Camel

Jeff de luna's page

840 posts. Alias of Jeff Erwin (Contributor).



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I have a 178 pp. mega adventure I wrote for Pathfinder called "Monkshood" I am looking to have published (earlier arrangements fell through); I'll have the manuscript in my man bag. If anyone is looking to fill a future gap in their publishing schedule, or would like to chat about freelancing projects, please seek me out (though I will be button-holing as many likely people as I can find as well...).

-Jeff

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I'm writing a historical scenario (Cthulhu) set in the 16th century. Major characters include Kit Marlowe, Lord Strange's Men, and Shakespeare. PCs are spies, actors, mountebanks, and book agents.

I obviously have no problem with queer representation. But I don't want to write a complete sausage fest.

What I am troubled by is female roles. There are some interesting female figures on the periphery of this circle, but they're there because they're married to people (except, perhaps, the Countess of Pembroke and Emilia Lanier), or don't have freedom of agency. The trouble is, the story heads into the continent and I am following the fragments of history we do have to frame it and give it a sense of possibility, and these women are stuck in England.

There are some contemporary wandering adventurers of the female persuasion in history in the form of Catherine de Medici's Squadron Voyant, but I can't place them in late 16th century Germany. Does anyone hereabouts have some feminist history cred and can place some interesting figures there, or at least someone suitable with an intriguing gap in what we know of their life? I know a bit more about England, France, and Italy than Germany.

I do have sedentary NPCs who are all sorts of genders and persuasions, but they are more people to find and interact with rather than PC analogues or foils.

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So totally digging that "Dapsara."

If my notes on the Apsara helped add them to Golarion canon that would rock.

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This tumblr

by Lauren Dawson. Saw it on io9. Anyway, it would be amusing to make a hoard of this nature in a game. For a slightly addled or unconventional dragon.

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The second episode incorporates several straight-out references to

Spoiler:
Robert Chambers
. I'm very keen on this, as both of the leads are amazing, and show is reminding me of Twin Peaks.

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I have an infestation - possibly deriving from the move in/out of a couple people in the building, since I've never had them before.

Unfortunately, I've also had two anaphylactic reactions, one almost fatal. Luckily I always carry an epipen for totally unrelated reasons. I'm sleeping in the (bug-free) kitchen right now.

I have ordered Diatomaceous earth and am getting black garbage bags to sequester the bedding...

Anyone have any advice for dealing with this?

My apartment is in a 150 year-old haunted former brothel (including fabulous plaster putti and a huge ceiling) and I am reluctant to move.

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My new group has consented to playing my Thousand Gods setting. I'm so excited!

We have a Muslim Alchemist, a Buddhist Monk, an Vidyadhara Archer, a Wisewoman/Witch (Mantrika), and a partially developed Paladin (she showed up late).

We're starting in a medieval city of scholars and libraries, criss-crossed by canals and filled with temples, in the wetlands of the south, not far from the haunted mountains and the tiger-infested jungles.

I'm using the Mythic Rules so the players can do minor avatars.

I'll be running the first session, "Yellow Blossoms, White Bones" in a few weeks.

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I have been thinking a bit on RPG writing as art. I mean, there are moments when I'm writing something (or running something) and I think, well, that is actually artful. It makes the story mean something or evoke something in a way no one sitting at the table expected.

This seems to happen mostly in the context of clever and beautiful writing, and I think 3pp publishers have the advantage of being able to step away from the standard a bit more than Paizo, though I think Paizo has been innovative in important ways.

The Goblin Song in RotRL of course works in this way; it's as effective as the poetry in the LotR at setting the stage. The tarot cards in Ravenloft (or the Harrowing), the Tomb of Horrors with its remarkable art and ruthlessness, the mouldering foulness of the Styes...

I think the concept of Sigil and Planescape works like this. It makes me believe that I could game in an Italo Calvino novel. Vampire: the Masquerade used pseudo-Biblical material in a similar way.

In one of my current projects I have poems and songs. I think a step away from prose narrative helps.

What are some examples of an adventure or work that is evocative in a way that transcends our genre?

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Just thinking about Jatembe (being a magic-user of colour) suggested Ged (Sparrowhawk), who also is one.

Azlant doesn't have any canonical surviving settlements, but it strikes me that a blending of Azlanti, Mwangi, and Arcadian cultures could exist there, and there could be a very low key college/society of magic, with a philosophical outlook, in the islands.

There is also this, which I haven't seen, yet...

There is also Who Fears Death, which I also enjoyed and could make for a great source of ideas, and the Nyambe setting. I think an entirely Mwangi campaign would be pretty awesome. But the connection between Jatembe and Azlant is, I think, uncertain, and I could also explore that.

Thoughts?

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That art is incredible. Excellent work, Carolina!

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My long-time gaming group is finally leaving the area en masse. It's the cost of living, unfortunately. However, I'm not going anywhere; I am a single dad and my ex lives here; we share child care. Starting in September/late August I need a new group for my playtesting obligations/opportunities.

I am interested in players who can commit to playing at least twice a month, and are up for play testing my work and ideas. Because most of my paid work revolves around PF, we are probably going to default to a generic fantasy world for the non-playtest oriented part of the campaign, so established PCs can be used. I use material from Midgard, Golarion, and the Frog God world in my homebrews, which tend to take place in an Alternate Europe or Alternate India.

