Troll Lord Games

After taking a look at everything suggested, including the links and QS rules, I've decided to go with C&C as my RPG of choice.

I, of course, have further questions.

First, I'll need a near-complete world to play with, so I was going to go with Aihrde. But then there's Castle Zagyg/Eastmark, too! Which works best for you and why? Which product(s) should I buy?

Second, I'll need a starting adventure, so should I start with the Blacktooth series or Vakhund?

It will mainly be my wife and I playing, her with a PC and perhaps an NPC, and me playing the "silent NPC" tag-along. My wife teaches and I'm in grad school, so our gaming time is limited--which is why I am going with pre-generated worlds and adventures, for now.

Thanks for your help.

Hilary

Welcome to the Crusade!
As for Aihrde vs CZ I'd start with CZ as it's a smaller setting that's really been fleshed out (not to mention all the great stuff coming up for it). And then move on to Aihrde if you need a larger "world" later on. After all, CZ can be dropped into Aihrde without having to change your campaign.

As far as I'm concerned, the BEST starting adventure for C&C is The Rising Knight, which you can download here for free:
http://www.trolllord.com/newsite/cnc/8000C.html

From there, you can run right into Blacktooth Ridge or if you set The Rising Knight in or around the CZ area you can start running your own adventures.

Whatever you choose, happy gaming!

Welcome to the Crusade, hope you enjoy it. : ]

I concur with what Jackel told you.

The Castle Zagyg (CZ): Yggsburgh book alone has many mini-adventures included and a ton of plot hooks you can use, plus the CZ: Dark Chateau module is a good starting adventure as well.

I also recommend the U1, U2 and U3 C&C Modules. They are non-campaign world specific and can be dropped into any world.
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Welcome to the Crusade!

I will also concur with Jackal (and Aladar) in using the CZ setting (and Dark Chateau) as good starting points.

One good thing about CZ/Yggsburgh is that is is modular, and can be dropped into (Aihrde or) any campaign setting - it gives you more than enough to start and you can worry about dropping it into a world at a later time.

Welcome HLH.

Yggsburgh/East Mark is not a complete world really, but very detailed in and around Yggsburgh and Castle Zagyg.

Aihrde is a full world of adventure, but is pretty sparse at this point. Most of the TLG modules take place in this setting, but the setting as a whole is not nearly fleshed out at this point (IMO).

-O
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Duke Omote Landwehr, Holy Order of the FPQ ~ Prince of the Castles & Crusades Society

Welcome to the Light side...

Enjoy the veal!
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Let me put in a plug for do-it-yourself adventure/campaign world design for the time-strapped GM/CK. Personally, I'm finding it takes much more time to prepare someone else's adventure than something I make myself. You have to read the module at least a couple of times and then review it periodically just to make sure you have a working knowledge of the material. When I put something together myself, I usually find the time goes a lot faster (reading a 50-page module can be tedious sometimes) and I have a much better recall/mastery of the material. Granted, there's probably a better chance that a good published adventure will be better than something I come up with on my own in 3-4 hours, but when I am strapped for time I know I can come up with something that is at least reasonably enjoyable in much less time than going with someone else's module.

As for campaign settings, I've never understood the need for a hugely detailed campaign setting. You can always start with a generic village near the adventure site you have prepared and then expand the details from there as necessary or even on the fly. I've read through part of the Codex of Erde and it is very intriguing, but if you don't have much time why would you spend the many hours necessary to absorb Airdhe when you can start off with a generic fantasy setting with about 10-15 minutes worth of preparation?

Published modules and campaign settings can be fantastic resources to play with, but if you don't have much time for prep I just think doing it yourself is usually going to be faster and easier.

Welcome HLH...Enjoy the Crusade!

I must say I'm of the opposite opinion as to modules. I find as my prep time has become less and less that its easier to use a commercial (or DLed) adventure instead of cooking up the whole thing myself "on the fly". Of course, I rarely run a module completely as written...but the baseline is already there for me to tweak as needed.
As for campaign worlds....I must say that the more detailed a campaign world, the less interesting I find it. To me, a perfect published campaign world was the 79 Greyhawk Folio. It had enough info to give you the major aspects of the world but sparse enough for you to make it your own.
Just IMO, of course...

