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The flagship product of Emperor’s Choice Games, the World Book of Khaas is truly a fantasy travel atlas - all of the information that it contains is not only useful, but indispensable if you’re wanting to run a campaign set in the legendary lands of Arduin or upon the world of Khaas itself. From geographic features of continents and countries to the individual customs of the many cultures that inhabit them, the World Book of Khaas sets the bar for fantasy campaign settings. What this product lacks in full color artwork, glossy pages, and hardcover binding it makes up for with 821 pages of well written, relevant, setting content - something that no other fantasy setting supplement has provided in the history of our hobby. This makes the World Book of Khaas a very impressive product, indeed.
Lacking game mechanics and densely packed with nothing but setting detail, the World Book of Khaas is the unrivaled Fodor’s of fantasy setting books, a comprehensive guide to every aspect of Arduin and the world in which it exists - right down to an extensive guide of recommended lodging establishments. Having said all of that, one might be quick to dismiss this product as consisting of nothing but fluff, but they’d be remiss to do so. Fluff is aesthetically pleasing, but ultimately meaningless written material used specifically to pad out page count in a given product, making it appear to contain more meaningful material that it actually does (hence how the term ‘fluff’ originated). You’ll find very little fluff in the World Book of Khaas. The editors at Emperor’s Choice took pains to ensure that only useful information found its way into the product.
To cover all of the information present in the World book of Khaas in detail would, obviously, be next to impossible without producing a document of similar length - so I’m going to stick to covering the highest highs and the lowest lows of the product for the purposes of this review (luckily, I’m sure that’s what you’re really interested in, anyhow). There is, simply put, a lot of material here - and that’s the first thing to take note of. If you’re a GM who finds the amount of detail in Harnworld or Talislanta daunting, the World Book of Khaas will likely send you into a state of cardiac arrest - if, on the other hand, you’re a GM who feels that both Harnworld and Talislanta could have dipped a wee bit deeper into the well of detail, the World Book of Khaas will be right up your alley. If you’re a longtime fan of Dave Hargrave’s Arduin products, you need this book.
The Meat (What You’re Actually Getting)
Opening with a four page introductory chapter, the World Book of Khaas explains something of the world’s history in the context of game supplements and gives the reader a brief overview of the world itself. While this introduction serves the purpose that it was written to fulfill, it also doesn’t do the rest of the book great justice. If one were to read only the introduction, they might walk away with the impression that Khaas and Arduin are, in fact, bog standard fantasy settings - and nothing could be further from the truth. This is less a pitfall of the introduction itself than it is a pitfall of space constraints that are typically imposed upon all introductory chapters in game products. Given the unusual nature of Khaas and Arduin, as well as the World Book itself, the standard approach simply seems to be an awkward fit for the product.
The second, ten page, chapter of the World Book examines, from afar, the planet known alternately as Khaas and Ssass-Khaa by its inhabitants. In this chapter, such things as the constellations that can be seen in the night skies above the planet, as well as the seven continents and the six seas are discussed. While the latter kind of detail is fairly commonplace in setting supplements, I’ve seen astrology and constellations discussed in precious few setting books - and tide patterns discussed in absolutely none (yes, the World Book of Khaas goes so far as to discuss tide patterns). Even here, in a chapter that is, for the most part, a routine consideration of RPG setting supplements, the unique nature of the World Book and its attention to detail shines through. If you’re looking for verisimilitude, you’re in the right place. As a fan of suspending disbelief and fostering a sense of ‘being there’ in campaigns that I run, color me very impressed.
The following two chapters of the World Book consist of only two pages each, but they exist because they must in order to deliver brief overviews of the planet’s otherworldly aspects. The first of these two chapters briefly discusses the planet’s shunned Underworld or, as it is more commonly known, Great Wurm Road, while the second of these two chapters discusses the mysterious Nexus Gates that litter the surface of Khaas and are concentrated most densely within the borders of that legendary country known as Arduin. The importance of such things in fantasy will not be lost on any fantasy RPG veterans, but Mr. St. John took the time to cover them in a bit more detail, maintaining the internal consistency of the product where detail is concerned and adding more verisimilitude to an already believable product.
