I figured this deserved its own thread:
Adventure beneath the pitiless sun! New monsters, new magic, and realms inspired by the Arabian Nights, Egypt, & pulp adventure tales!
Lost empires! Cursed tombs! Dinosaurs and djinn! A Pathfinder RPG compatible sourcebook for adventures in the deserts and deep jungle.
You can find it here!
-Ben.
(who may already have malaria despite not even leaving his home yet.)
Does the New Paths add-on have the same content as earlier print editions (but now is a color edition)?
I believe so, but I'd defer to Wolfgang. That's out of my balliwick. :)
-Ben.
This might be a stupid question, but the Southlands are still a part of the Midgard campaign setting, right?
Pledged!
And excited!
Contributor; Publisher, Kobold Press; RPG Superstar Judge
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Expanding on Marc's answer:
Like all of Midgard, the Southlands is meant to be looted for parts by those who want to homebrew or want to expand their Golarion game. For example: see Northlands by Kobold Press.
And yes, we're about $400 short of funding our main goal after... Er, 4 hours and change.
Congratulations on funding.
Really wish the "exclusivity" of the Nuria Natal book/lack of PDF did not exist. Basically locked the book into a $200 tier. I'm not fond of the way this KS is organised, but hey, more than 180 people are so be quiet you grumpy wolf.
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Contributor; Publisher, Kobold Press; RPG Superstar Judge
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I'm amazed we're funded after 5 hours. Happy, giddy, and charged up about the stretch goals.
The letterpress book is really a collector's piece, and it is going to be a bear to produce. Setting the type alone... Well, yeah, letterpress, I knew what I was getting into with that.
Xavier, the Bastet in Midgard is the Bastet of Egypt, yes, so Paizo and Kobold Press are both drawing from the same well here.
Thoth, Horus, Aten, Set, and others from the Egyptian pantheon also appear in the Southlands, absolutely, as do many minor cults, demon-lords, and the like.
Oh, and the current stretch goal is an adventure called "The Tomb of the Elephant God." It is being designed by Paizo adventure path designer Mike Shel.
By Khors' Bright Chariot, yes!
Quick question - How do the Add-Ons work? I'd like to add a hardbound Midgard Campaign Setting. Do I just add $50 to the pledge amount of the backer tier that I want when I go to complete the pledge?
This is going to be 8 adventures, plus more and more bonus materials...three stretch goals down!
-Ben.
Quick question - How do the Add-Ons work? I'd like to add a hardbound Midgard Campaign Setting. Do I just add $50 to the pledge amount of the backer tier that I want when I go to complete the pledge?
I believe so, yes. That's how we've done it before.
-Ben.
Woot! The Emerald Order is unlocked! I'm stoked, because I had a lot of fun writing that one. A great group to use as an ongoing enemy in a campaign.
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Yep, going strong and burning thorugh the stretch goals...
Just a few questions so far:
* Is the 24k stretch goal only for Desert Sheikh, or should it be for "Desert sheikh and above?"
* Can you make it clearer which stretch goals are in the main book, and which are extra PDFs - at this stage it looks like
- Per-Bastet is in the main book,
- the Tomb of the Elephant God adventure is in Seven/Eight/Nine/more Arabian Nights
So:
- Where does the Emerald Order info go? In the main book?
- How about "some stats for 5th Edition gnolls as PCs" - is that in Advanced Races: Gnolls or will it be in the main book?
* As to this:
Southlands also includes new races like the tosculi insectfolk and detailed gnoll PCs
[Emphasis mine] What does this mean?
Finally:
* Can you explain the thinking behind the exclusivity of the Nuria Natal book? What is the point of making rules for the Midgard Campaign Setting not-quite-canon - or rather canon-for-those-who-can-afford-it. I'm frankly disappointed Wolfgang. I hoped Midgard would be open to all. Surely those who have "collected" the "limited edition" chapbook wouldn't begrudge us cap in handers a little PDF.
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Questions ...
Hey there OSW!
I'm sure Wolfgang can shed plenty of light on these, but I can answer a few ...
