Anyone else think that this campaign arc will own?
This is the most interesting-sounding arc that I've seen so far. And the city of Exag just sounds cool...just with its name.
Exag.
Exag.
Okay I'll stop.
Could you tell a german like me what OWN means in this context?!
Put in other terms, Vile Addiction will dominate the playing field
Hmmm. While we're on the subject, how many player characters will the Apotheosis Apparatus own? Answer: All of them!!!
Hmmm. While we're on the subject, how many player characters will the Apotheosis Apparatus own? Answer: All of them!!!Uh...that might be too big a word for some. Better change it's name to the "Ronco Munchkinator." Or--"Autominmax Box."
Heh. Well, that's assuming it wasn't edited out of the adventure. We'll see. PC-Killing Robot Model 1-A will suffice as well.
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Hmmm. While we're on the subject, how many player characters will the Apotheosis Apparatus own? Answer: All of them!!!
Dominate the playing field... uuhhh....
Ah, theres hope that your "Double-A" made it into the adventure. Without it, something big is missing!
I can't wait to see what they made of the adventure...
Thanx for the ApoAparatus, Steve!
"Exag"....."Exag".......I don't know what made it into the final piece and so I'm just as curious as anyone else.....
"Exag"....."Exag".......I don't know what made it into the final piece and so I'm just as curious as anyone else.....
Exag is rated E for everyone... so basically:
Exag-E-Rated? Oh the worthlessness of cleverness. Let me at that city!
"Exag"....."Exag".......I don't know what made it into the final piece and so I'm just as curious as anyone else.....
Exag is rated E for everyone... so basically:
Exag-E-Rated? Oh the worthlessness of cleverness. Let me at that city!
Careful, there, Oscar Wilde. With a rapier sharp wit such as yours, someone is liable to lose an eye.
I am very excited to see this three part arc. In fact, I was even excited before I knew that members of this esteemed forum had written it. So many folks in the neighborhood getting published, seems like I'll have to try my hand.
Bumpity, bump. Out of the five of use writers responsible for the Seeds of Sehan arc, only one of us has received this much anticipated (for us, at least) issue so far.
Anyone that has it care to give us a critique? Tell us what you thought of the first installment. Most of us have pretty thick skins. We can take it ;)
Bumpity, bump. Out of the five of use writers responsible for the Seeds of Sehan arc, only one of us has received this much anticipated (for us, at least) issue so far.
Anyone that has it care to give us a critique? Tell us what you thought of the first installment. Most of us have pretty thick skins. We can take it ;)
I bought my issue last night and read it through the Exag backdrop. I don't have a lot of time, but I can say that I really liked the adventure. SPOILERS It featured some interesting and unusual villains like the yak folk, child of sehan, apotheosis apparatus, and spriggans, and I loved the idea of the flooding dungeon (it filled my head with cinematic visions). My one complaint involves the set-up to get the PCs into the spriggan's complex. It is kind of short, it doesn't rely on much investigation (two NPCs pretty much tell the PCs everything), and assumes that the PCs won't try to kill Pan'Phar Thrissek. However, I think you could use the backdrop materials to flesh out this part without much trouble.
Bumpity, bump. Out of the five of use writers responsible for the Seeds of Sehan arc, only one of us has received this much anticipated (for us, at least) issue so far.
Anyone that has it care to give us a critique? Tell us what you thought of the first installment. Most of us have pretty thick skins. We can take it ;)
I think it really falls flat. I mean, I can appreciate where you're trying to go with it, but seriously, who cares about a cult addicted to sardines? Sure, sardines are pretty vile, but once you get past the smell, the cult inspires as much fear as a limp, wet, ... well, sardine. I really hope this gets better, because right now it seems kind of fishy.
....but they're ill-tempered sardines....with laserbeams strapped to their heads!!! :)
I think it really falls flat. I mean, I can appreciate where you're trying to go with it, but seriously, who cares about a cult addicted to sardines? Sure, sardines are pretty vile, but once you get past the smell, the cult inspires as much fear as a limp, wet, ... well, sardine. I really hope this gets better, because right now it seems kind of fishy.
Now why didn't we go with a sardine cult??? That would have really been cool.
"You will eat the sardines. You LOVE sardines!!!""No I don't. Get that stinky fish away from me!"
"Ha! We will put you in the sardine machine! Mwahahahaha!"
"Noooooooo!"
