Pathfinder Chronicles: The Great Beyond—A Guide to the Multiverse (OGL)

Ok, I just have to start the ball rolling on this one too. How many different detailed parts of the beyond will there be?

Todd Stewart is Shemeska correct?

I'm looking forward to this :)

Is it just me or does that kinda look like Diterlizzi (sp?) artwork?

Chad

Todd Stewart is Shemeska correct?

I'm looking forward to this :)

spews drink

pre-orders

Todd Stewart is Shemeska correct?

I'm looking forward to this :)

Correct, though he doesn't seem to use that avatar/persona on these boards. Regardless, he's the perfect author for something like this. Should be great.

Todd Stewart is Shemeska correct?

I'm looking forward to this :)

You know, as a hard-core Planescape fan, I was somewhat uneasy about the Pathfinder planar setup. It's not as bad as the cluster**** that is 4e's planes, but still, there's a bunch of changes being made that don't really "need" (IMO) to be made. I was willing to accept what Paizo was going to do with the planes, but I wasn't exactly looking forward to it.

The twisted mind behind the online presence of Shemeska the Marauder, the King of the Crosstrade herself though, him I'll give every benefit of the doubt. Can't wait for this one to come out now.

Todd Stewart is Shemeska correct?

I'm looking forward to this :)

Sweet!!!

Todd Stewart! Excellent! I am a big fan of his 'loth stuff, so I am hoping to see some of that sneak in :)

Is it just me or does that kinda look like Diterlizzi (sp?) artwork?

Chad

It's not the final cover. The picture used in the mock-up is from Gallery of Evil.

Deleted...dupe post.

Hopefully Todd can share some more tid bits on this one!

Nyarlathotep wrote:

Todd Stewart is Shemeska correct?

I'm looking forward to this :)

Correct, though he doesn't seem to use that avatar/persona on these boards.

Yep, that'd be the name I've snagged in one form or another on a number of various boards (Shemeska, Shemeska the Marauder, Shemmy, King of the Crosstrade, etc). I honestly can't say why I went with my actual name when I registered here, but it works even better I figure. :)

BenS wrote:

Nyarlathotep wrote:

Todd Stewart is Shemeska correct?

I'm looking forward to this :)

Correct, though he doesn't seem to use that avatar/persona on these boards.

Yep, that'd be the name I've snagged in one form or another on a number of various boards (Shemeska, Shemeska the Marauder, Shemmy, King of the Crosstrade, etc). I honestly can't say why I went with my actual name when I registered here, but it works even better I figure. :)

Especially because I can add the (Contributor) tag to it.

All I can say about this book is 'Score!'

Nyarlathotep wrote:

Todd Stewart is Shemeska correct?

I'm looking forward to this :)

You know, as a hard-core Planescape fan, I was somewhat uneasy about the Pathfinder planar setup. It's not as bad as the cluster**** that is 4e's planes, but still, there's a bunch of changes being made that don't really "need" (IMO) to be made. I was willing to accept what Paizo was going to do with the planes, but I wasn't exactly looking forward to it.

The twisted mind behind the online presence of Shemeska the Marauder, the King of the Crosstrade herself though, him I'll give every benefit of the doubt. Can't wait for this one to come out now.

Without actually spilling the beans on the cosmology or getting into what would amount to design notes on the stuff that currently sit on my desktop, the back of napkins, and the back of a few nitrile gloves from my lab where I made notes during work, I can only barely repress my own giddy enthusiasm over this project and ask that folks trust me on this. Please trust me. *insert a yugoloth grin on that if you want as well* More seriously, for folks familiar with any of my prior work on planar stuff or Planescape proper, both published or just released online because it's fun, you'll find plenty of thematic overlap in places.

It's not Planescape, and there's lots of non-open content that precludes using some iconic aspects of my favorite setting, but from looking at any stuff I've done before, you should have a clear idea where I'll be coming from. In this case however, even though I'm playing in Paizo's sandbox, I've got a lot more creative freedom on this, so I'm having a blast. And I say fun as a guy who made his players cry during an encounter with a fiend in a previous campaign. A cosmology should be evocative, mysterious, and filled with wonder and terror at the same time, and I hope to capture that sort of feel in what I come up with.

I would love nothing more than to gush over this in public, but I can't till it hits the press, and prior to that I have to actually write it. As it stands, it's on my plate after another project, and it's difficult to keep myself from leaping into this one early.

