Chief Beetle Breeder
LIGHT WITHOUT SHADOW, BLADE WITHOUT EDGE - A Fantasy Adventure For BRP Heroes
A Fantasy Adventure For BRP Heroes
An ancient curse kills an obscure order of monks. Aeons later, the last island of human existence struggles against new masters of the world. Blood from those long-dead monks is the key to human salvation — and the last vial belongs to a vampire. You must steal it.
By David Fitzgerald, aka DMF. 48 pages.
If you own Light Without Shadow, Blade Without Edge, please consider helping your fellow members by writing a review.
Last edited by Trifletraxor; December 15th, 2009 at 21:24.
I just bought it, and have skimmed through it. It is well written, with a pleasant layout, and nice, servicable maps.
It makes several references to what seems to be a well-developed, home-made fantasy setting(the vampires in the story are called "Vangfur", the calendercount is "year 114 after Deserata's founding", there are skyships, and several gods mentioned by name. Guards are found wearing lacquered armour and wielding katanas.
Unfortunately, the mono only gives us the adventure, and no background
I'll come back with a critique with the adventure itself, once I've digested it properly. If someone else beats me to it, I wouldn't mind
Having read the scenario, I can't really recommend it as it stands.
The author might not be a professional, but he writes like one. The text is written in a clear, concise language, the layout is good, the included maps are good. Unfortunately, the writer doesn't think like a professional. Light without Shadow.. might be used as a convention-scenario, and will probably work well, but at the end the players will either be staring dumbfoundedly at the poor GM, or they'll become downright nasty.
I'd really wanted this to be good, because it has a lot of good points to it. There is a nice mix of roleplaying opportunities, investigation and fighting, and the setting that is hinted at throughout the scenario looks interesting. All well written.
The scenario starts the PC''s off as caravan guards, leading into a nice, investigative adventure. And this investigation leads to another, very good adventure, where the PC's are sent hunting for artifacts in a hostile land. Unfortunately, the author here decides to open his bag of stupid.(slightly spoilerish: time travel, deux ex machina etc).
The scenario is still salvagable, but what you get here for 8,95 is primarily an (a very good)example on how to write a scenario, and an equally good example on how to ruin(at least for me) a perfectly good story.
This is not me being nasty, I'm merely disappointed. This was not for me.
If there is another mono coming up from mr.Fitzgerald, fleshing out the setting in which Light.. is set, my opinion might change.
Chief Beetle Breeder
Time travel might fit into the author's setting but might not fit into many of the settings this scenario would be ported to. Are we talking about the final revelations at the end of the book, or is a substantial amount of the book dedicated to this part? How much work to change fitting your own setting?Originally Posted by kaddawang
Would you consider adding your opinions as a review in the review section kaddawang?
SGL.
Short review added.
Someone please disagree
You might port it to other setting. The plot is good, and a lot could be salvaged from it. But the story incorporates a little too many details of a world we know nothing about.
The time-travel is in no way extensive. But the plot hinges on it, and I think it is poor story-telling, as it is nothing but a wrench in an otherwise good plot.
And the time-travel still doesn't make any kind of sense. Even if it is sort-of explained at the grand finale.
Light Without Shadow, Blade Without Edge
You're playing a fantasy roleplaying game...and you believe that using magic to travel in time is odd? Isn't the reason why these games are made is so we can escape reality? Everything applies and can be used in a fantasy setting thats why its called "fantasy".
Nick of Chaosium
Chaosium Inc. - Nick Nacario - Nick Nacario
I don't mind timetravel. But timetravel can be a tricky storytelling mechanic.
And in this scenario, it rubs me the wrong way.
By all means, disagree. After all, I asked for it. But the fact still remains; I didn't like it(IMO the weakest BRP-mono so far). Others might like it, and if so, I do hope they make their opinion known.
Hi Nick,
Firstly, let me say welcome to the boards and that I am very glad to have someone from Chaosium make their presence known here!
Now, let me spoil that goodwill by disagreeing with you!
Just because it's 'Fantasy' and therefore 'imaginative' doesn't mean that anything goes in all fantasy. Fantasy, like all other forms of fiction, only works when it is somewhat believable. We expect our game worlds and works of fiction (and films) to have an internal logic to them - this allows us to interact with them in a reasonable manner. In fantasy we tend to remove some of the real-world logic that we already know (like physics) and replace it with a new logic (such a magic). As long as we the readers or players can suspend our disbelief in the new logic, it works. But when something too illogical is introduced, or if too many fantastic elements are introduced, our suspension of disbelief strains and eventually breaks. I'm sure we all have a different threshold for this, but at some point there will be something we don't accept - and at that point serious fantasy becomes farce, which is a different thing altogether.
The best Fantasy isn't good because everything goes. It's good because it's imaginary - but seems real.
Thalaba
Fanboys...
Ugh this is why i hate going to Gaming conventions. You people (fanboys) put way too much time into speculating whether or not something can or cannot work in a game. Its a game...you didn't complain when there was a butterfly in the patient for Operation, that wasnt realistic. You didn't complain when we created Broo, a race of goat people that could breed with ANYTHING. Yet you find time travel through magic UNBELIEVABLE? You all are ridiculous. KUDOS GUYS!! HERES A THUMBS UP :thumb:
Nick
My opinion does not reflect the opinion of Chaosium, just my own.
Last edited by NickofChaosium; August 17th, 2009 at 20:12.
Us people?hwell:
Nick I hope you are being sacrcastic, it is hard to tell.... :rolleyes:
Very slowly working towards completing my monograph.
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