Ducks Preview
- Thread starter MongooseMatt
- Start date
Will be in stores next week!
Daithi O'an tSionnaigh
Mongoose
I have my copy coming this week and I am so excited! The Ducks will rule the lands of Glorantha! Cannot wait to give my final thoughts on the book.
Daithi O'an tSionnaigh
Mongoose
So got my copy and read through the first half so far and I am LOVING it! Some great work here and really gives the Ducks/Keets some weight and backstory to really anchor them in the world.
Job well done folks!
Job well done folks!
Ducks - A Guide to the Durulz
B+, Recommended for anyone wanting to play Duck characters.
This is a 120 page supplement covered that most Gloranthan of races - the Duck, or as they are known by fancy-pants Gloranthan know-it-alls, the Durulz.
It is in what seems to be Mongoose's current format of thin, glossy softback with a strikingly illustrated cover. I like the new format for Mongoose's RQ books, they are a lot better-looking than thick hardbacks and fit on my bookshelf a lot better. I am always careful when reading books, so I don't find them flimsy and impractical.
Inside, the book contains a number of chapters that are easy to read and kind on the eye. There are illustrations throughout that I found rather good. The Platys is a little cartoonish, but the rest are excellent black and white drawings. I know that people have commented negatively on the illustrations but I can't see why. They are of Ducks, they are clearly not of people with feathers. Personally, I never buy a supplement on the strength of the artwork, but I wouldn't say the artwork is anything but good.
So, what's in it? Chapter by chapter, as always …
Introduction - This summarises what is in the supplement and also frames the supplement in that is describes what the book is for and what it covers. As Introductions go, it is interesting, informative and short, exactly how an Introduction should be.
What It Is To Be A Duck - This covers the attitudes, physiology and culture of the Ducks. It has sections on Duck Phraseology, which is OK if you like that sort of thing, Duck Towns, Duck Physiology, Duck Social Mores and The Goals of Duckhood. This is a surprisingly good read and covers each section in a reasoned and interesting way. It doesn't go over the top and doesn't belittle Ducks, so it strikes exactly the right balance. It contains enough about Duck society for a player to run a Duck or for a GM to use Ducks in a game.
Duck Myths - This covers the myths of the Ducks. Now, I like myths - they are the best part of Glorantha, in my opinion. However, I didn't feel that these myths grabbed me in the same way as other myths do. Having said that, they are well written, self-consistent and interesting, so I don't know why I wasn't grabbed by them. They place Ganderland in the Sky, which is interesting, but don't mention the tearing asunder of Earth and Sky, which is odd as that would have been important to the Ducks. They do explain the origin of Ducks, the reason they can't fly, why Ducks and Keets are different, why Ducks fell and more, and they fit in to the Monomyth so they are good little myths. I would hope that other people like them.
Ducks Across The World - As with any similar chapter, Ducks Across The World is sketchy. It covers all the main places where Ducks have settled and, as such, does not cover any one place in any detail. It has sections on Ducks in Glorantha, Keets in Glorantha, Ducks and Aldryami, Ducks and Dragonewts, Ducks and Uz, Ducks and the EWF, Dragon Pass, Contemplative Nest, Ducks and the God Learners, Ducks and Yelmhome, Ducks and Maniria, Ducks Pent and the Praxian Wastelands, Ducks Keets and Kralorela and The Keetslands of Vithela, These are all good little descriptions and carry a falv our of how Ducks live in the different areas.
The Scattered Flocks - This describes the different sub-breeds of Duck and Keet. The breeds are interesting and add flavour, but I wonder how many will be used by players and GMs. A GM might know that a Duck is an Emerald-Crown rather than a Canard, but who really cares? Having said that, they are full of flavour. In would definitely use Loons as Lunar agents in Third Age Glorantha and Ivory Mallards are interesting as a character type.
Duck Characters - This is a fairly detailed guide on rolling Duck Characters. There are rules for differentiating different breeds which make them distinct and different. The backgrounds seem fine to me, not too many but not just a few, but the professions seem very limited - there are 6 Duck Backgrounds but only 6 Duck Professions, which doesn't seem nearly enough to me. Ducks also have Duck Quirks, which are reflections of mythic properties, and add flaws or abilities to Ducks, further improving the flavour. The section on Duck/Keet Equipment is short but has some good ideas. The Durulz Legendary Abilities are interesting and make the Ducks dangerous in combat. Roleplaying as a Durulz has some good ideas and some dodgy ones - I certainly wouldn't advise bringing pieces of bread to a session, talking with your mouth full or sitting on the floor to be lower than other players as valid roleplaying techniques - but the rest of the section is good and has interesting ideas on how to roleplay a Duck. There seems to be some confusion over when to use Duck and when to use Durulz - I'd have used Duck throughout.
