LANKHMAR - Is this world any good?

[emirikol]

Is this world any good? Is it just only a big city (like Waterdeep..only less detailed?).

Are there any cool campaign details that would make it outshine other lower-magic worlds such as Hyboria? Is it a lower-magic world? Are there kingdoms other than Lankhmar?

Have any of the older products or the new one by Mongoose been any good?

I've seen the map, but the world doesn't seem like it has a lot going on.

Thoughts?

jh

[S.Baldrick]

Lankhmar is large city in the world of Nehwon. All of this was created by writer Fritz Leiber. It was one of the first and original fantasy city settings. Leiber wrote the first of the Lankhmar stories in the late 1930s and people today still are reading them. On the basis that the stories are still around 70 years later, to answer your question, "Is this world any good?" I would have to say "yes".

I can not comment on Mongoose's Lankhmar products but I did run a few of the 2nd Edition modules around 13 years ago. They were pretty good as products go. "Lankhmar: City of Adventure." as 2nd Edition product that I didn't own but browsing through it in Hasting store in Grand Junction Colorado all those years ago, I do recall that it had a lot of detail about the city. I would think that a pdf version of the product is likely available for purchase and download at this very site if you are looking for details about the city.

To be honest, if you really want to get to know the world of Nehwon, read the books. They are likely at your library. So of the short stories, I didn't care for but the majority of them were great.

PS The Gray Mouser and Fafhrd probably have inspired more D&D characters than any other literary creations. They define the term "rogue."

PSS. It is definitely low magic and if you went past 4th level as a wizard, you automatically became evil (at least in the 2nd edition product that I ran.)

[dire satyr]

The world lankhmar is incredible as far as the actual books go, I would recomend them to anyone. Likable characters funny situations and overall a take on the world that I haven't seen before. As far as the new Mongoose products go, I have no idea. I believe they use the Runequest Setting's rules which I have read but have a hard time understanding. Everything goes up by percentages (which I get is really only an expanded take on the d20 rules, but I still don't like things getting more complicated), and there don't seem to be any levels to go up in or xp to gain.

On the other hand, I have an old 2nd edition Lankhmar book put out by TSR I think, that is pretty nice. The art sucks but it was way back, and for the most part, things are translated over pretty well. It is fun to look back at the different characters and remember them from the books.

As far as being low magic, the setting is one that alows even ordinary characters with a minimal amount of magical training to work out a chant or ritual. There are very few spellcasters of very great power, but the main characters are regularly in their employ. (Don't know how that translates to the RPG since it is unlikely that your pcs would actually play Fafrd and the Grey Mouser). There are also very interesting dietys that play an active role in the lives of chosen worshipers, going so far as to curse them for not paying enough attention. Also there is a fine distinction between the Gods OF Lankhmar and the Gods IN Lankhmar. The former are your typical RPG dietys, while the former are terrible walking corpses that have only appeared once. The gods of Lankhar don't really even mess with them.

It really is not the only city in the setting either, but it is sort of a Waterdeep, where it is the biggest inside the particular empire or region.

And now I have been typing so long I can't remember anymore of your questions...

I would absolutely recommend the novels the novels though. I guess that didn't really answer the vital questions about the RPG, but I hope it was of some help.

[Vinyl]

I ran a Lankhmar campaign years ago when the AD&D setting first came out with mixed fortunes.
A couple of our players were real fans of the fiction so that really helped with the atmosphere. However, most were old hands with AD&D and expected the magic to be similar - which unfortunately it isn't as the system (quite rightly!) sticks to the books' ideas.
In summary: the world is brilliant and if some aspects seem cliched it's only because of repeated mimicry since. However, it doesn't make a good role playing world with your 'typical' player. Although it took a lot of work, I still look back with fond memories though.

[Bill Lumberg]

I have the old TSR Lankhmar sourcebook. It focuses on the city of Lankhmar and has some brief information on the surrounding lands. The level of detail is enough to run a campaign but there is no substitute for reading the novels.

It is a low-magic setting. Wizards who advance beyond fifth(?) level suffer physical and/or mental afflictions with each level. It also places severe restrictions on how much time it takes to cast a spell and how much recovery time is needed before casting it again. Magic items are scarce. There are no non-human races for player characters and very few monsters compared to most settings.

The religions are interesting and lend themselves to customization. There is even precedent for gods to enter the world from other realities.

Overall, I think it is a great setting in terms of potential. You will have to flesh-out quite a bit of it.

[Stebehil]

I loved the books, they conveyed a nice atmosphere. Several of the stories were a little tongue-in-cheek. The wirting was done so vivid that I could see the scenery before my inner eye. It is somewhat different from you standard fantasy world, the heroes are rather selfish, the mighty are very strange, and there is the only story to my knowledge in which the roguish heroes stole a whole house (well, more a garden pavillon, but still...)

The stories are very entertaining and worth looking for. If it works for a RPG background, I cannot say.

Stefan

[Heathansson]

Fritz Leiber is one of the giants of the genre, no question about it. Just pick up one of his Fafhrd and Grey Mouser tales and find out.
His writing had a great impact on the game; thieve's guilds were all Leiber...good stuff.

[KnightErrantJR]

Absolutely some of my favorite fantasy books of all time. A ton of what is considered "standard" now comes from these books. I can't say enough about them.

[Krypter]

It's a fantastic low-magic world with some great locations outside of The City of Ten Thousand Smokes itself, but I would also recommend reading Leiber's novels for the flavour rather than the somewhat dry D&D sourcebooks. Fritz Leiber's writing is what brings the world alive, not any particular location or personage.

[delveg]

I've played a current (3.x) Lankhmar demo and enjoyed it. It is lower magic, with class tweaks and replacements to differentiate them in a low magic setting.

I join the chorus in suggesting that you read a few of the short stories for the flavor of the world... the cities are darker and scuzzier than most more recent fantasy settings. The cities and interactions with others in town are more important than many settings-- expect more urban adventures to capture some of the flavor.

[Valegrim]

Well, it will help if you read the books and maybe can get your hands on an old Dieties and Demigods that have those dieties and heroes in it. personally, I own it and like it.

[primemover003]

Ironically Dark Horse has just rereleased Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser by Mike Mignola this month. You might wanna check it out in addition to the actual novels which White Wolf republished in the mid to late 90's. I highly recommend Swords against the Shadowlands by Robin Wayne Bailey who was hand chosen by Leiber to continue the series. If it weren't for Leiber D&D wouldn't have things like Thieves Guilds, the Bazaar of the Bizarre, and a host of other fantasy staples.

Here's a link to the new Graphic Novel
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1593077130/ref=cm_sp_item/103-9442610-5594 231