Critical Hits

Everything tabletop gaming since 2005

Critical Bits for the week ending 2010-01-31

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DDXP 2010 Product Seminar Coverage

  • Live tweet coverage of the #ddxp 2020 #dnd product seminar starting in about 10 minutes (1p est) #
  • Likely, a lot of it was already revealed at GenCon, but if Amazon is right, there will be some curveballs. #
  • At the podium: @mikemearls, also here Rich Baker, Kirin Chase, Bart Carroll, and @Wotc_Trevor #
  • January already out: Underdark and Dragonborn. Dragonborn is experiment with low cost, softcover. #
  • Blurry pic of podium and display. http://twitpic.com/106ibh #
  • Rich Baker: every character supported in DDI evey few months #
  • Martial Power 2- support for martial, 1 fighter build, 2 ranger, 1 rogue, 2 warlord, weapon style feats, new PPs, & EDs #
  • Plus martial practices, like rituals for martial characters- non-combat options for martial chars like running marathon #
  • 3 dragon ante, expansion or standalone #
  • March: PHB3. Psionic powers, new classes, new races, new options. Supported by D&D Gameday #
  • Classes: Monk, Battlemind, Psion, Ardent, Seeker, and ??? (rumored to be Runepriest) #
  • Races: Wilden, Minotaur, Githzerai, and ??? (rumored to be Shardsoul) #
  • Plenty of options for non-psionic characters too, including hybrids. Also in March: Hammerfast, softcover, poster map, near Nentir Vale #
  • Mearls: Every place has an adventure hook. Tried to mimic City of Greyhawk. Also sample mini-campaign arc for Hammerfast campaign #
  • April/May: Plane Above book, like Plane Below but for Astral Sea #
  • Player’s Strategy Guide: aimed to be fun to read by #dnd players- essays, play advice. Not hardcore optimizing or rules. D&D celebs writing #
  • May: Dungeon mag annual. Mostly adventures. The Slaying Stone: adventure for lvl 1-3, 32pg softcover w/ poster map. #
  • June: Monster Manual 3- trying hard to include more flavor to monsters based on feedback. Story hooks included. (not 3-4 pages though) #
  • Monster blocks will contain a section on allies, and why they work together. #
  • Also releasing in June: Gargantuan Orcus. Limited edition. Base is removable. Emphasized very limited edition. #
  • More in June: Tiefling book, similar to Dragonborn, written by @sernett #
  • Deserts of Athas dungeon tiles in June. Demonicon in July, details Demon Lords, history of Abyss “make it adventurable”. Encounter tables #
  • July: Tomb of Horrors super-adventure. 10th-22nd level. Draws on Return to Tomb. Format like Revenge of Giants #
  • July- Vor Rukoth. Like Hammerfast, more Paragon-focused. Ruins of Tiefling city, east of Nentir Vale. Extraplanar bad guys #
  • “Dungeons & Dragons Essentials” first product- Dungeon Tiles Master Set “the dungeon”, keep in print. Use tiles from this in advenures #
  • August- Psionic Power by Rob Schwalb. 1 new build for each psionic class. Ardent- empath, Monk uses weapons, Psion uses ectoplasm for minion #
  • August- Lords of Madness. Completely blind box again. 6 minis, 60 minis in set, 21.99, contain huge. One mini set per year #
  • Also will be “very rare” minis of evey size. #
  • August- Dark Sun. Campaign setting and Creature Catalog. Char creation, geography, adventure, dm advice, societies all in setting. #
  • Gith, doomreavers, and more Athasian monsters. Also contains hazards and NPCs. Thought long and hard about where to start off. #
  • Baker and Schwalb primary writers. Big release using everybody, since they all are DS fans. #
  • August: Marauders of Dune Sea adventure. Set outside city of Tyr, 32pg softcover. Also new D&D dice set. #
