User blog:Aretain King/The WoW RPG and You!

The WoW RPG and You - By Aretain King

Hello everyone, I thought I'd create a blog post here to cover this subject as well as answer a few questions to clear up any potential confusion that may come along in the future. There has been some confusion in the past, and I imagine there will be even more confusion going forward, something that I'd personally like to avoid, so without any further fanfare let's get started with the first question:

1. What is the WoW RPG?

The World of Warcraft RPG is a table-top game similar to Dungeons and Dragons in many respects. It was created by Blizzard Entertainment, along with varying publishers, so that players who love table-top gaming can also enjoy the Warcraft universe. Along with the core rule book, there are several additional books which go into detail about certain aspects of the RPG, be it spells, gadgets, magic items, races, classes etc etc. The RPG books include: These books have a wealth of information in them, and personally I encourage everyone to have a read of them if they can find them. PDF versions of the RPG books can be found all over the internet, although physical copies can be found on various websites as well. Despite the detailed amount of information that can be found within these books however, there is a catch, and that leads us to the second question:
 * Warcraft: The RPG (1st Edition)
 * Manual of Monsters
 * Alliance & Horde Compendium
 * Magic & Mayhem
 * Lands of Conflict
 * Shadows & Light
 * World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game (2nd Edition)
 * More Magic and Mayhem
 * Lands of Mystery
 * Bones of Ironforge
 * Alliance Players Guide
 * Horde Players Guide
 * Monsters Guide
 * Dark Factions

2. Is the WoW RPG canon?

Short answer: No.

Long answer: During a Creative Development forum session where players from the community could ask Blizzard questions about the lore surrounding the Warcraft universe, the question of the status of the RPG in canon was raised. The question being; Are the Warcraft and World of Warcraft RPG books considered canon?

To which the answer was: No, the RPG books were created to provide an engaging table-top experience, which sometimes required diverging from the established video game canon. Blizzard helped generate a great deal of content within the RPG books, so there will be times when ideas from the RPG will make their way into the game and official lore, but you are much better off considering the RPG books as non-canon unless otherwise stated.

'''3. What does this mean for me? Can I still use the RPG for my RP?'''

Without any doubt in my mind, yes. If you want to use information listed in the RPG in your own adventures, or to create your own characters, then you are free to do so, however, it comes with a catch. The catch is simple. If you come across information in the RPG that is conflicted by information found within a Warcraft novel, the game itself or a twitter / forum post from a community manager, then the other sources win the conflict without contest due to the non-canon nature of the RPG. A prime example of this is Tandred Proudmoore. Within the RPG he is the younger brother of Jania Proudmoore, and the current Lord Admiral of Kul Tiras. However, due to a tweet by Chris Metzen, he has been ruled as permanently non-canon, meaning that, according to official lore, Jania Proudmoore never had a younger brother, Tandred Proudmoore simply doesn't exist.

Now that may sound bad, however there is another side to this coin, one that actually works rather well. If there is a reference to a particular item, spell, monster, class or character within the game or another lore source, it is considered canon. Any information in the RPG that expands on that item, spell, monster, class or character is also considered canon (unless otherwise conflicting). Another prime example, the Lightslayers.

The Lightslayer is a class that was created for the Horde Players Guide, one of the Second Edition RPG books. They are Forsaken assassins, trained to eliminate those who use the Light in offense or defense, such as Paladins and Priests. When the Cataclysm expansion launched and changed the face of the old world, a new NPC was added to Darkshore known as Teegan Holloway, who happens to be a Lightslayer. His existence within the game means that the Lightslayers are canon, however there is no information on the Lightslayer available within the video game, or in any novel. This is where the RPG comes in, because there is information on the Lightslayer available within the RPG. This information is now canon, and can be used by players until otherwise stated.

4. What is the relationship between the RPG and the Moon Guard RP Community?

The relationship between the RPG and the Moon Guard RP Community is a mixed one. Despite his permanent non-canon status, Kul Tiras roleplayers on Moon Guard still refer to Tandred Proudmoore as the ruling Lord Admiral, and this seems to be accepted by the bulk of RPers, save for a few who refuse to acknowledge him. That said, when people attempt to use the RPG as a source, players are also quick to point out the fact that the RPG is non-canon and shouldn't be used / isn't credible.

This shouldn't be considered a barrier however. As I stated in question 3, provided that there is no conflict in any other source which takes precedence over the RPG, you are free to use it as a reference to enhance your RP experience on Moon Guard.

I hope this post has helped anyone who reads it. If there are any questions or comments, please leave them below and I'll get to answering them as soon as possible.