[19:03] <+BrandonS> My name is Brandon Schmelz from Funhaver Games (Last Stand, Inverse World). I'm the project manager for Nocturne, a 13th Age setting reminiscent of Ravenloft. It had a Kickstarter last year that was a bit troubled, and we stepped in to save it.
[19:06] <+TAmber> I am T Amber Bezpalko (but call me Tonya), I am the editor for Nocturne. I am not sure a whole lot what there is to say there, so, next.
[19:07] <+JosephK> I'm Joseph Kavanaugh, I'm part of the mechanics team.
[19:08] <+BrandonS> I think that's all three of us, so we should be (done)
[19:09] <~Dan> Thanks, guys!
[19:09] <+BrandonS> Darren Pearce is the head writer, but it seems he ran into some issues with daylight savings time.
[19:09] <~Dan> Yeah. :(
[19:10] <~Dan> Does anyone have any questions to start us off?
[19:10] <+TAmber> I am just gonna be a sec, my pizza is here
[19:10] <+TAmber> carry on
[19:11] <~Dan> Okay! I'll begin, then.
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[19:11] <~Dan> How similar is this to Ravenloft?
[19:12] <+BrandonS> In its original incarnation, with the previous management? It was going to be uncomfortably close. Like, I hope you're prepared to have a chat with Wizards close.
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[19:13] <+JosephK> Obfuscobble is our artist
[19:13] <+BrandonS> It's more like a spiritual successor now - the same general idea of Fantasy Gothic Horror is there, but it's got its own voice and identity now. The 13th Age-specific elements help a lot there since we can flesh things out with the Icons, for example.
[19:13] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, Obfuscobble!)
[19:13] <+Obfuscobble> Hello, everyone. It is nice to meet you all! I am a guest of Nocturne.
[19:13] <+Obfuscobble> Thank you very much!
[19:13] <+Amqui> hi
[19:14] <+BrandonS> Yes, Obfuscobble is amazing. Like Darren, he kept working on Nocturne even when it was at its worst and his art is awesome.
[19:14] <+SE> Could someone link me to a webpage with Nocturne information?
[19:14] <+Obfuscobble> I am more than happy to talk about art, and the time it takes.
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[19:14] <+TAmber> Okay sorry about that, had to herd some cats in the process
[19:14] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, Unguided!)
[19:15] <+Schadmobile> Can you go into detail about the similarities?
[19:15] <+BrandonS> We have the Kickstarter page ((Link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/funtyrant/nightfall)http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/funtyrant/nightfall ) though it's a bit behind the times. The main page gives an overview and this update specifically ((Link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/funtyrant/nightfall/posts/628775)http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/funtyrant/nightfall/posts/628775 ) covers the management change.
[19:16] <+Obfuscobble> The change of management is a great thing. The new team for Nocturne have been very helpful and on the ball with everything. There's lot of communication now.
[19:16] <+BrandonS> I'm working on adding info to funhavergames.com since we'd really like to be able to point to something other than a previously-abandoned Kickstarter run by the previous management.
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[19:16] <+Obfuscobble> Well I could send y'all my pdfs of a game I designed but it needs some more playtesting... *laughs*
[19:17] <+JosephK> i'll cover the similarities question
[19:18] <+Unguided> Sad that TURBODRACULA was cut, but I'm so pissed at Red_Mage that it's for the best.
[19:18] <+Abstruse> Okay, quick question....what exactly is Nocturne?
[19:19] <+JosephK> It's thematically very similar with the horror-fantasy vibe as an extremely strong element but you really won't see a not-barovia or anything like that. It's also lacking the vistani conceptually and has some very interesting races instead.
[19:19] <+BrandonS> Turbodracula isn't entirely cut - I read the revised version last night. He's just not so...setting-breakingly childish and based on outdated forum memes anymore. I think the revised version is a much better fit for a horror setting.
[19:19] <+TAmber> just the name TURBODRACULA was cut... the vampire formerly known as turbodracula is still undead and kicking. Personally I think he's hilarious-- but I also think hilarity and horror-played-straight don't work too well together.
[19:19] <+Unguided> MECHAVLAD
[19:20] <+SE> ill take you up on that offer Obfuscobble!!
[19:20] <+JosephK> he's actually really cool too
[19:20] <+Obfuscobble> Turbodracula was based on memes? They hooked me in by telling me to draw a vampire Transformer. : /
[19:20] <+Obfuscobble> And that was one third of my three favourite things.
