thatdarncat
Overlord of Chat
Joins: Monte_At_Home (~Monte_At_Home@*.hsd1.wa.comcast.net)
<Monte_At_Home> Hi, everyone.
<Monte_At_Home> How are you guys all doing?
<Seri> herrrrrrrrrrrrre we go
<Seri> Ptolus wrap party with Monte Cook! The channel is currently moderated. Please direct questions to one of the ops (Seri, NiTessine, Kalanyr, masterofmonks) and they will pass the question on. Please go to #peanutgallery for discussion.
<Seri> Welcome back, Monte
<Monte_At_Home> Thanks!
<Monte_At_Home> It's good to be here.
<Seri> Could you start by giving us an idea of what Ptolus is all about?
<Monte_At_Home> Sure. Ptolus is a campaign setting, contained entirely within a city. Or, it's a city that could be an entire campaign setting. The book is 672 pages long, and it comes with a CDRom that contains many hundreds of pages of additional content as well as 24 handouts, a poster map, 4 cardboard bookmarks and 3 bound in cloth bookmarks. So we think of this as a pretty deluxe package. We trying to present this product in a different way from a lot of similar (setting) books, as a lot of it is modelled after travel guides, which gives it a very unique feel as well as aids in the organization. With such a big book, we had to go a long way to make it usable, and make the material manageable. It comes out in August of next year.
<thatdarncat> And we have our first question, from Seri. She wants to know... how do you pronounce Ptolus?
<Monte_At_Home> Good question.
It's basically Tall-us, with just a hint of the "p" at the beginning. But if you just say "tall-us," that's fine.
<thatdarncat> She's reading me the description of the book. Sounds pretty huge!
<Monte_At_Home> Yeah, I think it's the largest game product ever written by a single author.
<thatdarncat> It kind of reminds me of the Worlds Largest Dungeon book in size - but with a much larger scope?
<Monte_At_Home> I suppose. It's really only similar to WLD in page count. It's a very different book.
<thatdarncat> So what's so special about the book? How come we get so many pages? Is it just a huge detailed setting?
<Monte_At_Home> Well, it's a complete campaign setting. It gives you everything you need to run a campaign (or two) in the city of Ptolus. Lots and lots of detail. As I mentioned before, we've used travel guides as our model, so it's that level of detail. Plus, it's not just a city, but lots of fully detailed adventure locales. Enough to take you from 1st to 20th level if you use all of them.
<thatdarncat> What excites you the most about Ptolus? Why are you publishing this deluxe package?
<Monte_At_Home> Well, what excites me most, I suppose, is the deluxe nature of the book, and the things we've done to make it easy for DMs to use. It's no secret that I am a big fan of DMing (DMG and all), and so I've tried to pull out the stops in making this very DM friendly. I wrote a design diary about that very topic just a couple of weeks ago, actually.
http://www.montecook.com/cgi-bin/page.cgi?ptolus
<thatdarncat> Does Ptolus involve advice on running high level D&D campaigns?
<Monte_At_Home> As to the next question, Ptolus does offer a bit of advice on high level play, in the form of specific DM tips in the high level locales in the book, like Jabel Shammar. High level play is tricky to run, so the material is presented in a way that is hopefully easy to use, with lots of reminders and tips.
<thatdarncat> Is the setting game-specific, or generic for any particular game system?
<Monte_At_Home> It's for d20. There will be conversion notes on the CDRom for Arcana Evolved.
thatdarncat> Your Ptolus campaign mixed a lot of d20 elements. Anything new (classes, feats, monsters, etc.) in Ptolus?
<Monte_At_Home> Yeah. There's about five setting-specific prestige classes, about eight or nine monsters, a handful of spells, and a huge number of magic items. That's not the focus of the book, but they're just stuff that came out of the setting naturally.
<thatdarncat> Is it set in a particular world or done in such a way that it can be anywhere? From what you've said so far, it sounds like it's made to fit in with Arcana Evolved?
<Monte_At_Home> It does have a world, with a cosmology, a history, etc. but it's made so that if you don't want that, you can just ignore that chapter and put it in any d20 setting without problem.
<thatdarncat> Just drop it in whereever needed?
<Monte_At_Home> Yeah, pretty much. The more general the easier it would be. It would be easier to put it in FR than Midnight, for example. As for AE, some of the original AE concepts grew out of this campaign setting, so there's a few similarities, but it's a straight d20 setting. The AE conversion material is on the CDRom.
<thatdarncat> What are a couple of your favorite (or least favorite) DM tasks that Ptolus is going to help us DM's with?
