JP on Gaming

5e Presentation: Initial impressions

2012-01-26T13:27:00.000-07:00

Amid the flurry of tweets activity about 5e at D&D XP, I can honestly say that we are going back to the days of 2e when whatever the GM wants is in there. That has some good and some bad.

Good

As a GM, I get to include those elements I like and ignore those I like less.

The terminology sounds good. Then again, so did 4e at the time... I put this in the good pile because I feel more optimistic about this than pessimistic on this topic.

The Design goals and approach is interesting. I like that they want to make the GM the center of the game. He is, after all.

Monte Cook. I mean.. do I really need to expand on this?

They definitely took a page from Paizo's play book: less rules = better.

Bad

I fear that it will be a game more akin to Gurps or even Heroes where there are so many options that it makes the game difficult to know what it contains or what the GM allows or disallows.

Customization is a good thing. Excessive customization is akin to creating nothing. We'll have to wait and see. It may lose some of the unity that brings people to the table. I like knowing that when I go to play "Call of Cthulhu", I won't be playing a d6-based system or that my character won't be Superman's brother. I really disliked a local game I showed up for that promised D&D 3.5, but everyone was using some alternate system for magic, attacks, and hit points. It felt like false representation (and a factor why I disliked the event). As long as they have a solid core system, the modularity I guess I can work with. I'm more wary about this so it goes in the negative pile.

No word on the OGL.

Overall

I learned as much from the tweets as I did from this week's State of the Union address... A lot of nice rhetoric, but let's see the actions behind the word.

4e started talking about "points of light" and "equipment is not what defines your character" but that disappeared after 4e came out! Too bad because I really liked the concepts!

So now we know some of the design philosophy. All good. Now I want to hear from people who do not think 5e is "all that", just like the Amazon/ Ebay reviews... I don't care much about the positive reviews, I want to hear from people who do not like what they see as they often provide a different insight than the "likers". When critiquing, I try to prevent points of why I dislike, and I think other do the same.

Then again, how many 4e haters went to D&D XP? I guess those will have to come later.

I guess I'm left with the same feeling I had after the announcement: Cautious Optimism.

Undying Legacy of the First Ones for NeoExodus funded

2012-01-23T12:14:00.001-07:00

Good times!

Good times indeed!

Last week, I posted a plea to you all for our Free RPG Day adventure. Many of you visited and I like to think either considered supporting OR did pledge to support.

Well this weekend, thanks to you, the project got funded! We reached 110% of our goal! That's like putting the amp up to 11! Now, it's time for us to give YOU our 110% and provide you all with the type of adventures you want to experience in NeoExodus. "Undying Legacy of the First Ones" will hit your local game stores on Free RPG Day, June 2nd 2012. A heartfelt THANK YOU to all our backers!

Louis posted on his blog more information about it and some of his (my) future projects. I say my because guess who will write the product??? That's RIGHT!

Me! (or at least "Not Louis")

Back to "Undying Legacy", for the past few days, I have been doing the occasional writing on the project. (You may have seen the occasional twitter update (@jpongaming)) about the adventure. Well, my original plan was to write a simple, intro-style adventure to introduce people to Exodus, little muss or fuss. Then I started writing, and during that creative process, I came up with a number of additional scenes and role-play encounters that while not crucial to the adventure, nonetheless playing them would enhance and expand the adventure to being more than what it is. These encounters (which we call "Soft Points", see later for more info on that), really add to the adventure but are not essential to someone's enjoyment of the adventure.

For a while, I debated (with myself) what to do with these encounters. I had them in my head, they were nice and exciting, especially in the more relaxed atmosphere of a home setting (unlike the convention setting). I am a first believer in play experience and experiencing play is the most important thing. In short, getting to experience something in the game beats being told about it. You can be told that group A hates group B. Fine. No issue. But until you get stuck between those two, they are just distant, background flavor. Get them to beat you over the head with a stick because you walked on the wrong side of the road. You won't forget it... Experience matters.

Then inspiration hit.

It hit me hard.

Those chicks are vicious when they strike! (+5d6 sneak attack)

But enough with the inspiration metaphors...

I approached LPJ with the idea of writing the full ideas, include the soft points and provide all our backers with them, so they get the added scenes to their PDF product! Another way of saying "Thank you" to the people who believed in us and who support us. The "Complete" or "Expanded" Undying Legacy will be an adventure I'd like to play! Fun and full of NeoExodus flavor!

Shout-Out To PCI

The terms Hard and Soft points were first introduced by my good friends at Paradigm Concept (you know, the Arcanis folk), in their adventures. For some reason, I prefer to use their terminology to the more generic "Optional" encounter found in other Pathfinder products. A Hard Point is considered a core and central part of the story, while a Soft Point is optional or flavorful that is not central to the adventure. In classic D&D terms, the random encounter tables generate Soft Points while the dungeon itself is a Hard Point (Hats up to Peter and the PCI team).

PS: Thanks to all our backers!

Tales from the Auction: Legion of Everblight for Hordes

2012-01-17T08:46:00.000-07:00

At the auction, I won a fair number of lots, including a many Legion of Everblight minis, mostly infantry (which I have yet to paint). After delving into the background and looking at the nice minis, I decided to go and get me a few extra minis to give me a complete army. So I got a started box for the Legion and an Angelius.

I went with a color scheme I seen on Tyranids before: Purple and cream on the warbeasts, purple and red for the infantry. This gives me an interesting palette and a uniting theme for everything.

Next step: the infantry! They have been glued to their bases and should get primed this evening.

[Organized Play People] Teos Abadia and Chad Brown [Ashes of Athas, 4e, 5e, Pathfinder 2]

2012-01-16T09:11:00.000-07:00

When Teos, Chad and I had this talk, the news that smashed through the internet about 5e. The 5e news, prevented me from posting this... Still, the rest of this interview is fun and vastly informative.

JP: Why do you think a complete newcomer to organized play should join Ashes of Athas?

TA/CB: Our campaign allows you to create one PC and then have your experience be a single story. We provide periodic level bumps so you won't fall behind if you play casually. Each adventure has a different Death Certificate that helps you rejoin the campaign if your PC dies without feeling like you lost everything you had previously learned and earned. Limited PC options mean it isn't so hard to create a character. Limited magic and the style of play means the game doesn't revolve around extremely optimized PCs.

JP: Why should an old grumpy player - yes... think of me as that grumpy old troll - what is the biggest strength of Ashes of Athas?

TA: The Dark Sun setting is really fun and we try to highlight what Athas is about in ways that are fun for players new or accustomed to OP. AoA story awards are full of flavor and shape future play. There is a ton of story and RP.

JP: How did you become a campaign administrator? Why?

TA: I swore I would never be an admin, but I do really love organized play. I wanted to do my part to contribute the same way so many others have done. It is a job with far too few "thank you"s and incredible amounts of free work, but I could not say "no" to helping other people love Dark Sun.

CB: I served as an LG Triad member happily until I moved away from my region, so I perhaps had some better idea of what I was getting myself into. As I mentioned before, I had explored the idea of trying to start a `Campaigns'-style Dark Sun campaign on my own, which is probably how I got hooked into AoA. At the time, I was looking for a way to spread the truly great experiences that 4e D&D and LFR could offer to a group - judge and players - that was willing and able to play the adventure, rather than complete the module.

If we stopped AoA right now, I'd be happy with what we've done, just in showing people that the same great D&D I played since 2nd Edition still works great in 4e (and now it's doesn't have to kill the DM!).

JP: What are you main duties as part of the campaign?

TA/CB: We all work together to create the story. We then identify authors and each admin works with one to assist them with the authoring process. We edit and develop the adventures. We promote the campaign and work to keep in touch with fans on the forums.

JP: In an average week, roughly how much time do you devote to campaign-related duties?

TA: It varies greatly from just a couple of hours in a week to more than 20/week during crunch time. We work really hard on adventure quality.

JP: A difficult one: I give you a magic wand and you can only use it to make your campaign better... What do you do?

TA: I make myself more efficient and smarter at design. I would like to do a better job of providing information to DMs and players on the setting. I would like to see more Wizards of the Coast employees playing the campaign so they understand OP well (several played at D&DXP). I would like to find ways to have the campaign revolve around players even more (coming up with new ideas and refining them takes time).

CB: If Teos is smarter and more efficient, that gives us even more time and ability to break down the boundaries that so often lead to the typical "organized play as lowest common denominator D&D" experience. If you can't tell, I think this is actually our biggest contribution to organized play (just ahead of `give people a chance to play Dark Sun').

The most nagging lack I typically see in the version of AoA without the magic wand is "How do we give the PCs important choices, and make them matter?".

JP: Play, GM or write? Which do you enjoy best?

TA: I love to contribute in whatever form is needed. If I play, I hope my play helps other players have a great time. If I DM, I hope I really bring them a great experience. If I write, I hope what I do furthers the cause of crafting good adventures and honors those from whom I stole.

CB: I really like, want, and need all three, so I try to adjust things so that all three are satisfied. In practice, GMing for me is usually mostly part of Playing or Writing (this is probably the main thing I like about 4e - DMing can be more about playing, even above 12th level).

JP: Any known people associated with the campaign?

TA: Having Chris Sims as an admin is great. He has a really amazing understanding of RPGs, story, and editing. Chad has great living campaign experience and is an excellent author. We are of common mind on many things. Derek has great ideas and tremendous experience in other types of RPGs and games. Shawn Merwin is a mentor to me and I often come to him with questions about organized play, editing, etc. I also have to thank the people that have volunteered, authored, and playtested. We have a Yahoo list where people can volunteer and I hope they know how vital they have been to the campaign. Small things are really big when you are short on time. Death Certificates and Story Awards are the types of things that happened because volunteers gave us enough time to create them back in Chapter One. One guy making a map for us can have a really big effect.

JP: Do you have any links to websites where people might learn more about the campaign?

The guys provided me with three links:

Main Campaign Web site
Campaign Downloads where you can get the Campaign Guidelines, pregens, and more
Campaign Forums

JP: Can we hope to see an "Ashes Of Athas" published book, either by WotC or by a 3PP under license?

TA: Unlikely. WotC prefers to really have organized play be special and not available in other means. I don't really disagree with that.

JP: When I first read about AoA, it was to be a "big con only" event, something that would run at DDXP, Gencon and Origins. This changed pretty quickly after the campaign’s kickoff. Why did you do so?

TA: I think it had to do with Dave Christ hearing many people desiring to have a home play option coupled with Wizards being open to the idea of a limited window when each chapter could be requested and played.

CB: We're still mostly a "big con event" campaign, but no longer exclusive. That's been driven by player demand and Wizard's willingness, both of which are gratifying.

JP: How many adventures does the campaign produce per year?

TA/CB: 9 (three chapters per year, with each chapter having three adventures. Chapters are released at D&DXP, Origins, and Gen Con). We periodically consider other opportunities that could extend the play experience.

JP: Are you looking for authors?

TA: Always! They should contact us and provide their level of experience with writing, their knowledge of Dark Sun, their expertise with 4E, and any organized play experience. You don't need all or any of those necessarily, but we do want to understand that you can create a quality adventure and understand the commitment involved. There is no pay, but you reach thousands, tell your story, and get to improve organized play! My own AoA work has opened doors to writing articles for both Dragon and Dungeon.

JP: What is the campaign’s link to WotC and/or the RPGA? Did you have talks with them about using their IP?

TA: Baldman Games is contracted to provide content at the three large D&D conventions. Ashes of Athas is part of the content that Baldman Games provides and thus can use official IP (using OGL would mean we could not use the Dark Sun setting, as setting is part of their non-open IP). We are careful around distribution (adventures can only be distributed through the web site in a controlled fashion during a limited window). None of this has been a negative for us. Wizards has been great to work with and we continue to have an open dialogue around how best to coordinate and support organized play. The legal side of things can be confusing for those that don't understand these issues, but we feel really good about what this all means for us creatively and for gamers in general.

CB: On the content side, we haven't been asked to avoid or include anything; we've basically been given free rein.

JP: When writing an adventure or plotting a storyline, how do you go about doing it?

TA: I'm really story driven. I tend to envision a story and then begin hanging fun bits on that story. Whether a combat or a skill scene, I want encounters to feel like part of the narrative. Any part of an adventure, when summarized to one paragraph, should be a cool tale and stimulate the imagination.

JP: Why 4e instead of a 3.5 or Pathfinder adaptation?

TA: Because Pathfinder fans are a bunch of... ha, ha! Totally kidding. I truly despise the edition wars. We are all gamers and we all love RPGs. Fighting x edition is really destructive to our hobby's growth. Pathfinder is really good. I love what Paizo does and I admire much of what the company does. At the same time, I played 3E for a long time and I'm worn out on it. I play a hybrid 4E/3E home game called Enlightened Grognard (www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/299297-introducing-enlightened-grognard.html) and while I love the system, I still find the "attack it with my axe again" to be a step back and a bit boring (EG works to mitigate that with a cool token system). Ashes of Athas uses 4E because Wizards wants content that is based in 4E for their conventions (no surprise there!). I have run AoA for players that have played only 1E, only 3E, only Pathfinder, and others who are sworn off of 4E... and they all had a fantastic time. Edition wars shackle the gaming community, as does any form of hatred.

CB: I have a pet theory about the RPG community, based on 20+ years of observation, which I'll summarize by saying: The RPG Community needs to have at least two games at any one time. Because so much of our efforts and discussion are driven by comparing and creating differences (i.e. Game Alpha is Game Beta, but with X and Y and without Z). The `Edition Wars' are still `hot' because the two games that exist right now are Dungeons and Dragons and... Dungeons and Dragons.

There are certainly games that will be easier, and likely better, in one system or the other, but those differences in the game are, in my experience, far less meaningful than the differences that we fabricate, just to create the sense of contrast we require.

JP: What will happen to AoA when 5e came out?

TA: There are no plans here. It would really depend on what Baldman Games wanted to do, what the differences in the edition would be, what Wizards would prefer, what OP would look like, what we wanted to do, how the campaign was being received... too many variables for any of us to worry.

JP: At the risk of starting another edition war thread... Do you think Essentials is a 4.5 edition?

TA: It clearly isn't the same as 3.5 was to 3.0. Those editions changed many fundamental aspects that really forced you to "upgrade". Can you count the number of people that kept using their PHB 3.0 once they had the 3.5 version? For a while I had no idea when I was judging a player with an Essentials PC or a "classic" one. That doesn't sound like a new version of the game. The numbers of people still using content from the 4E PH are countless! That said, I do think all of 4E has suffered from poor marketing communications. Essentials is some of the best work WotC has done writing-wise (great flavor!) and products like Monster Vault and Neverwinter Campaign Setting (which could easily have been bloat) are amongst the best D&D has _ever_ seen. I've heard many say that the reception to Essentials would have been better if it had actually been the initial offering for 4E, because it is a bit closer in design to 3E. I can see that, even while liking the original 4E design.

CB: The term `4.5' really has two possible meanings: either it's an analogy to 3.0/3.5 - in which case the answer is "nope" - or it's a reference to software versions, - in which case the answer is "kinda, although 4.4 is more accurate". Even the term `Essentials' is far from well understood at this point, having been smeared well beyond its original "These specific 10 products".

Monster Manual 3 kicked off a clear change in design ethos for the game, aimed primarily at diminishing the `boring grind' that could - and did! - happen. This design change continued through several products (including the Dark Sun Campaign Setting and Dark Sun Creature Catalog), but really hit home with the players in the two `Heroes of the...' books. In terms of changing the game, though? Essentials is less of a change than 3.5 was to 3rd edition. It's less of a change than the Complete foo Handbooks were to 2e AD&D, and *waaay* less of a change than the "Player's Option" series.

JP: I made predictions of doom about 5e at Gencon 2012 (5e or "Advanced Dungeons and Dragons). Do you have any insight on that? Any thoughts? Any secret knowledge you can share?

CB: I don't expect 5e to come out in 2012, but I would love to see it announced there, if not sooner. I think that WotC took several large risks in 4e, and have learned a tremendous amount since the launch, and I'd love to see a new edition.

TA: (To be clear, all of my answers are my own, not secret, and not those of any other person or organization.) I have also in the past told my friends I thought it could be 2012, though I wasn't sure if it would be announced or released at Gen Con. That was before Essentials was released, though, which could extend the time frame. What makes prediction so hard is that we don't know the financials. Encounters seem to be doing really well. RPGA play at Gen Con and at PAX was huge in 2011. DDI memberships seem likely to be really lucrative. While there has been some exhaustion of the design space (the guessable sourcebooks have been released), the latest offerings are great... Gardmore Abbey is a fantastic super-adventure with lots of innovation. There is a mix of those that want to see 5E and those that want to see 4E go longer. My bottom line is that I really like what WotC has been doing in 2011. I suspect I will really like 5E whenever it comes out. If I had to make a prediction, it would be that the game will allow players to consume content differently so that more players are buying things more often. I know players criticize things like Fortune Cards, but it is important to understand that there is no clearly profitable RPG company in the history of our hobby. Some of the ones that were heralded for fiscal intelligence (like FASA) have fallen by the wayside. No one has truly conquered the problem of one DM that owns lots of stuff and most players not owning more than one book. Compare what most players pay for WoW to what they spend on D&D. Paizo's subscriptions and WotC's DDI are a step in that direction. We will surely see more. What I love is that both Paizo and WotC clearly love the game. They aren't willing to sell out the game we all love for profit.

TA: Let me turn the tables on you, JP. What is next for Pathfinder? It has been a few years and they show good growth, but third edition is 11 years old. While Paizo made some revisions, can they continue to retain the old guard that has played such a similar game for so long? Can they continue to bring in enough new players? With some of the released material looking like the basic story of Golarion is told and obvious sourcebooks already written, will Paizo need to consider something along the lines of a new edition? How can that be done under the current license?

JP: Turn the tables! Preposterous!

But fair enough... That is a valid question! I cannot speak for Paizo any more than you guy speak for WotC. One element that Paizo has done very well so far is to release fewer core elements, and really focus on their adventure line through their adventure paths and their modules series. So while there are a LOT of products for Pathfinder, most of it is adventure, and we all know, there are never enough adventures.

About their setting, yes, I believe they may reach a point where everything has been said and done, and at that point, they will either come up with a new completely new setting, OR bring out Pathfinder 2e. But the way they have their release set up I don’t expect this until a number of years down the road... Yes folk, I did say Pathfinder 2e. But it’s like 5e, you know it’ll come. Though I expect PF2 MUCH later than 5e (or dare I say it, 6e?)

But Paizo has different lines: core rules, adventure paths, modules, Pathfinder Society people and fiction. Each has different people running them and they are pretty good at what they do. This creates a MUCH larger pool of people working and thinking for the same game world. The way Golarion is set, I’d be surprised to see them running out of ideas.

When I started working on NeoExodus with LPJ Design, that was one of the big issues: how to make it different from Golarion? (I have a big blog post series on it) Erik Mona has stated publicly that Golarion is pretty much "frozen in time" that it will not get a "five years later" update. Which has a lot of good things going for it, but as you say, does limit certain things.

To answer the question, this year, we will see the coming of the Tian Xia, their Asian setting come out. I can see a book on the planes (Ultimate Planes), more monster books, a "north American" continent (like Maztica) being discovered (or re-discovered), with supporting adventure path and sourcebooks. With their current release schedule... That could last them quite a few years. And with the PRD behind them, Third-Party Publishers can continue to produce material for the game (adventures, settings) that will keep their core line in business for a while.

That a fair answer?

TA: A big wish for me: What if for 5E Paizo and WotC could combine forces once more? It may sound nuts to fans, but the designers for each game are all in each other's home campaigns...

JP thinks about it a while...

JP: I doubt that will happen, but it is a nice idea... I would love to see Pathfinder adaptation of some of WotC’s OP (Dark Sun comes to mind), though that’s little more than a pipe dream... Home game maybe?

JP dreams for a second...

JP: Talking Dark Sun... what do you think makes 4e a good choice for that campaign setting?

TA: Dark Sun is filled with larger-than life Conan and Barsoom-style combat. This works really well in 4E. You don't just hit things with your axe. You break it on their head, pick up their weapon, then call to the elements before charging the next guy with a special power. I'm immensely happy with how Dark Sun plays in 4E. As a deep fan of the old material, this is better. Come play some Ashes of Athas with us!

(Please let your friend know he can't legally do that unless for personal use. You can't distribute setting under the OGL!

CB: I'll add that the role structure in 4e has proved to be even better than 2e for Dark Sun in a bunch of ways. The addition of several healers that aren't divine is awesome! There's no more need for the wonky `elemental vortexes'! The psionics system is usable without being hand-hacked by every individual DM! We don't need a 50-page Open/Closed/Banned list! 4e is great for Dark Sun. As Teos says, come give it a try!

JP: That was great! Thanks for taking the time to do this... I learned more and am quite intrigued by the product...

PS: For the first time, Ashes of Athas is going to be on the program at Genghis Con

NeoExodus: Free Rpg Day Project Plea

2012-01-13T11:27:00.000-07:00

We are getting there! We've reached over 50% of our funding request.

In December, Louis launched our project for Free RPG Day on Kickstarter. I really want for this to work as it would expose NeoExodus to a number of people who have never seen the world. And its a great world! Very different and exciting.

Someone commented that "if I get the product for free, why should I pledge to the Kickstarter?" Which is a fair question. Here are the two top answers.

First, without the kickstarter, we may not be able to get the adventure to the printers (or have more than one copy per box). Printing anything costs money, and even though it's FREE Rpg Day, we need to pay for the actual product.

Second, art is not free. If you have ever looked at a NeoExodus product (or any NeoExodus blog post), you know that Louis insist on having only top-notch, color art. Look at the video for some sample. I mean Louis does a stellar job finding awesome artists.

Third, you may pledge and get some awesome rewards forcing me to use an NPC you name or a town or province you get to name and give us some thoughts on.

Therefore, I ask that if you can pledge to our Kickstarter, to please do so. We are getting so close to the finish line and it would be so awesome! Check out the rewards... they are well worth it! It would mean a lot to us and you will get a great adventure and discover (or expand your knowledge of) NeoExodus. You can pledge by clicking this link.

Tales from the Auction: A Khador Army for Warmachine

2012-01-12T16:32:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was Gamers' Haven auction. Now a few places have done auctions locally, by definitely the best in terms of quality content, entertainment and just plain ol' fun, that's the one to attend. True, miniatures are the most common lot, but RPGs and board games are becoming more common. In fact, there so much stuff to go through, that the good folks decided to have it twice a year (once in January and once in August). The past two I missed due to Pathfinder Society events. Finally I could attend (though my wallet sings a different song...).

One of the lot I won at the auction was a anumber of Khador troops that were all broken and busted up. Missing arms, missing weapons, missing parts... Although I did not expect that much damage on the miniatures. Using a number of GW bitz, I fixed them. One of the jacks was missing so many parts that I had to turn it into a wreck marker.

January Commissions: More Malifaux

2012-01-11T08:48:00.000-07:00

Some more commission work for Stephen' Malifaux army. These quality miniatures were great to paint.

The first one is the Avatar of Conflagration. It is a great miniature with a lot of character. I like how the woman came out. I painted here in a blue tint for two reasons: first because the rest of Stephen's army is in blue, doing that ties her into the rest of his minis; second, because it forms a clears contrast to the yellow/orange/red of the flame.

The second mini (actually numbers 2-4) are more of the little demon-things. I did some minor conversion (arm swaps) and painted them similar to the ones I did last month. I painted these a darker blue with red hair, so they can be distinguished on the tabletop. As I took the pictures, I noticed that I have to retouch one of the bases so it's all nice.

Warmachine: My Rhulic Army Grows [Mercenaries]

2012-01-10T14:42:00.000-07:00

My first army in Warmachine are the dwarves of Rhul. They are awesome. I love how they paint up, I love how they play. Now I just need more playtime! I offer some more units for my Rhulic army. As I assembled my force, at 35 pts, I have a tier 4 Gorten army, which allows me to get a number of extra goodies!

First, another unit of gun shields, the true backbone of my army. These guys are tough and have thus far helped me win a number of games. I need more of them (of course). On a trip to northern Denver, I found a "cheap" officer and banner blister. These guys I can include for free as part of my Gorten themed list. I really like 'em.

I bought a new heavy warjack specially for jack marshaling by the gun shields. This is a Ghordson basher. As its name implies, it is designed to charge into melee and beat up on things. I am not convinced of the paint job I did however, and may decide to add to it. It works, but I find it too simple, it could use some... some... "funk up" I guess to really make it pop! I may have to revisit this model later (and I'll post all the pictures here).

Before Christmas, Castle Games ran a 20% off sale... I couldn't ignore that and as I looked through their wall of Privateer Press stuff, I picked up my first Hordes model. It should come as no surprise that I chose Brun and Lug the dwarf/bear combination! It's a BEAR! How can you go wrong with a bear... I mean bears are awesome! Lug's model is very easy and fun to paint, I had a blast during the Xmas break getting him ready. So far, he "only" ate through some Circle warriors...

5e: I told you so, with dates and times!

2012-01-09T12:35:00.003-07:00

This morning, I was fully decided to publish part 2 of my chat with Teos and Chad. I also thought about posting about the Gamers' Haven auction on Saturday (you will see all the new minis I won here). But as I sat on my chair at work this morning, my twitter feed (@jpongaming) and other sources were a blur of activity with the news that 5e was coming out. So I have to post about that.

Today, the internet is abuzz with the news of 5e being worked on. Once again, a Prediction of Doom^TM has come to pass. I promised you here that 4e would be dead an buried by Gencon 2013. I also talked about the dream team rebuild Wizards was getting together here.

My take on the whole deal

I think Wizards are on the right track on a number of things:

They involve the community. During the 4e PT, I felt like everything was already written and decided without any input. The only input I felt they wanted to hear was "this is great!" (which it wasn't).
In their announcements, they have not attacked 4e itself (or 3.5, or Pathfinder). Rather, they attacked the process that led to the release of 4e. I believe the attitude with which 4e was presented helped create the Edition War. By blasting a product I thought was good, it really pissed ME off.
They built a design team made up of people who have gaming creds before announcing the upcoming release of the game: Monte Cook, Stan Brown and Matt Sernett.
They are open about it. Openness helps build buzz. And buzz sells.

Things I would like to see:

PDFs. Will we have legal PDFs of D&D5? I saw nothing about this.
GSL/OGL. I think WotC would gain a lot by having something closer to the OGL. It allowed for a lot cheap content to come out quickly. Getting people to play the game. I doubt it'll be back. Although I don't think it'll be a big win if there is an OGL. I think an OGL would go a long way to foster goodwill.

I think Wizards has it wrong or should be wary about:

Stores with collections of 4e have paperweights for the next year-ish. I don't see these books moving a lot (except is "out with 4e" sales, and those should only appear closer to 5e's release date. Stores won't be happy, but don't have a choice in the matter.
No, I will not be buying any 4e book on sale... (I only spent 6$ on 4e and that was to play during a game day).
Not everyone will flock to the new edition. Many will look and try the game. I'm one of them. However, they have now lost a fair amount of market shares to other games. Getting everyone back to their own game system might be something of an uphill battle.
I am not yet sure of the business model they are going to use. Part of the business model includes the release schedule. 4e's schedule at release was INSANE. I mean RETARDED: two 40$ books a month. Later, they released their stuff slower and from all the feedback I got, the quality improved. Of course, by then only 4e-fans remained.

Will it be successful?

Upon release, it will be the biggest release yet. Sales will skyrocket as everyone will try to get their copies to try it out. The question is: how many of these people remain a year later? What about two years later? So far, 4e failed the 2 year anniversary (Essentials) while Pathfinder is still going strong. I have faith in Monte Cooke to provide a good, solid product.

What should Paizo do?

It's like everyone who is chatting to me (outside my non-gamer family) is asking me that question. The short answer: nothing. It serves Paizo little in blasting or starting an Edition War. I suspect Paizo will do what they do best: come up with some great products that sell on the basis of their awesomeness.

At this point, unless WotC makes D&D a retro-clone (which would greatly surprise me), I consider D&D4e+ and D&D1-3.5/Pathfinder to be completely different games. This makes the competition between Pathfinder/ 5e the same as the competition between Shadowrun, D&D, Palladium and Pathfinder: the competition is for players' time. A good product generates interest, a bad or aging sees its stock drop in the community.

My final assessment

I am cautiously optimistic about the whole deal. I want to see 5e succeed but fear it may get squashed in the WotC bureaucratic crap. There is little that is known so far other than to promote the fact that 5e will be community-driven. Although they will be running 5e games at D&DXP, which makes me think they already have a very extensive framework laid out for 5e.

I am not very trusting in anything Wizards say. experience have shown that they are great at saying what people want to hear, but the delivery is... Well like a politician. Their "Community Involvement" as play testers become known slowly (look around, it's not hard to figure who pt'd). I think it's a smokescreen and that the book is almost on the printers.

Finally

So there it is. I am cautiously optimistic with 5e.

We'll see.

[Avatar of the Kaga] Monsters of the Campaign Setting

2012-01-06T13:40:00.001-07:00

If you ask LPJ, he'll tell you "We need more monsters!". But that's about all the inspiration he'll give you. Or he'll say "it has to be scary". That's helpful.

When the time came to put together the NeoExodus campaign book, I thought to myself: I need monsters that are interesting, iconic and can help a GM set the mood for NeoExodus. By that time, a couple of monster books were already available: the First Ones, the scythians, the calibans, the harvesters of sorrow, to name but a few. I started in those book and took a few monsters: the low-level scythian warrior appeared again, I copied the caliban from the caliban with some (minor) updates to it, based on material that was not available in the original book. Adding a fully stated Exodite as a First One was a must. So I built an Exodite inquisitor. Bad mojo. Finally, I added the Quickslavers, as they were in the original book and that they really added to the dark elements of NeoExodus. Those things are evil.

