Patreon Q&A Stream on 3/6
Added 2025-03-03 21:21:16 +0000 UTCHey folks! Dael is going to be live this Thursday March 6th at 4PM Pacific time here on Patreon asking Willy and James your burning questions about the upcoming Draw Steel adventures and classes! We got two of each in the works right now. Our adventures are The Delian Tomb and The Fall of Blackbottom and our classes in progress are the Summoner and the Beastheart. Post your questions for us about these adventures and classes in the comments below, and Dael might ask them on air!
The stream will be hosted here on Patreon. We'll send out a post with the video right before we go live. And don't worry! If you miss the stream, you'll still be able to access the video later.
See ya then!
Comments
If this question doesn't get answered, you can check out the patreon post from Feb 14th, it talks about it in detail
GubDM
2025-03-06 23:58:27 +0000 UTCIn regards to new archetypes, are there concrete plans to add new ones? What I am really asking is when will we see the air/water/rot elementalist?
Damian Spurling
2025-03-06 22:01:51 +0000 UTCApart from Vasloria, are there specific places in Orden the team has a strong desire to use as the setting for an official product?
Aaron Chmielewski
2025-03-06 20:53:54 +0000 UTCWhat feature were you as designers afraid wouldn't click with players but ended up being really well received, or vice versa.
Killroy
2025-03-06 19:02:30 +0000 UTCCan you tell us more about adventure writing in Draw Steel? How do the mechanics drive you to tell different types of stories than other ttrpgs? Between the scale of combat and the lack of limitations on player powers, this has been a challenge for me as I change how I write and prep new adventures.
Andrew Saffell
2025-03-06 16:30:04 +0000 UTCI've been waiting 9 years to read "They got Bess, they got my girl." In an official adventure, and I can't tell you how excited I am.
Vitruvian Link
2025-03-06 14:33:02 +0000 UTCWith the Draw Steel rules, do you see the potential for a new type of adventure that other systems simply couldn’t provide? Are there unique mechanics or narrative opportunities in Draw Steel that open up the design spaces for storytelling and gameplay?
FoxTrick
2025-03-06 07:37:04 +0000 UTCWould you consider including a "how to create your own ancestries" section in the core rules? Such as a list of traits or provide a case example. Or would that be reserved for stuff like Patreon posts?
GriffinMuffin
2025-03-06 02:44:42 +0000 UTCFrom what we've seen they are closer to something like simple minions. Probably simplified versions of monsters that are already in the monster book (but your "rival" summoner can off course use them too.)
BasCB
2025-03-05 07:30:53 +0000 UTCSo far we've seen answers about localization more focussed on the open licence making it easy for others to pick that up and translate (and even publish for money). There is a translations thread in the Discord where people are already working on translating to languages like Spanish, Portugues, German and French as far as I remember.
BasCB
2025-03-05 07:29:00 +0000 UTCIf you look at the few playtests with it we've seen (those Matt had on Twitch) and materials the approach is focussed a lot on 1. making the way you use these minions relatively simple with only free strikes (i.e. fixed amount of damage without rolling) and being able to use your action to have them do something which means it doesn't clutter the action economy too much.
BasCB
2025-03-05 07:25:01 +0000 UTCIsn't that exactly what they are doing with the "Delian Tomb expanded"? Making a starter adventure for those new to the game
BasCB
2025-03-05 07:23:12 +0000 UTCAre there any subclass options for preexisting classes that the team have had? For example, does making a specialisation for every element seem likely/feasible? If so, how do you imagine some of these subclasses working?
Ben Milne
2025-03-05 04:53:45 +0000 UTCHave any members of the MCDM team, outside of the design team, expressed interest in creating an adventure for publication? If so, what unique perspectives or ideas do they bring to adventure design?
FoxTrick
2025-03-05 04:46:17 +0000 UTCDo you consider the capabilities of the Codex and VTTs in general when designing Draw Steel adventures? How do digital tools influence your approach to encounter design, mechanics, and player experience?
FoxTrick
2025-03-05 00:48:20 +0000 UTCWhat separates a companion from a retainer in combat? Also what is your favorite companion creature?
Miranda Hawthorne
2025-03-04 23:03:35 +0000 UTCHow modular will the adventures be? Sometimes I don't want to run an entire published adventure whole cloth, but want to cherry pick encounters, NPCs, locations, etc. Will you be mindful of this when laying out your adventures?
Celeborn
2025-03-04 19:14:39 +0000 UTCHello, all. With the Codex (VTT) coming, what percentage of players do you think will use it seeing as how an incalculable amount of people switched to virtual play during/post pandemic? Also, what did the company learn re: backlash for all players in a game needing to own something to use the codex?
