Ian A. Thomson

**Ideas Sought on EWF Sorcery** Basically I am considering these options for the expanded Rough Guide to Pavis City section on running adventures there To add a line to many NPCs after Spirit Magic, called 'EWF Cantraps', and to have some simple little titles there like 'Sparkfingers', 'Heal Graze', 'Tough Skin', 'See in Darkness', 'High Jump'. Mostly daily/vocationally useful stuff and just a few per person Then for a few more powerful personalities also have a line 'EWF Sorcery' with more potent titles in, such as: Scale Skin, ForcePush, , but falling short of things like Dragonwings and Firebreath except for maybe some epic NPC major foes Many years ago I was part of an official HW Playtest that was set in the time of the EWF, and my Sartarite character generation option had a choice of profession that included a few simple draconic sorcery options. All pretty simple like Spirit Magic, except I remember that I had a Rune Magic equivalent (Ie something I couldn't use often, but was great for emergencies) which was 'Breathe Fire'. The sense of the character was that they were IIRC a follower of Orlanth Dragonfriend and progressing well through the cult And I have some questions. 1) I read somewhere ages ago that in the EWF a lot of people had access to minor draconic magics and thought nothing of it. Used as an alternative to Spirit Magic. Is that potentially a true concept or was it only rare and specialised people who had any? 2) What are these minor draconic magics? Were they all directly to do with draconic powers or more just mystical abilities in general of a wider range? 3) Did people have both EWF Sorcery and Spirit/Rune Magic (as I seem to remember reading), or only one of them? 4) If the consensus is that many people did have minor EWF Sorcery skills I would love some ideas for cantrap names and titles of more major sorcery effects 5) If anyone has a simple sense of running such things in the game I would definitely consider including a half-page description of how to run such things in game. Otherwise I'll leave the mechanics up to each GM Thanks very much

I was delighted by how good it looks :) So much work to do at the moment that this is in the 'way down the track basket, But yes it would be wonderful if the work takes off to the extent where hardcopies are desired. In which case I will be seeking wisdom. A good few weeks of intense slog to go yet before the series is done to even basic formatting, and then likely a good few weeks more to get it all done. The final volume I have in mind needs a fair bit of research, new text and rewriting too I am currently writing a new full scenario to go into the back of the Rough Guide and to expand the piece of ideas on how to turn the Guide into a Campaign

The Rough Guide to Old Pavis (Directors' Cut) has reached an advanced stage Basic layout is complete of the main book. Only the scenario ideas and stats sections need to be completed (more writing and then the layout finalisation, the rest is done I am using the Jonstown Compendium Word document as the layout template and it looks really good. I realise this won't be compatible with 'order a hard copy' options, but I can get it all into a different layout package later if the demand is there Layout at the end will need the attention of an experienced designer ideally, although I can do that as well if necessary, but it won't look nearly as good as if a professional gives it some more spit and polish. Anyway it looks like we might have someone standing by to do that :) We do still need a couple of permissions for contents, but have a contact address for the main one of those, so fingers crossed. [Edit - All gotten now! :) ] At this rate it is possible that the Rough Guide Directors Cut will be finished (or very very nearly so) within a week! :)

No worries. We are somehow discussing something I have no plans to do, and never had plans to do, so all good Sorry if I somehow gave a mistaken impression I am looking at that old material just to see if I can make tiny adaptations of my own so as not to directly contradict big stuff they say NOT to take any information from them And I have no idea if they consulted Greg or not. I was mentioning Greg only in reference to my own work

Well that would be fantastic. Just to have basic notes about adapting to QW running through the books. In the case of the first one (the Rough Guide) this would probably be as a separate appendix in the back, since it's mostly a guide with extra notes and stats at the end for turning it into a campaign source

Really not sure what you mean by 'them' in 'incorporate them'. I am writing about Pavis and the Big Rubble, spinning off of ideas by Greg Stafford and Steve Perrin. Many of my articles Greg generously gave me advice on and ideas for, so his thoughts were involved too

We are only doing RQG stats. It's too much work to do anything else. I might have considered leaving the already created HW and HQ stats in, but they are not allowed on JComp, plus I never really liked those systems The only possible other thing is if some volunteer QW stats genius wanted to go through everything and add notes for converting it to QW. Nobody has offered that yet though

This does have some useful generators on there. Thanks for the heads-up I have some excellent volunteers now doing some stat work, but it's a big job, especially when creating personalities, and I could do with some more help if anyone out there is already super quick and confident in whipping up RQG stats :)

That contradiction has been relatively easy to solve :)

Yes, vague is one possibility But the info I have it at currently contradicts what is in the Mongoose publications What I aim to do is read the Mongoose publications and see if there are only minimal contradictions (which is what I have always taken effort to do, and wish those authors had done for my material) :) If the contradictions are minimal then I will adjust my material to make it vague, or to match theirs

Yeh, when I was writing DERPG stuff for Pelgrane Press I actually worked this out for myself :) Why labour over every-changing page numbers when sections stay the same!