  • Castle Ravenloft board game in Aug. 1-5 players, plays in 1hr or less, 13 advenures, 42 minis, 13 tile sheets, hundreds of cards. Co-op #
  • Scales based on # of players. Aimed to be for when can’t get together a #dnd game. #
  • Minis with Ravenloft includes 1 huge, all unpainted. Modular board. Cards for events and monsters. Drew as much from adventure as could #
  • Ravenloft will be $64.99, released at GenCon. #
  • September: D&D essentials set. Looks like Red Box. Includes solo play that helps generate character while playing #
  • Aimed to be entirely introductory product. Also in sept- Rules Compendium. Reference book for all rules. Not a rewrite of rules #
  • Errata will be incorporated into Rules Compendium. $20, 6×9 size. Red box has tokens an maps. “crayon later this year.” also $20 #
  • D&D essentials: Heroes of the Fallen Lands. Designed to be used after Red Box. New builds of existing char classes, basic char classes #
  • Fighter, Cleric, Wizard, Rogue, Ranger. More walks thru chargen. Humans, Dwarves, Eladrin, Elf, Halflings. New feats Too #
  • Oct: more essentials: Dungeon Master’s Kit, how to DM, sample adventures. Other Tiles master set: “the city” #
  • Dungeon Master Kit is big box. Has rules compendium. Lot of monster tokens, two poster maps. $40-$45 #
  • Oct: Gamma World. Uses D&D rules. Complete game experience in box. 160 rulebook included. Rooted in d&d. Chargen, how to gm, monsters #
  • More on Gamma World: 10 encounters, poster map, tokens. New card mechanics. Character will be mutant. “part cockroach, part yeti” #
  • In GW starter box, item cards and mutation cards that come up randomly. Some powerful, some silly. GW will have booster cards for players #
  • GW booster packs will be random, only found in hobby stores (not bookstore) Will also have game day #
  • Nov: D&D essentials Heroes of Forgotten Kingdoms. Introduces more classes With new builds and races (ex dragonborn and Druid) #
  • Nov: Dungeons of Dragonfire Mountain (based on dragon mountain) board game. Shares some mechanics w/ Ravenloft but with twists #
  • Some pieces of each Boardgame can be used with each other to expand and make bigger games. Same component #s as Ravenloft #
  • Monster Vault is monster book for D&D essentials, includes one token for every monsters in it #
  • December: race book for Humans like dragonborn and tiefling books. Also Gamma World “expansion” box, adventure box w/ 16 encounters. #
  • December: Dungeon Tile master set “the wilderness.” #
  • Most of end of the year is “Essentials” box starting with new Red Box 4e. Only 1 core d&d product, though essentials will have new stuff #
  • Off-hand reference to “martial power 3” – may have just been a joke 🙂 #
  • This year in minis: one core set, Orcus, and “one surprise” #
  • Streets of Shadow minis set and Player’s Handbook Heroes both canceled. #
  • Orcus is $74.99, emphasized very limited nature again, especially through game stores. #
  • “allaying fears” – not abandoning core d&d line. 10 products in essentials then back to core. Problem was workload. “unusual cycle” #
  • Online content (ie DDI) will support Heroscape/D&D links and the new boardgames #
  • Side note: only two cranky messages + unfollows from livetweeting. There’s more updates to come, so choose following wisely 🙂 #
  • No big announcements for DDI. Working more on Adventure Tools but don’t have anything ready to announce yet. Working all the time on tools #
  • Character builder will “change and adapt” to fit analogue game (ie Essentials content). Also more of the boardgames planned. #
  • “How many instakills are in Tomb of Horror?” “Not enough.” #
  • More seminars this weekend- Dark Sun, and “beyond the rpg” focusing on boardgames/cardgames. If I should cover those, tell me! #