After breezing through the first four chapters of the World Book, you’ll be somewhat prepared for the floodgates that open in earnest on page 24 in the Life on Khaas chapter. Covering everything from the standard measurements of time and basic governmental law to the various social castes of Khaas, as the detail comes rushing out to meet you head on, you will either revel in it or drop the book and flee screaming. This is when you will truly know whether or not the World Book of Khaas is right for you. Me? I reveled in it. Verisimilitude has been an important feature of all the successful campaigns that I’ve run and of the campaigns that I’ve enjoyed playing in. I welcome all of the verisimilitude that a product cares to offer me, and the World Book of Khaas offers a lot of it where the basic facets of day to day life are concerned.
The sixth chapter of the World Book delves into a detailed examination of the world’s thirty recognized sentient races from the all-female matriarchal society of the Amazons to the barbarian society of the Wolfling, who recently arrived on Khaas via a now destroyed Nexus Gate (Jack Vance fans take note - you’ll find a race called the Deodanth tucked away in Khaas, as well). Each aspect of the sentient races is discussed in depth, from social structure and general outlooks on life to basic governmental structure and specific physiology. This chapter reads not unlike a chapter from a Social Anthropology textbook and conveys a great amount of detail that, in my experience, gets cut short in many other settings due to a focus on mechanics. Short of mechanics, everything that you would ever want to know about the sentient races of Khaas is nicely summarized in this chapter. That said . . .
I discovered the only obvious layout error in the product on the final page of this chapter (Page 72), where the first few sentences of the following chapter (Racial Martial Arts) had accidentally been shunted onto the preceding page. In fairness, though, the book is over 800 pages in length and I’ve seen far more grievous layout errors in much shorter products (the Eberron setting books with missing pages immediately come to mind). Is it a deal breaker? Not for me. The flow of information was momentarily broken, but it picked up without skipping a beat at the top of the following page, so it was an error easily forgiven. I digress, though - you’re more interested in those aforementioned racial martial arts than in a minor layout error, right?
In the chapter entitled Racial Martial Arts, Monty St. John gives us the skinny about more than ten unique fighting styles pioneered by the different races and cultures of Khaas, as well as briefly mentioning the dreaded Khetta fighting style sacred to the Assassin’s Guild. As a longtime player of dwarven PCs, I particularly liked the entry in this chapter that pertained to the dwarven martial art known as Amak Gorgas (which literally translates to “Smash Everything” according to the World Book). Taking a page from our own Earth’s history books and presenting a multitude of fighting styles that reflect the nature of the world’s many cultures is something that I wish more fantasy settings would do. I’m not a huge fan of martial arts in fantasy roleplaying, but the World Book of Khaas has intrigued even me with its attention to detail here. If you are a martial arts fan, this chapter will definitely pique your interest.
The following 10-page chapter is dedicated solely to examining the many different tongues of Khaas - all ninety-three of them. Continuing the trend of consistency in detail present throughout the World Book, this chapter begins with a brief discussion of both language in general and the pronunciation thereof as it relates to the tongues indigenous to Khaas. Although the descriptions of the languages themselves are simple, they are concise and informative, often providing insight into how the GM can differentiate between non-player characters of different racial stock as he voices them for his players. In the interest of illustrating how useful I have found this chapter, I’m about to disclose my greatest shame as a game master . . .
I suck when it comes to voicing characters differently. I have a very limited repertoire of accents that I employ when voicing characters and it shows - I’ve had players heckle me about it in the past which, in turn, led to a period where I started describing NPC dialogue in the third person. This being the case, I really liked this short, but informative, chapter as it has given me some material to work with in regard to my personal shortcomings as a game master. While I can’t guarantee anything, I’d like to believe that if I practice some of the tonal variations discussed in this chapter of the World Book when voicing NPCs in my planned Arduin Adventure campaign, I will be able to overcome my shortcoming where making NPCs believable is concerned.
