Louis Agresta's page

Gavgoyle wrote:

If this is accurate (and I thoroughly believe that it could be), DC leadership needs to be b##&&-slapped. Repeatedly.

What he said. B##&&-slapped. Repeatedly. With a Buick.

This! With a Buick.

Mairkurion {tm} wrote:

Heh, I'm glad to see the Grog Adventure Path taking off...something to look forward to.

I hear that every module in the Grognard Adventure Path is written for a different edition. You start playing PFRPG, then backwards convert to 3.5, 3.0, 2nd ed, AD&D, and finish with the old rules from the original D&D boxed set.

And the special edition boxed set ships with Viagra and binoculars!

Ahg!!!! I want my book for GenCon! Don't make me buy two, please!

'Cause I will if I have too, dammit!

Louis Agresta wrote:

Winteraven wrote:

This was a module I ran a couple of weeks ago and never quite got to posting this question. During Act 3, the players are jumped by Puddlejumpers. These are listed in the stat block as having 18hp (2d6+4) for Tier 4-5

Such is a mathematical impossibility however; did I miss an errata or commentary on this somewhere?

What?! 12+4 doesn't = 18? Next you'll tell me 1+1 doesn't = 3! And there goes any chance of convincing my wife a menage at trois is kosher. :(

You caught a goof. My goof, to be precise. While I'm not the final word, my reread says you're right and it should be 16 hp.

On the good side, though, when accumulating that many CR 2 critters to get an EL7 encounter, the 18 hp makes it more balanced than not, so I think its ultimately ok to have gone with either 16 or 18 hp.

Just like to say I loved this adventure. I am a Cleric and Sarenrae and a member of the Andorion Faction. You should have seen the DM's face, the other 2 members of my faction, and the rest of the players when I went into the slave market and bought me a slave.

I did it to "fit in" the rest of the party was on the anti-slavery theme and advertised it and for some reason we had a hard time getting in to the slave market. So I roleplayed it some.

Appearntly I role-played a butt head slave owner so well I "stunned" the DM and got some useful info out of the place and we got to the next act.

Just to keep up with the I have lost my mind theme I took my newly purchased 1/2 Orc slave and left the party for a while and released him in privite. THen when I got back to the party in the slave market I annouced the slave wasn't good enough and killed him it.

None of the players at the table knew what I wrote to the DM in the note....

I really didn't mean to cause the Chaos but man it was just a blast.

NICE! So good to hear it! Bringing the fun is what it's all about, after all. That's exactly the kind of thing I was hoping for when the faction missions play out. Thanks for sharing. It warms my heart. Kudos to Josh Frost too, as he had a strong influence on the piece.

Louis Agresta wrote:

Lilith wrote:

Louis Agresta wrote:

@Sebastian - you going to be at GenCon? I could just bring my book and let you check it out.

Book...so...pretty...

*is fascinated*

What'll you give me if I bring it, gorgeous? :)

*eye contact is broken*

Huhwha? Actually, I already have a copy, but I hear that the critter beastie book will be released this GenCon. :D

Damn. Didn't know you had it. I was angling for cookies!

Turin the Mad wrote:

Mairkurion {tm} wrote:

Okay, so the three of you meet in the tavern of your old grognard's home...

... and we fall asleep in our rocking chairs on the porch.

Just then, the retired gamers are roused by a frightened peasant. "Good sirs, we need your help. The village is being overrun by orcs."

The retired gamers respond with disinterest, until...

The peasant adds, "And the orcs are on your lawn!"

Weapons are drawn. Spells are readied. The adventure begins.

This has been a preview of module GROG1, "Git... Off... Ma... Lawn!"

Nice one!

Followed by GROG2, "The Great Kobold Denture Theft!"
The clock is ticking. Unable to eat without their gum gear, our retired adventures have mere days to recover their dentures from the Kobold denizens of...

Mairkurion {tm} wrote:

Turin the Mad wrote:

Louis Agresta wrote:

Epic Meepo wrote:

Papa-DRB wrote:

...the "Old DnDrs Retirement Home". lol

You could call it Pleasant Grognard Meadows.

If I ever go into a home of some sort in my late years, and I CAN'T find enough people to play D&D, I will continue to poison their applesauce and make tomato leaf salads until there ARE enough fellow gamers.

Once relatively infirm, I can't think of many things I'd like to do OTHER than game!

Even with Viagra and hoors.

I like this. Alot. I'll bring long pork recipes.

