Lone Wolf

[Arandur]

First off, I would like to thank yourself August and also Mongoose for bringing one of my favourite fantasy worlds to life as an RPG, I know on behalf of my RPG coterie we are absolutely frothing at the mouth to play the new Lone Wolf setting.

The first question was a simple one about the other classes in the RPG? I was wondering if maybe we could get a list of their names or titles (not looking foe details just the names). I know a few are mentioned but I was wondering what the full list was.

We were also wondering if you could tell us if all the classes are structured in the same fashion as the Kai Lord and the Magician of Dessi. In regards to Disciplines and Magical abilities that is and having such a broad scope to choose from, this has really impressed me so far with the diversity in each class alone.

Once again thanks,
Arandur

 

[Greg Smith]

There was a LW flyer in with S&P this month:

Classes are: Kai lord, Brotherhood of the Crystal Star, Telchos warrior, Magician of Dessi, Sommerlending Knight, Dwarven Gunner of Bor, Shadaki Buccaneer.

 

[Arandur]

Thanks or that Greg its much appreciated, are they the only classes though or just a sampling though?

Either way they sound very, very interesting...

Thanks
Arandur

 

[Greg Smith]

The flyer says 'Seven Unique Character classes', so I would assume that they are the the only ones, especially since LW is intended to be D20-lite.

 

[Mongoose Doghouse]

As Greg stated, there are seven character classes in the basic Lone Wolf game. As more books are produced, more character classes will become available... The Darklands has some particularly colourful ones...

Signs & Portents will also be showcasing new character classes in the future.

Cheers,

Ian

 

[Paido]

Ah, yes, these classes look very nice! Though I suppose this will be one of those games in which I'm torn about which character class to play.

That flyer would make a fascinating download, wouldn't it? Hm? *poke* ... One can dream, no?

New character classes in the Darklands sourcebook? :shock: They ... won't try to kill us, will they?

And even more classes in Signs & Portents? Rats, won't be that easy to get it over here in Germany. Don't you dare to describe the Vakeros in that magazine only, ya hear?


Paido, already excited about that game

 

[Ordovician]

New character classes in the Darklands sourcebook? :shock: They ... won't try to kill us, will they?

No. They'll let us live. Let us all live...in happiness... :twisted:

Just guessing, but I bet two of them are the Nadziranim and Death Knight. Who knows, maybe the Zagganozod, too.

BTW, Gooses, all still on track well for Lone Wolf? Just frothing at the mouth over here... sorry, excuse my drool.

 

[Anonymous]

As long as they post up a Shianit Wizard (like greystar) in Magic of magamund supplement, I will be content with the classes. Greystar in his books was structured exactly as lonewolf in his earlier books, 4 powers to start off, one increase in each book, then probably move into higher magiks just like lone wolf moved into magnakai.

please, please, include such a greystar like class in the mom supp. You alrady have the lesser magiks in the dessi class; just ask joe dever, or simply advance upon them to get the higher versions. Since the total will be 14, you can fill up the filler levels, with things like the magi of dessi got, ac +3, reroll 1/day, etc etc.

The dessi, although very flavorful, unfortunately is not like the way greystar was structered, as you have structured the kai class. I would really hope you do not let the opp pass for players who wish to play a shianti trained wizard.

You can include whatever warnings of course, that these wizards are VERY rare, limit them in the campaign, etc etc. IMO, this class deserved its place in the core book, since aside from the kai it was the ONLY other one that had is own separate bookseries. Hopefully, this will be amended.

 

[Arandur]

Personally I liked the character Greystar a little more than I did Lone Wolf, but hey that is just my opinion. Anyway I would like to see Greystar's adventures covered in its own sourcebook rather than just tacked onto the MoM sourcebook. I mean it had its own four book series so I think there is enough material for a Greystar supplement covering his adventures and perhaps the Isle of Lorn in a little more detail.

Arandur

 

[Anonymous]

Indeed, I tool liked greystar better. It had more flavor, and the premise was very cool as well; you got to play as the ONLY human mage in the world. (well, aside from witches, mostrous shamans, etc) And what a mage at that!

While a grey star supp would be great, first I WOULD prefer it if they put in the Shianti Sorceror (greystar-like-class) in mOm, because mOm is the third supp planned. If they tack on another supplement, we'll have to wait all the later.

