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I just came up with the idea of an adventure which is written by all those guys frequenting this board.
That means:
- First we will decide which of the plot ideas posted will be OUR plot. (10 ideas might be enough to choose from)
- Thereafter, everybody is free, to post ideas, NPCs, items, encounters, stats, etc...
- Finally, someone (propably the guys who had the idea ;) starts putting things together, and starts drawing the maps.
- It will be send in to paizo via eMail, and as the authors, all the names of the contributers will be written.
I don't know if this would work out, but if someone ist interested...
Any thoughts on this. Do you think this might work? What do the editors at paizo think about this.
Just thought it would be great to have an adventure from the Dungeon-Board in "our" magazine...
Well... maybe this could be fun. I heard something about this on the Shackled City boards from my current DM, but since we're running it right now, and I'm a PC, I am honor bound not to read the posts in case I run across what he has shared about his numerous changes.
Barring that venture, where to start? I have posted about 30-40 ideas on the 1,000 adventure hooks thread.
Does anything there float your boat? Most of them are silly ideas for adventure queries that I'd rejected, but with a fresh eye maybe they could be expanded into something better.
Oh yeah, and when Paizo pays us, I think the check should be made out to me. Give me your address and I'll make sure you get your cut when the adventure is published. So far, it seems like it's 50-50, but then again, maybe we should negotiate. :)
I just came up with the idea of an adventure which is written by all those guys frequenting this board.
That means:- First we will decide which of the plot ideas posted will be OUR plot. (10 ideas might be enough to choose from)
- Thereafter, everybody is free, to post ideas, NPCs, items, encounters, stats, etc...
- Finally, someone (propably the guys who had the idea ;) starts putting things together, and starts drawing the maps.
- It will be send in to paizo via eMail, and as the authors, all the names of the contributers will be written.I don't know if this would work out, but if someone ist interested...
Any thoughts on this. Do you think this might work? What do the editors at paizo think about this.
Just thought it would be great to have an adventure from the Dungeon-Board in "our" magazine...
Well it sounds interesting, but being a Devil's Advocate I can see there are going to be a few problems.
If you actually want to do one (1) adventure then I think what you are looking at is the issue of too many kooks - err cooks spoiling the broth. If however you are talking an Adventure Path-esque sort of thing with chapters where each chapter is handled by someone that could be doable.
Second there is the uber-chance that this turns into a vanity press/fanboy sort of thing, which would be a shame because it sounds interesting.
Third since a lot of us here on the messageboards are contributors or hopefuls there is the problem of sharing ideas. I for one have a few that I would rather not use. It may be that they are sitting in a 'black hole' somewhere or have been rejected for reasons of duplicating something coming down the pipe or maybe I'm working on it in manuscript form right now. Whatever the reason, these boards are open to the public and in a way we contributing types are all in competition with each other. This is not to say that I am against the idea - just pointing out that some people might not be that comfortable with the prospect.
Fourth there really has to be some rules attached to all this. Someone will have to moderate and take the role of editor. There will have to be a limit to how many people are actually going to be working on this and I would suggest arranging for an actual I-know-photoshop sort of mapper. I do, but I really don't have the time, which brings me to ---
Time. Deadlines, and the fact that a lot of people might wonder why they should work on this rather than work on actual submissions, homework, their lovelife, etc....
Now, after all that, I am still here.
GGG
This sounds interesting, but there will definitely be some kinks to be worked out as GGG has already pointed out. Something along the lines of a 2-3 module adventure arc would be the best and most realistic way to go with multiple authors involved.
Since this is your brainchild, Dryder, you've put yourself in the hotseat as the editor-in-chief. If you are really serious about it, you will need a broad outline of the adventure with which the contributing authors can work with and most importantly a completely BRILLIANT proposal letter.
I would love to lend my humble talents should this get off the ground.
I just came up with the idea of an adventure which is written by all those guys frequenting this board.
That means:- First we will decide which of the plot ideas posted will be OUR plot. (10 ideas might be enough to choose from)
- Thereafter, everybody is free, to post ideas, NPCs, items, encounters, stats, etc...
- Finally, someone (propably the guys who had the idea ;) starts putting things together, and starts drawing the maps.
- It will be send in to paizo via eMail, and as the authors, all the names of the contributers will be written.I don't know if this would work out, but if someone ist interested...
Any thoughts on this. Do you think this might work? What do the editors at paizo think about this.
Just thought it would be great to have an adventure from the Dungeon-Board in "our" magazine...
Well it sounds interesting, but being a Devil's Advocate I can see there are going to be a few problems.
If you actually want to do one (1) adventure then I think what you are looking at is the issue of too many kooks - err cooks spoiling the broth. If however you are talking an Adventure Path-esque sort of thing with chapters where each chapter is handled by someone that could be doable.
Second there is the uber-chance that this turns into a vanity press/fanboy sort of thing, which would be a shame because it sounds interesting.
