Just a few questions on the map:
-The black lines on the map are railroads and the white lines are skyrails, correct?
-Are all the locations located along railroad and skyrail tracks stations?
-What are skyrails? Are they the trains shown in the artwork on high bridges, or are they something different? If they are the higher trains, do the other train systems run through the city on ground level?
Sorry if these are questions that are dumb, but I still have yet to read these books. They're on my list, but I must finish the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series first.
RPG Superstar 2013 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2011 Top 16
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I'd buy a campaign book about China Mieville's world in half a second. Perdido Street is the coolest, weirdest, most novel and innovative thing I've read in years.
Your best bet would be using Eberron as the base campaign setting rules. I can definitely see where Keith Baker got a few of his ideas from... Remade=Warforged, Cacotpi=Mournlands, Ligtning Rails, Airships, there are many similarities.
However I do have to say I was intrigued by the article. I had seen many references to Mievilles works but hadn't read them. I'll be picking up Perdido Street Station soon.
-I am a Vrock, I'm a Tanar'ri!
Ok, after countless endorsements of his writing over the past few years, and now Dragon devoting several articles to him, I'll pop China Mieville to the top of my reading list.
That being said, my question is - should I go ahead and read the Dragon articles (only read the Editorial and Interview so far), or would they contain spoilers so I should read the novels first and then go back to this issue?
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Looking forward to tis issue arriving in the UK. I've only read Perdido Street Station so far but was really impressed. So I'm wondering if in creating these articles if China was consulted or made any contributions. I've picked up some hints that he may be involved with roleplaying or at least know some gamers. And quotes such as the one below seem to indicate some familiarity with the game:
"They were immediately and absolutely recognisable as adventurers;
... They were hardy and dangerous, lawless, stripped of allegiance or morality, living off their wits, stealing and killing, hiring themselves out to whoever or whatever came. They were inspired by dubious virtues.
... They were scum who died violent deaths, hanging on to a certain cachet among the impressionable through their undeniable bravery and their occassionally impressive exploits."
China Mieville, Perdido Street Station
Director of Games
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Just a few questions on the map:
-The black lines on the map are railroads and the white lines are skyrails, correct?
-Are all the locations located along railroad and skyrail tracks stations?
-What are skyrails? Are they the trains shown in the artwork on high bridges, or are they something different? If they are the higher trains, do the other train systems run through the city on ground level?Sorry if these are questions that are dumb, but I still have yet to read these books. They're on my list, but I must finish the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series first.
Hey there all, to answer your questions...
Yes, the black lines are rails and the white lines are sky rails.
Skyrails are used by the militia to move about town in pods attached to the rails. They are similar to trains in most ways, but are smaller and for militia use only.
Jason Bulmahn
Managing Editor of Dragon
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Director of Games
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Ok, after countless endorsements of his writing over the past few years, and now Dragon devoting several articles to him, I'll pop China Mieville to the top of my reading list.
That being said, my question is - should I go ahead and read the Dragon articles (only read the Editorial and Interview so far), or would they contain spoilers so I should read the novels first and then go back to this issue?
Hey there Ken,
You might want to read the books first. While the articles do not contain complete plot spoilers, there is a great deal of information derived from the books, some of which you do not learn until late in the novels.
Jason Bulmahn
Managing Editor of Dragon
Comments and Questions!
I have to say - the Bas Lag material is extensive - more than enough to start a campaign with. I haven't read the books but now I want to.
The Possible Sword - OMFG. This is going into my AoW campaign.
It mentions that the khepri broodmothers forgot ten thousand years of khepri history - are the khepri supposed to have some sort of racial memory, like aboleths?
It also says that the khepri can't communicate in any language other than their own, but it lists Common as a bonus language - I expect that's a language understood but that the khepri is still unable to speak it.
Aren't Vodyanoi supposed to have the Aquatic subtype and the Amphibious special quality?
