Haldir's page

if someone could make something similar to the Ravenloft 2e maps for this encounter that would be great.

I wonder if that Google Sketchup program would work for something like this??

RM

I have the red dragon burning the town, but those goblins are seriously giving it a run for desktop space.....

RM

just curious & this is for security sake, but will the pdfs have some sorta "watermark" or something on them, so they won't get abused by torrents & other file sharing stuff.

I ask cause I don't want the pdf to take away from the sales of the new stuff & such.

thx
RM

Fharlanghn

that would be nice, epically with the latest info in Savage Tide regarding that deity.

then again Nerull would be too, as I had a cleric that tattooed a skeleton over his body, when I had that character, one of my more memorable characters I've played (ha ha)

RM

oh man cover by the E, poster by WAR

one of those can't wait to see the issue, but also it means the end of the lines, so it a bit bittersweet.

still sounds like the lines won't go down without good tributes to them

RM

oh man!!!

just seen that artwork

love Wayne's work!!

getting excited about the future for Paizo

RM

Is there any rules regarding these 2 conditions?

just curious

RM

gotta go with line of fire, it's classic from a classical monster that invokes the Larry Elmore painting on the red box Basic D&D set (thou it isn't breathing fire of course)

RM

basically it'll be the Adventure Paths in their own book, epically the way Savage Tide has been ran with the support articles after the adventure.

hope the best for these

James will the first issue have Wayne Reynolds artwork throughout?? Just curious, being that WR is my current fav fantasy artist & such.

I think I'm gonna try the first issue, hate seeing D & D mags go away, but hopefully the story, info & artwork will make me forget that.

hoping the best for the new series

RM

wow, kinda of a shock, but with today's market, cheaper to put things online & such.

been having alot of problems the last couple months getting issues & such, my local outlet has problems getting issues, I don't like subscriptions (USPS treats magazines like pizza coupons you get in the mail, bags are open, or magazines are smashed), so this saves me that part but I'll miss getting Dragon & Dungeon magazines, been getting them for a long time.

oh well, welcome to the digital age I guess....

RM

nice to know a little more about 'vinia's parents, right now I have them as part of an adventuring party, that went out more for the spirit of the adventure then anything. Thou I have both worshiping different gods, but it is nice to see who Larissa's deity was.

Also introduced anther character as well, he is close friend of Arik's & of the family (think Little John in Costner's Robin Hood movie)

RM

Kinda got confused reading that part of the mag, myself.

Of course my PCs are still in the very beginning of the STAP so any maps will be helpful down the road.

RM

my fighter (think Jack Sparrow without the oddball stuff) had a romantic evening with Rowyn, he he little does he know what Rowyn's true purpose of the game is

RM

love the fact that you've taken low level critters & made them a formidable foe for higher up, kudos on that.

love the pictures of the goth-harpies, love the fact that there is nails for piercings & such

RM

Ah, that explains it. I thought it was just caused by the flash on their cameras.

if that's the case, my daughter must be a member (ha ha)

RM

The way the mail handles subscriptions for me is the reason why I don't like subscriptions, no matter the magazine, whether it's a bagged mag or even a simple catalog style magazine, there is always damage to it, thus I don't like subscriptions + since I've known my card shop/WOTC shop owner for so long he gives me a 30% off the prices at his store(compared to 10% off for others), so I was payin around 5.60 per issue + I would rather support him, but even he said that I'd be better off looking at other options for the magazines, if I wanted them on time.

He can order them it's just they'll be extremely late due to he only orders from them (his distributor) around once a month (ie doesn't hit the mag ship dates) & with only a couple people wanting game orders (myself included) each month.

I just like my mags in a mint condition I guess & my shop gives them in that condition.

added a

half-elf fighter
dwarf fighter

to my party. The PCs should have no problems fighting stuff, just no true healer (druid)

RM

Steelhorse,

no offense taken. Just when I hear someone overseas has received the issue before stateside, kinda got annoyed, as I love reading the new adventures & such.

