Now Available!... Nochet: The Great Library

[jajagappa]

The rumors are True! 

 

Edited December 16, 2024 by jajagappa

[jajagappa]

Artwork of Asmodea and Yistros the Old are by Philip McDonell, copyright 2024. Cartography by Michael Bernth, copyright 2024.

[Jason Farrell]

I can't tell what this is exactly, but I'm onboard!

[jajagappa]

2 hours ago, Jason Farrell said:

I can't tell what this is exactly, but I'm onboard!

Well, it's definitely about the Great Library of Nochet!

And you might ascertain from the posts that it will include more than a few sages (with portraits!) and some maps (of each floor!), some information about the schools and perhaps a "tour" of the library, and very likely a whole lot more... 🙂   (did someone say urban "dungeon"?...)

Edited December 15, 2024 by jajagappa

[Rob Darvall]

2 hours ago, jajagappa said:

Well, it's definitely about the Great Library of Nochet!

And you might ascertain from the posts that it will include more than a few sages (with portraits!) and some maps (of each floor!), some information about the schools and perhaps a "tour" of the library, and very likely a whole lot more... 🙂   (did someone say urban "dungeon"?...)

And Zero appears to appear, so some hilarity may ensue.

[Martin]

You are all in for a real treat with this book....🙂

[jajagappa]

7 hours ago, Rob Darvall said:

And Zero appears to appear, so some hilarity may ensue.

Well, Asmodea's comments aside, in truth he's one figure I've largely left out aside from brief references. As another creator's central character (and one which all of us who have read the stories have mental images of), it didn't feel right to me to tell his tale here. But I think you'll find plenty more to investigate. 

[mfbrandi]

Rules for getting lost in the stacks?

[soltakss]

1 minute ago, mfbrandi said:

Rules for getting lost in the stacks?

Our Holiday Dorastor Temple of Heads supplement has similar rules. You can get lost and enter Lhankor Mhy's Ivory Tower if you are not careful.

[jajagappa]

7 hours ago, mfbrandi said:

Rules for getting lost in the stacks?

I think you'll enjoy the sub-basement storage rooms. 🤔

[jajagappa]

7 hours ago, soltakss said:

You can get lost and enter Lhankor Mhy's Ivory Tower if you are not careful.

Cool! Now when they find their way back out, they might in fact be in the Nochet Temple instead.

[Joerg]

9 hours ago, jajagappa said:

17 hours ago, soltakss said:

You can get lost and enter Lhankor Mhy's Ivory Tower if you are not careful.

Cool! Now when they find their way back out, they might in fact be in the Nochet Temple instead.

Oook! (translates as: Welcome to L-Space.)

[jajagappa]

And it is out and available on DriveThruRPG!  Nochet: The Great Library

 

[jajagappa]

In the above post:

• Cover Art is by Alexandre Gauthier
• Paveltok the Spitter, Loremaster of the Grey Lords, is by Philip McDonnell
• Maps and Plans are by Michael Bernth (author of the included scenario, "The Terror Out of Time")

I'm also pleased to bring back two works previously only available in New Lolon Gospel, v.2: "The Lore of Gloranthan Gems" and "The Catalogue of Gloranthan Gems", both by Martin Crim.

 

[jajagappa]

A centerpiece to this work are detailed descriptions of 14 Sages - key NPC's who might be mentors, allies, sponsors, foes, or villains. For each you'll find characteristics and traits, passions and motivations, and some of their personal plans with reasons to meet them or other adventure hooks.

Here are two with wonderful art by Philip McDonnell.

 

[Nick Brooke]

Lhankor Mhy smiles upon diligent cataloguers: the Jonstown Compendium Index has been updated!

• Nochet: The Great Library, by Harald Smith with Michael Bernth & Martin Crim: A comprehensive guide to the greatest temple of Lhankor Mhy in Glorantha, detailing its sages, sorceries, factions, treasures, architecture, secret sub-basement levels, and more. Six major scholarly factions are detailed, each with summary RuneQuest stats and personality profiles for its leading members: the Charterists, Blue Philosophers, Grey Lords, Green Sages, Purple Sages and Black Philosophers, plus the Alchemists, Free Sages and Knowledge Merchants who must ply their trade outside the Library walls. There are five pages on Sorcery, ten pages of research success tables, random encounter, event and rumour tables for sandbox games, room contents and found items for the dungeon levels, a small bestiary of demons, and – of course – Sword Sages! At the back is Michael Bernth’s library-set scenario, The Terror out of Time, featuring a grim revenant and ancient foe of the Knowledge God. The book comes bundled with high-resolution versions of all the maps and handouts, in both labelled and unlabelled versions. Every Gloranthan Sage needs a copy of this invaluable tome for their personal library. (240 pages for $19.99.)