Andrew Miller
2025-03-04 17:58:40 +0000 UTCAdvanture Qs How do you decide when to give out non-combat victories in the adventures? > What makes a challenge too trivial? How are you integrating Negotiations without making them feel mandatory?
Callum Iles
2025-03-04 10:40:23 +0000 UTCSome monster abilities use potency and some use a "reaction test" where the targets do a power roll to resist the effect. Is there a particular reason/criteria to use one or the other or is it just down to taste?
Baloopy
2025-03-04 10:35:59 +0000 UTCOn a similar note will the products in development get seperate releases or combined? For example The Summoner and Beatheart together in one new classes release or maybe the Beastheart comes along with The Delian Tomb and The Summoner gets released with FoBB perhaps?
John Brocklehurst
2025-03-04 10:02:39 +0000 UTCYou've currently got 4 supplementary products in development along with the on-going development of the Codex. What discussions have been had surrounding product release schedules? Can we expect something new every quarter or is it a case of new products will be released as and when neccesary?
John Brocklehurst
2025-03-04 10:00:29 +0000 UTCWhat subclasses will the Summoner and Beastheart have? And what would be the design focus for each subclass?
GriffinMuffin
2025-03-04 09:46:43 +0000 UTCWould you consider designing an adventure specifically aimed at helping new Directors learn the rules and resource management in Draw Steel? A scenario focused on building up behind-the-screen tools and guiding Directors through key mechanics could be invaluable for onboarding newcomers and strengthening their confidence in running the game.
FoxTrick
2025-03-04 05:39:05 +0000 UTCWhen it comes to designing “non-Core” classes, what are some things you can “get away with” that you couldn’t with the core classes?
LostAddict
2025-03-04 04:32:53 +0000 UTCIn many ttrpgs and strategy games, summoners have a reputation for bogging down the game. Sometimes this is expanding one player's action economy over others, sometimes it's clogging up the grid. Are you doing anything to address this tendancy while still keeping the summoner fantasy alive, and if so, what?
Daniel Harrison
2025-03-04 03:56:08 +0000 UTCWill either of the new adventures feature new subsystems, like warfare or strongholds?
Bestest Fin
2025-03-04 03:05:02 +0000 UTCLong ago we got a chart of classes graded Low, Med, High on a table of qualities: DPS, Mobility, Healing, Stamina, Stickiness, Command, Buff, Debuff, & Control. Which of those qualities are "High" for the Summoner and Beastheart?
GubDM
2025-03-04 02:20:00 +0000 UTCI always felt one of the biggest strengths of the Delian Tomb was how re-skinnable it was. The simplicity of a two-room dungeon & the creative outlet of the oath puzzle make for a killer combo that's always fun to do a new spin on as the first adventure in any campaign, for me. In Draw Steel's Delian Tomb Extended, is making at least the first dungeon super re-usable a priority of the project, or are there other, cooler priorities yall have in mind?
GubDM
2025-03-04 02:17:58 +0000 UTCHow do you envision the actual product that the beastheart is for example. Will class expansions be similar length to a class entry in the heroes book or will it be a longer product with related magic items, companions, iconic characters, and kits?
Dillon
2025-03-04 02:16:59 +0000 UTCWill official adventures only use monsters from the Monsters Book or will there be specific stats for certain creatures - for specific villains or monsters in the adventure that aren't in the Monsters book? Same question for Treasures/Titles.
Callum Grier
2025-03-04 02:07:05 +0000 UTCWhere do you normally start when making adventures? I'd suppose these two were different, given the content you already had. Is that true?
Cormac Connolly
2025-03-04 01:53:24 +0000 UTCWhat kind of things have ended up on your "cheat sheet" at this point for class or monster design.
Nemessiah
2025-03-04 01:32:53 +0000 UTCLast question: You've both worked as freelancers and designers for other peoples games, like 5e, before. How does it feel to be designing new content (classes, adventures) for a system that you developed the core mechanics for? Does it change how you approach the process? does it make you want to go back to tweak or add things to the core rules?
ranch_big
2025-03-04 01:00:44 +0000 UTCThe Summoner and the Beastheart are probably going to want more specific treasures and rewards than other classes due to their playstyle (5E Beastheart even came with bespoke magic items for your companion). Do you anticipate it will be common for official Draw Steel content to provide new treats geared for these non-core classes, or do you expect that will fall more towards third party creators and homebrew? (I'll be excited either way.)
Ben Clarke
2025-03-04 00:56:08 +0000 UTCThe Delian Tomb turned 9 years old last month! I know a lot of us are here because we saw Matt's RTG videos back in the day. How does it feel to be re-designing the adventure that got hundreds of thousands of people to step into the GM role for the first time? And how is it different now that it's a Draw Steel adventure instead of a 5e one?
ranch_big
2025-03-04 00:55:48 +0000 UTCI've heard you guys say that the Delian Tomb and The Fall of Blackbottom are both starter adventures for two different audiences (new players vs patrons/backers). How does that difference in audience affect the ways that you guys design and structure each adventure? What sorts of considerations do you have to make?
ranch_big
2025-03-04 00:48:10 +0000 UTCIs the Summoner supposed to be a Support class or Glass Cannon class...or both?
