Thanks for the heads-up. It'll be nice to have an in-depth choice for a 4e setting as opposed to the "limited series" annuals from WotC. I've never been a Kalamar fan before but hmmm.....
Are they the first company to publish 4E supplement?
Do they have any kind of license?
You don't really need a license. Technically you don't need to use the GSL to print any kind of 4e compatible material, but it's a good way to keep the lawyers at bay.
Wait a second, I thought Kenzer wasn't going with the GSL. Or did they change their mind? Or are they trying to go around it? But the preview makes explicit references to the PHB, I don't see how they couldn't use the GSL this way. Or maybe Kenzer figures their big enough to fight off WotC if the lawyers come-a suing.
EDIT: It is nice seeing a company like Kenzer doing 4e stuff, though. I'm not too familiar with the Kalamar setting, but it sounds like a nice alternative to the PoL setting, or even my own setting I'm making up.
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Wait a second, I thought Kenzer wasn't going with the GSL. Or did they change their mind? Or are they trying to go around it?
Are you thinking of Hackmaster?
They said they were developing a whole new system for that.IIRC, Kalamar was in a rare position of not being OGL or even d20, but an actual official 'Dungeons & Dragons' product line, logo and all, albeit not by WotC.
With the end of 3rd Edition, that licence may be over, so they need to move on.
Wait a second, I thought Kenzer wasn't going with the GSL. Or did they change their mind? Or are they trying to go around it? But the preview makes explicit references to the PHB, I don't see how they couldn't use the GSL this way. Or maybe Kenzer figures their big enough to fight off WotC if the lawyers come-a suing.
No, this 501-page setting PDF does not use the GSL. You don't need to use the GSL to create 4E-compatible products, as long as you don't tread on WotC's legal territory (similar to how a computer company makes a game/virus program/etc that runs on a Windows PC without asking Bill Gates permission...). Fortunately, David Kenzer is a lawyer, and knows what to do (or avoid doing).
The direct link to the 16-page preview PDF is HERE, for those who are interested.
The direct link to the 16-page preview PDF is HERE, for those who are interested.
VERY unimpressive.
The direct link to the 16-page preview PDF is HERE, for those who are interested.VERY unimpressive.
It has a nicely-written overview and smart production values---seems like a fine preview to me.
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VERY unimpressive.
I'm not currently switching to 4e but if anything was going to push me, it would be the publication of new Kalamar material.
The art in the preview is good quality. The maps are, as always, beautiful. The preview contains some small 4e crunch and a lot of good Kalamar fluff.
I must ask, what would impress you?
VERY unimpressive.I'm not currently switching to 4e but if anything was going to push me, it would be the publication of new Kalamar material.
The art in the preview is good quality. The maps are, as always, beautiful. The preview contains some small 4e crunch and a lot of good Kalamar fluff.
I must ask, what would impress you?
I'm not trying to offend anyone with my opinion. If you are a fan of Kalamar, and you see potential in this product, by all means, go for it.
I personally wasn't impressed with the preview (granted, I never saw 3.x Kalamar material). I thought the art was lackluster and I didn't like the mapping tool they used. The lack of detail in the maps bothered me particularly. Rough outlines of generic terrain. I want to be enticed with the possibilities of adventure! Those maps didn't do it for me.
I also wasn't too impressed with the 4E crunch I saw. The "dancer" horse mechanic seemed clunky, and I wish it had more of a "dancer" feel than some sort of half-assed rough terrain mechanic. I guess the half-hobgoblin didn't impress me either.
On a good note, the writing seemed to flow well and contained little errors that I noticed of what I read.
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SWEEEEEEET!
I may just shelve my homebrew. Awesome awesome awesome!
It is indeed nice to see that the 3pp picture for 4e is starting to clear. I'm happy that you 4e fans now have a little more in the way of quality options open.
My one concern is that it appears that publishers may be choosing to go the route of 4e compatible under fair use. My suspicion is that Wizards didn't design a license that they intended no one to use. So the logical question is what will be their reaction to this move by kenzer, and what I expect will be revealed to be the same move by Goodman? I know hasbro's legal department has deep pockets...