Mike
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Always remember, as a first principle of all D&D: playing BtB is not now, never was and never will be old school.- Tim Kask, Dragonsfoot

HLHartman wrote:
After taking a look at everything suggested, including the links and QS rules, I've decided to go with C&C as my RPG of choice.

I, of course, have further questions.

First, I'll need a near-complete world to play with, so I was going to go with Aihrde. But then there's Castle Zagyg/Eastmark, too! Which works best for you and why? Which product(s) should I buy?

Second, I'll need a starting adventure, so should I start with the Blacktooth series or Vakhund?

It will mainly be my wife and I playing, her with a PC and perhaps an NPC, and me playing the "silent NPC" tag-along. My wife teaches and I'm in grad school, so our gaming time is limited--which is why I am going with pre-generated worlds and adventures, for now.

Thanks for your help.

Hilary

Welcome and enjoy!

Hi. Enjoy the wine. We have good cheese, too.

Welcome to the Crusade and all that!

Here's another vote for Castle Zagyg. Theres enough here to keep games going indefinitely.

Believe the hype
True story: I found out about C&C for the first time ever on a Thursday afternoon*. By Friday, I had pumped my best friend up about it and I called a local game shop from work to see if they had any books for the game; they did. Friday afternoon after work, I picked up "Monsters and Treasure", the "Player's Handbook" and the CK Screen.

My best friend thought up a game while he was at work Friday (designated CK). He came over to my house and looked through the two books- first time ever in either of our hands, mind you. Another friend came over and literally within 30 minutes, we were playing.

I'll never forget this: I read the "Grapple" rule once before the game started. A grapple situation occurred during the game and I spouted the rule off before the CK could even crack the book open. It's just a great, intuitive system and a wonderful game!!

* when I heard 4th edition announced, I immediately decided to go old-school again. While searching for information about the old, yet highly praised, D&D "Rules Cyclopedia", I stumbled upon a post at WotC (of all places) that spoke favorably of C&C. I checked out C&C and knew it was for me!

Lee

FASAfan wrote:
Friday afternoon after work, I picked up the "Castle Keeper's Guide", the "Player's Handbook" and the CK Screen.

I knew the Trolls were lying to us!
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Matthew wrote:
I knew the Trolls were lying to us!

D'oh!! LOL!! Yep! I got a pre-relea...

No, no, no!! I meant "Monsters and Treasure"!!

Hmmm too quick to change the answer. I say we put him in irons till he tells us where to find the fabled "CKG" .

cinderblock wrote:
Hmmm too quick to change the answer. I say we put him in irons till he tells us where to find the fabled "CKG" .

Uncle, uncle!!

Ok, ok, I'll give everyone a teaser about the CKG:

The sections dealing with LARP and Filk are INCREDIBLE!! Steve and the rest of the Trolls really out did themselves with those twelve chapters!

FASAfan wrote:
Uncle, uncle!!

Ok, ok, I'll give everyone a teaser about the CKG:

The sections dealing with LARP and Filk are INCREDIBLE!! Steve and the rest of the Trolls really out did themselves with those twelve chapters!

** Nearly spits coke through nose on this one.
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John "Sir Seskis" Wright

Ilshara: Lands of Exile:
http://johnwright281.tripod.com/

High Squire of the C&C Society
www.cncsociety.org

Excellent! Now with the xp from that victim I just leveled up in Torturer!

Hah! I am hiding the CKG under my bed for now, but I will put it on ebay for auction next week!

LARP and filk? Umm yeah. LARP maybe. Filk, umm no. hehe So, you've got the ckg under your bed? RPG burglars are surrounding your Little Rock home the moment you go to bed. hehe

"Seriously Officer.. how did you see me? I totally made my check to Hide in Shadows. And last time I checked, town guardsmen had absolutely worthless stats."

*sounds of struggle*

"I roll with punch! I roll with punch!"

*punch*

Thanks, again, for the advice...and the antics!

Question: my eyesight is not what it used to be, so should I bother with the Collector's Set of C&C? What size is the font?

Otherwise, it's just me waiting for a payday before joining the ranks...err, crusade.

Thanks.

Hilary