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Post Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 11:28 pm 
 

The levels of membership are below...the suggested donations are $30, $75 and $100 for each level:

$30:
The complete adventure, professionally laid out as a PDF and as a paper POD book.
Access to six months of rubber-meets-the-road design discussion
Q&A, and design essays on topics chosen by the patrons


$75
All the standard privileges listed above
Acknowledgment in the credits
Ability to suggest design essay topics
Direct access to the project manuscript and to design Q&A sessions
Review sketches, art, maps, handouts, and other graphic elements


$100
All the standard & $75 donation privileges listed above
A private game in Seattle
An in-person or online chat about your own adventures or game designs
A prominent listing in the project dedication and credits
Suggest a concept for an upcoming project: your pitch may become the next Open Design!


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Post Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 12:05 am 
 

I found the Empire of the Ghouls concept to be quite intriguing.  I am thinking about sponsoring it.  $30 per publication is even steeper than the $20 of Pied Piper Publishing...so...have to think more about it.  

I wonder when the cutoff deadline is?   :(

The whole thing is very interesting.


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Post Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 12:26 am 
 

WolfgangBaur wrote:
It's just a limited edition. What's so weird about that?


Nothing is weird about it if that's what it is.  Maybe I am the one one who misinterpreted what's on your site.  But it does say under Shadowcrag that the "project is closed and not available to the public".  Under Steam and Brass it says "not available to the public in any form..."  Also under Steam and Brass it seems to suggest that you don't have any control over the work, but rather you are bound by what the original "patrons" want to do with it.  That is weird if the adventure is a really good one and you could bring it to a larger audience instead of writing it for a few "patrons".

Anyways ...sorry if I got it wrong.   :oops:   But I wasn't the only one.  Maybe look at what it says on the website and look at it from the view of the casual 1st time visitor.

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Post Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 12:37 am 
 

Kingofpain89 wrote:
Erol Otus is doing just that.  There is at least one member of this forum that has a commissioned piece by Otus and it is unique....no one else has one.  Dumbass still hasnt gotten it framed though.



Gotcha!

I just meant you wouldn't comission a fine orgininal piece from Otus and then refuse to show it to people because they didn't get in on the ground floor when you comissioned the work, which it what I read into the wording on Wolfgang's site.

Anyways not important as it seems my interpretation is wrong, so appologies to Wolfgang.

Cheers!

  

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Post Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 12:44 am 
 

islestrike wrote:
Nothing is weird about it if that's what it is.  Maybe I am the one one who misinterpreted what's on your site.  But it does say under Shadowcrag that the "project is closed and not available to the public".  Under Steam and Brass it says "not available to the public in any form..."  Also under Steam and Brass it seems to suggest that you don't have any control over the work, but rather you are bound by what the original "patrons" want to do with it.  That is weird if the adventure is a really good one and you could bring it to a larger audience instead of writing it for a few "patrons".

Anyways ...sorry if I got it wrong.   :oops:   But I wasn't the only one.  Maybe look at what it says on the website and look at it from the view of the casual 1st time visitor.

Best Regards


I was confused also Islestrike, you have to poke around a bit on the website to find out the cutoff dates apparantly aren't writ in stone...basically, when Wolfgang decides the cutoff dates should trigger I guess, and even then some past projects could be available (although the first one, Steam and Brass, does look "officially" closed for good).  

I went ahead and took the plunge with the $30 membership...kind of steep, but as I said I do like to support this sort of publishing.  Plus, Kingdom of the Ghouls was badass...if Empire of the Ghouls is more in depth, sweet......
I got a welcome and a sign up link for livejournal.com so I could get info about the project.  Unfortunately Livejournal seems to be down tonight or having problems, I got about halfway registered and it went blaloohey.  I'll try again tomorrow or re-register.  Anyway sounds cool is you have an extra $30.
  Dang I really like the look of the Paizo Pathfinder stuff, but $20 a chapter?  The finished project would be $120, but incredibly massive (say 600 pages with maps?).  I guess I'm just cheap, I don't know. Anyway, I still might be interested enough in a Stone Giant fortress written by Baur to pony up for that one chapter...

