Dawnforge Release??

B

Braxx

First Post

• Sep 17, 2003

• #1

There was a thread posted a while back concerning Dawnforge and a number of other upcoming campaign settings. Seeings as how its mid-September, whats the latest news on Dawnforge?? Is it still scheduled for release this year?

In the same vein, anybody have any updates on the other WOTC contest settings that people were working on???

 

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B

Braxx

First Post

• Sep 22, 2003

• #2

Just checked the FFG products page, and it looks like Dawnforge slipped into November. Still holding out hope that it ships before the holidays.

The following information was posted by Greg Benage on the FFG rants page, as well as some cool artwork:

________________________________________________________

9/19 - Greg
One of the coolest things about Dawnforge is all of the different races you can play. Another is racial levels: extra abilities your character gets every level based on his race, sort of like a second class. We’ve taken a sort of d20 Modern approach to these, rather than mimic the racial levels introduced in Savage Species, with racial talent trees that you can select from to customize your character’s racial abilities as he gains levels.

The character races in Dawnforge include: dwarves, elves (dawn elves and night elves), giant-men, gnomes, halflings, humans (trueborn, saltbloods, lowlanders, and highlanders), lizardfolk, minotaurs, ogres, orcs, thinblood yuan-ti, and tieflings. I hope I’m not forgetting anyone.

We’ve also tried to give each race an interesting culture and unique traits that will be fun to play. For example, the gnomes in Dawnforge are very close to true fey folk. Their coloration changes with the seasons, they don’t need to eat or drink, they’re innately magical, and some seem to exist both on the material plane and in the fey realm, called Itheria. Some gnomes with a strong connection to the fey realm have an ability called ghosting whose effects are similar to the ethereal jaunt spell (except that the gnome transports himself to Itheria, rather than the ethereal plane). Your gnome character can master this ability, and many others, as he gains levels.

One thing racial levels do is ramp up the power curve: every time your character gains a level in Dawnforge, he’ll be getting new racial abilities in addition to his class abilities. The design intent is to allow players to develop powerful heroes over the first 10 levels of the campaign, at which point the campaign shifts to truly legendary adventures and quests.

_________________________________________________________

Looks very interesting. Anybody from FFG have any comment on when we can expect a preview?

 

Last edited: Sep 24, 2003

Nifelhein

First Post

• Sep 22, 2003

• #3

Having just ordered Midnight, FFGs latest setting, I am also waiting to see if they have done as good a job with DawnForge as they did with Midnight, I hope they post a preview and some more artwork from the book by october.

By the way, I saw your thread a time ago and had no answer, but subscribed to it.

 

B

Braxx

First Post

• Sep 24, 2003

• #4

It doesn't appear that FFG will be doing a Midnight style preview for Dawnforge.

They have been posting bits and pieces on their rants page and on the FFG messageboards. I will update this thread with any tidbits that turn up.

For starters, here is some information from the FFG messsageboard in response to questions about layout and content.

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Saturday, September 20, 2003 - 01:39 pm
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The format of the Dawnforge core book is exactly like the Midnight book -- hardcover, 256 pages, a 16-page color section including another fantastic full-color world map.

All of the races are different from the core rules, of course, because they gain additional abilities as you gain levels. The primary halfling culture is called the Faring Folk, and they're a kind of mythologized gypsy culture. They wander around the land in brightly colored wagon caravans, then enjoy singing, dancing, and drinking, and they have a loose notion of personal property.

Greg
FFG
--------------------------------------------

In an earlier post on the FFG Rants page, Greg briefly highlighted some of the races and cultures in the world of Dawnforge.

--------------------------------------------------------
8/22 Greg Benage

There are lots of races to choose from in Dawnforge, and all of them provide progressive trait trees (sort of like leveled monster classes) that allow you to add cool racial abilities as you advance in level. Minotaurs are one of the races you can choose from. They are cunning and brutal creatures but have a surprisingly sophisticated tribal culture, and the value they place on personal honor restrains them from slaughtering their weaker neighbors…usually.

Dawnforge is set in a mythic time before the fall of the great civilizations. Even the mighty giants have a loosely unified nation of their own. Ruled by the legendary Storm King, most of the giant clans live under the banner of an uneasy truce with the dwarven kingdoms. The fire giants, however, have never submitted to the Storm King’s rule. They live in the fiery bowels of the earth and constantly plague the dwarven undercities with raids and incursions. The frost giants—like the fellow pictured here—were long ago exiled by the Storm King to the frozen north.

There are humans aplenty in Dawnforge as well, of course. As with Midnight, though, all of the major human cultures and civilizations are different, and these differences are reflected in the game rules. The so-called saltbloods of the Dreaming Isles are born sailors and ship captains, as at home on the water as a dwarf is underground. A new frontier—the savage continent of Tamerland—has been opened across the Sunset Reach, and great ships sail from the port city of Seagarden to voyage to this untamed land.---------------------------------------------------

Anybody have any other information? This looks to be as cool as Midnight, just way on the other end of the spectrum.

 

Dirigible

Explorer

• Sep 24, 2003

• #5

provide progressive trait trees (sort of like leveled monster classes) that allow you to add cool racial abilities as you advance in level

Click to expand...

So, FFG's stealing it's own idea, hmmm?

 

B

Braxx

First Post

• Sep 24, 2003

• #6

Dirigible - Is this a good thing , or a bad thing??

 

Desdichado

Hero

• Sep 24, 2003

• #7

Speaking of due (and overdue) campaign settings, any word on Iron Kingdoms release date?

 

B

Braxx

First Post

• Sep 25, 2003

• #8

The IK campaign book has been delayed because of 3.5. (Convenient,huh?)
No posted release date anywhere. This product is becoming the literary equivalent of Duke Nukem ........ Vaporware at its finest!!
Really a shame...

On the positive side, looks like Goodman Games is going to release the Morningstar setting on or about October 10th. Check out the preview on their website. Looks like it could be pretty cool.

Are there any other campaign settings (overdue or not) coming out that people are looking forward to??

 

Desdichado

Hero

• Sep 25, 2003

• #9

Lacking a sense of history, how is Duke Nukem vaporware? Was it notorious back in the day as not ever coming out? 'Coz I played a ton of it about -- what, six, seven years ago?

 

Starman

Adventurer

• Sep 25, 2003

• #10

I'm sure he's referring to Duke Nukem Forever. It was originally supposed to come out in '97, I believe. It was delayed for several years before it just kind of disappeared.

Starman