[Todd Stewart] What sort of planar related (or not) things might you want to see me write?

[Todd Stewart]

Hi. I'm Todd Stewart. You might know me from starting out as an obsessive Planescape fan and later on hopefully a decent freelancer on various planar projects and occasionally some entirely non-planar topics as well. :D

I like writing, and I'm looking for some input on some things to consider working on in the future.

So allow me to pick the collective brains of the community for a moment if you would: what sort of things would you most like to see me write in setting neutral 3PP capacity. I'm musing over some possible planar topics, but given what I've worked on in the past, if you think of something that might be less exotic, please do suggest non-planar things as well.

I'm just looking to see if any of the things I'm brainstorming on at the moment are on the radar of what anyone else thinks they might want to see me working on in 3PP capacity.

[And anyone answering, "Nothing! Spare our eyes!" will promptly have the quasits unleashed on them. And the fiendish bees. And the quasits when they bark they shoot fiendish bees at you.]

[MMCJawa]

The neutral planes and their denizens could really really use some love.

[donato]

How about some unique demiplanes, the likes created by wizards or abandoned by dead gods? Personally, I think it would be cool to see some new unique planes with cool twists as smaller adventuring locales.

[Todd Stewart]

MMCJawa wrote:

The neutral planes and their denizens could really really use some love.

Any in particular?

But I'll agree, historically CN and LN (and N) have played second fiddle to the spread of G and E planes and their respective outsiders.

[Gentleman Nurn]

MOAR PROTEANS. I would not be averse to more on Psychopomps and Aeons and Axiomites and Inevitables as well; after all, one must have targets, yeeesssss.

[Todd Stewart]

donato wrote:

How about some unique demiplanes, the likes created by wizards or abandoned by dead gods? Personally, I think it would be cool to see some new unique planes with cool twists as smaller adventuring locales.

Full alternate/optional planes (such as in Beyond Countless Doorways) or more limited, smaller scale demiplanes? Both have their utility depending on a campaign's focus and cosmology.

[Orthos]

Todd Stewart wrote:

donato wrote:

How about some unique demiplanes, the likes created by wizards or abandoned by dead gods? Personally, I think it would be cool to see some new unique planes with cool twists as smaller adventuring locales.

Full alternate/optional planes (such as in Beyond Countless Doorways) or more limited, smaller scale demiplanes?

Beyond Countless Doorways was pretty stinking cool. I'd love something that combined a theme like that with some sort of planar causeway on par with, say, the World Serpent Inn.

[Todd Stewart]

Gentleman Nurn wrote:

MOAR PROTEANS.

Here's my plan for you and everyone else:

1) Buy Paizo pizza delivery.
2) Have the pizza people write 'Let Todd Stewart write the giant book of Proteans'
3) Repeat till it happens.
4) Profit?

[If someone ever actually did that, I would... I'll get back to you on what I'd do in ecstatic appreciation for such an act. Just saying.]

I would love to do more on these critters. I'd also preferentially love to do it within the framework on already extant Golarion IP on the topic. These guys are honestly just as much my 'warm woolen mittens, bright copper kettles, and brown paper packages tied up with string' than daemons are.

What Paizo does or doesn't do with their IP is out of my hands. But I'm not averse to shamelessly begging them on a yearly basis for this. It worked for BotD3! God I love me some proteans.

But an OGL book to throw support towards some of the historically overlooked alignments is something that has really never been done as far as I'm aware.

[Shadowborn]

I'll second stuff on the neutral planes. Honestly, I haven't incorporated an inevitable, aeon, or axiomite into my games because...well, I'm just not sure what they're good (or neutral) for.

[Orthos]

Todd Stewart wrote:

But an OGL book to throw support towards some of the historically overlooked alignments is something that has really never been done as far as I'm aware.

This would make my year.

[Jeff Erwin]

Planar campaign/AP/adventures.

Actually, a PF Divine Comedy would be a brilliant campaign. With a pinch of Niven and Pournelle (despite his politics)'s Inferno.

I think a really interesting book could be made about the good planes, particularly Nirvana and Elysium. But I am biased.

[DM_aka_Dudemeister]

The Ethereal Plane is so ill-defined that I think it could use a sprucing up, injection of interesting things.

Since under Pathfinder rules Ghosts are no longer ethereal, it means that plane has seen little, to no love.

[Rysky]

Planar Materials would be nice. So would Psychopomps. And Daemons. And Abaddon. And the Four Horsemen. And Proteans. And perhaps a planes beyond the planes, the Dark Tapestry always struck me as a place where the borders between planes stopped (as well as logic and sanity). And Daemons.