If you want to GM part time, I'd love that. I need to take a different seat at the table some of the time.

I have a spacious apartment on the Eastside, with room for up to six or seven at the table. Wheelchair access is problematic as there are stairs to the front door.

I also am talking to a publisher about writing for Call of Cthulhu (and there are leads with other universes and game systems), which means openness to some non-d20/non-fantasy would be ideal).

Because I'm a serious writer I appreciate immersive RP, though hack and slash and gamer-humor can be fun for short bouts. I also need feedback and group discussion to make P/t useful and fun. This is more important to me than actual gamer experience or rules knowledge.

I am OK with gaming some of the time with children or teens, but sometimes, the thematic material of a P/t may be inappropriate. I am also very interested in a diverse group, with men, women, and a variety of world views and personalities, and a openness and respect for each others' differences.

Please send me a private message if you are interested; feel free to comment here if you like as well.

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Just thought I'd share what looks like an accessible and beautiful book. For homebrewing/canon writing on Casmaron and Kelesh.

This is a graphic novel of the great Iranian swords and sorcery epic (I mean, epic poem), the Shahnameh.

Discussion of the book, here.

Sovereign Court Contributor

I've started a thread over in Suggestions advocating for a full class for the Duelist or Swashbuckler in the rules line of books.

What aspects of the campaign setting, however, would benefit from a swashbuckling or fencer type character?
Cheliax and Taldor would seem to be natural fits - the latter having the Lion Blades. And of course, there are the Shackles. The Brevoy sworldlords are a natural.

A more universal approach, of course, could fit such a class in Tian Xia as Wuxia swords people and even in Minkai, you could have Jutte-wielding police as a duelist archetype.

In Kelesh and Casmaron, we have the Sinbad the Sailor archetype and the scimitar-wielder.

Can we think of parallel traditions for Garund or Arcadia?

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I'm aware of the arguments re the Fighter or the Rogue accomplishing this character concept. I don't think they work right, as explained (better) by James Jacobs here.

I'm very fond of swashbuckling as a storytelling trope and PF's lack of this class is putting a crimp in my campaigns. I think the game would benefit from this class.

Let's get a drum-roll started!

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I have a back-burner project of making a Renaissance/Shakespearean PF game and setting, possibly involving a fantasy version of London.

Anyway, 2 questions:

1. How interested are people in a game that's based in the real world, lowish magic (Goetic, witchcraft, and theurgy), got swashbuckling, muskets, and focuses on Fae, intrigue, and the dark side of the Early Modern Period (with some humour)?

2. I have some resources on hand - mostly non-d20 (Renaissance, Te Deum Pour Un Massacre, Sorcerer's Crusade, Maelstrom, Broadswords & Bucklers, Flashing Blades, Lace & Steel, GURPS Swashbucklers and Northern Crown. I don't have 7th Sea, and I may have not heard or not have some others, if anyone can volunteer any ideas or comments...

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interesting.

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I really liked the old-school feel of the Planet Stories books' covers.

Here's an interesting article on cover art.

Not a fan, myself, of the whole rendered graphics of ships blowing up thing. I like slinky spacesuits better. And minimalist covers - like the old copy of Dune my dad had.

This site is cool too.

Enjoy.

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Here.

He blogs about gaming a fair bit, actually. Interesting writer.

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This would be very cool.

One of my favourite shows ever...

It's hard to quantify how much Mr. Lynch has influenced my game mastering, as well. A lot. I love messing with people's heads.

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This article is awesome.

Anyway, though it's about Mars, it reminds me of Triaxus, because that planet is sort of undergoing a constant terraforming/unterraforming process.

I also figure Mr. Sutter might enjoy the pretty pictures.

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A 170 foot tree (about four feet wide) just fell over just shy of my house. A few feet to the left and it would have landed on the propane tank and a bit further it would have impacted with the roof. It went all the way up the hill to the next house up (I'm in the woods). No major property damage (a fence was destroyed) and no one hurt...

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This has been bugging me a little bit, and I'm not sure who to talk to about this...
But my account doesn't say Contributor. I authored part of Lost Kingdoms which came out around June. I switched to Jeff Erwin - an alias - since that's my published name, though Jeff de luna was the main name on my account.
I'm a freelancer, so the "contributor" tag - if I qualify - might help me find work.
Feel free (whoever I should be communicating with) to private message me.


Bills & single dad-hood have eaten my gaming budget...

Hopefully I'll be back


My dad is in the hospital in the UK this holiday season. He was diagnosed with lymphoma on 12/22. I'm on the left coast, in CA, and don't have the resources to visit him.

He introduced me to D&D around the age of 7 - in 1981 and I've been gaming ever since. This year I got a freelance assignment from Paizo, which was amazing. Thanks Paizo! He was very happy for me.

I'm worried and hopeful at the same time. I thought I might share this with the community - which has been a bright light in a tough year - and wonder if anyone else has dads or moms who played a role in introducing them to the game.

Happy Christmas and Crystalhue, and Yule and Solstice and Kwanzaa and Hanukkah, and a better, wonderful 4712!