Regardless of whether my concerns are spot on or fall into the 'tinfoil hat' category (beloved of Sebastion), I wish kenzer & its fans the best! More options can only be good news, and not signing the gsl preserves the chance of future ogl goodness.
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Are they the first company to publish 4E supplement?
Do they have any kind of license?
You don't really need a license. Technically you don't need to use the GSL to print any kind of 4e compatible material, but it's a good way to keep the lawyers at bay.
Out of curiosity, how does that work legally?
I tried to like Kalamar back when they released it for 3rd edition, but there was just something uninspiring about it. There just wasn't anything that made me say "I want to play THERE".
And now, reading through the preview, it just looks like another setting that's being adapted from 3e by inserting the new races.
I'm still hoping for a campaign setting that's designed for 4e, not just one which explains why dragonborn have suddenly appeared.
Damn that's detailed. I may have to invest in some Kingdom of Kalamar products (am I correct in assuming they have D20 products as well as the new 4E products?).
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Damn that's detailed. I may have to invest in some Kingdom of Kalamar products (am I correct in assuming they have D20 products as well as the new 4E products?).
Yep. The Kingdoms of Kalamar Atlas, for example, is one of the finest gaming products I have ever purchased. Kalamar is an amazing setting.
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To those concerned, Kalamar is filled with details. The campaign book is not designed to fill in all those details but gives a very comprehensive overview of the whole known world (and some interesting adventure hooks for those wanting to design their own adventures). To really get the spots on the map filled in, one needs to buy the adventures. Kalamar is one of my all time favorite line of gaming books and until Golarion I ran all my games in it. It has places for horror, intrigue, high magic, low magic, psionics... a little bit of everything one might want.
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Damn that's detailed. I may have to invest in some Kingdom of Kalamar products (am I correct in assuming they have D20 products as well as the new 4E products?).
Unfortunately, the 3e/d20 Kalamar books were licensed under the D&D brand name and Kenzer is not allowed to publish or sell them anymore. Nevertheless they are still to be found on ebay and amazon. I would recomend starting with the campaign book and the Player's Guide. Then buy a couple of the adventures. From there I would get the Atlas, Dangerous Denizens and the Villain Design Handbook.
Geanavue, The Stones of Peace, is also a good early buy (it was written by Ed Greenwood). Also the Friends and Foes books are excellent buys at any time.
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Unfortunately, the 3e/d20 Kalamar books were licensed under the D&D brand name and Kenzer is not allowed to publish or sell them anymore. Nevertheless they are still to be found on ebay and amazon. I would recomend starting with the campaign book and the Player's Guide. Then buy a couple of the adventures. From there I would get the Atlas, Dangerous Denizens and the Villain Design Handbook.Geanavue, The Stones of Peace, is also a good early buy (it was written by Ed Greenwood). Also the Friends and Foes books are excellent buys at any time.
That's not quite true. Kenzer still publishes many of the 3.5 Kalamar books on lulu, they just don't use the D&D brand anymore. They even published a 3.5 version of the player's guide called the guide to the sovereign lands. No atlas or campaign setting, though but as these were extremely rules light, you might easily use the 4th edition version.
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Wait a second, I thought Kenzer wasn't going with the GSL. Or did they change their mind? Or are they trying to go around it? But the preview makes explicit references to the PHB, I don't see how they couldn't use the GSL this way. Or maybe Kenzer figures their big enough to fight off WotC if the lawyers come-a suing.No, this 501-page setting PDF does not use the GSL. You don't need to use the GSL to create 4E-compatible products, as long as you don't tread on WotC's legal territory (similar to how a computer company makes a game/virus program/etc that runs on a Windows PC without asking Bill Gates permission...). Fortunately, David Kenzer is a lawyer, and knows what to do (or avoid doing).
The direct link to the 16-page preview PDF is HERE, for those who are interested.
