For Thursday, we bring you highlights from the Eberron and Star Wars seminars.
Seminar: Secrets of Eberron
Take a look at our online catalog: the Eberron Campaign Guide has been added, set for release in June 2009. What else can we now reveal about Eberron?
Thursday, 2PM (Gen Con Time): The Secrets of Eberron Seminar with Keith Baker, James Wyatt, Stephen Schubert, and Jeremy Crawford sought to answer this tricky question (although, as James pointed out, the panelists would be addressing the facts of Eberron more than its secrets).
Eberron in Novels
Discussion began with a look at the novels that have recently released, leading up to November and Keith Baker's The Queen of Stone -- a spy novel of sorts, much different from The Dreaming Dark and something with a strong Eberron feel.
2009 will see DeWolf's Death Comes Easy, Wyatt's Dragon War, Bassingthwaite's Word of Traitors, and more (look for these to be added to the online product catalog shortly). According to the panel, these novels will take a step away from traditional high fantasy novels and toward what makes Eberron more, well, Eberron.
Eberron in RPGs
Again, first a look back:
Now a look ahead:
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Player's Handbook II: includes gnomes, half-orcs, and shifters. What are the ghostly-looking felines on the cover? James remains coy.
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Eberron Campaign Guide: June 2009, "a fresh look at a familiar world."
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Eberron Player's Guide: July 2009.
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Secrets of the Ashen Crown: July 2009.
- DDI: continue to look for further Eberron content online in Dragon and Dungeon Magazines.
What's happening with the setting? The general philosophy involves not advancing the timeline or making drastic changes to the world but refocusing on certain components of the setting. For example:
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The Last War: Just two years out, this event will be given a greater presence in the setting, as it should. No one thinks that it's truly ended -- tension remains that it is going to start again.
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The Draconic Prophecy: Dragonmarks are the prophecy written on the skin of races, and characters should have a connection to this prophecy -- the fate of the world -- played out at all levels but especially seen in new epic destinies.
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Points of Light: The Last War already brings this philosophy to the setting, with centers of civilization surrounded by large areas of uninhabited space. This is not entirely the humans' land.
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Threats New and Old: Details and hooks to bring danger into your game, some of it new to the setting. Some of these might be things waiting to happen in your campaign, and some are "evolutionary," in that they match the levels of your players as they advance.
Questions
How will kalashtar work in the absence of psionics?
They are given a psionic flavor without confining them to a psionic class, much as current powers have a psionic flavor, dealing psychic damage.
What was easy and difficult to convert about Eberron to 4th Edition?
Dragonmarks were a challenge to balance properly because of the changes to the powers structure. Overall, though, Eberron is a D&D world, fully able to be converted to the new edition. Skill challenges, for example, work really well in this noir-style setting, and rituals show that magic is a part of everyday life.
How will the new races be worked into Eberron?
Eladrin can easily be moved between planes into Eberron. The dragonborn, tiefling, and eladrin are all given hooks to help fit them into the setting.
How is the artificer developing?
Stephen Schubert is handling this class's development and is looking at two current builds: the guy who makes 'minions' and the guy who imbues items and weapons. The design of the class is essentially complete. Now development is taking place, thanks to the feedback coming in through the message boards and dndinsider@wizards.com.
Is DDI the place to go for the advancement of the Eberron storyline?
Yes, that is the plan for campaign settings moving forward. Printed campaign setting books (such as the Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide) that are useful to all campaigns, not just those focused in that particular setting, will be accompanied by articles and support on DDI.
Will campaign setting material be legal in organized play games?
Yes.
Will Eberron's cosmology be adjusted for 4th Edition?
Yes. It will remain distinct, however. Consider an orrery as a metaphor to describe Eberron's cosmology -- while things might not have changed significantly, there may be a new metaphor to describe the cosmology.
Will eldritch devices ever be statted out?
Yes and no. Some can be statted now, while others function more as plot devices (those might be better handled with skill challenges, for examples).
Will the new races have their own dragonmarked houses?
There will be no new dragonmarked houses introduced, with one exception. As part of making the dragonmarked houses more accessible, the race restrictions are being lessened if not outright removed.
What is the importance of the aberrant marks?
More about these will be revealed.
Was it difficult not to advance the timeline for a new edition?
Yes. Moving it only two years forward was discussed, in order to show what's changed in the setting for a new edition (such as new races being introduced). Novels were even written as if the timeline actually did advance. In the end, though, the planners decided not to do so, but to come up with a different solution.
How does the demi-god epic destiny work in Eberron?
In Eberron, there is a belief that mortals can ascend to godhood (such as the belief great dragons can become sovereigns). Are these heroes actual demi-gods or simply mad and powerful? Essentially, that's something for the DM to decide!
Seminar: Star Wars Minis/RPG
Hosted by Chris Perkins, Wizards of the Coast Design Manager of RPGs and Minis, this seminar also included Rob Watkins, John Jackson Miller, and Sterling Hershey.