Making the summary breakdown of contents was challenging, but here are my results (containing even more details than I could fit in the Index): note that the Table of Contents is part of the product preview on DriveThruRPG.

• Discover Nochet (5)
• Life in the Library (32, inc. 5 pages on sorcery and 10 pages of research success tables)
• Sages (9)
• Sandbox Sessions (16, with random events, encounters, rumours and adventure/campaign hooks)
• Construction (5)
• Layout (74: 1 summary, 9 ground floor, 1 exterior buildings, 9 first floor, 9 second floor, 4 third floor, 2 roof/dome, 6 basement, 22 sub-basement (inc. random room contents and found item tables), 10 crypts, 1 Star Tower)
• Factions (34: 6 Charterists, 6 Blue Philosophers, 5 Grey Lords, 5 Green Sages, 6 Purple Sages, 6 Black Philosophers)
• Gems (8: scattered on pages 53-55, 89, 133, 158 & 200-201)
• Tomes (5: scattered on pages 76, 87, 105, 127 & 194)
• Redstone Plaza (7: Alchemists, Free Sages, Knowledge Merchants)
• The Terror out of Time (19), plus pregens (9), guard stats (1), handouts (6)
• Front Matter etc: covers (2), frontispiece (1), title & credits (1), contents (2), dedication & art credits (1), adverts (1), references (2).

This is the definitive splatbook for civilised Lhankor Mhy cultists. Harald Smith has thought long and hard about why adventurers might have heard of or want to go to the Great Library of Nochet and he delivers, providing exemplary materials for session and campaign support. A magnificent expansion for the Lhankor Mhy Cult!

 

Edited December 17, 2024 by Nick Brooke

[Nozbat]

Just bought it.. I will sadly probably never use it in play.. but the opportunity to use it as a resource, reference material and a source for other ideas is too good to miss.

I've flicked through it and it's full of material that is a must for GMs. 

The artwork is astounding, borrowing styles from Renaissance, Mannerism, Baroque, Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism and even some Dürer type woodcuts.. 

Now I'm wishing I'd bought the hardcover... maybe someday 

[Malin]

Christmas came early this year!

[jajagappa]

15 hours ago, Nick Brooke said:

Lhankor Mhy smiles upon diligent cataloguers: the Jonstown Compendium Index has been updated!

He does indeed! Thanks @Nick Brooke for that excellent summary! 🙂 

[Cassius]

There's a flavour of Hogwarts and Miskatonic University in this Great Library. 🙂

[jajagappa]

17 minutes ago, Cassius said:

There's a flavour of Hogwarts and Miskatonic University in this Great Library.

Hopefully more the latter than the former (or perhaps the latter meets the former?) - at least I was consciously trying to avoid the former.

But the place is a mix of: temple, library, archives, university offices/studies, and museum collections.

[jajagappa]

Timing on so much just seemed to fall into place with this work, including Mark Baldwin posting a picture of a Duck Sage. I thought "This Sage needs to be here!" and I'm pleased that Mark agreed and provided me with his concept for Thez "Five Pipes" Fier (plus several other great pieces of art that added more color to the Great Library). 

 

[soltakss]

On 12/16/2024 at 9:00 AM, Joerg said:

On 12/15/2024 at 11:40 PM, jajagappa said:

On 12/15/2024 at 3:44 PM, soltakss said:

You can get lost and enter Lhankor Mhy's Ivory Tower if you are not careful.

Cool! Now when they find their way back out, they might in fact be in the Nochet Temple instead.

Oook! (translates as: Welcome to L-Space.)

That is the premise of the Knowledge Quest from the Temple of Heads. I ran it at a convention and it was fantastic fun.

[Joerg]

1 hour ago, soltakss said:

That is the premise of the Knowledge Quest from the Temple of Heads. I ran it at a convention and it was fantastic fun.

Might have been the backstory for Redbird, too.

[soltakss]

On 12/16/2024 at 7:06 PM, jajagappa said:

And it is out and available on DriveThruRPG!  Nochet: The Great Library

There's a Random Cat Table! Every supplement needs a Random Cat Table.