[19:20] <+JosephK> just a SomethingAwful Trad Games forum meme
[19:20] <+TAmber> and you can still draw a vampire Transformer and it will still work~
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[19:21] <+fax[ofc]_> i, for one, support turbodracula
[19:21] <+Bigby> Sorry if I missed this. Is this an entire game or a setting for an existing system?
[19:21] <+Obfuscobble> Y'all know I am more than capable of that.
[19:21] <+BrandonS> Abstruse: Nocturne is a fantasy/horror setting for 13th Age (and fate/osric/pathfinder through stretch goals)
[19:21] <+TAmber> This is a setting for 13th age but our mechanics slaves like Joseph over there will also be satisfying the stretch goals for other systems.
[19:21] <+Unguided> It was Red_Mage's crazy character he'd apply for games with. *spits on ground after mentioning RM*
[19:21] <+Bigby> Sop 13th age is a system? Or a setting? Or both?
[19:22] <+Bigby> *SO
[19:22] <+BrandonS> A setting for existing systems.
[19:22] <+JosephK> it's got everything you need to make characters thanks to the licenses for all the systems
[19:22] <+TAmber> 13th age is a system put out by Pelgrane, it's really cool! You should check it out.
[19:22] <+JosephK> its already got an SRD in fact
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[19:23] <+JosephK> though no one yet has made a site for it so it's currently just files you can freely download from pelgrane
[19:23] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, Dedman_Walkin!)
[19:23] <+Obfuscobble> We are all internet sophisticates more than capable of such downloasing!
[19:24] <+BrandonS> Yeah, 13th Age is a neat system. It's a fantasy game in the style of the d20 D&Ds but with some more modern elements.
[19:24] <+TAmber> Here's the official website for that: (Link: http://www.pelgranepress.com/?cat=248)http://www.pelgranepress.com/?cat=248
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[19:24] <~Dan> (Howdy, WinsonPaine!)
[19:24] <+WinsonPaine> Hi Dan!
[19:25] <~Dan> (WinsonPaine: Here for the Q&A? :) )
[19:25] <+WinsonPaine> Is it goin?
[19:26] <~Dan> (Yup. In progress. :) )
[19:26] <~Dan> So what's the story of Nocturne?
[19:26] <~Dan> I'm assuming that it's a specific setting.
[19:27] <+Obfuscobble> In the shadows, creatures form from the lost dreams of frightened men. From the dust and ashes of defeated souls rise a new breed of heroes to fight them... or to be consumed.
[19:27] <+TAmber> Well, the gist is that there's this sort of entity called the Nightfall which pulls people and places into the Nocturne, which is sort of a loosely-connected set of regions. Travel between different regions is pretty difficult but not impossible, and they're separated enough to have a pretty neat variety of geography.
[19:28] <+TAmber> so each realm has a little story of its own, and its own over-arching set of problems that you could solve, make worse, ignore, you know, adventurey things.
[19:29] <+JosephK> (this is one of the themes that's taken from ravenloft, for those of you who don't know.)
[19:29] <+TAmber> It's set up so that you could use the whole thing as a whole, or you could pretty easily part out the individual realms and use them piecemeal if you wanted.
[19:29] <+TAmber> (I'm not the one who hired an editor who had never read Ravenloft)
[19:30] <~Dan> I seem to recall that tech levels varied from realm to realm in Ravenloft. Is the same true with Nocturne?
[19:30] <+TAmber> Yes, absolutely.
[19:30] <+JosephK> each realm is pretty different
[19:30] <~Dan> What's the range?
[19:30] <+Bigby> Where are people and places pulled From? Is this connected to the 13th Age default setting (if there is one)?
[19:30] <+JosephK> it is not connected to 13th age's default setting
[19:32] <+TAmber> You've got places like La Luna-- which we've made a complete version of available to backers-- where one of the icons has been paving over everything to give sort of a demi-modern dystopian feel, we've got some Roman-feeling areas, we've got some fantasy-standard.
[19:32] <+Obfuscobble> And then we have movvz.
[19:32] <~Dan> Mowz?
[19:33] <+Obfuscobble> Movvz, plural of Moff, slang for Moth. Nocturne has some fun new races to play with.
