David Eitelbach's page

Thanks everyone!

I'm very sad to be leaving Paizo (who would want to leave their dream job?), but my empty wallet sings sad songs to me, so it's time to look for a salary.

I definitely plan on keeping in contact with everyone at Paizo and remaining a presence here on these boards (I am, after all, a Paizo fanboi at heart), so don't expect me to disappear entirely!

Thanks to all the Paizo fans and customers who made my time here so awesome - I really did feel like a part of the family.

May the road ahead rock mightily indeed!

Thanks guys! It's been a long and fun internship for me as well, and I'm glad that you all have enjoyed my stay. I plan on continuing to post here on the Paizo forums, and to stay in contact with all of the fine folks at Paizo.

Where to next? I have no idea! A job, hopefully!

Thanks again all for making my internship (and posting blogs) so enjoyable. Paizo really does have the best fans around!

The Sound of Music (Edelweiss)

Ah-ha. You see, I am not good at this without actually hearing the music. :(

A Daffy Duck moment, in which his singing is greeted by crickets chirping.

Sorry! I forgot to check on the boards! What is that from?

The first Pirates of the Caribbean movie was based on a theme park ride, and it managed to outshine Transformers 2 in every way possible.

I actually don't know what the breakdown is. I'll try to find out though.

And I'm having a hard time imaging how "Eitelbach" could ever be put to a tune :)

Hey, no love for the interns and the four preview pic blockbuster in today's blog?

Great stuff. I especially love the tiger and the medusa.

The Bestiary is going to be so sweet. I cannot wait to get mah grubby hands on it!

No update?

I blame Ross!

** spoiler omitted **

** spoiler omitted **

Nooooo aaaaaaargh why me?!

;-)

I just wrote one today (late, I know!) so hopefully it goes up later in the day. If not... well, I guess the blame on me is well-deserved!

GentleGiant wrote:

Indeed... In fact, how does one usually survive an internship at most places (no, I'm not referring to unfortunate accidents with the office Shoggoth), seeing that they're usually not paid positions (or with very limited pay anyway)?

You work hard and hope it eventually pays off. ;)

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Paging Mr. Eitelbach! Mr. Eitelbach to the front desk please!

Editorial intern, eh?
Work must really be hectic, I mean, two, TWO different spellings of the artist's name in today's blog (one of them in the tags). Not only that, but they're both wrong! ;-)
Jesper Ejsing is his name. Not Jasper, not Ejsin. Jesper Ejsing.

*cracks whip* Now get it fixed! :-p

Considering that I pride myself on my knowledge of fantasy artists, this is very embarrassing! Fixed!

David,

Thanks for including the Hermea banner with today's blog.

SO much better than more of Sutter's mug. ;)

I actually didn't choose the Hermea banner, I'm not sure who did. Sutter, maybe?

That very sentiment is one of the most dangerous, unhealthy convictions that an individual can possess.

I fail to see how that sentiment is dangerous and unhealthy.

David,

Good job, I loved the article. But I couldn't help but notice that the Appendix project has gone on hiatus and you haven't responded to my queries.
What up, dog?

Hey Mairkurion,

I'm so sorry, I had no idea you were querying me! I really need to check the forums more often... Totally my fault.

As for the Appendix blog, there are a few reasons it's gone on hiatus. To begin with, with the RPG and the Bestiary just around the corner, people at the office are incredibly busy with work and I just don't feel comfortable yet asking them to take a half hour to an hour out of their workday to talk. Hank and I are also pretty busy (believe it or not) doing a lot of the editing for other projects as the editorial staff focus most of their energies on the aforementioned books (which are shaping up to be pure awesomeness, by the way). Lastly, it seemed like people on the forums were clamoring for previews more than anything else, so Hank and I thought we'd give the people what they want!

That being said, I have not given up on the Appendix blog series at all (nor the Roots & Beginnings series), so except more of that in the near future as we wrap up working on the RPG and Bestiary.

And thanks for the interest, it makes it worthwhile knowing that people like reading them!

By the way, David, is there a chance that I can get the last unicorn avatar? Or is it reserved for Hank?

I thought that was reserved for Sebastian.

