Strange Aeons Player's Guide

[Balgin]

GM Lamplighter wrote:

Got my subscriber's PDF... wow. Just wow.

Would that happen to be In Search of Sanity or a sneak peek at the player's guide?

[RuyanVe]

In Search of Sanity.

[Venziir]

So... Some people now have the first part of the AP before the Players Guide? That doesn't seem right.

[Balgin]

Venziir wrote:

So... Some people now have the first part of the AP before the Players Guide? That doesn't seem right.

It's a bit odd. Hopefully the situation resolves itself soon.

[Gorbacz]

Venziir wrote:

So... Some people now have the first part of the AP before the Players Guide? That doesn't seem right.

Why? Running an AP before having all 6 volumes is a bad idea anyway.

[MythicFox]

Venziir wrote:

So... Some people now have the first part of the AP before the Players Guide? That doesn't seem right.

Street date for the AP volume is still a couple weeks or so away. Subscribers getting the PDF first is just an unintentional perk.

[Rysky]

And it's just the subscribers, the people waiting for the street date will definitely have it before then(barring any unseen catastrophes).

Edit: ninjaed by a damn fox :3

[Cole Deschain]

<- Subscriber
<- Doesn't have it as of this writing.

Things roll out when they roll out.

[The Raven Black]

I got my SA1 pdf but since I intend to play this AP, I am stuck in frustrating limbo till the Player's Guide appears

For once I wish I had not received the subscription pdf

Which in itself is the highest praise for Paizo's skill at creating enormous expectations for their products

[Galnörag]

Balgin wrote:

Venziir wrote:

So... Some people now have the first part of the AP before the Players Guide? That doesn't seem right.

It's a bit odd. Hopefully the situation resolves itself soon.

I would argue it is far from odd, but in fact the norm. Subscribers get PDFs when their order ships, (just ahead of street date) and the players guides are target to be ready by the street date (but often just make it.) I can't think of an AP I didn't get the first PDF before the players guide.

[Balgin]

Galnörag wrote:

Balgin wrote:

Venziir wrote:

So... Some people now have the first part of the AP before the Players Guide? That doesn't seem right.

It's a bit odd. Hopefully the situation resolves itself soon.

I would argue it is far from odd, but in fact the norm. Subscribers get PDFs when their order ships, (just ahead of street date) and the players guides are target to be ready by the street date (but often just make it.) I can't think of an AP I didn't get the first PDF before the players guide.

Ironically after writing my reply I went back and rewrote it. Originally I wrote a kind patient explanation of how some people subscribe to the adventure paths and get the pdf's a couple of weeks early. It is a priviledge and they pay for this privilege.

After I hit post I decided that maybe I'd misinterpreted Venziir's post. Maybe Venziir understood about the subscribers but was pointing out that it's unusual for the first book of an adventure path to come out before even the subscribers get the player's guide. Bearing that in mind I went back and replaced my previous message with another (probably far less condescending) one. Didn't want to upset Venzzir. Tone of voice does not convey well in written format.

My revised comment was to the effect that I thought it a little odd that even the subscribers hadn't got the player's guide yet.

That's what I get for trying to be considerate eh?

[ryric]

The player's guides, being free pdfs, are not part of any subscription, so subscribers get them at the same time as everyone else.

[Johangir]

Captain Battletoad wrote:

If the player's guide isn't out by the end of the day today, then my PCs in SA will all receive 2 sanity damage each per day that it gets delayed. Your move, Paizo.

>is playing in Battletoad's group

We haven't even started the game, and I already have 2 madnesses. ADAM DAIGLE, HELP

[GM Lamplighter]

If you're going to play this, DON'T read it first. I've played in games where I had read or run things beforehand, and you can keep things separate in most cases - but not this one. Don't ruin it for yourself.

[Captain Battletoad]

Gorbacz wrote:

Venziir wrote:

So... Some people now have the first part of the AP before the Players Guide? That doesn't seem right.

Why? Running an AP before having all 6 volumes is a bad idea anyway.

