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Ok were-cabbages, a couple of questions:
(1) Has anyone found a good place for Exag in the Forgotten Realms? (I was thinking on the northern face of the Stormhorns or on the western slopes of the Desertmouth Mountains, but my campaign is Dalelands-centered so I naturally am looking closer to home). I am hoping, without asking anyone to break their NDA, that one of you fine folk can suggest a place where all three parts will play out nicely or if any of you see a reason not to place Exag in one of these two locations or if one is clearly superior to the other.
(2) Back in late March there was a "critque" posted about Vile Addiction and I was wondering if other than the obvious issue with the price of Green Welcome, any of the other issues raised in the thread like the wiki-posting of edited-out encounters (the mobs, the investigations) actually came to pass, and if so, where I might find this information.
I like the ideas in Seeds of Sehan and can assure you my players will love and loathe it! Its a fine effort that is focused enough to be useful but flexible enough to be modified to fit the character's temperments.
Lich-Loved, I've forwarded a link to this thread to the other Cabbagi. I'm pretty much a Greyhawk guy. I believe Farewell2Kings can answer your FR questions. I would look for a hilly and somewhat wild region bordering a massive mountain range that isn't too rigidly fixed in what type of creatures dwell there. That's the best I can do at a blind suggestion.
As far as the drug Green Welcome, I believe I suggested in the Vile Addiction Falls Apart thread dropping the cost to 10 gp at most and making the first dose a freebie.
I think we probably got distracted by other matters after the subject of posting edited out sections from the series came up and never followed through with some of our ideas. Whatever the case, we'll need to get James Jacobs' permission before we do any of that. I'll forward him a link to this thread to follow up on that.
The Were_Cabbages have had a lot of discussions in the patch lately about projects, ideas, and future endeavors. You can be sure that whatever things we brew up will be very, very cool.
Not a cabbage, but as a FR afficianado, I might be inclined to switch around a bit about the "ancient civilization" that founded Exag to make it an old Imaskari territory that was settled by some of their slaves when the empire fell. I'd probably put it in Murghom, in the southern section of the Mountains of Copper.
The only reason I would do this is that Murghom is little detailed, and I think that not only does the "ancient civilization" theme fit, but it gives a nice reason to see a distant part of the Realms. The entire region was part of Imaskar, but Murghom and Semphar were part of Mulhorand, and technically still are, but they haven't actually paid any heed to their parent nation for a long time.
At any rate, that's where I would put it, though its pretty far away from your original thought process.
I like KnightErrantJr's suggestion. My own personal experience in FR is limited to the Sword Coast, Savage North and Moonshae Islands, but I looked over the FRCS and his ideas are spot on, IMO.
I would also concur. I'm more the Mystaran conversion guy, but I do own a few of setting books and like playing with cultural dynamics. The feel of Exag as well as the clay architecture lends itself nicely to the eastern edges of ancient Mulhorand. The inhabitants of Exag are in this case probably descended of Mulan and Rashemi with some Kara-Turian ethnicities mixed. Their mulan-blood in particular makes the folks of Exag insular and a aloof in their dealing with outsiders even though thier society seems to be regressing rather than advancing. Some of this can be attributed to the yakfolk influence over the area (something you'll see more of in the next installment). The final chapter, Dread Pagoda of the Inscrutable Ones also uses a lot of cultural elements taken from a more Oriental Adventures-style game. So in general the further east you go on the map the better.
GGG
(2) any of the other issues raised in the thread like the wiki-posting of edited-out encounters (the mobs, the investigations) actually came to pass, and if so, where I might find this information.
Being as wordy as I am I have about 4,000-5,000 words of additional optional extras for Dread Pagoda (including a whole other dungeon that never made it to Paizo). Assuming everything is cool I could have it up in some format somewhere (see below) shortly after the newstand release date. I would like to see it in print first so I can tailor the stuff to the final product.
I had been using this site erected by Sam Brown - who input 95% of the basic information. It was his intention that more Paizo messageboard people (fans and contributors both) would contribute time to putting up more info. In the end I think I was the last one to edit it back around issue 142.
Psst!
-GGG
I just added a little more "resource" information on Exag on the DungeonWiki site:
This information was originally included in the Exag piece, but was edited out to make it fit the magazine, according to James. Some of the information was moved into "Vile Addiction." Just be aware that the resource information makes Exag a "darker and more threatening" place and a place where arrogant or heavy-handed PCs are likely to get TPKed, so use it with discretion.
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Thanks for the help, lycanthropes!
Not a cabbage, but as a FR afficianado, I might be inclined to switch around a bit about the "ancient civilization" that founded Exag to make it an old Imaskari territory that was settled by some of their slaves when the empire fell. I'd probably put it in Murghom, in the southern section of the Mountains of Copper.
The only reason I would do this is that Murghom is little detailed, and I think that not only does the "ancient civilization" theme fit, but it gives a nice reason to see a distant part of the Realms. The entire region was part of Imaskar, but Murghom and Semphar were part of Mulhorand, and technically still are, but they haven't actually paid any heed to their parent nation for a long time.
At any rate, that's where I would put it, though its pretty far away from your original thought process.
Well the party is currently in Narfell, having stumbled into a portal while in an ancient crypt deep in The Cold Field and is just about to enter the dragon's lair in Ill Made Graves (Dungeon 133). I don't think it would be too hard to get them over to the Mountains of Copper. If I decide to leave Exag over by the Anauroch, I had planned on making the city a remnant of the civilizations that rose after the fall of Nethiril (one of the Buried Kingdoms) and its people a holdover from those civilizations that decided not to join the Bedine as wanderers in the desert.
Thanks for the ideas, and if anyone else has input, I would greatly appreciate it.
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As soon as I've found out how to add stuff to that Wiki-site I will do!
One thing in advance, Lich-loved: The scale of the VA dungeon should be 5 feet per square, not 10 as printed.
Anyway, I have another encounter for the area with the otyugh and some more infos on flooding the dungeon.
Placing the whole thing in FR (I played FR for over 15 years until I siwtched over to Eberron and Ptolus) is pretty good covered by KnighterrantJr and Lich-loved.
I once thought about setting it in the IceMountains north of Ascore with a Netheril background and the Exag citizens being descendants from former slaves of the Netherils. The people who built Exag could be a lot older than the Netherese as well.
The Turnback Mountains (east of Anauroch and North of the Border Forest) would be fitting as well, as it is pretty reclusive!
These two came to my mind in order to keep it close to your "homeland" Lich-Loved.
You could also place Exag in the Anauroch, as mentioned, but place it near the Zhentarim caravan route through the desert. Could be a fun tie-in for the Moonsea area to regions further west. :)
Another thought would be to put it in Thesk, "off the beaten path". Perhaps in the mountains away from the Golden Way. Thesk has never been very unified and an individual city could certainly develop its own culture. Moreover, the existence of the Golden Way trade route could account for the influence of eastern architecture and the like.
--Eric
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This probably doesn't help the OP, but currently I plan to place Exag in northeastern Zakhara, near the World Pillar Mountains (home of the yakfolk). That supports some of the Oriental touches in the adventures, and Egyptian influences can be explained by an ancient civilization formed by Mulan peoples as part of the Imaskari Diaspora. Plus, that area of Zakhara is Forgotten Civilization Central.