[Q&A] Henry Lopez (Witch Hunter 2nd edition)

[19:02] <+PCIHenry> My name is Henry Lopez and I'm the owner of Paradigm Concepts, Inc. We produce a few different RPG games, such as Arcanis: The World of the Shattered empires, Rotted Capes - the Superhero Zombie game and Witch Hunter: The Invisible World a game of colonial swashbuckling horror set in a slightly alternate history from ours.
[19:03] <+PCIHenry> We are holding a KickStarter to fund the second Edition and with only 3 days to go, we're funded and hitting quite a few Stretch Goals.
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[19:03] <+PCIHenry> For those who might be interested, here's the link:
[19:03] <+PCIHenry> (Link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1418216834/witch-hunter-the-invisible-world-2nd-edition)http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1418216834/witch-hunter-the-invisible-world-2nd-edition
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[19:04] <+PCIHenry> In WH, you play members of the different Orders of Solomon who are sent out to protect humanity from the predations of the Adversary and his minions.
[19:04] <+PCIHenry> Now I would like to make this disclaimer:
[19:05] <+PCIHenry> By Witch Hunter we are not disparaging those who practice an alternate religious belief
[19:05] <+PCIHenry> by Witches we mean those who practice the Dark Arts and are exemplified by the three Witches in Greek myth
[19:05] <+PCIHenry> those from Grimm's Fairy Tales
[19:06] <+PCIHenry> and the type most recently portrayed in the movie Hansel and Gretal, though I honestly have not seen the movie
[19:06] <+PCIHenry> If you're a fan of Robert E. Howard's Solomon Kane, then Witch Hunter might be your cup of tea
[19:07] <+PCIHenry> As far as the game system, it uses as its basics something some of you are already comfortable with
[19:07] <+PCIHenry> It uses a basic dice pool like ShadowRun or the World of Darness games
[19:07] <+PCIHenry> *Darkness
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[19:08] <+JArcane> I am ons the Chrome OS!
[19:08] <+PCIHenry> You'll need a 7 or better for a success and a certain number of successes to accomplish a task. !0's explode and if you get more 1's than successes, you Botch
[19:09] <+PCIHenry> I think that serves as a basic intro.
[19:09] <+PCIHenry> I'll be more than happy to answer any and all questions about WH or any of our other lines
[19:09] <+PCIHenry> "done"
[19:09] <~Dan> Would anyone like to start us off with a question?
[19:10] <~Dan> Okay! I'll get us started.
[19:10] <+PCIHenry> lol
[19:10] <+Geek2theRight> What time period?
[19:10] <~Dan> Let's start by taking a closer look at the setting.
[19:10] <+PCIHenry> alright
[19:11] <~Dan> Can you describe the alternate history elements?
[19:11] <+PCIHenry> the game is set in an slighty alternate 1690
[19:11] <+PCIHenry> of course, Dan
[19:11] <+PCIHenry> the reason we chose to use an alternate history, primarily was because of our female player base
[19:12] <+PCIHenry> PCI enjoys the support of many female players who enjoy our emphasis on story
[19:12] <+PCIHenry> but the 17th century really wouldn't be too much fun to play in if you were a woman
[19:12] <+PCIHenry> so, I decided to craft a rationale of why women would be on a more equal par with the males
[19:13] <+PCIHenry> so I had the Black Plague of the 1300s take place as it did in our history, except that it killed a disproportionate amount of males to females
[19:14] <+PCIHenry> thus the Rosie the Riveter effect took place then instead of the 1940's
[19:15] <+PCIHenry> it took a couple of generations after the plague for the male population to rebound and in the meantime the ladies took up the duties that were usually left to the males
[19:15] * ~Dan nods
[19:15] <+PCIHenry> blacksmith, soldier, etc.
[19:15] <~Dan> Does that tie in to the Dutch keeping control of New Amsterdam?
[19:15] <+PCIHenry> hence while there is not perfect parity, women are not property in our milieu
[19:16] <+PCIHenry> not really - the Dutch maintaining control of New Amsterdam was a blatant sign post to the players/readers that this is not "our" history
[19:16] <~Dan> Ah, I see.
[19:17] <+PCIHenry> the second reason we went with an alternate setting is that not all of us have degrees in 17th century world history
[19:17] <+PCIHenry> that way if the GM flubs a small detail, and they are called on it, it gives them an easy out by saying, "Yes but in THIS history..."
[19:18] <+PCIHenry> lastly, since magic is a given, it allowed me to keep one of my favorite bad guys around for an extra century
[19:18] <~Dan> Can you say who that is without spoilers?
