Castle Zagyg: Yggsburgh

Frost · Post by **Frost** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 3:34 am

I took advantage of the 12th Day of X-mas sale and bought the Crusader magazine & Yggsburgh bundle. I bought the bundle more for the magazine than Yggsburgh, but I am exceptionally happy that I got this book. I haven't read any of Gygax's work in a long time and man does this book take me back. I reminds me of reading the Keep on the Borderlands for the first time. I love it. Some folks are hard on Gary for his writing style, but I find it charming.

This book is excellent and I think it's under-valued by the gaming community at large.

Thanks, Trolls. Well done.
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moriarty777 · Post by **moriarty777** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 5:34 pm

TheFrost wrote:
I took advantage of the 12th Day of X-mas sale and bought the Crusader magazine & Yggsburgh bundle. I bought the bundle more for the magazine than Yggsburgh, but I am exceptionally happy that I got this book. I haven't read any of Gygax's work in a long time and man does this book take me back. I reminds me of reading the Keep on the Borderlands for the first time. I love it. Some folks are hard on Gary for his writing style, but I find it charming.

This book is excellent and I think it's under-valued by the gaming community at large.

Thanks, Trolls. Well done.

It is a great book. I picked up my first copy with a week of getting my hands on the PHB and M&T books. The book is full of stuff to mine from! I've re-subscribed myself and will be benefiting from a second copy of this tome!

M
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Tadhg · Post by **Tadhg** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 4:12 am

TheFrost wrote:
I took advantage of the 12th Day of X-mas sale and bought the Crusader magazine & Yggsburgh bundle. I bought the bundle more for the magazine than Yggsburgh, but I am exceptionally happy that I got this book. I haven't read any of Gygax's work in a long time and man does this book take me back. I reminds me of reading the Keep on the Borderlands for the first time. I love it. Some folks are hard on Gary for his writing style, but I find it charming.

This book is excellent and I think it's under-valued by the gaming community at large.

Thanks, Trolls. Well done.

Well said.

And it is charming, as well as engaging and fun to read. Chock full of good gaming stuff and loads of adventures. For me, it's a must read, must have for any serious CK who loves Gary's vision of D&D!

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Omote · Post by **Omote** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 4:23 am

Yggsburgh is one of the unsung gems in the history of our hobby. It is just as good as Keep on the Borderlands, if not better and ranks up there with the best writing EGG ever did.

Yggsburgh is all kinds of greatness.

-O
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serleran · Post by **serleran** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 4:34 am

If you like Yggsburgh, then Upper Works is perfect for you. In my opinion, it is the best RPG product of the decade, if not longer. There have been other great products to come out, like City of Brass, Rappan Athuk: Reloaded, and Wilderlands of High Fantasy, but Upper Works is sheer beauty. Gary and Jeff did an immeasurable service to all of us in making this possible.

So, if you did not get Upper Works while it was available, I pity you.
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Post by **Fiffergrund** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 2:12 pm

If Yggsburgh is a flawless star sapphire, Upper Works is a Jewel of Flawlessness.

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moriarty777 · Post by **moriarty777** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 3:56 pm

serleran wrote:
If you like Yggsburgh, then Upper Works is perfect for you. In my opinion, it is the best RPG product of the decade, if not longer. There have been other great products to come out, like City of Brass, Rappan Athuk: Reloaded, and Wilderlands of High Fantasy, but Upper Works is sheer beauty. Gary and Jeff did an immeasurable service to all of us in making this possible.

So, if you did not get Upper Works while it was available, I pity you.

Alas, I only got one copy of the Upper Works and while I don't have Rappan Athuk: Reloaded, I have to agree that it ranks up there with the others on the list. I suppose I should put a few more entries into that little contest the Society has got going for a chance at owing a 'second' Upper Works set.

M
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Deogolf · Post by **Deogolf** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 4:26 pm

It is a great piece a gaming! Alas, it is a pity...
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Omote · Post by **Omote** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 1:09 am

Does anybody know how many copies of CZ: UW exist? I remember seeing everything at Gencon this year. I wonder if the subsequent influx of CZ:UW was of the same amount? More/less? Hmm.

-O
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TheMetal1 · Post by **TheMetal1** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 9:14 pm

This has probably been answered elsewhere, but if one of you could answer it, that would be a great help. Will CZ: Dungeons ever see the light of day with TLG? I've gotten all the CZ stuff, and would love to have the "final" depths of this product. (who knows maybe the trolls where planning Dungeons I, II, III, IV (for the alleged 20 levels of dungeon that Gary said he had no idea how many levels there were!).

Sure I could make up my own stuff connect to the Underdark or some other local, but would love to see the Trolls do this. Thanks for answering.

seskis281 · Post by **seskis281** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 9:20 pm

TheMetal1 wrote:
This has probably been answered elsewhere, but if one of you could answer it, that would be a great help. Will CZ: Dungeons ever see the light of day with TLG? I've gotten all the CZ stuff, and would love to have the "final" depths of this product. (who knows maybe the trolls where planning Dungeons I, II, III, IV (for the alleged 20 levels of dungeon that Gary said he had no idea how many levels there were!).

