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Is this the first book in a series of Zobeck-Gazetteers? I have no doubt in its quality, but reading the description, it seems that these are just two aspects of a larger city.
I don't know if it is a stand alone or if there will be more, but I just got (and read through) my artist copy of the PDF yesterday and it is very well done. It has a lot of cool info in it - I would recommend it to just about anyone. Wolfgang seems to only put out great stuff and this looks to be no different. Interesting content and nice production quality.
Oh, and to the earlier poster that mentioned not being that familiar with Kobold Quarterly ... I would VERY much recommend that you check out an issue or two. Erik Mona has called KQ "the spiritual successor to Dragon magazine" and that's pretty much on the mark.
I'm very, very happy with how this one turned out, and it is a splendid first pass at the city NPCs, locales, history, magic, etc. While the description emphasizes the clockwork magic and the kobolds, those are the two elements that the project patrons wanted most material on. So, they got it.
Personally, I think of it as Gazetteer #1, and would be delighted if there were more down the road sometime. That depends on how this one does, of course.
I'm very, very happy with how this one turned out, and it is a splendid first pass at the city NPCs, locales, history, magic, etc. While the description emphasizes the clockwork magic and the kobolds, those are the two elements that the project patrons wanted most material on. So, they got it.
To add to what Wolfgang said,
I was one of the many patrons on the Project. The scope of Zobeck was so large that it was really hard to pick and choose what to ask Wolfgang to focus on. Speaking for myself, but trying to get a sense of what the other Patrons were interested in- I think we were trying to get those elements of Zobeck that were unique. That we could not draw upon from other settings.
As the Project evolved, there might have been a feeling that were elements that were equally as flavorable and special. Perhaps those elements weren't recognized as such, until the process was already well under way and it wasn't feasible to reconsider what to emphasize.
There were a lot of choices, and we couldn't have everything.. at least not the first time around.
I'm sure we'll see another Gazetteer someday, and those elements so thoroughly covered already will give way to other facets.
I think this product will be hot.. and the frequent tie-ins with KQ columns, it puts many puzzle pieces into place to present Zobeck as a cohesive and playable setting.
I picked up a copy and have gone through bits of it that sparked my interest. I have plans to go through it more thoroughly, but from what I can tell it's a wonderful piece. I run a home-brew city-based game, and I already have plans of incorporating many aspects of the book. The street-trap are interesting, deadly, even humors at times and above all a great way to add danger to a city-setting.
The clockwork domains/spells have a bit of a clever spin, but nothing earth shattering mechanics-wise - which in my opinion is a good thing. It makes it easy to incorporate with a few tweaks.
Over all I think, it's an inexpensive, quality piece brimming with clever ideas that I'm excited to delve more into.
As a note, the costs for the print edition are "at cost" for patrons. Right now, there are many patrons, but the numbers are small compared to big outfits like Paizo. Unless he's found a different deal with the fine folks here, print copies come from Lulu.com.
That said, please also check out Tales of Zobeck, the companion volume! Edited by Mike McArtor, it has eight different adventures written by patrons and by luminaries such as Wolfgang Baur himself. It has a nifty adventure by Ed Greenwood! What's not to like? :)
The print edition is available at the KQ store for $15.95. Normally I wouldn't point to the KQ site when we're right here at Paizo, but the snows here in the Seattle area have prevented it getting into the Paizo library. The materials are available, but the weather and Paizo's holiday schedule have meant they're a bit behind.
Given the success of the first one, I'm thinking we'll do a second, possibly slightly longer Gazetteer in 2009. It is competing against a number of other projects, including a Pathfinder RPG Open Design, a 4E Open Design, KQ, and others, but we'll be covering more Zobeck magic and setting material soon, definitely.
Is Paizo going to offer the print version of Kobold's guide to game design? I'd like to order them both at once.Yes, absolutely. Volume 1 is already available at Paizo, and Volume 2 should be available here in January.
Sorry i meant the gazetter and vol 2, I already have vol 1.
Hate paying for the PDF and the Print separately (that's why I subscribe) but Zobek for some reason doesn't read well on the screen, so I want the dead tree.
Sorry i meant the gazetter and vol 2, I already have vol 1.
The print Gazetteer was delivered to Paizo just before the snows hit, but hasn't made it into the store listings yet.
Volume 2 has likewise been uploaded to the Paizo store already (but the staff is on holiday, so the PDF is available at KQ.com or other venues for now). The print edition of Guide to Game Design Volume 2 should be in the Paizo store in mid-January.
Funny you should mention that....
If you read between the lines in the Pathfinder Chronicles campaign setting, you'll see that it is in the River Kingdoms.
Or so I like to think, anyway. Where would you put it?
I would merge Zobeck with the "near-independent
trading city of Hajoth Hakados", in Numeria, with the gearsmen being one model of Automatons of Numeria or have Zobeck replace wholesale the town of Pitax in the River Kingdoms or Restov in Brevoy.
Nuts. Restov is not in PC:CS. Is it detailed in a supplement? Oh wait. I see. Pitax isn't either. Good idea. Take undetailed places and drop Zobeck into them.
Sidenote: Is it just me, or could you turn Skywatch in Brevony into Skynet with constructs to get a Zobecki-Pathfinder Terminator-esque game?
No, but the currrent project is the Midgard setting book. It will be for Pathfinder and I'm sure at least some of the mechanics will get converted. If you like Zobeck you should become a patron.
by being a Patron, do I get access to some of Zobeck's stuff? I read the Midgard Patron benifits but it doesnt state anything about Zobeck specifically. I sm probably missing something.
[edit] I just noticed my copy of Sunken Empires says its Zobeck Gazzeteer IV. Now I am wondering what 1-3 is...
Zobeck Gazetteer #1 is the book this thread is about.
Zobeck Gazetteer #2 is Dwarves of the Ironcrags (also 3.5/OGL, also available here at Paizo).
Zobeck Gazetteer #3 is the Imperial Gazetteer, AKA the Gazetteer of Ghouls and Vampires, possibly available at Paizo.
#4 is Sunken Empires, as you said.
As a patron of the Midgard project, you'll see a fair bit of basic Zobeck information in that campaign setting when we design the Crossroads region, but it's not a deep dive into the Zobeck lore. Happy to provide more details on the patron forums any time, though.