# Necromancer's City of Brass



## TerraDave (Aug 15, 2007)

Someone actually have this long rumored box set? Any thing you would like to share?








Please.


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## catsclaw227 (Aug 15, 2007)

I just ordered it from Amazon. I hope it's as good as the hype, and worth all the long delays.  I normally dig Necromancer products, but they've been few and far between lately.


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## Whizbang Dustyboots (Aug 15, 2007)

I still wish this had been a hardback or two.


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## mattcolville (Aug 15, 2007)

I am really looking forward to this. There's no reason Necromancer should be able to fulfill my own person vision of what the Fabled City of Brass should be like, but I can't wait to see something really meaty that I can sink my teeth into and customize to suit.


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## trancejeremy (Aug 15, 2007)

Whizbang Dustyboots said:
			
		

> I still wish this had been a hardback or two.




Yeah, but by going with a boxed set, they can charge double the price. And presumably sell 2 copies when your first one gets ruined (becaues that's pretty much the fate of all boxed sets that get used a lot. Even sitting on a shelf can be dangerous to them).

Just be glad they didn't make it a limited edition and jack up the price another $10-20...


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## Mouseferatu (Aug 15, 2007)

trancejeremy said:
			
		

> Yeah, but by going with a boxed set, they can charge double the price.




I wish it worked that way. Boxed sets cost a lot more than hardbacks to print/publish. The extra cost associated with a boxed set is _not_ profit.


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## amethal (Aug 15, 2007)

Mouseferatu said:
			
		

> The extra cost associated with a boxed set is _not_ profit.



It's profit for somebody


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## Glyfair (Aug 15, 2007)

I was just at my FLGS and they had it on the shelf (as well as_ Monte Cook's WoD_.) While I didn't buy it (being recently unemployed), it was very heavy and definitely seemed like it would be worth the $70.

In fact, it was heavier than Monte Cook's World of Darkness hardcover.


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## Mouseferatu (Aug 15, 2007)

amethal said:
			
		

> It's profit for somebody




Profit that doesn't benefit either me, or my direct employer, doesn't count.   

But okay, I'll clarify.  It's not profit _for the publisher_.


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## elijah snow (Aug 15, 2007)

I love Necromancer's products, but sometimes its a little hard to get information about them before you buy. And with a price tag this high, I would really like to know the TOC, format details, etc.

Am I missing it somewhere?


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## w_earle_wheeler (Aug 15, 2007)

I had pre-ordered it from Books-A-Million, but then it was listed as "out of stock" and I canceled the order. I got cold feet about spending that much money I guess. 

Now I'll be waiting for reviews of the product before I attempt to order it again.


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## EricNoah (Aug 15, 2007)

It is funny how "bring back boxed sets" was the mantra for a while, with those same people pooh-poohing hardcover books as a cheap way to get out of doing it right.  I guess you can't please everybody.


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## Grimstaff (Aug 15, 2007)

elijah snow said:
			
		

> I love Necromancer's products, but sometimes its a little hard to get information about them before you buy. And with a price tag this high, I would really like to know the TOC, format details, etc.
> 
> Am I missing it somewhere?



I dont think so, Necro's webmaster went AWOL several months back, and their website has been pretty sketchy on things ever since. The last mention of it seems to be a preview of the cover art from a couple of months ago.


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## johnnype (Aug 15, 2007)

I'd like to read a review or two myself. I'm also waiting to hear what WotC's big announcements are before I sink any more money on D20. I suspect I'll own it by this time next week.

Ari, are you one of the writers? How much Epic material does it include?


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## Whizbang Dustyboots (Aug 15, 2007)

EricNoah said:
			
		

> It is funny how "bring back boxed sets" was the mantra for a while, with those same people pooh-poohing hardcover books as a cheap way to get out of doing it right.  I guess you can't please everybody.



Heh, I felt like a lone voice in the wilderness in those days. My boxed sets ended up a loose set of booklets and pieces of paper in record time, back in the old days. The hardcovers, though, are still in good shape.


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## grodog (Aug 16, 2007)

EricNoah said:
			
		

> It is funny how "bring back boxed sets" was the mantra for a while, with those same people pooh-poohing hardcover books as a cheap way to get out of doing it right.  I guess you can't please everybody.




I'm really looking forward to checking this out, and I for one am very excited that NG published CoB as a boxed set:  the quality of the Wilderlands box set was quite good, and I'm hoping for the same here.


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## DaveMage (Aug 16, 2007)

grodog said:
			
		

> I'm really looking forward to checking this out, and I for one am very excited that NG published CoB as a boxed set:  the quality of the Wilderlands box set was quite good, and I'm hoping for the same here.




Ditto.

Although since I ordered from amazon, I could see it next week or next year....


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## catsclaw227 (Aug 16, 2007)

Was Rob Kuntz's City of Brass for Hackmaster  a serious book?  I heard that it isn't the satire that much of the Hackmaster stuff was and that it was pretty darn good.

The fact that it was called Sir Robilar's City of Brass tells me something about it.


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## catsclaw227 (Aug 16, 2007)

DaveMage said:
			
		

> Although since I ordered from amazon, I could see it next week or next year....




Oh man.... I got the impression from my purchase invoive that it would be shipped tomorrow.  I really hope I don't have to wait a couple of weeks.


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## Mouseferatu (Aug 16, 2007)

johnnype said:
			
		

> Ari, are you one of the writers? How much Epic material does it include?




Nope. When I referred to my experience with boxed sets, I was talking about _Egyptian Adventures: Hamunaptra_, from Green Ronin. My only credits for Necromancer to date are _The Doom of Listonshire_ and the _Tome of Artifacts_.

While it would've been amazingly cool to be a part of something as laden with classic references as _City of Brass_, I have to say, I'm looking forward to picking it up and reading it purely as a fan.


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## Whizbang Dustyboots (Aug 16, 2007)

catsclaw227 said:
			
		

> Oh man.... I got the impression from my purchase invoive that it would be shipped tomorrow.  I really hope I don't have to wait a couple of weeks.



It depends on when they think they'll have it in stock. They're promising to ship me A More Perfect Union for M&M sometime ... next month.


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## catsclaw227 (Aug 16, 2007)

Mouseferatu said:
			
		

> Nope. When I referred to my experience with boxed sets, I was talking about _Egyptian Adventures: Hamunaptra_, from Green Ronin.



Wow.... I had no idea that Hamunaptra was a boxed set.  I wonder if I should get my hands on it to flesh out an Egyptian like region of my game world.



			
				Mouseferatu said:
			
		

> My only credits for Necromancer to date are _The Doom of Listonshire_ and the _Tome of Artifacts_.



Doom of Listenshire was wildly underappreciated.  A great piece of work, Ari.


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## dragonlordofpoondari (Aug 16, 2007)

<in my best operatic voice>

I can't WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIT!


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## EricNoah (Aug 16, 2007)

catsclaw227 said:
			
		

> Wow.... I had no idea that Hamunaptra was a boxed set.  I wonder if I should get my hands on it to flesh out an Egyptian like region of my game world.




On that tangent ... don't bother.  It was not particularly good.  Unless you like the idea of elves, dwarves, gnomes, etc. running around ancient Egypt.


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## Kvantum (Aug 16, 2007)

Well, I've got my copy, and it's pretty much what we can expect from Necromancer: extremely well done, if taking FOREVER to actually get published, and with a few stupid typos here and there (somebody forgot to close some HTML tags, methinks...) (WW shipped it early, along with my copy of MCWoD). It ties in quite a bit with the planes they detailed in Tome of Horrors II, with the City being in its own demiplane, the Plane of Molten Skies (located at the juncture of Air, Earth, and Fire). The N"Gathu also show up, so ToH 2 is a really good book to have if you're going to get the most out of this

(It's not necessary, all stats are reprinted, but it is nice to have.)


