Legens&Lore: Monte Cook takes over

[Wycen]

Monte is a bit of a chameleon these days isn't he? I thought he was working with Paizo?

I thought he was writing sci-fi/fantasy in the non-gaming genre.

 

[pming]

Hiya.

Well, if Monte ends up holding the reigns for the direction 5e goes...if it resembles his Arcana Evolved stuff...I'm all over that like stink on a wargammer after 4 days at a con!

While I have never managed to actually DM/play an AE game, I have all the books and most of the previous "Arcanu Unearthed" stuff. It just has a really "mature gamer" mentality behind it to me.

Alas, I have no faith in WotC to actually stand by a theoretical "Monte 5e", in stead opting to total neuter any cool stuff...kinda like how Hollywood absolutely destroyes potentially good movies in order to be able to cash in on some kind of after-market catapola (toys, lunchboxes, belt-buckles, etc.).

*sigh* I'm such a curmudgeon...

^_^

Paul L. Ming

 

[Jan van Leyden]

Aren't you reading a bit much into it? Cook will write a weekly column about RPGs on an abstract level. Have I missed the announcement that Mearls stepped down from his duties?

 

[delericho]

Aren't you reading a bit much into it? Cook will write a weekly column about RPGs on an abstract level. Have I missed the announcement that Mearls stepped down from his duties?

Mearls noted a couple of weeks ago that he doesn't actually do much if any development these days - he's basically in a management role.

The article doesn't say that Monte is back full time (he could be in a consulting role), but it definitely felt like he was being brought on board to head or at least strongly influence the development team going forward.

 

[TheClone]

Aren't you reading a bit much into it? Cook will write a weekly column about RPGs on an abstract level. Have I missed the announcement that Mearls stepped down from his duties?

It's just that the stocks of a "back to 3e"-5e have risen. Nothing more to it than speculation.

 

[Rechan]

I bet Monte was asked to do the columns because Mearls is tired of getting dragged through the mud for his columns.

As far as whether Monte is joining WotC, I'll just leave this here:

"I've spent the past several months talking about D&D's past and how that relates to its future. It's now time to focus much more on the future of the game. Monte has an unmatched design pedigree in the RPG field, and for that reason we've brought him on board to work with R&D in making D&D the greatest RPG the world has seen."

I don't see how telling people it's now time to focus on the future and Monte has been brought in to help make D&D the greatest rpg the world has ever seen, could mean he's only writing column for them.

Edit: Also bringing someone on board pretty much means that person will be working for the company. At least in the companies I've worked for, that's what bringing someone on board has meant.

 

[IronWolf]

Monte is a bit of a chameleon these days isn't he? I thought he was working with Paizo?

That is interesting. There have been people working at or for WotC going to work at or for Paizo, but I haven't seen they other way around until now.

Monte was not a full-time employee at Paizo, though he did freelance some stuff. A few modules here and there I believe and a recent web fiction series as well. During that time he also seems to have had his own projects going on as well - re-releasing Ptolus, etc.

 

[Wednesday Boy]

Firstly: back when Mearls joined WotC, someone called that as the moment they started seriously working on 4e. Two years later, 4e hit. To me, this looks like a really strong indication that they're about to start serious work on 5e.

I hate to add fuel to the fire but one comment on the article noted like you do that 4e took about two years to create and release. And they noted how that would correlate to the 40th anniversary of D&D (although their math was a little off since 2014 will be the 40th anniversary). It certainly should be taken with a grain of salt but I thought it was an interesting observation.

Well, if Monte ends up holding the reigns for the direction 5e goes...if it resembles his Arcana Evolved stuff...I'm all over that like stink on a wargammer after 4 days at a con!

That would be awesome! 5E would give me another chance to play my AE giant and maybe this time get the paragon path that would let her become Huge!!

 

[wedgeski]

Monte was not a full-time employee at Paizo, though he did freelance some stuff. A few modules here and there I believe and a recent web fiction series as well. During that time he also seems to have had his own projects going on as well - re-releasing Ptolus, etc.

Yeah I double-checked my info. He and Paizo go way back. Either way, I'm very interested to see what he brings to the table this time around.

 

[Roland55]

(emphasis mine)
Well, either the 4e rules are getting an overhaul or the 5e is very close to dropping would be my guess.

As someone is bound to say: "We're probably reading too much into this."

OTOH, my own guess is something like 5e is finally under way.