Was reading a bit about the Jade Regent AP. My greatest hope for this one is that Ameiko finally has some decent art to portray her instead of the abomination in Pathfinder AP #1.
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Was reading a bit about the Jade Regent AP. My greatest hope for this one is that Ameiko finally has some decent art to portray her instead of the abomination in Pathfinder AP #1.
Getting new art for Ameiko was actually one of the main reasons to do Jade Regent.
In any case, she'll be on the cover of the first Jade Regent. We'll be showing off the art (as well as revealing the artist) at Paizocon's banquet, and online the week thereafter.
And the art looks awesome for her. I couldn't be happier.
Was reading a bit about the Jade Regent AP. My greatest hope for this one is that Ameiko finally has some decent art to portray her instead of the abomination in Pathfinder AP #1.Getting new art for Ameiko was actually one of the main reasons to do Jade Regent.
In any case, she'll be on the cover of the first Jade Regent. We'll be showing off the art (as well as revealing the artist) at Paizocon's banquet, and online the week thereafter.
And the art looks awesome for her. I couldn't be happier.
That's totally awesome James. Thanks for the reply. I can tell this is a character/story near and dear to your heart. Can't wait to see it.
We know Ameiko is in the AP, but what are the other significant NPCs that we will meet in the AP without spoiling to much?
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Getting new art for Ameiko was actually one of the main reasons to do Jade Regent.
In any case, she'll be on the cover of the first Jade Regent. We'll be showing off the art (as well as revealing the artist) at Paizocon's banquet, and online the week thereafter.
And the art looks awesome for her. I couldn't be happier.
James, I have a follow up question on Ameiko, but rather than derail this thread I'll put it in this one where it will be more on-topic.
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We know Ameiko is in the AP, but what are the other significant NPCs that we will meet in the AP without spoiling to much?
One of them will be Shalelu.
There's also a few close relatives to other characters who live in Sandpoint as well—a daughter and a brother. These two themselves are brand new characters, though.
One of them will be Shalelu.There's also a few close relatives to other characters who live in Sandpoint as well—a daughter and a brother. These two themselves are brand new characters, though.
I presume the daughter is not Ameiko's, but her brothers. (Just guessing)
We know Ameiko is in the AP, but what are the other significant NPCs that we will meet in the AP without spoiling to much?One of them will be Shalelu.
There's also a few close relatives to other characters who live in Sandpoint as well—a daughter and a brother. These two themselves are brand new characters, though.
I honestly kind of expect the cast to expand into a multi-racial group from many walks of life, much like a Bioware RPG. As such, I wait with baited breath to see who the krogan is going to be in JR.
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I presume the daughter is not Ameiko's, but her brothers. (Just guessing)
One of them will be Shalelu.There's also a few close relatives to other characters who live in Sandpoint as well—a daughter and a brother. These two themselves are brand new characters, though.
The daughter and the brother are not related to Ameiko at all, or to each other. They are related to other folks entirely in Sandpoint.
The daughter and the brother are not related to Ameiko at all, or to each other. They are related to other folks entirely in Sandpoint.I presume the daughter is not Ameiko's, but her brothers. (Just guessing)
One of them will be Shalelu.There's also a few close relatives to other characters who live in Sandpoint as well—a daughter and a brother. These two themselves are brand new characters, though.
Well my assumptions were way off, that makes things a bit better.
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I'm hoping someone's last name is Vancaskerkin.
I'm hoping someone's last name is Vancaskerkin.Nope; the Vancaskerkin story more or less came to its planned end with Second Darkness.
This makes me sadfaced. Oh well, good thing theres so much other awesome to help me forget!
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But, but, he was one of the best NPCs in all of Golarion!I'm hoping someone's last name is Vancaskerkin.Nope; the Vancaskerkin story more or less came to its planned end with Second Darkness.