Hey, I actually wrote a (short) review of the adventure, and all you guys can do is make jokes about sardines! ;)
In other, non-sardine related news, I went back into the archives and read thru Dryder's initial thread that kicked off this project. Very interesting to see how some of the ideas that made into the adventure were kicked-off in that thread (too bad you guys moved it off the board!), though I'm pretty sure my evil Shangri-la adventure idea has been shot to the Nine Hells.
Hey, I actually wrote a (short) review of the adventure, and all you guys can do is make jokes about sardines! ;)
In other, non-sardine related news, I went back into the archives and read thru Dryder's initial thread that kicked off this project. Very interesting to see how some of the ideas that made into the adventure were kicked-off in that thread (too bad you guys moved it off the board!), though I'm pretty sure my evil Shangri-la adventure idea has been shot to the Nine Hells.
Shroomy, thanks for the short critique. In response to the part that bothered you, we did a little reverse engineering and estimated that the Paizo staff trimmed about 6,000 words combined off of the Exag and Vile Addiction manuscripts we sent in. (Is that about right, F2K?) I'm sure it turned out a hundred times better with their touches than what we turned in, but that could be part of the reason that some parts seem underdeveloped. (If my copy would ever show up in the mail, I could probably provide a more concise response. Grrr!)
I'm real happy with the way both the adventure and the backdrop turned out. I think backdrops particularly are always intended to be fleshed out by individual DMs.
Yes, there was much more detail in the pieces we sent in, but the trimming that was done did not weaken the quality at all--just gave the DM more options in regards to campaign placement and setup, IMO...but I think my feelings in regard to the detail put into Dungeon adventures and backdrops is pretty well known, so I can't blame anyone who disagrees with me, because it is such a subjective topic.
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In America not every subscriber has got the issue... how long do I have to wait then... :(
I am glad someone liked the Flooding idea! ;)
Can't wait to see the issue!!!
I remember (if I am correct) that we had a couple of ideas how to get the PCs to search the spriggan hideout...I need to get that issue...
My copy arrived today. The original adventure we submitted had considerably more on the front end, so to speak, than what was printed. We submitted the adventures over a year ago, so my memory on many points is fuzzy enough that I can simply tell something is missing in many places, but can't remember what. The essential elements of the adventure are all present... all the pieces that we wrung our hands about and worried might not see print made it in to the adventure and I have no complaints. There was a fair bit more in the "front end" of the adventure and we made the native Exag populace a lot more xenophobic than they are presented in the published version.
The backdrop article on Exag clearly suffered the bulk of the cuts, but as a backdrop article it was already more prone to parts being left out. Backdrop articles by their nature are additional information, not essential information. That said, the most memorable NPCs seem to have made the cut.
Now that the adventure is in print, perhaps Steve can be persuaded to post his writeup of the playtest group of Vile Addiction, from which the infamous "were_cabbage" phrase originated.
- Ashavan
and we made the native Exag populace a lot more xenophobic than they are presented in the published version.
The backdrop article on Exag clearly suffered the bulk of the cuts, but as a backdrop article it was already more prone to parts being left out.
- Ashavan
I worried about that...they were so xenophobic that the slightest misstep by any party could result in a TPK, so I'm not really surprised it was cut back.
I'm so glad most of the NPCs made the cut and especially glad the creation story of how Exag's natives came to be where they are survived almost completely intact.
I'm pretty sure my evil Shangri-la adventure idea has been shot to the Nine Hells.
Sorry, I think that was me....
GGG
GGG....I'll never look at yaks the same way again, thanks to you....or climb 999 steps.....or look at any pagoda without "dreading" it.....did you know that UT El Paso uses Nepalese architecture in its buildings? AND I HAVE SEASON TICKETS TO HOME FOOTBALL GAMES!!!! Hmmm.......????
(Ps: I've revealed nothing, since part 3 of the Sehan arc is hinted at quite well in the Exag backdrop...so there!!!)
Sorry, Heath....I'll be quiet now.
I have a couple of questions for you guys:
1. Is Sehan an existing entity from D&D history that I am not aware of, or is it a new creation?
2. How did you guys decide to use Exag.
I also have one question specifically for GGG. Why do all of the adventures you are associated with feature drug use? Is there something you are not telling us? ;) (BTW, I'm counting the shocker lizards from "The Menagerie").