Male Anophelii seem very playable (other than the whole sphincter-mouth thing) - what sort of level adjustment should they have? Same deal with Scabmettlers and Wyrmen.
Slake Moths sound like perfect horror monsters. :-)
Also, Weavers. O.O Is their Chain of Consequences an at will ability? And, if I'm reading this right - limited wish with an effective casting time of 2d4 hours, or any 2nd level or lower spell with an effective casting time of 1 round (with the spell activating at the beginning of the weaver's next action). Is this right?
Thanks for the answers. I'd like to second the above questions, as many of them are ones that I had that I just wrote off.
Also, as far as planes go, I've heard of a Heaven and a Hell, but no other planes in Bas-Lag. Since weavers can plane shift and are all tied to the planes and such, what planes can they go to? Are the aforementioned two the only ones?
Also, vampirs of Bas-Lag seem similar to vampires in all respects except that they're created by a bacteria. If I were to say that vampirs (vampires) are those that got the disease from some place other than from another vampire, and that vampir spawn (vampire spawn) are those that were infected by vampirs or other vampir spawn, would that work as far as the books are concerned?
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Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
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So I'm wondering if in creating these articles if China was consulted or made any contributions.
China was consulted extensively over the course of a year, made significant contributions and changes in the manuscript, and provided maps to his world that have never before been made public. The articles open with a long interview in which he discusses his past.
Interestingly, the passage you quote is the whole reason I started the ball rolling on this project more than three years ago, and is the basis for this issue's editorial.
--Erik
It also says that the khepri can't communicate in any language other than their own, but it lists Common as a bonus language - I expect that's a language understood but that the khepri is still unable to speak it.
From the books, khepri can understand Common if they learn it and have to learn to use sign language to communicate in it or they must write it out. So, a khepri character would probably not make an excellent leader during combat or high stress situations unless everyone else were a khepri or understood khepri. From a roleplaying stand-point, they have the easiest hook, I would say, with the player remaining mostly silent except to declare and describe their character's actions and then passing notes for inter-party discussion.
I'm sorry to say, but I feel the articles took up too much space of the magizine. I have never read the China Mieville articles and if money stays the way it is right now, never will. I am sure they are great books and the articles do them justice, but I would rather have had that info spread over 2 or more issues so that there were articles useful to everyone.
Why is everybody seemingly unable to use any of the magazine's material? Everyone complains that too much is dedicated to Bas-Lag.
Yet every single monster and race (except, possibly, for the remade) can be used in any D&D game! It's from the books by Mieville, but it's not like it can't exist outside of Bas-Lag!
I agree, MaxSlasher. The anophelii would be awesome in a swamp. :)
I agree, MaxSlasher. The anophelii would be awesome in a swamp. :)
They'd be awesome anywhere! They're my second-favorite monster in the article. (First place goes to the slake moth.) :D
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Why is everybody seemingly unable to use any of the magazine's material? Everyone complains that too much is dedicated to Bas-Lag.
Yet every single monster and race (except, possibly, for the remade) can be used in any D&D game! It's from the books by Mieville, but it's not like it can't exist outside of Bas-Lag!
Dude, that's the $64,000 question. I'm stymied.
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Kobold Press
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Dude, that's the $64,000 question. I'm stymied.Why is everybody seemingly unable to use any of the magazine's material? ....
Yet every single monster and race (except, possibly, for the remade) can be used in any D&D game!
There's some gamers who think there's a difference between core fantasy settings: people who won't use a FR monster in Eberron in vice versa. I agree that it's really weird, but it's some kind of mental block that says anything not specifically made for their preferred setting is off limits or somehow impure if brought into their setting.
It's sort of the opposite of the homebrew attitude.
In the case of Eberron and Bas Lag, this is especially ironic, given the large debt that Keith Baker's creation seems to owe to Bas Lag.
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Hi there to all, and I apologize in advance for posting off-topic.