Going back to old NeoExodus books, I found a monster forgotten: the draco. The draco was a race LPJ designed in the pre-4e days aka "the preview days". It was to bring dragonborn to NeoExodus. The idea was good, but I found them a little lackluster as a race (in 3.5). We already had enough races for the book and their original book had some decent background for them making them isolated from the rest of the world. So I decided to remake them, but as a "monster".

Monsters from a previous adventure are the necryos. These 3.5 cold-base monsters were given a make-over and streamlined abilities, making them pretty scary against unprepared adventurers, giving the GM a nice advantage on the PCs.

With those monsters done and updated, I thought "what other creatures do I need?" The Protectorate Golem - or Ironforged - immediately came to mind. They do appear in at least two of our yet unreleased adventures... So I built a few sample ones: a basic ironforge, the military ironforged, and the ironforged goliath, a final, smaller and more common one was created to round them out. The now-infamous mobile cannons (anyone who faced them know how bad they are). Protectorate golems are all partially intelligent (Int 3) and have the profession soldier skill. Still they are dumb as a rock, hence the constant need for Protectorate officers and artillerists to command them.

The other monsters added to the book were either, for flavor or things I like lot. The Arcaneslime, the caliban hound, the cynean hunter, the ember, the melted flesh ooze, the needlewing, and the razorfiend complete the monsters.

The result is that in the Campaign book, you have monsters that span the gammut of CRs: from 1/3 (caliban warrior) up to CR14 (melted flesh ooze).

The campaign setting is currently available through RPGNow (Here), and Paizo (Here).

If you have comments about it, contact me, I'd love to pick your brain about it!

Warmachine: More Cygnar

2012-01-06T09:15:00.001-07:00

A few quick pictures of my growing Cygnar army. These guys are Long Gunners. I won a number of these guys on Ebay and decided to build them. I tried to paint them in a way where I can use them as Mercenaries (in the Highborn Covenant), or as Steelhead Riflemen.

I should not be saying anything, but I plan to use them as Protectorate soldiers in a coming large-scale event for NeoExodus! Which got me thinking... Maybe I should start writing a series called "A minis guide to NeoExodus"... That's a thought.

Pathfinder Society: Great News for Genghis Con

2012-01-04T12:21:00.000-07:00

Okay, I can *FINALLY* talk about this. I've been freed from my NDA by Mike.

You know I've been vocal about this to you all and well, I've been the same to my Paizo Overlord. As a way to shut me up, they decided to give me what I've been asking for over a year now. My plan worked and guess who will be happy recipients of this most excellent news? That's right, the brave folk who will attend Genghis Con this year!

Yes.

YES.

YES!

That means we will have a locally written and produced PFS-legal *INTERACTIVE* for Genghis Con!

That's right.

At the moment Scott and I are working on the story before we contact the GMs and get everyone together for a Slot Zero/tweak session. I want this to be awesome and great! Your feedback will be solicited after the event so that I can get back to M&M and tell them how it went.

PFS-legal means that you get risk AND reward for the game. XP, GP and perhaps, some extra goodies as well! You asked for it, I asked for it, and now we've got it.

How can you help?

First and most important will be to be present at Genghis Con (as a player or a GM). The bigger the event, the better.

Second, if you are a GM scheduled to run it (you should have received an email prior to this), I'll be in touch with you. If you are not a GM for it, don't worry. I can use a few more.

Third, provide feedback after the event.

What is it gonna be?

Those of you who were around in the days of LG can remember that I like to THINK BIG and make interactive adventures take you from the norm of the regular grind. At this time, there are lot of things up in the air about it, but I will be bolting everything down "soon" and begin talking to the GMs about it.

You might get to see some local celebrity PCs making cameo appearances...

What is it gonna be called?

"VC Special" is the name I favor, not to be confused with the "4-star Special" Paizo will keep publishing every year.

What format will it take?

You will have to show up and play. I expect it to be dynamic, interactive and fun.

What does "think big sti" means?

It mean I dream REALLY big... and swearing at the same time! It's a quote from a French Canadian Movie: Elvis Gratton II (Miracle à Memphis). You may not want to see this, but this has a French Canadian (Bob) vs a Frenchman... Hilarious (even if you don't speak French).

Okay this has NOTHING to do with anything, but I needed a good laugh.

Warmachine/Hordes Odds and Ends

2012-01-04T08:43:00.000-07:00

Here are a few odds and ends.

The first is a Skorne Cyclops Shaman. I bought this mini years ago (before Valhalla closed). For the longest time, it stayed in its pack. Then I built it and primed it. Then it waited some more. Then I put a layer of paint. Then it waited some more. Finally I completed the paint job for my friend Josiah (who did not want it in the end).

This one is a unit of Steelhead Halberdiers for Mercenaries. These guys work for everybody. They are not bad, but I would need a lot more for them to be effective. Something I don't know if I want to do. I may sell them in the future.

When I posted pictures of the Malifaux I did for Stephen, I also did a few objectives and markers for my mercenaries. I

Finally, ruined jacks are an unfortunate result of playing Warmachine. I won a few on the cheap on Ebay, so I painted them and keep them with my army in case bad things happen.

Warmachine: Mercenary Solos

2012-01-02T12:39:00.002-07:00

As I was building my pirates, I picked up a number of solos I liked (mini-wise) and painted them up. Of those, I selected Rutger Shaw because he is a 'Jack Marshall and can command one of my non-Rhulic 'jacks.

The other is Orin Midwinter who is a rogue inquisitor and has the ability to shut down enemy spell casting. However, he is the only miniature (with Magnus) who will not work for Cygnar.

The third one is the Ragman, some type of undead horrorthat goes well with Fiona the black as he too is a Thamarite. See my post on Fiona and Magnus.

Warmachine: Fiona and Magnus

2012-01-02T01:36:00.001-07:00

After I built up my Pirates in a previous post, I realized that I did not have a warcaster for them. After looking through the list, I chose Fiona the Black. The idea of my pirates being an all-cultist army really appealed to me. So I went and got me a Fiona! After painting, her face came out... interesting. I also did a small conversion number on her cloak to reposition her.

I also got me a Magnus as an all-around mercenary leader. This miniature was fun to paint. The cloak came out particularly well, the picture doesn't quite do it justice.

Reflecting back on 2011

2011-12-31T11:15:00.000-07:00

The end of the year, a time to reflect on the lessons of the year... What happened? How did things change in my life? What were the milestones that I reached this year?

Home Front

On the home front, things have been generally calm and good. The wife had some good health-related news, which makes every one happy. It IS true that "happy wife, happy life". The kids are growing (like weeds) and received their Pathfinder Beginner Box for Christmas.

Pathfinder Society

I cannot take the credit, but the Pathfinder Society community in Denver is growing and going strong. I must thank all the volunteer GMs and organizers who make me look good before my Paizo overlords. I am sitting on a number of awesome announcements I have to wait on before I can say anything. But again, Mike Brock and the Paizo folk are going to drop bombshells of awesome. Yes, I'm trying to avoid the NDA monster swallowing this post

NeoExodus

Last year at this time I had just started to talk with this guy, Louis Porter, not knowing how close he and I would become. I was writing an adventure for him (that we are still sitting on, called "Origin of Man"). My experiences writing that adventure, read "my frustrations writing that adventure" resulted in me throwing my hands in the air and telling him. Note the decisive tone, I told Louis that we needed a campaign book for NeoExodus. Something that would allow someone else (not him or me) to take the setting, write and run their own campaign. Most of the content that made the final book already existed in a number of smaller books: The World of Exodus, Races of Exodus, Magic of Exodus, and Hostile Environment I among others. The time consuming work of gathering information from all these sources into a complete, single book, took months.

But the final result is there. It's an awesome book! One I am very proud to have done. I really need to run more NeoExodus! I will be running some at Genghis Con this year.

Oh! And a big thank to all of you who have purchased the book and who talk about it! It's very gratifying. Keep giving you some feedback we want to hear it!

Miniatures

If you've been following this blog at all, you know that I have been sucked into the Warmachine game by Privateer Press recently. I really like the way the game plays, the quality of the sculpts, the ease of painting. As I told my friend Ed at Gamers Haven yesterday, I love the fact that the minis do not have thousand little extra crap on them. They are clean and nice, unlike the more recent miniatures by Games Workshop which have turned me off (I don't think I bought a single NEW GW mini in over 2 years. I bought all my stuff secondhand.

I am thinking of making terring to go with my Rhulic (dwarven) army. I need to make some time to get that done. But what? The background of those dwarves is that they are all mercenaries and they work for others. So I'm still thinking about what I'll do. When inspiration hits, you will all know about it right away!

Another little sideline that I really did a lot on this year was commission painting: from RPG minis to armies, it has kept me busy and out of trouble for a number of evenings. Some of the newer painting techniques I developped this year have changed my style. Thank you magic dip! But the dip itself is not the only thing... trial-and-error have given me something I like. My Warmachine stuff and the Malifaux I did for Stephen really showcase this change in technique.

Real Work

I still have my job and was given some positive mid-year reviews by my bosses who noted my efforts and hard work. It is very rewarding and encouraging. I hope to stay there longer as it is very family-friendly.

Music

This year, I discovered a few new bands I like, namely Altaria and Fairyland, both metal bands. My love affair with other bands I like continues. I still listen to a lot of classic Rush, Marillion, Sonata Arctica, and Avantasia/Edguy. No good shows coming the ass-end of the world for European metal (aka Colorado).

Non-Gaming Books

This year, I read a number of non-gaming books. Here they are in no particular order: (okay, the order in which I dug them up from my book drawer).

The Original Illustrated Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthus Conan Doyle
Les Mémoires du Diable, Tome 1 by Frédéric Soulié Re-read of this philosophical/ critique of society
La Scandaleuse Nouvelle-France by Guy Giguère; a collection of court cases in New France (now prov. of Québec)
At the Queen's Command by Michael Stackpole; a fantasy re-do of the Seven Year War/ War of Independance (I won't keep reading the series)
Chronicles of the Black Company by Glenn Cook; the first three books of the Black Company (thanks Todd)
Les Courreurs des Bois by Jeanne Pomerleau; a view on the fur trade in Canada from New France through the ealry 20th Century

Other RPGs

This year, there were good and bad times with other games systems.

I did not play or opened any 4e books for the whole year, a good thing.

Arcanis released their new system. I talked about it a lot on this blog and it generated some interest from you, the readers. There are a number of things I don't really dig about it, but I do enjoy playing with Lenny and Tena. I'll go back and play some more.

This year, I got into Shadowrun and lo-and-behold! Santa seemed to have found a second-hand copy of the SR4 rulebook at his local RPG shop! WOOHOO! I have to play some of that. However, there is no Missions being played locally. And NO, I already run one local game, I won't do two.

On a sad note, I had to drop out of Mario's Warhammer Campaign... It was a great one but work got crazy for a few months and it became impossible for me to continue. Too bad, I really loved the group we had. Oh well, maybe some other time!

Blog Milestones

This year, the blog exploded.

Posts: 176 times (including this one)
Most prolific Month: October with 21 posts
Most visited Month: June with 3,744 individual visits
Most popular post: Death of 4e Announced on Twitter?
Top 3 Readers Origins: USA, UK, Germany

Finally

All that is left is for me to wish you all a happy new year! May it bring a lot of dice rolling at the table, calm at home, and a lot of work!

Thank you Lord for 2011. It was a good one!

PIRATES! [Warmachine, Legends of the High Seas]

2011-12-30T21:40:00.000-07:00

On this end of year, I offer you more minis. This time, these minis I painted for myself. A lot of non-tourney-legal mercenaries, but fun to paint/build and assemble. The thing that had me most worried was how would these miniatures from a wide variety of makers, size and design would look together. There are about 5 different makers used, some are true 25mm, some 28mm and a few 30mm. However, once painted, assembled and put together, they work quite well actually. The very mix of sculpts and looks actually makes the whole ensemble work. I really like putting a horde of pirates together.

So here are the minis, I'll let you judge for yourselves.

Special Characters

First two characters: First Mate Hawk and Mr Walls. Hawk is a Reaper Mini while Mr. Walls is a Foundry model.

The Crews

This crew can be built two ways, either as Press Gangers (why I built them) or as Sea Dogs. The Lass is a Foundry model while the crew is a mix of Old Glory, Mega Miniatures, and Foundry.

This crew was the first one I painted up - and the one that got me the idea to do this army. Most of these guys are from Foundry, the flag bearer from Grenadier and the torch bearer from Old Glory.

This crew is perhaps one of the most mixed group. Again a lot of Grenadier, Mega minis, Foundry with a Reaper captain. If you count correctly, this crew numbers 11. The extra guy, can be moved to the press gangers crew as a replacement or as a extra crewman, replacing the Lass.

Unit Attachments

These longgunners are from Grenadiers and painted so they can be attached to any one of my crews.

Weapons

These cannons I bought years ago in Dublin in that little shop in a basement on the south bank of the Liffey. The name escapes me now, but they used to have a bin full of Foundry stuff, and I raided the snot out of that bin. These cannons were sold in their boat building supplies. They are just the right size for 28mm battles. With the Grenadier mini, they are a great size!

So... these are my pirates! Fun thing is: I can use them for Legends of the High Seas or in Warmachine!

Sweet...

My Imperial Guard Army [40k]

2011-12-28T07:52:00.000-07:00

This is a catch-up. I've been meaning to put these guys up for a long time, but have never got to do it. Enough with the procrastination and on to the minis!

Two and a half years ago, I blogged about my "new" Imperial Guard army. All that was before the most recent codex and my interest-drop in 40k and non-Historical GW products in general. I painted these guys two and a half years ago and they have been collecting dust since.

I am thinking of selling them. If you are interested, email me. I will flock these guys before selling them.

More December Commissions [Pathfinder, Malifaux, Cygnar]

2011-12-23T11:30:00.000-07:00

I've not been idle in spite of being on vacation all week! Can't believe it's already been five days. Been doing a lot of writing, playing some Warmachine, and painting. Which is why you are here... Pictures of minis!

Pathfinder Society Characters

This first mini was requested by my good buddy Brad one game night up at Enchanted Grounds. He has a human magus with severe scars on his body. The problem I had with that is that one of the character's coolest aspect (the scars), was almost impossible to do because the mini had very little exposed skin. Still the face came out very nice. I had to do it through a three-step process. First paint it "skin-colored", then I used a watered-down black paint to make the black less opaque and more organic. Then bright red for the scars in a lightning pattern.

This is another Pathfinder Miniature by Reaper. It's another one of those minis that paint up very easily and very well. I give a big kudos to the folks at Reaper for bring to life the art of Wayne Reynolds.

The next miniature was done for Eric from the Springs. He has a female Tian witch (a character I really hate BTW, stupid re-rolling of good rolls). This one is a Larry Elmore miniature, the first one I got my hands on. Very minimalist in terms of equipment (a belt with a few pouched hanging from it). I really like the art and the mini itself. To make this mini work, I would have to do something to really draw the eye. I used this flower pattern than I like (green/silver/red) for the dress. That plus a nice face (which I paid special attention to) makes for a nice, simple mini.

Malifaux

This one is a little special I did for Stephen. I am a big fan of objective markers as they really make it interesting to play for rather than a dice or a chess piece. I chose "Perdicíon" on it as it captures the impression I have of the dark gothic nature and feel of Malifaux.

Warmachine: Cygnar

Okay, this one is not a commission. It's the caster Nemo for my Cygnar army. It's for me, (though I have been debating about selling these on Ebay). If you are interested in a painted Cygnar army, let me know.

Merry Christmas, I doubt I'll post again until AFTER the Doctor Who Christmas special... I'm already missing the Doctor...

Update and Merry Christmas

2011-12-20T09:34:00.001-07:00

Things have gone silent on my end... That's because I'm extremely busy. You'd expect my taking the last two weeks of the year as vacation time would mean I get to lounge around the house, watch Jerry Springer, play with the kids and basically watch the fuzz grow from my navel.

That would be too easy.

No. Instead, I have packed my time with a number of writing projects. I mean a lot of them.

First, I am working on something I plan to submit to my Paizo overlord. Something I've been working on for over a month now. If you follow my twitter (@jpongaming), you know that my first effort was rejected. This second effort is massively different. It did take me some time to get a basic idea. I've moved forward a LOT on this and plan to spend more of my day on it today.

A few days ago, I blogged about a NeoExodus adventure for Free RPG Day. Well, today I am happy to report that LPJ and I are moving forward with this project! We are offering a number of awesome goodies. To help us make this a reality, we have created a Kickstarter to cover the art and printing costs, so we are turning to you to make sure this becomes a reality. Please pledge! There are a number of awesome rewards to unlock! Our idea for that is awesome, and we want to share it with you. LPJ's rewards are very creative and can give YOU some direct input into the adventure - and the world beyond - itself.

I really like this idea! A lot of good rewards for you there! And a chance at putting YOUR imprint on NeoExodus. Check it out.

I have also advanced my paint jobs, moving forward on two commissions, my own Rhulic army (for which I got an extra two boxes including steelhead halberdiers and another gun infantry) and my Cygnar warcaster. All of those have advanced forward and are nearing completion (the dwarves need basing).

This week (the week before Xmas), I have only a few games to play: some minis. Next week, I have a few events: I'm going to Total Escape Games for the first time (its usually too far north for me to go to) and will play in a Slot Zero for Genghis. Hopefully a few Warmachine games, and NeoExodus, which I've been meaning to run for a long time.

So, in all a lot to do and a lot already done. Those are gonna be awesome vacations!

What are your plans?

PS: Merry Christmas to all my readers.

Start of my Cygnar Army [Warmachine, Cygnar]

2011-12-16T08:06:00.002-07:00

It's been a while since I posted about some minis for ME. Well today I've got some Warmachine I painted up. Actually I painted them MONTHS ago, left them kinda unfinished and finally did a push on them (as the Malifaux Mexicans were drying)...

These are Cygnar warjacks. I traded them for some misc minis. When I first got them, I was not into Warmachine and only wanted the jacks to use as part of NeoExodus. However, after a few purchases, Dale's help, and a desire to play something other than 40k (The destruction of my Sisters of Battle army has removed all interest I had in the game). Maybe I'll get back to it when give us girly-players a Codex written by someone who actually played the sisters, not a Space Marine player going "they're about the same". Idiot.

The Lancer at the bottom was painted red because I thought he was a Mercenary, but then found out... Oh well! I kept the paint job VERY simple on these. I don't know what I'll be doing with them: sell them or keep them.

I have a few more pieces I want to add to this force, namely I have a Nemo and want to find some gun mages. The gun mages because I can use them as part of my Highborn commission Mercenary army too... Dual-purpose rocks!

Over the Xmas holidays, I plan to do a few objectives for my armies. A treasure stash for my mercenaries and large banners for the Cygnar (and maybe the Rhulic too).

More December Commissions [Malifaux]

2011-12-15T08:46:00.002-07:00

Stephen has another Malifaux band he wanted me to paint for him. This time, the minis are based on a Mexican-themed band. Don't know their names, but I gave a few of them a little Mexican touch: the green, white and red.

There are two very unique minis here: One is a female pistolero and the other is a witch with a big sword. I debated painting the pistolera in black and the witch in black, but decided against it. The white girl makes me think of golden age westerns where the good guys wore white and the bad guys wore black... Plus the slightly grey that came out... very nice.

The rest of the gang was painted with "normal colors" to make them usable in both Malifaux and historical. Their bases are desert-themed.

December Commissions [Malifaux]

2011-12-14T00:02:00.000-07:00

I posted last month a few commission pieces for the Malifaux game line. In that post, I promised hate. Yes, I know you all read this blog for the hate... Well allow me to open up on a very nice miniature: the succubus.

I hate the succubus!!!

The sculpt is good, decent detail. However it suffers from two major defects: ridiculous horns AND wing that are positively HUGE.

The horns are what really made me practice the colorful and extremely varied repertoire of French Canadian swear words. Something only weird code issues regularly allow me to repeat and remember... Putting the horns together took WEEKS. I am not kidding you. I spent weeks trying to glue them and stay on. Because the head is not very big, I could not drill much. Though I did think of giving Stephen a hornless succubus, or one with smaller green stuff-made horns. They are still EXTREMELY fragile so I avoided touching them as soon as my drill/glue mixture finally seemed to hold.

The wings were not as bad, but their size is just ridiculous. I did reshape them to try and give them added support.

For the colors, I chose a pink/purple scheme for her skin. Stephen's army is mostly blue-based so that change of color will just pop when placed amongst his other troops. The dark blue clothing and blue-white hair links the character to the rest of the army. In all the model is very nice, but one that is more at home in a display case than a gaming table. When I give the model to Stephen, I'll recommend he does exactly that - or be ridiculously careful with it. That model is great, but the sculptors/designers never thought people would play with it...

The little guys... So nice

After leaving the succubus for weeks (sorry Stephen, but I really did not want to touch that mini...), I picked up the little guys and got them built, glued and base-coated in a flash. They were so fun to do. I used a light blue/purple scheme (using the same blue as the succubus' hair). They were just FUN. I don't know... Even as I painted the little buggers, I had fun doing it... They look playful and I think that carried on to my mood.

The cherub gave me some problems... Okay a small one compared to the succubus, but one I had to think on a short while. So there I am, gluing the little guy to his base when I feel the small bit of metal at its feet take an odd twist. Its hard to define, but at that point I knew that unless I did something, the mini was going to break at that place. Not something I want to see. So I sawed off the mini under it feet, glue the wings on and then raised the whole mini with a piece of metal. This makes it like the cherub is flying. A simple conversion, but something I really like! Simple and effective. Plus a flyer should seem like he's flying, which it seems to do now. So from a problem to a solution!

Organized Play People: Teos Abadia and Chad Brown [Ashes of Athas, 4e]

2011-12-12T11:36:00.002-07:00

Dark Sun… for many, this brings back memories of cheesy characters with ridiculous stats, bizarre races and psionics.

Not for me.

When I bought my copy, back in 1991, it was an epiphany for me. Finally, I got my hands on something other than a Tolkien-esque setting: elves and Dwarves with a complete twist. The environment was one of the most challenging elements of the setting. Creatures and god-like things not designed to be defeated were presented. Evil being a part of the setting, but that could be used and negotiated with. Resources and commodities were at a premium. Really, I fell in love. Different. Unique.

Unfortunately, I was the only one in my group who did… The others weren’t into it as much as I was, and though I wanted to run more, the game quickly ended.

Sigh.

I made a brief foray into it using the 3e Athas.org project, but again, the game didn’t last because some guys did not like the game.

After I abandoned 4e, I saw with mixed feelings that they were coming out with a Dark Sun update for 4e.

Sigh.

Someone let me know that "some guys" were doing a Dark Sun Organized Play campaign. I was surprised, intrigued, happy and sad at the same time. Still I wanted to know more about the OP, so I lurked around some forums and groups to learn more. After a while, when I decided to do these interviews, AoA was on my list. I HAD to know more.

Yes, and this time, it’s personal!

So I contacted the Campaign leadership for Ashes of Athas and conducted the following interview with Teos Abadia and Chad Brown. Okay, I won't say but I've been sitting on this interview for a long time (well over two months), procrastination, you suck. But finally, here is it... Consider it an early Christmas gift!

JP: Can you give us your RPG-Pedigree?

TA: I began gaming with the purple boxed set, but became serious in the 6th grade with AD&D in 1983. Once I hit high school I was primarily a DM. In 2000 I began to travel a lot for work; the Living Greyhawk campaign allowed me to play and DM without a regular home game. I quickly fell for the way a living campaign allows everyone to be part of a very large communal experience and to shape a campaign. I wrote a few scenarios for LG and then for LFR (Living Forgotten Realms). I have played and DMed for Living Spycraft, Living Arcanis, Shadowrun Missions, and Heroes of Rokugan (Legend of the Five Rings). I had sworn to never become a living campaign admin because I was well aware of the effort required. When I was asked to be a part of the Ashes of Athas organized play campaign I made an exception. I have always loved that world (at one point I moderated the Dark Sun listserver in the 90s!). Part of who I am is my attempt to try to be a voice for reason on forums, to help players understand the history of our hobby, and to help bring in new players.

CB: I started playing regularly in college, with 2e (i.e. AD&D 2nd Edition) in 1990. I started DMing with the first Dark Sun box set in '91. I got into organized play at GenCon '97, with things like NASCRAG and Living City, and started LG with the launch in 2000. In between, I played/DMed basically everything I could find, including a bunch of Rifts, RoleMaster, and various White Wolf pieces tossed together.

In the time between AD&D 2.5 (perhaps better known as `Skills and Powers, etc.') and the 3e launch, I worked on several LARPs, including one that I owned and ran; I wrote a couple table-top RPG systems of my own during this time, which turned out to have been based on d20, but before it existed. Starting around year 3 of Living Greyhawk, I become more heavily involved with the campaign, and worked on several adventures before joining the Bissel Triad. Also, I helped burn down Lopolla, and I'm not sorry. :-)

JP: (Interrupting) We are all grateful for that!

CB: In 2006, I climbed in the jeep and `Headed West', leaving behind (in good homes!) about 35 linear feet of RPG materials, keeping the 15 feet I couldn't give up. Since settling in Seattle, I played and judged through the early years of LFR. I went back behind the scenes in year 3 (again), writing LFR's first epic-level adventure before diving into Ashes of Athas. At this point, I've had 2 pieces published in Dragon, and one coming up in Dungeon.

TA: Like chad, I've started to see a bit of my work in both Dragon and Dungeon. It is really exciting! And, I'm jazzed to see so many people involved in D&D organized play end up writing for the magazines lately, creating D&D Encounters, and writing Lair Assault. I think that like Paizo, WotC is seeing that organized play is a good place to find authors.

JP: What draws you to 4e? What particularly attracts you to that game?

TA: I was really reluctant to create for LG because of how complex encounter and monster design was in third edition. I love the initial simplicity and ease of 4E and then how you can continuously work to improve an understanding of what makes encounters really shine. Many admire the potential 4E has for great heroism and tactics, but those aspects also help make it a great role-playing and story-heavy game. One of the greatest shames is that the writing style of initial 4E really prevented people (especially established players) from seeing that. I myself did not enjoy my first few times with 4E. I do greatly like the way Essentials has been written. I love the current WotC writing style and how it communicates the game to new players.

CB: In general, I find that 4e gets out of my way when I want to focus on the narrative, and provides enough crunch when I want to get tactical. I guess I'm the contra-positive of Teos on this one - one of my frequent contributions to LG adventures was building monsters and encounter stat blocks. I once ran a home game where the PCs started off as 0-level commoners (using the standard (not elite) array), but leveled (almost) every session, ending up as 20/20 gestalt characters facing off against a three-headed Tarrasque. I've seen - and used - most every trick, technique, and broken loophole in 3.0/3.5 (non-associated class levels!). After DMing 4e, I just can't go back - to me, the overhead isn't worth it.

JP: What is your favorite RPG game of all times? Your favorite supplement/ adventure?

TA: I love many RPGs (especially Spycraft, L5R, Eclipse Phase, and Shadowrun), but I always come back to D&D. The Desert of Desolation series is my overall favorite classic due to the great traps and puzzles within a really striking setting. Temple of Elemental Evil is my favorite dungeon crawl because of the factions and great town interactions. I have wonderful memories of my times playing LG (especially Eric Menge's first fey series in Geoff where he and his team really knew how to tell a story and make you care - I've ran a table where everyone had watery eyes and some just openly cried). Outside of D&D I've always loved the style of the Shadowrun supplements; you can't read one without feeling the setting. My favorite Dark Sun supplement is Veiled Alliance, for how it adds culture and flavor to the city-states.

CB: I'll start by dodging the question slightly: to me, truly great RPGs are about the experiences they create, not the manipulation of the engine. To borrow an analogy, I tend to see RPGs more as ingredients than dishes, and I always try to combine them to create new, interesting, and sometimes even tasty meals.

That said, D&D is still the game I always come back to, sooner or later; I've had really great experiences in every edition. I've also had a really good time with Rifts, Trinity, Exalted, Shadowrun, and Dogs in the Vineyard, and I'm really looking forward to Leverage (a recent purchase).

TA: Good points on the experience mattering more than the engine. One of the things I like about working on organized play is trying to influence that truth. We try to make increase the chances that the experience will be memorable regardless of the other people at your table... a very difficult task!

JP: What are the high points of a home game you run? What elements do you particularly enjoy in a campaign?

TA: My high points come from my players. These days my home games try to provide a great story while also becoming the story of the PCs, as created by them. That interaction is what I most love. When a player makes a choice and it becomes central to the story... when they have a strong reaction to what unfolds as a result of their character and choices... that really makes me happy.

CB: I don't think I can add anything to what Teos said there.

JP: What would you say are elements that define your writing style? What elements would I expect to find in one of your adventures?

TA: Auras, crazy terrain, and a near TPK. Ha! Okay, that was for my friends. In truth, I hope that the work I do is strong on setting, tone, and story. I hope gamers always feel they get a great story and role-playing. I also try to create fun combats where they do something they haven't done before. I borrow and steal from many mentors to try to accomplish those goals.

CB: When I'm writing, I try to figure out an outline of a story, and then build structures that help the DM fill that story. As Teos can attest, I tend to write very open-ended and complex, and then rein it in.

TA: You should see what Chad can do on a short time-frame! Absolutely incredible. And I really bow to his and Dave Kay's work on the first LFR Epic adventure. I think it should have won an Ennie! (And don't get me started on how I want the Ennies to have an organized play category...)

JP: How did you become involved with Baldman Games? Why?

TA: I've been a judge for Dave Christ for many years. I suspect that mutual respect, some kind words from friends, and my blog series on Dark Sun led to him asking me to join the Ashes of Athas admin team. I am humbled by that, because he knows many great/better gamers.

CB: I've also been judging for Dave for a while, and I had made some efforts to start a roughly similar campaign when the Dark Sun release first came out.