I do have a question for you Mark. What kinds of mechanics are in the pdf? Do you just have some rules for races and sub-races and channel divinity feats, or do you also have new classes, paragon paths, and feats?
I'm not trying to offend anyone with my opinion. If you are a fan of Kalamar, and you see potential in this product, by all means, go for it.
I personally wasn't impressed with the preview (granted, I never saw 3.x Kalamar material). I thought the art was lackluster and I didn't like the mapping tool they used. The lack of detail in the maps bothered me particularly. Rough outlines of generic terrain. I want to be enticed with the possibilities of adventure! Those maps didn't do it for me.
I also wasn't too impressed with the 4E crunch I saw. The "dancer" horse mechanic seemed clunky, and I wish it had more of a "dancer" feel than some sort of half-assed rough terrain mechanic. I guess the half-hobgoblin didn't impress me either.
On a good note, the writing seemed to flow well and contained little errors that I noticed of what I read.
I thought much the same when I looked over the pdf. It seems 'old fashioned' to me. The border decorations, the font choices, the colored link art, the cheesy chapter headings. It looks similar to a lot of the early 3.0 stuff. Great if you like that kind of thing, but a little dated to me.
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Wait a second, I thought Kenzer wasn't going with the GSL. Or did they change their mind? Or are they trying to go around it? But the preview makes explicit references to the PHB, I don't see how they couldn't use the GSL this way. Or maybe Kenzer figures their big enough to fight off WotC if the lawyers come-a suing.No, this 501-page setting PDF does not use the GSL. You don't need to use the GSL to create 4E-compatible products, as long as you don't tread on WotC's legal territory (similar to how a computer company makes a game/virus program/etc that runs on a Windows PC without asking Bill Gates permission...). Fortunately, David Kenzer is a lawyer, and knows what to do (or avoid doing).
Boy, I so wish the publishers going this route (and there are more and more every week) would agree to talk publically about this topic. I'd be all over those interviews for my podcast... (hint, hint)
---
Daniel M. Perez
Highmoon Media Productions
The Gamer Traveler Podcast
The Digital Front Podcast
I do have a question for you Mark. What kinds of mechanics are in the pdf? Do you just have some rules for races and sub-races and channel divinity feats, or do you also have new classes, paragon paths, and feats?
Take a look at the preview - page 5 lists all the new mechanics. There aren't any new classes, paragon paths, or feats (other than the 43 channel divinity feats for the cleric). Writing up a new class will be a massive amount of work now, thanks to all the new powers and such, but we (or a freelancer) may rework the classes from the Player's Guide to the Sovereign Lands at a later date.
Chapter One: Races of Tellene does include rules suggestions for ways a DM can create races (like the half-orc) and subraces (like the deep gnome) that don't exist in the current PHB. I didn't want to create new rules for WotC's common humanoid races outright, since they'll probably appear in a PHB 2 or similar supplement.
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Damn that's detailed. I may have to invest in some Kingdom of Kalamar products (am I correct in assuming they have D20 products as well as the new 4E products?).Yep. The Kingdoms of Kalamar Atlas, for example, is one of the finest gaming products I have ever purchased. Kalamar is an amazing setting.
Amen to that.
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There's a lot the wife and I really liked about d20 Kalamar, but it was incredibly hampered by a distinct lack of editing. (A major NPC is described as both genders only a couple of pages apart, for instance). While I appreciate that Kalamar is now 'spinning off' for 4E, and I expect a nice product, I really hope that - this time around - Jolly and Co. are more careful with the material.
Just when I was getting that warm happy feeling ...
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I never really went for Kalamar. I remember flipping through the Atlas at my FLGS and thinking this was really pretty. How is it distinct from other detailed settings? What makes it special, beyond the sheer amount of information available on the world?
Humans are not just humans. That above all else is an outstanding feature of the game. Other than RuneQuest's Glorantha I have yet to see a setting with such rich diversity in the cultures that populate Kalamar. Galorian is getting there but Kalamar still rules the roost in that department. It also excels in area of demi-humans. You can't wander through Kalamar killing every goblin, hobgoblin, or orc that you see. The world is not that black and white. All the while the details feel real - almost Harn like. The political map is rich and varied.
