D&D Next - Just Watch and Learn to Play
Product: The First Paladin
Roleplaying games as visual media just took a step closer to reality with the launch of a new website for hobby game players around the world. Now roleplayers have the opportunity to experience a Dungeons & Dragons campaign in a whole new way: through a Web series hosted exclusively at www.thefirstpaladin.com. Viewers can watch The First Paladin, a campaign being played with D&D Next rules, and see the game evolve dynamically as game master Peter D. Adkison and the players make their own choices. This new series is produced by Hostile Work Environment, a new multimedia company owned by Adkison, the former CEO of Wizards of the Coast and owner of Gen Con, LLC. The first four scenes of the Web series just premiered. Over the next year, the series will continue to play out. In addition, four narrative shorts will be released throughout the year to further enhance the story. The First Paladin is a Dungeons & Dragons campaign set in the fantasy world of Chaldea, which Adkison created in 1981. On the official The First Paladin website, fans can explore Chaldea through videos of D&D Next gameplay, illustrations by Emmy Award-winning artist Phillip Trumbo, character testimonials from the cast and narrative fiction.
The First Paladin Web series launches in conjunction with Gen Con 2012. Gen Con attendees will have an opportunity to hear Adkison talk more about his plans on Saturday, August 18 at 7 p.m. in the Wizards room at the Indiana Convention Center. This event is open to everyone. Following Gen Con, a new scene will be released each week. The final eight-part episode will be aired at a special screening at Gen Con 2013. In between new episodes, audiences will enjoy narrative shorts giving them more insight into the characters and world of Chaldea. The first short will premiere September 17, 2012 and is titled Blackfield Bends the Knee. It stars the Seattle Knights and was filmed on 16mm film using a 1950s Arriflex camera.
"The First Paladin is exciting on so many levels for all of us who love D&D, RPGs, and the true art of storytelling. It's a radical approach to find out if we can tell a compelling story that isn't fully scripted out. The way the story plays out over time depends on what choices the characters make and how I as the game master respond." - Adkison, founder and CEO of Hostile Work Environment.
The launch of The First Paladin Web series is just the first of what Adkison sees as many opportunities to explore roleplaying games as visual media. Hostile Work Environment will continue to pursue different ways to interact with gamers dynamically in shaping stories and to create roleplaying-inspired entertainment across a variety of platforms, including short and feature films. Joining Adkison at Hostile Work Environment is Kim Voynar, who will serve as producer on HWE's The First Paladin web series and website. Based in Seattle, Voynar previously produced "White Knights," directed by Joe Shapiro, and produced, wrote and directed "Bunker" via her Catawampus! Production Company. Since 2004, she has been a leading voice in the world of film journalism, as managing editor and film critic at AOL's Cinematical, and features editor and film critic for Movie City News.
-Geck0, GameVortex Communications AKA Robert Perkins
Related Links: The Official The First Paladin Website Official Gen Con Website Peter Adkison's Blog
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