JP: What is your favorite D&D Campaign setting?

TA: Dark Sun has long been my favorite setting, with Greyhawk after that. Outside of D&D it has to be Shadowrun, with Rokugan after that.

CB: I started DMing with Dark Sun, so it (unsurprisingly) has a special place in my heart. I was also a big Planescape fan, primarily because of the writing. I enjoyed Dragonlance as a `world', but I have reservations about it as a game setting.

JP: I remember when I bought my Dark Sun box it was a nice day and I stayed in the car to go through the content. I was amazed at the diversity and uniqueness of everything in that box. Even the old classics like elves and dwarves were completely redesigned with new goals, focus and goals. It was the first setting I saw that really threw everything out the window design-wise. When did you first encounter Dark Sun?

TA: I read the back of the first boxed set and assumed it was a game for munchkins. I refused to run it, so my college group bought it for me. I soon realized how wrong I was. I fondly recall feeling that this was the first truly different setting. It was D&D upside down, inside out, devastated and heightened. I loved how those changes made for great stories.

CB: The first DS box set came out just when I was deciding to run a game, so I picked it up to see what they'd done. I was a poor college student at the time, and it was an investment. I was really taken by how they had shaped and re-shaped everything, making it fit the world they were creating, rather than molding the world to fit the expectations.

JP: Okay… I admitted I love the setting, still do. It’s just so out there. But after reading Troy Denning’s Prism Pentad I was incensed and annoyed that they went ahead and destroyed the world. That’s why the Dark Sun 2nd edition box came out with additional resources. Did Dark Sun suffer a Spellplague, like Forgotten Realms did when it moved to 4e? How did the setting change from the 2e era to this latest edition?

TA: You aren't alone. Wizards designers felt the same way. For 4E they rebooted back to the moments after Sorcerer-King Kalak is killed. The novels are now just one way things can pan out. I think that was a really good choice. You can borrow from all that old material while still preserving the core aspects (such as retaining all the sorcerer-kings and the feeling of hopelessness) that really define Dark Sun.

CB: I'll add only that I really enjoyed the novels for adding life and spark to the world, but that you're all correct about the Prism Pentad's place in the game world. I ignored it for my first game (in '91), doing more or less exactly what Wizards did with Dark Sun 4e.

JP: In DS, arcane magic is derived from plant life. Some wizards can do so without damaging the flora – called preservers. While others – called defilers – destroy plant life to cast spells. That to me, was one of the most innovating idea they came up with. In 2e, the two were separate classes. In 3e this was done by a lure of power for arcane casters. How is that in 4e?

TA: I too have fond memories of defiling and preserving. But, in most AD&D games it did not have a really clear mechanic (you just leveled faster) nor a way to mix in story aspects. No edition has captured what Sadira's choices in the Prism Pentad were about. 4E has a more balanced approach where an at-will power represents defiling. You get to re-roll a missed daily and hurt your companions. Paragon Paths and other elements build upon that. It isn't particularly satisfying, but I don't see it as worse than with AD&D or the 3E magazine or fan version. Design-wise this is a very tough element and none of the 4E fan-created options have satisfied me (nor anyone else, from what I can see).

CB: I'll add to to Teos' comments only that defiling mostly worked in my games primarily because nobody was ever willing to do it. The dire consequences and story `weight' of defiling worked only a wholly narrative level. I do wish for a better defiling system for AoA. We've talked it over a few times, but haven't found quite what we want just yet - but the story hasn't pushed very hard in that direction, yet.

JP: How much inspiration/ plot links/ story lines/ cameos do you draw from published sources?

TA: In AoA we try to always borrow from canon and we want to reward those that know the setting, but we also are free to change canon. We have seen the death of an important figure and we have changed organizations a bit. Rikus could show up, sure, though our emphasis is on your story. Powerful NPCs tend to overshadow characters, so we will use them sparingly.

CB: While we always try (perhaps too hard) to always go back to the flavor of the setting, our `fanboy rating' is moderate to light, I'd say. For example, the Heartwood Spear made an appearance, and we talked around that quite a lot. My instincts (both from my own campaigns in Athas, and from my days in LG) is to avoid the big names by default, because it's really much easier to do it badly than it is to do it well. In talking to authors, I call this the ``We met Drizzt, so I beat him up and took his stuff.'' problem. It might also be the ``We met Drizzt, and he kicked our asses and took our stuff.'' problem -- neither is likely to be good for the game. That said, one of the best things about AoA (in my opinion) is that we can push the LG/LFR-style boundaries of player and DM expectations. There are things that I wouldn't try in an LG or LFR adventure that I think we can do - and do well - in AoA.

JP: What is your official title in the campaign?

TA: I am an administrator for the Ashes of Athas campaign.

CB: Me too! We debated some in-world titles, but haven't implemented them yet. I theorize it's because everyone wants to be Dregoth and no one wants to be Tectuktitlay.

TA: My favorite Sorcerer-King (Queen) is actually Abalach-Re!

JP: What time frame is AoA set in? [before/after Prism Pentad]

TA: A few months after Kalak's death and the first book of the Prism Pentad (same as the 4E baseline).

CB: We discussed some options, but we really wanted to start with the barriers to entry as low as possible. We started the PCs in Tyr, as members or affiliates of the Veiled Alliance, shortly after the disappearance of Kalak. This means that old Dark Sun fans have a good idea what to expect, while new people can find their footing quickly, just by reading the Dark Sun Campaign Setting.

JP: What would you tell those out there about Ashes of Athas? TA/

CB: Our blurb has been: Ashes of Athas is a continuing 4e D&D campaign by Baldman Games set in the Dark Sun campaign setting. Chapters of three linked adventures are offered at major gaming conventions. Each adventure continues the story, beginning with your character being asked to aid a secretive faction of the Veiled Alliance against an unknown assailant. PCs take up the mantle of heroism in a grim desert world where simple survival cannot be taken for granted. As a central character in the story, you have an opportunity to shape that future while you grow in power and prestige.

JP: Why is your campaign the best there is?

TA: We don't aim to be the best. Our goal has been to provide a great play experience, be story-heavy, and to experiment with fun RP and encounter design to further what is available from OP and 4E. In my mind, the typical Ashes of Athas player also likes at least one other organized play campaign. We aren't afraid to take chances and make mistakes - we are a campaign that can afford to do so.

CB: One of the great things about AoA is that we're not worried about the `random weekly session' like an LFR-style campaign; we offer a periodic chunk of (hopefully) highly-concentrated, story-oriented game. We don't worry about `filling the schedule'; we worry about having enough time to cram in all the story in a way that makes sense and is fun. Sticking with one story means that we don't have to do `Star Trek Episode' resets every adventure; when it makes sense to change the world, we change the world.

Another nice perk: our adventures are (mostly) going to be run by experienced, invested, and quality `RPGA-style' judges. Since our adventures are story-focused, and there are relatively few of them, we can (and do) create adventures that say things like ``At the end of this encounter, the adventurers should have learned X, and might have done Y or Z. If your table comes up with a different way of getting there than what's written here, that's great!'' Just taking the straightjacket off of the judge makes a big difference, and you hear it in the stories of AoA players: "We did this crazy thing…".

More next time, you won't want to miss it.

NeoExodus on Free RPG Day [Kickstarter, Hero lab]

2011-12-07T10:27:00.001-07:00

Some of you may have already seen (through Twitter or Facebook or G+), but Louis Porter and I have been toying with the idea. No. That's not right. We've decided we wanted to put in a NeoExodus adventure as part of 2012's Free RPG Day. Now I've been participating in that since... what is it, 2009? Well I love the idea as it promotes table-top gaming across the world (at least in my area).

To help us raise the funds, we plan on using kickstarter to get as many goodies as we can to you. This would cover the printing costs and the art costs. And the end result would be to provide in YOUR local store more NeoExodus adventures. I will post here more information about the Kickstarter when we approach the conclusion of the project. I REALLY encourage you to participate if you can as it means more art, more goodies, more NeoExodus products to your store and more to play!

So Louis and I have been talking about what we want to do. How can we showcase NeoExodus in a small document we can get people to play in under four hours. Those constraints are NOT easy as a writer, but not impossible either. Adding to those constraints, we need to provide an introduction to the world, pregens (yes, we will use our iconics) and perhaps most important of all, a fun adventure to play!

I had a half-idea (a basic outline was more like it), but nothing with a hook I really liked. Then this morning, as Louis and I were facebook chatting (as usual), he came up with another half idea that mixed with mine gave the hook I needed.

The good news? You will get another fun NeoExodus adventure next year. Even this introductory adventure is designed to show you what NeoExodus is, and let you in on our twisted minds. And trust me, nothing in NeoExodus is ever as easy or simple as walking through the forest...

While we are at it, something that's been bugging me for a long time, and I may use the opportunity to finally do: more Iconics. Yes... While I love the ones we already have, I've been wanting to create one iconic for every race in the campaign book. That means FIVE MORE ICONICS! We have been talking about roping that in with the Kickstarter, and that's a likely case. (you will notice there are only 5...)

Cavian Wizard
Dalrean Druid
Gevet Oracle
Kalisan Barbarian
Sasori Ranger

I'm not sure if I mentioned it, but I have a minion who is working on adapting the NeoExodus campaign setting (and hopefully more things that will come later as well) to Hero Lab! That way you will be able to create NeoExodus characters on your PC! It's not fully ready yet (we're still missing a fair amount of stuff), but I'm very excited about this... it'll save a lot of time creating characters! As soon as it becomes available, you know I'll be blogging about it.

[Organized Play People] Kitty Curtis, Part 3 [Arcanis]

2011-12-05T09:20:00.001-07:00

For the rest of the interview, here are links to Part 1 Part 2

JP: What would you say are elements that define your writing style? What elements would I expect to find in one of your adventures?

KC: Honestly, I am a horrible writer. I stick to making sure the story has internal logic, doesn't break the rules of the game, has NPC names you can actually pronounce, and gives PCs choices instead of plopping PCs into someone else's fanfic.

I have, however, discovered over the last couple of years that I am a fairly good muse. (It pushes my teacher/tutor buttons.) I am the cure for writer's block: I either fix the problem, or ask just the right questions to inspire a writer to fix it themselves. And once the framework is there, I can add encounters, vignettes and NPC motivations that pump it up a notch. (But that blank page staring back at me, the horror!) The island full of savage half-orcs who have been taken prisoner will have a hut with a pregnant half-orc going into labor, or adorable baby kobolds at play. Maybe when you search a dungeon, the servant's quarters will have snippets of poetry scrawled in troll near one particular bed.

When you kill a bunch of goons, you'll find a grade-school primer tucked into one of their packs showing you s/he was learning to read and write. Underground fortresses will have privies. All those little elements that remind you that those stat blocks have personalities and motivations of their own. And lots of parentheses. :D Also, descriptive text that explains what something looks like and why it might be there, rather than just a list of what items are in the room (I'm not a visual thinker at all, so a laundry list of what's in a room just clouds my mind.). Oh, and post-scripts. ;)

JP: What would you tell those out there about your campaign? Why is your campaign the best there is?

KC: Our campaign has the least paperwork! Seriously, though, it's the world that dragged me in and kept me. We take all the standard tropes and turn them on their head. No alignments, the opportunity to really change things.

Several times a year we have enormous Roleplaying Interactives and it's a tradition for the players to derail that year's planned plot and put us on a whole new course. A system that takes 5 minutes to grasp the concepts of, and 1-2 combats to get the hang of. Where instead of asking what you can do, the system asks what you want to do then tells you how to do it. Adventures aren't just a series of combats to fight and stuff to take. Where there are decisions to make, and the "right" answer isn't obvious, to players *or* to characters. And the accessibility of both campaign staff and the whole publishing company (Honestly, it's easy to forget that PCI is just a couple of guys from Miami doing this in their spare time between family and day jobs). And as sappy as it sounds, the crew of us that scrimp and save all year and pile 4-8 to a room to make it to Origins each year have become a family of sorts. We've had marriages, births, and group grieving for those that have passed on. Origins has become a cross between a family reunion and summer camp for grown-ups.

I still think 2 quotes from local players summarize it best. (I didn't write the names down, if you were at these tables at TactiCon 2010 and know who said them, please let me know - the author of the game system has them in his sig line.)

New player: "You know, I'm not really sure we *should* win. I'm not sure we made the right choice."

Veteran player: "Welcome to Arcanis!"

At a different table:

2nd new player: ?"Wait, there's a fight starting? But I still don't know what side we're on!"

2nd veteran player (at a different table): "Welcome to Arcanis"

3rd veteran player: "At least we're all on the same side this time."All veteran players: ::knowing nods::

JP: I think I was part of one of those discussions… Way to flatter my ego! I did say a lot of "Welcome to Arcanis" at last year’s Tacticon…
But let's get back to the topic at hand... What is the current organization of the campaign? Any known names?

KC: Currently, I'm the Campaign Director (feedback@legendsofarcanis.com), which mostly consists of admin duties and keeping everyone on track.

James Zwiers (former LG Triad and Living City/Witch Hunter bigwig) remains as our webmaster (webmaster@legendsofarcanis.com). Sean Molley is now staff for LFR but still does guest appearances to narrate Battle Interactives and to NPC at Roleplaying Interactives. Maryrita Steinhour remains as our Convention Liaison (events@legendsofarcanis.com), Sarah Brown was formerly an Invisible King and now heads our edit team (editor@legendsofarcanis.com). Mindy Reid is our Author Liaison (writing@legendsofarcanis.com). The primary author of the new rules system, Pedro "Pete" Barrenechea remains on call for rules questions (rules@legendsofarcanis.com). "Uncle" Henry Lopez is of course, the primary author of the core storyline (pcihenry@aol.com). And Eric Weiner and Nelson Rodriguez are on call whenever we need them.

JP: Does the new campaign still have that program?

KC: We don't have an Invisible Kings program in place at the moment. We are interested in re-starting it with the next arc, but we want to be absolutely sure that we have all the proper support in place first. I'll let you know when we're closer to having something concrete.

JP: Why do you think a complete newcomer to organize play should join your OP?

KC: Our OP has less focus on the minutia of rules, and more on what your character thinks, and wants to do in a given situation. We offer the chance at glory - your character could cameo in a future adventure that everyone in the campaign gets to play! And minimal paperwork.

JP: Why should an old grumpy player – yes… think of me as that grumpy old troll – what is the biggest strength of the OP?

KC: Less paperwork! But seriously, the story. Just like new players, old players will appreciate the depth. Grognards have the attention span to make the links years later when they realize that "throwaway" NPC from 2 years ago is now a major player, and catch stray references and subtle foreshadowing in retrospect. Henry's refusal to take the stereotypical solution to any problem, even when it would save us a lot of headache. Those jaw-dropping moments when your character realizes it's all your fault, despite your good intentions! And the chance to use your d12 on a regular basis.

JP: How did you become a campaign administrator? Why?

KC: I had been volunteering pretty much from the beginning, because I loved the game so much and really loved how involved the staff was. In the second year of the campaign, there is a 2-round adventure that had an enormous dinner party that I thought made more sense as a LARP.

So I emailed campaign staff asking if they minded if we ran the first round as a LARP, and instead of a yes or no email, I got a call from Henry Lopez, the primary author of the setting and president of PCI, where we spoke for 3 or 4 hours about the in-depth motivations of each NPC (after all, 3-4 hours of RP needs more detail than the snippets 1 GM can give of 8-12 different NPCs) and he sent me some conceptual art that hadn't made it into any of the books yet. I was already hooked on the setting, but that level of dedication and connection with the player base really sold me. I was part of a small but faithful group of players and GMs that did everything possible to make sure we kept running adventures locally.

A couple groups of local GMs and authors gathered together to propose an IK group, and they asked me to pitch in because of my prior experience as part of LG Regional Staff and my name recognition within the Arcanis community. We were accepted in the first round, and I attended my first Origins so I could be there when we were announced.

I was a pretty outspoken member of the IKs as we felt our way through this new structure, and got to know people pretty well. When they advertised looking for members of Campaign Staff, I wasn't interested in any of the positions listed, so resolved to just keep judging. And then the Campaign Director emailed asking why he hadn't seen a reply from me. I told him I wasn't particularly interested in any of the positions listed, and didn't need a title, I just wanted to help out, and gave him a run-down of the jobs I tend to get the most satisfaction from and did anyone need a back-up, or did they want a "float" position to cover when anyone needed to run off and take care of real life for a bit.

So he asked if I would be the Assistant Campaign Director, which I accepted in February of 2010. Then this year as real life started to catch up with him, he asked if I would take over, and I agreed. As for the why, I am a big believer in not complaining if you haven't done anything to help fix it (or at the very least offer a solution). Arcanis has done so much for me; I just want to give back. And the more I give, the more I seem to get, so you guys are stuck with me for the foreseeable future!

TLDR: I volunteered from Day One and kept suggesting unusual ideas that none of the other local campaigns had. My name kept popping up on the radar of campaign staff again and again, and when there was work to be done I stepped up. And when they were looking for someone, apparently they batted my name around a fair bit. To anyone who's looking to be a campaign administrator, volunteer now. Figure out what you're good at, and do that. Ask what else your preferred campaign is looking for, and do it. If you think of something that would help your campaign, tell the staff your idea.

JP: What are you main duties as part of the campaign?

KC: Keep track of what everyone's doing, make sure there's progress, pair new jobs with volunteers, and take the blame ;) When real life rears its ugly head, I cover for whoever needs to take a break. I field a lot of questions from staff, writers, GMs and players via phone, email, FaceBook and our forums. And lastly, I co-run the Gathering at Origins - an organization that provides admin support to campaigns within the RPG section (currently Legends of Arcanis, Witch Hunter: Dark Providence, Legends of Rokugan, Fellowship of the White Star, and Pathfinder). We act as a liason between campaign administrators, judges, and GAMA. We share judges between campaigns, figure out room blocking within our section, marshall (muster) events, coordinate distribution of certs and collection of tickets/tokens, etc.

Basically we do everything we can to make sure judges just have to show up and run their table. (Quick plug: if you judge for the Gathering, even 1 slot, we'll pick up your badge so you don't have to wait in line in the big hall at Origins ;)

JP: In an average week, roughly how much time do you devote to campaign-related duties?

KC: There really is no such thing as an average week for me anymore. I've had weeks where I spent less than an hour working on campaign material, and weeks where I've spent over 40 hours reviewing files and bouncing back and forth with staff, writers, GMs and players via phone and email. But don't be afraid, you can volunteer for far less than that.

JP: A difficult one: I give you a magic wand and you can only use it to make your campaign better… What do you do?

KC: That's easy - I make enough money to allow us all to quit our day jobs. Or clone all the staff we've got now. Not a single one of us is paid - we all do this for love of the game. Sometimes that means that things get stalled because of our personal lives, but more often because of our work lives. 60+ hour work weeks mean delayed Arcanis work. If any of us could make a living at what we're doing for the campaign, we would in a heartbeat. Imagine that much talent with nothing else to distract us 4+ BIs a year, and a ridiculous number of adventures. If I get to keep going, then I bring the "big convention" experience to everyone. I'm not loaded, I scrimp and save all year to get to go to Origins, and then only afford it with a judge's comped room, but I don't have kids and am a long way off from retirement. If everyone who wanted to come was able, we could light a fire under a lot more people!

JP: Play, GM or write? Which do you enjoy best?

KC: GM!! I don't see why it's a loaded question. So long as I get to play in a semi-regular home campaign, I far prefer GMing for OP.

First there's the obvious, players get 1 character apiece (sometimes 2), and I get all the rest! As a player, I see 1 version of each adventure. Whatever happens, happens. As a writer, I get to create part of a story with a few possible endings and hope that I've given the GM enough information to roll with whatever the PCs throw at them. As a GM, I get to see many different versions of each adventure, and I get to directly shape players' perceptions and experiences of an adventure. I get to meet individual players and get to know them (and in some cases, their families). I get to throw things in on the fly that will make a player's day and become the awesome gaming story they tell for years to come. I can be the deciding factor on whether their convention experience was awesome or "meh".

After having a taste of that, who *wouldn't* come back for more?

JP: Do you have any links of websites where people might learn more about the campaign?

KC: Our main campaign website is at: www.legendsofarcanis.com

Our discussion forums (official place for all announcements) are linked there, direct link is: www.paradigmconcepts.com/boards

The Arcanis Free RPG Day Offering: a condensed version of the rules and world, with a 1-hour sample adventure and pre-built characters: Free RPG Day Adventure and Fast Play

The world book (has some residual d20 crunch in it, but that's why its free): D20 Codex Arcanis

Everything you can buy for the new system: Check it here

The Yahoo Group for those that can't stand bulletin-board style forums: L A Talk Yahoogroup

PCI's FaceBook page: PCI's Facebook

My FaceBook page: Kitty's Facebook

Can't think of any more links at the moment...

JP: Thank you for your time… I really liked this chat…

NeoExodus is number 1 on DriveThru RPG!

2011-12-02T10:54:00.001-07:00

What a surprise this morning when I got a Tweet from LPJ (@LPJDesign).
@lpjdesign: NeoExodus: A House Divided Campaign Setting is #1 at http://t.co/0CBRYXt9 Hottest Pathfinder RPG by Paizo product by... http://t.co/TjjKiwBC
You can bet your sweet cheeks that I immediately clicked on the link! And, well LPJ was not exaggerating! It is number one! Top of the heap! King of the hill! A-number one! I took a screen shot to preserve it (in case when you read this it is gone).
You will also notice that the NPC Deck for NeoExodus is #6, something that proves the community interest in the campaign setting!
Thanks you everyone! More good stuff is coming!
If you want to follow me on Twitter, I'm @JPOnGaming
JP

Organized Play People: Kitty Curtis, Part 2 [Arcanis]

2011-11-30T15:58:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I've been slacking and you have all been wanting to get part 2 of my chat with Kitty Curtis. It's been well over a month since I posted part 1. Well, here is the continuation of the discussion!
JP: What is your official title in the campaign?
KC: Short and sweet - just Campaign Director for Legends of Arcanis.
JP: What draws you to the Arcanis RPG? What particularly attracts you to that game?
KC: First and foremost it's the world. I was intrigued when I found out that even in D20, the gods didn't have alignments, only their followers. You could be any alignment and follow any god; you would just have a different focus. This sent shivers down my spine as I was playing a Lawful Good cleric of Wee Jas at the time, and constantly having to explain that she was just a poor lost little goth girl. ("It's not about vampires, it's about magick, and the goddess, and why does everyone run away screaming?")
The original world book, the Codex Arcanis (free download) devoted a chapter to each country, written from the point of view of someone raised in that culture, and they contradicted each other. There were no definitive right and wrong answers about histories, only each nation's individual version.
The Elorii are elemental beings based on the 5 elements of earth, air, fire, water, and life. The Dwarves are celestial giants cursed for their hubris, and driven to create the perfect item as atonement in order to restore their people. The Val are humans with celestial heritage, which gives them a tiny spark of power. The Dark Kin are humans with infernal heritage, which gives them powers, *and* an obvious physical mark. Gnomes are the twisted cursed wretches that come from a human-dwarf pairing, despised more than the DarkKin. And all of these races co-exist in a world where most major historical empires from ancient Egypt to feudal Germany are all present *simultaneously*.
It doesn't seem like it would work, but it does.
JP: Yes… Yes it does work! That’s the awesome thing about it. What about the mechanics?
KC: And now to the mechanics of the game - I love the initiative clock. I know we disagree here, but I love it. The base initiative mechanic is that you try to roll a low initiative, and that's when you first act. Whoever goes on ‘1’ acts first, then whoever goes on 2, etc. When it's your turn, you choose an action, and different actions have different speeds. If I act on tick 1, I can cast a spell with a speed of 4 and act again on tick 5, or I can ready a shield (speed of 2) and act again on tick 3. And whenever you go past 12, it wraps back around again, hence the "clock".
It really cuts down on the "but if I move 10 feet, I lose 3 attacks, so I delay instead". Instead of having to pull your head out of the game and debate the abstraction of the rules, you can just act, knowing that if you did something complicated you'll have longer until you act again and if you do something quick and simple your action will be up again soon. I know you don't like having the chart of action speeds, but we all had to use the move/action chart for d20 at first - it becomes habit over time. Actions don't clump up the way you'd think they would, and it really keeps everyone in the action – no one gets up and wanders off every turn because "it'll be forever before I get to act again".
Then there's the skill system - Any skill can be used with any attribute. The base mechanic is that you roll 2d10 (Action Dice), add the die that's linked to the attribute, and add your skill bonus before comparing to your Target Number. You could roll Athletics with your Might die to win a contest of strength, with your Prowess die to compete in an Archery contest, with your Dexterity die to navigate an obstacle course, with your Insight die to deduce an opponent's strategy and a play to counter it, etc. It's all up to your imagination to make the link. And did I mention that your combat rolls are skill-based?
JP: The dice rolling system is not so much an issue with me. I’m fine with it. But let’s get to something that’s more complex… And frequently more interesting: MAGIC! What about it? How does it work?
KC: There are no slots! (The thing that most infuriated me about d20) There are no "spells per day" either. If you know how to cast a spell, you know how to cast it, period. So long as you can rest, you can re-cast spells as many times as you want to.
Additionally, there is now a bigger difference between divine and arcane magic. In the world of Arcanis, all magic echoes from the creation of the world. Divine magic is pre-set; each spell is cast exactly the same way each time, as you are using the literal words of the gods. In mechanics terms, each spell can be cast in specific ways, and anyone who learns the spell knows those variations and only those variations.
Arcane casters are instead tapping into the inherent magic of the world and forcing their will upon it, so they can alter their spells in more ways, but their spells are also more difficult to cast (both in terms of having a higher Target Number and the damage the caster would have to endure for pushing past their limits).
JP: What else is new and cool?
KC: Oh, and Fate Points! Points earned for good RP (or otherwise making the table more enjoyable) which can be redeemed for in-game benefits are a part of the base rules of the game. PCs get them at character creation and occasionally during advancement, but they are primarily earned by players.
JP: What is your favorite RPG game of all times? Your favorite supplement/ adventure?
KC: I have 2 favorite systems at the moment, both for their commonalities and their differences: Hero and the new Arcanis RPG. I love Hero because it can be bent and twisted to any genre, and it has the flexibility to handle it all. A teeny tiny book holds the majority of the rules, and all of those builder books are primarily lists of ways to use those rules to make characters with the math done for you. I love the Shattered Empires rules system because it is so linked to the setting and they show each other off nicely. Both systems load the majority of the rules knowledge into character creation, so a new player can learn the basics of the system in 5-10 minutes and handle 90% of what will come up in game if they have a pre-built character.
In both games the primary complaint I hear from new players is that they can't make a character because there are too many options to choose from. That's an awesome problem to have, and again both systems cover that by providing sample characters. (Yes, I know I sound a little partial being the Campaign Director of one of them, but I honestly am really pleased with how it turned out. As I told everyone locally, I would have continued with the campaign even if the new system sucked, but I would have said "The system sucks, but the story is awesome." I am fortunate that the system has really blossomed over its year of open playtest into something I can be proud to introduce new players to.
JP: What are the high points of a home game you run? What elements do you particularly enjoy in a campaign?
KC: Definitely my NPCs - the players tend to remember them better than I do, especially my "throwaways". No character is truly superfluous - if a PC takes an interest in them, they now have something interesting to contribute. I'll steal blatantly from a PC's background to pull that RP moment out of them and make it stick in their memory. And that's my favorite part of a home campaign - those little signs that show that our characters *matter* and are not inter-changeable cogs.
Even in a mass Organized Play campaign, there's a lot a GM can do to recognize the impact of the PCs. I still get jaws that drop when I sit at a new OP table and ask people to tell me about their PC, they give me their class/archetype, and I ask "But what's their personality like? Why are they taking this mission?". If the adventure isn't going to be tailored to the PCs, why are we playing with live GMs instead of a computer?
That's it for now. I'll post the next and final part next week!
On an unrelated matter, well not really, I am currently set up to play my first game of Legends of Arcanis here in the Springs this Sunday.
JP

What have I (not) been doing? [Travel, Paizo, NeoExodus]

2011-11-30T12:46:00.001-07:00

Been a while since I posted anything and I’m feeling withdrawal pains. So let me give you a number of updates on things I am working on.
I spent last week in Phoenix, Arizona at my parents’ winter home, practicing my golf and generally doing little in the way of work. This was a fun time with the kids, the wife and my parents. Another trip is in the cards… when? I don’t know but we’ll be going back. While there I got to see a hockey game (Anaheim @ Phoenix) with my dad. Something he hadn’t done since the 80s. Great times!
My commission painting work is doing well: my painting table is filled with minis I need to paint. Now to actually finish painting all I need to do. Not an easy task. I have some more Malifaux (for Stephen) and a Pathfinder mini (for Brad) I need to complete. I look forward to painting them, as I plan to try some different techniques with the Malifaux minis.
I am doing some Society work for Paizo but can’t say much more due to fears of the NDA-monster. Mind all of you: it’s going to be something that changes many of what we assume about Society. [NDA] Oh crap! I said too much. When you hear the official announcement, you’ll go (like I did) WOW! This is an awesome announcement! I really did.
Speaking of which I am starting to get organized for Genghis Con in Denver (weekend after Valentine's Day). Most of the guys who GM'd for me at Tacticon offered to do so again, which is a great plus. Jeff Kokx from Enchanted Grounds has agreed to organize and run Slot Zeroes for me, further taking me out of the equation, thanks Jeff, much appreciated. Getting the con to be our biggest event in the Denver area is a major undertaking. I am looking forward to the con. It will be good times.
Last summer, I posted that I was writing an episode for Steam Radio. As of this exact time, I have completed nine scenes and am working through the tenth. It sees the crew travel to a remote location of the world in search of a lost explorer. I really like writing for it. It’s such a new and different way to write. Since there is no visuals, you have to rely on the dialog for the express purpose of presenting anything Look at this big building, it must be at least a hundred yards across! A different - and thus far very enjoyable experience.
NeoExodus is going strong. Louis ran a MASSIVE sale over the Thanksgiving holiday, which coincided with the official release of NeoExodus. You can still get the super bundle at RpgNow.com. There is still a lot of material on my plate with material coming out and so little time to do it. I have been working on an upcoming NeoExodus monster book, I have personally dubbed Scions of the First Ones, but I doubt the name will stick, but I find it an interesting name for a work-in-progress. Whatever the case, I created a number of new monsters for NeoExodus, some that have ties to the First Ones and others that are completely new. They include the Feral Aneishis and the Swamp Spud (a name I know Louis will love).
Oh and I'm still waffling on the Google Plus thing (I still have a lot of invites to give if you need them). Yes it has nice features but the lack of an API and the impossibility to post from other sources to it make it... Well, it takes away from me seeing the use in it. Google, please hurry and get us that API.
So there you have it! What I am currently doing.
JP