[TrickyOwlbear]

Orthos wrote:

Todd Stewart wrote:

donato wrote:

How about some unique demiplanes, the likes created by wizards or abandoned by dead gods? Personally, I think it would be cool to see some new unique planes with cool twists as smaller adventuring locales.

Full alternate/optional planes (such as in Beyond Countless Doorways) or more limited, smaller scale demiplanes?

Beyond Countless Doorways was pretty stinking cool. I'd love something that combined a theme like that with some sort of planar causeway on par with, say, the World Serpent Inn.

I've been *seriously* thinking about writing up a Stargate-to-fantasy ripoff that I used in my home campaign to good effect. Glad to see there might be some interest in it.

[Rysky]

Have you given any thought to writing more about Daemons?

[Todd Stewart]

Rysky wrote:

Have you given any thought to writing more about Daemons?

The thing about daemons is that they're godawfully dark. After I worked on Book of the Damned 3 I pretty much didn't touch the topic for six months even at home because well, it was so godawfully dark. I promptly wrote a silly, whimsical supplement on half-faerie dragons for JBE just to do something entirely 180 degrees different.

Except it seems I do horrific NE-themed material apparently somewhat well, and ideas for such are easy to come by for me. :)

If I'm prepared to do anything more in that direction, that depends. Golarion specific stuff I'd be all over it if that was offered. But for entirely OGL material, I might hedge towards other options. But I'm mulling over a lot of ideas at the moment, with no specifics forthcoming till something is written and announced. ;)

[Rysky]

Oh well in that case I'd be really interested in a planar travels books, going over the geography and common flora and fauna of the different realms, and special or transformed materials you can find there.

[Rysky]

Also where is Beyond Countless Doorways from? Cause i would really like a World Serpent Inn/Sigil crossroads type of area.

[MMCJawa]

Fleshing out and adding new planes/outsiders would also work. Stuff that could "plug" into Golarion without the risk of being rendered obsolete should it be developed by Paizo. That way you could hypothetically still do a Protean book in the future (which I honestly think will happen), without worrying about canceling out your 3pp products. Dark Roads and Golden Hells is a good product that does this.

Or hey...Aeons...since they are the red-headed stepchildren of Pathfinder

A Pathfinder version of Sigil would also be incredibly awesome

Honestly we have a ton of love towards evil outsiders, especially the big three (check out the list of published devils, daemons, and demons! on the D20prd). Seeing more diversity from Neutral and Good would be awesome

[Chuck Wright]

Rysky wrote:

Also where is Beyond Countless Doorways from? Cause i would really like a World Serpent Inn/Sigil crossroads type of area.

It was a book produced by Malhavoc Press

[Rysky]

Chuck Wright wrote:

Rysky wrote:

Also where is Beyond Countless Doorways from? Cause i would really like a World Serpent Inn/Sigil crossroads type of area.

It was a book produced by Malhavoc Press

Thankies.

[Rysky]

Maybe more stuff on what could be done with souls. Gaining memories or other bonuses from them. Using them in crafting or powering magic items. Increasing a persons power ala Demons/Dark Souls. Even implanting them in other people or a growing fetus, giving a person a new chance at life (like Spawn) or other nefarious purposes (like a dybbuk). Maybe even multiple souls/personalities stuffed into one person.

[Rysky]

Differant planes food, drink, and substances and their effects. On a native as well as effects if consumed by a creature from a differant plane. Maybe even diametrically opposed plane :3

[Rysky]

Has anyone brought up Daemons?

[Kthulhu]

Something that penetrates extremely deep into the Abyss, where even demons fear to tread, for the qlippoth still hold sway.

[Ambrosia Slaad]

Proteans. Seriously, more proteans.

The Great Beyond wrote:

"A trio of proteans—two keketars and one of an unknown albino type—emerged out of the borderlands and pronounced an ultimatum: “The infection that is Axis— rigidity, solidity, inflexibility of form and spirit—shackles the potential and innate freedom possessed by creation’s cradle. Axis will cease its expansion from this day forward, or as with a festering wound, we shall see fit to cauterize it.”

The axiomites and the ruling formian matriarchs dismissed the threats and prepared themselves for the expected war, but it did not come as they anticipated. “So be it” was the only response on the proteans’ part, spoken by the albino. Twenty-four hours later, the outlying lands on a quarter of Axis’s borders glistened blue, a trait normally found only in the utter depths of the Maelstrom, and without warning the plane’s walls began to crumble as a pair of abyssal cracks tore open through the borderlands’ fabric, spilling out legions of demons..."

