I feel like I'm on crazy pills, but I cannot figure out what the weird reddish door-looking things are on the Thrunefang Camp map. There are the traditional white rectangle doors, and then these things. What are they??
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I've got some maps I made up for my Rise of the Runelords game, as well as other APs... WOW Askren, these are fantastic. Absolutely gorgeous!
Hey everyone, long time no see! My "Sandpoint Marked Map" link has been dead for a long time, but I've got it linked to my Dropbox now, so here it is!
My group uses MapTools by plugging a laptop into my TV via an HDMI cable. Basically it's just like an old-fashioned tabletop session, but a 50" widscreen replaces the table! There's no need for a projector, because "tokens" replace miniatures and are built right into the software. For best results, use two computers -- one for the players and one for the GM (only the PC computer needs to be hooked up to a TV). As Evil Lincoln stated, you can get info on how to run two computers and have them connected and stuff through the RPTools website. It's really not difficult at all (I'm no computer wiz), so don't be discouraged! But those resources will do a better job explaining it than I can do right here. :)
I would *NOT* create encounters specifically designed to foil the character's strengths. This will only create resentment. Instead, think of ways to create encounters that *also* require the other characters' strengths. That way the archer can still do his thing, but there are other creatures/challenges in the encounter that require the help of the other PCs. Also, I would consider doing things to boost up the others in the party to try to balance things out. Magic items are obvious (and good!) options. Again, this is a more positive way to balance the party than cutting the one player down. Once the others are closer to the archer, you can increase the difficulty of the encounters overall so that it doesn't become a cake walk. Never, ever, ever punish a player for creating a strong character. Let him reap the rewards! But there are things you can do as a DM to help the other PCs feel important and valuable as well.
Thanks fellas. A lot of the info is scattered throughout the book, so I appreciate your help putting the pieces together.
The party IMC captured Tsuto, and he's presently sitting in jail. They've already interrogated him, and came up empty, as Tsuto was unwilling to share anything. However, they just leveled-up to 3rd level, so the cleric now has access to zone of truth. Now, I realize the spell has some significant limitations, but I want to reward the players for a) capturing Tsuto alive, and b) diligently pursuing the interrogation angle. First of all, how much beans should I spill? Secondly, I'm still a little unclear about how Tsuto and Nualia got together in Magnimar. What sparked the relationship? I'm sure it's in Burnt Offerings somewhere, but I'm just not finding it... I'd like to have their story 100% dialed in prior to the interrogation. Thanks!
This is amazing. I wish I'd had this for the goblin attack, but this will be ideal for giant's raid on PF4. The image looks like it'll work well as long as you don't zoom in real close. Yeah, unfortunately the resolution was a limitation, so you can't zoom in too much before it starts to look like poo. I had considered re-doing the buildings in MapTool for about a minute (if anyone else wants to take on that job, feel free!). But it's definitely usable as is. I'm glad you found it useful!
We're just about to play the raid on Sandpoint. Our Nualia escaped and will be riding the dragon (hey, her final threat was that she'd see Sandpoint burn so what better way than from the back of a red dragon?) Think it's reasonable that she returns to Thistletop and manages to free Big M? I'd like to have him come loping into the town during the raid and start eating people... Oh, so evil! And awesome. :-)
DUDE. This is probably the best, most comprehensive, easy to use, and flat-out useful tools I've come across on the 'net. Another example of why the Paizo/Pathfinder community is the shiz-nizzy! Thanks so much!
+1 for this great idea! I am in love with the land-accumulating concepts behind Kingmaker, but I'm currently running RotRL, and we're still only in Burnt Offerings. Why not incorporate those wonderful Kingmaker elements into RotRL? Genius! I'm totally doing this. And it will inspire me to do more open-ended sandbox style side-treks in the process. Thanks so much for sharing!
These are too cool. I'm also interested in a pdf version..although I would doubt it happening since that could easily cut into the physical card sales. I can't imagine it would be any more than offering books in PDF form.
Does Paizo offer a PDF of these? I am a GameMastery Cards subscriber, and I would like to have these both in the physical card form as well as computer images.
Does Paizo offer a PDF of these? I am a GameMastery Cards subscriber, and I would like to have these both in the physical card form as well as computer images.
