# War of the Burning Sky Hardcover Preview Images



## Morrus

Here are a few preview shots of some pages from the WotBS hardcover.

We're working our way through it, and so far we've included the two guides plus adventures 1-8.  That leaves four adventures plus a massive appendix for all the creatures, spells, items, feats, NPCs, etc.

The pages below are from various parts of the book, and various adventures.  You'll note that we've kept the general colour scheme of each adventure, with the outer page borders in that colour, in order to make it easier to find your place in the book.

Our page limit is 800-pages.  If we come in under 800 pages, we will add some bonus material; we don't know what pagecount we're going to come up with yet, though - we'll see what we're at when we've got all 12 adventures and the appendix in.

WotBS #12 will come out before the hardcover (expect that in the next couple of weeks), and we estimate the hardcover will be 4-6 weeks after that.

Pricing?  Yikes!  We haven't set the price yet, but it's gonna cost us over $100 to print each one, not counting development costs (layout, new art, new material, etc.)  So bear in mind this _monster_ of a book will be HIDEOUSLY expensive.  It is, very definitely, a luxury item!


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## cougent

I know you don't want to get pigeon holed on price, but can you give us a "ballpark" number of like $200, $250,... $500 (you did say hideously expensive after all)  I know for myself, this is probably a Christmas *2009* present in any case (to keep peace in the family), but I just want to know roughly how much I need to start squirreling away for it.


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## Morrus

OK, I'll ballpark it at about $200, but _please_ don't hold me to that!  We still don't even know if we'll be payng for bonus material for it (depends on where the 12 adventures and two guides come in at, pagecount-wise - if there's space, we'll add stuff, our hard limit being 800 pages), plus Lulu's printing prices are changing.  

So, regard that as the vaguest ballpark figure you ever saw!


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## Morrus

What I AM considering is a not-as-deluxe black-and-white version, which will be significantly cheaper.  Probably about half the price of the colour version.  It's the inerior colour pages which rack the costs up.


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## amethal

Morrus said:


> OK, I'll ballpark it at about $200, but _please_ don't hold me to that!  We still don't even know if we'll be payng for bonus material for it (depends on where the 12 adventures and two guides come in at, pagecount-wise - if there's space, we'll add stuff, our hard limit being 800 pages), plus Lulu's printing prices are changing.
> 
> So, regard that as the vaguest ballpark figure you ever saw!



Any chance it'll be out for my birthday on Monday 

Seriously, can we expect it before Christmas? Everyone is always saying they never know what to get me ....


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## Morrus

amethal said:


> Any chance it'll be out for my birthday on Monday
> 
> Seriously, can we expect it before Christmas? Everyone is always saying they never know what to get me ....




My guesstimate is late November.  But again don't hold me to that!

WotBS #12 has to come out first.  We're damn close now - all the art is in, most of the maps, and the manuscript is being finished up.  I'm really excited about it!

Then, of course, we're simultaneously rewriting the adventures for 4E, which we'll release in the same way as we did the 3.5 versions, but without the delays (we won't start releasing until we're several adventures in).

Followed by the 4E hardcover compilation.

And there's a full-colour map book planned.  All the maps, a full page each in full colour.


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## cougent

$200 would be great, $250 would still be good, even $280ish, anything that starts with a 2 is MUCH easier to say than...

"Honey, I want to buy a new gaming book for $X00" (X being 3 or higher)

I do enjoy sleeping INDOORS!


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## catsclaw227

Morrus said:


> Then, of course, we're simultaneously rewriting the adventures for 4E, which we'll release in the same way as we did the 3.5 versions, but without the delays (we won't start releasing until we're several adventures in).
> 
> Followed by the 4E hardcover compilation.
> 
> And there's a full-colour map book planned.  All the maps, a full page each in full colour.



Dang..... I may have to wait on the full-color hardcover for the 4e version, but that will be an auto-buy.  I already have the 3.5 series in PDF, with all the gorgeous maps and art.

The 4e series in PDF is an auto-buy too.


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## Failed Saving Throw

*huh?*

I'm confused about something. Didn't you guys say at point that War of the Burning Sky has sold rather poorly? If so, why are you going to go through the trouble of producing an extremely expensive book that will cost you $100 a copy to produce? I can't imagine that people are going to be all that enthusiastic to spend that much money on a giant hardcover book of a 3.5 adventure path.


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## catsclaw227

Failed Saving Throw said:


> I'm confused about something. Didn't you guys say at point that War of the Burning Sky has sold rather poorly? If so, why are you going to go through the trouble of producing an extremely expensive book that will cost you $100 a copy to produce? I can't imagine that people are going to be all that enthusiastic to spend that much money on a giant hardcover book of a 3.5 adventure path.



I believe he stated that it would be a Print-On-Demand product, so they don't have to produce 100 or 1000 and pray that they will sell. The POD cost to the publisher will be pretty high, what he described as Ptolus++ and so with a bump for profit, the book will cost us consumer-types quite a bit.  I imagine that it will be very niche, for those that want a single, do it all campaign.  It's got lots of 1" battlemaps available and I think there's some neat fan stuff done as well.

I'm gonna get the 4e version, but not not sure about the 3.5 hardcover.  I have all the PDFs so far ('cept of course, #12)


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## Morrus

Failed Saving Throw said:


> I'm confused about something. Didn't you guys say at point that War of the Burning Sky has sold rather poorly? If so, why are you going to go through the trouble of producing an extremely expensive book that will cost you $100 a copy to produce? I can't imagine that people are going to be all that enthusiastic to spend that much money on a giant hardcover book of a 3.5 adventure path.




