Headless Horseman's Horse

Ragusa Cekbar's page

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The Raven Black wrote:
Soilent wrote:

I'm not sure what to expect, it's quite a conflict of interest.

Seeing as Lovecraft is a heavy inspiration, yet this is a Paizo product.

Lovecraft was very racist, most noteably making a HUGE deal out of interracial marriage.

Meanwhile Paizo has always been deep into the progressive mindset.

I'm curious.

Though really, the lovecraft quote seen above "Never explain anything." explains a great deal about his concerns as a writer. He was considered a hack in his own time, because his primary concern was getting words onto pages, without actually saying anything.

I'm hoping Paizo can do better than him.

Lovecraft was a great writer and he was a racist

You can enjoy his work while not being racist

I'm not a huge fan of his writing and am certainly not a fan of racism. I should point out the other charge against Lovecraft, that his main concern was getting words onto pages, is rather unfair. he was writing during the depression when pulp writers were paid (as writers often are still to this day) by the word, and at a mere pittance. "Being concerned with putting words on the page" was the man trying to feed himself and pay his bills. As a full time writer myself, I well understand his motivations. Now, whether his work is art or groundbreaking or whatnot....that's a fair discussion to have


Gorbacz wrote:
Axial wrote:
Gorbacz wrote:
Axial wrote:
I think Abrogail having stats will be very valuable to Hell's Rebels parties who want to visit Egorian and put her head on a stake.
And have their hard-won independence from Cheliax crushed swiftly by whoever comes after her? :)

Not quite. If you cut off the head of the serpent, the body will destroy itself...especially since as far as we know, Abrogail has no successor. Not to mention seeing the feared Majestrix getting beheaded with a +5 holy vorpal greatsword would strike terror into every Thrune loyalist's heart.

** spoiler omitted **.

I'm pretty sure that Iraqis, Libyans and Afghans wouldn't quite agree with you on the 'cut the head and the body will wither' part.

I don't want to derail this thread, but you actually proved his point, Gorbacz. Historically, in a nation ruled by iron-fisted despots, when you remove the despot things tend to implode. So, Cheliax might well lose its international power as chaos reigns internally until the political and social order somehow resolves itself

Now, despite your obvious inference regarding western interventions in Afghanistan, Libya and Iraq, please don't take my comments above to be a reflection of my views on these campaigns. Their not. They are a historic fact.

That said, in the long run I am confident Cheliax would eventually reassert itself as a powerful nation in the inner sea region: geographic location, resources, demography, cultural cohesion, technology and magic, and military strength would all see to that


Hey Nick. Just wondering if you have any more published work in the pipeline. I admire your work a great deal and always eagerly look forward to new material you create.


Jason Nelson wrote:
Ragusa Cekbar wrote:

Can we assume there will be Mythic Module Monsters for additional APS?

There might be. Sales were disappointing for he Rune Lords series, so they got pushed to the back burner. We had planned to do an Iron Gods series next and we still may, but we may also take a run at doing a more current AP instead of a "classic" one and see what the response is like.

That's too bad. I found them very useful


Can we assume there will be Mythic Module Monsters for additional APS?


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Mokmurian from RotRL. I expanded his role greatly and wrote some cut scenes that revealed something of his nature, the end result being my PCs feared and hated him. It made assaulting his fortress all the more memorable.


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A city guide, like Korvosa or Magnimar, would be awesome


Any new Heroes supplements coming for other adventure paths? I'd love to see pre-generated characters for Egyptian or giant-killing campaigns


Askren wrote:
Quote:
After defeating the vampire spawn in Racker's Alley, the PCs were paid a midnight visit by Ramoska Arkminos. He threatened PCs not to go digging in things better left undisturbed, telling them that if they get in the way of his plans to find a cure for himself that they will be extremely sorry.

I'm not sure I can agree with this, because in my eyes, Arkminos is perfectly fine as he is, a just sort of out-of-nowhere encounter in the dungeon who doesn't intend to fight at all, because he's just to apathetic to bother. I think having him show up early and twirl his mustache at the PCs ruins any mystery he has, especially the concept of him trying to cure his Nosferatu status. That one doesn't make much sense to me.

You don't have to agree with me. Just telling what I did, and players loved it. Rather than ruin the mystery, the scene added to it because they began to sense that, while thoroughly evil, there was something tormented and perhaps even sympathetic about him.

Quote:
At one point save Erie Yelloweyes in human form (who I made into an attractive gypsy girl to gain sympathy from the Pcs) from a mob led by a crazy rat-catcher with a silver sword. This is why she later feels comfortable enough going to the PCs for assistance.

This is actually kind of a good idea, I may have to bring her in early in some way. Not as a gypsy, there's already enough Varisian accents I do in this game.

Oh, sorta update: I had my players visit Vencarlo and him pitch the idea about stashing Trinia in the Acadamae last session. They thought it sounded nuts, and spent the night investigating the Acadamae, and realized that they couldn't figure out a way to get inside at all. Really, I couldn't think of one either, and hoped they would come up with a plan, and then I'd just help make that work, but it would have been better if I had invented a way and had Vencarlo walk them through it so they could accomplish it.

In the end, they just took Trinia to a new safehouse, and I couldn't really stall them for much longer, so I had to just start up the next plot point, so when one player decided to hit up the Bank of Abadar, I just rolled right into the mob outside and the start of the plague. So yeah.


A couple things I did

After defeating the vampire spawn in Racker's Alley, the PCs were paid a midnight visit by Ramoska Arkminos. He threatened PCs not to go digging in things better left undisturbed, telling them that if they get in the way of his plans to find a cure for himself that they will be extremely sorry. It set him up nicely so PCs don't just meet him in the dungeon later as another monster, and hints that he may be someone they can negotiate with.

