|
Malhavoc
Press
When the Sky Falls Chat With Bruce Cordell
April
17, 2003 -- 5 p.m. PST
 We
were pleased to welcome game designer Bruce R. Cordell into
our
chat room to answer your questions about When
the Sky Falls and more. Thanks to everyone who attended!
We also appreciate the moderating talents of Carthain from
our message boards. Thanks for sending us this transcript*
too.
Carthain:
Okay, so we're ready to get underway ^_^ . Welcome
to a Malhavoc Press Chat! Today
we are chatting with Monte Cook and Bruce Cordell.
Monte:
Hey, I'm just here to find out more about When the
Sky Falls, like everyone else.
Galhavoc:
Bruce, you will also answer Mindscapes questions, right?
BruceC:
I will answer all questions :-)
Monte:
Bruce is all knowing.
BruceC:
I try to project that image.
Carthain:
We'll start with a generic question from Protosift:
"Why not tell us about When the Sky Falls?"
BruceC:
Okay....
The first thing to realize about When the Sky Falls
is that it is NOT going to wreck your campaign. It will
enhance it with a new villains, new prestige classes, new
monsters, and a new type of magic called astromancy --
all themed around the concept that a meteorite hits someplace
in your campaign world.
Of course, the first part of book handles all the rules
for handling a fall, an impact, the effects,
the cratering, and what might be found near and long term
around the crater.
Carthain:
From Havoc: "I noticed that the creature in "The
Stuff" was mechanical -- are we to assume there are
spaceships and stuff?"
BruceC:
Hmm, no spaceships per se. The Engram Ark did travel
through 'the outer realm' or space, but its trip is done.
You couldn't pilot it... well, I suppose the DM could make
a decision about that.
Carthain:
From Isida: "Could Bruce explain a little about how
to get more luminosities out of starmilk? Do you get more
per each 500 gp?"
BruceC:
Oh oh, techical question (opens up his document).
Yes, each 500 gp worth of starmilk dissolution grants a
luminosity.
Expensive, but sometimes worth it.
Carthain:
From RBB2Guest: "Malhavocians, will the event books
always have funny liquids (godsblood, starsmilk, warjuice),
what have you? :) Seriously, what will be the common attributes?"
Monte:
Oooh. I like "Malhavocians"
Galhavoc:
So far, the event books all follow the same chapter
format, with "preparing for the event" and "integrating
the event" chapters, plus chapters with feats, organizations,
and so on.
BruceC:
Warjuice?
Carthain:
I'm guessing warjuice is meant to be for Cry Havoc
^_^
BruceC:
Yeah, thought it was funny ;-)
Galhavoc:
That will not change in upcoming event books, but you
will see a bit of a different approach with Skip's Cry
Havoc. It will have a number of chapters also devoted
to the mechanics of unit combat. (Now, Monte, which
one of us has to call him to tell him to put in war juice?)
Carthain:
From rweston: "Bruce, does When the Sky Falls
have any suggestions for introducing 'high tech'cultures
with magic tech (it looks that way from some of the teasers
on the Malhavoc site)."
BruceC:
No, this book doesn't deal with magitech. Its magic
is 'star' oriented, pretty arcane (though I threw in some
translations for psionic characters). And there is subcurrent
of dream magic. But, really, not too much tech in an overt
sense.
 Carthain:
From erekose13: "Bruce: How much psionics does When
the Sky Falls involve? Is it all based off of the Mindscapes
rules set?"
BruceC:
I introduce a new power source in when the sky falls
for PCs called Astromancy. Mainly, I provide translation
of some feats so that psionic characters can utilize this
power source as well.
BruceC:
The Mindscapes unique mind-duel system doesn't
come into it.
Monte:
It's probably worth mentioning that When the Sky
Falls isn't actually a psionics book.
BruceC:
Right.
Carthain:
From Arkenian: "What did he use as references when
researching the book?"
BruceC:
Initially I did research on the effects of a meteor
impact. I had to study many different meteor impacts of
different sizes in order to get a general rule for what
size of meteor would generally produce such and such an
effect.
So, using all this real-world info, I synthesised it into
game rule formats, including descriptions, effects, and
the average size of a meteorite you'd want to have fall
on your world without really mucking it up too much.
Carthain:
From rweston: "Bruce, Are you running a campaign at
the moment, and if so, what kind of game are you running?"
BruceC:
Only playtests.... I am pretty satisfied from a player's
perspective. Though
I suppose you never know.
Carthain:
From RBB2Guest: "I haven't read the whole thing, but
Sky (like Requiem) has a lot of ideas for
how to approach the event, all pretty interesting. I occured
to me before I saw Sky that as more books come on,
I won't want to add all the events to my campaign. Will
you have more info in the future on how to decouple the
crunchy bits from the event itself?"
BruceC:
Certainly you could predicate, at least in the case
of Sky, that the event occured off screen.
Then, you could just use some monsters, some prestige classes,
or some items however you liked, mix and match, etc.
Monte:
Same with Requiem
for a God. The god could have died a thousand years
ago. Then you can just stick the stuff into your campaign
and forget about the event.