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## Whizbang Dustyboots (Aug 16, 2007)

EricNoah said:
			
		

> On that tangent ... don't bother.  It was not particularly good.  Unless you like the idea of elves, dwarves, gnomes, etc. running around ancient Egypt.



Wow, first time I've seen someone criticize this.


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## EricNoah (Aug 16, 2007)

Aye, 'twas a major disappointment.  I stuck it in my "to sell" pile almost immediately after I bought it.  

But now, back to the City of Brass...


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## bowbe (Aug 16, 2007)

CITY OF BRASS 
Table of Contents
Book I: The City of Brass
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: History of the City of Brass        
Chapter 3: The Plane of Molten Skies        
Chapter 4: The Bazaar of Beggars        
Chapter 5: City of Brass Overview        
Chapter 6: The Upper City        
Chapter 7: The Middle City        
Chapter 8: The Lower City        
Chapter 9: The Sultan’s Palace  

Book II: Tales of Brass: 1001 Efreeti Nights
Chapter 10: Prologue        
Chapter 11: The Path of the Prophet        
Chapter 12: The Shining Pyramid        
Chapter 13: The Minaret of Screams        
Chapter 14: The Great Repository        
Chapter 15: The City of the Dead Sultana        
Chapter 16: The Circus of Pain        
Chapter 17: The KhizAnah        
Chapter 18: The Ziggurat of Flame        
Chapter 19: The Pagoda of Devils        
Chapter 20: Tower of the Grand Vizier     

Book 3:Monsters&NPCs Appendix
Appendix 1: NPCs
Appendix 2: Monsters
Appendix 3: Battle Slaves        
Appendix 4: New Spells        
Appendix 5: New Feats and Magic Items        
Appendix 6: New Prestige Classes/Classes        
Appendix 7: 101 Story Seeds        
Appendix 8: OGL  

Book 4: Maps

400 ish pages total if not "On the Nose"

Interiors by Brian LeBlanc and others, with Brians work being some of his very best.
Maps by Ed Bourelle (Ptolus). The map book is printed in a brownish color to look "aged and mysterious". Haven't recieved my comp copies yet.

We had quite a few RPG luminaries offer some of the 101 Adventure seeds, and some locations here and there. Rob Schwalb, Anthony Pryor, Rob Mull, Patrick Lawinger, Ect. Clark Peterson had some initial input on "what he wanted" and as the boss we complied. The rest of the meat and "fluff" of the book was myself, and Scott Greene (Tome of Horrors Series) who developed a lot of the cool planar traits and of course ground through a mind numbing number of stats. 

Scott and I are both really proud of this product, but haven't "seen" the physical copy yet. Evidently the pre-orders got theirs  before the comps went out this time around! I'll be giving it my first hands on look around noon-1pm tomorrow in Indy. 

Books 1, 2 and 4 are pretty "edition (stat) free" and comprise the bulk of the book. 
Case


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## bowbe (Aug 16, 2007)

Kvantum

Yeah dunno whats up with the <2> if thats what your talking about. I did an extensive search of that stuff on the proofs but evidently a couple got missed. 

Those are the "formatting tags" WW uses for their layout programs and they are a pain in the backside. Nobody else I write for uses them, and thats probably the reason.

Case


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## Mouseferatu (Aug 16, 2007)

EricNoah said:
			
		

> On that tangent ... don't bother.  It was not particularly good.  Unless you like the idea of elves, dwarves, gnomes, etc. running around ancient Egypt.




I'm sorry you felt that way, Eric, though we knew going in that it wouldn't be for everyone.

The thing is, it was never our intention to make "D20 Ancient Egypt," which--as you apparently would have preferred--would've been humans-only and a lot more true to history. What we were doing was "Egyptian D&D." _Hamunaptra_ was meant to fall into the same neighborhood as _Al-Qadim_ and _Nyambe_--that is, to take the D&D defaults and tweak them for an Egyptian flavor/mood/feel/theme, rather than to try to model a historical period. We did a lot of historical research, yes, to make it "as Egyptian" as possible. But at the end of the day, our objective was to create a D&D supplement.


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## TarionzCousin (Aug 16, 2007)

EricNoah said:
			
		

> I guess you can't please everybody.



What?!? Since when? 

That wrecks my whole "Monty Haul on Steroids" style of DM'ing.   

--

On another note, I have the Hackmaster City of Brass as well as the WotC version found in the Planar Handbook. I look forward to seeing Necromancer's version.


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## Treebore (Aug 16, 2007)

I love boxed sets. I will definitely be buying three copies of this. Its going to be a "classic".

I have no doubt of it, Case and Scott wrote much of it.


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## Hjorimir (Aug 16, 2007)

Is it 4E compatible?


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## bowbe (Aug 16, 2007)

books 1, 2, and 4 are for sure hahaha.


You know this isn't the first time our friends have gutted me with an edition change the day before Gen Con! The last time of course was with Vampires and Liches... and all that really id was add 2 years to the time that the print run sold out.

That said I think that COB is a wholesome enough product to survive even a drastic rules revision. Rules dont change settings so much or role play so much they just change what the dice "do". I mean how many people buy D20 modules and run em for Gurps, True 20, Castles & Crusades, OD&D or AD&D? Truth is we don't know. For every person that posts on messageboards there are still 25 or more guys living in their moms basement running their own game. 

Likewise the earliest we should see any 4ed books is late spring/early summer of 08 and probably Gen Con 08 as thats the largest captive audience for D&D and RPGs in general on the planet. My playtest beta group finished their campaign in just about 10 months of once per week 4-6 hour sessions. 

And of corse  with a print run of 1000-1500 copies, shoot, there will be enough 3.5 ed holdouts to move it even if its as a protest vote against 4ed. 

Now if Necromancer went the route of some companies who roll out 5000+ copies of a product and end up holding the bag on 3500 copies I would be crying real tears right now. 

Case


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## johnnype (Aug 16, 2007)

OK bowbe, you sold me. I'll buy it regardless.


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## Vocenoctum (Aug 16, 2007)

Whizbang Dustyboots said:
			
		

> Heh, I felt like a lone voice in the wilderness in those days. My boxed sets ended up a loose set of booklets and pieces of paper in record time, back in the old days. The hardcovers, though, are still in good shape.




I liked the AlQadim ones that were thing. Too many of the other ones (especially Planescape) were 3" thick with 1/2" of book to them.

OTOH, the folder format of Shattered Gates of Slaughtergarde was a nice alternative.


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## Baron Opal (Aug 16, 2007)

bowbe said:
			
		

> That said I think that COB is a wholesome enough product to survive even a drastic rules revision.




Hmm. "Wholesome" is not a work I would casually associate with the City of Brass.


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## RichGreen (Aug 16, 2007)

Hi Bowbe,

Are there any full adventures in the books? If so, for what level? Or is the format a description of lots of locations plus the 101 Adventure Seeds?

Cheers


Richard


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## bowbe (Aug 16, 2007)

Book 2, 1001 Efreeti Nights is 1 "wilderness/exploration" and 9 detailed "dungeons". The wilderness being a primer for characters of 12th+ level to get to the plane of molten skies. The 9 "dungeons" are locations in the city of brass. 

Its open ended enough in design that the 10 adventures when mixed with other fantastic locations detailed in book 1 create a mega campaign or "adventure path" if you will for characters to move from 12th-22nd+ level depending on how they level. Every "dungeon" chapter basically adds +1-3 levels to the "challenge" in order to survive. 

