Iconic Dungeons & Dragons author R.A. Salvatore has explained that The Sundering, the fiction-event which transitioned 4E into 5E, was much smoother and less forced than the previous 3E – 4E transition.
“The only thing that bothered me (about the 3E – 4E transition) was the process,” said Salvatore to io9. “Basically, we authors were handed a document and told how things were going to be. We were asked our opinions, but they mattered very little – the changes were being driven from a different direction.”
“There’s always a push-pull in game design/lore design, but in my books in particular, since the series has been running for more than a quarter-century now, the needs of the two can often collide. To have characters that have built such a strong history, then have that upset on the orders of someone else was very disconcerting.”
Salvatore explained that although the changes forced him “into an uncomfortable place” that “from that place came some of the better things I’ve written”.
“I very much preferred the way it was done this time, with 5th Edition and the changes, where we, the authors, were told what was happening to the game and asked how we could make the world and the lore live and breathe it.,” he added. “The summits for The Sundering are among the most creative and inclusive brainstorming sessions I’ve ever attended.”
Sundering video hangout
If you’d like to see Salvatore, Greenwood and the other authors of The Sundering talking shop, get a cup of tea ready and settle in for this video below:
Source: io9
Comments (0)
No comments on this article yet. Why not add your own?
You must be logged in to leave a comment.
