Well, it's been 2 years and 2 months since our last session, but we're finally gearing up for Session 19! Compiled and cleaned up PDF of our first 18 sessions are here for those who might be interested.
Been a busy couple of years. Not that things have settled down any (quite the opposite, in fact), but my friends and I have decided to get this campaign up and running again, right where we left off last time.
Lost three of our players though -- they can't rejoin any time soon -- so we're back down to our first two (Dallen & Drace). We may have a third joining us later, but in the meantime we have two open slots, if anyone's interested (if so, feel free to shoot me a PM; we've got a fighter and a swashbuckler/sorcerer, and the third player who'll likely join later is a rogue/assassin. If you join, you'll be asked to make a character at the top of 9th level. Players not too familiar with Shackled City preferred. Usual playing times are typically either Sat or Sun mornings, anywhere from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. start to 12 p.m. or 1 p.m. Pacific Time. Average sessions, when we're actually playing, is once to twice a month).
The dorn-dergar always struck me as a cool weapon. It's a nice change of pace from the normal axes and hammers (double-ball and chain FTW). But I've always wondered how exactly it's wielded.
As a melee weapon it's as simple as "punching" the enemy with one of the steal balls. As a reach weapon, it's just a fancy ball and chain, launch one ball at the enemy. But if you had the "Dorn-Dergar Master" feat, you can wield it one-handed. I'm guessing it would probably look something like the orc boss from "King of Dragons" (Go to 1:11 and watch the boss battle to see what I mean):
Come check out the new Pathfinder Campaign Setting at www.gamesmithsllc.com! And read about how you might be able to get 9 metal 28mm minis designed by Wayne Reynolds, here:
Game Smiths Forums
Howdy partner! Come and join The Saga of Dragon StarTM, an epic fantasy western set in the dying world of Avanti, a troubled land under the oppression of the mighty Keln Dominion. As the immense, dark empire swallows realm after realm, refugees flee to the Frontier Lands, a vast, desolate territory of endless desert and prospect towns, free for the time being from the Dominion in the far north. In this wild expanse, the only law is the Dragon Stars, elite frontier sheriffs appointed by the Ember Council.
Countless inhabitants attempt to eke out a living in this unforgiving stretch of land, and disparate races are forced to live and work side by side. Play an elf Dragon Rustler and explore the Sea of Silt—an ocean of shifting sands, enormous sand ships, and obelisk cities; a gunslingin’ orc Drifter exiled to the Shattered Lands; or a dwarf Gambler, moving from town to town and saloon to saloon, leaving a string of empty pockets and fuming enemies.
But never forget the threat from the North; as the Keln Dominion chops down the world’s forests to feed the gnashing teeth of their factories of industry, the magic of the world weakens, as do the ancient binding spells of the forgotten Aluvian Empire, allowing demons to sneak back into the world. Will you attempt to stake your claim in the Frontier Lands and pursue your own petty desires, or will you join the brave few who have banded together to face this threat and explore the ruins of the Aluvian Empire to find a way to stop the Keln menace and cast the demons back to the dark places of the world?
If your nerves are steel and your steel is quick, then saddle up and join The Saga of Dragon StarTM!
Good thing I am fat. I can live for months after spending all of my money on ED stuff.
Out of curiousity. Considering the difference in timeline between 1st and 3rd edition. How are you going to handle the SW and PF versions of any 3rd edition books (Such as Kratas) you make in regards to the Theran Behemoth? Also, the reverse, would the 3rd version of a PF/SW book make mention if appropriate?
As for the main setting books. I am very much a Dwarf lover.. but Crystal Raiders PF is my biggest want. :)
I definitely want to get to Crystal Raiders sooner rather than later! I love that book. Working on the Third Edition revision was a big joy, too.
As far as timeline, we have two options--revise it so it takes place before Prelude to War, or wait until after we release Prelude to War (leaning toward the latter).
The Pathfinder version of Creatures of Barsaive will likely be available next week (on track). The goal is to have the Parlainth sourcebook available for both Pathfinder and Savage Worlds soon after (definitely hope to have physical copies of the book at the booth at GenCon!).
The Horrors sourcebook, Adventure Compendium I, and Adventure Compendium II will be September (maybe leaking into October). Drafts will be complete, but they will need a little time to recover after GenCon. :)
For those who remember 1st Edition Earthdawn, the Adventure Compendiums will have the following adventures:
AC1: Flames of Avarice, Mists of Betrayal, Path of Deception, and Terror in the Skies
AC 2: Infected, Shattered Pattern, and Blades
Playing through both volumes will take players from 1st to about 12th level. Note that "Flames of Avarice" was a 3rd-edition adventure written by yours truly (the rest are revamps of 1st-edition modules).
