When I came back from Africa a few months ago, things had changed on my favourite website. On the one hand, RPG Superstar was underway, letting some very talented and imaginative fans add to the growing world of Golarion. On the other hand, much of the creativity was being replaced by an unproductive and sometimes toxic back-and-forth about 4E. It made me sad and disinterested. I started lurking more than posting. I longed for the earlier days of generative enthusiasm.
Don’t get me wrong – I have been morbidly curious and at times, highly amused by the 4E discussion threads. I think I’ve abstained from the debates because I’m not sure how I’d respond to criticism. Yet again there is a loss to deal with … and I suspect some of the angry feelings floating around here have to do with unprocessed grief. Some people are naturally conflicted when a source of pleasure is also a source of pain. I get it. But when it comes out indirectly, unassertively and against fellow fans – the anger is really getting misplaced. Before I digress into psychobabble …
I decided to start a new pathfinder wishlist. I plan on adding my own personal wishes for the campaign setting every week or so. If it sparks discussion – great. If the paizo staff can use some of the ideas we come up with for the adventure planet – even better. If I end up looking solipsistic – so be it – at least I tried to carve a little niche and start a little something like it was in the good old days of early to mid 2007.
Cheers
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On the other hand, much of the creativity was being replaced by an unproductive and sometimes toxic back-and-forth about 4E. It made me sad and disinterested. I started lurking more than posting. I longed for the earlier days of generative enthusiasm.
You should be aware, though, that there's a reason that those discussions are being bundled together in the 4E-forum here at the board. If you stay away from this part, I think you'll find business as usual. Meaning a great community freely sharing their creativity underlied by a civil tone and behavior you'll rarely find anywhere else.
That's what I'm trying to do, at least. As long as I stay away from the 4E forum I won't get frustrated by what you call toxic. May be the reason as well why you seldom find Paizo Officials posting at this part of the board.
The specific discussion of RotRL has been very civil and productive. I just don't read the 4E discussion.
But more good threads will always be a benefit, so go for it!
Mary
I've got a couple of wishes for the campaign setting:
1) Native Arcadian Centaurs. I *believe* Arcadia is supposed to be the Golarian version of the Americas. I like the idea of Centaurs who are a noble, plains dwelling people who hunt dire buffalo and practice an ancient form of magic. Or something. Basically, I'd like to see the Paizo folks riff on that idea.
2) A Good Kingdom. Sounds simple, I know, but I dig that kind of thing. Just a small kingdom where the king is wise and just. And of course, they border another kingdom that is ruled by an Evil bastard. Maybe there's a good reason the Good king is Good. There would need to be a cool capitol city. I'm not sure we have this yet. Kaer Maga is pretty chaotic and dangerous. I'm guessing the same goes for Riddleport. Magnimar seems like a decent place to live, but not overtly Good as far as I can tell. Korvosa sounds like it may be ruled by some bad people (I guess we will see very soon). And Absolam is probably too big and cosmopolitan to fit the bill.
3) I'd like to see a Celtic themed/inspired nation. With similar styles, customs, folklore, etc. Sort of like Professor Tolkien's Rohan, but with a decidely Paizonian feel.
Those are the first things that leap to mind.
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As noted above, the 4e-specific section has been where the vitriol and fury and such has been concentrated. The rest of the boards are, well, the same old Paizo forums. Wacky, absurdist, and amazingly helpful.
Me, I want to see more of the Golarion cosmology. I have an absolute fascination with planar structure and the like. I'd also like to find out if the whole world is eventually going to be detailed, or if there are areas where they intend to leave it 'off the map' of GMs to *bamf* their own unique visions into without having players cry about foul play (which has happened all too often in other settings...)
Thanks guys for the encouragement! I wish I had the discipline to avoid the 4E threads, or at least look at them in a more positive light.
I would love more cosmology, too! The moons around Golarion had me daydreaming for days.
And I am enthralled with the notion of an American plains style place. My own campaign has such a continent called Acedia with half-elves as Metis - living between colonials and native elves. A group Centaurs in the plains would be a fantastic touch, too!
Having said that ...
BIG WISH #1: MIX IT UP MORE
Unlike what someone wrote in the 4E Preview: Worlds and Monsters, I think we need to continually looking to the real world for inspiration. Maybe not Medieval France and Rennaisance England, but there is so much more out there!
I love what's been done with Varisia so far - there are Eastern European influences, African Savanah influences and Greek style colonies.
My wish is that Osirion doesn't become strait Egypt, you know? Why not have Celtic influences? They both rode chariots, and personally, pyramids would look really cool with Celtic patterns all over them. Names could reflect a little of both: Chu-Tet, Seth-Danan, etc.
My hope is that the world builders continue to blend cultures together to make something new and cool. Avistan and Garund are looking a lot like Europe to the North, and Africa to the South. Egypt is of course to the Northeast, and the Congo style Jungle is - predictably - South of the desert regions. None of this is bad ... I just hope that the cultures there have a little bit of Asia, America, Australia and sundry else thrown into the mix!
Cheers
BIG WISH # 2 HORSE HATE
Ever since watching Princess Mononoke, I have thought it wonderful to have a fantasy setting without horses. There would of course be horse substitutes, with the identical stats - but a flurry of horns, stripes, and interesting fur.
