Jerett Schaufele's page

I'm pretty sure that I know the answer to this question, but I thought I would ask it anyway just to be sure...

If you have a YouTube channel that is monetized (or that you have applied for monetization), is it permitted under the Community Use Policy to upload a video that contains content that is otherwise compliant with Paizo's Community Use Policy? For example, could you do a review of a Paizo product while only showing cover art that is listed in the CUP, a video of you and your friends playing a home-brew module set in the Pathfinder Campaign Setting, or show original Pathfinder-compatible content that is free to download on a personal website?

Sorry if this has been asked before guys.

Looks like I might have been voted off the island too. Made it through 4 culls so I guess that's better than a kick in the pants.

Nothing helps me get into voting mode better than melodic death metal.

Today just might be the best day ever! I get to see one of my favorite bands play live and still have a chance of making it to the next round.

(Oh, and 2 hrs 45 minutes left)

Barbarians and goblins and snakes! Oh my!

When I previewed my submission, it posted the word count. I had to scroll to the top of the page and it wasn't immediately obvious but it was there.

In all of the years that I have entered this contest and not made the top 32, this is the first time that the idea and writing came relatively easy to me.

I'm not sure if that is a good sign or not. Maybe it was the shorter deadline that kept me from overthinking my design and making it more complex than it needed to be but here's hoping!

I'm really happy that Paizo has decided to broaden the design task for Round 1 to designing a magic item rather than a wondrous item. Last year I was hoping that they might change it up to keep the competition fresh and was a little disappointed when it didn't happen.

This should get the creative juices flowing again.

Good luck to everybody!

I have to admit that, good or bad, I also see strong evidence that PFO is being designed primarily to cater to PVPs and hardore gamers that are heavily into guilds/raids.

To be honest, as a casual gamer, this is not what I would have prefered but I can't say that this comes a surprise or that I didn't know the game would be moving in this direction. I mean, Goblinworks made it pretty clear that the content of the game is driven by the community and that it wouldn't be a themepark game. How else can the community generate content if not by socially interacting through PVP and inter-guild politics. So even though I'm not super stoked about this apparant direction, I don't regret backing it because it was the idea of Pathfinder becoming an MMO that I supported.

That said, I agree with Maccabee that it is too early to form a clear idea of how this game will play on launch day, or even a year ofter that. I am, however, going to give the game the benefit of the doubt because I see some innovation here and I really want it to succeed.

I will add, however, for any devs that may be listening, if it turns out that the game is designed to limit game content (areas, elite loot, game systems) to only those who heavily invest in the socal aspects of the game or if it severely limits the capabilities of factions who are not as economically powerful as others, I will have a hard time justifying paying a monthly fee. Conceptually, the idea of community driven content is cool but I would like to see more evidence that the game is fun outside of the politics. I want to be able to explore the world on my own if I choose to. Can I do that?

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned before but I think it would be neat to have special 'rare' escalations generate in only very rare situations.

For example, lets say you have a kobold excalation randomly generate beside or close a black dragon monster hex (assuming one was to exist of course). It would neat if these kobolds were to escalate into variant versions like black-scaled kobold for example with a unique variant kobold ability.

Sure, this would have to be a feature developed much later in the program but it should be 'low hanging fruit' for the most part and add more variety and interest.

This feature would encourage players an incentive to manipulate nearby hexes to trigger this rare escalation encouraging conflict in the areas surrounding the escalation as well.

Rare escalations that only trigger when generated beside other specific escalations would be cool too!

Any thoughts?

Thanks for the encouraging words Erik!

An adventure made sense back in 2008, when Paizo was mostly "the adventure company" and needed to find freelancers they could tap for Adventure Paths.

But Paizo publishes fewer modules now (and has doubled the size) and after this year will have seven years of winners, runners-up, and trusted freelancers to draw on for APs. Winning RPG Superstar is less a doorway into the industry as follow-up work is sparser.

How about being able to pitch write a Player Companion instead?

Player Companions the same size as the modules used to be, and Paizo publishes twelve a year and likely needs good ideas to keep the line interesting. Writing a good Players' Companion involves much more diverse talent, potentially involving flavour text, feats, world lore, magic items, and more; a Player Companion shows off more of an author's range. And it grows a different pool of freelancers for Paizo and other companies to draw from.

