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Hey James, I just finished Death's Heretic last month and I loved it. The ending kinda got me down, but I completely understand why it ended the way it did.
** spoiler omitted **I'm curious if there's an approximate ETA when Salim's next adventure is coming. Even something as vague as "this year" or "sometime next year."
I'm also really interested in Nidal, but there doesn't seem to be too much about the nation right now (the bit in Inner Sea World guide, one novel that's only partially set there, and a module, that I know of). Is there anything else that talks about Nidal or provides more details about it that I've missed (or maybe that are coming down the pipeline and you're allowed to talk/hint about)?
Thanks a million. :)
Hey Johnico! Glad you liked the novel! While I'm not really allowed to say when a thing might come out until it's been officially announced, I hope to be able to say something official in the next six months or so. :) Stay tuned!
And Kajehase is right--Liane Merciel's fiction and the sourcebook Cities of Golarion are the best places to go for information on Nidal. For my money, Liane's the best bet--she really captures the feel of that place better than we could have dreamed!
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1)How ugly do the male lashunta look like? Are we talking just harry dwarf or like a shorter version of that guy from Goonies with the misshapen head/eyes.1) Not that ugly, really, more just short, muscular, and brutish-looking... not full-on dwarves, but more like a cross between a modern man and a Neanderthal. If you're into gorilla-shaped men (and hey, my dad falls into that category--dude's knuckles are like walnuts), then maybe Lashunta's the place for you!So... Frazetta Man?
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FrazettaMan
As the creator of that page... I'd have to say that male lashunta sound like they'd be borderline Frazetta Men physically, but not very close to the archetype in terms of behavior.
James: Re-reading Council of Thieves, I came across a description of a melted metal disc in the Westcrown Pathfinder Lodge that's all that remains of an ancient construct that fell to Golarion from Akiton thousands of years ago... a construct that is obviously a Martian Tripod (with extra invisibility field). Would this be likely to be the creation of some militant Ashok, or are there some straight-up Sarmaks hiding out up there?
a construct that is obviously a Martian Tripod (with extra invisibility field).
I KNEW that description sounded familiar!!
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Hey James,
A non-Pathfinder related question for you, but it says to ask ALL my questions so here goes. I saw that you had a story in the Geek Love anthology, and though I admit I got to the Kickstarter late--a friend told me about it after it was over--and haven't gotten to read the story yet, I've heard it's fantastic. (I will be picking it up soon!) I was wondering how difficult it was to switch your style over to that kind of story? Will you continue branching out in other directions like this?
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A question about "blood of the city":
So This is the story of Luma, the cobblestone druid, who goes through quite the horrendous experience during the story, which is really about high emotional stakes - revenge is a very central theme, as is the desire to be part of a group.
However, the character seems to be 100% emotionaly dead. No emotional reactions of any kind are described in the way she percieves the world. While after being betrayed she immdeiatley decides to take the ultimate revenge, and while she behaves in a way that shows how angry and hurt she is, the reader never gets to experience these emotions with her. Other characters in the story even point this out sometimes (like Nool, the gnome, who mentions that Luma was able to give him the accurate description of the roon where she was beset upon by her family, but not a single word on how it felt when she realised what was happening. At another point one of the characters notes that Luma's expression never changes.
So was having an emotionaly dead POV a descision made by the author? as in "I am going to purposfuly write a character who's inner world and thoughts are so closed, even from herself, that the reader too aren't going to see any of it?"
What would lead to such a descision? I understand where you may come from and it's a neat idea for a character, but it makes actualy reading the book MUCH less enjoyable. It was the book I enjoyed the least out of the Pathfinder Novels line (except maybe for "city of the fallen sky"), even though it had a very strong plot of suspence and action.
So if it was a descision to have no descriptions of emotion at all in the book, what lead to the descision and do you still think it's the right one? and, is it going to be repeated in the novels line?
Not trying to answer as I am obviously not James, but I had no issues with that aspect of the character. It was an interesting choice that did not even register for me - it was simply her perspective - until it was pointed out in-story. I don't think it is always going to be right, but I think it was appropriate this time. It did not take away from the story for me at all. I'll end my brief threadjack there.
