Wolfgang Baur's page

We are just a bit over $100 from bringing a ton of additional art to this project--and we added a chapter of Spellcasting Archetypes as well.

Oh, and Stephen Radney-Macfarland discussed his design of Mythic magic in today's Deep Magic Update.

Deep Magic link

Some design notes by SRM on Mythic spells on this Deep Magic blog update.

Holy material components, people!

Boing Boing has put Deep Magic on their blog. Whoa!! I am a little freaked out, and a little bit TOTALLY THRILLED BY THIS!

Yes indeed, Deep Magic is officially a hardcover book. And got a chunk of extra dragon magic added as well.

This is an excellent way to cap the day.

Use the Zobeck Kobolds from the Player's Guide to the Crossroads instead?

If only the stretch goals were updated. A chance to talk about them before they go live would be good.

On the other hand, more stuff in the book *is* more stuff in the book. I guess that's ok.

Thank you, Niteshade16! This book is going to be great. Just 7 more backers and it is a hardcover.

I'm holding off on the 46K goal until we hit 800 backers.

We just need 24 more people at $1 or better to turn this into a hardcover book for all print backers.

Brian, good question, and fortunately the stretch goals are all additive. Providing more materials never removes something from previous reward tiers.

So, the higher pledges would still get the hardcover. Making that available to lower tiers, too, will mean more support for the project overall.

Yep, it was family day, we visited the mountains, Internet was spotty at best. I had a wonderful, wonderful time in the National Park system, but I just got home, so.... I am sure I will update the project like mad tomorrow.

Goldomark is right, the book is a softcover--and it keeps adding new material so quickly that a hardcover seems pretty much inevitable. However, as of this minute, the hardcovers are only guaranteed to the higher pledge levels.

That could change rather quickly, of course.

Havoc XIII, I will send details on the spell submission process to backers on Monday. You only get to submit the text once, so make sure it is ready!

And you are right. We hit 700 backers this morning. Hope you have a cool spell idea coming along.

40K goal is completely AWESOME and has gotten me quite excited. But it will take 20 more backers to pry it out of me.

[Deep Magic link]

The 700 backer goal comes first, and involves the Adventurer-Backers submitting spells. When we reach that goal, a full 60 submitted spells will be accepted for publication in Deep Magic.

A new Mythic Path, and a Saint at that!? November is too far away. :(

Out of curiosity, how close will it be to the old Dragon mag article that featured Saints (#79)? Will good and naughty characters be able to be a Mythic Saint?

Well, it's not connected to the old article except that the theme is similar. However, I can confirm the Mythic Saint path works for both good and naughty characters. Tim's still writing it... More details when it's done!

Steve, these maps are currently envisioned as PDF items for printout or online play. Though they might turn into addons in print form, I'm just not able to say at this point. I'm still chasing down a couple freelancer requests.

Our editor is going to be BUSY in July. :)

* Any chance a stretch goal could be support for other 3PP Spellcasting Base Classes? (Can't actually think of any off the top of my head, but there must be some)

Whether completely new spells or just suggested new spells to add to existing lists...

Maybe? So far this is the first request, but now I am curious about mosaic mages. Sacred necromancer is a bit too similar to the white necromancer that Kobold Press did a while back to support both.

Will there be any support for the KP Geomancer? White necromancer/Shaman/Battle Scion?

There is no geomancer class from KP available (yet), and this book does not contain new classes (archetypes, but not classes). So probably not there.

The New Paths classes are likely to get support, though I'll just note in passing that the battle scion just uses the wizard/sorcerer list, so that class gets a LOT of new spells. Hundreds. :)

* AND: Russ Nicholson?!? How can you tease like that. You know I venerate the man's artwork. May is altogether too vague.

LOL, Russ is a splendid man, but very busy, so I can't do better than "may" right now. But he has done a fair bit of art for Kobold Press over the last two years or so, and I am hoping he can work us in for a single piece here, or maybe two.

The next goal with the arcane college map, is that a specific institution or a generic one?

I was hoping it to be fairly generally useful, though if I had to be specific it would likely be an institution from the Midgard Campaign Setting like a Bemmean Academy or the Arcane Collegium of Zobeck. I rather like the "orientation folder map" idea.

Just $34 to go and the fans put you to work, Mike!

Would it help any if I mentioned that the original illustrator of the Field Folio, Russ Nicholson, may do the illustration for Mike's spells?

Linkie link: Deep Magic and Dark Creepers

Thank goodness. Now I can come clean about my total obsession with scrolls. Update to follow in 3.... 2... 1...