Thoughts?

Even though a RPG Superstar would have proved their chops in the contest, there is always the risk that they would fail to deliver the adventure manuscript on time. As the winner is supposed to be new talent, this would be a big risk on Paizo's part. By making it an adventure, little is lost if that were to happen since no future products rely on it.

I also imagine that a Player Companion must be planned well in advance and cleared with the right individuals to ensure that it expands the game in the direction the company wants to take it. Only established designers with a track record of delivering work on time would be trusted with this kind of work. Small parts might be given to freelancers but that wouldn't be a very sexy prize for the RPG Superstar or give them a chance to shine.

I'm seeing lots of food items. Was everybody hungry over the holidays?

Indeed - Current Version in PDF form

It's in stasis at the moment pending the competition. I will resume editing and collation duties during the year following the competition completing, hopefully to move on to subsequent rounds as well in due course.

This is truly impressive. Your commitment to this contest is inspiring.

Jerett Schaufele wrote:

I don't personally feel that it is up to Paizo to tell me how good my English has to be. It is up to me to showcase my best work and skills in the hope that I can convince the judges that I can deliver an entertaining manuscript that will make them money.

It is if they're the ones paying you to write for them, talent or no.

It has been said many times before: this is not purely a showcase of talent or creativity, although that is one of the contributing factors in winning.

The ability and willingness to follow the proscribed rules is as important as anything else. Minor mistakes are at least overlook-able and at best a teaching/learning opportunity. Blatant disregard of, and antipathy toward, the contest or job's requirements are not desirable traits.

This is a job interview disguised as a contest. It would behoove everyone to remember that.

I agree completely. What I meant is, you shouldn't need to be told what level of quality is expected of you. Your best work is expected and that should go without saying.

I'm seeing two null items and can't decide if 'null is better', 'null is better', or 'both items are equally good/bad'.

Decisions, decisions.

Houston, we have a problem.

By your own logic, a child could come up with an average idea, get their parents to trim the English and still win, do you think they would be up to the task if they won? Should we all start hiring professional editors to check our work?

I agree you need a certain standard of English but we are not talking about creating sentences that make sense here, we are talking the odd missing full stop, capital letter type of errors that any editor worth their salt would pick up and...

No, I do not believe that a child (or anyone for that matter) who relied too much on others peoples skills (even written skills) would advance through to the end of the competition and be able to deliver a manuscript. Maybe, they might get through the first round, but certainly not the latter ones.

Creativity is surely important, maybe the most important one at that, however, you have to be able to communicate these ideas consistently and clearly in a format desired by your client.

Small errors do count in a competition. Everybody makes grammatical mistakes. We are all humans after all, but we need to do our best to eliminate these during a writing competition. With so many people looking for their break, why would you not strive to eliminate any reason that your item might not get voted into the next round?

I don't personally feel that it is up to Paizo to tell me how good my English has to be. It is up to me to showcase my best work and skills in the hope that I can convince the judges that I can deliver an entertaining manuscript that will make them money.

If you want to be that nit pickey then you are barring people with lower education, learning difficulties, issues like dyslexia. Not to mention people who's first language isn't English. This is supposed to be an "Open call" not a "Call to everyone with a degree in English"

What is being looked for here is creativity.
How many errata are there for the Pathfinder Core Rulebook? How many times have you seen a rule that needed more information or a quick check online to see how others apply it?

I respectfully disagree with this comment.

While RPG superstar is a 'Open Call' contest, it is competition that is primarily designed to find new freelance talent for Paizo (who happens to be a publisher). Its not a creativity contest per se. Yeah, we should be enjoying the creative process and be able to offer something creative as designers. Why else would we be here and why else would Paizo want to hire us, but you need to have a strong command of the English language if you want to get your work published.

A child might be able to come up with a cool and creative idea but he would not possess the necessary language to communicate it properly. That is our job as designers and it is expected of us.

That's not to say you shouldn't enter the competition if you have learning difficulties or a poor grasp of grammar. You just need to understand if you are doing it more for yourself, to grow as a designer or to have fun, or if you are aiming for the big prize.