Just in case anyone was worried I wan't doing random research projects on Asian myth any longer...
These are my working notes on creating a Bakeneko monster or race for PF. My thoughts, having really dug through a lot of books and articles, is that they are either Oni (with Catfolk as their humanoid type) or a Magical Beast.
Ideas? I'll stat them based on the consensus.

Bakeneko in Pathfinder

Real World Background:

China: Though the name and characteristics of the Bakeneko are known to English-speakers from Japanese sources, like the Kitsune, the Bakeneko is derived from Chinese legend. Among the names used for it in China is Huli Mao, which means ‘old fox/badger-cat.’ (Hu = old, Li=badger, fox, wild cat, or mujina, and Mao (猫) = cat). Mao also has the sense of being 90+ years old in China, which no doubt affected the development of the legend. Since long life in Taoist terms was achieved either through internal alchemy or by stealing Qi, an old, particularly black, cat, was probably a soul-stealer, and by eating women, could take their form. (Volker) Other terms for cat spirit were Xiong Mao, bear-cat, which also means panda (Da Xiong Mao), and Maogui (or Maoguai), or Demon/Ghost Cat, as described in Chinese Materia Medica – where the spirit can cause via gu (or Ku, ‘poison’) diseases, hemorrhages, or mental illness.
Nonetheless, even an image of a cat (accompanied by the phrase ‘ling zhi’, ‘watcher’) was believed to protect against rats and mice, and they were valuable to the silk industry and farmers. Similarly, an image of a cat on a gable in Chinese architecture drives away evil. They can also drive away invisible evil spirits. However, some folklore suggests that cats can detect coming poverty and ruin and settle in households where this future will assure them mice and rats to eat; they also use their divining ability – scratching on the ground - to locate food. After their death, cats are hanged from trees rather than buried. (Speed Williams, 58-59)
In China, the goblin cat is specifically cruel and evil, and its association with the Kitsune (Huli Jing) is as the ‘domestic fox.’ (Casal). Some of this association may arise from the legend that the cat spurned the company of the Buddha’s animal mourners.
Dennys, p.91 describes the ritual hanging of cat accompanied by rites of worship to its ghost in China (Gansu province) which grant a cornucopia of rice and peas in prepared bags.
In 581, during the Sui Dynasty, a frenzy of allegations of magic using cat spirits overtook China. (Nature, v.45, no.1145, 1891) This was some 200 years after the animal’s introduction to the empire, and they were still ‘new.’
In 598, the empress (Dugu) and her brother Tuo were accused of consorting with cat-spectres. Her family had been associated with worship or alliance with them for a number of generations. (Groot)
According to Montague Summers, a cat leaping over a corpse may cause it to rise as a Guai or Kuei (ghost-vampire). This appears to be linked to ‘soul-recalling hair’ which is also a feature of the tiger in legend.
Chinese folklore was used as a source for the Hong Kong movie Xiong Mao or Evil Cat (1987).

Japan: 化け猫 is the Japanese for Bakeneko – literally ‘shapeshifter cat.’ (Another term is Nekomata, ‘forked-tail cat’). Any cat of advanced age can develop shapeshifting abilities if its tail is not clipped (Casal). Interestingly, a tail that is clipped is also said to develop autonomous life – becoming a goblin snake. The initial abilities of the Bakeneko involve summoning small lights and will-o-wisps. It later develops other powers, involving rearranging furniture in unlucky ways. If its owner (stereotypically female) is not careful, the cat will devour her and assume her form. Cats in general are capable of witchcraft and spellcasting.
According to other legends, witches and hags can assume a bakeneko form as well, so the transformation goes both ways (Casal). The cat form is used to enter homes unnoticed or gain trust in order to catch and eat humans.
Walking on hind legs is specifically a feature of the oldest cats. Killing an elderly cat curses the killer for seven lifetimes. (Casal)
In color, the black cat is associated with witches, the white with ghosts, and the red-brown (golden-flower) cat with the most dangerous magic abilities. A three-color cat keeps away the other colors and thus is Maneki Neko or Mike Neko – the lucky cat. Tortoise-shell cats are proof against a sinking ship and are lucky for sailors. (Casal)
Just as in China, Mao may signify a courtesan, in Japan, Neko is used as by-name for Geishas.
A famous Bakeneko was depicted by Kuniyoshi Utagawa in his painting Okabe (the goblin/witch); his works include domestic cats as well, as he seems to have been fond of them; this story derives from a Kabuki play. Other fictional cat-spirits include Okesa the Geisha, a good spirit,

Korea: Apparently cats are vilified in Korean folklore and have many of the negative charactistics of the Bakeneko. (Casal) Ohlinger et al. describe a cat spirit which visits homes and causes misfortune by putting on empty shoes by the door. Burning hair before the doorway drives away the creature.

Southeast Asia: Ma Meo are cat ghosts in Vietnam (LeBar, et al.).

