Aurelius Sylvanus Treveri's page

Just curious and wanted to change the subject of the hottest debate.

I have kind of started on round two in hopes of advancing, thinking positive :) Any way I have several ideas and kind of started working through the process which I am finding rather entertaining and enlightening.

So how many others have started and how is it going so far?

No, I haven't started Round 2 yet, nor will I until I hear that I passed Round 1. Heck, I just finished my Round 1 submission! And I only entered the contest because I found myself with some time on my hands this Christmas break.

Good luck to everyone.

When will the PDF be available?

When will Wayfinder #4 have its open call for submissions?

Will Wayfinder #4 have the same submission categories and guidelines as Wayfinder #3?

No one-hit-point wonders! Mooks are people, too!

As for the "hit and run" lizardfolk, you might be better off making all four of them sharpshooters. Their job is harassment, no? The two scythe-wielders have to commit to melee to do their job, which is a big no-no for guerrillas unless they have 3:1 superiority. For staying power, give them a second- or third-level adept or druid, who hangs back and heals the archers in between bouts.

Remember, these guerrillas have as their primary mission to maintain observation on the party. After the party proves it will not be deterred or defeated by the initial skirmish, these sharpshooters will re-engage the party whenever they hit any other lizardfolk defensive position: namely, the quicksand ambush, the pit trap ambush, and the buffed cleric. All surviving lizardfolk from the previous encounters will rally to their chief healer, the buffed cleric.

The lizardfolk are fighting on their home turf, so they will know where the gibbering mouther and shadows are and hang back accordingly. Alternately, they may try to lure the PCs into the danger area by maneuvering opposite the gibbering mouther's lair and shooting arrows at the party (probably from two or three range increments, to maintain a safe distance).

Electric eels don't normally jump out of the water to attack people on bridges. If they did, how would the kobolds use the bridge? It would be better to have the bridge slightly sloped to one side - enough to be readily noticeable, but not enough to affect its trafficability. The danger comes when a kobold throws a lever and causes a swinging, spiked log to pendulum over the bridge. Worse, the kobold sorcerer casts grease spells on the bridge. Either will dump the players into the eel-infested water. Heavily-armored players will have a hard time swimming.

Give the dragon a few kobolds as personal servants: one fourth-level adept, three third-level warriors, and one second-level adept. The warriors are archers with the Point Blank Shot and Precise Shot feats, set up with the second-level adept in an elevated alcove (improved cover, +8 AC) where they can cover the chamber's entrance and interior. The second-level adept blesses the archers and heals them as best he can with three scrolls of cure light wounds. The fourth-level adept is in an armored box (cover, +4 AC) on the dragon's back; his job is to buff (bear's endurance) and heal (wand of cure light wounds, 10 charges) the dragon. Of course, the fourth-level adept has a potion of water breathing. If you wanted to be really nasty, give him a good Ride skill and the Mounted Combat feat to make it harder to hit the beast...

Needless to say, the fourth-level adept is a 15-point buy, while the archers and second-level adept are 10-point buys. The dragon would not pick non-elite scum as personal servants.

Of course the party is unwilling to give up the powers they believe to be rightfully theirs. Let them be.

The party is oriented toward melee and healing. However, they are slow and lacking in Perception, ranged attacks, and trapfinding. Let them fight sneaky archers backed up with appropriate arcane and divine magic. Give the opponents cover, concealment, and the high ground. Place a belt of obstacles between them and the party - mud, creeks, caltrops, punji stakes, concealed pits, or magical traps.

Alternately, dog the party with a goblin ranger/rogue. This baddie remains 200 feet away from the party and takes potshots whenever they are preoccupied with another encounter. Whenever the party turns to confront the goblin, he melts away. If the party can Spot him well enough to give chase, they will find a nasty surprise: he's not alone. He keeps a second-level adept nearby for healing (gasp!). (Give the adept a cat familiar for the +3 Stealth bonus to make him hard to find.) Worse, he has a cleric cohort and a dozen low-level rangers and warriors about another 200-300 feet behind him; their orders are to set up a hasty ambush whenever their leader stops, at a distance of 70-90 feet from the road/trail, using whatever cover and concealment is available. Chasing the ranger/rogue and his personal healer will lead the party right into the trap.

If the party fails to take on this menace to their rear, the goblins will be happy to "pile on" the final encounter of the adventure. Perhaps they will fire volleys of arrows at the rear of the party while the PCs are fighting the final boss. Perhaps the ranger/rogue is the final boss, and his band circles ahead of the PCs during the night to prepare a good ambush:

- Entrenched on the high ground (standard fighting hole is cover, providing +4 AC; a loophole knocked in a wall or an improved fighting hole with a mantlet is improved cover, providing +8 AC)
- Using natural concealment and appropriate camouflage
- Beyond the distance the PCs can charge (due to terrain, natural or artificial obstacles, or long range)
- Kill zone rigged with traps (both mundane and magical)
- Kill zone will use some means to prevent the PCs from fleeing (trees and/or rocks knocked down to block path, caltrops hidden under leaves, ropes pop up to trip PCs, bridge blocked, hooked net falls on rear of party, etc.)
- Using skeletons animated from the monsters the PCs defeated earlier, both for labor (digging, carrying, cutting) and melee cannon fodder.

