Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights and other veterans are creating a new role-playing game with a vision that is 'Baldur's Gate 3 but with miniatures'

Ossian Studios, an independent RPG developer, has announced its next project: Pathfinder: The Dragon's Demand. The Dragon's Demand, the first videogame adaptation of Pathfinder's 2nd Edition Ruleset, is a full-featured CRPG that has a unique tabletop look. Ossian will launch the Kickstarter campaign for the game tomorrow, September 24, at 9am EST.

The Dragon's Demand immediately stands out with its presentation. Characters are static miniatures in a world which looks both meticulously constructed but also shiny and toysque, almost as if action were taking place on the most expensive bespoke dungeon tile nerds can afford.

This style may seem to have the same design limitations as tabletop miniatures. However, a scene in the Kickstarter trailer caught my attention. The adventurers are gathered on a roof facing a swarm gargoyle monsters who have taken off, their miniatures floating in the sky like nothing. The willingness to play with Dragon's Demand’s unique style as well as the possibility of encounters with tactical twists gives me high expectations for what the RPG will have in store.

Ossian's vision for the game is "Baldur's Gate 3 but Pathfinder with miniatures." There's a Larian twang in its tabletop faithfulness and cheeky, vibrant aesthetic and promise of diverse, creative arenas. Dragon's Demand has a "low-level, but fully featured" campaign that is similar to Baldur's gate 3. Baldur's Gate 3 introduced a 12-level cap, which was a refreshing change from the genre-standard 20 or 40 levels. It also imposed real limitations on your buildcrafting, and ended the campaign at the sweet spot for Dungeons & Dragons power curve. You aren't whiffing every single attack anymore, but you're also not just joking around with your implacable god.

The Dragon's Demand has a low-level cap of eight, spread out over a 30-hour campaign. The first press release for The Dragon's Demand promised:

• Create a deep, custom character build from a selection of 7 ancestries and 16 classes.
• Choose from a dwarf, goblin, gnome or a halfling.
• Choose your path as an alchemist.
• Create a party of up to four characters with three of them, out of the dozen possible characters they may encounter during their adventures. This will help you to form bonds of friendship or even romance.
• Level characters up to level 8.
• Use powerful spells from the four magical traditions of Arcane, Divine Occult and Primal.
• Equip hundreds unique armors and weaponry and watch them dynamically changing on miniature characters.
• Use an interactive map to explore the region and discover many dangerous and mysterious locations in the Verduran Forest and the town of Belhaim.

Ossian Studios also has a strong CRPG background, with Alan Miranda, the company's CEO and Dragon's Demand lead, having worked as a Producer on Baldur's Gate 2 : Throne of Bhaal, and Neverwinter Nights. Luke Scull is the lead designer at Ossian. He has made a name in the Neverwinter Nights mod scene by creating custom campaigns such as Tyrants of the Moonsea, and the upcoming Doom of Icewind Dale. Ossian also developed Neverwinter Nights 2’s third and final expansion, Mysteries Of Westgate.

I'm looking forward to seeing more of The Dragon's Demand, as the development continues. Ossian has turned to Kickstarter to finance the project. The funding campaign will begin on September 24. You can save the project in advance to be notified of its launch.