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For those of you who are lucky enough to have downloaded or received this, please post your impressions of the adventure here. Keep anything spoilerish behind a spoiler tag please.
I was impressed with Leati's The Champion's Belt for the Age of Worms AP, so I'm curious to see how he developed this one. Also, how are the Kazavon and Harrow Deck of Many Things articles?
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Color me lucky; I'm going to print out the PDF soon and enjoy it while the missus is away this weekend (Kenny Chesney concert on the other side of the state, ack) and when the wee tot's not needing my attention.
I am really surprised how Sabina Merrin is used. I figured her to go totally over the edge to the "dark side" and only won back if the PCs made a great effort. Not sure if it's disappointed-surprised or pleasantly surprised, just... surprised. Her "makeover" portrait is great, and makes me wish I'd played up her deadly beauty a bit more when they returned the Queen's brooch and met her. I'll do so during the execution at EoA's conclusion, for sure.
The castle--holy CRAP. I'm doing hand-drawn scale maps on 1" grid flip chart paper for this campaign, am finished with theme for the first two modules, and am nearing the end of Escape from Old Korvosa. Carowyn Manor and the Arkona Estate were time-intensive, and Scarwall made me shudder. This is looking to be bigger project.
Having recently read the PF #3 journal on Kaer Maga in anticipation of the trek through there during A History of Ashes, I was glee-ing at the revelation that a certain court mage practices a nasty form of magicraft. Will want to include an encounter with one of his sort during that earlier adventure, for sure.
Queen Ileosa is a b+@@@in' b~@$@. Another great piece of artwork, there. I'm glad that there wasn't a repeat of the "even badder guy rising from the ashes" bit with her and Kazavon, as that'll play out with Adaisin in the second adventure. Now that I have a better understanding of her capabilities and those of her contacts, I'll be able to plan some additional encounters and challenges.
Haven't done more than glance at the other articles and the bestiary, and really only gave a 60-minute skim to the adventure itself while my daughter was napping this morning, so I can't comment on those yet.
All said, I am thrilled to be able to imagine how our just-gearing-up campaign might conclude. I would've been even better prepared for it if I'd read the whole series through before starting. I'll do so if/when I run a future Paizo Adventure Path. There's just too many cool things woven through the whole cloth, and missed chances to emphasize later-key things.
Smashing good work!
Creative Director
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Regarding you-know-who...
Sabina's story arc was always intended to follow this route; it's a little unfortunate that the way the adventures worked out that she didn't have much to do in the middle four adventures, so that there could have been more hints about where she was heading. But yeah; the PCs will certainly need help to defeat the queen, and Sabina's one of their best resources there!
Having just finished skimming through my PDF version ... WOW :)
Can't wait to get my mitts on the print copy and curl up in my DMing chair and just absorb all the goodness within, and start cackling maniacally again. (Did that on HoA, since it arrived on a Saturday when the game group was present ... good reading for the lunch break and nervous glances from the players to my gleeful reactions!)
Bravo to all the writers on this AP, I am one happy GM!
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32
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I really like the contract text. This is what an infernal contract should read like. Convulved, full of obscure cross-references and phrases that seem innocent at first, but might be the hooks they want to get to you.
Regarding the makeover... i am surprised. I expected something quite a bit more horrifying. As is, the "subject" is still reasonably good looking, and it is nothing a few low to medium level spells should not be able to fix. I would have expected to see lost eyes, ears, maybe a cut off nose. Something more horrifying and traumatic.
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Creative Director
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I really like the contract text. This is what an infernal contract should read like. Convulved, full of obscure cross-references and phrases that seem innocent at first, but might be the hooks they want to get to you.
Regarding the makeover... i am surprised. I expected something quite a bit more horrifying. As is, the "subject" is still reasonably good looking, and it is nothing a few low to medium level spells should not be able to fix. I would have expected to see lost eyes, ears, maybe a cut off nose. Something more horrifying and traumatic.
The scars, in that case, are mostly internal ones. Also; the more horrifying and traumatic disfigurings were mostly happening to lower ranking members who, perhaps, needed more "persuasion" than others. Being high rank has its privileges.
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32
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After reading a bit more (when i should be preparing for my Skeletons of Scarwall adaption to Age of Worms... bad me!), i decided i love the artifacts even more than the main adventure. Each of them is just so full of plot hooks, and if you look at what the Crown of Fangs did to Korvosa, then you have a good idea of where they are headed.
