D&D 5E The Lost Citadel: a new apocalyptic 5E setting from Green Ronin

[Nikchick]

Hi guys,

For game support we have the core book designed for 5E, the double-sided poster map of the city, the intro adventure, and the GM screen, with the stretch goal for additional content on martial disciplines still on the table (and an AGE system hack, which was the #1 requested at the start of the campaign). Since the Kickstarter is funding the development of the rpg materials (with a projected delivery date of next year), it's not possible to show off systems or answer specific design questions about exactly how things like the low magic or the features of the Dead are going to play out. Those are post-funding level updates which WILL come but this is a setting book and we expected to be asked to focus on the features of the setting which we've tried to convey through art, fiction, and general description. We posted an example race and mocked up book spread example for people interested in seeing how the book is intended to be put together.

Sample spread: The Ghul

We made two short stories from the anthology available for free in an attempt to help convey the feel of the setting and some of the politics and cultural conflict that you will see there:

“The Bone-Shaker’s Daughter” by Mercedes M. Yardley.

"Requiem, In Bells" by Ari Marmell.

It's entirely true that we took a chance on deciding to go with the transmedia aspects of the property with this Kickstarter and include fiction and music in addition to the straight game material. In fact, that's one of the key reasons we took it to Kickstarter in the first place: to offer people the chance to buy in on the whole package across the various platforms and we created the add-on tiers so that people could really pick and choose what they were most interested in.

I'm sorry you feel that communication was "lacking" from us. I tried to answer every question that had a specific answer and tried to explain those points that didn't we didn't have the ability to address in specific when they came up. We even addressed some of the existing backer questions in the video we made with co-creators Jaym Gates and C.A. Suleiman at Origins (Ari, sadly, wasn't able to join us) and posted that while we were still at the convention so backers and potential backers could take a look at it and have time to digest the info or follow up with more queries.

https://youtu.be/2aNzX863118

While I don't have mechanical examples to share to entice people, I had rather hoped that the quality of our previous work and the people chosen for the design team might provide reassurance for people that we're going to do this city setting right. Freeport City of Adventure has been at the heart of Green Ronin's business since our inception and currently exists as a 544-page full color hardback. We've produced both Freedom City and Emerald City as Mutants & Masterminds sourcebooks (Freedom City for 3E M&M is coming out this summer!). We did 5E development work for Wizards of the Coast on both the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide and Out of the Abyss, which were well-received by the 5E community. In addition to the work CA and Ari have done for Green Ronin in the past (on our Hamunaptra boxed set, on our Thieves' World license), CA also worked on the Stormreach city book for Eberron. In short (?), we like city books and we have a lot of enthusiasm for bringing them out and bringing them out RIGHT.

Regards,
Nicole

 

[John Bonar]

Just wanted to say that I just upped my funding level to the early Exalted Magistrate level. I enjoyed Freeport, and other settings that have involved large cities that literally you can run entire campaigns in. This feels like that there is so much potential as a GM and player to create deep, colorful, and powerful stories with friends.

 

[Toll Carom]

Also I must say that many of the questions in the comment section were never responded to.

Huh. I'm not seeing where this is true.

 

[Ath-kethin]

@nicole, the creators/writers involved and Green Ronin's almost flawless history are what keep me here. I still use Steve Kenson's Psychic's Handbook in my games.

It may be that I'm unused to Kickstarter campaign where the bulk of the work isn't done ahead of time. It may be that I struggle to find time to read prose, no matter how evocative it may be, and it may be that adaptations of prose ideas to game mechanics have a spotty history at best (Green Ronin's own Black Company Campaign Setting notwithstanding). It may be that when I'm interested in a Kickstarter for an RPG supplement, I'm interested in game information I can use, not stories to read.

It may be that I am not actually the target demographic for this style of product and campaign.

But actual game play, and the lack of real info on or about it, has been my concern, both here and in the Kickstarter comments section. I'd like to know what kinds of rules this book will bring to the table. How it changes things from the core/mean. How it pushes boundaries - I think 5e's great weakness is in how it's structure makes some boundaries incredibly difficult to push, and I'd like to see more outside-the-box thinking. This product may do that. It may not. It's certainly under no obligation to push those limits, but I think it is well positioned to push a button based on it's concept.

The new Talislanta setting gives us a great alternative for a spell-less Ranger, for example. I'm wondering what The Lost Citadel will have.

No pressure.



Edited for numerous typos and to make some sentences more closely resemble English.

 

[Mouseferatu]

I hear you about your greater interest in mechanics. Certainly in the future we'll keep in mind that there's a portion of the D&D Kickstarter audience who would prefer we have at least a small portion of mechanics decided in advance, so we can describe them even if they're not in a form clean enough to present them.

In the interim, while I cannot 100% guarantee anything for the final product, I can tell you that--as one example of new mechanics, not remotely a comprehensive list--we're looking at both new subclasses and several entire new class concepts to address both the lower-magic feel and the general mood/theme/aesthetic of Redoubt.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Also, while it's not what all of you are looking for...

Those of you who are interested in Lost Citadel fiction, we've actually gotten really close to the Brian Hodge novel stretch goal. That's in addition to the anthology and the novel already announced.

 

[John Bonar]

I like to think that if you like the theme of what the Lost Citadel is going for you will not be disappointed, because the crew involved with this project has a to of experience in delivering very high quality and engaging products.

I personally believe that this an all star crew and they know the themes and are going to knock It out of the park.


Sent from my iPhone using EN World

 

[Mouseferatu]

Wow. We made it. We reached the Brian Hodge novel stretch goal.

Thank you all so much for participating. We've still got about half a day left before Kickstarter is over. There's a lot of good stuff to be had, and the next stretch goal is pretty nifty, so you ought to take a look if you haven't already.

But I can stop begging and/or threatening.