Third since a lot of us here on the messageboards are contributors or hopefuls there is the problem of sharing ideas. I for one have a few that I would rather not use. It may be that they are sitting in a 'black hole' somewhere or have been rejected for reasons of duplicating something coming down the pipe or maybe I'm working on it in manuscript form right now. Whatever the reason, these boards are open to the public and in a way we contributing types are all in competition with each other. This is not to say that I am against the idea - just pointing out that some people might not be that comfortable with the prospect.
Fourth...
It's a great idea...why worry about all these details? Let's just brainstorm something and have fun with it!!
GGG brings up some good points, of course, but....why spoil things with details!
It's a great idea...why worry about all these details? Let's just brainstorm something and have fun with it!!
GGG brings up some good points, of course, but....why spoil things with details!
Hmmmmmmmmmm could be Satan! (is in the details anyway).
But if we must, we must.
Here's my brainstorming suggestion. Special thanks to Farwell2kings for giving me the idea.
Where Angels Fear to Tread
A group of bold heroes explore an ancient dungeon, sack a villain's keep, etc.... They battle great evil and walk away with loot and become local legends. The problem is they did something bad that they don't know about. Reckless were they. One, more or all of the characters walked away with a horrible cursed item, contracted lypcanthropy, released a horrible ancient evil or triggered a dire prophesy.
It has been several years since the event happened and now the evil (whatever it is) has taken root and become increasingly more powerful. The original adventurers have all moved on with their lives having become respected nobles, despicable villains, powerful heroes, mysterious hermits, dottering fools, mothers/fathers/grandmothers/grandfathers, mentors, dead, undead, etc.... Each has gone their seperate way. One or two still adventure and perhaps another has become a villain who knows what's happening.
Enter the PCs. It is up to the player characters to set to rights whatever evil the original party unleashed. They have or will gain (during the course of an adventure) a connection to one of the original adventurers, which eventually puts them on track to find the others, which then leads them back to the orginal (restocked) dungeon for the final encounter.
Other Ideas:
I would suggest that we pick out a mysterious/distinctive monster to develope. Something that gives the adventure a motif (like demodands in Shackled City, or drow in Against the Giants through Queen of the Demon Web Pit)
My vote is for the Yakfolk (Fiend Folio). On the surface they don't sound like much but their powers are very unique and no one (except the people that read this) will be expecting them. We might steal a few choice bits from Oriental Adventures to add to their mystique and make them more alien. Yakfolk use a lot of slaves and stolen bodies so lesser minions will be the rule of the day until the characters run into the puppeteers pulling the strings.
GGG
IF YOU ARE TALKING AP THREAD.
Other Idea:
Since this might be a case of like a zillion people writing let's keep it short, like a three word game. Let's do it as a series of side treks and keep the average contribution small - say around 2,000 words. If someone happens to go over - who cares, but let's not lock ourselves into something huge.
Hopefully this will make more sense than the Three-Word-Game thread.
GGG
Okay then. It's been settled how this is gonna roll. We have an evil threat of some kind, and at least one dungeon. I've heard that the Yak folk will be involved.
It's practically written already.
NOW, for the important part, splitting up the gold after publication:
Dryder - it was your idea, so 20% for you.
Farwell2Kings - you really got us motivated to think outside the box, so 15% for you.
Triple G - I assumed since you are sitting on a massive dragon's hoard, you are willing to help us pro bono. 0% for you (in fact, if you would like to make a donation. . .)
Steve Greer - you get a special bonus fee for starting up the Black Hole thread, and you have the experience of being published already, so 15% for you.
WerePlatypus - So far, I have been the only one to handle the critical administrative aspects of this venture. Combine that with the monetary handling and other legal affairs, entanglements, and so on in perpetuity, et cetera, and blah blah blah. . . I'd say that earns about 30%.
The remaining 20% goes to the local charity of our choice. I would be more than happy to fill out a 501c and attempt to get some federal aid if we wished to start our own D&D based philanthropic venture. Of course, there are numerous associated fees with such a service. . .
I don't have the Fiend Folio, but I'll throw out this idea--either as a plot hook for players or as a side threat to the party...
The son of a faraway noble has come of age and is coming into the area to fulfill his family's honor-oath bound quest to rid the area of the evil that the original party failed to deal with properly. He and his retainers (or party members) arrive in the area from many leagues away after one of their local clerics revealed that the "evil" was still present. They are a little perplexed that the "evil" has supposedly been dealt with and begin investigating (like I said, either as PC involvement hook or as a side "threat" from another party)
This could be an interesting twist on a familiar story hook. The PC's arrive to free the grateful natives from the evil threatening them, only to find the natives claiming the evil was already dealt with, didn't need to be dealt with, no thanks--we don't need any help.
BTW: If this thing was to get published for whatever reason, I'll gladly donate my share to whatever charity you all chose.
My charity of choice is the World Craniofacial Foundation.
Chis, you're too funny!
So, I like the idea of several Side Treks that we can find a way to fit together within a larger framework or theme. For my part, I've always liked the idea of having my players' characters inherit an old out of the way mansion/small keep. When they come to take possession of the property, of course, they will learn from the locals in the area that it has been abandoned for many years and earned a reputation as a cursed or haunted (maybe both) house. Perhaps this was the site of the daring deeds and whatnot of the previous adventurers mentioned in GGG's post. An evil cult, demonic entity, or some other villainous machination was disovered there a la just about every old module you've ever read concerning towns being preyed on by bad guys.