YES, after observing the PCs fight other monsters for a day or three, the goblins will be well aware that the PCs have two clerics and a paladin, so skeleton wave attacks are out. Instead, they will have a few of the tougher beasties at the bottom of the concealed spiked pit traps (victim comes to them) and the rest far back in a concealed skirmish line just before the archers, to absorb any frontal attack the PCs may mount against the firing line.

Once the PCs realize that not all their combats are going to be toe-to-toe fights, they will diversify to acquire the skills they need to make up their deficiencies. This will necessarily halt or delay the advancement of their melee proficiency, which will make future toe-to-toe fights more challenging in later levels.

Actually, I once wrote up a two-part, site-based adventure with both evil and good characters in conflict with each other. It went like this:

ROUND 1

1. Both Good and Evil players have pre-generated, low-power elite (aka Low Fantasy) characters.

2. Evil characters begin as monstrous humanoids (bugbear, hobgoblin, goblin) Level 6, but NPC classes only (Warrior, Expert, Adept). Each has the Leadership feat, a Level 5 NPC lieutenant, a Level 4 NPC bodyguard, and a respectable warband of 40-60 hit dice of monsters of the same race. Their goal is to plunder the town and slay the inhabitants.

3. Good characters begin Level 2-4, but NPC classes only (Aristocrat, Adept, Expert, or Warrior). Good characters outnumber Evil characters and have a fortified village: shallow ditch, low rampart, brick wall, brick gatehouse, and a central stone temple with a high bell tower. The temple has been hallowed with an associated aid spell and thus is the logical place for a last stand. There are 10 non-combatant commoners for each Good PC, representing that PC's spouse, children, parents, grandparents, etc. Their goal is to survive.

4. Each character (Good and Evil) earns Victory Points for killing members of the opposing side. Good characters earn points for surviving the first day and for keeping his/her 10 relatives alive the first day. Evil characters earn points for the gp value of plunder, plus bonus points for entering the village first, scoring the most kills, and gathering the most loot.

5. Character death: Each character loses Victory Points for dying. A player whose character is dead can continue play with his/her back-up character. An Evil character's back-up character is his/her Level 5 lieutenant. A Good character's back-up character is a Level 2 Commoner (one of his/her 10 relatives) with a spear and padded armor.

6. At the end of Round 1, each player's Victory Point total is computed. Players will use the Victory Points to create their Round 2 characters.

ROUND 2

1. Players begin as Low Fantasy Level 4 PC-class characters, using Round 1 Vistory Points to improve character attributes, levels, and starting wealth.

2. Good characters get a free heavy warhorse, with leather barding, military saddle, bit and bridle, and sunrod.

3. Evil characters get 9 hit dice of free non-elite followers of the same race, each of whom is equipped with 3 javelins, a morning star, studded leather armor, a light wooden shield, flint and steel, three torches, and a flask of oil.

4. The battle for the village continues, with the additional characters arriving from opposite ends of the board as reinforcements for each side. Players whose Round 1 characters survived can play them in addition to their Round 2 characters.

Pardon me for my impatience, but let me see if I understand how this works from here:

Wayfinder #3 will be paper-printed for PaizoCon III, June 18th.

Those going to the convention will have first crack at the print version.

The PDF and the print version will not be available for online purchase until after PaizoCon III.

Thanks to everyone who is making this possible, especially Lilith and Hugo, and to everyone who is donating. You all rock!

I second the vote of support for Liz. /singing/ For she's a jolly good filly, for she's a jolly good filly, for she's a jolly good fiiiiiillyyyyy... Which nobody can deny! /end singing/

Submitted a fiction piece set in Absalom: 1,500 words, bang on the nose.

Submitted a Sidetrek for the Isle of Kortos: 325 words, bang on the nose.

/* chanting */ WAYFINDER 3! WAYFINDER 3!

First, I would like to thank Lilith, hugo, and all who made this possible.

Second, the art for my story, "What Comes Back", absolutely ROCKS! YEEHA!

Third, I sent a copy of WF3 to my sons. Now they think I'm cool again. :)

Fourth, Lilith, if you're moving to the Baltimore-Washington area, I'll be happy to lend a hand once we dig ourselves out of this snow.

We want a release date!

I am now undead. The suspense killed me.

ERRRR... BRAINS!

I have finalized the article list for Wayfinder #2, and will be getting out emails tonight and tomorrow to editors, artists and authors.

WOO-HOO! Lilith, you absolutely rock! YEEHA!