I also designed a running subplot of a brewing wererat insurgency well before the PCs attack the wererat lair. At one point save Erie Yelloweyes in human form (who I made into an attractive gypsy girl to gain sympathy from the Pcs) from a mob led by a crazy rat-catcher with a silver sword. This is why she later feels comfortable enough going to the PCs for assistance.


Just wondering where the Grey Maidens dungeon will fit into the timeline of the campaign? I'm currently running CotCT (starting book 2)and want the hardcover and am willing to pause at a certain point to await the arrival of the hardcover and the new adventure...I just need to know when that point might be


I love the idea behind this series. Fantastic


Ragusa Cekbar wrote:
Is the Jackal Prince of Famine statted up in this adventure, or at least given a lot of lore?

Thanks for your reply. Out of curiosity, what CR is he?


Mykull wrote:

SOUNDS!

Playing almost anything by Midnight Syndicate will set the mood. Also, the echoing sound of a small girl crying can definitely add to the creepiness.

LIGHTING!
Dim the lights. Replace the light bulbs with red ones.

ENVIRONMENT!
It's winter! Open up the doors and windows to get a cold draft in the place. If you're playing during the day, crank up the air conditioning.

There is a very creepy scene in "Escape from Meenlock Prison" (Dungeon #146) in which the party comes across a disemboweled prisoner in the hall who is still barely alive. As soon as the party sees him, the two other prisoners (hidden deeper in the cell) start to pull the bloody one back into the cell . . . by reeling him in by his entrails.

That scene from Escape from Meenlock Prison sounds cool. Maybe I could use that. Maybe a giant maggot is sucking the prisoner back by its entrails, like so much spaghetti?


Cuup wrote:
He comes across a decrepit structure. There is a sign outside that reads "[Enticing story-hook inside] - The only way through is blindly". When he enters, take his character sheet from him. He still has full control, but no longer has his character sheet. Go ahead and put in some creepy elements after this, but this will unnerve him more than anything else.

I like this idea. Since giant maggots aren't exactly earth-shattering deadly this might add an element of fear, or at least caution and uncertainty, to the scene


Just curious whether the Jackal Prince of Famine in this module gets stats, or even a serious amount of lore? I'm thinking of shaping an entire campaign around this daemon and using this module at the end IF there is material inside that supports such an idea.


Is the Jackal Prince of Famine statted up in this adventure, or at least given a lot of lore?


I'm in need of assistance. I have a lone character who wants to play something while the rest of the party is unavailable during events of Seven Days to the Grave, so I was thinking of a short sidetrek that involves giant maggots to play up on the death and decay gripping the city. I'd like some help creating something really creepy. I don't want just a fight; I'd like to unnerve the player. Any help would be appreciated


Thanks for your reply. I don't have my book with me. Does he have class levels listed?


Just wondering if there is anymore information on this follower of Szuriel beyond that which appeared in her entry in the Adventure Path? If not, hopefully there are plans to do so one day--he sounds like a really interesting character to explore further


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Not likely to happen, I'm sure, but I'd love to see a book like this for the Osirion gods of old


Never doing to happen I'm sure, but I'd love to see a book fleshing out the Ancient Osirion pantheon in greater detail than we say in Mummy's Mask AP. A lot of related stuff could find its way into the book as well--holy magic items, relevant monsters, maybe a sample temples, etc.


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I enjoyed Wrath specifically and Mythic in general. More would be great, though I am not in favor of messing with the well-oiled machine that is the AP (six installments, several support articles, etc.)


CS sourcebook on Leng, expanded from the AP guide to this demiplane


I personally love the game. I've done some professional rpg writing in my day and Pathfinder is by far my favorite to create stories with. Of course, it helps that the setting is so rich and exciting, and most of all, that the staff take the time to interact on these boards.


Sweet. Now I may have to hold off on introducing my players to a mythic sha of my own design on the chance you will include one (which, obviously, will be much better than anything I can come up with...your staff of writers are phenomenally creative)
Looking forward to these


Hello Mr. Nelson
I'm wondering if there were any plans for Mythic Monsters: Egyptian? I'd love to see a Mythic sha, for example, and THE Ammut of myth. Any chance?


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Pathfinder is a game with a vast setting, spanning entire worlds that encompass infinite themes. As a result any monster is welcome, from any inspirational source. Truth be told, I've yet to see a monster that I couldn't use in some capacity with a little bit of imagination...and that's what monsters are for, to spark the imagination.


Eltacolibre wrote:

Going to guess you mean Gynosphinx...but anyway:

-A super riddle: Maybe make it work like Maze, except subjects cannot escape until they answer the riddle.

-Something that creates sandstorm or any sand shaping abilities really.

If you want to do something like the sphinx is assigned by a god to protect some place:

-the divine guardian template is a nice one.

I did actually mean Cynosphinx actually, the jackal-headed sphinx introduced in Secrets of the Sphinx. That said, I like a lot of what you suggested. Sand abilities are a natural (maybe, since this sphinx has a thing for the dead, within the sandstorm are lost spirits that wail and groan as the sand scours away flesh) and I'm wondering whether a Maze that sees the PCs enter a necropolis might make sense as well.


I'm looking to create a mythic cynosphinx for my game and would love some inspiration--regardless of what you think about the actual mythic rule set.
I'd like to create a background that speaks to an epic/mythic nature. Perhaps, in an age long past, it was once an powerful sphinx of another kind and, after attempting to steal secrets from Anubis or Set, was cursed with its current appearance and nature? I dunno. Thinking out loud. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
If you have thoughts about his build--what class levels he might have, etc.--I'd love them as well.
Thanks