Year of the Shadow Lodge

Sexy

Very cool!

Was this just for the map or were they using some VTT software on it?

Is that Rodan on top?

Those peach-flavored gummi-ring things are awesome, by the way.

I played at that table and it was awesome with awesomesauce on top.

The GM (your name escapes me at the moment, sorry) didn't just make the rig. He also made his own enhanced version of the scenario map in Photoshop, complete with drop-in spell effect images. Plus, he provided minis, free snacks, elevation markers for flying creatures, free snacks, a torch marker you could clip on to your mini to indicate that you were carrying a light source, free snacks, and just about everything else you could ask from a GM.

Good times.

Very cool!

How much would something like that go for? Without all the snacks, I mean.

Well, you only need a short range projector. I got mine at the firesale at circuit city on their last day in existence: $300 (900 on the internets)

Beyond that, you mostly need hardware getting it in position. Looks like the GM here is bouncing it off a mirror above the table.

It looks like a variant of a "portable digital map," like the one created here.

So, who's set-up was this? Names/Aliases please?

So, who's set-up was this? Names/Aliases please?

Bumpity

I had a lot of fun running the high-level (10-11 tier) Shadow Lodge table. The group had played together a ton and was ready for action (and ready to supply the absent-minded DM with a good supply of figures when I forgot the bag with my figs and pens at home! ACK). They were good sports my occasional bits of DM cruelty, including the gratuitous off-stage murder of Q's camel during the battle in the arena ("Sure, why not?") and subsequently killing one character (Im) so hardcore that Josh had to come over and adjust the scenario (hey, it was a playtest, right?).

In the end, VICTORY and fun were had by all!

...killing one character (Im) so hardcore that Josh had to come over and adjust the scenario...

What, pray tell, is the story behind that?

Jason Nelson wrote:

...killing one character (Im) so hardcore that Josh had to come over and adjust the scenario...

What, pray tell, is the story behind that?

10-11 Tier has one encounter with a creature that has an at-will death effect, and death effects cannot be fixed by raise dead, the usual recourse in such situations. Rather than forcing the player to drop out and pay for a resurrection after the fact (since this was, after all, a playtest, and Josh decided that particular monster might get changed for the final version), he ruled that raise dead would work and that a Pathfinder cleric just happened by at that moment and cast it (still costing the usual PA for such things - he was still dead, just not super-ultra-mega dead).

One of the other players (Calladril?) ran into me two days later and said that Im's player had been retelling the story to others at the con of how the monster reached inside his beating heart and ripped his soul out and ate it while he watched. GOOD TIMES! :)

That was Tim Green's setup. He used it a few times that weekend--his use of it during Year of the Shadow Lodge was incredible. He ported in the Grand Lodge maps from Seekers of Secrets, blew them up, added a 5-foot grid, and was able to run the event right across that map. Neat!

One of the other players (Calladril?) ran into me two days later and said that Im's player had been retelling the story to others at the con of how the monster reached inside his beating heart and ripped his soul out and ate it while he watched.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

RIP the soul OUT of my chest!

I had the PAs with the Pathfinders for a resurection, but the sprinting cleric with the raise dead was just as well (we didn't have one with us, ya see).

It wasn't that creature I had the most problems with, after all my company took it DOWN and saved my soul, it was those pesky ... ... ..., oops. Can't tell ya.

Im Noma'Dus
1/2 Orc Heavy Armor specialist

Year of the Shadow Lodge was a very cool way to run a scenario. As a GM, I did feel a little off balance through much of it, mainly because I wasn't used to the format, but I thought it was really cool that what was happening at one table could influence others. I also had a great group of players - it was a real pleasure to game with them.

I'm really glad everyone enjoyed my rig so much. I'll definitely be bringing it back next year. Plans are here along with a few of my recent maps.

The rig itself is basically just a pair of c shaped frames made of 2 by 3s connected by a projector shelf. the playing surface is a big aluminum dry erase board. The projector points up from the shelf at a mirror on the top of the frame effectively doubling the projection distance which permits a very large playing area relative to direct projection methods approximately 24" by 32".

Costs are about $500 for the projector, plus an additional $100 for lumber and hardware, $50 for the board itself.

This event was awesome. Some foolish human put their event ticket in the swap box and I picked it up while dropping one of my own event cards in the box.

The GM at our table (I think her name says Lesli on my Chronicle sheet) was great. The GM's have a huge job trying to maintain pace with the over all event and dealing with groups (like mine) that sometimes went off the beaten path when dealing with each encounter's goals.

The interaction between the different level tables was a great bonus to the event. Sometimes while playing at the table I would forget that other tables were also in the same location in-game trying to accomplish their own goals.

The only downside to the event is that it didn't get registered on the web page for my character yet. I have the Chronicle sheet for the event but not sure who to contact to get it put in.

I had a fantastic time mowing down the enemy as Sear (my camel) was reduced to one hoof.

I have the Chronicle sheet for the event but not sure who to contact to get it put in.

It typically takes me a few weeks to process all of the events from a show of that size.

It typically takes me a few weeks to process all of the events from a show of that size.

Oh! I thought the individual table GM's were putting those in. Thanks for all your hard work Joshua! The entire Con was kick-ass from start to finish.

Looking forward to playing this at Paizocon UK in 3 1/2 weeks.

I had the distinct honor of playing at the table of one Mark Moreland. Yoda, you run an awesome game. I had a lot of fun, and Karriden has now developed an overwhelming fear of beetles. Thanks for that ;)

Since this was a playtest, are we going to be able to give feedback at some point or do we just give our comments on this forum?

It wasn't that kind of playtest. I actually got all of the feedback I needed from watching each tiered table run each encounter and then sorted out the timing of the event.

Thanks for all your hard work Joshua! The entire Con was kick-ass from start to finish.

Thanks, man. :-)

Bump- event info is not yet posted to my character.