Robert N. Emerson's page

Congratulations! May you enjoy your new found servitude! ;)

Congratulations to the Top 32 of RPG Superstar 2013 and those who competed against them!

Each year the RPG Superstar competition highlights a lot of talented designer, be it those who make it into the Top 32 or the ultimate winner. Talent that I've not only seen as someone who enjoys watching and voting for the RPG Superstar, but many of whom I've had the privileged of working with in the pages of Adventure Quarterly.

Such as RPG Superstar 2012, Mike Welham, who's Sealing the Vault appears in Adventure Quarterly #3, or Matt Banach (RPG Superstar 2009 Top 16) who's Dream Harvest is also within AQ#3. Speaking of RPG Superstar 2009, its Top 8 also lent us T.H. Gulliver who has appeared in AQ issues #1 and #2.

We owe a lot to the RPG Superstar competition, as it has encouraged a lot of talent to join the freelancing pool that feeds the industry and our magazine. It'd be a lot more difficult to fill the pages of Adventure Quarterly without such encouragement.

Speaking of Adventure Quarterly: If folks are interested in submitting to Adventure Quarterly, just click here and you shall find the link to the submission guidelines on our page at Rite Publishing.

Robert N. Emerson (Editor-in-chief of Adventure Quarterly)

One of the perks of being Editor-in-Chief of Adventure Quarterly is that I get to watch these adventures take shape and come to fruition. Each issue has gotten progressively better, which is an impressive thing since I think Adventure Quarterly started out quite well.

Our third offer is no exception, as each adventure has an interesting spin on adventuring concepts. Whether it's a small sandbox or a who-done-it style, I think it's something that folks shall enjoy.

I hope folks enjoy the hard work that our designers, artists, and the rest of the team put into it.

Congratulations, Mike! Good luck, and speed with all that's ahead!

Albeit much belated, I'd like to thank the reviewers, too.

I enjoy reviews, good and bad, but I gotta admit that seeing folks say nice things about an item type that they normally dislike...well, that felt nice.

Thanks, and I'm glad you enjoyed the piece.

Thanks for the kind words, Monkeygod. We'll do our best, and I hope you enjoy #30 Ioun Stones too!

Most definitely appreciated, Liz. It's cool seeing something I wrote up and for sale on Paizo, too. Now comes the fun wait to see what folks think about it. *chuckles*

Eh, I couldn't get it worked in rite. :P

It's okay, Liz. It ain't often that he cracks a joke at someone for using Rite as a wordplay, I'd take it as a badge of honor. ;)

Most heartedly thankful to the judges, as the feedback was solid, useful, and helps me look at what to do better, next time and during the current year.

Mucho gusto!

Robert N. Emerson wrote:

Weaver's Kerchief

Snippaged of solid feedback.

Definitely solid feedback, and areas that I obviously left vague, unclear, or could have improved on. It definitely leaves me something to think on, both on other items and next year's contest.

Conceptually I was aiming for an escape and hinder type item, which it ended up being yet not without the need for clarity. As one of the judges stated, it was definitely meant as an escape item leaving the metallic web behind. I should have been more clear in my presentation of that, obviously I was a bit too brief, yet not clear, in my attempt to be succinct in my entry.

There's always next year. Thanks, again!

Notation: Thanks ahead of time for the review, and no worries about the thickness of my skin, as I get the difference between criticism and attack.

Weaver's Kerchief
Aura moderate conjuration; CL 9th
Slot —; Price 116,680 gp; Weight —
Description
Once per day the owner of this web-patterned kerchief may issue a command that allows them to translocate up to 760-feet, as if they had used dimension door. The destination must either be in line of sight or be a position that they have previously seen and studied. The translocation is masked by a billowing cloud of dusky, metallic smoke that solidifies into a rough sphere that is 20-feet in diameter and composed of surprisingly rigid and resilient web.
Those within the cloud as it solidifies must succeed at a Reflex save (DC 15) or become grappled. Regardless of the save, those within the cloud as it solidifies are now within the web’s area, which is considered difficult terrain. The web is laced with adamantine, thus making it quite durable and resistant to wear; those attempting to move through the web, or break free from it, must succeed at either a combat maneuver check or an Escape Artist check (DC 20). Failure of these checks will either continue the grapple, or causes the subject to become grappled. After nine rounds the web dissipates to a fine, inert dust that loses its metallic properties.
The web is not flammable, however it is conductive of electricity and if the web is hit with an electrical attack it deals an additional 2d4 points of electrical damage to those within its latticework, regardless of if they were the target of the electrical-based attack.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, dimension door, major creation, web, a piece of adamantine worth 50 gp; Cost 58,340 gp

