| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Markustay |
Posted - 28 Jul 2008 : 22:24:22
Okay, I thought this was just GREAT, on SO many levels -
The Great Beyond: A Guide to the Multiverse
Written by Shemmy. 
It looks like Paizo has 'stolen' the Great Wheel right out from under WotC.
And another volley is fired!  |
| 21 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| dwarvenranger |
Posted - 05 Aug 2008 : 16:05:53
Hmmm, might be time to go wander the planes again. Although, I'm very wary of going on the word of a 'loth  |
| Quale |
Posted - 02 Aug 2008 : 14:08:04
if only the current wotc authors would have a similar attitude
it's good to hear that you had the creative freedom
I remember McComb said somewhere that when designing Planescape they were almost left alone, unhampered, the bosses and editors concentrated on Grubb's setting |
| Purple Dragon Knight |
Posted - 02 Aug 2008 : 02:19:32
Sounds good Shemmy! I can't wait to buy/read that book!
I really like how all Pathfinder folks I've heard so far are inclusive of other settings or ideas, and strive to make good standalone products that can be readily used with other settings (i.e. backwards compatible with either the Planescape or FR cosmology, in this case...) |
| Shemmy |
Posted - 01 Aug 2008 : 21:52:41
A couple of clarifications:
1) As much as I love the setting, I'm not a Planescape writer. I was never one of the original PS design team folks (I didn't even play DnD till after the product line was shut down). I've written material in Dragon/Dungeon that covers things from Planescape or expands on it, but I would feel grossly out of place to say that I was a PS writer. I don't deserve that sort of standing given the folks who did work on it.
2) As others have mentioned, and I've said on other forums, The Great Beyond (and Golarion's cosmology in general) isn't the Great Wheel, nor is it Planescape. Much as I -adore- the material, I'm utterly unable to use WotC IP, but it's also something of a blessing in disguise because I've got an incredible amount of creative freedom. Even though the Great Wheel was a conceptual model rather than a literal physical arrangement of planes, some folks still view it as somewhat static in its arrangement, and I've tried really hard to make sure that feeling (as erroneous as I think it might be) doesn't have anything to grip onto with the Pathfinder cosmology. I've tried to make it feel more dynamic in the relation between the various planes.
3) If you've read my stuff before, you know what I like and where I approach the planes from a thematic standpoint. My influences should be obvious, and you'll see them present in the pathfinder material, but keep in mind that it's influenced by, not determined and bound by those things. There are some elements (one archdaemon for instance) that are coming from one of my home campaigns, and my home games aren't always orthodox Planescape (I loved Faction War for instance). Plus, it's not just me in an echo chamber writing. I'm working with material developed by some of the Paizo guys like James 'Demonomicon' Jacobs, so there are more ideas going into the mix than just me, and I think that's a good thing. And if my editors have their hearts set on something, I go with that because I'm being allowed to play (rather happily!) in their sandbox. Still, that said, tons of creative freedom in this.
So heavily influenced by Planescape, working with some of the same real world concepts and things that the Great Wheel mined ever since it was first designed back in 1e, and incorporating some of my own stuff along with expansions of material from some of Paizo's other books that have touched on planar concepts. There are changes from the style of the Great Wheel, and structure and internal history certainly, but the changes should be constructive, and it should always pay respect to previous material that influenced it. There should be no change for the sake of change, or change because game rules come out of left field to dictate flavor text.
You could easily run a Planescape styled game in this cosmology, but it's its own beast, and I hope that it seems fresh and inventive. If I've done my job, it'll come off as a cosmology filled with wonder and terror, something that's inspirational to players and DMs alike, rather than just an extraplanar dungeon for once you've hit X tier of gameplay. |
| Brimstone |
Posted - 01 Aug 2008 : 19:13:15
-I am looking forward to more lore on the Daemons. (Pathfinders version of Yugoloths) 
-The Four Horsemen (Archdaemons) are nice.(The Leaders of the Daemons, War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death) 
-They are somewhat detailed in the Pathfinder Setting Hard cover, which I downloded last night.
BRIMSTONE  |
| Hawkins |
Posted - 30 Jul 2008 : 16:47:22
quote:
Originally posted by Quale
Other than Beyond Countless Doorways anyone has Gary Gygax's Cosmos Builder, I intend to buy it, also done by a Planescape fan
I saw Beyond Countless Doorways at my local used book store many times, almost picked it up a few times but didn't because I was trying to practice good stewardship of money, and find myself wishing that I had ever since someone bought it... |
| Hawkins |
Posted - 30 Jul 2008 : 16:45:16
quote:
Originally posted by Na-Gang
quote:
Originally posted by HawkinstheDM
As more time passes, it seems more and more that the Pathfinder RPG is going to be D&D Classic, and 4e is New D&D. Maybe 4e will end up doing better in Europe too...
