>>Ask Crystal All the Things!!!<<

[Limeylongears]

*Is* Cosmo the incident?

Or was that Rovagug?

Or are they one and the same?OMGOMGOMG.

[Spiral_Ninja]

So, as to pizza; have you ever heard of white pizza? Where would it fall in the pizza alignment spread?

[Crystal Frasier]

Misroi wrote:

Which of the QFG games was your favorite, Crystal? And were there any redeeming qualities to Dragonfire?

I love the first one, but it's so all-over-the map, and I love the African mythology and aesthetic in Wages of War--you just never get to see that in fantasy these days--but my absolute favorite is Shadows of Darkness. It feels like it had the most coherent narrative, the best puzzles, and the liveliest characters, plus the return of Baba Yaga.

Hmmm... kind of surprised that I never borrowed anything from those games for my own adventures, now that I think about it...

[Crystal Frasier]

The Doomkitten wrote:

Is the Incident Cosmo-related in any way?

Cosmo says that's a trade secret.

[Crystal Frasier]

Limeylongears wrote:

*Is* Cosmo the incident?

Or was that Rovagug?

Or are they one and the same?OMGOMGOMG.

Cosmo says that's a trade secret, too.

[Damon Griffin]

Perhaps the whole pizza topping thing should be chartified, showing how much each ingredient weighs toward a given alignment extreme. Then a person could plot the net alignment before ordering.

thin crust; sausage, mushroom, red pepper

Crystals traditionally have metaphysical properties or affinities. What are yours?

[Gorbacz]

Vodka or Whisky?

[lucky7]

Dang. I had no idea my pizza was so EVIL. Delicious, but EVIL.

[Lissa Guillet]

I feel like we need a chart for aligned pizza toppings.

[Jiggy]

Lissa Guillet wrote:

I feel like we need a chart for aligned pizza toppings.

Indeed. Who'd have guessed that the epitome of Law and Good is embodied as the combination of chicken, bacon and tomatoes?

[Hrothdane]

What is your writing process like?

[Damon Griffin]

Lissa Guillet wrote:

I feel like we need a chart for aligned pizza toppings.

Crystal would need to supply specifics, but we have some data to start with: "Green pepper = evil, while sun-dried tomatoes are a sure sign of neutral good. Pepperoni is the true neutral of pizza toppings..."

So, assume Good/Evil to be the X axis and Law/Chaos to be the Y axis, with Good/Law having positive numeric values and Evil/Chaos negative numeric values, from 1 to 5. Pepperoni is X+0/Y+0, green pepper has a negative X value and an unknown Y value; and sun-dried tomatoes ("sure sign of neutral good") likely has an X value of at least +3, maybe X+3/Y+0.

Past that I *think* we only have overall alignment results for a complete pizza. I don't know if we can infer alignments for more individual ingredients, and certainly not their relative strengths.

Crystal, we await enlightenment. And dinner.

[Drejk]

Crystal Frasier wrote:

Rysky wrote:

For a question what would be CG Pizza Topping? CE?

CG is chicken. CE is barbeque sauce, among other things, although it's not a 1-for-1 ratio. This is the problem with converting between systems that came out at radically different times.

*evil laughter*

[Drejk]

Crystal Frasier wrote:

Kajehase wrote:

So what would be the alignment of someone using salami, mushrooms, and olives for pizza topping?

Well, the salami and olives certainly suggest NG, but those mushrooms tilt it back towards CE. Maybe N, maybe CN. Consult your GM.

Tasty.

[Justin Sluder]

Crystal Frasier wrote:

And I'm also our lead on southern Garund, though I can't talk about much of that ATM.

You have my attention! :D

[Ambrosia Slaad]

Justin Sluder wrote:

Crystal Frasier wrote:

And I'm also our lead on southern Garund, though I can't talk about much of that ATM.

You have my attention! :D

Thirding this! {goes back to writing more Nurvatchta-inspired stuff}

[Crystal Frasier]

Damon Griffin wrote:

Crystals traditionally have metaphysical properties or affinities. What are yours?

