Author | Douglas Niles |
---|---|
Language | English |
Genre | Fantasy |
Published | 1996 |
Publication place | United States |
Media type |
The Rod of Seven Parts is a fantasy novel by Douglas Niles, based on the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, published in 1996.
The Rod of Seven Parts is a novel in which the thief Kip Kayle gets drawn into a quest that involves restoring the Rod of Seven Parts, and this quest ultimately turns into an immense cosmic battle involving the forces of both Law and Chaos. [1]
Trenton Webb reviewed The Rod of Seven Parts for Arcane magazine, rating it a 7 out of 10 overall. [2] He commented that "The Rod Of Seven Parts doesn't even pretend to be a 'proper' book; glibly ignoring such trifling conventions as characterisation, pacing and structure. It's a work of reportage that (almost too) accurately recreates the feel of an actual game in play which - as a teaser for the forthcoming campaign based on the 'legendary' artifact - is exactly what it should be." [2] He continued by saying "The story starts with a furious duel between a Wind Duke and Lycosyd, and from that moment on, the pace is unrelenting. This speed of delivery helps paper over a few cracks. The characters are functional class/race archetypes, while their dialogue has the air of 'real' conversations culled from players under pressure, rather than being considered character-developing speech. The plot pushes everything on at such a rate that many questions are left unanswered." [2] Webb went on to say that "The resolution of cliffhangers is often illogical and regularly beyond the control of the central cast. All their escapes seem plausible at first, but on reflection are increasingly dissatisfying, Yet somehow the sensation of gamers at play surfaces, because when logic falls foul of fun, the characters (players?) are winging it. Such 'amateurish' elements should both damn the book to the same plane of hell as the main villain Miska; but don't." [2] He added, "The mix of monsters is right, escalating from ogres through to top- notch tannari. The setting continually changes, moving swiftly from the familiar dungeon environment through city streets to the planes of Pandemonium. There are big heroes and big villains. And you get to meet and fight them both." [2] Webb concludes the review by saying, "The flaws restrict rather than cripple The Rod Of Seven Parts, (even though the way it handles laws regarding alignment is extremely annoying). Aimed at a hard-core D&D audience, it's an enjoyable tale told with enough raw enthusiasm to maintain the 'live and direct from the tabletop' feel. If your gaming palette has become jaded of late, it's an ideal tonic." [2]
Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories. Several years later, it was published for the D&D game as a series of magazine articles, and the first Realms game products were released in 1987. Role-playing game products have been produced for the setting ever since, in addition to novels, role-playing video game adaptations, comic books, and the film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.
The Monstrous Compendium is a series of accessories for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game released from 1989 to 1998. The title was then used for a series of 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons supplements released on D&D Beyond.
Douglas Niles is a fantasy author and game designer. Niles was one of the creators of the Dragonlance world and the author of the first three Forgotten Realms novels, the Star Frontiers space opera setting and the Top Secret S/I espionage role-playing game.
The DL series is a series of adventures and some supplementary material for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons role playing game. These modules along with the Dragonlance Chronicles trilogy of novels, which follow one possible adventure series through the modules, were the first published items that established the Dragonlance fictional universe. The original DL series was released from 1984 to 1986, with the final two modules added to it in 1988. In the 1990s these roleplaying adventures from the original series were collected and revised for 2nd Edition AD&D as the three DLC Dragonlance Classics modules. There were also versions of the module series released in 1999, 2000 and 2006.
The Rod of Seven Parts is a 1996 accessory for the 2nd edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, written by Skip Williams. It focuses on the fictional artifact of the same name, which was originally introduced in the 1976 supplement Eldritch Wizardry. The boxed set details the rod's history and includes an adventure centered around finding its parts.
Dungeon Master Option: High-Level Campaigns is a supplemental sourcebook to the core rules of the 2nd edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) fantasy role-playing game.
The Gates of Firestorm Peak is an adventure module for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. The adventure was published in 1996, and was written by Bruce Cordell, with cover art by Jeff Easley and interior art by Arnie Swekel.
On Hallowed Ground is an accessory book for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, for the Planescape campaign setting.
Planes of Conflict is an accessory for the second edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published in 1995.
Uncaged: Faces of Sigil is an accessory for the 2nd edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published in 1996.
Requiem: The Grim Harvest is an accessory for the 2nd edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published in 1996.
A Guide to the Astral Plane is an accessory for the 2nd edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy tabletop role-playing game, published in 1996.
Forged of Darkness is an accessory for the 2nd edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published in 1996.
Undermountain: Maddgoth's Castle is an adventure module for the 2nd edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published in 1996.
Hellbound: The Blood War is an accessory for the 2nd edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.
Death Unchained is an adventure for the 2nd edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.
Blood Hostages is a fantasy novel by J. Robert King, set in the Planescape campaign setting, and based on the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. It is the first novel published in the "Blood Wars Trilogy". It was published in paperback, January 1996.
Tangled Webs is a fantasy novel by Elaine Cunningham, set in the world of the Forgotten Realms, and based on the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. It is the second novel published in the "Starlight & Shadows" series. It was published in hardcover in April 1996, ISBN 978-0-7869-0516-4 and in paperback in May 1998, ISBN 978-0-7869-0698-7 with a paperback re-issue in March 2003, ISBN 978-0-7869-2959-7).
Doors to the Unknown is an accessory for the 2nd edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.
Children of the Night: Vampires is an accessory for the 2nd edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published in 1996.