Strangers in Prax?

[Rick Meints]

On 3/24/2022 at 6:06 PM, Ian Thomson said:

* A volunteer to convert the basic RQ stats to RQG (with a focus on simplicity and playability). We don't need the massive detail of SiP, though absolutely must keep some for the main personalities.

* A volunteer to create believable, rules-functional, and simple versions of the sorcerers. There is ZERO need to know how they do what they do. Only 'what it looks like when they do it', 'what effect it has', 'how it can be resisted, or not', and how often they can do it'. Then we just include a note saying RQG sorcery rules will be expanded and extended in future, and this document _may_ be updated to reflect that. In the meantime, sit back relax, and play the stories out with the fun and fascination they was always their primary awesomeness.

As I said earlier in this thread, "No updates to any of the contents, please. (other than obvious typos)."

If the updates are something someone feels compelled to do anyway, please do it as a separate document for personal use only.

I don't know what we will be doing with the files in terms of a reprint, at least not just yet.

[Ian A. Thomson]

4 hours ago, Rick Meints said:

As I said earlier in this thread, "No updates to any of the contents, please. (other than obvious typos)."

If the updates are something someone feels compelled to do anyway, please do it as a separate document for personal use only.

I don't know what we will be doing with the files in terms of a reprint, at least not just yet.

OK, the original will be reproduced faithfully. I hope you will change your mind and avail yourself of our willing talents to also produce an RQG adaptation. Here we are eager and willing to provide you with both :)

But yes, as requested will provide you with a faithful reproduction. Also only found a couple of typos so far anyway

[Ian A. Thomson]

These can absolutely go into the new P&BR Companion series. I will have notes in there about how to adapt Arlaten and Coders into the campaign (which will be RQG rules) 🙂

Awesome work!!

[Edit: Although now I am aware that no full conversions are permitted in fan-work, it might be better to create a full conversion document and submit that to Chaosium to see if they would release it as an optional extra with the original republication of SiP]

Edited April 2, 2022 by Ian Thomson
Material with no fan policy

[g33k]

10 minutes ago, Ian Thomson said:

These can absolutely go into the new P&BR Companion series...

n.b. those do NOT appear to be eligible for publication via the JC, as they are "full statblock" versions of RQ3 content, rather than "conversion notes" for the relevant NPCs.

Unless I have misunderstood the restrictions, @Nick Brooke?

[Ian A. Thomson]

On 3/27/2022 at 9:14 AM, g33k said:

n.b. those do NOT appear to be eligible for publication via the JC, as they are "full statblock" versions of RQ3 content, rather than "conversion notes" for the relevant NPCs.

Unless I have misunderstood the restrictions, @Nick Brooke?

I can of course abbreviate them to be conversion notes, although that would be a shame as they are so good

Hmm, another idea might be for Chaosium to release SiP exactly as is, and then provide a free or small charge supplement of conversion material that was also a Chaosium product. I might start recommending that idea now as it seems to solve a bunch of potential crimps in the process of getting SiP back out there again in a timely fashion

Edited March 27, 2022 by Ian Thomson

[EMH]

On 3/22/2022 at 11:14 AM, Ian Thomson said:

I for one would be delighted to assist co-ordinate (or helm) a fan-created re-release of these three stories (well, the Coders and Arlaten) for no financial remuneration

Plot spoilers for Arlaten the Magus storyline:

Spoiler

The premise of the Arlaten storyline requires the adventurers to make themselves social pariahs by entering the service of a godless meldek for an extended period.

It's an uncomfortable enough situation in RQ3, but in RQ:G, this is effectively negating all their Loyalty (Clan/Tribe), Love (Family) and Devotion (Deity) passions. That's a lot bridges to burn!

In view of the amount of pressure this would place on the beliefs and attitudes of an adventurer from a theistic or shamanistic culture (the vast majority of PCs!), I'm not certain how a writer could make this scenario work in the current version.