Okay, so the three of you meet in the tavern of your old grognard's home...

... and we fall asleep in our rocking chairs on the porch.

But only after flipping the attendant the bird and whistling at a nurse through our false teeth.

Louis Agresta wrote:

@Mogren - what about the tactical level? Need a battlemat or no? Does your group play with one? Also, you should hit the developers with your findings. As I understand it they've got some long term plans for the game and are pretty responsive. It'd be cool to see the holes you've found plugged.

We do some on battle mats and some without.

I've posted it up on their message board, and they're errata document is ages old. If they're pretty responsive they sure don't act like it.

*sheepish grin* They've always responded to me. Sorry to hear the experience doesn't extend to all customers. :(

Thanks for answering about the battlemat.

Hey Sebastian, does that answer all your questions?

Louis Agresta wrote:

@Sebastian - you going to be at GenCon? I could just bring my book and let you check it out.

Book...so...pretty...

*is fascinated*

What'll you give me if I bring it, gorgeous? :)

Papa-DRB wrote:

...the "Old DnDrs Retirement Home". lol

You could call it Pleasant Grognard Meadows.

If I ever go into a home of some sort in my late years, and I CAN'T find enough people to play D&D, I will continue to poison their applesauce and make tomato leaf salads until there ARE enough fellow gamers.

Once relatively infirm, I can't think of many things I'd like to do OTHER than game!

Even with Viagra and hoors.

@Mogren - what about the tactical level? Need a battlemat or no? Does your group play with one? Also, you should hit the developers with your findings. As I understand it they've got some long term plans for the game and are pretty responsive. It'd be cool to see the holes you've found plugged.

@Sebastian - you going to be at GenCon? I could just bring my book and let you check it out.

Well those are some interesting thoughts, but I would expect no less from Paizoans. Just wanted to thank everyone who took the time to play around with my noodle -- wait. That didn't come out right. :^o

Brain noodle - you knew what I meant!

Thanks Lilith. I checked out the preview pages already, but they didn't really answer my questions.

I might listen to the podcast, but it would be the first time. I don't have a method of listening in my car and tend not to like listening to them at my desk.

Hey Sebastian,

I gave it a review over here: Alpha Omega Rudis Review

It may answer one of your questions. I'll pull my book and see if I can't answer more for you in the next day or so.

- Lou

Get well soon, Sean!

Oh wow. That sucks.

So... not to be a wet blanket here or anything, but... and keep in mind I am a massive Paizo fan, so this is more a random speculation / philosophical / 'bidness' question.

Do we love Paizo now because they are the enemy of our enemy?

In the dark future of RPGs, there is only Paizo.

[[ Insert image of Paizo golem in Warhammer scene blasting baddies]]

Darrin Drader wrote:

This is a win for gaming, and this is significant. For the past decade I've been concerned that the "only game in town" existed under an extremely large and uncaring corporate entity (even if I for a time worked for said entity). After rounds of nonsensical layoffs and corporate decisions that were misguided and just plain mean spirited, I was losing hope that this industry was ever going to re-balance itself and find some of what it enjoyed under TSR at its height. It was my desire to see the game shift to a company that was run by people who actually played RPGs and worried about the state of the game rather than treating it like it was just another one of many expendable brands. That is not to imply that RPGs are not a business and that the people who work in it do so out of pure altruism, but there is spot where good business decisions meet with good products, as well as the proper respect for the game, the people who originally brought it to life, and those who have worked on it ever since.

Last year everything changed when Paizo committed to a course of action that some decried as misguided, foolish, and destined to fail. "Who still wants to play third edition?" They asked. Paizo asked for the community involvement to tell them what we were looking for in our game, and for a year we told them. Today we are beginning to see the results of this gambit and they are good. We at last have a strong, viable RPG company that is committed to including the players and the fans. After watching them and their products, and after working with them on several Pathfinder AP pieces now, I can say that Paizo is exactly the company I've been hoping would come along and provide some much needed leadership.

Congrats Paizo! You've come a long way from the jettisoned "Periodicals Department" and I look forward to seeing what's next.

Every single word Darrin said I whole heartedly agree with. Go Paizo Go!

THIS!

Ok, so I have a business question about which I'm genuinely curious: what's the rationale or usefulness in the industry as a whole to not sharing unit sales numbers?

I get the price/volume issue: sell 10 books for $1000 each and you make more than selling 1000 books at $1 each so unit sales does not equal profitability. Check.

