Tuesday, July 9, 2013

[Q&A] Jonathan Tweet & Rob Heinsoo (13th Age)

[20:01] <+JonathanTweet> I'm Jonathan Tweet, I've been doing RPGs since 1987, I was the lead designer on D&D 3rd Ed, and my latest RPG is 13th Age.
[20:01] *** Jakse has joined #rpgnet
[20:01] *** ChanServ sets mode +v Jakse
[20:02] <+JonathanTweet> Rob and I have been friends for decades and gaming buddies since 1999 or so.
[20:02] <+RobHeinsoo> I'm Rob Heinsoo, I started designing games about 7 years after Jonathan, worked with him on 13th Age and on other games that mostly seem to be listed on Wikipedia.
[20:02] *** Guest87 has joined #rpgnet
[20:02] *** ChanServ sets mode +v Guest87
[20:02] <+RobHeinsoo> done with intro
[20:02] <+JonathanTweet> Hurray for Wikipedia! (done)
[20:02] <~Dan> Thanks, guys!
[20:03] <~Dan> Okay, the floor is open to questions! As I mentioned, please mind all question pauses, holding further questions until you see a (done) from our guests.
[20:03] <+BPIJonathan> How does13th age differ from other variants of d20/D&D3e?
[20:03] <+GenoFoxx> Do you have planned a 13th Age Ultramodern ruleset ? and if so (I hope ) when can we expect it ?
[20:03] *** Guest87 has quit IRC: Disintegrated: (Link: http://www.mibbit.com)http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client
[20:04] <+RobHeinsoo> We're going to take these in order, starting with dangerous carts.
[20:04] <~Dan> (question pause)
[20:04] <+RobHeinsoo> Goldenbee had asked, slightly before we officially began... How can you model a "rolling" or "moving" fight in 13th age w/o a lot of repositioning? Cart to cart combat for example, or a chase
[20:04] <+JonathanTweet> For a rolling fight, imagine it like a movie, where the camera follows the action...
[20:05] <+JonathanTweet> You only have to worry about repositioning characters relative to the fight rather than relative to the ground. -done
[20:05] <+JonathanTweet> Keep track of the fight in your head, and just use the minis to remind you where combatants are relative to each other. -done
[20:05] <+RobHeinsoo> The important thing is the relative position of the moving objects; I'd probably use d20 rolls to determine how 'well' combatants were moving compared to what they wanted to accomplish if people were trying to escape or outmaneuver each other.
[20:06] *** WonderRat has quit IRC: Ping timeout
[20:06] <+JonathanTweet> (Sorry, not done).
[20:06] <+RdS> ((ah remembers
[20:06] <+RdS> oops!
[20:06] <+JonathanTweet> BPI Jonathan: 13th Age uses story-oriented mechanics to help the characters be more creative.
[20:07] <+JonathanTweet> You can invent things for your character in a free-form way rather than picking everything from lists.
[20:07] <+JonathanTweet> For example, you define your character's skills (backgrounds) in a free-form, story-oriented way.
[20:07] <+JonathanTweet> And every character has one unique thing that sets them apart, something that is real in the world but not really mechanical.
[20:09] <+RobHeinsoo> Compared to other d20 variants, the actual mechanics used during sessions are probably happier to focus on cool things that portray fun story moments while hand-waving past simulation. For instance, there's no such thing as prone, that gets translated into a few different problems that PCs might encounter as a result of enemy attacks.
[20:09] <+JonathanTweet> GenoFoxx: You could use the basic 13th Age system for whatever you want, but the game is really designed as a "love letter" to D&D.
[20:10] <+GenoFoxx> so now Star Frontiers ?
[20:10] <+JonathanTweet> Pelgrane Press might want to do an Ultramodern setting; you'd have to ask them. They're the publishers. Thirteenth Age was a labor of love for Rob and me, and we love D&D.
[20:10] <+GenoFoxx> I meant no Star Frontiers then?
[20:10] *** Rhinoceraptor has quit IRC: Disintegrated: (Link: http://www.mibbit.com)http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client
[20:10] <+RobHeinsoo> It's also a bit different than other d20-rolling games because of its personal and personable style and the fact that we only wanted to half-design the world, so that each campaign (GM and players) can tune the story as it wishes.
[20:10] <+diogenes> which era D&D?
[20:10] <+JonathanTweet> GF: Not from me and Rob.
[20:10] <+BPIJonathan> I guess I am going to have to particpate in an actual play, because I still dont see a difference.
[20:10] <+GenoFoxx> :(
[20:11] <+Bedlam> (if it's kosher just to add a bit of commentary, the One Unique Thing is easily my favorite part of 13th Age. Also it's easy enough to homebrew in a modern game GenoFoxx, I have a buddy doing that : ])
[20:11] <~Dan> (diogenes: Question pause light is "on". :) )
[20:11] <+Apollo> How many more products supporting the 13th Age ruleset are planned?  Like Dragon Empire campaign guide, splat books, Ultimate Campaign/Equipment etc.
[20:11] <+FifthWanderer> BPUJohnathan, there's actual plays on YouTube
[20:11] <+BPIJonathan> FithWanderer: That doesnt help, I have to be actually involved.
[20:11] <+JonathanTweet> (done)
[20:11] <+RobHeinsoo> done!
[20:12] <~Dan> (Questions can resume!)
[20:12] <+evilsagan> How do you guys run your dungeons in 13th Age? It seems like mazes filled with traps and filler encounters would be a disservice to a game that places so much emphasis on quick combat and personal story-telling
[20:12] <+Ark> are there plans for simple spellcasters and complex options for the simpler classes like barbarian?
[20:12] <+Zaire92> What books or products will be required to start playing? and do you think this game could easily be a kid friendly game? (I have 2 kids under 10)
[20:12] <~Dan> (Question pause! :) )
[20:13] <+RobHeinsoo> Zaire92, one of my goals was to make the 13th Age book the only book you need. It was funny that when I started the project, everyone expected it to be a 3-book project, the traditional 3 volumes.
[20:13] <+JonathanTweet> Evilsagan: Our dungeons tend to have a lot of character. They don't have filler. Dungeons tend to be tightly defined so you can encounter them in one session.
[20:13] <+JonathanTweet> The idea of grinding through a bottomless, themeless dungeon doesn't work for us.
[20:13] <+JonathanTweet> We want cooler dungeons than that.
[20:13] <+RobHeinsoo> But I really wanted it to be a game that people could play with just one book. Later books will improve the game, but the core book has PCs, monsters, a mini-gazeteer, all the rules, and treasure.
[20:15] <+JonathanTweet> Zaire92: We have advance copies of the rulebook, and it's really hefty, everything you need between two covers and more. The idea was to inspire players to create their own material rather than to leave them needing more material from us.
[20:15] <+RobHeinsoo> And Zaire92, Sam Wood, one of the two main 3e D&D artists along with Todd M, is running a 13th Age where four of the players are between the ages of 6 and 10! They have wonderful unique things like "I can talk with birds," the game's story creation mode works great for kids. I think it's only important/helpful that the GM is experienced.
