Ask Monte Cook!

Morrus · Oct 5, 2012

Game designer Monte Cook has kindly agreed to answer a few questions here on EN World. One of the designers of D&D 3rd Edition, owner of Malhavoc Press and the new Monte Cook Games, and one of the pioneers of PDF-format RPG publishing, Monte is currently working on a new RPG called Numenera - a game which raised a Kickstarter budget of over a half a million dollars.

We'll be taking questions right here in this thread, and will forward Monte a selection. The thread will be open for a week, so feel free to ask any questions. I ask that you be so kind as to refrain from commentary so as to make it easy for me to pull out the list of questions - I'll be moving any posts which don't consist of a question.

Finally - Monte has indicated that he is legally unable to speak about D&D Next or his recent time at Wizards of the Coast, and so will not be answering any questions on those subjects.

RangerWickett · Oct 5, 2012

What is your favorite variety of hat, and why didn't you answer 'deerstalker'?

Would you like a free "hat of d02"?

If you were invited to redesign a popular brand of hat, what is the one thing that you suspect your fellow hat-designers would want to do, or that you believe the Big Hat Management would demand, that you think would be a bad idea? (I dunno, is there any sort of Open Hatting License?)

Hand of Evil · Oct 5, 2012

Quarter of a million...the exchange rate on the other side of the pond is killer to the dollar.

$517,255 was the total!

amerigoV · Oct 5, 2012

Can we expect to see an updated Orc and Pie adventure using your new system?

Whizbang Dustyboots · Oct 5, 2012

Any chance of more Ptolus material? Secrets of the Delvers Guild was great, and more of that would always be appreciated.

Janx · Oct 5, 2012

Where do you see yourself in five years?

What is that thing in your pocket, and why do you keep it?

If you had been a member of the Sorcerors of the Shore for a while, and they asked you to leave their order, why would you bother returning?

What is your biggest design regret in D&D 3e?

What is Malhavoc Press doing lately or is it largely defunct?

What do you suspect the First Mate of doing?

Why did you start a new company named after yourself to release Numenara, when you have a perfectly fine Malhavoc Press?

How's the dog doing?

What the heck is Geek Seekers, and who's the hot chick?

You're in a room with 3 light switches. Each switch is wired to a single light bulb in the next room. Once you leave the room with the switches, you can't return to toggle them again. How can you figure out which switch goes to which bulb?

Hand of Evil · Oct 5, 2012

Where do you see the gaming industry in the next 10 years, any milestones to look for?

delericho · Oct 5, 2012

Why create a new system for Numenera, rather than simply optimising an existing system and spending the saved time on other things? What do you hope this new system will bring that the current dice+modifier or dice-pool systems don't?

kitsune9 · Oct 5, 2012

What is the meaning of the Life, the Universe, and Everything?

Do you still play / run any of your Arcana Evolved / Unearthed stuff?

How about Iron Heroes?

Numeria hasn't come out yet, so if you find yourself stranded on a island today with only one book of something you produced, what would it be before you eventually succumb to madness and homicidal urges to destroy every coconut tree on the island?

If you were to stat yourself on a character sheet, what rpg system would you use?

What's your dump stat?

Where were you the night of November 5th, 1605?

Alzrius · Oct 5, 2012

What do you see as the advantages and disadvantages of a point-buy character-creation/advancement system versus the class-and-level system? How are these advantages and disadvantages different when looked at through the lens of a GM rather than a player, or from a corporate standpoint?