James first off STAP rocks! It just brings other favorites together for me like: Demogorgon,LOST,King Kong,Dinosaurs,Pirates of the Carribean all just rolled up into one! Anyway I have a couple questions about future adventure #8 "The Serpents of Scuttlecove" first will there be any encounters at the Porphyry House? And will there be a return of the Orlath Demon as first mentioned In Dungeon Magazine #95 November/December 2002 "Porphyry House Horror"? I by the way was one of the few supporters of that experimental adventure, and I was even published In the magazine giving It my support! Will there be any more VILE adventures In the near future? Keep up the great work guys!
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And another Scuttlecove question if I may - will the Monks of Dire Hunger be featured?
My players in another campaign should be reaching Scuttlecove to play Porphyr House Horror in a few levels time. I was planning on featuring an encounter with the monks (i thought it would be an interesting an encounter to have, rather than just have them holed up in their monastery as the adventure suggests).
But if and when the same players visit scuttlecove again in a savage tide campaign, I dont want to have a completely different version of the monks, so i might wait to see their stats in the AP if they're coming up, rather than stat them up myself (At this stage i was thinking human monks with maybe the fiendish template and/or something like the Ravenous template)
Edit: And a few Vile feats, like Willing deformity
Creative Director
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While Dungeon probably won't ever do a sealed-section super-vile adventure, we do use material from the Book of Vile Darkness quite often in adventures. Monsters, feats, spells, and other elements from that book show up fairly often.
As for "Serpents of Scuttlecove," you can certainly expect to see several elements from "Porphyry House Horror" appearing in both the adventure and in the backdrop article for Scuttlecove scheduled for that issue. I know for sure that the monks of Dire Hunger and Tyralandi will be making a return, and while I doubt there will be any major encounters within the Porphyry House, it'll play some sort of role in the adventure. I can't say for sure, really, since neither the adventure nor the backdrop are written yet, but they should both be done pretty soon...
I suppose this is also a good enough time to announce that the adventure and backdrop won't be written by Keith Baker as we'd originally planned. Keith had to back out of the project due to some unexpectedly heavy workloads on other projects, alas.
SO: "Serpents of Scuttlecove" is now being written by Richard Pett, and the Scuttlecove backdrop will be written by me (since I've got a fair amount of unpublished info on the place already that had to be cut from "Porphyry House Horror," it just makes sense for me to finish it off).
While Dungeon probably won't ever do a sealed-section super-vile adventure, we do use material from the Book of Vile Darkness quite often in adventures. Monsters, feats, spells, and other elements from that book show up fairly often.
As for "Serpents of Scuttlecove," you can certainly expect to see several elements from "Porphyry House Horror" appearing in both the adventure and in the backdrop article for Scuttlecove scheduled for that issue. I know for sure that the monks of Dire Hunger and Tyralandi will be making a return, and while I doubt there will be any major encounters within the Porphyry House, it'll play some sort of role in the adventure. I can't say for sure, really, since neither the adventure nor the backdrop are written yet, but they should both be done pretty soon...
I suppose this is also a good enough time to announce that the adventure and backdrop won't be written by Keith Baker as we'd originally planned. Keith had to back out of the project due to some unexpectedly heavy workloads on other projects, alas.
SO: "Serpents of Scuttlecove" is now being written by Richard Pett, and the Scuttlecove backdrop will be written by me (since I've got a fair amount of unpublished info on the place already that had to be cut from "Porphyry House Horror," it just makes sense for me to finish it off).
Thanx James, I was going to ask about Tyralandi too I forgot but since you mentioned her that's great. I know elements of BoVD are used all the time, just wondering If there was too be another super-VILE sealed up adventure? Well keep up the great work!
Hey James, My wife set up a massive criminal organization based out of the porphory house- Her pc just died and she now wants to play the daughter of the guild mistress- looking to regain control of her mothers empire. Who's hands is the porphory house in- or does it matter? I have already dicided that the crimson fleet is a splinter group of the guild. WHat can you tell us about the current state of the city?
