Pavis & Big Rubble Companion: The Directors' Cut Relaunch

[Ian A. Thomson]

As an off-topic aside, since there is literally no suitable forum here, a few months ago I professionally reformatted one of the best scenarios I ever wrote, which happened to be a Dying Earth episode for Pelgrane Press

I am happy to be able to have a long list of 'best scenarios' assessed by Player enjoyment/feedback. The Dying Earth ones I assess by Player immersion and laughter. In that category this maybe was my best ever.

Sadly it languished in a really badly-formatted free version on their fan page for years and then vanished a decade ago

I felt that it deserved better and dedicated 3 full days of my life to professional formatting and gifted it to P Press where it is now available for 'pay what you want'

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/441078/The-Exasperating-Cadaver--sundry-explorations-of-Kaiin-Old-Town

[John Biles]

2 hours ago, Ian A. Thomson said:

As an off-topic aside, since there is literally no suitable forum here, a few months ago I professionally reformatted one of the best scenarios I ever wrote, which happened to be a Dying Earth episode for Pelgrane Press

I am happy to be able to have a long list of 'best scenarios' assessed by Player enjoyment/feedback. The Dying Earth ones I assess by Player immersion and laughter. In that category this maybe was my best ever.

Sadly it languished in a really badly-formatted free version on their fan page for years and then vanished a decade ago

I felt that it deserved better and dedicated 3 full days of my life to professional formatting and gifted it to P Press where it is now available for 'pay what you want'

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/441078/The-Exasperating-Cadaver--sundry-explorations-of-Kaiin-Old-Town

And I acted as editor to help clean it up!  It's a great read.

 

[Jason Farrell]

Dying Earth is a very fun RPG to read, and his work on it is how I first heard Ian Thomson's name.  Recommended!

[Ian A. Thomson]

12 hours ago, John Biles said:

And I acted as editor to help clean it up!  It's a great read.

 

Yes indeed. Many thanks!! :)

[Ian A. Thomson]

As mentioned before, we seem on track for the end of July jamboree:

Vol. 03 pdf release, Vol. 01 pdf final update and (hopefully) Vol. 01 POD release

As part of that, it looks highly likely that Vol. 01 is going to get an additional final section added that covers some commonly used New Pavis landmarks (map & index for each). A small price increase will accompany this (probably from 18.50 to 19.75)

So if anyone is poised to buy Vol. 01, you can take advantage of the small saving by buying it in the next couple of weeks, as it will take a minimum of 3 weeks before this all happens

[Ian A. Thomson]

Mutter, grumble...

Putting the extra material I wrote for Borderlands into the upcoming Vol. 03. Most of it was originally in Beyond Pavis, but I wrote a lot of that in a rush from simple notes.

This time around I feel impelled to expand and correct that material for the new release, and its taken a few days of work.

Totally worth it of course to upgrade the material and nearly done now, but anyway, mutter, grumble

[Big plus - still have volunteers helping with things like proofing and stats, which keeps me going!] :)

[Ian A. Thomson]

Among the incredible volunteers are three fantastic illustrators of different kinds. Each of these fine folk are in the process of completing one final element of the revised and expanded version of Vol. 01.

These are the last three pieces needed for that updated pdf to be ready to re-release on drivethru, and also sent on for processing for the POD version

The expansion will definitely be worth the wait, as once it goes to POD it won't be edited or changed again. And it now has an additional new final section covering several iconic New Pavis landmarks with full-color overhead map views and gazetteers. I am proud for instance to finally present Bob's Bisonburger Emporium as it has never been seen before! :)

As mentioned earlier, there will be a price increase on the pdf to reflect these additions, but not by a massive amount. Nonetheless, those who are poised to buy and want to save those few $ by leaping in before the update, the earliest I can see me being able to present the pdf to Fabian would be in about 10 days, as I am also pushing to finish Vol. 03 at the same time.

Nothing new left to write for Vol. 03. Just one scenario to finish that will likely only take 2 or 3 hrs, one other scenario to expand that could take a day or two, and some minor bits of editing/formatting. Technically it should be finished within the week.

Edited July 12, 2023 by Ian A. Thomson

[Ian A. Thomson]

IMMINENT UPDATES (final stages)

Vol. 01:

Adjusted cover nearly finished for the revised and expanded version for pdf and POD

Also waiting for one final image.

Vol. 02

A bunch of small corrections and clarifications for an updated pdf release. [Complete]

Vol. 03

One large rewrite/expansion of a scenario (currently underway)

One minor rewrite of a scenario still to do next (which will be final task of all of this)

[Ian A. Thomson]

Hi folks. Are there any published descriptions of Haymon's Gate or Trueword in Sun County? They are both on the SC book map, and HG is elsewhere as well I think.

