:: View topic

Wolfgang · Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 3:28 pm Post subject:

The next Open Design project won’t really launch until November, but why let that stop a round of excellent speculation on which project will be chosen next?

The senior patrons have already been discussing what they’d like to see, resulting in a tentative list of options, at least half of which already have full outlines.

Give it a look and vote in the poll, and help choose which projects will be up for commission.

Angels of Our Better Nature (D&D): A truly experimental plot features angels as the main villains, plus factions among the city and the angels. The secret behind the angels is the final twist, and removing them from the city means that the city is restored. This one is full of surprises... And it’s the sort of experimental adventure unlikely to be offered anywhere else.
Court of the Shadow Fey (D&D): An adventure that features as much stealth and intrigue as it does combat, and takes place in the Shadowfell/Plane of Shadows. The court of the Moonlit King is a place of giants, black fey, and abominations of the living dark. The whole thing pivots on when the party is unmasked, at which point it becomes a more traditional (but epic) action adventure. More detail here
Kobold Bestiary (D&D): I love monsters and I will keep pitching this project until someone says yes. Master monster designers Wolfgang Baur and Skip Williams teach all the elements of monster design, and the patrons have the option to contribute beasts to the compendium! This will also include the Monday Monsters from this site, plus creatures from previous Open Design adventures, more than 150 monsters in all. Massive!
Lords of Lost Arbonesse (Modern or D&D): Pulp undersea adventure that does a “lost Atlantis” premise right! Careful design to make undersea adventuring work, plus material on the deep Abyss of the darkest ocean. This could tie in with Pathfinder/Golarion as a drowned city of the Thassilonian Empire days (already canonical west of Sandpoint), it could tie into a Modern/Cthulhu game, or it could be pure fantasy. Think Deep Ones and their ancient artifacts meet Indiana Jones style PCs… More detail here
Slaves of the Red Goddess (D&D): Bruce Cordell is writing a take on the “Kingdom of the Ghouls”, so it seems only fair that Open Design do a riff on the Far Realms. This Cthulhoid-tinged adventure features the cult of the Red Goddess, and attempt to summon Things from the Realms Beyond, and an assault on the goddess’s followers stronghold in the Grey Marshes. Adaptable to any campaign, it features a “points of light” approach, a dozen new monsters, and a set of ruthless arcane and divine villains. Possibly some emphasis on the Glass Books, Slave Wands, and other new magical items.
Tales of Greater Zobeck (D&D): Also known as Halls of the Mountain King, this adventure anthology would pick up where the current Tales of Zobeck project leaves off, and would include both a short gazetteer of the dwarven clans plus a set of interlinked dungeon adventures written by patrons and professionals. Each patron/author would contribute a dungeon level or major encounter area, with the whole adding up to a massive mini-campaign in the Zobeck style, with a dwarven twist.

Which is your favorite? The winners from the poll will be put up for commission in November.

EDIT: Have stripped out edition references.
_________________
Wolfgang Baur
Publisher, Kobold Press

Kobold Courier