This, of course, is just a launching point for the characters to become involved in this much broader scenario than just a spooky mansion. Perhaps, the evil things living in the mansion were proteting an odd seal that plugged a rent in the fabric of reality to the Far Realms or any other planar locale. One of the "cursed" items taken from the mansion by the brave (and stupid) adventurers of old was the seal (a dual purpose item, let's say, that you wouldn't really know had a purpose other than the obvious like a sword, a shield, a pair of boots, whatever).
When the PCs first show up to "clean house" and lay claim to thier new property, they witness something horrible and nasty crawl up out of a glowing hole in the basement. Once the creature is dealt with, they still have this glowing hole...
This, then leads to a lot of Gather Information, research, tracking people down (kind of like Friday the 13th the series) to get back these items taken from the mansion that were plugging the hole.
Anyway, those are my thoughts to add to what you all have already suggested.
The son of a faraway noble has come of age and is coming into the area to fulfill his family's honor-oath bound quest to rid the area of the evil that the original party failed to deal with properly. He and his retainers (or party members) arrive in the area from many leagues away after one of their local clerics revealed that the "evil" was still present.
This can make things very interesting with my above suggestions. These guys show up on the characters' newly inherited doorsteps mistaking the PCs as the "evil" that needs to be expunged. Very young paladins (or any age, for that matter!) can be supremely dense and stubborn when it comes to vanquishing a supposed evil. How fun when the young dope and his small army begin to lay seige against the PCs' new house. And if that wasn't bad enough, you've got a green, glowing slimy thing of wirthing tentacles and teeth crawling out of the basement!
Makes for good combat and role-playing and perhaps an important NPC that can help point the characters in the right direction of their first clue to plugging the planar hole.
First off: My idea was just one possible idea. If we all like it that's fine. I think its open format enough that it works.
I like Steve's Call of Cthulhu angle and home invasion theme (although I am working on something similar for a niche hobby magazine we all know and love - Home and Garden I think). I had actually thought about the Friday 13th angle and that works fine. Though it could also be a reverse wand-of-seven-parts thing. The foolhardy adventurers seperated the armor, sword, shield and boots (or whatever) without realizing that they were a matched set you shouldn't seperate. Either way the haunted house works great as the abandoned home of one of the original party members. Perhaps he or she was driven mad or given prophetic visions and left in a hurry, leaving a monster cooking in the basement so to speak. The characters or their young aristocrat friend wind up with the house, or must clear it for the locals, or rescue a local boy who got double-dog-dared to go in and hasn't come out, etc.... So maybe that's our first adventure.
Farewell2king's "I told them we already've got one (Holy Grail)" idea works too. What if our mad or visionary former occupant fled the house in search of his/her comrades to warn them and shows up later as a linking character. Perhaps they deal with something that appears to be a threat. Everyone thinks its cool but really its worse, or perhaps the original party person is being followed by insrutable body-hopping Yaks!
I don't have my Fiend Folio but in short, Yakfolk apparently live in a multi-ethnic Shangri-la sort of Utopian society but in fact they have powerful mind control powers and the ability to disappear and take over a person's (humanoid's or giant's) body (kinda like a member of the Great Race of Yith minus the mind swapping). They are lawful evil and distinctly Himalayan in origins. They are Large creatures, have an innate talent with magical staves, and (go figure) look like anthropomorphic Yaks. I think they have a cool picture of one on the WotC website in the art gallery under Fiend Folio.
As for the big evil how about something Vile or Cthulhu-esque like Daoloth(sp?). Is it god or is it a drug that sends your ming into different times. What could the Yakfolk do with such a drug I wonder.
As for the loot, I hereby donate my entire 0% of the profits to The Home for Wayward Wereplatypi.
For copper pieces a day you can help feed a crazed and desperate, bloodthirsty, flesh-eating wereplatypi. With you donation you recieve a picture, deranged scribblings and updates about your sponsored wereplatypi. When before has giving so little meant so much. Give today.... Otherwise they'll eat us all.
Hey! Anyone seen Dryder?
GGG
GGG, I too am a fan of the yak folk and would like to use it more, having only used it once in my home game. It's actually in Monster Manual II.
This planar portal could very well have once been a rift to one of the Elemental Planes from which a yak cult had been drawing outsider slaves to do their bidding until forces of good put an end to it and unknowingly destabilized the rift. Now it chaotically opens to a variety of outer and inner planes closing up periodically as it cycles to a new plane. If the items in question that have been taken are not repositioned in their correct place, bigger and meaner and scarier creatures start to pop through.
This aristocrat guy in F2K's post could be a body melded yak folk come to check out the rumors of a group of his people that had tapped into a source of powerful otherworldy slaves. His involvement can last throughout the entire adventure series until the PCs regain the important items to stabilze the rift and the yak folk finally reveals his true motives by trying to off the heroes.