Gah, need just 1 more backer to fund the real scrolls stretch goal! Can you help?

Chipping in just $5 means that 600 people get ultra-cool handouts.

Looking at the page under the "Pledge Level" portion, $60 is the first time that they list the book and pdf. The $40 level only lists the print edition.

Confirmed. The "Pledge Level" section at the bottom spells out exactly what is in each level. The $60 and $65 are the "everything" levels: book, PDF, Hero Lab, exclusive Kickstarter adventure, and a ton of extras from stretch goals.

(The book without extras is $35, the PDF-only is $15.)

And yep, there's a team-up in the works. Two designers tackle the same topic, then we cross the streams.

Lord Mhoram, the momentum has been great. And I can't even talk about a couple of the upcoming stretch goals, but... Might be we're *just* getting started.

Has there been any discussion anywhere about potential add-ons? I'm thinking things like print copies of the scrolls (both the pledged for one and the PDF ones).

There's a stretch goal now to provide backers with PDFs of hand-lettered scrolls, but for right now, the print versions are just for major backers. I'm debating whether to make them add-ons, but I think it might not be worth it unless people can *see* the scroll they're getting. Posters and art people (quite reasonably) want to see an image before buying the print.

So real scrolls might come later, or as a convention-only item, or something along those lines.

Not much, a couple extra characters, odd linebreaks. Not sure whether the PFS flag was set on everything. I think I got an updated file from you... today! I hope to take a look and run with that.

Yep, and it does keep getting more incredible. The Hero Lab files for backers are currently $15 away from being funded. So.... close!!

Big hair always says "insane but fashionable." Especially when spiked up with bat guano.

I did a little digging. One was created, but it hasn't passed through testing successfully. Then we did the HL file for Midgard Bestiary, which took priority.

So... Still working on it.

Thank you! Trying to make it worth everyone's while.

We also just hit a second art goal, so we're commissioning wizard signs and sigils. I look forward to seeing those, especially because a lot of them will be based on sketches submitted by backers.

Any word on who is doing the cover for this book? Or are we already looking at the cover art amongst the images on the Kickstarter page with the art we're already seeing?

I'm not telling just yet. But I can say that as soon as we hit the Arcane Art & Wizard Marks stretch goal, I'll have another art sneak peek. And more discussion of the art is coming.

And YES Hero Lab files, excellent addition, no doubt this one will be unlocked within the next day at the pace the campaign in going.

The pace is fast, but backers are always welcome. Every pledge means a better book, because we're piling on additional spells in proportion to the goals we hit.

Will the spells be on the PFSRD? I'm in for the book, but as a VTT GM, I'll need to be able to make the contents accessible to players scattered across several states.

Yep, as Cheapy says, putting them in that database is up to the folks at PFSRD.

However, I can say that the spells will be open content, they will be in Hero Lab files for backers, and I want to make them broadly available. They won't be trapped in just print or PDF!

And BOOM! Not one but TWO new stretch goals revealed, including support for Hero Lab files!

It's true, and I've been wanting to say it for the last day, but now YES, if we hit this goal all the Deep Magic spells will all be available to backers in HL format.

Details at the Deep Magic Kickstarter

Ding, 6 AM, and we've added new material to the project. Every pledge at $20 or more gets a set of Divine Favor PDFs that deliver a bunch of options for clerics, druids, inquisitors, oracles, and paladins.

And both Richard Pett and Amber Scott are doing a set of spells for Deep Magic as well.

Well, we did get SRM for one round of Mythic. There might be more; remains to be seen!

Thank you for backing it!

15 more backers to hit the 400 backer mark. Surprisingly enough, even a $1 pledge counts.

The Amber Scott section on Tomb Magic is funded! She discusses her inspiration and approach for these spells in a note to the backers.

Oh, and if we get to 400 backers, there's a set of 5 Divine Favor PDFs added for backers. We need about 20 more backers to hit that goal.

Funny you should mention that. Right now we are piling more spells into the book and bringing on the best designers we can find.

But Hero Lab support has come up more than once. I would not be surprised to find it on the list of possible stretch goals...

Yep, and a rather well-known AP freelancer is the next designer announced, with a cool topic for spells. Deep Magic keeps looking better. :D

Indeed there are! One of them has just been announced: adventure path designer Amber E. Scott will be designing a set of tomb magic spells if we hit our next goal!

Oh, and if we hit 400 backers, there's a set of 5 PDFs added to the Kickstarter for fans of divine magic...