Duck Cults - This covers the Nest of Eight, the prime deities of the Ducks - Canarda the Egg Mother, The DeathDrake, Duru-Orlanth the Adventurer, Eggbeater the Singer of Songs, Grandfather Flamingo, Grandmother Duck, The Hurtler, Prince Heron, The Seaside Brothers, Stormbill the Chaos Killer and Swimmer in the Shadows. I am glad that cults such as Hueymakt have been avoided, although Stormbill is just as bad a name, in my opinion. These are OK, but a bit sketchy. There is no depth to them and no guidelines on how the cultists live, but they are sufficient as cults. There are some errors - the Divine Spells for Deathdrake include half the Cult Spells, for example. Overall, these are quite good enough even though they are a little shallow.
Duck Knacks - These are special abilities that Ducks can gain, with each ability based on a skill and each skill in theory having a Knack. These are good ideas and can provide Ducks with enough of an edge to help them survive in a hostile world. I can even forgive the use of Quack-Fu here, just about.
The Less Ignorable - Here you will find a number of NPC descriptions of important Ducks and Keets. They are detailed and interesting, but have no written statistics, with the GM being advised to write his own if required. Normally I don't like detailed statistics for NPCs but in this case it would have been better if they had been included. If you want samples of good role models or good NPCs for interaction then these will do just fine.
The Ducks Speak - These are question and answer descriptions of how certain kinds of Duck view the world. If you have read any other RQ supplement then you will have seen this kind of thing before. They are a bit generic and wishy-washy, but are fine as examples of how Ducks see the world.
So, what do I make of Ducks? It is detailed enough and captures the essence of the bitter, twisted people. It takes them completely seriously and does not use the comic approach. In itself it would allow anyone to roleplay Ducks easily enough. It could have been a bit more detailed in places but pac ks a lot in to a small supplement. Could it have done with a scenario? Perhaps, but that's not really an issue as this is a culture book not a scenario book.
Would I recommend it? If you want to roleplay a Duck then yes. If you desperately want to know secrets of Glorantha then probably not. I bought it and was pleased that I did.
How does it compare with The Questor's Guide to Duck by Sceaptune Games? Very well. It covers the same kind of cultural areas but has a different background, being a Gloranthan supplement. It is a little bigger than Sceaptune's product and has a lot more general background, although the Sceaptune product focuses heavily on river/marsh Ducks. If I wanted to play Ducks I would definitely buy both products. Why didn't I give Ducks as high a rating as Questor's Guide to Duck? Several reasons - Sceaptune's supplement came first and raised the bar, Ducks is more general and covers a lot more in general so has less depth and Sceaptune's supplement is heavily focussed on rules and playability.
How would I rate it? I'd love to give it A- as it is nearly excellent, but I don't really think that I can. It didn't grab me in the same way that an A/A- supplement should do. So, I'll give it a B+.
Having said that, Byan Steele should be proud of this - it is a good supplement about an interesting RPG Race done well. The fact that it didn't grab me is because I am a Gloranthan super-snob and it didn't have enough inner Gloranthan secrets for me. But, as it is about Ducks, it wouldn't have.
B+, Recommended for anyone wanting to play Duck characters.
This is a 120 page supplement covered that most Gloranthan of races - the Duck, or as they are known by fancy-pants Gloranthan know-it-alls, the Durulz.
It is in what seems to be Mongoose's current format of thin, glossy softback with a strikingly illustrated cover. I like the new format for Mongoose's RQ books, they are a lot better-looking than thick hardbacks and fit on my bookshelf a lot better. I am always careful when reading books, so I don't find them flimsy and impractical.
Inside, the book contains a number of chapters that are easy to read and kind on the eye. There are illustrations throughout that I found rather good. The Platys is a little cartoonish, but the rest are excellent black and white drawings. I know that people have commented negatively on the illustrations but I can't see why. They are of Ducks, they are clearly not of people with feathers. Personally, I never buy a supplement on the strength of the artwork, but I wouldn't say the artwork is anything but good.
So, what's in it? Chapter by chapter, as always …
Introduction - This summarises what is in the supplement and also frames the supplement in that is describes what the book is for and what it covers. As Introductions go, it is interesting, informative and short, exactly how an Introduction should be.
