Waterdeep?

[The Grumpy Celt]

I have looked at the release schedule for WotC books. One Forgotten Realm location that I do think bears revisiting is Waterdeep However, I did not see any such book listed as “coming your way.” So I was wondering, does any one know if a Waterdeep book is in the works? I miss boozing it up in Waterdeep.

…Given the “Sharn” city book, it might be a while before we see another city book from WotC. Pity.

 

[Malar's Cow]

I've heard reports from GenCon stating that Ed Greenwood and Eric Boyd alluded to a product which they could not yet reveal, but the hint they offered was that it would be a "tie-in" to another product.

We know that Ed Greenwood is writing a Waterdeep novel scheduled for release in 2005. Clack has it that Eric Boyd is writing a Waterdeep sourcebook that is the tie-in to the novel release.

 

[rounser]

Given the “Sharn” city book, it might be a while before we see another city book from WotC. Pity.

Gah... :\ Why the heck did they name the city that? That name is already taken by an FR monster. It's about as bad as naming your city Sigil, or Manifest, or Oubliette. Regular words, or names which are already in the game, are just plain bad candidates for city names, and hurt suspension of disbelief...

Waterdeep, on the other hand, is immediately identifiable as a unique name, even if it is made out of two regular words.

 

[kuje31]

The Waterdeep sourcebook is set for next year. About the same time as Ed's and Elaine's Waterdeep novel.

Richard Baker has said that, that sourcebook is scheduled for next year.

 

[Ranger REG]

I'm hoping it becomes the definitive fantasy port city sourcebooks, from law & politics to trade & resources. Also, the structure of their militia and watchguards on land and seacoast.

I'm hoping they include information of the little-known Illefarn.

 

[Sammael]

I expect it to have a very large number of prestige classes called the XYZ of Waterdeep, a number of additional regional feats for Waterdeep, random encounters for Waterdeep and Undermountain (by dungeon level), lots of magic items, and new spells.

In other words, I expect very little actual content.

 

[The Grumpy Celt]

About the same time as Ed's and Elaine's Waterdeep novel.

Are Elaine and Ed collaborating on a novel about Waterdeep?

Well, that I might have to pick up, even if her last F.R. book – “Wind Walker” - was a bit of a disappointment. I have been skipping the F.R. novels for a while because most of them are not worth the money to me any more. Enchanting when I was 17 or so but now I’m in my 30’s and they are not so endearing.

However, Greenwood can have a pleasant earthiness to his stories and Cunningham’s are somewhat elegant. It will be interest to see how they work together, on Waterdeep no less.

 

[Faraer]

A 160-page 3E Waterdeep book would presumably be 40 pages of spurious rulez, 80 pages consolidating existing information, and 40 pages of new lore. Except with Eric writing it, I reckon he can write all three types at once. Even so, it'll be bound to leave out much of what's in City of Splendors and most of Volo's Guide to Waterdeep. And that's without trying to cover Undermountain, the Dungeon of the Crypt, or Waterdeep's environs.

Ed has posted information about the Waterdeep Watch on his candlekeep.com thread.

City of Splendors: A Novel of Waterdeep by Ed Greenwood & Elaine Cunningham (neither of whom picked the name) is due August 2005.

 

[dreaded_beast]

I expect it to have a very large number of prestige classes called the XYZ of Waterdeep, a number of additional regional feats for Waterdeep, random encounters for Waterdeep and Undermountain (by dungeon level), lots of magic items, and new spells.

Sounds good to me. I'd buy it.

 

[jester47]

I expect it to have a very large number of prestige classes called the XYZ of Waterdeep, a number of additional regional feats for Waterdeep, random encounters for Waterdeep and Undermountain (by dungeon level), lots of magic items, and new spells.

In other words, I expect very little actual content.

Actually the FR books are moving away from what we saw in Underdark and UE. Serpent Kingdoms only has 24 pages of the items you listed. Out of 191 pages thats only 12% crunch. Underdark had 74 pages out of 191, giving it a 38% crunch factor. Unapproachable East had 58 pages out of 191 dedicated to crunch, putting it at 30% crunch. Crunch factor does not count new monsters.

It was said at GenCon that WotC is rethinking the cruchiness theory in favor of fluff theory. I think the quote was "We may have gotten too crunchy." From what I have heard, Waterdeep is supposed to be a bigger book. So if they keep the crunch low, it will have a lot of information in it.

Aaron.