If the mega-campaign is not used, the 10 "adventures" may be played as independent adventures, should the PCs visit any of these places in search of splendor, fame, loot, or imfamy.

If that makes any sense? Early in the design process we sorta realized that 9 of the locations were just too "cool" concept wise to give a paragraph to, and needed a "dungeon level detail". 

Anyhow, plane leaves in a couple hours! More when I return if the thread isnt completely buried by the 4rons vs 3tards debate!

Case


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## Thanael (Aug 16, 2007)

So how does it compare to the Hackmaster version ?  And how is the Hackmaster Version?


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## elijah snow (Aug 16, 2007)

Thank you. This is exactly the kind of detail I was looking for. Sounds very good. BTW, the 4e announcement has no impact on my decision to buy this or other upcoming 3.5e products.  



			
				bowbe said:
			
		

> CITY OF BRASS
> Table of Contents
> Book I: The City of Brass
> Chapter 1: Introduction
> ...


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## green slime (Aug 16, 2007)

I so want this Box set, but it is listed as "Out of Stock, please try again later" on the amazon.co.uk site


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## D20Dazza (Aug 16, 2007)

TerraDave said:
			
		

> Someone actually have this long rumored box set? Any thing you would like to share?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I'm going to wait for the 4e version - keen to get it when it comes out though


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## TerraDave (Aug 16, 2007)

Ya, ya. 4th ed. Just cause I was right about it...you see something like this, and it gives you mixed emotions. 

Still, I am sure someone will do a conversion document/thread...  

But now: *tell me more!*

Thanks


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## RichGreen (Aug 17, 2007)

So, has anyone got this? Thinking of buying it today but I won't be able to see inside at Orc's Nest as they shrink-wrap everything.

Cheers


Richard


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## Imruphel (Aug 17, 2007)

bowbe said:
			
		

> (snip) 4rons vs 3tards debate! (snip)




Off-topic: now that's the best thing I have seen on these boards in the past 24 hours.

On-topic: I'm buying the PDF tonight. This sounds great.


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## dragonlordofpoondari (Aug 17, 2007)

D20Dazza said:
			
		

> I'm going to wait for the 4e version - keen to get it when it comes out though




I wouldn't hold your breath on that. Necro generally puts out very limited print runs for these boxed sets. Worth every penny, though. Maybe the print run thing will change since the union with Paizo.


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## catsclaw227 (Aug 17, 2007)

I am still waiting for my copy from Amazon.  I received an update this morning saying that I should get it on 8-22-07.


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## Tharen the Damned (Aug 17, 2007)

bowbe said:
			
		

> And of corse  with a print run of 1000-1500 copies, shoot, there will be enough 3.5 ed holdouts to move it even if its as a protest vote against 4ed.




I hope CoB sells out soon because I want this to become a classic in the future.

Then, one day I can show it to my grandchildren (they play D&D 7th Ed* -full electronic contend. The new idea there: PI print initiative, for a nominal fee you can get print contend to your online stuff).
"That" I would say "That is from the time when D&D still only had 20 levels (instead of 60 in 7th**) and you would actually need to know the rules to play!"
They would look at the Books and be stunned speechless...

* a new Edition every 8 Years
** 10 mor levels each new edition


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## RichGreen (Aug 18, 2007)

Hi,

Bought it yesterday. It's a very heavy, sturdy boxed set with the four booklets filling it completely. Haven't had a chance to read more than the intro so far but it looks cool.

Cheers


Richard


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## Nifft (Aug 18, 2007)

RichGreen said:
			
		

> Bought it yesterday. It's a very heavy, sturdy boxed set with the four booklets filling it completely. Haven't had a chance to read more than the intro so far but it looks cool.



 Please keep us updated!

I'm eagerly anticipating this one. 

Thanks, -- N


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## Treebore (Aug 18, 2007)

D20Dazza said:
			
		

> I'm going to wait for the 4e version - keen to get it when it comes out though





If we ever see a 4E version from Necromancer I'll be shocked. Then again their partnering with Paizo may be such a boost that it may happen.

Still, I give such a thing happening a less than 03% chance.


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## ShadowDenizen (Aug 18, 2007)

Well, I'm all over this!  (COme next payday.)   

I have yet to be disappointed with a Necro release, even at that price point.  (I'm a card-carrying RAR member!!)


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## Treebore (Aug 18, 2007)

ShadowDenizen said:
			
		

> Well, I'm all over this!  (COme next payday.)
> 
> I have yet to be disappointed with a Necro release, even at that price point.  (I'm a card-carrying RAR member!!)





I have 3 cards!


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## DaveMage (Aug 19, 2007)

Treebore said:
			
		

> I have 3 cards!





I had three - gave one away.


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## Treebore (Aug 19, 2007)

DaveMage said:
			
		

> I had three - gave one away.





Kept all of mine. Got 3 kids who will hopefully be gamers for life that will inherit them. Which I think you know since you go to the Necro boars.  

Ordered my City of Brass from Amazon today, two day shipping, so it will be boxed and sent Monday and arrive Wednesday.


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## Savage Wombat (Aug 19, 2007)

I'm not a reviewer, but as I've had this since the 15th I'll try to post something.

1.  You're getting your money's worth - the page count of the books completely fills the box.  A lot of the monsters in the third book are creatures from older source material that isn't in the SRD, like some yugoloths and stuff.

2.  The first book is full of places and light on details.  Concepts range from "cute" to "really original".  None of this stuff is the slightest railroaded - it's the kind of place that adventurers could just explore and look for neat things to kill.  There's lots of potential for role-playing and politicking, but it's not scripted - the GM will have to come up with stuff.

3.  The Necromancer people didn't shy away from the more "adult" enterainments available in a city of vile debauchery.  Fortunately, details are left to the imagination.  But if you've got perverts for players, they'll disappear into the souk and never be seen again.    

4.  The second book has the more "dungeon-y" locations.  These are chained together in a loosely-organized campaign plot, but I think it will want expanding or rewriting for most GMs.  The flavor of these locales is excellent, I'd say.  They make use of everything they could get from the SRD and then some, so the variety of encounter is pretty good for a city full of efreet.

5.  The plot is, overall, free of railroading.  I'm almost going to have to build some tracks for my players (who like riding the rails) to follow.  Basically, get your players to settle on a goal and then make them figure out how to accomplish it.

6.  If you don't want to do a full City of Brass campaign, you'll still have no problem using this material, even just as a place to wander in and buy stuff.  But you'll be missing out.

All in all, if you like Necromancer stuff and don't mind writing your own material to develop the campaign further, this is for you.  If you're hoping for something you can sit down next week and play, you might look elsewhere.  I'm not regretting my payment, and I'm looking forward to running it.


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## sckeener (Aug 19, 2007)

Mouseferatu said:
			
		

> What we were doing was "Egyptian D&D." _Hamunaptra_ was meant to fall into the same neighborhood as _Al-Qadim_ and _Nyambe_--that is, to take the D&D defaults and tweak them for an Egyptian flavor/mood/feel/theme, rather than to try to model a historical period. We did a lot of historical research, yes, to make it "as Egyptian" as possible. But at the end of the day, our objective was to create a D&D supplement.




And thank you because I had to merge that with standard D&D and having something where the focus was already standard D&D with an Egyptian theme was a plus....thanks!

As for the OP, I'm still waiting my copy of City of Brass.   I am eagerly looking forward to this product and have been for months.


