Spotlight Interview on Worlds and Monsters

[Scholar & Brutalman]

There a new spotlight interview with Jennifer Clarke Wilkes where she discusses Worlds and Monsters. I think most of it has been revealed already, but Jennifer has an interesting opinion about an early playtest:

We did an early playtest that summer. That first playtest was memorable for how much it didn’t feel like D&D—in my opinion, of course. It’s changed a lot since then, but that early game was fast and furious, with lots of options in combat. The best of those features have been retained in the final version, while keeping the game recognizably D&D.

 

[Irda Ranger]

Sounds promising. I don't know what D&D means to her though, so I guess we'll see.

 

[Sitara]

lol yeah, not the best thing to say probably.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Interesting at the close how she says

I think the monster that impressed me the most as a player in the new edition is the purple worm. That is one scary encounter!

I like the idea of the purple worm being a scary encounter again, I wonder what it is like in the new edition?

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hey all!

I thought the most interesting snippet was...

We’ve simplified the age categories, eliminating those at the younger end and consolidating others, so that good dragon challenges exist at each adventuring tier.

That seems to confirm there are 3 age (and presumably size?) categories for dragons.

Large = Young Dragons (Heroic Tiers)
Huge = (Adult) Dragons (Paragon Tiers)
Gargantuan = Ancient Dragons (Epic Tiers)

Colossal size may still come into play for something like the Tarrasque (?) but WotC probably see more benefit in restricting dragons to Gargantuan, since Colossal Miniatures are a tad unwieldy on the tabletop.

 

[Dausuul]

Colossal size may still come into play for something like the Tarrasque (?) but WotC probably see more benefit in restricting dragons to Gargantuan, since Colossal Miniatures are a tad unwieldy on the tabletop.

After all the money I dropped on that Colossal Red, I'll be real annoyed if Colossal dragons go away in 4E...

 

[Plane Sailing]

I'd be a little sorry to see small dragons disappear, since they made great foes for low level PCs.

 

[EATherrian]

Luckily since I don't use miniatures I can still use Colossal monsters to my hearts content. Score one for the imagination!

 

[Intrope]

I'd be a little sorry to see small dragons disappear, since they made great foes for low level PCs.

I doubt that's happening: back in the Monsters!^3 podcast, one of the example encounters for a 2nd or 3rd level party travelling with a caravan was a white dragon! Also, a 2nd level party in a different playtest fought and won against a copper, too.

On the other hand, I suspect that Upper_Krust has it right; each Dragon color will probably have 3 ages, matching the Heroic/Paragon/Epic paradigm. However, I bet that the colors will be in different places in each teir; I bet the White dragon is the weakest in each teir, too.

 

[Derren]

I'd be a little sorry to see small dragons disappear, since they made great foes for low level PCs.

I don't think that you can't have dragons as opponents for low level parties anymore. WotC will probably weaken the adult dragon so much that depending on the color they are suitable as low level opponents. Younger dragons will be ignored (like the children of other monsters).