<Monte_At_Home> Well, just as an example, you know when the PCs are in a city and they say "we ask someone on the street about ___"? Well, each of the 11 districts of Ptolus has a list of fully-fleshed out "man in the street" encounters for just that reason. With appearance, personality, and where they're going (and why). Lots and lots of references. When we mention an NPC, or a place, or an organization, there will be a page reference in the side "margin" of the book where you can find more info.
<thatdarncat> Will generic locations (like the basic home, the basic shrine etc) and NPCs be described for each chapter of the book?
<Monte_At_Home> Well, not every chapter, because not every chapter is about a section of the city, but yes, lots of that kind of info (and maps) so it's easy to create your own locations as needed but still have them fit in with the flavor of that area. So if you need some criminals to hole up in a local abandoned warehouse, you can just dig up the average warehouse map and description and you're good to go.
<thatdarncat> Just how many NPCs are there in this setting?
<Monte_At_Home> Well, the city has a population of about 50,000 people... but they don't all have stat blocks
If I had to guess, I'd estimate maybe 250 or 300 full NPC stat blocks and write-ups. That's just a guess, though. I should count.
<thatdarncat> Are they all named NPCs? Or do you have "Typical worker" "Typical Guard"?
<Monte_At_Home> Both.
<thatdarncat> Are you done writing or do you still have a long way to go with the book?
<Monte_At_Home> I just finished the initial draft of the last chapters last weekend. There's still a few things to do, here and there, and then a whole additional development after Sue makes her initial edit. So there's still plenty to do. Right now I'm starting the follow-up 96 page adventure, the Night of Dissolution. You get that free if you pre-order.
<thatdarncat> 1st level starting adventure?
<Monte_At_Home> That's included right in the book itself. The adventures in the book will take you to 4th level, and then there's lots of follow-up locations and whatnot that you can use to keep going, or you can use the Night of Dissolution (starts at 4th level), or our older adventure the Banewarrens, which also starts at about that level. And the Banewarrens will be included as a pdf on the CDRom.
<thatdarncat> Monte, about how many pages will focus on my favorite Ptolus location ... the Necropolis?
<Monte_At_Home> 50. The entirety of the "Dark Reliquary" is mapped and detailed (along with all three dungeon levels below it).
<thatdarncat> Monte, I'm eager to read about the Jewels of Parnaith, and Ghul's fortress - where the flaming Orc demigod lives. Will these two aspects be in the book?
<Monte_At_Home> Yep. Ghul's fortress, Goth Gulgamel, is fully detailed (and it's very weird). The Jewels of Parnaith are also described, but not in quite that level of detail.
<thatdarncat> Does this setting have a certain implied tone and feel to it, or does it just have the standard Greyhawk feel to it? Does it lean towards combat, or magic, or exploration, or intrigue, or any specific ideals, more than your average game?
<Monte_At_Home> My intention was that it has the tone and feel of 3E. As the initial playtest setting that I used when we worked on 3E, I wanted something that played to D&D's strengths, and also tested D&D so that what some people thought of as weaknesses of the system could be tested as well. For example, since it's a city campaign, lots (but not nearly all) of the adventures are urban, involving lots of interaction, investigation, and so on. But the level of magic and whatnot are true to the d20 standard. It fully embraces the rules as written, as that was the whole point, originally.
<thatdarncat> Monte, one aspect of Ptolus I like is the political intrigue. Speak a bit about the battle for political power and key players - as pertains to their inclusion in the setting?
<Monte_At_Home> There's an awful lot going on. The Organizations chapter alone is 58 pages, detailing the 10 noble houses, the two major criminal organizations, three knighthood orders, a mage's organization, and lots more. And that's not even counting all the religions. Plus, Ptolus is a part of an empire in the process of crumbling, with three different people claiming the throne, with one of them living in Ptolus, but the actual ruler of Ptolus (the Commissar) doesn't support him. Lots of intrigue. Lots of fodder for adventures and plots. Probably more than any one DM can use. I'm on campaign #3 in the setting and I haven't exhausted it all.
<thatdarncat> That's a lot of NPC's and factions in Ptolus. Are there any organizational tips or aids for GM's to keep the city 'alive' as players impact the setting?
<Monte_At_Home> Well, there's a whole chapter on running urban adventures and one of the main focuses of that is to make the city feel "alive," and dynamic, so the players get a feeling of realism.
<thatdarncat> How much information do you provide for people who want to follow plots away from Plotus?
<Monte_At_Home> Well, there's a whole chapter devoted to the areas around the city, with stuff going on, but the focus is on the city to make it easy to plop down into any campaign. I like products that you can use any way you want.
<thatdarncat> How much of the setting is rigidly defined in order to give DMs something solid to use in their game, and how much of it is left open for DMs to invent their own stuff?
