The Thaumaturge is a story-driven RPG that focuses on the story of its protagonist Wiktor, a character with the gift of Thaumaturgy and the magic to summon ethereal beings called Salutors with different powers and abilities. As a big part of The Thaumaturge's lore with its various folklore influences, Salutors see, so far range from a skeleton-like, tormented ghost named Upyr to Bukavac a brutal shadow-lingering terror, with even more to come.
Currently in development at Fool's Theory, the studio that is also working on the highly anticipated Witcher 1 remake, the depth of the lore surrounding Salutors and Thaumaturgy could showcase the developer's expertise. When it comes to story-driven RPGs, it further gives fans of the genre another upcoming RPG to look forward to. In a recent interview with Game ZXC, Fool's Theory Design Director Karolina Kuzia-Rokosz spoke more about The Thaumaturge's various Salutors, Thaumaturgy powers, and more. The following transcript has been edited for clarity and brevity.
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Q: Can you walk us through the process of recruiting Salutors? How did this approach change throughout development?
A: We experimented with numerous methods before settling on the current design, and it's almost too challenging to mention all of them. Nevertheless, we always had a clear idea of what we wanted to pursue: Salutors, mysterious and elusive beings most people don't even believe in; yet, you are among the few who can encounter them. They might be overwhelming, scary, or beautiful, but they always carry great power. Taming them is no easy feat, and there is always a lesson in making every Salutor obedient to your will.
Q: Roughly how many Salutors will Wiktor be able to control in the game? Can you walk us through the process of designing these Salutors?
A: I'd like to keep the exact number a secret for now, but I assure you that we haven't introduced all of them to you through social media yet. Their design naturally relies on the original idea of a Salutor. You can expect certain vibes when talking about a creature from specific folklore, and we stick to that. Then, we add our own twist.
Q: Specifically, could you talk about Slavic folklore and other possible inspirations that inspired the designs and characterization of the Salutors?
A: Beyond Slavic folklore, I can share that you might encounter Salutors from Jewish, Bavarian, or Arabian circles. Each of them is distinct. Oh, and other Thaumaturges have unique Salutors of their own. These Salutors already have a master, so you cannot claim them, but you may always admire them.
Q: Lelek, Weles, Upyr, and Bukavac have dominated The Thaumaturge’s marketing as far as Salutors go. Could you provide any further insight into the development of these four - how drastically they changed from the initial concept to the final design?
A: At the beginning, there's always this initial idea, a brief thought describing a Salutor. Each of these four had a different start.
For Upyr, it was a 'fallen medieval Slavic knight on a battlefield, a bitter spirit.'
For Bukavac, it was 'a punishment for the crime that would always come.'
For Lelek, it was 'a trickster that leads people astray and drives them insane.'
And for Weles, it was 'splendor, please. MORE, MORE GOLD!' ;)
Keeping these main ideas in mind, we iterate a lot, selecting a shape that suits us and speaks to us, and then we iterate even more. So yes, the final form is much different than the original concept, but we're very happy with them.
Q: Weles, specifically, is described as unpredictable. What does this bring to gameplay when using Weles?
A: Weles is a Slavic deity associated with luck, fortune, and the kingdom of death. These aspects can be a bit unpredictable. While Weles serves you, his skills are at your disposal, but the 'extra gain' from them might depend on your luck.
Q: Could you explain how the RPG foundation of Heart, Deed, Mind, and Word ties into Salutors?
A: At the core of every RPG, there is always a sorting mechanism to help players better understand the nature of elements in the game. For this purpose, we introduced four dimensions—WORD, HEART, DEED, and MIND—that form the foundation of Thaumaturgy in our game. Each Salutor belongs to one of these dimensions, influencing how they respond to various situations, whether in combat or exploration. In combat, enemies use these dimensions to gain an upper hand over you. Outside of combat, Thaumaturges leverage these dimensions to better understand and categorize the emotions, thoughts, or desires of people.
[END]
The Thaumaturge
The Thaumaturge is a story-driven RPG set in 1905 Warsaw, Poland. Players take on the role of Wiktor, who can see entities called Salutors that normal humans cannot. It features isometric gameplay, turn-based combat, morally ambiguous choices, unique character development features, investigation mechanics, and much, much more.
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Released
- March 4, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Fool's Theory
- Publisher(s)
- 11 Bit Studios
- Genre(s)
- Adventure , RPG