[19:18] <+PCIHenry> Comon..who doesn't love heart ripping, blood drinking Aztecs backed up with horrible blood magic
[19:18] <+PCIHenry> just did
[19:19] <+PCIHenry> :-)
[19:19] * ~Dan chuckles
[19:19] <+PCIHenry> We did an entire source book on it and it was very well received
[19:19] <~Dan> Speaking of horrible blood magic and the like, can you give us an overview of the nature of the supernatural in the setting?
[19:19] <+PCIHenry> It alos gave us the opportunity to bring in the Chinese and their Treasure Fleet
[19:20] <+PCIHenry> sure
[19:20] <+PCIHenry> In the basic Core Boo we have 6 different Traditions of Magic
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[19:20] <+PCIHenry> 3 for the good guys and 3 for the bad
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[19:21] <+PCIHenry> For the Good Guys, we have Eldritch (think Sorcerer), Prayer and Animism
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[19:21] <~Dan> (Howdy, Squide!)
[19:21] <+PCIHenry> for the Bad guys we have Witchcraft, Diabolism and Necroomancy
[19:21] <+PCIHenry> *Necromancy
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[19:21] <+PCIHenry> the difference between them is that the Bad Guy spells give Damnation points
[19:22] <+PCIHenry> While the good guy side doesn't
[19:22] <+Le_Squide> (Heya!)
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[19:22] <+PCIHenry> but the Bad guy spells are available to the witch Hunters in the form of grimoires and scrolls, etc
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[19:22] <+PCIHenry> its all about Temptation
[19:23] <+PCIHenry> In a Companion book we introduced Alchemy, Voodoo and Kaballah
[19:23] <+PCIHenry> and lastly, we have those spells that are in the Grey
[19:23] <+PCIHenry> for example, if you want to get from New Amsterdam to London
[19:24] <+PCIHenry> but don't want to take a 3 month voyage
[19:24] <+PCIHenry> or journey through the Invisible World
[19:24] <+PCIHenry> you may want to summon Death and his carriage
[19:24] <~Dan> O.o
[19:24] <+PCIHenry> given that death is everywhere, you'll arrive after a harrowing ride at your destination
[19:24] <~Dan> Wow.
[19:24] <+PCIHenry> assuming you and Death can come to an agreement on payment
[19:25] <+PCIHenry> ;-)
[19:25] <~Dan> (Note to self: TIP THE CABBIE.)
[19:25] <+GenoFoxx> generously
[19:25] <+PCIHenry> and generously as well. ;-)
[19:25] <~Dan> The illustrations I've seen make magic look relatively flashy. Care to comment?
[19:25] <+PCIHenry> there are a handful of spells like that
[19:25] <+PCIHenry> flashy?
[19:26] <~Dan> Well, I mean, bolts of power, visible shields, that sort of thing.
[19:26] <+PCIHenry> it really shouldn't unless the common man isn't around
[19:26] <+PCIHenry> let me back up by saying that every Royal Court has it Court Magi
[19:26] <+PCIHenry> sort of a historical arms race
[19:27] <+PCIHenry> you don't want to be the King without someone who can defend you against a hex
[19:27] <+PCIHenry> however, magic is seen as the purview of the Adversary (or the Devil ,if you prefer)
[19:28] <+PCIHenry> so all those who have "the gift" either hide and keep hiding from the Inquisition
[19:28] <+PCIHenry> or
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[19:28] <+PCIHenry> Undergo the Ordeal
[19:29] <+PCIHenry> basically its the Roman Catholic Church's stamp of good seal that your powers are not derived from the Devil and you don't practice Black Magic
[19:30] <+PCIHenry> however, it isn't called the Ordeal for nothing and all those who play Magi MUST take some sort of psychological or physical flaw to reflect their passage of the Ordeal
[19:30] <~Dan> ("You don't have to be crazy to work here, but... well, actually, you do.")
[19:30] <+PCIHenry> SO lets get back to flashy
[19:30] <+PCIHenry> lets say you are a Mage and can do all sorts of things
[19:31] <+PCIHenry> you underwent the ordeal and have the mark of purity upon you
[19:31] <+PCIHenry> BUT you're in some village in the middle of what will be the Carolinas
[19:31] <+PCIHenry> and some villager sees you throw up a spell and starts calling you a witch?warlock
[19:31] <+PCIHenry> and others start builing a bond fire
[19:32] <+PCIHenry> so even though you're sanctioned to wield magic
[19:32] <+PCIHenry> sometimes its best to keep a low profile
[19:32] <+PCIHenry> "done"
[19:33] <+PCIHenry> I hope you like the art
[19:33] <~Dan> So the mage pictured on your Kickstarter page is really "cutting loose" because there's no non-monster/non-hunter to see?
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[19:33] <~Dan> I really do.
[19:33] <~Dan> (Howdy, Gemini!)
[19:33] <+PCIHenry> Which one?
