Ironically, a couple months ago I was kicking around ideas for running a campaign in a northern setting that mashed up Alaskan and Scandinavian lore with fantasy elements. Then, I saw reviews for this online and ordered it right away. I must say it's quite unlike anything else I've seen. The setting is developed in great detail, almost too much, with a rich history and backstory. There are gods, cults, and factions aplenty. The influence of classic pulp fantasy is strong, but it's also infused with generous references to 80s pop culture and fantasy.

The beginning adventure is a bit railroady and is probably the weakest part of the whole package, but it does allow the DM and players to get invested in the setting. From there it assumes more of a sandbox character. The subsequent chapters are full of adventure hooks of all types and power levels, meaning that, in true old school fashion, the characters can easily find themselves overmatched and end up dead. There's still a ton of lore to absorb here, but one can see that over time this will start reinforcing itself and adding depth to the world, building towards the megadungeon climax promised in the the upcoming third volume of this set.

All told, there are tons of interesting locations, NPCs, magic items, and new monsters here. The backstory is a bit convoluted and difficult to follow, but if run over a significant length of time, I think the pieces will fall into place and make for a very rewarding campaign. The level of detail is amazing and the setting itself really shines, becoming a character in itself. As importantly, this is designed for Old School Essentials Advanced and the writing is such that it makes full use of those rules and demonstrates how that game can shine in a long-term campaign. So if you're interested in investing in a campaign setting that is both unique and not over the top gonzo, but incorporates elements not found in your bog-standard European-derived fantasy, by all means check this out. You won't be disappointed if you're willing to put in the effort. I for one, cannot wait for the two follow-up volumes.

This campaign is BRILLIANT! You NEED to purchase Volume 1 TODAY! I purchased Gods of the Forbidden North: Volume 1 last week. The lore, the intro to OSR for newbies, and the way everything slowly builds is FANTASTIC!!! Buy Gods of the Forbidden North: Volume 1 NOW!!!

This campaign is BRILLIANT! You NEED to purchase Volume 1 TODAY! I purchased Gods of the Forbidden North: Volume 1 last week. The lore, the intro to OSR for newbies, and the way everything slowly builds is FANTASTIC!!! Buy Gods of the Forbidden North: Volume 1 NOW!!!

Backed this on a whim and so glad i did - really rich content and clearly created as a labour of love. Cant wait for the next volumes.

I have to say, this volume definitely gives me the feeling of a masterful work jam packed with great information! I'm currently prepping to begin a solo BX game, and this is just the world setting i need. Great work to the author and the artists! A very well put-together book.

Looks to be one of the truely great MegaDungeons when this prodcut is complete.

I haven’t been this excited about a product in a loooong time. I took a chance on backing this project and didn’t really know what to expect. Well, OMG. So many companies are releasing new game systems. But I think there needs to be more adventures for these systems. This book delivers on that.

Pulp Hummock’s maiden voyage into adventure publishing is nothing shy of spectacular. They managed to pull off the rare feat of an inaugural product delivering more—way more—than originally advertised: 3 volumes more. This work has all the virtues of a first book and little to none of its shortcomings. The writing is top notch, the layout is inviting, and it’s clear that no expenses were spared for the beautiful artwork. Ian Baggley, Gary Trow. So. much. talent.

“Eye of J’karra” is my favorite chapter (nice nod to Leigh Brackett). The narrative is really well done and pulls in the reader—long-time and new players alike. Loved the character creation—very video game-esque. So many new monsters, all of which come alive on the page. I had an urge to stroke King Karakal’s mane as I read about him. And it was refreshing to see a queen at the helm of the star-race. I can’t wait to run this game!

The mythology of this book is unlike anything else! Every detail feels so rich. Can’t wait to finally play with my group. I know they’re all going to love it.

Gods of the Forbidden North is something between Skyrim and Carcosa. The first volume provides rich, fun to read lore that's open ended enough for the GM to build up on, while still providing solid direction. The introductory adventure is solid session 0 material, incorporating character creation into the opening scenes in a way I haven't seen before. The rest of the adventures are solid dungeon crawls, with lots to interact with and puzzles with multiple solutions.

The highlight for me is the over world hex crawl. Theres an immense amount of content. I don't know the percentage of keyed hexes off the top of my head, but it feels like every 2 or 3 hexes has a point of interest or potential adventure location, with enough detail to run with minimal prep. The book provides a rundown of procedures for running the hexcrawl, and detailed, expansive encounter tables for each terrain type, with a wide variety of potential, interesting, non combat encounters. There are also appendices with rules for running a more brutal, survival oriented game, if that's up your alley.

The settlements all have major NPCs and factions detailed, outlining goals and some suggestions for how progress towards those goals might occur to give you ideas (or perhaps for you to run verbatim if you follow the adventure path provided). Settlements also have bounty boards, providing easy hooks and direction for players who want to get out and explore off the beaten path.

All in all, I could easily spend years running GotFN with this book alone. I'm very excited for the next couple volumes.

What sets this work apart from the rest is the quality of the writing and the story telling. I checked and the author of this has taught as a professor at top level Universities in the US. This volume will keep my group going for a very long time.