Dylan Bederman
2025-03-04 00:47:53 +0000 UTCHas it yet been decided if the beastheart companions is a kit, subclass, or something else? One of the things I love most about the 5e beastheart is the huge variety of build options
Jason Mayo
2025-03-04 00:16:50 +0000 UTCWill there be a transition hook between The Tomb and The Fall for directors who would like to run BOTH?
Vitruvian Link
2025-03-04 00:01:42 +0000 UTCThe Fall of Blackbottom feels like a great crash course in what's going on in Vasloria, at least as far as introducing you to the main villains and main dangers of this time on the continent. Do you have any ideas on what the equivalent pieces would be for a hypothetical adventure that gave you a similar crash course in Capital or the Timescape?
Josh Rodell
2025-03-03 23:39:51 +0000 UTCIn another game you have to learn that missing is built into the game, and that informs things like hitpoints and damage, and so you have to hold that in your mind when tweaking monsters and building adventures. What are a few lessons that the design team thinks that directors should keep in mind when building DS monsters and adventures?
Mattamue
2025-03-03 23:24:44 +0000 UTCOn a far more technical level - I've been working on and off on my own idea for a class. Are there plans to release some kind of guidelines on how to design Abilities and the like? Even something like "A 5-resource Ability at Level 3 should have roughly this range for the Power Roll results"?
Kyman201
2025-03-03 23:22:34 +0000 UTCThings about Beasthearts... What kind of Beast Partners will be considered?
Kyman201
2025-03-03 23:15:27 +0000 UTCWill the new classes come with extra "sides"? For example new treasures, titles, and projects that are aligned with the fantasy of each class? Necromancy is a huge element in my home campaign world, and I would love to see the DS take on necromantic rituals. Cheers!
Michael Kling
2025-03-03 23:15:00 +0000 UTCOther product Question: Has there been talk on Memonek Hero and “monster” miniature lines?
Hayden Pech
2025-03-03 23:14:34 +0000 UTCOf the topics, I think the Beastheart has been the least talked about at large (we had two summoner tests live streamed for example) So there's where I've the most questions :D. What impact will controlling two creatures have on the action economy? What are you doing for the subclasses?
Beltux
2025-03-03 23:14:08 +0000 UTCOne thing I enjoyed about the 5e Beastheart was how monstrous the companions could be - basilisk, gelatinous cube, chimera, etc . How accommodating will the DS Beastheart be to these fantasies?
Wilzard
2025-03-03 23:09:04 +0000 UTCQuestion on Beastheart and action economy: The D20 Beastheart progresses in a way that mirrors other d20 martials: at L1, Beastheart+companion and dual wielding fighter both get effectively 2 attacks but have to spend their own bonus action. Later, the fighter gets an extra attack and the Beastheart can command the companion without spending their bonus action, so both have similar action economy progression. By contrast, in Draw Steel, we don't really have multi attack as part of the core flass progression, and maneuvers aren't the same as bonus actions, such that giving rhe Beastheart effectively extra actions through the companion seems really strong, and giving up a maneuver to command the companion seems really costly. Are both of these differences in proportion such that they cancel? What design compromises have you tried and what have you learned through testing? Does the Beastheart reveal anything interesting about what hapoens when you mess with the action economy via design?
ZooSKP
2025-03-03 22:45:14 +0000 UTCHey everybody! When creating an adventure in Draw Steel, do you use character progression to inform the length and number of encounters per adventure? Adding roughly 15 encounters to ensure the right number of victories to get characters from level 1 to 2 for example.
Kane Sweeney
2025-03-03 22:39:06 +0000 UTCHow has working on Draw Steel influenced how you design adventures? Are there any unique challenges you look forward to when it comes to adventure design for Draw Steel?
Cory Hicks
2025-03-03 22:30:43 +0000 UTCRe: the Summoner... I'm thinking about writing a module called "The SUMMONER ARENA," where Summoners go head to head, potentially even a PvP kinda experience... Any thoughts on Draw Steel PvP? Warnings, Recommendations, Encouragements?
Anthony Lee Phillips
2025-03-03 22:16:51 +0000 UTCWhat is the design goal for Beastheart companions in Draw Steal? Can other characters access them? Will they be bespoke, or templates you can put over existing monsters? Will the subclasses interface directly with specific companions (such as having a "Worg Beastheart subclass"), or more with different archetypes like the 5e version? And how will the companions be similar to or different from retainers?