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## Michael Silverbane (Aug 19, 2007)

Mouseferatu said:
			
		

> _The Doom of Listonshire_




I just wanted to threadjack for a moment to say that _The Doom, of Listonshire_ kicks so much ass that its ridiculous.

On a related note, I am probably going to get _The City of Brass_.  I hope that it turns out as cool as it sounds like it could be.

Later
silver


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## carmachu (Aug 19, 2007)

TerraDave said:
			
		

> Someone actually have this long rumored box set? Any thing you would like to share?
> 
> 
> 
> ...





It arrived a couple days ago from pre-order. Its very nice.


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## DaveMage (Aug 19, 2007)

Mine is shipping soon from amazon!!!


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## catsclaw227 (Aug 19, 2007)

Mine shipped and shows that I should get it tomorrow! (Monday, Aug 20th)


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## Treebore (Aug 19, 2007)

tmcdon has given his thoughts on it in the City of Brass forum on the Necroamncer Boards. 

In a nutshell, he is totally in love.


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## Rhuvein (Aug 20, 2007)

I'm interested in this boxed set, so will be watching for reviews before deciding.


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## bowbe (Aug 20, 2007)

Finally Grabbed a print copy at Gen Con on Thursday Evening. 6 hours on a maintenance delay sorta shot my first day in the rear. I was working C&C and some of our older d20 releases for TLG but was right across from WW so I could bounce back and forth between the two. 

Savage Wombat has captured our design intent perfectly in his post. 

Much better than I can. I'm not much of a salesman to be honest. Other than showing some people the opened product and talking about what was in it, the best I could come up with "face to face" was "Its like GTA: COB but without the swearing and the twitchy controlls."

Case


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## Mark Hope (Aug 20, 2007)

Fedex tried to deliver my copy twice in the last couple of days, but I have been on vacation.  It's due to be redelivered today, sometime in the next three hours (tracking says it's in the truck... drive faster!!!)


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## Mark Hope (Aug 20, 2007)

It's here!  Gorgeous looking box and heavy as hell.  Jam-packed to the brim.  The map book is a thing of subtle beauty.  Will take some time to digest all of this - and even more to play through it.  First impressions?  Necromancer have done it again.  Great stuff, guys!


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## elijah snow (Aug 20, 2007)

Mine is on the way.


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## TerraDave (Aug 20, 2007)

The (55 meg) pdf is selling for $50. PDFs are really convenient for me...but the box set sounds really nice, and getting both pretty exepensive. This is tough.

http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=50045


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## s.j. bagley (Aug 20, 2007)

no poster maps?
that's a bit disappointing, but i think i'll be getting it anyway as it sounds quite nice.


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## Crothian (Aug 20, 2007)

The map book is really cool.  I like many of the monsters in that part as well.  I have not had the chance to read through it all yet.  I have lots to read and no idea what to read first.


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## Alaric_Prympax (Aug 20, 2007)

I ordered my copy on the 15th and it arrived today!  I thumbed through it and all I have to say is...


*DAMN* those Necro boys know how to make a product!!!!

Sorry Eric's Grandma for the language but in this case- it had to be said.

I have never been disappointed by any Necromancer Games product.  One of the best publishers out there.


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## Qualidar (Aug 21, 2007)

Alaric_Prympax said:
			
		

> *DAMN* those Necro boys know how to make a product!!!!
> 
> Sorry Eric's Grandma for the language but in this case- it had to be said.



Jeepers, watch the filth-mouth, A_P, there are children around here that could be influinced by your depravity!!!!!   

My girlfriend bought it for me at GenCon (how awesome is she?!?). The GenCon release was the tipping point that actually made me go this year. I haven't yet had a chance yet to dig through it properly, but I can say it's the most impressive boxed set I've seen. That's one solid block of gaming goodness!

~Qualidar~


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## Inferno! (Aug 21, 2007)

Ari, 

I for one loved it.



			
				 What we were doing was "Egyptian D&D."...that is said:
			
		

> With that as your objective, I think you nailed it perfectly.  I always hoped to see you do something similar for Norse and Greek mythology.
> 
> (yes everyone - I am aware of R&R Olympus).


----------



## Mouseferatu (Aug 21, 2007)

Inferno! said:
			
		

> With that as your objective, I think you nailed it perfectly.  I always hoped to see you do something similar for Norse and Greek mythology.




Thank you. 

And yes, C.A. and I _desperately_ wanted to do exactly that. We even did some preliminary design work on a Mythic Greek setting designed with similar goals. Alas, that was about when the market took a real downturn, and we were never able to find anyone willing to publish it.


----------



## JoeGKushner (Aug 21, 2007)

Mine's on the way.

Now I have to use it before 4e comes and it crumbles to dust!


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## Odhanan (Aug 21, 2007)

I was one of the "bring back the boxed sets" people, back in the day Eric's talking about. Still am. I really love the feeling of discovery when you open a box. It's like Christmas. Plus, I take extra-care with my boxed sets. I did lose some stuff when I was a kid, but no longer.


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## bowbe (Aug 21, 2007)

Joe-- You have time. 12th level party, 4-6 hour game sessions, 1 per week... skip about 6 random weeks worth of gaming due to family/travels/work/holidays and you should JUST about be finished by the time 4ed hits the shelf Mid May. Happy gaming.

Case


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## Ishar (Aug 21, 2007)

Hey, this is my first post here 
I'm writing from Paris (I'm French) where City of brass has just hit the store. I love the fact that this is a box set, even if that means a higher price: box set are quite rare nowadays, but open one is like opening a christmas present!

Anyway, I will maybe buy this one, but before spending so many bucks (or euro, for that matter), I would love to see a preview. Unfortunately, the only one I've found is on RPGNow, and there are only a few unreadable pages. Is there any preview available somewhere? A few readeable pages with some illustrations and (ideally) a map from the book map, so I can have an idea of what to expect?

Btw, can someone who buy it give us the page count per book?

Thank you!
Slawick aka Ishar


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## Savage Wombat (Aug 21, 2007)

Hey Mouseferatu - 

Since you're so vocal in your support, can you supply us with some errata at need?

The omission I've found so far (unless it's buried somewhere odd) is that the "Magic Adjustments in the City of Brass" seems to be missing.  There's one for the Plane of Molten Skies, but it specifically says the rules are different for the city.


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## Psion (Aug 21, 2007)

Got mine at GenCon.

Probably won't have time to read it thoroughly until Sunday, if that, but let me say this:
It is freaking packed. The 3 main books are wall too wall compact type, and they fill the box.

As for 3e/4e: I'm still to be convinced that it's worth my time and aggravation to switch. Being able to use outstanding products like this with little hassle is more important to me than whatever minor benefits might be reaped by a rules revision.


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## bowbe (Aug 21, 2007)

Wombat that either got missed or is folded in and hidden somewhere. 

Basically as the COB is sort of an "Oasis of Evil in a Hot as Hell Place"  I tended to rule it as "magic works normal within the City itself, unless otherwise noted by area description or text."

Case


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## RichGreen (Aug 21, 2007)

Psion said:
			
		

> As for 3e/4e: I'm still to be convinced that it's worth my time and aggravation to switch. Being able to use outstanding products like this with little hassle is more important to me than whatever minor benefits might be reaped by a rules revision.




That's my feeling too. As well as City of Brass, I've also picked up Expedition to the Ruins of Castle Greyhawk and will be getting Pathfinder. All are cool and I can't play all of them before 4e comes out!


Richard


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## catsclaw227 (Aug 22, 2007)

RichGreen said:
			
		

> As well as City of Brass, I've also picked up Expedition to the Ruins of Castle Greyhawk and will be getting Pathfinder. All are cool and I can't play all of them before 4e comes out!