It is a small point, in the stream of moving Golarion away from Medieval France and Rennaisance England - but it would be a cool way of marking a Golarion trademark in artwork. "Ooh, that Paladin Elf rides a Red Elk, she must be from the River Kingdoms!" or "That is a Golarion piece for sure - that horsey has stripes!"
All in the quest of making things unheimlich - like home, yet not like home.
Cheers
BIG WISH #3: DOWN WITH DINKY WANDS
I wish that Pathfinder artwork would also feature the kind of wands that mean business. Shaped like flintlock(?) pistols, carved with runes and meant for pulling from a holster, spinning in the hand and blowing out when the duellins' done.
I dislike the aesthetic of thin, whispy, strait and narrow little pointers studded with dainty jewels. This isn't a lecture hall ... this is combat!
Another trademark of Pathfinder?
Thoughts?
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BIG WISH #3: DOWN WITH DINKY WANDS
I wish that Pathfinder artwork would also feature the kind of wands that mean business. Shaped like flintlock(?) pistols, carved with runes and meant for pulling from a holster, spinning in the hand and blowing out when the duellins' done.
I dislike the aesthetic of thin, whispy, strait and narrow little pointers studded with dainty jewels. This isn't a lecture hall ... this is combat!
Another trademark of Pathfinder?
Thoughts?
People worried about module spoilers shouldn't read this:
They've already done one step toward this in module J1: Entombed with the Pharohs; it has a 'wand rifle' that loads... I believe two wands. While a lot of people dislike firearms, I do rather like the image of firearms that load wands and fire off charges rather than bullets. It fits nicely with my worldview on how a fantastic magic-laden world would evolve.
I do like the idea of a wizard dressed in riding leathers with a brace of wands strapped on like a gunslinger, though.
Wand rifle, huh?
Now I want a wand chaingun. You get nine yards of wands, tie them together, and start unloading on the bastards with 600 magic missiles a round. And unlike a normal machine gun, those magic missiles hit every time.
I'll have to remember that for when a certain powergamer goes too far one day. I call it the Deus Ex Machinegun.
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RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32
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Sorry to get off topic, but can someone do me a favor? Can someone post this link in Guennar's Cthuhlu thread? For some reason, it won't let me reply in there.
Sorry to get off topic, but can someone do me a favor? Can someone post this link in Guennar's Cthuhlu thread? For some reason, it won't let me reply in there.
If you give me a link. Where is it?
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RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32
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Sorry to get off topic, but can someone do me a favor? Can someone post this link in Guennar's Cthuhlu thread? For some reason, it won't let me reply in there.If you give me a link. Where is it?
Nevermind. I logged out then logged back on, so I can post in it now. Thanks anyways.
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Wand rifle, huh?
Now I want a wand chaingun. You get nine yards of wands, tie them together, and start unloading on the bastards with 600 magic missiles a round. And unlike a normal machine gun, those magic missiles hit every time.
I'll have to remember that for when a certain powergamer goes too far one day. I call it the Deus Ex Machinegun.
I would say that's sick and wrong, but at one point I designed a sloped hallway trap just to knock off a guy whose character was beyond idiotic; he was the only one at the table that thought it was a good idea.
I would say that's sick and wrong, but at one point I designed a sloped hallway trap just to knock off a guy whose character was beyond idiotic; he was the only one at the table that thought it was a good idea.Wand rifle, huh?
Now I want a wand chaingun. You get nine yards of wands, tie them together, and start unloading on the bastards with 600 magic missiles a round. And unlike a normal machine gun, those magic missiles hit every time.
I'll have to remember that for when a certain powergamer goes too far one day. I call it the Deus Ex Machinegun.
Well, it's either the Deus Ex Machinegun or "Your character is hit by a frozen cow that fell out of the sky. He's dead."
The important thing here is to make it perfectly clear that things have gone way too far and you just won't have it. ;-)
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Wand rifle, huh?
Now I want a wand chaingun. You get nine yards of wands, tie them together, and start unloading on the bastards with 600 magic missiles a round. And unlike a normal machine gun, those magic missiles hit every time.
I'll have to remember that for when a certain powergamer goes too far one day. I call it the Deus Ex Machinegun.
Yeah I had a Campaign like that and boy was it wonky... then again I was 17 when I ran it. I also had suicide elf troops with staffs of power to snap over their legs as well. (Nothing says over kill like elf fight/mages with full charged staffs of power to kill the invaders.)
The genral influence was actually Dune and the wierding way with the wand guns, all wands of the same type had the same command word so that they could be used as need be. from a single shot wand gun to the proverbial chain guns with 10 wands each, and nothing is scarier than ten fireballs coming to blast siege troops from a wall.
To be young and silly again. =)
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Well, it's either the Deus Ex Machinegun or "Your character is hit by a frozen cow that fell out of the sky. He's dead."
The important thing here is to make it perfectly clear that things have gone way too far and you just won't have it. ;-)
Ah, the dread Cow from Space. I had a Chao from Space, once. Nothing quite like being bisected by a two-dimensional Discordian-issue Yin-Yang...
Deus Ex Machinegun ... priceless!
Does anyone own Rifts South America ... 1 or 2? They had some lovely arcane wand pistols and wand rifles, if I recall correctly, inspired by Conquistador pistols.
I was thinking along purely aesthetic lines though ...
Cheers