AMA: Richard Baker, author of lots of stuff!

[Dark Kain]

Another question about Birthright.

Were the Masetians ever discussed at a design level beyond their general background of a mythical extinct human subrace?
Were they inspired by any real world culture, like the other Cerilian human cultures?
Personally I always imagined them as Greeks o Carthaginians.

 

[NiClerigo]

Thanks for your answer! One last question: is the South American thing about Aduria merely geographical (concerning its resemblance) or also (at least in pockets) cultural? Thanks!

 

[luchexxx]

Hi Rich! Thanks a lot for doing this AMA, as personally I think is been perfect timed.

I'm currently running Princes of the Apocalypse and my group is halfway through the adventure. I've been an Elemental Evil fan since forever and PoTA is awesome! Just spreading love here!

Now with my question...

I'm planning on running a Primeval Thule 5e campaign right after I finish PoTA because I recently got the book and are already in love with the setting. One thing that has been on my mind since reading the PTCS is how could I deal with a more fitting spellcasting for a Thule campaign. I don't want to restrict my players to only non-spellcasting classes for a more Sword & Sorcery feel because I feel they would be sorely missed, but IMHO I think some core high-magic type spells would not fit Thule.

This is a huge dilemma for me and I wanted to ask what can you suggest for making full spellcasting classes less high-magic (as presented on the core rules) and more S&S (or low-magic) friendly without unbalancing them and making them weaker vs. non-spellcasting classes.

I've searched online, and found some most "fixes" are like "restricting the only use of non-spellcasting classes and using the Magic Initiate feat to grant spells to them". But I don't think reducing the class list is the solution, there are a lot of new options for spellcasters in the Primeval Thule books, and I don't want to waste that. The solution I've been thinking is that spell levels exist only up to level 4 or 5, and to compensate, spellcasters would receive more spell slots or known spells. But I don't know how would this impact gameplay.

What would Rich Baker do?

Another quick PT question: How can I get a PT Dungeon Master Screen? I just missed the spring sale

Thanks a lot for reading this extensive entry, and pardon my broken English.

Cheers from Ecuador!

-Luis.

PD. I'm very excited to know the Thule book series will be expanding soon! Can't wait.

 

[smiteworks]

You have done some great work over the years, with the highlight for me being Birthright and more recently, the Primeval Thule Setting. Seriously, if people have not check out this work, you should run out and buy a copy ASAP. It's that good.

What new setting do you have in mind to do in the future? Do you have an elevator pitch worked up for anything yet to whet our appetites?

 

[SMHWorlds]

Rich, thanks. I appreciate you taking the time to answer. Also (and I am sure lots of folks say it) if you need to put together a new Alternity team, definitely let me know

SMH

 

[unnatural 20]

Hey Rich,
I've been a fan of you work for a long time. I really like Primeval Thule!

I can only play my D&D online these days. Thanks for pushing Thule through Fantasy Grounds. Will you do the same with this summer's Primeval Thule Kickstarter?

 

[Rich Baker]

Another question about Birthright.

Were the Masetians ever discussed at a design level beyond their general background of a mythical extinct human subrace?
Were they inspired by any real world culture, like the other Cerilian human cultures?
Personally I always imagined them as Greeks o Carthaginians.

I think that's about where we imagined them--Phoenicians or Carthaginians. We never put much down in writing about them AFAIK. If we had moved ahead with an Aduria sourcebook it would have been explored at more length, but since we didn't, it wasn't.


Rich

 

[Rich Baker]

Thanks for your answer! One last question: is the South American thing about Aduria merely geographical (concerning its resemblance) or also (at least in pockets) cultural? Thanks!

Mostly geographic -- I don't recall that we had any serious intent to draw on New World cultures for any parts of Aduria. (Maztica wasn't all that far in the rear view mirror back then, and we didn't regard it as anything we wanted to repeat.)


Rich

 

[Rich Baker]

Hi Rich! Thanks a lot for doing this AMA, as personally I think is been perfect timed.

