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Sigh, once again the baby (and holidays) have eaten away my time. Maybe next issue :(
OK...my article is in.
Good luck everybody.
Got the only thing I had time to do in at the last minute and I'm really hoping I didn't screw it up somehow.
Two submissions in, one for Shattered Star and one for Mummy's Mask. Fingers crossed :)
Good luck and thank you very much to the editorial team.
And a very happy new year to everyone!
Wayfinder, PaizoCon Founder
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FINAL TALLY: 66 submissions
Advice - 3
Bestiary - 11
Class - 8
Crunch - 11
Fiction - 7
Flavor - 5
Games - 2
Magic Items - 3
Poetry/Songs - 3
Side Trek Seeds - 4
Weal or Woe - 9
A fairly good spread....a little heavy on the Weal or Woe, and light on flavor and magic items.
The spread on the 10 APs:
Skull and Shackles - 6
Shattered Star - 3
Reign of Winter - 5
Wrath of the Righteous - 6
Mummy's Mask - 8
Iron Gods - 4
Giantslayer - 3
Hell's Rebels - 9
Hell's Vengeance - 6
Strange Eons - 5
Golarion Generic/Can't Figure out which AP/Multiple APs - 11
Again, a better spread than we expected. The favored APs were Hell's Rebels/Vengeance with 15+, followed by Mummy's Mask. Shattered Star and Giantslayer were least covered, with 3 each. Representation might be better with those 11 submissions that were largely articles covering multiple regions/APs.
This Call ended up being considerably lighter than recent ones we've had for the PaizoCon issue, which were clocking in at over 100 submissions. There could be several reasons for this:
1. It was the open theme that made it more difficult to lock in on concrete ideas. Despite the call for open themes, they generally result in poorer turnout.
2. Our late decision on the theme allowed for less time to develop and write submissions. Reasons for this were a shake-up in our volunteer staffing, plus trying to juggle the juggernaut that the Bestiary compilation book became, along with our jobs being particularly demanding at the time (i.e., too many balls in the air)
3. Timing of the end of the submission period. Around the holidays is just too busy for some people.
4. Interest in Wayfinder is waning. I watch this very closely, actually, trying to see if Wayfinder has run its course or is still going strong. The PaizoCon issue historically gets a stronger turnout, so interest is generally cyclical. This is a departure from that. If it is a single point, or part of a trend, we will have to wait and see, I guess.
Regardless, the lower tally count should result in more of those getting accepted into the issue. Each issue typically needs around 45 articles. Acceptance rate will be higher this issue, I guess!
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I know at least one Wayfinder alumnus for whom the open theme caused a general lack of inspiration, if that information helps. ^_^
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ARGH. It just occurred to me - I could have done a full ISG-style boon suite for Lissala!
Maybe another time. ^_^
I had something for Shattered Star, a veiled master who is using the star metals for its own evil purposes (meant to be the core of a rival party to the PCs) but my HD had a physical crash and I lost everything right before Xmass. :( Oh well, there is always issue #18. :)
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Wayfinder, PaizoCon Founder
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We are actually discussing (internally) what future themes could/should/will be.....given that open themes really don't work for Wayfinder, it seems.
So, to head off the inevitable posts of speculation, why don't we have an open discussion as to the theme for Wayfinder #18 right here?
Our immediate ideas are:
Fey/First World
Supernatural (Occult Adv., Horror Adv., Strange Eons)
Cities of the Inner Sea
Mountains of the Inner Sea
Thoughts?
My vote goes to Fey/First World, with Supernatural being a close second.
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I'm all for Fey or Supernatural, myself. ^_^
It might be too narrow or obscure, but Ancient Kingdoms might be an interesting theme - I'd love to delve into the Jistka Imperium, Ninshabur, or the Jaytirian Society.
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3. Timing of the end of the submission period. Around the holidays is just too busy for some people.