1)How ugly do the male lashunta look like? Are we talking just harry dwarf or like a shorter version of that guy from Goonies with the misshapen head/eyes.1) Not that ugly, really, more just short, muscular, and brutish-looking... not full-on dwarves, but more like a cross between a modern man and a Neanderthal. If you're into gorilla-shaped men (and hey, my dad falls into that category--dude's knuckles are like walnuts), then maybe Lashunta's the place for you!So... Frazetta Man?
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FrazettaMan
Pretty much! :D
1)How ugly do the male lashunta look like? Are we talking just harry dwarf or like a shorter version of that guy from Goonies with the misshapen head/eyes.1) Not that ugly, really, more just short, muscular, and brutish-looking... not full-on dwarves, but more like a cross between a modern man and a Neanderthal. If you're into gorilla-shaped men (and hey, my dad falls into that category--dude's knuckles are like walnuts), then maybe Lashunta's the place for you!So... Frazetta Man?
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FrazettaMan
As the creator of that page... I'd have to say that male lashunta sound like they'd be borderline Frazetta Men physically, but not very close to the archetype in terms of behavior.
James: Re-reading Council of Thieves, I came across a description of a melted metal disc in the Westcrown Pathfinder Lodge that's all that remains of an ancient construct that fell to Golarion from Akiton thousands of years ago... a construct that is obviously a Martian Tripod (with extra invisibility field). Would this be likely to be the creation of some militant Ashok, or are there some straight-up Sarmaks hiding out up there?
Ain't tellin'. ;)
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Hey James,
A non-Pathfinder related question for you, but it says to ask ALL my questions so here goes. I saw that you had a story in the Geek Love anthology, and though I admit I got to the Kickstarter late--a friend told me about it after it was over--and haven't gotten to read the story yet, I've heard it's fantastic. (I will be picking it up soon!) I was wondering how difficult it was to switch your style over to that kind of story? Will you continue branching out in other directions like this?
Hey Luna! Thanks for the question--it's actually really cool to be asked about my non-Pathfinder work as well. :)
I was thrilled to be a part of Geek Love! Believe it or not, I've actually always enjoyed writing erotica, and my first-ever editing gig was a zine some friends and I created while still in college called "Penitalia: Literary Erotica at the University of Washington," which featured all work by students and faculty. Though I hadn't sold any straight-up erotica in years, when Shanna started talking about the project, I thought it sounded like a blast, and was extremely excited to be invited. (I actually wrote two stories--the other one is about a bunch of female astronauts on a mission to mars. Still hoping to sell that one somewhere at some point. :)
I think that writing in multiple genres is really fun, and helps broaden you as an author. Heck, I enjoy writing in other mediums as well--in addition to gaming and fiction, I write a ton of music, and just wrote part of a Pathfinder comic. Variety keeps things exciting! That said, there's no question that I think I'll always have science fiction and fantasy as my main fare. Everything's better with a solid dose of weirdness. :)
For folks interested, that Geek Love anthology is over at Drive-Thru these days, and will hopefully be available here as well at some point!
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2) I can't choose between my children! But I still crack myself up every time I talk about the oma. SPAAAAAAACE WHAAAAAAAALES!Ever since I showed that monster to my players, they've been requesting a way to summon one so dropping one on their foes could be a viable tactic.
Any plans?
Didn't that happen in the rise of the drow Gencon event (the first paizo interactive in 2008) where a new player gained the ability to summon an Abolith and summoned it 20 feet above his enemy?
Which volume and what page number in council of thieves is this crashed ship from Akiton mentioned?
Which volume and what page number in council of thieves is this crashed ship from Akiton mentioned?
At work so I can't check page numbers at the moment, but it's
Which is your favourite Ancient Middle East culture?
Thanks for the info Orthos.
AinvarG and Lord Snow--
That was a choice Robin made, and while I agree that it wouldn't be right for every character in the line, in this instance I felt like it worked just fine. On my end, there's really no more to the decision than that--I try to give my authors as much creative freedom as possible, so unless I feel like something is holding a book back, I get out of the way.
