Hello everyone, my name is Kevin Jordan and I'm the Creative Director for Module Development for WWG. This post is to provide an opportunity for those who may be interested to discuss the new product line of WWG Adventures in the world of Arcraetia.

For my part, though I'm an avid D&D fan, I must confess that my RPG experience and interest has largely been with Call of Cthulhu and Pendragon (obsessions really).

I look forward to chatting with you on various Arcraetian topics, answering questions, and I'm sure the various artists and writers of what I believe to be a very talented and experienced Module Team will be more than happy to chime in as well.

So let me be the first !

Hi !

It will be any kind of "setting book" or will be all in the adventures... I supose that a beautiful illustrated and with photos of the streets in it would be something wonderfull to see...

Well as I've more questions I would tell...luck to all of you

Hi. Did you used to post under a different name? I'm curious that you only have 2 posts listed.

Do tell us more about what's coming up...

Two posts that you can see. "There are more things in heaven and earth..."

One of our long term objectives is indeed a world book. Unfotunately, it is a ways down the road. In the meantime, collectively the writers and illustrators work from a colossel collection called the ARM-Arcraetian Reference Materials. One of my first jobs at WWG was to put together for Denny what was essentially a world book for our staff to base their adventures around. It is from the ARM that the map, timeline, and the guide to the kingdoms all come from. Currently the ARM is too large and unwieldly to make available, but from it we will be releasing portions as files on the Arcraetia Site to add more background as the modules develop. The modules themselves will also add small doses of Arcraetiana.

The unique thing about WWG Arcraetia, and another reason we just can't make the ARM available, is that unlike many other fantasy worlds there is a very definitive and evolving backstory which will tie everything together and culminate in a very exciting event(s). Arcraetia has not only a very detailed history, but a specific and dramatic future.

I'm mostly a voyeur on the boards: my time has been spent finishing the ARM, editing the upcoming adventures and their art, bouncing ideas with our Team, and beginning to develop my own adventure. I will be posting more as needed, but primarily on Arcraetia Corner if there is interest.

Cheers!

Sounds like the background collection from my fantasy city campaign that's been running for 25 years. Having finally set it all out on shelving, I can't believe how much has accumulated. Good luck with the editing.



Welcome to de-lurk mode then! We look forward to hearing all the gossip from you....

The man behind the curtain speaks! He speaks...!

I'd like to see more info on some of the unique races (which you & the team feel can be revealed at least) that exist in Arcaetia.

As a start, how about a spotlight on the Savage Elves that Joel Sparks mentioned will be making their first appearance in the Dinas Ffordd module. Some of the idea that native American culture was inspiration for this sounds damned interesting. If this is a hint at the uniquely interesting ties to real world cultures that proliferate the lands of Arcaetia, I am very excited to hear more.

~Floyd

ps. I'm glad to see an open forum with which more Arcaetia can be discussed. And I'm hoping that more than just D20 system stats can be provided. (ie. Savage Worlds)

You'll be glad to know that concurrently with Joel's adventure, either as an insert or as a download with the current Arcraetian Files, (or both) a section of the ARM called "The Elven Races of Arcraetia Part I" which specifically deals with the "Wild Elves" of Arcraetia, the "Oshalogwa".

As well, Bob Cooper is currently working on a project dealing with the Valdsparian vampire Warlords; I've seen the first draft, and it's very good.

There are a large number of new races for Arcraetia, many a new spin on traditional races, and we'll be making them available in adventures or as independent downloads as soon as is practical.

I'm more than happy to address any questions, and as long as there is interest in Arcraetia Corner I'll be here, along with the rest of the Team.

Cheers!

I'm very Jazzed about Acraetia.

All I ask is that their be adventures where there is a lot of character / NPC interaction. I will always refer to "The Cult of the Reptile God" written by Douglas Niles and published by TSR (now WOTC). In this adventure the PC's were investigators attempting to solve a "who dunnit". It was very well written and allowed for massive amounts of PC / NPC interaction while the PC's investigated why people of the town were disappearing. I also allowed for lots of combat, especially subdual combat where you don't necessarily want to kill what is attacking you.

The Freeport series is also a good example of this as well.

I already posted a review of Something Below in its thread, guess I should cut / paste / clean up and post under the official Something Below product on the main site.

CCotD'

Most excellent:
It's great to hear of how you want some imput on this topic. Personally, I think this site, with all the props available from the model sets, is perfectly set up for expanding even further into module design.

I'm with the others on the board who request a settings book.Something Below was a great start (and it looked BEAUTIFUL), but I was left more than a little wanting for backstory. Since I grew up reading my older brother's "Shadow World" campaign setting for Rolemaster I have developed a fondness for really thick, beefy and thorough settings, with tons of detail, backstory, mythology, and flavor texts (I realize this is a ton of work to develop, however.) Just a humble request.



Sweet! With CCotD, I really like stories/worlds that include a lot of mystery and intrigue. I like to see when the darker sides of human nature, that are found in all of us, are brought forward in a world setting and play dramatic factors in the roleplaying itself.

Enough of me. I'm terribly excited to see where this all goes, and I'll keep eagerly watching.