Sources:

Groot, Jan Jakob Maria. “Cat-spectres in the Service of Sorcerers.” In The Religious System of China, v.II, Demonology. 1892
Casal, U. A. “The Goblin Fox and the Badger and Other Witch Animals of Japan.”
Dennys, Nicholas Belfield. The folk-lore of China: and its affinities with that of the Aryan and Semitic races. 1870.
LeBar, Frank M., Hickey, Gerald Cannon, Musgrave, John K. Ethnic Groups of Mainland Southeast Asia. 1964.
Ohlinger, F., Appenzeller, H.G., Heber Jones, George. The Korean Repository. 1898.
Speed Williams, Charles Alfred. Outlines of Chinese Symbolism and Art Motives. 1941.
Summers, Montague. The Vampire, His Kith and Kin. 1928
Volker, T. The animal in Far Eastern art and especially in the art of the Japanese netsuke, with references to Chinese origins, traditions, legends, and art. 1950

See also:
Japanese Horror films of the Bakeneko.


Scenarios and Sourcebooks for Tian Xia

This list is inspired by reading Kobold Quarterly #19. Tian Xia looks at least as interesting as the Inner Sea and I think I may want to use it as my next campaign setting. Yet the amount of 1e-3e, 3.5 and PF stuff out there for the region is pretty sprawling, and some of it is kinda old.

I’m going to start out with Lung Wa and its successors (i.e., China), follow up with Minkai/Japan, and then list miscellaneous sourcebooks and adventures. Links are to copies available online (with preference to Paizo, if they have it). No link, unfortunately, means out of print, usually. I’ve restricted myself to historical and fantasy material here.

All of Tian Xia:

1-2e:
Kara-Tur: the Eastern Realms (TSR, oop)

3-3.5:
Beyond Monks (Chainmail Bikini- Martial Arts book, oop)
Jade Dragons and Hungry Ghosts (Chris Pramas, 3.0, oop, Green Ronin, oop). A bestiary.
A Magical Society: Silk Road

PF:
Monk Archetypes

d20 Modern:
Perils of the Orient (for Thrilling Tales)

Dragon Magazine Articles:
#122 “A Step Beyond Shogun,” “A Step Beyond That”
#133 Shujenka Class
#289 Numerous articles
#318 “Eastern Flavor” Rules update of Oriental Adventures to 3.5

Lung Wa:

1-2e:
Dragonfist (sorta halfway between 2e and 3e)

3-3.5:
Cathay: Jewel of the East (for 7th Sea)
Jade & Steel: Role-playing in Mythic China

True20:
Heroes of the Jade Oath (in Beta)

Other:
Blue Dragon, White Tiger (for Swords of the Middle Kingdom)
Celestial Empire (for BRP)
GURPS China
Jadeclaw
Khitai (for Conan)
Qin: the Warring States
Swords of the Middle Kingdom
Thorns of the Lotus (adventure for Kung Fu)
Weapons of the Gods

1-2e:
Dragons of Weng T’sen (Mayfair, 1983) (6-9), set in 11th century China

Dragon Adventures:
#9 The Golden Bowl of Ashu H’san (2-4)
#17 The Waiting Room of Yeh-Wang-Yeh (5-6)

3-3.5:
Burning Shaolin (Feng Shui/d20) (6-8)
Jade Magi Sewer Crawl (Christopher Colon, MonkeyGod) (4-7)

Minkai:
Note that the majority of the Oriental Adventures materials (in whatever edition) is based on Japanese, not generic East Asian myth and culture.

1-2e:
Oriental Adventures

3-3.5:
Creatures of Rokugan
Kitsunemori (Dog Soul)
Legends of the Samurai (Chris Davis, Charles Rice)
Magic of Rokugan
Oriental Adventures (3.0)
Rokugan (there are quite a few books for this game world, not here listed)

True20:
“Land of the Crane” in True20 Worlds of Adventure

1-2e:
Blood of the Yakuza
Mad Monkey versus the Dragon Claw (6-9)
Night of Seven Swords
Ninja Wars
Ochino: the Spirit Warrior (5-7)
Rage of the Rakasta
Ronin Challenge (5-8) (actually ranges into a pseudo-Tibet)
Swords of the Daimyo
Test of the Samurai (6-9)

Dungeon Adventures:
1-2e:
#5 The Kappa of Pachee Bridge (2-5)
#7 Samurai Steel (3-5)
#8 The Flowers of Flame (5-8)
#10 The Artisan’s Tomb (3-5)
#15 The Dragon’s Gift (2-7)
#27 Bride for a Fox (4-8)
#33 Mad Gyoji (7-10)

3-3.5e:
#89 Honor and Eta (1)
#130 Palace of Plenty (10)

3-3.5:
Lean and Hungry (Chad Brouilliard, Penumbra) (4-6)

PF:
All the Kaidan Books. One is currently free for Halloween!

Other (Mongolia, Tibet, Indochina)

1-2e:
The Golden Khan of Ethengar (Mystara)

Other:
Tibet: the RPG


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I'm pretty excited, coming back from PaizoCon, to hear of the next AP. I'm going to start a thread of secondary resources for Pirate campaigns that we can all chip in onto (a la my Vudra stuff).

My first post are fiction and nonfiction resources, a link to a movie site and Pyle's pics.

I'll return perhaps later today with some rules books from the d20/OGL lineage.

I've got a list of adventures here. I'll update it in this thread eventually.

