Working as art director on the Deep Magic project is a blast! In particular, working with cover artist Marcel Mercado was a creative delight, and I am THRILLED with what he came up with.
Initially, my direction to Marcel for the cover basically focused on Midgard magic (blood magic, rune magic, shadow magic, and geomancy). I also stressed that I wanted a bright, colorful cover image that is lively, dynamic, and full of action. I noted that a cool-looking menhir (standing stone) with runes carved was an important part of the image. Ley lines were another element we needed, which I suggested might be represented as glowing lines on the ground, radiating out from the base of the menhir. Of course, being a book all about magic, we needed a spellcaster, so I asked for a wizard of some sort (one of the Midgard iconics would be a nice touch), casting a spell, with lots of fiery, glowing magical runes in the air around him.
I was blown away by the rough we received (seen above).
All four had a nice sense of action and movement, and they really captured the feel we were going for.
I like rough #1 best of all, in particular the menhir and the ley lines, although I liked aspects of the other three as well. So I worked with Marcel to incorporate the best parts of all four roughs into a single, awesome cover image. You can see where we are with that in the second image sneak peek I’m posting here.
After I had the final, high resolution image in hand, I worked on the actual cover.
I have very fond memories of, as a teenager, sitting with my friends and poring over spell descriptions. Something about the mystery, wonder, and power of magic in RPGs has just always given me goose bumps—and, I admit, made me a little trigger-happy when it comes to offensive spells.
So when Wolfgang casually asked me late last year whether I was interested in editing and developing a book of magic, I happily replied, “That’s right in my wheelhouse!”
Little did I know how absolutely engrossing, exciting, and just plain fun this project would be.
In the five months since work has begun on Deep Magic in earnest, I’ve coordinated with Wolfgang and Ben to compile existing Kobold Press material, convert at least one set of spells to Pathfinder RPG, organize the book’s contents, wrangle deadlines, and edit and develop a host of all-new material.
“When I bestride him, I soar, I am a hawk: he trots the air; the earth sings when he touches it; the basest horn of his hoof is more musical than the pipe of Hermes.”
― William Shakespeare, Henry V
Fantasy novels love a good cavalry charge, or a hero who fights alongside a wolf, or a potent mage who spies from the eyes of a soaring bird. In Pathfinder, the only class feature that trumps the animal companion or familiar is spellcasting. Having another creature in a player’s control enhances tactical options and widens that character’s arrays of abilities.
A war-trained horse alone can greatly enhance character movement, carrying capacity, attack options, and defenses. A horse can be a better companion than some fighters since it begins with three attacks, scent, an outstanding carrying capacity, and an excellent move speed.
This may come as no surprise to Kobold Press regulars, but I must confess: I’m a bit addicted to monsters. As a player, I gravitate toward options that give me a familiar, animal companion, or mount since I find the game is missing something for me without that option. I feel that I’m in good company since eight of the eleven base classes either outright gives an animal companion, mount, or familiar, or have options that allow you to take one. So, join me after the jump as we discuss the best options available for animal companions, familiars, and mounts, and keep your eyes peeled for more topics around our fanged and clawed allies, including some alternate rules.
The second stretch goal for the Deep Magic Kickstarteris Labyrinth Magic. A few notes from the designer about this style of magic:
Minotaurs have always been one of my favorite monsters in the game, but the one problem is that mazes are actually quite tedious to explore. When Wolfgang asked me to write some spells for these iconic monsters, I wanted to make sure that I gave them some tools to actually make their labyrinth homes into an exciting encounter. Sure, you might know your way through the maze, but when the Minotaur can teleport you through walls, the twisting corridors become a part of the challenge.
That and I’ve always wanted a spell that gave minotaurs the ability to cause their horns to burst into flames. You can’t go wrong with that.
Jason Bulmahn is a veteran game designer whose work includes numerous books from Paizo, Wizards of the Coast, and his personal imprint, Minotaur Games. He is the lead designer behind the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, and has won numerous ENnie and Origins awards for his work.
Glyph mages, also known as scriveners, master the arcane power of the written word. They summon living ink and use it to rewrite reality to their own ends. In the paragon tier, the glyph mage learns to extend runes to cover areas and aid his or her allies.
Working as art director on the Deep Magic project is a blast! In particular, working with cover artist Marcel Mercado was a creative delight, and I am THRILLED with what he came up with.
I was blown away by the rough we received (seen above).