<Monte_At_Home> That's a good question. Obviously, there's a lot of specific detail all laid out for you. But my experience in running city games has shown me that the DM needs the ability to create stuff as needed as well. So, what I've done is devoted a lot of space to giving the DM the feel of an area, and suggestions and tips for creating new locations in that area, so that it's easy to make up stuff on your own. If you're the type of DM who likes to create some material on your own, Ptolus in no way precludes that, but if you want it done for you, it has your back in that way too.
<thatdarncat> Monte, will areas such as Kem, Dorinthos, and Uraq receive a little bit of attention in the book? To flesh out the world around Ptolus?
<Monte_At_Home> Yes. That's all in one chapter.
<thatdarncat> Ruins of Intrigue used 'secrets' for most NPC's and places that the DM could tweak to control the plotline; very innovative. Did you use that in Ptolus? (And for those of us who haven't read Ruins of Intrigue, what's a 'secret'?)
<Monte_At_Home> In a few places I did follow that model--the idea that something in the setting could "go" in two different directions. For example, there's a secretive organization in the city that people think is sinister. It's not, but there's also the info needed if the DM decides to make it as sinister as everyone thinks. So you can tailor it as you want. But that's the exception rather than the rule, to be honest.
<thatdarncat> What part of the city was the most fun to design and why?
<Monte_At_Home> I really enjoyed designing Jabel Shammar. This is the fortress at the top of the impossibly tall spire that rises above the city. It's a mysterious place, and was once home to the setting's most powerful evil being. It's for 20th level characters, and I really like how even from 1st level, the potential "climactic" encounter literally hangs over the PCs' heads. Going there would be a fitting end to any campaign. But it might not end how you want it...
<thatdarncat> Please tell me there will be a few pages dedicated to the firearm-wielding Rat-men, followers of the Chaos Cults, in you Ptolus book, Monte?
<Monte_At_Home> Oh yes. The sewers are a dangerous place in Ptolus, thanks to them.
<thatdarncat> Monte, I'm looking forward to a Praemal Calendar (names of months, etc) and celebrated holidays. Don't disappoint me!
<Monte_At_Home> No worries there, either.
<thatdarncat> How many days in a week?
<Monte_At_Home> Seven. (I've experimented with different configurations, and it only serves to confuse things)
<thatdarncat> I'm hoping the gladitorial arena will get a little coverage too ... in case a PC wants to take a shot at fame.
<Monte_At_Home> Yep. It's detailed as well.
<thatdarncat> Who is your favorite NPC in Ptolus so far? Why?
<Monte_At_Home> That would be a toss up between Sheva Callister, a retired adventurer who's seen and done a lot and could serve to be a good mentor for low level characters and the Iron Mage, who is the setting's most powerful wizard who's every action is completely enigmatic. He's the kind of guy who suddenly appears in the chambers protected against teleportation. He does what he wants, but few understand why. Speaking of Sheva, I should also mention that she's the main character in the Ptolus comic book series I'm writing for DBPro. The first issue comes out in May, but we're also going to be putting it (the first issue) on the CDRom (we just made that deal today).
<thatdarncat> How large is Ptolus? Just to get an idea of how densely packed the city is.
<Monte_At_Home> If memory serves it's about two miles across. It has densely packed areas, and then some loosely populated areas as well (the vast noble estates).
<thatdarncat> So how detailed is the city itself in the book? You've said it's like a travel guide - does that mean we get all kinds of taverns and shops described?
<Monte_At_Home> Yes. Lots of specific locations fully described with maps and whatnot, some less defined, and then areas where the DM can put whatever he wants.
<thatdarncat> When is the next big Ptolus article due out on the Malhavoc website and what's the topic?
<Monte_At_Home> Tomorrow we'll do another campaign update ("story hour") and we'll do a new design diary next week. I think it will be about managing the level of detail and organization in the book.
<thatdarncat> With a book this size it seems like durability might be an issue. Is there something special about the binding process that will keep this behemoth from losing its pages?
<Monte_At_Home> Yes. We're using cambric reinforcement to make sure it is super sturdy. This is what textbooks use. Basically, it takes the first and last "signature" of the book (that's a 32-page section) and reinforces the attachment to the binding and the cover to hold everything in place. We have a "white book," which is basically the Ptolus book with all components but no printing. We've dropped this thing from great heights, thrown it across the room, tossed it around in a bag, and so on. It's super sturdy. (And heavy--about six pounds)
<thatdarncat> What's the MSRP?
<Monte_At_Home> $119.99.
<thatdarncat> And I understand that you're doing some kind of preorder?
