Winds of Magic

ExReey · Thu May 19, 2022 2:45 am

The Winds of Magic PDF came out yesterday.

I've just had a quick look through it, and it looks absolutely great! At first sight, it looks to be one of the better source books for 4E so far. I especially like the information about the different Lores, each with a new lore-specific career, 24 new spells, and a detailed member NPC.
Also the stuff about Leylines, Waystones and magical places is completely new information for me and looks awesome.

Can't wait to receive the printed copy (I don't like reading PDF books..)!

Thu May 19, 2022 1:09 pm

I actually wrote the section on Cursed Items! So I am responsible for a whole 3 pages of that supplement.

dry_erase · Sat May 21, 2022 3:09 am

Chuck wrote: ↑Thu May 19, 2022 1:09 pm I actually wrote the section on Cursed Items! So I am responsible for a whole 3 pages of that supplement.

Good work! It's a nice blend of humour and Warhammeriness. I particularly like the Fellowship Sunderer.

I wrote the Lore of Heavens and two of the Nemeses and I think the book shaped up really well, regardless of whether my stuff is any good!

yoroba · Sat May 21, 2022 4:09 am

I just bought the PDF and skimmed through parts of it. I'm really happy so far.

yoroba · Sat May 21, 2022 4:16 am

ExReey wrote: ↑Thu May 19, 2022 2:45 am Can't wait to receive the printed copy (I don't like reading PDF books..)!

I've given up on this.
Chuck and dry-erase, could you please tell your cubicle7 employers to contract better printing company, so I don't have to wait 6 months to get my books?

Sat May 21, 2022 9:06 pm

dry_erase wrote: ↑Sat May 21, 2022 3:09 am Good work! It's a nice blend of humour and Warhammeriness. I particularly like the Fellowship Sunderer.

I wrote the Lore of Heavens and two of the Nemeses and I think the book shaped up really well, regardless of whether my stuff is any good!

Thank you!

Oooh, I'm going to read through your stuff now.

Sat May 21, 2022 9:08 pm

yoroba wrote: ↑Sat May 21, 2022 4:16 am Chuck and dry-erase, could you please tell your cubicle7 employers to contract better printing company, so I don't have to wait 6 months to get my books?

Ha, I can only dream of having that kind of pull.

dry_erase · Sun May 22, 2022 7:21 am

yoroba wrote: ↑Sat May 21, 2022 4:16 am
ExReey wrote: ↑Thu May 19, 2022 2:45 am Can't wait to receive the printed copy (I don't like reading PDF books..)!
I've given up on this.
Chuck and dry-erase, could you please tell your cubicle7 employers to contract better printing company, so I don't have to wait 6 months to get my books?

The Amethyst spell 'Speed of Lykos' should help with this - and it's only CN3.

Sun May 22, 2022 11:45 am

Love the Lore of the Heavens section, dry_erase. Great job. The factionalism within the college, its relationship with the Imperial Navy, and its tensions with the Cults of Verena and Morr are particularly good. I may use Raphael Julevno as a patron for my group, the ability to drop obscure hints of future events is really tempting. The spells are great too! I used to think the Lore of the Heavens was one of the least interesting winds for a magic user, but the spells controlling wind, lightning blasts, divination, messing around with Fortune Points and Fate Points, pulling comets down out of the skies, transporting things through time under sapphire arches -- you changed my mind. Great stuff.

dry_erase · Sun May 22, 2022 2:10 pm

Chuck wrote: ↑Sun May 22, 2022 11:45 am Love the Lore of the Heavens section, dry_erase. Great job. The factionalism within the college, its relationship with the Imperial Navy, and its tensions with the Cults of Verena and Morr are particularly good. I may use Raphael Julevno as a patron for my group, the ability to drop obscure hints of future events is really tempting. The spells are great too! I used to think the Lore of the Heavens was one of the least interesting winds for a magic user, but the spells controlling wind, lightning blasts, divination, messing around with Fortune Points and Fate Points, pulling comets down out of the skies, transporting things through time under sapphire arches -- you changed my mind. Great stuff.

Thanks - but I can't take credit for the spells, I just wrote the background.

I've always enjoyed the idea that Celestial wizards in the college are squabbling over who gets the best tower, which is an analogy for heirarchy. The factionalism also allowed me to bring in some ties to exploring Lustria and the more martial side of the college. I really like how WOM discusses relationships between the colleges and other institutions... it embeds them in the wider world. So I was pleased to bring in the Navy and cults for that reason.

