Dragon Age Tabletop RPG Interview
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GB: The new tabletop game is described as "easy to learn". What steps have you taken to ensure that the tabletop version doesn't have much of a learning curve for veteran role-playing enthusiasts and newcomers alike? Chris: Our first release is a boxed set and it presumes no previous experience with tabletop RPGs. It's designed to teach people how to play, so it has lots of advice and examples. On top of that, the system simply isn't as complicated as either third of fourth edition D&D. Everything runs off ability tests, so you're rolling 3d6 and adding one number to get your result.
GB: How many rulebooks will the system be comprised of initially, and what will each cover? Are you going to be featuring BioWare-created concept art and other illustrations within the books?
Chris: The boxed set has two books (Player's Guide and GM's Guide), a poster map of Ferelden, and 3 six-sided dice. The Player's Guide introduces roleplaying generally and the game specifically. It shows you how to make a character and gives you the first five levels of each class. The GM's Guide teaches the art of game mastering and includes an adventure you can use to kick off your campaign. Both books will feature art created by BioWare, as well as new art that we are commissioning.
GB: If the tabletop version is successful, do you intend to expand the initial offering with more books and modules over time? Where would you like to see this project go in its first year? How about five years?
Chris: Yes indeed. As I mentioned, the first set covers levels 1-5. We'll be doing additional sets to cover levels 6-10, 11-15, and 16-20. We'll be supplementing that with adventures and other material. What I like about this approach is that we're not asking you to buy an intro set and then buy the (real game.) The intro set is the game and you're just building on it.
In a year I'd like to see the second set out and a thriving community of Dragon Age players. In five years I hope to see a whole bunch of new tabletop RPGs who got into the hobby because of Dragon Age. Traditionally, most RPG companies leave acquisition of new blood to whoever is publishing D&D at the time. I think we need more gamers and I'm doing my best to make some!
GB: Compromises often have to be made in order to bring tabletop rules to a video game. Since you're working in reverse on this project, are you finding that you need to flesh out the content from Dragon Age: Origins (skills, spells, lore, etc.) in order to accommodate a tabletop RPG?
Chris: So the computer game and the tabletop game share certain core conceits, but from the beginning BioWare understood that our game couldn't just be a transliteration of theirs. The lead designer told me straight up that I wouldn't want to use their resolution system, for example. So you'll see the same spells and classes, but you shouldn't assume that everything is just like it is in Dragon Age: Origins.
GB: What sort of pricing will we be looking at for the Dragon Age rulebooks, and will any of it be available electronically? Any plans to include the basic tabletop RPG with a collector's edition of Dragon Age: Origins?
Chris: The first set is going to be $29.95 and we do plan to offer the rules in PDF format. While I would love to include our game with the collector's edition of Dragon Age: Origins, I don't think the timing is going to work out.
Thanks for answering our questions, Chris!