And as for the yugoloths that I'm somewhat known for: 'loths are WotC IP, but hopefully you'll enjoy my spin on Pathfinder's daemons. Not the same critters, but you'll catch some thematic overlap certainly. Once the campaign setting hardcover comes out, you'll have a pretty good idea of the basics and I'll be able to chatter a little bit more I'd figure.

And yes, I can say as much that the cover art up there is a placeholder. I know what it'll end up being and who is doing it, but it's probably not my place to say (so bug James or Wesley and they might hint). I'm being as dim on specific details as I can, but it's hard. :)

Todd, I have absolutely no doubts this book is in the best of hands. It'll be kinda hard letting the Planescape stuff go, but that's yet another downside of the 4e debacle. I just wonder if there'll be characters in Paizo's cosmology as unique as Shemeska or my personal favorite, Xan'xost the Slaadi Sage.

finally...a place where flumph pods can meander to their heart's content

Being a Planescape fan, I admit that I have to hear more about this before I get excited.

I just had a DMgasm....

This I am really looking forward to... Is this just the planes or does it also include the planets of the Solar System?

Correct, though he doesn't seem to use that avatar/persona on these boards. Regardless, he's the perfect author for something like this. Should be great.

Todd is the Man!

This is definitely going on my must buy list. Awesome!

Todd, awesome to hear that you're writing this.

DO WANT.

There will be a little bit about the solar system and the universe in the Material Plane section... but not much. You'll want to check out Pathfinder #14 for the info on the 11 planets and other neat stuff associated with them...

These chronicles just keep getting better!

There will be a little bit about the solar system and the universe in the Material Plane section... but not much. You'll want to check out Pathfinder #14 for the info on the 11 planets and other neat stuff associated with them...

Awesome James - I have been waiting for this since I knew about Green and Red planets. Thank you and I want to put in my vote for a Red Planet AP - that might even be a great Epic Level AP to take a group right into after they finish more terrestrial matters. I cannot wait...

There will be a little bit about the solar system and the universe in the Material Plane section... but not much. You'll want to check out Pathfinder #14 for the info on the 11 planets and other neat stuff associated with them...

Interesting...

Any chance that the solar system might get its own book in the future?

WOW ... all I can say is WOW ... As a big fan of the Planescape setting I am very glad someone with the "street cred" Todd has is doing this. Once again I am blown away...

marks calendar

I'm kind of sad that this is part of the Chronicles line. Planar adventures have their own needs in terms of spells and equipment and feats and possibly even prestige classes. These game mechanics aren't important enough to be included in core rules but get used pretty heavily in a planar game. As a Chronicles product doesn't it mean that we won't be seeing a lot of game mechinics in here?

Well, I can't imagine that the fact that this book will be a Chronicles product will prevent the Paizonians from including necessary and/or useful feats, items, spells etc. . As long as they don't release a Player's Guide To The Great Beyond, I expect stuff like this to show up in the book.

Shemeska, all right!

I am really looking forward to your twisted ideas on the multiverse. Just a few questions, to get you in the teaser mood:

Will it have wars between the different fiendish races?
Will it have the struggle for the 'right' philosophy?
Will it have a city at the center?
Will it have an Orroloth?

A cosmology should be evocative, mysterious, and filled with wonder and terror at the same time, and I hope to capture that sort of feel in what I come up with.

Consider trust gained. Really looking forward to this.

-DM Jeff

Todd, without spilling the beans... doth thou see a Great Wheel rollin' 'round thy countryside? :P

Well, I can't imagine that the fact that this book will be a Chronicles product will prevent the Paizonians from including necessary and/or useful feats, items, spells etc.

Isn't the whole point of the Chronicles line that it doesn't include a lot of game mechanics? I thought that this was a key selling point.

Regardless, I'm very excited about this produce. :) If I weren't already subscribed I'd have pre-ordered this one on sight.

Really looking forward to this -

Shemmy, will it be backwards-compatible with the Great Wheel?

The Great Wheel is WotC IP.

It has been announced that there is one plane for each alignment, so in that sense it is similar to the great wheel, but that doesn't mean that those planes will be similar to their Great Wheel counterparts or that they will be laid out in a ring.

Yeah I'll miss Sigil, but the new infinite city of Axis sounds like a lot of fun as well. Plus, no one says you can't still run old-skool Planescape. I find it translates over quite easily enough.

Isn't the whole point of the Chronicles line that it doesn't include a lot of game mechanics?

Not necessarily. Products in the Pathfinder Chronicles line are about building the setting, and where a product needs mechanics to build the setting, it will have mechanics.