I have a couple of questions for you guys:
1. Is Sehan an existing entity from D&D history that I am not aware of, or is it a new creation?
2. How did you guys decide to use Exag.
I also have one question specifically for GGG. Why do all of the adventures you are associated with feature drug use? Is there something you are not telling us? ;) (BTW, I'm counting the shocker lizards from "The Menagerie").
Sehan was invented for the arc, unless there was a more obscure origin for it. Originally it was supposed to mean something in elvish, if I recall correctly... but that discussion was way over a year ago.
We chose Exag because we wanted to have the adventure in Greyhawk, near the mountains (to accommodate GGG's ideas for the third piece). Steve found a brief article by Erik Mona about Exag and everything just seemed to click. We got permission to use what Erik had written (his comment was, if I recall the email correctly, "make them weird") and we ran with it.
- Ashavan
I have a couple of questions for you guys:
1. Is Sehan an existing entity from D&D history that I am not aware of, or is it a new creation?
2. How did you guys decide to use Exag.
I also have one question specifically for GGG. Why do all of the adventures you are associated with feature drug use? Is there something you are not telling us? ;) (BTW, I'm counting the shocker lizards from "The Menagerie").
Sehan was invented for the arc, unless there was a more obscure origin for it that I don't recall. Originally it was supposed to mean something in elvish, if I recall correctly... but that discussion was way over a year ago.
We chose Exag because we wanted to have the adventure in Greyhawk, near the mountains (to accommodate GGG's ideas for the third piece). Steve found a brief article by Erik Mona about Exag and everything just seemed to click. We got permission to use what Erik had written (his comment was, if I recall the email correctly, "make them weird") and we ran with it.
- Ashavan
I also have one question specifically for GGG. Why do all of the adventures you are associated with feature drug use? Is there something you are not telling us? ;) (BTW, I'm counting the shocker lizards from "The Menagerie").
He's from Detroit (or at least the burbs). Nuff said ;)
Actually, I think I may have been the one that started campaigning for a drug angle in the arc. So GGG is innocent on this one.Matt "spawned" the name Sehan. IIRC, he had heard it somewhere before and it was just a cool name. We all thought so, too. I'll let the rest of the guys tackle your other questions.
2. How did you guys decide to use Exag.
Shroomy, I'm all about the 'Hawk. I think when it came to the topic of where to put our out of the way isolated town that was on the fringes of a vast mountain range, I looked at my Greyhawk map and thought Exag would be the perfect spot. It was totally isolated and already had a reputation for wierdness and the Yatils were right in the backyard. I think F2K immediately backed me on the idea and from there we all agreed it was a good fit.
For the record, I believe it was F2K that dug up Erik Mona's Exag article on Canonfire!. He also wrote Erik and got his OK to mine the article liberally for ideas. In fact, once we got the greenlight, one of Erik's caveats was that we keep the information in our backdrop and what he wrote in his Exag article consistent with each other.
I have a couple of questions for you guys:
1. Is Sehan an existing entity from D&D history that I am not aware of, or is it a new creation?
2. How did you guys decide to use Exag.
I also have one question specifically for GGG. Why do all of the adventures you are associated with feature drug use? Is there something you are not telling us? ;) (BTW, I'm counting the shocker lizards from "The Menagerie").
Sehan is a whole cloth creation. Though Azathoth was probably lurking somewhere in the back of my mind when we were handing out it's traits. Like the boundless deamon sultan Sehan really grows on you.
Steve did come up with the drug angle though I think I might have been the one to tie the narcotic in question to Sehan the way we did.
The word "Sehan" came out of an elvish primer I found in an early 3.0 Dragon Magazine It means "to travel". In fact the drug was originally called "Trip" because of that.
As to the drug themes, out of my 40+ adventure proposals that have cycled through the Paizo doors only four: "The Menagerie," "Masque of Dreams," "Seeds of Sehan: Dread Pagoda of the Inscrutable Ones," and "Garden of Wonders" (which features a phsychodellic mushroom) have any sort drug-use going on. What I find funny is those are the only four that have been accepted thus far.... So, I guess I'm not the one with the problem. ;)
::Sniff::
GGG
2. How did you guys decide to use Exag.Shroomy, I'm all about the 'Hawk.
I am soooo not the Greyhawk scribe of this cabal, but Exag worked well for a location and for background info on a linking "Ecology of..." article that got nixed from Dragon because of racial profiling.
