Dev Dive: Underworld Expansion-Rulebook

[DISCLAIMER: Everything regarding unreleased projects, including the W&A Underworld Rulebook, is subject to change.]

This week, we’re taking a look at some of the new things coming in War and Aether’s first Expansion, focusing on the Underworld. Specifically, we’re going to be taking a look at the intended format that future W&A books will be taking. Bringing a focus on content, quality, and updates impactful enough to warrant a new edition of the game - while retaining all of the majority rules to make it a great expansion! Read on to see our plans for the Underworld Expansion, and this potential format for new W&A content moving forward!

[The remnants of the Dwarven Underworld - Art generated using Adobe Firefly]

The plan for the Underworld Expansion is not just a simple expansion of extra content, but a full rulebook of its own! I have a personal distaste for expansions that feel too small to justify their prices. As well, ZG Studios is a new independent development studio with a lot of growth in the few years since W&A first released, and certainly more growth to come in the future.

As time goes on, some of the rules of W&A have been changed, tweaked, and/or expanded. All of these rule-tweaks are too impactful to simply edit-away from the original Core Rulebook, but none of these changes affect the fundamental experience of War and Aether. With that, the plan is for the Underworld Expansion to be an effective War and Aether 1.5. Balance changes, number tweaks, or simple rule replacements can be expected in the Underworld Expansion - while still retaining the core gameplay experience and having it feel like an expansion on the current formula. But tweaks and changes aren’t the only things in store.

The Underworld Expansion will feature a full complement of new monsters to fight, new weapons to battle with, new materials to craft from, a new region to explore, a new starter-module to take on, and brand new mechanics to add to the existing world, including Armor Modifications and dwarven Alteration Magic. The entire Underworld Expansion is being developed as a full rulebook of its own - one that new players can pick up without having to get the original core rulebook, and old players can pick up to see what’s changed and what’s new!

What does this mean for the Core Rulebook?

The Core Rulebook will remain as-is. The rules in the CR are extremely similar and just as valid as the rules found in the Underworld Expansion - or other future expansions. With deeper experience in game development, the rules are simply being refined for the expansion experience to better represent the vision of W&A. Then, once enough expansion books have been released, it’s the intention of ZG Studios to rerelease a W&A Core Rulebook as a 2nd Edition. But instead of any fundamental gameplay or mechanics changes, 2nd Edition W&A would simply include all of the balance tweaks and edits found in all of the expansions that lead up to its release. And depending on the breadth and scope of tweaks/changes over the years, the same may be done with the expansion books as well!

Rest assured, we have no intention of changing the fundamental W&A experience any time soon! It’s my belief that core changes to the rules, mechanics, or dice systems are better for new tabletop games altogether. While War and Aether will change and evolve over the years, new players should always be able to go back to the older books, and use those books as content-expansions of their own!

But most importantly, what do you think of this format? Do you like the idea or hate it? Do you have any further questions that weren’t answered above or input to provide? Let us know in the comments and we’ll keep you updated! And look forward to further Dev Dives in the future, as we’ll detail the specifics in-store for the War and Aether: Underworld Rulebook!