That was definitely a big factor for me. Aside from personally dealing the holidays, I find all my professional writing work tends to cluster up around the very end of the year as various editors and artists take time off. I only managed to find time to sit down and think of one submission, and wrote it about an hour or two before the deadline.
Fey or Supernatural.
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The "First World" campaign setting book that just came out is very good. This makes me think that the First World would be an excellent and timely topic... although by the time Wayfinder #18 comes out, there will have been a whole bunch of other campaign setting books.
I agree with Isabelle Lee that Ancient Kingdoms would be a good theme to think about for a future Wayfinder.
It would be cool to revisit Inner Sea Gods. It would also allow us to address some planar topics without going completely off the rails.
Fey or occult.
The planes!
*giddy bouncy smile*
Ok, maybe that's just my particular fascination. ;)
Didn't get anything in for this one, unfortunately...a couple other projects popped up for me in November/December, then holidays, then illness. Hopefully I'll have more time for the next one.
My vote's for fey/First World, followed closely by cities (I love me some urban campaigns). Ancient kingdoms would also be pretty cool.
Fey/First World or Supernatural
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I've got 1,400 words of Thassilonian magic items coming your way - Jacob's work was a fabulous foundation. ^_^
First of all, thanks for finishing this. If my work was a good foundation, you built an awesome manor on top of it. Really cool/fun stuff and I'm excited for everyone to get to see it.
I know at least one Wayfinder alumnus for whom the open theme caused a general lack of inspiration, if that information helps. ^_^
Very much this. It wasn't until I saw that there were a dearth of magic items and Shattered Star submissions that I got my inspiration. I definitely prefer a tighter-focused theme.
It might be too narrow or obscure, but Ancient Kingdoms might be an interesting theme - I'd love to delve into the Jistka Imperium, Ninshabur, or the Jaytirian Society.
I really like this idea a lot; I can think of tons of areas to play around with here (Ghol-Gan Cyclopean fun). It could also tie in nicely with Ruins of Azlant. (Not sure what the timing would be in terms of when it would come out vis-a-via Ruins; it might be a better theme for 19 or 20 if we want it to come out during Ruins or after it so we can see what new information is included with the AP that can be expanded upon).
And while I know it's been suggested before, I think there's always fun to be had with a Distant Worlds theme. It could tie in well with the upcoming Starfinder (though like Ancient Kingdoms might work better after that's been released, even if I think Wayfinder won't/shouldn't have a ton of Starfinder material in general).
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I know at least one Wayfinder alumnus for whom the open theme caused a general lack of inspiration, if that information helps. ^_^Very much this. It wasn't until I saw that there were a dearth of magic items and Shattered Star submissions that I got my inspiration. I definitely prefer a tighter-focused theme.
While I agree that the open theme probably caused a lack of inspiration from Wayfinder regulars, I also think that new writers may have been scared off and overwhelmed with trying to write something connected to a 6-book AP.
That being said, I think that a Fey themed book would be a good choice because it would be tighter focused for alums, and easier to grasp for newbies.
While I agree that the open theme probably caused a lack of inspiration from Wayfinder regulars, I also think that new writers may have been scared off and overwhelmed with trying to write something connected to a 6-book AP.
Agreed. As a first-time submitter, I liked that the theme was so wide-ranging and included the Skull & Shackles AP, my favorite. Will I make submissions if the theme is much more limited? Aye--sure as me name be GM Versatile Steve! Oh, wait a second....
Um, I vote for Fey and Cities, mainly because I've got some interesting fey cooked up for the Shackles/Port Peril PbP game I run that could be fleshed out into a submission or two.
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I would be very surprised if it ever happened, especially considering that Paizo content is not 100% accepted.
I can say for myself the the holiday/broad theme combo tripped me up. I don't run/play full adventure paths so none of my idea-seeds seemed that gripping. Narrower themes work for me.
Fey are always cool (although I have not seen the new First World book), and mountains are old-school homey.
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I can understand why the spread of articles across the APs may have been uneven.
