OGL and Drow War Questions

[Neeklus]

Using the OGL, what exactly are the restrictions when it comes to content? Can you use any of the traditional D&D monsters, the spells, even their classes?

And additionally, as the website is a bit vague, I'm curious about the Drow War books. Are they their own version of the Drow, or Faeruns or something totally different? Am I correct in that it goes from level 1 - 30? How is this handled? Is it a string of adventures or something else?

Thanks

 

[Cavalorn]

Are they their own version of the Drow, or Faeruns or something totally different?

Statistically, they are essentially the same as in the SRD, with a difference in alignment tendency (they tend toward lawful evil rather than neutral or chaotic).

Culturally, they are different from other Drow, though still recognisable in terms of major tropes (spiders, poison, underground living and so forth). They also have ties to major campaign-related powers.

Am I correct in that it goes from level 1 - 30?

Yes indeed. Book One, The Gathering Storm, is levels 1-10. Book Two, The Dying of the Light, is levels 11-20. Book Three, The Darkest Hour, is levels 21-30.

How is this handled? Is it a string of adventures or something else?

It's a collection of adventures set into an overarching campaign, with each book having its own story. This isn't actually as railroady as it may sound, as there's lots of provision for player influence on events, and in many places you can proceed in a non-linear way.

Cheers, Adrian (also from Manchester!)

EDIT: This is actually Mongoose Ade, logged in under his earlier account name for some bizarre reason. Whoops.

 

[Neeklus]

Ah interesting. Could you explain in more detail how the adventures are set out?

 

[Mongoose_Ade]

Ah interesting. Could you explain in more detail how the adventures are set out?

Sure. First, here's a huge

*** SPOILER WARNING ***




The entirety of the Drow War saga has the following premise: the Players are all Starborn, even if they don't know it at first. These are avatars of the stars upon earth. If you're familiar with fantasy ideas like Moorcock's Eternal Champion, or the reborn warriors of the Hakkenden, you'll have an inkling of what sort of fantasy saga this is.

They aren't necessarily good or evil (they can be of any alignment) but they do stand for affirmed existence as opposed to uniformity and undifferentiated darkness. The opposing force to the Starborn is the Host, who are avatars of the Dark. The Drow are the most favoured of the Host, but not its only members.

Every thousand years, in the event called the Equinox of the Heroes by those who know of it, the two cosmic forces come into conflict, and the result determines the fate of the world. Last time, the Starborn won, but only just.

Starborn have one very important special quality. Unlike other beings, they can be returned to life if they are slain. (This is a major break from conventional d20 in which resurrection is commonplace.)

So, the theme of each section of the campaign is how the Starborn face the threat of the Dark. There's a different manifestation of that threat in each volume. For example, in the first book, an exiled house of the Drow seems to have somehow won the favour of the Dark, and prepares to march upon the upper world. The adventures deal with different aspects of this: the discovery, warning the towns, reaching the major city and so on, with the subplot of finding out who the Players really are and how they can awaken their powers.

If you'd like to see how the campaign plays out in practice, there are some online blogs:

Wilmslow Games Club (should be nice and local!)

Brent Nall's Drow War Campaign (I'm enjoying this one immensely)

 

[Neeklus]

I sort of get it, I think. I just can't really see how such a wide campaign can be done with out railroading players into making certain choices etc.

Anyway, thanks for the info. One last thing, can OGL publications like this use classic D&D monsters, like the beholders, or illithids?

Oh and I sent you a PM

 

[Mongoose_Ade]

I sort of get it, I think. I just can't really see how such a wide campaign can be done with out railroading players into making certain choices etc.

You do it by writing the campaign in such a way that certain outcomes don't need to happen. Railroading is really just presenting false choices, and making players feel like their actions don't matter, because the outcome is predestined.

In the Drow War, the Players always know where they are needed, but the outcome of their actions isn't decided. As one reviewer put it, 'this is what's going on, and why; what are the PCs going to do about it?' They can succeed or they can fail, so the situation hangs in the balance. The adventure always details several possible outcomes. Here's what happens if the city is taken; here's what happens if it isn't. Here's what happens if the Princess dies, and here's what happens if she lives. And so on.

For example, in the first half of Gathering Storm, they can earn Victory Points along the way if they successfully warn the villages of the coming danger, and make other clever decisions. These Victory Points then have a direct effect on how the eventual battle goes.

Anyway, thanks for the info. One last thing, can OGL publications like this use classic D&D monsters, like the beholders, or illithids?

Not those specific ones, because they're not included in the content we can use. Basically, you can't write and publish an adventure using those monsters. However, if you as a GM wanted to put Illithids in the Drow War after you'd bought it, as I understand it there'd be nothing to stop you.

Oh and I sent you a PM

I shall get right back to you!

 

[toothill man]

sounds good so on to my wish lsit

 

[Ranger66]

Every published adventure has to have a certain amount of railroarding. How that railroading is handled is what I think is important. I have found players don't think about it if they are in a passage with 1 way to go. They do get annoyed if there is a room with 5 doors and 4 are locked, barricaded and magiclly sealed. Then they feel cheated. I am GM'ing Drow war at the moment and I have been very happy with it so far.

 

[Neeklus]

Thanks for the replies all. I'm definately going to have to pick it up to check out exactly how it's all handled.