(just an update) but I did receive my issue a couple days after posting, never fails post about it & it'll show up, ha ha (btw the issue I was waiting for was Dragon with the modron on the cover)

(now where is that Dungeon issue I got coming, ha ha)

well seems like it's gonna be a hassle for my "gameshop" to get magazines, so looks like I'll be subscribing afterall (thou wish I didn't have to........but what can you do if you want the mags)

RM

have you got your issues yet?? If so then that's great, just when it's been almost 2 weeks since the site says that my issues have shipped, I just get ancy to get the issues, epically when the other paizo orders have come to quick.

would have never order if I would have know it was this month's issues, as I would rather support my local outlet, but the website was pretty vague in what you were getting (espically when they showed last month's covers when ordering)

RM

I've yet to receive any magazines that I ordered last month (thought it was last month's issue, website wasn't very clear on that), says it shipped on 3.6.07,been 11 days, ah now I know why I've never liked subscriptions, other then USPS treats them like dirt. I live in eastern Oregon (Ontario unfortunately), hearing California got there, makes me wonder if something isn't wrong....

hoping it comes soon, last couple months have been a hassle getting Dragon & Dungeon mags here, with my local spot switching distributors & having to go online (ebay in this case) for those issues, as having to buy back issues is a Major PiTA!!!

thank goodness for my local spot, not a game store per se but a card shop (ie wizard products) + he can get Paizo magazines as well, if not for him, I probably wouldn't even be in D&D or other stuff.

love the Ravenloft reference, I think I'm gonna try to alter the module that was used for inbetween adventures.

RM

so far my party I think likes Lavinia (I just had the dinner), one guy who's background is he worked for the Vanderborens & was present the night of the explosion (got burned himself) & it sounds like he'll do the first job for free. Anther one (guy is playin himself like Jack Sparrow but without the wild eyed antics), was overcome with her beuty & such & wants to crack some heads for her. Anther one who is druid of Procan, wants vengeances for the Vark & his men breakin a deal that was on the waters.

Other members as well, some really don't even want the payment, enough to help them gear up for the encounter or a bed for the night really. The only person in my group that even mentioned maybe we could milk her for more was a wild elf ranger (which I thought was kinda odd, ha ha)

been tryin to play up Lavinia as a noble but kinda of down to earth noble, so hopefully my players see that. Espically when later in the adventure where she gains the swashbuckler levels & such, showing that she wants to do something other then noble stuff

RM

Amellia was one of the first NPCs one of my players met at the start of the adventure, he got into a fight with some drunken sailors & Amellia helped him, long story short, she invited that PC to the Plucked Parrot for a few brews & she told him the story about the gnome betrayal & the murder of her husband & such. At the end, the PCs has a contact just in case they need a ship captain for hire. Werther my PCs use that option it's up to them.

I've done this with Urol & even did the Jade Ravens (one PC decided to kill time by visiting Vandee Manor & was hiding on the wall (he's a gnome thief) & observed the JRs as they were coming into the manor for their meeting with Lavinia).

Great way to further give some meaning to the NPCs & such, hopefully I've portrayed Kora (some how she ended up being a gnome in my game, WHOOPS) as a innocent person that only cares to help out Lavinia as a grandmother would & the impact of what happens to her in the 2nd adventure is meaningful.

RM

I'm gonna run this encounter with DB being being a scarred up manic that babbles verses to the characters as she is fighting them, pretty much gonna take verses out Seether's song "Pride" just alter them a bit to fit into the game. Also gonna have her using a oddball weapon, bascally a forearm sheath with a hollow rod attached to it, where her sword is kept if the PCs decide to take the weapon, they'll find it's attached to her arm somehow, thinkin may bolts or some sorta object that fuses it to her skin, I am gonna keep the skeleton leotard & such.

I think the background of her will be she has been tortured to a point that all she cares about is to kill & maim her opponents & such. If the PCs decide to unmask her, there in for a surprise (think the assassin character in Hellboy, the movie)

RM

actually there is one with a bunch of files & such, but not so much for STAP right now it's

[url]http://therpgenius.com/index.php[/url]

you have to sign up to access anything, but nothin to it

hope that helps out.