Sure I could make up my own stuff connect to the Underdark or some other local, but would love to see the Trolls do this. Thanks for answering.

Sadly the answer is no. All Gygax IP was pulled from TLG (including CZ, Gygaxian Fantasy Worlds series, Gord, and Lej. Adventures) by a new entity called Gygax Games founded by Gail and Spencer Wright, so there will be no further association on this material or publication through TLG. Tis a shame, but it is what it is.

This was the subject of many threads and much reaction this past year, but as Steve has asked, there's not much to be done so its onward and upward with C&C, SIEGE games, Aihrde and other TLG properties!

Hope that clarifies.
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TheMetal1 · Post by **TheMetal1** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 9:30 pm

John,

Thanks for the update. I figured that was the case. So it is onward and upward with C&C!

MacLeod · Post by **MacLeod** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 4:06 am

Can someone talk to me about Yggsburgh?

Tell me stuff. Everything.

Go!
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gideon_thorne · Post by **gideon_thorne** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 4:09 am

MacLeod wrote:
Can someone talk to me about Yggsburgh?

Tell me stuff. Everything.

Go!

Its a mini campaign setting, written by Gary Gygax that encompassed a 1500 square mile area. In that area, included the Town of Yggsburgh, and the legendary Castle Zagyg.

Best place to find any of the products right now is on ebay or Amazon.

The future of any of these products is uncertain. TLG no longer has anything to do with the line.
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MacLeod · Post by **MacLeod** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 5:09 am

So I gather it is really cool, then?

I don't normally use other folks' campaign settings... not because I am a world building genius but because they cost money AND I don't like remembering other peoples game world details... but hey, I'm willing to try something new.

Which reminds me... I've never used an adventure module either. Madness?
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Lord Dynel · Post by **Lord Dynel** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 12:11 pm

MacLeod wrote:
So I gather it is really cool, then?

I don't normally use other folks' campaign settings... not because I am a world building genius but because they cost money AND I don't like remembering other peoples game world details... but hey, I'm willing to try something new.

Which reminds me... I've never used an adventure module either. Madness?

Not madness. Call it "preference mandated by necessity."

If you have any experience or exposure to Greyhawk, it is written in the same style as that august setting. Jeff Talanian worked closely with Gary Gygax and it shows - Jeff did a fantastic job on the product. On one had there is no overarching story with the UW, but at the same time they'll be enough things to do - assuming you don't want battle after battle.

In the end, it all comes down to two things: 1) Do I want to spend the money? And 2) do I want to play in someone else's campaign world? If both are "yes" then you're set - go out and make some purchases. If, by necessity, you've gotten use to your own creations or otherwise can't (or don't) want to spend the money, then that's understandable. In the end, your campaign will be just fine without it, but with it it will be enhanced.
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MacLeod · Post by **MacLeod** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 9:11 pm

I've just been looking around at settings for a bit... Planning what I want to do with C&C when I can finally manage to get it goin'.
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Lord Dynel · Post by **Lord Dynel** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 10:53 pm

MacLeod wrote:
I've just been looking around at settings for a bit... Planning what I want to do with C&C when I can finally manage to get it goin'.

Indeed. In that case, I would further recommend either the East Mark Gazetteer, or the World of Greyhawk Campaign Setting (which should be available via pdf at fine online retailers). East mark is a little small, and Yggsburgh and the EM can be ported into it, or any campaign setting...I even think I recall some ingenious poster (Rhu, maybe, I can't recall) suggesting it be placed up in the Bloodstone region of he Forgotten Realms. It's pretty doable all by itself, though.
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MacLeod · Post by **MacLeod** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 11:31 pm

What is so fantastic about Greyhawk, sir? I know nothing about it, naturally.
What about Aihrde? That sounds kind of cool.
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paladin2019 · Post by **paladin2019** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 11:58 pm

When I ordered Yggsburgh, I was told by the TLG rep that there is nothing in Eastmark that wasn't in Yggsburgh. So I didn't get Eastmark. Is this true?

gideon_thorne · Post by **gideon_thorne** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 12:15 am

paladin2019 wrote:
Is this true?

This is true.
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paladin2019 · Post by **paladin2019** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 12:32 am

Was Dunfalcon ever described in a product or was that something for later?

Ghul · Post by **Ghul** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 12:35 am

LD -- Thank for the kind words regarding my work on CZ. I hope you've gotten some excellent use out of the adventure, or at the least some fun reading material. It was such a great joy to work with my boyhood idol, Gary Gygax, and I will forever cherish that.