I am planning that the spell scroll contains the rules text of the spell, but if someone wants arcane gibberish for a prop, I'm sure we can work something out.

Just nothing that makes my calligrapher turn into a Cthulhu cultist, please. :)

Your cover is pretty awesome.

Any details about the custom spellbooks (presumably a small paperback pamphlet (?), but things like what the cover art will be, format, etcetera) or the illuminated scrolls (like how big are they, for example)?

Sure, roughly speaking, the custom spellbooks are planned as softcover or selfcover format (depending on printer and what seems to work). There's no cover art for them beyond your wizard's mark and the title in an appropriate style. Interior page treatment can be either pure white with a rune or two, or it can follow the Deep Magic page treatment (which you can see in rough form on the Kickstarter page).

These spellbooks can make a good personalized reference for your own character, or they make an awesome handout to a wizard PC: "You find this spellbook; here you go."

The illuminated scrolls will be at least 8.5 by 11 inches, and (if you choose a long and wordy spell) possibly 11 by 17 or 8.5 by 22. You might need to roll it up, in other words. The calligraphy will be done by someone who teaches calligraphy in Seattle and has done hundreds of professional jobs, from straightforward wedding invites to art pieces, logos, and Biblical quotes. She does three hands that work for this sort of thing: a Carolingian miniscule, a slanted Gothic, and a copperplate.

The dragon's blood ink and gold leaf are for accents; the wax seal is one I have that works well, and I have a somewhat flexible, modern wax that won't crack and fall off. We might not use oak gall for the black because of how acidic it is (usually better for vellum). Paper likely to be a heavy cream stock that takes ink cleanly; I'm really leaving that up to the calligrapher, because the wrong paper makes the work a chore.

Can you tell I am married to a calligrapher? :)

That is quite a range of styles!

I tried Tai Chi for a bit, found it wasn't for me, but for what it's worth, the tradition is moving to the next generation.

My daughter is learning ninjitsu.

Today's Deep Magic goal (we're about $600 short) is commissioning Pathfinder designer Stephen Radney-McFarland to write a section of Mythic Magic for the book.

Working with Stephen to add something as cool as the mythic section is terrific. Help us expand the range of Pathfinder RPG magic in ]Deep Magic!

US shipping is included for all tiers (no extra charge). International shipping is included for a few tiers, though mostly just the bigger rewards.

Thank you for pledging! The first three stretch goals are all funded, and we're closing in on the next one.

The first three writer stretch goals are happening very fast indeed. But a big beautiful book of magic is also going to need awesome art!

The next stretch goal announced will commission 10 more full-color pieces, by some artists we could not quite afford without the help. I hope to share some additional sample art soon.

I am totally gobsmacked and delighted to announce we're fully funded in SIX HOURS!

That is crazy AWESOME. I am so very, very, very glad that we prepped the stretch goals "for later in the week or whenever we fund" ahead of time. And those first two goals are by game designers who have amazing, amazing track records.

The Deep Magic Kickstarter is off to a roaring start.

Jim has it right, they are to integrate and complement Paizo's Mythic Adventures rules.

It's one of the types of variant magic I really, really like, and Kobold Press will give that style of spellcasting full support. More details on this in a future update at the Deep Magic Kickstarter.

Perhaps for the best. My kung fu fighting skills are not what they once were.

(Seriously, I had a green belt and broke boards. It was good fun until a buddy left a tournament with a cracked rib.)

Yep. They're in layout, due to ship in July.

And quite a lot of fun this is, too. It takes some of the stealth/party adventure cliches and makes them entirely new by running the whole adventure on Demon Mountain, which is sort of the last place you would expect.

Plus hey, role playing and shenanigans turn into a classic crawl with real potential for "flee while you can!"

Do you think it would be a good idea to mention this PDF in the infamous Monk thread, or better not to poke that hive with a stick?

The whole New Paths series will have HL support someday, but it might be some time before this one gets full HL files.

Which, you know, might give your bank account some time to catch up. This one is definitely worth keeping in the cart until then.

Yes, it seems to be finding real favor with players. Me, I'm going to make one a villain.

I'm glad those little notes and sidebars helped! The editor and I had some calm-but-firm discussions about what to include, how to treat setting material, and so on. I was mostly on the side of less Midgard, oddly, because I think of New Paths as not a Midgard series at its heart.

Sounds like we got it about right: the mechanics and styles and items are all setting-neutral, but there's pointers to additional monk material in Midgard for those who want to take a look.