September/October will also see the first installment of our Parlainth Adventure Campaign.
Before the end of the year, I'd also like to get either/both the Throal Sourcebook and Serpent River Sourcebook pushed up, too (we'll see!).
And here is a quick description of the Horrors sourcebook:
HORRORS
Even now I dream of claws and fangs and of floating in a vast sea of evil, my lips only a fraction above the surface. At other times I dream of being devoured from the inside out, my skin only minutes from crumbling away to reveal my true self as a Horror ...
--Adesian Skoln, from "Regarding the Horrors, Their Origins, and Their Nature"
Horrors offers a chilling, intimate view of the astral-spawned creatures that ravaged the world of Earthdawn during the Scourge. Presented as a compilation of documents recording what is known of Horrors both great and small, this book provides players and gamemasters with a unique perspective on these abominations: what they are, what they do, and how and why they continue to attack the inhabitants of Barsaive.
This sourcebook describes more than twenty Horrors, including fifteen of the most powerful and dangerous of their kind. Horrors also offers new Horror powers and abilities and guidelines for using Horrors and their deadly spawn in adventures and campaigns.
The cover will use the same as the 1st edition cover, which can be seen here: HORRORS
Out of curiousity, has Redbrick ever thought of doing any much smaller PDF only releases like..
Mountains of Barsaive
Waterways of Barsaive/Marshland of Barsaive
Forests of Barsiave/Jungles of Barsaive
With things like sample villages, more critters, etc? The various nations guides give a lot of information, but I am talking about more outside of the nations.
Nothing like that on the schedules currently, but I like the idea. I'm a big fan of more mundane options. I like offering mundane mechanics and playgrounds and allowing adventure to grow organically from more realistic motivations. I'll tuck this idea away for later thought!
Looks good. I noticed the SW version of Creatures today. I will be eventually getting that when I catch up the SW side of my collection, (currently I have the SW Player and GM Guides) but I was sad that the PF version was not out... that I would have gotten today.
Also, the Parlainth campaign outline looks awesome.
Thank you, sir! I'll be sure to update this thread the moment PF Creatures is out. Just implementing some last developers' notes to some of the statblocks as we speak...
RedBrick is proud to announce two new PDF Earthdawn releases! (Print versions coming soon!) All of these books in this thread will be available at our GenCon booth as well, so please check us out!
**Please note these are all also available for Savage Worlds!
The eight Namegiving races of Barsaive form the heart and soul of the land. They share many experiences and beliefs, but have their own cultures and traditions. Each race is unique and together they breathe life into the land of Barsaive. Denizens of Barsaive Volume One provides an indepth look at four of the Namegiving races of Barsaive:
Elves: Beings of feeling and spirituality, they seek to restore their culture's former glory.
Humans: Versatile enough to learn the unique abilities of every race, they adapt quickly to most any situation.
T'skrang: Flamboyant, reptilian beings with a bravado that reflects their zest for life.
Windlings: Small, winged beings whose passion for change makes them mischievous and unpredictable (and annoying to some).
Denizens of Barsaive Volume One describes the elves, humans, t'skrang, and windlings in detail, and provides race-specific Disciplines, new Adept Skills, unique equipment, and special rules for playing each race. This fascinating and invaluable reference is for Earthdawn Pathfinder RPG Edition players and Game Masters alike.
Denizens of Barsaive II
Dwarfs: Stout and stubborn, the industrious dwarfs are the cultural and political leaders of Barsaive.
Obsidimen: Ancient beings of living rock, these stone giants are perhaps the oldest and most mysterious denizens of Barsaive.
Orks: Passionate and savage, their love for life is surpassed only by their love for battle!
Trolls: Bestial in appearance, these gargantuan mountain dwellers are both fierce and honorable.
Denizens of Barsaive Volume Two describes the dwarfs, obsidimen, orks, and trolls in detail, and provides race-specific Disciplines, new Adept Skills, unique equipment, and special rules for playing each race. This fascinating and invaluable reference is for Earthdawn Pathfinder RPG Edition players and Game Masters alike.
And coming out THIS WEEK!
Creatures of Barsaive
Fearsome and Fascinating!
"The contents of this book have been transcribed from the speaking of Vasdenjas, a most noble and intelligent dragon. I have written down his words almost without alteration, as I found his rambling style of speaking most entertaining."—Tiabdjin the Knower, Scribe and Scholar of the Great Libray of Throal
The Horrors are not the only threat to those who travel across Barsaive. The wild creatures of the land, some twisted by the Scourge into living nightmares, pose many dangers to the adventurer unlucky enough to cross their path. The beautiful death moth, with its fatal sting... the fierce pangolus, whose claws can disembowel a troll with a single stroke... the hell hound, whose magical fire burns everything it touches... all these creatures and more may be the death of the unwary adventurer unless he can defeat them in the pursuit of his quest.