I'm currently running Princes of the Apocalypse and my group is halfway through the adventure. I've been an Elemental Evil fan since forever and PoTA is awesome! Just spreading love here!

Now with my question...

I'm planning on running a Primeval Thule 5e campaign right after I finish PoTA because I recently got the book and are already in love with the setting. One thing that has been on my mind since reading the PTCS is how could I deal with a more fitting spellcasting for a Thule campaign. I don't want to restrict my players to only non-spellcasting classes for a more Sword & Sorcery feel because I feel they would be sorely missed, but IMHO I think some core high-magic type spells would not fit Thule.

This is a huge dilemma for me and I wanted to ask what can you suggest for making full spellcasting classes less high-magic (as presented on the core rules) and more S&S (or low-magic) friendly without unbalancing them and making them weaker vs. non-spellcasting classes.

I've searched online, and found some most "fixes" are like "restricting the only use of non-spellcasting classes and using the Magic Initiate feat to grant spells to them". But I don't think reducing the class list is the solution, there are a lot of new options for spellcasters in the Primeval Thule books, and I don't want to waste that. The solution I've been thinking is that spell levels exist only up to level 4 or 5, and to compensate, spellcasters would receive more spell slots or known spells. But I don't know how would this impact gameplay.

What would Rich Baker do?

Another quick PT question: How can I get a PT Dungeon Master Screen? I just missed the spring sale

Thanks a lot for reading this extensive entry, and pardon my broken English.

Cheers from Ecuador!

-Luis.

PD. I'm very excited to know the Thule book series will be expanding soon! Can't wait.

Hi, Luis --

First, your "broken English" is excellent! If you didn't say anything I would not have guessed you aren't a native speaker.

Here are a couple of ideas you might explore for increasing the "magic is rare" element in Primeval Thule:
* No cantrip attack spells; encourage the PC spellcaster to default to dagger, dart, or even thrown vials of acid/alchemist fire when he wants to attack without expending a spell slot. If the caster *looks* like spends 30 or 40 percent of his actions using sly, underhanded "wizard weapons" instead of blasting pew-pew-laser, it changes the tone of the encounter.
* Add a "level tax" to spells of extremely "loud" magic schools. Maybe evocations or transmutations are harder than illusions and necromancy. Casters work through deception and curses, they don't blow things up or turn people into frogs.
* Add a cost: more sanity rolls, spending hit points to cast, picking up levels of exhaustion if you cast too many spells too fast.

All of these ideas make a wizard (or sorcerer, or what-have-you) strictly weaker than they would be otherwise, so I might make up for that by providing some special skill use for Intimidation or Knowledge. People might be *terrified* of magic and the wizard can daunt them easily. Or maybe you can borrow some of the knowledge-based "help my party fight better" abilities like the Archivist from Heroes of Horror. It's a different class at that point, but I think you would feel a lot more like a wizard in a Conan story and less like a superhero.

Hope that helps--and I'll say you've given me an idea for something we ought to touch on the next time we work up some Thule player content!

Oh, and for the GM Screen, send a note to info@sasquatchgamestudio.com. We can probably help you out.

Rich

 

[Rich Baker]

You have done some great work over the years, with the highlight for me being Birthright and more recently, the Primeval Thule Setting. Seriously, if people have not check out this work, you should run out and buy a copy ASAP. It's that good.

What new setting do you have in mind to do in the future? Do you have an elevator pitch worked up for anything yet to whet our appetites?

Thanks for the Thule love!

My next fantasy setting? Hmm . . . I feel that we have not yet seen the definitive steampunk D&D setting yet. Eberron didn't quite hit that nail on the head for me. Naturally, I want to have a go at it and see if I can do steampunk better. I read Jim Butcher's 'The Aeronaut's Windlass' a couple of weeks back and thought there was a hell of a good D&D setting in that story. I also want to try my hand at a supers RPG. But no concrete plans on either front right now.


Rich