Night's watch utility

[vonpenguin]

I was just wondering how useful the nights watch book is if you don't plan on running a wall centric or north centric game? anything in there that might be useful otherwise?

[Flagg]

Not especially, in my view. It's pretty much designed to be used in games at or beyond the Wall. If you just want a black brother in the South in your game, it's easy enough to fake it with the core rulebook.

[AGlumSon]

Does great artwork count as "useful" in your book?

Serious, though, I myself am not going to run a campaign with these rules anytime soon, but I definitely think the book is a good buy (plus I had some money to spend anyway ).

There are a small number of new benefits and drawbacks that could be used in any campaign.

If you are just sticking to the standard noble house roleplay there isn't anything critical here. If you want to do another style of game (mercenary group, clans in the mountains of the moon, Dothraki, etc.)the Wildling tribe creation rules look like they would be more suitable (with adaptation) for the time being.

There are a lot of nice little campaign hooks and adventure ideas. These are North flavoured (I love the one where characters have to cross a frozen lake with Wights under the ice and an Other waiting for them on the ice), but any DM can re-work them into non-Wall encounters.

[vonpenguin]

Thanks. I might pick it up then. I like the lore enough and Qualities and drawbacks are always good. Thanks. Just how small is small though?

[AGlumSon]

A quick count brought me to 18 new benefits and 6 drawbacks. The latter are mostly related to the North, the benefits have 3-4 that can be implemented no problem. Several others can be used as the basis for benefits that might be useful/applicable outside of the North with a bit of imagination.

To put it differently: I wouldn't recommend it if you are just looking to use it straight up as a general rulebook, but it has potential for creative GMs. Plus, good lore (I am a sucker for that).