Since there were 3 Vancaskerkin men... you'll have to be more specific than just saying "he" was one of the best NPCs. ;-P
I'm already foreshadowing Jade Regent in my Runelords PbP by having Ameiko seem preoccupied and distant in her dealings with people.
One Question James..did House Kaijutsu bring retainers with it when it fled to Avistan and if so are they settled around the family mansion or further afield?
I have this idea about having the Party all be House Kaijutsu retainers some trained in the traditional ways of their people and some having adopted more 'Avistani' directions in their training. This would let me have Samurai and yes..ninja in the party from the start.
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I'm already foreshadowing Jade Regent in my Runelords PbP by having Ameiko seem preoccupied and distant in her dealings with people.
One Question James..did House Kaijutsu bring retainers with it when it fled to Avistan and if so are they settled around the family mansion or further afield?
I have this idea about having the Party all be House Kaijutsu retainers some trained in the traditional ways of their people and some having adopted more 'Avistani' directions in their training. This would let me have Samurai and yes..ninja in the party from the start.
Jade Regent #1 will answer your questions in detail.
But yes, her family (which was not called "Kaijitsu" at the time) did bring all of their retainers when they fled over the Crown of the World to Avistan. That was many years ago.
As of the start of Jade Regent, though, she's only got a couple servants (not retainers) left, and they get left behind when she goes on her journey with the PCs. The fact that her family line (including their servants and retainers) are 99.9999% extinct is a key plot element, so when Jade Regent begins, she has NO Kaijitu retainers at all.
I suppose you could add some helper ninja and samurai and the like, but doing so would wreak havoc with a fair amount of the Adventure Path's backstory and logic (as you'll see once "The Brinewall Legacy" is out). "Burnt Offerings" spoiler...
Thank you for the quick and informative response..I'll have to revise my ideas a bit it seems.
I had in fact jumped the gun a little already by giving her 2 bodyguards but I can get round that by making them old and not fit for the journey to Minkai..
For my part I plan on giving the Kaijitsu household in Rise of the Runelords a few retainers but they are loyal to Lonjiku, not to Ameiko. When
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For my part I plan on giving the Kaijitsu household in Rise of the Runelords a few retainers but they are loyal to Lonjiku, not to Ameiko. When ** spoiler omitted ** Perhaps they will go find Amaya--although I haven't read any of Council of Thieves so I don't know how plausible that is.
Doesn't really matter WHICH Kaijitsu you give old retainers... the adventure itself is built on the assumption that the Kaijitsus don't have retainers. Mostly because the job of protecting them is the PC's job.
In any case... I'd recommend waiting until you have a chance to read through "The Brinewall Legacy" before making too many adjustments.
I just realized that one of the reasons I don't care about Jade Regent is that I don't care about Ameiko. I never played Rise of the Runelords and I've only read some of it, so she's nothing more than a name to me. I think if I had played it, I would be much more excited about seeing what happens to her and more motivated to play Jade Regent in spite of the fact that the East Asian thing holds no interest for me. I wonder if I'm the only one having this reaction, given how Pathfinder has exploded in popularity since RotRL?
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I just realized that one of the reasons I don't care about Jade Regent is that I don't care about Ameiko. I never played Rise of the Runelords and I've only read some of it, so she's nothing more than a name to me. I think if I had played it, I would be much more excited about seeing what happens to her and more motivated to play Jade Regent in spite of the fact that the East Asian thing holds no interest for me. I wonder if I'm the only one having this reaction, given how Pathfinder has exploded in popularity since RotRL?
You're probably not the only one. I'm sure there are plenty of groups trying to psych themselves up for the "Ameiko's Amigos Adventure Path."
to be honest i also have no knowledge of nor history with ameiko or rotrl. however i'm very excited for the jade regent, i love traveling (i've driven across the usa 5 times in last 10 years).
some of my most favorite adventures i took part in for dnd were traveling (mostly because i did not have any adventures really, just a grey box set, the core books and some dice).
its not about where you start or where you're going but what you see or who you meet along the way.
