James Ruhland
02-15-1998, 05:29 AM
> > dictate what happens in Cerilia, the way it ruined Athas, so long ago.
>
> I have never read any D&D books, and read no fiction in general. So, I
am
> unaware of how the books have influenced other campaigns, or how they
> might influence BR. If someone who has seen this process would explain
to
> me, how have novels "ruined" other campaigns, and how does the fiction
> effect the game supliments.
>
> I know its official policy in the Star Trek franchise that the novels are
> unofficial, and that any contradiction between movies & TV and any books
> are to beresolved in favor of the large or small screen.
>
TSR novels usually equal TSR gospel. I.E. if an event (like the distruction
of Zhentil Keep or the killing of Athas' Dragon) occurs in a Novel, it is
"official" that that event happened in the Gameworld and future products,
accessories, etc will reflect these changes. In the past, at the dawn of
TSR's publication of novels was Dragonlance. Events in that campaign world
tracked with (but did not exactly duplicate, so players could be surprised)
events in the novels. But players had the option to be the heros, to
perform heroic deeds, perhaps achieving the same result (the triumph of
good), but by different means. This practice was duplicated with Azure
Bonds (a module was published along with the book) and with the modules
Shadowdale, Tantras, and Waterdeep, which tracked the events followed in
the "Godswar"/"Avatar" trilogy of books. These modules marked, thus far,
the end of the practice of publishing modules that allowed PCs to be the
"heros" of the events covered in books.
And in that case it may have been a good thing; these last three modules
were so heavily scripted, and most of the "major" events were determined by
the actions of NPCs, it was a classic example of the worst kind of linear
dongeon; though they were well written, they were not very fun to play.
From that point on, events that occured in novels did not recieve treatment
in module form. Gameworlds just changed. Characters in Novels (I.E. the
ones set in Athas) could jump from being, say, a 9th level mage to suddenly
18th level in a way that would cause TSR employees to snear in derision if
they heard a gammer (you know, the people that buy and use this stuff)
describing a character that advanced in such a fashion in their own
campaigns. Major, gameworld altering events all take place off-stage (where
PCs are concerned). The Sorceror Kings and the almighty Dragon of Athas are
killed by NPCs in novels. Zhentil Keep is destroyed by NPCs in novels. Soon
I bet the Red Wizards of Thay will be destroyed by the Seven Sisters.
Point of all this isn't even so much that the destiny of gameworlds is
decided in ways that give players little influence; it's that it's usually
decided in ways that decrease, rather than increase, the threat that good
aligned PCs face. Take a different example: the Shadowrun universe's
destiny is controlled by FASA pretty tightly as well. But every year novels
and accessorys *increase* the number of villians and the level of the
threat PCs face. Cyric (an evil, powerful god) goes mad in the Forgotten
Realms, and Zhentil Keep, a focus of evil, is nuked. In Shadowrun
Dunkelzhan (a powerful, good dragon) is killed and everything goes to hell.
I.E. in one case there is more adventure oportunity and a heightened sense
that things are dangerous. In the other case the PCs can now travel unarmed
on a white charger carrying a sack of gold and know that if any mean people
attack them Elminster and his merry band of Archmages will come to their
rescue.
Now, a rejoinder to all this is "if you don't like what happens in the
novels, just ignore it". That's fine. I plan on doing that. But this is bad
for a gamming company (I.E. TSR) which hopes to sell accessories et al. I
plan on not buying many more FR accessories. Why? if I ignore what happens
in the novels, many of them are not very valuable to me. I may as well
spend the (vast) time and effort (which I buy accessories to avoid) in
designing my own campaign world. If I have to change every little detail in
the accessory, I'm 1) out 30 bucks and 2) still spending my time designing
my own world.
On the other hand, for the most part Shadowrun novels have enhanced my
gamming experience. I buy every (what few their are) SR accessory, and read
just about every novel. On the one hand, here's a company getting as much
of my $$ as possible. On the other hand, here's a company that used to sell
products (of one of their lines) to me, but is no longer getting my cash
(at least with respect to that product line).
> How does it work in BR?
>
So far BR novels have only contributed to the experience, they have not had
the flaws that the novels for other gameworlds have had. I wish there were
more BR novels because, so far, they've been an example of how a good novel
can enhance gameplay and your understanding of the gameworld, without
wreaking havoc.