Creatures of Barsaive describes fifty of the most fearsome and fascinating creatures in the province of Barsaive, bringing them to life with a wealth of detail and beautiful illustrations. Told from the point of view of a great dragon, Creatures of Barsaive also offers some insight into that mysterious and powerful species.
If you would like to see the product, please check out the Savage Worlds version here! CREATURES OF BARSAIVE
And also coming very, very, (very!) soon...
Parlainth: The Forgotten City Sourcebook
The ruins of Parlainth beckon the bold explorer, promising profit and peril. For centuries, this fabled Theran city lay hidden in astral space, all knowledge of it erased by a powerful spell until a thief and his apprentice found the lost magic that would bring Parlainth home. Now this ancient seat of Theran power has returned to the land of Barsaive, its people slain and its buildings and streets ravaged by Horrors. Vast sections of it remain unexplored, concealing glittering treasures and objects of unknown power behind crumbling walls and in dank catacombs. Only the boldest adventurers dare explore mysterious Parlainth, risking its dangers in search of wealth. Only those with the courage to challenge the fearsome Horrors lurking in its ruins can claim the name of hero.
This campaign setting is perfect even for your ongoing campaign, as its unique history logically explain how the ancient city could suddenly appear back in your realm! This is also the setting of our upcoming Adventure Campaign--a six-part series of adventures that will take players from 1st to 15th level!
And just in case you missed them...
THE EARTHDAWN PLAYER'S GUIDE (Now a Copper Seller at DriveThru!)
THE AGE OF LEGEND
Before science, before history, there was an Age of Legend... For years humanity huddled in underground kaers, as the astral beings known as the Horrors ravaged the land in an orgy of terror and destruction. Now the long, dark age of the Scourge has passed, and the brave adventurers emerge to reclaim their world.
Elf, ork, t'skrang, human, and other wondrous races explore a world that teems with strange creatures and unseen dangers; a world of lost cities, or ancient, long-forgotten treasures and idescribable wonders; a world where the very earth and sky vibrate with powerful arcane energies.
The Earthdawn® Player's Guide contains what every Pathfinder Roleplaying Game player needs to create one of these brave heroes and help rekindle the glory of days past, including new races, equipment, skills, spells, feats, and rules for being an Adept. Join the adventure and begin roleplaying in Earthdawn, the Age of Legend!
...When the Wizards proclaimed that the Scourge had ended, Jaro, I, and three others broke open the seals on the doors and walked outside. We hoped to find a new world brimming with life. Instead, a barren landscape stretched before us. As quick as thought, the sky grew dark with creatures, their attack nearly overwhelming us. We fought our way back to the kaer, thinking ourselves safe. We soon learned that a Horror had entered the mind of Jaro...
Explore the province of Barsaive, a land that encompasses the high mountain realms of savage troll raiders, lush green jungles that conceal long-forgotten cities, vast plains filled with strange and deadly beasts, and the life-giving waters of the mighty Serpent River. An untamed land still recovering from the depredations of the Scourge, Barsaive now teems with orks and elves, t'skrang lizard-men and human settlers, all drawn by the promise of her breathtaking wonders.
The Earthdawn® Game Master's Guide contains a detailed tour of this troubled province; stats for dozens of new monsters that stalk her lands, including several loathsome Horrors; descriptions of over 30 common and Legendary threaded magical items; rules for the vile practice of Blood Magic; and the esoteric mysteries of ancient legends and nefarious secret societies to populate your campaign!
All of this for the foundation of our upcoming Parlainth Adventure Campaign!
ADVENTURE CAMPAIGN OUTLINE:
PARLAINTH ADVENTURE CAMPAIGN OUTLINE
Relics of the Forgotten City
The PCs’ search for a missing statue leads to an essential truth of Parlainth: What is lost can always be found—at a cost...
Every adventurer knows the ruined city of Parlainth is a dangerous place, but the neighboring town of Haven has dangers of its own when the PCs get involved in the search for a missing statue, sought by everyone from the dragon Charcoalgrin to Throalic agents and Theran diplomats. But only one faction can end up with the statue, and only the PCs can find who has it now. The hunt leads the PCs to into a ruined city beyond the ruined city, an ancient network of tunnels and crumbling buildings outside Parlainth—and the Theran operation that now calls those ruins home.