Edited March 27, 2022 by Scotty
spoilers added

[Godlearner]

2 hours ago, g33k said:

as they are "full statblock" versions of RQ3 content,

There are a lot of difference, but generally yes. I did have to dip into a number of "grey" areas since the current rules do not have literal translation. I hope I was not too far off.

[OrlanthRex]

A little off topic. Before Strangers in Prax was originally printed, I thought I remembered reading in a blog or advertisement or something that there was a fourth scenario involving a “stranger to Prax” from the East. Was there a fourth scenario planned or is this just a phantom memory?

[Ian A. Thomson]

2 hours ago, EMH said:

The premise of the Arlaten storyline requires the adventurers to make themselves social pariahs by entering the service of a godless meldek for an extended period.

It's an uncomfortable enough situation in RQ3, but in RQ:G, this is effectively negating all their Loyalty (Clan/Tribe), Love (Family) and Devotion (Deity) passions. That's a lot bridges to burn!

In view of the amount of pressure this would place on the beliefs and attitudes of an adventurer from a theistic or shamanistic culture (the vast majority of PCs!), I'm not certain how a writer could make this scenario work in the current version.

It's a good point, but as a writer I know there are workarounds to more or less anything

If Arlaten is a boon to the city, and PCs are all Pavis worshippers then as a City Cult that wouldn't be a problem. Remember that Pavis embraced difference and found unity where non existed before

Maybe more of a problem for non Pavis worshippers in the new system, but for Pavis worshippers all we have to write in to a new version is that Arlaten respects the city and is happy to obey its laws, and just wants the right to research some of the old mysticism/sorcery of the city, and the Pavis Cult suddenly has no problem with him

In my game all PCs were Pavis initiates even if their main cult was something else

Edited March 27, 2022 by Ian Thomson

[Bill the barbarian]

Spoilers boys and girls use yer spoilers please, I believe this was requested by no less than Rick... and is now being requested by much less than Rick... lil ol’ moi!

Edited March 27, 2022 by Bill the barbarian

[jean]

6 hours ago, OrlanthRex said:

A little off topic. Before Strangers in Prax was originally printed, I thought I remembered reading in a blog or advertisement or something that there was a fourth scenario involving a “stranger to Prax” from the East. Was there a fourth scenario planned or is this just a phantom memory?

In my memory, in the advertisement the fourth scenario was about a shaman from Pamaltela. That's all I remember.

 

[David Scott]

Some of you may have missed the errata for Strangers in Prax and likewise the Pendragon Pass personality traits:

https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/wp-content/uploads/mrmob/errata.html

Edited March 27, 2022 by David Scott

[soltakss]

18 hours ago, Nick Brooke said:

If you want to propose the Rune affinities, Passions and/or Sorcery techniques the Coders might have in RQG, that’s cool. We don’t want to see products containing “revised and updated” statblocks for NPCs, but suggestions like that would be fine.

For our Dorastor range, I have tried not to replicate published stats of NPCs, instead I have either used the stats that I have been using since before Dorastor Land of Doom came out, or I have a note explaining why my stats are different to the published ones.

It is easy enough to use RQ2/RQ3 stats with RQG anyway.

[Ian A. Thomson]

Hi Folks

Quick clarification. I've had a couple of people mention that there are things I talk about enthusiastically doing that it turns out aren't allowed or wanted for some reason

Please don't misinterpret the raw emotionless text of postings as indicating that I am some kind of headstrong character who does what the fk he wants and ignores the rules, then gets p*ssed off if told to do something different

In other contexts I can absolutely do that, but it wouldn't be appropriate here or respectful. This is a game with an official company at the head of it, and I have no problems with that. I'm a little sad that certain canon (or close to canon) things have changed since my day, but this is a small thing since YGWV has always been the case. It also gives me creative freedom since nothing now that I write is a spoiler anymore, so practically speaking as an author this is actually better for me

