Annika's page

Aroden's not dead, he's just pining for the Fjords =P

While I may come up with languages based on word structure of earth languages, I try to avoid comparisons between earth races and cultures and ones on Golarion. I try to develop the various cultures as unique to Golarion as possible. I get a bit tired of every created commercial world being an earth copy-cat. Just my opinion. Make your villain a unique character, not a Nazi cut out.

Paizo has a good hand at detailing enough to create interest with out detailing to the point of naming the last bar wench and her 9 cousins. There are infinite adventure paths that can be written and many more modules. I personally would prefer less Earth-Golarion similarities with race and location. I would rather have more races, cultures and places with no similarities to Earth whatsoever, but I guess that's what a homebrewed setting is good for and it's only my opinion. I choose carefully what I allow for "common knowledge" in my campaigns and will not let players carry knowledge from one adventure path/module to the next. There is no form of rapid travel or communications. Everything learned is either by reading it or hearing it word of mouth...lots and lots of room for misinformation =) The world is only as small as you let it be. For me, keeping the fantastic and the unknown alive is very important to keeping the world from becoming "tired"

I think that Golarion is far from retirement

Ambassador to Golarion, pleased to meet you =} Well played sir

Nu'Raahl wrote:

If a GM is banning something because it doesnt fit their game concept I'll work with them.

This is kind of how it works.

If I decide I want to run a Dwarf campaign, I announce this clearly and outline expectations, you have two options as a player. Make a dwarf or say "I'll pass"

If I pick a general campaign and decide to exclude specific things, and I announce this clearly...yeah, same thing.

Our group always has GM approval of concept for several reasons. One, to make sure you can fit it into the group and the setting. Another is so that the story can include your story. You an orphan, tell me about how it happened and maybe we explore what REALLY happened to your parents somewhere down the line. Have an elaborate backstory? Awesome, that gives me some depth to add to the setting.

But just because you want to play it doesn't mean you get to play it in this game that this GM is running.

The only way you can get 100% control of what you run is as a GM.

Ok, this is how I run a campaign. I'm a dreaded rulers GM. I clearly state, before anyone has made a character, what is accepted and what is excluded from a campaign. Pleasing everybody all the time isn't possible. Most people are ok with playing with in a set of guidelines. I seldom run an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink type campaign, so my regulars know I'm going to make it a GM approval thing with keeping the campaign flavour in mind. I encourage good backstories, but we are a role-play heavy group anyway. We are less interested in playing a set of optimized statistics and more interested in making a colourful and interesting story. But each GM is different and each gaming group is different, so I don't think that there is a right or wrong answer.

I don't need a 2nd edition, I need a 2nd inner sea world guide...I've used the covers off my old one =D If it ain't broke, don't fix it...imho of course.

Thanks! I love reading about what other GM's do in their games. I just started a page on Obsidian Portal, thanks for the info Lord Phrofet. My players may never forgive me when I start posting all of my stuff there =P Scarletrose, that sounds really cool, I'm kind off a history geek, and it actually does sound like renaissance Italy quite a lot.

I admit that I'm terribly detail oriented. My gaming group calls me Annika, mistress of copious handouts =P But I love digging into a region and further developing it. I'm not in the least unhappy with the writers and developers of Pathfinder and Golarion, it's the best setting/world ever imho. My favorite places so far are Taldor, Lastwall and Ustalav, I just started getting into other areas and don't have a real feel for them yet. I just like to build npc's, rumours, local slang, food, costume and all that. It makes it more rich and enjoyable to GM for me. / No one ever complains when I pass out the rumour slips to each player as they discover them or when I hand out menus for the inn or tavern that they stop at. Does any one else do this?

I apparently live to complicate the game with details and cause myself headaches, says my bf =}

What area are any of you playing in and how much or little detail have you added? Curiosity killed the cat.

I came to the same conclusion, right or wrong, and that's how I'm playing it in my CC campaign

I want to add my thanks to the mix as well. I really like the format and the content is all useful and evocative =}

Good ones!