<Monte_At_Home> Right. You can go to our website ptolus.com and find info on preordering. If you preorder, your copy will be signed and numbered, you get 5 copies of the Ptolus Player's Guide (a separate 32 page book), a copy of the 96 page Night of Dissolution adventure, and access to the "Delver's Guild" website, which is updated weekly with cool additional Ptolus related material and features.
http://www.montecook.com/cgi-bin/page.cgi?mpress_Ptolus_preorder
<thatdarncat> Speaking of additional materials... So you've thrown the kitchen sink into Ptolus. Are we going to see other products from Malhavoc related to it? Is there anything left to say? Or will it be time to move on?
<Monte_At_Home> Well, there's the Night of Dissolution, obviously, and the comic book. Fiery Dragon will be doing Ptolus counters, and Skeleton Key Games will be doing additional map products. Beyond that, we haven't announced anything yet.
<thatdarncat> And when does it release?
<Monte_At_Home> August of 2006. So there's still a lot of time.
<thatdarncat> Monte, how are early sales going? I think Ptolus is spreading by word of mouth and will do very well.
<Monte_At_Home> We're seeing a lot of interest with pre-orders. The book is so far off that it hasn't been solicited to stores yet, but we're putting together some cool benefits for retailers to help encourage them to stock the book. As good as the pre-orders are going, I think that once people actually see the book, and see the incredible amount of amazing color art, maps, and the unique layout, sales will be through the roof. But I'm biased. I can't wait for people to see some of the art in this book.
<thatdarncat> I've got a few questions left in the queue, but if anyone's ever been here for an interview before, you know that one thing we always ask is a Haiku. Monte, could you give us a Plotus themed haiku?
<Monte_At_Home>
Ptolus is coming
It is still a ways off, though.
Should be worth the wait.
<Seri> hehe:
<theghost>
Ptolus is coming.
Gamers will be amazed.
Monte makes good stuff.
<Roudi>
Six hundred fifty.
That is a lot of pages.
Goodbye, sweet paycheck
<thatdarncat> Will there be a small section detailing Maldhoth's asylum ? I am intrigued by it being run by a beholder, and the fact it's for insane sorcerors.
<Monte_At_Home> Yes, and not so small. It's one of the really interesting places in the city.
<thatdarncat> Will you be considering selling pdf versions at RPGnow and the ENGS? (Follow up: Do you intend to make any of your old products available at the ENGS)
<Monte_At_Home> No, we only sell our pdfs through DriveThruRPG.
<thatdarncat> Monte, how much attention will "Under Ptolus" get (Giant's steps, Stonehearth...)?
<Monte_At_Home> Lots. That's why I said earlier that this isn't just a city book. There are extensive underground "dungeon" areas beneath (and, strangely, above) the city for all kinds of adventuring fun.
<thatdarncat> Was this at all inspired by Flying Buffalo’s City books? It seems similar in some regards (really that was a compliment, I love FB City Books).
<Monte_At_Home> I love those books too. No direct inspiration, but those books really taught me how fun urban adventures and locations could be, so that's really significant.
<thatdarncat> Can you give us a feel for the flavor of the city? Is it the middle ages New York with magic?
<Monte_At_Home> I wouldn't use that description because it implies a modern feel, and Ptolus doesn't have that. But Ptolus isn't strictly historical, either, because d20 isn't. Ptolus is a city that is actually used to adventurers (and there are reasons for that), and used to magic, animal companions, and so forth. But there's a dark edge to Ptolus, with some sinister stuff going on under the surface (literally and figuratively). There's a lot of crime and powerful criminal organizations too. Too much Godfather and Sopranos in my viewing habits, I guess.
<thatdarncat> Could you explain a bit about the government structure of Ptolus?
<Monte_At_Home> Ptolus is a part of the Tarsisian Empire, which appoints a Commissar (like a regional governor but with strong military connotations) to rule Ptolus. However, as the Empire loses power, the Commissar has had to make concessions to keep the people happy. So he's created a two-tier council (the Tribunal and the Assembly) to help govern. The council is made up of important Guildmasters and people like that, as well as the lords of each of the noble houses. Technically, the nobles should no longer have power under the Empire, but they do in the council, because they are so wealthy and many are still well-like and respected by the population. There is also the very powerful Church of Lothian, and the leader of that church, the Holy Emperor, currently lives in Ptolus, so he has a lot of power as well.
<thatdarncat> And that’s it for the questions. I know you're tired Monte, go get some rest, and thanks for coming
<Monte_At_Home> Thanks for having me. I always love coming here and doing this. And thanks to everyone for sticking around, and for the questions.
<thatdarncat> Send me an email closer to release and we'll do this again?
<Monte_At_Home> Sure. I'd love to do another. I'm as excited about this product as I was about 3E.
<thatdarncat> Before I unmoderate the channel, Bynw has asked me to remind everyone of the YAC! psionics.net is running. You can find details here: http://www.psionics.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=News;action=display;num=1130035960
<Monte_At_Home> Thanks and goodnight, everyone!
