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This is a part of the new "Expedition to..." series, starting this october with Expedition to Castle Ravenloft . To my understanding, it won´t be "only" an update, but more a revisit of these classic adventures. The WotC D&D sneak preview movie from GenCon (?) linked somwhere on these boards offered some more on this topic, IIRC.
Stefan
shtupid me... The link was in the "Erik Mona´s latest secret project" thread, right here . The first post on that page gives the link...
Stefan
Yeah, I wrote this one, but unlike Ravenloft, the goal was not to remake Q1. It's a plane-hopping adventure in the Abyss, though, and that's not a bad thing.
I was fortunate that I had an advance copy of the Fiendish Codex to work with as well; some of that material shows up in the adventure.
It's due out in April.
Can you tell us the page count of the DemonWeb, please?!
Uh, I wrote roughly 140,000 words, and Gwendolyn did 30,000 or so. So, I think that makes it a 224-page hardcover, just like Ravenloft. It covers levels 9 to 12, and has a metric ton of tactical maps, combat breakouts, more than a dozen new monsters. It is filled with creepy evil goodness. :)
Unfortunately, it was written in an incredible hurry, to meet a tough deadline, so those are all the details I can remember.... ;)
Oh, and I found the cover picture here.
Uh, I wrote roughly 140,000 words, and Gwendolyn did 30,000 or so. So, I think that makes it a 224-page hardcover, just like Ravenloft.Unfortunately, it was written in an incredible hurry, to meet a tough deadline, so those are all the details I can remember.... ;)
I´m just curious: How much time did you have for that work ?
Stefan
Yeah 140,000 words is a lot. How come Gwendolyn only got 30,000 words? Why was the project broken down that way (as in who got to write what)? Why am I asking these questions here? I'm sure that there will be a writers question board on the WotC website when they are finding questions to interview you on.
On a totally different point. Why does Amazon get color pictures of the front cover of modules, etc, when WotC own website doesn't?
Yeah 140,000 words is a lot. How come Gwendolyn only got 30,000 words? Why was the project broken down that way (as in who got to write what)? Why am I asking these questions here? I'm sure that there will be a writers question board on the WotC website when they are finding questions to interview you on.
On a totally different point. Why does Amazon get color pictures of the front cover of modules, etc, when WotC own website doesn't?
I can answer the Amazon question.
WotC's a big company, and not all of its departments are always in sync. The publishing industry is huge, and their schedule for uploading new images is not necessarilly on the same schedule as WotC's. Often, they'll need cover images well before WotC's own departments need them. Once Amazon gets the images, they don't necessarilly know (or care, honestly) if WotC wants those images released to the public yet, but NOT sending them out to meat the publisher's schedule is like shooting yourself in the foot.
How much time did you have for that work?
Not enough. :P
Yeah 140,000 words is a lot. How come Gwendolyn only got 30,000 words? Why was the project broken down that way (as in who got to write what)?
She's the freelance coordinator, so she didn't have time to write a whole book. She wrote an introductory set of encounters, and I wrote the Planescape sections.
Looks quite cool. Are the opening encounters set generically, or do they tie specifically into an FR setting like Menzo-Berranzan or a GH setting like Erelhei-Cinlu?
I forget whether it's completely generic (it's been 7 months since I touched it), but it is a planar adventure, so really, it doesn't require you to go through G1-3 and D1-3 first. :)
There's a nod to Erelhei-Cinlu (since that's the drow city I always default to), but really, it's not about the material plane. It's about the Abyss, and a few other places.
Yeah, I wrote this one, but unlike Ravenloft, the goal was not to remake Q1. It's a plane-hopping adventure in the Abyss, though, and that's not a bad thing.
I was fortunate that I had an advance copy of the Fiendish Codex to work with as well; some of that material shows up in the adventure.
It's due out in April.
Great to see you back in the Planes Wolfgang. Will Sigil make an appearance?
There's a nod to Erelhei-Cinlu (since that's the drow city I always default to), but really, it's not about the material plane. It's about the Abyss, and a few other places.
Great. That was always my favorite drow city, and our group had a heck of a time (hecuva? where?) there during the Dead Gods adventure.
How does your adventure relate to the Demonweb adventure that Monte Cook wrote in Dungeon a while back? I don't have that issue but I think it was for higher-level groups, right?
i was wondering if we are going to be seeing a return to the ghoul city again? you know, the suel lich queen, and the King in White? any chance of that happening any time soon?
