Monte Cook's World of Darkness

[The_Universe]

I'm interested to see what this ends up being. Perhaps a sort of Elseworlds of the WoD, with Monte's stamp all over it? A Monte Cook "Director's Cut" of the WoD?

Similiar ingredients, different cake?

 

[DragonBelow]

it will be D20 based

I went to ask on saturday at the WW booth in GenCon Socal, and was told by a lady which introduced herself as the Marketing Manager (or something similar to that) that the book would be D20, It will be Monte's last gaming book. (I thought Ptolus would be the last one but oh well).

If it will become a line authored by other acomplished d20 name(s) depends on the success of the one book and if they actually find such author(s).

No details if it would be pure WoD or if will include Vampire, Werewolf, Mage and/or other(s), they will release this information next year.

Regards from Khyber

 

[Odhanan]

If it is a d20 conversion of the World of Darkness, I'd be interested. This could actually make me use some WoD elements in Ptolus or make me run the WoD again.

If it is some type of rewrite of the setting, with or without d20 rules, I'd be interested too, because I know really stimulating things in terms of play experience can come out of Monte's insights into game design.

In any case, I'm already excited about it. Whatever it is, this could at least create a much needed dent into the stupid myth of "WoD versus D&D", whereby one would have to choose a "side" between one or the other, much like CoC d20 thankfully did when it came out. Enough with artificial divides!

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

This sounds really good: Monte always does excellent work, and if nothing else, I prefer the WoD treatment of vampires to the D&D one, which has, sadly, infested most d20 products. Mage-style spellcasters, if adequately translated, would also be really interesting.

On the other hand, the timing for a 'WoD d20' seems incredibly odd. White Wolf was adamant about not doing it during the d20 boom, and said boom seems to have faded. Also, Exalted, itself a crunchier, more d20-able system (and one that would seem to add more to d20) is, AFAIK, a better seller for WW than WoD. :\

 

[Erekose13]

Monte has posted to his own boards:

It won't be a Malhavoc Press product, however.

and

I have no idea what I'm allowed to announce or reveal at this time. Sorry.

Thats about it for now. ~link

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I always liked WoD products for their setting, if not their mechanics...I'm definitely going to keep my eyes open on this.

If nothing else, a D20 treatment of the WoD setting will likely give me further fuel for my Urban Arcana/Dark*Matter campaign...

 

[EditorBFG]

I am fascinated by this.

I think the possibilities for McWOD (as they are calling on RPGnet) break down as follows:

1) Monte Cook's WoD fiction

2) A d20 (or, much more likely OGL) version of the existing WoD 2.0

3) An OGL/d20 version of WoD 1.0

4) Monte's alternate (but, extremely likely, still SRD-based) "take" on the WoD concepts

Number 1 (McWODfic) is possible because Monte Cook was supposedly leaving RPG writing behind for fiction. On the other hand, it could've been complete or in progress before that announcement. WW is smart enough to have a profuct in the pipe and wait for the best possible market conditions, even if that wait was long.

Number 2 (McWOD 2.0) is, I think, the most likely of the 4.

Number 3 (McWOD 1.0) seems remote, but I (and many old school WoD fans) might welcome it under the right circumstances. WoD 1.0 has a substantial backlog of products that could be repackaged/converted. That product line could hit a new audience and be "new" again, sort of.

Number 4 (McWOD3E? Heh) is also possible, but this depends on whether Monte Cook approached WW with an idea, or if WW asked him. I don't think WW would ask for an "ultimatized" WoD (forgive the comics reference), but a creative guy like Monte Cook might've had an idea.

I think I, like many of us, would prefer it not be fiction, but a game product. Luckily, the anecdotal evidence here seems to suggest this:

I went to ask on saturday at the WW booth in GenCon Socal, and was told by a lady which introduced herself as the Marketing Manager (or something similar to that) that the book would be D20, It will be Monte's last gaming book. (I thought Ptolus would be the last one but oh well).

Even if one doesn't really want to do the whole WoD thing, I'm sure many people would be anxious for new elements to inject into other OGL games. Also, I think MoogleEMpWog is right, if anyone could do translate the Mage metaphysic into game terms (something I'm not sure WW ever got totally right, though Phil Brucato did a lot with the ideas) it would probably be magic system/d20 crunch expert Monte Cook.

And I also agree that, yeah, while this really intrigues, I think I'd be way more intrigued by Monte Cook's Exalted. That is a game that needs the right system, and it might not be d20, but even a noble failure on that front would be more palatable to me than the current system.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

I find it interesting that no one has connected Monte leaving the RPG industry, writing the McWOD, and WW merging with the makers of Eve online. A great many RPG designers have left the industry for the computer/console world - Monte may be involved with one of the WW/Eve MMORPG concepts that are presumed to be in the works. Just a thought...

 

[DuncanOToole]

Man, my friends who loves the WoD, (me not so much or not at all) would die hearing this. They hate, HATE!! D20modern(if that's what it is.)

Can't wait to tell'em(if it's true. Gonna be fun )

 

[Umbran]

I thought Monte had already given up game design for other pursuits, novel writing or some such, after finishing Ptolus.

At the time, he mentioned there was one final project in the pipeline that he couldn't pass up. This is probably it.