That's what I want: proteans that are bad-ass. I'm not really after new variants (although that would be nice), but I want proteans that are often inscrutably alien in mindset, downright deadly in direct combat, and yet strongly motivated to interact with Prime Material PCs and NPCs. I want tons of plot hooks and rational reasons for GMs to use proteans beyond the tired Yet-Another-Big-Baddy-To-Fight. I want at least a few truly Mythic proteans that would make even the evilest qlippoth lords and most righteous solars hesitate before crossing.

I want wondrous, mind-boggling locations and environments and beings that can be lethal-without-malicious-intent to the mind, body, and soul simply because the Primes don't understand "the rules" or because they simply weren't meant to traipse in such places.

I'd really like a 0HD protean-blooded race -- beings that embraced (or were overwhelmed by) the Maelstrom's primal Chaos and "reincarnated" -- but only if they are much more flavorful than the pitifully lackluster chaonds of 3.x and the somewhat-underwhelming warptouched of DR&GH.

And if there are new proteans, I'd love love love to have Sarah Stone (who did the keketar and astradaemon) illustrate them.

[Caedwyr]

Since you are the planes guy, it might be interesting to see your take on the planar world around Alluria Publishing's Cerulean Seas. They have an aquatic-centric perspective on planar structures societies and creatures shown in their books and I think it could be interesting to develop more from such a viewpoint (or from other non-standard viewpoints).

[Purple Duck Games]

Todd you could do up a cosmology for our upcoming Porphyra setting or even work on an Open Planes book to follow-up our Open Gods one.

[Kthulhu]

Kthulhu wrote:

Something that penetrates extremely deep into the Abyss, where even demons fear to tread, for the qlippoth still hold sway.

To include qlippoth lords that didn't sell out and turn into demon lords.

[Orthos]

Ambrosia Slaad wrote:

Proteans. Seriously, more proteans.

The Great Beyond wrote:

"A trio of proteans—two keketars and one of an unknown albino type—emerged out of the borderlands and pronounced an ultimatum: “The infection that is Axis— rigidity, solidity, inflexibility of form and spirit—shackles the potential and innate freedom possessed by creation’s cradle. Axis will cease its expansion from this day forward, or as with a festering wound, we shall see fit to cauterize it.”

The axiomites and the ruling formian matriarchs dismissed the threats and prepared themselves for the expected war, but it did not come as they anticipated. “So be it” was the only response on the proteans’ part, spoken by the albino. Twenty-four hours later, the outlying lands on a quarter of Axis’s borders glistened blue, a trait normally found only in the utter depths of the Maelstrom, and without warning the plane’s walls began to crumble as a pair of abyssal cracks tore open through the borderlands’ fabric, spilling out legions of demons..."

That's what I want: proteans that are bad-ass. I'm not really after new variants (although that would be nice), but I want proteans that are often inscrutably alien in mindset, downright deadly in direct combat, and yet strongly motivated to interact with Prime Material PCs and NPCs. I want tons of plot hooks and rational reasons for GMs to use proteans beyond the tired Yet-Another-Big-Baddy-To-Fight. I want at least a few truly Mythic proteans that would make even the evilest qlippoth lords and most righteous solars hesitate before crossing.

I want wondrous, mind-boggling locations and environments and beings that can be lethal-without-malicious-intent to the mind, body, and soul simply because the Primes don't understand "the rules" or because they simply weren't meant to traipse in such places.

+1!!!

[Drejk]

Proteans and qlippoths. More about their early war... Interactions...

[Drejk]

Oh and more kytons obviously.

[Heine Stick]

Drejk wrote:

Oh and more kytons obviously.

+1

[Ambrosia Slaad]

I'm not sure you could stretch it to a full 6-volume AP, but I'd also like a series of modules detailing a multi-plane adventure, like the classic Great Modron March, or even great one-shots like Dead Gods or The Deva Spark.

Heck, I'd love even several little mini-adventures/side-treks, with each detailing a planar location or two, and a couple new items/spells/critters.

[Endzeitgeist]

Planar adventures. Panataxia by 4 Dollar Dungeons has made painfully clear how significant the lack of them in PFRPG is... Great Modron March is one of my Planescape all-time favorites...

Also: +1 on Aeons and Proteans.