The AP is about combating great old one worshiping cultists. I think we're beyond the point of making intelligent decisions. Time to take a belly flop into the waters of fate and just see what happens.

[Andre Roy]

Captain Battletoad wrote:

Gorbacz wrote:

Venziir wrote:

So... Some people now have the first part of the AP before the Players Guide? That doesn't seem right.

Why? Running an AP before having all 6 volumes is a bad idea anyway.

The AP is about combating great old one worshiping cultists. I think we're beyond the point of making intelligent decisions. Time to take a belly flop into the waters of fate and just see what happens.

I would have to agree with this, considering whom we are facing and where the AP starts, we are pass the point of "Making Intelligent Decision".

However...they do say that "Third time 's the Charm".

[Johangir]

GM Lamplighter wrote:

If you're going to play this, DON'T read it first. I've played in games where I had read or run things beforehand, and you can keep things separate in most cases - but not this one. Don't ruin it for yourself.

Yeah that's a given, it's not good to ruin the surprises an AP can have. I never read any modules until after I finish playing in them.

[Blake's Tiger]

As a player, is the article on the Great Old Ones mythos worth buying SA1 for (while I wait for my GM to prep this)?

[Adam Daigle]

Johangir wrote:

Captain Battletoad wrote:

If the player's guide isn't out by the end of the day today, then my PCs in SA will all receive 2 sanity damage each per day that it gets delayed. Your move, Paizo.

>is playing in Battletoad's group

We haven't even started the game, and I already have 2 madnesses. ADAM DAIGLE, HELP

SOOOON!

[Thewms]

Adam Daigle wrote:

Johangir wrote:

Captain Battletoad wrote:

If the player's guide isn't out by the end of the day today, then my PCs in SA will all receive 2 sanity damage each per day that it gets delayed. Your move, Paizo.

>is playing in Battletoad's group

We haven't even started the game, and I already have 2 madnesses. ADAM DAIGLE, HELP

SOOOON!

Here we go again..

rolls up sleeves

F5
F5
F5
F5
F5
F5
F5
F5
F5
F5
F5
F5
F5
F5
F5
...

[John Ryan 783]

One thing I really hope they touch on is Knowledge Checks. I have skimmed through book 1 and the way they describe the Amnesia has me curious on how the player would be able to use Knowledge Checks.

[Herald]

Knowledge is a funny thing, you can learn things from rote, but forgot the time which you learned them.

[Cylerist]

Adam Daigle wrote:

Johangir wrote:

Captain Battletoad wrote:

If the player's guide isn't out by the end of the day today, then my PCs in SA will all receive 2 sanity damage each per day that it gets delayed. Your move, Paizo.

>is playing in Battletoad's group

We haven't even started the game, and I already have 2 madnesses. ADAM DAIGLE, HELP

SOOOON!

Is it "soon" now! :)

[Andre Roy]

It's out now!!! ;)

[Paul Watson]

It is soon

Damn ninjas!

[Tangent101]

It's heeeeeeeeeeeere...

Edit: And I'm glad to see my comments on dealing with new characters (either because of character deaths or new players) was talked about.

[Thewms]

weeps tears of joy

[John Ryan 783]

1st Book and Player Guide:

I am a little disappointed, the first book made it seem like the PCs doing bad things in the past would be a big moment, in and out of character, but the player guide pretty much shoves it down the reader's throat. Is there a reason it's giving them such a heads up?

[QuidEst]

John Ryan 783 wrote:

** spoiler omitted **

Spoiler:

That's really important for players to know. Reading over the book, I had to warn my players that they might not actually be playing the characters that they're used to, but just similar ones. I'm glad to hear that the guide addresses that up front so that there isn't a sour feeling later!

[Davor Firetusk]

Having played in Ravenloft campaigns that went super well and plenty that went completely sideways its pretty clear why you need to trade-off some of the potential awesomeness of a complete surprise with letting the players make an informed choice. I've screwed it up as a DM and once players feel like you've pulled one over on them the whole thing is shot even though as a premise for starting a campaign it is quite different

[Liz Courts]

Paul Watson wrote:

It is soon

Damn ninjas!