Is it just considered gauche to brag? Is it about not attracting the attention of competitors?

I wonder because I can see advantages to bragging about unit sales. Unit sales might be useful in persuading even more 3PPs to go PFRPG, for example, by giving them an idea of how large is the "installed base" (so to speak) at whom they can pitch product. However, I'm not seeing the downside, which I'm sure is just my ignorance.

Is it like advertising, the way advertisers share circulation numbers to potential advertisers but not to the public at large?

To me, as a fan, wishing to know about unit sales is just the desire to have something to cheer, like a sports team: "Yeah, baby! My favorite RPG, Pathfinder, was bought by 300,000 people before they even launched, AND they're printing another 300,000 they exepect to sell out in a month, we rock! My game rules!"

Like being able to point to season standings and say, the Yankees won again, we rock! Where "we" really means "all those guys playing ball that I like to watch..."

Can I entice Lisa or Vic or Erik or someone to shed some light? I'll do sweet things for you at Gencon. Promise. :)

That is interesting. Thanks. I'd have to go with leaving at least Rothfuss and Weeks off that list though. Even though I had fun with both.

Jason, how big is the grin on your face, man? And have you been able to STOP smiling?

Hot damn dog diggity! GO PAIZO GO! Rawk it out! WOOOOT!

I used the mind control spell on my father to make him buy this book!

Eat your heart out Jack Chick.

Unholy S@&%E, Wes. This looks AWESOME! Congrats!

Louis Agresta wrote:

The Jade wrote:

Louis Agresta wrote:

I suppose they could be talking about or confusing this with the "New Weird" sub-genre fantasy movement. Pioneered by Mieville and Vandermeer with their fever-dreamy post-modern fantasy.

Or, they could be talking about an only quasi-recognized movement in fantasy trending toward the more realistic.

I was thinking the latter.

Thanks, as always, for the gifted insight, Lou. :)

But have you SEEN the New Fantasy Island with Malcolm McDowell?!

No but I saw Roddy McDowell play the devil on two episodes of the Ricardo Montalban Fantasy Island.

I remember that!

Louis Agresta wrote:

I suppose they could be talking about or confusing this with the "New Weird" sub-genre fantasy movement. Pioneered by Mieville and Vandermeer with their fever-dreamy post-modern fantasy.

Or, they could be talking about an only quasi-recognized movement in fantasy trending toward the more realistic.

I was thinking the latter.

Thanks, as always, for the gifted insight, Lou. :)

But have you SEEN the New Fantasy Island with Malcolm McDowell?!

This totally reminds me of Lord Bedlam Havok's Protocols from the system neutral PC Pearls (Goodman Games). Of course I helped write them, so its no wonder I'm reminded. They were however, based on the protocols as written up -- I kid you not -- by the most paranoid player ever to sit at my table.

Here are a few for fun and giggles:

20 Protocols for General Exploring, Pillaging & Looting
1. Don't be first.
2. Don' t open anything.
3. The continual light stone is always the first thing in a room or around a corner.
4. Avert your eyes from mirrors, for they may suck your soul.
5. In fact, don't touch mirrors unless you want to travel through them.
6. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING is more important than getting that tentacle out of your nose.
7. If you're certain you can sneak up on it – you can't.
8. Always throw a coin into the mysterious liquid, puddle or pond.
9. Just because nothing happened to the coin doesn't mean you can drink it, search it, or bathe in that stuff!
10. Hotties in distress are luring you to your doom.
11. If it weighs less than a pound take lots of it.
12. When something big swallows you it is difficult to draw a tulwar. Always wear spiky gloves or gauntlets on your fists. If it doesn't aid you in combat it can't impede your spellcasting.
13. If it is on fire hit it with water. If it is made of metal use adamantine. If it is bony bludgeon it; if fleshy poke it. If it has no anatomy blast it, and if it just turned into a monster use silver – don't bother with cold iron. If you need cold iron you will find it while adventuring.
14. Spread out. Only disaffected teenagers clump together, and standing in lines is for country dances.
15. The front entrance to everything is guarded and or trapped.
16. The Dragon is never sleeping. The Necromancer is never sleeping. The Demon King is never sleeping.
17. The world only attacks adventurers while four out of five of them are naked and asleep. Don't ask me why, but it is so.
18. Don't dream.
19. Why take only one dagger when it is just as easy to take six?
20. When in doubt, get the hell out.

There doesn't seem to be a "new fantasy movement" according to my search engine. What do you think they mean? I'm very curious.