Fiction
Bunch, Chris. Corsair. (2001). Fantasy
Burroughs, William S. Cities of the Red Night, 1981 (Libertatia lives!)
Cooper, James Fenimore, The Red Rover.
Crichton, Michael. Pirate Latitudes. Sorry James, no dinosaurs.
Defoe, Daniel, Captain Singleton, [1720].
Defoe, Daniel, Robinson Crusoe, Parts I and II, [1719-1720].
Feist, Raymond. The King’s Buccaneer.
Fraser, George MacDonald, The Pyrates, [A Plume Book, 1983].
Goldman, William. The Princess Bride
Hobb, Robin. Live Ship series.
Keating, Mark. The Pirate Devlin series.
Lee, Tanith. Piratica (YA)
Lynch, Scott, Lies of Locke Lamora series.
Poe, Edgar Allan, The Gold Bug, [1843].
Powers, Tim, On Stranger Tides, [Ace Books, NY, NY, 1987].
Sabatini, Rafael, The Black Swan, [1932]
__, Captain Blood, [1922].
__, Captain Blood Returns, [1931].
__, The Fortunes of Captain Blood, [1936].
__, The Sea Hawk,
Salgari, Emilio. Sandokan series.
Scott, Sir Walter, The Pirate, 1822.
Smith, Sherwood. Inda
Steinbeck, John, Cup of Gold, [1937].
Stevenson, Robert. L., Kidnapped, [1886].
Stevenson, R. L., Treasure Island, [1883].
VanderMeer, Ann (editor). Fast Ships, Black Sails. (Short Stories).
Verne, Jules. Facing the Flag.
---, The Mysterious Island.
---, Ten Thousand Leagues under the Sea.

Nonfiction
Biddulph, John, The Pirates of Malabar, and An Englishwoman in India Two Hundred Years Ago [1907].
Clifford, Barry, Expedition Whydah, [Cliff Street Books, 1999]
Creighton, Margaret & Lisa Norling, ed. Iron Men & Wooden Women: Gender and Seafaring in the Atlantic World, 1700 -1920 [Johns Hopkins, 1996].
Defoe, Daniel. A General History of the Pyrates. Dover Publications, 1999, ISBN 0-486-40488-9. Possibly not actually by Defoe but generally assigned to him bibliographically. Also listed as by Captain Johnson, the claimed author.
Exquemelin, A. O. (aka John Esquemeling), History of the Buccaneers of America, [Rio Grande Press, 1992]
Frank, Stuart M. The Book of Pirate Songs, [Kendall Whaling Museum, Sharon, MA 1998]
Johnson, Donald S. Phantom Islands of the Atlantic Quill, 1998. ISBN-13 9780380730780.
Hugill, Stan, Songs of the Sea: the Tales and Tunes of Sailors and Sailing Ships, [McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1977]
Johnson, Cathy, Pirates in Petticoats: A Fanciful & Factual History of the Legends, Tales and Exploits of the most notorious Female Pirates and also Some Lesser Known Women Who Plied the Seas and inland Waterways for Fortune, Adventure & Romance From Ireland, China, The Bahamas, and the Barbary Coast to the Americas [Graphics/Fine Arts Press, 2000]
Lafitte, Jean, The Memoirs Of Jean Lafitte (poss. fake)
Pawson, Michael & David Buisseret, Port Royal, Jamaica, [University of the West Indies Press, 2000].
Rediker, Marcus, Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea: Merchant Seamen, Pirates, & the Anglo-American Maritime World, 1700-1750 [Cambridge University Press, 1987]
Ritchie, Robert C., Captain Kidd and the War against the Pirates, [Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass, 1986].
Rogozinski, Jan, Honor Among Thieves: Captain Kidd, Henry Every, and the Pirate Democracy in the Indian Ocean, [Stackpole Books, 2000]
Talty, Stephan , Empire of Blue Water: Captain Morgan's Great Pirate Army, the Epic Battle for the Americas, and the Catastrophe That Ended the Outlaws' Bloody Reign [Crown, 2007]
Wilson, Peter Lamborn, Pirate Utopias: Moorish Corsairs & European Renegadoes. ISBN 1-57027-158-5 (Autonomedia, 1996) – very interesting! (Anarchist perspective)
Zacks, Richard. The Pirate Hunter: The True Story of Captain Kidd. Hyperion, 2002, ISBN-13 978-0786865338.

Howard Pyle’s great pirate illustrations (and stories) are found here.

I’m not going to bother listing movies because of this site.


I've been working on an adventure for Golarion based on the Cretan Labyrinth I visited a few weeks ago (including Daedalus and Ariadne, who seem to be ignored by most gaming versions).

But what I'm trying to work out are a few significant issues.

1. Where is Tulo, the birthplace of the Minotaurs (from Classic Monsters)? I want to use Tulo as a Knossos/Gortyna analogue, but first have to have a starting point. We know it was a Azlanti settlement before Earthfall, but beyond that we don't know whether it was on the continent, or if it was a colony. There seems to be a link between the Minotaurs and Kortos (see the Guide to Absalom, where one legend mentioned is that Aroden had to conquer the island from a Minotaur, and they seem to be well established on Kortos), and one possible solution is that Tulo was on a pre-Kortos island or on Erran (where Azlanti ruins exist, suggesting it existed prior to Kortos). If it's in Azlant, I have to justify a Mediterranean island in the quasi-Atlantic. (There seems to be little reason for the Minotaurs to escape the destruction of Azlant, not being seafarers, unless they were established somehow in a Avistani or Garundi colony).