Best of luck to this year Top 32, and their alternates (if needed), here's to hoping for greater things to come.

In this week's Fridays & Functions we talk with the versatile Crystal Frasier, one of the designers on the Questhaven Campaign Setting Patronage Project. In it Crystal talks about her thoughts on the project, patronage, inspirations, and more.

If you'd like to give it a read, then please click HERE and enjoy.

Robert N. Emerson, Project Manager and Editor for Rite Publishing's Questhaven Campaign Setting Patronage Project

Today we interview Owen K.C. Stephens, one of the designers on the Questhaven Patronage Project. In it we discuss Rite Publishing, the Questhaven Patronage Project, Super Genius Games, and other things with this prolific veteran writer.

You can find the interview here.

Robert N. Emerson
Project Manager and Editor for Rite Publishing's Questhaven Patronage Project

Over at the Rite Publishing website we've an interview with Steven R. Russell, the lead designer and publisher of the Questhaven Patronage Project HERE.

In it Steven talks about his thoughts on the project, patronage, his fellows working on the patronage, and general ideas about the Pathfinder Compatible campaign setting. So head on over and enjoy the read.

Thanks,

Robert N. Emerson
Project Manager and Editor of the Questhaven Patronage Project

I was busy riding rocks in the Ocoee rapids (not the recommended way to do it by the way), so I missed this, but I hope I'm not too late to say: Congratulations!

I've enjoyed Rite Publishing's products, and I've had a great time working with Steve on my humble submission to the Book of Monster Templates.

Steve definitely is fun to work with, that's for sure. While I enjoy designing and writing, I can definitely say that Steve helped me discover my love of development and editing, which probably wouldn't have happened without Rite Publishing.

The Book of Monster Templates has been a blast editing, too.

Thanks for the prompt reply. How do y'all deal with, for example, suggestions of various magic system? Vote? I can't imagine space for all of them.

As with any book, there'll never be a space for everything and that's why we throw word count frameworks on projects. However, one of the things I've always liked about patronage projects is that it's often the participation of our patrons that allows us to hone a handful of ideas into a workable framework.

Just like Steve (Rite Publishing) said, there are ways to incorporate lots of concepts and ideas within specific venues, like races or cultures.

With patronage, it is the vocal folk who participate that are there to help us steer the project. While not every idea given shows up in the final result, every idea said influences the project and the final product. In fact, it's the discussions that can be some of the more enjoyable aspects for folks, because it gives us this process where three ideas whittle down to two, and then either they become one or we've two ideas for a piece, monster, section, or what not.

Heck, art discussions can sometimes turn what was an interior piece, or iconic idea, into a cover piece. You just never know with patron projects, except that, in the end, we hope you know you've a quality piece on the end of it all.

I do still need a banquet ticket. email sent to your gmail.

Done and done.

I hope you enjoy the banquet.(:

As it stands now, the banquet ticket has been sold and all I've left is the pass for PaizoCon.

So, if anyone is interested, let me know. Thanks.

Hey, Folks,

Due to some unforeseen circumstances, I find myself with a ticket for PaizoCon itself, as well as one for the Banquet, and looking for anyone interested in purchasing them.

I'm just looking to recoup what I paid for them, of course.

Thanks,

Robert

I'm Really hoping someone has a spare ticket for the banquet, I sadly didn't have a chance to buy tickets until today and they're long gone apparently.

Just need 1, willing to buy of course. A post here would be great.

