About Hawkmoon and Elric

[Enpeze]

So we can agree that BRP for the Moorcock license has gone. Well not that Chaosium was very prolific with it, but at least the material they released has been good.

I always wished my french would be better because of the many excellent Hawkmoon books (about 16) which appeared in this language.

Recently I browsed through the Mongoose site in search of some material and info about the young kingdoms and found that 5 new books are coming for Elric and Hawkmoon the next few months.

Elric:
-Magic of the young kingdoms
-Elric of Melnibone companion
-Cults of the young kingdoms

Hawkmoon:
-Secret of tragic Europe (hawkmoon campaign!)
-Castle Brass

While I found not much use of the new Mongoose Elric core rulebook, I would really like to know if those new books are worth a look.

So my question. Has anybody bought Bright Shadows or Granbretan from Mongoose? If yes, do you think they are good?

[NickMiddleton]

I don't buy Mongoose Publishing books as a matter of principle (and the reasons go far wider than MRQ and are not really relevant to this thread) so I haven't read any of the MGP Eternal Champion stuff cover to cover.

But, from their previous work for the Chaosium games, I'd trust anything with Lawrence Whitaker or Charles Green as primary authors. Frankly, I don't rate Gareth Hanrahan's writing, and never have so if I was buying MGP stuff I'd still be steering clear of his stuff. There was a possibility that another of the people who wrote for Chaosium's incarnation of the game and who's work I highly rated might be doing some stuff for the line, but I don't know whether anything has come of that.

Loz (Lawrence Whitaker) does post here occasionally and since he's now an MGP staff writer may be able to give you a few snippets on what the upcoming books are likely to be about.

Cheers,

Nick Middleton

[soltakss]

Here are the reviews I have done for Mongoose's Elric, Hawkmoon and Granbretan:

Elric Review: Review of Mongoose RuneQuest Products

Hawkmoon Review: Review of Mongoose RuneQuest Products

Granbretan Review: Review of Mongoose RuneQuest Products

I haven't got any more of their Eternal Champion line and probably won't for a while due to other financial commitments but I am looking forward to the Corum book.

[Enpeze]

Many thanks for the reviews. I think I will buy Granbretan.

[soltakss]

Then my work here is done ......

[Charles Green]

I don't post to this forum often, but I do check it frequently, and am always happy to talk about my work for Elric.

[lawrence.whitaker]

All the Elric and Hawkmoon books are brilliant. Imaginative, thought-provoking, and mesmerising. The forthcoming titles, Elric Companion, Castle Brass, Cults, Magic... all will be paragons of excellence.



Okay, to be serious and less egocentric...

Simon's reviews speak for themselves. Charles Green has done brilliant work on Bright Shadows and Magic of the YK, and the Elric Companion takes a great deal of material that I couldn't fit into the main rules, plus a whole load of new stuff written for that project. Cults of the YK will expand cults further, but won't be a shopping list book of new and groovy cults; it will be a serious dip into who cults work in the YK, their relations, and what worshippers can expect.

Castle Brass is a detailed campaign setting and campaign outline for the Kamarg, Aigues Mortes and the Castle itself; lots of NPCs, maps of the regions, and lots of scheming and weirdness.

On Hawkmoon, I think Gareth Hanrahan has done a fine job. In particular, the opening of the Granbretan book is just fabulous, capturing the weirdness and comedy of the Hawkmoon setting in a really unique and imaginative way. A complete newcomer to the Hawkmoon saga can read that intro and know immediately what the flavour of the game (and books) is.

As Charles said, I'm very happy to talk about the Elric and Hawkmoon lines here, and on the Mongoose forums, so please feel free to ask questions.