andakitty said:
You once said 4e was a better fit for this and that RQII didn't have powerful enough magic to fit the setting. Now you are announcing an upcoming wraith recon rpg using RQII.
So why did you change your minds, what was the process and/or reasoning for doing so, and just what is being done to overcome those old perceived problems?
As the author of the RQII version I'll try to answer a few of those questions.
Why did Matt change his mind? I have no idea. Perhaps it was the fact that RQII has become more popular than expected, or maybe it was seen that the revised combat system actually granted great opportunities to actually replicate the short and swift fights you see in Special Ops media.
What was the process? I was sent the WR books and asked to analyse and report of the difficulties of changing the core system from 4e. After reading I proposed a list of changes which was agreed upon, and I made a significant overhaul of the core book.
What was done to overcome perceived problems? Amongst others were...
1) The necessity to replicate in RQII some of the countless number of sapient species running about in Nuera, a very significant issue with D&D
2) The need to create in-depth backgrounds for those races and try to weave them properly into the history of Nuera
3) Needing to slightly refine and include the enchanting rules for Sorcery so as to support the whole SpellCom/D&D Magic Items issue
4) Innovate a new rank system so as to limit magical resources to Wraiths on a mission.
5) Remove every mention of character level
6) Create new cults to replace Clerical powers and create Grimoires for SpellCom artificers and Order of Magnus warlocks
7) New background professions for the Dardarrick military, to replace D&D character classes
8) Revise the setting so that it is not so black and white, good and evil. Cults, nations and creatures are now shades of grey, with their own valid perspectives.
9) GM advice and campaign guidelines emphasise the use of alternate methods of mission completion rather than non stop combat. Moral issues have been introduced too.
10) A new scenario.
There are other minor changes, but those above are most of the big ones. It was a serious project which took a lot of time.
Wraith Recon is now dark, gritty and morally ambiguous... and less never ending combat encounters and blowing the hell out of things with OTT spells.
Powerful magic will be specifically explained in the SpellCom book which I am writing now. It will be based on a metaconcert concept, allowing coordinated RQII sorcerers to replicate some of the huge battlefield magic which wizards could do in 4e.
Any hopes for a preview will have to wait I'm afraid. The manuscript is still going through layout and will then have to be proof read first. I have no idea how long that will take, it all depends on what is currently in the print queue.
I hope that helps a bit. :wink: