James Keegan's page

In my home campaign (that's totally not ripped off from James Jacob's "Shadows Under Sandpoint" game that's up on the messageboards) the PCs have started laying plans to hit Hollow Mountain in a search for starmetal weapons effective against intellect devourers. I've got some time before they head over there and I thought it would be a really cool idea to put together a cinematic setpiece encounter that would utilize enemies way more powerful than what the PCs can handle: they're going to be in the 4th-5th level range by the time they get there.

The concept is that I want the black dragon Scarhorn (who searches the ruins on the islands for treasure to bring to her hoard) to swoop in on the PCs, driving them toward Hollow Mountain. The Taiga giants above see the dragon in their territory and start throwing rocks and spears to drive it off- catching the players in the crossfire. Dodging boulders, giant spears and gouts of acid, the adventurers have to make a run for the closest rift in the mountain.

My initial thought was to make it a series of hazards playing out across a "no-man's land" between the ruins on the slopes and the mountain, but the chase mechanics seem equally appropriate. Maybe a chase/combat encounter? I expect my players to spend time either trying to fight the dragon before realizing they're overmatched or to just try to hide until it's over (which makes sense, sure, but it's not fun). Any thoughts or suggestions on the best way to make this work?

Friday, February 17th 2012

”Cantor”- 7:30 pm

In an earthen basement beneath a crumbling church in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, you stir from your slumber in the earth. In the pitch-dark you stretch, the call of the Beast and its desire to feed distant in your mind, your mostly satiated hunger not giving it much room to sink its claws into you. The insistent sound of your cell phone's message alert is the only thing to disturb the breathless calm. You flick on the standing lamp close to hand to reveal your weathered desk and stacks of books, wooden chair salvaged from the priest's office upstairs, jacket draped across the back and your backpack nearby.

Your chair creaks under your weight as you sit and disconnect the phone from its charger. 1 new message- looks like it's from the Sheriff's secretary.
”Hello, Mr. Cantor. This is Erika Neil calling for Mr. Al-Asmai. Just letting you know that Mr. Al-Asmai will be joining you for drinks tonight at The Firefly in SoHo; I've arranged a private booth for you at the club for 11:00 pm. If you need to reschedule before then, please call him personally. Thank you!”

Julian Preston- 8:20 pm

From your comfortable nest in your walk-in closet, you emerge into the night. Hunger twists in your stomach, your mouth dry and ready for some sweet vitae. For now, however, you push it aside. Much like Louis XIV, you have a formal bedroom to go with your informal sleeping bedroom and it's here you head first. Clothing will have to be chosen for the evening. Messages will have to be answered, since the world didn't stop while you slept. You cycle through your messages disinterestedly- your lawyer, representatives for New York Fashion Week seeking to book an event at The Firefly, various hangers-on thanking you for waiving the tab and ensuring a fine evening... and one from Jenni.

”Hey boss.,” she purrs,”Erika called today to book your private room for a meeting with Qadir at 11. I told her it would be fine. Lemme know if you need anything prepared.... or anything else.” Her voice is husky in your ear and you feel her eagerness and her desperation over the phone; an addict hoping for a fix. Tonight you'll have other matters to attend to, it seems.

Bradly Maurer- 9:00 pm

You feel lethargic, laying in your dark closet. Your mouth is dry, your veins sluggish and your stomach empty. The instinct to pound down your apartment building's hallways and just find blood, any blood, courses through you in the absence of vitae. The part of you that Maximilian called The Beast prods you but you tamp it down. Not yet. Not yet. You've got 3 blood points and are hungry.

You step from your closet and into your apartment, flicking on the light switch. On the floor, slipped under you door, is a notice of a Tenant's Association meeting in the building. Older tenants are pooling resources for legal representation to avoid being pushed out by the developers in favor of younger and more well-off tenants like yourself. Seems like your apartment should have been left off the flyer delivery schedule, but whatever.

The view from your back window encompasses the lake in Central Park and a large section of the Upper West Side and east into Queens. You can see the running lights of airplanes arriving and departing from La Guardia overhead. The view would take your breath away if you still had any.

Though your hands shake a bit with your hunger, you take a quick glance at your email on your iPad. Kelsey's got some updates on her job, Uncle Brian and the end of Wolfgang's deployment. Though she knows you're very busy, your sister would definitely like to see you soon. An email from Erika Neil, Qadir's secretary, catches your eye.

”Hello Brad,
Mr. Al-Asmai asked me to confirm your appointment with him tonight at The Firefly in SoHo. I've arranged a private room for you and the rest of your associates. Please call Mr. Al-Asmai's cell number if you need to change your plans.
Best,
Erika Neil”

Damien Talbot- 9:00 pm

Damien dreams:

You wake in your haven to the smell of Cynthia's joint from the living room. Your mouth is dry and your limbs feel leaden, veins and stomach bereft of nourishing vitae. It takes what seems like a colossal effort just to rise as your herd's music penetrates the more insistent beat of the Beast's rage in your temples, demanding to be fed- to hunt and to take sustenance. You have 4 blood points and are hungry.

Stepping over the discarded bottles and other detritus of your “sacraments” you spy a note that Cynthia's left for you on the door to your shared bedroom.

The Firefly, Al-Asmai, SoHo, 11. followed by the Sheriffs cell phone number. Seems Qadir needs his Hounds tonight, but that will have to wait until you've had a chance to feed.

Here's our discussion/character and chronicle creation thread for the game. Since Vampire is driven by character as much as by plot, I'd like to work together with you guys to put together the chronicle. The central theme is that you are Camarilla kindred (Anarchs included) carving out places for yourselves in New York City and the boroughs. A fragile peace has fallen over the city and the dominant mood is one of guarded optimism- even the youngest kindred can make a place for themselves if they're canny and careful. More of the political and social landscape will fall into place as we talk about characters (and how involved you are in both). Rather sandboxy with that basic premise, but once your coterie's goals and relationships develop we'll get a clearer idea of where we're going to go.

Another option is that you are all Hounds for the Sheriff- this is a more procedural structure where he sends you out on the tail of those that have flaunted the Traditions, to arbitrate disputes or to investigate other matters besetting the city. Not the most glamorous job and it carries certain risks to your continued health and humanity, but it's a concrete position where you can show your capability to the kindred community as well as to the existing Camarilla power structure.

I prefer characters that fit into the major Camarilla clans- Brujah, Gangrel (though what standing they had as a clan is reduced), Malkavian, Nosferatu, Toreador, Tremere and Ventrue. But if there's another clan or bloodline that fits and you're dying to try it, I'll hear you out of course.

Given that the 20th anniversary of the V:tM books are out and rekindling interest in the previous version of the game, I'm looking to see if there are a few people interested in making characters and playing a pbp. Full disclosure: I've never run Vampire before in real life or online. I've had the revised edition from 1998 and the previous edition in high school and read through them a few times, but never gotten together a group with me as Storyteller. I am currently running two Play by Post games on the boards- one Pathfinder, one Call of Cthulhu, so I am familiar with online games at least. Both have been running for about a year, though not without the odd bit of downtime. All I'm saying is that it may be a bumpy ride if we end up rolling along with the idea- not to discourage anyone, but to make sure we know there will of course be some hiccups here and there.

Okay, now, sink your fangs into the juicy bit:
Concept- New York City is new territory for Camarilla kindred. While there's always been a presence in the city, the sect has only recently gained supremacy and this presents a unique opportunity for young kindred. Through modern technology, the elders can tap New York's resources without having to claim territory in the city itself- the Big Apple remains open and largely free of the stifling control the higher echelons of the sect exert on those beneath them and what elders are making homes in the city aren't as entrenched as they are elsewhere. Your coterie of neonate Licks seek to take advantage of the freedom New York offers: carving out hunting grounds and alliances, fending off rivals and solidifying positions of power and influence- or shoving other kindred (that owe you favors) into them so you can be left to your own devices.

Politics will be important, but I am hoping to appeal to a good range of character types and events of interest- combat, social and investigation. I don't have a start date in mind yet, right now I want to see if there's enough interest for me to start putting a chronicle together. 3-5 is the ideal number of players willing to make the commitment. Thanks!

I'll think of a better title for the campaign when we're ready to get started.
Character Creation rules

• Races should be pulled from the Core rulebook.
• I am advising against the Cavalier or a mount-focused character build as this is mostly an urban/dungeon pbp; similarly, the Ninja, Samurai and Gunslinger don't fit for flavor reasons.
• 20 point buy, max hp at level one, two traits.
• Rolling hit points: at 2nd level and above you may choose between taking average hp for your class or rolling the dice.

Life in Carrion Hill
Known to some as the Boil, or more basely the Wart, Carrion Hill rises over the otherwise swampy southern banks of Kingfisher river, the only solid ground of reasonable scope for a distance of 20 miles east to west in the swamps known as the Wrythe. When the river fog rolls in every morning and evening, those who dwell on the hill's Crown district can look out on a world of white vastness, while those below take solace in the simple fact that the ground beneath their feet is solid and unlikely to wash away after one of the area's frequent rainstorms or seasonal floods.

Carrion Hill is separated into three districts. Atop the hill the Crown serves as the home of the city's nobility, government and most of its public works. The hill's slopes are a thick tangle of buildings and maze-like alleyways: the Tangle, where the bulk of the shops and residences can be found. The lowest part of the city, both geographically and spiritually, is the Filth: a series of islands both natural and artificial, connected by old boardwalks and stone bridges. This is where the poorest citizens live as well as where the more odious trades are practiced (tanners, fisheries, street cleaners, alchemists and the looming middenstone vats). The Filth is also the gateway to Carrion Hill, however, so most visitors first impression of the city rises from the odious docks and canals clogged with flotsam.

Known as the isle of 10, 000 temples (an exaggeration, naturally, only about 180 shrines fill the city), places of worship seem to spring from the ground- from the Ossurary Church of Pharasma in the Crown down to cupboard sized shrines, tiered balconies and trellises piled over elaborate altars and other tiny, crowded places of worship.

Commonly, houses are in some capacity built from Middenstone- a purplish concrete like material unique to Carrion Hill. While it's cheap and easy to produce, middenstone tends to weather poorly; ensuring constant demand. The curiously purple tone comes from the pulped carapaces of the maroon colored native cockroaches which infest homes in more frequency the further down the hill one descends.

The seat of government is Crown Manor, a castle-like estate in the Crown district where Mayor Vanton Heggry presides over the city. It is often called Rag Manor out of his earshot for the colorful tapestries and flags hanging from its parapets (which never seem to be replaced until the wind has frayed and torn them to shreds). Law is enforced by the Crows, Carrion Hill's constabulary and military- appropriately named, for crows are a very common sight in the upper reaches of the city.

Despite it's seeming unpleasantness, some 9,000+ citizens call Carrion Hill home. Its defensible location and proximity to arable land ensure a relatively stable existence against outside threats.

Why am I in Carrion Hill?
Since the days of the Kellid tribes that once called Ustalav home, Carrion Hill has been occupied. At first because of its defensive location, farmland and proximity to the Kingfisher others whisper that the city has always held a sort of power. The Hill itself has changed hands many times over the centuries of its habitation- each new resident building upon what was left before. For an adventurer or tomb robber, accessing the ruins that lie like bones beneath Carrion Hill is a strong draw. For historians, Carrion Hill holds a unique picture of Ustalav's ever-changing identity and remnants of the past that may not have been completely expunged. Besides scholarship, curiosity and greed, many of those living in Carrion Hill have taken a sort of pride in living in what many visitors would consider a repellant place- you've got to have a strong stomach and a straight spine to live here, they would retort, and we've got both. The city's history may also call to a person of Kellid descent; searching for remnants of their ancestors so slandered by the Varisian invaders and their Ustalavic descendants.

Recent Events
A killer has stalked the streets of Carrion Hill for the last three months- Crimson. For a time, terror haunted every citizen's doorstep from lowly paupers to the halls of power. Even the Crows' finest were either stymied by the elusive killer or joined his victims. With an almost rioting populace on his hands, mad with fear, Mayor Heggry turned to the adventurers of the Company of the Axe to track down the murderer. After a lengthy search and a deadly confrontation, the Company emerged triumphant. To put the people at ease, the Mayor has arranged for a procession of the criminal's body followed by his public cremation by Pharasma's faithful. It is during this procession that our adventure will begin.

Has anyone had a chance to play this one yet? I love Arkham Horror and Mansions of Madness but between set up time and the complexity of the rules and various moving parts most games last a looooong time- to the point that 3 am arrives and we're all too sick of it (and each other) to continue.

It's around 8:30 pm when you get the call from Agent Joseph Fort, your Bureau handler.
"There's been a kidnapping. Get to the Commissioner's office- immediately.", he says.

Part of you is almost relieved- since joining Hoover's "specialists" casework's been thin on the ground. It almost seemed like you would be writing tickets before long.

With few details beyond that, you hoof it to the City Hall precinct- a fortress like structure facing Brooklyn across the East River. Police officers and plan-clothes detectives run back and forth; another busy night in the Big Apple.

On the second floor, the activity thins out to a low buzz in the background, your footfalls echoing from the marble tile. Since Commissioner Valentine's secretary has gone home, you show yourselves in.

The warm glow of electric bulbs illuminate the Commissioner's stately office. Valentine sits at his neatly organized desk; middle-aged, clean shaven and severe. Commissioner Valentine is a recent appointment by Mayor LaGuardia- from what you know, he's cold, efficient and most importantly, clean. He puffs on a cigarette while Agent Fort looks out the window. Fort is a fit man in his late 40s- a Bureau veteran, his suits and his moustache are never less than immaculate. His scalp is balding and the creases in his face speak clearly of years of experience. A gold crucifix pin is on his lapel.

"The Just sleep, while the Wicked run amok.", Fort says as you enter,"We must be vigilant, especially in times like these."

Valentine snubs out his cigarette and gets down to business, not remarking on Fort's comments.
"I received a call from Colonel Ellis, an acquaintance, that a baby's been stolen from a mansion in Westchester. I know Fort and Hoover have you set aside for..."
The Commissioner frowns with distaste.
" "Supernatural" cases, but we both agreed that this is far too important to trust with anyone but our best investigators. There hasn't been a ransom note yet, but I want you up there before the Press gets their hands on this. No one needs another Lindbergh Baby."

Agent Fort hands you a piece of paper with an address.
"Here is the address of the Cornelisz Family. Do everything in your power to end this quickly, gentlemen. An innocent life hangs in the balance."

Premise
Dateline- 1934. Following an incident in Red Hook and a government raid on the depressed coastal Massachusetts port of Innsmouth, the various municipal police agencies and Federal Bureau of Investigation have become aware that certain cases are... unusual. Having proven yourselves capable of handling such strange cases, J. Edgar Hoover himself has appointed you (through various means of coercion at his availability) as a special task force related to matters of the occult. Unlike dabblers and hapless amateurs, you have the full force of the U.S government behind you in your investigations- with all of the limitations it comes with. You can flash a badge or P.I license and demand access to records, expect access to state of the art forensics laboratories and the cooperation of local officials. Should the situation be dire enough, you can call in backup. At the same time, you must decide how much to reveal to your superiors of the truths you uncover. Acting oddly or "abusing" your privileges as an agent will draw disciplinary action.

Setting
Lovecraft country- New York, New England, Providence. Most stories at least begin with the great metropolis or seedy underworld of New York. It is the setting of a noir detective novel or movie, not the real world. The shadows are deeper, the colors more lush. Swarthy strangers lurk in alleyways, beautiful women hide terrible secrets, the rich are corrupt and the poor are desperate.

Investigators
Mostly police detectives and federal agents, though civilian consultants (Professors, Antiquarians, Scientists, Alienists- or bored Dilettantes that can pull some strings with the Bureau) are not out of the question. You should have a connection to New York, the occult or both. You should be competent and sane enough to handle important cases, but also flexible enough to cope with occult investigations.

Rules, character generation info
Each character gains one point in Cop Talk and Evidence Collection- even a tweedy professor has been taught how to look over a crime scene, and Hoover's backing opens doors in the department. Credit Rating should be in the middle class (3-4 point) range, at minimum. You should at least appear respectable to work in the Bureau.

Drives- Thirst For Knowledge and Revenge will require some finessing on the Keeper's part and so are discouraged unless there's a great reason.

Investigative build points depend on how many people commit to playing; with 4 or more, you'll have 16 each, with 3 there will be 18 each, with just 2 players, 24 each. Strive to cover most of the investigative abilities between all of you.

Health and Stability pools will be capped at 12 to maintain a degree of danger and suspense.

Once all the characters are put together, I'll put up a game thread!

It's insane that I'm even considering putting another game together when I already run three, but I figured I would at least check for interest before completely ruling it out.

Is anyone interested in doing a Trail of Cthulhu game on the boards? I'm considering Arkham Detective Tales (which mostly takes place in New York- misleading title) which basically sets up an X-Files like campaign except during the Great Depression. It's a little more hopeful than a pure Lovecraftian campaign in that you can thwart Mythos activity- at least temporarily and at great personal risk.

Seeing J Edgar Hoover in a dress will likely carry a hefty stability loss, by the way.

20th Arodus, 4711

Your long journey to the town of Ravengro is finally at an end, begun those many days ago when a messenger brought you a summons stating that your old friend Professor Petros Lorrimer is dead and had named you as a principal in his will. Though each of you has your own fond memories of the professor, you never expected to be named in his will. However, the news of his passing has affected you enough that each of you made arrangements to leave the task at hand, buckled on your boots, and set forth through the waning days of summer toward the small town of Ravengro.

Ravengro sits near Lake Lias in western Ustalav, in the county of Canterwall- breadbasket of the confederacy. Passing through the fields, moors and groves of this fertile land, you saw many a farmer, tradesman or merchant on your path. Few, however, had anything to say to even the warmest greeting. Even after arriving in town it took a bit of asking around to get proper directions to the Restlands- the moorland to the north set aside for the dead in Ravengro, where Professor Lorrimer will be layed to his final rest. On the road to the cemetery, you can't help but notice the looming keep or manor house standing silently south of the town. The seemingly decrepit structure squats silently atop a hill, a baleful sentinel over the small town.

The Restlands are fenced in with high stone walls with multiple paths winding through its many openings. Clustered around the large main entrance is a small group of people: an overweight older man with a thin mustache stands with a slimmer man with aquiline features and grey in his temples. Both are dressed in dark and well-tailored clothing, fanning themselves solemnly with the broad-brimmed hats favored in this region. A stocky man with a wide, friendly face and a thick mustache stands with a hand on the shoulder of a lad of about thirteen with a clear resemblance to the older man while a woman in her thirties stands near the stone wall, her arms crossed over her conservative dark dress.

Laying on several short logs is the Professor's casket- a dark polished oak box to transmit his earthly remains. Standing closest to that is a young woman dressed in dark clothing. She is trim and attractive despite the redness and puffiness around her eyes. She dabs her cheek with a handkerchief and looks to the sky with moist eyes. This must be the Professor's daughter you had heard about.

The other mourners in the party nod warily as you approach, covered with the dust of the road and with your weapons and packs still close at hand. They offer no other greeting. The young lady by the casket snaps from her reverie to watch your approach, her eyebrows rising hopefully.

Okay, feel free to introduce yourselves as you like.

Here's the ooc/character tuning (if necessary) thread. I'm currently in the process of moving and finishing some freelance work, so it may be about a week or so before we get rolling. I will be available to answer questions and discuss things in the meantime, though.

I'm interested in running The Haunting of Harrowstone for a solid group of 4 (maybe 5) characters- possibly the rest of the AP if things go well. I'm currently DMing The Godsmouth Heresy and Tatters of the King (Call of Cthulhu) as play by post games if anyone would like to have a look at my style. I'm not always the fastest DM- I'm an illustrator as well as holding down a day job, so sometimes I may (after announcing it first, of course) take a short break to handle a pressing project. I'm happy to extend the same understanding to my players as well, of course.

I'd like to start this game in 2-3 weeks to allow character creation and for me to handle some preparation and other business.

What I'm looking for are characters made with the Carrion Crown player's guide in mind that will fit nicely with the theme and mood of the game. I'm a bit hesitant of non-core races and classes (meaning outside of both the Core and APG) but I'm willing to consider them if they come with a strong hook.

Creation: 1st level, 1 campaign trait and 1 trait from the core rules web enhancement (or a supplement on a case by case basis), 20 point buy, random starting gold.

As far as player selection goes, I feel bad rejecting people as in the submission model but I'm also not sure how well I like first come/first serve. So I suppose I'll try selecting a complimentary group from interested players. Even if we fill up quick, I know there are bound to be more of these starting any day.

But do the mints TASTE like zombies, Cthulhu and bigfoot?

The Godsmouth Cathedral- Bottoms District, Kaer Maga
It is fast approaching midnight, the appointed hour of your meeting with Cryptsmistress Valanthe Nerissia. You approach the Cathedral, a gothic structure perched on the cliff's edge above one of the gigantic faces carved into the Storval Rise. A gravel path leads into the nave from the north and south. At the north entrance, a bed of thornless black roses have been planted in the center of the path while the south is flanked by rowan trees. From within the branches you can hear the call of the whippoorwhills, waiting to guide the departed to the Boneyard.

Each of you have been contacted by the Cyptsmistress to carry out a discrete duty-
Detressa:

Kua:

Yang:

Badang:

Uwais:

Sister Mara:

You enter beneath one of the large iron candelabras lighting the nave. Running east to west is a plush purple carpet layed between row after row of wooden pews. At the far western end is a dais holding the altar and a great hourglass as tall as a man, filled with red sand. Above that is a rose window depicting Pharasma's aspects: Reaper, Midwife and Prophet. On the eastern side are two open doors leading to small shrines flanking a set of double doors Detressa, these double doors lead to the cells for your order. Any of the grey-robed acolytes in the nave can direct you to the shrine to St. Feodric, which is the southernmost shrine.

The shrine is a long rectangle, lit with candles. At the north end is an open prayer book on a lectern while to the south stands a stone statue of a stern looking man holding a mace before him, a bed of black roses growing around the statue's base. The Cryptsmistress has not arrived yet- perhaps you are a bit early.

Okay, feel free to make introductions.

Here is the character generation/ooc discussion thread for the game. I'll give you all a choice for ability scores: either 20 point buy or we roll 4d6 through the die roller and discard the lowest six times. If we roll, you must use your rolls unless you get all 5s, 3s, etc. Everyone uses the same method, so we need to vote on it.

Hook: all of you have been asked/forced to work with the clergy of Pharasma in the Bottoms district to discretely look into some disturbances in the ossuary below the cathedral. Perhaps you are a member of the congregation, but you need not be affiliated with the church: the faction you belong to may have loaned you out as a favor, perhaps the Pharasmins provided much needed healing in exchange for future services, etc.

I can offer more info on the neighborhoods and factions of Kaer Maga if you need it as well as help with backgrounds as you like.

I'm looking for between 2 and 4 more players to go through the Godsmouth Heresy and possibly expand out into the city of Kaer Maga. I already have Bryan and Mothman as interested, so I would need just 2-4 more players to be up to 4-6, which is what I'm comfortable with. I'm hoping to start with 1st level PFRPG characters in early to mid February: this will give me time to get everything ready, make maps, finish some freelance work, etc and allow players time to make characters. I want to keep the focus on the adventure to start and if things go well, we'll expand further.

Let me know if you're interested!

Opening Night- October 17th, 1928; London, England

"There is a queue outside the theatre. They are huddled up
against the bitter cold. A photographer has set up his equipment
to capture the scene and the crowd is looking his way. A
large gentleman in an overcoat and a homburg hat, arms folded,
grips a copy of the London Express and shows an angry
expression. His wife next to him keeps her head down. Sitting
on camp stools in front of them are two well-dressed women in
elaborate hats, drinking tea. Behind the camera an empty
omnibus plows along the snowy street."
— Talbot Estus, The Curse of Beydelus

It's an unseasonably cold night for October, the wind howling in from Scotland to afflict the lowlands with a horrid chill. Thankfully the omnipresent London rain has let up for the evening, the clouds content to mask you from the stars above. You stand in a queue inside of the Scala in the West London theatre district (the Scala is between Goodge and Tottenham on Charlotte street, only a brisk ten to fifteen minute walk from Leicester Square and Covent Garden), having checked your coats. The hour is late, almost nine o'clock and you will soon be seated. The inside of the Scala is rather gloomy, lit by gaslights spaced evenly around the red walls. As you entered, each of you was given a playbill. It reads:

"Carcosa" or, "The Queen And The Stranger"
adapted from the French and staged by TALBOT ESTUS

CAST LIST

The part of CASSILDA, QUEEN of YHTILL will be played by MRS. HANNAH KEITH

The part of THALE, OLDER SON of CASSILDA will be played by MR. WALTER PAIGE

The parts of UOHT, YOUNGER SON of CASSILDA and NAOTALBA, CASSILDA'S HIGH PRIEST will be played by MR. GEORGE KEITH

The part of CAMILLA, DAUGHTER OF CASSILDA will be played by MISS JEAN HEWART

The part of THE STRANGER will be played by MR. MICHEAL GILLEN

The part of THE KING IN YELLOW will be played by MR. TALBOT ESTUS

There are about 100 people in attendance from all walks of life, all dressed in their best.

Please describe yourselves and feel free to interact with the other characters before the play begins.

Here's the ooc thread for when we get started and the current PC generation thread.

Guidelines- Okay, so we established that we're playing in London, specifically London as of October 1928. I will ask that at least one character (most central to the plot in the early going) be a trained psychoanalyst or alienist, published in their field. While that's the easiest fit, a related field like medicine, anthropology or philosophy may also work. Additionally, it would be a benefit if at least one or two more players be involved in creative pursuits of some sort- painters, poets, authors, actors, playwrights- all perfectly acceptable. They may be amateurs or professionals, but creative spirits will have a vested interest in how things progress in the campaign. Another good suggestion might be a medium or parapsychologist, or people involved in spiritualism (which was somewhat in vogue at the time).

The campaign will begin with all of you attending a play called "Carcosa or, The Queen and the Stranger" being a fantasy in two acts adapted from the french and staged by Talbot Estus at the Scala Theater on Charlotte Street. You may have gotten a playbill from a friend or acquaintance or found one in a periodical you subscribe to- even less well-to-do investigators can afford to go, since ticket prices are quite reasonable. It will be helpful if you know each other in pairs or groups.

Hopefully that's enough to get the ideas flowing; looking forward to playing with you all!

I'm considering taking a stab at running the CoC Tatters of the King campaign after the holidays (likely starting in January) and I'm wondering if anyone has an interest in playing? It's been correctly described by an Amazon reviewer as "action averse"- which is what makes it a poor choice for my tabletop group but I think it could be quite well suited to a play by post game. I've run a few pbps in the past that have fallen through, but I still want to try this out if I can get 4-6 willing people.

I'd like to use the BRP system from Chaosium, the story centered on London and Scotland in the 1920s. I can give some more details if anyone has questions. I will note that I both have a day job and do freelance illustration in my own time, so a hiatus here or there is likely inevitable and I certainly understand that players may have similar concerns.

Anyone interested in a trip to scenic Carcosa?

I've just started a CoC campaign and I was wondering (before the first fatality/insanity mishap) if there are rules or guidelines anywhere for rolling up investigators that have already dealt with the Mythos and are a bit more seasoned than presented in the rulebook (the BRP system Call of Cthulhu, not d20). It could also help if one wanted to run something like Masks of Nyarlathotep which suggests more experienced characters.

I figure a few more personal interest points can take care of skills, but Mythos points, sanity pool and the possibility of knowing some spells are another matter.

Tonight was our first session of what I hope will be a long-running Call of Cthulu campaign. I had only run the game once before, so the rules were a bit shaky but everyone had a good time as far as I know. The game begins on October 20, 1927 in Boston, Mass with an investigation into a haunted property ("The Haunting" from the back of the 6th edition CoC rulebook). I think my players are still adjusting to the mindset of the game, since we're coming off of D&D and everyone decided they were packing heat. Details are still a bit sketchy, but our investigators are:

Dr. Donald Harrison, M.D.- At 47, Dr. Harrison is a well-respected physician. Classically educated overseas in Cambridge, he picked up fencing during his time abroad as a means of staying in shape and protecting his person from roustabouts and ne'er-do-wells. A particularly bad accident or assault in his past has lead to a debilitating injury and a fragile psyche. The good doctor must walk with a cane which conceals a rapier in case things should grow dire; in the worst case scenario, he turns to his .45.

Prof. Darla Donnawitz- Prof. Donnawitz teaches the newly minted discipline of Archaeology at Wellesley college outside of Boston. During her 36 years, the Professor has gone on a number of digs around the world and while she is a woman of average size, years spent climbing and digging throughout the world has given her a degree of upper body strength that far exceeds expectations. Beyond this and her connection to Mr. Horowitz, the landlord of the property, we know little else.

Detective Ed Merkle- Detective Merkle is a hard-nosed veteran of the Boston police force. With little more education than a few years of high school and time at the police academy or on the beat, Merkle rose through the ranks through both his skill at observation and his larger than life presence. A hulking figure in a trenchcoat, fedora pulled on over his salt and pepper hair, the detective is "getting too old for this s~+%" but is far too stubborn to let even some (likely phoney) haunting keep clogging up his case files.

Bonnie (with the Gams)- A transplant to New England from rural Arkansas, Bonnie is not only one of the first female masters degree recipients from Miskatonic University she's also the first female journalist for the Boston Globe and will gladly give you the dirt on how hard she's had to claw her way up to get there. Bonnie's reported from the trenches during the Great War (and isn't half bad with a machine gun as a result) only to be stuck writing some ridiculous seasonal piece on Boston hauntings. Since her older cousin Ed's working the case already, Bonnie figured she could tag along on his investigation to see if Dr. Harrison's theory about a hallucinogenic mold might pan out. Bonnie is physically fit, but rather slight. A mild case of rosacea keeps her from being truly attractive; a confrontational attitude born of a professional life spent struggling to not only equal her male counterparts but to exceed them has made it rather difficult to make new friends and acquaintances.

Another investigator or two may join our intrepid friends in the next weeks, but for now these four are out and on the case. Tune in soon to see how their first look at the Corbett house pans out.

I've been running a lot of the PF adventure paths for my campaigns and while I enjoy them, I sometimes get the creative itch to write something myself. I've got a lot of ideas rattling around in my head, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to commit the time to writing a quality campaign, even if I get started now while they're still two-three adventures from the end of the current game.

So, if you design your own campaigns, how much time do you typically spend working on them? What are some methods you use to save time?

I ran RoRL a while ago, but managed to kill all but one PC in the battle at the conclusion of the second adventure (the halfling bard was charmed trying to escape). So, inspired by the Shadow Under Sandpoint campaign journal thread, I want to try and get a sequel campaign going with different PCs. So, here's a bunch of my random ideas that I want to coax into a true campaign and I would be happy to hear any feedback.

I plan on assuming that a different group of adventurers took out Karzoug at Xin-Shalast, but they've been corrupted by how powerful they became and went their separate ways. A different evil wizard and his apprentices have taken a seat in Xin-Shalast and spent the 5 years between the original AP and the start of this one clearing the city, forging alliances with the inhabitants and getting poised to expand into a new empire.

Sandpoint went through a lot; being almost destroyed by giants and a dragon during Karzoug and Mokmurian's rise. And while the people have rebuilt and moved on, it isn't quite the same. The town council is looking to be more proactive about their own defense and I want the PCs to be involved in it- Sheriff Hemlock would definitely be on the look out for some independent help while the Mayor and the rest decide how to go about forging alliances while trying to maintain their independence.

Titus Scarnetti, having survived a brush with the stone giants that wanted to abduct him, has been very generous in using his own funds to fortify the town against further attack (out of concern for Sandpoint's citizens or fear for himself is up for discussion) but he's also pushing to bring in Hellknights from Citadel Vraid to give the town what he feels would be greater stability. While Magnimar has set up a garrison of soldiers nearby, after five years without a major giant attack it's become a punishment post for officers out of favor with the city government and is less effective than it could be. Seeking a securing allies for Sandpoint can be a consistent goal of the campaign and allow the PCs to make their mark while working for Sheriff Hemlock and Mayor Deverin (or for Titus Scarnetti or another member of the town council). It bothers me that a lot of movies/video games/campaigns where a large invading force is going to attack the PC's kingdom requires that the player/protagonist gather allies and formulate defenses, etc. only after it's apparent a huge battle is coming.

Another change is almost like a gold rush of arcane scholars coming into Sandpoint after word of what the Old Light was gets out and what dungeons are beneath the town. Maybe the wizard adventurer consolidating his power in Xin-Shalast published a book of his findings and theories. While the initial rush is over, the influx of coin from visiting wizards helped a lot in funding the town's restoration and there are still several researchers still in town. A rival adventuring group may freelance for these researchers, running to old ruins to recover Thassilonian artifacts, etc.

The Sczarni make themselves useful in procuring access to the Catacombs of Wrath and some other sites for the less scrupulous researchers (they know about the underground access from the sea since the entrance in the Glassworks is sealed) under Hemlock's radar. They've even got a method for using the runewell for their own ends, exporting a potent alchemical concoction. That might end up as the low-level focus: Belor Hemlock's simmering war on the Sczarni and the PCs attempts to help close in on Jubrayl or work with Jubrayl to keep Hemlock off of their operations.

The hinterlands are more dangerous than ever with displaced giants and ogres from the Runelord's armies roaming loose. While the stone giants may go into seclusion, others won't be as quiet. Trade is more difficult by land route, except for one new trading company (which happens to be headed by the halfling bard from the previous party of PCs and his lamia mistress). I thought it would be fun to have Shayless Vinder as the point of contact in Sandpoint, since that PC wound up sleeping with her in RotRL. Naturally, this new merchant company is operated as an advanced scouting mission for the new would-be wizard king of Varisia.

I have some more ideas, but that's what I've got so far before I start taking this big mess and finessing it into something playable and coherent.

My curiosity about the Ravenloft campaign has been peaked recently and I picked up the 3rd edition campaign setting book from White Wolf. I'd like to ask: what other Ravenloft supplements come highly recommended and are worth checking out? For either 3rd edition or 2nd edition, since I'm interested in flavor as well as rules.

We've been off to a slow start, but the game is just about to hit it's stride and I'm interested in getting one or two more people in to bolster the current party. We're using PFRPG rules for character generation, 20 point buy. Ideal players are willing to get a little bit of familiarity with the setting and are able to post at least every few days.

Currently we have:
Incantator Maro: N male human cleric (Belsameth)
Galwynn: NG male human sorcerer
Dusis: N male human barbarian
Lugdro: N male human druid

Scarred Lands: The Serpent Amphora Cycle

Discussion thread with character generation rules.

We just started Council of Thieves this week and I think it's going to be a lot of fun. The thing that I want to make sure of, though, is that I can give the PCs adequate motivation to stick with the Children of Westcrown and their m.o. The one character that may end up being a little tricky is the rogue PC with the Child of Infamy background: he's a fledgling actor with a side job as a thief. His beef with the government is that his sister (an opera star and minor noble) was assaulted and murdered before the campaign began and the government of Westcrown covered it up. He was the first to raise his hand after Janiven's speech and say,"So what's in it for me?"

I kept him going by saying that Arael's organization, though small, has connections throughout the underworld of Westcrown and they could perhaps bring him information in exchange for his help. Ultimately, I'd like there to be a progressive search for the truth followed by a worthwhile payoff toward the end. Two possible culprits and reasons:

-Aberian Arvanxi, the mayor: easiest fit, seeing as he's obsessed with the opera and figurehead of the government. But I'm concerned that the event at his manor at the end of The Sixfold Trial will be derailed if he learns of it too soon. He would also work as a possible red herring.

-Sidonai and Vassindio Drovenge: this would mean that his sister's death had to happen a long time ago. My thinking is that after the birth of Ecarrdian, Vassindio wanted to be extra certain that his son hadn't fathered any other tiefling bastards and would thus have his son's mistresses tracked down. That could lead to a series of "cold case" investigations into other murdered women from around the same time until he finds the link tying them all together: the disappeared Sidonai.

So, those are two ideas that I'm thinking up that might work separately or together. What do you think?

On the second Wildday of Tanot, the small riverside village of Trela celebrates the Carnival of Flowers with games during the day and feasting, song and dance in the evening under Belsameth's moon. The boats running up and down the river that divides New Venir and Lageni have ceased travel for the day to join the festivities: danger and doom are regular hazards on the merchants' long road and any opportunity for merriment is quickly snatched up like a fallen silver coin. The eaves of the modest houses are decked with garlands filling the air with a sweet fragrance to complement the laughter of children and the gentle singing of a handsome half-elf who strolls the town with his harp. Sailors, townsfolk and river guards converse and joke while local young men and women exchange bouquets in an elaborate homespun courtship ritual. Even the silhouette of the Blood Steppes to the north, with all the danger and tragedy it represents, cannot dampen the spirit of the Carnival.

Each of you has found your way here on this feast day with your own purposes in mind and while future plans and events may press you heavily every other day of the year, today is a celebration of the recently arrived summer and the promise of rest and recreation is difficult to pass up.

It's about two hours before noon and townsfolk are lining up around the periphery of the village where a track has been layed out; a line of men and women are stretching at a line drawn in the dust with chalk. The town square has been cleared as well and some of the burly Riverguard are piling up padded armor and elderwood rods under the supervision of a handsome young man in the black robes of a Belsamite.

If you want to join the footrace, you had better hurry...
Okay, wide open: let me know what you guys are up to.

Okay, here's the discussion/character thread for you guys to put everything together and what-not.

Characters: PFRPG races, 20 point buy, either roll for starting equipment or take the average and maximum hp at first level. A few small changes to races, for flavor purposes-

• Humans get a free martial weapon proficiency at the start.
• Wood elves have a +2 bonus on craft (tattooing) rolls and are proficient with spears and bows instead of rapiers and bows.
• Gnomes are very rare and native to a different continent.
• Dwarves get a +2 bonus to handle animal when dealing with dwarf hounds and a +4 bonus on saves vs. their terrifying bark.
• Half-orcs get a +2 on bluff as well as intimidate.
• Halflings tend to be a very poor, oppressed minority but I won't dock your starting gold for it if you play one.

I'm considering running a PFRPG pbp set in the Scarred Lands setting and using the pre-published modules/mini campaign that was published for it. Not sure when I want to start, since I'm completely nuts and running a Golarion pbp and tabletop game as well. Anyone interested if I throw it together?

Zareby Grenache
It's a sight almost like a carnival, or a city in miniature. Small homes of modest construction sit at the base of a hill with a multitude of tents sticken around them without any real rhyme or reason and lording over the entire chaotic mess, silhouetted against the Inner Sea, is what must be Lady Vestang's country house. Even from a distance it's a fine old house, though you've certainly seen finer in Oppara and other ports. A large stone wall separates the villa from the rest of the hamlet around it and from the beaten track you can see that there is a courtyard within, full of perfectly arranged trees and bushes: a welcome change from the monotony of the southern Taldor scrubland. The house behind is a stately two-story structure with just about anything a rich person might want: a balcony, big columns and of course lots of windows with brand new panes of glass.

It's a welcome sight after your long trip south. You've been jostled in the back of carts, driven off the road like cattle by passing upper-crust types and too rarely welcomed to a trader or beast-tamer's campfire to trade gossip and pass the evening hours. Just from what you've seen on the trip, this should be some sort of shindig.

It all began in the back room of a gambling den in Oppara. Lady luck was kind for a short run and the bloke you were betting against hadn't realized that his fortunes had deserted him. Finally, just when you thought he was ready to call it quits, he throws a letter on the table. It's got a seal, nice paper, looks like a party invitation addressed to some woman named Viviana Albercroft. Didn't seem like it was worth a stake, but then he told you all about this party and how much some folk might be willing to pay for such a thing. It sounded like a good time, anyhow, so you let him play for it. Shortly after you won the last hand, you found a fence for the invite and used the money to pay for your passage south.

So here you are, standing outside the Lady's hamlet with the dust of the road on your boots and most of your winnings dried up. Various porters and teamsters run left and right as harried servants pitch big, luxurious tents for their masters. Camels pull carts covered in tarps smelling of all kinds of exotic animals. You see a permanent structure called The Dancing Tabi (likely an inn by the look of it) and a big tent nearby with a sign outside painted to resemble a mask. A guard near the town gate look over the crush of incoming party-goers with tired disinterest. He's the only one you can see.

Run-down on character creation:

• 1st level characters, standard (15 point) point buy
• Races/classes limited to PFRPG core rules and supplements subject to DM approval
• Max starting gold, one trait

The campaign will be a somewhat episodic narrative of your characters and their adventures throughout Golarion (despite the name, it won't be solely constrained to the Inner Sea region). A well-rounded group is an advantage, as there will be a variety of challenges to test their mettle. If there will be any major feel or theme, pulp sword and sorcery would be it, though it will likely span many of the genres that fall under the fantasy umbrella. It's helpful if your characters are amenable to the Pathfinder organization, though they don't have to be members right out of the gate.

We open at a Taldane noblewoman's new country mansion where she is throwing an elaborate masquerade. Rumor has it she and her wealthy family have begun dabbling in the sponsorship of adventurers and archaeologists in the Inner Sea and the invitation boasts that the masquerade will host their most recent find.

Now that the final PFRPG rules are in, I'm interested in taking another shot at running a play-by-post of my own. I wound up biting off more than I could chew with the Planescape game I tried running and writing entirely on my own, so what I'm going to do this time is run mostly published material culled from Dungeon magazine and adapted to the setting, similar to what I've done in the past with a more successful real life campaign, adding my own touches, side plots and alterations.

The score:
I'll need time to review the rules and get things squared away, so I'm looking to start at the beginning of September. I'm most comfortable with 4-6 players, not sure where I would stop for a maximum. Golarion will likely be the setting, characters made with the PFRPG core rules, other sources approved on a case-by-case basis with a preference for Pathfinder stuff. It's not that I don't love your catfolk ninja/psion/ghost faced killer, it's just that I would rather keep things restrained while we're getting used to the rules.

Let me know if you're interested.

The Open Game Table Roleplaying Anthology is a collection from bloggers far across the interwebs of their musings on roleplaying and such. Collected by Jonathan Jacobs of the Core Mechanic and featuring all manner of articles, it features illustrations from myself and fellow Paizo board member Hugo Solis, among other contributors.

Do you like blogs?
Do you like D&D?
You should spend $23 on this book. What else are you going to do with it? Buy a lot of glue and snort glue until you pass out? I know that's what I would do. But don't do that, because it's bad for your brain cells. Open Game Table Roleplaying Anthology: $23 spent to support your ailing brain cells.

**Amazon will likely have a cover image up soon and the release date is March 23rd, not March 20th. It will also be distributed by Indie Press Revolution, so if you want to get it at your FLGS, ask them to order it for you.

Lovecraftian school board member wants madness added to the curriculum.

My Planescape PBP game lost two players like months ago, and we're at a point where we can add one or two more people and have it make sense. My original campaign wanted people that didn't have PBPs, assuming there was a big waiting list of people. I was young, I was foolish. The only requirement is that you are enthused and have time to post on a semi-regular basis.

Rules: Modified Pathfinder RPG- PFRPG rules with 3.0/3.5 planar material. I'm converting stuff from the Manual of the Planes and the Planar Handbook along with other previous source books and 2E Planescape material. Kind of a weird premise, I'll admit, but I like it and so far it's working out. Permitted races: any PFRPG, Githzerai (I like the Planewalker.org Githzerai a bit better than the Monster Manual Githzerai since it's more like the original Planescape), Bariaur, Exiled Modron, Tiefling, Aasimar, Genasi, SRD races. I'll take a look at a proposed race as long as it isn't crazy and I have access to it. 3rd level characters, with racial ECL. Standard starting gold; no more than a third can be spent on any one item (so, basically, no magic armor or weapons just yet; if you want to buy Full Plate or whatever I have no problem with that).

Pre Faction War, so Factions are still permitted within Sigil.

Campaign synopsis: The Abyss is in greater chaos than normal after the destruction of Demogorgon at the end of the Savage Tide and it threatens to spill out into the rest of the Planes. For various reasons of their own, a group of Cagers have come together to pursue Demogorgon's fleeing Proxy, Esao Enoch. After recovering his journal, a schizophrenic talking sword and the knowledge that Enoch is Out of Town, the adventurers are headed to the Tear of the Barghest in the Clerk's Ward to figure out what the next step will be.

Cast of Characters:
O.L.L.I- LN Exiled Modron cleric of Mechanus, librarian, Namer of the Harmonium faction
Thorn of Clovenwood- CN(G) Bariaur ranger/binder, tax collector, Fated faction
Reghar Bloodseeker- CN(E) Half-orc (Prime) druid/barbarian, bouncer, no faction
Rennet- CG Elan planar ranger/paladin of freedom, immortal wanderer, Free League "faction"
Birds of Prey- Intelligent, schizophrenic longsword made of a mysterious alloy.

Unity of Rings: Planescape PBP

I'm looking into getting cheap, used 3.5 books now that 4th edition is out and I was wondering what the verdict is on the environment source books; Frostburn, Cityscape, Dungeonscape, Sandstorm, etc.

Are they only useful if you're doing a campaign based entirely in one climate/locale? Are there rules for environmental hazards, advice for overland/city/dungeon adventures? I assume new races and classes and monsters will be in there, though I think world building, setting and non-combat challenges are more to my interest. How have you liked them?

Hey, everybody.

Just a little reminder (I'm sure you don't need it, but I'll go ahead): the holiday season is here and things aren't looking great economically. If you've got some holiday cash left over from buying gifts, why not pick up something for the local food bank? How about making a little room in your closet by donating old clothes (especially winter stuff) to Goodwill or the Salvation Army? People that never had to depend on them before may find themselves needing these services and the folks that have always depended on them are still there. And, hey, those tax deductions add up; you're doing something for yourself, too!