As I've found myself being unable to go to PaizoCon this year, I find myself with a banquet ticket to sell.

If you're still looking, that is.

Robert N. Emerson wrote:

Thanks, Vic. Mine was Torc of the Sentinel.

Nice flavor, says Wes, but ultimately a spell in a can.

Thanks for sharing that with me, much appreciated.

Thanks, Vic. Mine was Torc of the Sentinel.

Hey, Folks,

As the editor of the Evocative City Sites line for Rite Publishing, I figured I should say a little bit about my thoughts on this particular piece.

Maybe it's the word play or the tropes touched upon with this piece, but it made me wonder about a "What If" the shop in Gremlins was actually a place like this touching upon our world. But, that's how my brain works when I see something cool that I like.

That's how Kavit M. Tor's hits me, right in that Gremlins or Big Trouble in Little China bone that's right near left clavicle.

If you ever wanted to just through in a place to remove curses, but still enact a punishment on your PCs, not that I'm saying I would do that...okay, I would, as I'm evil...but this would definitely be a nice way to do it.

Anyhow, I hope you all enjoy it!

Preordered and right pleased about it, too. :)

Torc of the Sentinel 

Scouting item.
One Question: are you player or DM at your table?
I tend to think that players like these items, because it allows them to circumvent ambushes and other nasty surprises their DMs has ready for them. Dms hate these for pretty much the same reason. If they want to keep the players on their toes they need to find a way to fool or circumvent these scouters.
Simply ask yourself: what is more fun? Knowing that there is an ambush ahead and going around it, or being ambushed and fighting your way out? Sure, sometimes having the upper hand and maybe setting up a counter-ambush is fun, but always? And sometimes catching the PCs off guard is an important element for both flair and plot.
That said, I don't like this kind of item, because they tend to lover the overall fun at the table.
(Esp. when you have to figure out where exactly your sensor is and what exactly it can see)

Thanks for the feedback, Azmahel.

As for your question about my role around the tabletop; I tend to be a DM as often as I'm a player. In fact, out of the three nights a week that I currently play, I'm running for two and playing for one.

Personally, I like tactical items, both as a player and as a DM, as I tend to think tactically in either role. As a player, I like items that promote my acting, instead of reacting to a situation. As a DM, I prefer my players to do the same, as I think it helps with immersion. Good tactical thought, I think, is just as important as good role-playing, as both lend themselves to balanced play. But, like most preferences, this is gonna be a matter of personal tastes and bias.

Basically, if you're thinking like your character would in a given situation, it cuts down on some of the metagaming and promotes, albeit subtle, role-playing. It's not like players should be expected to bebop down the dungeon halls when, normally, they'd be cautious, right?

While I get the worry, it's not like the wearer of the item is always away of things, since the torc takes conscious thought to use and to leave the sensory orb out there. If the wearer doesn't do that, then the sensory focus resets to non-viewing and to the characters location. It's not like the torc allows someone to be omniscient for a large radius around themselves, at all time.

That said, thanks for the critique, it's definitely something to think about.

I've submitted each time and, as of yet, I've not made it into the Top 32...such is life, and it doesn't mean I won't submit to next year's contest. Well, unless I manage to disqualify myself over the course of the next year.

When it comes to gauging our own success, we're often our own worst critics, too. By the gradient of some of the folks I know, I'm modestly successful since I've been published a few times, mostly via Open Calls or small press. Of course, by other gradients, I'm a rank and file amateur with no skill or ability.

Myself, I just enjoy what I do, even if the emotional paycheck (for now) is bigger than the materialistic one.

If you enjoy working on RPG materials and you wanna keep trying, then keep trying. Everyone had to start somewhere, at least from what I've seen since most folks don't just get handed a fortune and decide to start a gaming company with it. ;)

I'd greatly appreciate any comment or feedback on my submission.

Thanks!