[19:33] <+Gemini> (hi)
[19:33] <+PCIHenry> the one from the Venice piece?
[19:33] <+PCIHenry> hello Gemini
[19:34] <+PCIHenry> the one where they are being swarmed on a bridge
[19:34] <~Dan> Well, that one, and the one in the mountains with the giant demon thing in the background, and the guy with the pistol and axe.
[19:34] <+PCIHenry> there's being circumspect and then dying a horrible death
[19:35] <+PCIHenry> that one is out in the wilderness with no one really around except for another WH
[19:35] * ~Dan nods
[19:35] <+PCIHenry> the Venice piece, she is cutting loose b/c if not she'll die
[19:35] <~Dan> Oh, speaking of giant demon-y things, I have a game mechanic question for you.
[19:35] <+PCIHenry> plus, it a cosmopolitan city rather than a back water village
[19:35] <+PCIHenry> they're a little more sophisticated
[19:35] <+PCIHenry> shoot
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[19:36] <+Gemini> If a dice falls on the table, but no one's there to see it, does it still count?
[19:36] <+Gemini> I mean, it's a natural 20.
[19:36] <+PCIHenry> I'll leave that to those who contemplate the clapping of one hand
[19:36] <~Dan> Well, as I recall, damage is based on success levels, and strength governs anything heavier than a rapier in HTH combat, correct?
[19:37] <+Gemini> I got the one handed clap once…
[19:37] <+GenoFoxx> question
[19:37] <+PCIHenry> that was the old system, but it is more or less correct for the new as well
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[19:37] <~Dan> Ah, well, perhaps this concern has been addressed in the new edition, then.
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[19:37] <+PCIHenry> what wa syour concern?
[19:38] <+GenoFoxx> do you have plans for a modern or futuristic setting for WH?
[19:38] <~Dan> My concern is the "Ninjasaurus Effect", which makes huge, bulky monsters also skilled combatants by default.
[19:38] <+PCIHenry> Did you see our PDF explaining the Basics?
[19:38] <~Dan> Oh! No, I didn't. Link?
[19:38] <+PCIHenry> one sec..I need to find it
[19:38] <+PCIHenry> one moment please
[19:40] <~Dan> (Here for the Q&A, demon_llama?)
[19:40] <+PCIHenry> (Link: http://www.paradigmconcepts.com/images/WH2e-TheBasics.pdf)http://www.paradigmconcepts.com/images/WH2e-TheBasics.pdf
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[19:40] <+PCIHenry> Its on Update #3 on the KickStarter
[19:41] <+GenoFoxx> Dan, PClHenry did you see my question?
[19:41] <+demon_llama> I followed this link from Siege Tower Games
[19:42] <+demon_llama> Curious as to what they might say
[19:42] <+PCIHenry> Sorry GenoFox I missed it
[19:43] <+PCIHenry> We have the basic design  for a modern Witch Hunter game that we were going to call Witch Hunter 2012
[19:43] <+GenoFoxx> do you have plans for a modern or futuristic setting for WH?
[19:43] <+PCIHenry> and link it to the End of Days "hysteria"
[19:43] <+PCIHenry> but we got caught up with the new Arcanis: World of the Shattered Empires game and it was pushed to the side
[19:44] <+PCIHenry> I'd like to do a modern WH game and still may, assuming there's enough of an interest to merit one
[19:44] <+PCIHenry> sort of a grittier Dresden Files game
[19:45] <+PCIHenry> hello Demon Llama
[19:45] <~Dan> Hmmm... I don't see the answer to my question in the intro file, Henry.
[19:45] <+PCIHenry> ok..sorry Dan
[19:45] <+demon_llama> Hi.
[19:46] <~Dan> No problem!
[19:46] <+GenoFoxx> how would the other religions be handled in such a modern/futuristic setting
[19:46] <+GenoFoxx> if it happens?
[19:46] <+PCIHenry> so your concern is does someone with a high might become a master at a blade rather than a fast fencer?
[19:46] <~Dan> So to restate my concern: Can the game handle creatures that are huge and powerful, but not so likely to hit?
[19:47] <+PCIHenry> which religions in particular, Geno?
[19:47] <~Dan> Like a big, clumsy giant?
[19:47] <+PCIHenry> well, let's break that down
[19:47] <+PCIHenry> the giant would have
[19:47] <+PCIHenry> let's say a 7 might/srtength
[19:47] <+PCIHenry> but very poor skills
[19:48] <+PCIHenry> and absolutely no tricks since he's using just brute strength
[19:48] <+PCIHenry> so it would roll 7 dice and that's about it
[19:48] <+PCIHenry> whereas a skilled fencer would have his skill + attribute
[19:48] <+PCIHenry> now where i think the giant would lose out
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[19:49] <+GenoFoxx> like buddhism, zoroastroism and the asguard pantheon?