RM

never understood the reason behind knowing what's in store for a adventure, just takes the fun out of it, if you know that you should do this or you have to do that for that open kinda thing.

thou, I will admit last year at ReaperCon, one of the D&D players in a group I was in, was in the adventure before that was being played & he had a blast (he was a halfling barbarian), as he knew the story but refrained from revealing any thing about it. So he was the comedic relief so to speak.

btw again this board helps out with the visuals, nice job on the pic, I'll defiantly use that when the time comes to reveal the idol in the game.

RM

just curious

also are they gondola you see in Venice (like the aging Fabio commerical) or are they bigger?

I have a PC riding on one & I'm thinkin of mixing in some things (he he)

thanks
RM

very nicely done on all of those. That'll come in handy when my players reach those various areas in the game.

Keep em coming guys, love the visuals!!!

also like the kenku idea, will have to use that in my as well.

thanks
RM

Hey guys

so far, goin well with the STAP & my group hasn't even met Lavinia yet, ha ha (had some time to kill before the dinner, lettin the players get familiar with Sasserine.

Anyways, just curious if the players or most of them (I have 5, 4 are from Sass, one is wood elf from up North)being from Sasserine those feats in the Player's Guide, now it says those feats can be bonus feats if the DM allows, now I'm the DM & I like them, so how are you handling the feats, are you giving a feat to a person from Shadowshore, then lettin that player choose his normal starting feats or are you just using them as regular feats that count against the normal picks.

Now if I did give them to my players, what about the wood elf? He's a ranger & his dad was a archer extraordinare do I just give him a archery feat sayin it was something his dad taught him as he was growing up? As I don't want to leave him out on this.

thanks
RM

there is also the bit where Rowena offers the PCs to switch sides. If they do then it's treasure for them now.

but more then likely it's just room dressings

RM

I was thinkin something refering to Demogorgon & not because of ST either, but as his layer on the Abyss is water. Mainly wanted to capture the feel of the World of Greyhawk, as my scene descriptions are what really carry the background & such, with my game online & such.

but I thought of "Demogorgon's grasp"

good ideas thou

thanks
RM

right now I'm just changing a couple NPC's classes mainly due to I have alot of them or at least when I get to them, adventure just started for me, so not sure how or what I'll change. I too is running a PbP game, so far pretty good. The background material for Sasserine has been great.

I like what the Dungeon guys have done with Vanthus & Lavina, nice to see she got bit by the adventure bug or took up a hobby (fencing) & Vanthus makes for a great return.

RM

just curious if there is a term for Davey Jones locker in Greyhawk?

thanks
RM

wow, the idea of a grandfather or in my case a old sea dog that comes along on the Sea Wyvern that did the "orginal" X1 adventure sounds great, I'll have to remember that when the time comes for him to 'relate' his tale to the PCs.

thanks for the idea!!!

RM

I'll have to echo the statement if Rowyn can escape, she will, even if sacrificing her beloved pet, just anther reason for her to hate the PCs & do them on the ship later.

Rowyn seems to me to be the type, she gets what she wants & will sacrifice anything to get it, besides could her mother pay for a raise dead if it came down to that or is Rowyn & Heldrath not on good terms?

RM

pretty much at the start, Kora (which for some reason became a gnome in my game, ha ha, I goofed) has given the players their invitations & I also goofed on the time of the dinner, being I said tonight & not tomorrow as the note says (first time doing a play by post).