By the way, the return to the city, and subsequent events deserve a strong nomination for the "best homecoming scene" award.
WOW. Hopefully soon ship me the book. I need to read the PDF! ;)
Post more impressions, please :)
Contract text?
I got to read through this yesterday, and it looks really good.
Regarding the artifacts:
1. Find all the missing artifacts.
2. Perform the ritual to resurrect Kazovan.
3. Then kill Kazovan a again which will finally end him.
The way the last paragraph read, I wasn't sure if it was a mistype or not. Is this correct?
I got to read through this yesterday, and it looks really good.
Regarding the artifacts:
** spoiler omitted **
I believe you're correct, but I think there's a step in between one and two:
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Creative Director
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Correct...
Each of the artifacts can be destroyed in a different way, but the bones that make them up remain. You could, in theory, rebuild the artifact from the bones, even, if you went through the right steps.
To destroy the actual bones, you have to bring them together to rebuild Kazavon; that power doesn't require the artifacts; just the bones themselves.
Yes, I did simplify the steps a little bit.
I can't help but think this would be a great high level to epic AP in of itself.
Correct...
** spoiler omitted **
By the way, if it didn't come through in my post, I really liked the article on Kazovon's artifacts. This was another excellent issue.
For those of you who are lucky enough to have downloaded or received this, please post your impressions of the adventure here. Keep anything spoilerish behind a spoiler tag please.
I was impressed with Leati's The Champion's Belt for the Age of Worms AP, so I'm curious to see how he developed this one. Also, how are the Kazavon and Harrow Deck of Many Things articles?
A must get...
All I can say about the bones is simple. Whats not to love about artifacts that can reform one of the area's most dangerous dragons.
The harrow deck of many things(HDoMT) is a much more potent mix of messing with fate then the original DoMT. While it has some of same powers as the original, the HDoMT still has its own uniqute powers, the carnival card having the most insane one.
I don't know, I thought this one was particularity weak. Who came up with the name Pudgyknuckles? And the two new devils... lame. Lets step it up here guys, huh? :P
Eheheh, the first time ever I hear the editor complaining and the readers giving praise. Not bad for Pudgyknuckles (I'm afraid it was one of my nicknames when I was a little imp). I see that the expression "pudgy knuckles" is not uncommon in the English language... and I love kennings.
Anyway, keep the honest and constructive feedback coming. ;)
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Creative Director
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Eheheh, the first time ever I hear the editor complaining and the readers giving praise. Not bad for Pudgyknuckles (I'm afraid it was one of my nicknames when I was a little imp). I see that the expression "pudgy knuckles" is not uncommon in the English language... and I love kennings.
Anyway, keep the honest and constructive feedback coming. ;)
It's important to keep in mind that Wes's online voice doesn't carry the jealousy of how much he wishes HE'd been the one who came up with the name Pudgyknuckles... or that every time he saw the name in print he started giggling and clapping his hands in delight. :-) (it goes without saying that when he found out you'd given us a chance to do up a devil contract he about fainted from the excitement, of course...)
It's one of my favorite imp names ever, in any case.
It's important to keep in mind that Wes's online voice doesn't carry the jealousy of how much he wishes HE'd been the one who came up with the name Pudgyknuckles... or that every time he saw the name in print he started giggling and clapping his hands in delight. :-) (it goes without saying that when he found out you'd given us a chance to do up a devil contract he about fainted from the excitement, of course...)
It's all true. I'm always jealous of Tito's stuff (he's pretty much the MASTER of the awesome handout too). ~_~
The adventure also gave us a chance to finally order a picture that we can use later in the Pathfinder Dictionary to illustrate the word "Defenestration."
On a side note about the art, I got a major kick out the scene where, of all people, the paladin is driving I think a short sword from the chin to the brain and out, with flying skull bits to boot, of a gray maidain(sp). I've got to ask, who thought that pic up?
I've got to ask, who thought that pic up?
Well, not me. Paizo editors are ultimately responsible for the good stuff that is courteosly published under my name, especially good English. I think the "contract" required lots of work on their part.
And, yes, the MASTER of the awesome handout is ME. Not you, Wes. ;)
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On a side note about the art, I got a major kick out the scene where, of all people, the paladin is driving I think a short sword from the chin to the brain and out, with flying skull bits to boot, of a gray maidain(sp). I've got to ask, who thought that pic up?