Then there is the intangible - it is detailed without presenting a ponderous amount of fluff text. The feel of the world and the details of its inhabitants are conveyed in a way that can be easily digested and understood. It does not contain the kind of bloated details that can weigh down most published settings.
It really is one of the best settings available for any RPG.
I would actually say that Kalamar's generic-ness was a strength. Many campaign settings are so set on being distinct that they were unusable for anything that wasn't produced by that company. Fer instance, I love Arcanis, but it's so specialized that it's hard to run even a simple adventure from Dungeon Magazine there.
Like I said above, though, it felt maybe a little too generic. It was a world filled with orcs and dwarves in which we could play a game involving orcs and dwarves.
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The direct link to the 16-page preview PDF is HERE, for those who are interested.
Mark,
How soon will print on demand be ready?
The direct link to the 16-page preview PDF is HERE, for those who are interested.Mark,
How soon will print on demand be ready?
I'd guess by the end of next week, but that's not 100% certain. Depends on the schedule of our production manager.
I'd guess by the end of next week, but that's not 100% certain. Depends on the schedule of our production manager.The direct link to the 16-page preview PDF is HERE, for those who are interested.Mark,
How soon will print on demand be ready?
Oh man, is there an estimated price for the print copy? I might have to get my hands on this book.
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Just when I was getting that warm happy feeling ...Or, KER-EIST!
Did you ever actually OWN the d20 version? I said, it was good and liked a lot of it, but the awful editing was a killer. Since the preview looks to largely be a lift of the older books (complete with very simple font and layout), I'm hoping that there was effort placed in the editing...
Jeeze.
Given the standard WOTC set for editing, I didn't find that many problems with the Kenzer stuff.
Oh man, is there an estimated price for the print copy? I might have to get my hands on this book.I'd guess by the end of next week, but that's not 100% certain. Depends on the schedule of our production manager.The direct link to the 16-page preview PDF is HERE, for those who are interested.Mark,
How soon will print on demand be ready?
No definite price point yet. Looks like the print version won't be out until end of July or maybe early August. Our production manager is in the Army reserves, and in a few days he's got to go away for a couple of weeks.
You can always console yourself with the PDF version in the meantime, though... :)
Oh man, is there an estimated price for the print copy? I might have to get my hands on this book.I'd guess by the end of next week, but that's not 100% certain. Depends on the schedule of our production manager.The direct link to the 16-page preview PDF is HERE, for those who are interested.Mark,
How soon will print on demand be ready?
No definite price point yet. Looks like the print version won't be out until end of July or maybe early August. Our production manager is in the Army reserves, and in a few days he's got to go away for a couple of weeks.
You can always console yourself with the PDF version in the meantime, though... :)
Yeah, but if I want a book I want a hard copy. Even if I get a pdf of a book (legal or otherwise) it's still pretty inconvenient to use in an actual game. The upside of pdf's is I can print out a specific page if I need it on hand, but unless the pdf is short I don't like reading them.
There's an early module with a fox-were that has a detailed history of how she got cursed. I have to find it in storage.
I will have to get the new book if I ever hope to play Kingdoms of Kalamar at conventions again.
There's an early module with a fox-were that has a detailed history of how she got cursed. I have to find it in storage.
That was released for D&D 3E as Aldriv's Revenge.
I took the Kalamar plunge today and ordered the PDF. What can I say? I love settings!
To celebrate the occasion (and because Keep on the Shadowfell has been run into the ground by my players), I'm going to a run a 4e conversion of The Root of All Evil on Saturday!
There's an early module with a fox-were that has a detailed history of how she got cursed. I have to find it in storage.That was released for D&D 3E as Aldriv's Revenge.
Thanks.
That explains why it's in storage.Like other Kalamar products, there's enough descriptive material that conversion should be easy.