I will be honest, I am not a D&D gamer. I am, however, a massive China Mieville fan at the moment. I have recently finished The Scar and are now about 150 pages from the end of Perdido Street Station, and enjoying it immensely. I used to write in dribs and drabs myself but lost confidence and motivation some years ago, but reading Mieville's works has accelerated my imagination back up to flashpoint and I feel I am capable again.
Anywho, The reason why I am here and bothering you all is that while I was perusing China's wikipedia page, I happened upon the info. tidbit about these articles in Dragon Magazine.
I was just wondering if and where this magazine is available in the UK? Can anyone help me out, as I'd love to read these articles and especially the Bestiary, as I also see that there is Bas-Lag artwork there as well, which is in fatally short supply online.
Any help will be very much appreciated, thankyou, and sorry again for pestering anyone here, especially if the solution is a simple case of meandering into WHSmith.
Hey Guy!
I was waiting for one of the U.K. posters to see if they'd be of more help; I'm from U.S.A. in Texas, and I just got my copy today at the game store. I'd call around to game stores where you are and see if they have a copy, or when they're going to get their copies in; if not you can go to the Dragon section of this web page and order one from Paizo--I have no idea what postage would be, though. Hope that this helps.I don't know what WHSmith is even.
What weapons, armors and equipments do they use in Bas-Lag? Do they still use swords and such, what about armor? Are there guns and other advance technologies? The articles in that issue of Dragon were very vague about it.
I think some monsters may have been cut for space. Or at least, I turned over 10.5 monsters, and I see the cover image for 352 says "8 Deadly Monsters".
Any chances we'll see the cut material in a "web enhancement"? The monsters aside, was there anything else sizable left off?
- Chris Shadowens
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Kobold Press
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Any chances we'll see the cut material in a "web enhancement"? The monsters aside, was there anything else sizable left off?
The cut monsters are posted on my personal blog. There's no editing and no illustrations, but OTOH no wait. If you like those, please join the Open Design project, where I'm generating other new monsters and adventures customized for my patrons.
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Kobold Press
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What weapons, armors and equipments do they use in Bas-Lag? Do they still use swords and such, what about armor? Are there guns and other advance technologies? The articles in that issue of Dragon were very vague about it.
The truth is, Bas-Lag could easily be a 224-page campaign setting book, complete with a new magic system, more monsters, national descriptions, new equipment, etc. Dragon invested most an an issue in describing the setting (which fans of Mieville are sure to appreciate), but even that isn't the same as a complete, ready-to-run world.
It certainly possible to assume that Bas Lag armor and weapons follow the standard D&D form. There are special magical bombs, but it's not really a gunpowder setting, despite the emphasis on industry and urbanism. Combat is typically melee with swords and the like. The advanced technologies tend to be alchemical, golem-based, or otherwise magical.
Thanks for the cut monsters, Mr. Baur. Err...Wolfgang. Err...Wolfgang Baur. Hmm...don't know what to call you. Maybe I can just refer to you as the Ghoul King or something. (Or is that still wrong? :P)
The truth is, Bas-Lag could easily be a 224-page campaign setting book, complete with a new magic system, more monsters, national descriptions, new equipment, etc. Dragon invested most an an issue in describing the setting (which fans of Mieville are sure to appreciate), but even that isn't the same as a complete, ready-to-run world.
Wow! Is there any chance of that becoming a reality? I would definitely buy it!
The truth is, Bas-Lag could easily be a 224-page campaign setting book, complete with a new magic system, more monsters, national descriptions, new equipment, etc. Dragon invested most an an issue in describing the setting (which fans of Mieville are sure to appreciate), but even that isn't the same as a complete, ready-to-run world.Wow! Is there any chance of that becoming a reality? I would definitely buy it!
I would, too. If Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time gets its own book, Bas-Lag should, too. I could imagine using a defense system in its classes, like in the aforementioned RJ sourcebook. In the novels it seems like very few people actually wear armor.