The following chapter in the World Book (Chapter 9, if you’re keeping track) is another short yet important chapter - this chapter is dedicated to science and technology in the World of Khaas. From the scientific aspects of astrology to the basic fundamentals of mechanical engineering, this chapter briefly examines several areas of science left completely to the imagination in many other fantasy settings. Prefaced by a through two page discussion of science and its impact on the world of Khaas, this chapter leads into several examples of how science is applied every day in Khaas, including several items that are the direct product of applied science (most of which are weapons or armor). While this chapter is well thought out and explained, I would have liked a wee bit more variation in the types of equipment examined (i.e., less weapons, more day to day applications of technology).
Directly following the short chapter on science in Khaas is a chapter that I know some of you have been waiting to hear about - Magic. Like the chapter on science, the chapter devoted to discussing magic is short in length, but this is less a product of having nothing to say about magic than it is of the author trying to stay true to the World book’s goals of remaining completely system neutral. The bulk of this chapter is dedicated to discussing the specific types of magic recognized by the denizens of Khaas and their origins, rather than the specific mechanics behind them. Finally, the last page of this chapter addresses what is, perhaps, the most important aspect of magic as it exists in Khaas - its uniformity (or rather, its lack thereof).
Upon Khaas, society’s knowledge of magic and technology is not uniform as it tends to be in many fantasy settings. In Khaas, it is not at all unusual to find cultures completely untouched by magic or technology while other cultures have come to be entirely dependent upon these things. This is yet another area in which the World Book’s attention to detail adds welcome verisimilitude to what could have easily been a bog standard fantasy setting were it nor for the efforts of Dave Hargrave and Monty St. John. Little bits of detail like this can (and often do) make the difference between suspended disbelief and rampant unreality being the defining feature of a given fantasy setting. I, for one, am pleased that the World Book of Khaas favors suspension of disbelief.
The following three chapters tread back into the realm of the mundane (but nonetheless important) topics of learning institutions (Colleges), the omnipresent guild system of Khaas, and the many secret societies of the world. Chapter 11 examines the standard organization of Colleges in the world of Khaas, covering everything from recruitment to basic structure; Chapter 12 is dedicated to discussion of the world’s guild system, from membership dues to political influence; and Chapter 13 discusses several prominent secret societies of Khaas in detail. Again, little details like these, details often glossed over in many fantasy settings, can make the difference between a memorable, immersive, campaign and yet another trip to bog standard Setting X. And god knows I’ve made enough lackluster return trips to Setting X. It does my heart good to see that some publishers are still placing this kind of focus on fostering verisimilitude in fantasy.
Chapter 13 bears some special mention here as, in addition to presenting the most notable secret societies of Khaas, Monty St. John has implemented a very practical and detailed system for classifying secret societies based on a given society’s goals and motivations, as well as its legal status. As a GM, this classification system excited me because it is something that can be utilized in any game system to create intriguing organizations with defined and believable motivations. Additionally, several of the secret societies detailed herein are just begging to be used as long-standing antagonists. Rife with plot hooks as well as tools to help you build your own believable societies, if I could give each individual chapter in the World Book a star rating, Chapter 13 would easily get the full five stars.
Health and Disease get the detailed Monty St. John treatment in the chapter that follows Secret Societies in the World Book of Khaas. If you’re a devout fan of grim and gritty fantasy, this chapter is definitely for you. From an examination of the dreaded Smoking Death and the torturous Bending Fever (known to many as The Twister) to a discussion of herbal and alchemical treatments for these and other maladies, Chapter 14 of the World Book is a GM’s treasure trove of nasty ailments with which to plaque (no pun intended) a party of heroes. Whether disease runs rampant in your own campaign world or you’re simply looking for a way to spice up an existing campaign, this chapter gives you a nice selection of devious ways to do just that. It should be noted that this chapter isn’t for the faint of heart - the same detail that brings to life the rest of the World Book is also present here, driving home the very horrible effects of many a fatal disease.