I actually wrote a query for this and sent it to the editor at the time. I think it was Chris Perkins, and he said "heck yes, write it." So technically, I have an approved query for this already. It's just 8 years out of date.
Honestly, I'd love to revisit the White Kingdom and have some ideas along those lines, but first I'm writing a major Savage Tide installment and the second Patron Project.
So, alas, I probably can't writing such a thing until next June at the earliest. And that assumes my schedule doesn't fill up.
How does your adventure relate to the Demonweb adventure that Monte Cook wrote in Dungeon a while back? I don't have that issue but I think it was for higher-level groups, right?
Yeah, it was called "The Harrowing" and it was for 14th level? Maybe 15th.
It has some connection (set in the same Demonweb, after all). But The Harrowing had a lot less demons in it.
By the way... consider the current Editor in Chief to still be interested in a White Kingdom-related adventure!And this random goof off the street.
And this random goof as well. I still lovingly pore over the original adventure, with my Dungeon pages moldy and the staples rusting.
Mmm...ghoulish love!
And this random goof as well.By the way... consider the current Editor in Chief to still be interested in a White Kingdom-related adventure!And this random goof off the street.
Well, shucks. Twist my arm.
Maybe I can dig up my notes and see what the ghouls are cooking (ick). And now that Doresain is a demi-god, that opens up all sorts of options...
I forget whether it's completely generic (it's been 7 months since I touched it)
(...)
Hello Wolfgang,
I am wondering:
If it has been seven months since you touched it the last time, and if it is going to be published in April 2007:
How much time does WotC need for publishing an adventure?!?!!
And had the deadline really have to be so tight, if they still have 13 months for proof reading, layout, printing, and distribution?!?
Profoundly confused, but eagerly looking forward to your adventure,
Günther
P.S.
Something else I am wondering since reading your name on books right after starting to play AD&D: Your first and family name sound pretty german, actually my brother has the same first name as you. ;-)
Are you german/ austrian or did your parents like german names that much?
I forget whether it's completely generic (it's been 7 months since I touched it)
(...)I am wondering:
If it has been seven months since you touched it the last time, and if it is going to be published in April 2007:
How much time does WotC need for publishing an adventure?!?!!
Günther-
Playtest and development at least 1 month. Then editing 224 printed pages takes about six or seven months. Typesetting and production are a month minimum, probably two. Printing a hardcover, binding it, and shipping it from Canada or China is another month, at least. Ten or 11 months or so from turnover isn't that strange.Big projects take a lot of time. I've gotten used to making turnovers and then forgetting about them for 6 months to a year, but I can see it might look weird from the outside.
And had the deadline really have to be so tight, if they still have 13 months for proof reading, layout, printing, and distribution?!?
Probably not that tight, no. But sometimes an editor is only available in a certain timeframe, just as actors are only available in certain blocks of time. Schedules are tricky things.
Are you german/ austrian or did your parents like german names that much?
Mein Vater stammt aus Danzig, meine Mutter von Dresden. Ich habe sogar einen deutschen Pass, aber ich bin wirklich ein Ami, hier geboren und aufgewachsen.
Günther-
Playtest and development at least 1 month. Then editing 224 printed pages takes about six or seven months. Typesetting and production are a month minimum, probably two. Printing a hardcover, binding it, and shipping it from Canada or China is another month, at least. Ten or 11 months or so from turnover isn't that strange.Big projects take a lot of time. I've gotten used to making turnovers and then forgetting about them for 6 months to a year, but I can see it might look weird from the outside.
Ok. Apparently I underestimated the complexity of editing adventures. ;-) Point taken.
Mein Vater stammt aus Danzig, meine Mutter von Dresden. Ich habe sogar einen deutschen Pass, aber ich bin wirklich ein Ami, hier geboren und aufgewachsen.
Interessant. Die Familie meines Vaters lebte auch seit Generationen in Dresden, aber auch sie hat der Krieg woanders hin verschlagen (wenn auch nicht so weit wie dich).
Es war für mich als Teenager nach dem Fall der Mauer ein sehr merkwürdiges Gefühl, das erste Mal in Dresden zu sein. Eine Stadt, in der dein Vater, Groß- und Urgroßväter geboren und gelebt hatten, die ich selbst aber nur von Bildern kannte.Back to english. :p
Thanks for your answers and compliments for your german skills (it is definitely not recognizable that you weren't born in Germany)!
Greetings from Germany,
Günther