Hey James, My wife set up a massive criminal organization based out of the porphory house- Her pc just died and she now wants to play the daughter of the guild mistress- looking to regain control of her mothers empire. Who's hands is the porphory house in- or does it matter? I have already dicided that the crimson fleet is a splinter group of the guild. WHat can you tell us about the current state of the city?
I seem to recall an issue of either Dragon or Dungeon with an article on NPC villains. One of them was a female halfling rogue-type who was listed as being in charge of the Porphyry House now. The article even had a picture of her on a slave-carried litter. I'm not near my magazines though, so I can't give you an issue #, but hopefully that gives you a starting point :)
Your Friendly Neighborhood Dalesman
"Bringing Big D**n Justice to the Bad Guys Since 1369 DR"
hmmm, damn halflings- let me know the issue when you find it- thanks!
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Creative Director
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The current madame of Porphyry House may be that halfling, or it may be Tyralandi. Not sure yet. As for the state of the city... it's in a pretty crazy state of late, for the Ur Priests who once ruled the city are gone. Simply vanished. In the power vacume left by their vanishing, several competing groups in Scuttlecove are fighting for control over the city. In some cases these fights are subtle and lead by midnight assassinations and slander. In others, there's open war in the streets. The fact that these several competing orginzations are vying for control over the city makes it easier for the PCs to infiltrate the city during the adventure. One of these groups is certainly Porphyry House. Another is the Crimson Fleet, who are competitors against Porphyry House. Others might include the drug dealers (led by Kedward Bone), the monks of Dire Hunger, the Skindancers, and certainly the yuan-ti slavers of the Seventh Coil. The loss of the Ur Priest leaders has also opened up religion in the city, so there's LOTS of evil cults and religions in the region, including several demon cults.
For those of us who are following these threads but have no idea what "Porphyry House" is can you please explain?
Dire Hunger Monks?
Did I miss something?
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Creative Director
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For those of us who are following these threads but have no idea what "Porphyry House" is can you please explain?
Dire Hunger Monks?
Did I miss something?
Scuttlecove first appeared in an adventure I wrote for Dungeon back in issue #95. The adventure was set up to support the release of the Book of Vile Darkness, and it was pretty R-rated. The adventure itself was sealed; you had to cut it open with a knife. The seal was in theory to protect the innocence of the children, but it was just as much a marketing gimmick.
In any event, the adventure ("Porphyry House Horror") was set in a vile, pirate and druglord and demon worshiper infested city named Scuttlecove, and it's gained a fair amount of notoriety among Dungeon readers, so it seemed a perfect place to return to during Savage Tide.
Issue #146'll have a nice juicy backdrop and a poster map of the city to support the adventure that takes place there. It'll not be as hard-core R-rated, of course, but neither is Scuttlecove a happy, gentle city.
ANYway: Porphyry House is the largest brothel in the city (and the primary adventure site... there was a pretty heavy Demogorgon influence as well). The Monks of Dire Hunger were an order of cannibilisitc monks who served the city as a "police force and tax colletor" group.
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Thanks for your replies James.
Apologies, but I had actually forgotten you wrote the original scuttlecove adventure - nice work!
And absolutely no disrespect to Keith Baker, but very cool to hear that yourself and Richard Pett will be working on this installment of the adventure - can't wait for it!
So what is the chance of finding Dungeon issue #95?
It sounds like a great adventure!
This is great news. Really looking forward to seeing Richard Pett do evil again. Any chance of "Porphry House Horror" being offered as a PDF?
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[QUOTE="James Jacobs"
SO: "Serpents of Scuttlecove" is now being written by Richard Pett, and the Scuttlecove backdrop will be written by me (since I've got a fair amount of unpublished info on the place already that had to be cut from "Porphyry House Horror," it just makes sense for me to finish it off).
mwahahahahaaaa.
I saw that PAIZO has it for sale at $10.00
If it is as good as you all say I suppose it is well worth the cost.
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I saw that PAIZO has it for sale at $10.00
If it is as good as you all say I suppose it is well worth the cost.
IMO at $10 its well worth the cost.