DDXP Community Seminar

  • http://twitpic.com/1072gq – Next session about Organized Play and Community with @christulach and @trevor_wotc. (via @geeksdreamgirl) #
  • Next DM Rewards: a Dark Sun box (WAR art), plus full set of condition cards for evey condition. Pics forthcoming. #
  • Dark Sun box http://twitpic.com/1073te #
  • Dark Sun box opened http://twitpic.com/1073×7 #
  • LFR is working to be more community driven, and is expanding play experiences, like special con experiences and new places (Raven’s Bluff) #
  • Worldwide D&D Game Days: PHB3 On March 20, Dark Sun in August, D&D Red Box in Sept, Gamma World in October #
  • Condition Cards that will be DM rewards (protoype) http://twitpic.com/1075ym #
  • Cons will have more background to pregen characters, Ultimate Delve returns this summer, highlight new products, more DM support tools #
  • Wizards of the Coast announces the end of Star Wars license http://bit.ly/94B60H #rpg #d20 (via @dorkland and @monkeyking) #
  • WotC supported cons: DDXP, Pax East, Origins, SD Comic Con, GenCon, Pax Prime, NY Comic Con #
  • Formal announcement of D&D encounters (read more on our site: http://is.gd/7eSEZ ) Middle ground between campaign and one-offs #
  • Can earn renown points by various things both in game and out of game, which let you earn rewards. (some are like achievements) #
  • D&D Encounters starts on March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day!) w/ Undermountain. Scheduling starts February 8th. #
  • .@trevor_wotc is talking about featured content on community site- specifically @NewbieDM ‘s group #
  • Talking about @wizards_dnd feed- going to do weekly rules answers, just figuring out best way to do it #
  • “when will Monuments of the Ancients, greatest adventure ever, be released into LFR?” -author @matt_James_fr #
  • Second season of D&D encounters starts in June and will be Dark Sun. #
  • DDXP Podcast: @wotc_bart updates us on the happenings at the D&D Experience. http://bit.ly/cMCvzV #dnd #ddxp #podcast (via @Wizards_DnD) #
  • RT @KenofGhastria: My latest on Examiner.com, talking about the news from #DDXP http://short.to/1573u #

DDXP “Beyond the RPG” Seminar

  • At the “Beyond the RPG” seminar at #DDXP (also reporting: @geeksdreamgirl , @wolfstar76) #
  • Presenting: @mikemearls, @christulach, and Rich Baker. Talking about the new board games (like Ravenloft), 3 Dragon Ante, and Gamma World. #
  • 3 Dragon Ante expansion can be played alone or combined with original. Some of the new dragons from 4e make an appearance. Can mix and match #
  • Castle Ravenloft, for those that didn’t hear earlier, is cooperative #dnd boardgame, out for GenCon. #
  • Combination of HeroQuest, Descent, Space Hulk, and Betrayal at House on the Hill. Hour play time, cooperative, pulled from the module #
  • Dungeon is built as you go, using 4×4 interlocking tiles. 5 different characters. Scenario-driven that dictates objective and play. #
  • Monsters come with a “Script” to determine their AI. Players go, then there is a Strahd turn that runs the monsters based on text. #
  • Very cut down version of #dnd move and attack action, plus some extra powers. Plays fast. All scenarios form a mini-Ravenloft campaign #
  • 42-44 unpainted minis come in the box. 5 Heroes, huge Dracolich, piles of monsters, and Strahd himself. Lots of tokens for traps and such. #
  • And as reported earlier, “Dungeons of Dragonfire Mountain” (nee Dragon Mountain) will be released in Oct using same system. #
  • Dragonfire Mountain will be standalone, then online content will provide scenarios to combine them. #
  • Dungeons of Dragonfire Mountain also inspired by “Gates of Firestorm Peak” #
  • Depending on reaction, DDI may also provide new characters or other options for the board games. #
  • .@greywulf Sadly, the production of the game wasn’t along enough to make an appearance, so there’s nothing to show or play for it here. #
  • This may also not be the only board game engine they design. So for example, they might do a “War of the Lance” mass strategy game. #
  • Another possibility for playing the game if the DM kills off several PCs in a session, those players can go play Ravenloft 🙂 #
  • Gamma World: 30 classic monsters + a few new ones, 10 encounter adventure, rules. Self contained game to get started. 4 token sheets #
  • GW: a few poster maps, and a GM’s deck of cards that includes 40 mutation cards and 40 tech cards. #
  • Doesn’t necessarily use classes. Some things remain the same w/ character, some change, plus mutations of all kinds #
  • Your Half-Yeti can wield an M-16 and a stop sign in leather armor. There’s also power armor, blasters, etc. #
  • 120 card set, 8 card boosters for $3.99 for more mutations, tech cards, and player “personal deck” cards. #
  • “Famine at Fargo” adventure released after core, featuring a giant mutated chicken. Expansion adds 10 cards. More expansion in 2011 #
  • Gamma World is “very compatible” with #dnd Skill list slightly different, but D&D monsters work just fine and vice versa #
  • Tech artifacts would be “spooky and scary” in D&D but they work similarly as magic items. “Radiation” as damage type. #
  • “In LFR, can we use Gamma World artifacts?” @christulach shuts that down pretty quick 🙂 #
  • There are character themes that have elements of D&D roles- acid-spitting cockroach might be kind of a striker, for instance. #
  • “Marketing guys might not want me to say this, but you don’t have to buy boosters, and you can always draw from GM’s deck.” #
  • Almost entirely random character generation, you’ll have a key stat for your theme, and then stats rolled, as well as stats and mutations #
  • Character creation takes maybe up to 15 minutes because so much of it is random. Equipment purchase is one of the few decisions #
  • Character progression is faster than D&D, and goes up until level 10 and stops. #
  • There are plans to do more “genre games” in the future, which will almost certainly use the 4e engine. #
  • No further information on “Points of Light” setting novels, other than Bill S. is working on finishing the first one now. #
  • However, the PoL novels will be aimed at the same core audience as normal D&D novel formats, instead of being shorter or aimed younger. #

