Tome of Horrors 4 [Frog God Games]

[Umarian]

Don't forget that you can get the HeroLab files for Stoneheart Valley at the Frog God Games website.

The Tome of Horrors IV files were also released two weeks ago to purchase through the HeroLab software.

[brvheart]

Am I missing something or are there only the monsters in the Stoneheart Valley files and not the NPCs? I was looking to print out the pregens and could not locate them except in the pdf.

[Umarian]

brvheart wrote:

Am I missing something or are there only the monsters in the Stoneheart Valley files and not the NPCs? I was looking to print out the pregens and could not locate them except in the pdf.

They are included in the Portfolio files. They are in the folder for Wizard's Amulet, in the folder for Pre-Generated Characters.

[brvheart]

Thanks for the reminder. I saw them when I unzipped the file and forgot about them, sorry!

[Umarian]

brvheart wrote:

Thanks for the reminder. I saw them when I unzipped the file and forgot about them, sorry!

/sniff sniff...This tells me that you did not read the instructions that I wrote for everyone to make sure you didn't miss anything. (Actually other Deep Cave Frogs wanted me to add additional text to cover this file in multiple places.) So I guess I am just going to crawl into a corner of my cave and cry for a while that my words aren't read.

/Slinks off to the corner

[brvheart]

No, it means I read the instructions but I forgot that I read them! Sorry, case of brain fog here. Between having Lupus and the meds I take for it, I do that some times.

[brvheart]

Along the same theme though the FGG Player content does not include Mitra as a deity. Is this an oversight or was this done for a reason? I would hate to have to have my players buy all the sources just to use Mitra.

[Dark Sasha]

I seem to recall when I compiled the deities that I included Mitra (Mithra). I'll have to check on my home computer later today. In the mean time, check wikipedia on this topic. Mitra

[Skeeter Green]

brvheart wrote:

Along the same theme though the FGG Player content does not include Mitra as a deity. Is this an oversight or was this done for a reason? I would hate to have to have my players buy all the sources just to use Mitra.

The Pathfinder general content is free.

I don't remember if we included Mitra or not in LL:SV, I would assume if I had included it, Umarian would have it in there. Not all the gods of the Lost Lands are out there yet, I know that for sure.

The general file will be updated as info is available.

[brvheart]

Mitra comes from the RA file. I did a lot of searching on Mitra back in 2001 for JG. He is one of the oldest deities worshipped going back to Assyria and Babylonia and perhaps further. And yes Dark Sasha Mitra is on your list.

[Umarian]

I have not included the RA stuff into the Pathfinder Content file yet. Since it has its own file, that was released before this, it will require a lot to get it in.

I COULD separate the stuff and release an update to both, but you would have to have your original download e-mail to get the new file version of RA, and if you don't have it, Blonde Frog might beat me up because of all the e-mails she would get asking for that information.

The other part of that is that a very large number of the pieces of RA are not coded. So I would have to go through all of it and figure out what needs to be fixed, which can take longer than creating it from scratch.

Many of the pieces have already been included since they appeared in other products, but still a lot that is not. I have been slowly but surely trying to include more pieces in.

It is still on my radar, but with new stuff continuing to come out, there is a lot of new work to be done. Also, just started back to college this week, after several years break, so a lot on the plate right now. I will try to get the deities included in the next release at least.

[brvheart]

Sounds like a lot of work just for a few deities. Did flag my original email just in case, but I am sure most people are not as anal as I am about keeping 7+ years of back email! Now you could wait until Blonde Frog leaves for Legendary Games and let all those emails fall on her replacement (ducking swiftly)! Good luck in school!

[Umarian]

So yeah! If anyone is reading this, you DO need to keep your e-mails when you purchase the HL files from the FGG website (Or the ones if you got it through Kickstarter) as that would be what you will need to get any updated files.

Legendary Games???? I didn't hear about that.

[brvheart]

Rachel's New Job.
She posted it up on Sunday.

[DaveMage]

Interesting...

[DaveMage]

Has FGG hired a replacement? That seems like a huge loss...

[Bill Webb]

We will be fine. Rachel just wanted to go in another direction. We are all still friends and we will work it all out with a replacement (trained by Blonde Frog!).

[brvheart]

We will miss Blonde Frog, but wish Rachel the best at her new position with Legendary Games.

[John Benbo]

ToH4 just arrived today, on my birthday, no less! The book looks very nice. Looking forward to reading through it in a few minutes once I secure coffee and cigars.

[mach1.9pants]

Haha congrats! It is my B'day next weekend and I think ToH4 and Stoneheart Valley are somewhere between the US and here....

so maybe I'll be lucky too

[James0235]

Mine should be arriving on Tuesday. The slightly disappointing thing is that, according to the traffing info, it apparently sat around for a week boxed up, labeled, and with a tracking number assigned, all ready to ship before being picked up by the USPS. Just one day, if not a couple of hours sooner, would have made the difference between enjoying the book over a long holiday weekend and not having a chance to look at it until next weekend.

It's going to end up being almost 2 1/2 weeks. And, as much as I really don't care for the USPS, I do have to say that most of the time, packages coming from the left coast to Ohio only take them 2 or 3 days.

[mach1.9pants]

Not quite how it works, FGG will have sent the tracking notification well before they were packed up, it is pretty normal to get the paper work stuff sorted before actually doing the packaging. The tracking would have been done en-mass via mail-merge type operation then the packaging started and stuff sent out once the packs were ready

Still doesn't mean you get your package before the hols tho :D

[brvheart]

Usually the shipping notification and the actual shipping are a bit closer together, but mine were almost 2 weeks apart also. Sounds like a big order!