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Kobold Press
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Wow! Is there any chance of that becoming a reality? I would definitely buy it!
So would I, but it's really up to Mr. Mieville and the RPG industry. I have no idea if anyone has offered to license the setting and produce it as a d20 campaign.
On the one hand, wow would that be cool. But some cool novels never turn into game books: Earthsea, the Kushiel saga, Tigana, the Jhereg books, the Golden Compass, Narnia for that matter.
I have not read any of China Mieville's work yet, but have to say this was a cool issue of Dragon anyway.
I'd like to see more worlds get this treatment, but most of the ones I really like are out already by a d20 licensee (Conan, Thieve's World, Lankhmar), or have their own game (Cthulhu, Elric), or have been GURPS world books sometime (River World, Disc World) or are more likely suited to d20 Modern/ d20 Future rules (Hitch Hiker's Guide to The Galaxy, Asimov's Robots-Galactic Empire-Foundation series).
I started reading Perdido Street Station this week because of this Dragon article. I'm loving it so far...I wouldn't mind seeing more Bas-Lag material show up in the magazine at a future date (maybe not such an expansive treatment next time).
Oh, well. I'm guessing it's a bomb of pure chaos, like from Monte Cook's Chaositech.
*ick* Raw Chaos, nasty stuff. You know, I've been looking for a way to easily use Chaositech since I bought it a few of years back. A Bas-Lag campaign'd do the trick nicely.
And speaking of Bas-Lag, the subject of music in gaming frequently comes up and I think I've a great "sound of Bas-Lag": Fields of the Nephilim. I was listening to their "Dawnrazor" album (c. 1987) the other day coincidentally while reading Dragon #352 and their "spaghetti-metal" style of gothic grittiness captured the feel I got while reading through the Bas-Lag Gazetteer.
- Chris Shadowens
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And speaking of Bas-Lag, the subject of music in gaming frequently comes up and I think I've a great "sound of Bas-Lag": Fields of the Nephilim. I was listening to their "Dawnrazor" album (c. 1987) the other day coincidentally while reading Dragon #352 and their "spaghetti-metal" style of gothic grittiness captured the feel I got while reading through the Bas-Lag Gazetteer.
- Chris Shadowens
Genius!! I don't normally go for music during gameplay, but this merits a try. FotN is good stuff anyway.
One thing I'm wondering about after finishing Perdido Street Station and the Dragon special - what is an Inchman? I see references to them all over the place, but nothing concrete. I can guess, but....
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Kobold Press
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One thing I'm wondering about after finishing Perdido Street Station and the Dragon special - what is an Inchman? I see references to them all over the place, but nothing concrete.
They're from Iron Council, and they're from the Cactopic Stain, an area of raw chaos...
Imagine a tauric carrion crawler/ogre, and you've pretty much got the idea.
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... The truth is, Bas-Lag could easily be a 224-page campaign setting book, complete with a new magic system, more monsters, national descriptions, new equipment, etc. Dragon invested most an an issue in describing the setting (which fans of Mieville are sure to appreciate), but even that isn't the same as a complete, ready-to-run world.
I hate to be one of the detractors here, but I wish it had received less room in the magazine and more to something else. I run a homebrew, but am extremely interested in Greyhawk stuff, which seems sorely lacking even though it is, IMO, supposed to be the "default" setting for D&D.
I totally understand that I am not the full readership of the magazine and, from the postings here, this Bas-Lag place has some interested people in it. I cannot think that this is universally what those of us who play D&D are looking for. With having said that, I'll consider myself "exposed", much like being "exposed" to impressionistic art, and in the same vein, I now know I don't care for this setting.Oh well, to each his own, I suppose. All in all, when you are tallying the feedback for this article and more of the same, put me down for a big "no". But keep up the rest of the work, which by and large, is good.
F.W.
"More Greyhawk!"