This sounds like me!  Except you can throw in the Age of Worms AP that I just started last week, and the War of the Burning Sky PbP I am running.

Still, though, I will buy 4e and learn the system.  I like what I hear so far.


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## grodog (Aug 22, 2007)

I didn't get a chance to check out the City of Brass box set at the show (I missed Casey when he had an open box at hand), so I just placed my order on Amazon, and should have the book tomorrow


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## Byrons_Ghost (Aug 22, 2007)

Oh, how I wish I had spare cash right now. Looks like it might be time to hoist another lot on Ebay, or the used DVD store...


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## RichGreen (Aug 22, 2007)

catsclaw227 said:
			
		

> This sounds like me!  Except you can throw in the Age of Worms AP that I just started last week, and the War of the Burning Sky PbP I am running.
> 
> Still, though, I will buy 4e and learn the system.  I like what I hear so far.




I've still to run all three Dungeon APs! 

I read the first couple of chapters of City of Brass last night -- liked the history section a lot.

Cheers


Richard


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## Treebore (Aug 22, 2007)

Wow! Casey, Scott, Necromancer crew, this thing is truly awesome! The histroy, the ideas, the NPC's, the magic! Awesome!

The second ot last chapter of my C&C camapign will be "THe City of Brass", and it will be so easy to rewrite!

You guys have put your names to a classic. Simply friggin awesome!


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## countgray (Aug 23, 2007)

I got mine the other day at my FLGS.  City of Brass is truly awesome!  Nice to see that Necromancer is supplying us with the first decent Planescape product since that line got canceled.

First thing I noticed is that the box has no empty space--it is filled top to bottom with books.  A hefty product.  I certainly feel I am getting my money's worth!

The books themselves are very detailed and I think I will be mining them for years for details and ideas for campaign seeds.  There's definitely a lot to read.  Lots of good stuff inside.

The locations book details all the interesting locations, shops and palaces in the city.  They are richly detailed and wonderfully conceived.  Eminently suited for a city of Efreet on the plane of fire, but if you needed ideas for shops or locations to populate another planar city, say somewhere in Hell or the Abyss or the other lower planes, or maybe a genie city in one of the Elemental Planes, there is plenty of excellent material here to mine that would port over and could be easily used for a DM needing ideas.

The adventures book is a lot of fun to read.  I haven't read it all just yet, but a wealth of ideas are found within.  Enough to make a whole campaign out of this box-set.  You could easily level a party up from 1-20 levels several times over with everything in here.  Most DM's will probably just want to have their players cruise through on one or two adventures, and if so, your players are in for a treat.  But if a DM is running a planar campaign, the City of Brass would make for an excellent hub of operations or home base for the adventurers, a great place to come home to after adventuring out to adventure among the planes.  Lots of places to shop, train and have adventures and intrigue in the downtime between quests and such.  Even if the PC's don't live there, the City would be a great place to come back to, time and time again to get supplies, search for information, and interact with all the nifty locations and characters.

The third book has a lot of wonderful monsters and NPC's.  I lit up when I saw some of the old school monsters statted that have not been converted to 3.5e.  Lots of creative new monsters too. The art is also very nice!  The NPC's look like they are a great time saver for a DM, as you can go to this book and select from a wealth of fully statted NPC's of every stripe and color.  The NPC's are all very interesting too.

The map book is very nice as well.  I like all the little details and flourishes.  Very pretty!

Will you offer a web enhancement for the book?  I would certainly love to have jpegs or gifs or pdfs of the maps so that I could scale them up and print them out to use as battlemaps in my game.

I am very thrilled with my purchase and look forward to enjoying reading more of it and running my players through it soon.  I have a couple of efreeti minis that are about to get a lot of use...


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## doubleplusgood (Aug 23, 2007)

What kind of characters would be fun/good to play in City of Brass?  It sounds like characters with good chr type skills would be useful.


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## Treebore (Aug 23, 2007)

doubleplusgood said:
			
		

> What kind of characters would be fun/good to play in City of Brass?  It sounds like characters with good chr type skills would be useful.





I see any style of character having fun staying alive in here. There is plenty of seeds for diplomacy, plenty of combat, pretty much anything can work in the City of Brass. Even a way to become god-like or even a full deity are in here.


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## bowbe (Aug 23, 2007)

I can see putting together a bundle of JPEGs of the maps. I warn you it will be a bit before I get to them tho. I just started teaching High School Graphic Arts class this week, literally the day after getting back from Gen Con. Once I have a handle on all the bookwork pertaining to the position I can sit down and get the maps together. Trust that I was thinking the same thing!

Who knows, maybe if we are super nice to Ed, he will do some e-tiles of some of the more complicated maps (though you'll have to buy them from him of course!)

I built my minaret of screams (yep, built the maps as 3d terrain for my playtest gang, to scale) that was a blast. 

Case


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## TerraDave (Aug 23, 2007)

bowbe said:
			
		

> I can see putting together a bundle of JPEGs of the maps.




That would really be great.


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## johnsemlak (Aug 23, 2007)

catsclaw227 said:
			
		

> Was Rob Kuntz's City of Brass for Hackmaster  a serious book?  I heard that it isn't the satire that much of the Hackmaster stuff was and that it was pretty darn good.
> 
> The fact that it was called Sir Robilar's City of Brass tells me something about it.




This will hardly answer your question but this is what I remember about it.

 I don't have the product but as I, albeit vaguely, remember the Sir Robilars CIty of Brass was planned to be authored by Rob Kuntz but due to some issues it ended up being co-authored by Kuntz and another writer (the cover lists two authors), and the final version contained less of Kuntz's version than originally intended.

Kuntz's own 1e City of Brass adventure has been floating around the internet for years (with his permission I believe).


----------



## Varianor Abroad (Aug 23, 2007)

I have it! Cover art is truly awesome Old Skool (yet in color) and interior art is very good as well. I just started reading it and I have little time in the evenings, so I will probably review it over the weekend. So far, the location names and the ideas that I have skimmed have been solid.


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## Thanael (Aug 24, 2007)

City of Brass on amazon.com for $44

Is this the boxed set? 'Cause it says paperback. If yes it's quite the bargain isn't it...


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## Alaric_Prympax (Aug 24, 2007)

dyx said:
			
		

> City of Brass on amazon.com for $44
> 
> Is this the boxed set? 'Cause it says paperback. If yes it's quite the bargain isn't it...





Well the price matches form what I've seen and the pricture matches the box set that I have. Also the release date is correct.


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## catsclaw227 (Aug 24, 2007)

dyx said:
			
		

> City of Brass on amazon.com for $44
> 
> Is this the boxed set? 'Cause it says paperback. If yes it's quite the bargain isn't it...



It is the boxed set, and this is what I paid.  It has already been delivered as well.


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## Princesskeyblade (Aug 24, 2007)

I bought it for my boyfriend at GenCon and if he is not going to run it for a group with me in it I am going to borrow the books and read them, cause he has been telling me how awesome it is and by reading this thread I realize I need to read this set.


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## Mark Plemmons (Aug 24, 2007)

johnsemlak said:
			
		

> This will hardly answer your question but this is what I remember about it.
> 
> I don't have the product but as I, albeit vaguely, remember the Sir Robilars CIty of Brass was planned to be authored by Rob Kuntz but due to some issues it ended up being co-authored by Kuntz and another writer (the cover lists two authors), and the final version contained less of Kuntz's version than originally intended.
> 
> Kuntz's own 1e City of Brass adventure has been floating around the internet for years (with his permission I believe).




