Ask Monte Cook some questions! Answers in this thread, next chat to be announced

[thatdarncat]

Monte Cook was in the chat room tonight for an interview.

The chat started at 8pm EST, and lasted a little over two hours.

Below are the unasked questions from tonight's chat with Monte. Seri has posted the chat log on the members site .

Monte will be coming by to answer these questions and any more you feel like asking, though don't ask too many, he'll be back for another moderated chat in a month or two.

Thanks to all for making tonight's moderated chat a sucess.

Feel free to come by the chat anyway and hang out.
You can connect using the java client, linked to above, or by using the irc client of your choice to connect to:

server: chat.psionics.net
channel: #dnd3e

 

[Henry]

All right, darn it, there are GONNA be some questions for Monte! No way I'm letting this languish at the bottom of the board!

1) Any chance in heck you might have some preview material printed out for viewing (behind glass, glued to the table, whatever you care to do) for Skip Williams' Cry Havoc ?

2) What will you say is the strongest feature in your opinion about Arcana Unearthed? Magic System, the classes, the races, combat?

3) Will you be rewriting the combat chapter, or will it look very similar to the 3E combat chapter? Did you by chance have the opportunity afforded to you to rewrite the combat chapter in accordance with 3.5e? (God, I hate that name)

4) Any chance to see a fully fleshed out Ptolus Campaign setting book from you in the near future? (Within the next year?)

5) Will you have signed prints of Water Liches available at your Gencon Booth?

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

Well, here's hoping Monte doesn't mind some specific questions:

1.) Will there be any classes in Arcana Unearthed with abilities like wildshape?

2.) What can you tell us about some of the antagonists in Arcana Unearthed ?

3.) Can you give us any hints about the nature of the major conflicts in the Diamond Throne setting?

4.) What sort of changes will you be making to skills in Arcana Unearthed ?

5.) There has been a lot of talk lately about multi-classing with spellcasters would you care to elaborate on Arcana Unearthed's response to this issue? Particularly on AU's take on minor spell casting classes versus the ranger and paladin of DnD?

6.) AU seems to feature a few races of unusual size, how much of a challenge was it to adjust things like equipment, spells, feats, and even more basic rules for these characters? What sort of unexpected issues showed up in playtesting? I've noticed that the Spryte has grown a bit for instance.

Please consider asking these even if I'm not there. I have a class that conflicts, but my spirit and my wandering attention span are guaranteed to attend. Plus, I will be certain to peruse any transcripts.

 

[Harlock]

Monte: Would you have cried had the crocodile eaten Charles and if so, would you have immortalized/memorialized him as an NPC in some forthcoming product?

Have any hairy gamer men ever asked you to sign their chests?

How about hairy gamer women?

 

[WayneLigon]

1) Are there multiple levels of diminished and heightened results for spells, or just a single one?
2) Will The Diamond Throne have more Witch manifestations and types?
3) Do any of the spell-using classes deal with spirits or the dead? It seems like the Greenbond or Runethan might, but do they?

 

[Endur]

Cavalry rules? Alternative Leadership rules?

Hi Monte,

Will Arcana Unearthed have any alternative cavalary/mounted combat rules? counter-charge rules? jousting rules? additional skills or applications of skills?

Will Arcana Unearthed have any alternative leadership rules? i.e. for a PC leading formations or armies? morale rules? strategy/tactics skills? etc.

Tom

 

[Ravellion]

Is there anything in your products that you don't allow in your own campaign? If so, why not?

 

[Ricochet]

1) What is your opinion on the Mystic Theurge prestige class, and will you allow it as is in a game you DM?

2) Any chance of seeing another huge dungeon ala Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil from you in the near future (as in a year or two)?

3) What is your favorite monster of them all, and why?

Finally, keep up the good work, and thanks for your time.

 

[thatdarncat]

Here's the unasked questions from tonight's moderated chat in #dnd3e with Monte Cook. Seri is working on the chat log as we speak and will have that posted soon.

Monte will be coming by to answer these questions and any more you feel like asking, though don't ask too many, he'll be back for another moderated chat in a month or two.

Thanks to all for making tonight's moderated chat a sucess.

Questions:

Dr. Strangemonkey> What can you tell us about some of the antagonists in Arcana Unearthed ?

CharlesDM> A question for Monte - Nostalgia has played an important role in the popularity of 3rd Edition and d20 products. Are there any elements of nostalgia designed into UA beyond the title?

Merlion> Can you give us an example of how many spell slots and readied spells a day a 1st level character of a spellcasting class(any one will do) would have in AU?

DarkPsion> How are Psionics intrigated in AU?

