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Easter eggs. You know, those little gems the writers drop in that are subtle (or not-so-subtle) in-jokes, messages, or references to other things outside the game.
I have two.
1) The description of the prostitute from the NPC Gallery in the Game Mastery Guide that references the Random Harlot Encounter table from the 1st ed AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide.
2) The message at the end of the credits page in the sixth volume of every AP.
What are yours?
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It's not "outside" the game... but anyone who really sits down and reads AP #29: Mother of Flies and AP #46: Wake of the Watcher will see a very interesting connection...
A nice little connection from Greg A. Vaughan.
Kenebres sacked on the map in People of the River :-)
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Well, the Arkonas in Korvosa apparently imported a "Sumatran Rat-Monkey" from Skull Island.
Check out the description of some of the crates found into their warehouse, in "Seven Days to the Grave", part two of the "Curse of the Crimson Throne" Adventure Path.
It's a reference to Peter Jackson's movie "Braindead", which he himself later referenced in "King Kong". :)
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Dotting, because now I have to go and look for all of these.
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I don't own the book, but I remember reading this in a friend's copy of original Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting hardcover... In the description of the Worldwound, the author made a reference to a keep on the borderlands, which guarded against caves of chaos.
Numeria book references events from both Kingmaker and Wrath of the Righteous :-)
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I don't own the book, but I remember reading this in a friend's copy of original Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting hardcover... In the description of the Worldwound, the author made a reference to a keep on the borderlands, which guarded against caves of chaos.
I'll have to go look for that. :)
Numeria book references events from both Kingmaker and Wrath of the Righteous :-)
The campaign guide? Or one or more of the modules in the AP?
The campaign guide:-)
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Also check the worldwound campaign guide for what happens after The Worldwound Gambit :-)
Probably the most well known one, but Valeros, our iconic Fighter is based on Mad Martigan from Willow. He's even named after Val Kilmer.
That's cool. I had no idea.
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My favorite is the Electrum crests coins from the Guide to Absalom. Goes back to the old D&D days.
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There is a trap in Mummy's Mask (book 2, Shifting Sands) that causes clay floor tiles to rise up in the air, spin, then go flying at the PCs one at a time; you can ready actions to attack them. The trap is, quote, "Inspired by far older legends."
But did the trap provide some link to the past?
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Halfling Ronnie James Dio, no contest!
Halfling Ronnie James Dio, no contest!
Whaaaaaaaa- where?
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There is a trap in Mummy's Mask (book 2, Shifting Sands) that causes clay floor tiles to rise up in the air, spin, then go flying at the PCs one at a time; you can ready actions to attack them. The trap is, quote, "Inspired by far older legends."But did the trap provide some link to the past?
No, but it did prove a link between worlds.
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Mounts Langley and Soryu.
One wonders if they're a red, four-eyed giant somewhere in that mountain range.
Ultimate Equipment has a bead of newt prevention.
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Halfling Ronnie James Dio, no contest!Whaaaaaaaa- where?
Halflings of Golarion. I loved that image.
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The picture of the Sphere of Annihilation in a green demon's mouth in Classic Treasures Revisited was hilarious.
And by "hilarious" I mean "PTSD-Trigger Inducing".
Halflings of Golarion. I loved that image.Halfling Ronnie James Dio, no contest!Whaaaaaaaa- where?
Page 24, IIRC... It's the image for the Halfling Jynx.
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No, but it did prove a link between worlds.There is a trap in Mummy's Mask (book 2, Shifting Sands) that causes clay floor tiles to rise up in the air, spin, then go flying at the PCs one at a time; you can ready actions to attack them. The trap is, quote, "Inspired by far older legends."But did the trap provide some link to the past?
The traps up til that point were relatively tame. I found that one made for quite a rude Awakening.
Page 24, IIRC... It's the image for the Halfling Jynx.Halflings of Golarion. I loved that image.Halfling Ronnie James Dio, no contest!Whaaaaaaaa- where?
Your memory is pretty good. I found it on page 26.
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Curse of the Crimson Throne also had a reference to Ghost Busters. Paizo was asked to remove it due to copyright issues though.
Actually, I don't believe anyone has ever asked us to remove content of easter eggs for copyright reasons. We HAVE removed several on our own though... mostly ones that crept into print from authors or even developers who thought they were being sneaky or cute but were, unintentionally (I hope at least) putting us in a position where we COULD get sued for copyright infringement. Which is why easter eggs tend to annoy me more than they amuse me.
Your memory is pretty good. I found it on page 26.Page 24, IIRC... It's the image for the Halfling Jynx.Halflings of Golarion. I loved that image.Halfling Ronnie James Dio, no contest!Whaaaaaaaa- where?
I made a Halfling bard based ont aht image, that's why I remember it... Heh... I wasn't sure if it was page 24 or 26, though. ^^
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This may be considered more "homage" than "Easter egg," but the picture introducing the Andoran section of the Inner Sea World Guide is a blatant mimicry of Liberty Leading the People.
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There are several I have found over the years:
Dungeons of Golarion -
Bestiaries: Black Scorpion and Deadly Mantis are creature entries but also the titles atomic age giant bug B movies. Plenty more here.
Also Kingmaker had a few in there - the Mad Hermit (homage to B2 - The Keep on the Borderlands). The Varnhold Vanishing has a heading called The Doom that Came to Varnhold (a play on HPL The Doom that Came to Sarnath). Also a freshwater lake in Iobaria named the Nyvyrd - which could easily anagram for the Nyr Dyv freshwater lake in the world of Greyhawk.