Mike B.


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Post Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 2:37 am 
 

I have been a big fan of Wolfgang's work ever since reading his kingdom of the ghouls adventure in Dungeon Magazine #70. There are a few things that puzzle me though since this topic has been brought up.

1.Why has he decided to post here on this forum now, with few words and no introduction? (Dont get me wrong, Im excited and intrigued)

2. His website is a lil bare, vague and confusing about the products and sponsorship: Is the format available only through PDF? or is there going to be a physical printing of the work?

3.Rob Kuntz has had a great response and sponsorship of his independant physical publication of modules (I believe as a direct result of the acaeum website and forum) I have sponsored 2 of his projects and have been very happy with the product and overall quality with the minor exception as to the shipping procedures.

Thes are just my humble opinions and observations..

  

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Post Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 11:24 am 
 

Afrika Corps wrote:I have been a big fan of Wolfgang's work ever since reading his kingdom of the ghouls adventure in Dungeon Magazine #70. There are a few things that puzzle me though since this topic has been brought up.

1.Why has he decided to post here on this forum now, with few words and no introduction? (Dont get me wrong, Im excited and intrigued)

2. His website is a lil bare, vague and confusing about the products and sponsorship: Is the format available only through PDF? or is there going to be a physical printing of the work?

3.Rob Kuntz has had a great response and sponsorship of his independant physical publication of modules (I believe as a direct result of the acaeum website and forum) I have sponsored 2 of his projects and have been very happy with the product and overall quality with the minor exception as to the shipping procedures.

Thes are just my humble opinions and observations..


I have a feeling someone may have alerted Wolfgang once we started ripping him...it's happened before (with Titan games, for example), it seems a lot of Acaeum members are pretty plugged in....

The site is a little confusing and contradictory, but once I signed up and started getting the update, it began to make a little more sense.  It seems the Open Deisgin is pretty much a collaborative project between Baur and his sponsors. It's quite unique. Ignore a lot of the cutoff date stuff, and sign up if you want the magazine or the Empire of the Ghouls products.

I'm not a great fan of 3rd edition, but I'm a fan of well written and interesting adventures/campaign ideas.The process being used by Baur is very interesting, and is fascinating to read. Apparantly, Wolfgang throws out a few ideas.....they get voted on by the patrons, then every step of the process is debated as ideas are tossed out to be taken or discarded. Anyone who contributes can comment on all aspects of the project as it trundles along. What's cool, if you actually come up with a bit of gold, Wolfgang may incorporate it into the adventure.

I would recommend if you are at all interested in the professional process of putting together an adventure from concept to finished product, you subscribe to the Open Design process.  Be forewarned, since the adventure is for 3rd ed, there is a LOT of 3rd edition jargon, with people discussing templates, feats, spells, etc in 3rd edition terms.  That's not the cup of tea for a lot of people who call themselves Acaeum members (obviously). But if you can get past that, or if you really aren't that opposed to 3rd edition, you can find a lot to interest you.  The playtest sections are quite interesting, because I've never been part of any type of playtesting groups, seeing the process there is cool.

I find myself quite interested in the product because I enjoy large underdark type campaigns, no matter what the edition. I think I would be far less interested in contibuting to a project concerning a setting (there are so many settings for 3rd ed already, most of which I'm really not interested in) or one that was much more 3rd edtiion specific.  Probably like the majority of patrons, I will find myself lurking and just watching the process wend it's way along.  Highly recommended.

Mike B.


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Post Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 10:59 pm 
 

Afrika Corps wrote:1.Why has he decided to post here on this forum now, with few words and no introduction? (Dont get me wrong, Im excited and intrigued)


My apologies for the lack of intro. I'm a writer and editor who started at TSR in 1991 and is still freelancing lo these 16 years later. My work has been for Paizo, WotC, Chaosium, and my own imprint, Open Design.