On a side note about the art, I got a major kick out the scene where, of all people, the paladin is driving I think a short sword from the chin to the brain and out, with flying skull bits to boot, of a gray maidain(sp). I've got to ask, who thought that pic up?
Well, could be that by the time she ran into the Maiden patrol, she'd already seen
File this one under "justifiable D&D homicide." ;) The artwork is really nasty-fun, I agree. I especially like the replacement seneschal and the aforementioned awesomely-named imp. "TO ME, Pudgyknuckles!"
And, yes, the MASTER of the awesome handout is ME. Not you, Wes. ;)
It's true. ~_~
As for "thinking up the illo," James and I write the art orders, but honestly, any credit for awesome art is 100% deserved by out artists, in this case Julie Dillon (one of the best things to happen to fantasy art since loincloths)!
And, yes, the MASTER of the awesome handout is ME. Not you, Wes. ;)It's true. ~_~
As for "thinking up the illo," James and I write the art orders, but honestly, any credit for awesome art is 100% deserved by out artists, in this case Julie Dillon (one of the best things to happen to fantasy art since loincloths)!
Well the art in every PF book has been truely the best. And this goes for #13 as well, thanks to the download. I curious though. If ya can, how do you guys work out the basic idea for any given illo, like the one I commented on above?
Well the art in every PF book has been truely the best. And this goes for #13 as well, thanks to the download. I curious though. If ya can, how do you guys work out the basic idea for any given illo, like the one I commented on above?
Honestly, it usually starts with Sarah or Jeff being like "You know there's an art order due today." We have a firm budget for each volume of Pathfinder and know how much art it takes to fill out a 50 some page adventure, a 8 page Set Piece, a 10 page article, or a month's bestiary. Pretty much, we've got art slots for each different type of content. Every month it's just a matter of filling these slots in. In the adventures we try to make half pagers action scenes involving the iconics, but beyond that, it's totally a matter of striking a balance between what an article/adventure needs and what would be cool to see. With the adventures we have to bow toward what the encounters detail, but with the rest of the content it tends to be a little more free form. If we've got an article about drow, sometimes it's as easy as:
"In this piece we see driders lead by a drow warrior in scary armor attacking a village of deep gnomes. Drow look like X, driders look like Y, deep gnomes look like Z. The deep gnomes should be running in fear and the driders should be scary as hell."
The worst thing is to claim ownership over a piece. Our artists are incredible, and while we've got to keep them on their toes every now and then with how elves look or what color drow skin is, the illos are their chances to play--we just give them guidelines. The worst art we get comes about from editors getting a picture in their head and then being insistent that the art must come out THAT way. We all do it every now and then, but usually it leads to endless revisions, frustrated artists, and usually weaker art.
Remind me tomorrow and I'll post a bit of the description from that gray maiden fight art order. That one came about because we needed a piece of art for Castle Korvosa's towers, there's not a lot of unique characters or monsters up there to illustrate. There were, however, windows, sooooo...
Honestly, it usually starts with Sarah or Jeff being like "You know there's an art order due today." We have a firm budget for each volume of Pathfinder and know how much art it takes to fill out a 50 some page adventure, a 8 page Set Piece, a 10 page article, or a month's bestiary. Pretty much, we've got art slots for each different type of content. Every month it's just a matter of filling these slots in. In the adventures we try to make half pagers action scenes involving the iconics, but beyond that, it's totally a matter of striking a balance between what an article/adventure needs and what would be cool to see. With the adventures we have to bow toward what the encounters detail, but with the rest of the content it tends to be a little more free form. If we've got an article about drow, sometimes it's as easy as:"In this piece we see driders lead by a drow warrior in scary armor attacking a village of deep gnomes. Drow look like X, driders look like Y, deep gnomes look like Z. The deep gnomes should be running in fear and the driders should be scary as hell."
The worst thing is to claim ownership over a piece. Our artists are incredible, and while we've got to keep them on their toes every now and then with how elves look or what color drow skin is, the illos are their chances to play--we just give them guidelines. The worst art we get comes about from editors getting a picture in their head and then being insistent that the art must come out THAT way. We all do it every now and then, but usually it leads to endless revisions, frustrated artists, and usually weaker art.
Remind me tomorrow and I'll post a bit of the description from that gray maiden fight art order.
