Author Topic: Guild Companion Publications: World of Aernth/Channel Cities/City of Archendurn  (Read 5154 times)

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Offline Wolfhound

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Am finally making progress on the modules for the Guild Companion that were supposed to be coming out somewhat regularly over the last few year.  The original plan was to release one every 3-6 months or so, however after the release of the City of Archendurn, my work schedule and family commitments caused these projects to take a back seat. 

However after several moves (both from state to state and within different departments at my current employer) things have calmed down a little.  Then hooking up with a great semi-local gaming group (spread out over the south-eastern quarter of lower Michigan (Midland/Saginaw, Flint, Port Huron, Detroit metro, and Ann Arbor areas), if you want to call that local...) that is made up of long time and experienced gamers, all of whom have quite a bit of both playing and GMing experience, I've started to make time and put forth the effort to get things moving again on these projects for the Guild Companion.  As well as a lot of prodding and reminders from Nicholas Caldwell that I'm wayyy behind schedule on these projects...  Thus we are hoping to be able to release the next in the World of Aernth modules through the Guild Companion, titled D?n Cr?, some time in the next few months.

Just finished the fourth run through this module playtesting it with this current gaming group (and the first run through it in several years) and with input from the group am hoping to make some improvements to it.  These include both increased action/combat and in adding additional character motivations (to keep some types of characters from throwing their arms up and simply trying to burn the place to the ground (don't even ask about the flaming-chicken incident or Monte's Calzone Golem from some of the previous games) without following any of the story arcs to their natural ending).  While this module already has several ways to bring the characters to the central location of the story and several ways to motivate them to the intended end point of the story/plot, there are still gaps.  And as any GM knows, no matter what you plan, the players will do things you don't expect, will find ways to overcome the adversities and challenges that you throw at them in ways that you didn't think of, and will throw wrenches into the works. 

But in short, I have a question for anyone who is likely to use such a module/product... 

What format do you like to see NPC/Critter stats in?  A table format or listing format located in an appendix in the back (the Guild Companion's current default format, and ICE's long-time default format), or something more like what you see in the d20 products, where the stats are located with the text of for the area that the critters/NPC's are most likely to be encountered in?  So far most of the people I've heard from prefer seeing this sort of stuff in an appendix, especially if it is a critter or NPC that you may encounter in more than one location (as most of the d20 "adventures" are often written with critters being in somewhat static locations, which is simple but not always very realistic for the players or flexible for the GM). 

What do people here think about this?  Comments, suggestions, recommendations, thrown fruit?

Another question that I?ve got in regards to these modules is if people would prefer to see them released in relative ?level? order (such that the modules are released in an order from which they can be used sequentially so that the players progress through them all as they level up)?  Or would people just like to see them released in whatever order I can churn them out moderately quickly but yet still keeping them of fairly high quality?  If I try to do them in level order, then they will likely be spaced out enough that GM?s and their gaming groups who use them will likely be held up in waiting for each one.  Whereas if I try to complete them based on how quickly I can get them complied (from the dozens of ring binders, maps, and hundreds of index cards of NPC?s) then the levels that they are intended for will be jumping around a fair bit. 

Again, what would everyone who is interested in these products from the Guild Companion prefer to see?

If the majority of people are willing to have them come out soon but not necessarily in relative ?difficulty/level? order, then I?m hoping to have D?n Cr? out in about 2-3 months (need to make a few adjustments/additions and then it will be edited and the format set by other Guild Companion staffers).  Then it will be followed by both ?Greenwood?s Domain? and ?Cainneon Hoarsbey? (not necessarily in that order) hopefully before the end of 2007.  While Cainneon Hoarsbey is intended to follow D?n Cr? (plot hooks already included) and is thus designed for a slightly higher-level range, Greenwood?s Domain is for much higher character levels (in the mid to high teens in terms of RMSS/FRP). 