The fifteenth chapter of the World Book delves into an area that I often hear consumers say that they would like to see covered in more detail where campaign settings are concerned - Economics and Commerce. Often passed over completely in other campaign settings that I’ve read, economics and commerce in Khaas are examined just as thoroughly as every other aspect of the settings. In this chapter, all of your questions about the economic staples of daily life in Khaas from the standard four and a half day work week to the role of slaves in the economic structure. Of specific interest to me was the discussion of regional trade regulations and banking systems particularly intrigued me, as neither of these topics are commonly broached in fantasy campaign supplements. The relief of knowing that I won’t have to invent a banking system of the fly as I’ve had to do in so many other campaigns is very comforting.
The next five chapters of the World Book are dedicated to detailing noteworthy commodities of Khaas - metals and minerals, gems and jewels, baric instruments, potables, and poisons (including narcotic drugs) respectively. Each of these chapters contains several unique entries that will help the GM remind his players that they’re traversing the realms of Khaas, not dreaded ‘been there, done that’ Setting X. From the dragon repellant metal of Aurebony to the deadly euphoric highs brought on by eating the leaves of the Benjham plant, these five chapters will have your brain reeling with dozens of plot hooks as you read them. I was particularly taken with the chapter discussing potables, as it makes ordering something other than “Ale, please!” in the taverns of Arkham or Rosewater a lot of fun - just be sure you know what you’re ordering ;)
After clearing twenty chapters of detail often overlooked in other campaign settings, we get to tread some familiar ground in Chapter 21 - Flora and Fauna. Kind of. I say “kind of” because while a discussion of flora and fauna isn’t unusual in and of itself, the actual flora and fauna described in this chapter are far from your typical fare. As an example, I offer up the wild Firemanes, magical steeds that can run at speeds surpassing 60 miles per hour, their hooves wreathed in flames as they travel (yes, like those cool horses in Krull).. If that’s not unusual enough, I point to the Air Shark - literally a giant shark that can ‘swim’ through the air thanks to natural bladders of hydrogen gas that line its body. Finally, rounding out this chapter is an interesting two-page discussion about various spider silks and their uses in the world of Khaas (as an aside, I can envision a very cool campaign based on just these two pages of the World Book). From the mundane creatures of Khaas to the utterly fantastic, this chapter covers a tremendous amount of material that can be used in any fantasy campaign.
The twenty-second chapter of the World Book finally brings us back to the realm of the familiar with the obligatory History of the World. Like very other section of the World Book, this chapter is similarly bathed in detail, covering everything from the Lovecraftian prehistory of the universe to the Nexus Wars and the arrival of starfaring races from distant worlds. The high point of this chapter for me was definitely the discussion of the Demon of the Dark, a legend of early creation that revolves around three primal gods, evil incarnate, and a prison in the form of a rogue moon that returns to menace Khaas every one thousand years. If you’re a fan of epic, earth shaking, campaigns steeped in ancient evils and primal god things, then this chapter of the World Book will fuel your imagination for months to come. The short chapter that follows, Myths and Legends, ties in nicely here by presenting thirteen of the world’s best known legends, including that of Random (a near godlike, jack of all trades, NPC who serves as a living homage to random encounters).
If you like making religion a focus of your fantasy games, then you’ll love Chapter 24 in the World Book of Khaas. This lengthy chapter provides an overview of all the gods and godlike beings ever worshiped by the denizens of Khaas, as well as a discussion of life, death, and afterlife. Again, the defining feature of this chapter is its attention to detail - if a religion’s godhead demands sacrifice, it is so noted; if a given religion is known by various sobriquets, they are noted; if a religion’s followers are of a certain race or alignment, it is noted; and so on. And just in case you’re one of those dark, brooding, roleplayers, Monty St. John has packed this chapter of the World Book with enough unique demonic entities to intrigue even the most devout first edition AD&D fans (in fact, as one of those fans, I’d like to say that this chapter supplements the assortment of demons in the Monster Manual quite nicely).
