Dragon Age Set #3

[Jekias]

News from the front page:

Dragon Age saw the release of Set 2 a couple of months back, and that led to Set 1 selling out again. We have a reprint underway and that should also release towards the end of the month. Will Hindmarch recently came onboard as our new Dragon Age developer, and he's working with me on a playtest document for Set 3. We intend to do another open mechanics playtest like we did with Set 2. We'll have more to say about that before Xmas.

Exciting part is bolded for emphasis!

Can't wait for it, good news to hear from Chris

[Andraste]

Yaaaaaaay!

What I want most is details of any further specialisations. (My players are currently Level Four, so it would be nice to have the full range available before they choose.)

[Andferne]

Looking forward to the playtest stuff. Great news!

[Lynata]

Awesome news indeed!

I can't wait to hear further details about the contents.

Also great to hear that the RPG has been selling well! People asking for reprints paints a very pretty picture of this game's future.

[Big Ned]

All good news.

[Scott McFarland]

Hurrah for playtest!

I know RAW there'll only be more info on the playtest before Christmas, but if we could actually get the playtest itself before Christmas that would be like... um... well, Christmas coming early.

[Saisei]

Yay!

Our DA game has slowed down a bit but that's from peoples schedules rather than any problems with DA. Can't wait.

[Devin71]

Good news!! This has really shaped up from a good game to a really good one with set 2 My biggest hope however is that shortly after set 3 they will combine all the rules into a nice slick hardcover. I liked the boxes and find them enjoyably nostalgic but would still rather carry one all encompassing book over three boxes.

[Estoirtoh]

Good news!! This has really shaped up from a good game to a really good one with set 2 My biggest hope however is that shortly after set 3 they will combine all the rules into a nice slick hardcover. I liked the boxes and find them enjoyably nostalgic but would still rather carry one all encompassing book over three boxes.

Yeah. A nice reprint with all errata corrected and all rules gathered in one book would be awesome.

[shonuff]

Table of contents would be nice.

Consolidated charts.

Spells divided by schools, not just alphabetized (at least in chart form).

Lots of little organizational tidbits like this would make the rules vastly more user friendly.

[Hindmarch]

Thanks for you enthusiasm, everyone!

By all means, chime in with things you'd like to see in Set 3—but hurry. We're moving ahead at full speed and I can't exactly squeeze in every request at this point. Watch the Green Ronin twitter account -- @GreenRoninPub -- for additional tidbits and questions this week. I also be keeping an eye in here for additional opinions and questions.

Just so we're clear, though: The outline for Set 3 is fixed, so we know how much space we have to devote to additional magic & monsters & so forth. We'll have some future outlets for new content, too, that we'll use to address some questions and concerns that we share. Please bear with us, though, as even Set 3 can only get to be so large—we have to pick our battles.

Thanks very much!

Cheers,
Will

Edit: I made some alterations to be clearer—my dry wit doesn't always come across online.

[Jekias]

My wishlist for Set#3 would include more specialisations (but i suspect this will happen anyway); more lore about the world and i would love to see a bigger magic item list (more than the 2 pages in sets 1&2).

Looking forward to it!

[Pytorb]

My wishlist on top of the obvious things for progression through levels 11-20 such as higher level spells and possibly paragon level talents would be:

more specialisations - especially Ranger and Shapechanger
crafting lyrium potions,
crafting health potions,
demons,
abominations,
playing in the Fade,
the Blood Magic mind control ability
more utility spells such as dream sending, shelter or spring whoich would have been out of place in the CRPG

so nothing much then

[shonuff]

1. More items. Magic and otherwise.
2. Grouped item charts. Especially with the utility items like poison kit. It's so buried, that everytime I've doublechecked it to make sure it's 1 gold, I have to spend 5 minutes to look through it.
3. More mage specializations. Warrior and rogue are OK (could always have more), but mages feel VERY limited. At level 6 you have to pick between a rare, forgotten specialization, being "evil" or being a healer.
4. Table of Contents
5. Appendixes with charts for easy reference. Spells grouped by alphabet, and by school.
6. Quests/information based outside of Ferelden/Free Marches.

