Aron Reif's page

I enjoy building 3D models of some of the major encounters that my PCs are going to run through. My work isn't the best, but I thought you all might enjoy seeing some of it, so I posted it on Flikr.

Here's the model of Vanderboren Manor that I made for the Bullywug Gambit. This is built from cardstock using Worldworks Games' Shellendrak Manor templates. I had to redesign the map of the manor to get it to fit with the wall templates, and to keep it contained on a 20" x 30" foamcore board. I had to combine a few of the rooms (like the statuary room and the trophy room) to make it all fit. Some of the cardstock walls look really warped, largely due to cupping (warping) of the underlying foamcore, plus the moisture levels in my basement where it's kept. Still, it really got my players excited to go room-to-room hunting down bullywugs. I'm especially prowd of the Vanthus Vanderboren portrait on the dining room wall, right where it's described from There is No Honor. That was not easy to get scaled down and reprinted. The manor is rather sparcely furnished, because I ran out of time to build the furniture before we ran the adventure.

Here's my version of the Sea Wyvern. I used a Mega Bloks' Black Pearl as a base. I replaced the black cloth sails with white cardstock sails, which include an image of a blue wyvern that I found on the internet. I replaced the Black Pearl figurehead with a representation of a giant wyvern (a Mega Bloks' Cirrusfire Dragon ). I covered up the "lego bumps" with cardstock floors, and I custom-built the crow's nest. I used black thread to represent the rigging. If you're looking for a good miniature-scale ship, Toys 'R' Us sells these Mega Bloks Black Pearl sets for about $20, which is really hard to beat. I was planning to build a ship using Worldworks Games' Maiden of the Seas, but I would have spent much more than $20 on ink and cardstock alone.

My next project is to start on the village of Farshore, using Worldworks Games' Scull Cove templates.

OK, I've been reading the STAP since the first adventure came out a year ago, and I'm getting ready to start running it. I'm re-reading the first couple of adventures (you'd be amazed how much I forget in a year), and I realized that I can't remember the Jade Ravens adding much to the plot at all.

Do they have a purpose or critical plot point that I've forgotten about? The first adventure briefly mentions them in passing, with the note that this is just foreshadowing, and that the Jade Ravens will become much more important characters later. Now, it could be that I've forgotten their critical role, but I don't really remember them adding much to the overall plot of the STAP at all.

This is a big deal to me because my players tend to be a fairly suspicious bunch. If I introduce a set of characters (competing adventurers, no less) that have no immediate purpose, they start thinking that the Jade Ravens are behind the attack on Lavinia's parents, or that they're somehow flunkies of Vanthus, or something. They're going to start asking questions that I can't really answer: "If Lavinia already employs the Jade Ravens, why is she bringing in us to do this? Are we the expendable fodder?" (Yes, we've played too much Shadowrun) Basically, I have a feeling that they're going to spend a significant amount of time trying to chase down these "leads" unnecessarily.

So my question boils down to: I'm thinking of getting rid of the Jade Ravens all together. Do you guys know of a reason that I shouldn't?