Thank you Ayronis! Midgard does have a ton of great toys. I think the ley lines and the Huginn and the walkers and the status rules are my favorites. And the dragon magic. :)

And also, there's a new review up right here!

Soon I'm starting up my own campaign, though, and it will be Midgard to the hilt!

Dang it, I don't have the money to drop on this right now.

I'll probably still do it however.

SuperSlayer wrote:

I'm going to pick this book up along with a sixer of ale and say goodbye to the real world for a few hours.

Have a safe trip!

And for pity's sake, don't buy your booze from gnomes!

The Gnomes under my house have provided me with some of the best golden brew's I ever tasted for years now so I would say it's a bit late.

Regarding the book. This book should of been made a long long time ago. Get with it RPG companies!!!

Cities. WOW, cities. The maps, the regions, the people, everything in this book is delectably ripe for plunder.

Bought the Midgard Campaign Setting, would buy again.

Excellent work Kobold Press!

Before I dive into my review I want to put my feeling in a little context: I am a GM & I have my own home brew world which is neatly mapped out using campaign cartographer. I have extensive notes about this world kept in a file using Scrivner on my apple mac book. My players enjoy multiple handouts which support what I hope is a rich and immersive world. Why would I even pick up let alone appreciate a complete campaign guide? When picking up a campaign guid I am looking for a well organized reference book which contains both a fresh approach to the fantasy world genre as well as many small details which make the world come alive. Provided the book is well organized I should be able to pull many of the ideas and locations and drop them into my world with minimal effort. - simply put this work scores on all fronts. It is beautifully illustrated. It presents the information clearly and is a trove of imagination ripe with potential adventure and exploration. - well done team Kobold.

PartyPatch and Tanglebones, thank you! I am sorely tempted to quote you at the release party tomorrow night. "Delectably ripe for plunder" is so very true.

If you happen to be in the Seattle area, hey, it's a Midgard release party at AFK Tavern. Click on through, the menu is awesome.

If you happen to be in the Seattle area, hey, it's a Midgard release party at AFK Tavern. Click on through, the menu is awesome.

It'd be nice to be able to go to this...

Wolfgang Baur wrote:

If you happen to be in the Seattle area, hey, it's a Midgard release party at AFK Tavern. Click on through, the menu is awesome.

It'd be nice to be able to go to this...

You said it brother!

Oh to be wealthier than I am now!

PartyPatch and Tanglebones, thank you! I am sorely tempted to quote you at the release party tomorrow night. "Delectably ripe for plunder" is so very true.

If you happen to be in the Seattle area, hey, it's a Midgard release party at AFK Tavern. Click on through, the menu is awesome.

I'd love to if I had the money. But I doubt I could even afford the gas from here in western Montana.

Thank you Ayronis! Midgard does have a ton of great toys. I think the ley lines and the Huginn and the walkers and the status rules are my favorites. And the dragon magic. :)

And also, there's a new review up right here! []

I'm an Odinist, so I am partial to all of the Northlands stuff. I am even ignoring the fact that 'mead' was called an 'ale' in it, instead of linking it more with wines. (Can't remember if it was in the CS or the Northlands book.)

I am drinking some Huckleberry Mead right now. ;) I may drink either Chokecherry Mead or Spiced Mead later. But I will give a small amount to the earth in honor of the setting.

But I do like the take on Tengu also.

I am also fond of the Septimes. Also, the Gearforged.

Hel, I just like the damn setting....

Mead, I hope you'vfe checked out the Northlands-sourcebook. I wrote the stave-introduction fluff text for the chapters in that one as well as the skald archetype and am rather proud of them! :)

Really? That's cool, End - I didn't know that! I'll have to check your work out now!

Heh, maybe I'll even turn the table and write a review ... :)

Hit me as hard as you can, Marc! I was also the annoying guy that made sure the respective norse/norwegians/swedish/germanic etc. nomenclature sin that book would work out for their respective cultures, so if you consider that annoying, it is at least partially my fault. ;P

Mead, I hope you'vfe checked out the Northlands-sourcebook. I wrote the stave-introduction fluff text for the chapters in that one as well as the skald archetype and am rather proud of them! :)

Yup, I love the Northlands sourcebook. That was a sourcebook I had been eyeing for a long time, but I put it off and put it off until after I bought the Campaign Setting.

Bards are not my favorite class. In general I would never play one. I might be interested in playing the Skald you wrote though were I to play and not just collect books. Great job!

I haven't played any Pathfinder since I moved from Florida to Montana... harder to get a group. There was almost as many people in my county there, as this entire state.

Ahh well, at least if I get a group. I'll have the books. I'm all about readiness and prepping when it comes to survival... Might as well be the same for gaming.