[Elfie]

I think more specializations for every class and more spells are the top of my list for players. Perhaps more focuses as well. I'll poll my group to see if there's anything else they want.

From a GM standpoint, I'd love more magical item suggestions, LOTS more adversaries (LOTS more), and definitely some specific rules on the taint.

One thing that would be particularly cool would be details on a key location or two, like a map of Denerim with lots of stats for shops, persons of note, and adventure seeds.

[Scott McFarland]

Fluff about Thedas, whilst great, is available elsewhere, so I'd say:

Magic Items
Complete the specialisations available in DA: Origins
Spells

Then following that a revised edition of the rules in a hardback book, with indices, equipment and magic items tables etc.

[Barbarian Axeman]

I would like to see more on the Mabari war hound. They should have some leveling up. So a small group of players can use these hounds to make a stronger party.

[Andferne]

Going to echo most of what's been said.

1) More specializations for all classes.
2) More adversaries.
3) More spells.
4) More magical items.
5) Rules for the Taint.
6) More generic items and their costs. (Money sink)
7) Crafting rules. For potions and magical items.
8) Last but certainly not least. For it to come out sooner! But we can settle for the playtest as a Xmas gift. xP

[Andferne]

I would like to see more on the Mabari war hound. They should have some leveling up. So a small group of players can use these hounds to make a stronger party.

If you're wanting a stronger Mabari why not simply put the templates on them?

[shonuff]

1) More specializations for all classes.

Especially mages. Look at rogues: bards, assassins, and duelists are all general enough that they can be played by any type of rogue. Look at warriors: templar is restricted to mage-hunters, but berserkers and moreso champions can be easily taken by any warrior and it would make sense.

Now, mages on the other hand don't have that. Picture you are playing a regular Circle mage. What specialization do you take at level 6? Arcane warrior? Probably not. Blood mage? Almost definitely not. Spirit healer? Maybe creation mages, but primal/entropy/spirit?

[Lynata]

Circle Mage is a rather restrictive background, there just aren't as many options to them as to the others - and I do think "forcing" additional options onto them may easily break their background. Given that this is a rather important aspect of the setting, magic in general should remain a comparatively rare thing, and with it the amount of possible "professions" for any kind of Mage.

One option that would come to mind, however, would be an "Enchanter" specialization. After all, this is pretty much the main job of Circle Mages, isn't it?
"Keeper" for elven Mages would be interesting as well, while we're at it.

I'm actually a bit surprised that Set 2 featured an "Arcane Warrior" and not one of the two options above.

I also think the game makes specializations a little too attractive by handing them out for free, basically having players "miss out" if they don't decide on one. Perhaps allowing a player to just take another talent (or talent rank) at level 6 instead of a specialzation would be a good houserule. As would allowing such a player to pick up a specialization later at a point where he could otherwise take a normal talent.

[Andferne]

It was my understanding that Set 2 stated just that. If you choose not to take up a Specialization at levels 6, 8, and 10. You could instead gain additional Talents, or degree of.

[Lynata]

Duh, you're right! For some reason I was looking for that part in the "Unlocking Specializations" box, but it turns out it is mentioned before. My mistake, and the developer's foresight. Thanks for pointing it out.

[shonuff]

It was my understanding that Set 2 stated just that. If you choose not to take up a Specialization at levels 6, 8, and 10. You could instead gain additional Talents, or degree of.

But something you can take at level 3 isn't as fun as something at level 6 that has a potential quest...

This isn't GR's fault, as they are using the source material, and Bioware's ideas behind their mage specializations left a lot to be desired, IMO. I'm sure Battlemage will make it into the P&P game eventually, which I thought was a worthless specialization (basically Arcane Warrior with a couple of different powers).

IMHO, with the emphasis on spell combos, a specialization based around that would have been a natural starter. Spell-weaver.... spell-shaper... spell-combo-master...

Another good specialization (also IMHO) would be someone who has greater control of the Fade (or in the Fade). Don't know how the mechanics would work exactly. A specialization like this would actually be useful in a PnP game.

[Elfie]

Something else I'd love to see is an updated GM screen with a bigger equipment list, stunt list, action list, etc. based on the set 2 and 3 material. Possibly even four panels (I end up propping the top of one of the boxes next to the screen to make it longer).