[James0235]

Going by the order #s I would guess in the thousands. With probably 1 or 2 people doing most of the work. So, everything is very understandable. I did only say "slightly disappointing". I'll get over it. :-)

[LordNull]

Got mine today. Lot of interesting monsters. But some of the artwork is on the dark side and i noticed that pages 15-16 are a little of center and need trimming. Other than that it looks great.

[brvheart]

Mine came today also. I have no complaints about the artwork even if it is a little dark in spots. I would rather it be in a book that will last than a cheap glossy version. I have already used a lot of the monsters in RA and ST so I know they are good ones! Many of the rest look good also and easily dropped into my FGG game campaigns. I know it will get a LOT of use over the next few years. Great job Frogs!!! I give it *****

[Bill Webb]

Ja,es--yup--Mama does labels usually on Fridays and we start packing on Sat--deliver to post office Monday morning (usually). Its myself, Mama and Lil frog most of the time--we rope Skeet or others in occasionally--think Skeet and I did like 400 boxes two weeks ago (Mama and Lil frog were at a swim meet).

[Clark Peterson]

You know, seeing Bill and everyone at FGG do Tome 4 gets me all nostalgic.

I could not be more proud of the work the guys at FGG do.

You guys know the story. I started Necro and got Bill involved. Quickly we became one of the best third party publishers and put out a ton of old school goodness. It was an amazing run. 4E came along and life changes for me and I wasn't able to stay in the biz on a day to day basis. Bill has taken over the Necro content with my blessing and I am so happy to see it thriving.

But back to my original point :) I am so glad to see Tome growing. I remember coming up with the name with Bill back in the day. I hope you all realize how this product started and what an amazing tribute it is to the Open Game movement. I was able to secure from Wizards of the Coast the rights to do ALL the "forgotten" monsters that hadnt been officially updated to 3E and to release them as open content in our original Tome of Horrors. THAT is why Pathfinder is able to have all those monsters in their game--they got them as open content from us. Which is totally awesome.

I am so proud of having been able to make the original Tome of Horrors for all the gamers. It is one of the highlights of my time with Necro (along with doing a product with Gygax and going to dinner with him at GenCon, and doing the Wilderlands products with Bob Bledsaw and getting permission from the Frazetta family to use Frazetta art on the cover).

I believe in the open gaming movement. Without it, we wouldnt have Pathfinder.

I am so proud to see Bill and the guys and girls at FGG carry on the tradition of the Tome of Horrors.

If you are sitting on the fence, please check this thing out. Not only is it an amazing book of monsters. It is also a part of the chain of one of the most important products in the Open Game movement. The Tome of Horrors as a series will long be remembered in gaming. Seriously, you are getting more than a book. You are getting a part of gaming history. And I am so happy to see Bill and the FGG crew continuing this awesome tradition.

Tome has been and always will be near and dear to my heart.

I just wanted to share, for those who might not know, the super cool role Tome as a series has played in the continued game tradition carried on in Pathfinder. Could you imagine Pathfinder without all those cool old school monsters? Sorry if an old guy like me waxes all nostalgic, but we were really able to achieve something great with Tome, something I am proud of and something I am overjoyed to see Bill and co. continue doing.

And what comment on Tome would be complete without a big shout out to Scott Greene. If there was ever a monster guru, my friend you are it!

Enjoy the monsters.

Clark

[Heine Stick]

Clark Peterson wrote:

If you are sitting on the fence, please check this thing out.

No fence-sitting at all. It's on its way across the Pond as I type these words. For me, the title "Tome of Horrors" is an instant buy simply because of the history and quality that's associated with the title. This book does not disappoint. Another fine collection of awesome critters to unleash into the minds of my players. So yeah, instant sell for me. Admittedly, most of what Frog God Games puts on the gaming shelves is an instant buy these days. :)

[DaveMage]

I seriously doubt I would still be playing if not for the OGL and the work done by Necro and FGG.

[Alzrius]

Honestly, what I liked best about the ToH4 was the dedication to Eric Jansing, aka Shade, who passed away in 2012.

For those who don't know, he was a monster guru that was active on the "General Monster Talk" forum, and its sub-forums, over on EN World. He helped convert a metric ton of old monsters to Third Edition, and as someone who worked with him (though not at much as several others there), his loss is still felt there today.

I thought the mention in ToH4 was a great way to honor his memory.

[brvheart]

I would probably still be playing as gaming is in my blood, but Necro and FGG have heavily influenced my game and gaming since they came on the scene. It also kept me busy for about six years working on the JG stuff! ToH4 is another great monster work in a great line! Heartily recommend it!

[John Benbo]

When I saw the Living Monolith, I knew I had to use it. That thing was brutal! I think my players had just a little more difficulty with that than the Mire Brute.

Battle Report

Spoiler:

The problem was the fire cleric kept rolling low on his checks to overcome its SR, finally having to toss his flaming scimitar to the ranger while he and the oracle just channeled like crazy. It came down to the wire- either the PCs were going to kill it that round or they were in trouble (the oracle was already in its stomach). A low rolled negative energy channel followed by a low damage power attack/vital strike brought it down to 2 hit points. The grappled ranger could only attack with his short sword, inflicting 1 point of damage. With 1 hit point left, the final PC to act, the fire cleric, finally rolled high enough on his SR check to kill it with a burning hands.

In short, I love my TOH monsters!