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Yes it is.
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There goes Vanessa & Paizo putting what looks like a Hellknight on the cover of an AP I probably wasn't going to be running or playing, enticing me to at a minimum purchase it.
There goes Vanessa & Paizo putting what looks like a Hellknight on the cover of an AP I probably wasn't going to be running or playing, enticing me to at a minimum purchase it.
That's actually a graveknight hellknight and this is most probably a placeholder cover.
Are the Abomination Vaults kind of like the Emerald Spire?
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Are the Abomination Vaults kind of like the Emerald Spire?
In that it's a dungeon crawl based adventure with a dedicated "adventuring town" nearby? Yes.
The themes and story are certainly different. I'd say that Abomination Vaults probably has a tighter story and theme than Emerald Spire as they're designed as an AP, so the narrative is more cohesive with a distinctive through-line. From my experience with Emerald Spire, each floor of the mega-dungeon felt like it's own theme-park.
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Are the Abomination Vaults kind of like the Emerald Spire?In that it's a dungeon crawl based adventure with a dedicated "adventuring town" nearby? Yes.
The themes and story are certainly different. I'd say that Abomination Vaults probably has a tighter story and theme than Emerald Spire as they're designed as an AP, so the narrative is more cohesive with a distinctive through-line. From my experience with Emerald Spire, each floor of the mega-dungeon felt like it's own theme-park.
That it does!
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Hey, I was looking forward for updated cover and here it is!
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Well I'll be...that is an unusually short contract for a contract devil! :)
Gauntlight's got me pumped. Really excited to see how this dungeon evolves! Bring it on, Vanessa.
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Given how good the introductory volume to Abomination Vaults is, I'd really hate to be Vanessa tasked with following that one up.
Though I am really chuffed to see it, all the same! This AP has me as excited to read the next release since, well, since Age of Worms was being published in Dungeon Magazine back-in-the-day.
No pressure! :P
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When will these start shipping out for subsribers? I got an email Thurseday that mine was preparing ship. Eager to start to downloading the pdf.
Today is the start date of shipping. They are gonna be shipping this month's sub orders for next two weeks.
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Given how good the introductory volume to Abomination Vaults is, I'd really hate to be Vanessa tasked with following that one up.
Though I am really chuffed to see it, all the same! This AP has me as excited to read the next release since, well, since Age of Worms was being published in Dungeon Magazine back-in-the-day.
No pressure! :P
Steel Wind: I hope your volume is as good as James Jacob's volume!
Me: <horror intensifies>
James is very good at what he does and has been doing it far longer. If mine is half as good as his, I'll consider that a success.
That said... I think I was able to intertwine a good amount of horror and humor. There's also one piece of art that is my favorite for all time.
You'll know it when you see it.
So, this PDF also has the weird light green color scheme error. Hm.
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So, this PDF also has the weird light green color scheme error. Hm.
It's because it was exported as RGB instead of CMYK. Correction is in process.
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So, this PDF also has the weird light green color scheme error. Hm.Ooh, what's in the (tool)box, jack?
Here you are:
several magic items, including the Icons of the Roseguard and Seugathi alchemical items
2 new spells, daydreamer's curse and savant's curse
2 new weapons, the battle lute and the Tamchal chakram
rules for Infernal contracts
a new archetype, the eldritch researcher
new monsters: fleshwarp, gibtas, seugathi, shanrigol.
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So, this PDF also has the weird light green color scheme error. Hm.Ooh, what's in the (tool)box, jack?Here you are:
several magic items, including the Icons of the Roseguard and Seugathi alchemical items
2 new spells, daydreamer's curse and savant's curse
2 new weapons, the battle lute and the Tamchal chakram
rules for Infernal contracts
a new archetype, the eldritch researcher
new monsters: fleshwarp, gibtas, seugathi, shanrigol.
Me, reading this post: Ooh, sounds like a fun set of items! It even...
...Me, throwing my roommate's bedroom door open with a wild grin: BATTLE LUTE BATTLE LUTE BATTLE LUTE BATTLE LUTE
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So, this PDF also has the weird light green color scheme error. Hm.Ooh, what's in the (tool)box, jack?Here you are:
several magic items, including the Icons of the Roseguard and Seugathi alchemical items
2 new spells, daydreamer's curse and savant's curse
2 new weapons, the battle lute and the Tamchal chakram
rules for Infernal contracts
a new archetype, the eldritch researcher
new monsters: fleshwarp, gibtas, seugathi, shanrigol.Wait, did I read correctly, rules for infernal contracts? Damn this is better than what I was expecting, hoping the shipping starts soon so I can get my pdf
I might be able to get you the PDF if you sign this contract... in blood.
Don't worry about the fine print, standard legal stuff. Just... sign.
SIGN
I noticed an interesting glitch in the interactive maps. The bottom of the first page says "INTERACTIVE MAPS PART 2 OF 6" even though this adventure path has only three parts. I assume that Paizo doesn't plan to put out three more interactive maps after the adventure path is done?