<Monte_At_Home> Hi, everyone.
<Monte_At_Home> How are you guys all doing?
<Seri> herrrrrrrrrrrrre we go
<Seri> Ptolus wrap party with Monte Cook! The channel is currently moderated. Please direct questions to one of the ops (Seri, NiTessine, Kalanyr, masterofmonks) and they will pass the question on. Please go to #peanutgallery for discussion.
<Seri> Welcome back, Monte
<Monte_At_Home> Thanks!
<Monte_At_Home> It's good to be here.
<Seri> Could you start by giving us an idea of what Ptolus is all about?
<Monte_At_Home> Sure. Ptolus is a campaign setting, contained entirely within a city. Or, it's a city that could be an entire campaign setting. The book is 672 pages long, and it comes with a CDRom that contains many hundreds of pages of additional content as well as 24 handouts, a poster map, 4 cardboard bookmarks and 3 bound in cloth bookmarks. So we think of this as a pretty deluxe package. We trying to present this product in a different way from a lot of similar (setting) books, as a lot of it is modelled after travel guides, which gives it a very unique feel as well as aids in the organization. With such a big book, we had to go a long way to make it usable, and make the material manageable. It comes out in August of next year.
<thatdarncat> And we have our first question, from Seri. She wants to know... how do you pronounce Ptolus?
<Monte_At_Home> Good question.
It's basically Tall-us, with just a hint of the "p" at the beginning. But if you just say "tall-us," that's fine.<thatdarncat> She's reading me the description of the book. Sounds pretty huge!
<Monte_At_Home> Yeah, I think it's the largest game product ever written by a single author.
<thatdarncat> It kind of reminds me of the Worlds Largest Dungeon book in size - but with a much larger scope?
<Monte_At_Home> I suppose. It's really only similar to WLD in page count. It's a very different book.
<thatdarncat> So what's so special about the book? How come we get so many pages?
Is it just a huge detailed setting?<Monte_At_Home> Well, it's a complete campaign setting. It gives you everything you need to run a campaign (or two) in the city of Ptolus. Lots and lots of detail. As I mentioned before, we've used travel guides as our model, so it's that level of detail. Plus, it's not just a city, but lots of fully detailed adventure locales. Enough to take you from 1st to 20th level if you use all of them.
<thatdarncat> What excites you the most about Ptolus? Why are you publishing this deluxe package?
<Monte_At_Home> Well, what excites me most, I suppose, is the deluxe nature of the book, and the things we've done to make it easy for DMs to use. It's no secret that I am a big fan of DMing (DMG and all), and so I've tried to pull out the stops in making this very DM friendly. I wrote a design diary about that very topic just a couple of weeks ago, actually.
http://www.montecook.com/cgi-bin/page.cgi?ptolus
<thatdarncat> Does Ptolus involve advice on running high level D&D campaigns?
<Monte_At_Home> As to the next question, Ptolus does offer a bit of advice on high level play, in the form of specific DM tips in the high level locales in the book, like Jabel Shammar. High level play is tricky to run, so the material is presented in a way that is hopefully easy to use, with lots of reminders and tips.
<thatdarncat> Is the setting game-specific, or generic for any particular game system?
<Monte_At_Home> It's for d20. There will be conversion notes on the CDRom for Arcana Evolved.
thatdarncat> Your Ptolus campaign mixed a lot of d20 elements. Anything new (classes, feats, monsters, etc.) in Ptolus?
<Monte_At_Home> Yeah. There's about five setting-specific prestige classes, about eight or nine monsters, a handful of spells, and a huge number of magic items. That's not the focus of the book, but they're just stuff that came out of the setting naturally.
<thatdarncat> Is it set in a particular world or done in such a way that it can be anywhere? From what you've said so far, it sounds like it's made to fit in with Arcana Evolved?
<Monte_At_Home> It does have a world, with a cosmology, a history, etc. but it's made so that if you don't want that, you can just ignore that chapter and put it in any d20 setting without problem.
<thatdarncat> Just drop it in whereever needed?
<Monte_At_Home> Yeah, pretty much. The more general the easier it would be. It would be easier to put it in FR than Midnight, for example. As for AE, some of the original AE concepts grew out of this campaign setting, so there's a few similarities, but it's a straight d20 setting. The AE conversion material is on the CDRom.
<thatdarncat> What are a couple of your favorite (or least favorite) DM tasks that Ptolus is going to help us DM's with?
<Monte_At_Home> Well, just as an example, you know when the PCs are in a city and they say "we ask someone on the street about ___"? Well, each of the 11 districts of Ptolus has a list of fully-fleshed out "man in the street" encounters for just that reason. With appearance, personality, and where they're going (and why). Lots and lots of references. When we mention an NPC, or a place, or an organization, there will be a page reference in the side "margin" of the book where you can find more info.