In Treachery's Shadow
Appearances can be all too deceiving in the ruins of Parlainth, where a battle to save the innocent turns the PCs from heroes to hunted.
Just a stone's throw away from the walls of Haven is the broke-down warren of the Smalls, where bandits, monsters, madmen, and exiles fight for territory. Here, Gynna Thorsef, the ex-Throalite, and her band of outcasts have carved out Gatetown, a bustling black market and haven beyond Haven. Watched by Charcoalgrin and her Unforgivables, Gatetown has also become a target for Throalites and Therans hoping to tap its flow of goods and information. But in the streets of the Smalls, few things are as they seem, and the PCs' simple mission to Gatetown turns to war in the streets as a mysterious Warlord lays siege to the area. Now Gynna recruits the PCs for a new mission: Protect Gatetown from destruction! Holding off the Warlord’s forces is one thing, but there may be no way out once the warlord's real target is revealed to be the PCs themselves.
The Vault of the Dreaming Dead
To uncover one of the keys to Parlainth’s disappearance, the PCs must learn the secrets of the nameless dead in the haunted spirals of the Twists.
Who are the Atl Arvoi? Haven's adventurers are flocking to the Twists in search of this mysterious sect, rumored to command beasts from before the Scourge and guard a trove of arcane artifacts. As a rogue group of Theran agents resolves to protect the sect from outsiders, Throal seeks agents to uncover the Atl Arvoi's secrets and treasures. But for the dragon Charcoalgrin, the real treasure is information on the sect's connection to her lost love. As the PCs plunge into the Twists at the behest of the Throalites, Therans, or Charcoalgrin herself, it becomes clear that the sect will find them and not the other way around. The Atl Arvoi themselves are long dead, but their legacy is a generation of Nameless spirits intent on seizing new bodies and new lives...
Dwellers of Ruin
When a terrible Wizard begins kidnapping innocents to join the ranks of his aberrant army, it’s up to the PCs to uncover and stop the sinister secret.
The Wizard Kamilar has had one goal: to transform Parlainth from a broken city to a lively Theran capital. But despite his best efforts, all that thrives in Parlainth are monsters and Horrors. There’s only way to restore Parlainth to a place where Name-givers can live—turn the Name-givers themselves into monsters as twisted as the ruins! Now Unforgivables are vanishing from the Vaults and adventurers are going missing. Can the PCs stop Kamilar before the final phase of his plan opens up a gateway to new Horrors?
The Nexus Crucible
As the various factions race to learn the secrets of Parlainth's disappearance, a broken sculptor and his puppets go to war to eliminate the city's past.
For years, punters in Haven have bet on the never-ending Falsemen war games in Parlainth's War Zone, and it's soon the talk of the town when strange new Falsemen begin to appear on the battlefield. These Falsemen seem to be on a destructive mission all their own—a mission that seems to have an agenda far more sinister than previously displayed by the martial constructs. Meanwhile, the dragon Charcoalgrin recruits adventurers for a war game of her own, intent on capturing an astral nexus hidden beneath the War Zone. Whether they throw their lot in with Throal or with Charcoalgrin, the PCs finally come face-to-face with a long-lost sculptor who helped craft the ritual that erased Parlainth from the world. Tormented by Horrors, condemned to misery, the sculptor has assembled a new wave of Falsemen to help him destroy all that remains of his work... even if the result is a city once again enveloped in death and destruction. What the PCs do next could change Parlainth's future, but can they also redeem its past?
Beyond the Lost Realm
When the fate of Parlainth comes down to a dragon’s passion, a man’s pride, and a nation’s ambition, what will the PCs choose?
The time has come for Charcoalgrin to risk it all in a ritual that could tear Parlainth apart and scatter the pieces through space and time. But if the loss of Parlainth is a potential gain for Barsaive, is it worth the cost in lives? As Therans and Throalites race to stop Charcoalgrin, the PCs are faced with the ghosts of Parlainth and an irreversible choice.
1 person marked this as FAQ candidate.
1 person marked this as a favorite.
ShadowcatX wrote:
This makes me happy. I've got way too many good 3pp classes to give up on them.
Glad to hear it! We wanted to make PF ED as accessible to PF fans as possible, and we felt that allowing them to choose the classes they are already familiar with and love would be one way to do that.
We assume that most players will want to be an Adept, but there's nothing stopping someone from beginning play with just a core class and perhaps picking up a Discipline later through roleplaying.
I'm curious, will there be all new classes or will current classes be used?