Thank you for taking the time to give us a *making of* kinda look into PF and I know I'm looking forword to reading about the fight art. Thank you again
Thank you for taking the time to give us a *making of* kinda look into PF and I know I'm looking forword to reading about the fight art. Thank you again
No prob man! Just don't let me forget. Pester me tomorrow if you don't see it by noon.
Thank you for taking the time to give us a *making of* kinda look into PF and I know I'm looking forword to reading about the fight art. Thank you again
Okay, here goes, here's the art order that got sent to Sarah and then on to Julie. This is kind of a look inside the sausage factory, so...
A5. Gray Maiden Tower Fight (half-page)
The iconic ranger and paladin fight gray maidens in a high castle tower. The paladin is locked in battle with one gray maiden. The ranger uses his axe and has just knocked a gray maiden out of a large window. The window shatters and the gray maiden grasps for something to hold onto as she’s knocked out. We might be able to see a bit of the city 20 stories below. There look to be a few unchecked house fires burning, but we can just see the smoke.
Reference: Iconic Ranger
Reference: Iconic Paladin
Reference: Gray Maiden
So, did all that make it in? Actually, in this case, pretty much, yeah. Wow, yay Julie. Did we ask for "villain gets her brain skewered?" Nope, but sometimes you get lucky.
Okay, here goes, here's the art order that got sent to Sarah and then on to Julie. This is kind of a look inside the sausage factory, so...A5. Gray Maiden Tower Fight (half-page)
The iconic ranger and paladin fight gray maidens in a high castle tower. The paladin is locked in battle with one gray maiden. The ranger uses his axe and has just knocked a gray maiden out of a large window. The window shatters and the gray maiden grasps for something to hold onto as she’s knocked out. We might be able to see a bit of the city 20 stories below. There look to be a few unchecked house fires burning, but we can just see the smoke.
Reference: Iconic Ranger
Reference: Iconic Paladin
Reference: Gray MaidenSo, did all that make it in? Actually, in this case, pretty much, yeah. Wow, yay Julie. Did we ask for "villain gets her brain skewered?" Nope, but sometimes you get lucky.
WOW indeed. Major probs to Sarah, Julie and the art department. And thank you again for the time to give us this look into how PF art comes to be. Another great reason why Paizo has the fan base it does.
WOW indeed. Major probs to Sarah, Julie and the art department. And thank you again for the time to give us this look into how PF art comes to be. Another great reason why Paizo has the fan base it does.
No prob Bob! Er... Andrew.
No prob Bob! Er... Andrew.
WOW indeed. Major probs to Sarah, Julie and the art department. And thank you again for the time to give us this look into how PF art comes to be. Another great reason why Paizo has the fan base it does.
LOL, I forgive ya for that. I'm think that I'm gonna look at the art now and ponder what the base idea was vs the final art lol. Though I must say, the final picture at the tale end of the adventure brings the wonderful term of dracolich to mind as a point of referral.
Now I'm quite curious to see the finished product myself. I'm sure the Paizo team squeezed lots of real awesomeness out of the rough bundle of maps and design notes I delivered to them.
The castle is big enough to contain one or two extra side treks, I think...
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Creative Director
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When I first started working at Paizo, then Art Director for Dungeon Sean Glenn had one of the best bits of advice ever for me as regards art orders. And that was to let the artist be an artist.
It's easy to get an image of what an illustration should look like in your head, especially when you spend so much time developing and editing a single adventure (said process can take weeks!). When you write the art order, you're giving the artist a jumping off point. Make sure you get all the things that HAVE to be in the illustration in the art order and provide the reference to back those requirements up. But leave as much as you can to the artist to do.
Often, what comes back in will be different than what the text says. Almost every time it'll be better. It's almost always better to change the text to match the art, in other words.
Often, what comes back in will be different than what the text says. Almost every time it'll be better. It's almost always better to change the text to match the art, in other words.
The same goes for the maps (cf. the bizzare and cool visuals of Castle Korvosa and the Sunken Queen).
Often, what comes back in will be different than what the text says. Almost every time it'll be better. It's almost always better to change the text to match the art, in other words.The same goes for the maps (cf. the bizzare and cool visuals of Castle Korvosa and the Sunken Queen).
I must say, I didn't expect James to stop by. But all 3 of you have been really cool passing on what goes into the art of PF.
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The cartography is very, very good in this one. I love the side views of Castle Korvosa and The Sunken Lady. The handouts (esp#3) are amazing. I love the artwork and glad that Seelah is getting a good amount of hack-the-badguy time!