The version on Amazon.com also has preview pages if you want to take a look inside.


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## grodog (Aug 24, 2007)

johnsemlak said:
			
		

> catsclaw227 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Rob had actually plotted out several City of Brass adventures/sourcebooks over the years.  The first one was "(To the) City of Brass" which was run as the 1987 RPGA AD&D Open at DragonCon #1 (and was where I first met Rob); that version is available on both the Acaeum  (in its first online format) at http://www.acaeum.com/library/citybrass.html and on Canonfire! at http://www.canonfire.com/cfhtml/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=getit&lid=7 (this is the old NG freebie version).  This was going to be followed-up by more adventures that took the PCs into the CoB itself (the first just brings them to the gates).  

Rob later contracted with Kenzer to write his full treatment of the CoB sourcebook, but he broke his leg in 7 places and was hospitalized and then offline for about 6 months, so Kenzer had a second author step in to complete the ms.  The version published by Kenzer is probably about 40% RJK and 60% Jeff Knight.  The horrible irony of the project is that Rob had nearly completed the ms. while offline, and was in the process of turning in the 89K word ms. when SR'sCoB was published.  This version was sold at auction by Rob awhile ago, for about $200 or so IIRC.  

In terms of quality, I rank the Sir Robilar's City of Brass book as one of Hackmaster's best books, since it's much less parody than most other books in that line.  Rob and I have been talking to Kenzer off and on for a year about buying the rights to CoB back, so hopefully Rob's full version of the City of Brass will be published in due time as well.


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## johnsemlak (Aug 24, 2007)

dyx said:
			
		

> City of Brass on amazon.com for $44
> 
> Is this the boxed set? 'Cause it says paperback. If yes it's quite the bargain isn't it...




I think Amazon technically labels many of the D&D mini products, including the DDM Icons, as 
'Hardback books'.  It's just which pigeonhole they put them into.  Presumably, Amazon.com doesn't have a 'RPG boxed set' category .  The closest thing would be a boxed board game.

All in all, I'm happy with Amazon's categories.  It allows me to order (some) d&D minis and the boxed sets online and have them shipped to Russia.  Products in all their toy categories are not eligible to be shipped here, but books are.


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## Shemeska (Aug 24, 2007)

countgray said:
			
		

> Nice to see that Necromancer is supplying us with the first decent Planescape product since that line got canceled.




Necro's CoB doesn't actually have any links to the Planescape / Al-Qadim / 3.x WotC details for the City of Brass. They're based on the same original concept from mythology, but with IP issues etc, Necro's take was their own thing rather than being based on the 2e and 3e development of the city by TSR/WotC.

That, and Necro's "old school" design philosophy is probably a wee bit different from Planescape


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## RichGreen (Aug 24, 2007)

Shemeska said:
			
		

> Necro's CoB doesn't actually have any links to the Planescape / Al-Qadim / 3.x WotC details for the City of Brass. They're based on the same original concept from mythology, but with IP issues etc, Necro's take was their own thing rather than being based on the 2e and 3e development of the city by TSR/WotC.
> 
> That, and Necro's "old school" design philosophy is probably a wee bit different from Planescape




I need to dig out my copy of Secrets of the Lamp and see if I can use the two boxed sets together!

Cheers


Richard


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## Varianor Abroad (Aug 24, 2007)

You can easily use this with Planescape. I mean, this is D&D after all! I read more of it last night. I really like the environs around the City. They are nasty and dangerous - appropriate for L10+ adventures.


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## grodog (Aug 25, 2007)

My copy arrived from Amazon today; it's weighty, that's for sure 

More details later!


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## GVDammerung (Aug 25, 2007)

Just to add one more voice to the chorus - this is an outstanding product in almost every way.  I got my copy at Gencon and it is far and away the best CoB thart has been done to date (The AQ and Hackmaster releases being the others).  It is also far and away superior to anything in the Planescape line, IMO.  THIS is the planes done to near perfection.  The only quibble I have is with the city map; it seems too "small" but I suppose it works when the outer city is considered.  As stated, a minor quibble.  I have never before purchased a gaming product for over $50.  I took a flyer on this one and I'm pleased I did so.  Necro's CoB is actually worth every penny of the asking price.  A VERY fine product!


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## Treebore (Aug 25, 2007)

Varianor Abroad said:
			
		

> You can easily use this with Planescape. I mean, this is D&D after all! I read more of it last night. I really like the environs around the City. They are nasty and dangerous - appropriate for L10+ adventures.





Very, VERY easy to tie into Planescape. Incredibly easy.


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## Grazzt (Aug 25, 2007)

Shemeska said:
			
		

> Necro's CoB doesn't actually have any links to the Planescape / Al-Qadim / 3.x WotC details for the City of Brass.




Doesnt have to. The entire campaign as well as surrounding area (including the Plane of Molten Skies) is "open" enough ('generic enough' if you prefer) that it could easily be dropped into any of the above campaigns if you wish.


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## Grazzt (Aug 25, 2007)

Treebore said:
			
		

> Very, VERY easy to tie into Planescape. Incredibly easy.




Yep. Should definitely be easy. Kind of designed with the whole 'open'  thing in mind (so DMs can drop the setting into their own world easily). (Wasnt designed with Planescape in mind..at least the stuff I wrote...never been a fan of Planescape at all...just me tho )


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## JoeGKushner (Aug 25, 2007)

catsclaw227 said:
			
		

> It is the boxed set, and this is what I paid.  It has already been delivered as well.




Ditto.

Man, they packed this sucker to the top. Lucky they didn't go over on the interior. It's a tight fit.


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## Ripzerai (Aug 25, 2007)

Shemeska said:
			
		

> Necro's CoB doesn't actually have any links to the Planescape




No no, it's a _good_ thing that countgray called it a Planescape product, if only because it's sure to raise the hackles of the haters.


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## bowbe (Aug 25, 2007)

countgray said:
			
		

> I am very thrilled with my purchase and look forward to enjoying reading more of it and running my players through it soon.  I have a couple of efreeti minis that are about to get a lot of use...




Remind me to post my playtest photos sometime. I really need to dig those out. I don't play D&D minis but the true sign of my geekdom when it comes to hobby games is my love of miniatures and terrain. Such things aren't necessary the way I run, but man they are FUN! My players eyes bugged out when I showed up with the hand made terrain I built for he minaret of screams. "We're adventuring in THAT?"

Case


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## Mr Baron (Aug 25, 2007)

*CoB  *

It was waiting for me when I arrived back from GenCon.  I have only taken a brief look, and it is massive!  Can't wait to dig in.  

Case, I would really enjoy reading through the play test reports. You do need to share!

PS....Ari's DoL is awesome!


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## Savage Wombat (Aug 25, 2007)

bowbe said:
			
		

> My players eyes bugged out when I showed up with the hand made terrain I built for he minaret of screams. "We're adventuring in THAT?"
> 
> Case




I don't think people who haven't read the book realize just how horrific that is.  I hesitate to spoiler anything, but I think "vomit-inducing" might get the idea across...


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## Varianor Abroad (Aug 26, 2007)

Can we get pix of this home-made terrain? It might be inspiring!


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## bowbe (Aug 26, 2007)

Yup. I'm looking through all my pictures to find them and will call on a friend who took some during our campaigns to bring me a disk with the ones he took. I have a LOT of pictures tho so it's been taking a while to locate all of them. If I can't find the ones with the terrain I will take some new ones. They won't exactly be "in game" but they will give you an idea of the way things looked. 

Case


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## DaveMage (Aug 27, 2007)

*sigh*

Still waiting for my copy from amazon....


...hopefully tomorrow.