<thatdarncat> Will generic locations (like the basic home, the basic shrine etc) and NPCs be described for each chapter of the book?
<Monte_At_Home> Well, not every chapter, because not every chapter is about a section of the city, but yes, lots of that kind of info (and maps) so it's easy to create your own locations as needed but still have them fit in with the flavor of that area. So if you need some criminals to hole up in a local abandoned warehouse, you can just dig up the average warehouse map and description and you're good to go.
<thatdarncat> Just how many NPCs are there in this setting?
<Monte_At_Home> Well, the city has a population of about 50,000 people... but they don't all have stat blocks
If I had to guess, I'd estimate maybe 250 or 300 full NPC stat blocks and write-ups. That's just a guess, though. I should count.<thatdarncat> Are they all named NPCs? Or do you have "Typical worker" "Typical Guard"?
<Monte_At_Home> Both.
<thatdarncat> Are you done writing or do you still have a long way to go with the book?
<Monte_At_Home> I just finished the initial draft of the last chapters last weekend. There's still a few things to do, here and there, and then a whole additional development after Sue makes her initial edit. So there's still plenty to do. Right now I'm starting the follow-up 96 page adventure, the Night of Dissolution. You get that free if you pre-order.
<thatdarncat> 1st level starting adventure?
<Monte_At_Home> That's included right in the book itself. The adventures in the book will take you to 4th level, and then there's lots of follow-up locations and whatnot that you can use to keep going, or you can use the Night of Dissolution (starts at 4th level), or our older adventure the Banewarrens, which also starts at about that level. And the Banewarrens will be included as a pdf on the CDRom.
<thatdarncat> Monte, about how many pages will focus on my favorite Ptolus location ... the Necropolis?
<Monte_At_Home> 50. The entirety of the "Dark Reliquary" is mapped and detailed (along with all three dungeon levels below it).
<thatdarncat> Monte, I'm eager to read about the Jewels of Parnaith, and Ghul's fortress - where the flaming Orc demigod lives. Will these two aspects be in the book?
<Monte_At_Home> Yep. Ghul's fortress, Goth Gulgamel, is fully detailed (and it's very weird). The Jewels of Parnaith are also described, but not in quite that level of detail.
<thatdarncat> Does this setting have a certain implied tone and feel to it, or does it just have the standard Greyhawk feel to it? Does it lean towards combat, or magic, or exploration, or intrigue, or any specific ideals, more than your average game?
<Monte_At_Home> My intention was that it has the tone and feel of 3E. As the initial playtest setting that I used when we worked on 3E, I wanted something that played to D&D's strengths, and also tested D&D so that what some people thought of as weaknesses of the system could be tested as well. For example, since it's a city campaign, lots (but not nearly all) of the adventures are urban, involving lots of interaction, investigation, and so on. But the level of magic and whatnot are true to the d20 standard. It fully embraces the rules as written, as that was the whole point, originally.
<thatdarncat> Monte, one aspect of Ptolus I like is the political intrigue. Speak a bit about the battle for political power and key players - as pertains to their inclusion in the setting?
<Monte_At_Home> There's an awful lot going on. The Organizations chapter alone is 58 pages, detailing the 10 noble houses, the two major criminal organizations, three knighthood orders, a mage's organization, and lots more. And that's not even counting all the religions. Plus, Ptolus is a part of an empire in the process of crumbling, with three different people claiming the throne, with one of them living in Ptolus, but the actual ruler of Ptolus (the Commissar) doesn't support him. Lots of intrigue. Lots of fodder for adventures and plots. Probably more than any one DM can use. I'm on campaign #3 in the setting and I haven't exhausted it all.
<thatdarncat> That's a lot of NPC's and factions in Ptolus. Are there any organizational tips or aids for GM's to keep the city 'alive' as players impact the setting?
<Monte_At_Home> Well, there's a whole chapter on running urban adventures and one of the main focuses of that is to make the city feel "alive," and dynamic, so the players get a feeling of realism.
<thatdarncat> How much information do you provide for people who want to follow plots away from Plotus?
<Monte_At_Home> Well, there's a whole chapter devoted to the areas around the city, with stuff going on, but the focus is on the city to make it easy to plop down into any campaign. I like products that you can use any way you want.
<thatdarncat> How much of the setting is rigidly defined in order to give DMs something solid to use in their game, and how much of it is left open for DMs to invent their own stuff?