Julevno comes from 2nd Edition, but I wrote him up earlier in his career and gave him a role as a patron. Also sneaked a little nod towards the most recent Cathay background from Total War.

Sun May 22, 2022 5:30 pm

Very interesting! Do you know who did the writing for the spells?

Ever since 2e Realms of Sorcery (one of my favorite supplements), I've been interested in the color magic system in WFRP and the intrigues between the colleges. My own Winds of Chaos campaign is based on it. Who knows, maybe I'll finish writing that up now.

Herr Arnulfe · Mon May 23, 2022 5:14 am

Chuck wrote: ↑Sun May 22, 2022 5:30 pmVery interesting! Do you know who did the writing for the spells?

You can blame me for the 128 new Colour Lore spells.

C7 spent at least a couple of months editing and playtesting them, but it looks like the drafts I submitted were only tweaked here and there. I only managed to playtest a dozen or so of the spells with my group. However, I can say that some of the ones that appear game-breaking in theory aren't as bad as they seem. Happy to answer any questions about list-building or conversion/design intents.

Whymme · Mon May 23, 2022 7:46 am

And if anyone finds fault with the background stuff for the Lore of Light (including Ashamira Dib), the Lore of Shadows (not including Grey Guardian Immanuel-Ferrand) or for the four new careers, your can blame me.

Biggest regret: that someone adapted the Winston Churchill quote that I had snuck in. I had tried to make him a Shadowmancer.

First time that I worked on official WFRP material. It was fun. And I love what I've seen of the book thus far. It looks like quite a solid sourcebook.

Hyarion · Mon May 23, 2022 7:55 am

Wow, all of you did fine and amazing work. Someday, I'll have to see if I can get you guys to sign my book for me.

Whymme · Mon May 23, 2022 8:35 am

Hyarion wrote: ↑Mon May 23, 2022 7:55 am Wow, all of you did fine and amazing work. Someday, I'll have to see if I can get you guys to sign my book for me.

If you can make it to TobCon, that might be easier than you think.

(looks at prospective release date) Well, in any case we could sign your loose stack of printed PDFs

Mon May 23, 2022 10:07 am

Herr Arnulfe wrote: ↑Mon May 23, 2022 5:14 amYou can blame me for the 128 new Colour Lore spells. C7 spent at least a couple of months editing and playtesting them, but it looks like the drafts I submitted were only tweaked here and there. I only managed to playtest a dozen or so of the spells with my group. However, I can say that some of the ones that appear game-breaking in theory aren't as bad as they seem. Happy to answer any questions about list-building or conversion/design intents.

I've only read the Celestial spells and a few of the Lore of Light (one of my players is a Heirophant), but I have to say, very impressive. Designing spells may be one of the hardest jobs in game design.

Herr Arnulfe · Mon May 23, 2022 10:43 am

Chuck wrote: ↑Mon May 23, 2022 10:07 amI've only read the Celestial spells and a few of the Lore of Light (one of my players is a Heirophant), but I have to say, very impressive. Designing spells may be one of the hardest jobs in game design.

I only designed about 20% of them from scratch, the rest were converted from previous editions (and SteveD's Etceteronomicon). Conversion was still quite a challenge though, because the 4e magic system is so different. A fair number of old spells were merged with other spells (as alternative formulations or bonus effects) to maximize the number of spell effects available.

Glorthindel · Wed May 25, 2022 3:07 am

I must admit, I was a bit on the fence on whether to pick this one up yet (mostly because my players have been avoiding interacting with the magic rules like it was made of scorpions), but seeing so many posters involved that I have always had a really high regard for (here and in forums past), has pushed me into getting it. Good job guys.

dry_erase · Wed May 25, 2022 1:56 pm

Glorthindel wrote: ↑Wed May 25, 2022 3:07 am I must admit, I was a bit on the fence on whether to pick this one up yet (mostly because my players have been avoiding interacting with the magic rules like it was made of scorpions), but seeing so many posters involved that I have always had a really high regard for (here and in forums past), has pushed me into getting it. Good job guys.

It's got plenty of mechanical stuff for those who are using the magic rules, but also loads of background and NPCs if you're more into settling material.

dry_erase does not receive additional payment for this endorsement

FasterThanJesus · Thu May 26, 2022 6:09 am

Only glanced at it. Would have printed it and read it, but my copy of The Horned Rat finally turned up and I've not read the companion for it yet, so that took priority.

It looks quite interesting - I wouldn't have minded something that makes casting a bit more resource dependent rather than a pure risk/reward system (like local winds being a limiting impact). If something like that is in there, my apologies, as I only briefly skimmed it.