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"Hey! Anyone seen Dryder?" -GGG-
I am still around ;) Just came home from work and have to do a Nightshift tomorrow. I was a little surprised that someone jumped on this idea! Great!!!
I am so tired right now, that I will just print out the thread and read in full tomorrow. Than I will come up with some ideas and answers...
About the payment - Is it really that much that we have to think about this? If so, I let you guys decide - for me it would be payment enough if we would get this thing really done and even more to appear on the pages of our "holy" magazine!
Anyway, we should think about this last.
Maybe a good idea would be to exchange email-adresses, so that "talking" would be easier!
Also, I think we should take some of us as the CORE-GROUP (so that the individual is somewhat more responsible to get his/her work done). This does not mean that all this should get too serious. We should have fun with the development of this adventure, shouldn't we?!
So please, don't be angry with me for quitting this post right now, because I have to get a couple of hours sleep right now!
Tomorrow, same time (presently we have 10:45pm here in germany)
I will post again!
cya
Dryder
GGG, I too am a fan of the yak folk and would like to use it more, having only used it once in my home game. It's actually in Monster Manual II.
My bad. Looking at them I see I was wrong on a few other points. They are selfishly Neutral Evil and can summon and control evil janni as opposed to humanoids and giants (though they can do the body meld).
GGG
I have been trying to organize a User Created Adventure Path for some time now, but due to various reasons I haven't been able to get it rolling. If anyone here is interested in either helping out or taking over, (please, take over organization!) please post in the User Created Adventure Path thread in the Shackled City AP forum. And, GGG, there's nothing in that thread that's a spoiler for the SCAP.
While I'm at it, I'll try and pitch in, but it looks like my life is about to get really, really, busy.... which pratically everyone on this board will thank me for in about three years. [:D]
Squid
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Ok, I've read it so far...
1. I thought about only one adventure, because I think everything more will not be good to handle. But if you guys have the power AND the time, we might get more than one out of it.
2. I will do the editing if you like, but the proposal letter should be written by someone else, because, as Steve Greer said, it should be BRILLIANT - and english is NOT my first language!
3. I don't want to give the whole thing a time limit. It should be no stress, and we all have to work on our own campaigns also and keep our wifes (girl-friends) from screaming about how less time we spent with them ;)
4. I would love to have it DARK, and CTHULHU like!
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So now for my idea of the plot.
GGG idea is cool. So, if you guys accept it, I would say the following:
BACKGROUND:
Years ago, a group of adventurers explored an ancient Dungeon. They battled great evil and managed to get away with a lot of loot and their lifes. They came back to their hometown and after a year broke up and went their own ways.
One of them (maybe the FIGHTER) stayed in town, got to know that he and his former party had damaged a seal down in the dungeon. He studied the seal, found out what it was and held back, became a cultist and worked on breaking the seal totally.
Another one of the party (maybe the wizard) came back after a couple of years because he had learned as well, that he and his former group had released something horrible onto the area. The FIGHTER, by the time mayor of the town, managed to get the WIZARD arrested, because he don't want him to interfere with his plans.
When the PLAYERS CHARCTERS come to town (start of the adventure - and we need some reasons why - Adventure Hooks - I come to that later), the execution on the townsquare is in progress and the PCs will witness this.
(...here's my idea of the opening event...)
It's Winter. You reached the town of "X" early in the evening. When you come to the townsquare you see a huge crowd assembled around a scaffold. Above the heads of the townspeople you can see a huge person, clad in platemail, with a greatsword on his side. Next to him, in shackles and kneeling in front of a tree stump is a small figure. Even from afar you can see that this person had been tortured. Close to the poor prisoner stands an executioner with a HUGE axe, ready to cut the head off of the prisoner.
"Do you have something to say, "WIZARD" ?", asks the PLATEMAIL-TYPE.
The prisoner, lays her head on the tree stump, raises her voice and you realize that it must be a female. Her voice is strong and hearable over the whole market place.
"You know that I am not guilty of any of the outrages or any offends against your law which you arrested me for and found me guilty in your ridiculous trial." It starts snowing...
"You bring all those people into danger and death and I curse you, that you will suffer most! Your fate is written and FOUR (or any number the PCs party exist of) will come to right what was wronged by us. They will safe the people of this town and will bring you endless suffering".
A short sign of the PALTEMAIL and the executioner lets his axe fall down with deadly precission. The head is falling off the torso but out of an unfathomable reason it misses the basket in front of the tree stump, rolls off the scaffold and falls down on the copplestones of the market square. The crowd starts screaming and panicking away from the scaffold. The snow gets thicker and you realize that it becomes more and more red, like blood. And before you have time to think of anything else, you have to take care not to get in the way of the panicking villagers. The last thing you see is that the snow pooring down on the lifeless female on the scaffold is still white...
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I have the idea of having the head of the wizard reappear to give advice and background to the PCs. When the PCs come back to the square later, the only find a little track which looks like someone rolled a head-sized ball through the snow. The track disappears on the copplestones of a little side-street. When the head is first seen by the PCs (it comes rolling to them) they realize that its kind of movement is doing it no good, because the flesh is getting hurt through the cobblestones.
