AGP Announcements and Updates

Posts: 404 · Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 3:20 pm

Phaedran wrote:

Another month has come and gone. Any status update on the AGJ or the Campaign Installment for us subscribers?

Phaed,

I hope to have a major announcement within the next week or two... more than that I cannot say at this time. Many, many apologies!

Posts: 404 · Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 4:10 pm

This year, as with last year, I will be hanging with the guys at Troll Lord Games. However, rather than playing the part of a booth monkey, I will be running demos of Castles & Crusades Thursday through Saturday. Though the demos do not specifically mention the Wilderlands (due to very tight description space), those who are familiar with the Wilderlands can probably figure out where these adventures are located...

Each of the following games is for up to six players, Teenager+, no experience necessary, cost $4 ticket. Characters will be provided, but if you wish to bring your own, all characters are 1st to 3rd level. Each session runs three hours. Each different scenario is run twice, save for Bandit King, which is scheduled three times; these are not tournaments, merely the same demo run at different times.

Sign up quick before all the slots are gone!

RPG01947: Cratered City, Ebon Pyramid — The red cratered wastes to the south are home to strange creatures amid glittering ruins. What fabled treasures and eldritch horrors await you and your stalwart friends in the Ebon Pyramid of the Pharaoh of the Damned? 3 Hours. Thursday, August 14th, 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon. Hyatt: Concept: Table 2

RPG01948: Against the Goblins! — Your village has come under attack by goblin raiders, the heads of the heroes you sent after them hanging from their standards! You are all that stand between your families and the Goblins of Garthax! Do you have what it takes to be a hero? 3 Hours. Thursday, August 14th, 1:00 to 4:00 PM. Hyatt: Theory: Table 4

RPG01949: Bandit King of the Sour Lands — The bandits have been raiding along the Golden Road through the Sour Lands of late, and angry merchants have hired you to take them out. Blood and guts, swords and sorcery await all, death for some, gold and glory for others! 3 Hours. Thursday, August 14th. 4:00 to 7:00 PM. Hyatt: Studio 1: Table 2

RPG01950: Ice Witch of the Beastlands — Your tribes folk were attacked and taken away in chains while you were on a hunt. With your strange new allies from the southern Warmlands, can you defeat the evil Ice Witch and rescue your people? 3 Hours. Friday, August 15th, 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon. Hyatt: Studio 1: Table 6

RPG01951: Bandit King of the Sour Lands. 3 Hours. Friday, August 15th, 1:00 to 4:00 PM. Hyatt: Vision: Table 5

RPG01952: Cratered City, Ebon Pyramid. 3 Hours. Friday, August 15th, 4:00 to 7:00 PM. Hyatt: Theory: Table 3

RPG01953: Against the Goblins! 3 Hours. Saturday, August 16th, 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon. Union Station: Wabash: Table 2

RPG01954: Bandit King of the Sour Lands. 3 Hours. Saturday, August 16th, 1:00 to 4:00 PM. Hyatt: Theory: Table 1

RPG01955: Ice Witch of the Beastlands. 3 Hours. Saturday, August 16th, 4:00 to 7:00 PM. Hyatt: Theory: Table 1

Posts: 1439 · Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 4:26 pm

Sigh.

If only I could attend.......

Bummer........... Sad

Posts: 7612 · Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 7:22 pm

james, looking forward to the announcement and i hope the games go well at GenCon dude. i will try and keep my eyes peeled and check out the game - prb won't have the time to play truth be told, but i will look on with great interest,

Al

Posts: 4544 · Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 10:31 pm

killjoy32 wrote:

james, looking forward to the announcement and i hope the games go well at GenCon dude. i will try and keep my eyes peeled and check out the game - prb won't have the time to play truth be told, but i will look on with great interest,

Al

Yes, we will definitely look in on a game or two...who knows, maybe I'll be burnt out on spending money and try to grab a slot on Friday!

Mike B.

BTW, don't know if you have already mentioned it, any convention-only goodies going on sale this year?

Posts: 404 · Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2008 6:51 pm

Hey everyone,

I just posted three events I will be running at the Lake Geneva Game Convention (in Lake Geneva, of course, June 20 to 22). Here's the thread:

http://www.freeyabb.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=4874

And here are the events:

I will run one adventure each day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday:

Game: Castles & Crusades: Wilderlands of High Adventure
Title: Cro Manach
Judge: James Mishler
Time: Friday Morning, 10 AM to 2 PM
Participants: 6 to 8 players
Centuries ago the great monastery of Cro Manach fell to an orc horde; however, the curse of the gods fell upon all combatants, and the ruins have been uninhabited since. So too, legends say, the great treasures of the monks still lie there amidst tumbled stone and skeletons. Do you have what it takes to brave the terrors of the Severn Midvales and reclaim the lost treasures? Characters of levels 4 to 6 will be provided, or bring your own with judge approval. No experience necessary. NOTE: Players will earn credit as playtesters for this adventure, a part of the second Wilderlands of High Adventure Sandbox Module, Cro Manach: The Midvales.