[Avatar of the Kaga] Spells and Tomes of Exodus

2011-11-17T11:07:00.000-07:00

The NeoExodus campaign book contains just under sixty new spells for your group. Unlike the feats (which we saw yesterday), many of those spells are "generic" and could be used in other settings and campaigns. Spells are interesting and fun to design, but balance is also a big factor in determining if GMs will use them or ban them. Many spells in there affect perceptions and senses,
There are a few novelties (or course!).
First is the return of the First Ones spell subtype. Spells marked with this subtype first appeared in Enemies of NeoExodus: Widowmaker Scarlet. These spells call upon an inner darkness that should be repugnant to most people. Here is the entry for the subtype.
First Ones: Spells marked with the First Ones subtype are spells that call upon an inner darkness, a dark energy that most spellcasters avoid. Possessing a copy or knowledge of these spells is considered heresy by the Sanguine Covenant.
Second, many of our spells are only available to clerics of a certain deity. For example, the Sanguine Covenant has access to spells that protect one from shapeshifters, while the Cult of the Dragon has access to spells that unleash elemental fury, and Xonism provide its clerics with undeath-related powers.
Tied with spells, we have added to the game, the notion of magic tomes. These tomes are presented in a way that is both reminiscent of Call of Cthulhu and the old grimoire entries from Dragon magazines. Our goal is to give GMs another tool or quest-reward that is not a +1 longsword. Tomes can provide players with additional knowledge about a given topic, customizable to the current quest. The campaign book presents six of them, five of which have spells within and one without.
Tomes require some time to read and understand. As such, they provide bonuses to skills when dealing with a particular subject. For example, the Libram of Lunacy provides +5 competence bonus to the following skills: any Knowledge skill with regards to creatures with the shapechanger subtype, Knowledge (arcana) for astrological purposes taking a few minutes to consult this eldritch tome would grant someone who already ready the book (takes a few days to do so, the system is provided in the book).
The tomes found in the campaign book are the Hymnal of Sacred Flame, Libram of Lunacy, Manual of Burials, Raiding the Sorcerer-King, Somes Planaris Magicae and the Tome of Sensation. One of those tomes has already been included into one of the upcoming NeoExodus adventure!
Each tome entry is presented as follows to give everyone a good idea of what it contains but leaving a LOT of room for game-related additions.
Full Name gives the exact name of the book if different than the usual name
Author gives details about the author of the book.
Description describes the book and what it looks like.
Content describes what the book is about. Since few books "only" contain spells this details what the prose includes.
Status reveals whether or not this book is considered heretical by the Sanguine Covenant.
Language gives the original language in which the book was written. Generally, a book in the original language is more detailed and more complete than other, later copies.
Locations give the known location of the book. Private collectors often have copies of these tomes in their collection.
Reference gives the skill bonus given by spending 5 minutes to reference the book. If the PC lacks the Knowledge skill, having the book does not allow one to make a check, unless mentioned.
Spells gives the list of spells found in the original. This list is far from exhaustive. Feel free to add to the list as need be.
Other Versions gives a list of other versions of the book. These versions are often of lower quality or poorly translated. Their game effects and contents are listed.
Next Time: GM goodies, a look at the monsters found in the NeoExodus campaign book.
JP

[Avatar of the Kaga] New Feats of NeoExodus

2011-11-16T12:11:00.001-07:00

One of the big decisions we had to face on NeoExodus, was "How close do we want to stay to the core game?" As you know, the answer was "a lot". This early decision really changed the way we would approach feat creation and inclusion into the final book.
The 3.5 version of NeoExodus has a lot of feats. I mean A LOT of them. Many of them granted similar abilities to many races. The Dalreans and the Sasori in particular, had lost their uniqueness through over-seeding in feats. So I sat down and went through the list, trying to focus on each races’ uniqueness. Thus, the Sasori are not the only ones who do poison on their own. The Dalreans have a definite nature/ plant bend they lacked before.
At first, I hated myself for cutting so many feats. But nothing is really lost! My backup files include feats I liked, but felt did not belong in the campaign book. Many of these other ones I plan to add into regional books, create some regional alternate racial traits... Keeps the core book smaller (and thus cheaper for the buy) and present the races as WE see them.
Looking at the list, you can very easily see that most feats are race-specific, with some races getting more than others. The Enukas, for example have only 3 specific feats, but the book gives a list of over twenty mutations for them to chose from. The Kalisan qualify for all of the feats found in Enemies of NeoExodus: The Caliban. The gevet do not have any race-specific feats... Why? Oh wait! Because they count as both outsider (native) and Human for effects related to race. That's quite a collection!
Here is the list of feats you can find in the NeoExodus Core Book.
Race-Specific Feats
Cavian Cavian Bite Mastery, Hive Fighting, Hive Node, Greater Seeds of Clairvoyance

Cynean Arcane Crystal, Arcane Crystal Energy, Arcane Crystal Resilience, Arcane Crystal Shield, Arcane Crystal Strike, Greater Arcane Body, Faceted Body, Greater Faceted Body, Improved Faceted Body, Metallic Lacing, Terran Sorcery, Improved Terran Sorcery
Dalrean Guarded by Nature, Hail of Thorns, Hardy Form, Plantsense, Plantsight, Rebuke Nature, Spellbud, Tough Bark, Thorns, Vegetative Mind
Enuka Additional Mutation, Mutation Focus, Predatory Nature
Gevet (none)
Kalisan Cannibalize, Greater Cannibalize, Improved Cannibalize
Prymidian Anatomical Targeteer, Implied Threat, Multi-Tentacle Fighting, Rational Argument, Scholarly Upbringing, Sharp Wit, Tentacle Jab, Tentacle Lash
P’Tan Black Lightning Beam, Black Lighting Bolt, Black Lightning Burst, Black Lightning Cone, Black Lightning Fist, Black Lightning Sheath, Black Lightning Surge, Daylight Adaptation
Sasori Information Network, Poison Immunity, Greater Poison Immunity, Scorpion Sight, Venomous Coating, Venomous Spittle, Vermin Call, Virulent Poison, Well-Informed
Nation-Specific Feats
Confederacy Dancing Warrior, Greater Dancing Warrior
Janus Horde Draconic Bloodline, Draconic Inheritance
General Feats
Crafting Craft Candle
General Assault Formation, Disrupt Spell Trigger, Disrupt Spell-Like Ability, Energy Absorption, Into the Hole, Jungle Born, Menacing, Pain Focused the Mind, Phalanx Leader, Potion Guzzler, Rhino’s Charge, Shield Expertise, Spear Mastery, Stalwart Casting, Tactical Move, Team Leader
Wyrd Arcane Wyrd, Wyrd Blood, Improved Wyrd Blood, Wyrd Casting, Wyrd Communication, Wyrd Time, Wyrd Visions, Improved Wyrd Visions

Next: Spells and Grimoires of NeoExodus
JP

[Avatar of the Kaga] Character Options for NeoExodus

2011-11-15T13:55:00.000-07:00

But JP, you ask. But what about MY character??? What new options do I have?
The base classes remain unchanged, with Gunslingers having to be from the Protectorate, and oracles getting extra options for existing mysteries.
The apothecary is an archetype for the alchemist, joining healing abilities.
I’ve mentioned the cleric of the Kaga many times already. This archetype is the only one that allows a player to play a "devoted" of the Kaga. These characters are arcane casters, rather than divine.
The fist of the dragon is an archetype for barbarian that focus on the power of dragons. This archetype is very suited to members of the Janus Horde. New dragon-flavored rage powers are found in the book.
Janissary is a monk archetype that provides them with some psionic training allowing them to command and control others around them. Janissaries are known for imposing truces on the most hostile opponents.
The peacekeeper is an organization formed during the Twilight War by the Protectorate. These warriors are completely devoted to the Protectorate and the Sanguine Covenant. At certain level, they gain faith-based abilities named "diligences" rather than feats. These feats may grant the peacekeeper spell-like abilities, bonuses to skills checks or his CMD.
Prestige Class
The High Guard are the personal bodyguards of the Canean Crown. Tough and resilient, these warriors can take hits for others and command the battlefield around them.
The Imperial Man-at-arms is the elite mailed fist of the Imperial Alliance. These warriors fight on through sheer force of will. They are also granted authority over alliance representatives.
The Khalid Asad - eternal lion in Qijomi - are the Dominion’s mage slayers. These warriors move behind enemy like to disrupt spell casters. Many a spell caster fell to their blades and unconventional tactics.
The Panther Warrior are an order of warriors from the Confederacy who specialize in single, heroic combat. Panther warriors are warriors of legend rumored to have the ability to transform into feline form and attack with multiple weapons.
The Protectorate Artillerist is a combat engineer who can command Protectorate artillery batteries from a distance. These men and women know the weaknesses of constructs and exploit them. They can also command constructs by sight.
Wyrdcasters are a type of spell casters found exclusively in the Dominion. Wyrd is a type of magic that is a blend of divination and fate-manipulation. Wyrd ravages the body but opens great magical possibilities to its practitioners. Wyrd techniques add a lot of power to spells, but all come at a price.
Next time: Some feat sample.
JP

[Avatar of the Kaga] Dark Faiths of Exodus

2011-11-14T13:56:00.000-07:00

Var Shaal
The Var Shaal is a religion that is almost exclusively followed by the gevet race. Deep in the Burning Lands of the Dominion, the Var Shaal (Cloud Seat in Qijomi) is the place from which all life began on Exodus. Within the Var Shaal lies the Gevet. The Gevet is a being of vast power that promotes growth and the prosperity of the gevet people. The Gevet’s rites are simple, crude and barbaric, blood spilled during childbirth is never washed from its shrines.The Gevet only takes female priestesses.
The Var Shaal – the name given to the faithful of the Gevet to differentiate the Gevet (being) from the gevet (race) – is judge heretical by the Sanguine Covenant. However, Var Shaal temples are located deep in the Burning Lands where the church’s people are few and the gevet many.
Prominent in the church is the presence of demons and devils. Both of these groups follow with great interest happenings on Exodus. These creatures are frequently found protecting gevet strongholds or other holy sites.
Xonism
Xonism, unlike all the other faith is more of a philosophy. The faith itself was first revealed by the necromancer Xon as he led his armies through Sametia during the Twilight War. The Black Notebooks of Xon is the unholiest text of the faith. It is where the thoughts and research into the secrets of lichdom are kept preach that everyone is dying and that one must accept and embrace undeath as the only way to survive the coming apocalypse.
However, the notebooks are separated and incomplete. Xonist priests scour the world to gather more fragments and pages, seeking to discover more about Xon and his work. Xonism is a major heresy to the Sanguine Covenant. In spite of this, the group has been making converts in Sametia and parts of Gavea.
Khayne
As I wrote this chronicle on the faiths of Exodus, none filled me with the dread that I now feel as I must write about the faith of the Murderous Lord Khayne. Khayne is a bloody, dark, vengeful, chthonic, primal entity that calls for blood. Whether the blood of allies, friends or enemies, Khayne demands his temples be drenched in it.
Khayne is not only the dark lord of death, conquest and destruction, he has many faces, faces that must be approached differently.
To the Brotherhood of Khayne on the mainland, he is the lord of vengeance and the founder of the Brotherhood. The Brotherhood believes and teaches that Khayne sends envoy among them to test their faith and ensure they do not grow lazy in their duties.
On Unthara, where the Brotherhood enjoyed centuries of control, the Brotherhood’s teachings have changed and make Khayne the king of the gods, and the one who blesses ruthless rulers and conquerors.
The First Ones, whom I am told all worship the Dark Lord, each have their own version and myths about his past deeds and proper method of worship.
The one saving grace of these mad cults is that they rarely grow beyond the ability of their cult leader to organize them. By cutting the head of the snake, worshippers of Khayne generally turn on each other to find a new leader, each member thinking he is most suited. A Covenant purifier once told me that the most difficult thing was to take down the leaders who frequently survived through a number of assassination attempts.
Next time: Character options.
JP

November Commissions [Warmachine, Malifaux, Pathfinder]

2011-11-12T08:45:00.001-07:00

Been a while since I really did a lot of painting. Really sit down and get it all done. So with much more talk, minis.
Warmachine
These guys have been partially painted for months now. Yesterday (and early this morning), I decided to get everything off my plate and finish my army. I am now done with my Rhulic army. You will notice a single human in there... You would be correct. I love the mini so I got me one of them! She is Madelyne Corbo, a courtesan. I painted her as a soiled dove of sorts. This one is fully painted!

Pathfinder Society
The two Pathfinder minis are for Pathfinder characters. The Napoleonic officer (a French Officer) was painted for my buddy Todd who has a Taldan sorcerer using the image of Maréchal Murat. While I did not have a mini of the Maréchal, I used that one instead. I like the red and white contrast. The second is a ninja character.

Malifauz
These minis I've been intrigued by for a while and my chance to get my hands on them happened when my buddy Stephen (for whom I had already done a number of commission work), asked me if I wanted to paint his army. I agreed. Those miniatures I really enjoyed painting those (next update will include one mini from the lot I hate with a passion).

Neoncon 2011: The Hate

2011-11-11T09:59:00.001-07:00

Reading my previous three parts about my trip to Vegas for Neoncon, it is easy to think that I am happy and that everything was great at Neoncon. But NOTHING could be further from the truth. I have a lot of hate to send out to people.
Doug is the mastermind behind Neoncon and someone who has been nothing but nice to me, even when I was purposefully a dick to his kobold character… Any one of his characters really. This time, Doug went too far: he organized a great show once again in spite of some political issues (issues I won't go into here as they're not my opinionated self to comment upon). Then he gathered a collection of swag that made me so jealous, a pile of swag that makes classic adventures look like a poor man’s treasure hunt. I am certain there were more than a few magic items in the large shelves behind his staff. Then he – and his staff – go on and give away all the NeoExodus Campaign book! That book should retail for 100$+, if not a million bucks!
Let me throw Jeremy Olson under the bus… When I sat down at his Shadowrun Missions on Thursday night, I was looking forward to four hours of wacky Seattle-based madness, then be on my way happy to have tried something but not wanting more. But because of him (and his table of 'runners), I found myself actually enjoying Shadowrun and looking forward to MORE missions! As if I had time for more gaming? Really? More gaming? Just because the character he built for me is exactly what I wanted to play and that somehow I managed to survive (and be useful) to the group, I have no reason to spare him. So to you sir, I say, a chicken on your head! Now I will have pacify my wife twice as much!
Then there is Mike Brock, my Paizo Overlord. Mike emailed me that he had something he needed to talk to me about and that we should set aside a few minutes during the con. I wondered what he was gonna tell me. Turns out we had our chance on the first slot (Thursday afternoon). Although the NDA monster is gonna eat up anything I could say about the chat, he had my head spinning and my ideas and thoughts running a thousand miles an hour (and still is). You will noticed that I pointed the speed in mph rather than the kilometers I know and love. I’m already losing sleep because of him and I KNOW I will be losing a lot more. And it’s all Mike’s fault. I know it has nothing to do with my yapping and BS about "putting my money where my mouth is". Trust me, I know. That has nothing to do with anything!
How could I post a hate-filled email without mentioning Louis Porter Junior? That’s right. The man behind NeoExodus… There are so many reasons to send hate his way. Throughout the con he was worried about things like How many characters killed? or Are they running in terror? or How did they like it?. You know the kind of questions one cannot ask… For those are part of the GM-player confidentiality agreement of 1988^TM. I would not be the one to break such an agreement… Who would I be if I told that I killed no one? That on two out of three NeoExodus tables, the players opted NOT to continue and flee (they’ll say withdraw, but they are lying). Or that the overall vibe was positive regarding NeoExodus? I mean COME ON, MAN! I won’t be THAT GUY, LPJ. Find yourself another stool pigeon!
Dave Stern. David A. Stern III. You thought you’d escape my hate-filled wrath? WELL NO! For those of you who do not know Dave played in my shortened version of The Sashenka Incident on Saturday morning. Then in the afternoon, with a NeoExodus book in hand, he approached me with some thoughts about the adventure. Insightful comments, yes. Valid comments, yes. But they force me to work to include them… like a good twenty minutes! It’s like a lifetime! REVENGE!
Can I say a word about time change? Because of you, I woke up in a panic! Then I called the front desk thinking it was 6am! That girl giggled and said "sir, it's only 4." Thought that was clever? Well I did not! I could not go back to sleep after that... Forced me to get up with my heart beating a thousand miles an hour. Not Cool. Not Cool.
Oh! Did I mention anything about the 14$ sandwiches or the 24$ cheese pizzas? Well hate to you too! Don't laugh... Only in Vegas could you find those.
Oh! And also lemme send hate to all of you who did not attend Neoncon. We could’ve use a few more people!
I must calm down… The dark side surged within me so much that got sick all day yesterday.
That’s it for Neoncon. I’ll attend again next year!
JP

[Avatar of the Kaga] Faiths of Exodus, Part 3

2011-11-11T08:38:00.001-07:00

The Cult of the Emissary
The Cult of the emissary is a cult that sprang up recently. It contends that the Sanguine Covenant has lost its way and that deep reforms are needed. It also contends that worship of the Venerates is heretical, that the Sanguine Lord can only be reached through his own envoy, the Emissary of the Sanguine Lord. Emissarists contend that only through his own words can one reach paradise. Emissary Cults are growing along the Abaddon River basin.
Emissarists have formed many militaristic militias that roam the countryside destroying all who oppose the supremacy of the Emissary.
The cult is obviously inspired by a mixture of Reformation and early Islam. These two periods led to extremely violent and brutal conflicts. The cult of the Emissary is one such cult.
With such teachings, many wonder why the Archprelate has not declared the cult to be heretical.
The Lawgiver
The Lawgiver is a man who appeared some twenty years ago among the camps of the Janus Horde warning about an impending doomsday that will befall the world. To prepare, he told his disciple they would have to follow a strict regimen and prepare themselves and their bodies to become weapons to fight this apocalypse.
Faithful are branded with a tribal tattoo of ancient design. This brand, called the Lazarus Brand, is said to make the faithful resistant to damage, to disease and even death. These brands can be placed anywhere on the body. Branded followers head out into the world to pick fights and perfect their martial mastery.
The cult of the Lawgiver is heretical to the Sanguine Covenant.
Shamanism
Not a unified religion per say, but an umbrella that gathers many different faiths. These faiths range from ancestor worship to the worship of local spirits. Some cults often remain small and unnoticed until they rise to prominence. The Cult of the Dragon is one such cult. Most of these cults are tolerated by the Sanguine Covenant, though some are persecuted. The Brotherhood of Khayne frequently uses shamanist cults as a front to cover their activities.
Next time: The major evil faiths of Exodus. Yes, I say EEEEEEEVVVVILLLLLL!!!
JP

NeonCon 2011, Part Three

2011-11-09T13:44:00.000-07:00

Saturday
That morning, we had a sorta Paizo-VC breakfast at the Excalibur’s buffet. Robyn, CA, Stephen (SRM) and myself pigged out before running back to the Tropicana for the morning slot. I was not due to GM NeoExodus until 9am, but I like getting there to see if I can help.
Turns out, one GM was missing in action. Guess who??? That’s right, our glorious leader, Mike Brock was missing. So I started running the event for him. It was Part 3 of the Intro (which I had not prepared). But I played Dradle Dreng, Lady Morilla and Grandmaster Torch for the young wide-eyed Pathfinders.
Comes 9am a player (who I would later know as Dave Stern) shows up to play NeoExodus. At the same time, Mike strolls in at a leisurely pace… Excellent. I tagged him into the adventure and move to NeoExodus for “The Sashenka Incident”.
Table of three into the political thriller that is “Sashenka”: fun times to come. This time: Freija, Nose-Cutter and Hans got embroiled in the turmoil of Imperial and local politics. I had to cut some elements of the adventure short to fit in the four hour we had.
The afternoon I spent gladly doing nothing but walking around the hall, shopping, talking and listening in on Courtney’s excellent rendition of my “Terrors” adventure I wrote for the Beginner Box Bash. I won’t hide that I preferred the original version, but the one that was produced for the BBB was excellent (it’s a question of setting, not adventure). I also listened in on Stephen (SRM) run Midnight Mauler. It was very interesting to hear another GM’s take on this adventure I now run with only minimal peeping at the text anymore. I looked at the painted minis involved in the events. In short, I made a butterfly of myself (a fat, balding butterfly mind you).
Of particular note, during that time, Dave (from the morning game) came to see me with an issue he had in the adventure. He and I talked for quite a while about it. In the end, he managed to convince me (he must’ve made quite a Diplomacy check). Following our talk, I had to re-think a few things and his argument is extremely valid. I talked to LPJ about it last night and in turn brought him to Dave’s way of thinking. So I have to go back into the adventure and clean up some things. These elements will be moved to a later part of the story.
Thanks Dave and congrats on getting me a lot more work!
For the evening, I had volunteered to run the Gencon Special, Blood under Absalom. The adventure has a few issues and things I wanted to change to make it flow more smoothly. So I gathered my judges and I told them what to change. I have to give a lot of kudos to Peter, Jay, James, Will, Chris, Bruce and Nick who went along with my last minute changes and brought everything together. The game was fun.
One thing I strongly disliked is the finale with the stupid d20 roll-off that serves no real purpose but to add “action”. I have no problem saying it was stupid (said it before, will say again). There should NOT be a “winning” and “all others loose” in these types of events. Last year’s Year of the Shadow Lodge, though it suffered from some issue was a better adventure.
A big thanks to Doug Daulton who provided a mountain of swag (although that mountain led to one happy table and 6 table of disappointed-to-pissed-off players). But experience teaches us many things, including the splitting of swag! Next time we’ll make sure everyone leaves with something…
Though I tried to stay up all night, I went to bed and slept. Too soon, it was onto the shuttle, to the airport and…
Sunday
Got home, ate with the family. Slept. Woke up, watched my fantasy football getting creamed by Julio Jones. Watch The Simpsons. Fell asleep after that. Snoozed through Family Guy (I don’t watch Allen Gregory, that crummy show they put after the Simpsons, it’s just terrible). Got up, went to bed.
That was my last days at Neoncon…
Next time: The hate, the hate and bucket of hate flowing onto the con…
JP

NeonCon 2011, Part Two

2011-11-08T12:33:00.000-07:00

Thursday
My Neoncon trip started with an early morning as I dropped my two girls at school, then off to the doctor for some blood work, and finally onto Pueblo Airport. Pueblo sits on the Arkansas River and was the old border with Mexico.
So I got to the Airport. The place is very small. However the café there (Spitfire Grill) does serve a nice green chili, which I enjoyed on eggs. Nice. Very nice. Good spice, I ordered the half-and-half and it was, well I already said it, nice. The Allegiant Air plane lands and moves up to the terminal. I kid you not; the MD-80 was longer than the terminal. I left the terminal, went outside to check and sure enough…
If something happened during the flight, I had no knowledge of it. I slept throughout, waking up as we were over Hoover Dam (I assume it was Hoover Dam). Shuttle to the Tropicana and voila!
I told Doug that I would GM a slot at 2pm, but to put my name is soft ink as I would likely be delayed (I was). When I got to the con, it that 2:20 or so, my table had folded and the guys had moved to another table. I wanted to run The Dalsine Affair but had no problem with what was done. So I enjoyed the free time. Looked around, chatted with people, including Mike Brock with whom I had an extended discussion (the chat I mentioned on my previous post). I got to talk with Doug a little, played a game of Orbit, said hello to a lot of people I hadn’t seen in at least a year. I used this to do a lot of socializing which is a rare boon to me at con, since I generally spend most of my time running or organizing. Neoncon would be no different.
Evening time came, and I sat down at Jay Olson’s Shadowrun Missions game. Jay and I exchanged a number of tweets about it and I asked him to build me a character since I would not have time (or the books) to do one myself. Before continuing on to the game, let me be candid here. Okay, even if you don’t I will be anyway… If you read this blog you know I always try to be brutally honest.
I am not a fan of Shadowrun.
I have no specific issue with the setting, the system, the people, the adventures or the location of the game.
It just does not do it for me. Nothing specific. Just not my thing.
That said, since I have nothing against the game, I am definitely willing to play the game occasionally. If I get to play, then I’m even more interested in playing. I was intrigued about how they did their organized play (having never heard back from the Missions guys for my “Organized Play People” blog series).
So I finally sit down, and get handed a troll shaman.
NICE.
Look over the character… while I do not understand most of the crunch, I get the role. Look over the book for a few things. Bah, if I need something I’ll either wing it or be told how to do it, fail spectacularly and have a jolly ol’ time.
The adventure itself was a simple affair, with a few surprises. It was very entertaining and I must say that I had a blast playing Ralph B (for Boogerman) the Rat Troll. I did spend most of the adventure hiding or invisible, but had a great time trying to keep my mouth shut to get the promise bag of candy…
I was surprised and happy to get a 10$ Catalyst gift card at the end! I had a great time already. But 10$ adds a cherry to the sundae. Or with food prices on the strip… more like a Snickers bar for your meal…
Friday
Woke up early on Friday, got me a coffee and was on my way to running Encounter at Ramat Bridge. Exciting time. I know I had Robyn and Jay at the table, but did not know who else so I got everything ready. Table of four, game on. The adventure went well (even though they forgot to bring a healer, oops!). I noticed that pretty quickly the players understood the strong political undertone of the adventure.
Before I knew it, we were done, WELL ahead of time. The quickest run of Ramat Bridge ever! After the game, I sold my last copy of NeoExodus and had to start pointing people towards the swag pile for more.
Lunch.
Then in the afternoon, as I hovered near the muster area for Pathfinder Society, there seem to be a lull in the play. I had already played every PFS adventure offered. As things began to stagnate, I called out that I had a Call of Cthulhu adventure in my pocket. Within a few minutes, I had a table of 6 and they were on their way to Normandy…
I ran In Darkness, I wait the scenario I wrote for the 65th anniversary of D-Day. The players had a blast shooting at targets left and right – and each other. The adventure is fun, fast-paced and exciting more in-line with a Pulp Game than Call of Cthulhu, but the Mythos is clearly there. The fact that it deals with elements most of us are familiar with (at least in passing), makes the adventure that much more special.
I like how the adventure turns from a war film into a horror movie. Slowly, but unescapably.
For in Darkness, It waits…
The evening organized in a similar fashion, but this time I ran Ruins of Trovaska, the latest NeoExodus adventure I had come up with. This time, the adventure follows the PCs as they head into Sametia where they discover some more things about NeoExodus…
After that I went in search of food, then sleep.
Tomorrow: Saturday and Sunday.
JP

Neoncon 2011, Part One

2011-11-07T16:34:00.000-07:00

If you did not know, I spent last weekend in Vegas at Neoncon. I will post a more complete version of My NeonCon Experience 2011, there are a few topics I wanted to touch upon first.
My next post will include a bucket of hate I have to send to Vegas and its people. It’s a full bucket. Overflowing I may add.
NeoExodus Pre-Release
If you did not know, NeonCon was a pre-launch event for NeoExodus. Over the three days I was there (I flew back early Sunday morning), I ran three NeoExodus adventures: Encounter At Ramat Bridge, The Sashenka Incident and a playtest of Ruins of Trovaska.
After my Friday morning slot, I was out of books! A good way to go…
The product is great. No doubt. The adventures, though complex and filled with politics, did go over well. I would really love to have more GMs to allow more people to experience NeoExodus. In time, it will come. I will have Ruins of Trovaska and Slaver of the Dominion (it was on the Neoncon program, but I was tired and no one showed up, so I gladly took a slot off) on the next Genghis Con program, here in Denver.
If you have a NeoExodus story you want to share, do not hesitate to email me (jp@chapleau.us), tweet it (@JPOnGaming) or post it as a comment here or on Facebook, I am extremely interested in what you think.
Pathfinder Society
Mike Brock (aka my Paizo Overlord) and Stephen Radney-Macfarlane (SRM) were in attendance and both ran a few adventures. I even tagged in for Mike when he woke up late on Saturday morning. It all worked out in the end. Unfortunately, I was not able to able to get either of them to sit at a NeoExodus table… I guess the call of Vegas was too much for them.
Mike and I had a long chat over a number of things regarding the Society.
Yes.
You all know.
This means that most of the conversation is covered by this filthy beast known as the NDA monster. However, that means there are a lot of GREAT announcements to come. I mean seriously. This is stuff that make me want to play and get MORE involved with Paizo and the PFS campaign. I certainly hope that you will too.
We spent a lot of time talking about how I felt about the Campaign and what I would like to see change. Truth be told he and I spent a few hours Tuesday before the con talking about this. So in effect, this was a return on some of the topics we talked about. I cannot wait for him to announce the many things he hinted at. Among the dates of PaizoCon (July 6-8), I can say them since the Paizo blog now announced it.
Vendors
Among the vendors were a number of returning faces, including Infrno with whom I had a chat. Okay I spoke with Mike Muldoon, the brain behind the operation. His flaming mohawk really looked cool. I was pleasantly surprised to see the various changes and updates to the system since the last time I took a good look at it. Mike really liked it when I told him that he had "Replied so fast, I did not have time to complain"^TM, which was true. I also got my first Infrno reward…
The program has come a long way and I like it more and more every time I see it.
D20 Pro had more demos, but I didn’t have time to really sink my teeth into that one. Mat Morton & Co was there enjoying the con.
I spoke with Quentin Boomer about his latest book, The hole behind midnight for which he had some free art; the Art Institute Lady who assured me that I was not a hopeless art case… Heard that Louis? SHE liked my painting AND she is much more pleasing to the eye that you; the 42 Games guys maker of Orbit (I only got to play 1 game but their latest installment really makes the game look much better than last year’s pre-release product); and I browsed through the number of other items (being broke has benefits).
Venture Captains
This year again, NeonCon allowed a number of Venture Captains to get together and play some PFS and other games. In attendance, I can remembet Robyn Nixon (from Los Angeles), Mike Az (from San Francisco), CA Garrett (from Boise, Idaho), Rene-A (from Phoenix, Az) and of course, our host Doug Daulton (Mr. Vegas). We played a number of events, I saw Robyn take part in a Dark Ages tournament (a minis game I never saw played before). I got a seat for Rene at a Blood under Absalom table (which I once again Oversaw, strong of my Tacticon Experience).
I really like meeting these guys face-to-face. It allows for a different dynamic and a lot of idea exchange. Like in the old LG days, one thing that always surprised me is the variety of background and interest shared by campaign staff. Yet the common passion unites us. Very cool.
I want to salute Robyn who was plugging my own blog more than I was, and praising it too! Thanks Robyn!
And especially: Thanks Doug and crew for putting it all together.
JP