You rock, Sir! :)

Thanks Erik. Huge appreciation :) I'm doing layout at present for the republication of the Rough Guide to Pavis City which will be the first off the rank. There's still editing to do, and cover image to be confirmed we can reuse, or replaced, but it's steaming along. Could be ready in 8-10 days :)

Thanks for that :) All help with contacting people is very welcome, and I will update the list above whenever I get in contact with someone You are very welcome about putting it together. Basically I was a part-time student of Writing & Editing at the time I put it all together originally, had loads of detailed notes on my desktop from years of running Pavis stuff, and was in the middle of writing and running an expansion of the long ongoing Pavis Campaign I had run before at University. So everything coalesced. And timing coalesces now as I am moving house in a couple of months I very temporarily have a lot of free time. So a project that would normally be both practically and financially utterly untenable, becomes possible! Actually it's still financially totally not worth it, but as a creative person I feel the art of the project is the driving force :)

Fantastic, thanks so much Which Simon (full name please), and which images (Yelornan?). Just to be super clear. Excellent about Darren. Tell him thanks heaps

Love it. Thanks :) Have to think about that. Or potentially he arrived early then left then was invited back :)

Hi there I am just reading online things like according to Pavis: Gateway to Adventure Joraz Kyrem died in 885ST and had named sons, and they were Kings, and one of them invited Labrygon to build the Puzzle Canal in Pavis City in 920 Was this information also in the original Pavis pack or was it invented for the new Moon Designs release? I will revise definitely my version of Pavis as I go if this information was in the original material, But since it seems (and maybe I am mistaken about this) to actually contradict some things I discussed with Greg (such as Labrygon being present in Pavis much earlier). So I'd be glad if someone could let me know, and then I can make decisions on what I will change in my version and what I won't A lot of stuff will be easy to change and other stuff not so much My only main major issue is that I was certain Greg agreed that the Puzzle Canal was present in 894ST, but it's been so long since we had our conversations that I could be mistaken If it turns out I somehow missed out on a lot of history that was already established I may revise extensively I may even end up changing everything except having Labrygon be there much earlier in my version But I spent a LOT of extra time making sure that my material didn't contradict previous official info and also didn't contradict any well-developed fan info, so I am surprised that I somehow missed this stuff Maybe now will be my chance to make up for that :)

Ooh, awesome Let me know about the permission I am almost ready to start laying out the first volume to be released, which will the the Rough Guide to Pavis City (slightly expanded on the previous version) I also need some permissions first, and also the stats are still being worked on, but we are getting close

STATUS UPDATE I believe I now have all the material - original text from the Rough Guide to Old Pavis, the Companions & Associated Tradetalks - all the bonus articles that didn't fit or were never quite finished - the unfinished notes for the grand finale of the campaign (that was played and completed) - permission (thanks Dario) to use his original images (plus access to more via his pdfs on the Compendium, which I will surely buy) So where I am at now, is: * Continuing to reformat to basic sense and accessibility all the text salvaged from pdfs. This is an enormous job that has taken days so far, but likely only requires another day or two to complete * Working with a few 'Champions of Pavis' volunteers who are doing some of the back-breaking behind the scenes labour so I can focus on the formatting and the new writings to be placed into the Directors Cut of the series. (Yes there will be new material of course!) * Trying to get in touch with collaborators on the original material for permission to use their work * Starting to get as many of the original images into a useable form as possible, and collect other images too * Starting to consider learning a Layout program I can use to present this material in ways that it can be both pdf and hardcopy * Looking for someone already comfortable with layout to design a cover. My sense is that as a series it can have a cool, simple esoteric looking cover with some kind of Pavic symbol/s on, and just use that for every publication in the series. Obviously with changed title and vol number Here's a little scenario outline I thought of earlier: FLINTNAIL & I It is the Year 829. The Age of Flowers is coming to an end in the EWF. Two unemployed actors are living in a squat in Adari and begrudgingly looking for work, whilst drinking way too much fermented zebra-milk, and smoking far too much voralans fungus. One, a half-elf, decides that they need to get out of town for a bit in order to clear their heads. The other, a dwarf, can barely drag himself away from the finest wines known to civilisation at that time. Eventually they gather together some friends and head off into the East. It is the biggest mistake of their lives. Notable Quotes: "We are indeed drifting into the arena of the unwell. Making an enemy of our future. What we need is harmony." "We've come to Prax by mistake." "Stop saying that Flintnail; of course it's a f*kng llama!" "I feel like a broo shat in my head." "If I spike you, you'll know you've been spoken to!" "This place is uninhabitable. We'll be found dead here next Season." "A coward you are, Flintnail; an expert on bison you are not!"

Exactly! :) That's it, few more words necessary.... Totally my sense of things! :)

Guess we should probably formalise this at least a bit :) Can you please message me here with some small details about yourself and an email address so I can add it to the Permissions document. Much appreciated :)

OMG I'm actually already talking to Simon here. Doh!!! :) Thanks for the other info. Huge appreciation, and on it now

Thanks for the advice guys And this creates a document that can be uploaded directly to Jonstown Compendium?

I am not on Facebook. Would you be able to politely ask him for an email address on my behalf?

Oh you epic hero :)