[20:15] *** Grinning_Lie has quit IRC: Connection reset by peer
[20:16] *** Grinning_Lie has joined #rpgnet
[20:16] *** ChanServ sets mode +v Grinning_Lie
[20:16] <+JonathanTweet> Ark: The fan base is already tweaking the classes, and I bet there will be some good variants in no time. Our goal was to inspire people to create their own stuff, not to leave them needing an endless line of support products.
[20:16] <+Zaire92> sounds better than i hoped!
[20:16] *** Kei has quit IRC: Disintegrated:
[20:16] <+RobHeinsoo> Evilsagan, JoT answered much of your question but I guess I'll just say that we think of dungeons as experiences, not as a definitively mapped finite set of problems that all have to be dealt with.
[20:16] <+Beelzedude> (good night, people)
[20:17] <~Dan> (Bye, Beelzedude!
[20:17] <~Dan> )
[20:17] *** Beelzedude has quit IRC: Disintegrated: ~ Trillian - (Link: http://www.trillian.im)www.trillian.im ~
[20:17] <+JonathanTweet> Zaire92, combat is simpler than in 3E, and the character system draws creative ideas out of the players. Kids should be able to play just fine, especially with an experienced GM.
[20:17] <+RobHeinsoo> Ark, we're definitely excited about the options for simple spellcasters... and for more 'interesting' versions of the classes that started simple.
[20:17] <+JonathanTweet> done
[20:18] <+RobHeinsoo> done with that round
[20:18] <~Dan> (Questions can resume!)
[20:18] <+FifthWanderer> What's your favorite thing about the 13th Age rules?
[20:18] <+Ark> Thanks! I will look forward to it :D
[20:18] <+Kenderama> First off: Love the game. :) However, what do you have against bards being ranged characters? :) All their flexible battle cries seem to be based off melee attacks unless you use Battle Chant.
[20:18] <+WolfSamurai> Are there any wacky or strange things that you had to pull back from when writing for legal or other reasons?
[20:18] <~Dan> (Question pause!)
[20:18] <+Bedlam> Any chance for an overview of the upcoming classes for 13 True Way-- I am too slow
[20:19] <+JonathanTweet> My favorite thing about the 13th Age rules is the icons. These are the near-godlike beings that rule civilization or threaten it: the High Druid, Dwarf King, Emperor, Lich King, Diabolist, etc.
[20:20] <+FifthWanderer> How about you, Rob? Same thing?
[20:20] <+JonathanTweet> The icons serve the role that "gods" play in lots of campaigns, but they live right here in the world and are (at least theoretically) mortal.
[20:20] <+JonathanTweet> Players have relationships (positive, negative, or conflicted) with them, and these relationships help connect the character to the world.
[20:21] *** Goldenbee has quit IRC: Disintegrated: (Link: http://www.mibbit.com)http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client
[20:21] <+FifthWanderer> I love the icons too! They put a unique spin on the world, and how characters interact with it.
[20:21] <+RobHeinsoo> Icons are what we brought to the table and players and GMs can tune for their campaign. But I think what I like most might be letting every player come up with their own unique thing. It gets people deeply involved with their character from the start, within the familiar framework of the d20-rolling experience.
[20:21] <+JonathanTweet> WolfSamurai, I didn't include my list of psychoactive substances, but maybe they'll show up in the supplement 13 True Ways.
[20:22] <+JonathanTweet> Some of my previous work has been really weird, but 13th Age really glories in the tradition of D&D, and I didn't want to turn it into something too weird to strike that chord.
[20:23] <+JonathanTweet> (done)
[20:23] <+RobHeinsoo> I think "legal or other reason" is so broad that the answer has to be yes. I mean, I avoid writing things for all kinds of reasons, most of them good! // WolfSamurai, here's a better answer for you: if something is too whacky to feel like a good experience, or too whacky to feel like it belongs as part of the core 13th Age experience, we dropped it.
[20:24] <+RobHeinsoo> Here's one example: we decided NOT to do an icon that felt like an HP Lovecraft creation. Wrong tone for our core fantasy world. Not wrong for all 13th Age games, probably. But wrong for the starting point.
[20:25] <~Dan> (The Icon Who Must Not Be Named.)
[20:25] <+RobHeinsoo> The words "unless you use Battle Chant" seem important, Kenderama!
[20:25] <+JonathanTweet> (*Rob* decided not to add the "icon that must not be named. Not "we.")
[20:26] *** Demo2 has joined #rpgnet
[20:26] *** ChanServ sets mode +v Demo2
[20:26] *** fantomx11 has joined #rpgnet
[20:26] *** ChanServ sets mode +v fantomx11
[20:26] *** Demota has quit IRC: Disintegrated:
[20:26] <+JonathanTweet> (now I'm done)
[20:26] <+RobHeinsoo> Seriously, bards are the jack-of-all-options; and it's always a balancing act to get them right. If Battle Chant isn't enough... welll....perhaps that's room for the future, if it can be interesting.
[20:27] <+RobHeinsoo> Done!
[20:27] <~Dan> (Questions can resume! You had a question, Bedlam?)
[20:27] <+diogenes> is the game mostly about re-enacting genre tropes and creating a "D&D experience"?
[20:27] <+RdS> Is there any definite timeline for the release of the Archmage SRD? Or has it been sneakily done somewhere when no one was looking?
[20:27] <+Harrylowjax> When is the last time either of you played Everway? Or, more appropriately, what games did you play when preparing for 13th Age?
[20:27] <+Zaire92> I saw that rewarding XP was sort of optional? how to determine when a player advances level?
[20:27] <+Bedlam> What is your favorite mechanic or piece of fluff from the upcoming 13 True Ways?
[20:27] <~Dan> (Question pause!)
[20:27] <~Dan> (Jeez, you guys are fast! :D )
[20:27] <+Bedlam> (I decided to change my question too :) )
[20:28] <+FifthWanderer> (I cheated. I typed mine in the box, and hit enter as soon as you said resume.)
[20:28] <+JonathanTweet> diogenes: It's more like playing with and reinterpreting genre tropes.
[20:28] <+JonathanTweet> A 13th Age campaign is like the D&D campaign that I wish I could have been in back in the good old days.
[20:28] <+JonathanTweet> The idea is to use the tropes as a basis that people get and then build from there.
[20:29] *** Cassandra has quit IRC: Disintegrated:
[20:29] <+JonathanTweet> It's not reliving old school gaming. It's reimagining the experience from a more story-oriented, high-energy perspective.
[20:30] <+JonathanTweet> Harry: Rob and I played in an Everway campaign with his wife and my late wife, but that was years ago. 13th Age came out of our D&D campaigns.
[20:30] <+diogenes> like old school D&D theater?
[20:31] <+JonathanTweet> Plus, I had a minimalist rules set that I was playing at local cons, and some of that carried over.
[20:31] <+RobHeinsoo> Harrylowjax.... Everway... was a few years ago for me, a campaign JoT ran. // RPGs I played while working on 13th Age included 3e, 4e, Feng Shui, Heroquest, Savage Worlds... and hmm... one game of Ashen Stars. But the words 'preparing for 13th Age' cover a lot of ground.
[20:31] <+JonathanTweet> Plus we really like Dogs in the Vineyard and certain other indie games.
[20:31] <+RobHeinsoo> It's been awhile since I played Dogs. It made an impression.
[20:31] <+JonathanTweet> I'm glad we hadn't played Apocalypse World yet when we started on 13th Age, because AW is really good and it might have made it hard to do 13th Age the way we did.