[19:33] <+BrandonS> Actually, we can link La Luna in here too - it was made availably publicly. (Link: http://www.funhavergames.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/LaLuna-Nocturne.pdf)http://www.funhavergames.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/LaLuna-Nocturne.pdf
[19:33] <+TAmber> They're separated enough so the tech of one realm doesn't really make that of another realm feel weird.
[19:33] <+TAmber> Oh, well there we go then!
[19:33] <+Unguided> The early descriptions of the mothpeople sounded cool.
[19:33] <+BrandonS> or on Google Drive (Link: http://tinyurl.com/noclaluna)http://tinyurl.com/noclaluna
[19:34] <+TAmber> Spoiler alert: mothpeople remain cool
[19:34] <+Obfuscobble> Nothing can ruin Mothpeople.
[19:34] <+JosephK> very much so
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[19:34] <+JosephK> scobble was the one who came up with them actually
[19:34] <~Dan> So does La Luna have modern technology?
[19:35] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, TactlessArmiger! Here for the Q&A?)
[19:35] <+Obfuscobble> I did! And I think they still belong to me, so I won't let anything tarnish them.
[19:35] <+TactlessArmiger> (Yep!)
[19:35] <+TAmber> More or less, there's some magic going on in there too, but the net result is fairly modern.
[19:35] <+TAmber> We leave it a bit nebulous so you can tweak it on your end, but that's the gist.
[19:36] <~Dan> Is this the first "modern" incarnation of 13th Age, then?
[19:38] <+TAmber> I suppose it wouldn't be wrong to say so, but even La Luna has its luddites, and it's got its share of werewolves and dwarfs off in the mountains, and most of the other realms cleave to non-modern tech levels so I don't know that I'd use that descriptor personally.
[19:40] <~Dan> Dwarfs, you say? Does the game feature "standard" fantasy races, then?
[19:40] <+TAmber> Well, we use pretty much all of them that are in core 13A, in addition to a few of our own, we've got the moths as Scobble has said, and some cool lizard dudes.
[19:41] <+Unguided> Is dwarf bread in?
[19:41] <+TAmber> In your Nocturne, it certainly could be, but we are trying to avoid comedy references.
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[19:42] <+Unguided> Great, now I want to see a 13th Age version of Discworld.
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[19:43] <~Dan> (Howdy, Frankto!)
[19:43] <+TAmber> I would certainly play that!
[19:44] <+Frankto> (Hey, Dan. Sorry to cut in, hit the wrong button.)
[19:44] <~Dan> (No problem! All are welcome, and #rpgnet2 is open for general chat as well. :) )
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[19:46] <~Dan> How common are non-humans in Nocturne?
[19:48] <+Obfuscobble> If I may joke around, I'd say that as far as what I've drawn goes, they're everywhere!
[19:48] <+Obfuscobble> ANd alf the population are warwilfs!
[19:48] <~Dan> Warwilfs?
[19:49] <+WinsonPaine> So what is Nocturne exactly anyway
[19:49] <+Obfuscobble> Werewolves. I've had to draw three so far.
[19:49] <+TAmber> It depends on the realm really. Overall I'd probably call humans the majority but I know we're making a conscious effort to make sure that it doesn't feel like some weird humans-only club in a game where half the PCs are liable to be something else entirely.
[19:49] <+Obfuscobble> Nocturne is a set of settings and new expansions for 13th Age.
[19:49] <+WinsonPaine> oh neat
[19:50] <+TAmber> the northern half of La Luna is overrun by were-people of various stripes, trying to not get paved over by the Bohemian Queen.
[19:50] <+TactlessArmiger> How much inspiration are you taking from the weird domains of dread in ravenloft? Will there be some stuff like the ancient egyptian domain, the high fantasy domain, etc?
[19:51] <+JosephK> actually, there's a few that fuse weirdness with other weirdness incidentally
[19:51] <+JosephK> including -- yes -- an ancient egyptian area
[19:51] <+TAmber> We do have kind of a neat roman/egyptian realm going on, and I know Darren has been doing a more explicitly gothic fantasy realm.
[19:53] <+TactlessArmiger> Was there a lot of debate on how to implement vampires in terms of race vs. class?
[19:53] <+TAmber> I think by the time we picked up the project it had already been settled on as a class and we're running with that.
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[19:54] <~Dan> (Howdy, tech!)
[19:54] <+TAmber> Most of the early development knife fights had been settled by the kickstarter's original management, I think.
[19:54] <+TAmber> And we're trying to work mostly with what we have because we've already got a hundred thousand words to work with.
