I'm almost sure I'll never write an 'article' for posting; as previously mentioned, I've got my hands full writing for my own campaign. I'll look to make an exception for the next Postfest, however, and I'd be happy to contribute (if I could) to any project of interest.
I'd love to see an Adventure Path, a la what Mona is doing over at Dungeon. Of course, CF would want to do it on a smaller scale than what the pros at Dungeon churn out, but the brainstorming alone would be a blast, even if it ultimately bore no fruit.
He's got Kyuss and Demogorgon, and they've pretty much cornered the market on the tropics, but there are still plenty of classic NPCs (Zagyg, the Horned Society, etc...) to be properly appropriated. Settings too. It would be cool to see an AP set entirely in the City of Greyhawk, or to crawl the Underdark visiting an aincent dwarven city, the White Kingdom, etc... There are also several old artifacts from the 1E DMG begging to be written about. Just spitballing.
To be clear, I love the 'niche' articles on the main board, and read them religiously, but I'd like to see the gigantic brains that frequent this board put their heads together and churn out something grandoise. You telling me Samwise, Rasgon, Wolfsire, AncedMath, GVD, Mortellan, Kirt, CSL, O-D, etc... couldn't unite to write a killer adventure? Fuhgeddaboutit.
I know it's probably a pipe dream, but it had to be said.
To be clear, I love the 'niche' articles on the main board, and read them religiously, but I'd like to see the gigantic brains that frequent this board put their heads together and churn out something grandoise. You telling me Samwise, Rasgon, Wolfsire, AncedMath, GVD, Mortellan, Kirt, CSL, O-D, etc... couldn't unite to write a killer adventure? Fuhgeddaboutit.
I know it's probably a pipe dream, but it had to be said.
In theory, that might work. But chances are we'd all kill each other over everything from the magic item count to the power level to the canon that we'd incorporate to the exact "feel" we want. We're already bickering over these kinds of issues in the "What would you do if you could buy Greyhawk" thread, even though there's been some rough agreement over the types of sourcebooks, releasing a complementary novel line, and other issues.
But no, chances are we'd spend more time squabbling than designing. >_< _________________ <div align="left">Going to war without Keoland is like going to war without a pipe organ. They both make a lot of noise and they're both a lot of dead weight, so what's the point in taking them along? </div>
There's no need to make squabbling an issue. Just start with a basic theme and have people independently design adventures of varying levels based on it.
One thing that might work well is to set up a series of "plot coupons," McGuffins that the PCs have to wander around collecting in order to complete the quest. Different parts of an artifact is the classic example, but as that's been somewhat overdone other things are possible - different clues to a mystery, connected prisoners in different prisons, different villains in the same organization, or simply different encounters along a path leading to a goal. The PCs might be like Lewis and Clark, tasked with exploring, and the seperate adventures might represent the things they encounter along the way.
Once we agree on a general theme, everyone calls on a particular level range to develop, and each designer has complete freedom within those guidelines. We can go back later and make some modifications to link the adventures together better. For example, if the campaign path is about collecting the Five Blades of Corusk (I'm not suggesting this, but I needed an example) then there are five designers and each one can put the various blades in whatever circumstance they want. Then, if they want, designers can go back and bring NPCs or organizations that appeared in other peoples' adventures and put them in earlier or later ones, for example.
One of the scenarios that came up in chat repeatedly last Thursday night was the idea of exploring westward of the Flanaess - in such a case, each designer would pick a region (which would come with a level range, assuming the PCs travel linearly) and develop an adventure there. So, for instance, someone could pick Ull, someone could pick the Plains of the Paynims, and so on until we run out of volunteers or completely circumnavigate the globe (although even then the path could continue).
For simplicity and uniformity, and to keep this project manageable, the 3e rate of advancement will have to be assumed. Those with slower campaigns would have to add other adventures in between these, which shouldn't be that much of a problem.
I dont necessarily agree CSL, but there would have to be an editor/arbitrator appointed, and everyone would have to agree that they would comply. Someone levelheaded and reasonable. I dont think that such a task would be impossible.
Last Greychat, I suggested the following course...
Select one classic low level module... one that had no later counterparts. The one I suggested is N1 Cult of the Reptile God. Update it to current rules. Then play out an episodic series of adventures that do the following:
1) Adventurers resolve N1 and a series of subsequent adventures in 571 CY. After reaching 4th or 5th level, they retire to a local community. And they are well known locally. This takes them to 576 CY
2) several years later, a new series of adventures begin, taking them from 5th to 9th. Their fame increases, and they become known in the Barony as the Heros of Orlane. This takes them to 582 CY
in this way we advance up to epic levels and even when they are epic levels, they cannot affect the fate of the world... a small nation or large city state... but still not the whole world.
3) same as before, taking them from 9th to 13th, but know they are Known as the Heros of Barony Hethiye, and are known in most of the March.
This continues unitl epic levels. But even at epic levels, the characters cannot affect the whole Oerth. They could affect the fate of a small country or a large city state.
I dont necessarily agree CSL, but there would have to be an editor/arbitrator appointed, and everyone would have to agree that they would comply. Someone levelheaded and reasonable. I dont think that such a task would be impossible.
My 2 cents.
Heh, I mostly meant it as a joke. ALthough I could have served as that editor you mentioned, since I consider myself fairly level-headed and reasonable. Despite my very strong opinions about Greyhawk, I'm quite willing to compromise as needed. That's something I'd like to work on-develop my abilities as someone who can compromise, serve as a peacemaker and referee.