I'm not sure whether I should be offended by that... should I?
I was not trying to offend (knowing that their is a large European population here in the 'Keep). I was just making an allusion to New Coke and how it was a US product that was supposed to be an update to Coca-Cola in the States, but then failed miserably until they introduced it to Europe, where I hear that New Coke is preferred to Coca-Cola Classic (that which Coca-Cola as renamed in the States). It was meant to be a slight at WotC and no one else. |
| Quale |
Posted - 30 Jul 2008 : 12:36:11
Other than Beyond Countless Doorways anyone has Gary Gygax's Cosmos Builder, I intend to buy it, also done by a Planescape fan |
| silverwizard |
Posted - 30 Jul 2008 : 10:50:45
quote:
Originally posted by Na-Gang
quote:
Originally posted by HawkinstheDM
As more time passes, it seems more and more that the Pathfinder RPG is going to be D&D Classic, and 4e is New D&D. Maybe 4e will end up doing better in Europe too...
I'm not sure whether I should be offended by that... should I?
Good question!  |
| Na-Gang |
Posted - 29 Jul 2008 : 21:45:50
quote:
Originally posted by HawkinstheDM
As more time passes, it seems more and more that the Pathfinder RPG is going to be D&D Classic, and 4e is New D&D. Maybe 4e will end up doing better in Europe too...
I'm not sure whether I should be offended by that... should I? |
| Ayunken-vanzan |
Posted - 29 Jul 2008 : 21:00:53
quote:
Originally posted by Kiaransalyn
I've yet to hear from anyone in Europe with a positive thing to say about $E yet. I guess, with the Euro being so strong it's not that important for WotC.
So true, so true.
On a side note, the same time Paizo announced The Great Beyond—A Guide to the Multiverse, they also announced Pathfinder Chronicles: Dragons Revisited (OGL). So many opportunities to invest hard earned money ... It seems that this will be in stores before we get any informations about 4e metallic dragons. |
| Quale |
Posted - 29 Jul 2008 : 20:39:37
wonderful news
Beyond Countless Doorways is not bad
|
| Kiaransalyn |
Posted - 29 Jul 2008 : 12:35:49
quote:
Originally posted by HawkinstheDM
Maybe 4e will end up doing better in Europe too...
I've yet to hear from anyone in Europe with a positive thing to say about $E yet. I guess, with the Euro being so strong it's not that important for WotC. |
| Markustay |
Posted - 29 Jul 2008 : 02:31:20
Okay, to be 100% fair about this (even though I never used 'Planescape' in the thread title), Shemmy (Secret Identity: Todd Stewart) specifically points out that it is NOT Planescape in This Thread at Paizo, but he does talk about the product, and it really sounds like something worth looking forward to.
EDIT: uh-DOH! thats the same exact link I gave in th OP.  |
| The Sage |
Posted - 29 Jul 2008 : 02:10:39
Ah. Beyond Countless Doorways. Another favorite [and well-used] PLANESCAPE resource on my gaming shelf.
Which reminds me... I've got to finish up that article for Planewalker that attempted to fit some of the planar regions detailed within the book, into the Great Wheel cosmology.
|
| Markustay |
Posted - 29 Jul 2008 : 02:02:48
You are right in that they can't say it is Planescape lore, buuut....
Knowing Shemeska, this is 100% compatible with EVERYTHING already in Planescape, and will not contradict any previous lore we have received for that setting...
Only build upon it.
Very much like the tome Beyond Countless Doorways, which was 3rd party but written by the entire original Planscape team (and I HIGHLY recommend it). |
| The Sage |
Posted - 29 Jul 2008 : 01:03:42
quote:
Originally posted by Purple Dragon Knight
Markustay, this doesn't look exactly like Planescape or the Great Wheel, but as they say... close enough! especially when one of the Planescape writers is involved!
Well, it's not a re-working of PLANESCAPE. And I doubt Todd can use too much of the older PS lore... since WotC still retain the license on that particular IP. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 29 Jul 2008 : 01:01:10
Provided this remains true to some of the older lore [that Paizo can use] on the "Great Wheel," and knowing Todd that seems likely, I could get excited about this.
|
| Purple Dragon Knight |
Posted - 29 Jul 2008 : 00:57:15
Markustay, this doesn't look exactly like Planescape or the Great Wheel, but as they say... close enough! especially when one of the Planescape writers is involved!
I know a certain player in my campaign who plays a certain dwarf samurai/paladin will be certainly impressed by these news... |
| Sian |
Posted - 28 Jul 2008 : 23:46:37
i sure don't hope/think so Hawkins |
| Hawkins |
Posted - 28 Jul 2008 : 23:04:15
As more time passes, it seems more and more that the Pathfinder RPG is going to be D&D Classic, and 4e is New D&D. Maybe 4e will end up doing better in Europe too... |