[19:54] <+JosephK> and pretty much all of the changes that happened with the change of management were a consensus
[19:54] <+TAmber> Gonna be a big big book. :)
[19:54] <+Unguided> Reminds me, whatever happened to Red_Mage?
[19:55] <+TAmber> I'm not aware of most of the personal details beyond that it's mostly personal details which caused him to leave.
[19:55] <+BrandonS> We don't actually know. The impression I get is he had some personal issues and is dealing with those - he hasn't been online in a few months, so I imagine he's been busy.
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[19:56] <+Unguided> He just went crazy right before he disappeared off the face of the internet.
[19:56] <+TactlessArmiger> Have you considered anything post-release, or are you just focused on getting it to the backers? Could we be seeing mini-domains released in the future?
[19:56] <~Dan> (Howdy, Squide!)
[19:56] <+TAmber> He and I were friendly before the Kickstarter went off the rails so I hope he's well or becoming well.
[19:56] <+TAmber> I don't think anyone wants to promise anything at this stage-- but I know a lot of us like working with the concept so a) it's a possibility but b) no commitments. :)
[19:56] <+Le_Squide> Heya!
[19:56] <+TAmber> Fulfilling the original promises are the primary thing here.
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[19:57] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, RPZip!)
[19:57] <+BrandonS> I do think there's going to be post-release content though - Andri Erlingsson talked about wanting to do Dungeon World conversions, and since the book is at about 100k words before the bulk of the mechanics there's clearly a lot of enthusiasm for the project.
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[19:58] <~Dan> (Howdy, CC!)
[19:58] <+Obfuscobble> Would the Tarot card set count as a bonus?
[19:59] <+BrandonS> We still don't know what we're going to do about the tarot card deck - first priority is making sure we have enough money to print and ship the book. I'd like to do it, but the book comes first.
[20:00] <+Obfuscobble> Understood. Sorry for distracting from the Q&A.
[20:01] <~Dan> No problem, Obfuscobble!
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[20:01] <+TAmber> Well, it's a legitimate question, just wish there was a better answer to it.
[20:01] <~Dan> (Howdy, Heckboy!)
[20:01] <+TactlessArmiger> I heard through the grapevine that there might be an adventure included with it - can you tell us anything about it?
[20:01] <+Heckboy> (Hi, Dan!)
[20:01] <+TAmber> Oooh yeah the adventure!
[20:01] <~Dan> (Heckboy: Q&A in progress, #rpgnet2 open for general chat!)
[20:02] <+Heckboy> Cool. Thanks.
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[20:02] <+BrandonS> ASH LAW (I don't know why he capitalizes but he does) wrote an enormous adventure for the game, and he's had it for a long time now. It's kind of amazing and I couldn't believe I hadn't heard about it sooner.
[20:03] <+JosephK> I think he wants people to yell his name like some battlecry
[20:03] <~Dan> So do the Icons in Nocturne correspond to the "boss monsters" (I don't know the actual term) from Ravenloft?
[20:03] <+TAmber> I thought people were just really excited when talking about him.
[20:03] <+TAmber> Pretty much, yeah.
[20:03] <+JosephK> yeah ish
[20:03] <+JosephK> the domains aren't so black and white though
[20:03] <+JosephK> and neither are the icons
[20:03] <+JosephK> er realms
[20:04] <+TAmber> Yeah I mean... take the vampire formerly known as TURBODRACULA. You want to work for this guy.
[20:04] <+TAmber> No really, you really want to work for this guy.
[20:04] <+TAmber> He is your best damn pal in the world.
[20:04] <+TAmber> I mean, so long as he gets more blood by you working for him than by him just eating you.
[20:04] <+TAmber> So, you know
[20:04] <+TAmber> no pressure
[20:04] <+Dedman_Walkin> Is it just me, or does anyone else pronounce Turbodracula the same way the Leroy Jenkins video pronounces his name?
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[20:05] <+TAmber> God willing nobody will pronounce it at all
[20:06] <~Dan> Does that pose a problem regarding the PCs' ability to make a difference? Having the "Boss Monsters" unkillable, I mean.
[20:06] <~Dan> (brb)
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[20:06] <+TactlessArmiger> Can you tell us anything about the DM advice section? Is it going to focus on advice on how to run a horror / ravenloftesque game, or is it more towards helping the DM with ideas for fitting characters into the setting?