I'm sure Robin could speak more to why he chose to portray her as so cold--likely the result of a lifetime of being ostracized by her cold and manipulative family--but I don't want to put words in his mouth!
So now that we have the planet gazetter, will we see the same for the planes?
I'd love to, and I know I'm not the only one, but I'd only want to do that book if it were huge--a hardcover on the order of the Inner Sea World Guide. So it'll take some time to find the right spot in the schedule, not least of which because I think many of us in-house would want to work on it, and we don't have a lot of spare time these days. :)
Which is your favourite Ancient Middle East culture?
I have no idea, actually! My knowledge of the cradle of civilization is shamefully weak, though I'm always interested in learning more.
So I guess I'll turn that around and ask: Which ancient Middle Eastern culture is the coolest? What should I be wiki-fugueing on right now?
So I guess I'll turn that around and ask: Which ancient Middle Eastern culture is the coolest? What should I be wiki-fugueing on right now?
Whichever one built this thing Göbekli Tepe, apparently before we had civilization...
Need to try out some of those carvings...
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I recently posted a huge write up on how Hermea might look if it was Lawful Good. The desire to do that was from some posts here. It is long so I don't expect you to read it but I do have some questions.
Are you aware that Hermea is similar to what the LDS church tried to do in its early history? When it was forced out of New York and settled in Kirkland, Ohio the church established what is known as The Law of Consecration. In a sense, they were attempting to establish their own economic and government system with a goal of making them independent, debt free, and peaceful. In the end it didn't work out because some of the members of the church attempted to abuse the system and were very selfish, on top of outside influences, persecution, and pride. Most of the leaders, including Joseph Smith, were not those selfish people that ruined it for everyone else and in fact tried very hard be good examples.
One thing that bothered me about Hermea: If everyone was handpick and invited to the island, why would breeding be regulated at all? Wouldn't the strict physical and genetic requirements to be a citizen be enough?
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Which is your favourite Ancient Middle East culture?I have no idea, actually! My knowledge of the cradle of civilization is shamefully weak, though I'm always interested in learning more.
So I guess I'll turn that around and ask: Which ancient Middle Eastern culture is the coolest? What should I be wiki-fugueing on right now?
Definitely the Indus Valley (apparently non-hierarchical, no evidence of a ruling elite or temple based religion...)... Actually there has been some informed speculation that Sumeria and the Indus civilization had links or that Sumeria was a Dravidian culture.
Which is your favourite Ancient Middle East culture?I have no idea, actually! My knowledge of the cradle of civilization is shamefully weak, though I'm always interested in learning more.
So I guess I'll turn that around and ask: Which ancient Middle Eastern culture is the coolest? What should I be wiki-fugueing on right now?
Like Jeff said, the Indus-valley culture is pretty darn interesting. I've got a soft spot for the Hittites as well, and the Assyrians are fascinating in a terrifying sort of way - you did not want those guys mad at you.
RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4
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I knew this line of discussion would trigger the Irwin symbol!
I was thinking about bringing up the Brahmastra and the radioactive location in India associated with a mythological war of the Gods. It's India's very own Mana Wastes!
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James, my party in Curse of the Crimson Throne is dead set on going to Kaer Maga, and as I myself am not a big fan of History of Ashes, I'm heavily considering replacing most of that adventure with Seven Swords of Sin. Any tips on how to level it up for approximately a tenth level party, and work it into the CotCT storyline? I have some ideas, but thought I'd ask you since you wrote the thing :)
James, my party in Curse of the Crimson Throne is dead set on going to Kaer Maga, and as I myself am not a big fan of History of Ashes, I'm heavily considering replacing most of that adventure with Seven Swords of Sin. Any tips on how to level it up for approximately a tenth level party, and work it into the CotCT storyline? I have some ideas, but thought I'd ask you since you wrote the thing :)
For what it's worth, I'm incorporating a highly modified version of Seven Swords of Sin into my Rise of the Runelords game. Here's my adventure outline, in case you're interested...