What It Is To Be A Duck - This covers the attitudes, physiology and culture of the Ducks. It has sections on Duck Phraseology, which is OK if you like that sort of thing, Duck Towns, Duck Physiology, Duck Social Mores and The Goals of Duckhood. This is a surprisingly good read and covers each section in a reasoned and interesting way. It doesn't go over the top and doesn't belittle Ducks, so it strikes exactly the right balance. It contains enough about Duck society for a player to run a Duck or for a GM to use Ducks in a game.
Duck Myths - This covers the myths of the Ducks. Now, I like myths - they are the best part of Glorantha, in my opinion. However, I didn't feel that these myths grabbed me in the same way as other myths do. Having said that, they are well written, self-consistent and interesting, so I don't know why I wasn't grabbed by them. They place Ganderland in the Sky, which is interesting, but don't mention the tearing asunder of Earth and Sky, which is odd as that would have been important to the Ducks. They do explain the origin of Ducks, the reason they can't fly, why Ducks and Keets are different, why Ducks fell and more, and they fit in to the Monomyth so they are good little myths. I would hope that other people like them.
Ducks Across The World - As with any similar chapter, Ducks Across The World is sketchy. It covers all the main places where Ducks have settled and, as such, does not cover any one place in any detail. It has sections on Ducks in Glorantha, Keets in Glorantha, Ducks and Aldryami, Ducks and Dragonewts, Ducks and Uz, Ducks and the EWF, Dragon Pass, Contemplative Nest, Ducks and the God Learners, Ducks and Yelmhome, Ducks and Maniria, Ducks Pent and the Praxian Wastelands, Ducks Keets and Kralorela and The Keetslands of Vithela, These are all good little descriptions and carry a falv our of how Ducks live in the different areas.
The Scattered Flocks - This describes the different sub-breeds of Duck and Keet. The breeds are interesting and add flavour, but I wonder how many will be used by players and GMs. A GM might know that a Duck is an Emerald-Crown rather than a Canard, but who really cares? Having said that, they are full of flavour. In would definitely use Loons as Lunar agents in Third Age Glorantha and Ivory Mallards are interesting as a character type.
Duck Characters - This is a fairly detailed guide on rolling Duck Characters. There are rules for differentiating different breeds which make them distinct and different. The backgrounds seem fine to me, not too many but not just a few, but the professions seem very limited - there are 6 Duck Backgrounds but only 6 Duck Professions, which doesn't seem nearly enough to me. Ducks also have Duck Quirks, which are reflections of mythic properties, and add flaws or abilities to Ducks, further improving the flavour. The section on Duck/Keet Equipment is short but has some good ideas. The Durulz Legendary Abilities are interesting and make the Ducks dangerous in combat. Roleplaying as a Durulz has some good ideas and some dodgy ones - I certainly wouldn't advise bringing pieces of bread to a session, talking with your mouth full or sitting on the floor to be lower than other players as valid roleplaying techniques - but the rest of the section is good and has interesting ideas on how to roleplay a Duck. There seems to be some confusion over when to use Duck and when to use Durulz - I'd have used Duck throughout.
Duck Cults - This covers the Nest of Eight, the prime deities of the Ducks - Canarda the Egg Mother, The DeathDrake, Duru-Orlanth the Adventurer, Eggbeater the Singer of Songs, Grandfather Flamingo, Grandmother Duck, The Hurtler, Prince Heron, The Seaside Brothers, Stormbill the Chaos Killer and Swimmer in the Shadows. I am glad that cults such as Hueymakt have been avoided, although Stormbill is just as bad a name, in my opinion. These are OK, but a bit sketchy. There is no depth to them and no guidelines on how the cultists live, but they are sufficient as cults. There are some errors - the Divine Spells for Deathdrake include half the Cult Spells, for example. Overall, these are quite good enough even though they are a little shallow.
Duck Knacks - These are special abilities that Ducks can gain, with each ability based on a skill and each skill in theory having a Knack. These are good ideas and can provide Ducks with enough of an edge to help them survive in a hostile world. I can even forgive the use of Quack-Fu here, just about.
The Less Ignorable - Here you will find a number of NPC descriptions of important Ducks and Keets. They are detailed and interesting, but have no written statistics, with the GM being advised to write his own if required. Normally I don't like detailed statistics for NPCs but in this case it would have been better if they had been included. If you want samples of good role models or good NPCs for interaction then these will do just fine.
The Ducks Speak - These are question and answer descriptions of how certain kinds of Duck view the world. If you have read any other RQ supplement then you will have seen this kind of thing before. They are a bit generic and wishy-washy, but are fine as examples of how Ducks see the world.
So, what do I make of Ducks? It is detailed enough and captures the essence of the bitter, twisted people. It takes them completely seriously and does not use the comic approach. In itself it would allow anyone to roleplay Ducks easily enough. It could have been a bit more detailed in places but pac ks a lot in to a small supplement. Could it have done with a scenario? Perhaps, but that's not really an issue as this is a culture book not a scenario book.
