. I’m not wholly opposed to clever reworkings of module staples, of course, but the operative word is “clever,” which is a rarity in any age but particularly so in an age when the esthetic and creative choices of the past are treated as normative rather than merely one possible approach among many.

In short, The Fane of the Poisoned Prophecies is a clever module. It doesn’t break new ground but it does what it sets out to do quite well, in addition to setting the scene for what I hope will be sequels that do open up some new vistas for Dungeons & Dragons. Goodness knows the old

That’s why I tend to think more highly of old school products that push the boundaries of the form a little bit. Guy Fullerton’s The Fane of Poisoned Prophecies doesn’t push any boundaries, but I liked it anyway.

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Today’s Tabbloid PERSONAL NEWS FOR [email protected]

5 August 2009

school scene could use a few more of them nowadays.

ROGUE FEED

Gygax Memorial Planned

Presentation: 7 out of 10 Creativity: 8 out of 10 Utility: 7 out of 10

AUG 04, 2009 08:28A.M. The Janesville Gazette reports that Gail Gygax will be seeking the permission of the Lake Geneva Park Board to erect a statue Library Park to honor the memory of her deceased husband, Gary. The article also notes that funds for the project will be obtained in a variety of ways, including the auctioning off of some of Gygax’s personal items, including “original manuscripts.” I have to admit that I feel a little uncomfortable with this idea. I hope that none of the manuscripts being auctioned have any real historical significance. As Indiana Jones might say, those belong in a museum, or at least a library, where they can be archived for the reference of future scholars.

Buy This If: You’re looking for a clever, site-based adventure for midlevel characters that uses old tropes to good effect. Don’t Buy This If: You’re looking for a module that stretches the limits of what old school gaming is all about.

ROGUE FEED I know it’s fashionable nowadays to mock all the reverence for Gygax in the old school community, but I think anyone who takes the time to think about it must concede that Gary was in fact an extremely influential figure in recent figure. His ideas and writings laid the groundwork for so much of our popular culture that it’s easy to dismiss such claims as mere hyperbole; it’s not, Gary really did change the world. That’s why I’d much rather see his original manuscripts in the hands of institutions of learning rather than in private hands, where they might never be seen by those of us who are trying to piece together a history of the hobby. Besides, I suspect Gygax has enough admirers who’d be willing to help defer the costs of this memorial that such an auction would be unnecessary. At least I hope that’s the case.

Pathfinder RPG Sells Out in Pre-Orders AUG 04, 2009 08:58A.M. This morning I received an email from Paizo indicating that the core rulebook of their upcoming Pathfinder RPG has sold out in pre-order. I think that’s great, since, while I’m not really the target audience for Pathfinder‘s rules — they’re still too fiddly and complex for my liking — I have a healthy dose of respect and affection for the guys and gals at Paizo, particularly Erik Mona, whose love for pulp fantasy exceeds my own. I keep my eye on what the company produces and am glad to see them succeed. I hope that, one day, they might dip their toes into the old school waters, because I have little doubt they understand what made the original editions of D&D so great. Still, press releases like this all raise my skepticism. Nowadays, it’s not uncommon to hear that a product in this industry has sold out before release, but, without solid figures on how many copies have been sold, what does it all mean? Erik Mona is quoted as saying, “To sell out a hugely ambitious print run before the release date just goes to show what an immense audience this game will enjoy in the years to come.” How many books are in “a hugely ambitious print run?” Is it 10,000 copies? More? I doubt we’ll ever really know and, on some level, I’m not sure it matters. So long as it’s enough to make Paizo some money and keep Pathfinder profitable, the numbers are probably immaterial. I just wish more gaming companies were more forthcoming with sales figures, since they’d go a long way toward putting the current state of the hobby in context, particularly to those of us who remember its faddishness — and ridiculous sales figures — from the 1980s. In any case, my congratulations to the Paizo crew. However you slice it, this is good news for them and I wish them every success in the world.

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