Star Wars Minis
Knights of the Old Republic, a 60-figure set, releases on August 19th. As Miller discussed, new continuity is coming through the miniatures, such as with Squint (real name Alek) becoming Darth Malek -- surprise! -- and including Master Lucian Dray, an ultra-rare, ultra-powerful figure.
One of the difficulties of working with a licensed brand is keeping consistent with all of the canon and what has been revealed at what point … which is why the Knights of the Old Republic comic series could not reveal up front the origins of Malek but left it intentionally vague. Some things are planned; if the designers know what the characters become later on, they know what powers to give their figures. An example is Zane’s special, karmic relationship with the Force. It hasn't yet been spelled out in the comics, but his figure is given a Force Power.
Coming in October, there’s The Clone Wars, a 40-figure set and new starter game, featuring characters from Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie and television show (such as “Yoda on Kybuck”). In 2009, there will also be exclusive map packs.
February 2009 will see the release of Imperial Entanglements , a 40-figure set that includes “Dark Vader, Legacy of the Force” and focuses on Episodes V and VI. Look for more Expanded Universe characters in that set.
Jedi Academy appears in June 2009, featuring Jedi masters and padawans across all eras (and with lots more Expanded Universe characters).
Star Wars RPG
The Saga Edition Core Rulebook has ENnie nominations as Product of the Year, Best Rules, Best d20/OGL Product, and Best Game -- and yes, it’s square.
Out now are Threats of the Galaxy, with ready-to-play characters, creatures, and droids from all eras of play (including, perhaps incongruously, Jedi younglings), Galaxy Tiles, and the virtually indestructible Gamemaster Screen.
Releasing at Gen Con, the Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide features new species, talents, skill uses, feats, Force powers, prestige classes, and equipment. Inside you'll find expansive chapters on Jedi, Sith, the Republic, and the Mandalorians. It is the first foray at Wizards of the Coast for a Star Wars product without a connection to the films and the first time WotC was able to coordinate the release of the RPG book along with the minis set.
In September, there will be The Force Unleashed Campaign Guide, inspired by the video game. It will span the Dark Times between Episodes III and IV. This book is packed with new material across all eras but also new “Unleashed” mechanics for Force-users and non-Force-users. It’s an in-depth look at the Empire and might also be thought of as a “Dark Times Campaign Guide.”
Then in November comes Scum and Villainy with mini-adventures and a complete adventure, a campaign location (Point Nadir), and rules for smuggling and bounty hunting.
January 2009 will bring The Clone Wars Campaign Guide to provide rules for followers and large-scale battles and in-depth analysis of troops and technology of both the Republic and the Separatists.
The Legacy Era Campaign Guide comes out in March 2009. It draws inspiration from the Legacy comic series, with rules for legacy characters descended from heroes of the past and information on the Empire, Empire-in-exile, and the Galactic Alliance Core Fleet.
On the website, you'll find additional game content, regular columns, previews, podcasts, and a Star Wars adventure path.
Questions
How will the success of 4th Edition cause the Star Wars RPG to evolve?
As D&D introduces concepts that will work in Star Wars, they may be carried over to the Star Wars RPG, but they will not lead to a new edition of the RPG.
Will the Legacy of the Force Campaign Guide include information on the Legacy of the Force novel line?
Only as background material; the Campaign Guide focuses on the Legacy comic line.
What were the designers' favorite parts of the
Star Wars Saga Edition, especially as compared with D&D 4th Edition?
Chris Perkins mentioned the mechanics of Force powers and making the core classes as compelling as Jedi characters. Miller brought up the customization potential for characters, and for KotOR, the new information on this era being released as well as the effective partnering with the continuity of the video game.
What is the balance sought between hard rules and cinema flair?
A sense of cinematic flair in the game is definitely sought, but at the same time, it needs enough rules to prevent confusion and arguments at the table. Too many rules can lead to a feeling of “doing your taxes,” so that must also be avoided. For instance, it doesn’t matter exactly how far off the ground a landspeeder hovers.
As a rule of thumb, if it’s a rule that sits with the player, it must be very clear. If it’s a rule that sits with the GM, it can be a little looser and provide more cinematic potential.
With the 40-mini sets, will there be the same number of minis per booster?
Yes.
Will there be expansions for Star Wars starships?
There are no such expansions on the schedule at this time.
Will there still be Huge miniatures?
Only if there is compelling material to release at Huge size.
What new minis can be hinted at for The Clone Wars?
There will be a Neimodian bounty hunter.
Will there be fewer reprinted figures in the new 40-mini sets?
There will continue to be some reprints in order to help players collect older figures and complete mass battles, but they will likely be fewer in number.
Will we ever see Star Wars Minis on the same scale as the AT-AT?
Nothing is off the table; Watkins has long been pitching a Jawa Sandcrawler that doubles as a minis carrying case!
Final bit of trivia: When you drop a lightsaber, it turns off.