What do you have against sammichs ?Ain't nothin' wrong w' sammichs! I eat one every day, at this very desk!
Because you probably don't know, Rysky is referring to a thread that I created last weekend about a dream that I had. It involved you and a sammich. The thread is pretty short, so I won't spoil why the entire internet now thinks that you don't care for sandwiches.
And yes, I am not exaggerating. thinks that you won't eat'em!
GTA 5 approaches. Thoughts?
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You got Ed Greenwood, didn't you?when are you guys going to get R.A. Salvatore to write a book for Pathfinder Tales?A few days after all the editors buy mansions and yachts. Big-name authors like that don't come cheap!
Ed is a special case. I'm pretty sure he doesn't sleep, which lets him write approximately ten billionty words a year...
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If you could have the spellcasting of a 1st level sorcerer in real life (that is, four cantrips you could use at-will, and two first level spells you could use three times a day), without a bloodline, but free eschew materials, which spells would you pick?
For the 0-level: mage hand, prestidigitation, detect magic, and read magic (the latter presuming I'm not the *only* one who can do magic). Really, mage hand and prestidigitation can be used to do all *sorts* of crazy stuff...
1st-level: I immediately want to say Charm Person, but I think that would cause all sorts of social problems--I'd always be insecure wondering if my friends *really* would have been my friends without the magic--so it'd probably be better to take comprehend languages (so useful!) and summon monster I (how fascinating would it be to talk to extraplanar creatures!).
That said, I'd probably still take Charm Person, because it would be the ultimate defense against muggings, speeding tickets, awkward job interviews... I'd just have to make some really strict rules for myself about how I use it!
James, what would you say would happen to a commoner in Golarion who on a whim, just started flaying about and spouting random words/sylables/ect until something happened?
He'd probably be treated like all the other crazy drunks...
What do you have against sammichs ?Ain't nothin' wrong w' sammichs! I eat one every day, at this very desk!Because you probably don't know, Rysky is referring to a thread that I created last weekend about a dream that I had. It involved you and a sammich. The thread is pretty short, so I won't spoil why the entire internet now thinks that you don't care for sandwiches.
And yes, I am not exaggerating. thinks that you won't eat'em!
WHOAH.
O_o
GTA 5 approaches. Thoughts?
Not really! :D Although Hey Ash Whatcha Playing? did a really funny segment on GTA and how it was the most female-empowering game out there...
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So, having heard a bit about the mythic rules (book is shipping towards me but didn't get to read it yet),
Is it possible that Salim is Mythic? his story certainly has a mythic vibe to it, and he has a gifted power from a goddess preventing him from dying... sound like an implementation of the mythic rules!
Death's Heretic is the best pathfinder tales book I've read so far. Are you going to write any more?
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Death's Heretic is the best pathfinder tales book I've read so far. Are you going to write any more?
Ooh, ooh, I can answer that one!
As a matter of fact, not only is Mr. Sutter scheduled to publish another Pathfinder Tales novel in 2014... but it's also going to be another Salim story!
You can read more about it here
Death's Heretic is the best pathfinder tales book I've read so far. Are you going to write any more?Ooh, ooh, I can answer that one!
As a matter of fact, not only is Mr. Sutter scheduled to publish another Pathfinder Tales novel in 2014... but it's also going to be another Salim story!
You can read more about it here
Cool! :-)
So, having heard a bit about the mythic rules (book is shipping towards me but didn't get to read it yet),
** spoiler omitted **
Certainly possible! Obviously, when I first built him, we didn't have any mythic rules (we barely had the inquisitor class!), so he didn't do anything mythic in Death's Heretic or in The Redemption Engine (which I thank you kindly for spreading the word about :). That said, you're correct that he does seem that the divine interest in him would make him a prime candidate for a mythic ascension, and thus it might make sense for him to grow into greater abilities. Only time will tell...
