New 5E Epic Books coming in 2020

[Rhuarc]

I kick myself every day about not having stuff done. So many ideas for books, epic t-shirts and all sorts. I'll get my act together eventually.

Really hope so , we will be waiting here

I have a great cover artist (wait til you see these new covers) and some fantastic interior artists (some also working on my graphic novel) and some amazing 'graphic-y' (if that's even a word) ideas for 5E epic stuff.

Definitely looking forward to it!

Very cool! I do enjoy 'epic' level 5th. It took a while to grow on me - but I see the merits of it now. Glad you are still able to game with everything going on.

Well, I'm not really playing according to the official rules, those are too limiting and boring for my taste. Had to invent a few of my own subsystems and progression (mix of your D&D 3.5 rules and D&D 4th powers), but it should be fun.

And online gaming makes it possible to continue playing, despite the whole pandemic. Count myself lucky that I live in a time where such options are available!

 

[Upper_Krust]

Really hope so , we will be waiting here

Thanks for that Rhuarc matey!

Definitely looking forward to it!

First epic book has the initials ROTC.

Well, I'm not really playing according to the official rules, those are too limiting and boring for my taste. Had to invent a few of my own subsystems and progression (mix of your D&D 3.5 rules and D&D 4th powers), but it should be fun.

5E is fairly easy to re-design for. Simplicity is the key though.

And online gaming makes it possible to continue playing, despite the whole pandemic. Count myself lucky that I live in a time where such options are available!

Stay safe, enjoy yourself buddy and take care.

 

[Rhuarc]

First epic book has the initials ROTC.

Mh, intriguing.

Return of the C...
Realm of the C....
Rise of the C...

Raging Otyughs Trouble Canada...yep, that must be it!

5E is fairly easy to re-design for. Simplicity is the key though.

True, it provides a nice simple basis to graft onto your own extensions.

Stay safe, enjoy yourself buddy and take care.

Wish the same to you, mate! Hope you can stay in contact here more frequently now (barring any other unfortunate events in RL, of course) and keep us up to date with how things progress.

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hey Rhuarc mate!

Mh, intriguing.

Return of the C...
Realm of the C....
Rise of the C...

Raging Otyughs Trouble Canada...yep, that must be it!

;-)

True, it provides a nice simple basis to graft onto your own extensions.

I have some very, very simple rules for 5E Immortals that could be added as an addendum to any book. Obviously they can be infinitely expanded upon but the core of things will probably fit on 4-8 pages.

Wish the same to you, mate! Hope you can stay in contact here more frequently now (barring any other unfortunate events in RL, of course) and keep us up to date with how things progress.

I have noticed that notifications here get sent to my junk mail so I have started checking my junk mail every day just in case.

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hey all,

out of curiousity, lets say I managed to bang out an Addendum to the Epic Bestiary (either 3.5 or Pathfinder compatible); which monsters or entries would you be most interested in seeing? Low epic? Uber-epic? Dragons? Abominations?

...and I know most will just say "anything, and hurry up about it" but just consider me curious.

 

[Alzrius]

I kind of want to see the higher-order vampire templates, if for no other reason than Alabaster really needed to have one (seriously, the guy has the baseline vampire template, which lets 1 round of sunlight kill him).

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hey Alzrius mate!

I kind of want to see the higher-order vampire templates, if for no other reason than Alabaster really needed to have one (seriously, the guy has the baseline vampire template, which lets 1 round of sunlight kill him).

Looking at my notes an earlier idea was for: Vampire < Nosferatu

At some juncture in the plans the Nosferatu became a planar vampire and sort of its own thing and I developed a bit of a more interesting ecology for the Nosferatu; with the full entry now comprising 9 separate creatures and 2 further closely associated monsters.

...and of course the other types of planar vampires were similarly expanded (because I'm a bit silly like that).

That said, vampires do have an end state...the K _ _ _ _ _ _, ;-)

But one of the weird situations as regards putting together a small (small enough that even I can finish it in a reasonable time-frame) addendum is with a more limited number of entries is that if I, for instance, do a major entry for Umbrals or Nosferatu or almost anything...its about 8-10 monsters. Which is going to completely dominate any such book and thus potentially put off those wanting a bit of variety - hence my question in this thread.

The original Bestiary was probably far too dominated with Angels as it was. Imagine if I cut the size of the book in half and released it as its own product. It would be:

5 Abominations,
Akalich
Akishra
Amidah
7 Angels
Atata
Brood, Syzygy
(I'd have to cut the Cogent to fit in the OGL.)

In such a case I may as well have made the whole book revolve around epic angels and I doubt that would have been as interesting.

So the larger question is, if you had the choice would you want

A. 16 different (as in unrelated) entries
or
B. 8 related entries with an additional 8 or so unrelated.
or
C. 2 entries each with 8 related monsters

I'm not sure but maybe 'B' might be the most viable. Or the latter?

Epic Bestiary - Addendum A: Atomic Demons & Vampire Gods
Epic Bestiary - Addendum B: Dead Gods & Primordials
Epic Bestiary - Addendum C: Alien Entities & Fallen Angels
Epic Bestiary - Addendum D: Overdeities & Demiurges

 

[Alzrius]

Hey Alzrius mate!

Always good to talk to you, U_K.