Another good (and even fun) thing is to inquire at your local post office if they have any letters to Santa; I know in NYC it's a common practice that post offices have letters from children to Santa available for anyone that wants to grab one and try their best to make a holiday wish come true. All they ask is that you try your best; you'd be surprised how often kids will ask for a new coat or pants for school rather than a pony.

Donating blood is also a good thing to do if you're eligible (tattoos unfortunately prevent you from donating, unless the rules have changed).

As a former Goodwill employee, I used to have nightmares about the holiday season because of how busy the donation center would get. Make my nightmares come true, if only to get revenge on me for the horrible things I do to you throughout the rest of the year. This isn't about compassion: this is about revenge!

Give me hell, give them food and clothing!!

I'm sure there's already a thread about this somewhere, but I've noticed a lot of new faces (... er, avatars?) on the site and I'm curious:

Why do you play role-playing games, including D&D? Why have you stuck with it (assuming that you've been playing for a long time) or, maybe more accurately, what about the game has kept you interested?

No reason to ask, really, beyond curiosity.

If your life was a television show or movie or if you just had someone following you around with a boom box and some fireworks to help make an entrance at the parole board meeting or job interview, what would your theme song be?

Mine: "Fu Manchu" by Frank Black

Our group is about half way through Seven Days to the Grave right now and I'm just wondering if things will be a lot more challenging without an arcane spellcaster. The group consists of:

• Dwarf Ranger
• Half-orc Paladin
• Human Cleric of Sarenrae (NPC)
• Half-elf Rogue (NPC)

I've only got two players, each running two characters during combat. It seems as if the rogue hasn't been a tremendous help, but Escape from Old Korvosa seems like it'll be hairy without one. I'm just wondering, in your experience if you're further along, will lack of a sorcerer or wizard lead to a tougher campaign in the upper levels?

My group of two players (each running a main character and a DM generated NPC) just finished Edge of Anarchy last night and started Seven Days to the Grave. We've had a blast so far and I just wanted to share some of the experiences that I think were really successful.

-For one thing, my players commented that they really like the "mini-games" that come up; The Shingle Chase is a really smart and fun way to break up the action without slogging through a map. Knivesies at Eel's End was also a big hit. These are a great way to break up the action a little and let player and DM alike take a break from the D&D while still advancing the game

-Information is presented really well. Within the first scene, when I mentioned that the Castle Seneschal was missing the PCs piped up saying,"Hey, we should find that guy." Catching Verik and then Trinia, one character commented,"Seems like we're catching all the good guys." (They haven't figured out Verik's true reasons for deserting.)

-NPCs- My players are always happy to see Grau after the first riots, especially since they got him back on the wagon. I guess it helps that I basically told them to play good guys at the beginning of the campaign, but they required no incentive beyond a request from him to cure Brienna at the very beginning of Seven Days to the Grave.

At Eel's End, the dwarf ranger (with a 3 charisma) managed to goad Barvasi himself into a game of Knivesies and win (despite the odds stacked in the Lord of Spiders' favor). So, they managed to walk away with the bribe money and the letters by making him lose face (and I figured he didn't want to get a reputation for breaking deals).

-I ask if the players want to do a Harrowing at each new adventure and they commented "Yeah, cause that's like Tarot but it's kind of cool". For Seven Days to the Grave, I got a lot of Shields cards, the most notable being in the future column: The Teamster (symbolizing the party, though the half-orc paladin is convinced it's him specifically), with a true match of The Uprising and a partial match of The Courtesan. I think that alone was enough to tell them who's behind the trouble looming over Korvosa and what's likely to happen...

So, great work. We're having a lot of fun.

I'm playtesting Pathfinder Alpha against CoCT as written with my group and the larger necessary XP total to level up has kept them from reaching 3rd level before part six. I noticed that the party is a bit stronger than expected, so I may start converting characters but I was wondering if anyone supplemented the adventure with some extra missions or fights? I can throw the rest of the city encounters at them, but I'm not sure it will be enough.

Like many of you, I have a ton of PDF files kicking around. From the advanced look at Pathfinder that comes with my subscription to out of print 2nd/3rd edition modules and just adventures that I'm not sure I'll use but want to try anyways, there's a lot of electronic files on my computer. I'd like to read them without my laptop if possible, but printing them all would be so expensive and take up a lot of time and space.

Has anyone had good results from ebook readers/pdf devices? I've read some Amazon reviews and what's currently available sounds pretty lackluster; particularly on the subject of file formatting (companies may make their machines to only read the ebooks published in their format, thus making pdfs difficult or impossible to read).

Is there any word that this will be available again, or is it a lost cause?

I'm interested in one day doing a steampunk game (this will be hypothetical RPG game #413) and I'm wondering if there's a particularly good system/set of resources for that kind of thing? I've only played D&D, Vampire (not the newest version, the 1999/2000 version) and Call of Cthulu, so I'm not too familiar with other rules sets.

I looked at Iron Kingdoms (which I realize isn't as Victorian as the steampunk label might suggest) and it looks good but...I don't really want to pay $60-100 per book for out of print material. I have to eat, you know.

How well known are these degenerate fishmen? As far as I read from the Gazetteer, they have an embassy in Escador, but that's really it. The reason I ask is that I would like to retool the excellent Masque of Dreams for a Pathfinder campaign, using the degenerate scions of lost Azlant in place of the Cinidiceans of the adventure. I'll have to change some things, I suppose, but most people in Golarion don't know of their existence or think stories of them are just a load of you-know-what, right?

Everyone else gets to make crazy requests or try to add systems of their own, so here's my crazy request.

Remember the Dire Rat from 2nd edition with the big false teeth? The hairless rat the burrows, has six legs and often acts as a mount for Jermalaine? I want to bring 'em back. Maybe as wizard familiars, maybe as just an oddity for little subterranean creatures. Osquips need some love. If there's a copyright issue, you can call 'em "Burrow Rats" or something, give them different false teeth or a thin coat of hair to make them a completely different creature. No one will ever know.

All I know is, I don't want my PCs to live in a world where there isn't somewhere a rat with enormous teeth digging around. Even if they never see it. Even if they never know. The osquip is the hope of every man, woman and child, given concrete form. The little misfits that everyone scratches their head over, overshadowed even by the flumph. Out-adorabled by hamsters and other lovable rodent the world over. It's time to let the Osquip resume its rightful place as the pity candidate of the Monster Manual.

I'm James Keegan, and I approve this message.

This is the discussion thread for James Keegan's Planescape pbp started in Wanted: Addle-coved Berks.

I will post opening scenes/hooks for every character in time, in no particular order. They are spoilered only because I want keep character and player knowledge separate; if you want to read someone else's starting scene, go ahead, just don't bring it up in character.