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James, what havoc you think the Iconics would wreak if they were magically transported to Westeros (and at an appropriate level for their journey, say 7th-10th level?) ;)
I think they'd pretty much take over instantly... and then probably be slain just as quickly. There may not be a lot of magic in Westeros, but it seems like damn near everybody has rogue levels, so there'd be stabbings and poisonings aplenty. :)
Now I'm imagining Kyra going up against the Red Woman, or Valeros vs. Jamie Lannister... that'd be a hell of a fun crossover, wouldn't it?
"Damnit!" Valeros yelled. "Isn't ANYONE here good-aligned?!?"
James, who in the office keeps up with wayfinder? also any wayfinder favorites (as in articles)?
I think most people keep up with it to some extent, but the folks who spend the most time with it are probably those scouting for freelance talent, such as Wes historically, and now Patrick, Daigle, and Mark. (Well, Mark would probably read it anyway, because he's obsessive like that.)
For me, my favorite articles are the ones that deal with my "pet" sections of the campaign setting, like Kaer Maga. It's been a while since I've had time to really sit down and read a lot of articles from Wayfinder, but it's hugely flattering to see people writing fan content about your babies! (Game design babies, I mean. Fan fiction about people's actual babies would be disconcerting. Or maybe just boring. Last I checked, babies don't do a whole lot of adventuring...)
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You're not related to Chancellor Sutter are you? Or are you Chancellor Sutter? *goes off to hide under bed*
Victory Through Strength!
Strength Through Unity!
England Prevails
That was Chancellor Sutler. And I like to think that I'm a kind, benevolent dictator, who only has the best interests of the public at heart. I'm sure my employees would tell you the same.
In exactly
those
words.
So if everyone is Evil-aligned, doesn't that mean Seelah is a goddess in Westeros because she can smite EVERYONE?!?
Either that, or she gets perma-blinded the first time she casts detect evil.
As for pairups ... mine is Seelah vs. Theron Greyjoy. That would be wonderful to watch!
Actually, Theron versus ANY of Golarion's kickass women. *Rubs hands maniacally.
When has an offhand comment or theory of a players inspired you or been directly stolen for your plots or stories in a game? Also, has this happened for Golarion?
When has an offhand comment or theory of a players inspired you or been directly stolen for your plots or stories in a game? Also, has this happened for Golarion?
When I was younger, that was pretty much how I GMed--I never planned much of anything, and just played off what the PCs were doing and thinking. Recently... well, I have to be vague since my players read these boards, but there are some villains who'll be recurring who weren't planned that way, but who have ended up that way due to player paranoia. :)
For Golarion--off the top of my head, I can't point to something we've taken directly from the audience, but I know that it's happened. I love the conspiracy theory threads, and I've had plenty of moments where someone's asked "Hey, is this similarity between X and Y intentional?" and I just attempted a knowing smile and said "What an interesting theory..." Even more common is the situation in the office in which one person has an assumption about where another is going with an idea, and that assumption turns out to be *way* cooler than whatever the original answer was, and we all jump on board.
Ooh! I just thought of an example. In the comments for yesterday's blog post about "Magic Pig," my story from the second issue of the Pathfinder Goblins comic, somebody asked if the pig depicted was Squealy Nord. When I wrote the script, I only ever called him Magic Pig. But now I can't stop imagining all sorts of means by which a full-grown Squealy Nord could have gotten captured by Korgamorg...
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What would you say your opinions of Josepth Campbell's Monomyth, or Hero's Journey, are? I think I recall that it was involved in the writing of Wrath of the Righteous, and I think I can see the patterns it describes in Rise of the Runelords. The attack on Sandpoint's the Call to Adventure, Skinsaw Murders are the "Refusal of the Call" in the sense that the PCs are now thoroughly involved in fighting Karzoug's minions, Ascension in Sins of the Saviors where their spiritual strengths and shortcomings influence the weapons they gain to defeat Karzoug, etc.
I think it's pretty cool!
What would you say your opinions of Josepth Campbell's Monomyth, or Hero's Journey, are? I think I recall that it was involved in the writing of Wrath of the Righteous, and I think I can see the patterns it describes in Rise of the Runelords. The attack on Sandpoint's the Call to Adventure, Skinsaw Murders are the "Refusal of the Call" in the sense that the PCs are now thoroughly involved in fighting Karzoug's minions, Ascension in Sins of the Saviors where their spiritual strengths and shortcomings influence the weapons they gain to defeat Karzoug, etc.