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James, I am really impressed with the last few PF Fantasy novels I have read & reviewed. One of my hobbies is being a book reviewer, and I can tell you, some of the fiction coming out of some of the other gaming companies was at best enjoyable hack. (and you know, there’s nothing wrong with that.)
But the stuff I have been seeing from Paizo is solid fantasy fiction, suitable for non-gaming readers. Since you appear to have a major hand at choosing the authors and the books- Kudos!
Friends, try a few of the Paizo books. You’ll thank me…or better- thank James Sutter here.
One thing I’d like to see is- more characters with a major magic item. It’s kinda offputting to see what appears to be a fairly high level adventurer and he doesn’t even seem to have a magic weapon.
I recently posted a huge write up on how Hermea might look if it was Lawful Good. The desire to do that was from some posts here. It is long so I don't expect you to read it but I do have some questions.
Are you aware that Hermea is similar to what the LDS church tried to do in its early history? When it was forced out of New York and settled in Kirkland, Ohio the church established what is known as The Law of Consecration. In a sense, they were attempting to establish their own economic and government system with a goal of making them independent, debt free, and peaceful. In the end it didn't work out because some of the members of the church attempted to abuse the system and were very selfish, on top of outside influences, persecution, and pride. Most of the leaders, including Joseph Smith, were not those selfish people that ruined it for everyone else and in fact tried very hard be good examples.
One thing that bothered me about Hermea: If everyone was handpick and invited to the island, why would breeding be regulated at all? Wouldn't the strict physical and genetic requirements to be a citizen be enough?
I actually don't know a whole lot about LDS, aside from having some Mormon and ex-Mormon friends, and another friend who's in the original Broadway cast of The Book of Mormon. :)
I think you have a good point about Hermea's breeding regulations. I know the text in the ISWG makes Mengkare's government sound more controlling, but my thought (nowadays, at least) is that the government doesn't spend all its time matching everyone up, it simply retains the prerogative to veto or endorse pairings for its own reasons. I think you're right that most of the matches in Hermea probably come about through the normal romance and relationship process, but that the official rubber-stamp to get married or procreate requires some thorough testing and paperwork. While everyone on Hermea is exceptional, that doesn't mean they're all exceptional in all capacities, and I could see the government not wanting to accidentally pair two people with negative recessive traits (such as two brilliant scholars with asthma, etc.)
Regardless, I'm sure there's plenty of unregulated love (and breeding) in Hermea that gets sanctioned after the fact. After all, I hear that the Olympics are full of athletes hooking up, and I imagine there's a similar "everyone here is so *attractive*!" vibe to Hermea!
When are we going to see more of the Witchmarket? I really, really like the idea of that place. :3
Hopefully in some books I plan to write after I finish the sequel to Death's Heretic. :)
James, my party in Curse of the Crimson Throne is dead set on going to Kaer Maga, and as I myself am not a big fan of History of Ashes, I'm heavily considering replacing most of that adventure with Seven Swords of Sin. Any tips on how to level it up for approximately a tenth level party, and work it into the CotCT storyline? I have some ideas, but thought I'd ask you since you wrote the thing :)
Ummm... not off the top of my head, but The Asylum Stone is one level higher, if that helps. :D
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One thing I’d like to see is- more characters with a major magic item. It’s kinda offputting to see what appears to be a fairly high level adventurer and he doesn’t even seem to have a magic weapon.
Thanks, Dr. D! And a fine point... though I think you'll be quite pleased by the upcoming King of Chaos, in that regard. :)
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James, my party in Curse of the Crimson Throne is dead set on going to Kaer Maga, and as I myself am not a big fan of History of Ashes, I'm heavily considering replacing most of that adventure with Seven Swords of Sin. Any tips on how to level it up for approximately a tenth level party, and work it into the CotCT storyline? I have some ideas, but thought I'd ask you since you wrote the thing :)Ummm... not off the top of my head, but The Asylum Stone is one level higher, if that helps. :D
Unfortunately it doesn't >.< I will be a player in Shattered Star with some of the same group later this year.