[7Tigers]

Quote

Haymon’s Gate (so named for the triumphal arch in the market square, erected to commemorate an ancient victory over the nomads)

https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/mobs-glorantha-page/sun-county-stuff/mad-prax-beyond-sun-dome/part-2/

[Nick Brooke]

8 hours ago, Ian A. Thomson said:

Hi folks. Are there any published descriptions of Haymon's Gate or Trueword in Sun County? They are both on the SC book map, and HG is elsewhere as well I think.

Haymon's Gate is described (non-canonically) in Black Spear, which I commend to you:

Quote

The small town of Haymon’s Gate lies 7½ miles north [of the Sun Dome  Temple] along the main road (which continues to Garhound and Pavis). The phalanx stops there to pitch camp in the town’s barracks. Every town in Sun County has a well-maintained barracks area, kept in readiness for any passing square of Templars. Haymon’s Gate, on the main military road, has four adobe barracks-blocks surrounding a parade-ground. When the army marches into town, the adventurers see decrepit-looking bleachers racked up against the sides of the barracks-blocks that face into the square.

A regimental dinner is held in the Town Hall ("(the designated regimental mess for visiting military units"), with pre-dinner drinks on the roof.

Quote

Nightlife in Haymon’s Gate: other than the Officers’ Mess, there is none: “nothing to do, and no-one to do it with.” The usual strict curfew applies to the townsfolk (as always in Sun County, this is maintained by the Templars, who therefore find ways around its restrictions). 

Seriously dodgy adventurers may hope to find an illicit speakeasy or hazia-den, but what are the odds? None of the Templars is willing to admit to a foreigner that they know where vices can be indulged: they are all on their best behaviour. Nobody is going to blot their copy-book while they’re marching with the notoriously puritanical Countess Vega, who personally led Sun County’s crackdown on hazia for more than a decade (and is rumoured to have had her own brother shot for his role in that sinful trade).

HTH. I didn't notice the triumphal arch while I was visiting, but I'm sure it's there.

Edited July 17, 2023 by Nick Brooke

[metcalph]

A possibility is that the the town grew out of a worker's camp to build the arch ordered by some bygone Count or another.  But the necessary stone never arrived (perhaps the coins for the quarry got diverted?  Who knows).  So scribes at the Sun Dome temple might be under the impression there's an arch there but the locals are baffled when you ask them about it.

[Ian A. Thomson]

The fully revised pdf of Vol. 01 has just been sent to Fabian to upload. Sometimes he is busy and can't do it for a little while, but it's been sent, so is on its way! :)

It has an enhanced cover (now back to what I had originally envisaged). Plus a brand new final chapter entitled 'Iconic Locations' which covers interior maps, bird's eye views, and room indices of places as diverse as Bob's Bisonburger Emporium and the New Pavis 'Pavis Temple'.

Much gratitude to Matthew Cole & Roy Duffy for some awesome new illustrations also added in from their forthcoming works! :)

Next task: to fumble around with the pdfs and try to get it all of sufficient quality to serve as the content to convert for the POD version!

EDIT: Revised pdf of Vol. 02 also just now sent to Fabian. A handful of small and large corrections and clarifications. This may be the final changes also to Vol. 02 as well

Edited July 19, 2023 by Ian A. Thomson

[Ian A. Thomson]

Volume One has been updated on Drivethru! :)

New expanded cover - finally enhanced to match the original image that had to be restricted due to initial finances. (This is not yet visible on the sample seen on the Drivethru page, but is absolutely present on the new pdf itself!)

Various corrections and minor enhancements since the last update.

Several large new professional illustrations from Roy Duffy and Matthew Cole.

And an entire new final section of maps/plans and room/building descriptions for: 

* The Pavis Temple in New Pavis
* Gimpy’s Tavern (including both sets of secret tunnels!)
* Geo’s Inn
* Badside (built on the ruins of Thieves Town)
* Bob’s Bisonburger Emporium

Vol. 02 has also been updated with a few corrections and clarifications. However, I also just learned about one oversight today that I have fixed by adding a new boxed section about Yelorna into Vol. 02. This will appear in another update, which I will ask Fabian to do when we upload Vol. 03 (hopefully in a week or so).

Edited July 21, 2023 by Ian A. Thomson

[Tyrian Telbenj]

I just downloaded and looked at the update...really useful. Great job Ian

[Ian A. Thomson]

On 7/22/2023 at 6:45 PM, Tyrian Telbenj said:

I just downloaded and looked at the update...really useful. Great job Ian

Thanks.

Insane amounts of work going on with all this, so it's great to hear when people find it interesting/useful :)

[Ian A. Thomson]

** Author sought for 800word article *** [EDIT: Found and done!] :)

As Vol. 03 is nearly finished I am putting the articles in order for Vols. 04 & 05 (so I can see what gaps need to be filled and start to prepare)

Very much related to the comment above, I need a one-page (about 800 words) article summarising information from official sources about a certain region

What I would do is gather all the official info in one place, order it into sections and then obviously rewrite in my own words. 