Anyway, when it comes to established practicalities, I am more than happy for people to let me know: 'Errr, Ian, you sound like super-excited about 'X' idea, but we actually totally don't want that to happen.' Or 'It's totally not allowed on Jonstown.' etc

I totally am in a learning space here, and completely happy to follow whatever guidelines Chaosium set. I may sometimes just not yet have completely grasped what they are, so it might initially sound as if I am willfully disregarding them. Definitely not the case. I consider it helpful rather than annoying if someone lets me know I'm barking up the wrong tree, and receive such corrections that way rather than with any ill-will

I may sometimes also have personal preferences for those guidelines to be different, but that is NOT indicative of anything other than personal preference. IE I don't feel that my personal preference is 'more right' than what has been established

Across the years there have been some 'strong characters' in the creative Gloranthan field, and some disputes which to me seemed unnecessary. And that they could have been avoided with just an ounce more politeness and communication. My goal here is to be collaborative and helpful not to further my own ego

Yes I have strong opinions and ideas, but genuinely ZERO problems with anyone if I become informed that some of what I am considering is simply not possible due to current rules and official preferences. Honestly, absolutely ZERO

Let me know. Just please be polite is all I ask :) [As indeed everyone is being.]

 

Edited March 28, 2022 by Ian Thomson

[g33k]

If anything I've said has given any offense (or made you think I had taken any) then I humbly apologize, and assure you that none was meant (or assure you none was taken; as the case may be).

My only suggestion or "correction" would be that you carefully read the Jonstown Compendium guidelines, and the  Chaosium "Fan Material Policy" and carefully adhere to them, and (if any "maybe" or "edge case" situations occur) you go directly to them (via e-mail, PM/DM, etc) rather than ask in public-forum:  there is simply no way to be sure that Chaosium personnel have seen a public-forum-message here (or on a FB-Group); they simply don't have the staffing to cover social media even close to comprhensively!

[Ian A. Thomson]

I added a qualifier. No sir, everyone has been very tactful and polite so far. That was an aside comment, now updated.

Edited March 28, 2022 by Ian Thomson

[Ian A. Thomson]

On 3/27/2022 at 7:42 PM, David Scott said:

Some of you may have missed the errata for Strangers in Prax and likewise the Pendragon Pass personality traits:

https://wellofdaliath.chaosium.com/wp-content/uploads/mrmob/errata.html

And I just got the go ahead to incorporate all the RQ corrections :)

Edited March 30, 2022 by Ian Thomson

[Ian A. Thomson]

The Coders and Barran are now successfully recovered, proofed and corrected from the OCR pdfs of the original. (Including all images recovered). Thanks to 7tigers & Nick Brooke for the huge assists, and to Bill the Barbarian for marvellous general support

If anyone is open to volunteer to do the basic layout that would be awesome, and save me a whole heap of time (looks like my house move is happening in a month so I'd be glad to have the time freed up to get back into the Pavis & Big Rubble Companion rerelease work before then).

Plus you will have the lofty reward of having your name added into the credits in the Recovery Team project line :) (It's a great feeling to be able to be part of assisting getting this incredibly high-quality product back out there!)

Chaosium have a basic template to work with, so it's not even complex work, just a bit time-consuming

OK, back into proofing and correcting Arlaten :)

Edit - Hah, I just remembered that one time when I ran the Arlaten scenario (I have run it at least 3x) was in a campaign at UNI where one of the players actually had a sorcerer character. I think that was the only time I ever had a sorcerer PC in one of my campaigns. I am just recalling how cool that was, because the PC and Arlaten actually established a comradely relationship. Admittedly Arlaten might have looked down on the PC if they'd met back in his old culture. But here in the Big Rubble, Arlaten was starved for someone other than Mikos to chat to, so I had the PC become part of the inner wizard circle, and all the other PCs remain as lowly mercenaries (with a minor exception for the Captain of the mercs and leader of the PCs who was at least recognised as a skilled professional). It set up some great contrast in PC status, with the others climbing out of their bunks in the stable, and the sorcerer PC emerging from the private room he'd been given as a valued guest. Plus breakfasting with Arlaten and Mikos rather than chewing on zebra jerky in the courtyard. Hah. Fun times.