I suppose they could be talking about or confusing this with the "New Weird" sub-genre fantasy movement. Pioneered by Mieville and Vandermeer with their fever-dreamy post-modern fantasy.

Or, they could be talking about an only quasi-recognized movement in fantasy trending toward the more realistic. Some point to GRRM as launching a "New Fantasy" that is grimmer in plot, thematically more modern, and textually more gritty. I'm not sure I buy a whole "New Fantasy" movement of the latter sort, but if I did, I'd lump Richard Morgan's The Steel Remains in there, for its themes of social alienation and the first, ever, gay hero in fantasy. As well as, say, Abraham's The Long Price Quartet for its veiled exploration of superpower-dom.

Alternately they may be talking about a "new fantasy" movement centered on the empowerment of women, featuring female protagonists, and tending to represent the establishment new political order as oppposed to making peace with or evading existing political order. But, frankly, I thought that was a feature emergent in 80s fantasy/sci-fi; so I'm not sure how it would be "new".

Perhaps they mean the 1998 New Fantasy Island, starring Malcolm McDowell? But of that I'm less sanguine.

PS I quite enjoyed the Sanderson books. The first and last more than the middle. Nonetheless, a solid 8 on my 10 point scale! With maybe an extra .5 for the originality of Allomancy. And for those who've read this part,

I am a HUGE fan of Scott Lynch "The Lies of Locke Lamora". Anyone else a Gentleman Bastard?

Damn straight I am! Read the sequel yet? Almost as good, which still means excellent.

David Fryer wrote:

Dragnmoon wrote:

Wow... guys calm down...

Don't sweat it. At least a couple of guys who posted are diehard 4E opponents who I always see popping in to say something negative about 4E and anything relating to it. It's nothing personal against you, they just don't like 4E and have enough free time on their hands to let everyone know about it. The only thing I would suggest is that next time you post something like this in the 4E section.

Was thinking about that... But it has nothing to do with 4E, You can use the the 3E Trade-in to buy any Goodman Game products at the booth, not just thier 4E books.

So since it was about trading in 3E books for anything on thier booth, decided it fit best here *Shrugs*

Edit: I also think it is funny I got this reaction, because on the 4E boards some hate me now to because the read into something that I posted there and thought I said something I did not say! just having a bad posting day here on the boards

Don't sweat it dude. You didn't do anything wrong. I thought you worked for Goodman, to tell the truth. *group hug* S'all good. This may very well be useful to some people. Thanks for trying to be helpful.

Um...I have to confess, I'm not sure why I'd do this, because with the advent of pfrpg ALL of my 3.5 material remains relevant and useful.

Also, isn't advertising this here a little...I don't know...crass? Maybe not. I'm no arbiter of ethics, for certain. Just didn't leave me feeling shiny.

Which, by the way, has nothing to do with feeling the kind of shiny Sebastian feels in this thread.

F. Wesley Schneider wrote:

Sebastian wrote:

What about fanservice erotic art in lieu of fiction. Maybe not every volume, but maybe every other volume...

And this right here my friends is why we have these boards, so every now and then one luminary might reveal a flicker of such singular brilliance that we don't even have the choice to ignore it. More fan service? Roger dodger. We'll start from Pathfinder #6 and work backwards. :P

I don't believe Sebastian is quite up to the task of "servicing" all of the fans. Even if he is a shiny happy pony.

By the time he's done he'll be a "shiny happy pony" all right - d'oh! HE DIDN'T!

Woot woot! *stomps and shakes fist*

C'mon Baur!

ok, question on a spell in the wishcraft section.

Under Diamond Spray it reads
** spoiler omitted **

Under 3.x spells bypass DR *gives the (in)complete psionic a dirty look* So is this a pathfinder change that snuck in? And I'd have thought it would be conjuration, not evocation.

More authoritative voices will undoubtedly weigh in, but I believe it means that for the purpose of overcoming DR you don't treat them like spells. You treat them like slivers of the actual metals.

Though I'm with you on conjuration.

Louis Agresta wrote:

varianor wrote:

I believe Monte observed that Paizo could pick up the AE license, or at least reprint Arcana Evolved. :) Never happened. Ah well. I say look for a resurgence around about Fifth Edition. Oh, but buy the Rite Publishing stuff and look for convention games! (Said the man running one of the last off-grid AE games at Gen Con.)

Dude! We should run our own PFRPG verson of AE tournament for GenCon 2010!