[20:32] *** Cail has joined #rpgnet
[20:32] *** ChanServ sets mode +v Cail
[20:32] <+RobHeinsoo> diogenes, I certainly never think of it as old school D&D theater; but I suppose someone else might use it that way.
[20:32] <+Harrylowjax> My wife and I are involved with an everway campaign right now. How strange.
[20:32] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, Cail! Q&A in progress! Please hold questions until you see a (done) from our guests. :) )
[20:33] *** Le_Squide has joined #rpgnet
[20:33] *** ChanServ sets mode +v Le_Squide
[20:33] <~Dan> (Howdy, Squide!)
[20:33] <+JonathanTweet> Zaire92: I've been stripping down experience rules for years, and the one we landed at is that is that you level up after about 12-16 serious battles (or the equivalent).
[20:33] <+JonathanTweet> That's 3-4 sessions.
[20:33] <+RobHeinsoo> Harry: Sam Wood is also using Everway cards to help his 6 to 10 year olds in the 13th Age game!
[20:34] *** ChanServ sets mode +ao Le_Squide Le_Squide
[20:34] <+Harrylowjax> Those cards are so helpful!
[20:34] <+JonathanTweet> And you get a mini-level up (incremental advance) every session or so. It's like getting an advance on your paycheck, a little bit of your level-up ahead of schedule.
[20:34] <+RobHeinsoo> I loved Apocalpyse World in play; really well thought out character moves. Haven't played Dungeon World yet.
[20:34] <+Harrylowjax> i don't know if i've ever not used them.
[20:34] <&Le_Squide> (Hey!)
[20:34] <+JonathanTweet> The players should focus on the story rather than one doing things that earn them XP.
[20:35] <+RobHeinsoo> I need to get on the Archmage SRD. I'm thinking we're going to move towards being more clear with language that says "Compatible with the 13th Age RPG" and "13th Age RPG compatible," so there is some work to be done. Nothing has slipped by.
[20:35] <+JonathanTweet> My favorite mechanic from 13 True Ways is the monk. I have a soft spot for monks.
[20:36] <+FifthWanderer> The story-based elements are what made me love 13th Age. It's like you guys put D&D and, say, Fate or PDQ in a blender and hit frappe. You guys rock!
[20:36] <+RdS> The monk is very fun.
[20:36] *** Guest03 has joined #rpgnet
[20:36] *** ChanServ sets mode +v Guest03
[20:36] *** Storytelleress is now known as Lioness
[20:36] <+FifthWanderer> Monk is fun. Glad I preordered so I got the playtest PDF.
[20:36] <+RobHeinsoo> I love how Robin ended up treating devils (with options for many campaigns) and the art treatment Lee came up with to shore that up.
[20:36] <+JonathanTweet> The Everway campaign was the only RPGing that my late wife ever did.
[20:37] <~Dan> (Welcome, Guest03! Please set your name with the /nick command. :) )
[20:37] <+RobHeinsoo> done-ish
[20:37] <+JonathanTweet> (done)
[20:37] *** Guest03 is now known as LongDarkNight
[20:37] <+Vapor> I'm sorry for your loss Mr. Tweet.
[20:37] *** Demo2 is now known as Demota
[20:38] <+JonathanTweet> Vapor: thanks, she passed 5 years ago, so it's not so bad now.
[20:38] <~Dan> (Questions can resume!)
[20:39] <+Kenderama> One of the mechanics I love is that true magic items all have quirks. Who's idea was that mechanic and what spawned the idea?
[20:39] <+Bedlam> How do you handle someone rolling a 1-4 on the Icon Dice Roll? I've been fiddling with different ideas, and it seems to be a letdown to say 'nothing happens' you see.
[20:39] <+Demota> I have to say that I really love how orcs are a literal plague on the world. What're the motivations and the process of how that came about?
[20:39] <+Cail> Sorry if this has already been asked, but will there be new talents and powers for corebook classes in 13 True Ways? If there are, are they a focus or just a couple here and there?
[20:39] <+JonathanTweet> Rob and I each think that we invented the quirk rule.
[20:40] <~Dan> (Question pause!)
[20:40] <+Demota> ( Like, the writer's process. Not whoever in-universe decided to think it up )
[20:40] <+JonathanTweet> That's true for a lot of rules in the game.
[20:40] <+JonathanTweet> I should have written everything down with a time stamp.
[20:40] <~Dan> (Quick note for the late arrivals: #rpgnet2 is open for general chat.)
[20:40] *** Ettin has joined #rpgnet
[20:40] *** ChanServ sets mode +v Ettin
[20:41] *** jtbullet has joined #rpgnet
[20:41] *** ChanServ sets mode +v jtbullet
[20:41] <+JonathanTweet> If the magic-item-quirk thing is my idea, then it comes from the old D&D rule  that all magic swords are intelligent. Also, there was a French RPG I liked that was all about magic items possessing their wielders.
[20:41] <+RobHeinsoo> I breathe a sigh of relief at Jonathan agreeing that the notion of orcs as a literal plague was my idea!
[20:41] <+JonathanTweet> And I'm always trying to find a way to insert harmless roleplaying into a game.
[20:42] *** Guest38 has joined #rpgnet
[20:42] *** ChanServ sets mode +v Guest38
[20:42] <+JonathanTweet> Bedlam: The null result on the icon dice is a strange case where you don't really fail forward.
[20:42] <+JonathanTweet> Let me know if you come up with something good.
[20:42] <+Kenderama> (thanks guys - again, great game. G'night!)
[20:42] *** Kenderama has quit IRC: Disintegrated: (Link: http://www.mibbit.com)http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client
[20:42] <+JonathanTweet> I don't mind players feeling let down as long as it doesn't stall the game, but I'm not as nice as Rob.
[20:42] <~Dan> (Welcome, Guest38! Please set your name with the /nick command!)
[20:42] <+RobHeinsoo> Re orcs, I think I go back to Tolkien with orcs as a perversion of elves. Something is wrong with the world when it spawns orcs. And that makes me think of orcs as an infection in the world, something that is created when there are terrible terrible magics loose. It's dramatic. It's a bit scary. Sold.
[20:43] <+JonathanTweet> I've thought of using playing cards numbered 1-6 instead of dice rolls so that you determine *who" gets 5s and 6s instead of whether anyone gets 5s and 6s.
[20:43] *** Guest38 is now known as Fedifensor
[20:44] <+RobHeinsoo> In practice, I find myself making more icon story guide dice at the start of the session rather than in-game like a skill check, so as long as *someone* in the party has a 5 or a 6, we'
[20:44] <+RobHeinsoo> We're good.
[20:44] <+JonathanTweet> Back to magic items: In high school, my home rule was that you could only attune so many magic items to yourself.
[20:44] *** BPIJonathan is now known as AFKJonathan
[20:45] <+JonathanTweet> It made magic items more special. The quirk rule picks up some of that flavor.
[20:45] <+Bedlam> Both sound good, thanks!
[20:46] <+JonathanTweet> Rob's "orc plague" idea prevents people from siding with the orcs as just misunderstood humanoid who are special in their own way.