Torc of the Sentinel 
Aura moderate divination and faint transmutation; CL 7th 
Slot neck; Price 59,000 gp; Weight -- 
Description 
This torc is crafted from Janderhoff bronze and is a tightly coiled, open-mouthed circlet with its ends capped by obsidian carvings of an ever-watchful eye. Its end caps are ruffed by a fine collar of gray fur. 
First made by the dwarves, these torcs were often gifted to those with the duty of watching paths to the Darklands, granting an edge to the watchers. Yet, in recent times, Torcs of the Sentinel have found themselves about the necks of guardians in many lands. 
When worn this torc grants unto the wearer the ability to move without leaving tracks, nor scent. The wearer also gains an invisible point of visual perception, as if the subject of arcane eye, save that they can only move the eye up to 300 feet from themselves, in any direction, and it takes a concentrated effort to access the eye. If the wearer's concentration lapses then the eye returns to a random point adjacent to the them. However, if the wearer decides to disconnect from the eye, leaving it in a current position, then the eye will remain in that position, so long as it is within range of the wearer. The wearer sees what they would normally see if they were in the eye's position, light sources and special visions permitting. 
Construction 
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, arcane eye, pass without trace; Cost 29,500 gp

Best of luck to those who made it into this year's Top 32, may it continue in the following rounds.

Also, well done judges, impressive as always, returning and new alike. See you next year! ;)

While I so, so hope that I don't need that review, I can say that if I do, I'd more than appreciate feedback on my item and why it didn't make it. Even though my item last year almost got that feedback, I still appreciated being able to see and read the feedback that was provided on other folks items, as that helped, too.

Personally I think that RPG Superstar and its process is an excellent primer for honing design skills and craft.

Did Tim say beer?

Yes, beer money is nice.

Umm, yeah...[INSERT ON TOPIC COMMENT HERE] *grins*

Well, I picked my tickets up and, if all goes well, two of my friends will be getting their tickets soon. :)

Well, I've dropped the hammer...now comes the wait until the results are known.

Good luck to all those who have, or will enter, I can't wait to see how interesting the field is this year.

Creative Anomalies interviews Rite Publishing's Steve Russell for Small Press Week. The interview covers RiP's current, past, and future projects, as well as various inside aspects and motivations for the company's patronage projects.

Click here for the interview.

Rite Publishing has released The Hero's Bastard, their latest Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatible product.

What happens when a hero has a lapse in judgment or a misstep that produces an issue as twisted as it is powerful? Are they the only one to pay the price, hero and bastard, or is all in danger of the misbegotten by-blow?

Rite Publishing offers an answer to these questions with The Hero's Bastard, available for purchase today!

Hey, Folks,

I thought you'd all like to know that the latest instance of Unfettered Development has Steve "Qwilion" Russell talking with Clinton J. Boomer about the development of Coliseum Morpheuon.

You can find Unfettered Development #002 at its home on the Rite Publishing website (here) or via FeedBurner (here), where you can also subscribe to the podcast via your preferred listening venue, including iTunes.

Enjoy!

Hey, Folks,

I thought you'd all like to know that the latest instance of Unfettered Development has Steve "Qwilion" Russell talking with Clinton J. Boomer about the development of Coliseum Morpheuon.

You can find Unfettered Development #002 at its home on the Rite Publishing website (here) or via FeedBurner (here), where you can also subscribe to the podcast via your preferred listening venue, including iTunes.

Enjoy!

In my 36 years of life, 29 of which as an active and enthusiastic game, I've never, ever been to a convention...that was until PaizoCon.

Thus, thanks to Paizo there was a PaizoCon, thanks to PaizoCon I was able to physically meet a lot of people, fans and industry types, that up until PaizoCon I had only known them as text on my screen.

Also, thanks to PaizoCon, the system and flavor of fantasy role-playing games that I prefer is continuing and being actively supported. This is good as it gives me a preferred venue and system of freelancing, kept me interested in the freelancing thing and quite likely led me to doing minor editor's work with Rite Publishing (although they do share that honor with Open Design and the patronage movement).

All in all, Paizo has done a lot of good stuff for myself, the hobby I love, my freelancing, and other coolness.

So, yeah, Paizo is cool. Happy Anniversary!

