Black Company RPG

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2005-01-19 11:52pm

I've just picked up this hard covered bad boy earlier today and here is my review

1. It's big. 318 pages of material.

2. The game includes a summary of the books, a history of the world, information on the relevant places, a map, a frequent sprinkling of quotes. The art, which is plentiful, is of varying quality but it is all consistent with the Black Company universe.

3. The game is a modified version of D20. All classes are modified to fit into the humancentric, godless, gritty world of the book. There are several optional rules to enhance deadliness (and particularily ambushes) to make it more like the world where Old Man Fish can take down Raven or Raven and Croaker can ambush two powerful wizards. The D&D hitpoint system isn't such a bad fit to the Black Company universe given the obscene vitality of beings like the Taken, Toadkiller Dog, and the forvalaka.

4. Sane silver based economy instead of D&D's crazy one.

5. Enhanced mastercraft rules to compensate for the rarity of magic goodies in the Black Company universe.

6. New magic system to reflect how magic works in the Black Company. The system seems pretty good and is similar to the Epic Spellcasting system. Wizards learn Talents, which are like spell seeds, like feats and can get feats which give bonuses to use certain Talents. Create Fire, Shadow Mastery, and Shape Shifting are three Talents.

7. Stats for many characters and critters.

8. Mass combat rules. Feats, class abilities, and skills can give bonuses.

9. Prestige classes: Deciever, Great General, Top Kick, and Veteran to name a few. They all fit.

Problems: Armor Class. Black Company players will have smaller attack bonuses and there are mastercraft defensive bonuses and defensive feats, but ACs may be too low. I can't say that for sure yet, but I will have my eyes open for it while playing.

Overall Impression: It is really, really good.

Enforcer Talen · Post by **Enforcer Talen** » 2005-01-20 12:13am

its at my gamestore. I must look through it.

Im loving the prostituton background skill, btw.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2005-01-20 12:38am

coolness

which reminds me of the big bad mojo stick that they used to shoot the shadow bastard with with a ballista.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2005-01-20 12:44am

The Yosemite Bear wrote:coolness

which reminds me of the big bad mojo stick that they used to shoot the shadow bastard with with a ballista.

When was that? If you mean in Shadow Games they didn't use any magic, they just pelted him with artillery and some got through. If you mean the Lance of Passion, which they stuck in him after he drifted close to the ground, yes they have rules for that as well as One Eye's spear.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2005-01-20 12:50am

Imperial Overlord wrote:
The Yosemite Bear wrote:coolness

which reminds me of the big bad mojo stick that they used to shoot the shadow bastard with with a ballista.
When was that? If you mean in Shadow Games they didn't use any magic, they just pelted him with artillery and some got through. If you mean the Lance of Passion, which they stuck in him after he drifted close to the ground, yes they have rules for that as well as One Eye's spear.

One eye's spear

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2005-01-20 12:55am

So out of curiosity can you give us a run down of the basic classes and any big differences from D&D? I have the feeling this could be a sweet campaign setting/game system and I'd like to know all their is.

If it's really worth it might by it as a substitute for D&D for some games the group here runs.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2005-01-20 01:14am

No problem Stormbringer.

First: Things I forgot to mention. Nastier below 0 hp rules. Healing skill more important. Love your physician.

I should also recommend Monte Cooks Arcana Unearthed as an alternate D20 system while we are on the subject.

Academian: d6 hp, 8+skillpoints, .5 attack progression, skill bonus class abilities.

Berserker: Barbarian with a few tweaks.

Fighter: Command feat instead of a bonus feat at 1st level, bonus action points, a professional soldier class.

Jack of All Trades: 8+skillpoints, d6 hp, .75 attacks, bonus feats and skill bonuses.

Noble: A variant on the SWd20 class with commander/leader bonuses.

Ranger: Non spellcasting variant. More Combat styles (archery, cavalry, light, two handed, two weapon, unarmed), ambush bonuses (similar to sneak attack)

Scout: rural rogue type. rogue/ranger mix

Thief: urban rogue type. (almost identical to 3.5 Rogue).

Weapon Master: Monk/Fighter mix (think Uncle Doj). Monk like stats, but focusing on using a weapon really well instead of uber Kung Fu. No supernatural, but several extraordinary abilities.

Wizard

Zealot: Barbarian variant. Favoured enemy type bonuses, barbarian like rage, lots of hp bonuses. No bonus feats (unlike berserker). Long on zeal, not much skill.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2005-01-20 01:27am

Dang, that sounds interesting indeed. Thanks. I'm definitely going to have to look into this.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2005-01-20 01:32am

One really handy feature is that there is a whole section on campaign ideas covering the world and multiple time periods. If you are thinking "I love the Black Company, but how would I set up a campaign?" this book will answer the question. Here's one idea I hadn't though of, but they did:

The Limper gets the Silver Spike.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2005-01-20 01:41am

Erm get it as in Limper get's spiked, or limper get's to use the spike on whom ever he want's to?

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2005-01-20 01:45am

As in the battle at the end of the books happens differently and the Limper gets his hands on the most powerful magical artifact in the world. The suggestion is that the Dominator's essence possesses the Limper and goes after the Black Company for payback.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2005-01-20 01:49am

Their background research is extraordinarily well done, including speculations about the Shape Shifters true name based on facts dropped by the Lady, his relationship with other Taken, and Whisper's notes. There is no doubt that the writers know the series foreward and backwards.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2005-01-20 01:52am

I still haven't gotten past book 2 of the south....

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2005-01-20 01:55am

She is the Darkness and Soldier's Live are fairly decent, but the books after Dreams of Steel are notably inferior.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2005-01-20 01:59am

Ok, I read that far when I was first in college, I started on the series when I was in High School.

It along with a few others I lost when my ex-roomie vanished along with my old skool AD&D books.

Symmetry · Post by **Symmetry** » 2005-01-20 02:41am

Well timed, I just won the book on ebay, and I'll post again when it gets here. Looks really great from what you've said, and from what I've seen on review sites.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2005-01-20 02:52am

It's really well done. My nitpicks (and boy can I nitpick) are few. Better than the usual high quality Green Ronin job. They are also doing Thieves World and the the new version of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay and this bodes well.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2005-01-20 02:57am

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2005-01-20 04:50am

Also, complete rules for playing Tonk with examples.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2005-01-24 01:03am

Played it for the first time last night. Character creation ate a lot of time, so it was a short session. The ambush rules are fairly deadly and did a lot to add a slightly paranoid Black Company atmosphere to the game. Playing a couple of hands of tonk at the beginning also helped foster the mood. I am quite pleased with the result.