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Now, whats the evil the former adventuring group had almost released and which the PLATEMAIL (still miss a name for the NPCs) is goinf to fully release?
I haven't found the Yak-folk in the FF. Could you give me the page number, please? I also would love to use the Spriggans from FF (p. 162).
Well, that's all for now. Have to go now (allready late...)
See you soon,
Dryder
I was kidding about the money stuff, I could care less . . . BUT, as an intersting side note, I was paddling around my little river hovel the other day, and I saw Sally Struthers handing out bowls of gruel and bawling like a baby. What was that about?
Anyway, this looks great so far. For my part, I'd like to focus on fleshing out some of the characters, maybe do their stat blocks too. I also have some ideas about their motivations, etc.:
Regarding the Original Party:
1. The original party did not manage to take care of the evil seal (or whatnot), and they all knew it. When they arrived back in town, they were regarded as heroes, and given a substantial reward. Maybe they took it and decided to disband. The Fighter stayed behind to quietly watch the house, but the towsnfolk wouldn't hear of it. Instead, he had authority thrust upon him, and is now the mayor. His turn to evil was due to his close proximity to the portal, and now rules as an overlord when the wizard arrives to cvheck on him.
2. Maybe to the original party did not know about the open portal, and the fighter was posessed/enchanted/etc. during their time near the portal. They did not voluntarily disband. It was the fighter himself who caused it to happen. Over the last few years, the evil realized that it needed to souls of each of hte good party members that almost closed it for good, and has send out searches and beacons to restore them to the portal to have it reopened. When the PCs arrive, the Wizard's death represents the LAST one. Now, only the fighter himself must die. . .
3. Maybe the Fighter was always the true neutral mercenary, and while he was underground, the rest of the party got dropped to negative hit points... only he was conscious when the last enemy fell, and THIS is the moment where he saw a vastness of treaure outside of the portal. Tempted by the dark powers, he drags eveyone back and revives them, telling them it was over. He becomes a cultist thorugh his repeated contacts with the portal - in a "dark "apprentence" sort of way.
Cultists - Cuthulu stuff would be great. Mabye there is a small party of them in town, and they are holed up in the basement of the house. Here are some posibilities:
1. The Cultists are townsfolk who have succumed to the infection of the portal, and how live down there to worship and obey.
2. The cultists are Yak Folk who have felt the disturbances and have come down to say "hi" to it, more or less, and figure out how to use it to their advantage.
3. The cult has ALWAYS been a part of the town, and the house is just thier stepping off point to the other realm. The party arrived, and the entire town decided to use them. Of everyone, the Fighter was most sucesstible to the whisperings of the cultists, and he agreed to stay behind to serve as their warrior champion.
The Aristocrat
This is kind of a wild card, but would be a great soiurce of information. He could be there as:
1. A Boccob acolyte researching the history of an ancient cult said to have once worshipped in the area.
2. The new owner of the land, who is well heeled and keeps a number of unusual bodyguards, etc.
3. A Paladin who has been sent to stop the evil sensed by his order.
4. The melded Yak Folk here to do what was said in the earlier posting.
Anyway, it wouold be cool to have a few small characters - such as a grizzled groundskeeper at the house, the headsman who is actually noble and kind and feels guilty, or maybe the Fighter's new assistant, who is strong and stupid, believing that he is serving the greater good, etc.
THE HOOK
Dryder, the hook is a very interesting idea. The snow is very prophetic and cool. I also like the interactions between the former mates, who are now killer and victim.
My only idea about changin it would be to have the execution happen off camera, and recounted by witnesses. I'm afraid the PCs will try to stop it, and the battle with the Fighter is going to happen right there, instead of later when the PCs slowly reveal a reason.
I think that initially, the Wizard's innoncent should be in doubt, rather than a foregone conculsion.
And hell, maybe the inital hook is that the PCs try to save her and suceed. If she just arrived in town, she'll know somehting's amiss and that the figher is involved. He can flee directly to teh house for the dungeon crawl section, and the PCs can interact with him there.
I don't like the on-camera torture stuff either. I also think, that if you cloose to let her live, the fighter will have crushed both of her hands - this would be good if she is a spellcaster. Instead of a fighting ally, the PCs have a wellspring of knoweldge.
ANyway, it's a cool start. I can't think of a good Far Realms cult. Any ideas?
An Option or two and a possible early chapter breakdown:
The Adventuring Party
For irony's sake lets use members of the Dungeon iconic party. I suggest the new Cleric of Wee Jas, The Sorcerer, The Paladin, and the Elf Rogue and maybe the new Tiefling Fighter.
The Elf Rogue is still living that carefree adventuring lifestyle unaware of the trouble he and his friends caused some twenty years previous. In one of the chapters the characters will need to find him unfortunately he has been caputured by enemies during his last dungeon delve.
The Fighter and Sorcerer both work for Dryder/Chris' ideas thought we could pull a double cross and really it is the Tiefling Fighter who is the good gal and the Sorcerer who is the villain.