My collecting interests are largely CoC and EPT, but I admit to an irrational fondness for bestiaries of all stripes. If you've got one to recommend, I'm all ears.
2. His website is a lil bare, vague and confusing about the products and sponsorship: Is the format available only through PDF? or is there going to be a physical printing of the work?

I apologize for the site's deficiencies. I'm revising it over time, but most of my effort goes into producing new work. Still, to answer your questions:

There was no physical printing of the first, Steam & Brass.

There is a POD of the second, Castle Shadowcrag. Small run, limited to the patrons of CS and EofG. If it actually *wins* the ENnie award it has been nominated for, I may attempt a larger printing. But that's something that I'll talk about with the project's sponsors if that unlikely event should come to pass.

There will be either a POD or a regular printing of the third, Empire of the Ghouls. Likewise, that printing will be limited, just enough to fulfill orders of the project patrons plus some charter subscribers of Kobold Quarterly.

There is a regular paper printing of Kobold Quarterly. The print run is tiny, as befits a magazine of its name. And dare I say it, highly collectable. :D
3.Rob Kuntz has had a great response and sponsorship of his independant physical publication of modules (I believe as a direct result of the acaeum website and forum) I have sponsored 2 of his projects and have been very happy with the product and overall quality with the minor exception as to the shipping procedures.

I think Rob does amazing work. I'm only disappointed that his Castle Greyhawk material won't see print with Paizo (per Erik Mona's recent interview in KQ).
Badmike wrote:I have a feeling someone may have alerted Wolfgang once we started ripping him...it's happened before (with Titan games, for example), it seems a lot of Acaeum members are pretty plugged in....

I've actually visited here a couple of times, as both my NYC publishing friends and some of the WotC novelists lurk here.

However, you are indeed a connected community, and I was tipped off. Now that I'm here and (finally!) registered, I figured I'd poke my head in sometimes.

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Post Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 11:18 pm 
 

Excellent - another game professional lamb to the slaughter!! :D

(J/K - look here for Mr Baur's writing credits - some excellent stuff here, and magazine articles as well, a talented chap indeed)(Doom of Daggerdale is one of my favourite FR scenarios - others may be more interested in the Planescape stuff)


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Post Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 11:30 pm 
 

WolfgangBaur wrote:I've actually visited here a couple of times, as both my NYC publishing friends and some of the WotC novelists lurk here.

However, you are indeed a connected community, and I was tipped off. Now that I'm here and (finally!) registered, I figured I'd poke my head in sometimes.


I have to say after initial misgivings, I really like the Empire of the Ghouls project, and signed up once it became apparant that the ranks were NOT closed as initially indicated. The "insider info" I've gotten as a patron is quite fascinating...sort of like watching a book or movie getting made from the ground up...

I would advise any aspiring RPG material writers to subsribe to the current project...quite interesting!  

Mike B.


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Post Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 11:54 pm 
 

Anyone picking up DA Blackmoor's Temple of the Frog?

https://rpg.zeitgeistgames.com/xcart/home.php

(Though, honestly, I'm not sure if it is out yet. Dustin says they are mailing out copies, but the book remains "presale only" on their store page.)

Zeitgeist is also supposed to have City of the Gods coming out in November. It will be interesting to see how close either of these mirror the originals.

  

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Post Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 12:21 pm 
 

goatboy wrote:Anyone picking up DA Blackmoor's Temple of the Frog?

https://rpg.zeitgeistgames.com/xcart/home.php



Yeah man ...when it hits retail I intend to buy it if only for the fact that it is connected (even tenuously) to the original temple of the frog.  Hopefully it will actually be a good donjon.  :)

I bought Dungeons of Castle Blackmoor, although I have not had time to use it or read it thoroughly as yet.  But first impressions it was just ok, nothing spectacular.