My initial take is to go with Tulo as a precursor to Kortos and suggest some sort of link between Aroden's deed, the apotheosis of Lamashtu, and the Labyrinth to the Test of the Starstone.

2. Lamashtu's pre-Earthfall curse on Tulo in Classic Monsters seems to be based on her command of beasts and divinity, yet her devouring of Curchanus and rise in status was post-Earthfall (cf. City of the Seven Spears). This seems inconsistent.

Perhaps we can clear these issues up or come up with some ideas...


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This map (based on the more canon ones I posted in an earlier thread) shows how I incorporated Zobeck, Margreve and Morgau-Doresh into Ustalav. I also added Barovia.

The Margreve is the large unnamed forest taking up much of Varno and Versex. Zobeck is a minor Palatine free city/River Kingdom on the West Sellen River, near Mosswater and Scrawny Crossing.
Morgau and Doresh are shrunk to minor baronies on the Ulcazar and Varno borders, near Barovia.
I think this location best fits Golarion without distorting things too much-- Zobeck- you can see-- is close enough to Numeria to provide a reason for the Gearmen.
I did consider a placement of the Margreve nearer to Irrisen, but Zobeck really fits best along the Sellen, and that part of the River Kingdoms is still undetailed and unoccupied by a large settlement.

I equate the gods as follows:
Lada = Shelyn
Marena = Urgothoa
Perun = Gorum
Porevit and Yarila = local First World gods
Rava = Brigh
Volund = Erastil
Sarastra = Desna

I'm curious to find out what veryone thinks, and if anyone else has also integrated Zobeck into Golarion and how they went about it.


This is a Kingmaker style map I made using Hexographer. It's about 12 miles to the hex, and as yet, unlabeled. I'll post updates as I get them done.


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I’m very fond of gothic horror. After Carrion Crown was announced, I immediately thought of a bunch of different campaigns I’ve run set in that milieu, and made plans to run it on the ‘slow’ advancement rate to fit in adventures between the main AP segments. This is the result of my prep, and I hope other GMs find it useful.

I’ve included links to the items in the Paizo store, or failing that, a third-party vendor. I don’t own all of these- the germ of this was a to-buy list (recommendations are appreciated!)… No link means no straightforward source—used is your best bet.

Pathfinder
1-2 The Vile Worm of the Eldritch Oak Brave Halfling
1-10 Tales of the Old Margreve Open Design (8 adventures)
5-6 The Haunting of Soldragon Academy Headless Hydra

d20/3.5/OGL
1-6 Tales of Zobeck Open Design (8 adventures)
6-8 Cage of Delirium Goodman Games
6-8 Escape from Ceranir Green Ronin
6-10 Expedition to Castle Ravenloft WotC
7 Where Madness Dwells Inner Circle (Free!)
8-9 Blood of the Gorgon Open Design
10-11 Castle Shadowcrag Open Design (unfortunately unavailable, grumble)

AD&D – almost all of these are Ravenloft modules. I’ve included only the better ones that seem at least partially compatible with an Ustalavic setting. If anyone wants to note some missing/disagree—please do!
1-3 Night of the Walking Dead TSR (Grand Conjunction part I)
1-4 Neither Man Nor Beast TSR
2-4 The Created TSR
3+ Book of Crypts TSR (9 mini-adventures)
3-5 Howls in the Night TSR
4-7 The Evil Eye TSR
4-7 Feast of Goblyns TSR
5-7 Ravenloft TSR
5-8 Terrible Trouble at Tragidore TSR
5-12 Bleak House TSR
8-10 The House on Gryphon Hill (Ravenloft II) TSR
7-13 House of Strahd TSR (D&D 2.0 version of Ravenloft)
9-12 Roots of Evil TSR (Grand Conjunction VI)
D&D
3-6 Castle Amber/Mark of Amber TSR
(Set in Clark Ashton Smith’s Averoigne. That setting was also explored for Call of Cthulhu in Worlds of Cthulhu magazine).

Dungeon Magazine
1 “Funeral Procession” Dungeon 135
1-3 “The Beast Within” Dungeon 65
1-5 “Shut-In” Dungeon 128
2-4 “Horror’s Harvest” Dungeon 38
2-4 “Jacob’s Well” Dungeon 43
2-4 “Last Dance” Dungeon 64 (nice cover!)
3-5 “Unkindness of Ravens” Dungeon 65
3-6 “The Ghost of Mistmoor” Dungeon 35
4-6 “House on the Edge of Midnight” Dungeon 76
4-6 “Jigsaw” Dungeon 61
4-6 “The Price of Revenge” Dungeon 42
5-9 “Laughing Man” Dungeon 52
6 “Tammaraut’s Fate” Dungeon 106
6-9 “Felkovic’s Cat” Dungeon 50
9 “And Madness Followed” Dungeon 134
10 “Chains of Blackmaw” Dungeon 135