Hit me as hard as you can, Marc! I was also the annoying guy that made sure the respective norse/norwegians/swedish/germanic etc. nomenclature sin that book would work out for their respective cultures, so if you consider that annoying, it is at least partially my fault. ;P

I did find the use of Tuoni as a female Trylleri name a bit odd. ;) but that is because I used to go by that name online. Tuoni is male.

I'm just teasing though, of course. I thought that in general, they fit.

I have just received my book, and I am thrilled. It looks beautiful, and seems to offer everything it promised.

The Tuoni-thing was aresult of Finnish influences being the forte of other patrons, not yours truly, so yeah, I'm not to keen on that either. ;)

The Tuoni-thing was aresult of Finnish influences being the forte of other patrons, not yours truly, so yeah, I'm not to keen on that either. ;)

As I said, it was just teasing anyone. It is not the first time I have had a username mistaken for a girls name.

Two more reviews! Thank you LeslieBrown16 and Patrick Curtin.

Thanks to a lighter than usual subscription month from Paizo, I went ahead and got the Hardback and PDF combo...I have really liked everything I have read from Open Design and am looking forward to this product!

I am a hard core Golarian GM, but always looking for ideas to steal for my campaign!!

Right now I don't see me using the (excellently presented) world as is, but the gods chapter is too good to pass up! And the ley lines are hyper cool. Great book!

Hrm, I had a little trouble finding Chapter 6 in the Table of Contents, had a quick panic that the Seven Cities weren't in Midgard, but thankfully, I was able to find it in the book!

There is, thank goodness, a very, very good index in the back. :)

The Midgard CS is fantastic. Art. Concept. Rules/crunch. And for all you folk still unconvinced - don't forget there's also this:

Midgard Preview

This little PDF rocks! A couple of totally awesome short fiction pieces by Wade Rockett and Jeff Grubb really introduce the feel, splendour and scope of the setting. There's also some overview of nations/states, a Huginn (Midgard tengu) writeup a la ARG including a Huginn Sorceror bloodline and amazing, amazing artwork throughout. It's free! Take a look!

That was a quick fix with the TOC.

Also, don't forget the very cool Midgard Atlas app for iPad. When I (finally) get to start a new campaign in Midgard, my iPad will be displaying the cloud-speckled map of Midgard for entire sessions :)

There's now a free preview of the setting, with two short stories (one by Guild Wars writer Jeff Grubb), plus a new PC race, the ravenfolk.

Did I mention it is free?

New review at Tower of the Lonely GM, and also a new review right here at Paizo by LeDM.

Key quotes:

I haven't been this excited about a campaign setting in a loooong time...

This book does not disappoint, and in fact makes the city of Zobeck and the region surrounding it the "heart" of the entire realm. I have the same feelings about adventuring here as when I first cracked the AD&D Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting grey box and discovered the Dalelands and Candlekeep. It stokes the fires of imagination and makes me excited to write adventures.

You can check the whole review right here, of course. And then we have:

Midgard’s allure (for me) comes from the way Wolfgang Baur mixes Eastern European and Nordic legends with the D&D legendarium – it reads as a classic (or historic game), but also as something fresh....

After a stunning cover, we’re introduced to Midgard’s premises. While I enjoyed its strong “fairy” take on elves and the way dragons intervene on the world, I was especially pleased to see the metagame element of ‘Time Flies, and Status Matters’. Midgard is not your usual ‘Points of Light’ setting – here adventures get old and also get famous, with all its benefits and complications. I really like this approach.

There's now a free preview of the setting, with two short stories (one by Guild Wars writer Jeff Grubb), plus a new PC race, the ravenfolk.

Did I mention it is free?

Will this also be available for download here on Paizo.com?

Loving the Patron PDF's ... just waiting on the book to get over to me. But post coming over the Atlantic can take a while!
Thinking of starting a Kingmaker game in Midgard too.

Wolfgang Baur wrote:

There's now a free preview of the setting, with two short stories (one by Guild Wars writer Jeff Grubb), plus a new PC race, the ravenfolk.

Will this also be available for download here on Paizo.com?

It will. However, a couple of the designers have asked for changes to the credits, and I'd like to make those before uploading here. So, patience, but we'll have it live on Paizo in a while as well.

I have a statement to make about Kobold Press and their Customer Service. I was waiting for my copy of the Midgard Campaign Setting and was waiting, and waiting and waiting. Finally I contacted Wolfgang to ask when they were shipped out. He figured the time of delivery and asked for continuous updates to see if it was delayed somehow. After constantly bugging our mail carrier it was determined that my copy had been lost in transit. Wolfgang took me at my word and arranged to have a replacement sent out free of any additional charges. I have had only one similar experience with lost packages and that was with Paizo. Both companies are top notch in my opinion. I have no problem continuing to purchase products from Kobold Press. Thank you to Wolfgang and Shelly. You folks are tops.

