Adventures New Open Design: Halls of the Mountain King

[RichGreen]

Hi,

Couldn't find another thread on this so thought I'd start one. Wolfgang Baur has announced the latest Open Design here.

This could be a 3.5/OGL or 4e adventure, dependent on who coughs up the most in support of their favoured edition. I'm hoping for 4e as they're just aren't that many 4e adventures out there yet.

Basic patronage costs $25 and gives you the option to purchase both Tales of Zobeck and the 4e adventure Wrath of the River King too. Being a patron is great fun and allows you to get inside what makes good D&D adventure design.

Cheers


Richard

[Jack99]

Thanks. Signed up this time. Hopefully it will be 4e.

[Arawn76]

I'm desperately trying to convince myself to sign up for as a 4e patron. Sadly money is desperately scarce at the moment.

[Rechan]

1) I can't tell how the 3e/4e decision is made. Does it depend on patrons expressing opinion as they sign up? A poll for anybody?

2) Can we still purchase old products (WotRK)?

[Jack99]

Originally Posted by Rechan

1) I can't tell how the 3e/4e decision is made. Does it depend on patrons expressing opinion as they sign up? A poll for anybody?

2) Can we still purchase old products (WotRK)?

1 - Whichever edition meets the required amount the first.
2 - Yes

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Rechan

1) I can't tell how the 3e/4e decision is made. Does it depend on patrons expressing opinion as they sign up? A poll for anybody?

2) Can we still purchase old products (WotRK)?

1: When you sign up for patronage (available again on different levels) you can choose to pay for a OGL or a 4E game. The adventure will be written for the edition more people are willing to pay for. If you did vote for the edition that did not win, you will get your money back.

2: HotMK patrons will be able to buy WotRK and one other product I don't remember right now. Something "Zobeck" and 3.5

[Rechan]

Bad arse. Thanks.

[RichGreen]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

1: When you sign up for patronage (available again on different levels) you can choose to pay for a OGL or a 4E game. The adventure will be written for the edition more people are willing to pay for. If you did vote for the edition that did not win, you will get your money back.

2: HotMK patrons will be able to buy WotRK and one other product I don't remember right now. Something "Zobeck" and 3.5

Tales of Zobeck - it's an adventure anthology.

[Zaukrie]

I'm in for 4E. Hopefully we win the vote.

I hope I get access to the last one, I really want the last one.

[Arawn76]

Originally Posted by Zaukrie

I'm in for 4E. Hopefully we win the vote.

I hope I get access to the last one, I really want the last one.

I hope you do too!

It's a different shade of awesome.

[RichGreen]

Originally Posted by Zaukrie

I'm in for 4E. Hopefully we win the vote.

I hope I get access to the last one, I really want the last one.

If you sign up for the 4e option, you'll be able to buy the PDF of Wrath of the River King straight away for $33 and Tales of Zobeck for $29.95 via a special "patron privilege" post on the Open Design site. I've just checked the links and they take you straight to PayPal.

Cheers


Richard

[Jack99]

Originally Posted by RichGreen

If you sign up for the 4e option, you'll be able to buy the PDF of Wrath of the River King straight away for $33 and Tales of Zobeck for $29.95 via a special "patron privilege" post on the Open Design site. I've just checked the links and they take you straight to PayPal.

Cheers


Richard

Are you sure? I can't seem to find it anywhere, and I already signed up.

EDIT: no matter. It's because I am a first time patron and haven't been give access to the closed forums yet. My bad.

[Rechan]

Say, can you upgrade your patronage package? Like, $25, then go to the $50 in a month?

[Jack99]

Originally Posted by Rechan

Say, can you upgrade your patronage package? Like, $25, then go to the $50 in a month?

Yes (it says so in the FAQ at least)

[Arawn76]

Man! I'm really struggling not to just borrow the money for this .

I'm really hoping this goes 4e, I just love the premise. The moria supplements for Merp and Coda are some of my faves. I'd love a good D&D adventure reminiscent of that.

**bangs head against wall** Curse being broke . Damned credit crunch!!

[Arawn76]

FYI

Personally I'm rooting for 4e but open design deserves your support and patronage regardless of edition.

From Mr Wolfgang Baur -

After several attempts at putting together a commission for the next open design, i've got to admit to a certain degree of confusion as a publisher. While some folks were excited by the content of the adventures being considered on the kq forum, many of the questions boil down to "what edition will you be supporting?". That's an important element, no doubt, and it keeps a designer of adventures quite humble. Which may be a good thing.