While we wait for your recovery, should we go ahead and tweak our material?

Ah, yes, the infamous tweaking... Yeah, I could polish my submissions a bit more, too. :(

Shadowborn wrote:

Lilith wrote:

Hey gang, responses to Wayfinder will be slow going. I have been struck with one of Urgathoa's plagues and will be delayed in finalizing the Wayfinder #2 article list.

Should we send you a cleric?

Braaaai--er, yes. *shuffles around*

Home-made chicken soup, Theraflu, and rest will do you good.

But, Liz, rejection is so harsh. Feelings could be hurt. People who put their hearts into their work might feel unloved.

Please, Liz, O Beautiful and Most Powerful Lead Cat-Herder of Wayfinder 2, if there is anyone you deem unworthy to contribute to your most exalted and desirable project, I beg of you, let that person down easy.

(Oh, I know that I'm going to get smacked up-side the head with a big ol' trout for this one...) :P

In all seriousness, Liz, we all appreciate the hard work you are putting into this project. Thank you for adressing my new-guy concerns. It isn't every day that someone works as hard as you do for an unpaid labor.

WRT editorial comments, although things might be done a little differently for #2, I can tell you the way this was handled in #1.

The editors who work on Wayfinder are basically volunteering their time. You can request feedback from them via Liz, as she is the only one who will know who edited your work. It is up to the editors to determine if they are willing and able to provide feedback on your submission.

I was fortunate enough to get some feedback by from my editor last time. I was glad to get the critique.

However, Liz may be dealing with a larger and slightly more difficult beast in Wayfinder #2, so she may have different policies/procedures this time.

Thanks. I'm a little new at this. I'm just used to having what I write sent back to me with comments if it needed revision so I could rewrite it myself.

Since we haven't heard from Liz in a while, I bet she and her volunteer staff are way too busy this close to the deadline to give any one-on-one feedback.

I submitted a fiction piece a few minutes ago. Go Wayfinder 2!

First, I would like to thank Liz and all her crew for all the work being done to make Wayfinder 2 a reality. :)

Second, I'm going to pester her with more new-guy questions: Will there be feedback for those who made submissions or does no reply mean that everything is okay and no editing is needed? Will we have to wait for Wayfinder 2 to see if our submissions made the cut or are all submissions accepted?

The sidetrek column is basically short little adventure plots. I do not have the authority to make it a formally written adventure for the Golarion world setting.

Submitted Sidetrek for the Crown of the World.

Aurelius Sylvanus Treveri wrote:

Okay... /* Flaunting ignorance once again */ I'm just a little confused. Is the purpose of the Sidetrek simply to give DMs adventure ideas or is there another goal in mind? Will the most promising Sidetrek be chosen to become a formally-written adventure?

The sidetrek column is basically short little adventure plots. I do not have the authority to make it a formally written adventure for the Golarion world setting.

Thanks for your patience - I know I've taxed it quite enough with my endless questions! :)

Pardon my ignorance, but other than the 1500-word limit, what are the guidelines for the Sidetrek? Should it include APL, stat blocks and maps?

No, just basic plot. No maps, no APL, and no stat blocks.

Okay... /* Flaunting ignorance once again */ I'm just a little confused. Is the purpose of the Sidetrek simply to give DMs adventure ideas or is there another goal in mind? Will the most promising Sidetrek be chosen to become a formally-written adventure?

Lilith wrote:

Sidetreks Set in a particular region of Golarion, Sidetreks will feature short outlines for a sidetrek adventure. For this column, the setup will be “plot hook + a little backstory + potential resolutions.” For Wayfinder #2, these regions are Crown of the World, Irrisen, or Land of the Linnorm Kings. One sidetrek outline per submission for this column.

Pardon my ignorance, but other than the 1500-word limit, what are the guidelines for the Sidetrek? Should it include APL, stat blocks and maps?

Submitted two NPCs for the Weal or Woe section.

Me, I always go for the simplest path:

1) The PCs tromp around and get bloodied until they recruit an NPC adept as a healer. If the PCs want a cleric, they should take the class themselves.

2) The PCs meet an enemy group that has a kick-butt cleric (and then moan aloud why they don't have one).

3) Both of the above.

Personally, I run my sentient bad guys like a fairly good PC team. As best as their limited resources allow, each group will have some mix of offensive spellcasters, healers, missileers, and melee troops, working together as a combined-arms team. Offensive spellcasters will try to hurt as many good guys as possible, melee troops will guard their spellcasters and try to put the press on the good guys, and missileers will concentrate their firepower where it will do the most good for them. They individually want to live, so the wounded bad guys will break contact and seek healing. Bad guy healers will work to save their buddies. When the bad guys keep healing their own and sending them back after the good guys, the good guys will take the hint and see the wisdom of having a healer of their own.

And yes, the comment about having the cleric fight first and heal later reminds me of the combat medic saying, "The best combat trauma care is fire superiority!"