Or heck, offer it as a download as well, or a kind of preview like the dessi. These boards are going to explode by the way, when the book is released, and among other questions, nearly everyone is going to be asking about the lack of a grey star type class. That, and the lack of feats

 

[Arandur]

The lack of feats was touched upon briefly in another thread about the LWRPG. The response from Mongoose was that there is a section of the RPG corebook with details on making the system more d20 heavy (including using Feats) rather than d20 light as it is now. Personally I like the outlook of the game, it seems to capture the tone of the gamebooks rather well, but a part of me does miss the Feats...

Arandur

 

[Anonymous]

8) Little concerned about the game. Rules light. The more read the less I like it. No feats? What about combat did you take out critical hits? What is new about the combat system? Dave

 

[August]

No worries. Combat was sped up a little bit, but critical hits are still in the game. Just do us a favour; hold off on judging the book until you actually see it. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Take care,
-August

 

[adgramaine]

no passing of judgment here... I personally love the Feats system of D20, as well as the "rule heavy" 3.5 version as it gives you so many options.
While that is all well and good, no 3.5 WotC book has ever proven useful in a "cover to cover" sense. I always nit-pick with what I like and what I don't.
And I know, it's hard not to be so judjmental with something we have all been fans of for oh so long. Much like the travesty of Star Wars Episode One - The Jar Jar Incident, we've learned the dangers of putting to much faith in the creators of our beloved sci/fi / fantasy. We don't want to see that happen with LW, that's all.

So to all those nay-sayers out there, in regards to the LW game: if you don't like what you are seeing/hearing, pick up a copy of WotC Unearthed Arcana before you sit down and read the LW game. Other possible fixes might include Advanced Player's Handbook (I know the one from Green Ronin should be quite nice). The two books used in conjunction will make up for many of the "rules lite-ness" of the LW game and should really repair your flagging faith in the LW rpg...

I know, because I nit-picked until I was happy

 

[Greg Smith]

It has been stated on these boards that the Lone Wolf rulebook will contain material on converting it to standard D20.

 

[Anonymous]

8) I would agree that you can not pre judge the book. However, feats are a large part of what made 3.0 and 3.5 so unique from AD&D 1st and 2nd ed. So when you said no feats, I was naturally concerned. I am a big fan of the feats system in d20 games.

I guess I am also a big fan of the combat system in Conan. Wish it was the default combat system for Mongoose. I am one of those people who like more rules not less. That is taste though. Once again I have also not seen the book. Is there a chance of finding out what is different with LW combat compared to 3.0 or 3.5?

Ps liked Cybernet :wink: Dave

 

[Anonymous]

The feats can easily be added without looking at any other books. I mean comeon, most ppl probably know the feats by memory. Also, it will not be rules-lite, in the sense some ppl think. For instance, armor encumberance is still there, as is magik item construction, as well as a totally new base attak chart (i.e. base magik attk for the dessi to use in combat), among so much we haven't even seen (the magik of the brotherhood mages will be very diff fomr dnd's memorization system)

And yes, the book will definately be very good, which is why I have been waiting for it/preordered it for such a while. Also, the previews have already shown that the writers have followed it all to the point. I personally also like the classification of certain items as 'backback' items, the flavor (low, flavorful magik setting), the racial bonus's to race, and the 'town/city/settlement' description sidebars. I get the feeling the conan fans will be pissed this was not included in conan I get thefeeling it will be in road of kings.

However, one thing I am very unhappy about is AGAIN, the lack of a shianti trained/greystar class. It is unforgivable that a class that Dever has already written about should have been neglected. And no, the dessi magician, while very nice, is not the same. It is missing the 'per leve'l elder art progression, as well as the greater magiks. Just compare it to the kai lord class, totally outclassed at high levels, wizard staff or no wizard staff. The kai gets kai ability per level, AND magnakai per level.

It does not matter that greystar was unique; lonewolf was as well, more so in many ways, since he was the last/first of an order, while greystar's teachers were still alive, leaving them free to train others, or grey to do so.

Perhaps mogoose could take out just a little while out of their already hectic schedule and paste up a class for download, timed for around the time the book is released. I doubt it will be that hard to think up, since most of the abilitites are already their in the dessi. You could build upon the greatermagiks the same way you built upon the magnakai abilitites, i.e. just expand/empower the lower elder arts.