[wheshtek]

Something on Kytons would be awesome, I would also want material on planar metals/materials and planar food and drinks

[BEGS]

an adventure path in hell would be nice from lvl 1-20 with mythic :D

[Major Longhorn]

Ambrosia Slaad wrote:

I'm not sure you could stretch it to a full 6-volume AP, but I'd also like a series of modules detailing a multi-plane adventure, like the classic Great Modron March, or even great one-shots like Dead Gods or The Deva Spark.

Heck, I'd love even several little mini-adventures/side-treks, with each detailing a planar location or two, and a couple new items/spells/critters.

i agree.

[Christina Stiles]

Todd hasn't mentioned it, but I asked him if he'd be willing to write planar material for me--thus this thread. Obviously, Todd want to do more official Paizo material, so he hopes to get more Paizo contracts in that regard. Otherwise, we are looking for what he can do for me as a 3pp. In terms of a planar AP, that would be something more up my alley in writing. We've discussed.

[Rysky]

Christina Stiles wrote:

Todd hasn't mentioned it, but I asked him if he'd be willing to write planar material for me--thus this thread. Obviously, Todd want to do more official Paizo material, so he hopes to get more Paizo contracts in that regard. Otherwise, we are looking for what he can do for me as a 3pp. In terms of a planar AP, that would be something more up my alley in writing. We've discussed.

How interested are you in Daemons?

[Caedwyr]

I'd be curious to see Todd's take on the Time-Related creatures in Mythic Menagier - Ravagers of Time supplement and how they may fit into the world/planar structure. The things that Todd seems to do best at, aside from the Demons, Daemons, and other evil creatures is the incredibly imaginative and the different epitomized by the old Planescape setting. I'd be interested in seeing some material for the "philosophers with clubs" approach. Maybe something as I mentioned upthread for non-standard viewpoints on familiar topics. Or a look at a more usual topic with a different planar viewpoint as to what the important bits are. I know that many of us who enjoy planar adventures like it because they are more than just another dungeon/standard location. Take a look at things like Panataxia or how little places like the Shadow Plane have been used to their full potential.

Something that could be interesting is a book covering planar terrains and features. Details as to how the players can interact with them. Other things could include additional planar traits, and from the design side of things, how to use them in your games.

[Voadam]

Lands of the Fey. Not a silly whimsy take on the concept but a fleshed out land where different rules apply. Perhaps even several different fey realms each run by their own alien laws of reality. I want a planar sourcebook to run adventures in something like a Neil Gaiman story. I want lots of specific material to draw from, not just suggestions that I can make it up myself.

Also maybe a sourcebook on a Lawful plane where you get things like platonic ideals, a view of the realm of Totems as being archetypes in a lawful Amber type of plane is a neat spin on D&D Law.

[Todd Stewart]

Just as an FYI, my job has me on call, and I've been crazy busy this entire week with that and standard projects I'm already working on in the lab. I'll reply with my thoughts on everything suggested in this thread, please be patient with me. :)

[Rysky]

Todd Stewart wrote:

Just as an FYI, my job has me on call, and I've been crazy busy this entire week with that and standard projects I'm already working on in the lab. I'll reply with my thoughts on everything suggested in this thread, please be patient with me. :)

How patient? Human level patient? Saint level patient? Or Charon level patient?

[Christina Stiles]

Rysky wrote:

Christina Stiles wrote:

Todd hasn't mentioned it, but I asked him if he'd be willing to write planar material for me--thus this thread. Obviously, Todd want to do more official Paizo material, so he hopes to get more Paizo contracts in that regard. Otherwise, we are looking for what he can do for me as a 3pp. In terms of a planar AP, that would be something more up my alley in writing. We've discussed.

How interested are you in Daemons?

Daemons are a possibility. Additionally, I would be open to receiving 400-word pitches from folks as a publisher--only not this weekend. I'm way too busy with my own freelancing work at the moment!

[Rysky]

Christina Stiles wrote:

Rysky wrote:

Christina Stiles wrote:

Todd hasn't mentioned it, but I asked him if he'd be willing to write planar material for me--thus this thread. Obviously, Todd want to do more official Paizo material, so he hopes to get more Paizo contracts in that regard. Otherwise, we are looking for what he can do for me as a 3pp. In terms of a planar AP, that would be something more up my alley in writing. We've discussed.

How interested are you in Daemons?

Daemons are a possibility. Additionally, I would be open to receiving 400-word pitches from folks as a publisher--only not this weekend. I'm way too busy with my own freelancing work at the moment!

Yay!