[Avatar of the Kaga] Faiths of Exodus, Part 2

2011-11-02T15:18:00.000-06:00

The Cult of the Dragon
Though the name brings up thoughts of another similarly-named cult in another campaign setting, NeoExodus’ Cult of the Dragon does not worship dragons or consider them to be of worship.
A belief system that exists almost exclusively among the barbarians of the Janus Horde, the accepted version is that nature rests upon a powerful dragon. Followers of the cult believe that they have to slay and defeat nature’s wrath – incarnated by dragons and other such enormous beasts. To that end, they embark on quest and slay the biggest monsters they can find and drink of their blood. For the blood makes them stronger.
Like most things about the Janus Horde, the exact origin and meaning of this faith is unclear at best. The few active priests (who are mostly all oracles or druid) do not fully agree with each other about the exact nature of the faith. They even have difficulty agreeing on the look, location, creation of the dragon. The only thing that matters to them is that they take nature by the horns, claws, jaws or wherever else they may grab on and plunge a sword into it.
The Sanguine Covenant has declared the Cult of the Dragon and all its followers to be heretics.
Next time: More minor faiths of Exodus (after Neoncon)
JP

[Avatar of the Kaga] Faiths of Exodus, Part 1

2011-11-01T15:29:00.000-06:00

Some of the first NeoExodus projects I worked on were Pathfinder re-vamping of The Sanguine Covenant and The Church of Kaga, both churches and religious organizations. So this section was very dear to my heart.
Like most “D&D" campaign setting, NeoExodus has a number of unique deities and divine powers. One thing I particularly like when it comes to religion - and I believe PCI’s Arcanis is perhaps the best representation of this is that religions are not a strict block of people of similar alignment. Alignment and religion is not the same.
Let’s take for example a well-established real-world church like the Catholic Church (I’m Catholic, so I’ll speak from experience). Within the church there is a VAST majority of “good people" who live their lives doing the best they can, incorporating the rulings of the church whenever they can. And there are a bunch wacko-nutjobs. There are liberals and traditionalists currents within the church. Depending on which book of the Bible you read, it seems the teachings are slightly different. Through the centuries the church turned a blind eye on some extremely bad things (wars, genocides, executions, etc.). But it’s still the same church. And today’s thinkers try to tie themselves more with the better thinkers such as St Augustine.
So when I began writing about faiths and religion, I tried to keep in mind that there are three main elements here: the lay worshipers, the church and its teachings and the god’s own will. The goals of all three are rarely the same.
The Sanguine Covenant
The Covenant is the most widespread faith on Exodus by virtue of being the official religion of the Imperial Alliance. The Covenant is a monotheistic church based on the notion of an almighty, all-powerful deity known as the Sanguine Lord. To speak his real name is heresy. The church is an expansive one seeking conversion of all to its numbers. The Covenant takes from elements of the medieval Catholic Church with elements of Judaism and other faiths sprinkled in.
The Covenant is particularly active in hunting that which it considers heresy (which also means a lot of the bad elements of Exodus: the First Ones, worshipers of Khayne, undead creatures, evil shapeshifters, evil outsiders, evil arcane casters, to name but a few).
The most unique thing about the Covenant is that rather than praying directly to the Sanguine Lord himself (who is much too busy keeping the universe together), faithful instead pray to his Venerates. These extremely powerful beings - akin to archangels - are freer to listen to followers and grant benefits to faithful in the name of the Sanguine Lords. In other words, don’t disturb the boss… ask his Senior VPs.
The Venerates are: Dhazvok (the Warrior), Koliav (Keeper of the Icy Gates), Laita (the Queen of Rites), Makash (The Green Mother), Perun (The Stormbrother), Rylos (Lord of the Wildlands) and Svarog (The Father Smith). Their alignment, powers, favored weapon and domain are varied, and are presented in the same format as deities are in other Pathfinder settings.
In game terms, most lay worshipers worship "the Covenant". Only clerics and other divine casters devote themselves to one of them. Depending on their current needs and desires, they will pray to one of the Venerates. I strongly recommend The Sanguine Covenant as it is choked full of extremely valuable information, plot hooks, story ideas and NPCs.
The Church of the Kaga
The Church of the Kaga is a church that is not a religion. Yep. The Church of the Kaga is organized along the lines of a church but really is not. Its followers - and any learned person - know that the Kaga is not a god, even though it has god-like powers. However, to the masses and uneducated, it is much simpler to say the Kaga is a god and that his shrines are mini-temples. But his devoted are arcane casters rather than divine casters and are more akin to wizards than clerics. Clerics of the Kage must belong to a unique archetype - the Cleric of the Kaga. The Church of Kaga is present in major cities throughout Exodus.
The Kaga was created during the reign of the First Ones over Exodus when a thousand of mankind’s greatest minds gave themselves to the creation of the single greatest and most powerful arcane creation in the universe. The Kaga is an arcane construct, a creature resulting of the merging of all those minds, and two millennia of additional knowledge. Petitioners who seek to learn from the Kaga do so by discussing with miniature versions of the Kaga (called "avatar of the Kaga"). Avatars can take in information and give information. Thus the Kaga is one of the best-informed persons on Exodus. The Kaga frequently restricts dangerous information from those he does not deem worthy. He sometimes volunteers information (known as Revelations) to petitioners. In short, the Kaga is an ever-evolving encyclopedia or as Louis likes to say "The Kaga is an edited version of Google."
The church of the Kaga has two main goals: the pursuit of all knowledge to increase the Kaga's own and the destruction of that which can threaten the people of Exodus. Clerics of the Kaga travel the world, recording their experiences in log books and travel journals. They are known for their insatiable curiosity.
As before, I strongly recommend you check The Order of Kaga book for full details. The campaign setting presents a simplified version of the information in that book.
Next time: More Faiths of Exodus
JP

250th post, New stuff for Neoncon and Commission

2011-10-31T09:32:00.000-06:00

This is the 250th post to this blog! Thanks to all of my readers!
But you did not come here for that. This past weekend, I completed a number paint jobs I needed to do. First the new miniatures I painted for the new NeoExodus adventures. They are historicals I will use as a members of the Janus Horde. The first four miniatures are from Old Glory's "Horse Archers" range. These were extras I have from my Parthian army. The final one is an ancient Egyptian from Foundry.
This one will be a leader, wielding a lance, which I modeled as a xyston.
This one is a Hordes' spell caster.
The next series of miniatures are also for the Janus Hordes. These miniatures are Sea People from Foundry. The Sea People were a confederation of people coming from the Black Sea and/or Aegean Sea area. They both served and fought against ancient Egypt. (Wikipedia's entry on the Sea People, which is pretty decent). These minis I painted with the white skin of Kalisans. Three of them have swords and one has a misc bladed weapon.
All of the minis above will be used as NeonCon for the first time as part of "Ruins of Trovaska". I am very excited.
Finally, last week I posted some of my latest commissions and I hinted at a "third" commission. This one is an interesting one. The shield with the huge tongue is a focal point. Steve asked me to have an "armor colored" armor, with a blue tint to it. The base was electric blue, then three different washes and silver highlights to create a very crisp-looking armor. I kept the The picture makes the armor appear much bluer than it appears. The red sash was used to add extra highlight. The final miniature is very interesting.
JP

[Avatar of the Kaga] The Reis Confederacy

2011-10-27T17:08:00.000-06:00

The Reis Confederacy occupies the northern parts of Exodus, an area frequently called by its original name, the Wyldlands of Bal. Its lands are covered in sweltering jungles whose northern border vanished into thick permanent fog that swallows men’s souls. The land is overrun by feral tribes of Caliban and Enuka. Massive monsters roam and threaten its inhabitants.
The Confederacy is the least unified of all the major empires and the one whose leader has the least control over her subjects. The Confederacy is exactly that: a confederation. It is composed of a number of city-states that control the land around them and that fiercely vie for additional power. This constant in-fighting has been one of the hallmarks of the Wyldlands since the days of the First Ones’ Empire. Life in the Wyldlands is a struggle and those who come from there are known as fatalistic, dour tough, rugged and self-reliant nature. They are frequently considered backward and unsophisticated by natives of the other great empires.
The Wyldlands were never fully conquered by the First Ones. Still the First Ones built many of the towns that rise today. The balites rose to support the Kaga to overthrow the First Ones. During the Arman migration, new cities were founded on the east coast. The original Arman have since integrated into balite society. The Confederacy was the last of the great nations to be formed. In the 4th century BC, Euhudi high priestess of Khayne went on a massive campaign of conquest, imposing the worship of her dark lord. She organized her fellow worshipers into a strong brotherhood called simply "the Brotherhood of Khayne". She conquered most of the Wyldlands until she was stopped by a confederation of free cities and foreign mercenaries at the Battle of the River of Blood. The battle crushed the Brotherhood's power. Victorious, the leader of the free people's army, the Panther Warrior Ataulpa was crowned the Imperator of the Reis Confederacy. The Imperator and his successors led their troops into Sametia and Koryth to expand their own power.
The Twilight War began in the Confederacy when a Dominion ambassador was murdered by a member of the Protectorate embassy. The crisis that followed led to the Protectorate declaring war but being unprepared. The Imperatrix was ready. Her troops advanced through Sametia, annexing Arman and Dominions holdings, all the way to the Abaddon River. The Confederacy has the dubious honor of having fielded they only undead army in the history of Exodus. Confederate General Xon was a powerful necromancer whose actions horrified the jaded balites. The Confederacy had to destroy the general and his undead army. The Battle of Aremyhk ended the Twilight War after the janissaries routed a large army of Confederate.
The Confederacy was a founding member of the Imperial Alliance, grudgingly agreeing to the establishment of the Sanguine Covenant as the official religion. To this day few Confederate cities have abandoned their ancient worship for this "new faith". Sanguine missionaries are increasing and their work is reaching the populace. Religion in the Confederacy like everything, is simple and brutal. Although the sacrifices of intelligent being is rare, it still occurs, particularly in Caliban-dominated areas. The worship of Khayne is widespread here and the Brotherhood still exists, though it must hide its activities.
Confederates are a very diverse bunch. Indeed, the Confederacy is the only land of Exodus where humans do not form the majority. Calibans, dalrean, enuka, humans and Sasori form 95% of the population. In spite of this mix, the rulers of the Confederacy have been overwhelmingly human, including the current dynasty. This diversity has not created a homogenous culture. Each culture (racial, geographical and regional) firmly defends its own and integration is rare.
Since the murder of Empress Mercy by Prince Bial, she has troops searching for Prince Bial, but they have so far come up empty. It is no secret that the Imperatrix and the Prince are in love with each other. Empress Cassandra has accused the Imperatrix of hiding the prince in her palace at Awanesa, something that is vehemently denied by Lolani. It would be a major crime to harbor a regicide. Tensions between the two nations has escalated and although war is not imminent, both sides have deployed troops and reinforced border garrisons. Tensions are high on both sides of the border.
The Imperatrix
Imperatrix Lolani is the current ruler, following the death of her mother, the albino khymerion recently ascended to the throne. Her mother's top advisor and personal astrologer, a mysterious figure known as "the Bronze Sage" prophetized a number of calamities including a star fall and a terrible plague coming in its wake. He also prophetized that from the Gaszi dynasty, an albino child would be born that would lead to the the destruction of the Confederacy. As fate would have it, Imperatrix Sepatha's firstborn was the albino Lolani.
Lolani's childhood was one of isolation. Few wanted to associate with the one who would destroy the Confederacy. She was a pariah in a gilded cage. She spent her time in the library learning about the history, lands and people of her future domain. Lolani was a dark and sad child until Prince Bial of the Caneus Empire arrived for his trials. The two became fast friends: two solitudes are better than one. She nursed him back to health after his terrible mauling.
Imperators in the Confederacy hold power only to the extent of their own will and charisma. Weak rulers hold no power while strong ones can do what they please. Lolani's rule is still young so it is unclear how she will turn out to be. Thus far, she has ruled with a just and steady hand, one that many attribute to the quiet guidance of the Bronze Sage.
The Flavor
The Confederacy has two major influences, that initially seem completely opposite one another. First, the city-states of the Confederacy are organized and look much like the empires of the Aztecs and Maya: tall stepped pyramids where ritual sacrifices are held at the top for all to see. Cities in the Confederacy are built to impress travelers more than functionality. Grand open streets, parks and plazas are common.
The second influence is that of African tribal realms such as the Kongo, the Zulu and the Mutapa kingdoms and famous tribes such as the Masai and the Ngoni. These groups established a complex system of allegiance through trade, conquest and influence. Many tribes (all races together) are dressed in manner of the these warriors.
The more urban the Balite, the more likely he is to be dressed in an Aztec/Mayan style. The more rural ones are more commonly dressed much more in an African style. Whatever their origins: feathers, headdresses, face and body paints, and monstrous masks are at home here. Add to them brightly colored animal skins for clothing (leopards and lion skins are particularly sought after for their bright, vibrant colors).
Dancing holds a special place in the Confederacy. Not only for entertainment, but dancing is also part of the warrior culture. Dances mimic the ebb and flow of battle, teaches young ones the traditional attacks and defenses. Much like Tai Chi is for martial arts.
The Confederacy is a dangerous land of contrasts, colors and mystery.
The Army
Unlike the other major empires, the Confederacy is not a unified nation, joined by a major ethnic group. It should come as no surprise then that the Confederacy's army is composed of a number of autonomous regiments under regional commanders assigned by their home city. This makes the Confederate army the most diverse in all of Exodus. It makes them the largest, but also the one with the most complex command structure. This complex structure is based on promises made by the general to the city-states or tribes that agree to participate. Like for the imperators, Confederate generals have to lead through force of will, threats and personal charisma to get the army functioning correctly.
The Confederacy uses a lot of large creatures, such as dire animals, dinosaurs, elephants, giants, trolls and whatever else they can wrangle from the jungles. These creatures are frequently sent to the front of the army before hordes of screaming tribesmen. "Horde tactics" best describe the tactics of the Confederacy (when in doubt, send more troops).
One military unit is tied to Confederate power above all else: the panther warriors. These warriors are the only ones allowed to wear panther armor, armor made of a panther skin. These warriors are famed for their solo fighting prowess. They fight with and as panthers or tigers. They commonly serve as generals or war lords. (Panther Warriors are a Prestige class found in the NeoExodus Campaign Book).

Commissions October 2011

2011-10-25T22:28:00.000-06:00

It has been a while since I posted an update on painted minis I have done. Mostly because I forgot to put up the pics...
The first mini was commissioned by my friend Steve (for whom I painted an Amiri the Pathfinder barbarian some time ago). He liked what I did for him (and I'm not shy to admit that I like it too). So he commissioned me for three more pieces. Here are the first two.
The Human Assassin
The first one he commissioned for his brother. It is an rogue/assassin characters who skulks around a lot. So dark, green-based colors. However, when he moves in for the kill, he flicks his cloak open revealing a much more visible color on the inside. He asked if it would be possible to model a rapier in place of one of the knives. Piece of cake (to do), trick (to do right).
I found this an interesting challenge to paint up a "drab" character. If you follow my blog and painting works, you know that I like to use strong accent colors. But I could not here. I really like the final result. It's drab, but in a colorful way. The greens and the brown play well together. The inside of the cloak, I did a much lighter shade of green, this serves as an accent for the mini without looking out of place.
The Dwarf with bad teeth
The second mini would challenge my sculpting skills and one I didn't tell him but I was a tad apprehensive. The original is a orc archer. A nice Reaper mini. Steve wants to use it as a dwarf. "I have a 5 Charisma, so an orc mini is perfect! All he needs is a beard". You can't beat that kind of logic. He wanted a nature-type, so again, muted, earthy colors: browns and greens
So I took the mini, brought out the green stuff, and began sculpting. I did the lower beard first then added a thick mustache. The skull cap I turned into hair. The result is a nasty, dirty dwarf with VERY bad teeth and a big beard. I did some extra detail on the tunic with two-tone red lines that give it the appearance of a near-plaid. Interesting piece. I look forward to playing with Steve's character again...

The Third Mini...
I did mention a 3rd mini... that one will have to wait for another day... I did not like how the shield came out. So I will have to re-detail it.
I was asked about commission work: I take them. Contact me directly JP at Chapleau.us and we'll talk.
JP

Death of 4e announced on Twitter?

2011-10-25T12:59:00.000-06:00

From time to time, the world of Twitter (follow me @jpon) brings me something that I just HAVE to respond to.
This morning I got up on the wrong side of the bed. I'm grumpy today (okay stop the wise cracks about me being constantly grumpy). When I got to the office, grumbling about not having coffee, I went through my backlog twitter feedback and I came across the following tweets by Stan! (@stannex) which somehow caught me by surprise. I was not only surprised but hopeful at the same time... Odd feeling for a cynic like myself.
Here are the two tweets that caught my eye (hashtags removed).
I'm told it's OK to tell you that today I went to work AT Wizards of the Coast for the first time since 2002. Pretty cool for a Monday.
Just so rumors don't fly, I'm NOT at WotC in a design capacity. I'm there as a Producer, shepherding projects thru the creation process.
Okay... so let's recap what happened recently from WotC... First they get Monte Cook, then they get Stan! as a publisher to lead creation process. That really looks like a changing of the (new) guard and a return of the many heads that allowed Wizards to reach the summit of their control of the industry: the early 2000s. Stan's (even if temporary) work at Wizards adds even more weight to my Predictions of doom^TM. I have had the chance to sit and talk to him a little at PaizoCon... Stan has to be one of the most creative person there is. Unless the WotC designers are complete idiots (which I do not believe they are), they will take advantage of this great resource.
Since Stan makes sure to let us know that he is not working as a developer but someone who "shepherds the creation process". This seems to me like they have a number of half-formed or incomplete projects they want to hammer out, complete and get off the plate. He can direct and expand projects that have been lying around for a while. This would allow WotC to have a number of products "almost ready" they could release over a time period while they put their designers and developers' brain to work on what we all know is coming sooner rather than later... This would allow WotC to have a revenue stream while they work through the chinks of their next big thing.
I frequently do that when I write. I jot down an idea. A block or two. A feat. A plot hook. An encounter design. Then I leave it be. It allows me to focus on the project at hand while keeping track of other ideas. After the current project is done, I go back, expand and develop. For example, while I was writing the NeoExodus Campaign Book. I have created no less than five other files with elements I thought should not go in there. This included a file full of feats, one of spells, one of monsters and one with some miscellaneous adventure ideas. Of these, Louis and I are planning an "NeoExodus Players' Guide" and a monster book called "Scions of the First Ones" for much later down the road. The names are VERY LIKELY to change, but elements for both already exist.
But back to the topic at hand...
The WotC guys have been VERY active on the twitterverse trying to get people to send them ideas and hints about what people want to see in their game. Its interesting to see the change of tone coming from them. From the early 4e day "everything else is crap but 4e" to the more community minded "what elements do you like in your game?" I see this shift as a positive sign. Good. They seem to have learned their lesson from the 4e PR debacle. Hopefully, they don't just listen to people who like what they do, but to some of the naysayers too. Naysayers frequently tell you more about your product (or force you to rethink your position, moreso than the "it's cool"s and "I like"s). Like when you go to Ebay, how many times do you read the positive comments vs. the negatives ones? I never read the positive reviews. Never. With this shift in approach, the guys may be changing the perception of the community towards WotC (or maybe that's just me) and getting ready for a big announcement.
The only thing they could be gearing up toward is... 5e.
The pieces are falling into place... What was a rant a few month ago is now becoming a road map of what we are seeing... One could almost say predictions of doom are seeing the stars align.
Maybe my mad rantings were not so wrong.
I would say... so right?
JP

[Avatar of the Kaga] The Janus Horde

2011-10-24T15:48:00.000-06:00

Perhaps one of the most complex and unique society in all of Exodus is the one nation that really is not one… Let me explain. The Janus Horde is not a nation that is the result of a series of invasions, long wars or epic struggle for independence.
The lands of Sametia have seen war on a near constant basis since the dawn of time. Its flat grassy plains lend themselves to the passages of armies and the maneuvering of large forces. Many of the greatest battles between the Kaga and the First Ones took place here. When the Arman left their homeland, they landed here before migrating south. When the nascent empires sought to expand their borders, they did so here. Most of the Twilight War was fought here. The plains of Sametia have grown fertile by the blood of soldiers.
The end of the Twilight War and subsequent Unification of the major empires established the borders, leaving Sametia as a neutral buffer zone. It was not long before the Sametians organized themselves and petitioned for membership into the Imperial Alliance. But their petition was ignored and laughed at by the major empires all of whom still looked to Sametia as a potential conquest. The rebellion that followed was brutally crushed by the Imperial Alliance, making a show to ensure that rebellion would not be tolerated.
Fifteen years later, Sametian leaders gathered in a secret location and jointly decided that since civilization turned its back on them, they would turn its back on it. Declaring themselves sons of Janus – a war hero from the War of Mind and Magic – they turned on foreigners and slaughtered them. They slaughtered priest of the Sanguine Covenant. They slaughtered any opponent to their revolution. They burned their own palaces. They plundered their own cities. They packed everything they could on their horses and left their old lives behind. They embraced barbarism by turning their back on civilization and actively pursuing their inner beast. They burned books and scholars (usually together). Priceless magical items were smashed and smelted into jewelry for the hordesmen or their horses.
The action took the major empires by surprise. Under Janissary command, punitive expeditions were sent into Sametia. They found the cities already plundered and burned by the vengeful horde. The small hordes used hit and run tactics on supply chains and focused their attention on anyone they consider representatives of civilization first (priests and scholars are prime targets). The Alliance offered assistance to anyone seeking asylum from the vengeful Horde. The expeditions withdrew from Sametia as the Senate squabbled and debated about what to do with the rebels. Politics locked the Senate as none of the major empires wanted to take on the the war on their own.
Or rather, none wanted to give the other the chance to expand into Sametia.
Power struggles within the Janus Horde quickly broke out as warlords conquered and betrayed each other. This led to a long civil war within the horde. Finally, the Warrior-Queen Thais whose origins are unclear at best emerged victorious. Through her sheer will, she organized and created the Horde as it is today. She named loyal generals to command smaller hordes under her leadership, binding them to her through complex ceremonies. This system has worked well and allowed the Horde to defeat armies sent against them.
The people of the Horde are of extremely diverse origin. The Imperial Alliance does not have clear numbers and estimates the composition of the Horde based on warriors. These numbers are over-simplistic because they do not take into account the large number of serfs that accompanies the hordes. Humans are just over half the population (ethnic origin is extremely varied) with Dalreans in the jungles of eastern and coastal Sametia. Calibans (and Kalisans) form the third official group within the Horde. The bestial culture and harshness of caliban culture are valued highly among the horde. Cannibalism, while not encouraged, is accepted on one's enemies. Many calibans have moved to Sametia from other lands. Their numbers have swelled the Hordes' numbers.
Anyone who does not ride a horse or own a weapon is a serf, the lowest class. Serfs are expected to be subservient to any warrior. Foreigners are considered serfs. Unless the foreigner owns a weapons and horse, in which case he becomes a warrior. He just has to take them.
In the lands of the Horde, might makes right.
The Flavor
The Janus Horde is inspired by the Mongol Hordes that swept Europe and Asia in the 11th-14th centuries. Elements are also drawn from the Huns, later plains nomads (such as the Tatars and the Bulgars) and who could really say barbarian without thinking of Robert Howard's Conan. Like the mongols under Genghis Khan and later leaders, the Horde seeks plunder and conquest. They obtain the former by conducting raids across they borders onto enemy nations. Conquest is something they had limited success with. So far.
One of the major aspect of the Horde is that they do not want the life of their enemies, who they consider fat, weak and worthless. They actively seek barbarism and "un-civility". Few in the major empires understand them (or want to understand ), instead calling them savages, animals or barbarians. This simplification makes it much easier to demonize them.
I will expand on those later, but the Horde has turned to a series of new religions: the doom-saying followers of the Lawgiver and the bestial worshipers of the Cult of the Dragon. Both cults promote that a warrior should better himself by defeating the greatest challenges they can find. As such, Sametia large monsters are extremely rare in Sametia (or extremely well-fed).
The Army
The Horde's warrior caste is its army. Sametians favor hit and runs with lances or other two-handed weapons (such as great axes or great swords). The often use wolf pack tactics where they focus on a single target, then leaving before the enemy reacts. Some warriors, particularly Kalisans prefer to move about on foot. These serve as scouts and vanguard for the hordes. Horde attacks are rarely well-coordinated but extremely fast and brutal.
Hordesmen have trained animals and other magical beasts to fight with them. Bears, wolves, hawks, hyenas and large cats (tigers, cheetahs and lion) are common in Horde armies.
Warriors generally favor simple cloth to elaborate ones. Simple colors such as greens and red are most common, though many Hordesmen favor natural-colored leathers. Any elaborate fabric worn by Hordesmen is almost exclusively plundered. Armor is frequently patchwork, taken from fallen enemies and refitted. Repaired armor are common. Heavy armor is extremely rare.
Serfs wear simpler clothing, frequently discarded by warriors and it is common to see them dressed in a hodge podge of outfits, making males and females difficult to distinguish solely based on dress.