Chapter 25 of the World Book is easily the longest chapter presented so far, weighing in at three hundred and twenty-seven pages, examining all the nations of Khaora (the world’s most densely populated and second largest continent) save for Arduin, giving the reader a glimpse of the Shadowlands that lie beyond the Nexus Gates, and briefly discussing the other continents of the world and their relation to Khaora. Worth noting is that this chapter is representative of what most published campaign settings deliver in their entirety and, in fact, at three hundred and twenty-seven pages, actually exceeds many published campaign settings in length. Simply put, there is a huge amount of detail packed into this chapter that, when presented alongside the rest of the World Book, easily gives any GM enough information to keep their players entertained for years. Even if verisimilitude isn’t all that important to you, the World Book of Khaas is worth purchasing for this chapter alone.
The 26th chapter in the World Book of Khaas is what many of you have been waiting for - The Country of Arduin. In this chapter, all of the questions that you’ve ever asked about Arduin are answered. From the country’s history and the social customs of its inhabitants, to its laws and economy, if some facet of Arduin is left uncovered in this chapter of the World Book, I can’t find it. Like the previous chapter, this section of the World Book could also easily stand on its own as a complete campaign setting. As with the rest of the book, the detail present in this chapter places the focus on verisimilitude and suspension of disbelief, allowing both the reader and players to fully immerse themselves in Arduin by bringing it to life. If Dave Hargrave were alive today, he’d no doubt be pleased with the way that both Monty St. John and the folks at Emperor’s Choice have handled his creation.
One particularly noteworthy feature of this particular chapter is the heavy cross referencing with the Country of Arduin map, also available from Emperor’s Choice. Each location discussed in Chapter 26 of the World Book is keyed to a specific set of coordinates on the Country of Arduin map, much as locations described in a travel atlas are. Similarly, the Arduin adventure module White Roc Inn is tied heavily into the World Book by virtue of the geographic description in this chapter. This kind of cross-product consistency helps to unify the entire game line under an umbrella of verisimilitude, giving the GM a tightly integrated set of tools with which to forge many an epic campaign. When the Emperor’s Choice crew says that they’re leaving no stone unturned in their quest to bring all of Arduin to the gaming public, they aren’t joking - if there’s an aspect of Arduin to cover in writing, they’re taking steps to make sure that it gets done.
Finally, rounding out the World Book of Khaas are 10 different appendices that present, respectively, more star constellations, a classification system fro governments of Khaas, notable NPCs of Arduin, a random rumor generation table, a discussion of Khaasian heraldry, purchasing power of social classes, a guide to every inn and road house in the country of Arduin, a random weather generation matrix organized by season, random event generation tables, and common coins of Khaas, as well as exchange rates and a detailed price list of common Khaasian goods. And of course, no book of this size would be complete without a heavily cross-referenced, thorough, index - and there it is, filling the last twelve pages of the World Book.
But your Arduin adventure doesn’t have to end there....
Being the completely thorough archivists that they are, the good people at Emperor’s Choice Games have provided extensive online support for the World Book of Khaas at the appropriately entitled World of Khaas (in fact, I linked to it earlier in this review). Here you can find an extensive online gazetteer of Khaas and its environs, as well as free PDF previews of the World Book, and other helpful information that you can use to enhance your campaign. In an era where many small press publishers are content to s imply publish a product and then let it linger on store shelves, this commitment to providing thorough, continuing, and free product support is much appreciated.
The Final Verdict
1. If you’re looking for a campaign setting that will last for a long while without requiring you to purchase hundreds of dollars worth of supplementary material, buy the World Book of Khaas.
2. If you’re a big fan of verisimilitude in fantasy settings and treasure suspension of disbelief in your fantasy roleplaying campaigns, buy the World Book of Khaas.
3. If you’re looking for a product that you can mine for unique ideas to use in your own campaign or with other published campaign settings, buy the World Book of Khaas.
4. If you’re a longtime fan of Dave Hargrave’s Arduin, but have never been satisfied with the amount of detail present in the various Arduin Grimoires, buy the World Book of Khaas.
The only folks who the World Book of Khaas my not be for are those who have an aversion to extremely detailed campaign settings. For many folks, however, I think that the World Book of Khaas will be that last campaign setting that they need to buy.