[19:49] <+PCIHenry> is that you now have a static number (your avoidance) to hit
[19:49] <+PCIHenry> a nibble fighter would have a higher Avoidance than a clumsy giant
[19:50] <+PCIHenry> thus the fencer would hit with less dice allowing the extra dice to serve as payment for weapon tricks or just extra damage
[19:50] <+PCIHenry> as for Geno's question
[19:51] <+PCIHenry> I ahven't given much thought to the Asgardian Pantheon as in WH it would be considered a pagan religion and not fall into the good vs evil dichotomy of the three major religions
[19:52] <+PCIHenry> as for Buddhism we've been giving some thought as to how to handle that religion but haven't come up with an answer yet.
[19:53] <+PCIHenry> Does that answer your question Dan and Geno?
[19:53] <~Dan> Hmm... So there's no way for the clumsy giant to reflect the damage he should do when he does connect?
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[19:53] <~Dan> (Welcome, Anasurimbor! Here for the Q&A?)
[19:54] <+Anasurimbor> Just to listen in :)
[19:54] <~Dan> (Fair enough. Feel free to chime in, though!)
[19:54] <+PCIHenry> Dan: No I didn;t say that
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[19:54] <+PCIHenry> If the giant connected then hos Damage Modifier would be MUCH higher than a rapier
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[19:55] <~Dan> Is that based on Strength, or is that more of an aribtrary "this is a huge giant" damage modifier?
[19:55] <+PCIHenry> it just means tat a clumsy giant would have a harder time of hitting and the nibble fighter would probably hit more often but not do as much damage in one shot
[19:56] <+PCIHenry> I think that common sense has a lot to do with it
[19:56] <~Dan> (Welcome, mib_5ogb3v! You can set your name with the /nick command. :) )
[19:56] * ~Dan nods
[19:56] <+PCIHenry> If I pick up a tree and hit you, it should hurt
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[19:56] <~Dan> Right. And I apologize if "arbitrary" sounded disparaging.
[19:57] <+PCIHenry> and if I'm strong enough to pick up a tree, then yes that muscle is going to have an effect on the dmage
[19:57] <+PCIHenry> no that's fine
[19:57] <+PCIHenry> '-)
[19:57] <+GenoFoxx> yes, thanks
[19:58] <~Dan> So, speaking of giants, perhaps you ought to describe the scope of the Adversary's minions?
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[19:58] <+PCIHenry> not giants
[19:58] <+PCIHenry> lol
[19:58] * ~Dan chuckles
[19:58] <+PCIHenry> although that's not really true
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[19:58] <~Dan> Well, yeah, I was going to say, seems like I remember reading that mythological creatures are real as well as Gothic horror creatures.
[19:59] <~Dan> (Howdy, jeffszusz!)
[19:59] <+PCIHenry> all of the mythological creatures, like giants, cyclops, Fae court, etc
[19:59] <+PCIHenry> they were all shunted into the Invisible World when King Solomon enacted his Great Seal
[20:00] <+PCIHenry> the Seal was corrupted and "things" leak in and out
[20:00] <+PCIHenry> which I suppose could include a giant
[20:00] <+PCIHenry> IN WH you can have just about any standard horror creature (werewolves, Vampires, ghouls, etc)
[20:01] <+PCIHenry> along with mythological creatures
[20:01] * ~Dan nods
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[20:01] <+PCIHenry> for example n one of he adventures I ran while playtesting, the Cadre of WH cane across a Dragon
[20:01] <+PCIHenry> one of he last in the Romanian hills
[20:02] <+PCIHenry> now this is not a Tolkien, Smaug like dragon, but one more in keeping with Slavic legend
[20:02] <~Dan> (I must be tired. I read that as "Romulan hills". Wrong setting!)
[20:02] <+PCIHenry> heh
[20:03] <~Dan> So more of a "great wyrm"?
[20:04] <+PCIHenry> actually it was more of a weather phenomenon than a great wyrm
[20:04] <+PCIHenry> partially spectral, darting among the thunder clouds
[20:04] <~Dan> Really? Huh.
[20:04] <+PCIHenry> belching forth lightning rather than fire
[20:04] <+PCIHenry> pretty creepy
[20:04] <~Dan> Yeah... Very cool.
[20:05] <+PCIHenry> they had a really rough time of it but eventually prevailed
[20:05] <~Dan> Now, despite the horror elements, do I recall correctly that the PCs are highly competent swashbuckling types?
[20:05] <+PCIHenry> yes very much so
[20:06] <+PCIHenry> there's lots of derring do ,swinging from chandeliers
[20:06] <+PCIHenry> fighting atop carriages etc
[20:06] <~Dan> So in terms of action and horror, would you say the game is on par with, say, "Brotherhood of the Wolf"?