Carthain:
From Protosift: "Exactly how much detail will the unit
combat rules go in? Exactly how cinematic should the system
feel?"
Monte:
In Cry Havoc, you mean? The detail level is
really high. You'll be able to do a LOT with this system.
It's cinematic in the Braveheart sort of way.
Carthain:
From Jawsh: "This is my question for Malhavoc Press:
What other event books are you considering?"
Monte:
Well, there are lots of ideas. Maybe an invasion (like
from another plane). Maybe an earthquake/volcano kind of
thing. A plague. Or maybe something like a gift from the
gods of new knowledge. Maybe even the invention of steampunk
technology.
Carthain:
From CemendurRhana: "Steampunk? Our group created an
event-oriented steampunk world with the race for 'Mana'similar
to the race for oil. . . It would be interesting to see
how you treat the genre. I definitely see steampunk influences
in the other 3rd edition works. Any thoughts on the genre?"
Monte:
Personally, I love it. My own campaign, Ptolus,
has firearms and steampunk stuff. It's fun.
Carthain:
From Havoc: "To Bruce: Did you include the effects
for a large meteor (in case someone wants to kill the dinosaurs)?"
BruceC:
Yes, to some degree.
But really, that type of effect scrubs the biosphere to
such an extent that only small animals survive.
Not too much fun for a game.
But, of course, without that last one, we humans wouldn't
have evolved from furry mammalian vermin. :-)
I hope we really begin to look for the next one that has
earth's name on it, since we know it's out there.
Carthain:
From Arkenian: "So how big a meteorite did you end
up choosing?"
BruceC:
My 'mundane meteorite' is about 30 feet in diamater.
Carthain:
From Darkwood: "Do you have a favorite class you like
to play?"
BruceC:
Wizard!
Monte:
Why's that, Bruce?
BruceC:
I like to play a wizard,and I like to throw lightning
bolts. So, every so often I attempt to play against
type, but I always come back.
Monte, it's the closest I'll come to having Molecule Man
powers (at least in this universe).
Monte:
:D
Carthain:
From erekose13: "In your research, has such a meteor
hit the earth before (size wise)?"
BruceC:
Definitely. It's just that the weathering of the environment
covers most such craters.
The Tunguska blast was probably a meteorite impact of somewhere
in the vicinity of the mundane meteorite, though perhaps
larger.
Carthain:
From Jawsh: "Bruce, will the rules and ideas presented
in Sky be applicable to, say, the plane of Acheron,
where such collisions are likely common, and likely often
very complex? Perhaps this event book will allow us to explore
parts of other planes where we have never been before?"
BruceC:
Most of the D&D planes have quite similar physical
laws to the material plane. I'd say that the rules definitely
apply to any plane where there is gravity, at least.
 Carthain:
From Tiburon: "A sidebar question...psionics and magic
have a pretty different feel. Does Arcana
Unearthed support stacking psionic and magical class
levels?"
Monte:
In that psionics are a type of spell in Arcana Unearthed,
yes.
Carthain:
From RBB2Guest: "Monte, can we still look forward to
a truenames Design Diary this week?
(Bruce, wizard is my favorite to play, too, though I want
to try a magister.)"
Monte:
I'm working on it... I'll
try. It might go up when we put up our big, new exciting
announcement tomorrow.
Carthain:
From erekose13: "Any chance we will see some of Bruce's
Psionics material in Arcana Unearthed at some point
in the future?"
Monte:
There's a possibility to do an expanded Arcana Unearthed
psionics thing sometime, but it's not planned at the moment.
Carthain:
From erekose13: "To all Malhavocians (yeah, I know,
I stole that) what is your favourite flavor of ice cream?"
BruceC:
Right now, Cherry Garcia.
Galhavoc:
Raspberries & cream.
Monte:
Reverse Chocolate Chunk, although they haven't made
it for years, that I can find.
Carthain:
From Isida: "Could you elaborate on the Dark Plea a
bit? (Is it in Beasts if the Id too?)"
BruceC:
The Dark Plea is also in Beasts of the Id. It
is a 'behind the story' force that has proved to be an extremely
valuable concept to me. In game, it is a little-seen entity
that exists partly in dream and partly in reality. It has
its own purposes, which seem to be the destruction of worlds.
It has a host of servitor races, some of which appear in
Beasts of the Id, but also some of which appear in
When the Sky Falls (some of its servitors are psionic,
some are not). It is responsible for rending the world of
the Kureshim asunder. Engram Arks are the fleeing splintered
minds of the sentient creatures that once inhabited that
world. For all the good it did them...
Carthain:
From Galhavoc: "Bruce, one of the things I love about
When the Sky Falls is that it manages to work in
so many bits of Bruciana, such as the Kureshim from If
Thoughts Could Kill. Can you tell us about more
little pieces like this that readers of your other books
might notice in this one?"
BruceC:
Off the top of my head, I think there are some bits
about the Primal Artificers...
But, just for the record, this is new Bruciana, distinct
from my old Wizards storyline.