But i don't want to burden patrons with seeing every option in two edition flavors, and asking everyone to vote both for an edition and for an adventure pitch. Patronage shouldn't be complex (and there's a open design faq here to keep it simple).

so, i'm not fighting the tide. The theme is set in advance, and the patrons will decide whether this project will be ogl (effectively 3rd edition compatible) or 4th edition. (those patrons whose edition is not chosen will get a full refund, as always). After so much feywild elfness, i need a change of style — full details after the cut.

halls of the mountain king

open design has gone to cities, deserts, the underdark, castles, and more, but we've never done a traditional dungeon. (and we're never going to!)

instead, halls of the mountain king will be a very untraditional dungeon, an homage to moria and undermountain that does add a few twists. The maps will be done in the ruins of undermountain style (that is, maps drawn in close collaboration with the cartographer).

Plot and story will be worked out collaboratively, though i have a core concept. The dwarves are a hard-working group, whose mining of adamantine lured them ever-deeper and whose pursuit of liftgas ore led them likewise into dangerous territory. The vertical dungeon goes from the depths of the earth through the great halls and works of a vanished clan, up to a snowy mountaintop spire. Possibly topped off by an airship dock, as suggested by kobold quarterly magazine's recent article on airships. Much more detail to come in the forums and as the result of patron discussion.

Despite the emphasis on dwarven halls, i'll be riding herd on the design to avoid cliches. No crypts loaded with undead, no orcs or goblins who rule the halls. Something else has led to the dwarven collapse.

maps: this dungeon will include roughly 20 tactical maps and a massive overview/cutaway of the vertical dungeon. With a little luck, it may also include a 3d/isometric map, like the ones in i6 ravenloft. The adventure itself will have 40 encounters total. About half of them will be combat, a quarter traps/hazards, and a quarter skill challenges and roleplaying.

bonus for 3rd edition: if halls is commissioned for 3rd edition play, this project will also include a 48-page zobeck gazetteer focused on the dwarves and gearforged of zobeck, rituals for how to become a gearforged pc, the cults and devil worshippers of the city, and a section on kariv life and culture, plus special rules for gypsy pcs and urban kobolds as pcs. And whatever else senior patrons request.

bonus for 4th edition: if commissioned for 4th edition play, this project will also include a 48-page delver's and flyer's gazetteer. We'll create new dwarven rituals, dwarven magical items, and clan lore and pc clan feats, and a lot of new gear usable by non-dwarves as well. Plus a section of dm hazards for the delvers, adventure seeds for the dm, and a small horde of monsters appropriate to the setting. And whatever else senior patrons request.

designers
i'll be writing the gazetteer (whichever one it is), possibly with direct contributions from senior patrons. I'll definitely be writing at least one level of the halls, possibly two or three, but i won't be the only author.

Professional freelancers and senior patrons will be able to pitch their work for the other levels. All patrons can vote on whose pitches are accepted.

For the professional designers, i'll stick my neck out and say that the tim connors, nicolas logue, and richard pett will all be invited to submit a professional pitch for a level of the halls. Probably also jeff grubb, ed greenwood, and jonathan tweet, though i expect they may say no. Then again, grubb said yes to six arabian nights.

Senior patrons and major donors may also throw their hats in, and traditionally their pitches have done well and have been included in prior projects. We'll have three rounds of pitches, as we did in six arabian nights and tales of zobeck. Requested length will be at least 8,000 words, possibly more.

signing up as a patron

it's easy to sign up. For $25 basic membership for ogl/3rd edition or 4th edition, you get access to the design essays, design discussion, a copy of the pdf when it ship in late spring (june, at a guess), and the option to pick up a print-on-demand copy at your discretion.

For $50 expert membership for ogl or 4th edition, you get access to the essays, design discussion, a pdf copy and may contribute complete design material for direct consideration (spells, items, rituals). You'll have access to the playtest draft of the manuscript when it's ready. At your option, you may also pick up a print-on-demand copy of the completed book.

As a $75 senior patron for ogl or 4th edition, you gain access to the senior patron discussion and the pitching process (you may pitch one idea per round). You also get access to the playtest draft and other drafts, art, maps, and so forth.

For $150 major donors for ogl or 4th edition, you have acccess ot all the other patron perks, and you will receive a signed, autographed copy of the final book. You may pitch two ideas in any given round.

[Rechan]

The maps will be done in the ruins of undermountain style (that is, maps drawn in close collaboration with the cartographer).

That makes me wary. Looking at the copy of Undermountain's Map, that thing makes me lost. The size of it is crazy!

[Arawn76]

Originally Posted by Rechan

That makes me wary. Looking at the copy of Undermountain's Map, that thing makes me lost.

Become a patron and influence that design decision

[Rechan]

Originally Posted by Arawn76

Become a patron and influence that design decision

I can't right this second; debating on moving to a new location, so it might change my available funds.

[Monkey King]

Rechan: Yeah, I probably could have phrased that better.

What I meant was, I hope to bring the cartographer into the loop and earlier into the process than is usually the case with adventures.

The layout/appearance will reflect the cartographer's skill, and may not be QUITE as packed as the undermountain maps.