It's Print on Demand- we pay for each one as it is ordered.

It hasn't sold poorly - but our 3.5 sales have dropped off a lot since 4E was announced.  That's why we're converting it to 4E as well.


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## doppelganger

catsclaw227 said:


> Dang..... I may have to wait on the full-color hardcover for the 4e version, but that will be an auto-buy.  I already have the 3.5 series in PDF, with all the gorgeous maps and art.
> 
> The 4e series in PDF is an auto-buy too.




I feel the same way. I will not buy the 3.5 compilation because  I already have (or will have, in the case of no. 12) all of the 3.5 series in pdf. I will absolutely buy a 4E color compilation as soon as it gets listed.


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## Morrus

doppelganger said:


> I will absolutely buy a 4E color compilation as soon as it gets listed.




That's at least a year away, I'm afraid.


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## joela

*wotbs compilation*

thanks for the update, morrus.


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## elijah snow

Morrus said:


> What I AM considering is a not-as-deluxe black-and-white version, which will be significantly cheaper.  Probably about half the price of the colour version.  It's the inerior colour pages which rack the costs up.




I'm psyched for a 3.5e hardcover collection. Please have a black-and-white version, that's the only way I can afford this and I'd really love to buy it.


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## Morrus

elijah snow said:


> I'm psyched for a 3.5e hardcover collection. Please have a black-and-white version, that's the only way I can afford this and I'd really love to buy it.




I will.  it won't look nearly as nice, but it will be a lot cheaper!


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## Morrus

A few more images.


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## Rugult

Very nice!  I was 'on the fence' about this, but it seems to have really caught my eye now.  I take it the 3rd picture there is from Adventure 12...  sneaky git!


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## Klaus

Rugult said:


> Very nice!  I was 'on the fence' about this, but it seems to have really caught my eye now.  I take it the 3rd picture there is from Adventure 12...  sneaky git!



There's a similar picture in adventure #12 (albeit in line art), but that picture's from the upcoming compilation.


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## elijah snow

Morrus said:


> I will.  it won't look nearly as nice, but it will be a lot cheaper!




Bless you!


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## Morrus

The cover.


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## joela

*cover*



Morrus said:


> The cover.


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## Morrus

And some more preview images.


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## joela

Morrus said:


> And some more preview images.




This will blow away Ptolus


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## Morrus

joela said:


> This will blow away Ptolus




Ptolus was, what, 670 pages?  Roughly?


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## Angel Tarragon

I don't care if I have to sell parts of my own body to afford it, but I will be buying the 3E and 4E compilations!


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## cougent

Reveille said:


> I don't care if I have to sell parts of my own body to afford it, but I will be buying the 3E and 4E compilations!



Yeah, something like that for me too actually.  The 4E version will probably be my first 4E purchase... I have access to the core books without purchasing.

Besides, the credit card balance is so astronomically high already, whats another $200 - $400?  It's not like I am going to live to be 165 and pay it off anyway!


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## Morrus

A few more images from the "New Rules" appendix. The next appendix aftes this will cover the monsters, allies and enemies (which, at last update, is set to contain over 250 stat blocks).

The New Rules appendix contains: 1 race, 1 core class, 1 prestige class, 1 racial paragon class, 6 alternate class features, 37 feats (including 6 regional feats), 4 weapons, 5 alchemical items, 16 magic items, 3 artifacts, 1 rules subsystem, 1 bardic music ability (_The Song of Forms_), 20 spells, and 7 epic spells.


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## Holy Bovine

This is fast going to be my 'must have' for 2009.  Of course I want the 4E version though!


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## Morrus

Holy Bovine said:


> This is fast going to be my 'must have' for 2009. Of course I want the 4E version though!




I doubt you'll see that in 2009!
Winter 2008:  Hardcover 3.5 version.

Throughout 2009: Individual 4E adventure versions.

Early 2010:  Hardcover 4E version.​


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## Morrus

What's in the hardcover so far?


All twelve adventures of the War of the Burning Sky Campaign Saga
The Player's Guide and Camapign Guide
A massive rules appendix compiling all of the new rules material, classes, feats, spells, magic items and more from the saga
Five bonus sidequest advantures
A short section covering Ragos, the capital city of Ragesia
A narrative prologue covering the events leading up to the War of the Burning Sky
All in a massive, beautiful, full colour, hardback book!
This truly will be the ULTIMATE in D&D campaigns!  Bigger and better than any that have come before it, and already riding a wave of critical acclaim!


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## elijah snow

I think I'll lose my mind if you add anything else to the Hardcover 3.5 edition. Do you have a release date to announce the release date?


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## Stereofm

I lost the original thread where I asked this question, but have the preordered copies shipped yet ?

Especially mine, of course


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## Nebulous

What the status on the full color hardbound 4e version of WotBS?  Still $200?


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## Morrus

Nebulous said:


> What the status on the full color hardbound 4e version of WotBS? Still $200?




There isn't one!


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## Nebulous

Doh!  But at least we'll have .pdfs, right?


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## Morrus

Nebulous said:


> Doh! But at least we'll have .pdfs, right?




The PDFs are being released right now, along with softcover versions.  We just released #4 of 12.


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## Nebulous

Morrus, where are the links to #2,3 and 4?  All i see are #1 and the campaign guides. thx


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## Morrus

Nebulous said:


> Morrus, where are the links to #2,3 and 4? All i see are #1 and the campaign guides. thx




Depends where you bought it from....!


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