Leiff> question: You mentioned that psionics is going to be built into the magic systeym (by taking a feat), and that being a priest type would be a feat as well (with social influence, not divine magic). Are there going to be any other interesting twists with magic types?

RBB> Monte, the (core 3e) illusionist seems a bit watered down from the Unearthed Arcana days. Is Arcana Unearthed going to liven up illusion magic or make, say an illusion-focused magister interesting? I'll take my answer on the air.

Merlion> : Can you tell us a little more about how various classes aquire/learn/change spells in AU?

Merlion> :Can you tell us a little more about the Witch's Witchery and the Runethanes runes?

Oni> DnD reward specialization a great deal, making it difficult to multiclass especially for spellcasters. Does AU follow this same philophy or is there more incentive to multiclass?

Protosift> Any chance those of us that purchase AU in print could get access to the individual PDFs that will be sold later?

Merlion> : What PHB class would you say you had the most influence on?

dread0395> For Monte: First Off, thanks for supporting my game clinic back in early march. Second: What undead related stuff do you have for us in AU?

DarkPsion> Anything new in the print Mindscapes?

CreativeMountain> Has anyone asked if Monte thinks that AU might fracture the market...segregating regular D&D players into D&D players and AU players?

Merlion> : What would you say is your favorite DnD class? Favorite AU class?

ClausOlesen> Question: How do you prepare for a gaming session (how much material, handouts, music, etc.).

KamikazeMidget> I'm wondering what different styles of campaign settings Monte has played in. Sci-Fi? Low magic/"Gritty"? Modern? Steampunk? Etc?

KamikazeMidget> Played in should be DMed...

Arrak> How long is a book typically in production for? from idea to printer.

Arrak> how big is the biggest game you have ever DMd or been in, and how long did it last?

Brood-Willard> Do you think that people are getting too caught up in the "minimal magic" sydrome, and do you think it's hurting the products being put out now?

Merlion> : Can you tell us a little more about the Magister and the Greenbond, the "uber magic users" of AU?

Merlion> : what are some of the changes to ressurection magic?

Gemm> Do you have any plans on doing any work for d20 modern, or anything modern in the future?

 

[Monte At Home]

That's a lot of questions. Tell you what, how about I split these up into groups and answer when I can?

Dr. Strangemonkey> What can you tell us about some of the antagonists in Arcana Unearthed ?

Well, of course AU doesn't have antagonists, it's like the PH. The follow-up book, the Diamond Throne, however, presents a lot of interesting foes, like the chorrim, which are sort of like militaristic, crafty ogres, and an archvillain called the Blue Knight, who literally seeks the death of every living thing.


CharlesDM> A question for Monte - Nostalgia has played an important role in the popularity of 3rd Edition and d20 products. Are there any elements of nostalgia designed into UA beyond the title?

I'd say not too many. If anything, it's a step away from nostalgia. I love D&D, and love all the D&D standbys that have roots in nostalgia, like magic missiles and whatnot. AU is a chance to look beyond that to get something with a slightly different feel.

Merlion> Can you give us an example of how many spell slots and readied spells a day a 1st level character of a spellcasting class(any one will do) would have in AU?

That's a pretty specific question. A magister without ability score mods gets slots of 3/1 and spells readied of 5/3.

DarkPsion> How are Psionics intrigated in AU?

It depends on what you mean. If you mean Psionics Handbook style psionics, that will be as easy or hard to integrate as it is with core D&D.

However, one thing that I've done is create certain classes, like the mind witch, and races, like the verrik, who are very "psionic."Psionic" in this sense means that they have mental based innate powers like telepathy, telekinesis, and that sort of thing. So it's flavored just like psionics, but the rules are not Psionics Handbook-ish at all.

Leiff> question: You mentioned that psionics is going to be built into the magic systeym (by taking a feat), and that being a priest type would be a feat as well (with social influence, not divine magic). Are there going to be any other interesting twists with magic types?

Lots. With the Arcana Unearthed rules, you'll be able to play a wild mage, an elemental mage, an energy mage, a war mage, and many other different twists on magic types.

RBB> Monte, the (core 3e) illusionist seems a bit watered down from the Unearthed Arcana days. Is Arcana Unearthed going to liven up illusion magic or make, say an illusion-focused magister interesting? I'll take my answer on the air.

Well, to be clear, no AU spellcaster focuses on a specific school. That said, there are plenty of new illusion spells in the book, and they could easily be adopted into an D&D illusionist.

Merlion> : Can you tell us a little more about how various classes aquire/learn/change spells in AU?

Merlion> :Can you tell us a little more about the Witch's Witchery and the Runethanes runes?

For both of these, I really recommend just checking out my design diaries found on my site. I think they answer these better than I could here.