After 11 years of gaming I never thought I'd be apart of something soooooo awesome! This is a spectacular opportunity for the gaming world and I can't thank Paizo enough for taking something amazing and making it immaculate. I'm thrilled to check out the competition this year and I wish the best of luck to everyone.

Good luck to you as well Malcolm. RPG Superstar was (and still is) an excellent opportunity that everybody benefits from.

Whoever's brainchild this was at Paizo should get a raise.

I am troubled by my decision on which item to submit. I suspect I'm not alone in this. In the end, I went with the simpler item - my other one (which I liked better) just couldn't be adequately explained in the word count limit. It wasn't as clear as I wanted it to be, and I was already having to pull whole sentences to get it under 300 words. Sigh.

Good luck to everybody! I'm looking forward to reading everyone's submissions and voting!

I had a similar dilemma this year. I spent the majority of my time fussing over my original design, but it had a fairly complex mechanic and felt forced.

On a whim, I abandoned it in favor of a much simpler item - one that I feel is designed more coherently and packs a bit more mojo. I'm confident that this was the right decision for me and hopefully yours was as well.

Good luck SteelDraco!

Jerett Schaufele wrote:

Now I'm not saying to ignore all of this advice or that you can get away with poor execution; just don't throw out a super-cool idea because you are afraid that it will get voted down because some guy out there doesn't like "item of the adjective noun" items for example.

A really good example of "ignoring advice" is the last leaves of the autumn dryad item, created by Neil Spicer. Spicer has even admitted that it's basically a spell-in-a-can, but because of the flavor and awesome visuals, the item made the top 32. Then Neil went on to win the contest.

But the guidelines are definitely there for a reason. Look at the spirit of the rule, not the letter. If your item falls into one of the categories that people have said to avoid, it'd better be a really good item.

Yes, I agree. For example, if a judge says 'camping items are not SuperStar", you would be a fool to submit a camping item, even if it has a cool effect. But, if a judge says, gloves seem to be the most commonly submitted item, I wouldn't necessarily fret too much if my item was a pair of gloves. I would certainly try to avoid them, but if my item had mojo, I wouldn't let that dissuade me.

Not that I have any credentials that would add any weight to my advice, but here is one that I might offer newcomers:

Trap #4 - Don't rely too much on checklists generated from forum advice as the primary means of determining if your item is Superstar quality (such as this trap list :)).

While the judges and public are considering many design skills during round 1 voting, more often than not, a cool and creative game mechanic that gets it point across quickly and clearly tends to gains people's votes over whether or not it breaks one of the soft 'rules' mentioned in the advice threads.

Now I'm not saying to ignore all of this advice or that you can get away with poor execution; just don't throw out a super-cool idea because you are afraid that it will get voted down because some guy out there doesn't like "item of the adjective noun" items for example.

I think we need More Ears on string...but I might be biased. :)

I once submitted teeth on a string. Lets just say it wasn't that well received.

Oh dear me, if I make it , I will skew that terribly - let's just say "played in the 70s" shall we?

Oh, my wife entered this year. I knew she would eventually.

I am not under any pressure now...

no sir, everything is fine here, move along now.

Its good to see I'm not the only old-timer here. There's probably not many of us who played in the 70's.

I'm glad to see that voting for round 1 has returned. I had a blast reading everyone's entries last year.

Anyway, good luck guys!

[b]Hand wraps of Flesh and Stone[b]

Perfect Tommy,

Jerett Schaufele wrote:

Handkerchief of the Scoured Visage

There were several things that I liked about this entry, the name, most of the template use (other than 'slotless'), and how you considered lots of different situations. But I couldn't figure out what this item was good for. At 45k, I need to have a clear idea of why I would want this. Sure, I might use some creativity to figure out a use, but then I have to ask why someone went to the trouble of making it.

Also, what happens to the bodies? Do faceless people just bump around aimlessly while their faces travel about? Sorry, this was creative, but left too many open questions for me.

Thank you very much Jerry. Those were valid comments. I'm afraid many people didn't easily see the utility in the item and that was perhaps its biggest downfall.