Healing, mostly. I was a massage therapist before I started at Paizo and knew a lot about human anatomy and how to put it back together.

[Crystal Frasier]

Gorbacz wrote:

Vodka or Whisky?

Gin. Then whiskey. Then vodka.

[Crystal Frasier]

Jiggy wrote:

Lissa Guillet wrote:

I feel like we need a chart for aligned pizza toppings.

Indeed. Who'd have guessed that the epitome of Law and Good is embodied as the combination of chicken, bacon and tomatoes?

Morality-based edible cosmos is a complicated beast. Very touchy and difficult to predict...

Jiggy wrote:

Crystal, we await enlightenment. And dinner.

I am not going to make ethical dinner for the whole class!

[Crystal Frasier]

Hrothdane wrote:

What is your writing process like?

My process usually starts with a lot of research and note-taking. I like to see what's been done and what hasn't on a topic, and see if there are any dangling plot threads that beg to be plucked. I'll usually see if I can find a good book or podcast on a related topic as well, to help get ideas flowing. Around the time I started In Hell's Bright Shadow I qued up a few documentaries about the French resistance in WWII, for example.

After that I make some additional notes about what would be REALLY COOL to include. Sometimes it's a character archetype I really want to see, sometimes it's a flavorful monster I want to add (Deacon Hope in Divinity Drive is an excellent example of this), sometimes it's an iconic setting or fight scene I think would be fun.

Next, everything goes into an outline. If I'm writing an adventure, this is the point when I figure out the CRs of my encounters and my XP budget, and some of the more iconic treasure that will be handed out. For setting articles this is the point where I hammer out important locations and themes.

Once I have an outline, I jump into the writing. I usually start somewhere in the middle and pluck away at one or two of the most interesting topics first, to get me interested. Then I shift whatever part I'm dreading the most. Once the first push and the worst elements are done, everything else is downhill.

Once it's done, I like to give it a few days to a week to sit and not even look at it, then I go back and edit. I do a cold read-through, start to finish, and usually say out loud "What the hell was I thinking?" Then I fix it as much as I can.

Then I run a spell-check.

At that point it isn't done, but it's as done as I can get it before deadline.

[Jiggy]

WAAAIIIITTT!!!!

Crystal, you said that a pizza of chicken/bacon/tomatoes was about as LG as you can get.

But earlier in the thread (as I was just reminded by reading someone's reply to you) you said that an example of a CG topping would be chicken.

So a pizza on which at least one-third of the toppings is chaotic somehow manages to end up as a flagship of law?

Something doesn't add up.

*points interrogation light in Crystal's face*

I DEMAND ANSWERS!!!

;)

[Drejk]

Jiggy wrote:

WAAAIIIITTT!!!!

Crystal, you said that a pizza of chicken/bacon/tomatoes was about as LG as you can get.

But earlier in the thread (as I was just reminded by reading someone's reply to you) you said that an example of a CG topping would be chicken.

So a pizza on which at least one-third of the toppings is chaotic somehow manages to end up as a flagship of law?

Something doesn't add up.

*points interrogation light in Crystal's face*

I DEMAND ANSWERS!!!

;)

It simple: chicken itself is chaotic good, but there is enough law in bacon and tomato to push it fully into LG territory.

Oh, sorry. I should let Crystal answer that...

[Crystal Frasier]

Jiggy wrote:

WAAAIIIITTT!!!!

Crystal, you said that a pizza of chicken/bacon/tomatoes was about as LG as you can get.

But earlier in the thread (as I was just reminded by reading someone's reply to you) you said that an example of a CG topping would be chicken.

So a pizza on which at least one-third of the toppings is chaotic somehow manages to end up as a flagship of law?

Something doesn't add up.

*points interrogation light in Crystal's face*

I DEMAND ANSWERS!!!

;)

Morality pizza math isn't a straightforward +/- system; it's a network of complex interactions built upon ancient treaties. While neither tomatoes, bacon, or chicken are LG, their interaction creates a LG result.

It's like chemistry. Sodium on its own is CN. Chlorine on its own is incredibly NE. Put them together and you get NG salt.