*runs around in circles*

[Set]

Law vs. Chaos stuff.

I want to see the edges of Axis, where form and structure and permanence starts to break down as the Maelstrom eats away at it, and only the obsessive 'colonization efforts' of the Formians keep the waves of chaos pounding on the 'shores' of order from scouring/melting/liberating it all away like an ice cube plunged into a cup of hot coffee.

I want see places or situations in which devils, axiomites (and their inevitable creations) and archons need to work together to keep back the workings of chaos, sometimes more militant and aggressive proteans, sometimes actual qlippoth awakened from the depths of the Abyss and flailing in outrage to lash out at the frustrating alien universe that grew around them while they slumbered. Friendly fire 'accidents' may happen from time to time, as archons and devils are not the most natural allies, but when a Qlippoth the size of a moon is upon them, they will fight back to back and wing to wing, with no time for thoughts of treachery...

Creatures that fit a lower level in the outsider spectrum. The outsider versions of rank and file soldiers, or aristocrats, or whatever, so that it would be entirely possible for a 1st level party to face something like a fiendish footsoldier or meet a minor angel whose role in life is to make people who are 'meant to be together' to find each other and fall in love. Not every angel or devil (or protean or kyton) needs to be CR 10+.

I'm also a fan of creatures who seem out of place. On the elemental plane of fire, which is *generally* dominated by the wicked Efreeti, there could be a lake of molten glass with an island kingdom in the center of it ruled by half-celestial and celestial template fire giants, whose leaders are LG and NG, and whose lower ranks trend more towards LN and N (having less celestial blood). Being individually very powerful, and making neat stuff from the molten glass that surrounds them (like steel hard armor and weapons of colored glass), they've carved out a precarious space of being too useful and too tough for the Efreeti to be willing to risk destroying.

Enclaves of evil, in good planes (such as some of Calistria's evil followers, happily living in Elysium), a monastery of lawful monks and psions floating in the midst of the Maelstrom (which they regard as the ultimate test and challenge), etc.

Other random planar thoughts;

A plane of dreams and nightmares, tied to the First World, Astral Plane and / or Plane of Shadow, perhaps even being not a plane unto itself, but a transitional space between those planes, where reality and imagination blur boundaries, and things you fear might become realized, drawing strength and existence from your imaginings and the strength of your feelings.

A section of Axis that includes a cogwheel 'dock' that rotates along with the current of the river, providing mechanical energy to some workings further within the city. It turns so slow that ships coming up the planar river (Styx?) from other realms can dock on the individual 'teeth' of the cog, as they are individually as large as quays, and can each provide room for several ships, but as the wheels slowly turn, ships need to disengage and either move on, or dock at an upstream 'quay,' before the tooth locks into the cog next to it and crushes any ship left behind to splinters with inexorable force.

Colorless astral entities that are invisible when they attack, but as they drain blood with their attacks, their colorful innards become flush with color, making them visible (at which point they feel vulnerable, and sated, and flee).

A withered hag with unnaturally long arms and fingernails, festooned with cords and necklaces holding dozens of clattering bottles, some full, some empty, sitting on a barge in the river Styx, and dipping her long fingers into the river, to snatch forth squirming fluid things that resemble fat eels, which she licks and either throws back, or stuffs into one of her bottles. She sells memories, drained away by the river, and determines with a taste which memories might be valuable. Memories of power, of passion, of forbidden lore, of state secrets, all in her bottles, all for a price. Long exposure to the river has worn down even her resistance to its effects, and she keeps her memories stored in a book chained to her waist, resting in her lap. Before she makes a deal, she squints at her client and looks them up in her book, so that she will 'remember' someone who has dealt with her in the past (thanks to her book of memories). Getting ahold of that book, or perhaps even falsifying an entry in it, might allow a petitioner to purchase a lost memory she's holding onto out of spite, one of love in their mortal life, or some great accomplishment that holds the key to solving a problem on the mortal plane.

[Mythic +10 Artifact Toaster]

Inevitables, seriously i cant get enough. Maybe even an axiomite descended player race with a fully fleshed out multi tiered societal structure and an adventure path centered around inevitables.

[Rysky]

Lampades aka ABADDON NYMPHS

[Mortag1981]

All of it sounds good, but seriously, all I want to see, is a Pathfinder-ized Doomguard. Hands down my favorite boys and girls from Planescape. Something about the old "Entropy Blow" ability just makes me giggle. Plus, they seem like they'd be a great tool of the Four Horseman ideologically at least.