That is a cool cover. That's all I got to say . . .
Pretty great cover. I like how gnomes have pointed ears again.
Is this another one by Dan Scott?
Nope. It's by Dave Rapoza. At least, that's what Sean told me. This is his first work for Paizo, I believe. Though he's done art for Magic: the Gathering and other RPG-related stuff for Wizards, I think.
Bottom line: I'm astounded by Dave's representation of the Fellnight Queen. Rhoswen came out looking pretty much exactly how I envisioned her.
Nope. It's by Dave Rapoza. At least, that's what Sean told me. This is his first work for Paizo, I believe.
By my estimation he's earned the chance to do some more art!
Neat cover.
Terrible name ("Fellnight" - bleh!), but neat cover.
I like the cover AND the titles! :)Let me guess -- the author is your cousin or something? ;P
No. But we share a certain brotherhood, so to speak. ;-)
Hey, I just noticed the pre-order date got moved up from March to February. Cool!
A drunk treant, a possessed druid! :) I already love it!
A drunk treant, a possessed druid! :) I already love it!
Great! I hope everyone else does, too! :-D
Can't wait to get my hands on this one!
Thanks, Christina. And I can't wait either! Must...see...final...product.... ;-)
Well, I've now seen an advance PDF copy of the final adventure. I really like how it turned out. But I'm still on pins and needles to know what everyone else thinks of it.
I'm sure it will rock. I've been ready for a glimpse into the FIrst World for sometime now! Thanks for charting some unknown waters.
Has anyone told Sajan he's holding his weapon backwards?
(Presuming it's based on the Thracian sica or falx, (there are other similar ones--falcata, kukri, makhaira) the curve is meant to be facing forward to provide a better cutting action, combining a sword and an axe.
As it's drawn, he'd have a hell of a time slashing with it. Turned around, he'd hack around shields and still be able to stab.
Kind of funny, actually. Sort of like the _Highlander_ episode where the guy held the katana backwards.
-Ben.
Sidenote: the cover's quite pretty, otherwise!
Wow, Hadrian. Thank you for the vote of confidence and your leap of faith. I hope Fellnight Queen is everything you hope it will be.
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I am already getting this with my Superscriber, but you know how I feel about your stuff Neil. You are the champion of the rarity. You know a lost cause when you see it. You are the Davy Crockett of Design. I know you don't play it safe when others say you are going to be sorry. You aren't gonzo, but you see what is lacking and take your stand. Can't wait to get this and to see where you go from here.
The Davy Crockett of Design?
Wow!
There's a bit of irony in that. As a 4-year old, I used to dress up as Davy Crockett and run around the yard in my coonskin cap and fringe leather jacket. So...yeah...weird moment. Thanks for that.
At any rate, I think my biggest fear with Fellnight Queen is meeting everyone else's expectations. I know what I wrote. I know what got cut for various reasons. And I know how it came out in the end (I've seen the PDF). What I don't know is how everyone else will perceive it or react to it.
But, personally, I can say I'm satisfied with it. There are elements which hit the cutting room floor (like anything really) that I wish could have made it into the final product. But Sean did a great job developing the manuscript into the published adventure. I just hope it meets with enough of everyone's preconceptions and expectations that people generally like it and it sells well for Paizo.
--Neil
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games
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The Davy Crockett of Design?
Wow!
There's a bit of irony in that. As a 4-year old, I used to dress up as Davy Crockett and run around the yard in my coonskin cap and fringe leather jacket. So...yeah...weird moment. Thanks for that.
At any rate, I think my biggest fear with Fellnight Queen is meeting everyone else's expectations. I know what I wrote. I know what got cut for various reasons. And I know how it came out in the end (I've seen the PDF). What I don't know is how everyone else will perceive it or react to it.
But, personally, I can say I'm satisfied with it. There are elements which hit the cutting room floor (like anything really) that I wish could have made it into the final product. But Sean did a great job developing the manuscript into the published adventure. I just hope it meets with enough of everyone's preconceptions and expectations that people generally like it and it sells well for Paizo.
--Neil
Neil, the mod came out great! While it's always a little bummer when something you liked ends up not making the final version, that's part of being a pro - letting it go and seeing the magic happen once you get that thing in your hot little hands with your name on it. Just think, you'll get to enjoy the same ride around June or so when KM #4 comes out.
Enjoy it, Superstar!
Neil, the mod came out great!
Oh, I agree. But, I also think an RPG Superstar module is a little different than your typical Pathfinder module. Because of the contest and the public vote, everyone not only gets to see the entire adventure proposal (all of which may not make it into the final product), but they also vote for what they expect that module to contain. If for some reason it doesn't, that's what worries me more about how it will be accepted. In other words, will it meet enough of the expectations of those who voted for it...and/or have become excited about it...to please them in the end?
