Any chance for the D20 Sommerlund Guide to come out as PDF?

[Lokhuzor]

Mongoose has a very pro attitude towards Sommerlund, if they didn't they would not have had me write it and have plans for it.

I sincerely doubt it. Perhaps at a time they had a pro attitude towards Sommerlund publication, but now it is over. Yes, they have a pro attitude towards Conan, but toward Lone Wolf, there is nothing (except the new gamebooks). This is probably the contrary.

However, we can't talk about those plans. Trust me, I was looking forwards to getting Sommerlund published in the d20 system but since that's not possible, we have to wait.

It is not possible because the plans of Mongoose are very unclear regarding the Lone Wolf roleplaying game. The multiplayer gamebook, that was announced in December 2007 (thanks archive.org) was not published at this date.

I now believe that there won't be any new second Lone Wolf roleplaying system, and we'll certainly wait for nothing. And the Sommerlund Guide will never be published.

August Hahn released a new D20 class for the D20 system. It is certainly possible to do the same for the Sommerlund Guide. This would be more honest at least than to tell that this will be published after the publication of a new roleplaying game system (whose date of publication is entirely unknown - and possibly never published at all).

I've also written a new article for S&P but I cannot yet say what that is, what I can say is that it beats the heck out of a certain Sommerlund Guide entry in terms of detail.

Hope this is not a different version of the Kai Monastery or the Vonotar sect !

 

[beowuuf]

August Hahn released a new D20 class for the D20 system.

And you can do it too! Unless you sign an NDA about the material you have created. Then you cannot.


While we would love to see the word, and I'm sure GW would love it to be seen, I assume Mongose have paid him for his work, whereas we have done and paid nothing.

I see no reason why we would, therefore, be entitled to anything for free, as much as we'd want it.

The LW d20 seems, sadly, dead as a commodity to expand professionally. I would assume a second RPG system will become economically viable, or even is already viable and just needs all creative decisions to be finalised.

Then hopefully we can get to see the Sommerlund work in this new medium, and Mongoose can recoup their investment.

 

[Lokhuzor]

August Hahn released a new D20 class for the D20 system.

And you can do it too! Unless you sign an NDA about the material you have created. Then you cannot.

While we would love to see the word, and I'm sure GW would love it to be seen, I assume Mongose have paid him for his work, whereas we have done and paid nothing.

Of course, I don't expect a similar treatment for the D20 class of August Hahn and the Sommerlund Guide.

I think that many are ready to pay for the supplement. If bought PDF is not perhaps a good solution, then lulu.com may be a good solution. Print on demand. I am ready to pay to have access to it, and so many here too.

The LW d20 seems, sadly, dead as a commodity to expand professionally. I would assume a second RPG system will become economically viable, or even is already viable and just needs all creative decisions to be finalised.

Then hopefully we can get to see the Sommerlund work in this new medium, and Mongoose can recoup their investment.

I am not sure this new RPG system is viable. No, I don't believe in this second RPG system. No new RPG system means no Sommerlund Guide either. I may be false, though

 

[The Wolf]

I can't tell you what happened with Sommerlund, but I can tell you that it's not the Kai Monastery or anything to do with Vonotar's sect.

I actually saw a couple of iterations of the new system, which was pretty cool. I was at DragonMeet Southwest recently and I've spoken to Charlie @ Mongoose and she has a very pro LW attitude.

At the moment though, I really think they're interested in getting the Lone Wolf books out and about in their new editions and concentrating on those for now. Once they're done and dusted on those I would expect their creative energies can be focussed in another direction - I doubt Joe, who does oversee everything Lone Wolf orientated with Mongoose is willing to let his creation fade into obscurity.

Until then, you're stuck with Signs and Portents

beowuuf: you have no idea how hard I've been pushing to get Sommerlund out and published, since I found out that the d20 system was basically dead...so yeah, I'm actually pretty frustrated right now as much as everyone else. There's this guide, I wrote, which I put blood/sweat/tears into and remember the most important thing about writing as a freelancer - you don't get paid until /after/ publication - draw from that, what you will.