Iron Gods suffers from being hot on the heels of a Numerian issue, so everyone has used up their robots & spaceships mojo.
Strange Aeons was still being released, so we didn't know how it would end, and no-one wants to find they submitted something that contradicted or duplicated existing material.
Also, many groups will wait till a whole AP is out, before starting to run it, so the people most likely to want to write for it are deliberately holding off reading it.
It probably got as many submissions as it did, because there's so much Lovecraftian material out there, that people want to see converted.
Shattered Star is hindered by being explicitly a sequel to an earlier AP, so it's likely that some groups skipped over it, or put in on the 'some day' pile, till after they've run CotCT.
Giantslayer. Hmm. It's relatively recent enough to be fresh in buyers' minds, long enough ago that they could have played/run it, yet it got little love. Is that because the theme of the AP was very generic?
Giants are a very basic type of antagonist, and don't inspire the same need to tinker with the rules, as oddball creatures like geniekind, undead, outsiders, constructs,...
The AP was a thank you to old school players, for sticking with their subs through several oddball campaigns.
Just as Kingmaker was a homage to hex-crawl, explore and build campaigns like Isle of Dread, or Frank Mentzer's Companion Set, Giantslayer is a tribute to some of the first adventures that built the hobby, in the tournaments and basements of the 1970s. They've been collected, revised, and converted to several editions of D&D by TSR/WotC, and became the template for millions of homebrew campaigns.
Is there anything needed to add?
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Of the APs that got most attention;
Skull and Shackles - PIRATES!
Wrath of the Righteous - While Mythic rules inspire love or hate, the players who love them, really, really love them, and this is the first explicit opportunity they've had in WF, to submit mythic material.
Plus, DEMONS!
Mummy's Mask - MUMMIES! EGYPT! IMHOTEP!
Yes, we've been to this well before. But it's a well that keeps on giving.
Hell's Rebels/Hell's Vengeance - I think these benefit from being released so close together, and the opportunity of being able to play both sides in a simultaneous civil war is a big draw to many. I'm sure many groups will want to play both, to see which side most convincingly wins the upper hand.
Most material tends to be written for the benefit of non-evil PCs, so this call opens the door for evil PC options.
And HV gave GMs advice on how to run that evil campaign their players always claim they want, without it devolving into a Chaotic Stupid mess.
Plus, most submitters thought we weren't going back to Cheliax for a long time, so this really could be the last chance to submit that idea from last time.
I probably could have done something for the Glorious Reclamation... but I don't think I could do anything better for that purpose than the heritor knight. ^_^
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I had a nagging song idea for the bad guys, but it's borrowed tune was more pop than normal, and I prefer to riff off acoustic tunes that could be played by normal Golarion inhabitants.
Unless, of course, I were to create magical instruments, to replicate modern electronic effects, amplifying bardic abilities....which would have been my other idea that fell by the wayside, as I got embroiled in a very nasty dispute at work, that took up all my time.
Of the APs that got most attention;
Skull and Shackles - PIRATES!
Mummy's Mask - MUMMIES! EGYPT! IMHOTEP!
Yes, we've been to this well before. But it's a well that keeps on giving.
See, these are ones I actively avoided. We had a high seas issue, so all my S&S ideas went there. Then there was the Katapesh issue. I've already done pesh mummies. I'm not sure I can top that. Also, I did a cult of Hastur for Katapesh, so I've already done a bit of Strange Aeons stuff.
RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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I can say for myself the the holiday/broad theme combo tripped me up. I don't run/play full adventure paths so none of my idea-seeds seemed that gripping. Narrower themes work for me.
That pretty much sums up why I didn't submit this issue. While I own the APs, I have never read/played through any completely. Furthest I have ever made it has been part 2 on three different APs.
While the idea for a PFS issue is good, I don't see sanctioning a whole issue ever happening due to the amount of review and work a Paizo staffer would need to do. Plus, Wayfinder would loses its roots as fan written, editted, developed, shilled, etc.
Plus, I like fey.