Oh, no! Good-hearted Sharoth has transmogrified into the monster called only EVIL OVERLORD - and I am to blame! What horrors have I unleashed upon the world with my ... my ... writing!?!

All I wanted was to make the world a better & more gonzo place!

I'm, like, a post-modern Dr. Herbert West ... himself, a post-modern Victor Frankenstein! Who was, now that I think about it, sort or a Prometheus figure or something, if I remember the Cliff's Notes correctly.

... anyway, uh ... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Really?

Dang, I was going for a Don Knotts meets Don Rickles, yet somehow transformed into a more suave Henry Limpet, known to his friends as Hank. *chuckles*

Okay...with that, I shall now hide before I can be found by this man or his minions.

Totally. Next year an Avatar T-Shirt is almost mandatory, we need to work on that!

If you do get one...wear it, as my roomie brought some and I, like a jerk, forgot it in a drawer and didn't wear it, even though I meant to.

Cool shirt, though, and it's gonna get some wearing. Thanks, Tom! :D

Very sad could not attend.

I'd have been sad for you, but seems someone gave the pre-release to the "talent" instead of me. Sure, he's all writing something and stuff...but, well...feh, stupid logic and reason.

So, yeah, no sympathy. :P

*chuckles*

Hugo was cool to meet, too, so nener!

I was in full "fight or flight" mode from being around so many strangers when you first approached so my brain kinda froze.

I can sympathize there, as I'm a bit of an agoraphobe, at least with non-gamer groups. It's odd, throw me into a group of unfamiliar folk and most people start to assume I'm with security due to all the wall leaning and arm-folding, not to mention the stares. But, make the group of unknowns gamers and my normal gregarious and blathering-idiot panache comes right out into the open.

I don't know if I wanna blame the Marines or when I worked as a bouncer, but I really don't like unknown groups much. *chuckles*

Darn, I missed this one...Well, more like I wasn't invited :P

If I'd have ran into your before that, I'd have dragged you a long, as it wasn't exactly exclusive...just attached to patrons seeing the blurb in either LJ or twitter and then saying, "I wanna go."

Heck, we even snagged an extra person on the way, too.

I should have went there, once more, before leaving, as the chicken was nice.

Oddly enough, I never did have a steak in Seattle. *chuckles* Although, the french dip at the Pumphouse (I so wanted to vandalize the sign and call it the Pimphouse) was quite nice.

Cool. Good times.

Cool meeting Robert at paizo con.
(There were a few little auido burps but a good podcast overall.)
Thanks Steve.

PaizoCon was definitely the awesome and I plan on doing it every year that it happens, too. It's my first con and it made quite a nice impression on me, too.

Not a problem, and thanks for enjoying it

I blame all audio burps on Robert :)

While your blame stings and almost hurts, the sheer awesomeness of being me cools the pain like tiger balm. *grins*

Aside from meeting various good folks at PaizoCon, including a lot of those whom I've talked with on-line, yet never in person before, I've a few addition "best thing" moments to add.

Best Spur of the Moment Expedition: Heading to a Sushi place with folks from Open Design, patrons and talent, for dinner. Not only was it good company and good food, but even the drive there and back was hilarious, too. I finally got to meet Wolfgang, face to face, but I got to imbue some of the best Teriyaki Chicken I've ever had.

Best Paizo Employee-ran Game: I really can't choose, since Unspeakable Future and Into the Scarlet Monastery were both awesome and I had a blast. But, as a sub-category, Unspeakable Future had some damn fine and fresh brownies, which I wish I would have scarfed down more of. Both games were Pathfinder Final, but with tweaks and I enjoyed them both. Not only am I a post-apocalyptic genre junky, but I'm also a lapsed WoW player, so both games touched on something for me, too. Both DMs were a blast, too, which made things even more awesome.