At some juncture in the plans the Nosferatu became a planar vampire and sort of its own thing and I developed a bit of a more interesting ecology for the Nosferatu; with the full entry now comprising 9 separate creatures and 2 further closely associated monsters.

That's sort of what I remember; as I recall, the plans were for various "types" of undead, (e.g. the incorporeals (ghosts, spectres, wraiths, etc.), the ones that ate the living (ghouls, vampires, etc.), the kind that sustained themselves with a higher power (e.g. mummies, liches, etc.)) were going to get a series of escalating templates across divine/cosmic strata, so something like two or three templates for each category. Of course, I'm probably misremembering, since the akalich was the only one for the lich.

That said, vampires do have an end state...the K _ _ _ _ _ _, ;-)

You cheeky SOB.

But one of the weird situations as regards putting together a small (small enough that even I can finish it in a reasonable time-frame) addendum is with a more limited number of entries is that if I, for instance, do a major entry for Umbrals or Nosferatu or almost anything...its about 8-10 monsters. Which is going to completely dominate any such book and thus potentially put off those wanting a bit of variety - hence my question in this thread.

Okay, I think I understand better now. In that case, it's a bit too easy for me to imagine dragons (no music pun intended), simply because those were very evocative the first time around. That said, I'm now trying to think of categories of monsters, and that's a bit harder to imagine.

I'll say this though: if we have the option of choosing actual (over)divinities, a la your presentation of Surtur (from the unfinished Gods & Monsters), complete with various manifestations, servitors, realm, etc., then I'd choose that hands down.

So the larger question is, if you had the choice would you want

A. 16 different (as in unrelated) entries
or
B. 8 related entries with an additional 8 or so unrelated.
or
C. 2 entries each with 8 related monsters

I'm not sure but maybe 'B' might be the most viable. Or the latter?

Epic Bestiary - Addendum A: Atomic Demons & Vampire Gods
Epic Bestiary - Addendum B: Dead Gods & Primordials
Epic Bestiary - Addendum C: Alien Entities & Fallen Angels
Epic Bestiary - Addendum D: Overdeities & Demiurges

I was initially going to say B, but looking at those titles I'm seriously tempted to change my answer to C. Presuming that abominations, angels, and (maybe) dragons are already adequately covered...and we can't choose divinities as a category...I'm not sure what to pick.

 

[Upper_Krust]

Always good to talk to you, U_K.

Hey amigo!

That's sort of what I remember; as I recall, the plans were for various "types" of undead, (e.g. the incorporeals (ghosts, spectres, wraiths, etc.), the ones that ate the living (ghouls, vampires, etc.), the kind that sustained themselves with a higher power (e.g. mummies, liches, etc.)) were going to get a series of escalating templates across divine/cosmic strata, so something like two or three templates for each category. Of course, I'm probably misremembering, since the akalich was the only one for the lich.

I could maybe get away with a scaled down approach to something like the Nosferatu.

I had: deity, leader, big monstrous thing-a-ma-jig, regular, over-fed, under-fed, weak version, knight, monstrous mount (not a horse), crazy mad thing and attendant wight

...actually just had an idea for a really cool Nosferatu template that combines four of the above.

You cheeky SOB.

Okay, I think I understand better now. In that case, it's a bit too easy for me to imagine dragons (no music pun intended), simply because those were very evocative the first time around. That said, I'm now trying to think of categories of monsters, and that's a bit harder to imagine.

Glancing at my notes I think I have over 20 categories.

I'll say this though: if we have the option of choosing actual (over)divinities, a la your presentation of Surtur (from the unfinished Gods & Monsters), complete with various manifestations, servitors, realm, etc., then I'd choose that hands down.

Well I was thinking I'd try and have at least one actual known deity to 'ground' each addendum. I could add one of the Gods & Monsters deity's to each addendum.

Might also be cool to have an NPC deity that could be used as a PC: Bayonetta, Dante, Goku, Kratos for website updates.

I was initially going to say B, but looking at those titles I'm seriously tempted to change my answer to C. Presuming that abominations, angels, and (maybe) dragons are already adequately covered...and we can't choose divinities as a category...I'm not sure what to pick.

Well I might sneak a dragon into each for old time's sake.

 

[Rhuarc]

Hey UK,

glad to see you are still around and somewhat active here (always dread the inevitable disappearing for months or years). Gives me hope that you will actually manage to get something done this time, fingers crossed (no offense intended, simply burnt by experience)!

I will echo what Alzrius said, epic vampires are rather high on my personal wishlist as well. And from your presented four categories, I'd go in order:

Epic Bestiary - Addendum B: Dead Gods & Primordials
Epic Bestiary - Addendum C: Alien Entities & Fallen Angels
Epic Bestiary - Addendum A: Atomic Demons & Vampire Gods
Epic Bestiary - Addendum D: Overdeities & Demiurges

with the top three being very close together and 'D' in faraway 4th place.

Anyway, really looking forward to more details and ideas, so don't stop asking or musing on the forums here

EDIT: Small Addendum of my own: Please don't go ahead and get overwhelmed with two dozen different ideas which you start to develop simultaneously, getting some work done on each but never finishing even a single one of those projects!
Approach this in a more limited way, focusing on one part, finish and publish this, then move on. At least this it what I think is necessary to break the same routine of the past 10+ years.