[20:06] <+BlasterKyubey210> Anyhow Dan, the term of Ravenloft is well, Dark Lords
[20:07] <+BrandonS> I know Ash Law wrote a big chapter specifically on how to run a horror fantasy game that we're using for the DM Advice section.
[20:07] <+JosephK> actually Dan, icons really aren't
[20:07] <+TAmber> Well, they're unstatted but I wouldn't say 'unkillable'.
[20:08] <+TAmber> And they're definitely not unthwartable.
[20:08] <+JosephK> 13th age actually goes on about how it's completely plausible for higher tier games to end up with a death of an icon and even a player replacing one
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[20:11] <~Dan> I see. Cool.
[20:11] <+TAmber> And some of them you might not even want to kill-- some you might just want to stop.
[20:11] <+TactlessArmiger> If this product succeeds and ya'll have the opportunity to work on another 13th age product, what would you (individually) like to try?
[20:12] <+BrandonS> I'll be doing the 13th Age conversion of Last Stand next, so that's my answer.
[20:12] <+JosephK> I am actually planning to do the same thing nocturne is doing with dragonlance rather than ravenloft
[20:12] <+Crazy-Cabal> Have you guys thought on more out there settings? A Spelljammer-alike or even a weird planescape style seting?
[20:13] <+TAmber> (in fact, a lot of the stories about the icons, it's worth noting, is that many of them weren't really bad people before the Nightfall sucked them into Nocturne)
[20:13] <+JosephK> (and some of them still aren't, for now at least.)
[20:13] <+TAmber> myself I have some notions about unifying some disconnected ideas into a cohesive setting. I really like the sort of planescape-style factional politics stuff so 13th Age and its icons is a great system to work with that.
[20:14] <+TAmber> One day my militant proactive fatalists will see the light of day. :)
[20:14] <+WinsonPaine> Hey so what was the scoop on the original owner of the KS? Are they on the beach in the Caymans now on KS Money or what?
[20:15] <+TactlessArmiger> With the new races, are they going to be on the 13th-age corebook level of description or are we going to see some wade-rocket style massive race rules?
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[20:16] <+BrandonS> WinsonPaine I genuinely don't know. They've admitted all the money is gone and we certainly don't have it, but even when they've addressed the money they won't give a clear answer on what happened to it.
[20:17] <+TAmber> The race question sounds like one for Joseph, I'm not allowed to touch mechanics because I have enough work to do, haha.
[20:17] <+JosephK> TactlessArmiger I can answer that actually, as far as race rules go the kickstarter originally promised the races, some content for those races, and some content for the core classes in 13th age as well as you know, our classes
[20:17] <+TAmber> (I am trapped in an RPG factory send help)
[20:17] <+WinsonPaine> I am not allowed to touch mechanics after the incident at Jiffy Lube, TAmber
[20:17] <+JosephK> essentially yes, we're going to have a lot of mechanical stuff going into this
[20:18] <+Crazy-Cabal> This might have already been asked but is there an "escape" to the setting or is it sort of like Midnight in that you can't get out and make due.
[20:19] <+JosephK> ooh, that is an interesting question answered by la luna's description actually
[20:20] <+TAmber> I would say the answer to that question is 'yes'. Because it's kind of both really.
[20:20] <+JosephK> yeah
[20:20] <+JosephK> the escape is not easy to reach
[20:20] <+JosephK> not by a long shot
[20:20] <~Dan> So I have a two-part question relating to the setting.
[20:20] <+TAmber> it's certainly probably easier to just end it all, really...
[20:21] <+TactlessArmiger> Are the classes still going to have OSR parts, and if so, what system? (please say Darker Dungeons)
[20:21] <~Dan> Given that this is a horror/fantasy game, what's the ratio of fantasy monsters to horror monsters?
[20:21] <+TactlessArmiger> *ports
[20:21] <~Dan> And how tough are the PCs relative to the setting?
[20:21] <+TAmber> I think the only OSR system we're doing is OSRIC?
[20:21] <+JosephK> yeah
[20:21] <+JosephK> just OSRIC
[20:21] <+Crazy-Cabal> Just how screwed are paladins? ;)
[20:22] <+JosephK> paladins aren't inherently good in 13th age (in fact they can totally be black knights if they want) so not much
[20:22] <+TactlessArmiger> Are any of the classes NECROMANCER and if so how are you handling minions?
