OK, I'll finish these now.
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?
I tried to actually pull that focus toward specialization back a bit. While it's not a bad thing by any means, I didn't want one class to always be stuck in a single focused role (the healer, the door opener, etc.). Sometimes that kind of focused role is cool, but when the role isn't that fun or gets tedious (or the party is completely lost without one character), it can be a drawback.
Protosift> Any chance those of us that purchase AU in print could get access to the individual PDFs that will be sold later?
At Malhavoc we don't see the pdfs as a "lesser" form. Just like if you buy a DVD, you don't get the VHS for free. That said, I'm not sure what form those pdfs will take. It won't be the whole book, I don't think. Those decisions just haven't been made yet.
Merlion> : What PHB class would you say you had the most influence on?
That's a really hard question to answer. We spent two years, all three of us, just hashing things over, everyone getting in their two cents on everything. The basic germ of the sorcerer was my idea (I think), but the form it took wasn't really. I did a fair bit of work on the final versions of the paladin, the barbarian and the rogue, if I remember correctly. It's tough to answer that. It was such a group effort.
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?
You're welcome.
Well, there are three spells that create undead in AU, and each comes with its own template for taking any creature and making it undead. It works pretty slick, I think.
DarkPsion> Anything new in the print Mindscapes?
No. If you have both Mindscapes pdfs, you have everything. Both the 64 pages of psion rules material and the 32 pages of psionic monsters. Cool stuff, by the way, and it comes out in just a couple of weeks. This is some of Bruce's best work, if you ask me.
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?
Wow. I'm flattered that you think that might be a problem. If AU gets enough sales to be that kind of threat to D&D, I... I don't know what I'd do. It's just pretty impossible. I think AU is going to be an amazing seller and may even turn d20 on its ear a bit, but it's no threat to D&D.
Merlion> : What would you say is your favorite DnD class? Favorite AU class?
Wizard and Paladin for D&D. Oathsworn and Runethane for AU. No, Akashic. No, Champion. Hmm...
ClausOlesen> Question: How do you prepare for a gaming session (how much material, handouts, music, etc.).
Hmm. That first chapter in the DMG will probably give you an idea. I usually outline the probably course of the plot, sketch out important NPCs (and give each a personality hook for me to roleplay with), and draw maps I might need. I have a lot of handy DM aids, like extra pre-gen NPCs, NPC names, and stuff like that to throw in when needed. I pick appropriate music for the game (5 CDs for the changer). When I have time, and it's appropriate, I like to include a handout or two--hastily scrawled maps, messages from allies, etc.
KamikazeMidget> I'm wondering what different styles of campaign settings Monte has played in. Sci-Fi? Low magic/"Gritty"? Modern? Steampunk? Etc?
The answer is "yes." I've played a lot of games and with a lot of styles. You'd probably call my regular current campaign, Ptolus, "urban steampunk dark fantasy."
KamikazeMidget> Played in should be DMed...
Arrak> How long is a book typically in production for? from idea to printer.
Depends on the size. A book like Requiem for a God probably took about eight months from "hey, I've got an idea" to holding the book in my hand. A big book like AU has taken about two years (AU is one of the books I started Malhavoc Press to do) and it's still not out yet.
Arrak> how big is the biggest game you have ever DMd or been in, and how long did it last?
Biggest session? About 14 people I think. Lasted probably around 4-5 hours. Biggest long term game? Seven people over about two years. Biggest as in longest? About three years.
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?
Maybe. I think there are problems with minimal magic, not in flavor or approach, but in using the relatively unmodified D&D rules to accomplish it. D&D is based around the idea of hefty helpings of magic. Always has been. Without it, you're hurting the nonspellcasters in the game over the long term.
Merlion> : Can you tell us a little more about the Magister and the Greenbond, the "uber magic users" of AU?
The magister looks at magic like a science. He focuses all of his spells through his staff, and is so seeped in magic that at high levels gets little magical "side effects" like being able to make his eyes glow or his whispers heard over a distance.
The greenbond is tied directly to the land. He casts lots of spells, but does not have immediate access to complex spells unless they are plant based or positive energy based (these are new descriptors for spells). He can infuse people with life energy (healing them), can attune himself with the land around him, and can communicate with nature spirits inhabiting everything.
Merlion> : what are some of the changes to ressurection magic?
Raising the dead in AU is harder than it is in D&D. It's not something that can be done quickly or easily, but it can be done. It's a seven day process and requires much higher level spells than in D&D. There is no AU spell that will restore the dead without at least some of the corpse being present.
There is a lot of flavor in the setting (found in Diamond Throne) about the social ramifications of bringing back people from the dead, and who casters will bring back and who they won't.
Gemm> Do you have any plans on doing any work for d20 modern, or anything modern in the future?
No. Not really. At the moment, I still consider d20 Call of Cthulhu my work with d20 Modern. Maybe down the road, but even then it would probably be more futuristic than modern.
I have a hard enough time reading all the threads on my own boards. I just can't possibly keep up with the Hivemind.