Best Signature Moment: I got to add Sue Cook's signature to my copy of Ptolus, which is something I've been meaning to do since I pre-ordered the epic tome, and that was quite cool. Not only did she sign it, but I got the signature at the end of her seminar on self-editing. I also got SKR's signature added to it, which started my "collect the players" signature quest. Seriously, what made this the best moment was the sheer volume of people checking to make sure I knew to go get it, telling me that she was cool with me getting it, and then making sure I got it. *grins* Obviously, thanks to some late developed neurosis about getting a signature from a nice lady, getting her signature got made into something bigger than it was, but it's all good. It's not like a lot of this folks don't know me, I've chit-chat back and forth with them for years, but I suddenly got nervous about it. *shrugs*

Best Seminar: For me, all the seminars were cool, but the self-editing one with Sue Cook was the best, since I started doing some editing work for Rite Publishing and I try and prune my prose, as needed. Excellent seminar, very informative, and it was nice to share with others, too. Picked up a couple extra tricks from the audience, too, for editing work.

Also, as an added piece of Con advise: if your look has changed and you're gonna update a picture that people know you from...do it sooner than two or three days before the Con, as people react to it better. *grins* I felt like I was ambushing some folk, because they'd always say, "You're hair is longer than the picture." *laughs*

My wife and I had a great time volunteering. It was a little funny on Saturday morning when we had 4 GMs and only 3 players for Hand of the Muted God. It worked out though, the GMs all wound up playing instead with me GMing them.

One suggestion I would make is perhaps staggering the start times a bit. It seemed like every morning I saw a few players wandering around at about 8:30-9am.

Hand of the Muted God was definitely fun, even with the drow version of the Apple Dumpling gang showing up to take on pinball shortbus of death (Merisiel) and her full house of Valerosi and Kyrai.

All in all, much fun...although, sometimes, mornings seem to suffer due to the prior nights activities. Plus, something that will be less of an issue next time, a lot of folks didn't have personal characters to play at the deeper levels. Pregens are fun and all, but personal kits are more nice.

Good to see you got home, Rob. Did you have much trouble?

Yeah, I did, but it's all good. I made it, at least, although I didn't get home until about nine hours ago. It's weird, but it feels surreal to me, as if it didn't really happen, yet I know it did. Even now, after it's over, it has this hollow feel to it, a disconnection.

But, that said, on the greater scale of things, it was just a lousy drive thanks to some annoying car troubles and it could be very, very worse. So, it's all good.

Hope you're feeling better and that your family is well and good. Thanks for the fun times and the cot.

There is so much about PaizoCon that I enjoyed, that I'd be hard pressed to cover it all and do it justice. I met a lot of great people, fans and pros a like, and had some awesome conversations, games, and general good times that it was a blast.

Thanks to my two roomies, Gavin and Tom, as not only did they help me afford being able to come by sharing some of their space with me, but they made it even more fun. Two solid and cool folks there, even more Tom, who I woke up to be let back in the room on the last day.

Actually, there is one way I can express how awesome PaizoCon was for me, as the whole experience for me had two of the most frustrating and disheartening driving experiences of my life, yet I still look at the whole thing as being awesome. I turned an 9 hour driving to the convention site into a 12 hour drive and then, on the return trip, it became 29.5 hours and I ended up sleeping in my car, on the side of 197, and I'm still excited about PaizoCon.

*chuckles*

Definitely awesome times with some cool folk and some awesome gaming.

I had a great time in the half-dozen hours I was there. It was one of the most relaxing and enjoyable conventions I've been at in some time. I especially liked meeting Adam Daigle and Lilith and Friadoc and the other folks I only knew as their screen names. Good times.

It was a pleasure meeting you, too, Mike. You're an enjoyable fellow, very easy to talk to, even with my odd (self-imposed) streak I had for part of the con.

Seriously, as many folks can attest to, perhaps even decry, I'm a yakkity bastard whose gregarious streak is a mile-wide and I've zero issue talking to folk...yet, well, I developed an odd issue with respect to the Paizo folk and their guests.

It got better, thankfully.

Anyhow, PaizoCon was awesome and if it's the only convention I ever attend, I feel quite satisfied with that. Heck, I'm already plotting and planning for it next year, so I must have liked it since it was my first and I wanna go again. *grins*

Robert (friadoc, various places)