[20:46] <+RobHeinsoo> 13 True Ways is a grab bag of the coolest things we can do now that work well for the game. We can't promise to give all classes equal treatment; we're not that kind of consistent product. But there will be stuff for the existing classes, because there are some powerful things they can't do yet and should be able to (summoning!)
[20:46] <+JonathanTweet> No, they are bad juju, and you should kill them.
[20:46] <+RobHeinsoo> ...and because there are other fun ideas that have come up now that we understand the game a bit better.
[20:47] <+FifthWanderer> Do you see an RPG as a living document?
[20:47] <+RobHeinsoo> How about I officially give in with my faulty memory: Jonathan, congratulations on creating the magic item quirks idea.
[20:47] <+JonathanTweet> done
[20:47] <+RobHeinsoo> done
[20:48] <+Zaire92> Dan musta went afk
[20:48] <&Le_Squide> Do you guys see this as an ongoing gameline, or just the core and a few one-offs
[20:48] *** AWOLJoe1 has joined #rpgnet
[20:48] *** ChanServ sets mode +v AWOLJoe1
[20:48] <~Dan> (Questions can resume!)
[20:48] <+evilsagan> Sadly I wasn't able to contribute to the 13 True Ways kickstarter :( Are you guys planning to give it the Escalation Edition treatment, and will there be an opportunity to pre-order in on that?
[20:48] <+RdS> I have heard comments from players that the classes don't seem particularly balanced because they don't really share mechanics. My answer to that is that they don't need to be balanced against each other as long as each character is good at what they do. Is that they way it's intended, or is there an underlying balance that's just harder to spot?
[20:48] <+Bedlam> What are some of your favorite One Unique Things that you've seen?
[20:49] <~Dan> (Question pause!)
[20:49] *** AWOLJoe has quit IRC: Ping timeout
[20:50] <+JonathanTweet> Bedlam: I like the guy who was the bastard son of the Emperor with godlike good looks. Easy to understand and versatile.
[20:50] <+RobHeinsoo> Fifth Wanderer: I see this RPG as living, yes. I'm not sure I'd understand a game that wasn't, mostly because people get to make the game live the way they want to.
[20:51] <+JonathanTweet> RdS: The classes are not as tightly balanced as in 4E, but they're way more balanced than they are in 3E. 3E has the problem that per-day classes (e.g. wizard) and at-will classes (e.g., fighter) just can't be balanced.
[20:51] *** AFKJonathan is now known as BPIJonathan
[20:51] <+RobHeinsoo> EvilSagan: Send a message to the 13 True Ways kickstarter business email listed on the kickstarter.
[20:52] <+JonathanTweet> Unlike 4E, we have classes that work really differently from each other, but the "heal-up" rules balance the classes in a way that 3E's "get some rest" rules dont.
[20:52] *** Guest45 has joined #rpgnet
[20:52] *** ChanServ sets mode +v Guest45
[20:52] <+RdS> I had noticed that. And thank you for making the others useful again. I suppose I was trying to ask, how you went about making sure of balance since mechanics werent' the same.
[20:52] <+RobHeinsoo> We were more concerned with making the classes play well, play fun, and play appropriately for each class than making sure that everyone was firmly balanced. Loose balance, it's there.
[20:53] <~Dan> (Welcome, Guest45! Please set your name with the /nick command! :) )
[20:53] <+JonathanTweet> In 13th Age, you get a full heal up (and reset your used-up powers) after battling through 4 fights. A wizard can't drop all their spells in one battle, sleep, and drop all their spells in the next battle.
[20:53] <+JonathanTweet> As for mechanical balance, we did a lot of math to get the dice and numbers right.
[20:55] <+JonathanTweet> Bedlam, another unique thing was Rob's character that seemed like he was in the right place even when he wasn't. It helped him get into strange places.
[20:55] <+RobHeinsoo> And for the *feel* of each class, the important thing was whether the class always gets to be doing something fun, having a good experience that feels like they're contributing. If the feeling is there, and the math is close... well, that's how much we cared. Now our developer, Rob Watkins, he cared about balance a lot more, and he's an I Won D&D guy
[20:55] <+JonathanTweet> In fact, that unique is like a trait that an Over the Edge character had 20 years ago. 13th Age gives you free-form options like Over the Edge does.
[20:56] <~Dan> (Over the Edge was a work of genious, btw.)
[20:56] <~Dan> (genius, even)
[20:57] <+JonathanTweet> (Thanks, Dan. It's been fun to inject some OTE goodness into d20 gaming.)
[20:57] <+RobHeinsoo> Le Squide asked whether we saw this as an ongoing gameline. That answer has changed. When we started I had no reason to believe it would be an ongoing thing. We just wanted to do the best book we could do. I basically didn't count any chickens. It was a labor of love. If it turns out that it can keep a line going, hooray!
[20:57] <+FifthWanderer> (Agreed about Over the Edge. But nobody would play it with me ;;
[20:57] <+JonathanTweet> done
[20:57] <+RobHeinsoo> done
[20:57] <~Dan> (Questions can resume!)
[20:57] <+LongDarkNight> sorry if this was asked, any ballpark on 13 True Ways going to print?
[20:57] <~Dan> Have you added any interesting twists to the standard D&D races?
[20:58] <+Zaire92> Do you have a date on the core rulebook?
[20:58] <+RdS> You said that you did a lot of math to get the balance right. When the SRD is released, will we be able to have that math be shared with us? (I ask, because yes, I'm probably more overly excited about helping the system grow, but the OGL suffered from a lack of guidance, ending up with classes that were sometimes hideously unbalanced. )
[20:58] <~Dan> (Question pause.)
[20:58] <+JonathanTweet> As for 13 True Ways, I'm admittedly behind on my material. So far, though, it's turning out really well.
[20:59] <+RobHeinsoo> LongDarkNight: what a great name you have for asking about the duration of the 13 True Ways process. Both Jonathan and I are behind on our work with it, I've been working on the 13th Age Bestiary instead the last few weeks. I'm not going to ballpark it right now because it partly depends on the class design for the new classes working properly.
[21:00] <+RobHeinsoo> I'll post something about that in a 13 True Ways Kickstarter update soon.
[21:00] <+JonathanTweet> RdS: The math is all implicit in the powers that are published. You can look at a damaging daily power of a given level and compare it to an at-will power of the same level, and derive the pattern.
[21:00] *** Ketzal has quit IRC: Disintegrated: (Link: http://www.mibbit.com)http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client
[21:01] <+JonathanTweet> The trick with the math isn't seeing the underlying structure, it's accurately assessing a new power that you invent, especially if it has special effects.
[21:01] <+JonathanTweet> Just ballpark a new classes powers to a similar printed power, and you should be good. We are more methodical in class balance than 3E, so it should be easier to keep new classes balanced.
[21:01] *** Guest60 has joined #rpgnet
[21:01] *** ChanServ sets mode +v Guest60
[21:02] <+RobHeinsoo> Dan, I think the story of the elves is interesting, three shards of a broken crown, elven forest ecosystems. // The half-orc story is a bit different than usual, as is the half-elf story, both can be born from something other than relations between races, keeping things... lively.
[21:02] <+JonathanTweet> The great new thing about races is that they are no longer the only source of an ability bonus. You also get an ability bonus from your class. And none of the races have negative modifiers.