The Emerald Order is a stand alone PDF - it will not be in the main book
There *cannot* be a PDF version of the Nuria Natal book. This book will be a throw-back to the earlier days of printing - it will be a letterpress book, meaning is will physically be hand set using metal, movable type the way things were done before digital typesetting. This is a time-intensive and highly skilled processes (trust me!:)
In other words, there will be no digital file to create a PDF from!
This book really will be a cool, limited edition collector's item for those that want such a thing
Speaking of movable metal type, here's a fun little trivia factoid (from someone who has been involved in publishing and printing pretty much his entire life) ... did you know that movable metal type is where we get the terms "upper case" and "lower case"?
Questions ...Hey there OSW!
I'm sure Wolfgang can shed plenty of light on these, but I can answer a few ...
The Emerald Order is a stand alone PDF - it will not be in the main book
There *cannot* be a PDF version of the Nuria Natal book. This book will be a throw-back to the earlier days of printing - it will be a letterpress book, meaning is will physically be hand set using metal, movable type the way things were done before digital typesetting. This is a time-intensive and highly skilled processes (trust me!:)
In other words, there will be no digital file to create a PDF from!
This book really will be a cool, limited edition collector's item for those that want such a thing
Speaking of movable metal type, here's a fun little trivia factoid (from someone who has been involved in publishing and printing pretty much his entire life) ... did you know that movable metal type is where we get the terms "upper case" and "lower case"?
Fun factoid - OSW has enough Graphic Design training to know where we get "upper case" and "lower case" from (actually they made us watch Stephen Fry's excellent doco on words and type) but not enough to have realised that there can't be a digital file to create the PDF from. :)
Though you could always scan it. Scanners have been invented yet won't they? ;)
Thanks for the answers Marc.
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Fun factoid - OSW has enough Graphic Design training to know where we get "upper case" and "lower case" from (actually they made us watch Stephen Fry's excellent doco on words and type) but not enough to have realised that there can't be a digital file to create the PDF from. :)
The fun factoid was really there for everyone in the thread - it's not all about you OSW ;)
Quick question - How do the Add-Ons work? I'd like to add a hardbound Midgard Campaign Setting. Do I just add $50 to the pledge amount of the backer tier that I want when I go to complete the pledge?I believe so, yes. That's how we've done it before.
-Ben.
....and backed! I ended up going higher than intended, curse the Kobold merchant's tempting wares. Threw in for the hardback Midgard Campaign Setting as well. :)
Now, to watch the stretch goals roll along.
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Contributor; Publisher, Kobold Press; RPG Superstar Judge
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* Is the 24k stretch goal only for Desert Sheikh, or should it be for "Desert sheikh and above?"
It's for all the reward tiers that get the stretch goals (so, not the retailer tiers, not the print-only tiers, and not the no-frills just-the-core-PDF tier). For everyone else, yes, it's included.
Look for the blue gem on the left in the Pledge & Reward table. Those folks get all the stretch goal extras that aren't in the main book.
* Can you make it clearer which stretch goals are in the main book, and which are extra PDFs - at this stage it looks like
- Per-Bastet is in the main book,
- the Tomb of the Elephant God adventure is in Seven/Eight/Nine/more Arabian Nights
Yes, Tomb of the Elephant God is listed on the Kickstarter page in the table of contents for "Eight Arabian Nights", so that's about as clear as we can be. We even changed the book's title. :)
Per-Bastet is, indeed, going into the main book. It's an excellent crossroads for the region.
- Where does the Emerald Order info go? In the main book?
Confirming what Marc said. It's a separate PDF, like the Gnolls PDF and the Jinnborn PDF. Look for the blue gem on the left.
I'll be creating a "What is the current list of Stretch Goals and extra PDFs?" item in the FAQ as well.
How about "some stats for 5th Edition gnolls as PCs" - is that in Advanced Races: Gnolls or will it be in the main book?
Neither. There's no license for 5th edition content available right now, so Steve Winter is doing it as a fan conversion, essentially. Maybe a blog post or a free PDF.