Jerett Schaufele wrote:

Handkerchief of the Scoured Visage

Format: Don't capitalize magic item names within the description.

Mechanics: I did not understand the following line " however, any environmental conditions that would otherwise impair the affected senses (from the perspective of the imprinted fabric)". Is the target affected if the handkerchief is inside an environmental condition? "Condition" should be replaced with hazard.

Inspired by Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Actually it was inspired when I though to myself how I would like to wipe a smug grin off of a certain person's face who was annoying me, but who knows, maybe it was buried deep down in my noggin somewhere. I have very little recollection of that movie.

Octavo of Perseverance

Andrew, I found your writing in your submission to be excellent. I never had to re-read any of the sentences to make sure I understood what you were trying to convey. I like the Golarion flavour and your formatting was flawless.

...

Thank you for your feedback (and votes) on my Handkerchief of the Scoured Visage item James.

Choker of Subtle Sound

I like the sonic theme of this one but I think its falls flat (pun intended) in that it not super useful for non bards. I tend to like more versatile items.

Porcine Pendant

Lets see, a dancing pig with spots that fascinates people. This is a little gonzo for my likes.

I dont think the game mechanic was the right choice. How would a dancing multicolored pig make people like the owner more?

I think the writing was good however.

Tabard of Cunning Tactics

This is really good and well written item. It never came up for during the voting however. Excellent formatting and readability.

Sorry Jacob. I have no criticism to offer on this one.

Well, here goes. Can you guys please give me some constructive criticism?

Handkerchief of the Scoured Visage
Aura moderate divination; CL 5th
Slot slotless; Price 45,000 gp; Weight —
Description
This nondescript scrap of fabric belies its true nature by appearing as nothing more than a common rag or soiled cloth. Once per day, a Handkerchief of the Scoured Visage may be used to wipe the face of a living or dead humanoid creature that still retains its skin, thereby causing its eyes, nose, mouth, and hair (but not ears) to disappear, leaving its head smooth and featureless while transferring a smudgy replication onto the fabric. This effect causes the target’s senses of sight, smell, and ability to vocalize (where applicable) to be transferred to the fabric as if it were an extension of the target’s body. While the features remain imprinted on the cloth, the target’s body is unidentifiable based on facial features alone. In addition, a living target gains immunity to effects that rely on the ability to breathe (such as suffocation), however, any environmental conditions that would otherwise impair the affected senses (from the perspective of the imprinted fabric), still have their usual effect. An imprinted Handkerchief of the Scoured Visage may be separated from the source target by any distance; however, these effects immediately end and the target’s features reappear as normal if either the body or the fabric travel to another plane of existence, the cloth is fully submerged in a liquid, destroyed, or after 24 hours have passed otherwise. An unwilling humanoid creature may be targeted, however, it must be either helpless or otherwise restrained and still receives a DC 14 Will save to resist the handkerchief’s effects.
Construction
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, alter self, clairaudience/clairvoyance, ventriloquism; Cost 22,500 gp

Eric Morton wrote:

handy handkerchief *

Ouch!

*palm slaps face*

I guess that's my fault for putting my item submission together at the last moment. I had been thinging about it since early December...but forgot about the contest until that day around noon central time.

Oh well...
=/

Ah, you submitted the other handkerchief. I almost had a heart attack when I say your item come up and again when somebody said they just had two come up at the same time for voting.

My Handkerchief of the Scoured Visage didn't fare much better hehe.

Congrats guys!

I think I'll have a drink whether I'm in or not. :p

Now thats the spirit!

The marathon voter's are tense,
Since Clark's wicked suspense,
Maybe in, maybe out,
Pure evil without doubt,
His true meaning I cannot sense.

You know what is truly evil? Reading your posts and knowing which of you made it and which of you didn't. Hehehehe.

If you were truly evil it would have sounded like ... Muhahahahaha

Jerett Schaufele wrote:

I think I have a decent shot of getting in this year - much more than in previous years, but if not, I'm really looking foreward to cheering on my favorites. I wont feel the stress until tomorrow when I am unable to log on due to server traffic or have to wait until after work to see if I'm in.

I have to start work an hour before the announcement and will not have internet while I'm there.

That rots! Hopefully someone can phone you at work and let you know. That's just torture.