 

[beowuuf]

Yeah, after I typed I wondered if it was Mngoose or yourself that had to carry the financial can for it not being made available Ouch

 

[The Wolf]

It was a fun book to write though and I enjoyed being able to expand on Sommerlund, the Sommlending and so on. Rather like I did with Port Bax, it has a few of my spins on things but remains true to Joe's source.

I enjoy doing cities of course, even without d20 stats those kinds of things are fun to write about.

 

[Lokhuzor]

I can't tell you what happened with Sommerlund, but I can tell you that it's not the Kai Monastery or anything to do with Vonotar's sect.

It would be good to have an official answer from Mongoose. That they give us a firm date for the publication of the new roleplaying game, for the publication of the Sommerlund guide, and for the publication on the internet of what was left aside from the D20 version.

At the moment though, I really think they're interested in getting the Lone Wolf books out and about in their new editions and concentrating on those for now. Once they're done and dusted on those I would expect their creative energies can be focussed in another direction - I doubt Joe, who does oversee everything Lone Wolf orientated with Mongoose is willing to let his creation fade into obscurity.

If they finish first the books we won't have the roleplaying game and Sommerlund until two years. It is rather too long. There's a need for an official response from Mongoose on the publication of Sommerlund. I am convinced that there will be buyers for that one !

 

[The Wolf]

For Sommerlund, they have to talk to me. I'm happy to wait, which is an odd thing for a writer/designer to say. But that's just me.

 

[BlackCat]

So yeah, Toran in S&P #71. Nice!

 

[beowuuf]

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Download it, need to check it out!

 

[The Wolf]

Ah, awesome, that was rather quick heheh...I remember waiting a year for Port Bax to get published.

Nice one Charlie!

Big thanks!

 

[Lokhuzor]

Great to have this city described, at least.

I suppose that the description of this city was also included in the Sommerlund Guide.

What is the difference between Toran in Signs & Portents and Toran in the Sommerlund Guide ? I suppose (not sure, but probably) that Toran was included in the Sommerlund Guide.

Will we ever see other cities of Sommerlund (Anskaven, Tyso...), or other countries ?

 

[The Wolf]

The description of Toran in the Sommerlund Guide is nothing like the detailed description in the article. It's described in smaller details in the guide.

I expanded on the guide's information and added a whole host of new things.

Yes, I will be working on more Lone Wolf cities. Not just for Sommerlund. This is just the start of a long line of Lone Wolf city based S&P articles from my keyboard.

At some point I'll be looking at Holmgard.

 

[Geron Raveneye]

So we're getting the meaty parts of your Sommerlund Guide in little, bite-sized chunks in S&P? I could live with that.

Reading your description of Toran, I have to say...wish I had had this a year ago or so. As it is now, I can't use the map (using the one that's publicly available on Google, made by some french LW fan), and some of the facts are a bit astounding. Like Geroyn (I assume it's the same sage from Blood Moon Rising, even though spelled wrong) being one of the leaders of the Brotherhood right before 5050..50 years after being an old, reclusive Brotherhood Wizard already. :lol: Or the Boar & Pony Inn suddenly having two bouncers (and dwarves at that :shock: ). A lot of the other details of the city are immediately usable, though.

But if you're going to provide equally detailed descriptions to other Sommerlund cities, I might actually start following S&P again. So well done, and thanks a lot for your work.

 

[The Wolf]

Thanks, heh, well...

It's not actually the Sommerlund Guide, this is a complete brand new gig for S&P. Toran is a lot meatier in this guide than it ever was in Sommerlund. Holmgard on the other hand, that's quite a huge part of the S Guide - say, 20 pages at least?

As long as you can use some of it, that's really what matters in the end. Nothing is ever 100% set in stone, change things, alter them to your hearts content and have fun with it (that's always been my motto).

As for the other cities, well, definitely!

For instance, I could be working on Anskavern as I write this!