The Campaign Builder's Guild

Wundebar, I look forward to seeing them!

Quote from: Dialexis
Beyond interest in Crepuscle, I was wondering if you had any more information on the Gloom Coasts?

Figured I would repost/re-ask this question, as it may have been missed amid the recent flurry of posts on rules-platforms.

Quote from: LlumThe only thing with E6/8/10 variants is that they limit prestige classes a bit, which iirc were a pretty good part of the CE game.

In most cases, I would suggest specially-created, CE-specific archetypes would fill that vacuum (e.g., a rogue archetype for Whispers of the Lords and Ladies Revenant). Even with said fashioned archetypes, prestige classes could still see use in a E8-10ish setting; it's just that they, as in 'normal' PF, would have a lesser role than 3e, due to the presence of archetypes.

As previously stated, another advantage of PF is its accessibility. If CE used PF mechanics, interested GMs and players could easily, freely, and legally access all the necessary PF rules on the PRD or PFsrd.

Also, I should point out that aforementioned CE-inspired campaign I've been running uses not only PF rules with armor as DR and the wound & vigor variants, but also E8 rules. Tis been a good match, as said from both sides of the gaming screen. We also use Madness/Horror rules, adapted from Raveloft's.

Beyond interest in Crepuscle, I was wondering if you had any more information on the Gloom Coasts?

Maybe just a pinch of that ghost-grass the ghul's been dying to smoke...

Ah, that makes perfect sense. I'd forgotten about Mareinein's southerly location. Perhaps one day you might convince Eareg into making a map of those austral regions.

Quote from: SteerpikeMy parents are both biologists by education and I studied a bit of biology in university, but my chief area of study is English Literature.  Currently I'm completing a PhD; my thesis is primarily on late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century weird/gothic fiction, aesthetics, and disgust (my current list of planned authors to cover includes Lovecraft, Arthur Machen, and M.R. James, and I'll probably also deal with either William Hope Hodgson, Robert Chambers, Richard Marsh, or Oscar Wilde... or maybe Poe or Stoker).  So I'm asking questions like "how can disgust become aesthetically pleasurable?" and "why does disgust become prevalent in gothic literature during this period?"

Intriguing -and quite elucidating (or maybe I'm just saying such because I'm also finishing my PhD, though in clinical psychology).

QuoteWhich two Lophius adventures did you run?  And how did they go?

#2 & #4. Both were modified as I'm GMing the adventures in a homebrew of mine, which admittedly was inspired by your work and Valente's. That said, they just completed #4 and are mid-way through #2. They seem to be enjoying them both, especially the simultaneous running of 'quests' (as they are also knee- or neck-deep in some other plots). Creating stats for the piscine monstrosities was enjoyable, as was designing interesting loot, relevant encounters, and the chase mechanics for the familiar breaking loose at the end of the battle with the Padre.

QuoteIn terms of a reboot, I might condense a few cities into one another (like, for example, Macellaria and Moroi could be merged, maybe) and I think I'd prune some races/creatures and tweak others.  Largely I'm pretty happy with the setting, though.

Of course I'm not holding all the creative cards, but for what it's worth... I think that Moroi and Macellaria are quite distinct, what with the former's Elder Trees/Resin Merchants and the latter's Skin Markets/Robber Barons. Combining them into one city, in my opinion, would make it conceptually too 'crowded' and minimize the power and flavor of each elements. If anything, I would suggest collapsing Moroi and Crepuscle (though, once again, I say such not knowing what you have in mind for Crepuscle). But the placement, mercantilism, and ties to witchcraft seem to suggest a better overlap.

But on the matter of revision or clarification, I have always wondered: what maritime trade exists for the pirates to prey upon? Certainly riparine piracy has ample prey, but whose fleets brave the Fevered Ocean? Trade between Erebh, the Blue Bottle, and the rest of the Twilight Cities? What commodities are worth such long, arduous, dangerous journeys?

QuoteI did use Iron Heroes, and while it's been OK I'm now a big Pathfinder fan; if I was to start a totally new campaign or do a formal write-up I might use Pathfinder as my base, possibly with the Armour as Damage Reduction and Wound and Vigor Points variants. 

That's all-too ironic. The aforementioned campaign I've been GMing is using Pathfinder (been using PF since beta) with... both of the above variants.

Quote from: SteerpikeI should really write up Crepuscle formally (I have some notes for it on an old computer).

Aye, that ye should. That ye should.

QuoteThe Cadaverous Earth has sort of sat fallow for awhile; I used to have a weekly online CE game going, but my studies intervened, and then I got involved GMing a game IRL (Planescape).  When that wraps, I may very well resurrect my old CE game if a good number of the players are willing to return.