Hey, Dave, do you have the scoop on this morning's troubles?

I don't know about troubles (things seem fine to me, busy as usual) but I can tell you that we have some awesome (and unusual) blogs going up today and tomorrow.

Yeah, yeah, great impressed...now...NEW ENTRY!

GAH! So demanding! :)

This sounds very cool! I love the picture of Emperor Stavian III in the blog. He reminds me of Prince John from Disney's Robin Hood!

I was wondering why he looked familiar!

Gah! Sorry I goofed, guys. Didn't mean to get your hopes up only to dash them! When I wrote that I thought that the second part of James's interview would go up today, but I guess it will wait until next week.

Did I miss an oblique reference? ("Yesterday's fateful misadventure.") Yes, I've enjoyed today's preview pics, and the blog itself was quite good--and of a respectable length. But I loved yesterday's gnoll picture. (Even though that neck is going to give him back problems later in life.)

Hey, the week is over and we never got part two of Jacobs. Can we squeeze in a double post before the weekend? :D

One double post on the way...

Yeah the art is pretty kick-ass. I don't remember who the artists are, but I will post here when I find out. Hank and I trade preview blogs - I wrote the latest one. Thanks for letting us know you like it!

Thanks guys! We've been swamped here lately, editing at a frantic pace to get stuff out the door, but I'll probably write the second part of the interview tonight. Interviewing James was great, and his depth of knowledge about the horror genre was truly frightening (cue drums and cymbal).

I also agree that longer blog posts are fun. Of course, new art is always fun too, and there is more of that on the way as well! Woot!

I'll be dleighted to buy this when it comes out. Dwarves never seem to get the respect they deserve in RPGs.

Oh, we'll make sure that dwarves get plenty of respect in Pathfinder.

Wishes that all of this week's blog posts are this good (or better).

Thanks Mairkurion! Also, a preview blog should be on the way soon, to warm your preview-starved heart.

Robert E. Howard wrote some great jungle-based fiction for his Conan stories. "Iron Shadows in the Moon," "The Pool of the Black One," "Queen of the Black Coast," "Jewels of Gwahlur," and "Beyond the Black River" are all excellent stories, although the theme of "the characters stumble upon the domain of powerful, primitive creatures from a lost age" can get a little repetitive.

Mairkurion {tm} wrote:

So, are we all agreed that these strange newcomers "Vadid and Nakh" kick the hell out of those worthless interns?

I think that's safe to say. Let's see how well they keep up the previews.

Stupid replacements...

Have no fear, another preview is on the way! We were shocked to learn that a true preview hasn't been done since January - of course this is unacceptable, so it's time to turn that around! I think you'll like the preview, which will be posted on the blog soon. It's a powerful outsider from the bestiary in Pathfinder Adventure Path volume #20.

Congratulations on finishing CotCT DM Jeff! I'm curious...

Thank you for the encouragement, I hope that you'll continue to like the series!

I think someone else mentioned this before, but I think it bears repeating- what if you buy the regular subscription, but donate the print copy to someone before your copy is mailed to you and shipping costs are incurred? Then you can have your "PDF" copies of all the episodes without paying s/h.

You mentioned you would be interested in paying a 'fair price'... considering how Paizo isn't willing to only sell PDFs since it may very well undercut their margins, why not be generous and increase the love of gaming for someone else?

I'm sure if enough people were interested in doing that, then Paizo could establish a direct-donate to give Pathfinders to libraries or shelters, or to veteran's gift drives, or some other worthy venture. It would be good PR for them. Then, assuming you live in Canada (possibly the UK) or the US, you could perhaps deduct the donation from your taxes (Although that might be a bit sketchy considering how you are getting a product of some sort for the 20 dollars).

Just an idea.
~LD

Speaking as just an intern with little say in Paizo's policies, I would just like to say that donating physical copies of your Pathfinder subscription to veterans is a great idea. I've spent enough time prowling the forums before I was an intern to know that there are a lot of folks serving overseas who look forward to receiving Pathfinder at their local PX. I can't say if Paizo would handle the creation of a direct-donate system, but nothing says that you can't figure it out yourself (or get the help of any number of organizations that help veterans, such as the USO).