[Avatar of the Kaga] The Dominion

2011-10-21T11:31:00.000-06:00

Easily the oldest of the states of Exodus is without doubt the Dominion. Forged in the aftermath of the War of Mind and Magic, the Dominion’s human population intermarried with gevet and foreign colonists from the lands of the Sorcerer-Kings of Abaddon to create a distinct sub-race. The Dominion was formed ten centuries ago when the First Khagan – whose name is unknown to this day – led his people in rebellion against the crumbling empire of the Sorcerer-Kings in a series of surprise raids that showed his military genius. At his death, he left the Dominion with its own alphabet, a clear caste system, a strong military tradition and a people who valued and encouraged their own innate magical talents.
His title of Khagan means Khan among Khans, marking him as the highest leader of the land.
The lands of the Dominion are mostly composed of burning desert lands. Ancient scrolls lead us to believe that the lands were once mostly tundra and massive pine forest. But today’s Dominion is a land that is supernaturally warm. Most believe this to be the result of one of the apocalyptic battles between the Kaga and the First Ones. Others think it is the result of a time-forgotten experiment that led to the creation of the gevet race. The sands keep their secrets well.
Over the last decade, the Dominion has mend ties with both its neighbors. First, all four of the Caneus Emperor’s children were educated in Qijom, this made as a gesture of good faith from both sides. The now-Khagan developed a love affair with now-former Empress Mercy. His brother was sent to the Dominion’s traditional enemy, the Protectorate where he and the Tsarina have developed loving ties. However, the murder of Empress Mercy has made the Khagan
Innate magically ability and magical aptitude is more common in the Dominion that it is anywhere on Exodus. At the founding of the Dominion, this magical aptitude is what created the Khans, magical-filled beings. The Khans controlled vast magical powers. Today, most nobles do possess arcane powers, but many members of the lower castes have also demonstrated the ability. Those who possess innate talents are valued and thought how to master their gift. Certain Dominion spell casters have developed a unique methods to magic they call Wyrdcasting. Wyrdcasters can tap into powers not known or understood by others.
Alone on Exodus, the Dominion have raised a full city into the sky. The floating city of Anidem was fought over many times. Unable to take the city, the Protectorate decided to blast the city to rubble. Today, only the Khan and the rich live in the floating city while the poor live in the rebuilt sections of what was once the rubble.
The Ruling Family
The current Khagan is Malick Al’Adim. He is a renowned scholar, swordsman and magic wielder. Malick is loved by his subjects as a fair, an even-tempered and patient man. However, since the death of Empress Mercy, he has grown increasingly paranoid and has begun re-arming the Dominion for war. People blame the Khagan’s erratic behavior on the pressure of running such a country.
The Grey Eminence behind the Khagan is his brother, Sultan Nasser. Nasser is a scholar and a famous diviner who does not have his brother’s charisma or strength. Nasser is an ardent patriot who works for the betterment of the Dominion above all. He has close ties with the Sasoris and their information network. It is said that no one can speak the Khagan’s name without Nasser knowing about it. He does have one flaw… He is madly in love with Tsarina Anayanka of the Arman Protectorate. Rumors of marriage between the two were high until the murder of Empress Mercy. Such plans are now on-hold.
The Flavor
The Dominion has a definite Arabic feel: men wear turbans and long robes. Women wear long, shape-hiding clothes. The clothes are generally plain in color or with simple diamond or striped patterns. These are then enhanced with jewelry. Important buildings have minarets, onion-shaped domes, narrow, white-washed buildings. The heat in the Dominion - with few exceptions - is unbearable. Although outfits that are definitely out of place: heavy armor, fur coats, foreign clothing adapted to other climates are not all that uncommon because ready availability of magic and the endure elements spell, many rich or fanciful wear these clothes when they want to.
Though taking from Arabic influences, the Dominion is not united by religion. The Sanguine Covenant, the official religion teaches that evil arcane casters must be destroyed, it leaves extremely vague the notion of what constitutes "evil". Thus many nobles do not actively believe in the teachings of the Covenant. However, the freemen and lower classes actively and strongly support the Convenant as the church protects them from the possible depredations of depraved or degenerate nobles.
People of the Dominion have dark skin, dark hair and dark-colored eyes. However, on the northern borders, straw and sandy hair is not uncommon. Skin tones lighten near the Caneus Empire and the Arman Protectorate. The intermingling of the Cordelian stock (the Dominion's major human group) with its neighbors over the centuries was caused by constant invasions and warfare. Mixed in with this – and especially closer to the borders, the dress codes changes and introduces foreign elements to the traditional elements.
For example, I see Dominion dress becoming more like that of Seljuk Turks or Cumans the closer one gets to the Protectorate. Armor becomes more Arman in design and form, so does equipment and weaponry. Since the Abaddon River basin was fought over until Unification (91 year ago), the two groups have cross-breed a lot. Men wear brightly-patterned long shirts over pants. Women keep their hair in long braids with dressed of a pattern similar to their husbands.
In the north, although not as prevalent, the mingling of the Dominion people and those of the Caneus Empire produces a dress and military than resembles mid-era Byzantines. The dress style is based on long tunics, usually of white with the edges died a contrasting color: red, green and purple are the most common. These colorful bands are then embroidered with gold or silver treads. Women carry their hair in up-dos with intricate braids and tiaras.
The Gevet
The Dominion has the biggest population of gevet (or tieflings) in all of Exodus. Unwelcomed in most part of the world, these part-fiends part-humans have heavily influenced Dominion society. Their influence in the arts (particularly music and dance) is undeniable. Few Khans resist taking a gevet concubine whose promiscuity and libido are legendary. The trick is to woo one and get her away from her family. Gevet are extremely protective of their females and matrons rule entire tribes with an iron fist.
Male gevet are generally seen as nuisance and criminals. Most of them are. They are found running all types of criminal organizations. Few male gevet are considered useful or active members of society.
The Sasori
An integral part of Dominion society are the sasori. These man-scorpions have served the Khagans since the days of the First Khagan. Dominion authorities have many sasoris in positions of power and part of the military. Indeed, whenever something is deemed extremely valuable, the Sasori are asked to watch over it. Though not every sasori work for the government, few actively work against it. The Khagan is said those be the leader of a secret police made up of sasori.
The Army
The Dominion army is overall based on the old tribal system. Khans gather to form an army. The core of the army is made up of light cavalry and designed for rapid movement. Its numbers are actually quite small as the Dominion wins its battle through the use of magic. To supplement that, the Dominion employs specialist units, such as Sasori infantry, heavy cavalry fighting (from the the northern Dominion) and gevet assassins. Fighting the Dominion means one should be ready to fight a number of summoned elementals.
Because of the large number of spell casters in the Dominion, the Khagan employs a small group of specially-trained assassins known as the Khalid Asad. The Khalid Asad specialize in slaying spell casters.

[Avatar of the Kaga] The Caneus Empire

2011-10-20T10:48:00.000-06:00

Born from the ashes of the Cavian empire, the Caneus Empire went from a lawless land where petty warlord fought each other for scraps of lands to a feudal society. The Kaga’s hand in the establishment of such a system is unclear, however it is recorded in the ancient chronicles that the Kaga provide some warlords knowledge that led to the establishment of the Empire.
The lands of Nas are cold and mountainous. The people hailing from there are strong, proud and brave, likening themselves to the mountains. Like many other locations on Exodus, the climate and the mountains are the result of ancient magic used that forever altered the landscape. Ancient tales dating back to the days of the First Ones’ Empire describe Nas as a pleasant and temperate land of rolling hills and wild hordes of horses and cattle.
The Caneus Empire, like most empires, was forged in blood. Baron Gregory Eland rose up against his lord in protest to the forced suicide of his betrothed. In a campaign that was both surprising and spectacular, the Baron smashed his opponents and crowned himself Emperor of the Caneus Empire. Following the conquest, a country priest appeared preaching the word of what was until then a fringe cult, the Sanguine Church.
Over the next centuries, the Empire consolidated itself to include all of Nas, most of Koryth and vast tracts of Sametia. The feudal system of the Caneus Empire allowed it to expand its borders and maintain them by rewarding members who pleased the Emperors.
Late entrants in the Twilight War, the Caneus Empire and the Reis Confederacy ground each other down. The highly-trained, well-armed, disciplined knights and soldiers of the empire fought and routed many of the hordes of unwashed, untrained, and ill-equipped Confederates. Yet, the final battle of the Twilight War, the Battle of Aremyhk where Imperial forces were blindsided by the janissaries and forced to sign the truce to end the decades-long war.
Six decades ago, the cavians, the rat-men who used to rule Nas, returned from a centuries-long exile to lands unknown. Their return caused consternation and many nations at first tried to exterminate them, but Emperor Desmond Eland made a deal with them, obtaining the loyalty of the cavians in return for citizenship. Though many still think this deal is more than it seems, the cavians have thus far served the Empire’s purpose as well as increase its armies and population.
The Ruling Family
The current ruler of the Caneus Empire is Empress Cassandra Eland. Third child (of four imperial siblings), she was destined to be married off to some duke or a foreign noble in return for political considerations. But fate has a strange way of changing the best laid plans. The ambitious princess made sure to help fate along the way.
Emperor Desmond II had four children: Prince Bial and Princesses Mercy, Cassandra and Sienna. Bial took his trials in the Confederacy where he became violently ill. Then the Emperor and his wife died suddenly. So the dukes crowned Princess Mercy as Empress. Then Empress Mercy was poisoned, with the blame pointing to Prince Bial. So the dukes crowned Empress Cassandra.
Prince Bial escaped the new Empress’s searches and is believed to be hiding in the Confederacy where he shares a love affair with the Imperatrix. Princess Sienna’ now serve as the executor of the Empire. She has proved to be a capable administrator and advisor to the Empress. The body of Empress Mercy is missing. Rumors abound about what happened (the book actually tells you what happened to Mercy’s body, its not pleasant).
The Flavor
The Caneus Empire is a feudal society that I like to think as something resembling 12th through 15th century Europe. It mixes elements of the Hundred-Year War (England and France) with some High Chivalry elements. These elements mix in a climate that is rugged, mountainous and cold, this reminds me of what I would expect in Finland, Norway, or Sweden.
Members of the lower classes, live in poverty in the harsh weather. The nobles frequently live among their people, sharing a common lot with them. Few nobles spend much time away from their people as bandits, wolves and other dangers constantly demand their attention.
The Trials
While not given to the romantic ideas that led to the myths surrounding the Knights of the Round Table, the idea of quest and trials is one that permeates the entire society. Everyone, from slave to emperor, is expected participate in a number of trials throughout their lives. These trials vary depending on the position.
Young Canean nobles frequently leave their homes to test themselves, to explore the world and return with a wider world view. Many do not return.
The Army
The Empire has a long tradition of militarism. Every noble is expected to provide military service at the call of the Empress. There is a fair amount of competition in doing so and few nobles would refuse to serve if called upon, their honor demands it.Younger nobles, both male and female proudly serve the empire. As they grow older and have obligations to their lands and people many leave imperial service to retire to their lands. Many still have fond memories of service and frequently regale others with war stories by the fire.
Peasants are formed in large, undisciplined units who are frequently only expected to stand there and fly their lord’s banner. They are engaged in battle only to sweep the enemy off the field, once the knights have secured victory.

[Avatar of the Kaga] The Arman Protectorate

2011-10-18T16:54:00.000-06:00

A nation that immediately caught my eye and filled me within inspiration was the Arman Protectorate. Proof of which: a number of adventures are set in the Protectorate OR deal with them. The Protectorate has a long history of bloody conflict. From the days when Abaddon – the lands now occupied by the Protectorate – was ruled by the First Ones to the days to the Sorcerer-Kings to the Arman to the Twilight War and onto today, Abaddon has been shaped by war.
The current Tsarina is the descendant of a family that has ruled the Protectorate for five centuries, the Kryszkas. Under the Kryszkas dynasty, the Protectorate underwent massive changes. From a land ruled by barbarians, they have forged a nation that share a common faith (the Sanguine Covenant), they have fought and repelled many Dominion attacks, and they ruled over the transition of the Protectorate military from a raider-based force to a well-organized machine backed by the power of the ironforged.
Not as powerful magically as their neighbor and usual opponent, the Dominion to the west, the Protectorate instead chose to create massive constructs and a technology unique to Exodus: firearms. This gives the Armans an advantage their opponents do not have.
It is a secret that is closely guarded by the Forgers’ Guild. One they keep a number of assassins on the payroll to make sure the secrets stay within the Protectorate. Anyone who is not from the Protectorate who learns to use those weapons is targeted for elimination. The Forgers’ Guild and the crown both offer substantial rewards (in the 1,000s of silver pieces) for any such information and even more money (in the 10s of thousands of silver) as bounties for the heads of those guilty. The Arman have been extremely forthcoming with their money and few ignore that real information leads to real money. In short unless you are an Arman or working for the Tsarina, do not touch firearms.
The Tsarina
The beautiful Tsarina Anayanka Kryszkas has ruled the Protectorate for five years now. She is loved by her subjects as a shrewd diplomat, a liberal sovereign who holds the Arman traditions in high regard. Her policy leads towards expansion of the Protectorate, and Arman senators lobby strongly for the Imperial Alliance to allow her the right to send a massive force through the Ice Crags to conquer the primitive tribes that live beyond.
Currently unmarried, who the Tsarina will take as her husband is subject to a lot of speculation. Rumor has it that the Tsarina is involved in a secret love affair with Nasser ibn al’Aadim, brother of the Dominion’s Khagan. If such a wedding happen, the political dynamic of southern Exodus would be forever changed.
The Flavor
The flavor of the Protectorate is an interesting mixture of medieval Eastern Europe (Russian, Poland, Hungary, Kievan Rus) with elements of the XVIth and XVIIth centuries (firearms). This mix really creates an interesting flavor. The guns and more technologically advanced elements mix in with a traditionally barbaric origins. Oh I would love to know how to draw!
The nation itself is built around a central, autocratic ruler. However, the many provinces of the nation are controlled by powerful dynastic families who control vast tracts of land. This separation is not feudal in nature as each prince owns and controls his own lands. Thus although the Tsars have the power of life and death over all, family dynasties and power plays are not to be underestimated. Neither can they remove land from a family's control as it is possible in a feudal society.
Again... unique and interesting clash of classic elements
The Army
The Protectorate army may be the one army that includes the fewest number of spell casters. However, its military boasts some of the most unique and colorful specialists of every army. The Protectorate's army is mostly "conventional" in its composition: its main forces are composed of infantry with cavalry used for support.
However, it also includes a number of powerful specialists that augments the fighting power of its armed forces. These includes the Peacekeepers (a unit of fanatically devoted warrior raised from childhood to serve the Arman crown), the Artillerists (masters of artillery and able to control constructs) and the ironforged the hulking arcane constructs. The combination makes the Protectorate army quick, numerous and hard to defeat in a single battle.
This creates a very unique mixture of miniatures to use for the modeler (and the artist, but I paint minis...) I see their basic outfits being similar to that of ancient Rus (the viking that established themselves between the Baltic and Constantinople).
Next: The Caneus Empire!
JP

Multi-Media JP!

2011-10-14T11:46:00.000-06:00

This installment is based around a number of multimedia things I have done.
A few weeks back, Bill Woods asked me to go on the Enchanted Grounds podcast. Topics to include gaming, writing, and NeoExodus. However, we got off-track and talked about gaming in a number of ways. The resulting chat is very interesting. Check it out! You can find the podcast on the Enchanted Grounds website
The second multimedia offering I have today is the result of a unique situation. Last night, as my wife was at her night classes, I had just put The Boy down for the night. That was the time that I have to myself. So I went downstairs, got online and thought about not doing what I should've - such as completing my stat blocks for NeoExodus. Then I see a tweet that went like this:
Oh well I guess no one wants free artwork by yours truly. Not even enough to just hangout in a chat with me
Free artwork?! My interest was piqued.
So I replied and got onto Google Hangout with Kaitlyn Peavler (@thedandmom on twitter). She and I chatted a little for a while as I procrastinated. She shared her screen upon which I could watch her draw. I do not know why, but I like to watch people draw or paint. So I watched as she drew... Suddenly, I went "Are you drawing ME??? Turns out she was! We kept talking as I saw a cartoon version of myself appear on the screen - talk about hypnotized.
A few short minutes later, she send me the following drawing. I really look nice and thin! Thanks Kaitlynn! Check her out and follow her on Twitter (@thedandmom)!
JP

[Avatar of the Kaga] Races of NeoExodus, Part 3

2011-10-13T21:40:00.000-06:00

Last post as the Avatar, completed the tour of the new races found in the NeoExodus book. If you missed any part of it, you can find Part 1 and Part 2 on this blog.
So having gone through the nine new races of NeoExodus, we came to a crossroads. A point where we had to decide what to do about two things: Humans and the Core Pathfinder Races (Elves and Dwarves).
Humans of Exodus
I will not lie and say one of the things that really drew me into Greyhawk and later into Golarion was the distinction and variety of human races. Their background and their history, along with their looks. I still want to play a caster from the Mwangi Expanse just because a caster with a shamanistic mask really appeals to me. Though the Dungeon Bastard says: Playing human is like choosing vanilla when you go to Baskin Robbins, I believe the flavor of vanilla matters, silky French and Italian delight have a common taste, but do not taste the same. Love to the Bastard, but he has a narrow view of the race.
The NeoExodus Campaign Book does not merely present “humans” as an entry. It presents six human subtypes, with details about their appearance, origin, common favored classes and alignments.
The human subraces are Arman (from Abaddon/Sametia), Cardosians (from the Abaddon River basin), Cordelian (from the deserts of Cordel), Khymerion (from northern Exodus), Nasian (from Nas) and the mongrels Sametians (from Sametia). Three races are also included: the jao, the original sametian and the sorceran who are either based on dead cultures or who live beyond Exodus. NPC entries for humans do not say “Human”, but use the correct subrace. Humans are the most numerous of all the races on Exodus and thus form the majority in almost every nation. Most of the human subraces are strongly tied to the nations they inhabit, that is by design. Going back to medieval times, You would find people with common ethnicity in one area.
Other Races
The short answer about those: they have been removed from NeoExodus.
But JP, I want to play an elf! I hear some of you whining to me. Where are the elves? Where are the dwarves? Halflings? Gnomes? Half-Orcs? Those are all cool.
We thought about that. Should we include or exclude them? A lot of positive on both sides…
On the plus side, adding those races meant that players immediately knew them, no need to re-introduce them. They appear in many different books and products and are well defined.
On the con side, the races of NeoExodus are very unique and are a definite selling point. We did not want to have to re-invent the elves or the dwarves for NeoExodus. Including them meant we would have to support them: include leaders, assign lands and a history to them. They would have to appear somewhat regularly in adventure and other products.
Louis and I angst much over the decision: should we cut them or include them? I was in favor of cutting them out and focus on the NeoExodus races. Louis was not so sure (and neither of us had an argument to resolve this). So we kept on working, leaving them behind, but not really dropping them. We pushed the decision to a later time.
In the end it was an adventure that had already been published than decided the matter. Since one of the NPC was a half-elf, we needed to include them. If you do not know me, I consider published material to be set in stone. Once some element of background is published, then we cannot change it without justifying it to the players. My strong preference towards dropping them took a blow. I could not drop them and forget about them.
I had to include them. I spent quite a while avoiding the issue, trying to come up with a way that would satisfy everyone. Explain that rare NPC, and give us an “out” to include further races.
Then inspiration struck (as I was working on the adventure).
A major element of NeoExodus is the Nexus Gateways. These gateways, as Louis explained to me are ancient magical portals that function well like Stargates (but don’t tell the studios). These are generally known and can be activated to and from given points. But like the teleport spell, sometime they malfunction. Or rather, they operate on their own. They activate and poof, a number of things appear. Often times those things are monsters, but sometimes refugees or surprised spell casters appear. These exiles from other worlds would thus have moved into ghettos and small isolated communities. Among these refugees we would find the elves, the dwarves and all the races a GM wants to include in his NeoExodus campaign.
Next: Nations of NeoExodus
JP

The Gods Hate Me

2011-10-13T13:16:00.000-06:00

A while ago, I reported that I had sent in an entry for Chaosium's Adventure Writing Contest for Cthulhu Invictus (the Roman era CoC). Well it's been a long time. A very long time indeed... I sent my submission sometime in June or July of 2010! That was a long time coming... But better late than never! I have not yet received my copy of the monograph (and have sent a query to the good folk at Chaosium about it).
I am very happy to be counted among the list of winners, among which is my good friend Osk. I did not participate in 2011's contest, but plan to do so if Chaosium again hold an adventure contest in the summer of 2012.
My own submission used to be the first chapter in my Invictus Campaign. Yes, the one I abandoned. Why? It would've required 300 pages to explain what I planned to do and 500 to write the adventures themselves. However, there are a number of bright points in there. So I went through the original adventure, trimmed all the campaign-specific information and ended up with the final version. I was lucky enough to have play-tested that adventure twice. I really like it.
You can buy the monograph from Chaosium directly. Monographs are only available through them, not through your FLGS.
This monograph is the second Chaosium publication that features some of my own material (the other being 2009's BRP Adventures).
Check it out and let me know...
JP

[Avatar of the Kaga] Races of NeoExodus, Part 2

2011-10-12T13:50:00.000-06:00

You can find the first part of this entry here. That first part covers the Cavians through the Gevet.
Kalisan
Like the Gevet, the Kalisans are a new race that arrives with the Setting Book. Like with the gevet, Louis and I talked a lot about this race and its potential inclusion. In the end, they were just too cool to leave out. Here’s why…
The kalisans are an offshoot of the calibans (see Monsters of NeoExodus: Caliban). Now the calibans are a race of cannibalistic humanoids (they eat any living things, not just other calibans). The kalisans are the more civilized members of that race. They are nomadic and travel throughout Exodus. Kalisans relish in battle and the thrill of combat. They have served as mercenaries for every nation in Exodus. Today, they are common in the jungles of north and western Exodus.
However, other races dislike them because of their cannibalistic ways (though they are omnivorous, kalisans can eat almost anything). A kalisan who eats the flesh of another might gain a number of bonuses, including skill bonuses to ability bonuses (there are a number of feats). Kalisans are definitely a unique race that presents a type of role-playing challenge not found elsewhere. They can gain power by consuming fallen foes… but will they do it? Is there a darker – yet unrevealed purposed to this? Does this power have a price?
Kalisans are medium creatures. They frequently fight beyond normal means and can run and keep force marching for extended periods.
Recommended classes: Fighters, barbarians, rangers and rogues.
Non-Recommended classes: Arcane spell casters.
Prymidian
The Prymidian are a race of red-skinned humanoids that have a supernatural mastery of language. Whether this ability is based in some innate magical ability OR in some form of minor psionic power is not clear. What is clear is that prymidians are able to speak with most intelligent creatures they encounter.
Their affinity with words is not the main thing they are known for. Prymidians have long tentacles that grow out of their forearms that can extend roughly another arm’s length. This ability gives the Prymidian some limited additional reach (some of the new feats in the book further modifies or enhance these tentacles). Prymidians value reason, research and scholarly pursuits above all. They frequently come across as aloof, arrogant and long-winded. Most prefer long words and intricately crafted sentences to simple words.
Prymidians are medium creatures with an ability to speak with any creature that has a language (but they do not gain or retain knowledge of the language beyond immediate interaction). They can also cast read magic at will.
Recommended classes: Bards, monks.
Non-Recommended classes: Barbarians, Divine spell casters.
P’Tan
I have to admit that the first time I saw the P’Tan, I rolled my eyes and went *groan* another catfolk race. But after I began to look at them a little deeper, I began to see there was more than meets the eye. They are not “just” catfolk, but they have a history that makes them unique and abilities that truly take them to a whole other level.
The p’tan were one of the slave races that fought under the First Ones, although not very numerous, the First Ones experimented on them and vastly increased their numbers by infusing them with energy from the shadow plane. Later in the history of Exodus, the P’Tan broke free from the First Ones and made their way back to Exodus. This late departure mixed with a healthy distrust of anything related to the First Ones, makes the P’Tan seen as untrustworthy and still linked with their former masters.
P’Tan are medium creatures with the natural ability to generate black lightning – they call shadowspark. Their otherworldly origin means they are outsiders with the native subtype. They see in the dark and have a natural affinity to fight against the First Ones. That close proximity with shadows and darkness make the P’Tans dazzled in bright lights. Feats in the book allow the P’Tan to modify their shadowspark ability from being a ranged touch attack to a number of forms, such as making them area of effect.
Recommended classes: Rogues, Clerics or Rangers
Non-Recommended classes: Wizards, Summoners, or Witches
Sasori
Sasori are a races of humanoid with scorpion features. Sasori occupy a niche that is very unique in all of Exodus… Though demand for other resources such as money, weapons, and influence wax and wane, the only resources in constant, ravenous demand is information. Sasoris are information peddlers, passing information back and forth through an unseen web. This makes them very powerful. Because of that power, other races both fear and need the Sasori.
Sasori are medium-sized creatures with a natural affinity towards vermin of all types. They have poisonous blood that makes most creatures unwilling to eat them. They are also great at skulking around.
Recommended classes: Monks, Rogues, Clerics
Non-Recommended classes: Bards, Sorcerers, Oracles, and Summoners
Next: The final installment in the series, including the dilemma over elves and dwarves!
JP

I have a minion!

2011-10-11T16:39:00.000-06:00

In the weekly blog post for Pathfinder Society - which came a day late because Paizo had a day off on "made-up day" Monday (Canadian Thanksgiving). Lucky them. At least I got to watch my Montreal Alouettes qualify for the Grey Cup playoffs while here at work. (Check it out)
I have to say that the decision was not an easy one. With so many great volunteers, the field was vast. I needed someone who was known in the community. I needed someone who was in the Denver-Metro area. I needed someone who was a quality GM. I needed someone who had played a lot. I needed someone who was "store-neutral" (meaning someone not tied to a specific store who could move between them without creating tension). I needed someone with whom I could work to push forward my many insane ideas.
I have to admit that after putting down all those criteria, I was able to narrow down the field to three. In the end, approached Scott to me my left-hand man. Scott initially refused, but after I explained all my reasons and expanded upon why I chose him, he saw that he was the right man for the job. So to all I offer to you, Scott Crosson, my Venture-Lieutenant!
So Scott, as of today you can say:
JP

More NeoExodus News...

2011-10-11T14:09:00.000-06:00

NeoExodus is coming... Finally... Here are some news...
First, you may pre-order your copy from Paizo. The info there should give you most hints as to what we have put in there: spells, feats, races, world gazetteer and more.
Second, Louis posted the WIP for the campaign book. I really like the composition and the style of the characters. They are going to be NICE. Especially the roaring enuka just seems massive. The characters on the cover are based on our Iconics: Nose-Cutter the enuka fighter, Freja the human Protectorate gunslinger and Karissa the P'Tan rogue. This is a work in progress.
JP

Organized Play People: Kitty Curtis [Arcanis, Living Arcanis]

2011-10-10T09:57:00.000-06:00

The person who, at the time was really the face of Arcanis in the Denver area was Kitty Curtis. I met Kitty at my first Bencon where she wore those kitty ears – which I always thought funny. At the time, she was the RPG Coordinator.
Then LG was killed and I started to look for something else (Pathfinder was still a long way away) and so I showed up at one of the Thursday nights in Arcanis on a dark November evening. Yadda yadda yadda; I was hooked! Kitty and her crew (Gregg, Ryan, Calvin and many others) kept feeding me my monthly dose of 3.5… We kept playing until we finally called it quits this past September. A number of reasons are involved (which is not the goal of this post).
JP: Hi Kitty and thank you again for participating in this interview.
KC: You're welcome JP! Always glad to do an interview that doesn't involve me on camera.
JP: I had a long chat with Peter from PCI about the new Arcanis system [link]. I wanted to do this interview with you is to focus on the organized play aspect of the new Arcanis system, not so much the system (cursed be ye d12).
KC: Just a note - I personally don't like using a d12 to track what tick you act on next. A decent d12 doesn't have the numbers next to each other, which makes it really awkward. Pen and paper works great for me, and there are a few different versions of the Action Dial running around, although my favorite is to use one of those little clocks that teach grade school kids how to tell time. (The hour hand can even be used to track strain/recovery.) I'm loving the GM Master Clock I have - I'll show you next game.
JP: If you allow me, can we talk a little about the old Living Arcanis (LA)?
KC: Sure!
JP: Can you give us a history of LA?
KC: The old Living Arcanis had a couple of different phases. We started with the 3.0 OGL, and the main difference between Living Arcanis (LA) and Living Greyhawk (LG) was that there were no regions. Sure, there were different geographical areas that events took place in, but every adventure was available to every player without having to travel in the real world.
Then Wizards of the Coast (WotC) upgraded to 3.5 LA held on to 3.0 for quite a while - Paradigm Concepts Inc (PCI) had put out new crunch products and wanted to continue to let players use them without having to pay for an "upgrade". The existing Campaign Staff started to get a little bogged down, and sought to share the wealth, so they introduced the Invisible Kings program. Groups of players and writers were invited to apply. We were to choose a region or secret society and flesh it out, and provide 1-2 years’ worth of outlines for adventures. To take the load off of campaign staff, each group of 3 or more also edited and play-tested our own adventures before sending them to another group for review, and then to campaign staff. In addition, as the campaign ramped up towards its grand finale of high-level play, the Invisible Kings were tasked with continuing to provide adventures for low-level play so that new players would still have adventures available to them, as well as having more localized plot lines for new players to wrap their heads around while learning about this amazing setting.
JP: Then 4e came along…
KC: Then WotC officially announced that 4e was forthcoming. The new 3.5 supplements were once again made obsolete, and it was clear that PCI needed their own rules set if they wanted to be in control of their campaign. Now, I was initially in the camp of not wanting to learn *another* rules system, but I have to tell you, once I started experimenting with the new system, I saw just how much of the old rules system was dedicated to squeezing Arcanis into d20 rules. (At the end of the last arc, our rules document was 79 pages. 79 pages! In the new campaign, we argued for a week whether we *really* wanted to move from 7 pages to 8 pages, including the cover page.)
JP: What other elements did Living Arcanis introduce that were unique to it? I assume those are still in “Chronicles”…
KC: There are two things that I first saw in LA (and haven't seen in any other campaigns, but then again, I don't play them all). One was separating adventures into what we call Hard Points and Soft Points. Hard Points are essentially the core storyline of each arc, and we recommend they be played in order if at all possible. Soft Points are adventures that take place around the central storyline, and we try to label whether the events in that adventure take place after any other adventures. The first story line was a 6-year arc (which stretched across 10 years of real time), so it was really important for players to be able to see whether a particular adventure would make a good "pick-up" game, or whether they would be lost without back story.
JP: [Interrupting] I really like the Hard/Soft point system. So much so that we are introducing something similar in NeoExodus, a campaign setting I am working on… But continue.
KC: The second was the introduction of secret societies – organizations that characters could be a member of - and they might have additional information or goals that the rest of the party didn't have. Sometimes this was just to give the society an item that ended up in party treasure at the end, sometimes it would be a side mission, and occasionally it would put one or more characters in conflict with the rest of the group, which led to some really rich role-playing. They were a "love them or hate them" element, but those that loved them were devoted, and the campaign really played to that. A fair number of players joined a particular legion in the campaign, so they started to get more and more mention at the major events (Roleplaying Interactives and Battle Interactives). There's a large contingent that still has the very snazzy shirts they had made. (Hat tip to Legio Lex!)
JP: Can you give us your RPG-Pedigree?
KC: Well, I don't know that anyone really needs to care who I am, but if you want my gamer history: There are plenty out there that will always see me as a baby gamer. I was kept out of the boys' D&D games in high school, no matter how much I wanted in. Shortly after high school (1999-ish), a friend heard I was interested in playing and put me in touch with a group. We started with AD&D, (darned "rouge" skills!).
After a year or two of playing, when we started to lose players to attrition (in our case, marriage to non-gamers), a friend mentioned Living Greyhawk. A way to get more D&D time AND a way for shy awkward me to actually meet people I had something in common with? Score! I stayed up and read the 3.0 rulebook from page 1 through to spells and attended my first public game day (October Rebellion, in Valhalla's back room, where I met many of my close friends.)
Two weeks later I coordinated my first game day and two months after that I judged my first game. I picked a doozy Fright at Tristor, for those that know it. I was hooked. Over the next two years I judged 2-4 adventures a week, and when I worked the night shift, ran some midnight madness games to get more gaming in. I was furious when they got rid of the points system for GMs less than a week before my Paragon status would have kicked in. I started editing for LG (local, then core and ADPs), and considered Triad, but just couldn't fit it into my life. I started helping at conventions and running more game days.
Meanwhile a friend had been trying to pitch a new setting at me: Arcanis. I kicked and screamed and fought. I didn't have time to learn a new setting, I was too busy coordinating. Then he hit me where it hurt - he told me he needed me to fill a seat at a slot 0 (allowing judges to play an adventure before they run it), or the table wouldn't go off. So I put together a dummy character and decided I would just warm the seat outside of combats. That's where I made my fatal mistake – I listened to the plot, and it was all downhill from there. He loaned me his rule book and I devoured it that night. I judged Arcanis at the first convention in Denver during the first year of the campaign, then coordinated gamedays and the local mailing list, eventually became an Invisible King (or Queen, as the case may be), then Assistant Campaign Director, and now Campaign Director.
JP: Yep… The setting in Arcanis is why we play it… What other games have you played?
KC: As far as my laundry list of games I've played, there's AD&D, d20 3.0 (variety of genres), 3.5 (variety of genres), a little 4.0, ShadowRun, Tales from the Floating Vagabond, The Window, Big Eyes Small Mouth, Vampire, GURPS, Primetime Adventures, Deadlands, Spycraft, a little RoleMaster and of course a couple of complete homebrews from when our groups got cocky and decided we'd make our own from scratch. I'll play just about anything so long as I have a pre-generated character and time, although I particularly want to try out Dread, Grimm, A Faery's Tale, Monsters and Other Childish Things, Savage Worlds, Veggie Patch, Pathfinder, Dogs in the Vineyard, Changeling and Spirit of the Century. I know I left some off of both lists. If I haven't tried, it, I'm game, once I have the free time. :D Oh, and board games, and video games when I had the time. But no CCGs or battle miniatures-I don't have the cash, much less the time.
More with Kitty next week.

