Sword Coast Legends is an upcoming Dungeons and Dragons RPG under development by n-Space and scheduled for release later in 2015. It's based on the relatively young 5th edition D&D rules, and is set in the popular Forgotten Realms universe. The game will include a single player campaign created in part by developers who worked on Dragon Age: Origins as well as multiplayer options.

We've previously covered the game's interesting real-time Dungeon Master Mode, as well as the dev team's efforts to balance modern and classic touches. But there's a lot more we want to know about Sword Coast Legends, so we reached out to the team behind the game with our questions. Nathan Stewart, Brand Director of Dungeons and Dragons, and Dan Tudge, President of n-Space and Director of Sword Coast Legends, provided answers.

GameCrate: How is Sword Coast Legends (SCL) different than it would be if it were based on 4th edition rules?

Nathan Stewart: For us, Dungeons & Dragons is all about telling and experiencing great fantasy stories with your friends. The latest edition of D&D is designed specifically to put storytelling at the forefront, and we think that’s the perfect framework for n-Space to set Sword Coast Legends. This has been a change from how we worked with our digital partners during the time 4E was our ruleset for the tabletop RPG. The characters and flavor of the game Dan and his team have been building meshes extremely well with what our own team has been crafting. It’s not really about what specific mechanics or rules will be used in the game for us. It is about making the best possible Dungeons & Dragons experience and ensuring it feels like D&D to all of our fans.

GC: How do you make a video game that feels like Dungeons and Dragons, and not just a generic RPG?

NS: Dungeons & Dragons has set the standards for roleplaying games in many ways so often times “generic fantasy” still has a lot of D&D influence in it. However, specific details like being set in the Forgotten Realms and the towns and locations in Faerûn, drow, blue dragons that breathe lightning (versus all dragons having the same characteristics), gelatinous cubes, beholders, class/race specific traits and the treasure chest full of lore and history we provide (or is it a mimic?) make the difference between a game being an RPG and being a Dungeons & Dragons game. There are emotional or narrative touchstones that need to be there to make it feel uniquely D&D as well. For instance a group of players traveling into the deeps, unsure of what they will find; a sense of camaraderie with your party, being able to use your mind to solve some obstacles instead of just your axe – just to name a few.

The one big game changer that is uniquely D&D is the role of the Dungeon Master. I’m really excited about Sword Coast Legends because it is delivering something that no other digital D&D game has before – the relationship between the Dungeon Master and the players. The asymmetrical multiplayer of 4+1 in DM Mode brings a whole new layer to digital roleplaying games. It doesn’t have to be adversarial or competitive. The DM’s goal in Sword Coast Legends is to create the best experience possible for all the players, and that means they can do things like drop in a few more puzzles if he or she thinks the party will enjoy them or beef up the bad guys stats if the party is mowing through the dungeon too easily.

DM Mode combined with the amazing pedigree of storytelling Dan and his team bring to the table makes Sword Coast Legends definitely feel like Dungeons & Dragons.

GC: Are there any connections between the story in SCL and the official paper 5th edition adventures that have been published so far?

NS: We can’t go into specifics of the story because we don’t want to spoil it for anyone, but fans will certainly notice elements that mark Faerûn because of the stories we’ve told so far. We have a wonderful working relationship with n-Space and have shared our story plans well into the future to make sure Sword Coast Legends will be able tell our stories with us. It’s going to be really cool for me as a tabletop RPG and computer RPG player to go through the game and find all of those and go “Hey, that’s awesome!”

GC: With five races and six classes, some of the races and classes in the 5th edition Player’s Handbook are left out. How did you decide which to include?

Dan Tudge: It wasn’t an easy decision but it has always been our intention to focus on quality over quantity. After much deliberation we decided to focus on what many Dungeons & Dragons fans would consider to be the “classic” races and classes. We really wanted to do them justice before we moved on to the rest. We’ll be creating many more after launch.

GC: What presence do non-combat challenges have in SCL?

DT: Roleplaying is a big part of our game. Players will have a number of dialogue choices to make along their adventure. Character stats (Charisma, Intelligence, etc.) can also impact the story, often providing another solution to a quest.

GC: Is it correct to say that there are two distinct DM experiences in SCL – both adventure/campaign creation and the real-time experience?

DT: They are really one in the same. While we’re really not talking about campaign creation at this time I can tell you that a huge part of the DM experience is interacting with players in real time.

GC: What was the inspiration for the real-time DM mode?

DT: Being a tabletop DM is a very dynamic and exciting experience. There is something incredibly cool about creating a compelling experience for a group of people - it’s one of the main reasons I got into the video game industry. For many the barrier to play as a DM on the tabletop is the time investment that’s required. Whether you’re running a module or crafting your own campaign you’re going to need to invest time well beyond that of players. As life-long fans of D&D we really wanted to provide a Dungeon Master experience that allows people to jump right in and play as a DM. Of course we are also providing campaign creation for those DMs who want to invest the time in campaign creation.

GC: Where does SCL fit into a world that already contains traditional paper-based Dungeons and Dragons and D&D Online? Who is SCL for?

DT: SCL is pretty unique and we feel as though it has the potential to appeal to a wide variety of gamers. Fans of the classic RPGs like the Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale series will enjoy our story campaign. Fans of D&D (and D&D Online) will definitely find creeping through a dungeon with a group of friends a lot of fun, but I think everyone will find playing with a human DM will be the most fun of all.

GC: Looking at the SCL forums, it seems as though the presence of ability cooldowns vs. traditional D&D-style resting has been somewhat controversial. What was the motivation for the decision to go the cooldown route?

DT: Ahh yes, cooldowns, definitely a hot topic! :) While we totally understand the player’s desire to directly adhere to the 5th edition rule-set, those rules don’t necessarily adapt to a real time multiplayer experience all that well. While it works on the table, asking a group of fellow players to take a nap down the hall from a group of Hobgoblins so you can recoup you fireball just isn’t all that compelling.

To be honest, the issue isn’t really about resting at all but rather spell resource management. That tactical thinking around spell usage, “Do I use my fireball now, or do I save it for a later encounter?” is better recreated with cooldowns. You don’t jump from room to room with your fireball, you need to think very tactically about its use, because when you do use it it’s going to take a significant amount of time to cool down.

GC: What sorts of locations will we see in SCL? And how much of a player’s time in the single-player campaign will be spent in dungeon environments?

DT: While we can’t give away all of our locations, I can tell you that you’ll spend quite a bit of time in Luskan, you’ll make your way through the Evermoors and you may even journey into the Underdark! Oh, and as a Dungeons & Dragons game, there will also be dungeons … lots of dungeons. :)

Many thanks to Nathan and Dan for taking the time to answer our questions. For more information on Sword Coast Legends, visit the official website.