Game: Castles & Crusades: Wilderlands of High Adventure
Title: Khazbundgundur, the Great Dwarven Delve
Judge: James Mishler
Time: Saturday Morning, 9 AM to 1 PM
Participants: 6 to 8 players
Can you survive the perils of the infamous Dwarven Delve north of the City State? Brave the deception, the despair, and the death within the mine and capture a fortune in precious jewels. Survive and glory is yours! Characters of levels 7 to 9 will be provided, or bring your own with judge approval. No experience necessary.
NOTE: The original Judges Guild module was published under a different name that today unfortunately has an altogether different connotation... I have changed the name here as I do not want this site to get slammed by search engines as being an "adult" website!

Game: Basic Dungeons & Dragons (Moldvay Rules)
Title: Yavdlom Manor
DM: James Mishler
Time: Sunday Morning, 9 AM to 1 PM+ (probably till close of show at 3 PM)
Participants: Any number
In the distant past, the Haunted Manor was the home of the House of Yavdlom, a great noble family. It was abandoned many years ago when the family mysteriously disappeared. It is now rumored to be haunted. Strange lights and sounds are often seen and heard in the ruins by passing townspeople. Recently, a group of boys and girls from your village got up the courage to go and investigate the haunted manor; they have not returned. Some of these children are your brothers, sisters, nieces, or nephews. No others in your village are brave enough to investigate, and the great lords of the realm are unconcerned with foolish children. If they are to be rescued, it is up to you... 1st level characters will be rolled at the table.

Please post in the thread on the TLG Forums if you want to reserve a seat at any of the events...

Posts: 3188 · Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2008 6:39 am

Will these adventures get published sometime/somewhere when Gen Con is over..please Smile

ShaneG.

Posts: 404 · Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2008 7:55 am

Plaag wrote:

Will these adventures get published sometime/somewhere when Gen Con is over..please Smile

The four Gen Con adventures will likely be published someday. Being geared for 3-hour demos, all should fit in one book, or I might fill them out a bit and go with 24-page adventures. It's not on my schedule right now, but these days I'm not one to let anything I write go to waste...

Cro Manach is a definite, it being a part of Cro Manach: The Midvales, the second in the Cro Manach series of Sandbox Modules.

Glory Hole Dwarven Mine... is one of the few modules I've wanted to revise and expand for use with C&C. As a rule I've not wanted to revise modules, as that's not what my focus has been, but of any, its one I'd definitely consider. It's an awesome module with a sadly troublesome name...

Yavdlom Manor is more problematic. I wouldn't want to do it as a C&C module, as the purpose of it is as a memorial to Tom Moldvay and the specific game he edited (and frankly, created). Plus it is set in Mystara, and I wouldn't want to change that, either. So most likely down the road I will post it on my blog as a freebie, or make it available freely otherwise.

Posts: 1439 · Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2008 9:16 am

jamesmishler wrote:

The four Gen Con adventures will likely be published someday. Being geared for 3-hour demos, all should fit in one book, or I might fill them out a bit and go with 24-page adventures. It's not on my schedule right now, but these days I'm not one to let anything I write go to waste...

Cro Manach is a definite, it being a part of Cro Manach: The Midvales, the second in the Cro Manach series of Sandbox Modules.

Glory Hole Dwarven Mine... is one of the few modules I've wanted to revise and expand for use with C&C. As a rule I've not wanted to revise modules, as that's not what my focus has been, but of any, its one I'd definitely consider. It's an awesome module with a sadly troublesome name...

Yavdlom Manor is more problematic. I wouldn't want to do it as a C&C module, as the purpose of it is as a memorial to Tom Moldvay and the specific game he edited (and frankly, created). Plus it is set in Mystara, and I wouldn't want to change that, either. So most likely down the road I will post it on my blog as a freebie, or make it available freely otherwise.

Sweet.
I really am shamefully invious of those who will be playing in your games at GenCon. Embarassed

I would be happy to scratch together funds to pay for any of those games and/or revised games and I would REALLY like to see Yavdiom Manor.
Long story and wont bore you all with it here, but I have recently been gathering up and reading every starter and low level Module I can find.