Why I should not be allowed to draw anything

2011-10-07T20:34:00.000-06:00

In case you did not know, I think my gaming expertise lies in the realm of writing and what I like to call scenaristic (how to make a good adventure). I would like to present you with an example of my computer-based drawing skills. As you all know, Louis Porter and I are in the process of completing the layout for the NeoExodus Campaign book.
Louis posted a trial cover for us to see the contrast and get an idea of the colorization effect. Here is what he posted:
I like the simplicity of the composition and the shades of grey really makes the logo pop. Many have commented on Louis's Facebook. About the boobs... Okay, the model is fine... as in <Ebonic>DANG GIRL! You FINE!</Ebonic> No worries. She is not gonna be the final cover girl. No, I'm not turning away from my love affair with female breasts. Those mysterious and glorious orbs are the two things that have prevented me from become a priest.
I gave Louis a series of ideas for the composition of the cover, to try and see how they would come out. So I tried to explain, but I got a feeling that he did not understand what I meant. So I opened MS-Paint and went ahead and created the following composition. (click on the pic to get a better view...)
Now you understand why Louis does not call upon me as an artist... The elements are three of the top villains of the setting: Makesh, Haru Anon and Nysska from the Folding Circle (major terror organization) and the Sphere, is nothing other than the Annihilation Sphere... A nice apocalypse device I wrote the background for... And now you know who controls it... I don't think my idea will make the final cut... But then again... it might be because of the art...
JP

More on NeoExodus Races with Paizo's Advanced Races

2011-10-06T12:50:00.000-06:00

Louis Porter posted his comments on the P'Tan using the Advanced Races guide from Paizo. Check it out on his blog

[Avatar of the Kaga] Races of NeoExodus

2011-10-06T11:45:00.000-06:00

I’ve been talking about the unique races for NeoExodus to you for a while. Well, they are. As I write this, I am looking (on my other screen) at the finalized format of the Races of Exodus chapter of the book. NICE. (But don’t tell LPJ, it’ll go to his head.)
Cavian
The Cavians are a race of psionic rat-men. After the fall of the First Ones, they rose to prominence in what is not frigid Nas. The Cavian race opted to explore the field of the mind and create what is now a hive mind. The goals of the Hive Mind are nebulous and unclear to most, creating fear and mistrust. This led to the War of Mind and Magic where the Sorcerer-Kings of Abaddon and the Cavians clashed in the biggest conflict since the defeat of the first ones. In defeat, the cavian retreated to parts unknown. Where they disappeared to is the topic of hot debate. About six decades ago, the Cavians returned to Exodus. They have since spread throughout Exodus where many see them with mistrust.
Cavians are medium creatures with a bite and a natural ability to detect thoughts. Cavians may be part of the Hive Mind or Severed. Their mere presence makes people extremely nervous, making cavians unwelcome in high society.
Recommended classes: Any psionic class, rogues and ninja (anything stealthy)
Non-Recommended classes: Divine casters (Cavians are not very spiritual)
Cynean
The Cyneans are a race of crystalline humanoids with a strong fascination with all things arcane. They are eager seekers of knowledge and arcane mysteries. They are stoic and calm. Cyneans hail from the non-Alliance island of Gavea but have migrated throughout southern Exodus.
Cyneans are medium creatures with crystalline bodies. Their bodies naturally manipulate arcane energies around their bodies to provide them with further protection. Some Cynean may manipulate the arcane energies to various ways.
Recommended classes: Any arcane casters
Non-Recommended classes: Divine casters (Cynean abilities focus around arcane power)
Dalrean
The Dalrean are plant humanoids, drawing from both heritage. They live in patches in the thickest and most remote forests of Exodus. Theirs is an extremely complex social structure that is incomprehensible to other races. Each patch is a nation in itself. Some dalreans sometimes leave their patch to travel the world, a concept they have difficulty explaining to others. Another unique feature about them is that they do not actually speak, sending spores that allow them to communicate with other life forms.
Dalrean are part humanoid and part plant, counting as both of the purpose of being targeted by spells or effects. They can make parts of their body glow and live only on sunlight and water, but are vulnerable to the environment.
Recommended classes: Druid, ranger or barbarian
Non-Recommended classes: Clerics, and classes that require a lot of study
Enuka
The Enuka are big, loud and powerful. Hailing from the jungles of northern Exodus, an enuka sees the world in terms of predator and prey. They seek to be the apex predator at all times. Enuka appearances vary wildly from one to the next due to the many mutations common to the race. Enukas themselves consider these mutations natural and do not have any prejudices. Some mutations develop later in an enuka’s life.
Enukas are medium-sized humanoids (but on the bigger side). Unlike other races, enukas benefit from different mutations that help them. Some are very big, others have tough furs, others can swim very well, and others have an oversize jaw. Creating an enuka character gives you a LOT of options to customize the character to your taste. No two enukas are the same.
Recommended classes: Fighter, barbarian, or ranger
Non-Recommended classes: Arcane spell casting classes.
Gevet
The gevet are a race that were excluded from the original “Races of NeoExodus” book for a number of reasons. After reviewing them, I gave them a partial re-do from the original 3.5 document and added them to the campaign book. They really add another dimension to the world. You know when sometimes you are missing something you don’t know you are missing? The gevet are that race. The more I read and thought about them, the more I could see the adding to NeoExodus.
The gevet are a race of human/outsider hybrids hailing from the burning Cordelian Desert in the Dominion. Gevet are a type of tiefling native to Exodus. They have a reputation as being devious, aloof and distant from all others while females are seen as promiscuous and sex-crazed. Gevet consider family to be extremely important and females especially so. Women are held in great reverence and fertility is the greatest gift they can give the tribe. They are commonly involved in crime syndicates, kidnapping, slave trading and other similar activities.
Gevet are medium-sized outsiders and humans for any effect related to race. All gevet are resistant to fire.
Recommended classes: Males tend to be rogues, bards, or rangers. Females tend towards being clerics, oracles or bards.
Non-Recommended classes: Males avoid becoming clerics.
Next: More races of Exodus!
JP

[Avatar of the Kaga] The (many) inspirations behind NeoExodus.

2011-10-04T12:56:00.000-06:00

NeoExodus is not the product of a single source of inspiration. Rather it is a sum of a number of sources merged into one.
I joined the NeoExodus crew after seeing a Facebook post by Louis. The post said he was looking for an author. I was looking to write. I had looked at his Obsidian Twilight setting and thought it was innovative, so I contacted him. He explained to me a lot of things, put the history of the world in my inbox and quickly got me working on something.
I liked what I saw. A lot. However, as I sat down to write my first NeoExodus adventure, the yet un-released “Origin of Man”. I remember having to go through a number of books and sources to find things I wanted to know: Who lives here? What are these creatures like? Why can’t I go here? What does that city look like? As long as I could ask Louis, things were fine. He knew the answers to my many questions. But the answers were scattered across a number of books.
After a while, I had enough and started working on the Campaign Book. I started with the history of Exodus, then expanding to the nations, then expanding into character options. This massive amount of work required me to dig in Louis’s mind to make sure I understood what he wanted. What the original book meant and expand that information so that a GM could run a game from that book.
In case you don’t know, Louis’ blog is named “In the mind of a madman”. He is many things, but a liar he is not. The name is very appropriate. Through these weekly talks, I was able to figure out what those many things meant and sometime add my own additional spin to it.
The Themes
Let’s talk a little about the themes of NeoExodus. I’ve frequently presented and defined NeoExodus as A traditional fantasy setting dealing with themes commonly found in Sci-fi.
Let that sink in.
. . .
Now, it’s a traditional fantasy setting because it is rooted in the common paradigms of fantasy: Sword-and-board, magic is present, deities grant spells and direct miracles to certain worshippers, there are humans and other races that have a common history (or a history of cohabitation). That does not mean “elves and dwarves”.
But it approaches themes generally found in Sci-Fi. Themes such as the nature of one’s humanity, the concept of loyalty, absolutism in religion, national loyalties, nature of good and evil, the role of man in the world. This does not mean D&D with laserguns either.
You will know that when I say “man” I mean “PC races”.
From such an ambitious overall theme, we went to work.
Comics
Louis is a HUGE fan of the comic book industry. I was a big fan myself long ago, but nowadays… Not so much. But I understand enough of the comic world to understand what Louis is talking about.
For example, he once asked “Who is our Magneto?” or “we need a group of villains that would serve as our Doctor Doom”. I also explained to him “NeoExodus is not the Legion of the Super Heroes, we need villains and things to have more than one-line in the story” (for added fun read his angry comments below. He’ll be greatly annoyed that I talked about LoSH, again, yes Louis, there are too many Legionnaires and 75% of them should be killed off-screen and no time wasted on them).
Comics are a great source of inspiration for both of us. Although he has a longer, more continuing history, my own love affair with the European Bandes Dessinées (such as Tintin) gives me a different perspective. The two of us understand each other on that, with different visions, but visions that complete each other. You won’t find Tintin or Superman in NeoExodus. Some of our villains serve roles similar to villains. For example, the First Ones (one of them in particular) serves as a sort of Doctor Doom. He is nothing like DD but he fills the role of “major, immediate menace.”
Speaking “comics” was definitely a gateway between us to convey concepts for certain things.
Movies
Sci-Fi and horror classics and not-so classics definitely came to minds. For example, I have told people that the First Ones were a mix of Classic Drow (not the sappy, angst-filled two-scimitar wielding bums, but the classic total evil bitch with web bikinis) and the Cenobites from Clive Barker’s Hellraiser.
Horror movies have inspired me, but not in what I would call a traditional sense. They have conveyed a sense of plot and feel. I think older movies (the Hammer movies from the 60s especially) had a way of presenting the situation and giving you a FEEL for where they were. Yeah, yeah the monsters were horrible and the plots barely holding together with twists that got the hot girl scream at everything. But I think they frequently did a better job to get me into the mood, or feel of a given location without ruining everything my showing me an obvious CGI landscape.
One of the “horror” movies that succeeded in conveying that feel what “Le Pacte des Loups”, “The Company of Wolves” for my non-French speaking readers. The French Trailer is much more appropriate than the English one (which seems like a non-stop action movie, which it is not). Just because that movie is just so awesome, I included the (French) trailer.
Scifi movies nowadays frequently double as horror films. Movies like “The Thing”, “The Fog” (by Carpenter) and “Aliens” of course come to mind as inspiration.
Other Settings
Anyone who tells you they have not spent a lot of time looking at “other peoples’ setting” is either a complete liar or someone who is doing the same thing as someone else.
Not us.
For NeoExodus, we looked at other settings that were out there: some still supported (such as Golarion) and some no longer supported for D&D/PFRPG (such as Arcanis), setting from other editions (Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk), and even setting worlds for like DC Heroes, Oeil Noir, Legend of the Five Rings and Doctor Who (NO, I won’t create Weeping Angels for Pathfinder). I looked through my own collection of old material for inspiration. I looked and analyzed the products before me and tried to distil these elements into half-formed ideas.
I know where we wanted to go. We had a general idea of what we wanted for the setting. Now it came time to see what we could add, what we had to leave out, what fit, what did not fit, what could fit but required a lot of work or justification. One good thing about existing products is that you can look at them thinking “If I were to write this; what would I put in the product?” What about their organization? What element do I think should have expanded upon? In short improve your product by comparison.
Inspiration does not only work from the “this gives me an idea” angle. Sometimes it’s “they did it [THIS] way. Let’s do thing differently.” And work from that design decision. In many ways, we looked a number of products with that optic in mind. Let’s not offer the same thing that is out there.
Other Games
Louis and I both play other games. We looked at settings for miniatures games, thought about the background of certain monsters from the Warhammer 40k universe, drooled and glossed over the Warmachine books (Louis does not want me to show them my Warmachine books) talked about Munchkin a few times.
Our approach of those games was similar to that of RPGs. What is so interesting about them? Why do people like them? We were not out there to create a mini skirmish games, but some elements and some of the coolest monsters in those settings, we imported and re-skinned with a new spin. Be prepared to see some miniatures from Privateer Press and/or Games Workshop at some of our events in the future… Okay, I already used some of my Warmachine stuff in “Encounter at Ramat Bridge” at PaizoCon and Fandemonium. Those guys make awesome minis… And I have them, so I’d better use them!
History
If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, my love affair with history is known to you. If not, well… now you know. History is a great teacher. Unfortunately most of us learned a series of meaningless dates and our eyes glazed over. But history is an awesome story book.
Like the world of comics, we used history as a way to create people’s role. For example, we can take a great military mind, like Julius Caesar and use him as a general. This general would be a shrewd politician and a careful planner. Another might be based on Alexander the Great: young, brash and extravagant. Another might take after the Cardinal de Richelieu, a shrewd politician who keeps his end goal in mind. The list goes on.
History has one great advantage: we know how it played out. How a given event can impact later events and events that originally seem completely unrelated. For example, how the Moroccan crisis in the early 20th century led to the First World War, which led to the rise of Hitler and the Second World War. There is a long list of events.
The history of NeoExodus is built around similar apparently unrelated events that eventually lead to something big. History of our world definitely served as a template for a number of moments in NeoExodus. Can you guess which ones?
Next: the races of NeoExodus
JP

Organized Play People: Cory Mills, part 2 [L5R, 4e]

2011-10-03T09:16:00.000-06:00

Here is the final part of my interview with Cory of Heroes of Rokugan.
JP: What is the story of the Campaign, how did it go from Living Rokugan to Heroes of Rokugan?
CM: I am actually not the best person to tell that story. I took over the campaign from Rob Hobart, who formed Living Rokugan and ran it through the change to “Heroes of Rokugan”, so I feel a bit uncomfortable trying to explain what I know of the campaign’s history. I have heard stories, but I actually only joined the campaign five years ago (it’s been going on for ten), so most of what I could say would not be direct knowledge anyway.
JP: What game system is it? Last year I saw the promos for L5R 4e (and it was recommended by the above-named friends) what are the obvious differences between 3e and 4e (in Rokugan terms…) ?
CM: Heroes of Rokugan 3 uses the Fourth Edition. 4E is a lot more like 1E mechanically in a lot of ways. As far as setting is concerned, the rulebook makes a great deal of effort to ensure that a GM can run in whatever era of the game they wish. It is possible to run a campaign concurrently with the canon storyline, but it is by no means required, and there is a lot that can be done without paying any more attention to the meta-plot than the GM wishes.
HoR3, for example, is set in an alternate timeline precisely so that the players can have a chance to have major impact on the setting as the campaign continues. L5R can be a challenging system to run because a lot of the burden has been placed on the GM, but that allows them to use the rules to run the game that they want.
JP: What would you tell those out there about your campaign? Why is your campaign the best there is?
CM: Heroes of Rokugan is designed to give the players a chance to feel like heroes. As the campaign progresses, players have a chance to effect changes on the setting, and possibly the opportunity to rise through the ranks to positions of prominence in the Empire.
JP: Why do you think a complete newcomer to organize play should join your OP?
CM: Heroes of Rokugan has a community of players that share a love of Rokugan and the game, and are very welcoming of anyone who has an interest in L5R. Even casual players of the game can find a great rapport with our player base, and we have some of the most welcoming, generous players I’ve encountered anywhere.
JP: Why should an old grumpy player – yes… think of me as that grumpy old troll – what is the biggest strength of the OP?
CM: This campaign spends a great deal of effort on ensuring that player actions are taken into account for the development of the plot. Each module has a reporting window that allows home-run games to have an impact on the campaign as a whole, so that players don’t have to be at every major convention. While we do run exclusive interactives at some of our larger events, we are making a point of developing interactives that can be run by local groups as well.
JP: How did you become a campaign administrator?
CM: I was a fairly regular volunteer for the last campaign, and I had a decent working relationship with Rob. When he stepped down, I put together a team, wrote a proposal, and worked with him to coordinate with AEG. Maintaining a good relationship with the company that produces the game and the previous players of the campaign is one of my priorities, and their support has been invaluable.
JP: … And why did you become a campaign administrator? The glory?
As far as the “why” is concerned, I just found that I couldn’t let the community that I had become a part of during the previous campaign stop being a part of my life. I’ve made a lot of friends through Heroes of Rokugan, and when Rob indicated that he would be willing to help me step up, I could not resist the chance to keep the game going.
JP: What are you main duties as part of the campaign?
CM: I’m the one that makes the ultimate decisions. I have a support staff that helps me deal with day-to-day stuff and that coordinates specific things (like event staffing and mod writing), but the final responsibility is mine. I determine the course of the overall plot of the campaign and make the decisions about what rules we use, I decide what events we’re going to have a presence at, and every module that we produce passes through my hands.
JP: Do you have any links of websites where people might learn more about the campaign?
CM: http://heroes-of-rokugan.com/. Still being worked on; there’s a lot of stuff we’re getting up there as soon as a few technical issues get hammered out and as time allows.
JP: Thanks Cory… very informative.

FOUR STARS!

2011-10-02T09:36:00.000-06:00

Well... from the first Pathfinder Society adventure I ran at "adventure day" in December of 2009 to October of 2011, I have accumulated a total of 100 GM'd Society games. This makes me a four-star GM! Now the Five-Star treatment is the only thing ahead!
Then I guess I should retire? Hummmm Nah!
The "Lucky" adventure was 2-17 Shades Part 2 which I ran online for my buddies in Montreal. Almost didn't do it... Network issues... But finally, Marylin, J-F, Steve and Yves somehow survived the ordeal!
Since I knew many of you would not believe me, I took the liberty to take a screenshot as proof.
JP

[Avatar of the Kaga] Why not Golarion?

2011-09-30T12:00:00.000-06:00

I’ve been thinking about writing a blog series about NeoExodus that would serve as a way to introduce some specifics of the world to you, the readers. This series will include previews and design information about the NeoExodus setting. I hope to provide insight into the setting, some of the design decisions we did.
I named this series “Avatar with the Kaga” as the Kaga is one of the most unique aspects of NeoExodus. It is not a god, but it has clerics. It’s clerics are not divine, but arcane casters.
One of the first questions I’ve been asked when I first started working on NeoExodus was, Why not work on Golarion instead?
Golarion belongs to Paizo It’s their baby, their setting, their flagship. Without their approval, we could not simply start writing adventures set there and sell them. I have been trying to write material with and for Paizo for a while now, maybe one day I will. *Fingers crossed*
NeoExodus belongs to LPJDesign, so we can add to it, change things and create new material to our heart’s content. This gives us a lot of freedom about what we want to do.
Golarion is static Second Golarion is an awesome setting, but one that could be best described as “static”. A notion I had before, but that Erik Mona confirmed at this year’s PaizoCon. Golarion will never change from the baseline that has been provided in the two Campaign settings. Adventure Paths, Modules and Pathfinder Society adventures do not impact the world in a significant manner. Thus, Absalom will not sink into the sea, Qadira will not rightfully re-conquer Taldor, Andoran will not degenerate into barbarism (more), and the Worldwound will not expand to contract. In short, it will stay the way it is. Each GM is them free to expand and affect the world how he wants in his own game.
For NeoExodus, Louis and I decided the world would evolve, move and change with the time, allowing players to impact the setting. These big events would take place at cons throughout the world. (If you want to take part, contact me). This is a very different philosophy from the start. It requires additional work on our part to keep the setting coherent, to have the NPCs evolve, to make sure that PCs get to impact the setting.
Golarion is generic fantasy Golarion is based around “generic fantasy” with elves, dwarves and halflings. It has everything you can see in a fantasy setting, bundled together in a neat package. A very cool package if you ask me.
NeoExodus is non-generic fantasy. The Campaign book presents 9 new races, plus humans. Humans are given a special treatment with sub-races. Races of NeoExodus are not simple re-skin of the traditional races, they are extremely different. Cavians are psionic rat-men. Cyneans are arcane crystalline humanoids. Dalreans are plantlike humanoids. P’tans are feline-looking creatures that can conjure black lightning. I did say, different.
The history of NeoExodus is also unique. In that evil (in the form of the First Ones) used to dominate the land. The creation of the Kaga allowed man and the other slave races to defeat the First Ones. So far we have run two distinct adventures publically that move the storyline forward: PaizoCon’s Encounter at Ramat Bridge and its sequel The Sashenka Incident more are in the works.
Even the religions are different. I mentioned the Kaga earlier. He is a massive arcane intelligence created by the sacrifice of a thousand of the brilliant human minds.
What won’t change: it’s Pathfinder Paizo has rules brains that live and breathe rule-making. I am not. I much prefer to write about setting, adventures, and locations. One of the decisions we took was that we would not try to rival Paizo in the rules-making department. They have been doing an awesome thing so far. Why mess up a good thing?
What won’t change: the art Paizo’s artwork is awesome. LPJ Design has a unique look and a similar approach: high quality art really lifts and enhances a solid book.
So? In the end, we have two great settings, that are different at their core. The design philosophy is different, resulting in a different final product. The two offer different play paradigms, and both worlds give a unique play experience.
Next time: the (many) inspirations of NeoExodus.
JP

"My" Doctor Who Companions

2011-09-29T09:33:00.000-06:00

A while back, I have painted a number of miscellaneous miniatures. When I completed them I decided to come up with a Doctor Who game. The eclectic nature of these miniatures made for an interesting mixture of characters and backgrounds for that game. I painted those miniatures earlier this year but have been slacking in putting miniatures. The dark pictures are on purpose.. Though I may want to change them down the line.
Now if I can get a number of Cybermen miniatures...
JP

Playtesters wanted for NeoExodus: A house divided

2011-09-28T09:20:00.000-06:00

Here is a repost of a post from LPJDesign's blog regarding playtesters for NeoExodus. Contact the address in there if you are interested (yes, that's me!)
We at LPJ Design make no secret that I want to see NeoExodus become a household name. For that, I need to make sure what we have is great and could be picked up by GMs across the globe and run for their home group. Thus far, the reaction has been very positive, but I seek to get a wider range of groups.
We are looking for a few (two or three) groups of play-testers (GM plus 3-6 players) who would be willing to run a few sessions of NeoExodus for their home group and provide feedback to us about the experience.
How to apply:
Send an email to JP at Playtesters {at} Chapleau.us and be sure to include the following information, and anything else you think you would be good for that
1) Who is part of your group? (Names, anything of interest about you)
2) Have you ever play-tested or reviewed anything? What? Were any recommendations you did added to the game?
3) Why do you think your group of best-suited to become play-testers for NeoExodus?
4) How often do you meet?
5) Where is your group located, geographically?
Compensation
You will be given play-tester credits in the NeoExodus Campaign Book (and any future NeoExodus book you participate in testing). The GM will get a copy of the finalized PDF of the book.
Thanks for your help!

Organized Play People: Cory Mills, Part 1 [Heroes of Rokugan, L5R]]

2011-09-27T09:42:00.000-06:00

I first came into contact with AEG’s Legend of the Five Rings in 1997 or 1998 when I was still in college (at Sherbrooke University). The guys from Le Griffon recommended the game and I gave it a go. I was quite enamored with the setting: the idea of an empire that did not change (at least officially). The setting I like. What I didn’t like was when they used to push the storyline forward with the card game. L5R allowed me to meet close friends like Darryl and Tammy, Christophe, Oliver, Marie and Kristian. The most international gaming group ever (not one of us was from the same country!).Came 2003, my gaming time moved to Living Greyhawk and I focused on that for the most part. So my L5R time stopped.
Still, I wanted to play some, and looked at Living Rokugan which was active at the time. Finding no one, I focused on LG. I saw them play a few events at CavalierCon/ Weekend in Dyvers in the days and was curious but again saw no games in Denver.
JP: Who are you? How long have you been involved with L5R?
CM: I’ve been role-playing for very nearly thirty years now, having started with the old D&D Blue Book and a group of older friends at school. I’ve played a large number of games, like a lot of other players, and have become something of a collector – I’m at that odd place now where I own more games than I get a chance to play!
I’ve been playing the L5R roleplaying game since it first came out, having played the CCG a few times; I got hooked principally by the fact that there were multiple ways to explore the setting, and eventually gravitated more and more toward the RPG. I was fortunate enough to be a play-tester for the third edition, and I did start out on the playtest team for fourth edition, though the living campaign has taken up my attention of late and I have bowed out [of play-testing].
I also was a GM on an online L5R game for a few years, so having a few hundred players is something I have a bit of experience with.
JP: What is your official title in the campaign?
CM: Head Campaign Admin. I write the overall plot, approve rulings, edit and prepare the modules, and coordinate the efforts of the rest of the campaign staff.
JP: What draws you to L5R? What particularly attracts you to that game?
CM: Legend of the Five Rings is inspired by tales of the samurai of ancient Japan, with a healthy infusion of fantasy and a number of other Eastern cultures. While it does not attempt to match all historical or cultural details, it is a fun game that gives the players a chance to explore some of the aspects of living within (or flouting) the constraints of a strict code of honor. The setting has a complex culture and rich history that a GM can use to develop their campaign, and the rules for the fourth edition are generally presented more as options they can use to customize their game.
JP: What is your favorite RPG game of all times?
CM: I have played a lot of different RPGs over the years, and picking just one “favorite” is very difficult. L5R is good for intense roleplaying in a complex culture with a lethal combat system. Exalted and Scion are fun for over-the-top action with little regard for the laws of physics. Overall, Mutants and Masterminds is probably my favorite core system, as it allows me to do a lot of different styles of game with minimal modifications to the rules.
JP: What is your favorite supplement/ adventure, all games and genre together?
As far as supplements go, I think the old City of Lies boxed set from the first edition of L5R is my favorite. The production quality was very impressive. I really liked the fact that the player books were all written from an in-character perspective, and the maps were really well-done. I’ve run more than one group through adventures or campaigns based off that boxed set through the years, and pretty much have always had a blast with it.
JP shudders sat the simple mention of City of Lies. JP’s personal preference for supplement is The Complete Masks of Nyarlathotep. ‘City’ is not far behind. It could very well be the most intricate and one might say impossible to ‘succeed’, unless leaving with one’s head is considered a success.
JP: What are the high points of a home game you run? What elements do you particularly enjoy in a campaign?
CM: My home games tend toward relatively personal plots, but that’s a luxury I have when I’m writing material for players and characters I know fairly well. Most of my games involve moderately complex intrigues, and I have a great fondness for antagonists that have multiple conflicts, including amongst themselves. I like to spring surprises on my players, and they generally enjoy the situations they find themselves in. Especially the challenging ones (though I suppose that is more of a commentary on how fortunate I am in my playgroup…).
JP: What would you say are elements that define your writing style? What elements would I expect to find in one of your adventures?
CM: I tend to emphasize character decisions over character capabilities when I write; the things that the players choose to have their characters do are often more important than their stats or powers. Getting a chance to use their skills is important to the enjoyment of the game, but I usually prefer to utilize those to get the characters to the point where they have to make decisions that are not represented by mechanics.
Also, I’ve been a fan of L5R for a very long time, so I tend to pepper my works with obscure or minor references to things from early editions. Old canon characters, places, or strange concepts (like the Tsu fish) that aren’t really in the game much anymore pop up regularly when I’m putting things together.
JP: In an average week, roughly how much time do you devote to campaign-related duties?
CM: Lately, it’s been about thirty, but that’s the press of preparations for GenCon (our biggest event of the year). On average, it’s closer to fifteen or twenty, between writing, playtesting, and editing. I have a full-time (plus) job, and this is the biggest hurdle I have to face on a regular basis.
[Note: I conducted part of this interview shortly before GenCon when Cory and a number of others were busy with their preparations.]
JP: A difficult one: I give you a magic wand and you can only use it to make your campaign better… What do you do?
CM: I would publish a campaign sourcebook with all the relevant information in it that the players would have access to, and possibly another one for the GMs. And since we’re talking magic, it would be free! I’d also like to have more time to devote to the game; writing mods is fairly time-consuming for me, and I’d like more opportunity to communicate with the players.
JP: Play, GM or write? Which do you enjoy best?
CM: GM. Pretty much hands down. I love to play, though I don’t get many chances. Writing allows me to get more ideas out of my head than just running does, though it more closely resembles work. But GMing is what I’m best at; improvising reactions from the world based on the actions of the player characters, giving NPCs their own voices, engaging the players on whatever level works best for the individual player, and giving the players challenges while still letting them shine… It’s my favorite role at the table because it’s the one that lets me be the most creative in a lot of ways.
Next week, part 2.