I chose the Cleric simply to suck up to James :). No actually a Cleric of Wee Jas will have some interesting info/opinions on the Yaks and the Far Plane.
The Paladin was chosen for similar reasons (except the part about James). As an older and more complacent character in the order it is he who might send the Young Paladin to the House (either by commanding him to, mentioning it off handledly so the boy took it into his own head or whatever).
Backstory
In the Far Planes reality holds no sway and time, space, matter, energy and life are interchangeable. It is in this "environment" that G'huatsatha resides. G'huatsatha is a colossal entitiy that exists in the multiple sub-planes of the Far Plane. It more a force of nature than a thinking being and like a mold only interested in expanding. Centuries ago it was given its chance.
Xigikk the Ascended, was potent wizard who made contact with other planes on a regular basis. He had studied in the slime courts of Jubillex deep in the Abyss and had travelled the Astral and Shadow Planes in his quest for ultimate knowledge which he believed was lock in the most primative and primal forms of life. Before his eventual apotheosis into a mindless festering ooze he and a select few deranged disiples unlocked a doorway to the lost wizard enclave of Xaxox. Those that survived and where not (litterally) consumed by their own madness returned from the stone keep bearing a portion of G'huatsatha in the form of fungus-like mobile plant, which they called . Over time the cultists found that they could distill a concotion made from its sap/blood/pus/saliva into a potent drug which allowed the user project his mind. It took a lot of practice to do it well but by then the cultist was usually dead from an overdose on the highly addictive substance which they called "Trip" in elvish (can't seem to find my primer).
Word of the substance got out to the Yakfolk who took an immediate interest in the out of body powers such a drug could afford them. From their high mountain pagoda-style retreats the Yakfolk had long watched the other peoples of the world, body melding and then kidnapping the most intelligent, free thinking, wise and knowledgable beings of each culture and adding their knowledge to the Yafolk's titanic Library of Supreme Knowledge. Long have the Yakfolk pondered the nature of existance and long have they understood that one day creation would end. The Yakfolk believe there is no escape however they also believe that creation will start again right after the apocalypse. They believe that if they can somehow bypass the inevitable end of everything at the close of time the will ensure the survival of their species and be able to build a grand golden age in the new creation. They reason that once complete their Library of Supreme Knowledge will allow them to create Eden and with Trip they might have found the answer to both in one. With trip they hope to be able to kidnap not just scholars from this age but from all time. Second they hope to use the substance to move their minds (and maybe physical forms) ahead of the apocalypse and come into being at the dawn of the next creation giving their culture a HUGE social evolutionary advantage over anything else that might come into being.
To that end they made contact with the desendants of Xigikk's cult and cut a deal with them for the Trip. The cult had kept the seret of its manufacture secret for hundreds of years and only the most senior masters where ever allowed to use the stuff after certain "dangers" came to light. Unfortunately the deal happened right about the time a band of heroes raided the cult's den, a scary old house on the edge of a small town. When the yakfolk emissaries did not return they sent spies to see what happened and have been following clues ever since.
The heroes that day where mustly unknown wandering dungeon delvers it was only later that they became well known. So for years the Yakfolk turned up little but keep a constant vigil. The cult of Xigikk was scattered and all but destroyed only a few scattered madmen remain.
Chapter One, Present Day
The Young Aristocrat inherits the old house. His family having been members of the Cult of the Ascended. Ancient secrets lie within the house and it is still being watched by a Yakfolk agent.
The nearby town remembering the history of the place convinces Paladins local 342 to check it and its new owner out.
The characters can be friends/servants of the Young Aristocrat or neighborhood heroes sent to check up on him in a less confrontational manner than the paladins.
Chapter Two, Falling Out
Clues as to what happened in the house lead the characters to search out the original party's Sorcerer who lives in a nearby town. When they arrive they witness the public lynching of the the Tiefling Fighter. They can help if they so choose or let the Fighter be stoned to death as a monster.
The real monster is the Sorcerer who has gone quite mad fromhis investigations into a journal he found in the cult house twenty years before. He believes he can open a portal to the Far Plane by creating similar condtions here on Earth. To that end he has been poisoning the local wells with a toxin distilled from werewolves that raises peoples aggression.
The night of the full moon when the toxin will be at peek effectiveness is fast approaching. On that night everyone in town will go mad and try to tear each other's throat out.
The Fighter has suspected she was being followed by shadowy agents (Yakfolk) for sometime came to see the Sorcerer out of concern. She dicided to you use stealth to approach him afraid that whatever was following her might be after him as well. What she saw from affar was her ally apparently poisoning the town wells. When he discovered her he had the xenophobic and thuroughly irratible villagers mob her as a demon rather than risk her spilling the beans.
Stuff to Explore:
One of the original cultists meets and ignominious end in a mugging gone wrong. He was carrying some Trip spores on him. These seeds end up in the hands of the local thieves' guild who start producing Trip for sale on the streets. Or better yet a pack of Large and in Charge/Swarmfighting Spriggans who are trying to muscle in on the Guild are behind the mugging and the drug trade.
Xigikk the Ascended is still oozing about in some dark hole somewhere.