Monte:
Old Wizards storyline?
BruceC:
Basically, I like to present a subtle web of minor
links in anything I write. I had to begin a new one with
Malhavoc, which is great!
With Wizards (TSR actually), it all started with the Far
Realm. Most things I wrote since then touched on it, and
eventually it got added to the new Manual of the Planes,
actually.
Carthain:
From RBB2Guest: "How would you-all rank the fun of
working on the following kinds of books: 1) event books;
2) big adventures; 3) little adventures; 4) big rulebooks;
5) little rulebooks (and why)?"
BruceC:
1 -- little adventures (I like designing cool, entertaining
stories and ideas). On the other end, little rulebooks (I'd
rather write a big one). The others fall somewhere in the
middle.
Monte:
For me, big adventures are the most fun. Then event
books, little adventures, big rulebooks and little rulebooks,
although the last three or so are all about the same. Adventures are more fun to write because they have
characters and story. Event books kinda do too.
Carthain:
From rweston: "Bruce, what's your favorite part of
When the Sky Falls -- what new thing does it introduce
that you like best?"
BruceC:
I like the connected concept of the Engram Ark, the
little runelike engrams your character can find there, the
ark guardians, and their inimical enemy, the Dark Plea.
How's that for getting it all in? :-). But, in my mind it's
all of a piece.
Carthain:
From Havoc: "How do the prestige classes and monsters
relate to the meteor? In other words, do they come from
it? React to it?"
BruceC:
Some of the prestige classes are formed because of
the type of material left behind by the meteorite -- starmilk.
These prestige classes better learn how to manipulate it
and gain power from it. Other prestige classes spring up from those who learn
how to wear more than a single engram at once, and gain
power synergistically. One prestige class tunes into the evil vibes of the
Dark Plea and so gains power.
BruceC:
And one, the Lord of Silence, is taught to those who
learn who to peice several engrams together (which are really
personality and knowledge fragments of formerly living beings)
into a conscious realized engram. I like this one, also
called a Disciple of the Vacuum.
Carthain:
From rweston: "Bruce, what's your dream product --
if you could get anything in print, what would it be?"
BruceC:
Like any gamer, my campaign world which I ran in college!
:-) I have gotten pieces of it into various Wizards projects.
Most notably, in Tangents, a product on parallel
universes I wrote some time back.
Carthain:
From Willy: "This is my question: Do you think the
Silver Surfer could beat Superman in a fight?"
Monte:
No frickin' way.
I mean, I like the Surfer a lot, but Superman? No way.
Carthain:
From erekose13: "In Beasts of the Id, what determines
whether a new psionic creature uses the key ability modifier
for the power it manifests or if the designers choose to
give it a set save DC? (i.e., a meld's psionics are 13+power
level, and a scampering maw's psionics are key ability modifer
+ power level)"
BruceC:
Ideally, the creature would have a DC of a modifier
of 10 + half its HD + ability bonus. Sometimes that math
is hidden (if we did it right).
It's possible we didn't always do it right!
Carthain:
From Jawsh: "Malhavoc Press: will there be any future
adventure products or Arcana Unearthed source material
(from Malhavoc or related companies) that will be imbedded
with events from the event books, even if it's just in the
background? For example, did meteors once rain on the land
of the Diamond Throne?"
Monte:
In fact, yes. I'm writing The
Diamond Throne now, and I've taken a few things
from both event books and placed them in the setting.
Carthain:
From Havoc: "To all Malhavocians -- Does being entrenched
in the gaming design industry such as you are degrade your
experiences as players? In other industries, often the designer
has trouble not evaluating the *whatever* while playing
it."
BruceC:
Not me. I play for the sake of playing (though sometimes
ideas are generated thereby).
Galhavoc:
For me, no way. I have never had more fun gaming than
since we've started Malhavoc Press.
Monte:
Nope. I play about twice a week. It's more fun each
week.
Carthain:
From RBB2Guest: "Which books are most fun to edit (for
a Gal named Sue)?"
Galhavoc:
Wow, someone asking about editing? Cool! I like a variety
-- actually the Eldritch Might rulebooks are nice, because
it's fun to get a smattering of spells and feats and more.
The 60 pages or so of spells in Arcana Unearthed
got to be a bit much... I do miss editing setting material,
so I'm looking forward to Diamond Throne.
Carthain:
One final question from, oh, everybody I'm sure: "Monte,
what is this big new exciting announcement? ^_^ (or, at
least a hint!)"
Monte:
It has to do with miniatures and a certain alternative
PH product...
That's all you're going to get.
;)
Carthain:
Ooooh, nice ^_^ Okay, well, that's the end of the questions
for tonight. I'd like to thank everyone for coming, as well
as Bruce, Monte, Sue (and for a bit Sean) for coming to
answer our questions.
Galhavoc:
Thank you guys all so much for coming!
BruceC:
Thanks!!! I had a great time!
Monte:
Thanks so much to all of you.
Carthain:
And now I'll turn the channel back to the general chatter
that normally happens after a chat ^_^
*
Transcript edited for style and clarity.
|