Oooh. Or PaizoCon! (If I can make it.)

That would rock!

Wes blamed me for the destruction of the Set Pieces...

*sob*

Oh, thats a relief, Callous Jack, I thought it was me!

I think I'm cursed you see. First Nick Logue and I sell and adventure to Dungeon -- and they immediately end the magazine.

Now I write a set piece -- and *poof* its the last one.

Unless...unless...I'll get you Callous Jack and your little dog too - YOU put the curse on me!

I saw the same ad on facebook and this looks cool! I was going to just order some, then I saw he'll be at gencon, and I thought, if its good why haul it on the plane? I'll definitely be stopping by his booth at the con!

I downloaded mine today. wooot!

*plants lipsmacking kisses on both biceps*
I LOVE my set piece!

Your adventure is pretty good too, McCreary. :^)
And your monsters, Daigle. :^)
And your Spawn, Boomer. :^)
And your article, Wolfgang :^)
And that stuff you do too, F. Wesley Schneider. :^)

PS Ms. Cunningham's fiction is great, I just don't know her well enough to raz.

I believe Monte observed that Paizo could pick up the AE license, or at least reprint Arcana Evolved. :) Never happened. Ah well. I say look for a resurgence around about Fifth Edition. Oh, but buy the Rite Publishing stuff and look for convention games! (Said the man running one of the last off-grid AE games at Gen Con.)

Dude! We should run our own PFRPG verson of AE tournament for GenCon 2010!

Deussu wrote:

Actually since they follow NPC hp system, 2d6+4 should be 11. </nitpick>

Technically it could also be 6+4+3=13. Max hit dice at 1st level, plus con, plus average for 2nd level. It's not so huge of an error that it warrants correction, though.

I should have just made them CR 3, dammit!

This was a module I ran a couple of weeks ago and never quite got to posting this question. During Act 3, the players are jumped by Puddlejumpers. These are listed in the stat block as having 18hp (2d6+4) for Tier 4-5

Such is a mathematical impossibility however; did I miss an errata or commentary on this somewhere?

What?! 12+4 doesn't = 18? Next you'll tell me 1+1 doesn't = 3! And there goes any chance of convincing my wife a menage at trois is kosher. :(

You caught a goof. My goof, to be precise. While I'm not the final word, my reread says you're right and it should be 16 hp.

On the good side, though, when accumulating that many CR 2 critters to get an EL7 encounter, the 18 hp makes it more balanced than not, so I think its ultimately ok to have gone with either 16 or 18 hp.

stardust wrote:

Yep, I saw that...

I never picked up the AE book (I bought the AU book), but now it looks like I might need it.

I'm glad Rite Publishing is making stuff for AE, but without access to the original handbook, they'll have a limited audience. :)

Just managed to buy them used on Amazon. Yay for Rite Publishing. Looks like they'll have another customer in a few months when my credit card repletes itself. :)

I love AE. I don't get to play it too often, but I often incorporate much from the core book into my campaign. *sigh* that its OOP.

I own but never did get to play Iron Heroes.

What a great, fun idea!

When will this get added to My Downloads? I'm dyin' here!

Who said it stands for anything? Maybe it's what I'm used to hearing from my freelancers. Maybe it's an old algebra grade that continues to haunt me. Maybe it's my petition for a new Roman numeral. The world may never know. And if you do know, and you tell, I'll cut ya. }:P

It could be what he hears from freelancers, but only because he's caught them up to no good.

F! Wesley Schneider -- run!

Let the word game begin!

*resists urge to attack you for asking such a question* :)

Seriously, because our large and wonderful tribe contains many difficult and strong personalities. That said, I'm with you. It seems a certain self-centered lack of kindness from where I sit. Good of you to point the behavior out without singling anyone out.

I loved this film. Just be sure to get the British translation, not the American one. They apparently screwed up the translation when bringing it to America, dumbing it down and stripping out many nuances.

Just google "let the right one in translation" to see what I mean.

Full length video, third installment

Designing Dungeons with Monte Cook

The battery had to be switched out twice during the filming, so there are a couple of odd edit points. Monte Cook does give a very entertaining seminar! Enjoy!

Next up is Game Design Self-Editing Workshop by Sue Cook.

Hey zylphryx, you going to Gencon?

Mousegard recently came in at number one on our Hot List at RPG Countdown. Looks like a great game.

Does anyone here play it?

No, not yet, but I know Luke, the designer.

Awesome! Thanks for sharing.