<Monte_At_Home> That's a good question. Obviously, there's a lot of specific detail all laid out for you. But my experience in running city games has shown me that the DM needs the ability to create stuff as needed as well. So, what I've done is devoted a lot of space to giving the DM the feel of an area, and suggestions and tips for creating new locations in that area, so that it's easy to make up stuff on your own. If you're the type of DM who likes to create some material on your own, Ptolus in no way precludes that, but if you want it done for you, it has your back in that way too.
<thatdarncat> Monte, will areas such as Kem, Dorinthos, and Uraq receive a little bit of attention in the book? To flesh out the world around Ptolus?
<Monte_At_Home> Yes. That's all in one chapter.
<thatdarncat> Ruins of Intrigue used 'secrets' for most NPC's and places that the DM could tweak to control the plotline; very innovative. Did you use that in Ptolus? (And for those of us who haven't read Ruins of Intrigue, what's a 'secret'?)
<Monte_At_Home> In a few places I did follow that model--the idea that something in the setting could "go" in two different directions. For example, there's a secretive organization in the city that people think is sinister. It's not, but there's also the info needed if the DM decides to make it as sinister as everyone thinks. So you can tailor it as you want. But that's the exception rather than the rule, to be honest.
<thatdarncat> What part of the city was the most fun to design and why?
<Monte_At_Home> I really enjoyed designing Jabel Shammar. This is the fortress at the top of the impossibly tall spire that rises above the city. It's a mysterious place, and was once home to the setting's most powerful evil being. It's for 20th level characters, and I really like how even from 1st level, the potential "climactic" encounter literally hangs over the PCs' heads. Going there would be a fitting end to any campaign. But it might not end how you want it...
<thatdarncat> Please tell me there will be a few pages dedicated to the firearm-wielding Rat-men, followers of the Chaos Cults, in you Ptolus book, Monte?
<Monte_At_Home> Oh yes. The sewers are a dangerous place in Ptolus, thanks to them.
<thatdarncat> Monte, I'm looking forward to a Praemal Calendar (names of months, etc) and celebrated holidays. Don't disappoint me!
<Monte_At_Home> No worries there, either.
<thatdarncat> How many days in a week?
<Monte_At_Home> Seven. (I've experimented with different configurations, and it only serves to confuse things)
<thatdarncat> I'm hoping the gladitorial arena will get a little coverage too ... in case a PC wants to take a shot at fame.
<Monte_At_Home> Yep. It's detailed as well.
<thatdarncat> Who is your favorite NPC in Ptolus so far? Why?
<Monte_At_Home> That would be a toss up between Sheva Callister, a retired adventurer who's seen and done a lot and could serve to be a good mentor for low level characters and the Iron Mage, who is the setting's most powerful wizard who's every action is completely enigmatic. He's the kind of guy who suddenly appears in the chambers protected against teleportation. He does what he wants, but few understand why. Speaking of Sheva, I should also mention that she's the main character in the Ptolus comic book series I'm writing for DBPro. The first issue comes out in May, but we're also going to be putting it (the first issue) on the CDRom (we just made that deal today).
<thatdarncat> How large is Ptolus? Just to get an idea of how densely packed the city is.
<Monte_At_Home> If memory serves it's about two miles across. It has densely packed areas, and then some loosely populated areas as well (the vast noble estates).
<thatdarncat> So how detailed is the city itself in the book? You've said it's like a travel guide - does that mean we get all kinds of taverns and shops described?
<Monte_At_Home> Yes. Lots of specific locations fully described with maps and whatnot, some less defined, and then areas where the DM can put whatever he wants.
<thatdarncat> When is the next big Ptolus article due out on the Malhavoc website and what's the topic?
<Monte_At_Home> Tomorrow we'll do another campaign update ("story hour") and we'll do a new design diary next week. I think it will be about managing the level of detail and organization in the book.
<thatdarncat> With a book this size it seems like durability might be an issue. Is there something special about the binding process that will keep this behemoth from losing its pages?
<Monte_At_Home> Yes. We're using cambric reinforcement to make sure it is super sturdy. This is what textbooks use. Basically, it takes the first and last "signature" of the book (that's a 32-page section) and reinforces the attachment to the binding and the cover to hold everything in place. We have a "white book," which is basically the Ptolus book with all components but no printing. We've dropped this thing from great heights, thrown it across the room, tossed it around in a bag, and so on. It's super sturdy. (And heavy--about six pounds)
<thatdarncat> What's the MSRP?
<Monte_At_Home> $119.99.
<thatdarncat> And I understand that you're doing some kind of preorder?