I know I'm pleased. And I don't expect everyone to be. But, much like Lincoln once pointed out, I'll be happiest if I can at least please most of the people, most of the time. And my first opportunity to do that is with Fellnight Queen. Then, Kingmaker. And so on. But FQ is the first step. So, I'm a bit more anxious about it than I might otherwise normally be.
Hope that makes sense,
--Neil
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Neil, the mod came out great!Oh, I agree. But, I also think an RPG Superstar module is a little different than your typical Pathfinder module. Because of the contest and the public vote, everyone not only gets to see the entire adventure proposal (all of which may not make it into the final product), but they also vote for what they expect that module to contain. If for some reason it doesn't, that's what worries me more about how it will be accepted. In other words, will it meet enough of the expectations of those who voted for it...and/or have become excited about it...to please them in the end?
I know I'm pleased. And I don't expect everyone to be. But, much like Lincoln once pointed out, I'll be happiest if I can at least please most of the people, most of the time. And my first opportunity to do that is with Fellnight Queen. Then, Kingmaker. And so on. But FQ is the first step. So, I'm a bit more anxious about it than I might otherwise normally be.
Hope that makes sense,
--Neil
Just out of curiosity what sort of things got cut? If you don't want to/cant answer I'll understand
Just out of curiosity what sort of things got cut? If you don't want to/cant answer I'll understand
I'll defer answering that question for now. From what I understand, there's a possibility (though slim) that a future blog post or something could contain some of the extra "director's cut" material. But that's up to Paizo...Sean and James, mostly, I think. Lobby them if you want to see it. ;-)
Director of Brand Strategy
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Because of the contest and the public vote, everyone not only gets to see the entire adventure proposal (all of which may not make it into the final product), but they also vote for what they expect that module to contain.
Christine's module was different than her proposal yet I don't recall a lot of backlash for things being cut. I think you have the additional advantage of remaining an active and friendly presence on the boards after the end of the contest, which will make it even easier for people to forgive minor differences between your proposal and the final product. What are you worried about? You're a superstar!
I suppose you could create a Neil Website and then if you get the green light...
Nope. Not happening. Everything...including the stuff on the cutting room floor...belongs to Paizo.
Also, KM #4?? Cool beans!
Yes. Kingmaker #34: "Blood for Blood"...
It has something do with...blood...or revenge. Or so I hear. ;-)
What are you worried about? You're a superstar!
I'm just wanting to match superstar expectations with a superstar adventure. And, the closer we get to the release date, the more anxious I am to hear everyone's reaction.
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Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games
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I suppose you could create a Neil Website and then if you get the green light...
Also, KM #4?? Cool beans!
It's true! Kingmaker is actually fully half Superstar vets - Rob is doing #2 (Rivers Run Red), Neil #4 (Blood for Blood), and me #5 (War of the River Kings).
It's true! Kingmaker is actually fully half Superstar vets - Rob is doing #2 (Rivers Run Red), Neil #4 (Blood for Blood), and me #5 (War of the River Kings).
The other trio of contributors ain't half bad, either. Can't go wrong with Hitchcock (#1), Vaughan (#3), and Pett (#6).
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I wonder. If it ok for me to ask, can you tell me how much leeway does one get with an AP versus a straight module? I understand if that is an "in thing" you can't talk about.
However, I do remember everyone talking about how much work and thought had already gone into Kingmaker.
Would it be like, "Just make sure by the end they are in a castle and introduce this villian."
Or is it like, here is the outline. Here is our desired theme. Make sure the boss-beastie is this guy. Don't screw with this. Don't mess up that. Make sure they are this level by the end. Etc.
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Director of Narrative
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It's true! Kingmaker is actually fully half Superstar vets - Rob is doing #2 (Rivers Run Red), Neil #4 (Blood for Blood), and me #5 (War of the River Kings).The other trio of contributors ain't half bad, either. Can't go wrong with Hitchcock (#1), Vaughan (#3), and Pett (#6).
Half-SuperStar/Half-Cabbage ain't a bad template. Kingmaker is gonna rock!
...can you tell me how much leeway does one get with an AP versus a straight module?......Or is it like, here is the outline. Here is our desired theme. Make sure the boss-beastie is this guy. Don't screw with this. Don't mess up that. Make sure they are this level by the end. Etc.
Well, you certainly get to see the outline for the entire adventure path, and I had the benefit of seeing the entire overland hex map where the campaign takes place, as well. You also get to know who the big bad villain is supposed to be. And, you're given a description about what imagery will likely accompany the cover (i.e., they send out art orders for the cover way ahead of time, I believe). Other than that, the outline for a given chapter in an AP gives you some very general guidance...kind of a rough idea of the main conflict that occurs, but it's up to the author to define the particulars on the how and why and how we get there and what now?