But be warned - at the time it was released, that issue, and that adventure did get a LOT of negative feedback as well...
If sex, drugs, and demonlords do it for you, get it! But apparently it offended some people....
I saw that PAIZO has it for sale at $10.00
If it is as good as you all say I suppose it is well worth the cost.
IMO at $10 its well worth the cost.
But be warned - at the time it was released, that issue, and that adventure did get a LOT of negative feedback as well...
If sex, drugs, and demonlords do it for you, get it! But apparently it offended some people....
That issue assured me that D&D finally got It's sack back, afer the inquisition It went through In the 80's with all the religous fanatics freaking out because they thought their kids were worshipping Satan...That's apsurd everyone knows It was Asmodeus! lol Honestly thou cool issue esp. "Porphyry House Horror" like the beginning with the very pissed off Gulguthydra,very nasty!!!
...And will there be a return of the Orlath Demon as first mentioned In Dungeon Magazine #95 November/December 2002 "Porphyry House Horror"?
If the Orlath doesn't appear I might be slightly irked since I went through it and converted it to v.3.5 for Rich. Not terribly hard work, but hey, I did it ;) I think what I'm trying to say in a snarky way is, I am pretty sure it's going to be making a reappearance. And players all over the world will regret crossing paths with it >:)
ah yes, great place.. heheh
Now off for another snack at that restaurant, the ogre place.. :D
Yummy, rare steaks :D
...And will there be a return of the Orlath Demon as first mentioned In Dungeon Magazine #95 November/December 2002 "Porphyry House Horror"?If the Orlath doesn't appear I might be slightly irked since I went through it and converted it to v.3.5 for Rich. Not terribly hard work, but hey, I did it ;) I think what I'm trying to say in a snarky way is, I am pretty sure it's going to be making a reappearance. And players all over the world will regret crossing paths with it >:)
>)
>)
>)
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...And will there be a return of the Orlath Demon as first mentioned In Dungeon Magazine #95 November/December 2002 "Porphyry House Horror"?If the Orlath doesn't appear I might be slightly irked since I went through it and converted it to v.3.5 for Rich. Not terribly hard work, but hey, I did it ;) I think what I'm trying to say in a snarky way is, I am pretty sure it's going to be making a reappearance. And players all over the world will regret crossing paths with it >:)
Never trust an orlath who claims to be unarmed...
>)
Honestly it sounds just like my kind of adventure. I and my players like girt. We want evil to be evil not just a bunch of black wearing EMO's.
Honestly it sounds just like my kind of adventure. I and my players like girt. We want evil to be evil not just a bunch of black wearing EMO's.
A nasty-tempered pirate raped Gulguthydra, an Inn with an insane Ogre Mage on stage who's been chained for awhile getting sadistically ripped apart by the hands of the Inn's patrons, only to be fully healed again for the next round of abuse. A Yaun-Ti demon-worshiping madame who owns the hottest brothel In town, who's main help are polymorphed animals, harpies and the like also a fungus garden to make drugs. There's orgies a naked half-fiend/half/nymph thrall of Grazzt trying to put a stop to the madame's plans and just about everyone In town has some kinda disease...jib this adventure Is calling you buddy! lol
Just struck me, that considering what we know of scuttlecoves role today... the dudes fighting in the first adventure must have failed ;)
Afterall, letsee..
*Who is on top there now?
-Yup, demogorgon worshipping 1/2 fiendish pirates..
Yes indeed my players will love it. What level? I'm wondering if I can use it as a side trek for STAP.
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Creative Director
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Yes indeed my players will love it. What level? I'm wondering if I can use it as a side trek for STAP.
It's for 10th-level characters. The Savage Tide visits the place when the PCs are 15th-level, and the events at that point assume that the events that took place in "Porphyry House Horror" took place a few years ago. In fact, the events in "There Is No Honor" assume the same, since the situation affecting the Islaran family in that adventure (loss of the first son and first daughter) is something that takes place during "Porphyry House Horror."
It'd be a cool adventure to run PCs on before they start Savage Tide with new PCs, but as a side trek inside the STAP it doesn't really work.