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It's worth noting we're calling it the Jade Regent Adventure Path and not the Ameiko Adventure Path. We're hoping folks get excited by the AP primarily because it's an epic overland journey and because it's got a lot of Asian themes to it.
Whether or not you're thrilled that you might or might not recognize NPCs who play key roles is kind of beside the point. We had to name those NPCs something, after all, and the fact that we've managed to foreshadow some of them and are using established NPCs from a previous AP is kind of a bonus for fans of continuity.
Familiarity with these NPCs beforehand is not a prerequisite, and while they're important to the plot, the adventures are generally going to be constructed so that if the GM doesn't want to focus on them, they can be regulated to the sidelines pretty easily so the PCs can be the entire focus of the AP.
That said... we're also going to hopefully be doing something along the lines of letting the PCs actually play characters like Ameiko and Shalelu in the AP as well.
More news to come in the Jade Regent Player's Guide, due out at Gen Con.
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Familiarity with these NPCs beforehand is not a prerequisite, and while they're important to the plot, the adventures are generally going to be constructed so that if the GM doesn't want to focus on them, they can be regulated to the sidelines pretty easily so the PCs can be the entire focus of the AP.
I think the Kingdom in the Background sidebars in Kingmaker were helpful, and this is probably a good idea.
That said... we're also going to hopefully be doing something along the lines of letting the PCs actually play characters like Ameiko and Shalelu in the AP as well.More news to come in the Jade Regent Player's Guide, due out at Gen Con.
This sounds like it will prove trickier to pull off, but might also be a good idea.
Since if you go that route, I'd guess you'll have a trait like "This PC is the fated one." Will there be any mention of or support for the hero point mechanic from the APG?
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Since if you go that route, I'd guess you'll have a trait like "This PC is the fated one." Will there be any mention of or support for the hero point mechanic from the APG?
Nope. As with all our products, Hero Points are optional. They're not going to be directly supported by our adventures.
My take: ALL PCs are the "fated ones" in any game they play in. That's why they're PCs.
I just realized that one of the reasons I don't care about Jade Regent is that I don't care about Ameiko. I never played Rise of the Runelords and I've only read some of it, so she's nothing more than a name to me. I think if I had played it, I would be much more excited about seeing what happens to her and more motivated to play Jade Regent in spite of the fact that the East Asian thing holds no interest for me. I wonder if I'm the only one having this reaction, given how Pathfinder has exploded in popularity since RotRL?
Because of the way she was played during our Rise of the Runelords campaign (stuck up valley girl is a close idea), it would be very difficult to get my current group interested in an entire adventure built around her. Plus we got Shalelu killed because she was coming across as a GMPC. Of course we didn't care for Sandpoint in general either and almost let it suffer it's fate.
Nothing against Rise of the Runelords, it was a finely crafted adventure path, just the way it was run.
So I if were to run this adventure I would most likely just make up a brand new set of characters.
I just realized that one of the reasons I don't care about Jade Regent is that I don't care about Ameiko. I never played Rise of the Runelords and I've only read some of it, so she's nothing more than a name to me. I think if I had played it, I would be much more excited about seeing what happens to her and more motivated to play Jade Regent in spite of the fact that the East Asian thing holds no interest for me. I wonder if I'm the only one having this reaction, given how Pathfinder has exploded in popularity since RotRL?Because of the way she was played during our Rise of the Runelords campaign (stuck up valley girl is a close idea), it would be very difficult to get my current group interested in an entire adventure built around her. Plus we got Shalelu killed because she was coming across as a GMPC. Of course we didn't care for Sandpoint in general either and almost let it suffer it's fate.
Nothing against Rise of the Runelords, it was a finely crafted adventure path, just the way it was run.
So I if were to run this adventure I would most likely just make up a brand new set of characters.
Or have a different GM run the AP. Preferably one with a different point of view of how the NPC come across.
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Or have a different GM run the AP. Preferably one with a different point of view of how the NPC come across.