[20:07] <+PCIHenry> in fact one of the first sessions I ever ran culminated in a running fight with a grim spectre of death atop of his carriage
[20:07] <+PCIHenry> funny you should mention that
[20:07] <+PCIHenry> Brotherhood of the Wolf and Sleepy Hollow were some of the inspiration for the game
[20:08] <+PCIHenry> along with Solomon Kane stories by Robert E, Howard
[20:08] * ~Dan nods
[20:09] <+PCIHenry> looks like we lost our audienc
[20:09] <+PCIHenry> e
[20:09] <~Dan> Oh, they're there. They just get quiet from time to time. :)
[20:10] <+PCIHenry> ah, I thought it was only the people in the Chatting box
[20:10] <~Dan> Nah. All those people are logged in. You're probably just seeing only those who've said something recently.
[20:10] <+PCIHenry> I would also like to mention that our products are of the highest quality we can produce
[20:11] <~Dan> I can vouch for that. The art and layout of the first edition were gorgeous.
[20:11] <+PCIHenry> we deal with a quality printer, and use some of the best artists in the industry to illustrate our work
[20:11] <+PCIHenry> thank you
[20:11] <+PCIHenry> wait until you see the Second Edition layout - much, much nicer
[20:11] <~Dan> Oh! I suppose we should cover the changes to the second edition.
[20:12] <+PCIHenry> actually it'll be very similar to the Basics PDF you just saw
[20:12] <+PCIHenry> ok
[20:12] <+PCIHenry> I'll be honest with you - I'm not the "mechanics" guy - I'm more of the "story" guy but I'll do what I can
[20:13] <+PCIHenry> the first thing we did was get rid of he Defense Pool
[20:13] <~Dan> No problem, Henry.
[20:13] <+PCIHenry> it was a great idea that just bogged down the game
[20:13] <+PCIHenry> WH should be a fast flowing, cinematic game, where you lose sight of the dice nad get into the story
[20:14] <+PCIHenry> so that was replaced by a Static number
[20:14] <+PCIHenry> you have 3 defenses - one each representing the person's deftness, intellect and spirit
[20:15] <+PCIHenry> so let's say I want to hit the ghoul that is devouring the dead in the nearby graveyard
[20:15] <+PCIHenry> that ghoul migt have an Avoidance of 3
[20:15] <+PCIHenry> so I take my dice pool, which is my Attribute + Skill + any other modifiers I may have and roll.
[20:16] <+PCIHenry> I need at least 3 7's or better to hit it
[20:16] <+PCIHenry> If I roll only an 8, 9 and nothing else higher than a 7 I miss
[20:17] <+PCIHenry> another thing we did was eliminate the need to roll initiative every round
[20:17] <+PCIHenry> you roll once, and just go from there
[20:17] <+PCIHenry> Rites have been streamlined in the much the same way. Witch Hunters that use sorcerous traditions no longer have to roll just to determine if they have the ability to perform a rite, and then roll to hit a target; one attack roll determines everything.
[20:17] <+PCIHenry> Character creation has been formatted to make the creation of Witch Hunters a simple processes that still permits a great deal of customization. The book is formatted in such a way that the order of choices in character creation match the order that the rules are presented, there is no need to jump back and forth.
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[20:18] <+PCIHenry> those are the biggest changes to the game
[20:18] <~Dan> Ah, that's good.
[20:18] <+PCIHenry> otherwise it works basically the same way
[20:18] <~Dan> I take the 2nd edition is fully backwards-compatible?
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[20:19] <~Dan> (Welcome, MilesR! Here for the Q&A?)
[20:19] <+PCIHenry> That depends what you mean by backwards compatible
[20:20] <+PCIHenry> if you mean that everything in the 1st edition can be used as is in the 2nd, no that's not exactly true
[20:20] <+PCIHenry> at least not without a bit of work on your part
[20:20] <~Dan> Well, then, follow up: What do you have planned to support the 2nd edition?
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[20:22] <+PCIHenry> good question
[20:22] <+PCIHenry> besides the Core Book, we're working on Cities of Mystery
[20:23] <+PCIHenry> this is a 128 page source book that gives an overview of 8 cities for you to run some WH adventures in
[20:23] <+PCIHenry> 4 in he New World and 4 in the Old
[20:23] <~Dan> Oh, very nice.
[20:24] <+PCIHenry> these cities are: New Amsterdam, Philadelphia, Quebec and Port Royal
[20:24] <+PCIHenry> Paris, Prague, Liverpool and Venice
[20:24] <~Dan> Cool.