That said, since we're switching over to the Pathfinder RPG in August 2009, we're making sure that the products we release before then *don't* need a lot of mechanics. So, you can expect this product to be rules-light not because it's part of the Pathfinder Chronicles line, but because it's coming out before August 2009.

I'm kind of sad that this is part of the Chronicles line. Planar adventures have their own needs in terms of spells and equipment and feats and possibly even prestige classes. These game mechanics aren't important enough to be included in core rules but get used pretty heavily in a planar game. As a Chronicles product doesn't it mean that we won't be seeing a lot of game mechinics in here?

Remember, it's all backwards compatible. Which means, you could use any mechanics that you find in the Planar Handbook.

There's a lot of stuff I'd love to babble about, but can't for obvious reasons, at least not yet. That said, a lot of questions folks are asking should be answered by what you'll find in the Campaign Setting book's cosmology section once it's out (hopefully at GenCon?). At that point I can probably comment within reason on what's in that book itself without getting into details from the full multiverse book itself.

I will give a hint on one thing however (without actually telling anything): there's an archdaemon who's a direct take on an archfiend from my home campaign (similar I suspect to how the details and history for Obox-Ob started with how James used that particular abyssal lord in his home game). And to save anyone from searching through a frightening number of pages of storyhour material over on Enworld, they're not mentioned in anything I've put online before (though a sibling of theirs might).

Geez I can't wait for the PCCS to be out. I'm in the dark as much as anyone else on most of the contents except for the few parts I worked on, and I -really- want to read more about the world. They've got me hooked something fierce at this point. Curse you Paizo! ;)

Ok, one more for Mr. Stewart:
Will I be able to add my own planes to the mix or use "beyound countless doorways"?
What I mean: Will it be to add new planes to the cosmology?

I'm not Mr. Steward, but I can't imagine why it shouldn't be possible to customize the Golarion multiverse to your liking...

Neat to see that this subject is getting covered for Golarion.

(Not that I'll buy it, as we're sticking with Planescape and the Great Wheel for as long as we'll be playing...)

I'm not Mr. Steward, but I can't imagine why it shouldn't be possible to customize the Golarion multiverse to your liking...

Yeah, just read some more stuff on the multiverse and that answered my question.

OMG OMG OMG OMG

Shemeska rocks.
Paizo just keeps on scoring one coup after another.
All the best things about D&D living on- now Planescapey goodness too.

Can I get a 'huzzah!' ?

Todd, I look forward to reading this book. I hoped Paizo would tap you for something like this.

I know I'll be buying a copy. ^_^

Todd, I look forward to reading this book. I hoped Paizo would tap you for something like this.

I know I'll be buying a copy. ^_^

*diet code red mountain dew enhanced bliss*

I'll be honest, right up there with getting to write a 3.x Fiendish Codex III (fat chance), this is a prime example of my idea of a dream writing assignment. Oh man, several weeks since I got handed this and I'm still grinning like a fool. I just need to try not to feel overwhelmed against expectations, and try to come in under the word count. Almost certainly I'll end up trimming stuff because I'll grossly write above the limit after the initial draft. Lots of ideas for this baby.

And I have every intention of snagging a copy of your Dragons Revised book as soon as it's out. :)

Btw, you going to be at GenCon?

*diet code red mountain dew enhanced bliss*

I'll be honest, right up there with getting to write a 3.x Fiendish Codex III (fat chance), this is a prime example of my idea of a dream writing assignment. Oh man, several weeks since I got handed this and I'm still grinning like a fool. I just need to try not to feel overwhelmed against expectations, and try to come in under the word count. Almost certainly I'll end up trimming stuff because I'll grossly write above the limit after the initial draft. Lots of ideas for this baby.

And I have every intention of snagging a copy of your Dragons Revised book as soon as it's out. :)

Btw, you going to be at GenCon?

I'm glad you're looking forward to writing this and not totally burned out on the planar stuff. :)

I will not be going to Gen Con. If you are, have fun! :D

Memorandum

To Paizo art director:

re: The Great Beyond Cover

Please put Lini the Gnome Druid on the cover. Paizo needs more gnomes, please.

Sincerely,

cappadocius

Todd,

Not sure if you or anyone else can answer this, but will this book (or the Pathfinder cosmology) include the Demented? If not, why?

Memorandum

To Paizo art director:

re: The Great Beyond Cover

Please put Lini the Gnome Druid on the cover. Paizo needs more gnomes, please.

Sincerely,

cappadocius

Sarah, but can she have pigtails?