[The Doomkitten]

I prefer lots of red onions and turkey sausage on my gluten-free pizza. What alignment does that make me?

[Ambrosia Slaad]

I knew I should have bought a copy of PizzaHeroLab when I had the chance.

[Rysky]

Crystal Frasier wrote:

Damon Griffin wrote:

Crystals traditionally have metaphysical properties or affinities. What are yours?

Healing, mostly. I was a massage therapist before I started at Paizo and knew a lot about human anatomy and how to put it back together.

And how to take it apart? :3

[mathpro18]

Crystal Frasier wrote:

Gorbacz wrote:

Vodka or Whisky?

Gin. Then whiskey. Then vodka.

Ever do all three at once or in the same night?

[Misroi]

*sigh* I think I'll just wait until Ultimate Pizza comes out, and ask the rest of my pizza-related questions then.

And I have a LOT.

Back to QFG. Fighter, mage, thief, paladin - which is your favorite? And what about the two odd children in the series - Trial by Fire and Dragon Fire? Did you ever play the QFG2 remake? And how disappointing did you find the conclusion of the series to be?

[Merisiel Sillvari]

Oooh! OOOH! Why don't you draw more pictures of me?

[Archpaladin Zousha]

If what you say about pizza alignments is true, what does that make the Supreme pizza (pepperoni, sausage, onions, mushrooms, and green peppers)?

I write from a padded cell as I'm currently under investigation for pizza-alignment-based infractions and I seek to clear my name.

[Lem the Halfling]

Clearly she's busy drawing more handsome characters.

[Merisiel Sillvari]

Lem the Halfling wrote:

Clearly she's busy drawing more handsome characters.

Go back to your flute and quit horning in on my model work!!!

[Liz Courts]

mathpro18 wrote:

Crystal Frasier wrote:

Gorbacz wrote:

Vodka or Whisky?

Gin. Then whiskey. Then vodka.

Ever do all three at once or in the same night?

*raises a finger to answer... refrains*

[Ross Byers]

Crystal Frasier wrote:

Jiggy wrote:

Crystal, we await enlightenment. And dinner.

I am not going to make ethical dinner for the whole class!

What about unethical dinner?

[Lou Diamond]

Since Crystal knows all, can you tell me why Cosmo is not posting in his thread? Is he being held hostage in the Paizo Office just so everyone can blame him for their problems?

Back to a pizza alignment question what is a peperoni and red onion pizza's alignment.

[captain yesterday]

Have you ever had Buttermilk Chess Pie?

[Paladin of Baha-who?]

Does extra cheese/no extra cheese make a difference in pizza alignment? What about crust flavor? I'm a big proponent of sesame-seed crust, but cajun, italian herb, and poppyseed have their good points too.

Have you considered the effect of sauce? I once had a pizza from Red Line pizza in Tempe, AZ where the sauce tasted like, no kidding, Campbell's condensed tomato soup. (A perfectly fine soup qua soup, but it was horrid on pizza.)

[Mythic JMD031]

Why hasn't my question of "things?" been answered? I was under the impression that this is where I could ask "All the things" but I am getting the feeling this is not the case. If I cannot obtain information on things of any kind, where do you suggest I obtain this information?

[Feros]

Mythic JMD031 wrote:

Why hasn't my question of "things?" been answered? I was under the impression that this is where I could ask "All the things" but I am getting the feeling this is not the case. If I cannot obtain information on things of any kind, where do you suggest I obtain this information?

Was this what you were asking Crystal about? 'Cuz you could start a discussion group over there.

So Crystal, I understand the utterly Awesome Goblin Accountomancer image and all the detail therein, but doesn't the note pad and pen lead to a goblinoid anachronism? Golarion goblins despise writing. So what is the pad and pen for?

[LazarX]

So how are things on the Blue Area of the Moon? Please give my regards to Lady Medusa, His Majesty Black Bolt, and of course Lockjaw.

