Thrommel
First Post
Seems like there's been some confusion out there as to the role of Arcana Unearthed in the RPG landscape. So to clarify things a bit, I put together a little meta-FAQ along with the other guys on the Council of Magisters.
Is AU supposed to 'fix' 3E? Is it Monte's answer to 3.5?
Arcana Unearthed is an attempt to offer something different, it's not Monte's personal revision of 3E. Monte started work on AU long before he was aware 3E was going to be revised.
Isn't AU just a world book?
First and foremost, AU is a rule book, just like your player's handbook is a rule book. There is a bit more flavor to it, but the product focuses on things like new core classes, a different system for magic, new races, etc. It's very heavy on the 'crunch' factor. If you're looking for setting info, The Diamond Throne is the book you'll want to pick up.
That sounds pretty different. Can I use AU with my 3E/3.5 books and supplements?
The core concepts are the same. (How classes, races, levels, feats, skills, and so on work. The basics of combat, combat actions, saving throws, etc.) The game was designed and tested to be compatible with 3E. That means you can mix and match mechanics as much as you like. And the AU DM's Screen and Player Guide coming out in August will give you conversion guidelines for importing 3rd Edition and 3.5 Edition classes, spells, and other rules into the system.
Is it just Malhavoc Press that's producing AU material?
There are several companies partnering with Malhavoc Press to release AU materials. Mystic Eye Games is releasing a 144 page adventure called Siege on Ebonring Keep. Fiery Dragon is producing both an adventure (Plague of Dreams) and an AU Counter Collection. Ironwind Metals is creating a line of AU minis. Necromancer Games is also on board with adventure support and Code Monkey Publishing will be releasing an AU data set for both PCGen and eTools.
Will Monte ever release any more 'vanilla' 3E/3.5 products, or will it just be AU stuff from here on out?
There are a lot of products in the pipeline for AU, but that doesn't mean Monte has turned his back on D&D. -Not by a long shot. While we can't release details, you can definitely expect to see some 3E/3.5 material from Monte in the future.
If anyone has any other questions about AU, feel free to post and we'll try to tackle them.
-Thrommel
Is AU supposed to 'fix' 3E? Is it Monte's answer to 3.5?
Arcana Unearthed is an attempt to offer something different, it's not Monte's personal revision of 3E. Monte started work on AU long before he was aware 3E was going to be revised.
Isn't AU just a world book?
First and foremost, AU is a rule book, just like your player's handbook is a rule book. There is a bit more flavor to it, but the product focuses on things like new core classes, a different system for magic, new races, etc. It's very heavy on the 'crunch' factor. If you're looking for setting info, The Diamond Throne is the book you'll want to pick up.
That sounds pretty different. Can I use AU with my 3E/3.5 books and supplements?
The core concepts are the same. (How classes, races, levels, feats, skills, and so on work. The basics of combat, combat actions, saving throws, etc.) The game was designed and tested to be compatible with 3E. That means you can mix and match mechanics as much as you like. And the AU DM's Screen and Player Guide coming out in August will give you conversion guidelines for importing 3rd Edition and 3.5 Edition classes, spells, and other rules into the system.
Is it just Malhavoc Press that's producing AU material?
There are several companies partnering with Malhavoc Press to release AU materials. Mystic Eye Games is releasing a 144 page adventure called Siege on Ebonring Keep. Fiery Dragon is producing both an adventure (Plague of Dreams) and an AU Counter Collection. Ironwind Metals is creating a line of AU minis. Necromancer Games is also on board with adventure support and Code Monkey Publishing will be releasing an AU data set for both PCGen and eTools.
Will Monte ever release any more 'vanilla' 3E/3.5 products, or will it just be AU stuff from here on out?
There are a lot of products in the pipeline for AU, but that doesn't mean Monte has turned his back on D&D. -Not by a long shot. While we can't release details, you can definitely expect to see some 3E/3.5 material from Monte in the future.
If anyone has any other questions about AU, feel free to post and we'll try to tackle them.
-Thrommel