Glad to hear you have a table-top game going. The possibility of the Blood & Bewitchment game resurrecting is encouraging to hear (I've read all the logs thus posted, much to my enjoyment, and if you need/desire help formatting/editing the rest, let me know). And should said game resume and you have any spots for additional players...

I do have to ask, however, with your Gamayun-worthy vocabulary and evident fluency in mythology, biology, and a number of other fields, just what is your focus of studies?

QuoteIn terms of the setting's future, I've considered rebooting the setting and maybe trying to put together a PDF, or maybe writing some formal CE "modules."

Not sure exactly what you're considering with a reboot. I think the setting as is, is amazing, so I don't know what you would want to change. But if you want any help with drafting an updated pdf, snazzified with fonts, sidebars, and art, such sounds delightful (and something I've be willing to help with, as no doubt others would). More suggested adventures, especially for those cities currently lacking them, would be great. Your adventure designs are great (I'm actually in the process of concurrently finishing two of Lophius ones).

That said, mechanics/statblocks would be a boon, either for a rebooted pdf or modules, as they would make the setting materials more accessible to would-be CE GMs. I know you used Iron Heroes ruleset (largely) for the pbp game here. I might also recommend Pathfinder rules (since they are graciously available to the public and widely used. Alternatively or concurrently, I would suggest taking a look at Monte Cooke's Numenara's ruleset, as it seems very well suited to story-telling while requiring little mechanics/crunch-time for GMs.

Steerpike,

Long a lurker and ardent fan of your work (with CE in my opinion the crowning jewel of the treasure trove of Xell, Death of Time, Mytholith, Gossamer Isles, etc.) I wondered whether you had any immediate plans to post a more detailed write-up of Crepuscle. Unless I am mistaken, all of the Twilight Cities have rather detailed posts save the City of Red and Black. Alternatively, do you have any further plans for the setting on the foreseeable horizon? 

Regardless, thank you for sharing your brilliant, grotesquely-beautiful creations.

Work still progressing here, and if so, upon what areas are you focusing in the immediate future? 

Also, I sent you a pm, Polycarp.  Not sure if you regularly drop in and check them or if anyone knows a better way to contact the mad-genius architect of CJ.

The poll is over, Nar-Qadam won!  Thanks to all who participated!

Yes, there is an Oriund development team.  I'll pm you the details over at DF.  

QuoteAh ok...i see. Well, i guess that is a acceptable explanation. At least the one with magic/gods that are responsible for the situation and the very differing cultures in close proximity.

For the supercontinent thing...are we talking about really super, like Pangea super continent? I think it would have to be at least as big.[/quote]Eventhough I would have liked to see a multicontinent version of Oriund, tbh.

QuoteWell, the planet itself has three continent-realms that are divided by magical, epic barriers.  Beyond Oriund, there is Drm and Linscend.  Oriund just happens to be the biggest of them.

QuoteP.S.: I registered on DF but somehow I was not able to vote in the 3rd poll...there was the poll results for me to see but no buttons or something similar to cast my own vote. Any idea why that is? Do i have to post something first?

Log in.
Go to User Control Panel (should be up at the top).
Click on Usergroups.
Click on the circle to side of the Dicefreaks Members group, then hit submit at the bottom.  
You should be able to post after that (though you may have to wait a few hours).

Let me know if that doesn't work or if you run into any more trouble.

No need to apologize, I appreciate the feedback.  To respond to said concerns though, I would say the following:

Oriund is a massive super-continent, so the realms are more spread out than they appear at first glance.  In many ways, Oriund is really composed of 4 continents (the western mass that contains Xapotl, Usango, etc., the northern and southern masses, and the eastern one with Haziran and Nar-Qadam).

In addition to sheer miles, many of the regions are divided by massive, often divinely created barriers.  For example, the Spirit Wall (the massive mountain range in the northern landmass) has essentially closed off Shen Shiang and Akkaido from everything south and east.  In this case, the division is both magical, mundane, current, and past.  Other barriers exist as well, even if not quite so foreboding and all-but insurmountable.

Lastly, the diversity is in large part a product of Oriund's unique history, namely the lengthy and not-so distant age when the gods directly, bodily ruled their own empires.  As a result of this era -and the relative animosity among the pantheon- very different cultures emerged, many of which had no interaction with neighboring god-realms save for battle and bloodshed.  And while the gods may be dead, deposed, or imprisoned, old habits die hard.  Only in recent years (relative to cultural development) have these cultures interacted -or in some cases, become aware of each other.