Supplementary Material: Pathfinder
Alea Publishing
Insanity Rules
Alluria Publishing
Creepy Creatures: Bestiary of the Bizarre
Avalon Game Company
Haunts and More
LPJ Designs
Horrific Fears
Two Dozen Dangers: Haunts
Open Design
Kobold Ecologies: Volume 1
Kobold Quarterly 7
Kobold Quarterly 11: “Ecology of the Vampire”
Imperial Gazetteer
Tales of the Old Margreve Web Compilation
Rite Publishing
#30 Haunts for Houses
Evocative City Sites: Bedlam Asylum
Evocative City Sites: Burial Vaults of House Blackwood
Super Genius Games
The Genius Guide to the Harrowed
Mythic Menagerie: Kingdom of Graves

Supplementary Material: d20, 3.5, OGL
Fantasy Flight
Grimm d20
Green Ronin
Fang & Fury
White Wolf/Sword & Sorcery
Blood Bayou
Dark Tales and Disturbing Legends
Masque of the Red Death
Ravenloft 3rd edition. I believe a Pathfinder compatible fan project called Mistwalker is active on the boards here.
WotC
Ghostwalk
Libris Mortis
Heroes of Horror

Supplementary Material: AD&D
TSR
Carnival
Also, see here.


A major children's fantasy author and probably a gateway to gaming for some of us. Obit here.


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The Padishah Empire
(Beyond Qadira, in Canon):

I’m collecting info on only the Casmaron portion of the empire because Qadira is fairly well detailed already (in Qadira: Gateway to the East).
I'll try to update this as I go along, but here's what I have so far. I am compiling lists of RPG, art, fiction, and other resources for Persia/Central Asia as well.

Kelesh (Keles) is a Turkish word meaning variously: ‘conceited,’ ‘brave,’ ‘idiotic,’ ‘a brat,’ ‘handsome,’ ‘ugly,’ and ‘puppy,’ according to context. (!)

Geography
Described in the Gazetteer (p.10) as a place of ‘eroded civilizations’ and cities, of deserts, ‘fantastic climes,’ and many ruins.
Castrovin Sea: A large round inland sea, bordered by Iobaria to the north, Ninshabur, Kaskkari, and Iblydos on the west, and Kelesh to the south. Kandalay lies to its east. (CS, p.153)
Diamond Sultanates: A region of Casmaron, of which Kelish, the territory of the Padishah Emperor, is the greatest. (Gazetteer, p.16) These, lying in ‘interior Casmaron’ are ‘vast’ and huge, and almost all are ruled by Keleshites. (CS, p.24) There are still military campaigns waged in the heart of Kelesh (Qadira, p.10).
Everlight Oasis (called by its inhabinants Ourzid-Mah): a site sacred to Sarenrae in the satrapy of Zelshabbar (CS, p.153)
Golden Path, The: A trade route leading from Katheer to Vudra (CS, p.152)
Gormuz, The Pit of: Lies to the west of Vudra (Gazetteer, p.17); once a great city of Ninshabur, but now the prison of Rovagug (CS, p.153); 20 miles across. (Impossible Eye, p.63).
Iblydos: A realm on the western coast of the Castrovin Sea. (CS, p.153) Iblydos is one of the oldest human nations, with records of the ancient cyclops empire of Koloran (Varnhold Vanishing, p.55).
Kardaji Bay: The body of water lying at the heart of the Kelesh Empire, an inlet of the Obari Ocean. (CS, p.153)
Kaskkari: Situated on the western shores of the Castrovin Sea (CS, p.153)
Ninshabur: West of the Castrovin Sea; homeland of the Namzaruum sect, which worships a demigod believed to be destined to return and free the Windswept Wastes. Site of the Pit of Gormuz. (CS, p.153) Southwest of the Castrovin Sea, Ninshabur is one of the ‘originlands.’ It lies upon a river system, and once was the center of an empire that reached the Inner Sea. Ninshabur was destroyed by the Tarrasque. This region lies near the Pit of Gormuz; it includes many ruined fortresses and cities, including Tabsagal, the treasury of its kings, and Ezida, reclaimed by the caliph of the Namzaruumites. (CS, p.154) Ninshabur proper, the main city, was the site of the Pit of Gormuz, punished for its support of Rovagug. (House of the Beast, p.62, Into the Darklands, p.6)
Qadira: Westernmost satrapy of Kelesh. Half a dozen other satraps lie between Qadira and the imperial heartland (CS, p.153)
Windswept Wastes: The ‘central deserts’ and ‘western steppes’ of Kelesh, home of nomads. Probably borders Ninshabur. (CS, p.153)
Whistling Plains: a wide, sparsely populated plain stretching from the Taldan border and the World’s Edge Mountains ‘deep into the heart of the Padishah Empire.’ (Taldor, p.9).
Yenchabur: A city of interior Casmaron destroyed 300 years ago; its people fled to the River Kingdoms in Avistan, led by the assassin king Afanasy Athanastus (GtRK, p.13).
Zelshabbar: Border satrapy that includes the Everlight Oasis (CS, p.153)