[20:24] <+PCIHenry> we're also working on a Book of Magic
[20:25] <+PCIHenry> a 64 to 128 page book that reintroduces the additional Traditions that were originally in the Blessed and the Damned
[20:25] <+PCIHenry> plus lots more Rites, Relics and strange items
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[20:26] <+PCIHenry> we'd also like to republish a 2nd edition version of our monster book: The Grand Tome of Adversaries
[20:26] <~Dan> Excellent. I was going to ask about that.
[20:26] <+PCIHenry> with 33% new monsters and the other 66% thebest of those originally presented and converted for 2nd edition
[20:27] <+PCIHenry> Lastly, what I am very excited about are two mini-campaigns
[20:27] <+PCIHenry> one is called the End of Days
[20:28] <+PCIHenry> Nostradamus says that the 3 Anti-Christs were Napolean, Hitler and a guy in a blue turban still to come
[20:28] <+PCIHenry> But what if the first one rose in the 17th Century and the WH had to stop him from bringing forth the End of Days
[20:29] <~Dan> Cool.
[20:29] <+PCIHenry> the other one is one I'm writing myself called the Scholomance and deals with a Romanian legend of an Academy run by the Adversary to train the most evil humans on the planet
[20:30] <+PCIHenry> lastly, we'd like to expand the world setting and do sourcebooks on Africa
[20:30] <+PCIHenry> as well as the Orient
[20:30] <+PCIHenry> where we would touch upon the legend of Prester John
[20:30] <~Dan> Africa would be great.
[20:30] <+PCIHenry> yes it would
[20:30] <~Dan> If you aren't familiar with it, I can highly recommend the Dark Continent RPG.
[20:30] <+PCIHenry> What would you like to see?
[20:31] <+PCIHenry> Oh Iam
[20:31] <+PCIHenry> and am the proud owner of the box set
[20:31] <~Dan> Ditto. :)
[20:31] <~Dan> Reviewed it, in fact.
[20:31] <~Dan> But as to what I would like...
[20:31] <+PCIHenry> the writers of the Dark Continent are Arcanis fans and we traded gifts.
[20:31] <~Dan> Stuff about Africa and South America would be great.
[20:31] <+PCIHenry> :-)
[20:32] <~Dan> Oh! And pirates, of course.
[20:32] <~Dan> Pirates pirates pirates.
[20:32] <+PCIHenry> of course!
[20:32] <+PCIHenry> we deal a bit with pirates in the Port Royal setting in the Cities of Mystery book
[20:32] <~Dan> I thought you might.
[20:32] <+PCIHenry> BUT I would love to do one about the pirates of the Indian Ocean
[20:33] <+PCIHenry> some of which were head hunters
[20:33] <+PCIHenry> great material that just writes itself
[20:33] <~Dan> Oh, that sounds nice, too.
[20:33] <+PCIHenry> we try and keep tings fresh
[20:33] <+PCIHenry> I hate to rehash things already done
[20:34] * ~Dan nods
[20:34] <+PCIHenry> that's why I was very proud about the Aztec book
[20:34] <+PCIHenry> b.c while a couple of other companies have written an Aztec Source book, we took ours forward a hundred years and asked, What if...?
[20:35] <~Dan> Do the Aztecs have firearms?
[20:36] <+PCIHenry> <<SPOILER??
[20:37] <~Dan> Oh... n/m, then. :)
[20:37] <+PCIHenry> ok...everyone who doesn't want to know close your eyes
[20:37] <+PCIHenry> lol
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[20:38] <~Dan> Well, it will be hard for someone reading the log to avoid reading the spoiler, so we'll set that aside for now. ;)
[20:38] <+PCIHenry> yes and they are furnished by the Chinese whose Treasure Fleet reached their shores and are backing the Aztecs against the Europeans
[20:38] <+PCIHenry> oopps
[20:38] <~Dan> Or not. :D
[20:38] <~Dan> But that's a fantastic twist. :)
[20:38] <+PCIHenry> its in the Aztec Sourcebook
[20:38] <+PCIHenry> thank you!
[20:38] <~Dan> Are they teaching the Aztecs kung fu as well? :)
[20:39] <+PCIHenry> In our history the Treasure Fleet was disbanded when the Emperor died
[20:39] <+PCIHenry> but in the WH world, the Emperor's son continued sailing further and further off as a tribute to him
[20:40] <+PCIHenry> and no - No Kung-fu, heart ripping, blood drinking aztecs...;p;
[20:40] <~Dan> Ah, well. You can't have everything. :)
[20:40] <+PCIHenry> lol
[20:41] <~Dan> So we have about 20 minutes left in "regular" time... Would you like to bring up anything about WH we haven't discussed, or would you like to promote some of your other game lines a bit?