>.>

<.<
...
^_^

[Johangir]

Andre Roy wrote:

It's out now!!! ;)

PRAISE THE DARK LORD, ASMODEUS

[Gorbacz]

An excellent Player's Guide. The bits where it helps to ease the players into an unfamiliar (well, at least unfamiliar for D&D dungeonhackfests) opening and assumptions, it's golden.

[Paul Watson]

Liz Courts wrote:

Paul Watson wrote:

It is soon

Damn ninjas!

>.>

<.<
...
^_^

As the absense of a g shows, I did not mean our esteemed community ma-gninja. :-)

[Blake's Tiger]

Yes, this is a helpful Player Guide.

The campaign traits are nice (kind of powerful for traits outside of this AP, but most if not all serve directly to help characters with the coming challenges).

[Insane KillMaster]

About the Fugue State: about how long a period does it cover? Could someone have been raised there in that time? Born during that time? Conceived during that time? etc?

[Rysky]

Blake's Tiger wrote:

Yes, this is a helpful Player Guide.

The campaign traits are nice (kind of powerful for traits outside of this AP, but most if not all serve directly to help characters with the coming challenges).

Well this is kinda mitigated by the fact you're, ya'know, NOT supposed to use campaign traits outside of their respective campaigns :3

[Cole Deschain]

I am so, so very happy.

From the implications that we did Something Bad to the set-up...

I can now truly begin with my character, and she mostly fits as I had her in my mind.

Hrm. Where's the most "British" place for a Desna/Black Butterfly-worshipping stargazing spellcaster to be from...

Six months of not reading APs as soon as they arrive, six months of not downloading PDFs, six months of being surprised on game nights.

On with the show!

[captain yesterday]

You didn't get Hell's Vengeance?

[Balgin]

Cole Deschain wrote:

Hrm. Where's the most "British" place for a Desna/Black Butterfly-worshipping stargazing spellcaster to be from...

Most British - probably Brevoy, Taldor or the River Kingdoms. Possibly some of Taldor's overseas colonies if you're thinking of a more colonial time period.

As for Desna, such worship is common in Varisia and Ustalav. Not sure if she's particularly revered up in Brevoy or over in Taldor 'though.

[Cole Deschain]

captain yesterday wrote:

You didn't get Hell's Vengeance?

No no, I DID, and I'm looking forward to being able to go with the flow for a change.

[RuyanVe]

Still trying to have the AP start with a more Torment-like feel...
Have the PCs start with 1 lvl of a NPC class?
Also: no AC/familiar in the same cell as the PCs in my game.

Ruyan.

[Franz Lunzer]

Insane KillMaster wrote:

About the Fugue State: about how long a period does it cover? Could someone have been raised there in that time? Born during that time? Conceived during that time? etc?

Spoiler:

The player's guide talks about years. But the memories seem to come back in Book 3

[Gratz]

Balgin wrote:

Most British - probably Brevoy,...

I always pictured Brevoy as a somewhat Russian country...

[Cole Deschain]

Gratz wrote:

Balgin wrote:

Most British - probably Brevoy,...

I always pictured Brevoy as a somewhat Russian country...

Names like Surtova do tend to lend themselves to that sort of appraisal.

Might go with Andoren, but a childhood spent on the road, and a mother always harping about how great Taldor was/is and how if her father hadn't been so hellbent on spouting off like a Galtan demagogue...

[Samy]

I suppose theoretically Molthune, described as "Robin Hood", would come closer to "British" than "American" Andoran.

[Rysky]

Samy wrote:

I suppose theoretically Molthune, described as "Robin Hood", would come closer to "British" than "American" Andoran.

Nirmanthas is what you're thinking of I believe.

Molthune... is a military egopolis I guess?

[Gorbacz]

Molthune is not-Prussia.

[Rysky]

Molthune is the LN crazy to Galt's CN crazy.

[Samy]

Right, one of those.