Already, I could see several points of common ground in the post on what we would do if we owned Greyhawk-namely, a novel line, more development of the rest of the Oerth, a variety of sourcebooks, etc. I'm quite sure we could put something together-my ruler personalities and descriptions of political structures in lines with Samwise's history of Keoland, further developments of given regions, things like that.
I guess wanting a career in politics has its advantages. ;) _________________ <div align="left">Going to war without Keoland is like going to war without a pipe organ. They both make a lot of noise and they're both a lot of dead weight, so what's the point in taking them along? </div>
BTG: “I'm almost sure I'll never write an 'article' for posting; as previously mentioned, I've got my hands full writing for my own campaign. I'll look to make an exception for the next Postfest, however, and I'd be happy to contribute (if I could) to any project of interest.”
My first article was something I wrote specifically for my campaign. I was encouraged to share, so I posted it. Something to think about.
BTG: “I'd love to see an Adventure Path, a la what Mona is doing over at Dungeon. Of course, CF would want to do it on a smaller scale than what the pros at Dungeon churn out, but the brainstorming alone would be a blast, even if it ultimately bore no fruit.”
That is pretty much what AncedMath is doing for the Gran March project… and the brainstorming was a blast.
BTG: “You telling me Samwise, Rasgon, Wolfsire, AncedMath, GVD, Mortellan, Kirt, CSL, O-D, etc... couldn't unite to write a killer adventure? Fuhgeddaboutit.”
I’m flattered … but …
BTG: “it's probably a pipe dream, but it had to be said.”
I am in the process of trying to write a short adventure (1e) right now. It is difficult. Putting together the outline was easy enough and I even managed to put together a fairly nice map, but adding appropriate flavor around the crunchy bits is taking some time, if you are inclined, as I am, to have a lot of that. I will have fun with that and see if it ever gets done. If not, I am sure it will make for at least a half a dozen spin off articles.
Glad to see some response here. When almost a week had gone by with naught but crickets chirping, I feared for the spirit of the DMs on the board!
Most posters here can reference Greyhawk history like they're college professors, and the debates on canon are truly rousing, but the greatest memories of Greyhawk I have are all still indelibly tied to the legendary adventures set in the Flanaess. For some reason, brings to mind a passage spoken by Faramir in The Two Towers:
"Kings made tombs more splendid than houses of the living, and counted old names in the rolls of their descent dearer than the names of sons. Childless lords sat in aged halls, musing on heraldry. In secret chambers, withered men compounded strong elixirs, or in high cold towers, asked questions of the stars, and the last king of the line of Anorien had no heir."
OK, a tad dramatic, but I like the passage.
Anyway, glad to see there's some interest in at least chatting about writing a great adventure. Ras, thanks for advancing ideas about structure. As previously mentioned, I'd be in favor of centering it around another old-school 1E artifact, or a classic (or perhaps not so well known?) villain that hasn't been mined too thoroughly yet. Something like the Wand of Orcus works on both counts (yes, I know it's supposed to be somewhere on the plane of Pandemonium, having been stolen from the Lord of the Undead). A demonic figure like that would have to be tied to a faction from the Flanaess, but that's easily developed.
I'm intrigued by the idea of utilizing the western Flanaess, and it's close enough to the Sheldomar that we could certainly rope in Anced to write a chapter! Appreciate any ideas people are willing to toss out there - in theory if we got a few ideas that people liked, but that didn't seem to work too well together, we could split off into groups, and at minimum brainstorm a few stories to tell over a mug of cold ale.
Kings made tombs more splendid than houses of the living, and counted old names in the rolls of their descent dearer than the names of sons. Childless lords sat in aged halls, musing on heraldry. In secret chambers, withered men compounded strong elixirs, or in high cold towers, asked questions of the stars, and the last king of the line of Anorien had no heir.
Florid rebuke!
btgrover wrote:
As previously mentioned, I'd be in favor of centering it around another old-school 1E artifact, or a classic (or perhaps not so well known?) villain that hasn't been mined too thoroughly yet....I'm intrigued by the idea of utilizing the western Flanaess, and it's close enough to the Sheldomar that we could certainly rope in Anced to write a chapter!
Some good work has already been done on this site for the 1st ed module, Day of Al'Akbar featuring the Cup and Talisman. I do not know that it has yet been converted to 3.5E. I could see an AP growing up around it.
"Some good work has already been done on this site for the 1st ed module, Day of Al'Akbar featuring the Cup and Talisman. I do not know that it has yet been converted to 3.5E. I could see an AP growing up around it."
OK, so take that for an example. Braggi's article about GH conversion is a good one, and notes that the module sets up for players to come out of the east. Why couldn't this happen?
- Start it in the Sheldomar. Samwise cooks something up.
- Send the PCs through, or rather UNDER the mountains. Plenty of evil beastie communities to insert as nasty little vignettes in the Path (similar to Warrens of the Trogs and the Shrine of the Kuo-Toa in Queen of Spiders).
Typically the PCs would be given a breather when they emerge from their long trek under the Barrier Peaks intact, we could play it either way. Maybe even be really nasty and send them to Tovag Baragu (no Big V though).
And then, of course, we simply have to rewrite I9, bulking it up and making it ruthless. Braggi gets the final chapter, of course!
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Of course, CF would want to do it on a smaller scale than what the pros at Dungeon churn out, but the brainstorming alone would be a blast, even if it ultimately bore no fruit.