[20:41] <+PCIHenry> One last thing about WH
[20:41] <+PCIHenry> one of the story elements that I changed was the ability to travel around he world quickly
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[20:42] <+PCIHenry> Obviously, the sense of urgency is lessened if you have to travel three months by boat to get from London to New Amsterdam
[20:43] <~Dan> (brb -- please continue)
[20:43] <+PCIHenry> so now all WH are able to perceive the cracks in the Seal that lead into and out of the Invisible World.
[20:43] <+PCIHenry> though not a pleasant trip and fraught with danger, it can turn that 3 month trip into a few hours
[20:44] <+PCIHenry> Of course, you'll need to know where to go and what the exit is
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[20:45] <+PCIHenry> so we've given another WH Order, the Apostles of the New Dawn, who are travellers, the ability to track the most used paths through the Invisible World and out a crack that is nearest to your destination
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[20:45] <~Dan> (back)
[20:45] <+PCIHenry> ok
[20:46] <+PCIHenry> I do hope this game sounds interesting to you
[20:46] <+PCIHenry> and your audience
[20:46] <+PCIHenry> we also support the game with a n Organized Play campaign called Witch Hunter: Revelations
[20:46] <~Dan> It definitely does to me. And as an aside, I'm also a reviewer. If you'd be interested in sending me a review copy, just let me know.
[20:47] <+PCIHenry> that premiers at Origins and can then be found on our website
[20:47] <+PCIHenry> alright - thank you for the offer!
[20:47] <+PCIHenry> as for our other lines
[20:47] <+PCIHenry> I just received the shipment of Rotted Capes from our printer
[20:48] <+PCIHenry> they will be available at Origins and Gen Con
[20:48] <+PCIHenry> and then at your FLGS in August
[20:48] <~Dan> Great!
[20:48] <+PCIHenry> I'll be happy to answer any questions about our other games
[20:49] <+PCIHenry> if anyone has any questons?
[20:49] <~Dan> What is Arcanis about?
[20:49] <+PCIHenry> Arcanis is our Flag ship line
[20:49] <+PCIHenry> its an Epic Fantasy RPG
[20:50] <+PCIHenry> which deals with globe spanning games of intrigue, moral ambiguity and hard questions with tougher answers
[20:50] <+PCIHenry> it also has its fair share of tough and exciting combats and our fmaous Battle INteractives
[20:51] <+PCIHenry> We just finished a 2 year campaign that we GAVE away on our website
[20:51] <+PCIHenry> called the Crusade
[20:51] <~Dan> Wow!
[20:51] <+PCIHenry> which dealt with a Demon/Devil invasion of the lands of men
[20:51] <+PCIHenry> and the Heroes taking the role of Crusaders
[20:52] <+PCIHenry> this Origins begins are new Story arc
[20:52] <+PCIHenry> which shifts the locale to a place where the players have been wanting to go for a long time
[20:52] <+PCIHenry> the Blessed Lands and the First City of Man
[20:53] <+PCIHenry> it'll be another Epic adveture!
[20:53] <+PCIHenry> or at least that what I shoot for
[20:53] *** Le_Squide is now known as Le_Showah
[20:53] <+PCIHenry> (Link: http://chronicles.shatteredempires.com/index.cgi)http://chronicles.shatteredempires.com/index.cgi
[20:53] <+PCIHenry> you can find the free PDF adventures there
[20:53] <+PCIHenry> I believe there's close to 30 of them
[20:54] <~Dan> Impressive!
[20:54] <+PCIHenry> we try and release an adventure a month
[20:54] <~Dan> What's the core mechanic of Arcanis?
[20:54] <+PCIHenry> its our own system
[20:54] <~Dan> I may be old school, but I really value support in the form of adventures.
[20:55] <+PCIHenry> if interested, we have a free Fast PLay PDF you can download from our webstore
[20:55] <+PCIHenry> and it also won the Origins Award for Best Game of 2012
[20:55] <+PCIHenry> or 2011
[20:55] <+PCIHenry> Its been a big blur sometimes
[20:55] <+PCIHenry> lol
[20:55] * ~Dan chuckles
[20:56] <+PCIHenry> PCI started as a D20 company
[20:56] <+PCIHenry> but when WotC went to 4th Edition, we decided to do our own thing
[20:56] <+PCIHenry> hence the Arcanis RPG
[20:57] <+PCIHenry> heres a link to the free Fast PLay
[20:57] <+PCIHenry> (Link: http://paradigmconcepts.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=9&products_id=128)http://paradigmconcepts.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=9&products_id=128
[20:58] <+PCIHenry> Additionally, you can download our orignial world setting from the D20 days from RPGNow
[20:58] <+PCIHenry> its called the Codex Arcanis and we're giving that away as well
[20:58] <~Dan> Ah, yes. I recall hearing about that.