Edited April 3, 2022 by Ian Thomson

[Ian A. Thomson]

I've got about a half hour only left of the conversion of Arlaten into a basically formatted and proofed Word document, and then all Coders text will be recovered and reconverted back to Word. Have been pushing on all evening, but getting bleary-eyed now and so am off to bed, and reconvene on the project in the morning

I have also had my house move finalised today. We got an offer and accepted and so are moving into the closing weeks before a massive shift interstate

So I would be super grateful if anyone is able to assist with the last stages of this project, which is reformatting one or more of the scenarios into the Chaosium template

I'll definitely be able to do it myself, but possibly not for some weeks now

[Nick Brooke]

On 3/23/2022 at 1:38 PM, Rick Meints said:

I would very much like to get a proofed ms word file of the text for SiP. No updates to any of the contents, please. (other than obvious typos).

I don’t think anything more than basic formatting (like the final file I sent you for the Coders) is necessary. Rick will be happy to receive a clean Word document and drop it into InDesign, you don’t need to put it into some Chaosium template or try to imitate the look and feel of… I’m not sure what, exactly.

Clean text, basic header styles, and he can do the rest. It’ll probably be easier if we don’t mess it around first.

[Ian A. Thomson]

53 minutes ago, Nick Brooke said:

I don’t think anything more than basic formatting (like the final file I sent you for the Coders) is necessary. Rick will be happy to receive a clean Word document and drop it into InDesign, you don’t need to put it into some Chaosium template or try to imitate the look and feel of… I’m not sure what, exactly.

Clean text, basic header styles, and he can do the rest. It’ll probably be easier if we don’t mess it around first.

Well, that's a big 'can do'. Just the final reviews to go then :)

[Ian A. Thomson]

Just confirming that the only parts remaining of this project are the final error checkings and then it will be ready to go back to Chaosium. Everyone, including me (house move interstate ahoy!) is super busy, so this final part of the project could take some weeks. But it's 97% done :)

[Ian A. Thomson]

House move of 1000+km, and the associated weeks of maximum effort, put a HUGE crimp in the project timeline.

However, the love of this particular supplement motivated myself and volunteers Stephen Lucek, 7Tigers & Nick Brooke to put in the hard slog to get all of this back from pdfs into a nicely formatted Word document. All error checked and everything! :)

And today it's done and sent to Rick!!!

I've let them know if there's anything further I can do to assist in a re-release or a formal or informal RQG conversion, then Chaosium just have to ask. That's it for my role for now though. Hope it helps in getting this remarkable supplement back out there! :)

Edited June 10, 2022 by Ian Thomson

[soltakss]

16 hours ago, Ian Thomson said:

However, the love of this particular supplement motivated myself and volunteers Stephen Lucek, 7Tigers & Nick Brooke to put in the hard slog to get all of this back from pdfs into a nicely formatted Word document. All error checked and everything! 🙂

And today it's done and sent to Rick!!!

That's Strangers in Prax done, thanks, now what about the P&BR Companion Series? That is what we are eagerly waiting for!

[Ian A. Thomson]

5 hours ago, soltakss said:

That's Strangers in Prax done, thanks, now what about the P&BR Companion Series? That is what we are eagerly waiting for!

Keep an eye on the other thread. :)

Quick summary tho - working on the final section of Vol o1 (the intro scenarios) currently. All previous parts are done and checked, though if somebody is up for some serious final proofing please let me know. Also still required are a bunch of RQG stats for the appendices. Mostly converted from old HW, HQ and RQ3, but also a few new ones. Volunteers have expressed interest in helping out, so fingers crossed that will also progress quickly. July release is still looking realistic.

Edited June 10, 2022 by Ian Thomson