Would I recommend it? If you want to roleplay a Duck then yes. If you desperately want to know secrets of Glorantha then probably not. I bought it and was pleased that I did.
How does it compare with The Questor's Guide to Duck by Sceaptune Games? Very well. It covers the same kind of cultural areas but has a different background, being a Gloranthan supplement. It is a little bigger than Sceaptune's product and has a lot more general background, although the Sceaptune product focuses heavily on river/marsh Ducks. If I wanted to play Ducks I would definitely buy both products. Why didn't I give Ducks as high a rating as Questor's Guide to Duck? Several reasons - Sceaptune's supplement came first and raised the bar, Ducks is more general and covers a lot more in general so has less depth and Sceaptune's supplement is heavily focussed on rules and playability.
How would I rate it? I'd love to give it A- as it is nearly excellent, but I don't really think that I can. It didn't grab me in the same way that an A/A- supplement should do. So, I'll give it a B+.
Having said that, Byan Steele should be proud of this - it is a good supplement about an interesting RPG Race done well. The fact that it didn't grab me is because I am a Gloranthan super-snob and it didn't have enough inner Gloranthan secrets for me. But, as it is about Ducks, it wouldn't have.
Good review by Simon,
I'll add to the view that a scenario would greatly benefit the book. It (along with Elf/Uz/Dragonewts books) lacks the ability to pick up and play. Editing and cleaning up the presentation of the text would create the space for this.
I would argue that historically RQ's popularity was helped a lot by the books demanding you play the scenario and/or character/stats provided.
I read a lot of MRQ books and wonder if the authors actually play / understand the game. If so, let it show.
I'll add to the view that a scenario would greatly benefit the book. It (along with Elf/Uz/Dragonewts books) lacks the ability to pick up and play. Editing and cleaning up the presentation of the text would create the space for this.
I would argue that historically RQ's popularity was helped a lot by the books demanding you play the scenario and/or character/stats provided.
I read a lot of MRQ books and wonder if the authors actually play / understand the game. If so, let it show.
>I read a lot of MRQ books and wonder if the authors actually play / understand the game. If so, let it show.
Having just spent last night play testing the Mostali Book, I can confirm that Loz at the least has a firm grip of both Gloranthan and the RQ mechanic and writes damn fine scenario material.
I would suggest that any GM worth his salt could pull out a hundred scenario seeds from any of the background books. I would love to see separate scenario books produced, rather than loosing background material. Scenarios are not always written to everyone's tastes, and nearly every GM I know has to alter published scenarios to fit their gamers needs.
Cheers Simon Bray
Having just spent last night play testing the Mostali Book, I can confirm that Loz at the least has a firm grip of both Gloranthan and the RQ mechanic and writes damn fine scenario material.
I would suggest that any GM worth his salt could pull out a hundred scenario seeds from any of the background books. I would love to see separate scenario books produced, rather than loosing background material. Scenarios are not always written to everyone's tastes, and nearly every GM I know has to alter published scenarios to fit their gamers needs.
Cheers Simon Bray
Daithi O'an tSionnaigh
Mongoose
Indeed a great review and warrants the rating for the common RPG'er who plays RQ. However, I would rate the book higher only from my love of the cursed anatida and if your a fan of the Ducks and their fellow Keets then I say it is a must by. Bryan Steele did a fantastic job on this and I really liked the artwork as well. The cover is rustic and reminds me of the old school fantasy covers from the late' 70's early 80's.
I mainly run RQ but with this book my Duck NPC's will be that much more fleshed out than before. I think I was pretty much on target with what info we had but now this just adds even more depth and range of character. Awesome...just Awesome!
I mainly run RQ but with this book my Duck NPC's will be that much more fleshed out than before. I think I was pretty much on target with what info we had but now this just adds even more depth and range of character. Awesome...just Awesome!
I read the book, and immediatly wanted to run a campaign where all the players were penguin pirates in longboats. . .
Daithi O'an tSionnaigh said:
Of course, if you like Ducks and want to run a campaign involving Ducks then you pretty much have to buy this, or ask someone for it for Chrsitmas.
I would expect everyone who bought A Questor's Guide to Duck would also buy Mongoose's Ducks.
The Keets stuff left me cold, really, but that's mainly because I have no interest at all in the Eastern part of Glorantha and no interest as all in Keets. But, as Matthew points out it made him want to run a Keet-based campaign so I am probably in a minority there.
Daithi O'an tSionnaigh said:
Which can never be a bad thing.