[21:03] <+RobHeinsoo> But, Dan, to fully answer your question, we didn't do that much mechanically with races yet. One racial ability apiece, a feat, less design there and more story.
[21:03] <+JonathanTweet> That all means that a halforc wizard can max out their Intelligence just as easily as a high elf.
[21:03] *** Vapor is now known as Silverlion
[21:03] <+JonathanTweet> You can play any race with any class, and your main ability score will be just as high as you like.
[21:04] <+JonathanTweet> As for twists on races, that is the player's job, not ours!
[21:05] <+JonathanTweet> Our job was to present, say, a dwarf that you know and love, and then it's the player's job to riff on that.
[21:05] * ~Dan nods
[21:05] <+RobHeinsoo> Zaire92; the core rulebook should be appearing in stores around August 1st. I *think* that Escalation Edition orders and Kickstarter backers will be getting the book just about the same time, or slightly earlier. There are some advance and review copies, but the main body of the printing is hitting the market 3 weeks from now.
[21:05] <+JonathanTweet> If you're playing a dwarf, you can declare that dwarves are different from the standard description. (Same goes for classes.)
[21:05] <+RdS> In my homebrew world elves are born from magic catastrophes or evilness, and are sort of arcane avengers.
[21:06] *** WonderRat has joined #rpgnet
[21:06] *** ChanServ sets mode +v WonderRat
[21:06] <+JonathanTweet> When you're playing a dwarf, you're playing *your* dwarf, not ours.
[21:06] <~Dan> (Howdy, Wondy!)
[21:07] <+RobHeinsoo> RdS, we'll do what we can to provide tools and guidance to help design. It's a bit of an art to make things that are fun, more than science. I think!
[21:07] <+JonathanTweet> The point of the 13th Age setting is to empower people to invent stuff and to make their characters and campaigns their own.
[21:07] *** nick3 has joined #rpgnet
[21:07] *** ChanServ sets mode +v nick3
[21:07] <+JonathanTweet> Peter Adkison once created a wizard, and he declared "Wizards can never be trusted." That wasn't a statement just about his character but about wizards in general.
[21:08] <+JonathanTweet> (done)
[21:08] <+Demota> This is not a question: Modron-equivalents, please.
[21:08] <~Dan> (Howdy, nick3!)
[21:08] <+RdS> (It is! I can't tell you how refreshing 13th Age has been so far, and I want it to stay really good quality and last a while!)
[21:08] <+JonathanTweet> (RdS, that's cool.)
[21:08] <+RobHeinsoo> And to follow up on what Jonathan just said, each *campaign* can be different. When I handle high elves as homocidal racists in one of my campaigns, that doesn't mean they're like that in my other games.
[21:08] <+Bedlam> Demota: Seconded :3
[21:09] <+RobHeinsoo> Mo-done
[21:09] <+Demota> That was easy.
[21:10] <&Le_Squide> Are there any ideas or types of ideas that you'd steer people away from for their One Unique Thing?
[21:10] <+RdS> @__@ Anything two of my players say, ever.
[21:10] <+RobHeinsoo> I am ready for more questions, and will keep Le_Squide's in mind when the questions open.
[21:11] <~Dan> (Questions can resume!)
[21:11] <+Fedifensor> The information about the icons is a bit of a "Where's Waldo" search, in that there's some in the icon description, and other bits in the Dragon Empire chapter.  Will future supplements compile the current info scattered across the book (and expand on said info)?
[21:11] <~Dan> Is magic Vancian?
[21:11] <+JonathanTweet> As for modrons, I will respectfully leave them for the designer who well and truly loves them, the way I love ogre mages and owlbears.
[21:11] *** technowraith has quit IRC: Disintegrated:
[21:11] <+FifthWanderer> (Heh. I want to make the dark elves the ones that are struggling to heal the divisions between the three subraces of the elves. The wood elves are too busy sucking up to the High Druid, and the High Elves collectively have their heads up their... nevermind)
[21:12] <+RdS> How are the multiclassing rules coming, and if they're not, can I help?
[21:12] <+JonathanTweet> Magic isn't Vancian in the classic sense. Some spells are dailies, but others have a chance to be reusable, or are usable at will, or one per encounter.
[21:13] <+JonathanTweet> But wizards have the option of using the talent Vance's Polysyllabic Verbalizations. Your spells take a little longer to cast (because their names are so long), but you get cute extra effects.
[21:14] <+JonathanTweet> The other important thing about "daily" spells is that you don't get them every 24 hours. That's impossible to balance because you might have 1 fight every 24 hours or 10.
[21:14] <+RobHeinsoo> Fedifensor, I will never claim to possess a genius for organization; on the other paw, we did make a neat combo glossary-index, and there is an icons index at the back of the book that steers you poetically through each icon's points.
[21:14] <+RobHeinsoo> Fifth Wanderer, that sounds like a great hook into a campaign. And everyone would be denigrating the dark elves because they don't want to change the status quo.
[21:15] <+JonathanTweet> Instead, "daily" spells recharge once you've battled through four real fights. That way you know you get to cast your big, daily spells once per 4 fights, and we can balance them against spells that you cast once per encounter (for example).
[21:15] <+Fedifensor> I actually thought it was done on purpose, for that "old-school" feel of finding bits of information.  :)
[21:15] *** Grinning_Lie has quit IRC: Connection reset by peer
[21:15] <+RobHeinsoo> RdS, there will be some multiclass playtesting in public, I think. I imagine. I believe. Yes.
[21:16] <+JonathanTweet> As for the icons, we're more concerned with inspiring the players to invent stuff than in documenting the official version of each icon.
[21:16] *** Grinning_Lie has joined #rpgnet
[21:16] *** ChanServ sets mode +v Grinning_Lie
[21:16] <+RobHeinsoo> I'm pretty sure you are right, Fedifensor: we tell stories rather than write encyclopedic entries.
[21:16] <+JonathanTweet> The PDF is a nice, searchable way to find out whatever you need to about an icon, and the table of contents and index are both really good.
[21:18] *** AWOLJoe has joined #rpgnet
[21:18] *** ChanServ sets mode +v AWOLJoe
[21:18] <+RobHeinsoo> Le_Squide, the rules presently warn you about some things.
[21:18] <~Dan> Now, this is something I've read about that you might want to touch on here, guys... Could you tell us how weapon damage relates to level, and the implications of that mechanic?
[21:19] <+JonathanTweet> Le_squide: We specifically forbid players from having a unique that reads minds, tells the future, controls other people, or otherwise ruins plots.
[21:19] <+JonathanTweet> I have a lot of experience with free-form RPGs, dabbling some with Ars Magica, and then really hitting my stride with Over the Edge and Everway.
[21:19] <+RdS> and no flying gnomes.
[21:19] <+RobHeinsoo> The One Unique Thing was one of the game elements that originally made me think we could not do Organized Play. You want people to be able to bring their characters to an OP game without being told that their character is impossible because someone else's character is "The Last Gnome In the World
[21:20] <+JonathanTweet> I've learned to identify powers that players like to invent for their characters but that wreck plots.
[21:20] *** AWOLJoe1 has quit IRC: Ping timeout
[21:20] <+RobHeinsoo> ...after All Others Were Eaten by the Tarrasque."