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## Ishar (Aug 27, 2007)

I've finally bought it as well. That's good stuff for sure. It made me re-read some old Planescape material this week end, and that lead me to a question: in Planescape, the city of Brass is supposed to be in the plane of fire, not the plane of Molten Sky (did not find any mention to that plane either), is that correct? (My Planescape box is in french and I'm almost but not 100% sure that the "Cité d'Airain" mentioned in the plane of fire is the City of Brass itself)


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## bowbe (Aug 27, 2007)

Portions of the city sit within the plane of fire, portions in the plane of molten skies. The text of the book refers to the plane of molten skies as being more or less the sultan's personal playground a demi plane whereby he gains greater access to conquered or soon to be conquered material planes. At least that was our intent on how it was to be inferred. 

A good way to think of it... if you approach the city of brass from the plane of fire, it would appear to be completely in the plane of fire, if you approached it from the plane of molten skies as a novice traveler of the planes, it would still appear to be in the plane of fire as there is little difference between the plane of molten skies and the plane of fire itself. 

No doubt the planescape material intended it to be the City of Brass itself. (At least thats how i read the english translation).


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## kensanata (Aug 27, 2007)

*From Red Hand of Doom to the City of Brass*

Got mine from Amazon Germany the other day... I'll have to start thinking about a move from Red Hand of Doom to the City of Brass. Maybe there's a legendary enemy of Tiamat to be found here... Somebody who would love to kill her aspect and cheat my players by taking over their material plane, thus leaving them stranded in some fiery hole of pain...


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## Ishar (Aug 27, 2007)

Thank you very much for your answer Bowbe. Is the plane of the Molten Sky mentionned anywhere in a Planescape book or is this something entirely new? (I ask because I was wondering how much you tried to respect the Planescape or classic AD&D cosmology and how much you developped by yourself)


----------



## Shemeska (Aug 27, 2007)

Ishar said:
			
		

> Is the plane of the Molten Sky mentionned anywhere in a Planescape book or is this something entirely new? (I ask because I was wondering how much you tried to respect the Planescape or classic AD&D cosmology and how much you developped by yourself)




There is no "Plane of Molten Sky" as a distinct thing in the AD&D/Planescape cosmology.

The phrase originally appeared as a name (coined and used by the doomed archmage Tzunk) for the Plane of Fire in a very brief bit of text in the description of the Codex of the Infinite Planes in the 1e DMG. Otherwise there's no seperate Plane of Molten Skies, it's just a non-standard (likely unique) name for the Plane of Fire. Necro may have made it something seperate from the actual Plane of Fire in their material.


----------



## Varianor Abroad (Aug 27, 2007)

Yes, it's a plane on the border between the Elemental Plane of Earth and the Elemental Plane of Fire (plus intrusions from other planes).


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## Ishar (Aug 27, 2007)

Shemeska said:
			
		

> There is no "Plane of Molten Sky" as a distinct thing in the AD&D/Planescape cosmology.
> 
> The phrase originally appeared as a name (coined and used by the doomed archmage Tzunk) for the Plane of Fire in a very brief bit of text in the description of the Codex of the Infinite Planes in the 1e DMG. Otherwise there's no seperate Plane of Molten Skies, it's just a non-standard (likely unique) name for the Plane of Fire. Necro may have made it something seperate from the actual Plane of Fire in their material.




Quoting a such precise sentence from a such old book in a such detailed manner: I'm amaze by your knowledge! Thank you very much for that answer!

(I'm weak anyway: I didn't resist to those incredibly cheap Planescape PDF on RPGNow and bought a few...)


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## bowbe (Aug 27, 2007)

No secret there. We were inspired by that sentence. We put _the book of infinite planes_ in the box along with all the other toys in our homage to the classic feel of wonder. 

One of the things we thought about when designing various parts of the book was "What did we think was cool when we played in the late 70's and early 80's... and how can we pay homage to those coolest experiences while still giving it a solid 3ed treatment. Mind you we didn't want to just include canonical D&D things in that "what was cool about the golden age of D&D" ethos. That would have been far too limiting. We thought about stuff that we liked as kids and young adults as well and how those had been inspiring to our creativity. 

Then we tried to figure out ways we could work it out in such a way that it is as "edition friendly" as the Wilderlands. So we ended up with the 3 book format+ map booklet format.

Case


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## Angel Tarragon (Aug 28, 2007)

Got my copy last Thursday. I haven't started reading it yet, but I did flip through it. I must say that I like what I saw. Can't wait to read the whole thing, but that'll have to wait till I read through everything that I got at GenCon.


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## Fenes (Aug 28, 2007)

So, the question fpr me seems to be: box or pdf. Hard choice.


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## Ishar (Aug 28, 2007)

Fenes said:
			
		

> So, the question fpr me seems to be: box or pdf. Hard choice.




A question many buyer ask themselves nowadays. From a buyer point of view, I think that publisher should sell paper+PDF bundle for a fare pric. Something like price of the paper edition plus 5$ or so. But from a publisher point of view, I don't know if that would be possible to do it for a such price.


----------



## bowbe (Aug 28, 2007)

Fair enough. One of the problems is distribution contracts and keeping positive relations with the few brick and mortar stores that still carry 3rd party product. You have a much tougher time and get distributors pretty angry with you when you go PDF+Product=same price or undercut the price of the print product with a relatively inexpensive PDF that you know will also sell well.

Joe Goodman has a bit on his forum about why he sells his products the way he does. You all should read it.

Either way, its a hard deal all around. 

Case


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## TerraDave (Aug 28, 2007)

As I noted above, the PDF is going for $50, and there are some places online the hard copy is cheaper.


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## Fenes (Aug 28, 2007)

I ordered the box from amazon.com, amazon.de didn't have it anymore.


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## bowbe (Aug 30, 2007)

*As Promised*

Here are some terrain pics of the Minaret of Screams. I built this stuff with pink owens corning foam, a hot knife, some plaster, some gorilla glue, some elmers glue paste and some art gesso.





A top view of the PCs entering the Gullet.





A slightly higher than PC eye view of the entrance. Deafened burning dervishes and madmen confront the PCs as they enter. An interesting note.. as I ran this encounter I gave the burning dervishes rubber hip waiters and bottles filled with pink "potions of resistance to acid". For obvious reasons. Pepto forgive me.


----------



## bowbe (Aug 30, 2007)

*More*





PCs land in the upper gut. Confronted by Silaal and Burning Dervish Guards. Multiple castings of blade barrier made this a pretty tough encounter. Note the imprisoned efreeti in the ruggae lined cells.





A top down view of the upper gut giving a better view of the lovely scenery.
Characters noted this in their travel logs as a place. "Never to visit again ever". So of course... they ended up having to go back again. Good times.

Let me know if you want more.

Case


----------



## pogre (Aug 30, 2007)

bowbe said:
			
		

> Let me know if you want more.
> 
> Case




Absolutely. Great work!


----------



## Soel (Aug 30, 2007)

Burning dervish? Is this a new class/PrC, or a creature?


----------



## bowbe (Aug 30, 2007)

Burning dervish is a new race of genie that is a more fire based jann. Basically a tribe of Jann who have sold their soul to the Sultan of Efreet in exchange for more fire based abilities. They serve as spies and secret police for religious law in the City of Brass, where of course the religion is worship of the Sultan and obediance to his supreme authority.

Case


----------



## Varianor Abroad (Aug 30, 2007)

Great stuff! Excellent terrain.