I think I have a decent shot of getting in this year - much more than in previous years, but if not, I'm really looking foreward to cheering on my favorites. I wont feel the stress until tomorrow when I am unable to log on due to server traffic or have to wait until after work to see if I'm in.

To some, RPG Superstar is a fun creative outlet while to others it is a serious job interview. I think it can, and should be both things depending on what you want out of it, but in the end, Paizo is looking for new talent - somebody who brings something new to the table.

I appreciate Neil's point because it is one I share. Do what you do with confidence and passion and if there is mutual interest, you will advance. No need to worry about anything else.

I just reached marathon voter and saw my item only two times. Once before the cull and once after. I hope that is a good sign.

That was very thoughtful of you Jacob! Not many people have that kind of generosity.

Do you know what else I think would be pretty cool?

It would be really interesting if Paizo were able to create a map that showed pins, dots, or color saturation in the general areas (states, provinces, or countries) where each voter or contestant is located. No personal information or details need to be provided mind you - just a rough location to get a sense of how spread out the Paizo community is.

I can't imagine how hard it would be to code something like that and I suppose people would have to consent to sharing that information but it would be interesting nonetheless.

Uhm...Paizo, it seems that this is an ongoing issue at my house now. I'm not sure who might be the one to address this, but it's a little creepy that we have the same items consistently coming up together. Help?

I think somebody else mentioned this trend in another thread. Apparently the way to solve this is to vote on the items at slightly different times if you don't want the same items coming up for both of you.

I think it would be fun if say the ideas behind the top 4 archetypes for Round 2 somehow found their way into the Pathfinder Online MMO.

That could attract more attention to both the competition and the game.

I saw my item once before the culling but not since.

There are a handful of items that are very innovative and well written that I'm really hoping to see make the top 32 though.

I also had to shelf my original idea since it wasn't appropriate to the River Kingdoms setting and start over. That's what you get for trying to be proactive.

It has taken me the better part of two days but I am confident that if I am lucky enough to make it past Round 1, I will be submitting a unique and setting-appropriate archetype.

Time to start generating some ideas for Round 3 and maybe put in a few more hours of voting time.

Dot this and delete your post when you can. Once we get the details worked out, I'll post our intro.

Welcome. You guys should have a link to Discord in the PM I sent. If you're opposed to using Discord, that's probably OK as long as you can PM me your email address or you can present some alternative that works for me.

I won't need it often. Just to check in when you're busy before botting your character, that sort of thing.

Also, my plan is to use Roll20 for the maps in this campaign and I'll link an image of the current combat state so you guys can check it on your phone. I'm happy to move tokens for you if you need.

If that solution doesn't work out for some reason, I can switch to Google Docs. But I have everything set up in Roll20 already from a previous campaign so let's start with that.

I'll have the link up shortly.

Diamond Lake: The Emporium

Today is Shag Solomon's birthday. Not that you'd normally know that, or care; the wildman spends most of his time rubbing noses with the nobility in town, when he isn't on display in the "Gallery of Science". But the Emporium is hosting a party of sorts and anyone with a ticket gets in free. Which is weird because that place is a party, but who are you to argue? What's important is that you managed to get your hands on a ticket. The door charge to get into the upper floor is 3 silver, typically beyond your means. But free... that price sounds much better. And you could definitely use a break from the tepid drudgery that makes up your average day.

Upon entering, you encounter a small desk station manned by a grinning, businesslike attendant. The thin, balding man smiles wryly at you, a gesture accentuated by his upcurled mustache. You've seen Gaspar around, you're not sure he knows any other expression.

"Ah! A ticket! How fortunate! Do come in.. yes, yes! Do come in!" The man wastes no time waving you toward the stairs, where you can hear a quiet preview of the excitement to come.

You glance over at the closed up "Gallery" before heading up, where you're greeted by a riot of exciting sound, dampened somewhat by the nine foot monster of a man glaring at you from the top of the stairs. Kurlag usually doesn't have to do much here, his presence alone serves as a pretty good deterrent. You've seen him throw people out by twos before though, one in each hand. Best to stay on good behavior.