But then, I am just an intern. ;-)

Well, I don't envy whoever played the gnome and had to use what appears to be a wad of chewing gum as his/her miniature. :-)

LOL!

This has got to be my favorite WAR piece.

That fire giant is awesome!

If I could make a caption for it, it would be something like this:

"Hello, this is Dungeons & Dragons."

Really, it's just awesome.

David Eitelbach wrote:

Plus I want to start doing a series about the historical/mythological/fictional roots of monsters and places in Golarion - like the genies! Hopefully you'll like it.

Did you say Genies?.....

mmmmmmmmmm

Wes told me that I Dream of Jeannie was the primary source of inspiration for Legacy of Fire.

I would add the goddess Hecate as she appeared in the Hellboy comics.

And Koschei the Deathless from Darkness Calls.

Heck, I'd add a lot of the villains from Hellboy!

Mairkurion {tm} wrote:

Yeah, I'm kinda starting to hate these interns. Their posts are all "look at the special things we get to do...tee-hee!" We paint minis; we play-test unreleased products; we hang with Pierce Watters.

Well, don't be too jealous, I don't think they get paid. It's great (work) if you can get it, but you also have to be able to afford it.

Nope, no money. Oh well, it's a lot of fun anyway! And hopefully I can assuage your hatred Mairkurion for just a little bit longer, as I'm planning another Appendix N article as I write this. Plus I want to start doing a series about the historical/mythological/fictional roots of monsters and places in Golarion - like the genies! Hopefully you'll like it.

I'm writing up the second and third parts of the interview tonight. Thundarr the Barbarian was, in fact, a source of inspiration for Golarion.

"He is Thundarr, the Barbarian!"

I've been a big fan of WAR's work since day one, but I see what you're saying - Wayne is steadily honing his craft with each new piece he submits to Paizo. I've been looking a lot at his art recently as well, and it struck me that one of the most appealing aspects of his latest art (more than his sense of action, which has always been a staple of WAR's art) is his amazing use of color. It just blends perfectly, and is vibrant without being garish. The cover of The Great Beyond is a perfect example of this.

For me, if it is about Golarion in the slightest, I will get it. The world just keeps getting better as these artists, writers and game designers put magic back on the table. When the Nuclear War is over, I will emerge with all my Pathfinder material and finally bring hope to the masses.

Zux

The Gospel of Paizo, eh? I could get behind that!

And Legacy of Fire is indeed shaping up to be great. Hank and I have been helping to edit the adventure path, and the adventures/articles are pretty freaking sweet - plus I just really like genies and Arabic/Persian culture in general. As someone who was a Pathfinder subscriber not that long ago, let me tell you - I am SO excited to get my hands on the finished product!

That's what we do for regular staff members. I think the interns are supposed to send us pizza...but they don't have to if, ya know, they do other stuff.

Well, as you can see that I troll the forums regularly, clearly I don't! What's your favorite topping?

It's funny you should mention naked Harsk, as I was just looking at a picture of a 4/5ths-naked dwarf in the art department just yesterday.

Bear-fans, rejoice!

zWHAAAAA?! Haven't seen that one...

And Callous Jack, Hank and I would love to post more pictures of miniatures of miniatures painting. Sean Reynolds runs a "painting workshop" on Wednesdays where he lets anyone who wants use his pains and a bunch of "community miniatures" to practice painting on. So that will definitely get covered in the blog.

This is awesome. And while it might make me love the Paizo staff more (is that possible?) how's this going to make me want to buy more stuff from Paizo. You know what will push the blog to achieve its maximum marketing potential? Artwork and spoilers! Ok, so maybe not "spoilers" but "teasers." And more naked iconics. Harsk next, please.

*Channeling my inner Kirk* Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarsk!

And I'm working on teasers, actually. I have another idea for a blog series that I want to run by Wes.

Thanks for all the kind woots everyone! (Bah-dum-PSH!) I'm pretty sure that we'll have a wide range of influences as we build up "the Paizo Appendix N", as I know that while Erik is an aficionado of pulp fantasy stories (such as those found in the original Appendix N, all of which he has read I'm sure), James Jacobs knows everything there is to know about horror movies (and probably many other genres of film as well). I'm pretty durned excited!

