I'm so sorry I didn't check this out earlier. It's Washington Irving meets Howard Lovecraft meets Gary Gygax with just a dash of Neal Gaiman. It's fooking brilliant.

NC makes me want to rush right out and buy Nyambe and, likewise, makes me lament the demise of the Uropa material that was so obviously on somebody's drawing board (that said, I'm using WLC as my Londinium with a heavy helping of Bog Standard D&D to represent the rest of Uropa).

This is the fantasy setting I've been looking for. All the fun of D&D without all of the "been there, done that" drawbacks of a game that has seen little conceptual revision since 1976.

What, what?

Link, please.

Quote from: Pierce InverarityWhat, what?

Link, please.

http://www.atlas-games.com/crown/index.php

Seanchai

Yeah, Northern Crown is sweet.  My only gripe is that they published it as two books, when it really should have been one.

Quote from: RezendevousYeah, Northern Crown is sweet.  My only gripe is that they published it as two books, when it really should have been one.

Yeah, that's the only gripe I have, and even that is a mild one. A very fun, well-thought-out, worthwhile setting.

Damn it, now I must have this game.

Regards,
David R

Released in 2005? Gee, that passed me by completely.

My first impression from the preview: very, very interesting but somewhat overcooked. Personally, I would ditch the 7th Sea vibe (make the Uropans more like boring colonialists), and possibly the Nyambe angle--you'd still have a very rich setting but a more focused one.

Again, just a first impression.

Quote from: Pierce InverarityReleased in 2005? Gee, that passed me by completely.

There was very little promotion for the product line, as Atlas was shrinking away from d20 publishing at the time (in fact, I think that Northern Crown was their last d20 product line). Also, Adamant (Gareth) published a short-lived periodical in 'almanac format' to support the line.

QuotePersonally, I would ditch the 7th Sea vibe (make the Uropans more like boring colonialists)

Honestly? There is little (if any) concrete discussion of Uropa in the books. The injection of Londinium (via WLC) was a personal contribution to my own planned campaign.

The NC books merely convey Uropa as existing. Very little actual information about the place is given (that said, enough information is given to make me suspect that it had been on somebody's drawing board once upon a time).

Quoteand possibly the Nyambe angle--you'd still have a very rich setting but a more focused one.

Nyambe is optional, though, as the NC discussion of slavery makes clear, a very decent resource (if only to understand where NC slaves come from and what their native cultures are like).

We released two issues of an official ezine for Northern Crown: Franklyn's Almanack; and a free adventure, The Caves of Chisca, which are all available via RPGNow (although the site is down right now, which is why I haven't linked).

Unfortunately, sales of Franklyn's were dismal, so we cancelled after two issues.   Ah well.   It was nifty, but not enough kewl powerz and big spikey armor badasses for most gamers, I guess.

I preferred it in the original free online version, which also had the much cooler title Septentrionalis.  That was set in actual history, but with mythic elements added and was IMO a much more fun setting.  The thing that put me off this was the existence of an entire world which was basically ours but with some changes to make it less cool, particularly given that wasn't the author's original vision but something imposed upon it by Atlas for (admittedly sound) commercial reasons.

Quote from: GMSkarkaWe released two issues of an official ezine for Northern Crown: Franklyn's Almanack; and a free adventure, The Caves of Chisca, which are all available via RPGNow (although the site is down right now, which is why I haven't linked).

Unfortunately, sales of Franklyn's were dismal, so we cancelled after two issues.   Ah well.   It was nifty, but not enough kewl powerz and big spikey armor badasses for most gamers, I guess.

The GM for the D&D game I play in. Played and ran a Northern Crown campaign for a while with his old group. As a matter of fact. He is in the midst of running us through the caves of  the chisca modified for D&D.

Quote from: GMSkarkaIt was nifty, but not enough kewl powerz and big spikey armor badasses for most gamers, I guess.

This seems to be the death of many games that aren't D&D.

Seems pretty much just like Deadlands D20 to me.

Quote from: kryystSeems pretty much just like Deadlands D20 to me.

Well, apart from a historical sitting more than 100 years and a thousand miles removed....sure, sorta, uh....I guess.

By that logic 1930s Pulp = 2030s Cyberpunk.

Quote from: kryystSeems pretty much just like Deadlands D20 to me.

Do you have either of those games? Not to snide, but...

Seanchai