I'm not really sure how to compare it to a straight module, though. The only stand-alone adventure module I've done with Paizo is Fellnight Queen. And, given that it's the winning submission from RPG Superstar, I pretty much got to define whatever I wanted to write about...and the voting public selected it. After that, the editors/developers talk through a couple of items that might need tweaking or adjusting. But for the most part, you're very free to craft it how you envisioned it and how everyone saw it during the contest. I have no idea how the regular modules get scoped and farmed out to the freelance authors. I'd imagine it's probably similar to the AP experience, though...just on a smaller scale...and no interconnected chapters to link up to...
Regardless, it's all fun...
But that's just my two-cents,
--Neil
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Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games
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I wonder. If it ok for me to ask, can you tell me how much leeway does one get with an AP versus a straight module? I understand if that is an "in thing" you can't talk about.
However, I do remember everyone talking about how much work and thought had already gone into Kingmaker.
Would it be like, "Just make sure by the end they are in a castle and introduce this villian."
Or is it like, here is the outline. Here is our desired theme. Make sure the boss-beastie is this guy. Don't screw with this. Don't mess up that. Make sure they are this level by the end. Etc.
It depends on the adventure, in that some are a little more dictated than others by the demands of the AP design, but in general it's pretty close to your last paragraph.
We get a spec sheet that lays out a paragraph or two about what, in general terms, each adventure is intended to cover. Some is pretty generic, some is more specific. Some depends on art orders that are done in advance, but most art orders happen after you turn over the manuscript and the editor working with your piece gets a chance to read through it and figure out map space and where the illos should fall to balance the text and maps.
For End of Eternity, I had a blank map of the islands, the info that this was a pocket dimension created by Nex where the PCs were trapped, that there was a conflict between the proteans and the genies (with Obherak as one of the lead genies), and that by the end the PCs needed to find a way out.
That was pretty much it, aside from a design philosophy to work for a very Harryhausen kind of feel with the monsters and the challenges within the adventure. Sometimes you'll have a meeting (since I lived locally, I went to Paizo and talked with James & Wes) or a conf call or email exchange to go through basic ideas that you have for the adventure and make sure that (a) they fit the editorial team's vision and (b) aren't already being done by somebody else in the same AP! :)
Some adventures have more definite story requirements, either with specific villains or chains of events. For War of the River Kings... well, I suppose it's not a spoiler to say that at some point in the module there's a war!
In writing an adventure with a big defined set-piece you have to work around that specific event, and there are usually some specific villains to work with as well, but how events lead up to that war, what happens in, around, and after it, and (most importantly) how the PCs are involved in events as they unfold.
When you pitch an independent module, you have a lot more theoretical control over content, because it's your pitch. I say theoretical control, because it still has to go through the development pass, and a lot of bits and pieces may get shaved off, but the Paizo guys are very good at keeping the heart of the adventure as an integral whole. Neil (and Christine before him) are in a bit of a funny spot because they've had to go through the pitch process very publicly, so everyone will have seen that first proposal before it goes through the usual kind of editorial feedback you'd get prior to writing it. "No, we can't do a fey adventure right now, we already have one on the schedule for six months from now. Yes, we like this part of the adventure, but it needs more Alien Fungus. No, tieflings are beaten to death, you have to make them mushroom men instead." Yknow, that kind of stuff.
More importantly, a Gamemastery mod is MUCH shorter than an AP mod; about 20000 words compared to 30-35000, so there's a lot less wiggle room.
(all of the above, of course, with the caveat that I've written a couple of standalone adventures for Dungeon mag back in the day, but none of the current Paizo Gamemastery mods, though I've done some pitching in that direction and we'll see what happens once the Superstar mania dies down enough that Sean & Co have time to look at extra stuff!)
Thank you both for sharing...insights into the design process are always interesting to read.
Now shipping! Woo-hoo!
I love the interior art for Her Majesty.
I like them both. My favorite is the cover art, though.
I like them both. My favorite is the cover art, though.
Oh no question about that, the cover is beautiful. Nice action pose too, that really conveys the sense of authority and power. For those that haven't seen it, the inside has more of a sexy glamour shot. So between the two, I agree, the cover is better, but you get the best of both worlds.
I can't wait to tuck into the actual text!
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I like them both. My favorite is the cover art, though.Oh no question about that, the cover is beautiful. Nice action pose too, that really conveys the sense of authority and power. For those that haven't seen it, the inside has more of a sexy glamour shot. So between the two, I agree, the cover is better, but you get the best of both worlds.
I can't wait to tuck into the actual text!
BAH! This "Fellnight Queen" is just a pitiful upstart compared to our Beloved Majestrix! ;P