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Post Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 1:49 pm 
 

islestrike wrote:
I bought Dungeons of Castle Blackmoor, although I have not had time to use it or read it thoroughly as yet.  But first impressions it was just ok, nothing spectacular.

Cheers!


Don't expect this being anything better then okay when you do read it.

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Post Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 3:04 pm 
 

I will probably wait until these pop into the "tired of being on the shelf bin".  I'm in no rush to pay full price for d20 stuff.

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Post Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 3:37 pm 
 

"There is a POD of the second, Castle Shadowcrag. Small run, limited to the patrons of CS and EofG. If it actually *wins* the ENnie award it has been nominated for, I may attempt a larger printing. But that's something that I'll talk about with the project's sponsors if that unlikely event should come to pass."

Okay, I just joined as a member for the "Empire of the Ghouls", but I cannot for the life of me figure out how to pick up the POD for Castle Shadowcrag.   Help?

  

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Post Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 4:07 pm 
 

Guido-the-Gypsy wrote:"There is a POD of the second, Castle Shadowcrag. Small run, limited to the patrons of CS and EofG. If it actually *wins* the ENnie award it has been nominated for, I may attempt a larger printing. But that's something that I'll talk about with the project's sponsors if that unlikely event should come to pass."

Okay, I just joined as a member for the "Empire of the Ghouls", but I cannot for the life of me figure out how to pick up the POD for Castle Shadowcrag.   Help?


You could send an email personally to Wolfgang and ask him...I think if you send an email back to your confirmation email address, he should see it...

Mike B.


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Post Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 10:40 am 
 

Plaag wrote:
Don't expect this being anything better then okay when you do read it.

ShaneG.


Actually I read the beginning of it yesterday and looked more closely at the 20 levels.  It actually looks to be quite a good donjon afterall.  The thing I found interesting is the whole concept of linking the historical timeline to successively deeper levels of the dungeon.  It's kind of archeological in finding deeper more mysterious things from the past the further you go, until you hit some antedeluvian age on the 18th-20th levels.  At least that is what is implied.  I looked at levels 18-20 which were pretty good.

The productions values aren't too shabby either.  I noticed art from Steven Poag, Brad McDevitt, and the maps by Jeremy Simmons, the same dudes that work on the DCC line.  I'll read it some more tonight to see how it holds but I'd be interested to know why you think it is just an ok donjon.  How does it compare to what is in the First Fantasy Campaign?  Is that any better?

Cheers!

  

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Post Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 2:19 pm 
 

islestrike wrote:
Actually I read the beginning of it yesterday and looked more closely at the 20 levels.  It actually looks to be quite a good donjon afterall.  The thing I found interesting is the whole concept of linking the historical timeline to successively deeper levels of the dungeon.  It's kind of archeological in finding deeper more mysterious things from the past the further you go, until you hit some antedeluvian age on the 18th-20th levels.  At least that is what is implied.  I looked at levels 18-20 which were pretty good.

The productions values aren't too shabby either.  I noticed art from Steven Poag, Brad McDevitt, and the maps by Jeremy Simmons, the same dudes that work on the DCC line.  I'll read it some more tonight to see how it holds but I'd be interested to know why you think it is just an ok donjon.  How does it compare to what is in the First Fantasy Campaign?  Is that any better?

Cheers!


The FFC Blackmoor Dungeon is not as detailed of course (was how most things were back then) and had a little bit more dungeon shown (tunnels, etc so nothing major.)

No my complaint with this d20 Blackmoor Dungeon is the maps early on (inconsistencies regarding text and whats shown for the first couple of levels.) and the drumming down of the levels of dungeon = level of creatures. Once it goes into the expanded version (dungeon levels beyond what was in the FFC) it seems to me to become more thrown together and breaks away from the original maps visually and feel of the dungeon.

Of the new stuff added, I liked Level 12 and the action that takes part there. Everything about the production values like you said is good (save for the map problems I've mentioned above). Guess I had expectations for this book and they were not met.

ShaneG.


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