Back in the era that was the end of the D&D 3rd edition and beginning of the fourth edition, I was actively posting on the Necromancer Games forums. One of the posters at the same time was a dude named Vladicu. He had an eccentric style, and I always liked talking with him. He could be kinda flippant, but there was a depth in his postings that you could easily overlook if you had a standard social media mindset, where everything of value was on the surface. He could sometimes even disguise what he was really getting at with (pop)culture references. The forum had quieted a lot then since NG was pretty much dead and most of the interesting stuff was on the OSR blogs, but there was a die-hard core of us left on that forum, and Vladicu was one of the posters I enjoyed reading the most.
A decade later, he tracked me down through Dark City Games, and asked for my address so he could send me a copy of his book. He did not ask for a review; I don’t think he knew I had a blog that I did occasional reviews on, or he would have contacted me here. He did ask that I somehow pass on my thoughts, so this will work out well!
So full disclosure: this was a complimentary copy; I am quoted in the text near the end; and I like the author.
Dice or Die, by CB Knoepfle, sub-bills itself as “Investigations into a Fantasy Campaign Milieu.” It is a hefty tome of over four hundred pages, extensively footnoted. It is a reference work that borders on monumental. I read through, one chapter, sometimes two, every few nights. But its utility is not as something to be read once and occasionally thought back upon. It is a reference for the judge (DM, GM, whatever) that wants to build a world that feels real, ostensibly from the ground up, but the advice here can just as easily be applied to an ongoing world, and be the better for it.
The primary classes are examined, and their role in the world as they advance. The society is torn apart to understand how it functions. Sources – historical, fictional, and a massive cross-section of gaming – are referenced and applied. There are extensive examples throughout, of individuals, groups, nations, and many adventure locales. There are fictional snippets during breaks or ends of chapters highlighting characters in the world. Cosmology is challenged.
All the advice and examples come to a head toward the end of the book, with the brief examination of the Witchlands. It is a massive island of adventure. It is followed by a Keep on the Borderlands-style adventure afterwards.
The author’s writing is in the same style as his posting on the old NG boards, at times casual and other times intense. Many times I caught myself and re-read sentences, as I was sure he was saying something that I missed. Mr. Knoepfle is very smart, but not in a condescending way; the kind of way that after he says something, he looks at you smiling waiting for you to get the joke. The manner in which the book is voiced is wholly unique, and begs for a savoring read.
It is important here to note something, a particular piece of dogma that certain parts of the OSR pushed as gospel. While I generally like the OSR – I do not consider myself a part of it, as I never stopped playing old school games and I never got into the blogging scene when it was going strong – I have been critical of a lot of the one-true-wayisms that grew with it. One of the saddest was the notion that campaigns should only rise as emergent play; that is, nothing about the campaign world should be created beyond sketchy details, and only as the players interact with the world should details of the campaign be created.
That is certainly one way to do it, but it is silly to think this is the only true way. That creates a world that feels misty beyond the immediacy of the players. It is self evident that a world with flesh on its bones gives characters not just more options in game play itself, but also more depth as to what they truly are. The main fear among those who voice the emergent-play-only canard is that it limits players’ actions and railroads them. Decades of gaming shows this is not accurate. And Knoepfle’s book sets a gold standard for what a well-developed campaign world can do for the characters. He embraces the campaign; and it in no way inhibits the characters or their players and forces things upon them.
Dice or Die is a glorious book; I say that knowing how funny that sounds, but it is true. There are many aspects of my game worlds that it will make me re-examine, strengthening the verisimilitude. It is a dense and at points difficult work. There is so much here to think about, and opening to almost any page at random can be inspiration.
This should be said, as well: for writers this is great resource for world building. The lens is gaming, but the depth and strata of the societies examined also makes it a tool for story-tellers.
Looking back on this review, I don’t think I did the book justice. Maybe I can’t! Given its depth, I don’t feel like I even scratched the surface in discussing it. He told me he had spent years writing it, and it shows, as does the genuine love and enthusiasm he has for the subject.
In short, it is a celebration of the fantasy campaign world. I won’t get carried away and call it indispensable; but maybe I should. It will sit on the top shelf of my rpg and writing references.
You can buy it from Amazon through this link. Since it is Amazon, this is an affiliate link. If you put it in your cart and buy it within 24 hours of doing so, I’ll get around 3% of the price, and it will not cost you or the author anything extra. And I’ll be one step closer to world domination.
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