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Hey! Do you remember what first lead you to claim that Patrick Renie was your spirit animal?
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Hey! Do you remember what first lead you to claim that Patrick Renie was your spirit animal?
It was probably one of his amazing quotes. I'm not sure which one anymore, but some notable early contenders that I wrote down:
"I'm just saying that being inbred doesn't make you NECESSARILY backward... What? I'm not controversed!"
“Steampunk and Victorian sex? I’ll tell you how: Leave everything on. Feel shame.”
Me: “So you’re like a wasp.”
Patrick: “Yup, just building my dam.”
Mark: “...Patrick, building dams is what beavers do.”
Patrick: “I don’t know a lot about animals.”
“Choke me, dawg! Don’t use your hands, use my hands! No—don’t touch my hands!”
“We’ve got drink tickets. They’re called ‘money.’”
“This book is like a cake you burned, and somehow the burned cake formed a picture of Jesus. But it’s still a ruined cake. The cake is my brain.”
*SNERK*
So... can we get the anti-paladin as an iconic? We just need a name and backstory...
Maybe. We tend to be pretty stingy with what we consider an "iconic," and it has more to do with what's internally useful for art orders than anything else, but it's a possibility!
What would you like to see more of from 3rd party publishers?
Bribes. ;)
Seriously though, I'm not really sure. It's hard to keep up with all the cool stuff people are putting out these days. And of course there are plenty of products that I as a fan would love to see published ASAP, but that I as a Paizo employee would very much like to write and publish myself. So I can't really give away our secret plans!
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Sutter, one day (as in I'm GM'ing now so all my cool characters get sidelined) I'd like to play a character who yearns to be admitted to Hermea and participate in the "grand experiment." As an undergrad I nearly got a minor in philosophy I took so many classes and Hermea really appeals to me. Unlike James Jacobs, I can definitely see Menkare being Lawful Good as long as we allow the moral philosophy of Golarion to be guided by intent as well as deed.
Questions:
1. Any particular classes that fit the Hermean bill, as it were? I'm think that someone striving for perfection might need to be multitalented to attract attention. Magus? Bard? A bit of both?
2. Anything else I should be thinking about or doing? It's mentioned that religious organizations are a bit miffed by Hermea since religion is suppressed there. Are there any other organizations that would actively seek to discourage or even violently stop someone that wanted to go there?
When you type the phrase "secret plans," do you rub your hands together and chuckle maniacally?
That's what I picture....
Sutter, one day (as in I'm GM'ing now so all my cool characters get sidelined) I'd like to play a character who yearns to be admitted to Hermea and participate in the "grand experiment." As an undergrad I nearly got a minor in philosophy I took so many classes and Hermea really appeals to me. Unlike James Jacobs, I can definitely see Menkare being Lawful Good as long as we allow the moral philosophy of Golarion to be guided by intent as well as deed.
Questions:
1. Any particular classes that fit the Hermean bill, as it were? I'm think that someone striving for perfection might need to be multitalented to attract attention. Magus? Bard? A bit of both?2. Anything else I should be thinking about or doing? It's mentioned that religious organizations are a bit miffed by Hermea since religion is suppressed there. Are there any other organizations that would actively seek to discourage or even violently stop someone that wanted to go there?
Glad you've taken a shine to Hermea!
1) I think pretty much any class could be a good fit for Hermea, as the experiment really relies on bringing in specialists and people with singular standout qualities as well as the all-around talented folks. That said, I imagine both magi and bards are fine choices, and I bet that monks' focus on self-perfection might easily mesh with/expand into Mengkare's dream of greater perfection for the race.
2) I think a lot of folks might try to discourage folks from going to Hermea. In addition to ideological problems--folks taking issue with eugenics, or the voluntary loss of freedom (Andoran and Galt, anyone?), or the suppression of outside loyalties to gods/families/nationalities/whatever--there's also a logistical concern: the talent drain. Nobody wants their best and brightest to uproot and leave their organization and society--they want them to stay and continue to aid and inspire their own people. And of course, most families aren't going to want to lose contact with their most prestigious relatives, especially if those relatives are wealthy or otherwise useful to the family...
