Watch Well Games: Issue #7
Interview with indie game creator of Black Guard Character Options II
In This Issue:
Interview with indie game creator of Black Guard Character Options II
Welcome to Issue #7. I'm K.J.
You can learn more about me here if you want.
James Abendroth of Black Guard Press chatted with me about Black Guard Character Options II. This supplement is compatible with Pathfinder 2e.
Let's look at what this provides for players before learning more about the content and the creator.
Black Guard Character Options II includes:
9 New feats for assorted classes.
3 Unique companions (not all of them animals) - the disorienting Flash Beetle, the fiendish Devil Dog and the sturdy Killer Kudzu.
3 Archetypes from the weapon hurling Knife Thrower to the scrappy Vexing Dodger to the mystically inclined Wand Wielder.
Full rules for Champions of Neutral causes, including class feats from 1st to 20th level.
8 New spells, including 2 new litanies for Champions.
14 New pieces of gear and magic items, including the long road backpack, the sarissa, abominable snow boots and the golden abacus.
Also includes new heritages for the giant and centaur ancestries introduced in Black Guard Character Options as well as new feats for both of those ancestries and goblins.
K.J.: What inspired you to create Black Guard Character Options II?
As with many of my products, this one was inspired by things I, and other people in my community, wanted to see as a player. The centaur and giant sections grew out of Black Guard Character Options, where I introduced them as playable ancestries. The champions of neutrality arose because it seemed unfair for good and evil gods to have the class but nothing for those who follow the middle path. Simply reading the rules is also often inspirational, especially pushing the boundaries of them and creating new paths to explore them. That's where things like the Wand Wielder came from. "What sort of balance would there need to be to have a character able to break the simple rule that you can only use a wand once or twice a day." And, for the first time, a Black Guard Press product didn't include only my ideas and writing. Two of the archetypes, most of the spells and some of the items were created by Nathan Berg.
K.J.: What was the most rewarding part of the creation process when making this?
The Champions of Neutrality portion grew much larger than I originally expected. I originally just planned to make a few rules about the core mechanics but it soon became clear that they wouldn't be fully fleshed out without appropriate feats for each level. Cracking what those feats would be to make them in line with Champions of Good and Evil but still unique was a challenge. And of course, it was frustrating realizing that this product was going to be published after the revision of Pathfinder 2e rules, which removes alignment entirely. My belief and hope, however is that the rules in Black Guard Character Options 2 can be easily adapted to the revision.
K.J.: If you could go back and do it all over again, what would you do differently in the creation process?
I would probably plan things a bit better and maybe go with a theme. There are lots of player options in this product but they are for a wide variety of characters rather than being more in depth in a particular area. I would definitely finish my template before starting, as well. Editing and layout can be very tedious and being able to copy and paste the basics is extremely helpful.
Before we wrap up the interview, here's a sneak peek at new content from Watch Well Games:
And now back to the interview:
K.J.: What advice would you give new indie creators?
Don't do it! It's hard work, the chances of real success are low, you'll have to do things you don't like and I don't need the competition. And if you're still reading, then you're probably a real creator who isn't worried about those things. Listen to criticism, be open to suggestions and advice, but never let anyone make you doubt yourself. Find places where you can talk to or just watch established creators talk. You'll learn a lot and might even find collaborations that can help you and others.
K.J.: Do you have a future creation you can give us any teasers or hints about?
I'm currently working on a locked door murder case for the City Guard Files product line. This is a Savage Worlds series where players play members of the City Guard, the police force in a fantasy city. It's a little bit Sherlock Holmes, Law & Order and Lord of the Rings.
K.J.: How did you discover RPGs?
An older friend introduced me to AD&D (the first edition.) I was hooked and me and my friends scooped up and tried every RPG we could get our hands on.
K.J.: Favorite RPG item(s)?
A custom oversized mini my friend designed, printed and painted to look like me as Dungeon Master from the 80's cartoon.
K.J.: Anything else you want to share about this project?
I hope anyone who checks out Black Guard Character Options II finds something they like. I hope any creators out there keep on creating.
Click the button below to grab your copy on DTRPG.