[21:20] <+JonathanTweet> So 13th Age benefits from all that experience.
[21:20] <+JonathanTweet> Also, any unique that's just some bonus on a roll is not allowed.
[21:20] <+RobHeinsoo> But so long as OP uniques do NOT use the word "only", they can work OK for playing with most anyone else.
[21:20] <+JonathanTweet> (done)
[21:20] *** Fate1316 has joined #rpgnet
[21:20] *** ChanServ sets mode +v Fate1316
[21:20] <+RobHeinsoo> we're done that round, roll initiative
[21:21] <+FifthWanderer> *dice clatter* Crap, 13
[21:21] <~Dan> (Did you see my damage question?)
[21:21] <~Dan> (Questions can resume!)
[21:21] *** technoshaman has joined #rpgnet
[21:21] *** ChanServ sets mode +v technoshaman
[21:21] <+Zaire92> I'd like to ask Dans Q
[21:21] <~Dan> (Welcome, Fate1316!)
[21:21] <+JonathanTweet> Damage: With basic attacks (e.g., a sword), you roll one damage die per level.
[21:22] <+JonathanTweet> It means that damage scales up nicely. Wizards have always seen their damage scale up, and now fighters do, too.
[21:22] <+Fedifensor> (Don't know if this was asked before I arrived, but...) What are the Organized Play plans?
[21:22] <+Fate1316> (Thanks Dan)
[21:22] <+JonathanTweet> In 3E, I gave fighters iterative attacks, but the 13th Age system is just cleaner.
[21:23] *** Lioness has quit IRC: Disintegrated:
[21:23] <+FifthWanderer> (So "The Tarrasque once swallowed me whole, but spat me up" works as a unique?)
[21:23] <+RobHeinsoo> Someone awhile ago asked about favorite One Unique Things; and I have to say that in a convention game, last GenCon, I *loved* it when a player said "I am the only halfling to escape from the Diabolist's Circus of Hell." Of course I had not known there was such a Circus.
[21:23] <+JonathanTweet> The funny thing is that if you go back to really early RPGing, like Empire of the Petal Throne, you have high-level guys rolling extra dice against low-level chumps and taking out groups of them in one attack.
[21:23] *** Snoof has joined #rpgnet
[21:23] *** ChanServ sets mode +v Snoof
[21:23] <+RobHeinsoo> But now I could not forget; a unique that summons a new slice of perspective and a rich vein of history, that's great.
[21:23] <+JonathanTweet> That's like 13th Age and the mooks.
[21:24] <+RobHeinsoo> Yes, Fifth Wanderer, that would be a fine one unique thing.
[21:24] <+JonathanTweet> I really resisted the multiple-dice rule for damage because I was really stuck on the Greyhawk rule that damage is determined by your weapon.
[21:24] <+JonathanTweet> But Rob helped me see the light.
[21:26] *** LW` has quit IRC: Disintegrated: (Link: http://www.mibbit.com)http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client
[21:26] <+FifthWanderer> I really like the multiple dice rule. It gives fighters something to do besides be the meat shield for the wizards.
[21:27] *** Guest35 has joined #rpgnet
[21:27] *** ChanServ sets mode +v Guest35
[21:27] <+RobHeinsoo> ASH LAW has put together an organized play program for 13th Age that has packets of info and adventures going out to stores and groups that join. Interesting, I was going to give you the link but can't find it at this moment.
[21:27] <+Bedlam> I know it made the dude playing a Dwarven Fighter rub his hands with glee : ]
[21:27] <+JonathanTweet> 4E was really helpful to me because it shook up the implicit assumptions of 3E and helped me see how simple rules could be.
[21:27] <+JonathanTweet> (done)
[21:27] <~Dan> (Welcome, Guest35! Please set your name with the /nick command. :) )
[21:28] <+RobHeinsoo> We'll look for the public link on the OP... // done
[21:28] <+RdS> (Link: http://www.pelgranepress.com/?p=11029)http://www.pelgranepress.com/?p=11029
[21:28] <+Fate1316> Will RobHeinsoo or JonathanTweet be running a game at gencon?
[21:28] <&jcfiala> (I remember something about an early D&D version's rule that allowed a high level fighter to attack up to his level in 1HD monsters in one round.)
[21:28] <+RobHeinsoo> I failed my search check.
[21:28] <+RobHeinsoo> jcfiala: Oh yeah!
[21:29] <+JonathanTweet> Dan?
[21:29] <+RobHeinsoo> I"m done
[21:29] <~Dan> (Whoops! Questions can resume!)
[21:29] <+Zaire92> Will there be any type of mechanic for a fighter to tank enemys to protect casters?
[21:30] *** Guest35 has quit IRC: Disintegrated: (Link: http://www.mibbit.com)http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client
[21:30] *** Guest45 has quit IRC: Disintegrated: (Link: http://www.mibbit.com)http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client
[21:30] <+JonathanTweet> Rob did the classes. He's really good at that sort of design. So I'll let him answer the fighter question.
[21:30] <+JonathanTweet> My design style leans more toward the big picture and overall structure. Rob is better at the cool details, which the classes are full of.
[21:30] <+WolfSamurai> Are you interested in seeing a lot of third party products for use with 13th Age? Or as designers do you kind of just keep blinders on to that sort of thing?
[21:30] <+Fate1316> Also, is there any new information available on the druid yet?
[21:31] <+LongDarkNight> any new word on additional GenCon games?
[21:31] <~Dan> (Question pause.)
[21:31] <+RobHeinsoo> Zaire92... Maybe, maybe not; depends on how much fun tanking is. My opinion is that it's fine for computer games, a bit less fine as an always-on feature of tabletop play. So there are presently ways that fighters can lean in that direction but I didn't want to start overboard in a direction that actually makes the game more boring.
[21:31] <+JonathanTweet> WolfSamurai: I have always dreamed of creating an RPG system that other creators could use.
[21:31] <+JonathanTweet> Mark Rein-Hagen and I talked about that over 20 years ago.
[21:32] <+JonathanTweet> And then I got to design the core system for 3E, which became the SRD released under the OGL. My dream came true.
[21:32] <+JonathanTweet> I even got to do a version of Gamma World using that system, another dream come true.
[21:32] <+JonathanTweet> Now folks want to use the "Archmage Engine," and I couldn't be happier.
[21:33] <+JonathanTweet> 13th Age is designed to inspire people, and I hope it does.
[21:33] <+JonathanTweet> 3rd party stuff is welcome.
[21:33] <+RobHeinsoo> Fate, we've gone two different directions with the druid. I need to spend a week back at it when I'm done with the Bestiary to get something ready for people, so for now, no, nothing that I'm happy with like the monk core design.
[21:33] <+JonathanTweet> I won't be at GenCon. I have a day job, and I take time off to go to Burning Man in August, so GenCon is not in the cards for me.
[21:33] <+Cail> 13th Age does inspire!
[21:34] <+RobHeinsoo> There are a bunch of additional GenCon games winding their way through the system. So I believe they'll all get vetted and listed, but the GenCon process has its timeline.
[21:34] <+JonathanTweet> (done)
[21:34] <+WolfSamurai> I've actually got a couple of things to pitch to Simon and do them third party otherwise. Sorry to interrupt with that.
[21:34] <+JonathanTweet> (Thanks, Cail. it's the players that make RPGs come to life.)
