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The Majestic Wilderlands

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Average Rating:4.3 / 5
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The Majestic Wilderlands
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The Majestic Wilderlands
Publisher: Bat in the Attic Games
by Michael M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 03/01/2023 08:36:30

An interesting idea, well-executed. I don't have the same nostalgia for Judge's Guild that the author does, so I didn't end up using this, but it was an early OSR effort that was well ahead of its time and much higher quality than most home-brew campaigns.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Creator Reply:
Appreciate you taking the time to write this even if the Majestic Wilderlands is no longer for sale. I am working on an updated set of rules called the Majestic Fantasy RPG and the part of the setting that was my original will be repurposed for the Majestic Fantasy Realms that Blackmarsh is part of.
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The Majestic Wilderlands
Publisher: Bat in the Attic Games
by zack m. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 08/05/2019 14:05:35

The product description doesn't ackowledge that there are no hexmaps in this product despite being known to be a hexcrawl. I appreciate the rules and character information, but I bought this on the presumption that I'd have have several hex maps with quest seeds I could use with my campaigns. Instead, I got a S&W supplement with no seeds or hexes. The product description needs to be updated to reflect what is actually in the product. I'm disappointed.

*Edited star rating to reflect change in product description.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Creator Reply:
I updated the product description to clarify what it is about and how it fits with the rest of the product I offer as Bat in the Attic Games.
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The Majestic Wilderlands
Publisher: Bat in the Attic Games
by Zachary H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 04/07/2011 21:30:18

The material released by Judges Guild has delighted generations of gamers. For many, it was an integral part of their gaming childhood or early adulthood. The Wilderlands setting has long stood as a monument to the joys of hex-based exploration.

Now comes Supplement VI: The Majestic Wilderlands, wherein Rob Conley (author of Points of Light, Citadel of Fire, and other works with a definite classic bent to them) shares his 30-year home campaign, and stats it for use with Swords & Wizardry. Conley gained the permission of Judge’s Guild to release his version of the Wilderlands, and the end result does not disappoint.

With 3 decades of adventuring in the Wilderlands, Conley has definitely had time to put his own mark on the setting. Not only full of a goodly amount of setting overview, the 140-page Majestic Wilderlands also crams in plenty of new optional Swords & Wizardry sub-classes & skills. The reader will likely “mix n’ match” amongst the sub-classes, with entries such as the Myrmidons of Set, Berserkers, and Rune-Casters among the most entertaining. The religions of the Wilderlands also offer the opportunity of specialty priests, something Conley implements well.

The skill add-on rules are brief and to the point. Although it may not be utilized by many players of Swords & Wizardry, it is short and familiar (utilizing a 1d20+ability bonus+class bonus vs. Target Number of 15). People wanting to keep the simplicity of Swords & Wizardry while adding a basic skill system could do far worse.

The second section in the book deals with treasure and monsters, and is perhaps the weakest point, but still manages to introduce a few new baddies and items for use. This is the one section I wish had been fleshed out just a bit more.

The largest portion of the book is the third section, and Conley goes into loving detail here describing his Wilderlands. More than just a geographical primer, Conley manages to really impart the flavor of the races and cultures of the Wilderlands. Never too dull or uneven, Conley expertly guides us through a whirlwind of cultures, religions, peoples, and entities that turn the Wilderlands from a static place to a dynamic, living one.

If anything, knowing Conley’s excellent eye for cartography, I would have preferred to see a few more maps included in the book. Despite this, he manages to make you feel immersed in what feels to be a well-worn, comfortable setting. It’s almost as if we’ve been invited in to have a cup of tea in his personal campaign, and the effect is a pleasant one.

All in all, The Majestic Wilderlands compares favorably to other Wilderlands efforts, such as James Mishler’s Adventure Games Publishing. Users of this book should find a high degree of compatibility with both AGP works and the original Wilderlands. Perhaps the biggest difference is in tone, with Conley’s Wilderlands not exactly a somber place, but one that is a bit more serious in tone. This is not a bad thing, however; Conley’s setting is all the more vibrant and engaging for the scholarly and attentive tone of the writing.

The print copy of Majestic Wilderlands retails for $12, and comes in both a more colorful cover and a brown “original supplement” look. The pdf is $7, and is easy to read due to the single-column layout. For the amount of gaming material presented, either is a good value. It should be easily adaptable to any classical or neoclassical RPG, and probably a few outlier systems to boot.

Overall, Supplement VI: The Majestic Wilderlands gets high marks. Whether you're looking to spice up a classical D&D campaign with some great ideas or need a world to call home for your campaign, you'll want to check this out. Wilderlands is definitely recommended to anyone looking for inspiration for any OD&D-based campaign, or for an example of what quality worldbuilding can produce. One can only hope Mr. Conley decides to open the vault to his gaming archives a bit further.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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The Majestic Wilderlands
Publisher: Bat in the Attic Games
by erik s. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 01/05/2010 20:32:32

It seems like everyone has their own spin on the classic Wilderlands line by Judges Guild. James Mishler has his spin on the Wilderlands and now Robert Conley is giving us his vision with the Majestic Wilderlands.

So, what do you get for your 7 bucks. 140 pages full of gaming goodness for Swords & Wizardry (OD&D). Actually, just short of half (the second half) of this PDF gives you setting material that could be easily used in any version of D&D, its clones, heck, just about any fantasy ruleset - it is system agnostic.

The first 80 pages or so detail new sub-classes, spells, optional rules for your S&W campaign and the obligatory spin on the rogue class. There's a hell of alot of crunch for anyone that is looking to expand their Swords & Wizardry game.

Final verdict? 5 stars - either section of this book is easily worth $7 bucks on their own. Looks great on the Kindle DX too. Nice, clean and simple layout.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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The Majestic Wilderlands
Publisher: Bat in the Attic Games
by Steven W. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 12/29/2009 12:48:46

I bought this item in a fit of Old School nostalgia, and I am very pleased to say it hit the spot!

Roughly half this book details out a campaign world that - while I may read for inspiration and enjoyment - i will probably never use. It is well thought out and covers the necessary bases for a game world.

But the rest contains so many cool and useful bits that I want to use in a game. In addition to fleshing out the basic Sword and Wizardry class with sub-classes such as Berserkers and Rune Casters and Clerics of Thor, this book introduces rules for Rogues, non-Adventurer classes, new races (and new takes on old races) and a complete and playable skill system that doesn't require a ton of rules, charts or fiddly bits. Round things out with some new monsters, new magic items, and rules for Ritual Magic.

There are a few typos and lay out issues, but I feel such things are quibbles in the face of the sheer amount of cool stuff this book hands to you.

Steve W Baltimore, MD



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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The Majestic Wilderlands
Publisher: Bat in the Attic Games
by Phillip J. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 12/11/2009 03:15:04

Just purchased this product and in general I am pleased. My only negative observation is that the product suffers from far too numerous grammatical errors that are a real distraction to the reader. A good proofreading and cleanup is necessary.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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