If a license appears before the books ship, we'll reconsider how to deliver this, but note that 5th Edition races are about 2 pages long, generally.
This is a related to the next question, about the place of gnolls in the setting.
Southlands also includes new races like the tosculi insectfolk and detailed gnoll PCs
Those races play a big role in the region. So backers get the Advanced Races: Gnolls PDF. Really not trying to be obscure about it, the gnolls are just an important PC race in the Southlands region, as do the tosculi.
Can you explain the thinking behind the exclusivity of the Nuria Natal book? What is the point of making rules for the Midgard Campaign Setting not-quite-canon - or rather canon-for-those-who-can-afford-it. I'm frankly disappointed Wolfgang. I hoped Midgard would be open to all. Surely those who have "collected" the "limited edition" chapbook wouldn't begrudge us cap in handers a little PDF.
It's extremely expensive to hand-set type like this (or even setting it with Linotype casting), and this is not a rules book. This is a lorebook and a printer's playground for collectors. And for me, there's really no point in scanning a PDF of the type.
As the writer for this book, I really, really, really want it to be read as a print book rather than as a PDF.
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Curse you, Wolfgang. I had to change my pledge from Sword Dancer to Aeromancer just to get the Stretch Goal PDF's.
For those of you worried about the Nuria-Natal chap book, never fear! There is a whole bunch of new Nuria material in the core Southlands book. I do not believe you will be disappointed.
It's extremely expensive to hand-set type like this (or even setting it with Linotype casting), and this is not a rules book. This is a lorebook and a printer's playground for collectors. And for me, there's really no point in scanning a PDF of the type.
As the writer for this book, I really, really, really want it to be read as a print book rather than as a PDF.
Could it be made available as an add-on for this kickstarter? EDIT: separate it from leather bound books?
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Nafrini, the were-black panther High Priestess of Bastet, steps from her extravagant entourage of attendants into a shadowed ally entrance to stoop before a tiny, frightened housecat. “May the Cat's own luck protect you and yours from harm,” she says softly. “If that is not enough, remember that you are sleek and fast and far smarter than they imagine. If that is not enough, remember you are blood of the lion. And you have claws.”
Hi folks, I wrote the City of Per-Bastet for Into the Southlands. I thought I'd introduce myself and field any questions anyone has about the manuscript, which is in the editor's capable hands right now. Let me know if anyone like a paragraph or two as a teaser.
Oh, and the current stretch goal is an adventure called "The Tomb of the Elephant God." It is being designed by Paizo adventure path designer Mike Shel.
Y'know, that name reminds me of another southern campaign setting you designed.
Great questions! Bear in mind that all I tell you now may no longer be true after our editors finish their task. If you go back and read this post when the project is completed, you might end up quoting American Hustle: "Some of this actually happened."
Nuria-Natal's history and deities do not track Egypt's, although similarities abound. Although Nuria-Natal has its own, distinct flavor, these touchstones allow GMs to expand the setting into one that tracks more closely with historical events if they desire.
An intense rivalry simmers between the capital city Nuria in the north and Per-Bastet in the south without thus far maturing into open hostilities. History does not record Per-Bastet's founding date, although all agree the city has existed for thousands of years. The first God-King dynasties to unify the warring kingdoms of what is now Nuria-Natal used Per-Bastet as their capital for 2,200 years, until power shifted downriver to Nuria 1,800 years ago. Before then, the God-Kings worshipped many different deities in Per-Bastet, although most people kept their devotion to the Cat Goddess, and when the Kingdom’s rulers followed Ra’s ascendancy into the North, Bastet’s cult remained.
Per-Bastet is technically subject to King Thotmoses's sovereign power. Nonetheless, each time the armies of the Mharoti Empire have rolled west across the desert to Per-Bastet, Nuria has sent nothing more than token assistance, effectively leaving Per-Bastet to stand or fall alone. This has vested Per-Bastet's denizens with a deeply seated independent spirit that makes them look down upon Nuria as a city with little history and no soul. The manuscript takes this no further, leaving the decision how best to develop and exploit this rivalry to the GM.