[20:22] <+TAmber> and we're not running with alignment as far as I am aware, are we?
[20:22] <+JosephK> nope
[20:23] <+TAmber> dan: As far as how tough, I think -- and please correct me if I am wrong Joseph because if I'm wrong and we're held to it I'm making you do more work-- I think we pretty much cover all levels really.
[20:23] <+JosephK> that is completely correct actually
[20:23] <+TAmber> And what monsters you see-- it depends a lot on where you go.
[20:24] <+TAmber> And some things like your werewolves are solidly what I would call both fantasy and horror.
[20:25] <~Dan> That's true, but I think what makes them "horror" is their relative power as compared to the PCs.
[20:25] <+JosephK> whereas you have the natives of cog..who are full horror; and rather terrifying at that
[20:26] <+TAmber> That's a finer mechanical grain than I can answer then, so I will pass the buck here. :)
[20:27] <+JosephK> generally speaking 13th age even when it has creatures that are playable races, their monster versions are usually kind of more powerful or at least powerful enough to pose a threat
[20:27] <+TactlessArmiger> Are you leaving the mystery of the setting completely blank, or will you be offering different interpretations as suggestions for DMs?
[20:28] <+JosephK> and they'll have different abilities keyed to what they're intended to do
[20:28] <+TAmber> I love making suggestions.
[20:28] <+TAmber> I can't stop.
[20:28] <+JosephK> a good example in the core are the orcs
[20:28] <+JosephK> who are super dangerous
[20:28] <+TAmber> But I always like to have more than one suggestion so it doesn't look like there's a specific right answer.
[20:28] <+JosephK> ^
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[20:29] <+TAmber> So you can follow suggestions given in the book or you can throw them all out and make up your own thing.
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[20:30] <+TAmber> in fact
[20:30] <+JosephK> but yes so you'll see werewolves as a playable class but for example the werewolves you end up fighting will usually be a threat even to the werewolf player -- however -- we're actually focused on making fights less a straight brawl and more about tactics and actually having an interesting resolution to a given monster
[20:30] <+TAmber> I have this cake I baked previously...
[20:31] <+BrandonS> There's far more to horror than relative power or higher mechanical capability. Some of the most terrifying monsters are mechanically "weak", but present an awful threat. Some of the scariest monsters in the D&D monster manuals weren't dragons or terrasques, but were things that could paralyze you or disguised themselves as "safe" objects.
[20:31] <+JosephK> (ghosts are a fantastic example of this, they're ghosts for a reason and you're actually able to sort of bring them back to the afterlife by finding out what it is and ensuring the issue is stopped)
[20:31] <+JosephK> and yeah
[20:31] <+JosephK> in a lot of cases the unknown is significantly more terrifying than overt danger
[20:32] <+BrandonS> And I think that's the angle we're looking at more than anything - one of the most horrifying things you can do in an RPG is present a threat that can't be fought conventionally.
[20:32] <+TAmber> The writeup for Count Federmir-- the vampire formerly known as TURBODRACULA-- offers some musings as to the origins of the friendly fellow. Here, we offer a number of possibilities:
[20:32] <+BrandonS> There's room for monsters that are scary because they're mechanically superior, sure.
[20:32] <+TAmber> The dwarf desired a shell for his soul, but something went terribly wrong, and Count Federmir was born. Is it the dwarf himself whose spirit lingers in the Count, horrifically changed into the dread being? Is Federmir a spiritual entity that chose the dwarf’s steel shell as a new home to inhabit? Or is he simply wholly and entirely the realization of the construct? Federmir offers no answers,
[20:32] <+TAmber> nor does he allow the matter to be spoken of at all. It does not suit him for anyone to recall that there was ever a time or a place without Count Federmir.
[20:32] <+Dedman_Walkin> TURBODRACULA's real name is Federmir?
[20:32] <+TactlessArmiger> Speaking of ghosts - are they going to be more like D&D ghosts, or horror movie ghosts? Is playing Nocturne going to be like an episode of Haunted History?
[20:32] <+TAmber> Yes
[20:32] <~Dan> Seems like I recall the original sales pitch for Ravenloft included horror monsters without the usual weaknesses -- daylight vampires, fireproof mummies, etc. How much of that shows up in Nocturne?
[20:32] <+TAmber> You heard it here first!
[20:33] <+TAmber> The werewolves of La Luna certainly aren't bound to the full moon, is a great example of that.