I think it's pretty cool!
I haven't really spent a lot of time thinking about Campbell's views. I think that, at it's widest interpretation, the Hero's Journey encompasses a lot of great stories and is certainly one of the "default stories" in our culture. Yet it's far from the only one that can be told, and I like to see people mix things up as well!
Hello, Mr. Sutter.
A little more Kaer Maga curiosity; Can you suggest an American city with a climate comperable to that of Kaer Maga?
Thanks
Hello, Mr. Sutter.
A little more Kaer Maga curiosity; Can you suggest an American city with a climate comperable to that of Kaer Maga?
Thanks
As far as physical climate goes... I'm not super knowledgable about real-world cities' weather, but in my mind that part of the Storval Plateau always seemed like the eastern halves of the Pacific Coast states--they're *near* the wet western halves, but they're much higher and drier, with more high desert/chaparral. Hope that helps!
As far as physical climate goes... I'm not super knowledgable about real-world cities' weather, but in my mind that part of the Storval Plateau always seemed like the eastern halves of the Pacific Coast states--they're *near* the wet western halves, but they're much higher and drier, with more high desert/chaparral. Hope that helps!
Perfect! Many Thanks.
Do fire spells work in space?
I agree with LazarX--your spell's creating *everything* it needs to combust. (It actually works even better than casting underwater--so sayeth the design team.)
James, how do you go about creating maps for Golarion/your games? Do you go into minute detail or go with more basic maps? Do you hand draw your maps? Basically, would you main detailing your process for creating a map such as the one for Sandpoint or Varisia?
James, I hear your an awsome editor, do you do commisions?
Thank you! And not at the moment. It's something I've considered, but given that I already have Paizo as my day job, I'm really trying to reserve my small amount of free time for writing my own stuff. Folks may have noticed that there's a 2.5 year gap between Death's Heretic and The Redemption Engine, and that seems dangerously long to me (please don't forget about me, fiction readers!) so I'm trying to fend off all but the most exciting projects.
Thanks for asking, though! :D
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James, how do you go about creating maps for Golarion/your games? Do you go into minute detail or go with more basic maps? Do you hand draw your maps? Basically, would you main detailing your process for creating a map such as the one for Sandpoint or Varisia?
I don't do a lot of mapping for my home games, but I've done quite a bit for the various books I've written. Most everything I know about mapping I learned from Wes and Jacobs, and you can find some of their knowledge collected in the GameMastery Guide, but here goes:
When I map, I work in Photoshop with a WACOM tablet, because I *love* playing with layers, and because I can't draw a straight line to save my life. (Ctrl-Z fixes that problem!) For all my maps, I do rough, broad outlines, then fade it by adjusting the opacity, then create a new layer on top where I draw in all the details, still not worrying too much about perfection. Then I fade *that* by reducing the opacity, and "ink" the final. (I learned the whole pencils/inking thing from reading about how various comics artists draw their stuff, and I find it really relaxing.)
For overland maps, like the one I drew of the Skyfire Mandate and the Drakelands in Pathfinder #70 or the planetary maps in Distant Worlds, I tend to start by looking at Google Maps of the real world to get my sense of scale--how *big* things are, how far apart they are, interesting shapes, etc. I sketch out my boundaries and then start drawing in broad features--mountains, coastlines (use a shaky hand to get natural-looking edges!), rivers (always flowing together and toward the sea!), and lakes. Then I add in things like forests and deserts. Finally, I drop dots wherever it seems like settlements might arise (at the confluence of rivers, mountain passes, forest edges, protected coves, etc.), as well as dots in the hard-to-reach areas (because you want too have cool things to encounter when you explore!). (Fun fact: While I didn't draw the base map, that random dot dropping is how most of the locations in Varisia, Kyonin, Belkzen came to be, back when I wrote their gazetteers!)