>
> I have never read any D&D books, and read no fiction in general. So, I
am
> unaware of how the books have influenced other campaigns, or how they
> might influence BR. If someone who has seen this process would explain
to
> me, how have novels "ruined" other campaigns, and how does the fiction
> effect the game supliments.
>
> I know its official policy in the Star Trek franchise that the novels are
> unofficial, and that any contradiction between movies & TV and any books
> are to beresolved in favor of the large or small screen.
>
TSR novels usually equal TSR gospel. I.E. if an event (like the distruction
of Zhentil Keep or the killing of Athas' Dragon) occurs in a Novel, it is
"official" that that event happened in the Gameworld and future products,
accessories, etc will reflect these changes. In the past, at the dawn of
TSR's publication of novels was Dragonlance. Events in that campaign world
tracked with (but did not exactly duplicate, so players could be surprised)
events in the novels. But players had the option to be the heros, to
perform heroic deeds, perhaps achieving the same result (the triumph of
good), but by different means. This practice was duplicated with Azure
Bonds (a module was published along with the book) and with the modules
Shadowdale, Tantras, and Waterdeep, which tracked the events followed in
the "Godswar"/"Avatar" trilogy of books. These modules marked, thus far,
the end of the practice of publishing modules that allowed PCs to be the
"heros" of the events covered in books.
And in that case it may have been a good thing; these last three modules
were so heavily scripted, and most of the "major" events were determined by
the actions of NPCs, it was a classic example of the worst kind of linear
dongeon; though they were well written, they were not very fun to play.
From that point on, events that occured in novels did not recieve treatment
in module form. Gameworlds just changed. Characters in Novels (I.E. the
ones set in Athas) could jump from being, say, a 9th level mage to suddenly
18th level in a way that would cause TSR employees to snear in derision if
they heard a gammer (you know, the people that buy and use this stuff)
describing a character that advanced in such a fashion in their own
campaigns. Major, gameworld altering events all take place off-stage (where
PCs are concerned). The Sorceror Kings and the almighty Dragon of Athas are
killed by NPCs in novels. Zhentil Keep is destroyed by NPCs in novels. Soon
I bet the Red Wizards of Thay will be destroyed by the Seven Sisters.
Point of all this isn't even so much that the destiny of gameworlds is
decided in ways that give players little influence; it's that it's usually
decided in ways that decrease, rather than increase, the threat that good
aligned PCs face. Take a different example: the Shadowrun universe's
destiny is controlled by FASA pretty tightly as well. But every year novels
and accessorys *increase* the number of villians and the level of the
threat PCs face. Cyric (an evil, powerful god) goes mad in the Forgotten
Realms, and Zhentil Keep, a focus of evil, is nuked. In Shadowrun
Dunkelzhan (a powerful, good dragon) is killed and everything goes to hell.
I.E. in one case there is more adventure oportunity and a heightened sense
that things are dangerous. In the other case the PCs can now travel unarmed
on a white charger carrying a sack of gold and know that if any mean people
attack them Elminster and his merry band of Archmages will come to their
rescue.
Now, a rejoinder to all this is "if you don't like what happens in the
novels, just ignore it". That's fine. I plan on doing that. But this is bad
for a gamming company (I.E. TSR) which hopes to sell accessories et al. I
plan on not buying many more FR accessories. Why? if I ignore what happens
in the novels, many of them are not very valuable to me. I may as well
spend the (vast) time and effort (which I buy accessories to avoid) in
designing my own campaign world. If I have to change every little detail in
the accessory, I'm 1) out 30 bucks and 2) still spending my time designing
my own world.
On the other hand, for the most part Shadowrun novels have enhanced my
gamming experience. I buy every (what few their are) SR accessory, and read
just about every novel. On the one hand, here's a company getting as much
of my $$ as possible. On the other hand, here's a company that used to sell
products (of one of their lines) to me, but is no longer getting my cash
(at least with respect to that product line).
> How does it work in BR?
>
So far BR novels have only contributed to the experience, they have not had
the flaws that the novels for other gameworlds have had. I wish there were
more BR novels because, so far, they've been an example of how a good novel
can enhance gameplay and your understanding of the gameworld, without
wreaking havoc.