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Would female Lashunta find male dwarves to be extremely attractive? Similar to the way that human males tend to find female elves extremely attractive?
Ha! I hadn't thought about that angle, but it sounds like a reasonable assumption.
Good day to be Harsk...
When you type the phrase "secret plans," do you rub your hands together and chuckle maniacally?
That's what I picture....
Sometimes! Especially if it's cold in the office.
And of course there are plenty of products that I as a fan would love to see published ASAP, but that I as a Paizo employee would very much like to write and publish myself. So I can't really give away our secret plans!
If you share them they won't be secret anymore.
Conundrum resolved.
1)What is your favorite type of...
A)Metallic Dragon
B)Chromatic Dragon
C)Primal Dragon
D)Imperial Dragon
2)Would you ever want to see a "grey" alien(small size, big head, big eyes grey skinned alien with telepathy/telekinesis) in a pathfinder game?
3)If the Lashunta are a warrior race then why didn't they get weapon familiarity? I would have given females, scimitar and trident, and males would have been given battle axe and war hammer.
4)If looks are not a factor then what does a female Lashunta find attractive in a male? What attracts a male to a female?
5)Do Lashunta have more then one mate? do they have a concept like marriage?
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Would female Lashunta find male dwarves to be extremely attractive? Similar to the way that human males tend to find female elves extremely attractive?Ha! I hadn't thought about that angle, but it sounds like a reasonable assumption.
** spoiler omitted **
Unless they like Bishōnen males, in which case, those willowy and effeminate human guys will do nicely.
Actually, it would be kind of amusing to have all the non-mesomorphic men mistaken for women. Since the Lashunta seem to pretty egalitarian (being a psychic society), it probably won't be more than uncomfortable for the really butch types...| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
1)What is your favorite type of...
A)Metallic Dragon
B)Chromatic Dragon
C)Primal Dragon
D)Imperial Dragon2)Would you ever want to see a "grey" alien(small size, big head, big eyes grey skinned alien with telepathy/telekinesis) in a pathfinder game?
3)If the Lashunta are a warrior race then why didn't they get weapon familiarity? I would have given females, scimitar and trident, and males would have been given battle axe and war hammer.
4)If looks are not a factor then what does a female Lashunta find attractive in a male? What attracts a male to a female?
5)Do Lashunta have more then one mate? do they have a concept like marriage?
Answering just a few...
2) Sure! Grays are probably one of the most terrifying creatures to me. I still get freaked out by the thought of them looking in my window at night. (A fear several of my prankster friends have capitalized on before...)
3) I feel like weapon familiarity is best used sparingly, as in my mind it makes cultures seem really homogenous. Look at all the variation in weaponry across human cultures--why would a planet-wide race like elves or dwarves or Lashunta be any different? While I can see why it's useful for GMs to have a go-to configuration, I hate pigeonholing intelligent races any more than I have to. Listing common weapons doesn't bother me, but hard-coding it into the rules seems weird. Just my opinion.
4) It isn't that looks aren't a factor to Lashunta women, just that their societal preferences are generally toward short, broad men that our current American society might consider "brutish." Standards of beauty are totally ephemeral in intelligent cultures, but in the same way that most humans can agree on a (very) general concept of what's "handsome," so can Lashunta, and they prioritize somewhat different features. But beyond that basic sociological statement, there's a whole range of Lashunta preferences, same as humanity. There are GLBT Lashunta, straight Lashunta women who like willowy elven dudes, Lashunta men who might really dig some dwarven women if they ever met one, etc. The big thing with Lashunta isn't their sexuality, but rather their sexual dimorphism (males looking very different from females).
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...Grays are probably one of the most terrifying creatures to me. I still get freaked out by the thought of them looking in my window at night.
Yes! That very thought still terrifies me as an adult to this very day. I blame all the episodes of Unsolved Mysteries I used to watch as a kid growing up :(