Legacy of The Blood: Review

[Snake]

Bought this book today, so it is available in the Chicago area Jason if you didn't know. The info on the families is very cool, and some of the people as well. Like Talena Von Zarovich. She's a wizard/Tyrant Mage (a new prestige class) and is "Strahd's Dagger." An effective fighter and spell caster. Very good in combat. This book is definetly worth buying.

[DarkDuo]

Bought this book today, so it is available in the Chicago area Jason if you didn't know. The info on the families is very cool, and some of the people as well. Like Talena Von Zarovich. She's a wizard/Tyrant Mage (a new prestige class) and is "Strahd's Dagger." An effective fighter and spell caster. Very good in combat. This book is definetly worth buying.

Glad to see the book is starting to appear in stores! Also glad you like it. It certainly seems to have sparked some interest.

Jackie

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

The Shadowborn familly could be another possibility to have included. Maybe Alexi had sibling since he entered RL. And his cousin, the girl, I don't know her whereabouts.

Shadowborn does seem like an obvious choice, since the first (I think?) place they appeared (Bane of the Shadowborn) actually says to make one of the PC's a long-lost relative. And from reading campaign journals, it seems everyone and their uncle manages to squeeze in a lost Shadowborn in their campaign.

As David said (or do we still call you Jester?) Lukas is another good one, although not so suitable for PC's, since aren't they all Greater Wolfweres?

Other ideas: Tarascon, Shinpi? Obour? Apblanc?

[MadStepDad]

What about the Zarovan tribe of the Manusa tasque? Or is that too complex?

[daffy72]

most campains dont allow players to be vistani
EVER

as much as i love the concept of anchorites i really dont think players should be allowed any control over the mists

[DarkDuo]

most campains dont allow players to be vistani
EVER

as much as i love the concept of anchorites i really dont think players should be allowed any control over the mists

But campaigns do allow for half-Vistani player characters. They fit into the family tree somehow, even if the branch has been lopped off.

While it takes away much of their awe to have too many characters with control over the Mists, it would seem that as long as Ravenloft has been around and as long as the Mist have moved in and out of the Dread Realm, some few people may have touched upon something that works with regard to them. And that's a matter for the individual campaign..

Jackie

[Snake]

Actually, I did play as a Vistani once. But heres the thing. I really had to be careful with my Vistani powers, or feel the DMs wrath. But in reality, I don't think the Vistani are going around enflicting curses and what not. And navigating the mists actually was an advantage more than a hassle. It comes down to how mature the PC is I think.

[Steve Miller]

The nice FedEx lady just dropped "Legacy of the Blood" in my hands this afternoon. It's a gorgeous looking book, and I'm even prouder to have my name in it!

BTW, for those concerned about price: Despite some catalog listings, this book is 160 pages long, not 128. That means it's about $2 CHEAPER than a number of other 160-page softcovers sitting on my shelves (including entries in the much-loved GAZ series).

[Jester of the FoS]

The Shadowborn familly could be another possibility to have included. Maybe Alexi had sibling since he entered RL. And his cousin, the girl, I don't know her whereabouts.

Shadowborn does seem like an obvious choice, since the first (I think?) place they appeared (Bane of the Shadowborn) actually says to make one of the PC's a long-lost relative. And from reading campaign journals, it seems everyone and their uncle manages to squeeze in a lost Shadowborn in their campaign.

As David said (or do we still call you Jester?) Lukas is another good one, although not so suitable for PC's, since aren't they all Greater Wolfweres?

Other ideas: Tarascon, Shinpi? Obour? Apblanc?

The Jester/David thing was hotly debated earlier. In the end the fact I have limited username space won out (we’re still not sure how that works or why the rest can fit the entire title in…). Either works. Onto the actual topic…

Shadowborn first came up in Darklords, pretty much the second product out the gate after the Campaign Setting. It might be better to wait for the Gaz to reach the Shadowlands first.
And if the mother is human there should be a chance the kid is too. Wasn’t someone in Heart of Darkness a human son of Lukas?

There’s also the non-darklord lines such as the VanRichten, Weathermay and such. I wonder if Hazlik has any kids, there was no magic lineage…

[DeepShadow of FoS]

Wasn’t someone in Heart of Darkness a human son of Lukas?

Spoiler...
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Casamir, the main character in HoM, was a wolfwere, but there was an ambiguity at the end--he may have died a human, and if his girlfriend lived through the aftermath, she may have had a little one a few months later.

[Jester of the FoS]

Trivial fact: Both the Weathermay and Timothy families were graced by a family tree in Realm of Terror.
Of course, most of the later are were.

[Jester of the FoS]

Finished the book more or less. I'll get my review up in a few (want to get the half-finished CotN: Created review done first, plus finish revising my QtR articles and anything else I'm sent to edit...)

But a couplethings popped out I want to toss into the community.

1) vonZarovich story hook mentioned Malocchio discovering his teleport w/o error. I though he knew about that but the Vistani had magically sealed him within Invidia.
2) Eva/Artista's timeline is screwy as mentioned. She fell out the window far too long ago to just be 40. And her kids in the article and Rogue's Gallery are apparently young (too young for players is the phrase used) and yet the opening fiction mentions one preparing for University
3) So many powerful and deadly Dracovs. He has some potent blood. But I thought one of his curses was that his offspring would always be weak, lesser and dissapointing. Hence the importance of Vlad jr, the one good and strong son who isn't a dissapointment. And yet...

[Wiccy of the Fraternity]

1) vonZarovich story hook mentioned Malocchio discovering his teleport w/o error. I though he knew about that but the Vistani had magically sealed him within Invidia.

I thought Malocchio did not know about his teleport without error (I had him discover it though, he did so by accident when cornered and needed to escape, in my games he can't exactly control the power, it acts just when he needs it most (usually as an escape clause)), but the VIstani sealed him within the borders of Invidia for three reasons. Firstly he could mist navigate, secondly he was the Dukkar, thirdly he could leave the demiplane freely taking others with him including Darklords.

[The Lesser Evil]

3) So many powerful and deadly Dracovs. He has some potent blood. But I thought one of his curses was that his offspring would always be weak, lesser and dissapointing. Hence the importance of Vlad jr, the one good and strong son who isn't a dissapointment. And yet...

It would matter little how good Vlad's sons were if he believed out of hand that they were all failures. I would say that his perception of their ability (or lack their of) would be more important in this case than their actual level of merit. Vlad's real (possibly self-inflicted) curse may be that he suffers from unrealistically high expectations for everyone (including himself) and that he is not willing to see the "good" things around him.

[Charney]

I was just wondering why this excellent review isn't on the review page?