This, actually, is a great idea. It can free a group up from established canon from previous APs, first of all, by having a different GM. Kind of like how getting a different director for a remake ("The Thing," "Let Me In," "Cape Fear") allows you to go in new directions from established canon.
Or have a different GM run the AP. Preferably one with a different point of view of how the NPC come across.
Plus the adventure starts off at 1st lvl. New characters means new perspectives!
Anyone else out there have Tsuto survive RotRL? I played him really weaselly, and he just kept surviving.
Maybe I need to do a prequel to JR in which he finally gets his comeuppance.
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Anyone else out there have Tsuto survive RotRL? I played him really weaselly, and he just kept surviving.
Maybe I need to do a prequel to JR in which he finally gets his comeuppance.
The foreword in Pathfinder #49 has a few bits of advice on what to do with Tsuto if he survives Runelords and you want to preserve that development in your Jade Regent campaign.
Or have a different GM run the AP. Preferably one with a different point of view of how the NPC come across.This, actually, is a great idea. It can free a group up from established canon from previous APs, first of all, by having a different GM. Kind of like how getting a different director for a remake ("The Thing," "Let Me In," "Cape Fear") allows you to go in new directions from established canon.
Thanks Mr Jacobs.
And because EVERYONE views the world differently, they in turn INTERPRET the SAME thing differently.
And different GMs always put their own personal twist into whatever they run, and run NPCs a little differently too.
And EVERYONE has their own masks and glasses on as well (though invisible) (Heck, this could be a good philosophical part for a future AP)
In Jade Regent, do any of the NPCs use classes, archetypes, and or feats from Ultimate Combat.
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In Jade Regent, do any of the NPCs use classes, archetypes, and or feats from Ultimate Combat.
Since a big part of WHY we decided to do Ultimate Combat was so we COULD do Jade Regent (we need ninja, samurai, and martial arts rules!), the answer would be, "Absolutely."
As I haven't run the Rise of the Runelords campaign, my group doesn't know very much about the NPCs, and I'm wondering if there's a way to use a PC instead of Ameiko for the role. Maybe one of the PCs is actually a son/daughter of hers and she gets whacked somewhere mid-adventure? Now s/he has to take her place, etc?
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As I haven't run the Rise of the Runelords campaign, my group doesn't know very much about the NPCs, and I'm wondering if there's a way to use a PC instead of Ameiko for the role. Maybe one of the PCs is actually a son/daughter of hers and she gets whacked somewhere mid-adventure? Now s/he has to take her place, etc?
I know I'm not James (well, I am James but not THE James) nor do I work for his company but...
That being said, I'm always a big fan of putting a spin on APs. Cressida and Trinia became much more important in my Curse of the Crimson Throne game than normal. If you think your players would enjoy protecting and assisting one of their own, then by all means go for it. From the sound of it, as long as the group has motivation to go from Varisia to Tian Xia then the AP will function as written. Of course, I'm more than open to be corrected if I'm wrong (not working for Paizo and all). Still, I think it's an interesting idea and I hope it works for your group.
On a side note, my group is fascinated by a return to Sandpoint. Especially the other GM in our group as he ran RotRL and it looks like I'll be running Jade Regent.
I know the first book will cover Oni, but how many Oni are in it's Bestiary section?
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As I haven't run the Rise of the Runelords campaign, my group doesn't know very much about the NPCs, and I'm wondering if there's a way to use a PC instead of Ameiko for the role. Maybe one of the PCs is actually a son/daughter of hers and she gets whacked somewhere mid-adventure? Now s/he has to take her place, etc?
There'll be advice in the Player's Guide for using Ameiko as a PC, and thus using a PC to replace Ameiko. There'll even be options to take a trait that makes a PC one of Ameiko's brothers or sisters.
