I'm considering picking up the Thieves World D20 books from Green Ronin to use for my next campaign. Are they any good?
I loved the short stories and am getting ready to read the novel that came out a few years ago.
I'm also thinking of placing Sanctuary in Greyhawk. I was thinking on the Wild Coast ca. CY580 before the Greyhawk Wars, about where Fax is now....make Greyhawk be the "kingdom" that Sanctuary is located in. I know it'll take some shoehorning. Any other locations for Sanctuary in GH that might be suitable?
I don't recall there being a lot of detail of the area around the city...just a map of a peninsula and a few locations scattered about. I don't seem to remember that it would have been too difficult, terrain wise, to drop into an existing campaign, but like I said--I haven't read the D20 book on Thieves' World. I like the idea of putting Sanctuary close to the City of Greyhawk as kind of its dirty rival and the orc hordes of the Pomarj stirring to the south....plus the slavers are nearby....I really think it might be cool.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts and feedback...
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I loved the TW books, too, F2K. I haven't had the chance to see the Green Ronin books, my FLGS hasn't ordered any of them, and I haven't had the spare $ to drop at the moment. I've been pleased with other GR offerings, though, so I reallllllly want to get these books sooner or later.
Now, as far as putting Sanctuary in Greyhawk, I don't think you're going to be getting an absolutely perfect fit, but if you were wanting to drop an actual town of Sanctuary into the existing Greyhawk map, I would say down on the southern Wild Coast would be the best place for it.
The stories did have a definite Arabian feel (at least heavy strains) to them, from Hakiem the Storyteller, sandy and arid geography, etc., so if you don't have your heart set on Sanctuary as Sanctuary, you might consider developing Lopolla or Molvar in Ket as Sanctuary...
In TW, you have the clash of the two cultures and pantheons, Rankan and Ilsigi, the gypsy-esque S'danzo... You could corrolate these with the Bakluni/Oeridian cultures and the Rhenee.
Either way, I think it would be fun and not that difficult to accomplish. Mostly just depends on the types of things you would like to do.
Anyway, that's my two copper helms on the topic.
Thanks Gavgoyle...I did remember the Arabian and Gypsy influence and I'll have to work those in for sure if I'm going to use the Wild Coast, but the thought of the city of Sanctuary near the site of the original Slaver modules and the Pomarj has me intrigued. I will keep your suggestions in mind, however, once I read the D20 TW books if I find that the Wild Coast requires too much adjusting.....
F2K, I have picked up the first book in the series and have given it a once over....
Liked the detail of the content. The folks at GR are good like that.
I never really saw the city to be as small as they make it in the handbook. Just judging from the size of the map it could pass for a small city (pop 5000) or so.
Good content on the local guilds and politics between them.
I would say it could pass for Port Toli in my mind, the city is pretty "strength of arms - might makes right" with the idea being that the nobles would like to bring more order and stability to the city and surrounding area. That kind of sounds like the Sea Prince Holdings as they are right now (just my opinion).
I would recomend the book. If nothing else it gives your campaign another fully fleshed out city to plug in if you need it. (This was the reasonI bought it)
I have read a few of the books though and enjoyed them. One of my "mysterious wizard patrons" for my group is named Enos Yorell. :-)
Roth....thank you--I never thought of the Sea Princes area...that's perfect...I could start the campaign a year or two before the Scarlet Brotherhood invades and that could be one of the major conflicts the PC's get embroiled in!
The Rhenee and the Baklunish could have some major colonies in the area, thus explaining the gypsy and Arabian influence....hmmmm......perhaps I could make that section of the coast of the Sea Princes a bit more arid than depicted in the WoG campaign setting and it would be a perfect match.
I recently bought "Shadowspawn's Guide to Sanctuary," "Thieves' World Players Manual" and "Murder at the Vulgar Unicorn."
EXCELLENT! Thanks Green Ronin!!
Thieves World is an excellent series. You should be able to fit it in and if your gamers have the thought that their thieves are top notch you can take them down a peg or two in Sanctuary! It is not described as the "most dangerous of fantasy cities" for nothing!
If you haven't read the new TW books yet, check them out. "Turning Points" is very, very good and "Enemies of Fortune" is fantasic!
The TW novels are on my reading list and I will start on them as soon as I finish the book I'm reading right now. Thanks for the feedback and the review!