Well to add to the heady mix, these are just a few of the oaths, insults and curses that I think won't get me banned =P

Gorum's B~#$@~@s!
Shelyn's Shapely Backside!
Bloody bones!
By the bright shield!
Iomedae's Unmentionables!
By the unspeakable name! (of Tar-Baphon)
Hellfire!
Blast and Bumfodder!
By Bes's Black Heart!
Cayden's Cods
Oh Hagspittle!
Bah! Dragonfarts!
By the Black Gate
Lady's Grace!
Holy Mother of Hamsters!
By Erastils Trusty Shaft
By the Black Beard of Asmodeus
You smell like an ogre's armpit!
Abadar's Arse!
By Cayden's Pointy Poker!
Hell's blood!
Over my still cooling carcass!
Oh Bug-gnats! (my witch Tangle says this all the time)
By the Pendulous Paps of Gyronna!
By the Blows of Torag!
Nocticula's Naughty Bits!
Have a care, Worldling, The Grey Lady awaits! (The hoity-toity Pharasmin Cleric says this often to any one who annoys her)
Shelyn's Knickers!
Blood and Stone!
By the Grave!
By the Thousand Stings of Calistria

I've left the more um...creative ones out =)

zergtitan, me either! Hopefully it'll have a bunch more about the Knights of Ozem in it too.

You are all right about the T-man, my question was rather ill thought through. Every campaign world needs a complete over-the-top eeevil megalomaniac. In truth, I like TB too much to let the players do away with him for good no matter how tough they become. He'll be back =P

YES!! I'm going to be so happily broke this coming year. Paizo, I love you!

I would be positively ecstatic, I mean like giggling maniacally, to see celestials given three books. I loved the mythos and the detail given to each of the groupings of fiends and I'd love to see equal history given to each celestial race. That said, I guess I can see how most campaigns focus on the baddies and not the NPCs helping you along, so I can see GMs wanting more detail on them. Ah, well. At least we finally got one book about celestials. I've been begging for this one for a long time

Wildebob, me too! I like to play paladins and priests of LG deities and having powerful denizens of the heavens to work with or for to put a crimp in the baddie's plans is awesome! I want to see books dedicated to all of the heavenly beings as well as a book dedicated to the heralds of all of Golarion's gods!

Make that two fainting couches and some smelling salts. Ok, marking the calender and starting the count down now!

Thank you Lu-Ming for all of the incredible inspiration. I am a linguist hobbyist and appreciate your work.

Wow! Harrison, very cool! Mind if use it? I want a phoenix sorcerer for a The Serpent Skull AP that I'll be playing in =}

I haven't played on Golarion for that long and so haven't gone into a world wide naming/language correlation phase yet, but in the two adventure paths that I've ran so far, I've made Varisian a kind of Pan-Slavic language, Taldor and most of it's provinces have an old Greek/old Castilian mix of language elements and Cheliax is more like Italian with a dash of Roman. Currently we're playing in Ustalav and Lastwall. Lastwall is interesting because it's Taldane with Varisian influences and Ustalav is coming off Slavic (Varisian) with a healthy dash of Hungarian. The Kellid are ending up proto-celtic so far.

I'm hoping for a Taldan based AP, because I've put in the most sweat and blood on the Taldan background of my version of Lastwall so far and I'd like to use more of my work. I'm about to write my own AP in Taldor, so all of my work isn't in vain.

Anyway, that rounds up my brief take on things thus far.

Oh yeah! But that's part of the fun imho, taking the sword/wand/etc away from the bad guys before they can take YOU out with it adds an extra layer of excitement.

You regularly search your fave npc's names to see if ANYBODY has written anything cool about them that you've missed.

You refer to all of the Paizo powers-that-be by first names and your mate knows exactly who you're talking about

Kajehase ~ Way to go! =)

erm....Dangerous Dames in Killer Boots

Your first tattoo decision is going to be the holy symbol of Iomedae and now that you think about it the Paizo goblin would look cool too!

Hmmm...The Godsdeath Legacy?

