I am not a pathfinder fan and prefer 3.5 so dont want any conversions. I can happily convert back from pathfinder to 3.5 though.
My preference would be large sandboxy style adventures, especially ones that can be inserted into a no specific campaign world and have solid plots.
Edit: preferably below level 13. Ie a 4-10th level adventure or a 1st -7th level adventure which includes plot and location etc
First chapter should be up by Sunday at the latest--just waiting for final back from Chuck and I'll load it up!Okay. I feel dumb again. I subscribed, and when I plug my name and password into the Bytes Interactive downloads center, I'm told there are no files to download at present.
What am I doing wrong?
Did you follow the Ezine Subscription link? I think there were two options to look for downloads after signing in, the Ezine Subscription link and a file download link, and I had to double check the email to realize it was the subscription link to follow. Good luck! It's worth it!
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Chris--hope u got squared away.
No bonus download material at this time...though subscribers will get.....well, something cool for being subscribers. New on that later.
Sandbox material seems to be what peeps are asking for here and on other sites, so I promise news on that (smaller books) soon. I will not do another giganto-book until Tsar is done (or almost done). that being said, I may be ablpe to direct a couple of smaller (like <200 page) sandbox style (like Larin Karr or Lamentation) books this year. Probably just will do pdfs w/ POD on DTRPG or something.
If what I think is going to work out works out, I'll post on this topic in a week or so. Keep in mind, our price point will not be super low; I refuse to skimp on cover art and maps. Momma always told me that people forgave price and schedule...but never quality. Ten years from now I want everyone to be happy that they bought our book.
Also keep in mind that Tsar is a huge project, and will always take priority over any other work we are doing.
One question is would folks rather have a 240 page pdf book for $30 or three sections of it for $12 each? Possible to do softcover sections or hardcover single book as well. Maybe both options?
Matt, you can't afford not to sign up:) (jk); but think of this as 14 modules (avg 40 pages or so) for about $10 each. Oh, and you get a hardcover compilation of all of them when you are done....
Ok, forgive me If I'm a Nub, what is this term sandbox mean?
And Im a recent convert into the 3.5/pathfinder scene less than 2 months (but I now own the entire pathfinder line exept Hollows Last Hope, and I've been picking up alot of the necromancer games stuff done by swords and sorcery.)
Is the Wrath of Orcus mentioned in one of the modules something that will ever get released by frog god or necromancer?
I would like to see Multi-part modules like the old A, G or D series modules.
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Ok, forgive me If I'm a Nub, what is this term sandbox mean?
Sandbox is a style of adventure where the adventure itself gives you, the GM, all of the elements, encounters, and story threads to run something, but allows the players to do things in the order they want.
The name comes from the idea that you define a geographical area as a 'sandbox' and then drop a bunch of toys (or encounters) of various types for them to interact with.
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I strongly prefer "sandbox" stype campaigns as both a player and a GM, though as a GM they are often much more work than running a series of standard adventures or adventure path-type modules.
I see sandbox-style settings as more enjoyable for players who are more proactive ie, who like to take the initiative to seek out adventure and who don't depend on specific "hooks" to drive the campaign.
Adventure paths and the like are pretty linear (excepting Kingmaker, which purports to be more sandboxy than most paths) and I tend to see adventure paths as more akin to computer rpgs, meaning, the adventure is already written and expects the players to perform steps 1, 2, 3, etc, then move on to Chapter 2, and perform steps 1, 2, 3, etc.
Sandbox settings simply describe an area, with various threats and places of interest, and then assume the players will seek these places out.
I often imagine linear adventures as including that invisible wall you run into in computer rpgs, meaning, you can't go beyond certain areas of the module/path because that goes "off script" and the GM needs you to remain "on script" etc. That imaginary/invisible wall destroys my suspension of disbelief and makes me feel like I'm in a video game. I know its more work for a GM to roll with player's who go "off script" but for me, I think that's why I play pen and paper RPG's instead of computer RPG's, because the GM can adjust on the fly and exercise his creativity.
Try that with any CRPG and see how far you get.
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Also keep in mind that Tsar is a huge project, and will always take priority over any other work we are doing.One question is would folks rather have a 240 page pdf book for $30 or three sections of it for $12 each? Possible to do softcover sections or hardcover single book as well. Maybe both options?
I like the idea of getting 3 PDF's and one hardcover book. When it comes to the actual physical copy, I would rather have 1 book than several books if possible. For soft copies, I am indifferent, as they will all get dumped into a single folder.
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RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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I am a fan of the layout, and art, of the new model.
I own the 3.5 version, which is nice, but the content is scattered all over the place. (For example, when the heroes fight the [redacted] after their [redacted] attempt, the 3.5 material is on pages 17 (the location), 19 (the map), 22-23 (the events), 101 (which directs you to), 103-104 (the bad guys' stats). In this edition, all the information you need is in the same place.) (In the 3.5 edition, there's seperate appendices for the stats of "new monsters" and "other monsters" from other 3PP critter collections, so DMs need to know whether, say, ashborn arachne are new, or have appeared elsewhere. If the monster has class levels, then its stats might be somewhere else entirely, under "NPCs".)
And the new art is simple B&W line drawings, but evocative and useful.
Leaving aside which game system the rules are written for, this edition is simply better.
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One question is would folks rather have a 240 page pdf book for $30 or three sections of it for $12 each? Possible to do softcover sections or hardcover single book as well. Maybe both options?
For PDF, I prefer it to be broken up. Smaller files are easier/faster to browse through and as much of a gaming beast as my PC used to be, it's not quite up to today's standards.