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I noticed an interesting glitch in the interactive maps. The bottom of the first page says "INTERACTIVE MAPS PART 2 OF 6" even though this adventure path has only three parts. I assume that Paizo doesn't plan to put out three more interactive maps after the adventure path is done?
I'm guessing that's just part of the footer template that has been in place for this product line for the past 14 years. They might be forgiven for overlooking that under the circumstances!
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That said... I think I was able to intertwine a good amount of horror and humor. There's also one piece of art that is my favorite for all time.
You'll know it when you see it.
If horror+humor is your thing, I'm guessing you like the band!
Honestly, I preferred the circular stair down, with the Devil vs. Dawnflower as a really close runner up; it's a great action piece for an illustration featuring the "iconics". Has a Duel of the Fates vibe to it.
I'm guessing that's just part of the footer template that has been in place for this product line for the past 14 years. They might be forgiven for overlooking that under the circumstances!
I noticed an interesting glitch in the interactive maps. The bottom of the first page says "INTERACTIVE MAPS PART 2 OF 6" even though this adventure path has only three parts. I assume that Paizo doesn't plan to put out three more interactive maps after the adventure path is done?
Indeed, just an oversight.
And I am guessing that I probably missed a similar oversight in part 1.
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Speaking of file differences, in this particular version of the Interactive Map pack, the file has been stored in such a way that it is not possible to extract the ungridded version of the map from the PDF, only the gridded version extracts using the ordinary image tools for that purpose.
While I know these sorts of tech variables is not something that perhaps Paizo digital support pays much attention to, the value in use to the end user for VTT play is wholly dependent on our being able to access both of these images (gridded and plain) in GIMP or Photoshop. Throwing roadblocks in our path to prevent this, whether intentional or not, degrades the value in use of these products GREATLY for VTT play.
Not cool guys.
The Interactive Map pack for AV1 allowed for both versions of the maps to be extracted (which is what we need); this volume? Nope. Whatever it is you changed? Don't. Go BACK to how you had it please.
The art on page 2 is amazing! Can't wait to dig into this one.
Can this be played without using the first part?
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Speaking of file differences, in this particular version of the Interactive Map pack, the file has been stored in such a way that it is not possible to extract the ungridded version of the map from the PDF, only the gridded version extracts using the ordinary image tools for that purpose.
While I know these sorts of tech variables is not something that perhaps Paizo digital support pays much attention to, the value in use to the end user for VTT play is wholly dependent on our being able to access both of these images (gridded and plain) in GIMP or Photoshop. Throwing roadblocks in our path to prevent this, whether intentional or not, degrades the value in use of these products GREATLY for VTT play.
Not cool guys.
The Interactive Map pack for AV1 allowed for both versions of the maps to be extracted (which is what we need); this volume? Nope. Whatever it is you changed? Don't. Go BACK to how you had it please.
Yeah, the grid is baked in the images used in the PDFs. The PDF of the first one had two images for each map, with only the non-grided one used for the actual PDF to add the "removable" grid on top of it. I guess they were "displayed" on top of each other? *shrug* I know I was surprised, and just deleted the non-grided version. xd
(I usually prefer the grided version to align it to the map with better guidelines and deactivates the grid in the VTT.)|
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Yeah, the grid is baked in the images used in the PDFs. The PDF of the first one had two images for each map, with only the non-grided one used for the actual PDF to add the "removable" grid on top of it. I guess they were "displayed" on top of each other? *shrug* I know I was surprised, and just deleted the non-grided version. xd
(I usually prefer the grided version to align it to the map with better guidelines and deactivates the grid in the VTT.)
They are separate layers in a multi-layer PDF.
Ideally, you strip both images from the PDF. You should be using the gridded version as a layer to help you align any cropping required and to help you rescale the image in a program like Photoshop. After you do that, then you hide the gridded version and just export the cropped/resized version without the grid to use in a VTT so it perfectly aligns as intended.
That way, you never have a grid getting in the way of the grid within the VTT software itself. Every VTT has its own grid you don't want another one on your map image.
End users *need* both images in the same size. One (gridded) as a technical guide, the other to modify and then actually use within the VTT (ungridded).
End users *need* both images in the same size. One (gridded) as a technical guide, the other to modify and then actually use within the VTT (ungridded).
Only if that's the desired workflow. As you can see, there are other ways that work for other people.
I too use the gridded maps in VTT, turning off the grid overlay from the VTT itself, after having it aligned close to the map provided.
It's like back when we were playing on the table. The map I drew didn't always conform to the grid of the battlemat. And the minis weren't always 100% within the grid, but everyone knew where everything was.
It works just fine if it's not precise to the pixel.
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Yeah, I like the "grid only on the walkable places of the image", so I prefer them to the "grid over everything" of the VTT, so I deactivate the visual VTT grid (I keep the actual grid, but with invisible lines). If there's no grid in the original image, I often add one myself.
Also, my program extracts all images, no matter how they are layered, so I don't know the structure in the actual PDF. I only know that they have interesting "rotation masks" for some pictures and that all "transparent pictures" have "transparency masks" that I'm happy that my program applies itself.