Obviously I could do this, but it would be a couple of hours better spent on aspects of the work that someone else can't do, or that nobody else is available to do

Anyone who has some experience with writing for publication (doesn't have to be a lot, but enough to know basic editing, grammar and flow) and is also open to do a little basic proofing, the reward would be a free copy of whatever zine it is in (either 4 or 5)

Edited July 28, 2023 by Ian A. Thomson

[Ian A. Thomson]

UPDATE:

Vol. 01 - POD version is in preparation thanks to Nick Brooke wrestling with the conversion. [Edit 1: Converted and approved at this end. Edit 2: POD-ready file approved also now by Drivethru.]

Vol. 02 - Additional article on Pavic Philosophy being added, so a new version of the pdf will be available very soon (and this time should be the final ever version). Was going to put this piece in Vol. 03, but it fits logically WAY better in Vol. 02 and also if this book reaches POD state I just learned that it actually needs 3 more pages to balance for the printing requirements. 

Vol. 03 - Nearly finished the final scenario (likely today), after which there's just one more piece that requires checking and adjusting. Almost all of the proofing is also done already, so while we will probably miss the July release date, not by much. :) 

Vol. 04 - Most of the content done, but lots of formatting and proofing needed

Edited July 31, 2023 by Ian A. Thomson

[Ian A. Thomson]

UPDATE: NEW PDFS COMPLETED & SENT

Vol. 01 - Updated final version of the PDF sent to Fabian just now. He's a busy fellow, but I imagine it will go up on Drivethru in the next few days. (Change notes: "A few final minor corrections and additions, noticed and fixed as a result of the POD preparation process." Including one error on the main Rubble maps!! Glad I caught that one here at the last hurdle!) The POD Nick prepared has been approved by Drivethru, so we now have to wait until the print version is ready, order one, and check it before it can be released.

Vol. 02 - Updated version also just sent to Fabian. Change notes: "An additional small piece on Pavic Philosophy has been added at the end of the book. Plus a few minor corrections and clarifications."

Vol. 03 - Finished the last piece yesterday afternoon, the last section of editing last night, and entered the last proof corrections from one of the awesome contributor/volunteers this morning. Some hours of double-checking and redoing the cover later it has now been sent off to Fabian. So again (don't hassle him, he's a busy fellow!), it will appear on Drivethru sometime in the very near future. I'll do the announcement when I'm back in 9 days, but am glad to get it done and dusted now before I go away! :)

Vol. 04 - Most of the content done, but lots of formatting and proofing needed. I can start working on that again when I'm back.

Edited August 4, 2023 by Ian A. Thomson

[Jason Farrell]

Congrats on the release of volume 3.  250+ pages of Praxian goodness for a mere $18.  Get yours while it's hot.

[Malin]

Got it!

[AlHazred]

Pardon the question, but would there be any QuestWorlds addendums being produced? Like a conversion document? I rather expect the answer will be "No," but it never hurts to ask!

[Nick Brooke]

26 minutes ago, AlHazred said:

Pardon the question, but would there be any QuestWorlds addendums being produced? Like a conversion document? I rather expect the answer will be "No," but it never hurts to ask!

Pick up the old versions on eBay. They were written for HeroQuestWorldWars.

[Ian A. Thomson]

5 hours ago, AlHazred said:

Pardon the question, but would there be any QuestWorlds addendums being produced? Like a conversion document? I rather expect the answer will be "No," but it never hurts to ask!

Nothing is impossible

I'd be happy to give full access to the original material if anyone wanted to help with that particular project

The main issue would be the amount of time it needed, as the rest of the series takes priority

But lots of the old stats already exist, so it might only take a few hrs for someone to put together if they were keen

I'd just want to make sure it was overseen and presented in the congruent style

[Ian A. Thomson]

Great summary by Nick, so I will post it here:

Pavis County & Beyond: Secrets of the Borderlands,The third volume of Pavis & Big Rubble Companion material to be revised and reissued on the Jonstown Compendium covers adventurer creation (inc. family history and local cults) for natives of rural Pavis County and the Zebra Tribe. Four full scenarios follow – The Corflu Connection, Problems with Neighbours, Crimson Shadows Over Prax and Echoes of Evil – with a smattering of ideas for how to link them into your campaign. Next are maps and gazetteers for eight prominent settlements in the Zola Fel Valley: Old Fort, Indagos, Garhound, Ronegarth, Weis, Horn Gate, Sun Dome (Town, not Temple) and Corflu. The book wraps up with twenty pages of room-by-room notes on how the author ran and expanded the classic Borderlands campaign; the Adventures section has more suggestions for how to merge that with a Pavis-based campaign, in which the adventurers become wide-ranging troubleshooters for Duke Raus of Rone. ($18.00 for 254 pages)

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/448641/Pavis-County--Beyond-Secrets-of-the-Borderlands-RuneQuest?src=newest_community