Government
Padishah Emperor: Ruler of Kelesh. The title of Padishah is also claimed by the ruler of the Marids (GB, p.21) The current emperor is Kelish XXII, who, despite being eighty years old, is still strong and virile. He has many children by his many wives (fifty in number in 4709), adding one to his harem each year of his reign (suggesting he has reigned since about 4649). (Qadira, p.4) He has over 200 children residing in Katheer alone. (Qadira, p.5) Kelesh wizards are employed by the emperor in enforcing the bondage of genies for the empire. (Qadira, p.15)
Satraps and Satrapies: Xerbystes II is the Satrap of Qadira (CS, p.120). Qadira is not the largest satrapy (CS, p.121)

History and Mythology
Djinn and Blue Dragons are named as early influences on the civilization of the Keleshites. (CS, p.25)
Before the Age of Darkness and the creation of the Pit of Gormuz, cyclopes ruled northern and central Casmaron (Varnhold Vanishing, p.55)
-3923 The abomination called the Ulunat, a spawn of Rovagug, is described in texts preserved at Tabsagal. (The Final Wish, p.50)
-43 Qadira is absorbed into the rising Padishah Empire; Cerush is its first Satrap (Qadira, p.3)
1532 Okeno and Osirion are conquered by the Satrapy of Qadira (Qadira, p.4)
2253 Overthrow of the Kelesh satrap of Osirion by the Cult of the Dawnflower. An independent Keleshite sultanate is founded. (Gazetteer, p.20)
2920 A great earthquake strikes both Qadira and Taldor. The Satrap Gheber II is refused permission by the Padishah Emperor to attack Taldor. (Qadira, p.4)
4067 Civil war breaks out in Kelesh after the death of the emperor and many princelings head inland from Qadira to compete for the throne (Qadira, p.4)
4079 The Satrap of Qadira launches an invasion of Taldor (Qadira, p.4)
4609 The Kelesh Sultan of Osirion is overthrown and a native dynasty rises to power in Osirion. (Gazetteer, p.21)
Abadar: Worshipped in a ‘corrupted, scheming form’ in Keleshite lands (CS, p.25).
Birth of Light and Truth, The: the holy text of Sarenrae. (GtA, p.16)
Irori: Like the church of Abadar, the Keleshite form of this religion is corrupt (CS, p.25).
Namzaruum: Culture hero of the Windswept Wastes, whose return is guarded against by the agents of the Padishah Emperor (CS, p.153).
Rovagug: Worshipped by mad Keleshites and those who respect entropy and destruction. (CS, p.25)
Sarenrae: see Gods and Magic, p.34-5. Her form is dark, harsh, and dangerous, in Keleshite lands. (CS, p.25)

Culture and Language
Badawi: A tribe of Kelesh nomads who migrated to Garund (and Katapesh) when Osirion was a satrapy. (LoFPG, p.20-1)
Casmar: an ethnicity mentioned along with Keleshite and Iobarian as a major race of Casmaron. (Varnhold Vanishing, p.56)
Damaq, House: A Keleshite noble house of Absalom, led by Scion Lord Kerkis, Lord Exchequer of the Absalom Mint. (GtA, p.7)
Daivrat: ‘Brothers of Genies’ – magicians who use friendship to gain the aid of genies rather than binding magic. (Qadira, p.20)
Faqirs (presumably): Mentioned in City of Strangers, p.24 as mystic who balance on the point of spears, from Kelesh.
Genie-blood: Descent from Genies seems to be particularly notable in Kelesh lands. Half-jinns and Sul are described in Qadira, and Genie-blood is a trait available in the Legacy of Fire Player’s Guide (p.8). Suli-jann serve as the Emperor’s agents (Qadira, p.29)
Keleshite numerals: Used by Taldane (Common) for its numbers (CS, p.220)
Matrilineal Inheritance: Practiced by Keleshites (CS, p.25)
Shamiyyid, House: Another noble house of Absalom, ruled by Scion Lady Xerashir, Bey of Sarenrae, Watcher of the Starstone. (GtA, p.7)
Taldane: The Common tongue of Avistan is related to Kelesh (CS, p.31).
Zulorket = ‘Dark Death’ in Keleshite (Dark Markets, p.5, CS, p.87)
Zraka: A greeting room where any stranger may receive hospitality in a Qadira (and Kelesh?) house. (Qadira, p.15)

Creatures
Bulettes: Dungeon Denizens Revisited, p.8
Emkrahs: Kelish: ‘wrongful birth.’ House of the Beast, p.80-1
Mishtus: Mentioned as guardians of Tabsagal in Ninshabur (CS, p.154).
Purple Worms: Arrived in a Casmaroni crater from the Dark Tapestry, and faced by heroes such as Namzaruum. Dungeon Denizens Revisited, p.44.


Dear marvelous paizo people,

I need to cancel my three outstanding preorders to put them on a different credit card.

Thanx
Jeff


I'm a new dad and have time to game a few times a month, but can't travel too far.

I'm interested in seeing if there is anyone on the boards interested in gaming here in Bucolic Santa Cruz, (or nearby- Los Gatos, Watsonville, Cupertino, Monterey). It looks like there's one store based event up in northern San Jose but I'm hoping there might be a few gamers down here that could throw together something closer.

I can GM.


Look at this: "The Pathfinder".

Odd. Anyway, maybe some vague association with the Andoran colonists in Arcadia.