Once I've got all my dots, I figure out what each one is, often using the geography as inspiration. I find it *way* easier to come up with ideas once a map is drawn rather than trying to draw a map to accommodate ideas. Sometimes I'll even brainstorm a big list of cool-sounding names without knowing what they are, then assign them to the random dots, and write until it all makes sense. Constraints breed creativity for me. :)
For city maps, my process is much the same, but I do a lot of looking at Google Maps of old cities around the world to get a sense of density and shapes. First I draw in the general outlines of the city, thinking about how the terrain would have affected them, and then I add major streets and smaller avenues. Once I've got those and any major structures placed, I start drawing little irregular polygons in what seem like plausible building shapes, clustering them into sections divided by alleys and things.
Really, looking at actual cities is the best possible way to learn about this stuff. But the *second*-best way is to ask this same question in the "Ask Wes Schneider" thread, because he's probably the best "non-professional" cartographer in the industry when it comes to city maps! You should see the poster-sized map turnovers he creates... it's like a scene from A Beautiful Mind...
I just got through with Death's Heretic and I wanted you to know that I enjoyed every minute of it.
Delini was hilarious, probably my favorite character in the book.
And I really liked how the Proteans were portrayed, you even made me like Inevitables :3
Yay! Thanks, Rysky! And Delini, the proteans, and the inevitables were all a blast to write. I accidentally came up with the way the proteans sing/speak way back in one of the early RPG hardcover openers, and had wanted to revisit them in fiction ever since.
Delini's speech patterns, of course, are basically just what it sounds like to hang out with Ed Greenwood for a day.
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I just got through with Death's Heretic and I wanted you to know that I enjoyed every minute of it.
Delini was hilarious, probably my favorite character in the book.
And I really liked how the Proteans were portrayed, you even made me like Inevitables :3
Yay! Thanks, Rysky! And Delini, the proteans, and the inevitables were all a blast to write. I accidentally came up with the way the proteans sing/speak way back in one of the early RPG hardcover openers, and had wanted to revisit them in fiction ever since.
Delini's speech patterns, of course, are basically just what it sounds like to hang out with Ed Greenwood for a day.
Nice.
Delini "ENEMY OF MAIDENHOODS" Greenwood
Catchy.
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Hi James, I just asked Jacobs this question, and he said it's more up your alley:
My PCs are headed into Kyonin, and they're very likely to "accidentally" end up in Sovyrian thanks to a messed-up teleportation artifact they're carrying.
What might you suggest could be some interesting twists I could put on the elves of Sovyrian, to distinguish them from their kin in Kyonin? I'd like there to be some notable cultural differences, so that it doesn't just seem like "Elfland 1" and "Elfland 2".
One idea I have is to make them less secretive and suspicious of the PC outsiders. The idea is that in Kyonin, these are just some boring old dwarves and humans, but in Sovyrian, these are some very interesting aliens.
Anything else that you can think of?
Hi James, I just asked Jacobs this question, and he said it's more up your alley:
My PCs are headed into Kyonin, and they're very likely to "accidentally" end up in Sovyrian thanks to a messed-up teleportation artifact they're carrying.
What might you suggest could be some interesting twists I could put on the elves of Sovyrian, to distinguish them from their kin in Kyonin? I'd like there to be some notable cultural differences, so that it doesn't just seem like "Elfland 1" and "Elfland 2".
One idea I have is to make them less secretive and suspicious of the PC outsiders. The idea is that in Kyonin, these are just some boring old dwarves and humans, but in Sovyrian, these are some very interesting aliens.
Anything else that you can think of?
Sadly, we haven't really said much about Kyonin elves culturally, so I don't want to make up/suggest new canon on the boards. But at a general level, I'm betting they're a bit haughty and arrogant toward their kin who went back to "backwater" Golarion instead of staying in the "homeland"... while at the same time probably having a bit of a chip on their shoulder, since Golarion elves went back in order to fight demons, and thus could easily accuse those who didn't of cowardice. Tensions abound!
