Design Diaries

In this column, Mike and I cover issues that come up during the process of writing game products for Malhavoc Press. Some are specific design issues, while others are somewhat more esoteric. I hope you find them all informative and interesting, answering a lot of the questions you have about the d20 System, the kinds of things designers think about, and about the whole publishing process. These Design Diaries are updated sometimes every week, sometimes every other week. -- Monte

Monte Cook's Design Diaries		Mike Mearls' Design Diaries
Design Diary: Conspiracy Research When researching for a book like The Skeptic's Guide to Conspiracies, you learn some strange rules, and perhaps a few truths. Amid all the crazy clutter.... Design Diary: Part VII: Running a Ptolus Campaign From Design Day One, I knew that there would be a Part VII of the Ptolus book. Well, I didn't know it would be "Part VII," but I knew there would be a part of the book that dealt with new rules material. Remember, practically everything I've written for Malhavoc Press (and a lot I've done for Fiery Dragon, Atlas Games, and others) has come out of the Ptolus Campaign. It's always been a testing ground for new 3rd Edition rules material -- in fact, it was one of the first such testing grounds... Design Diary: Part VI: Living in Ptolus In some ways, Part VI of Ptolus is the most important part of the book for me, despite the fact that it's smaller than all the others. Why? Because it's the material that I always want to get out of an RPG setting book, but very rarely do. This part talks about what it's really like to be in Ptolus... Design Diary: Part V: Above the City "Above the City." It sounds like a whole part of the book that details birds and hot air balloons. In Ptolus, however, "above the city" refers to the most enigmatic part of the setting: the Spire. Specifically, it means Goth Gulgamel and Jabel Shammar, the two fortresses built upon the Spire. To a much lesser degree, it also refers to the Seven Jewels of Parnaith, otherworldly half-worlds whose doors float ethereally in orbit around the Spire. Design Diary: Part IV: Below the City In many ways, the genesis of the Ptolus Campaign came from a conversation I had with Bruce Cordell once. I wondered aloud what it would be like if there were really a massive dungeon full of monsters, traps, and treasure. Obviously, being a D&D fan, I like the idea that there would indeed be a certain class of people -- adventurers -- who would take it upon themselves to explore the dungeon, brave its dangers, and bring back its treasures, but what would impact would such a class of people have on a society? Design Diary: Part III: City Guide The third part of the Ptolus book covers the actual district-by-district description of the city itself. This part of the book is the largest section, and arguably the most important. In its twelve chapters, each district of the city is described in incredible detail, with an additional overview chapter at the beginning. Design Diary: Part II: Ptolus Background The second of Ptolus' seven parts contains an array of varied content. It includes material on the world, the races, the gods and cosmology, the history, and the organizations. This is, in a way, the part of the book that provides the context for the rest. It's everything but the city of Ptolus. Design Diary: Part I: A Player's Guide to Ptolus The Ptolus book has seven parts, covering everything from the world to the districts of the city, the areas above and below the city, and advice on running and playing in the Ptolus Campaign. In my next set of Design Diaries, I'm going to discuss each part and give you a little background on its contents and my design goals for it.		Crunch and Fluff in the Diamond Throne This installment of the Ruins of Intrigue design diary covers the basic process of building Serathis. A New Approach to Adventures I love designing adventures. While putting together new mechanics, creating new monsters, and tinkering with the rules are all a lot of fun, adventures are the heart and soul of roleplaying games. Stunts and Skills This article discusses Skills and Stunts, the fourth and final chapter of The Book of Iron Might. Feats of Iron Might This week, it's time to talk about perhaps my favorite part of the d20 system: feats! The Ironborn Discover the design decisions behind the crafting of the ironborn, a player character race of constructs. Gambling on Maneuvers The Book of Iron Might was an exercise in gambling. Mystic Secrets Revealed: Magic I have a bit of a confession to make: I don't like designing spells.... Mystic Secrets Revealed: Runes A look at runes, the magical symbols that form the basis of much of the lore and power in Monte Cook's Arcana Unearthed.
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