[21:34] <~Dan> (Questions can resume!)
[21:34] <+Apollo> Have any writers expressed an interest in a 13th age inspired novel?
[21:34] <+RobHeinsoo> I'll be at GenCon, doing panels, at the Pelgrane booth, running demos, talking with people, talking about 13 True Ways.
[21:34] <+Harrylowjax> Have you guys had any influence over the pathfinder online game being developed?
[21:35] <+FifthWanderer> Wish I was gonna be at GenCon to play a game with you
[21:35] <+RobHeinsoo> Apollo, the answer is yes. We haven't pulled the trigger on anything, seemed premature. Until soon.
[21:35] <+JonathanTweet> Harry, I know and like the Pathfinder people, and I have a ton of respect for Ryan Dancey. He helped make 3E a huge success, and I'd love to see his online game be a huge success.
[21:36] <+JonathanTweet> I've talked with Ryan about it, but I can't say that I've had any influence on it.
[21:36] <+JonathanTweet> More questions?
[21:36] <+Harrylowjax> I'm just glad to hear you all still talk from time to time.
[21:36] <+Fate1316> After 13 True Ways (still a bit off, I know), is there any plans in the works for 13th Age?
[21:36] <+Harrylowjax> I guess most of my questions aren't about 13th Age but I was wondering about some side-projects you guys are working on?
[21:37] <~Dan> How extensive is the bestiary, and are there any other interesting twists like the orc plague?
[21:37] <+JonathanTweet> Ryan and I had lunch a while back just to catch up. He's a good guy and I wish him all the best. His stellar work on 3E is underappreciated.
[21:37] <+WolfSamurai> Any desire to do psionics in 13th Age? :)
[21:37] <+Cail> Are there any classes that won't be in 13 True Ways that you would still like to add to the game?
[21:37] <~Dan> (Question pause.)
[21:37] <+JonathanTweet> Harry, 13 True Ways is my side project.
[21:38] <+JonathanTweet> I'm active on G+, which I use sort of as a blog.
[21:38] <+JonathanTweet> I talk about gaming, but also culture, religion, evolution, and maybe some politics.
[21:38] <+JonathanTweet> When 13 True Ways is done, I'll fire up my old blog: Atheist Sunday School. For now it's sitting idle.
[21:38] <+RobHeinsoo> Fate, there are a couple of very cool 13th Age adventures that Pelgrane will be publishing; I've been commenting on outlines for one of them, but I don't think Simon has officially announced it. I *really* like it. Also there's an adventure I'll write.
[21:39] <+JonathanTweet> Cail: I don't think that the game is missing any classes after 13 True Ways is done.
[21:40] <+RobHeinsoo> 13th Age is more my main dish. // Side projects include Epic Spell Wars 2!
[21:40] <+JonathanTweet> I can be something of a minimalist when it comes to RPGs. If I'd done 13th Age as my own pet project, it probably would have had only fighter, wizard, cleric, and rogue. Luckily Rob was running the project!
[21:40] *** Bill has quit IRC: Disintegrated: Leaving
[21:41] *** Bill has joined #rpgnet
[21:41] *** ChanServ sets mode +ao Bill Bill
[21:41] *** Grinning_Lie has quit IRC: Connection reset by peer
[21:41] <+JonathanTweet> As for psionics, my early experiences with psionics were incredibly negative because the early psionics rules were terrible.
[21:41] <+JonathanTweet> I had some fun playing a psychic warrior phraint (Arduinian bug man) in Rob's Arduin campaign, but psionics still aren't a really big draw for me.
[21:41] *** Grinning_Lie has joined #rpgnet
[21:41] *** ChanServ sets mode +v Grinning_Lie
[21:42] <+JonathanTweet> As with modrons, psionics would better be left to a designer who truly loves them.
[21:42] <+RobHeinsoo> Ken Hite set the Bestiary up with 52 monsters. The writeups are full of cool things instead of the just-the-facts model we used in the core book. There's going to be a Bestiary entry previewed soon. // The goal is to have many ahah moments in the Bestiary, new ideas that feel familiar and right.
[21:43] <+JonathanTweet> (done)
[21:43] <~Dan> (Questions can resume!)
[21:43] <+RobHeinsoo> Cail, my answer to your question, even if I said no, would eventually probably end up yes.
[21:43] <+Fate1316> RobHeinsoo, can you offer an teasers on the adventure you are working on (Shards of the Broken Sky)?
[21:44] <+Fedifensor> Have any of the designers tried converting classic 1E D&D modules to 13th Age (Against the Giants, etc), and do you have any tips for doing so?
[21:44] <+Fate1316> What part of 13 True Ways are you most excited about? (Both)
[21:44] <~Dan> How well does the game handle swashbuckling stunts?
[21:44] <~Dan> (Question pause.)
[21:45] <+Harrylowjax> Nongaming comment for jonathantweet. Would love to see you respond to some non-religious criticisms of science. I do not see many atheist blogs approach them! (apologies to all for this enter button press)
[21:45] <+JonathanTweet> D&D 1E modules: As a labor of love, one could convert them, but honestly they are good mostly in terms of nostalgia, and I didn't play them as a lad, so they don't mean much to me.
[21:46] <+RobHeinsoo> Fate, Shards is about what happens when a giant magical band-aid slapped onto the world by the Archmage gets ripped off, the wounds that surface, the powers that compete in the wreckage. It's meant as a sandbox; the cover shows an adventuring party standing in the glowing ruins of a fallen flying realm.
[21:46] <+JonathanTweet> Like we said with dungeons, we like our adventure sites to be concentrated and flavorful.
[21:46] *** AWOLJoe has quit IRC: Disintegrated: Leaving.
[21:47] <+JonathanTweet> The old modules were invented as contests to be played at GenCon, and not completing the module was part of the experience. You got graded on how far you got.
[21:47] <&Le_Squide> How much sandboxy support will there be?
[21:47] <+JonathanTweet> That style doesn't fit the story-oriented play that 13th Age is best at.
[21:47] <+JonathanTweet> That said, 13th Age is a labor of love, and a designer with the right love could probably surprise me with a really good conversion.
[21:47] <+RobHeinsoo> Some portions of that realm will be fatal to low level characters, survivable by high-level characters. // My players have taken the game in a direction I don't expect anyone else to go. But the core of my approach to the adventure is to offer just enough for groups to weave their stories through the way they like.
[21:48] <+GenoFoxx> laters
[21:48] *** Jakse has quit IRC: Disintegrated: (Link: http://www.mibbit.com)http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client
[21:48] <+JonathanTweet> My advice would be, think about the emotions you want to convey with the module and rebuild it with that in mind. Make it a much better "Against the Giants" rather than a retread.
[21:48] *** GenoFoxx has quit IRC: Disintegrated: (Link: http://www.mibbit.com)http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client
[21:49] *** LW` has joined #rpgnet
[21:49] *** ChanServ sets mode +v LW`
[21:49] <+JonathanTweet> Dan, there's a rogue talen that lets you do cool swashbuckling stuff.
[21:50] <~Dan> We have just over 10 minutes left in "regular" time. Is there anything you'd like to cover that we haven't mentioned so far?
[21:50] <+LongDarkNight> any chance content that didn't make funding for 13 True Ways would get revisited?