Hey James, I trust your week is treating you well.
Given that you work in the RPG business - as it were - you must have had moments playing or GM-ing games when you thought: "This is what I do this for." Any chance we can hear of some of those moments?
Basically, free rein to tell us - the star-smitten populace of the internet - about your amazing characters and awesome GM skills.
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Sadly, we haven't really said much about Kyonin elves culturally, so I don't want to make up/suggest new canon on the boards. But at a general level, I'm betting they're a bit haughty and arrogant toward their kin who went back to "backwater" Golarion instead of staying in the "homeland"... while at the same time probably having a bit of a chip on their shoulder, since Golarion elves went back in order to fight demons, and thus could easily accuse those who didn't of cowardice. Tensions abound!
Thanks, James! I find the fact that the elves have similar civilizations on two very different planets to be a pretty fascinating idea. I'd love to read more about it sometime!
(and seriously, Distant Worlds is just awesome)
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Hey James, I trust your week is treating you well.
Given that you work in the RPG business - as it were - you must have had moments playing or GM-ing games when you thought: "This is what I do this for." Any chance we can hear of some of those moments?
Basically, free rein to tell us - the star-smitten populace of the internet - about your amazing characters and awesome GM skills.
Ha! Well, I'll keep it short and just tell one...
It was back during the magazine days, and I had been playing in Jason's Eberron game--along with Stephen, Mike McCartor, James Jacobs, Mike Mearls, and others--for about two years. My freelancing and band gigging had picked up, and I just didn't have time for all my games anymore, so I informed Jason privately that it would be my last session with the group. We decided to kill my character off dramatically--without letting anyone else in on it.
About halfway through that night's game, we confronted some super-powerful BBEG in a castle. (I think some sort of lich? It's been 7 years...) The rest of the group was running, but my character, "The Kid," decided to hold the line while the others escaped. The others tried to get me to run, but I refused and stood my ground, attacking valiantly. The thing I remember best about that night was the stunned silence as Jason *obliterated* my character with massive damage, and then the howl of genuine despair from Mike. It was such an honest reaction--he couldn't believe my character of two years had been killed just like that--and everybody was flabbergasted and genuinely distraught as I cleaned up my dice and left.
Jason and I kept the secret that it was pre-planned until the next day at work, and apparently there was much angst among the other members of the group that night over my tragic death, as well as a heightened sense of terror as they realized that even long-running characters could be slain without warning. When they finally found out the truth, several of them felt like they'd been thoroughly pranked. :)
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Ha! Well, I'll keep it short and just tell one...
It was back during the magazine days, and I had been playing in Jason's Eberron game--along with Stephen, Mike McCartor, James Jacobs, Mike Mearls, and others--for about two years. My freelancing and band gigging had picked up, and I just didn't have time for all my games anymore, so I informed Jason privately that it would be my last session with the group. We decided to kill my character off dramatically--without letting anyone else in on it.
About halfway through that night's game, we confronted some super-powerful BBEG in a castle. (I think some sort of lich? It's been 7 years...) The rest of the group was running, but my character, "The Kid," decided to hold the line while the others escaped. The others tried to get me to run, but I refused and stood my ground, attacking valiantly. The thing I remember best about that night was the stunned silence as Jason *obliterated* my character with massive damage, and then the howl of genuine despair from Mike. It was such an honest reaction--he couldn't believe my character of two years had been killed just like that--and everybody was flabbergasted and genuinely distraught as I cleaned up my dice and left.
Jason and I kept the secret that it was pre-planned until the next day at work, and apparently there was much angst among the other members of the group that night over my tragic death, as well as a heightened sense of terror as they realized that even long-running characters could be slain without warning. When they finally found out the truth, several of them felt like they'd been thoroughly pranked. :)
Ha ha! My wife and I I tried to do the same thing to her character about a year ago -- but then she had to go ahead and pass up some perfectly good chances to get engulfed by a gelatinous cube or get shot by kobolds, and had to resort to very foolishly running into a sauna room full of shocker lizards. It's wasn't quite as climactic as yours, to say the least.