Monte Cook is Peyton Manning playing defense

2011-09-26T09:17:00.000-06:00

All this week, the internet and was abuzz with the news of Monte Cook returning to Wizards of the Coast. Fans on all side of the edition war see this as a big announcement, something that will completely change the RPG world. His return will bring a new era of peace and prosperity, something that will end the edition war because of his return. Because he is back, suddenly 4e will become the top game it was during 2008-10.
I don't think so.
Monte has done a LOT of things for the RPG industry. He is a great rules thinker, someone who approaches the game from a rules perspective, with ideas that are definitely "outside the box". Yes. he wrote game settings and a few adventures, but I would not classify those as his major achievements. Rethinking and rehashing rules in new and novel ways is the biggest impact he has on the game. Nothing against Monte, but his return to WotC will not make me fly to buy 4e products, nor do I think lines will be forming at local stores to get the products. That would be like calling a plumber to save the Titanic.
A word of caution. For those who expect to enter their local game store tomorrow and find that 4e has been completely redone and that it is completely different will be in for a sad disappointment... First off, books take a while to write, edit, review and publish. I would expect to find a number of new books where Monte participates relatively quickly, to show the fan base how involved he is. But that would be little more than a smokescreen. It would allow Monte and the D&D designers to work on 5e. I would expect to see a lot of new approaches to 4e paradigms. Similar to what we saw with the Book of Nine Swords in 3.5 (I shudder just thinking about that book, god I hated that book).
But WotC isn't stupid. They are not calling the plumber. With Monte, they are recalling the engineers who built the USS Enterprise (whichever one you want it to be). I have to admit that, like many on the internet, I believe that Monte's return heralds - or mostly confirms the future coming of 5e/AD&D. With Monte's addition, the game will go in new directions, and likely have a chance to retake the first seat in the RPG industry.
Monte posted on his blog where he asks people not to speculate about what he is going to do at WotC. I mean COME ON MONTE! The gaming industry is not big enough that we cannot guess what you will be doing. Dr. Phil says it best "Past behavior is the best indicator of future behavior". As a (NFL) football fan, I would not hire Peyton Manning an put him to play defense (if you don't know who Peyton Manning is Google his name). We are talking about a rule-thinking genius and game-design superstar.
What would YOU ask him to do?
Monte may not want to be drawn into the edition war, but by going to WotC, he took sides in it, and us bloggers will post, analyze, guess and react to such an announcement from whatever sides we are one. While many have given up on 4e, we have not given up on WotC. 5e is that one glimmer of hope we still hold on to. With Monte, WotC have a stud to take them to that finish line. Since he spent most of his time in the 3.5 side of things, he might bring to WotC some of what people wanted to see out of 4e but did not get. I have been reading a number of other blogs that discuss this at length and most people agree. Monte might be the final nail in 4e's coffin. I won't cry over the poor, dead corpse of .
Why am I, a well-known edition flamer, happy about this announcement, then?
Competition.
Yep. Competition brings out the best in people. With 4e the way it's been going down in flames like it has, I have the impression that WotC gave up on the edition war. They put their money and time in the Neverwinter campaign setting (which I never opened, as I do not open 4e books). It felt like they gave Paizo the crown and phoned it in. Why that may seem to be good news, a strong WotC will push my Paizo overlords to outshine themselves and come up with new and innovative products to keep their top seat.
Which in turns means that *I* will get better products.
Welcome back to Wizards, Monte!
JP

My New Pathfinder Character

2011-09-22T17:45:00.000-06:00

A small post to display my latest Pathfinder Society character: Viviana Alterborg min-Zawree. Viviana was a young girl that was taken captive by a vampire, fed upon and finally freed by none other than Naadhira (to whom I introduced you to in this previous post). Well turns out Naadhira converted a number of the poor refugees to her own cult...
Yes, the cult was born at some point during Tomb of the Iron Medusa. Scott (my GM) did not allow me to forget the cult. So when I had to come up with a new character idea for Society play... Viviana was born!
I like to think of Viviana as a female "Igor". She carries on the works of her mistress, whatever they are. Viviana has a lot of unique ticks. Looking forward to sending her through the new Pathfinder Module "Feast of Ravenmoor" on Saturday.
I also created a samurai name Obata Masamori but when I got to sit down and play the role of melee thug was already taken.
JP

Blog Merge

2011-09-21T12:39:00.000-06:00

Well after thinking about it for a while, I have decided to consolidate my two blogs into one. Since I post a lot more on JP on Gaming, I decided to import all the posts from my rarely-updated JP on Minis blog. This will allow me to have more frequent updates and post the occasional minis here. Being a big fan of "One-Stop-Shops", I thought it would be a good idea to do so with my blogs also.
I will also be able to clean my RSS feed a little and have everything be nice and clean. Okay, most of you would not see the difference, but to a code monkey like me, it does.
JP On Gaming does draw more traffic than the other one, that's for sure.
Gone over 200 posts!!!
The merge allowed me to go over 200 posts! Woohoo! I was sitting at 196 before the merge and now have 222 (well 223 with this announcement).
JP
PS: and you thought the blink tag had gone away forever! MUHAHAHAHA

Daleks! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE

2011-09-21T09:22:00.000-06:00

In case you did not know, I am putting together another Doctor Who RPG. I won a few Daleks on Ebay and painted them up. I chose the black and gold motif, for the early Daleks. These Daleks are for me, and not commissions.
I really like how they came out. Enjoy
EXTERMINATE!
EXTERMINATE!
EXTERMINATE!
JP

Not down with OPP today

2011-09-19T14:12:00.000-06:00

Well it happens sometimes... As you can all guess, by now I won't be posting an Organized Play Person post today.
Why you ask? The biggest issue is that I am waiting on responses and approval from no less than three people. You see when I approach the people I interview, one of the promise I make them is that I will not publish anything without their consent So, sticking to my principles I prefer to wait than to have a bunch of people angry at me.
Now, that is not to say that there is anything in those interviews that could be considered offensive or that might anger them (or you), no. I am just being pedantic and a stickler to my own formula. It has yielded a number of good and interesting interviews (the number of views corroborates this), and I seek to make sure that the same level of interview persists and that the people whom I interview see the gain and want to participate in these interviews.
So, for the nay-sayers out there, I still have 4 interviews in various stages of completions. So this series will continue.
I have also been thinking about doing interviews with other industry people. Go beyond the "usual" suspects and the big names. I mean talk to some of the 3PP people: publishers, writers, developers and even con organizers. That series will reach beyond Organized Play, and should hopefully give you, the readers a glimpse into the glamorous life of people in the RPG industry. A life full of riches and admiration by the masses.
Ahhh to dream...
JP

JP sits down with Mike Brock [New PFS Campaign Director]

2011-09-15T12:46:00.000-06:00

Last night I drove up to Denver to meet with Mike Brock, the new Pathfinder Society Campaign Director for a talk about the Society, the future, how to build the local community, problems I had, what were my plans to expand locally, things I would like to see (and not see).
We were scheduled to meet at PF Chang's at 7:30. So I got there early, with Colorado under such the rain fall of the year, I got there slowly and safely on I-25. I will tell you that those who wisely stayed home did a good thing. I-25 was quite slick with a lot of standing water. I did not know Mike was also coming up the same interstate (he left from somewhere in Texas IIRC (Mike can correct me)).
I had a number things I wanted to talk about, in addition to the email I already sent to him. Something I read yesterday really got me going and I was fuming. I got there at 6:45. I realized I left my laptop at home. So I had nothing to do... Yes, I am one of the *those* people who do not have or own a cell/ blackberry/ iphone. Don't have one, don't want to have one.
Lucky for me, PF Chang is in the same location as a mall. Walking it is. I have to say that walking through the mall - something I dislike to do - allowed me to get out of the rain and changed my unhappy thoughts to level-headed ones. After 30 or so minutes, I got back to the car. Head to PF Chang's, get a table. It was about half-past the hour. That walk did wonders. I was upbeat, ready to tackle my new boss with a positive outlook, excited to see what he would say and what he wanted to bring to PFS.
I sat down, and waited.
And waited.
And waited.
And waited.
8 o'clock.
I finally ordered some food (blood sugar getting low), guessing that something happened and that he was not coming. I was eating my orange peel chicken looking sad and morose... Something must've happened. Saddened (by the fact that I could've had some pot roast with the kids), I ate slowly.
Suddenly, OH JOY! Mike and his Father-in-law!
I cannot say most of what we talked about. [NDA]. However, I can say the following things. Mike has a LOT of good ideas. It shows that - unlike his predecessors - he came up from the ranks. That he saw the campaign from the trenches, as a player, as a GM, as a Venture Captain. No disrespect to Hyrum or Josh, but having experienced the campaign like "most of us" has given him a point of view that is different and new.
I told Mike things I wanted to see. How I wanted Paizo to work more through the Venture Captains, for writing projects, for non-mission critical things. And the topic I've been calling for for a long time now: local interactives. With the mixed reviews Blood under Absalom received locally, possible locally-written events would definitely be huge draw at larger conventions. It might even spark the local cons we saw during LG that were "All-LG events" like "Brookfest" and "Weekend in the County". Those local mini-cons were truly part of the local gaming scene and that generated some "Gaming Tourism" outside the major cons. I would like to see people from other places travel again. Another topic we discussed was getting kids and family into the game. Having three young ones myself, the topic hits close to my heart. We discussed and exchanged a few ideas.
Now don't let that fool you, I was not the only one who presented ideas and debated them. Mike has a lot of ideas on what he wants to do, how he wants it done, and a plate more than full already waiting for him. Be prepared for changes to the campaign.
Normally, I would be rather wary of so many changes. But my talk with Mike has not dismissed my natural cynicism. It smashed, crushed and destroyed any doubt in my mind. The nomination of Mike will change things in the campaign, I'm sure. It will shake some trees no one thought of shaking for a very long while. Changes that REALLY have me excited. I do not believe that he will get to implement ALL of his ideas, at least not immediately. But Mike struck me as the sort of guy who will push his ideas and vision through, and not give up halfway.
Good times ahead. I drink the Mike-flavored Cool-aid. (HEUH! That sounds wrong no matter how I put it.)
Paizo has done a good move, no doubt. Thanks Paizo for choosing a great guy!
JP

Doctor Who: Reign of the Daleks

2011-09-14T09:15:00.000-06:00
The scene opens a blasted wasteland cityscape under a grey sky. In the distance, fires rage, dark plumes of smoke leave a dark haze that obscure the view. The scene focuses on a ruined building. At first, one can only distinguish moving shadows through the haze.
As the camera moves in, two women dressed in torn and damaged combat fatigues appear. One is feverishly working on a device
"Advanced post Delta-1 to base. The enemy is advancing from the west. We need urgent backup. Repeat. send backup."
An energy discharge.
The two women take up position and begin firing controled bursts at the enemy. In spite of the haze, a mechanical voice breaks the silence. "Enemies of the Daleks will be exterminated. You will bow to the master race. Exterminate. Exterminate."
This is the introduction to an upcoming Doctor Who adventure I will be running for my friends Bill and Jacque on Oct 2.
JP

Writing NeoExodus Fiction

2011-09-13T16:33:00.000-06:00

If you’ve been following my Twitter feed (@jpongaming) you know that I’ve been working on some NeoExodus fiction. Like when I did Nanowrimo in ’09, the experience of writing fiction is something very different for me. When writing adventure, you only need to worry about the outside factors and let the PCs interiorize what is going on. I have not yet decided how to publish the story, perhaps on this blog in installment, perhaps in a NeoExodus Novella book. Things are still in the air.
Thoughts?
JP

Organized Play People: Jay Babcock, part 2 (4e, Living Divine, NDA)

2011-09-12T09:26:00.000-06:00

When last we left Jay, he was telling us that he was writing all 11 rounds of adventure for the first year of Living Divine. Without any further introduction, let’s go back to Jay.
JP: When you say campaign year… Is it real-time year or Gencon-to-Gencon?
JB: Real-time year.
JP: In an average week, roughly how much time do you devote to campaign-related duties?
JB: At least 40 hours, or so. It's easily a second career.
JP: A difficult one: I give you a magic wand and you can only use it to make your campaign better. What do you do?
JB: I'd save it for a rainy day. It may sound cheesy, but we are exactly where I want us to be, at this point. Wherever I've seen changes I've wanted to make, I've been able to just make them. It's a great benefit of being completely autonomous.
JP: Play, GM or write? Which do you enjoy best?
JB: Writing. You may as well ask a fish why he swims. It's just what I do, and what I've always done.
Over the years, I've had hundreds of folks come up to me and say 'I'm buying you a beer, I had so much fun'. There is no greater feeling than that... knowing that you were able to hit the mark, that solidly. And while I'll never knock GMing, your audience is, at most, a half-dozen folks at a time. But take pen to paper, and that table becomes a room of tables, and a schedule of conventions. It's utterly amazing!
And hey, free beer!
JP: Do you have any links of websites where people might learn more about the campaign?
JB:Our site is http://www.viceandvillainy.org/LivingDivine/
At the moment, we're transitioning the site from a sneak-preview version to the full campaign version.
Also of note is the Living Divine Facebook page which has a LOT of good stuff. (https://www.facebook.com/LivingDivine) Among which is some art like the one at the beginning of this article (used here with permission), I found both disturbing and interesting at the same time. These are taken from flash animations that should come out with the finalized campaign website. I'm quite intrigued I must say.
JP: How do you plan on distributing the adventures? Will you sell them or simply make them available for download?
JB: We will be selling them - and already are. All the details will be on our new, finalized website..
JP: Why did you choose 4e? Wouldn't it make more sense to go with a growing system like Pathfinder?
JB: I'm not interested in having an edition debate with you. I don't share your obvious prejudice.
That said, we have extended an open invitation to anyone who wants to come in, and translate our materials to the Pathfinder (or any other) system. So far, those that have considered it have talked big but never stepped up to the plate.
JP: Translating stuff from one game to the other doesn’t work well IMO. There will always be a lame duck. Since game rules are part of the adventure and encounter design, you can’t just translate from one to the other. Skill Challenges are a good example: something very unique to 4e that kinda works in Pathfinder. Encounters that mix traps with combats generally mesh better in 4e. Is that mix of encounter something that pushed you to 4e or just a personal choice?
JB: We weren't pushed to 4e. My games will always stay with the latest D&D rule set, as long as I am still as deeply involved with the RPGA/BMG community as I am. It wouldn't be possible to do both, otherwise.
JP: You really think the 4e community is growing? REALLY? Locally it’s being kept alive by a few highly dedicated volunteers and re-players. Any insight?
JB: I'm privy to numbers on the national level. In that context, they are growing rather dramatically.
That said, I know there is a decent contingent of folks that like 4e, but have grown tired of Living Forgotten Realms. That crowd is making LD and AoA flourish, rather nicely. We've been managing to pull some of them back to the game.
AoA is Ashes of Athas, another organized play campaign. Teos and Chad who run the campaign will be interviewed in a later installment of this series.
JP: I went on the record saying that 5e is coming at Gencon 2012 (announcement). What are your thoughts about that?
JB: Folks said that last year, too. Eventually, they'll surely be right.
JP: When do you expect 5e to come out? Any secret info?
JB: If I had such info, I would be under NDA, and thus unable to say anything. So it's a pointless question.
JP: AH There it is again! The NDA MONSTER… you have NO Idea how often it sneaks up on me.
JB: Believe me, I do. I've been on both sides of them, more times than I care to count.
JP: What impact do you foresee a future edition having on the Campaign? Is that something you considered?
JB: Sure, we've considered it on a high level. We'll probably go with whatever is the current edition is... it's the audience we want to cater to. No different than if a campaign chose the Pathfinder system - they'd likely want to stick with the latest edition.
JP: Thanks Jay! Frank discussion… I expected nothing less. It was very fun. I’m a bit sad that there isn’t a Pathfinder version (yet) of Living Divine, because I really liked your Bissel stuff. I can keep praying (just like I pray for a Pathfinder version of Heroes of Arcanis)…
JB: Praying won't make it happen. We don't have any die-hard, skilled Pathfinder folks on our staff... so we won't attempt a translation on our own. We'd only do it if we thought it'd be done right.
JP: I can’t say I’ll try it myself (4e is something I gave up long ago and have no interest in picking up again, and I’m too much of a do-what-you-say kinda guy to lie). I leave the final word to you.
JB: Spork!

JP To Andorans: get a sap!

2011-09-09T15:07:00.000-06:00

Some people have asked me why I keep calling the Andoran faction scions of evil, merciless, bloodthirsty, ravenous killers. In Golarian, the nation of Andoran embrace freedom from slavery, freedom from tyranny, egalitarian ideas and a dedication to spreading their views to the world.
But that's not what they do.
Most Andorans are there to kill anything that opposes them or their ideas. They are willing to stoop to any devious and dirty trick to achieve their lofty goals.
To the Andorans I have met, it is clear that the end justifies the means. So they kill, poison, murder, kidnap, cheat, without batting an eye... Most of them rationalize it with a simple "That's what my faction leader asked".
Really?
I mean. REALLY?
"I was just following orders" was the defense used by some of history's worse (and most documented) war criminals. Orders should not supplant one's own sense of morality, one's own sense of right and wrong. Especially when one defends such grand and lofty ideals. It didn't work then and it doesn't get past this history aficionado! Ideals and principles should be defended, upheld and shown to the world as values for good. Not a sullied altar to all the underhanded tricks done in its name.
Now, my Andoran reader... What can you do to change public perception of your evil-filled organization?
Start offering quarters. Buy a sap.
Respect an honorable surrender.
Don't follow blindly.
Now go back to your murderous ways since you must slay, murder and poison so that liberty triumphs. Have fun doing it. I know you like it.
JP

Tacticon: The Scores, results, and sad news...

2011-09-08T09:36:00.000-06:00

Okay I have to admit that I stalled on this one... Why? because I expected to have a few changes - which didn't happen. Now some of you have characters that are named "Can't Read Name" or "Write Clearer", but the numbers are all in. Finally. So , without stalling any more...
Judges Scoring
Wow! Even higher than was originally reported to me! Six GMs got perfect scores! Congrats to Bryan, Dave, Jeff, Troy, Ted and Orion! You give are definitely in a class apart! Such a feat is remarkable! That gives us twenty judges (out of 25 PFS judges) with a score above 9. The others are not far behind, and missed this group by very little (the lowest score was 7.667.) Continuing with number fun, the average rating of PFS judges (all of combined) was a whopping 9.33! That is an accomplishment in itself.
My own 9.167 looks pretty crummy, but that is still over 90%. I'll take it as a win. Getting 9s and above is something that deserves particular notice in my book.
I cannot tell you all how proud I am to report those numbers. It makes me feel.
For those of you who didn't make the top 20... The ball is really in your camp! I'd love to get ALL of my judges into the 9+ group! Hopefully the players' feedback was useful.
Thanks again GM.
Bryan Critchfield 10.000
Dave Dostaler 10.000
Jeff Kokx 10.000
Troy Latta 10.000
Ted Webster 10.000
Orion Wiseman 10.000
Nick Wiley 9.878
D'Anne Nelson 9.756
Todd Lower 9.750
Scott Crosson 9.633
Jon Goldstein 9.600
Ryan Krueger 9.600
Jason Reynolds 9.546
Nick Allenby 9.543
Taylor Hellbusch 9.500
Jeff Peters 9.400
Kerney Williams 9.267
JP Chapleau 9.167
Sean Clark 9.000
Bill Woods 9.000
Faction Scoring
Now on to the winning faction for Tacticon... The arrival of the new factions has not changed the trend that appeared over the last two cons. For the first 3 days of the con, Taldor took the lead early in faction points (I posted the results every morning on the Rocky Mountain Pathfinder yahoogroup). Taldor lead by 7 after Thursday, 4 after Friday and Saturday and finally drop down to third in the final rankings! (Tables of 4-5 Andorans didn't help Taldor).
So once again evil, mayhem and death rules over Denver! Congrats to the Andorans who takes home the title! This time it's not even close! 12 PAs over Osirion...
It is interesting to note that all the old factions still dominate the scoreboard, as they occupy the top 5 spots. Too bad my beloved Qadira finished last! I gave PAs to Taldor and Cheliax for the con...
A few words about the new factions. Clearly the Silver Crusade is proving to be the most popular. I have to say that I expected the Lantern Lodge to be at the front of that group. Looking forward to Genghis to see how the numbers turn out once those currently new characters begin to level up and older characters retire...
Total for Andoran 108
Total for Osirion 96
Total for Taldor 91
Total for Cheliax 84
Total for Qadira 48
Total for Silver Crusade 31
Total for Lantern Lodge 26
Total for Grand Lodge 21
Total for Sczarni 11
Total for Shadow Lodge 11
There you go! That was your Tacticon report. See you at Genghis Con... Actually my next such report will most likely be from Neoncon in Las Vegas.
JP

Tacticon: The Scoring Sheet

2011-09-07T10:16:00.000-06:00

I want to thank Scott Dunphy for sending the original Word documents of the sheet to allow us to play with if we wanted.
I never thought that my post from yesterday would trigger a flurry of off-blog emails and IMs dealing with the potential changes in the DGA GM scoring system. Some good discussions with a number of ideas being exchanged on how to improve the scoring sheet and player to GM to coordinator feedback. Thus far, there has not been any final decision, just a few ideas.
So I throw the idea out there to you, the readers. What type of feedback do you find the most useful as a GM? What irks you the most as a player? What do you consider the most important that a GM do when he runs a game? The floor is open.
Let me know what you want as a GM and what you would like to tell me, the coordinator as a player.
JP

Tacticon is over...

2011-09-06T11:39:00.000-06:00

Let me get back on Tacticon in Denver this past Labor Day Weekend.
Back in June, I publicly stated that I wanted PFS to be the biggest organized play event at Tacticon (and going forward) (See this post). I made no secret of it, I wanted to be bigger than LFR (that had so far been the biggest event).
Well... I am proud to say, that my goal has been reached. We ran 58 tables at the con while LFR ran 50. Making me very happy! Still Wes did an awesome job of mustering all those people! Now comes the hard part... staying on top! It sounds a lot easier than it is to do. Still I believe that we have a strong community that CAN support it and that will once again turn out for some exciting PFS action. I can't wait to start setting up Genghis Con this February.
That's right, I agreed to run PFS at Genghis Con. A few among you have already offered to GM, staff or Iron Man (Marathon) the con. I won't marathon it for sure... But could...
I want to thank Linda Weygant who was the RPG coordinator. She took a lot of my whining and pleading for "more tables" (especially for the Gencon Special). Now I'm sure she will make me pay for all that when she gets her hands on the upcoming NeoExodus Campaign Book... (Stay tuned I will have more news about NeoExodus to post soon!!!)
It was good that I was able to release a few of my judges to play. The only reason I was able to do that was because you guys provided me with enough volunteers that I was able to do that. Having a few spare GM on hand really helped me relax and enjoy the con.
Now those who attended the con had a chance of getting one of two boons: Extra Trait and the chance to play a Tengu. In all, I gave out over 60 of those boons... so the little squakers should make an appearance near you! All of them should be signed using my patented stamp technology, but a few might have escaped my vigilance, so if a players asks you (the GM) to sign one, go ahead and sign it.
The Tacticon boons I got with (again) a lot of pleading, whining, grovelling and asking. I have to give great thanks to Mark Moreland, the current PFS developer. Mark came through for me big time. I have thanked him personally. I invite all of you to let him know how you feel about the rewards (through the Paizo Forums or by email). Having these boons were "nice to have" and just more icing on the cake. It was fun to pass at people's tables and see them wish for a "20" or a "1".
On a more personal level, I want to thank the poor GMs who had to suffer through me as a player (in play order): Nick, Ted, Homer and Troy. The Mistress is Great!.
Speaking of GMs... I have mixed news. First off, the number of "perfect 10" GMs dropped from what it was at Genghis. However, the numbers of 9s and 10s was very high. Yes, there were a few lower scores, but the VAST majority was right up there. I am waiting on Linda to give me the final numbers for PFS GMs. Seriously, you guys did an awesome job and I received a LOT of positive feedback from players who wanted to play more. I hope to see increased attendance at local events.
Continuing my thoughts on the GM rating system the DGA (Denver Gamers Association) uses. Linda, Jennifer and I thought about it and it may get revamped somewhat at upcoming DGA events. I won't say specifically WHAT we discussed until Linda announces her final decision on the topic, but I think there might be some new development there.
The reason we got on that subject of the rating... Players, if you plan on rating a GM below 7, PLEASE leave a comment for the GM/Coordinator. Some people gave ridiculously low scores to your GM without explanation. That's is NOT GOOD. The GM then comes to me and says "what did I do wrong? They didn't say anything!" If a GM was bad, tell him what you did not like. Why was he unprepared? What ruined your fun? There are many things to put down. The important thing is to get the GM to improve for the next con/ event. Some GMs scored average-to-poor at Genghis really got some nice scores this time around. I was very happy about that.
Don't simply copy the score the player above gave. Think for yourself and give scores that you feel is appropriate. The goal is not to blast the GM (please come and talk to me about that). Like all the coordinators, I seek to make everyone's experience better and sometimes a quick chat works. I took time some time to talk one on one with everyone who asked a minute of me (no, when I'm stuffing my face I'm not available).
Next time: The final Fame totals, GMs scores and looking forward to Genghis
Yes. That is a great ploy to get you to come back again!
JP
PS: Thanks to Russ Brown for the picture of the RMPathfinder Banners featuring Rocky.
PPS:If you have more pictures of the banners, please forward then to me! I'd love to post more.

Rocky Mountain Pathfinder Banner!

2011-08-31T09:58:00.000-06:00

A few days ago, I announced that the Rocky Mountain Pathfinders were getting their own logo. Well no sooner did I get the logo that I started working on a banner. A banner I quickly looked for a maker...
Introduce VistaPrint. To make things even sweeter, Mark Moreland (my Paizo Boss) forwarded an awesome living social deal. A deal I immediately took...
I gathered everything, sent and paid for it all. And what did I get? a great deal on the second banner. So I ordered a second, identical banner. Now our presence cannot be missed at local events.
I want to give a big thanks to Andrei who did such a fantastic job with the goblin (which I like to call "Rocky").

JP

More Commissions for August 2011

2011-08-30T22:42:00.000-06:00

I have a few more pictures of commissions I've done. Those were for my good friend Jeff Peters. I am particularly fond of the metal on those minis. It took like 4 or 5 different color, but it look very beat up and almost rusted. I really like the way it came out. Plus, this is the first time that I painted large numbers of big monsters all in one go and made for a unique experience.

JP

Commissions for August 2011

2011-08-30T22:29:00.000-06:00

Been a while since I've posted anything... I've been busy doing a number of painting projects. Here are my latest work.

JP

Race-Specific Feats
Cavian	Cavian Bite Mastery, Hive Fighting, Hive Node, Greater Seeds of Clairvoyance
Cynean	Arcane Crystal, Arcane Crystal Energy, Arcane Crystal Resilience, Arcane Crystal Shield, Arcane Crystal Strike, Greater Arcane Body, Faceted Body, Greater Faceted Body, Improved Faceted Body, Metallic Lacing, Terran Sorcery, Improved Terran Sorcery
Dalrean	Guarded by Nature, Hail of Thorns, Hardy Form, Plantsense, Plantsight, Rebuke Nature, Spellbud, Tough Bark, Thorns, Vegetative Mind
Enuka	Additional Mutation, Mutation Focus, Predatory Nature
Gevet	(none)
Kalisan	Cannibalize, Greater Cannibalize, Improved Cannibalize
Prymidian	Anatomical Targeteer, Implied Threat, Multi-Tentacle Fighting, Rational Argument, Scholarly Upbringing, Sharp Wit, Tentacle Jab, Tentacle Lash
P’Tan	Black Lightning Beam, Black Lighting Bolt, Black Lightning Burst, Black Lightning Cone, Black Lightning Fist, Black Lightning Sheath, Black Lightning Surge, Daylight Adaptation
Sasori	Information Network, Poison Immunity, Greater Poison Immunity, Scorpion Sight, Venomous Coating, Venomous Spittle, Vermin Call, Virulent Poison, Well-Informed
Nation-Specific Feats
Confederacy	Dancing Warrior, Greater Dancing Warrior
Janus Horde	Draconic Bloodline, Draconic Inheritance
General Feats
Crafting	Craft Candle
General	Assault Formation, Disrupt Spell Trigger, Disrupt Spell-Like Ability, Energy Absorption, Into the Hole, Jungle Born, Menacing, Pain Focused the Mind, Phalanx Leader, Potion Guzzler, Rhino’s Charge, Shield Expertise, Spear Mastery, Stalwart Casting, Tactical Move, Team Leader
Wyrd	Arcane Wyrd, Wyrd Blood, Improved Wyrd Blood, Wyrd Casting, Wyrd Communication, Wyrd Time, Wyrd Visions, Improved Wyrd Visions

Bryan	Critchfield	10.000
Dave	Dostaler	10.000
Jeff	Kokx	10.000
Troy	Latta	10.000
Ted	Webster	10.000
Orion	Wiseman	10.000
Nick	Wiley	9.878
D'Anne	Nelson	9.756
Todd	Lower	9.750
Scott	Crosson	9.633
Jon	Goldstein	9.600
Ryan	Krueger	9.600
Jason	Reynolds	9.546
Nick	Allenby	9.543
Taylor	Hellbusch	9.500
Jeff	Peters	9.400
Kerney	Williams	9.267
JP	Chapleau	9.167
Sean	Clark	9.000
Bill	Woods	9.000

Total for Andoran	108
Total for Osirion	96
Total for Taldor	91
Total for Cheliax	84
Total for Qadira	48
Total for Silver Crusade	31
Total for Lantern Lodge	26
Total for Grand Lodge	21
Total for Sczarni	11
Total for Shadow Lodge	11