Has anyone created a Golarion chapter for the Everchanging Book of Names? I think this is one of the coolest tools out there, and a chapter dedicated to the various regions of Golarion would be awesome. Has this been done? And if not.... any takers? ;-)
Because of the bad-ass looking shield in the illustration of Orik Vancaskerkin, I decided to make the shield +1 and the banded mail masterwork (instead of the other way around as originally written). I'm just wondering if there's another picture of the shield, or if anyone has drawn the shield from the front, since we're only given a profile view in the module. I would totally draw it myself, but I'm no artist. Anyone up for the challenge?? That'd be SWEET. ;-)
Ambrus, that's gorgeous! I am so using all of these. :-)
Spot on. Since the seven Thassilonian "virtue" runes seem to never had been illustrated I figured I'd give it a try... Dude, NICE! These couldn't look more perfect! :-)
I don't know if you are still looking for something published, but what about the Pathfinder Module "Crypt of the Everflame." IIRC it didn't seem to have overly mature themes (but even if it did, you said you're okay with needing to edit-out-the-mature-stuff) and CotE is the first module written for the PFRPG (and designed as an intro for new players to boot). Thanks Minstrel, I am indeed still looking for a published adventure. I'll check this one out, thanks for the suggestion!
Thank you so much for the great insights, Swordsmasher! I found everything you said extremely interesting and useful. And it got me even more excited about GMing my son! I can't wait to see what his imagination comes up with. :-D
Thanks for the link, these are great!
As a father of three young children, I certainly would enjoy this kind of writing. Also, I'm a big proponent for supporting the hobby. I think RPGs really help kids grow their imagination, vocabulary, math skills, and social skills. So, writing adventures tailored to them would be a noble enterprise, in my opinion. Oh, yay! That's so encouraging to hear! Perhaps you could share your thoughts at Desforous' product suggestion thread: A Product Suggestion That I Would Buy - Adventures for 12 and under
Thanks for pointing me to this thread Desferous -- I think this would be great! Even if Paizo didn't want to dedicate a lot of resources to something for younger kids, they could maybe just do one small set of adventures and leave it at that. I could see them turning into the "classics" that introduced them to gaming that they remember years later. :-) If this were to catch on, I'd like to throw in some suggestions (I have an 8-year-old, so I feel like I'm pretty in touch with what would work): 1. Ages 7-12 would be perfect. Anything younger would be tricky, because reading would be an issue. My boy is 8-years-old and in 2nd grade, and I feel like he's just ready to be introduced to the game. He's mature enough to sit and play, and he can read well enough where it wouldn't be an obstacle. So in terms of starting age, I think 2nd grade is the spot. 2. Avoid killing people. A lot of the available adventures are hard to adjust for kids because the main bad guys are often times humans. Killing stuff is obviously part of the game, but I'd like to stick to monsters for the youngsters. 3. Specific scenarios where each class can shine! The Paizo adventures already do a good job of this, but it would be even more important here. Rogues get to be sneaky, rangers get to be woodsy, etc. 4. Other than that, just the obvious stuff: make it fast-paced and fun for the shorter attention spans. Keep it light. Throw in some comic relief -- slapstick and toilet humor tend to do particularly well. :-) I really think this could be a lot of fun, and I think a lot of writers would love to do something like this. I really hope Paizo gives it real consideration and doesn't dismiss the idea out of hand. It wouldn't be too demanding of a project, and it could be the start of the next generation of gamers!
if they asked one of their writers to do it i'll bet they could whip up something like this in a couple of hours, so really they wouldn't be hurting their brain at all... Not only would it not hurt their brain, but I'm guessing the writers would actually love to do something like this. I think they'd find it exremely fun and refreshing! :-)
Yes, tintagel does amazing work. Have you seen his map of Misgivings for AP2? It's incredible.
Thanks for all of the responses everyone! I definitely agree with all of the advice given. I'm planning on hamming it up when I can, and doing the silly, fun stuff that I know my son will love. :-) What I'm still looking for is a good adventure that I could use. I'm hearing a lot of suggestions that I could just make something up that hits all of the main points, which I very well might do. But I was kind of hoping there would be a good published adventure that I could use (and make adjustments where necessary, of course). this also brings up an interesting topic, should paizo put out some adventures that are geared towards 8 to 10 year olds? all of us are basically in our 30's and the basic tricks and traps don't stand a chance in fooling us, but a whole new generation could find that stuff shiny and new, just my 2 cents I wouldn't expect Paizo to fit their products for younger players, and I'm totally cool with adjusting to make things age-appropriate where needed. That being said, a very basic adventure to introduce youngsters to the game could be a wonderful idea! A lot of us have kids, and that would be a great way to start the next generation of gamers. :-)
I, too, am a MapTooler! My group still plays face-to-face, but instead of using a battle mat, I connect my laptop to my 50-inch widescreen via HDMI cable and *TA-DA*, gorgeous maps! It's such a leap in gaming. To me it feels like the equivalent of going from radio to television. I'm currently running Rise of the Runelords, still in AP1. I've started re-creating the maps in MapTools for a hi-res, pimpin' look. Using tintagel's map for the Glassworks set the bar pretty darn high; I couldn't possibly go back to low-res maps from the PDF! I'm currently mapping out the dungeon of Thistletop. Perhaps I'll post some screen shots. :-)
This is a HUGE moment for me: I will be GMing my 8-year-old son in his first ever role-playing adventure! He has already rolled up his character, a halfling rogue named Zartod. :-) Now it's just a matter of what adventure to run. I'm thinking an adventure path might be a bit much, so I'm looking for a module or perhaps one of the Pathfinder Society Scenarios. It'll be a standard party of four in all likelihood. Any advice would be great! Fast-paced action is a must (think 8-year-old attention span), and anything with slapstick humor would be a bonus. ;-) Thanks much!