I prefer nefarious dark mistress of doom myself =}

I think that you're right, T-B would rather be the bully supra baddy that he is now than risk trying for godhood and failing. His ego just wouldn't deal with that at all =p Besides where IS the fun of zapping mortals from afar when you can snuff them out all up close and personal. I like that extra insight into his character a lot. Sometimes I over work a subject looking for a new angle.

Thanks =D

Why OH why can't it be September yet???????? I'm reeeeeally looking forward to this one!

And you could always have a magical bow that shoots arrows that turn into face gnawing weasels on a successful hit =}

So, just kicking around some thoughts this morning on my fave super villain and what his plans will be when he finally breaks out of his prison. In the distant future of my current long running campaign, the characters in my group will be trying to face this bad boy down. Seeing that he is, oh, I dunno, one of THE most powerful mortals to walk Golarion, was he thinking of taking the Starstone test? (Tar-Baphon, demi-god of EE-vil necro-thugs) Did he think that by killing Arazni (My other fave Golarion character)that he could steal her divine essence/power (if there is a divine essence/power to steal, that is)? I was just wondering if he is going to try for godhood or is he just to "kewl" to be a god (In his own opinion, of course) =P

I realize that my own campaign isn't always canon, but I would like to hear something official or at least find out if we are going to have more official goods on The Whispering One and his goals/future machinations when he gets out of Gallowspire in future publications =} If this has already been answered some place else, could someone please point me to a post?

Thanks!

I like much of Paths of Prestige, but I have a couple of questions about the Knights of Ozem. I had hoped this would be covered here but may yet see light in the Knights book.

So, who was Ozem??? (if a person) or where is Ozem??? (if a place) and beside the ever changing series of patron gods and their symbols, do the knights have an emblem, device or symbol from ancient times?? like "knights of the phoenix", "knights of the golden lion" etc.etc.etc.

Is any of this going to be covered or should I just work something up myself?

Hey, I just wanted to say that this is the best thread on any board ever! I always check this thread out and discover some new and interesting bit of Golorian info. No questions right now, just a James Jacobs appreciation moment! Thanks for all of the endlessly cool posts and fun =}

A gnomish bar hop around the Firstworld to try and beat Cayden at an endless drinking contest??? Ok...that's pretty lame, sorry =P

Not much to add really, which is pretty amazing consider I am the most opinionated person in 100 miles, but =P its early yet. I'll post more when I'm awake.

1.) Not all women look like they work for Hooters. Smaller chested women are attractive too =} Everyone,in every game company is guilty of this.

2.) Women need to look like/be written like they should be taken seriously. (Poorly written sentence, but meh)

3.) Female warriors need REAL armour that protects and benefits them, not cheesecake armour that is shaped to show how big their boobs are.

4.) Women are real people, with real motives. We are not all society coquettes, bitter aging crones and simpering women looking for male approval =}

I know that I can come across as being harsh and it isn't intentional, just trying to get my opinions across =}

Annika, demi-deity of dark chocolate

Actually, paladins, being lawful and GOOD with a really nice charisma, can be pleasant and awesome people to be around. Somehow people always seem to think that all paladins should be like that one really cranky and unsmiling cop that they had to deal with as a teenager in their neighborhood. Really! Good laws benefit everyone, not just those that follow the paladin's religion. A paladin is a good person, not just an unflinching law spouter with out a personality. A paladin should make everyone around them feel good and even a small amount of humor could be part of that. Paladin's are charismatic people. Even a quiet and stern paladin should be played as someone with an intangible "something" that inspires those around him/her. Some of the best old westerns have good paladin archtypes of this kind. Kurt Russell, as Wyatt Earp, in Tombstone plays a great paladin type, dryly funny, but not over the top. You, of course, don't need to play your paladin as a clown. But yeah, paladins can most certainly be funny, just not the kind of "funny" that is hurtful or damage causing to anyone =}

One of my players has a paladin who is absolutely the funniest man alive. Gilaine is always saying hilarious things in the middle of battle that inspire and encourage the other players and their characters. It's truly funny to listen to. =]

Annika, demi-deity of dark chocolate

I have Taldor as a Spain-Rome mix in my campaign world.