Someone near and dear to a character was once bodyjacked for a short time by a Yakfolk. When she returned to her senses and began to remember things and talk about them everyone (including the character maybe) thought the she was nuts.
GGG
PS Gotta run. Tell me what you think. Can also reach me at callas_grinch@yahoo.com
TTFN
GGG
These are cool ideas, but I reccomend that we bring the scenario in a litle tighter before we go off on too many tangents. I like the ghostly head thing, I like the public execution thing, but as a current event that the party just missed the day before. The prophetic utterance before the decapitation would cause many long, hard looks of suspicion cast the PCs' way because of it and give a sense that something is definitely "not right" in this town.
I think we have enough here to write ourselves an outline to work within. The specific details can get hammered out within it at our leisure.
I vote to move this off of the messageboards if those of us that have given our ideas are serious about it. Here's my address ----> steve_greer@lvcoxmail.com
Great ideas from everyone, but I agree with Steve to move this off the message boards. I'm currently on vacation with my family, so I will only check my e-mail sporadically, but I will be back home in about a week.
I've never submitted anything to Dungeon, but I'm a very good proofreader (profession--6 ranks) and would like to particpate in this venture in whatever way I can.
farewell2kings (at)gmail (dot) com is my e-mail address.
Ok, I collected the eMails and I am waiting for Chris Wissel to give us his, if he likes ;)
Mine is dryder@t-online.deEverything else we will do via eMail...
If anyone else, reading this no, is interested to join us, let us know. I will check this thread almost every day!
Let's get it on, then...
Hey, interested, but on vacation for the next week, which is why I've mostly sat out the discussion. Probably the best email to use is neddiheht@yahoo.com
- Ashavan
Hey, Ashavan is going to play! ...err, I mean join us. Cool!
Hey - I'm here. . . my bad. I was on vacation last week, with little access to internet. I'd like to be included, thanks!
Give me a holler at weaslfish@yahoo.com. :)
Well, guys, now that we're done and Steve has sent off the query to Paizo, I've come here to ponder what I've learned about my own DMing style--my weaknesses and my strengths.
I've learned that writing adventures is not one of my strengths. All my plots and ideas just come across as either cheesy, "been there, done that" or just plain "forced."
I've learned that I'm pretty good at making up unique settings for adventures, just not good at the adventures themselves.
I've realized that my D&D campaigns rely heavily on political conflict and factional conflict to engage my players. I always insert the politics into a campaign and inevitably the players start having whole kingdoms and powerful factions as enemies and sources of perpetual conflict. As an example, I made the Royal Pathwardens from "Natural Selection" #85 a major faction of "evil" in my campaign, they are the nasty scouts of Overking Ivid and the PC's have had several run ins with them since they went through that adventure.
I don't like really "weird" adventures. I don't like too many traps; I don't like difficult puzzles, I like unique environments, cool settings, political intrigue, well designed NPC's that stick to more traditional D&D concepts.
I like the tactics of D&D--I'd rather defeat the PC's with a platoon of 3rd level troops using excellent tactics than a whiz-bang templated creature with a stat block that took me an hour and half to figure out.
One thing is for sure--if it wasn't for Dungeon magazine, I would not be running a D&D game--those published adventures keep me afloat, creatively and logistically.
I thoroughly enjoyed working with a half dozen very talented D&D gamers who have expanded my gaming horizons in many ways.
THANKS GUYS!! Special "Danke Schoen" to Dryder for having this great idea.
PS: I HATE MAPS, DID I MENTION THAT I HATE DRAWING MAPS!!
Looking back over the original ideas we posted here back and forth, I had to chuckle at how very, very different, yet subtley similar it has turned out.
For anyone browsing through this thread, 6 of us have spent the past few months developing a 3-adventure arc and a City of Adventure article to support it (the article based on something posted on the Canonfire! website by our favorite Editor-in-Chief Erik Mona, which he graciously gave us the thumbs up to use).
What's amazing to me is it all took place via e-mail. Our ecclectic team hail from Germany, Michigan, Texas, Massachusets, and Las Vegas.
Even if Paizo decides to pass on our idea, this has been a lot of fun and I got to make friends with a group of very talented and enthusiastic writers. Here's hoping "Seeds of Sehan" nets the coveted green light!
If for some reason we do this again, we need to set up a Yahoo! group or something similar.
Anyone else contemplating a group project for submission should consider a private messageboard. Getting dozens of e-mails a week with attachments can be a pain in the rear end.
I know, I was one of the worst offenders. I'm long-winded philosophical and often veer off topic...the worst combination.
Hopefully having two (or three? Koldoon??) people in the group who have already been published will be something Paizo considers. The experience that Matt, Ashavon and Steve brought to the project as far as correcting errors, using the right formats was very valuable...as was Chris' stat block help.
I for one would love to see the finished product of your creative minds, published or not.
Here's to hoping they respond promptly to your submission, and the hope that if you do not get the adventure published, that you will release the information to the greedy, but cheap, public.
Aww, I find this thread and your already done, lol! Well, good luck with it!
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We're far from done (well, I am ;)
My part still needs a lot of smoothing, but I am sure I will manage it within this month.