Reading your blurb for the game; Yavdlom Manor looks perfect for the game I am planning.

Posts: 3999 · Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2008 2:31 pm

jamesmishler wrote:

Glory Hole Dwarven Mine It's an awesome module with a sadly troublesome name...

I wondered if anyone else noticed. Confused

GHDM could use a re-editing so that the adventure is more even. the mine is full of low level creatures and less than hazardous hazards.

Then, at the end, this major badguy pops up and the fight is on.

The whole module needs to be scaled better.

I have run GHDMby looting it for ideas and bending it to fit into my own campaign. The actual statistics are not really useable...I had to come up with my own menaces.

Aside from problems with the name, the original module also suffered from the fact that the big big secret is revealed on the cover.

Given the derivative storyline in GHDM (it is the Mines of Moria with a different name), the end is not all that surprising anyway.

The thing is, I like the idea so much, and my players have been willing to go along with this basic storyline twice over the years...so GHDM is still a useable mine of ideas, if nothing else.

Posts: 1346 · Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 7:40 am

Actually, I like that GHDM is so "weak." It gives the players a false sense of superiority, when, wham! This badass is there to give a lesson in (fantasy) reality. More stuff like this needs to be there... shows the players they don't have it so easy like they think.

Posts: 4544 · Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 10:01 am

serleran wrote:

Actually, I like that GHDM is so "weak." It gives the players a false sense of superiority, when, wham! This badass is there to give a lesson in (fantasy) reality. More stuff like this needs to be there... shows the players they don't have it so easy like they think.

Not that the creatures are just so weak...it's just (IIRC) there's practically NOTHING in the mine until the lowest level.

I can't imagine anything more boring than mapping out level after level of the mine...with nothing happening. Given that, there is a LOT of room for DM expansion. I'd probably populate the upper levels with some servants of the demon on the bottom level....they could even be dretch or goblins or something similar, as long as their constant attacks slowly wore the party down and drained some of their spells and magic. Because no threats on the upper levels mean the characters are going to march into the big baddie's lair fully loaded...can't have that happening!!!

Mike B.

Posts: 3999 · Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 1:22 pm

Badmike wrote:

Not that the creatures are just so weak...it's just (IIRC) there's practically NOTHING in the mine until the lowest level.

I can't imagine anything more boring than mapping out level after level of the mine...with nothing happening. Given that, there is a LOT of room for DM expansion. I'd probably populate the upper levels with some servants of the demon on the bottom level....they could even be dretch or goblins or something similar, as long as their constant attacks slowly wore the party down and drained some of their spells and magic. Because no threats on the upper levels mean the characters are going to march into the big baddie's lair fully loaded...can't have that happening!!!

Mike B.

My personal favorite for mines is two-headed trolls living beside subteranean lakes and streams. I love those things.

Posts: 1076 · Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 7:33 pm

FormCritic wrote:

...so GHDM is still a useable mine of ideas

*rimshot*

Posts: 3999 · Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 7:47 pm

JohnGaunt wrote:

*rimshot*

I didn't even notice the pun! Mad

Posts: 404 · Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 10:45 pm

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http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=56876

http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=56876&src=FrontPage

The PDF can be printed, and you can copy and paste from it. Or you should be able to... let me know if there are any problems!

Subscribers, before you buy the PDF be sure to contact me at the Super Secret Subscriber E-mail address to receive your Subscriber Discount Coupon!

The Rhadamanthia Map should follow soon, then the Southern Reaches map...

Posts: 161 · Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 2:09 am

jamesmishler wrote:

Now available at DriveThruRPG and RPGNow!

http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=56876

http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=56876&src=FrontPage

The PDF can be printed, and you can copy and paste from it. Or you should be able to... let me know if there are any problems!

Subscribers, before you buy the PDF be sure to contact me at the Super Secret Subscriber E-mail address to receive your Subscriber Discount Coupon!

The Rhadamanthia Map should follow soon, then the Southern Reaches map...

Either of them give you a better cut?

Posts: 404 · Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 2:31 am

Busman wrote:

Either of them give you a better cut?

Nope, actually they are the same company, run by OneBookShelf, so the cut is the same either way.

Thanks for considering that, though!

Posts: 7612 · Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 6:31 am

james

whats happening with the instalments now? dont seem to have had anything for a while?

best

Al

Posts: 404 · Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 11:22 am

Heya Al,

Answers are in an e-mail I just sent out to all subscribers. It contains news and other information, including how to get the subscriber discount on the PDF of AGJ #1.

If you don't get the e-mail, please let me know!