The Jade Regent Player's Guide will also have a SIGNIFICANT section that talks about the four significant NPCS (two of them, Ameiko and Shalellu, are already known to long-time fans of the AP line, but the other two, Koya and Sandru, are brand new—EVERY PC will be meeting them for the first time when Jade Regent begins). The Player's Guide will help to prepare the PCs for the upcoming AP not only by the standard ways (by providing advice on what types of characters to build), but also by describing and presenting these NPCs as characters the PCs need to know and be associates (either friends or rivals) with.
Moreso than most other APs, waiting for the Player's Guide for this one before you have your PCs start generating characters is highly recommended.
Just throwing this out there...
I am very excited for the Jade Regent AP because my wife is going to play. She has to listen to me prattle on about gaming a lot, but she is very interested in all things Asian (we have 17 different buddhas in the house) and the Jade Regent will be her introduction to Pathfinder.
On a side note, I was away from gaming for several years (stopped in 2007) and when I came back I tried the current version of the world's oldest RPG. Six months later I realized how much I did not like the current version and I wanted to run a 3.5 campaign. My best friend handed me the playtest for the Core Rules. I was hooked and never looked back.
So anyway, I wanted to take this opportunity to say thanks to Paizo for producing such great work. Now I am going to have to read all the older AP's so I can get more backstory on Ameiko. Need to find some time between my Carrion Crown sessions...
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Just throwing this out there...
I am very excited for the Jade Regent AP because my wife is going to play. She has to listen to me prattle on about gaming a lot, but she is very interested in all things Asian (we have 17 different buddhas in the house) and the Jade Regent will be her introduction to Pathfinder.
On a side note, I was away from gaming for several years (stopped in 2007) and when I came back I tried the current version of the world's oldest RPG. Six months later I realized how much I did not like the current version and I wanted to run a 3.5 campaign. My best friend handed me the playtest for the Core Rules. I was hooked and never looked back.
So anyway, I wanted to take this opportunity to say thanks to Paizo for producing such great work. Now I am going to have to read all the older AP's so I can get more backstory on Ameiko. Need to find some time between my Carrion Crown sessions...
Hear hear!
Hear hear!Just throwing this out there...
I am very excited for the Jade Regent AP because my wife is going to play. She has to listen to me prattle on about gaming a lot, but she is very interested in all things Asian (we have 17 different buddhas in the house) and the Jade Regent will be her introduction to Pathfinder.
On a side note, I was away from gaming for several years (stopped in 2007) and when I came back I tried the current version of the world's oldest RPG. Six months later I realized how much I did not like the current version and I wanted to run a 3.5 campaign. My best friend handed me the playtest for the Core Rules. I was hooked and never looked back.
So anyway, I wanted to take this opportunity to say thanks to Paizo for producing such great work. Now I am going to have to read all the older AP's so I can get more backstory on Ameiko. Need to find some time between my Carrion Crown sessions...
I second it.
Well bargained and done! ^_^
You just made me think of Nicolai Malthus of Clan Jade Falcon in Battletech
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You just made me think of Nicolai Malthus of Clan Jade Falcon in BattletechWell bargained and done! ^_^
Wondered if anyone would catch the reference! Hahah!
Wondered if anyone would catch the reference! Hahah!
Am I the only one who got it?
Well "Information is ammunition."
Wondered if anyone would catch the reference! Hahah!Am I the only one who got it?
Well "Information is ammunition."
I was kinda distracted when I read it, but I am a huge BattleTech nerd, too. Even won a bloodname tournament here in Germany with the MechForce. :p
I was kinda distracted when I read it, but I am a huge BattleTech nerd, too. Even won a bloodname tournament here in Germany with the MechForce. :p
Wondered if anyone would catch the reference! Hahah!Am I the only one who got it?
Well "Information is ammunition."
I'm not that big of one,
Watched the TV series, and played MechWarrior 2 (all 3), MechWarrior 3, and MechCommander (Reg and Gold)Back to the Topic of the Thread
I really want to have a sneak peek at this AP and its Players Guide.