Paladin -- GT is mostly correct. I would say that 90% of the setting information found in The Est Mark Gazetteer is also found in the Yggsburgh hardback. Besides cleaning up the editing and tweaking a bit of this and that, there was a bit of new material included as well, including:

* The Whole of the Urth & The Celestial Heavens

* Weather & Climate

* Trees of the East Mark

* An Examination of East Mark Populations

* Ancient and Current Languages

* Deities of the East Mark

We also saw to it that all the thorpes and villages were named.

Hope that helps.
Best,

Jeff T.

Wulfgarn · Post by **Wulfgarn** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 12:43 am

Ids there any way to get any of the Castle Zygag stuff now- I have Yggsburg and the folio but need the Upper works and a few other items

Lord Dynel · Post by **Lord Dynel** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 12:52 am

I think that is true. I dunno, I like the folio, though...and throwing my money in TLG's direction. But yeah, I think between Yggsburgh and UW, it's all repeated. IIRC, East Mark was to get us started on UW before it came out...I kinda got attached to it.

MacLeod wrote:
What is so fantastic about Greyhawk, sir? I know nothing about it, naturally.

That might take a whole other thread, hoss. What I can say (and not taking anything away from the other fantastic settings by TLG) is that it was Gygax's world, it was key in the creation of a lot of early modules (and made its subsequent return as 3.x's Core world), and to me it just gives me the ultimate feel of fantasy. It's a spectacular world with a little bit of everything and something for everyone. It's got a great history, there's been tons of stuff on it, yet it still remains pretty much a blank slate for a GM to do what he desires.

MacLeod wrote:
What about Aihrde? That sounds kind of cool.

It is. Mentioning Greyhawk was not taking anything away from Aihrde (or HH, for that matter). Aihrde is an awesome world, and I think (though I may be way, way off base) it conjures a lot of the Greyhawk feeling within its covers (it does for me, at lesat). It's history is great, it's got awesome locales, and the support (modules, accessories) is superb.
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Lord Dynel · Post by **Lord Dynel** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 1:03 am

Ghul wrote:
LD -- Thank for the kind words regarding my work on CZ. I hope you've gotten some excellent use out of the adventure, or at the least some fun reading material. It was such a great joy to work with my boyhood idol, Gary Gygax, and I will forever cherish that.

Paladin -- GT is mostly correct. I would say that 90% of the setting information found in The Est Mark Gazetteer is also found in the Yggsburgh hardback. Besides cleaning up the editing and tweaking a bit of this and that, there was a bit of new material included as well, including:

* The Whole of the Urth & The Celestial Heavens

* Weather & Climate

* Trees of the East Mark

* An Examination of East Mark Populations

* Ancient and Current Languages

* Deities of the East Mark

We also saw to it that all the thorpes and villages were named.

Hope that helps.
Best,

Jeff T.

You're quite welcome, Jeff. I like to give credit where credit is due. Thanks for chiming in and letting us know the difference - I had forgotten a lot of those things!

Here's hoping to see you around more...unless you're busy, which is a good thing!
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LD's C&C creations - the witch, a half-ogre, skill and 0-level rules

Troll Lord wrote:
Lord D: you understand where I"m coming from.

gideon_thorne · Post by **gideon_thorne** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 1:07 am

paladin2019 wrote:
Was Dunfalcon ever described in a product or was that something for later?

Nope. And It might have been done later. I guess we'll never know now.

Wufgarn wrote:
Is there any way to get any of the Castle Zygag stuff now- I have Yggsburg and the folio but need the Upper works and a few other items

Ebay, Amazon maybe, and you might find some stuff on Noble Knight. Beyond that, best of luck.
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Lord Dynel · Post by **Lord Dynel** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 1:15 am

Just to let everyone know...my FLGS has the UW in. I couldn't wait and I ordered it directly. So if anyone needs one, I can get one. We'd just do a Paypal transfer and I'd buy it and ship it (I'd double check with my FLGS to make sure they still have it first, them have them pull it for me). Just tossing that out there for anyone.
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LD's C&C creations - the witch, a half-ogre, skill and 0-level rules

Troll Lord wrote:
Lord D: you understand where I"m coming from.

SoulCatcher78 · Post by **SoulCatcher78** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 3:44 am

Lord Dynel wrote:
Just to let everyone know...my FLGS has the UW in. I couldn't wait and I ordered it directly. So if anyone needs one, I can get one. We'd just do a Paypal transfer and I'd buy it and ship it (I'd double check with my FLGS to make sure they still have it first, them have them pull it for me). Just tossing that out there for anyone.

Tempting if I didn't already have a copy. I wouldn't mind having an uncropped map (Storeroom level and Mouths of Madness) but I can't justify purchasing it again just for that. Having started to run the adventure in 4E, I'm having a blast (poor Pinky didn't fare to well tonight though ) with it.

Hrolfgar · Post by **Hrolfgar** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 4:25 am

Noble Knight is selling CZUpper Works for $95
Glad I already have it.
I need to stop leaving it on the floor before I step on it, had close call the other day.

Troll Lord Games

Castle Zagyg: Yggsburgh

Castle Zagyg: Yggsburgh

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