I don't really have a problem with you "allowing" it to happen, although I would have had the "are you sure you want to do this... some consequences you might want to think about..." chat with them beforehand. The important thing is that they face realistic consequences for their actions. They would certainly be locked away for this. When they bring their "art" to the Sheriff, I would have him arrest them. In all likelihood, it would be the end for those characters in my campaign. Not because they pissed me off, mind you, but because that is a real (and completely fair) consequence for their actions. I would then have a serious conversation with your players about it, and hopefully it'll be a good lesson learned.
Here's a link to download the Sandpoint map as a MapTool campaign file. It's to scale with vision blocking. It does not have light sources, but I may add them in the future. Sandpoint Map for MapTools (.cmpgn file) There's a token of Sheriff Belor Hemlock just west of the Sandpoint Cathedral you can use to "explore" the town and see how the vision blocking works. :-) Please let me know if there are any problems accessing the file or downloading it. Thanks.
Will do, Lisa! I'll get the files all prettied up and send them off to you tonight. By the way, has anyone ever mentioned that a high-resolution offering of all Pathfinder maps would be *AMAZING* for such purposes? Seriously, I would drop some major coin for all of the RotRL maps in hi-res (and preferably "clean" without text for room names and such). Plus, any and all future offerings in high-res (Kingmaker??) would be must-have material -- and I'm guessing I'm not alone! Please consider it! :-) P.S. By hi-res I mean an electronic file to download. I understand that printing the maps to scale would not be a cost-effective option.
The raid on Sandpoint in FotSG is what made me decide to do it. We're still only in Burnt Offerings, but I figured, if I'm gonna do it, might as well do it now! That way I'll have it if I decide to do any other skirmishes in town (and, now that I have it, I certainly will set up other skirmishes in town!)
Would anyone be interested in a MapTools campaign file of the town of Sandpoint? I used the highest resolution map of Sandpoint I could find (clean without labels) and made it to scale. It doesn't look too bad! Then I went through and put vision blocking around all the buildings, city walls, and some trees. I'm also thinking about adding in light sources (street lamps, etc) in case I want to have something go down at night. Would anyone be interested?
Also, would anyone be interested in other campaign files in general? I'm working on a nice one for Thistletop, for example.
Dude, this is amazing. My campaign has been doing everything through MapTools (not remotely -- we all get together and put it on my TV using an HDMI cable), and we've all loved it, but now you've got me thinking about setting up the raid like you've done here. The 3-D effect for building heights and whatnot really make a big difference. Awesome. Just awesome. :-)
Love it! That's gotta add a lot to the campaign -- I'm jealous!
I would like to thank all the great contributers. I'm about to start up this AP, and there is some awesome stuff here! Indeed! I started the AP a few months ago, and this community has put together some absolutely amazing stuff. Tintagel's maps are particularly incredible -- make sure you snatch those up! :-)
With so many great NPCs in the RotRL adventure path, I'm curious as to which ones are favorites in your campaign. Whether they're stars because the PCs like them or you like playing them as the GM, I'd like to know who and how it came to be that way. I never anticipated Daviren Hosk as being a fav, for example, but the PCs just thought he was the coolest, and he's been a regular ever since! So, which NPCs are faves in your campaign -- and why? :-)
Great stuff guys, thanks for the ideas! I'm mulling it all over, still not sure what I'm going to do. So many great angles..... ;-)
In general, I feel okay with having Brodert know anything that the PCs could know with a Knowledge check. For example, the PCs can identify the statue in the Catacombs of Wrath as Alaznist with a DC 35 Knowledge (history) check. So when the party talked to Brodert, described the statue, and showed him the replica ranseur that it was holding, he was able to deduce that it was a statue of Alaznist.
I don't have anything to add -- just wanted to say thanks for this great topic! I'm currently running "Burnt Offerings," and I definitely want to plant as many seeds as I can.
