Age of Worms book?/Thoughts on AP's

[haakon1]

Will an Age of Worms book, like the Shackled City hardcover, ever be published?

Also, about Adventure Paths . . . I've read the first two issues of Pathfinder. I can see how it's good in its own way, but it's not my style. Too modern in its thinking (there's a mental hospital? really?) and too fantastic (does it always have to be a supernatural ancient Big Evil Guy and/or cult behind everything?).

I saw "Elizabeth" on Saturday night, and while it's not a fantastic movie, I was thinking an AP with a similar villain -- in that case, the King of Spain -- would be an interesting change of pace from demon lords. You can still have dark conspiracies, desparate fights, and all that, but without the . . . boringness? . . . that comes of every dish comes with demons.

I guess what I'm saying is more medieval/Tolkienesque/Greyhawk-y, less of a modern sensibility/Eberronity, and more human villains or at least variety of villains. And an AP doesn't need to go to 20th level.

Oh well, I guess there will never be another AP before 4th Edition anyhow, so no use thinking much about it.

 

[tenkar]

Pathfinder APs are 6 books long IIRC. That means at least one more 3.5 AP from Paizo... more likely 2 APs before they switch to 4e.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Will an Age of Worms book, like the Shackled City hardcover, ever be published?

No.

WotC isn't going to print a 3.5 adventure path once 4E comes out, and converting it will be a huge undertaking, especially since the new edition will apparently be balanced around more enemies, meaning conversion is likely more complicated than just updating a few stats.

 

[Wolfwood2]

Will an Age of Worms book, like the Shackled City hardcover, ever be published?

While all things are possible in theory, the current answer is no. With each day that passes, that "no" only grows firmer. Maybe in 15 years as a nostalgia thing.

I guess what I'm saying is more medieval/Tolkienesque/Greyhawk-y, less of a modern sensibility/Eberronity, and more human villains or at least variety of villains. And an AP doesn't need to go to 20th level.

The first Pathfinder adventure, "Rise of the Runelords", only goes through 15th level.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Will an Age of Worms book, like the Shackled City hardcover, ever be published?

I really doubt it. Wizards is dead set against it.

Also, about Adventure Paths . . . I've read the first two issues of Pathfinder. I can see how it's good in its own way, but it's not my style. Too modern in its thinking (there's a mental hospital? really?)

How's that too modern? Have you read about the guy who runs it? He's not really Freuding the hell out of people.

Plus, while there are many original things in Pathfinder (bridges that were big enough to have 4 Tarrasque lanes or something and mile attack high towers built to fry people all over the place sure are cool), madhouses aren't one of the things they first put into D&D.

and too fantastic (does it always have to be a supernatural ancient Big Evil Guy and/or cult behind everything?).

Yes, because a gardener makes for a bad BBEG

I saw "Elizabeth" on Saturday night, and while it's not a fantastic movie, I was thinking an AP with a similar villain -- in that case, the King of Spain -- would be an interesting change of pace from demon lords. You can still have dark conspiracies, desparate fights, and all that, but without the . . . boringness? . . . that comes of every dish comes with demons.

Are we still talking about Rise of the Runelords? Because (sorry to spoil things here), the big mastermind there's a Runelord, not a Demonlord.

Unless we talk about the quasit. Which is a TBEG (Tiny Bad Evil Girl), not a BBEG

I guess what I'm saying is more medieval/Tolkienesque/Greyhawk-y, less of a modern sensibility/Eberronity, and more human villains or at least variety of villains. And an AP doesn't need to go to 20th level.

Well, I don't know Eberron too much, but Goralion doesn't sound at all like the stuff I read about it. It's got a (more or less) human villain at the end. And it goes only to 15.

Oh well, I guess there will never be another AP before 4th Edition anyhow, so no use thinking much about it.

The second Pathfinder will be 3.5e all the way. The third might also be 3.5 if Wizards is too slow about providing publishers with 4e material (they said that they won't switch in between. So if one adventure has to be done in 3e, the whole path will be). And if Paizo decides against using 4e, Pathfinder will remain 3.5.

 

[RangerWickett]

Would a war appeal to you? It is admittedly a fantasy war, where the enemy has the occasional force of wyvern-mounted knights, or summoned devils to do their bidding, and your missions involve things like hewing through a fire-wreathed castle full of undead soldiers in order to retrieve an artifact to help turn the tide. But the villain is the ruler of a nation, not an extraplanar demon lord. Would that be cool?

Because I'm kinda publishing that. It's called War of the Burning Sky.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

in order to retrieve an artifact to help turn the tide

He complained about the lack of new ideas and you tell us this?

 

[Alaxk Knight of Galt]

I will say I enjoyed the heck out of Age of Worms, to me it is the quintessential DnD game.

That said, I don't want to play the quintessential DnD game every time I play in or run an RPG. I agree with the OP that stopping demons, slaying gods, and thwarting the end of the world gets old.

A couple of ideas to try out if you get bored with the traditional massive epic DnD story lines.

1. Adventure Company - Have the players make two PCs each. These characters comprise the roster of an Adventuring Company for hire. Be tough on the characters, if they die, they die and the company has to recruit new lower level members (replacement characters provided by the Player with the dead PC) to fill their ranks. Each PC should pick one of their PCs to play on each adventure.

2. A different game - I switched over to 7th Sea for a while to break the tedium that DnD had become. This really rejuvenated my passion for RPGs. Different games, different thoughts on how gaming should be done, and a totally different setting often provide a DMs and players alike a rush of creative and gaming energy.

 

[Rechan]

Sanitariams are about as old as prisons. When you have people that are nuts, you do one of two things with them. You kill them, or you put them somewhere you can deal with them in a safe manner.

Until like, the late 1800s, asylums/sanitariums were more like prisons. The insane/retarded chained to walls, etc etc. So it's not "Happy and lovable white sheets and pleasant doctors asking you how you feel".

 

[haakon1]

Would a war appeal to you? It is admittedly a fantasy war, where the enemy has the occasional force of wyvern-mounted knights, or summoned devils to do their bidding, and your missions involve things like hewing through a fire-wreathed castle full of undead soldiers in order to retrieve an artifact to help turn the tide. But the villain is the ruler of a nation, not an extraplanar demon lord. Would that be cool?

Because I'm kinda publishing that. It's called War of the Burning Sky.

Heck yeah, that's exactly what I'm thinking about. Alright, I'll have to learn more about your stuff. Thanks for making it!