Jeff put out a post on his own forums detailing the changes coming in the 3rd edition of the game, I'm pulling some copypasta here reflecting his post:
Physical Changes
- Two hardback set (same Smyth sewn binding, high quality paper)
- Possibly a slipcase as an add-on. It's being quoted for.
- Map reworked by Glynn Seal and to be presented in atlas format and special poster version.
- New layout, fonts, etc.
- Indexes in both books.
Branding
- Simplifying the branding and naming to HYPERBOREA, but "Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea" remains part of the scheme and is shown as a back cover subtitle.
People
- The game has been revised by the author.
- Editing by George Sedgwick.
- New cover art painted by Charles Lang (both books).
- Interior colour plates by Charles Lang, David Miller, Peter Mullen, and Val Semeiks (with Daisey Bingham)
- 26 new character illustrations by Diogo Nogueira.
- Chapter frame art by Del Teigeler.
- Gynn Seal has recoloured the map.
- More to be announced!
Content
- Cataphract new ability: shield sacrifice.
- Huntsman new ability: harvest venom.
- Paladin: Introduction of fell paladin, LE version of paladin. Also, cleric scroll reading ability at 7th level. High wisdom now grants bonus spells.
- Ranger now has scroll reading ability at 7th level. High wisdom now grants bonus druid spells cast per day, high intelligence grants bonus magician spells cast per day.
- Illusionist new ability: coloured globe.
- Witch brew decoction ability simplified and expanded. Also, certain detection spells can be cast through familiar.
- Monk has a decent overhaul to the entire class. It is the most changed class for 3E.
- Shaman new ability: harvest venom. Also, spells per day slightly improved.
- Assassin new ability: harvest venom.
- Bard spells per day slightly improved.
- Scout new abilities: disguise (like assassin) and run (like monk).
- 12 new playable character races (Anglo-Saxon, Carolingian Frank, Esquimaux-Ixian, Greek, Lapp, Lemurian, Moor, Mu, Oon, Roman, Tlingit, Yakut).
- Languages: More available languages available.
- Several new spells.
- Sorcerer types can learn a known spell from another caster type’s spell book, so long as it is on their list of learnable spells. For example, an illusionist can copy an invisibility spell from a magician’s spell book, but he can’t copy a magic missile spell, because that contains proprietary language. However, we separate thaumaturgical sorcery from ecclesiastical sorcery. So, a druid can copy a detect magic spell from a cleric’s prayer book, but he can’t do the same from a witch’s spell book.
- Characters need not memorize the regular spell or its reversed form; rather, they can decide at the last moment to invert the incantation and thus cast its reversible form. We have so many examples of spells in which the caster is deciding which version of the spell is being cast, and I realize resource management is part of the allure of a game like this, but I don’t see why a cleric can’t elect to use cause moderate wounds on a whim instead of cure moderate wounds, and so forth.
- Scroll-using characters can now invoke a scroll that is on their spell list, as long as it was not created by one who practices the opposite form of magic, which we are defining as thaumaturgic sorcery (magicians and subclasses) and ecclesiastic sorcery (clerics and druids), so a magician can indeed use a fireball scroll created by a pyromancer, and vice versa.
- Streamlined combat system (no more phases).
- New monsters.
- New magic items.
- And more!