Later, in a magik of magamund supp, (if you will publish it) you can add in the class as well, to make it more 'official.'

 

[Arandur]

Xex, let it go man, let it go *laughs*

Unforgivable? C'mon... OK so there is no Shianti-trained wizard class as of yet, but the Magician of Dessi is a good starting base for designing the class yourself, all of Greystars basic abilities are there it just needs a little tweaking to tailor it to Greystar's specific abilities. They are actually not too different at all to Greystar's Shianti trained magical abilities.

I guess I am just surprised that with the Magician of Dessi class and it's very similar abilities that you still are complaining about a lack of a Shianti-trained Wizard (Greystar class). And yes while Greystar was indeed unique (as was Lone Wolf in a way), the Kai Lord was a foundation that has hundreds of years of tradition behind it, a monastary where the Kai Lords were trained and a focal point in the nations defense, while Greystar was a lone single man. An anomally to the norm. It seems a natural assumption that Shianti training is unique enough to be covered in the MoM supplement or its own Greystar & the Shianti focused supplement.

Just sit back and wait for the finished book to come out, I think you will find more than enough GMs and fans who will create the Shianti-trained Wizard and post it online for you...

Arandur

 

[Anonymous]

Ofcourse I could make it up myself. But then again, why do we need a LW d20? We already have the OGL d20 system, why notmake the entire LW supplement by ourselves? Come on man, don't post ridiculous posts such as the one you just did. And unforgivable, yeah ofcourse, I do not see why a character with his own book was not translated into a core class in the core rulebook.

Anyhow, Grey Star was already alive by the time of Lone Wolf, heck he was alive the whole time lone wolf was out avenging the kai. Since he had been alive for thousands of years now, its goes without saying he could have trained someone else. The elder magii themselves could be his apprentces or something, going by the similarities in dessi magic in the rpg at least.

 

[Arandur]

Ofcourse I could make it up myself. But then again, why do we need a LW d20? We already have the OGL d20 system, why notmake the entire LW supplement by ourselves? Come on man, don't post ridiculous posts such as the one you just did. And unforgivable, yeah ofcourse, I do not see why a character with his own book was not translated into a core class in the core rulebook.

My rediculous post? Let me see if I have this right... At last someone is creating a Lone Wolf RPG, something fans have been itching for since time immemorial really (in gaming terms). And yet you make a post that it is UNFORGIVABLE for Mongoose to have left this out??? Be happy the game is released for crying out loud instead of taking the time to make a jab and whine about Shianti training everytime you post...no one else seems to have such a problem with it, we are all just happy it is finally here. Strange that you do though... *shakes his head*

Anyhow, Grey Star was already alive by the time of Lone Wolf, heck he was alive the whole time lone wolf was out avenging the kai. Since he had been alive for thousands of years now, its goes without saying he could have trained someone else. The elder magii themselves could be his apprentces or something, going by the similarities in dessi magic in the rpg at least.

Further on ridicilous posts is this notion you harbour that Greystar is thousands of years old? Where did you get this idea from? Greystar's adventure happens around the SAME time as the Lone Wolf novels do (read Buccaneers of the Shadaki Gamebook which refers to Grey Star) and that he disappears as the Regent of the Free Peoples only a FEW months earlier and also that the buccaneers have recently returned after being exiled by Greystar. It was also mentioned by Joe Dever himself in the LW Newsletters, and was also mentioned in a few other sources throughout the later LW gamebooks. So I'm not sure where you got the thousands of year earlier thing from?

The fact is we have all the basics of the Shianti class already contained in the Magicians of Dessi and by your own extrapolation the Magicians of Dessi may have been Greystar's apprentices (which doesn't actually work, but hey its a nice take on it and if you want to use it go ahead). The fact of the matter IS that Greystar is a UNIQUE case (as I stated) an anomally to the normal. Due to the setting of the actual RPG Mongoose has just made which is set before the destruction of the Kai Monestary, then Greystar has not even left the Isle of Lorn and could not pass his Shianti training along. So now we have a character that is not even part of the RPG current setting and YOU want a class based on him. Furthermore, that this is an UNFORGIVABLE mistake on behalf of Mongoose? The fact that they did not include details on a character or class that does not even exist as yet in the game?


Arandur