And this is just flipping through. The artifact article is top-notch and I am intrigued by the Harrow Deck of Many Things. Can't wait to add this to a treasure trove one of these days.
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My "big envelope" arrived not long ago. Wow, that's a lot of goog readin'. Love the PDFs, but there's just something about the real deals. I be happy. SUMMER CATALOG not pictured but also enclosed; it was the first thing I perused!
Continuity error: I Pahfinder Tree's gazetteer of varisia there is a blue dragon named cadrilkasta at guiltspur. In Pathfinder Twelve's Kazavon article a green dragon named Cadrilkasta lives in Razmiran.How is this a continuity error? (Or am I misreading your post?)
because there is an error in continuity... the same named dragon is a different color and lives in a different location in different products (IE. the products are discontinuous)...
Now there are are possible explanations for this that would make it so that it is only an appearent discontinuity (for example there could be two dragons with the same name, perhaps Cadrilkasta is the Draconic equivelent of "Bob" for instance... not the best explanation IMO, but an explanation... or perhaps the information in one of the articles is not 100% relaible.)
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Creative Director
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Continuity error: I Pahfinder Tree's gazetteer of varisia there is a blue dragon named cadrilkasta at guiltspur. In Pathfinder Twelve's Kazavon article a green dragon named Cadrilkasta lives in Razmiran.How is this a continuity error? (Or am I misreading your post?)because there is an error in continuity... the same named dragon is a different color and lives in a different location in different products (IE. the products are discontinuous)...
Now there are are possible explanations for this that would make it so that it is only an appearent discontinuity (for example there could be two dragons with the same name, perhaps Cadrilkasta is the Draconic equivelent of "Bob" for instance... not the best explanation IMO, but an explanation... or perhaps the information in one of the articles is not 100% relaible.)
OH! I totally glossed over the name of the dragon (I think the fact that one was capitalized and one was not tricked me!) and focused instead on the colors.
ANYway... the error could be a case of the same writer using the name over without realizing he'd used the name already. Since the dragons are in different locations and are different races, that's my guess.
It's certainly possible that two dragons can have the same names, of course. After all, there are three Jameses here at Paizo.
The best solution, I think, is that you pick one of the dragons to keep unchanged and rename the other. If I had a time machine to go back and fix things, I'd rename the green dragon in Razmiran, since the blue in Guiltspur has been around longer AND because I like Varisia better than Razmiran. ;-)
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Creative Director
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Upon further research...
The Cadrilkasta of Guiltspur is the real deal. The Cadrilkasta mentioned in the Howling Horn entry of Relics of Kazavon is different, and should be given a different name. Both dragons are marginal enough and far enough away, though, that chances of BOTH of them showing up in one campaign are pretty slim.
And upon even DEEPER research:
The original Relics of Kazavon article, as originally written, had all of the dragon's relics scattered across Varisia. That didn't make sense, because if they were that close together, Kazavon would have rebuilt LONG ago. One of the problems we've had with authors is the misconception that Varisia IS the whole world, when in fat it's not. When we were developing the Kazavon Relics article (which was deep in panic/crunch mode), we went in and did a pretty extensive rewrite of the locations so that his relics would be scattered all over the world, stripping out most of the Varisia stuff so that the Fangs were the only ones still in that region.
Unfortunately, none of us remembered that Cadrilkasta was already in continuity when we were rushing against the clock to fix the Relics article.
SO! The green dragon that stole the horns and lives in Razmiran is officially the one with the error. Her name should change. In keeping with the tradition of easter eggs and anagram names, my suggestion is that the green's name is Kasadilcrat.
SO! The green dragon that stole the horns and lives in Razmiran is officially the one with the error. Her name should change. In keeping with the tradition of easter eggs and anagram names, my suggestion is that the green's name is Kasadilcrat.
When we get to this entry in the wiki, we'll reflect as such. Your word is canon, James!
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Regarding the makeover... i am surprised. I expected something quite a bit more horrifying. As is, the "subject" is still reasonably good looking, and it is nothing a few low to medium level spells should not be able to fix. I would have expected to see lost eyes, ears, maybe a cut off nose. Something more horrifying and traumatic.
I'm actually kind of happy about this instance though. It'll be less of a kick in the head for the PC that's crushing on her. Heaven knows PCs need all the good news they can get in CotCT.
Also, love that Blackjack callback pic!