Independent RPG developer Ossian Studios has revealed its next project, Pathfinder: The Dragon's Demand. The first full videogame adaptation of Pathfinder's 2nd Edition ruleset, The Dragon's Demand is touted as a fully-featured CRPG with a unique tabletop aesthetic. Ossian is set to launch the game's Kickstarter funding campaign tomorrow, September 24.
The Dragon's Demand immediately sets itself apart with its presentation: Characters are static tabletop miniatures in a world that looks both meticulously crafted but also shiny and toylike, almost as if the action was taking place on the bougiest bespoke dungeon tiles nerd money can buy.
While that style seems like it could introduce the similar design limitations as physical tabletop miniatures, one scene from the Kickstarter trailer really got my attention: The adventuring party is clustered on a roof, facing off against a swarm of gargoyle-type monsters that have taken flight, their miniatures just floating in the air like it's nothing. That willingness to be playful with Dragon's Demand's unique style, as well as the potential for encounters with tactical twists, gives me high hopes for what the RPG has in store.
Ossian described its vision for the game as "Baldur's Gate 3, but Pathfinder, with miniatures," and there's definitely a Larian twang to its tabletop faithfulness, cheeky, vibrant aesthetic, and promise of varied, creative arenas. One Baldur's Gate 3-like trait I'm excited to see in Dragon's Demand is the "low level, but fully featured" CRPG campaign. Baldur's Gate 3's 12-level limit was refreshing in the face of the genre-standard cap of 20 or 40, introducing real limitations to your buildcrafting and ending the campaign in the traditional sweet spot of Dungeons & Dragons' power curve: You're not whiffing every attack anymore, but the final fights also aren't just a joke to your implacable god of a character.
The Dragon's Demand will have a hobbit's ceiling-low level cap of just eight, but spread over a projected 30-hour campaign. Other features promised in The Dragon's Demand's first press release include:
- Create deep, custom character builds from a choice of 7 ancestries, 16 classes, and more than 30 backgrounds.
- Play as a dwarf, elf, gnome, goblin, halfling, human, or an orc.
- Choose their path as an alchemist, barbarian, bard, champion, cleric, druid, fighter, investigator, monk, oracle, ranger, rogue, sorcerer, swashbuckler, witch, or wizard.
- Form a party of four with up to three companions out of a possible dozen characters encountered during their adventures to forge bonds of friendship and even romance!
- Level up characters to level 8.
- Wield a multitude of powerful spells from all four magical traditions: Arcane, Divine, Occult, and Primal.
- Equip hundreds of unique armors and weapons, and see them dynamically change on miniature characters.
- Explore the region using an interactive world map to travel to many mysterious and dangerous locations across the Dragonfen, Verduran Forest, and the town of Belhaim.
Meanwhile, Ossian Studios has a strong CRPG pedigree, with company CEO and Dragon's Demand project lead Alan Miranda having worked as a producer on Baldur's Gate 2: Throne of Bhaal and Neverwinter Nights. Ossian's lead designer, Luke Scull, made a name for himself in Neverwinter Nights' vibrant mod scene, creating custom campaigns like Tyrants of the Moonsea and the upcoming Doom of Icewind Dale. Ossian itself also developed Neverwinter Nights 2's third and final expansion pack, Mysteries of Westgate.
I'm excited to see more of The Dragon's Demand as development continues, and Ossian is turning to Kickstarter to fund the project. The funding campaign begins on September 24, but you can save the project ahead of time to be notified when it launches.
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