Anyways, I have my players killing time by doing some interacting with Sasserine & her environments so to speak, the druid was meditating out on one of the broken Terk's arch & has come ashore to find himself confronted with 3 drunk sailors that are makin fun of him being a druid, the fighter got into a scuffle with a couple of low level Lotus Dragons, (who I will let one escape to come back later in the first chapter) that were doing collections for "protection" from a dwarven jeweler, in turn the elven ranger will get involved as well. The warlock is in Shadowshore as well, but he's dealing with his own demons to put it one way & the theif got a taste of his own medicine with a innocent halfing girl (who was a level 5 rogue to begain with, he he) but he is scouting out the Vanderboren Manor before the dinner, he is curious of his possible future employer.

other than that everything is going pretty smoothly
RM

I like those, I hope you don't mind if I copy those to my fotki account & when it comes time for the PCs to meet them. As I said my version of STAP is a play by post & visuals really help make the adventure come alive more.

again thanks

RM

As for involvment, I always try to name specific areas or streets within Sasserine, example is right now one of the PCs just got into a scuffle with some drunk pirates that came out of the Last Ditch Lovers brothel (#21 in SS) in Shadowshore, well foreshadowing a future NPC I had Amelia help him out, afterwards I told him she was captain looking for a ship, he replied "that if I ever come across one you'll be the first I look up". Thus, instead of just a new NPC, Amelia will have some sorta play when her time comes around if she is used when they sail for IofD later. After the fight I had her offer to buy him a drink & she said she knew of a great tavern called the Plucked Parrot(area #19 in SS), offering great views of Parrot Island & the bay of Sasserine, thus trying to offer more info about the city. It helps to bring life to an already extensive city.

As far as player rewards go thou, I do try to award xp for good roleplaying & such, espically if the player follows the way he wants his character to act. Being that my STAP game is online, play by post it's bit easier to do I think, but so far is goin pretty good. If the PCs advance a bit more then the adventures, I'll just add a couple things to balance things out & such.

RM

I like the idea of changing Urol to a Archivist + I don't mind the idea of dwarven druids (just dwarven wizards I still can't get yet...he he 1st ed D&D roots I guess)but I think I'm gonna make the dwarf a cleric but I may end up giving him a ranger or druid level to explain the animal companion (part I like).

thanks for the suggestions guys & as anther poster said, don't have a problem with druids, played them when I played D&D on a regular basis, but just for me way to many in just a short period of time.

RM

the subject title says it all, at least in my game. One of my PCs is a druid, there is a druid in the Jade Ravens, the gnome on the voyage to Fareshore is a druid & if I recall right Lavina's mother was a druid.

Now Lavina's mother doesn't bother me, goes with her journal & such, but the others at least to me are way to many for a oddball class, even thou it's a core class it more or less a off-spurt of the cleric class. If they were fighters or something, that would be different, but just having 3+ druids kinda makes the game feel like a druidic adventure, at least to me.

Has anyone changed the gnome or the dwarf to something else? Has it effected how they were played. I know the gnome is interested in the flora & fauna of everything (ie help the dinosaur), but has anyone changed him to something else? How about the dwarf to a cleric?

just thought I'd get some ideas before running into those various people (my game just started, really haven't hit the dinner yet, killin time till then).

thanks
RM

nice, thanks to the poster of the V crest. I pretty much had a Old English-like V for the wax seal imprint when I did the invite letters, that'll help with fleshing out Lavina's home & such.

RM

well there is the gondola stations situated around the various districts

area #19 in Shadowshore is one I really recall as I have a PC heading toward that to hit Merchant District

RM

party consists of

human warlock
human druid, worshipper of Procan
human fighter, more or less Capt Jack Sparrow but not all wiggy
gnome thief
wild elf ranger

RM

I was thinkin that myself, the Venice style & such, but wasn't really sure on that one.

As most of my DMing with this one is typing for visual effects that'll help in describing the city.

thanks!!

Randy M

First off, hey everyone, been meaning to post here but just never got around to it till today.

Reason for my post as I couldn't find anything, but the bridges on the map of Sasserine, what are they like?? Are they just log tied together that span the channels & such or are they high enough that boats like a rowboat can go under??

I ask this due to I see boats in the channels, but wasn't sure.

thanks, STAP is turning out great, running right now for my players, albeit by a different way to game, running it on the net as I don't have a group here in town for it, thou if I can get a group together I'd probably run it as well.

RM