Just my 2 cp.

Thanks, Silverhair! Customer service doesn't always get the recognition it deserves, so I doubly appreciate it.

While I'm here, Midgard was reviewed by io9 today! I'm excited to see a major geekdom site take a look, especially with a summation like this:

a massive tome [with] expected, traditional fantasy tropes like elves and centaurs, dragons and demons; you'll also find delightfully startling twists on those old ideas. The centaurs are steppe nomads, and the huginn (ravenfolk) are descended from Odin's raven companions, for instance.

That reliance on semi-familiar folklore is a huge plus for this campaign setting. The gods range from Norse myths, less well-known Slavic deities, demonic dragon gods and a pantheon derived from ancient Egyptian lore. You won't find pigeonholed fantasy stereotypes too often. Not all elves live in tree cities, not all dwarves live underground.

There's a complexity and a dark beauty to this setting that comes through in the many tales woven throughout it and the excellent art....
Even if you have no intention of playing the game, it's an amazing book just to read through and experience a cohesive, rich fantasy world.

Preview PDF added, and a few sample pages as well!

Thanks, Liz!

The preview includes "The Bloodtide", a short story by Jeff Grubb, as well as a setting overview and a new PC Race, the Ravenfolk or Huginn.

And hey, free is good.

Just received my copy. A gorgeous book - very glad to have been part of it. 2012 has been an awesome year for outstanding, exceptional products somewhat out of the ordinary - it's a tough year to stand out from the crowd, but this manages with aplomb. The production values are exceptional, the setting rich and unique without being gimmicky..

I can't recommend it enough. Thanks Wolfgang and all concerned. Fantastic product. :)

My replacement copy of the Midgard Campaign Setting got here today. It was just mailed on Thursday. Thank you Shelly and Wolfgang.

I'm already putting material and places into my current midgard campaign that I'm going to use this fall. Great book!

I have a question. My Patron copy has 2 signatures on the Title page. I can make out one as being Wolfgang's, but cannot make out the other. Anyone know who the 2nd signature is?

I have a question. My Patron copy has 2 signatures on the Title page. I can make out one as being Wolfgang's, but cannot make out the other. Anyone know who the 2nd signature is?

I'm pretty sure that's Jeff Grubb.

What number did you get?

142. It seems the first one was lost in transit. I am still wondering if it will find its way here.

I am fixing to hand over the reins of GM'ing in January to one of my Wednesday players. But I am so wanting to run a PF in Midgard. I just need to get some more background guides so I can do it justice.

Just picked this up at my local FLGS. They admitted they usually don't carry much outside of the Paizo core (being a comic shop primarily) so I let them know that Kobold Press was good stuff. Looking forward to perusing it now with a cup of coffee. The production quality of the hardback book is excellent.

silverhair2008 wrote:

I have a question. My Patron copy has 2 signatures on the Title page. I can make out one as being Wolfgang's, but cannot make out the other. Anyone know who the 2nd signature is?

I'm pretty sure that's Jeff Grubb.

What number did you get?

Yup, that's Jeff Grubb's signature.

Number 140 of the Patron copies has arrived. Cannot stop myself read it!
Thanks to all the Kobolds, (and other patrons) for making the whole patronage of the project so much fun!

Cannot help to recommend the book and Kobold Press too much.

Thanks, Harper101! It turned out very well.

So well, in fact, that the Haste Podcast over at Obsidian Portal has devoted an episode to talking about it. Available now for your listeningification.

Well, I finally committed to it. Hopefully it will be here when I get back from training Friday.

Got the book. It's drop dead gorgeous.

If I were to complain All I can say at this point, it's that's my home city analog, Krakova, has been given the crest based on our cultural competitor, Warsaw. Why couldn't you give something more neutral? It's as bad as using derogative term for old lady as a name for NPC in Tales of Old Margreve (well, I know that some parents have a twisted sens of humor and named their son Dick Assman, but still...).

Otherwise it's perfect.

Regards,
Ruemere

That's not so different from my city, Raguza, was turned into a diabolist pirate port, with no autonomy from the ''Venetians''. To add more insult the ruler of the city, sorceress Biljana, is a Serbian name.

Interestng stuff! The gearforged are a little confusing though. It doesn't say they can wear armor but it doesn't say they can't. Any thoughts on that?

Good question, and yes, they can wear armor!

There's much more on the Gearforged and Clockwork Magic coming in the Player's Guide to the Crossroads, available Monday.