Music plays from the stage across the large gaming hall, its laid-back sound serving as a counterpoint to the eager players, gambling their money away with cards and dice alike. Right away, you figure out why the "Gallery" is closed. The dealers and attendants are still working today, but it looks like the freaks are out to play for the wildman's birthday.

At one table, the combustible magician, the halfling Ariello Klint torments a flirtatious "Three-Dragon Ante" dealer, casting his flames tauntingly near the cards, to the annoyance of the other players.

At another table, a little blue creature with a large bulbous head, the contortionist, Tom Shingle sits with his chin on the table, one foot casually casting dice over his head onto the table. You're not sure where his other foot is.

At the same table, the alluring Chezabet pouts, her arms crossed in front of her chest, pointedly not throwing dice. It seems nobody wants to gamble with a fortune teller.

The dealer doesn't look happy to have either of them at his table.

Your attention is drawn to the center of the room, where Shag Solomon and Zalamandra stand, idly talking with several well-dressed patrons, in front of a curious open-topped maze. You've heard of the "Rat Game" before, but it doesn't look like it's starting just yet.

There's a lot more going on, but this should be plenty, I think. You could've gotten your ticket from a friend in the Emporium or through other, less honorable means. Feel free to interact with any of the named NPCs, including the doorman or the bouncer if you want. You can also sit down at either table or go and wait for the Rat Game, which I may narrate if anyone shows interest. The band playing music is meant to be in the background, but I can come up with something for them if there's an interesting reason to.

Also, while you're broke at the start of the story, this is some time before that, so you could conceivably have some coin to gamble with if you wanted.

Oh and why not:

Is modern profanity allowed/appropriate for characters on this forum? I've been listening to Joe Abercrombie lately and I really like the feel of his characters.

If not, what type of language do characters use that could be considered profane/offensive if I wanted to portray a vulgar character?

Since the beginning of history, humanity has measured time in Ages. Ages of Glory, of Dreams and even of Great Sorrows mark the human tally of years, giving a sense of order to the events of past centuries. But one age has yet to occur--an age of darkness, of decay, and of writhing doom. Witty bards and wrathful preachers know it as the Age of Worms, weaving it into the peripheries of their passion plays as a mythic era of destruction that could begin at any time. Astrologers, diviners, and the servants of Fate know more. The canniest among them fear that the Age of Worms has already begun...

Hey all, this is an open recruitment for a story set in the original D&D world of Greyhawk. While it would be possible to convert it to Golarion, the dark theme fits too comfortably into the unforgiving world of Greyhawk for me to want to change it.

Before we go any further, I want you to suspend any character concepts you're thinking of. There's something I need you to do before even thinking about a character, but that comes a little later.

I'll be looking for 4-5 players to join me in a tale I've told numerous times. The story takes characters from level 1 all the way to level 21. It's a little bit dungeon crawl, a little bit hack and slash, but it's mostly a story of exploration and discovery. There are mysteries to be solved and truths to be uncovered, not many of them particularly happy ones. A majority of the roleplay and character devolopment should happen between player characters, but this is important as the plot leaves you uncertain of who might be your enemies, so you need to be sure of your friends. The party will quite often feel like it is alone against the world.

This is my first real foray into PbP gaming so I'm very open to suggestions and criticism as things move forward. I'll also be nailing down the details of how I plan to run this game as part of the discussion following recruitment, which I'll leave open for 2 weeks.

Post Rate: I'm expecting a post rate of once per day at minimum. I'd be open to allowing a slower post rate on weekends if everyone wanted. I can personally post every evening after work, multiple times per evening most nights.

Communication: I have set up a Discord server as a way to communicate real-time for anyone who needs to delay posting for personal reasons or for anyone who just has a quick question here and there. I am requiring that players use this with me as a way to keep us all accountable. You don't need to put the app on your phone if you don't want (that's how I'm using it), but I won't be accepting applicants who refuse to use Discord at all. I might be open to alternatives to Discord as well.