DDXP Athas Unveiled Seminar

  • #DarkSun seminar starting soon from #DDXP #
  • Rich Baker’s second project when he first started at TSR was a Dark Sun sourcebook, and even worked on such books as Will and the Way #
  • Rob Schwalb is a freelance designer for WotC and also took lion’s share of design. #
  • Baker re-familiarized himself with the Dark Sun setting before working on it again, like visiting Athas.org conversion & Wanderer’s Journal #
  • Original setting pulled more from Conan and Barsoom than LotR. Fantasy world different than what was done before. More savage & dangerous #
  • Athas in Seven Sentences (pic to come later), 4e setting had to follow all of them or else they did it wrong. #
  • Area covered in Athas is “smaller than the state of Texas” unlike other settings. #
  • Also covering seminar: @geeksdreamgirl, @matt_james_fr, @wizards_dnd, @wolfstar76, @hommlet #
  • Trying to take all the parts that original Dark Sun fans loved and take them back to their first exposure. #
  • Dark Sun Campaign Guide: 8/2010, 224pgs, 2 new races, 10 character themes, paragon paths, feats, and gear. #
  • Extensive Atlas of Athas, short intro adventure, plus material on DMing a Dark Sun game. Societies and flavor of the world. #
  • Incorporates “Cutting edge D&D tech” incl. new traps and terrain powers, revised skill challenges, etc. #
  • Theme is like a template for characters of any class. Things like Gladiators extend to all classes, so need another mechanic beyond classes #
  • Themes give one encounter power, as well as powers you can substitute your class powers for. Some limits & restrictions #
  • Gladiator gives a “controller theme” so it’s a backdoor way to get into a martial controller. #
  • Themes might make their way into core #dnd – could represent something like a Pirate. #
  • Creature Catalog: 144pg softcover, 50+ Dark Sun monsters in 120 varities. 7 Sorcerer-Kings and Dragon of Tyr. +Templates, hazards, etc #
  • Retailers gave feedback that players wanted more of the description of the world in the book that they read for campaign guides #
  • Insights from Monster Manual 3 design were used in Creature Catalog. More flavor, more story, integration with hazards, other hooks #
  • Marauders of the Dune Sea, 32pg adventure for 1-3rd level Dark Sun characters, designed by @brucecordell #
  • DDI: Monthly support for Dark Sun. Maybe not an adventure for every month, but split between adventures for Dungeon and options in Dragon #
  • List of setting questions is up- pic to come later. Things like using dungeons in Dark Sun, role of Gods, handling Dragons, etc. #
  • On things like gnomes that weren’t in 2e, specifically left out for DM to handle, but it’s not a core assumption. #
  • Q on Cosmology: decided to include core D&D cosmology. Part of the reason was for monster origins. Not that far from original Dark Sun cosmo #
  • Shadowfell is close to the Gray, magic deserts and remaining forests relate to the Feywild. #
  • RT @Judd_of_Kryos: Dark Sun 4e tweets compiled http://tiny.cc/C5614 Thanks to @Wizards_DnD and the fantastic work of @criticalhits #
  • Half-Giants (Goliaths) will no longer have fluctuating alignment… of course. #
  • Dragonborn “aren’t just bolted on”, and Tieflings will be there as well, both with hooks back to the original setting. #
  • One of the themes emphasizes Psionic wild talent. #
  • Wild talents can also get some “cantrip-level” psionic talents. #
  • In Dark Sun, trying to downplay the importance of magic items, and will use the options from DMG2 to achieve this. #
  • Mul is +2 Con and other choice +2 Str OR Wis. Edge against condition/status stuff. #
  • And that’s the end of the Dark Sun seminar. Can’t wait for August. #

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