Well I loved this one, I’m running Eberron and the Remade have already made an appearance, all it takes is a little creativity, a little narrative flexibility, and it can all be made to fit if you want it too.
But then I had a very by the book player a member of a society I made up for 16 levels thinking they were an official part of the setting back in a second edition forgotten realms game I ran. I’m rather good at adding new elements to existing worlds.
All in all a lot of interesting reading, some very useful new monsters and items, and a great issue. Anyone who claims the contents cant be adapted either inst trying to or doesn’t want to in the first place.
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One thing I'm wondering about after finishing Perdido Street Station and the Dragon special - what is an Inchman? I see references to them all over the place, but nothing concrete.They're from Iron Council, and they're from the Cactopic Stain, an area of raw chaos...
Imagine a tauric carrion crawler/ogre, and you've pretty much got the idea.
Cool! I was a little nervous that it would be "they are really tiny men, only an inch tall - you know, a bit like smurfs!". Of course, that was a silly worry, but still...
I haven't read any of China Mieville's books yet, but I promise I will soon. I enjoied the issue greatly, and I would pre-order the campaign setting sourcebook tommorow, were it made into such. I hope there shall be a web enhancement for this issue appearing soon (wink, wink, nug, nug).
There is only one small piece of info missing from the articles that I hope can be provided regardless; do the individual races of Bas-Lag have preferred leanings alignment wise? I suspect that like most other insectile race, the Khepri have a Lawful aspect, but that's my best guesstimate.
I haven't read any of China Mieville's books yet, but I promise I will soon. I enjoied the issue greatly, and I would pre-order the campaign setting sourcebook tommorow, were it made into such. I hope there shall be a web enhancement for this issue appearing soon (wink, wink, nug, nug).
There is only one small piece of info missing from the articles that I hope can be provided regardless; do the individual races of Bas-Lag have preferred leanings alignment wise? I suspect that like most other insectile race, the Khepri have a Lawful aspect, but that's my best guesstimate.
Well, for a Bas-Lag campaign, I would dispense with alignment all together. Shades of grey is really the rule, hence the huge number of neutrally aligned NPCs in the write up of New Crobuzon. But if you were to stick to alignment, I think you're spot on with Khepri as predominantly lawful (except for the crime lords, of course). Cactacae would, in my mind, fit mostly neutral alignments; their loyalties are all over the place. Remade would definitely fall mostly into the chaotic and evil strata, if not originally, then soon after their Remaking. Vodyanoi would have a strong neutral and good tendency in my mind. Of course, this is all my own guesses.
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I totally understand that I am not the full readership of the magazine and, from the postings here, this Bas-Lag place has some interested people in it. I cannot think that this is universally what those of us who play D&D are looking for. With having said that, I'll consider myself "exposed", much like being "exposed" to impressionistic art, and in the same vein, I now know I don't care for this setting.
I second your sentiments almost entirely. Cool concept, but not one I care for that much. Posted a response along those lines in another thread.
We now return to our regularly scheduled Mieville love-fest. :)
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Oh, well. I'm guessing it's a bomb of pure chaos, like from Monte Cook's Chaositech.*ick* Raw Chaos, nasty stuff. You know, I've been looking for a way to easily use Chaositech since I bought it a few of years back. A Bas-Lag campaign'd do the trick nicely.
And speaking of Bas-Lag, the subject of music in gaming frequently comes up and I think I've a great "sound of Bas-Lag": Fields of the Nephilim. I was listening to their "Dawnrazor" album (c. 1987) the other day coincidentally while reading Dragon #352 and their "spaghetti-metal" style of gothic grittiness captured the feel I got while reading through the Bas-Lag Gazetteer.
- Chris Shadowens
I think I'm on to something, because the Garuda isn't much bothered by chaos magic, and those torqued up areas don't concern them much.
Hey Editor people!
Thank you for doing a China Mieville edition. I really enjoyed reading it.
Thanks!