[20:33] <+JosephK> there's a good amount of them
[20:33] <+JosephK> enough to make things interesting
[20:33] <+Dedman_Walkin> Dont' forget the WereVampire
[20:33] <+JosephK> ghosts are going to be a bit of both
[20:33] <+Dedman_Walkin> That vampiric WerePanther
[20:34] <+TactlessArmiger> To step back, what inspired you all to take over the project? Like, why BrandonS et al instead of another company?
[20:35] <+BrandonS> I've worked with Darren and Obfuscobble before (on Last Stand and Inverse World respectively), so we have an established business relationship.
[20:35] <+Obfuscobble> Good night all, it was a pleasure speaking with you! Sorry I have to power down beep boop.
[20:35] <~Dan> Oh? I wasn't aware that Darren worked on Last Stand. (Or else I'd just forgotten...)
[20:36] <+Yalborap> And I finally return.
[20:36] <+Obfuscobble> Also Brandon S is a great guy t work with.
[20:36] <~Dan> Thanks for stopping by, Obfuscobble! Come by any time!
[20:36] <+Yalborap> He is! It's true.
[20:36] <+BrandonS> Yep, he contributed to some of the setting material. (And his wife Gill was the primary artist.)
[20:36] <+Obfuscobble> Very cool person, with great ideas of things to draw, and a professional yet very friendly manner. : )
[20:36] <+TAmber> Well, for my own part, it's a combination of the fact that I'm a friend of the writer's and also a disgruntled backer-- some of you may have noticed my frantic KS comments giving messages from Darren.
[20:36] <+JosephK> It was also a shame, like as it stood none of the backers were going to get a thing from the kickstarter. That was like, I dunno 5k-6k?
[20:36] <+TAmber> So in my own way, it's my way of getting a refund out of the project. :)
[20:36] <+Obfuscobble> Beep boop. And thank you, Dan!
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[20:37] <+JosephK> I personally felt it was unfair
[20:37] <+BrandonS> $7,150
[20:37] <+JosephK> ahhh 7k then
[20:38] <+TAmber> But here was Darren who was literally slaving for ages writing this mountain of material-- and nothing was to come of it? I couldn't just watch that happen.
[20:38] <+JosephK> yeah exactly
[20:38] <+BrandonS> And yes, I'm with Joseph on this one. We saw people in an unfair situation and we wanted to help.
[20:39] <~Dan> That's really awesome.
[20:40] <+TAmber> It's really been amazing how positive people have been about all this too-- so many offers of help, so many expressions of support.
[20:40] <+TAmber> You think it's been so long with no word out of the project, everyone's gonna be angry, but they haven't been, it's amazing.
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[20:40] <+JosephK> Originally I'd actually intended to do it alone, mostly because someone needed to step in and I had no problem not getting paid for work; especially if it was work that my principles demanded I do. Then it was brought up by everyone else and we sort of came to a consensus about it.
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[20:40] <+TactlessArmiger> It seems like the 13th age 3pp community is pretty tight
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[20:41] <+TAmber> It is like seriously heartwaming stuff.
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[20:43] <~Dan> (Howdy, Aldante_Fax!)
[20:44] <~Dan> Are there any tweaks to magic in Nocturne?
[20:44] <+JosephK> for the core classes there will be alternate class features that might actually tweak things (there are a few that probably will)
[20:44] <+BrandonS> Yes, actually - or at least in specific realms. We have some neat 13th Age-specific systems that can affect magic in certain realms, for example.
[20:45] <~Dan> Can you give an example?
[20:45] <+TAmber> There's a place in La Luna, actually, where magic works funny, right?
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[20:46] <+JosephK> ah yes, there's an area that has a sort of wild magic thing going on
[20:46] <+BrandonS> Yep. If I remember correctly La Luna is the one where casting magic can give you what is essentially a new Icon relationship, and can thus present complications if you draw on your magic there.
[20:46] <+JosephK> and yeah
[20:47] <+TactlessArmiger> What's your favorite thing about working with the Archmage / 13th age system? (that one is for each of you)
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[20:47] <+TAmber> Oh man I love icons
[20:48] <+BrandonS> Those kinds of things don't apply to just spellcasters though. There are some regions that give you powerful, expansive Backgrounds you can call on but will poison any interaction you use them for. They're broad and powerful with some specific drawbacks.