----------



## Grazzt (Aug 31, 2007)

Treebore said:
			
		

> Wow! Casey, Scott, Necromancer crew, this thing is truly awesome! The histroy, the ideas, the NPC's, the magic! Awesome!
> 
> The second ot last chapter of my C&C camapign will be "THe City of Brass", and it will be so easy to rewrite!
> 
> You guys have put your names to a classic. Simply friggin awesome!




Thanks Tree-. Glad you're digging it all.  We definitely tried to throw everything in there we could (while still leaving the whole thing wide open enough to insert into any campaign without a problem).

As for classic- well, perhaps  We were definitely inspired by AD&D classics for it (cover of DMG 1e, the Codex of Infinite Planes, etc). And then we went off on our own little tangent of what you'd be likely to find in a city full of efreeti  (Minaret of Screams, the N'gathau, Circus of Pain, etc)


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## Treebore (Aug 31, 2007)

Grazzt said:
			
		

> Thanks Tree-. Glad you're digging it all.  We definitely tried to throw everything in there we could (while still leaving the whole thing wide open enough to insert into any campaign without a problem).
> 
> As for classic- well, perhaps  We were definitely inspired by AD&D classics for it (cover of DMG 1e, the Codex of Infinite Planes, etc). And then we went off on our own little tangent of what you'd be likely to find in a city full of efreeti  (Minaret of Screams, the N'gathau, Circus of Pain, etc)





Its definitely a classic, so I will be buying at least 3 of these as soon as I can afford to.


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## Deuce Traveler (Sep 1, 2007)

catsclaw227 said:
			
		

> Was Rob Kuntz's City of Brass for Hackmaster  a serious book?  I heard that it isn't the satire that much of the Hackmaster stuff was and that it was pretty darn good.
> 
> The fact that it was called Sir Robilar's City of Brass tells me something about it.




I actually have this, although I haven't read through all of it.  So far it's been pretty good and I really like the political dimension.


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## Banshee16 (Sep 1, 2007)

catsclaw227 said:
			
		

> Wow.... I had no idea that Hamunaptra was a boxed set.  I wonder if I should get my hands on it to flesh out an Egyptian like region of my game world.
> 
> 
> Doom of Listenshire was wildly underappreciated.  A great piece of work, Ari.




Hamunaptra was pretty cool.  It's basically D&D in Egypt, so you have new takes on elves, dwarves etc. and how they fit into the setting.....but you also have a decent setting, and Egypt/Desert-themed takes on core classes, a bunch of interesting feats, like ones giving you powers from being from the bloodline of a god, ones to give you a bonus to AC when wearing no armor, etc.  Lots of Egypt-themed prestige classes as well, and several monsters, including several *very* powerful brands of sphinx.

Banshee


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## sckeener (Sep 1, 2007)

I finally got my copy of the box set.  It is heavy!  That was my first impression since I am use to the box sets of old...where there was air inside them.  

On first glance at the material inside...pure awesome.  I know I'm going to be using it in my games.


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## jdrakeh (Sep 1, 2007)

I very nearly bought this today (the FLGS had two copies). But it didn't let me play a valiant cream-filled Twinkie. Low Life won out by a narrow margin.


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## bowbe (Sep 1, 2007)

Low Life is very cool, you will be pleased with your purchase. Looks to be just the thing for some fun one off type games, for evenings when the rest of the crew fails to show up.

Case


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## TarionzCousin (Sep 6, 2007)

jdrakeh said:
			
		

> I very nearly bought this today (the FLGS had two copies). But it didn't let me play a valiant cream-filled Twinkie. Low Life won out by a narrow margin.



Good. More CoB for the rest of us!

--I'm awaiting the end of my days of unemployment to spend money.


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## Grazzt (Sep 6, 2007)

jdrakeh said:
			
		

> I very nearly bought this today (the FLGS had two copies). But it didn't let me play a valiant cream-filled Twinkie.




Perhaps we make a "Cream-Filled Twinkie" prestige class as a web enhancement for CoB?


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## Fenes (Sep 12, 2007)

I got it this week - very, very good stuff.


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## Ishar (Sep 13, 2007)

I've almost finished to read it. As many of you, I think that this is really great stuff. The only real default I've found is a really minor one: 400+ pages... and no index. Maybe someone at Necromancer games will make one and put it online someday?


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## bowbe (Sep 14, 2007)

Yeah, indexing a volume such as this would have been cool.

Unfortunately we never know what the exact page count will be until the book actually gets laid out... meaning the layout guy would get stuck with indexing, and thus far it hasn't been on their top 10 list of things to do, as they typically run from one project to the next in very quick order!

If a fan so had the time and inclination to do one, I would be happy to lay it out and put it up somewhere to DL at a future date!

Case


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## bowbe (Sep 29, 2007)

Another picture from when we ran our playtest/game demo at the Hobby Shop

Here is the demi plane within the Freeman's Tower as played on some set terrain that they had up in the shop. Good times.


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## bowbe (Sep 29, 2007)

I believe thats our dwarf friend Glandril in the dino's mouth.

Case


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## bowbe (Oct 13, 2007)

I've been a fan of Reaper Miniatures for a long time.

Here are some pictures of some of the reaper mini's that I painted and used extensively in the City of Brass playtest campaign that I ran.


Fire Elementals:





Some modified miniatures, a fire giantess and a demon that i transformed into an axe wielding efreeti. Sorry about the pic quality on this one.





Some Vrock





In this one, I used some reaper "astral mauraders" and used them for Silaal in the Minaret of Screams. Worked pretty good.





Reaper's Pit fiend... 100 times the pit fiend of some other very well known company that sells gobs of plastic ones  





I painted all of these myself. I have more if anyone is interested in seeing some of the other critters I used in my games. Also I had a ton of efreet figs, but forgot to take a picture of them. 

Case


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## bowbe (Oct 13, 2007)

*What's in the Box?*

You know, one of the things that bugged me about doing COB as a box is not being able to "flip it open and see what's inside." I know a lot of other people are the same way. I am glad it turned out to be a box however, because the box is soo cool. 

Here are some pic's of whats in-side for folks who are curious. I know everyone keeps saying "its a full box" and it's heavy. Still not so good on getting an idea of what's in there.

For those who don't know, Here you go. 





All spread out nice and neat:





Side View showing how thick the product is out of the box.





A glimpse of the map booklet featuring some great art by Brian Leblanc and maps by Ed Bourelle





Case


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## Rauol_Duke (Oct 13, 2007)

I cannot praise the CoB box set enough.  I am in the midst of reading it now and cannot wait to run it.  It's so chocked-full of flavor and goodies, I don't know how I'd ever fit them all in... Good job, Case.


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## JoeGKushner (Oct 14, 2007)

Well hopefully with some of the more vocal anti-4e crowd, this will have been a runaway seller.


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## Obergnom (Oct 14, 2007)

JoeGKushner said:
			
		

> Well hopefully with some of the more vocal anti-4e crowd, this will have been a runaway seller.




I will be changing to 4e and I bought it anyway. It is a fantastic product, and while there is one book that is nearly all stats, the other two are nearly stat free.

I'm currently reading through it (and had a look at everything, of course  )... I think it is the best 3rd Ed. "fluff" product I've seen since... a long time...


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## RichGreen (Oct 14, 2007)

Obergnom said:
			
		

> I will be changing to 4e and I bought it anyway. It is a fantastic product, and while there is one book that is nearly all stats, the other two are nearly stat free.
> 
> I'm currently reading through it (and had a look at everything, of course  )... I think it is the best 3rd Ed. "fluff" product I've seen since... a long time...




I'm reading the first book at the moment and the locations in the city are really interesting and are giving lots of ideas. This is a great product.

Cheers


Richard


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