|
Dungeons & Dragons Supplement II: Blackmoor
Credits
Written by Dave Arneson
Illustrations by Dave Sutherland, Mike Bell, & Tracy Lesch
Edited by Tim Kask
Version
The PDF is from the original edition premium reprint released in 2013. As such, it has updated cover art and is titled “Book V” instead of “Supplement II.” The PDF has bookmarks. Note that the product listing on drivethrurpg displays the original covert art.
History and Trivia
Dave Arneson’s Blackmoor setting was one of the original pre-D&D settings along with Greyhawk. As with the Greyhawk supplement, however, this book doesn’t actually provide much detail on the setting itself. Gaming historians have noted that while Arneson gets sole credit for this book, a lot of the material had to be heavily edited and/or rewritten. Supplement II: Blackmoor was originally published in September, 1975.
Is it Pretty?
As with the other books in the premium reprint, the new cover art is well done, depicting a floating castle. The interior art is hit and miss, however. Some of it is excellent and some of it is cartoonish. ½ star.
Is it Professional?
The presentation is reasonably well done and the book is divided into Men & Magic, Monsters & Treasure, and Underworld & Wilderness Adventures sections, to align it with the organization of the core set. The maps for the Temple of the Frog scenario are difficult to read and generally unhelpful. If one wants to run the scenario, alternative maps would be a necessity. ½ star.
Is it Useful?
Blackmoor introduces two new classes (sub-classes actually) – the monk and the assassin. The monk is presented as a sub-class of the cleric which…really doesn’t fit. The monk is its own beast and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons would recognize this by making its own full class. The assassin is a sub-class of thief which makes a lot more sense.
Monks seem a bit overpowered in comparison to other classes, particularly fighters. The monk possesses a variety of special abilities that, even disregarding power levels, make them far more interesting to play than the boring old fighter.
Assassins likewise have several special abilities, though theirs are only a bit better than a standard thief’s (and they have all of the thief’s abilities, albeit at two levels lower).
There is a small balancing factor with these two classes in that they have level caps beyond which they cannot advance. In campaigns that never progress to that point, however, that becomes entirely irrelevant.
Blackmoor introduces a hit location system that would not carry over into future editions. It’s a bit of a mess, really, and can be safely ignored unless you really want to further complicate combat.
Most of the new monsters in Blackmoor are aquatic types so if you are planning on running an OD&D undersea campaign, you will definitely want to have this book. The monsters have much more in-depth descriptions than the monsters in the core set. There’s enough information, in fact, that an entire undersea ecology and setting could be crafted with minimal effort.
Magic items are similarly mostly focused on aquatic themes, with various items suited to underwater breathing and movement.
The Underworld & Wilderness Adventures section is entirely devoted to a mini-setting/adventure scenario entitled The Temple of the Frog. The scenario embraces the science fantasy weirdness hinted at in the core set. There’s quite a bit of detail given, enough to set a short campaign in the area. Given how well protected the temple and its adjoining town are, it would certainly take several levels worth of adventuring to explore the place and clear it out.
The book rounds out with some rules for underwater adventuring to complement the monsters and magic items as well as sections on sages and diseases.
Other than the wonky hit location rules, the book is fairly solid, offering both plentiful material for undersea adventures and a reasonably complete scenario. One star.
Is it Affordable?
At $4.99, the PDF is a steal compared to the $110 or more you’ll pay for an old print copy on the secondary market. One star.
Is it Fun?
The addition of aquatic and undersea creatures, items and rules opens up a new realm of play. The Temple of the Frog offers a ready-made adventure site, though it does require a bit of tweaking from the DM. And, as noted before, the maps are nearly useless. The new classes are potentially fun, but possibly at the expense of the fun of players who choose fighters and thieves. Overall, though, there’s plenty here to keep a group occupied. One star.
Where to find it
The PDF is available on drivethrurpg, listed as OD&D Supplement II: Blackmoor (0e). Print copies can be found on ebay and other sites.
Conclusion
Unlike Supplement I: Greyhawk, this book is entirely optional. That said, it does have some fun material, particularly if you want to run an undersea campaign. 4 out of 5 stars.
Please consider supporting my patreon for more reviews and other content - https://www.patreon.com/user?u=8208616
|
Log In 