For a dead tree copy, I MUCH prefer a single hardcover volume, and although more options are always nice I pretty much will got for the hardcover compilation over the softcover/hardcover pieces nine times out of ten.
ARRgh! Tsathogga, the only thing keeping me from buying this is the fact I am one of the players in this game! This is a cool setting, reminds me of the original Temple of Elemental Evil, high compliments indeed, he he. I will say if Chris decides he has had enough of this game, I am so getting this, he he.
ARRgh! Tsathogga, the only thing keeping me from buying this is the fact I am one of the players in this game! This is a cool setting, reminds me of the original Temple of Elemental Evil, high compliments indeed, he he. I will say if Chris decides he has had enough of this game, I am so getting this, he he.
I'm buying it anyway. That way when I'm through playing in it, I can take it out on my poor unsuspecting Tabletop group ;-).
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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One question is would folks rather have a 240 page pdf book for $30 or three sections of it for $12 each? Possible to do softcover sections or hardcover single book as well. Maybe both options?
Matt, you can't afford not to sign up:) (jk); but think of this as 14 modules (avg 40 pages or so) for about $10 each. Oh, and you get a hardcover compilation of all of them when you are done....
I'd rather have the large PDF and large hardcover myself
(and I'll know next week if I can sign up or if this and my subscriptions to Paizo will go poof)
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RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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Chris, I've received your question and have an answer for you. I'm trying to get a FGG e-mail addy set up to respond to it and any other queries that folks have. If it seems like it will take more than a day or two, I'll just have Bill shoot you an answer. But rest assured, there is both an answer and a change for clarification I have made to the series based on it (I was considering this very issue just a couple days ago, so I'm glad you brought it up). :-)
T'anks!
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Killa; I did not get your order; sure it went through?
yeah, i have already downloaded the PDF
Frog God Games Receipt
======================
Date: Saturday May 15, 2010
Time: 6:52 PM
Thank you for your purchase.
Click on the link below to access the Download Center or copy and paste into
your browser.
Username: *************
Password: *********
Expiry Date: 2011-08-08
Hey--who all is going to Paizocon? Greg and I will both be there!
I'll be there, it was a great time last year so I'm looking forward to it.
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RPG Superstar 2010 Top 32
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I'll know this week if I can go for a subscription. Okay, I can't really afford it, but maybe I will bite the bullet anyway :-) Depends how much holiday pay I get, unfortunately.
I never knew the original - is this good?
Okay, silly question, just the authors make it guaranteed awesome, but what I meant was - is it full of great ideas, items, monsters and encounters I can easily steal and tweak? (As opposed to leaning heavily on its own backstory and mythology and thus slightly more work to adapt the bits I like.)
And if I can afford the sub, I'll be rooting for a hardback book too!
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I wish I'd had the c-bills at the time to buy Rappan Athuk reloaded in dead tree format Agreed. All that's left to be done for it though, is to endlessly squawk for Print-On-Demand versions in places where people might read them.
Squawk. Squawk.
I believe that they are considering putting all their products up on Drivethru as PoD, once PoD is a option there. Not saying they will only that I believe they are considering it.
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POD issue
All Necromancer titles are going POD soon. The conversions to correct format are in process.
only possible exception is Crystal Skull--as no layout files have been located yet.
Fantastic news for my bookshelf and collection. Not so much for my wallet or my life, I just pray to Cayden that I can pass my fortitude save versus Wail of the Banshee when she finds out how much I'm spending.
Back on topic, bookmarks in the PDF would be awesome! I vastly prefer dead-tree versions for actually running the game, but use PDFs for preparation to minimize wear-and-tear on the book. It'll reduce my prep time noticeably once those get put in place.
For the record, PDFs must have bookmarks. Without bookmarks, the purpose of PDFs is completely handicapped, especially for a large document. Consider this my vote to make bookmarks a part of development, and to see an update of Ch1 with bookmarks.
Best.
The first chapter does not have bookmarks. Since then it was brought to our attention and I asked Chuck to look into adding bookmarks. I know little enough about layout or computers to know how doable that is in the time constraints he has, but hopefully they'll be there starting in chapter 2.Can't access the site from work, and not sure I'll remember when I get home. (curse you ADD)
Any chance we could get a set of bookmarks in the PDF? Makes it easier to pick up where I left off reading.
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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The first chapter does not have bookmarks. Since then it was brought to our attention and I asked Chuck to look into adding bookmarks. I know little enough about layout or computers to know how doable that is in the time constraints he has, but hopefully they'll be there starting in chapter 2.Can't access the site from work, and not sure I'll remember when I get home. (curse you ADD)
Any chance we could get a set of bookmarks in the PDF? Makes it easier to pick up where I left off reading.
Thank you for the reply. I want to say the (dys)function of the camp made me smile quite a bit. I want this, just so I can see the looks on players faces when they fail their save vs. economy. I also loved the Usurer, the line "As cover for his actions he took up smithing as a trade and found the work strangely satisfying..." made me grin. Heck, I could see players paying him to craft magic items. Father Death (I can 'hear' him in the text.) Griswald (Who I'll likely rework as a Dread Ghoul) and the brothers are all interesting and entertaining. Especially the lord of the city's reaction: "In fact he says if the party wishes to continue the same practices at the boarding house, it is their business." I laughed out loud.
Usurer: Yes, and clearly they failed. However they did perform a valued service here-
PC: They were serial killers!
Usurer: -and if you wish to assume 'serial killing' along with the other duties of the inn, I have no objection. However, the inn will stay open.