[21:50] <+RobHeinsoo> As to 13 True Ways, I'm so happy to be working on a book that is unapologetically the best of whatever the heck we can come up with. Jonathan and I both loved Arduin, partly for it's "Here's the Next Cool Thing Unrelated to the Previous Page." Most books for game lines have their slice of the...
[21:50] <+JonathanTweet> In addition, the game is designed to be free form. If you invent a swashbuckling background, you can buckle those swashes.
[21:50] *** AWOLJoe has joined #rpgnet
[21:50] *** ChanServ sets mode +v AWOLJoe
[21:51] <+JonathanTweet> Since we don't try to nail down everything with simulation, you have more freedom to improvise than you do in 3E or 4E, and more tools in your toolkit that in 1E or 2E.
[21:51] <+RobHeinsoo> ...experience because the point is to sell a lot of different books, with each one getting its notch of shelf-space. 13 True Ways is more like our approach in the core book. One book of bizarre and odd and useful things.
[21:51] <+RobHeinsoo> All that said, the new classes are what players will use most, so they're what I'm focused on and most excited about until I get to think about other aspects.
[21:52] <+Fate1316> RobHeinsoo: the adventure sounds awesome. Can
[21:52] <+Fate1316> Can't wait
[21:52] <+JonathanTweet> My favorite thing is the lists. We provide evocative lists of things (diseases, holidays, etc.) designed to inspire rather than document.
[21:52] <+RobHeinsoo> 13 at a time in those lists.
[21:53] *** jtbullet has quit IRC: Client exited
[21:53] <+JonathanTweet> These lists are derived from Dave Hargrave's delicious lists in the Arduin books. Lots of character crammed into a small space.
[21:53] <~Dan> Does the game feature any sort of "Fate Point" mechanic?
[21:54] <+RobHeinsoo> LongDarkKnight: That will depend on how petulant Jonathan is feeling.
[21:54] <+JonathanTweet> LDN: My rule for 13 True Ways is that if the fans didn't fund it, then we never let it see the light of day. That way the Kickstarter has consequences. You can tell what sort of GM I am.
[21:55] <+JonathanTweet> Luckily for the fans, Rob and Simon are soft-hearted, and some of that material will doubtless show up.
[21:56] <+JonathanTweet> Dan: The "fate point" mechanic has been around a long time, and I've used stuff like it before, but honestly I've seen my players pull the +1s they need out of their behinds so many times that I don't see the need.
[21:56] <+RobHeinsoo> Dan, no: we have a bunch of mechanics attached to different classes; And we wanted to keep the icon relationships at the forefront of the new mechanics, a storytelling touch instead of fate.
[21:56] <+WolfSamurai> One last question from me. Rob and Jonathan, will you totally pimp my (award winning) 13th Age AP? ;) (Link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjs6JrOzbxEIhRAvghsIlznSrEIQxZXyp&feature=mh_lolz)https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjs6JrOzbxEIhRAvghsIlznSrEIQxZXyp&feature=mh_lolz
[21:56] *** djw175 has quit IRC: Disintegrated: (Link: http://www.mibbit.com)http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client
[21:57] <+FifthWanderer> Goodnight folks
[21:57] *** FifthWanderer has quit IRC: Disintegrated: (Link: http://www.mibbit.com)http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client
[21:57] <+Fate1316> Looking back on the creation of 13th Age, is there anything you wished you done differently?
[21:57] <+RobHeinsoo> Earlier, people were asking about other rpg stuff that's compatible with 13th Age. ASH LAW and others did the Reliquary project, that's underway. And the Sasquatch Games guys recently launched a Primeval Thule Kickstarter that has mechanics compatible with Pathfinder, 4e, and 13th Age.
[21:57] <+RobHeinsoo> 'night, 5th Wanderer.
[21:58] <~Dan> Oh, before I forget, Jonathan and Rob, just let me know if you'd like to arrange a review of 13th Age. I post my reviews these days on RPGnet, TheRPGSite, and my own blog.
[21:58] <+RobHeinsoo> Dear Wolf: you just managed that very effectively!
[21:59] <+WolfSamurai> Wade would be proud of me, I think.
[21:59] <+JonathanTweet> Fate: I wish that Rob and I had worked through our fights easier, but really, no. It was a labor of love, we loved it, and it turned out way better than either of us expected.
[21:59] <+RobHeinsoo> Dan, I'll email you and Wade.
[21:59] <+JonathanTweet> We're surprised and gratified at how strong the fan response has been. It's another dream come true.
[21:59] <~Dan> Rob: Cool.
[21:59] <+JonathanTweet> WolfSamurai: I might not be above a little pimping.
[21:59] <+Fate1316> Also, only tangentially related to 13th Age, can you share anything about Keith Baker's new project?
[22:00] <+RobHeinsoo> Fate, I'm very critical of my own work. But part of having a living approach to the game is that I believe we can offer later offer alternatives to things I'm not sure were right out of the gate. And I'd rather just do that!
[22:00] <+Zaire92> Thx for the Q&A guys!
[22:00] <~Dan> Thanks for coming, Zaire92!
[22:01] <+RobHeinsoo> Heh! I *know* I shouldn't be telling you things about Keith's project that Keith isn't telling you!
[22:01] <~Dan> Don't be a stranger!
[22:01] <+WolfSamurai> I just love the game and the AP has gotten a fair few people interested in it, on a serious note. Strange to me, but good to know I'm spreading word about the game a bit. Running demos for people too (I ran the one for Eric from Forbes)
[22:01] *** Zaire92 has quit IRC: Disintegrated: (Link: http://www.mibbit.com)http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client
[22:01] <+JonathanTweet> WS: Just pimped on G+.
[22:01] *** Apollo has quit IRC: Disintegrated: (Link: http://www.mibbit.com)http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client
[22:01] <+JonathanTweet> WS: Thanks for you help with the Forbes article. It turned out really well.
[22:01] <+RobHeinsoo> That game went well!
[22:02] <+JonathanTweet> Thanks, everyone.
[22:02] <+JonathanTweet> We gotta go.
[22:02] <+WolfSamurai> It was an astonishingly fun game and I'm glad I did the game justice.
[22:02] *** jtbullet has joined #rpgnet
[22:02] *** ChanServ sets mode +v jtbullet
[22:02] <+LongDarkNight> thanks guys
[22:02] <+Fate1316> Thanks!
[22:02] <+WolfSamurai> Thanks for the Q&A guys
[22:02] <+JonathanTweet> Our pleasure...
[22:02] <~Dan> Yup, I need to log out as well. Thanks for coming out, guys! I'll have the log posted shortly and will send you the link!
[22:02] <+RobHeinsoo> Thank you, that was very fun. I think we'll do it again some time when people actually have the game in their hands.
[22:02] <~Dan> That would be great!
[22:03] <+JonathanTweet> Signing off.
[22:03] *** JonathanTweet has quit IRC: Disintegrated: (Link: http://www.mibbit.com)http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client
[22:03] <+RobHeinsoo> Best to all. Goodnight.
[22:03] *** RobHeinsoo has quit IRC: Disintegrated: (Link: http://www.mibbit.com)http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client
[22:03] <~Dan> Good night!

No comments:

Post a Comment