Anyway - It was really great to work with you guys!
I would've never thought of an answer to this thread at all, or getting something done at all!
I hope to stay in touch with you guys!
Thanx again!
Tom
If we get total rejection from Paizo, then I have no problems with sharing the material will message board members, but I can't speak for all of us.
I've found a home for 3 of my recently (last 6 months) rejected Greyhawk adventures in The Oerth Journal (http://www.oerthjournal.com/). Rick "Duicarthan" Miller has taken over as Chief Editor and is taking sumbissions for Greyhawk specific adventures. Assuming Paizo doesn't want our material, that's a good place to try to get it out to the public and I thick Dui would definitely be interested considering how far this collaboration outshines what I've already submitted.
The Oerthjournal is a free online e-zine full of all things Greyhawk.
Hey Guys,
I just clicked on the above greyhawk website and I got a whole slew of Viruses from it (including a Trojan VX downloader). My Norton anti-virus and spyware stuff is trying to fix the problem right now. I don't know if it's related or not, but be careful.
Anyway, I'm logging off now. Just wanted to mention it. Thanks!
Hey Guys,
I just clicked on the above greyhawk website and I got a whole slew of Viruses from it (including a Trojan VX downloader). My Norton anti-virus and spyware stuff is trying to fix the problem right now. I don't know if it's related or not, but be careful.
Anyway, I'm logging off now. Just wanted to mention it. Thanks!
I've never had any problems with it, but if anybody has the same kind of thing happen as the Wereplatypus, e-mail Rick at oerthjournal@gmail.com and let him know or post something here and I will. Thanks.
Hey Steve,
Well, my computer's in relatively strange shape right now. The official virus is called Spy Sherriff. I am on my fiancee's wireless laptop for the moment, doing a little more research.
Anyway, I didn't want to give the wrong impression regarding the website in question, but other than checking my E-mail, AICN, the local news, and Dungeon's messageboards, I didn't go anywhere else today. . . I hope it's not the greyhawk site. It sounds like a cool resource, and I'm glad your getting published in it.
Be careful, ya'll.
Hey Steve,
Well, my computer's in relatively strange shape right now. The official virus is called Spy Sherriff. I am on my fiancee's wireless laptop for the moment, doing a little more research.
Anyway, I didn't want to give the wrong impression regarding the website in question, but other than checking my E-mail, AICN, the local news, and Dungeon's messageboards, I didn't go anywhere else today. . . I hope it's not the greyhawk site. It sounds like a cool resource, and I'm glad your getting published in it.
Be careful, ya'll.
Thanks, Chris. I sent Rick a message to check it out.
For anyone that showed interest in this project, we received good news from Jeremy today that the folks at Paizo would like to see the entire series and our City of Adventure article to suport the 3-part adventure arc. Jeremy sounded very impressed with the proposal, which really was quite sharp. Matt (aka Great Green God) is a very talented proposal writer.
At the risk of sounding boastful, the component parts of the series far outshine the proposal. Hopefully, our little 5-member team gets our manuscripts passed the next phase... the dreaded "revision" process.
Assuming the best possible outcome - the manuscripts make it to print - perhaps the rest of this great messageboards community will see the fruits of our labors sometime next year :)
For anyone that showed interest in this project, we received good news from Jeremy today that the folks at Paizo would like to see the entire series and our City of Adventure article to suport the 3-part adventure arc. Jeremy sounded very impressed with the proposal, which really was quite sharp. Matt (aka Great Green God) is a very talented proposal writer.
Good job you guys! Hope everything works out for you.
Hunter
Matt (aka Great Green God) is a very talented proposal writer.
Let us not forget how many revisions that letter went though I still have six different versions of it in my "AP" folder. In fact, I could not tell you which was the one we finally sent. :)
GGG or Matt (I can never remember which)
Let us not forget how many revisions that letter went though I still have six different versions of it in my "AP" folder. In fact, I could not tell you which was the one we finally sent. :)
GGG or Matt (I can never remember which)
Matt -
It may have taken several revisions, but the careful work on that letter has paid off. We deserve to take a day and give ourselves appropriate congratulations before delving into the deeper madness of making it all work.
Fortunately, having seen the drafts, I think we're well on our way to that already!
- Ashavan
Congratulations. Hopefully we'll see your adventure in print. I went back and reread the thread and your ideas sounded really interesting.
Shroomy, I took a gander at what we all posted originally as well. Our semi-finished series has very little elements of the ideas we bounced around back then. I will tell you this, though. It is definitely dark and has a lot of Cthulhu elements. Its kind of reminiscent in some ways to The Thing and Invasion of the Body Snatchers, IMO.
Just like Onrie, I had ignored this thread up until now. I definitely regret it, but wish you all the best on your adventure. I can't wait!
WaterdhavianFlapjack
Advice to all future cooperative ventures--get a Yahoo group or start a private blog--to avoid e-mail inboxes overstuffed with everyone's random thoughts. Like I said, I'm one of the worst offenders, but there were/are days where we had 10-15 e-mails from each other in our e-mail accounts.