<Monte_At_Home> Right. You can go to our website ptolus.com and find info on preordering. If you preorder, your copy will be signed and numbered, you get 5 copies of the Ptolus Player's Guide (a separate 32 page book), a copy of the 96 page Night of Dissolution adventure, and access to the "Delver's Guild" website, which is updated weekly with cool additional Ptolus related material and features.
http://www.montecook.com/cgi-bin/page.cgi?mpress_Ptolus_preorder
<thatdarncat> Speaking of additional materials... So you've thrown the kitchen sink into Ptolus. Are we going to see other products from Malhavoc related to it? Is there anything left to say? Or will it be time to move on?
<Monte_At_Home> Well, there's the Night of Dissolution, obviously, and the comic book. Fiery Dragon will be doing Ptolus counters, and Skeleton Key Games will be doing additional map products. Beyond that, we haven't announced anything yet.
<thatdarncat> And when does it release?
<Monte_At_Home> August of 2006. So there's still a lot of time.
<thatdarncat> Monte, how are early sales going? I think Ptolus is spreading by word of mouth and will do very well.
<Monte_At_Home> We're seeing a lot of interest with pre-orders. The book is so far off that it hasn't been solicited to stores yet, but we're putting together some cool benefits for retailers to help encourage them to stock the book. As good as the pre-orders are going, I think that once people actually see the book, and see the incredible amount of amazing color art, maps, and the unique layout, sales will be through the roof. But I'm biased. I can't wait for people to see some of the art in this book.
<thatdarncat> I've got a few questions left in the queue, but if anyone's ever been here for an interview before, you know that one thing we always ask is a Haiku. Monte, could you give us a Plotus themed haiku?
<Monte_At_Home>
Ptolus is coming
It is still a ways off, though.
Should be worth the wait.
<Seri> hehe:
<theghost>
Ptolus is coming.
Gamers will be amazed.
Monte makes good stuff.
<Roudi>
Six hundred fifty.
That is a lot of pages.
Goodbye, sweet paycheck
<thatdarncat> Will there be a small section detailing Maldhoth's asylum ? I am intrigued by it being run by a beholder, and the fact it's for insane sorcerors.
<Monte_At_Home> Yes, and not so small. It's one of the really interesting places in the city.
<thatdarncat> Will you be considering selling pdf versions at RPGnow and the ENGS? (Follow up: Do you intend to make any of your old products available at the ENGS)
<Monte_At_Home> No, we only sell our pdfs through DriveThruRPG.
<thatdarncat> Monte, how much attention will "Under Ptolus" get (Giant's steps, Stonehearth...)?
<Monte_At_Home> Lots. That's why I said earlier that this isn't just a city book. There are extensive underground "dungeon" areas beneath (and, strangely, above) the city for all kinds of adventuring fun.
<thatdarncat> Was this at all inspired by Flying Buffalo’s City books? It seems similar in some regards (really that was a compliment, I love FB City Books).
<Monte_At_Home> I love those books too. No direct inspiration, but those books really taught me how fun urban adventures and locations could be, so that's really significant.
<thatdarncat> Can you give us a feel for the flavor of the city? Is it the middle ages New York with magic?
<Monte_At_Home> I wouldn't use that description because it implies a modern feel, and Ptolus doesn't have that. But Ptolus isn't strictly historical, either, because d20 isn't. Ptolus is a city that is actually used to adventurers (and there are reasons for that), and used to magic, animal companions, and so forth. But there's a dark edge to Ptolus, with some sinister stuff going on under the surface (literally and figuratively). There's a lot of crime and powerful criminal organizations too. Too much Godfather and Sopranos in my viewing habits, I guess.
<thatdarncat> Could you explain a bit about the government structure of Ptolus?
<Monte_At_Home> Ptolus is a part of the Tarsisian Empire, which appoints a Commissar (like a regional governor but with strong military connotations) to rule Ptolus. However, as the Empire loses power, the Commissar has had to make concessions to keep the people happy. So he's created a two-tier council (the Tribunal and the Assembly) to help govern. The council is made up of important Guildmasters and people like that, as well as the lords of each of the noble houses. Technically, the nobles should no longer have power under the Empire, but they do in the council, because they are so wealthy and many are still well-like and respected by the population. There is also the very powerful Church of Lothian, and the leader of that church, the Holy Emperor, currently lives in Ptolus, so he has a lot of power as well.
<thatdarncat> And that’s it for the questions. I know you're tired Monte, go get some rest, and thanks for coming
<Monte_At_Home> Thanks for having me. I always love coming here and doing this. And thanks to everyone for sticking around, and for the questions.
<thatdarncat> Send me an email closer to release and we'll do this again?
<Monte_At_Home> Sure. I'd love to do another. I'm as excited about this product as I was about 3E.
<thatdarncat> Before I unmoderate the channel, Bynw has asked me to remind everyone of the YAC! psionics.net is running. You can find details here: http://www.psionics.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=News;action=display;num=1130035960
<Monte_At_Home> Thanks and goodnight, everyone!
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