[20:58] <+PCIHenry> just ignor ethe last 32 pages of rules and any D&D-isms such as Orcs and you should be good to go
[20:59] <+PCIHenry> It also won an Origins Award for Best Setting a few years ago too
[21:00] <+PCIHenry> well, I don't want to overstay my welcme
[21:00] <~Dan> So the current version doesn't include the fantasy "usual suspects" like elves, dwarves, and orcs?
[21:00] <~Dan> Oh, you aren't! You're welcome to hang out as long as you like.
[21:00] <+PCIHenry> sort of
[21:00] <~Dan> But if you do need to run, no problem.
[21:00] <+PCIHenry> I took most of the Fantasy Tropes and gave them a twist
[21:01] <+PCIHenry> for example the dwarfs
[21:01] <+PCIHenry> why do these 5'0 guys live in places that have 30' ceilings?
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[21:01] <+PCIHenry> and why are they so obsessed with creating magic items
[21:02] <+PCIHenry> I answer those questions and in addition create a handful of different cultures so that not all dwarves are dwarves
[21:02] <+Aeolius> making stuff up is half the fun!
[21:02] <+PCIHenry> elves became the Elorii
[21:02] <+PCIHenry> and Orcs the Gar
[21:02] <+PCIHenry> etc
[21:02] <+PCIHenry> yes it is
[21:03] <+PCIHenry> and then I intertwined the religions so that the Human Pantheon "ate" the Elorii gods
[21:03] <+PCIHenry> well all but one
[21:03] <+PCIHenry> so there's this built in tension between the races
[21:03] <~Dan> Huh. Interesting.
[21:04] <+PCIHenry> leads to lots of great role playing situations at the table
[21:04] <+PCIHenry> additionally there are no "good" gods or "bad" gods
[21:04] <+PCIHenry> there is the Pantheon of Man
[21:04] <+PCIHenry> and the different churches determine which aspects of those gods are worshipped
[21:04] <~Dan> Actually, Henry... would you like to come back at some point for Q&As for Arcanis and/or Rotted Capes? (I mean, we can still talk about them now. I just mean if you'd like to dedicate a whole Q&A to them.)
[21:05] <+PCIHenry> so you can have two priests at your table that worship the same god but be diametrically opposed
[21:05] <+Anasurimbor> Oooh, Arcanis Q&A...
[21:05] <+PCIHenry> Sure I would love to
[21:05] <+PCIHenry> Great nic Anasurimbor
[21:05] <+PCIHenry> I love that series of novels
[21:06] <+PCIHenry> just waiting for the Consult book to come out to see how it ends...;p;
[21:06] <~Dan> Just let me know whenever you'd like to set those up. You've got the link to the schedule still, right?
[21:06] <+Anasurimbor> Heh. May be a bit of a wait yet I've heard
[21:06] <+PCIHenry> sure do,,
[21:06] <+PCIHenry> I'm a little busy right now with Origins in about a month
[21:07] <+PCIHenry> so it'll probably be after the Summer shows if that's alright with you
[21:07] <~Dan> No problem at all. It's an open invitation.
[21:07] <+PCIHenry> many thanks
[21:07] <~Dan> Oh, I was going to ask about WH...
[21:07] <+PCIHenry> I hope your audience came away from this with some new found interest in our games
[21:08] <~Dan> ...are there "good" or "neutral" monsters in the setting?
[21:08] <+PCIHenry> sure
[21:08] <+PCIHenry> neutral yes
[21:08] <+PCIHenry> good...the jury's out on that one
[21:08] <~Dan> So no angels or the like?
[21:09] <+PCIHenry> but you'll see more in the 2nd edition Grand Tome of Adversaries
[21:09] <+PCIHenry> oh there are angels
[21:09] <+PCIHenry> and some really try to be good while others don't think too much of us
[21:09] * ~Dan nods
[21:09] <+PCIHenry> I'm a fan of Christopher Walken;s Prophecy movie
[21:09] <+PCIHenry> the first one
[21:10] <+PCIHenry> the others were not very good
[21:10] <~Dan> Yes, that's a cool movie.
[21:10] <+PCIHenry> well Dan Its been fun
[21:10] <+PCIHenry> thank you for your time and the venue
[21:10] <~Dan> Oh, let me PM you my email address real quick, in case you want to get back to me about review copies.
[21:10] <+PCIHenry> and I will take you up on that offer to discuss Arcanis in the near future
[21:10] <+PCIHenry> sure
[21:10] <~Dan> Sent.
[21:11] <~Dan> And you're quite welcome, Henry! Thank you for stopping by!
[21:11] <+PCIHenry> got it
[21:11] <~Dan> I'll have the log up shortly and will send you the link.
[21:11] <+PCIHenry> thank you
[21:11] <+PCIHenry> Good night everyone
[21:11] <~Dan> Have a great evening!