Caleb Plehn
2025-03-03 22:14:45 +0000 UTCWhat is your favourite class + ancestry combo?
Daniel Dias
2025-03-03 22:13:27 +0000 UTCHi Dael, James and Willy! The Delian tomb started as a typical 5 room D20 dungeon. What's the structure of a draw steel dungeon?
Daniel Dias
2025-03-03 22:09:41 +0000 UTCSimilar question to @Rise Heroes Rise!: Have you found there to be many differences between designing an entire adventure for Draw Steel compared to a D20 fantasy game? If you were giving advice to a Director who was new to Draw Steel but was coming from a D20 fantasy game, what things would you tell them to pay attention to that they may not expect?
Benjamin Gothman
2025-03-03 22:09:34 +0000 UTCHi Dael, James and Willy! How different is a D20 fantasy adventure and a Draw Steel adventure? What do you guys have to keep in mind when designing for this game?
Daniel Dias
2025-03-03 22:09:33 +0000 UTCAre you generally looking to make drop-in modular adventures or months-long campaigns? Will these adventures be easy to customize mathematically? (As in, can you easily scale the level difficulty up or down?)
Eli Feliciano
2025-03-03 22:07:08 +0000 UTCI think it's just because in Fall of Blackbottom you start in the middle of a multi-stage multi objective combat. And for someone who probably doesn't even know what a power roll is it can be daunting. But that's just my read on it
Daniel Dias
2025-03-03 22:06:54 +0000 UTCWhat is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow? Would also be interested in knowing any thoughts or info they have on their current idea of how to handle the beast hearts companion? IE like how the summoner can sort of command minions, how do the companions actions work with the beast hearts own actions
Evan Miller
2025-03-03 22:02:23 +0000 UTCDS characters already start level 1 with a plenty of abilities/features. Given the fact that The Delian Tomb will be geared towards new players, how is it going to introduce all of these options in a way that doesn't feel overwhelming?
The Dice Society
2025-03-03 21:49:42 +0000 UTCI found the Talent in Draw Steel to be very different from your 5e Talent. Can we expect something similar from the Beastheart? How much did your pre-existing designs for these clases inform your newer designs? If at all?
Samuel Galan
2025-03-03 21:48:44 +0000 UTCAt what scale can we expect official Draw Steel adventures to be? Would you guys take the 5e approach of super long, large-scaled levels 1-12 adventures? (As an example) or would you be focusing more on shorter, more bite-sized modules that span fewer character levels? Or both?
Samuel Galan
2025-03-03 21:47:32 +0000 UTCI've asked this before, but have you guys thought about localization of Draw Steel in different languages? I understand everything is still in the editing/revision phase, but I am curious as some of my players are spanish-speaking for example, and I've put some effort into translating the character sheet to make it playable for them, to much success. I wonder if you guys have plans for official translations of the game in any other languages?
Samuel Galan
2025-03-03 21:44:22 +0000 UTCYou guys have mentioned "The Fall of Blackbottom" being intended for players already familiar with TTRPGs and Draw Steel, as opposed to "The Delian Tomb" being more of a beginner adventure. What specific elements of "TFoBB" do you think new players would struggle with, and why? How much and in what ways does that idea of catering to more familiar/experienced players drive your design for that adventure? I've run draw steel a ton already so my table is very interested in an adventure like that!
Samuel Galan
2025-03-03 21:42:48 +0000 UTCHello Dael, James and Willy! In my personal experience, I've found there's a HUGE difference between designing adventures for d20 fantasy games and Draw Steel. One's more about survival and attrition, while Draw Steel is about building power like an action hero! How do you approach adventure design in a system where the more challenges the heroes face, the stronger they become?
Rise Heroes Rise!
2025-03-03 21:37:52 +0000 UTCWill the Summoner's summons be stat blocks like normal monsters, such that I could use them when designing encounters as a Director? I'm hankering for more Elementals!
DJ Valint
2025-03-03 21:37:41 +0000 UTCWill there be any beastheart subclasses for non-animal companions, such as elementals, fiends, or Fey? Imagining FFX Summoner since the Summoner class is all about minions
AngelPlayer
2025-03-03 21:31:29 +0000 UTCThis is a question Matt couldn't answer on his livestream: How do you decide between a monster using potency or a resistance roll for applying conditions?
Edward Hummerston
2025-03-03 21:27:49 +0000 UTCWhen designing abilities, how do you decide on when to use potencies and when you use die rolls?
Attelino
2025-03-03 21:26:16 +0000 UTCWhat are the subclasses for the Beastheart gonna be? Will Ferocity still have negative consequences for getting too high?
Schoopdoop McGoop
2025-03-03 21:25:13 +0000 UTCAs somebody who detests world building and creating adventures from scratch, I have only one question. WHEN?
Samhain
2025-03-03 21:24:25 +0000 UTC
