Iron Kingdoms Campaign Setting

[PrOtOcoN]

Well...seeing as this board is devoid of any posts I'd just like to kick it off with a few words.
The Iron Kingdoms campaign landed discreetly here in Iceland and sortof shuffled off to the back. Warmachine had a short running, and then resigned itself to side-shelves and eventually a bargain bin.
Before that happened though, I picked up the campaign setting, Monsternomicon and such and gave 'em a read.
I was blown away.
Here was an awesome and fun world with really cool steampunk elements. What propably made it so good from my perspective was that I'd been working on similar concepts for my own RPG world and seeing something close to it, meaning I had propably been on the right track, made me ecstatic.

What was it I liked the most? Simply put, the detail. From the history bites you get alongside your most basic equipment to descriptions of politial intrigue to astronomy and tidal influence.
The Monsternomicon is, hands down, the best critter guide for d20 I've ever seen. Written with a story flair boasting excellent artwork coupled with actual ways to implement and USE the monsters in the book made me tear through it.
Now, personally I've always had a thing against pre-made worlds. I thought it was a lazy way to gamesmaster. I didn't like to have to, as a player, to read 3-4 different trilogies and have to read page after page of soruce material just to be able to play in a world. The way IK sets it up it makes you WANT to read the next chapter on religious doctrines or cultural variations etc.

Agh...I'm rambling now.
But yes. I buy source books for the primary purpose of scavanging and cannibalizing what I can to add to my own world, steadily improving and revising the content (I maintain a wiki for that purpose, though that is "player-known" content so not all of it makes it there.)
There's alot I've taken inspiration from in IK...or just downright TAKEN!
They gave firearms their just rights as well as giving us the "Jacks" which I've yet to release, in altered form ofcourse, on my players.

I'd shout its name from the rooftops if anyone would know what I was on about, but I really recommend the system if not only because the books are a good read. As a GM that's ALWAYS on the look for ideas the books still remain a source I dvelve into and scrounge around in.

So...anyone else play IK?

[dr_nick22]

I don't play IK as such, although I've always wanted to give it a shot. I used to go to a gaming club, and we planned to all pitch in and buy some IK books to try out, seeing as a fair few of us played Warmachine, so we thought it'd be a good idea. Unfortunately due to lack of numbers, quality of players etc. said club ended up being more of a hassle than the fun it used to be, and now my friends and I have stopped going, so we never got to try the IK game unfortunately.

We did, however, make up our own system and play it in the IK world, which was quite fun while it lasted. Even just with average knowledge of the world from wargaming experience, it was a really fun setting and we all enjoyed it.

Maybe at some point in the future someone will consider getting the books so our roleplaying group (more informal now) can give it a shot, but it's never been a huge priority, especially with so many having a disliking/distrust for the d20 system. Sounds like it's pretty good from what you've said, though