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Curse of the Crimson Throne also had a reference to Ghost Busters. Paizo was asked to remove it due to copyright issues though.Actually, I don't believe anyone has ever asked us to remove content of easter eggs for copyright reasons. We HAVE removed several on our own though... mostly ones that crept into print from authors or even developers who thought they were being sneaky or cute but were, unintentionally (I hope at least) putting us in a position where we COULD get sued for copyright infringement. Which is why easter eggs tend to annoy me more than they amuse me.
Since we're all just having fun here, what was the Crimson Throne one?
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The Einstuerzende Neubauten symbols on the tower shield picture & ring of protection picture in Core Rulebook. It's also on a potion bottle somewhere but I can't find it now. One of my all-time favorite bands.
It's actually a cave drawing that the band took as their symbol, but I'm glad other people like Einstuerzende Neubauten on these boards, as they are my favourite band.
Curse of the Crimson Throne also had a reference to Ghost Busters. Paizo was asked to remove it due to copyright issues though.Actually, I don't believe anyone has ever asked us to remove content of easter eggs for copyright reasons. We HAVE removed several on our own though... mostly ones that crept into print from authors or even developers who thought they were being sneaky or cute but were, unintentionally (I hope at least) putting us in a position where we COULD get sued for copyright infringement. Which is why easter eggs tend to annoy me more than they amuse me.
Well the least they can do is point the Easter Eggs out to you guys....
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Well the least they can do is point the Easter Eggs out to you guys....Curse of the Crimson Throne also had a reference to Ghost Busters. Paizo was asked to remove it due to copyright issues though.Actually, I don't believe anyone has ever asked us to remove content of easter eggs for copyright reasons. We HAVE removed several on our own though... mostly ones that crept into print from authors or even developers who thought they were being sneaky or cute but were, unintentionally (I hope at least) putting us in a position where we COULD get sued for copyright infringement. Which is why easter eggs tend to annoy me more than they amuse me.
Yeah. They don't though. Which is why when writers DO sneak in easter eggs... they tend to get in trouble.
I'm not against them... but they have to be the right kind. And it's best to let Paizo handle them being put in if you're a freelancer.
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Absalom has a couple. The city leader is Gyr and he ceded a sister city to House Arnsen. The 2 rulers had been friends but now are bitter enemies.
I'm sure there's more I'm missing.
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When Paizo was publishing Dungeon, there were always a ton of small easter eggs, and some outright 1e material, and sometimes whole adventures that were nothing but 1e and OD&D nostalgia (at best) or thinly-veiled pop culture ripoffs (at worst).
Age of Worms featured the Wind Dukes of Aqaa and the Rod of Seven Parts from the 1e DMG and the 2e Cordell module, and the old Sons of Kyuss from the 1e FF, and Dragotha from White Plume Mountain, and the sphere of annihilation from the Tomb of Horrors, and the Hand of Vecna, and so on and so forth. Good stuff. 1e Tamoachan appears in "Wake of the Watcher," and the Isle of Dread features prominently throughout the Savage Tide AP.
However, more infamously, Jason Nelson wrote an adventure in which the main two NPCs were Batman and Robin, with anagrammatic names (it turned out to be a pretty fun adventure despite that). There was another one that took place inside Hogworts, and I remember it really sucking.
RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16, Contributor
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Classic Horrors Revisited had a gargoyle variant that looks like a statue of an angel, and only moves when you're not looking at it. I know a few Dr. Who fans who were tickled by that one.
The mythic gargoyle has similar powers and was definitely a nod to Dr. Who.
I don't think that's an "Easter Egg" in the classic sense though, much of Pathfinder and modern fantasy fiction is 'inspired' by other works. Taking inspiration from another work of fiction is a common and accepted practice so long as the original is respected. Paizo has Kaiju and for example.
(Incidentally, when I send something in to Paizo that I suspect might be considered an Easter Egg I try to call it out explicitly and let them make the call on whether it crosses their line or not.)
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This may be considered more "homage" than "Easter egg," but the picture introducing the Andoran section of the Inner Sea World Guide is a blatant mimicry of Liberty Leading the People.
And the Andoran Player Companion (where the picture made its debut) also has the Golarion version of George Washington vrossing the Delaware.
All of the C.A. Smith references and obscure Lovecraft references that someone who looks like me sprinkled in various places.
Every mention of Baphomet: His servants are the Templars of the ivory Labyrinth
The real Knights Templars were accused of worshipping a demon named Baphomet
I love such RL references
Sometimes Easter Eggs are accidental. Mark Moreland found a reference to Doctor Who in the Numeria Campaign Sourcebook that I did not intend. He really had to walk me through it because even when he told me about it, it didn't click.. but when I did see it, wow—it was pretty legitimate. I mean, I would have had a hard time convincing anybody else it was not deliberate. I was surprised.
(Because it was based on the documentary about the origins of the show on the BBC Network and not from an actual episode)
Don't bother to look for it, Mark removed it to be safe. All we could reckon was that I did watch the documentary (we're both fans of the show and Mark knows that) and maybe the names filtered into my subsconcious. I had heard the "no easter eggs" warning enough that I wouldn't do it on purpose.
I mean their fun to find, but most of my outlines say "DON'T PUT IN EASTER EGGS." As a professional its kinda hard to ignore that.
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I wonder, have there ever been any actual Easter eggs in APs? Like painted eggs? That would be kind of funny.