[20:48] <+JosephK> I would say backgrounds and icons
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[20:48] <+TAmber> I love icons so much
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[20:48] <+TAmber> I remember when I first read the system at all and I hit that section and this was my face:
[20:48] <+TAmber> :o
[20:49] <~Dan> (Howdy, Pony_Knight!)
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[20:49] <+BrandonS> 13th Age is kind of a relaxed system to design for - it's complex enough to be satisfying, but it's not particularly demanding or filled with lots of little mechanical details to worry about. That would be my favorite part.
[20:50] <+BrandonS> It's transparent enough you can just jump into it.
[20:50] <+Yalborap> I really need to get around to reading up on 13th Age.
[20:52] <+JosephK> its a good game, flawed but good
[20:52] <+TAmber> good luck finding something that's flawless :p
[20:52] <~Dan> In the time we've got left, is there anything we haven't covered that you'd like to bring up?
[20:52] <+JosephK> indeed
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[20:52] <+Yalborap> Yeah, I've heard good things. More of a Fate guy and other really light games, but that's a topic for another time.
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[20:55] <+TAmber> This is gonna be a big big book and a cool book, we think everyone will like it a lot so everyone buy ten copies each so we can drive solid gold ferraris everywhere.
[20:56] <+Bigby> Is there an estimated date on when it will be done?
[20:56] <+BrandonS> I think we're aiming a little lower at first - let's start with "paying the writer/artist" and "covering shipping costs" before we worry about solid gold ferraris
[20:56] <+Bigby> Or what the price will be to those of us not from the KS?
[20:56] <+TAmber> that's why they need to buy ten each, duh
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[20:57] <+JosephK> right now we're starting off with just fulfilling the kickstarter, then afterwards we intend to deal with selling it
[20:57] <+BrandonS> Bigby not yet, no. The project is in a great place since we have so much setting material but we still have a lot of mechanics ahead of us. I don't want to promise a release date until we know we can commit to it. Kickstarter backers already suffered through not getting their books on time once.
[20:58] <+Bigby> So, not even a hint? Like months versus years?
[20:58] <+Bigby> :}
[20:58] <+TAmber> If it's years I hereby commit to eating a hat
[20:58] <+BrandonS> I will commit to definitely sometime in 2014.
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[20:59] <+Bigby> Cool.
[20:59] <+JosephK> yeah we are honestly working our butts off
[20:59] <+TAmber> And I/we come from SA, we take hat-eating seriously there.
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[20:59] <+BrandonS> Unofficially I don't think it's going to take us a significant amount of time to finish and I'm optimistic about getting it out sooner rather than later...
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[20:59] <+BrandonS> but this is the RPG industry, and we know how release date predictions turn out
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[20:59] <+TAmber> yeah, we're working as fast as we reasonably can without tanking quality
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[21:00] <+TAmber> but it's a lot of work and many of us have like
[21:00] <+TAmber> jobs
[21:00] <+BrandonS> But yes, we have three people working on the mechanics and we've already made more progress in the last two weeks than the previous team did in a year. It's looking good.
[21:00] <~Dan> (Howdy, Sil!)
[21:00] <+TAmber> The very nice thing about it though is that since the writing is done it's fairly easy for us to gauge how far in we are.
[21:01] <+TAmber> so I'm personally optimistic for now. :)
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[21:02] <+BrandonS> And between Darren and Ash Law's writing we have so much to work with. Darren has never stopped working on the project, even when he knew for a fact it wasn't going anywhere with the previous team. He's a trooper.
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[21:03] <+TAmber> Yeah, dude's amazing.
[21:03] <+TAmber> And the fact that he doesn't murder me for fixing his commas... haha
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[21:04] <~Dan> Just FYI, you guys are welome to continue to hang out with us and answer questions if you like.
[21:04] <~Dan> Or do you need to call it a night?
[21:04] <+TAmber> I'm free, I dunno about the other guys
[21:05] <+JosephK> i'm around
[21:05] <+BrandonS> I'll have to call it a night - I have a few other projects kicking around and I'm still catching up on sleep from Extra Life - but you guys can go wild
[21:05] <+TAmber> I mean I could gush for hours about fiddling sentences ooh that sounded dirtier than I meant it to
[21:06] <~Dan> Sounds good. I'll go ahead and log the chat at this point, but you guys can still hang out with us.
[21:06] <+BrandonS> Night, all
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[21:06] <~Dan> Thanks again for coming out, guys!
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