GGG
...and for background info on a linking "Ecology of... (yak folk)" article that got nixed from Dragon because of racial profiling.
FYI, everyone. Yak Folk and Spriggans are on the hate list in the Paizo offices. Somehow we convinced them to use 'em anyway. Yay, us!
FYI, everyone. Yak Folk and Spriggans are on the hate list in the Paizo offices. Somehow we convinced them to use 'em anyway. Yay, us!
Don't confuse "Bulmahn" with "the Paizo offices." What yak folk did to him he won't say, but it must have been nasty.
Creative Director
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...and for background info on a linking "Ecology of... (yak folk)" article that got nixed from Dragon because of racial profiling.FYI, everyone. Yak Folk and Spriggans are on the hate list in the Paizo offices. Somehow we convinced them to use 'em anyway. Yay, us!
Of course, part of that is due to the fact that neither of those notables are on MY personal Hate List. A list that includes dire corbies and gorilla bears and deathbringers, to name a few. But not yak folk or spriggans.
Don't confuse "Bulmahn" with "the Paizo offices." What yak folk did to him he won't say, but it must have been nasty.
Sorry. I forgot it was Jason that has the irrational aversion to anthropomorphic yaks. Issues, man. Issues...
...and for background info on a linking "Ecology of... (yak folk)" article that got nixed from Dragon because of racial profiling.FYI, everyone. Yak Folk and Spriggans are on the hate list in the Paizo offices. Somehow we convinced them to use 'em anyway. Yay, us!
And that guy in Prince of Redhand was such a memorable NPC! Must be that they've got a quota for the number of Spriggans allowed to make the pages of Dungeon. We're going to remind the editorial staff that as a result of Bakke vs. University of California, racial quotas are no longer legal--candidates must be judged on their merits.
I always enjoyed reading about the strange, ancient, lost cities inhabited by isolated inbreds with weird social habits, such as those found in some of Moorcocks and Howard's writings, so when we read Erik's Exag piece on Canonfire, we decided that such an approach would fit the flavor of our envisioned adventures perfectly...and create a backdrop somewhat more unusual than your standard Greyhawk/Fantasy city.
Now that I've had a chance to actually read the adventure, I suppose I owe you guys some legitimate feedback. :)
First off, I like the scenario. It's an interesting set-up with multiple villains working at cross-purposes, and Exag is a cool town. I was a little puzzled about some comments about frequent travelers and pilgrims, given the xenophobia of the citizens, but overall I think the town has a definite character, which is always something I enjoy seeing.
In fact, that leads to one of my criticisms about the adventure. I wish there had been more intrigue and interaction with the citizens, before getting to the Spriggan hideout! I felt like there was a lot of potential to really showcase Exag, but as it is the characters should find the Spriggan hideout really quickly.
The lair itself seems challenging and well done. However, I do worry about the possible flood. Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see any clues that indicate to a party that they should keep the alchemical golem-thingy away from the complex mechanical doohicky, so it almost seems like a foregone conclusion that a battle here will lead to an explosion. And the explosion - hooboy! That's pretty much going to wipe out the entire lair, and probably lead to a TPK. If I run this, I'll probably scale back the catastrophic effects of a flood a little bit.
Overall, though, I think this adventure looks like a lot of fun, and it really has me looking forward to learning more about the mysterious Sehan.
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Schmoe,
I originally planned to have the areas of the "butler" in the entryroom and the room with the "watchdogs" to be higher ground, so that they are not flooded and the pcs get a chance to flee the flood, as most of the watery masses spill into the gorge in room 11. As I (STILL, DAMN) don't have my issue yet, I don't know what was left in of that...
IIRC I had the area mapped with a 5' scale, but 1o' seems to work pretty good.
Also, IIRC Stefan had a couple of things written about interaction between the pcs and Exag's citizens, he might elaborate here. With the backdrop it shouldn't be too tough to work something out.
Oh, and it's spelled StephEn Greer, not StephAn Greer! The got it wrong on the first page...
I'm not sure if it's appropriate to elaborate a bit on Exag, since I don't know what the author's etiquette/rules are regarding that and criticism about anything cut out certainly is not warranted, as I'm very happy with how things turned out.
Let's just say for now that the xenophobia and "danger level" for the PCs in Exag was toned down quite a bit.
I got the impression that there was this big, almost desolate city full of people who don't want to talk to you and will most likely glare at you as you walk by. So I think your mission is accomplished.