-Polycarp

Some very good questions/observations!

One of the prime "interview" questions we posed when putting together the writing Team was if the authors felt they were capable of writing "beyond the box" of typical hack and slash adventures. We also required a sample of such writing. Our focus for adventures is to explore issues, many with obvious parallels in our own world, and to do so it is absolutely imperative that we incorporate well developed character (PC & NPC) interactions, plots and character motivations. There will obviously be some standard modules as well, but for the most part we are developing stories with a specific backstory in mind, and using intrigue and poltical drama to explore such.

World Books are a definitive must, and also a tremendous amount of work; not to mention the difficulties involved in a setting such as WWG where evrything is commission based, and we are so HEAVILY DEPENDENT upon you, the customers, to generate sales to keep talented artists/writers interested, and especially your generation of "word of mouth" advertising to allow WWG to grow: cudos to you all for what you've done for us so far! Which is also why we pay so much attention to what you want and think. The Modules Department is in its infancy, and it will take some time to garner the success the Models Department has enjoyed.

We are planning major World Books down the road, but more immediately we're looking at small downloads on the Arc. Site to help explore Arc. in more detail, particularly races and religion.

Cheers!

Nice to meet you, Kevin!

What sort of your own adventure are you interested in writing?

I finished reading The Tipping Point where it talks about the different people it takes to make trends happen. Very interesting read. WWG needs to identify its Mavens etc. (one of the three personalities to spread the word).

I'd really like to see something set up for LGS (local gaming stores) to be able to sell something that would allow people more access to WWG stuff. I know that there has been talk about this in other threads and we've talked about it in the RADIO show, but it is true that LGS owners aren't going to push something that they don't get a cut of. (And I'm also pushing this cause once My SO finishes her Masters and gets a job I'm opening up my own LGS since my FLGS closed its doors and I'd like to push WWG products).

But enough of that rant in this thread.

Can any more detail be provided on the upcoming adventures? I noticed on the WIP meter that they are progressing and there is a part 2 and 3 coming.

CCotD'

Ahh, adventures...well, lets see what I can say:

For my own part, it's a little dificult to be specific. Not because there is any particular secret involved (other than the general Arc. plot-line) but mainl because I'm currently working with 4 scenarios/outlines and I haven't truely decided on which one, or multiples of the 4, that I will complete. Eventually all 4, in one form or another, will be produced. They're not close enough in plot to be a trilogy or whatever, though I am certain at leat 2 will be combined.

Generally, however, it will take place in Himmelveil. My Cthulhu experience/obsession means a few other generalizations. It will be dark and somewhat fatalistic. It will create a number of threads to "grease" the Arc. backstory, and introduce some of the key, and very dark, players.

The core religions of Arc. will be introduced somewhat, as they have tremendous impact in the ultimate climax of the Arc. backstory. In true Cthulhu tradition, there will be much "investigation" and "research" for the PC's, and quite a bit of PC-NPC interaction, similar to a "who-dunnit".

As the other adventures and their writers, I don't want to give too much away, rather let them decrib what they feel they can either here in the Corner or on their own threads. I will make a few generalizations.

There are five basic tiers to adventure production at WWG. The first was the Eye of Capellesis. This module was long before I came on board, indeed long before we had an adventure writing team. Thus, it has nothing to do with either the way we now write adventures, or the story lines at all.

The second tier was Bob Coopers Something Below. SB was largely written, again, before I can on board. We retrofitted it somewhat to Arc., but largely left it as is. It's a strong dungeon crawl, and I believe it was well written: I'm looking forward to the rest of his Dark Spiral Quintet. Missing Persons, part 2, continues where SB left off, evolving Bob's PC's, and develops the Dark Spiral plot even more.

The third tier is largely the first adventures of the rest of the Team, including Missing Persons, Bob's secod aadventure. These modules, to one degree or another, will lay the foundation for future adventures, add a little more detail to Arc., and establish the seeds of the Arc. backstory.

The fourth tier is the adventures that truely evolve Arc. to a large degree, and establish the ongoing "struggle" in Arc. Essentially the fourth tier is a culmination of the lesons we learned from the first three tiers, and the core of the saga of Arc.; some might say tragedy, in a Greek sense (hint hint).

The fifth tier, quite a number of years down the road, is the apex of the Arc. saga, and the tragic and brutal downfall (hint hint). Is this the end? Maybe. The end of WWG adventures? No.

Finally, Chris Johnson is writing an adventure based in d20 Future, and utilizing WWG sci-fi models.

Cheers!

To lostearthmother:

Currently, we're not actively seeking new writers. Having said that, that doesn't mean we wouldn't pick up a new one were the right person to come along, especially with experience. Feel free to e-mail me at

kevinj@worldworksgames.com

for Writer's Submission Guidelines.

Cheers!

Whoot!!! Nice to see that not just fantasy (for the freaks out there ) will be covered.

CCotD'

Thanks for the info, Kevin. Looking forward to the upcoming WWG adventures. Good luck with yours!

And we shall call this campaign "the Doomed City". Whereas Chris Johnson's shall be "the Domed City"....