I'm actually going to sub it for WotW. I've done something of a re-write and we've done a few extra adventures too, so as to weave it all into my overarching campaign. So AaD will be tougher, as will SoG. Our group loves serious undead and monster battles, so after AaD, Scarwall will just be a warm up for Gallowspires. I love Greg's work too and am really looking forward to running it!

Shah Jahan the King of Kings wrote:

estergum wrote:

Evil.

If its evil doing it to a kitten then its evil doing it to a vampire.

The nature of the act is not dependent on the target.

Furthermore, demons and devils torture, .... They certainly don't gain "good guy points" or turn into paladins from it.

To be fair, some of the kinkier angels do a bit of it too.

But they always use safewords. It's the right thing to do, folks.

The More You Know[/rainbowstar]

Mikaze, that is too funny =P I choked on my chai laughing =}

Thank you Chris! I have a new favorite artist =)

I love the illustration of the vampire ex paladin Halloran Idriss, but I can't figure out who the artist is. Can someone fill me in?

Thanks!

Nocticula!!!! Succubi, assassins, whips and leather baby!!! ;) (jus' kidding)

I'd go Lovcraftian, it just doesn't get any more nasty than that imho.

As a GM, I will add that in my games any torture for any reason is an evil act.

What we have done is seriously convoluted and not canon in the least, but it IS being fun! We have a young paladin character that is the off spring of a mortal hero and a goddess. She was held in a "state of timelessness" as an infant for many centuries before being discovered by a powerful hag and taken back to her lair. Shortly thereafter, the babe was rescued by an adventurer and ended up in an orphanage in Ustalav. She has JUST discovered her heritage and isn't dealing with it very well...good roleplaying, lots of craziness and fun, in a sheer terror kind of way. We are also trying to take the path of doing in the Whispering Tyrant once and for all. Kind of a vendetta thing on her part. So far we are all getting our butts kicked a lot and running around Ustalav/Lastwall chasing the baddies and being hunted by other baddies. Sort of using Carrion Crown, but only loosely following the timeline and events. Wicked amounts of work on the GM's side, but being worth it, I think =P

She is roughly based off of the half celestial template, with some reductions in power until she can "master her heritage". I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on Blood of Angels!!!

Sorry to get of topic there.

I think that Aroden being the god of humanity, that it is more than likely that he dallied with mortals now and then. Blood of the last Azlanti would make for some pretty cool pcs or npcs...I wonder if Aroden left a divine will laying around anywhere before he died??? ;)

I tweak encounters.

Anything they can break, I can break broker.

I'm the same way Fleshgrinder =)

I am lucky in that my current gaming friends are more into telling a good story.

Well mine is utter silliness, but in the campaign that it originated with, it really worked (It was an sort of Isle of 10,000 Gods type of place) Still, I do us it when appropriate. The rule is, when some pc calls out for divine help, blasphemes a god or any such thing where a higher power might notice, I roll a d100, if I roll a natural 100...SOMEthing notices ;) it may be a god, a fiend etc depending on the situation, GM's call. All sorts of weird, wonderful and sometimes terrifying encounters and situations have occurred this way over the years.

I know that this is a very late-after-the-fact post, but anyway....Wes, you are the ABSOLUTE cat's pajamas!! Thank you for the fun and elucidating posts!!

Very much appreciated, my good sir! =)

Well in response to the original question...Humans just come in so many yummy flavors =D Can you really blame the elves ;)

Oh yes, and how silly of me to forget! ANYTHING to do with Arazni. My favorite npc on Golarion needs a lot more written about her. =D

Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!!!!! *bows before Evil Paul gratefully*
This will save a busy evil gm lots of time.

Please add my vote for making this sticky!!!

@ SFD - I know that YOU weren't, but I didn't want to start a doo-doo throwing war over who's world was the bestest. ;P I have a wonderful habit of inadvertently p'ing people off....should have been a lawyer in rl, yes? =D