And if all goes well followed by ?Daingean Liath?, ?Poll M?r?, ?No Quarter?, ?Bior Cloch?, ?Ball?g Firbulge?, ?City of Libintat?, and a few others (again, not necessarily in that order) over the next couple of years.  I?m hoping to eventually have the entire Channel Cities document done (this is the culmination and center piece of the World of Aernth setting) within a few years, although that one might be a stretch, as it is currently at 307 pages but only has about 15-20% of the intended material imported into it so far.  However I will also contribute to the Guild Adventurer as needed in between.  Unless we get lots of good submissions from you, the fans, in which case those may be featured in future issues of the Guild Adventurer.
« Last Edit: January 07, 2007, 07:42:00 PM by Wolfhound, Reason: adding details »
Wolfhound (aka Aaron Smalley)
World of Aernth/Channel Cities setting: www.ChannelCities.com
City of Archendurn & Dun Cru author (for RM/HARP)
Cur. projects: RMU Creature Law 1 & 2, No Quarter Under the Crown (campaign module for RMU)

Offline Ironmaul

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Quote
What format do you like to see NPC/Critter stats in?

A table format or listing format located in an appendix in the back would be my choice.

Quote
Another question that I?ve got in regards to these modules is if people would prefer to see them released in relative ?level? order (such that the modules are released in an order from which they can be used sequentially so that the players progress through them all as they level up)?
I believe that would be the best way of doing it.

Quote
I?m hoping to eventually have the entire Channel Cities document done (this is the culmination and center piece of the World of Aernth setting) within a few years, although that one might be a stretch, as it is currently at 307 pages but only has about 15-20% of the intended material imported into it so far.  However I will also contribute to the Guild Adventurer as needed in between.  Unless we get lots of good submissions from you, the fans, in which case those may be featured in future issues of the Guild Adventurer.
I had assumed that these adventures would be published in The Guild Adventurter.

Hope that helps  :)

Offline Michael Petrea

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I bought City of Archendurn and enjoyed that product.  I am also one of the people who has been asking Nicholas about the status of Dun Cru.

Having the NPC stats in the appendix is probably the best place especially if the they are in more than one place in the module. 

I would prefer them to be in level order but honestly it doesn't affect my purchase decision.  I have been planning to buy Dun Cru and will probably buy the other releases if they are good since it is going to be quite some time before I could run them anyway.  So, in the end, I would just like to see the content.

Offline Wolfhound

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Happy to hear feedback regarding these issues.  Will plan to continue to do the stats as has been done in the past then (as an appendix).  Will try to dedicate more time to getting these products out ASAP.  Will try to do them in a level order for the most part, although will likely release a few out of that order.  Greenwood's Domain is intended for higher levels, as is the No Quarter module, and both are set in a different part of the world, however as with all of these products, the intention is to design them so that GM's can drop them into their own worlds as easily as using them in the setting that they were developed in.

Regarding things appearing in the Guild Adventurer, there will be some stuff appearing in there, however it will tend to be smaller things (locations of interest or small adventures) and the plan was to try to have that filled with a lot of stuff submitted by others, however we have certain ideas as far as size and content that we want to maintain with that product, so may use some items from this setting to help fill it as needed.

Also, would love to hear feedback on ways to improve any of the items that are released or suggestions on things that people would like to see, either here on the forums or via PM. 
Wolfhound (aka Aaron Smalley)
World of Aernth/Channel Cities setting: www.ChannelCities.com
City of Archendurn & Dun Cru author (for RM/HARP)
Cur. projects: RMU Creature Law 1 & 2, No Quarter Under the Crown (campaign module for RMU)

Offline ob1knorrb

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Add my vote for a table of stats, as for release order, I'm going to buck the trend and say release them as you get them done
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Offline Raf Blutaxt

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Stats as an appendix would be a good thing.
As for the order of release, I think that releasing them inn level order makes sense if there are plots that run over several modules. Otherwise it seems best to just release them as you can finish them.
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Offline markc

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1) If things move around then I like to see them in the back but if they are somewhat static then I like to see them with the location.
2) Release in level order.


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