Etiquette: There are some good posts on PbP etiquette here and here. I intend to use these as strong guidelines for my game, but I also have a few other things to add. First of all, and most importantly, the party needs to work together. This campaign is challenging enough without the party opposing each other. It's OK for there to be character conflict and arguments, but when it comes down to taking action, I need you to find a way for your characters to be on the same page. This means no evil alignments at all (in over a decade of GMing, I think I've had one evil character played in such a way that didn't create problems within the party). Also, in a similar vein, please do not include allies in the area of your detrimental spells without discussing it OOC first (via discord or the discussion board). I don't know why, but it seems like in half of the groups I get together, the sorcerer wants to Sirocco the barbarian because he can 'hit two more enemies that way'. This is not fun for the barbarian or the cleric to deal with.

Backdrop: The campaign will start in the lively mining town of Diamond Lake, a muddy smudge on the map of the hills east of the fabulous Free City of Greyhawk. Diamond Lake's inhabitants are predominately miners and laborers, serious folk who spend most of their lives toiling below ground. When not working, the miners celebrate along the Vein, a seedy road lined with alehouses and brothels. Overall, the village is a sooty, sullen place prone to unpleasant bursts of violence and passion. Nobody likes it here. Not really.

As characters, you're stuck here for some reason. Either you grew up in Diamond Lake and know no different, or you got caught here coming through and now you can't afford to leave. You're broke, bored and tired of the daily toil that is Diamond Lake. Right now, you'd probably jump at even a remote chance at something interesting happening.

So when a trio of richly dressed adventurers come into town, bragging about their plans to explore the long-abandoned Stirgenest Cairn (which is notoriously bereft of anything interesting or valuable at all) and after you or a friend come across an outdated map with some markings that aren't on modern maps, you decide to check one of them out. You don't have anything better to do on your day off. Besides, it gets you out of town at least. And with a name like The Whispering Cairn, it's probably more interesting than staying home.

Remember I asked you to wait before coming up with concepts because I had something specific for you to do? Here it is. With the town of Diamond Lake and your predicament in mind, listen to this song that really captures the setting while you come up with a character concept.

I will provide a lot more detail on Diamond Lake and it's inhabitants on the campaign page throughout the recruitment period. I also have a bit more detail on the exact starting scenario depending on the specific characters that end up participating. Typically, I start this campaign in town but given the scope of the campaign and how slow PbP is, we'll start the actual game at the entrance to The Whispering Cairn. We'll need to connect the characters in some way to give them a reason to be exploring the Cairn together, but we can figure that out later.

I've been GMing 3.5 and Pathfinder for almost 16 years over the table, with some online over Roll20 with voice chat more recently. In all of my experience, there's one story that I've run for multiple groups and anytime I come across a new gaming group, my first instinct is to run the same game. It's weird because I've run many APs and none of them really strike me the way this one does.

It's called The Age of Worms.

Anyway, my situation now is that I really enjoy the groups I game with, but all my players already know the story. They lived it. GMing the story for me is a lot like picking up a favorite old book again. And while it's been a few years since I've run it for them, playing in it again would just fall flat I think.

So, my hope is to use PbP gaming as an outlet to experience my favorite AP again. I know the story inside and out. I've run multiple groups all the way through it, levels 1-21. Plus, I've read through the multiple guide threads stickied at the top of this forum. I'm just hoping to get some further advice for how to get things going.

1. When I went to build the recruitment thread, there didn't seem to be a way to save it without posting it. I wanted to take some time to build the post thoroughly. How is this typically handled?

2. I typically run my games with the players being allowed to use any official paizo content as long as they clear it with me, giving me the option to veto anything that is either inappropriate for the setting or that would unbalance the game. This works pretty well with my home group who are familiar with my style and have a pretty good idea of what I will and won't allow. For a group of strangers, I'm not sure this will work as well. Running a game in the Greyhawk setting will require me to limit a good amount of content based on setting alone. Are there any issues with doing something along the lines of Core only, with additional rules subject to GM approval(with the intention of allowing a good amount of additional material)? My main concerns are a variety of spells that I'd either have to disallow or start having enemies cast to keep things interesting and certain well-known builds that tend to steal the show.

3. Does anyone have any advice for running this campaign specifically in a PbP setting? I've read about some of the challenges of running a dungeon crawl in this format and I have some decent plans for handling that issue, but I'd love to hear from anyone who has run it themselves this way.

LCF