I'm in the mood to brainstorm something. Tell me of the cities of the Southlands, Nuria-Natal, Nurambeki, Shebai, and Ishadia. Tell me of the ruins in the deserts and mountain highlands, the lost sites in the deep interior.
Let's brainstorm in an African, Arabian, Persian, or draconic style. What sort of lost city most appeals? What sort of ruins would you send your PCs to in Midgard? What treasures are hidden there?
Ok, now I seriously *AM* going to run out stretch goals before the end of the project. It's a good problem to have, but I ask you Open Design veterans:
Who would you want to come on as a guest designer to do spells or closely related material, and what would you want them to write?
The thing about Open Design Kobold Press projects is that they rarely stick with the original title. I think Northlands was called Frozen Empires for a time. Sunken Empires was a latecomer, I think the first title was Shore to Sea. Even things like the Zobeck Gazetteer were originally just "the city book."
So, you know, sometimes the name sticks, and sometimes there's a Secret Code Name that hangs around for a while. The next big project from Kobold Press is going to be about magic, which to me is the heart of what makes fantasy its own genre, rather than a type of alternate history. And hey, I love alternate history too, but in a non-magical and more Platonic sort of way than my abiding love for fantasy.
I've worked hard figuring out what elements to include and how to structure it, and now it's very, very close. I'm announcing it here a little early, because hey, secret clubhouse folks get to see a preview. While the Big Book of Magic has got me working overtime to figure out how to deliver the most magic possible, there's always room for magic.
What would you like to see in a Big Book of Pure Eldritchness?
Green Ronin has posted a (patron-generated) preview. Without spoiling anything, it does a really good job capturing the mood and some of the themes of the adventure.
And why do one preview when you can do TWO? Take a look at what Steven Robert - author of fan-favorite Pathfinder Society scenarios Tide of Morning and Citadel of Flame - did with Freeport traits!
And Adam Daigle, one of the authors of the Freeport Companion: Pathfinder RPG Edition - and a patron of this project - has offered a signed author's copy of the Companion to one lucky new patron. Sign up now to win!
The lead designer is Michael Furlanetto (one of the brightest stars of many projects to date), and Chris Pramas and I will both be chiming in as well. The brainstorming has begun, the project is 40% of the way to commission, and frankly it's looking like the best demon adventure I've seen since.... Well, since the Planescape days. Seriously.
Please support Dark Deeds in Freeport, because we've been handed the keys to a very cool city indeed!
Hard to believe it, but the Northlands project of tropes for fantasy is almost fully funded!
Valkyries and primeval giants, linnorms and creatures of the boreal woods, and everything from Conan to the norse sagas is fair game for this one. The Frozen Empires Pathfinder RPG project includes:
New magic, including grudge magic and runes
New feats and alternate class abilities for rangers, druids, barbarians, and oracles
New equipment, arctic chase cards, and easy wilderness survival rules
Original, bigger-than-life monsters, plus wild creatures from myth and legend
Evocative settings easy to drop into any northerly area of Golarion, Zobeck, Oerth, or the Realms -- or your world
Much much more, from magic mead to the spears of the Valkyries!
Since Courts of the Shadow Fey is in final layout, it's time to announce the NEXT 4th Edition project: Logan Bonner of Wizards of the Coast fame will be leading an adventure anthology called The Lost City.
The light elves and reaver dwarves of Midgard await you, so take ax in hand and join us in the next Pathfinder RPG Open Design project: Frozen Empires, Glories of the North by Dan Voyce and the patrons of Open Design.
If you would like to design new spells, feats, items, and societies inspired by the legends of Thule, Trollheim, Hyperborea — or invent new ones — then this is your chance.
The kobold crew will be attending in full force at the show. Here's our seminar schedule, and of course we'll have a booth as well. If there's interest, might even do a bit of blogging or twittering from the booth as well.