Current classes! However, Earthdawn characters begin play with a bonus Discipline feat, which grants several new class skills and--by way of prerequisite--many new abilities called Adept Feats (considered supernatural abilities in game terms). Once a Discipline feat is chosen, the character is then officially an Adept. Adepts also have access to the Adept feat Karma Ritual, which allows them to gain Karna Points.
Choosing your bonus Discipline feat will be limited by your base class, as these feats, like all others, have prerequisites of their own.
How heavily will these draw upon the original titles? I know that a lot of work has to be done on the crunch side but should we be expecting fresh material from the fluff as well or no?
I'm good either way. :D
Books like Denizens won't have new fluff; most of our new fluff will be all-original books, such as the Adventure Campaigns and new creature/Horror books.
This is awesome. I love this setting. I'll be curious and excited to see how it's adapted for Pathfinder.
Particularly legendary weapons. I've seen lots of attempts at legendary weapon systems (including one by Hank, I think? In Kobold Quarterly that wasn't given enough word count to cover the topic adequately- strictly my opinion).
So yeah, I'll be checking this out!
Yeah, I only had enough space to do a general idea in that article. Pathfinder ED thread weapons aren't going to be too dissimilar from standard ED, actually!
will you be doing remakes of the classic adventures and sourcebooks also? or is the default timeline now past the events?
(specifically, i am curious about Blades, Prelude to War, Barsaive at War, and the afterwards one that the name escapes me atm. Edit: Barsaive in Chaos! thank you swiss cheese mind.)
Timeline starts over at 1506, so yes ( though no LRG stuff). There will also be new content, such as our Parlainth Adventure Campaign (re: "adventure path")...
Perhaps I am missing something, but I don't find any treatment of Ability Damage or Energy Drain in the book. The treatment of poison is a bit lacking in this regard.
@Larry Lichman: There are rules for point-buy battles, for players who just want to create a couple armies and go at it.
@Urath DM: Ability score affects are treated the same; since a unit's stats already have the ability scores listed, you simply reduce the damaged/drained ability and apply its effects to various stats accordingly.
For opposing units of significant size differences, I'd use your best judgment, taking into consideration these relative differences.
For example, if a unit of 100 suffered 2 points of Strength damage from a unit of only 50, I would apply 1 point of Strength damage to the unit.
If the roles were reversed (50 suffered 2 pts of dmg from 100), I would apply 3 points of Strength damage, and so on.
An easy way to think of it is to multiply the damage by the unit count and divide by the targeted unit, round down. (D x X)/Y = A
So, if a unit of 100 monsters with the ability to drain 2 points of Strength attacked a unit containing only 63 (let's say 63 humans warriors), the humans' Strength ratings would drop by 3. Simply reduce the Strength rating of the unit by 3, per normal Pathfinder rules.
Because there are so many variables within Pathfinder, I tried to make the rules as intuitive as possible so on-the-fly judgments from GMs can easily be made. Also, a certain amount of abstraction was written into the rules to help accommodate the vast amount of variables in the game.
Of course, feel free to fiddle with the rules and post suggestions for others; like any Pathfinder or Pathfinder-compatible produce, the rules are designed to be a springboard for individuals' tastes.
"Words are not powerful enough to describe the power of my contempt for you. All of the languages of the world utterly fail to express the fathomless depths of my disdain. In short, sir, you astound me with your ineptitude."
"This is more painful to watch than an armadillo attempting to mate with a giraffe."
"'Talentless hack' is merely an unevolved expression. You have taken it to an entirely new level."
"How odd! I don't recall inviting the circus; why are there monkeys on my stage?!"
"Oh, was that your attempt at humor? Clever insults generally require at least half a wit. Try not to strain yourself any further, your overworked brain could hardly handle it."
"I once passed through a ward where the charitable cared for the deaf, dumb, and mute. Oh, how I envy those wretched creatures right now."
"Hack! Hack! Hack! Why does Asmodeus hate me so? Clearly I am suffering the Seventh Trial!"
"Acting requires more than mere talent, it requires a brain! If we could put you together with all of your friends, we would still be two brains short!"
"If stupidity were contagious, you would be a walking plague."
And in the next edition of Golarion the heroes AND the goblins then have cell phones. This IS perfectly ok, because according to the designer everything is possible by just calling it "fantasy".
in the 19th century with its complex poltical societies is not very "fantasy" to me.
An aside: Ancient and medieval cultures certainly did have complex political societies.
I'm just curious, though... what is your cutoff date for fantasy? 1453 C.E.? Even earlier? A little later?
If you are unwilling to ignore Galt because you fear that Golarion will only become even more anachronistic, then I think your fears are misguided, as the setting is, by and large, more sword and sorcery.