There are temples to all of the Nurian gods in Per-Bastet, but those of Bastet, Anu-Akma, and Wadjet are the only ones described. Sekhmet and Hathor do not presently appear.
But if Wolfgang gives me more words . . .
Less than $300 in pledges to go to unlock the first of FIVE Lost Cities of Gold and Salt! C'mon gang, we need some ancient tombs and pyramids to plunder, and some Gnoll raiders to go with Ashenvale's cat people....!
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Contributor; Publisher, Kobold Press; RPG Superstar Judge
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Or it could be a blog post, as we're doing a lot of extra behind-the-scenes sort of blogging at KoboldPress.com.
Jim Groves has a nice piece there today, for instance.
And regarding Egyptian gods: I think Selket might show up somewhere down the line. And the Emerald Order has links to Thoth.
Sekhmet is discussed briefly in the Bastet arche..err, in the text. ;)
-Ben.
This looks tempting - I'll have to see if one of the backer levels fits what I want. I really like the Midgard Campaign setting book and bestiary.
Has Wolfgang, Marc, or anyone else considered doing an Southlands/"Egyptian"/hieroglyphics-themed dice set as an add-on, similar to how Dreamscarred offered one for their Ultimate Psionics Kickstarter? Or even just a d20?
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Contributor; Publisher, Kobold Press; RPG Superstar Judge
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Fortunately, Aten is already part of the standard Midgard setting. So that's definitely going to be in Southlands.
Jesse, the Midgard hardcover is a standard hardcover. The premium ones are much more expensive.
Ambrosia, we've looked at dice as add-ons, yes. No idea whether we'll see enough backers to produce them, but I'd love to have the chance!
The Simurgh (big, friendly, and magical bird) who raised Rostam's father, Sam/Zal in the Shahnameh could make for an interesting Persian influence. And Angra Mainyu/Ahriman is, of course, already in the game as Lord of the Div.
And a question, if you're like me and doesn't get that excited by new rules options but woul really like to know how my character dresses, celebrates his or her marriage, and dtreats the remains of their loved ones, how useful will this book be for me?
Ambrosia, we've looked at dice as add-ons, yes. No idea whether we'll see enough backers to produce them, but I'd love to have the chance!
PM sent.
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Contributor; Publisher, Kobold Press; RPG Superstar Judge
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And a question, if you're like me and doesn't get that excited by new rules options but woul really like to know how my character dresses, celebrates his or her marriage, and dtreats the remains of their loved ones, how useful will this book be for me?
There's a lot of city lore (especially for major sites like Per-Bastet, the City of Cats), as well as tales of the pantheons, religious customs, NPC motives and character, and cultural information. Bits of offhand lore in the adventure book (such as what a gravebinder does). Also military traditions and magical schools of thought. As well as adventure hooks, equipment and spices, poisons, and strange styles of magic. It oriented toward flavor elements used in play.
I would say there is much less on styles of dress or marriage ceremonies, though there is some emphasis on coming-of-age/adulthood rites and on certain markers of status equipment.
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Has Wolfgang, Marc, or anyone else considered doing an Southlands/"Egyptian"/hieroglyphics-themed dice set as an add-on, similar to how Dreamscarred offered one for their Ultimate Psionics Kickstarter? Or even just a d20?
There has most definately been much discussion and such about a custom Southlands set of dice ... trust me!!!! We just need to get into the higher pledge amounts is all, so spread the word!!!
(neither confirming or denying anything more but, uh ... *cough*the prototype/mock ups look awesome*cough*)
Sorry, some sand got caught in my throat ...
I would say there is much less on styles of dress or marriage ceremonies, though there is some emphasis on coming-of-age/adulthood rites and on certain markers of status equipment.
Hmmm, but that would be great fodder for a "Cultures of Midgard" book post-Southlands, right? Right?!? I mean with two continents (3 counting Northlands) and all of those races, there would have to be enough material! ;)
If you expand it out to gear, we could even hope for regional/cultural-specific weapons & armor lists. PLEEEAAASE!
(Goes back to watching stretch goals unlock)