[Lissa Guillet]

Feros wrote:

So Crystal, I understand the utterly Awesome Goblin Accountomancer image and all the detail therein, but doesn't the note pad and pen lead to a goblinoid anachronism? Golarion goblins despise writing. So what is the pad and pen for?

Writing down the names of people who don't pay their taxes, I assume.

[Alayern]

Crystal Frasier wrote:

Albatoonoe wrote:

What alignment might Jalapenos as a topping be? (this is an unexpected and awesome discussion)

The jalapeno is a chaotic element, and delicious, so CN leaning towards CG.

Albatoonoe wrote:

And what is your dyeing regiment like? Your hair is awesome.

The hair? It's natural amongst my people (Rob thinks I'm a gnome, Jacobs says I'm a librarian, both of white are renowned for their brightly-colored hair).

Really, though, I have very dark hair naturally, and have to bleach my roots every two to four months. The color I have to touch up every few weeks, depending on what brand of dye I used (some last longer than others) and how I feel about the faded color (right now it's fading directly to a golden yellow, which I kind of like).

When you say "librarian" do you mean the usual kind, or the kind you might find in a small desert town called Night Vale?

Edit (for FYI):

Sora is the protagonist of most of the Kingdom Hearts games. (Swordsman)

Kirito is the Virtual Reality alias of Kirigaya Kazuto, and de facto main character of the anime Sword Art Online. (Swordsman) (Also, I enjoyed this anime, so if you like tons of action and tons of deep questions on your (media) pizza, this is the topping for you)

[Hrothdane]

If you could spend a day with any historical person, who would you pick and what would you do?

Fictional person?

[Jiggy]

Feros wrote:

but doesn't the note pad and pen lead to a goblinoid anachronism? Golarion goblins despise writing. So what is the pad and pen for?

What, did goblins used to be okay with writing a long time ago? Or they are in the future? What time-travely goblin lore have I missed out on?

[Crystal Frasier]

The Doomkitten wrote:

I prefer lots of red onions and turkey sausage on my gluten-free pizza. What alignment does that make me?

Gluten-free skews the math. Answer unclear. Ask again later.

[Crystal Frasier]

Liz Courts wrote:

mathpro18 wrote:

Crystal Frasier wrote:

Gorbacz wrote:

Vodka or Whisky?

Gin. Then whiskey. Then vodka.

Ever do all three at once or in the same night?

*raises a finger to answer... refrains*

My ninja says no.

[Crystal Frasier]

Misroi wrote:

*sigh* I think I'll just wait until Ultimate Pizza comes out, and ask the rest of my pizza-related questions then.

And I have a LOT.

Back to QFG. Fighter, mage, thief, paladin - which is your favorite? And what about the two odd children in the series - Trial by Fire and Dragon Fire? Did you ever play the QFG2 remake? And how disappointing did you find the conclusion of the series to be?

I like a Rogue, but I also play a Mage sometimes too. I've never liked the combat system much, so I've never invested much time in Fighter, and I've never actually had the patience to play a Paladin.

I liked Trial by Fire and have the remake on my desktop, but really didn't enjoy Dragon Fire. It really didn't keep my interest until the end, so I actually don't know how the series ends.

[Crystal Frasier]

Merisiel Sillvari wrote:

Oooh! OOOH! Why don't you draw more pictures of me?

I'm sorry, Meri. I love you, but I've beenr eally distracted drawing the pretty races lately. You know, dwarves, half-orcs, those sorts. You understand.

[Crystal Frasier]

Ross Byers wrote:

Crystal Frasier wrote:

Jiggy wrote:

Crystal, we await enlightenment. And dinner.

I am not going to make ethical dinner for the whole class!

What about unethical dinner?

You just finished it! And I can sell you the antidote for an reasonable fee...

[Crystal Frasier]

Archpaladin Zousha wrote:

If what you say about pizza alignments is true, what does that make the Supreme pizza (pepperoni, sausage, onions, mushrooms, and green peppers)?

I write from a padded cell as I'm currently under investigation for pizza-alignment-based infractions and I seek to clear my name.

You're neutral, so you haven't technically done anything wrong. That said, paladin really should be held to a higher standard of pizza topping.