And Mairkurion, those are definitely good suggestions and I will bring them up with Wes, who might be able to add the links to REH and Gygax. Raising awareness of Planet Stories books would be a very nice side-effect of creating a new Appendix N. Hooray for self-promotion!

While I'm at it, I might as well tell you guys about another blog series that I'm planning, tentatively titled "Roots & Beginnings", which explores how the Paizo staff came up with the ideas for particularly awesome adventures/parts of the setting (similar to the blog post about how Tanglebriar and Treerazer came from James Jacobs's homebrew setting), as well as the historical and mythological sources that the authors used when researching specific parts of the setting (such as the rakshasa, the upcoming Book of the Damned, etc.). You like?

c'mon "strange elephant.jpg" we want more spoilers than that (just kidding)

No, starting now we will only be providing descriptions of illustrations and not the actual illustrations themselves, so as to avoid spoilers. So instead of beautiful Wayne Reynolds art you can enjoy such evocative filenames as "wooly_hobgoblin.jpg", "Azlanti_death_star.jpg", and "fanservice_merisiel.tiff".

KIDDING!!

I have it on good authority that the "F." stands for Franzibald, and that Wes moonlights as the author of such gems as "Songs of the Sorcelator: Return of the Witchaloks Part II." [/end Penny-Arcade humor]

I checked out your previous posts. You write clearly and elegantly.

Wow! Thanks so much for the encouragement Taliesin!

And thanks to everyone else for the warm welcome! I hope that you all find Hank's and my blog posts enjoyable!

yoda8myhead wrote:

Just out of curiosity, Hank & David, what were your previous board screennames? Were you active on here before you got the call?

If you looked at thier recent Posts you might be able to figure that out ;)

Or you could keep reading and I would tell you that David posted as David E and Hank doesn't appear to have posted before his internship, or he created a new account.

That's exactly right, I used to post as David E. Not too many posts though, as I was more of a lurker than an active participant.

Montalve wrote:

now if Icould find a photo of this guy Dave....

I'm wondering about that too. Where is this Dave guy? What kind of horrible deformity does he have that they don't show us his photo? Is he a half-fiend Otyugh? Is he Hank's imaginary friend? Me wants know Dave!

LOL! Half-fiend Otyugh indeed! Looking at my picture now, I suppose I must have Otyugh blood running through these veins, what with that %^&*-eating grin on my face.

Thanks for the kind welcome everyone! As you can tell, I'm super-excited to be working at Paizo. I'm also super-excited to contribute to the blog, seeing as I was definitely a Paizo blog addict long before I became an intern. The stuff I mentioned in my introductory blog were some of my ideas, but I'm curious: What would all you fine Paizonians like to see in the blog? Want small tidbits of content that you can use in your games? (no stats, sorry.) Interviews with Paizo staff? Want to find out what their favorite movies are? Favorite books? Favorite color?

Of course, all suggestions will be vetted by Mr. Wes Schneider for approval - I wouldn't want to accidentally give away some of Paizo's secrets in my eagerness to talk about life at the office!

But.. that is also why I have been pushing for a Viking AP. Because I'd love to see a Viking versus Witches AP, guest starring some Linnorms. It would not be hard to take that preliminary work and turn it into a proper module, or chapter in an AP.

If this notion excites you, please promote it to the Editorial Team.

This would be so freaking awesome. SO FREAKING AWESOME.

Sorry if this is an identical thread, it looks like the website ate my last one.

I was sent an email almost three weeks ago (12/23/08) which said to expect my shipment to be sent in the next week or so. In my account it says that the items were indeed shipped on the 31st of December. Yet I never received an email confirming the shipment and the package still has not arrived yet. Should I be worried, or continue to be patient? Thanks for the help!

I was sent an email almost three weeks ago (12/23/08) which said to expect my shipment to be sent in the next week or so. In my account it says that the items were indeed shipped on the 31st of December. Yet I never received an email confirming the shipment and the package still has not arrived yet. Should I be worried, or continue to be patient? Thanks for the help!