By the way, the PCs won't be opening the door any time soon. They don't even have the knock spell yet, let alone the skill to pick the lock (oh by the way, in my campaign knock can bypass arcane lock and simple locks, but nothing more complex). Making them wait for it will make it all the more exciting when they finally break through. Plus, the baddies inside are too nasty for 2nd level characters to handle! :-)
I have devised the following sidetrek plot to serve as one of the PC's motivation for going to Sandpoint. The PC is a dwarf from Magnimar who is Volioker Briskalberd's nephew. Anyway, I have the back story, but I need some help in figuring out where it leads! Here it is:
Fritham was a young wizard that didn’t take to the adventuring life. Instead, he settled in Sandpoint and sold his services to the locals, casting minor spells, brewing potions, and selling the occasional everburning torch. Six years ago, Fritham purchased a shop and adjoining home on Main Street that could better accommodate his expanding business. He was renovating the basement of the home for a laboratory when he unearthed an underground chamber behind the eastern wall. Fritham entered, but was immediately overcome by a sense of extreme evil that permeated from the chamber, and fled back to his basement. Fritham was both frightened and captivated by the possibilities of what may lie behind his basement wall. He knew the passage must be sealed, but he also wanted to prepare himself to re-enter and explore the chamber at a later date. He decided to install a powerful door sealed both by magical and mechanical means. Two locals were commissioned by Fritham: Das Korvut the smithy to construct a powerful iron door, and the locksmith Volioker Briskalberd to craft an impassable lock. Fritham would finish the seal himself with an arcane lock. The lucrative contract included a pact of secrecy for Korvut and Briskalberd. Even without the pact, though, neither would speak of the palpable evil they felt emanating from the site. The door was installed, sealed by a superior lock, a spell, and a wall of bricks. The three never spoke of it again. Only a few months later, Fritham fell victim to Chopper’s blade. The buildings were sold by auction to a taxidermist named Odo Raver. Raver owned the property for over four years without ever detecting the door hidden behind the wall of bricks. A few months ago Raver lost the property to Jubrayl Vhiski, a local Szcarni leader, due to an insurmountable gambling debt. Upon taking over the property, some of Vhiski’s men discovered the hidden door while outfitting the basement for their nefarious activities. The Szcarni were unable to bypass the lock, but recognized it as Briskalberd’s handiwork. For the last month, a Szcarni brigand named Belzent has been assigned the duty of getting Briskalberd to cooperate in cracking his lock, using the customary Szcarni method of intimidation. But even if Briskalberd had not signed a pact, and even if he weren’t terrified of what lay behind the door, he still would not have the means to crack the lock, for Fritham had the only key, and the lock is too complex even for its creator to bypass. Briskalberd’s nephew Tropus caught wind of his uncle’s troubles, and took the journey from Magnimar to help get Belzent off of Volioker’s back. With the help of Tropus’ adventuring companions, Belzent was arrested. Through intimidation tactics of their own, the party learned from Belzent about the sealed door in the taxidermist’s basement…
So.......... I did all that, but don't know what's behind the stinkin' door!! I figured, "What better place to get ideas than this message board?" Thanks for reading, and for any ideas you have to offer! :-)
After looking at these, I decided to make them each with a white background, and darkened the bordering edges. These might work better for you.
These two images are nothing to write home about, but I figured I'd share anyway. I took the pictures of the bunyip and tentamort from the Tome of Horror and added a splash of color. It's nothing special, but better than black and white. The two creatures appear in "Burnt Offerings." Color picture of Bunyip
By the way, if there are other pictures of these two creatures out there, please let me know, because I wasn't able to find any. Thanks!
Was it this one?
The Kaijitsu tale, in any event, is hardly just begun. Lonjiku's death, and Ameiko's resulting rise to power as the Kaijitsu family leader in Sandpoint, is going to play a VERY important part in an upcoming adventure path. WAAAH!?? Holy awesome! Got any more info on that, or are you just going to leave us with that little teaser??
Ooh, I like it! And I've been looking to insert Councilman Scarnetti into the mix, so that would be perfect! I'm so glad I asked, cuz I'm totally using this. :-)
I'm curious how other GMs handled the town's reaction to certain events as they occur in the AP. The AP has done a great job making Sandpoint feel like a living, breathing town, but that means that the town must react to what is taking place. My first question is: How does Sandpoint react to Lonjiku's death? I'm looking forward to hearing how others handled this and other events. Thanks!
We never made an official list of which item goes with which card on purpose; some of the items (particularly scrolls and potions and wands) are meant to merely capture the feel of the campaign and provide the GM with "generic" items to give players during the game. Aha! That makes sense. I was worried that I'd pass out a scroll or something, and then find out later that I was supposed to hang onto it for something specific in a later adventure. Thanks James. :-)
Anybody...? Bump........
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