Out Now in Print: New Pavis - City on the Edge of Forever!

[Ian A. Thomson]

Hi Folks

Thanks to Nick Brooke for the wise recommendation to start a new thread now that the first book in the revamped series is out.

(Rather than people having to wade through the long discussions that went on during the creative process on the Glorantha forum. Discussions for which I am IMMENSELY grateful I might add.)

It seems appropriate to start with once again acknowledging the volunteers and supportive enthusiasts who helped to make this happen

I'm tempted to list you all, but I'd inevitably miss someone out by accident, and don't want to risk that

So I'll just say once again, that without your help this never would have happened

The work to put together the new version of things has been infeasibly huge, and I definitely would have given up without you folk

Still insane amounts to do, but all the foundations are now in place at least, and Vols 2-4 are all in advanced stages of completion too

I've already spotted three small mistakes in Vol. 01, but let's wait a few weeks before uploading another copy, and see if any more come to light

Poor Fabian has already been doing enough (The series is going out through Tentacles Press once again)

So if anyone has any questions or comments about Vol. 01 or the future of the series, feel free to throw them at me here

Cheers

PS Yes there is an error in the author credits links on DTRPG. I've passed that info to Fabian and he should fix it soon (Fixed)

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/413853/City-on-the-Edge-of-Forever?affiliate_id=1107865

 

Edited September 4, 2023 by Nick Brooke
cover updated; out now in print

[Bill the barbarian]

Shiny, absolutely shiny!

Folks, I did not get a chance to work on this puppy, volume 3 was where I hung my hat, so getting a copy of this was a pleasant surprise. Volume 3, when I worked on it was 60 or so pages (Ian tells me it will possibly grow even larger!) and that one was filled to the brim with Pavic Goodness. This hefty tome weighs in at a mighty 201 pages (and the goodness is not stinted on from what I can see with a cursory glance! And this is only a portion of it. Ian, you are going to have to consider a leatherette slip case for the full series when it goes to Electrum and can be Printed on Demand! ;)

Let's see. Great cover, name and art! Old skool look! Check, it is old skool, after all! Hmm, that name looks familiar, now where have I seen it before..? Crack it open and... page after page after page of lore. Wow!

"Dust in my mouth and dust in my heart Even feeling homesick for Boldhome. If ever I go to Pavis again
'Devil shall be me sergeant.
Poor old soldier - poor old soldier.
If ever I go to Pavis again
'Devil shall be me sergeant."

(Informal marching song, Army of Prax)

Yep, now I can taste the dust of Pavis... So, it's off to Bob's Bison Burger for a pint to wash the dust away, and maybe a burger... now where is that joint.... flip, flip, flip, flop... ah here we go...Bob's Bison Burgers, page 147...

In a small courtyard are benches and squat stone plinths that serve as tables, and through a large gap in the wall, patrons can view the peculiar machine, the ramp up which the (often unwilling) beasts are led, and the pistons and levers of the machine itself. This place is a talking point of the city, and makes a great profit despite not always using the highest quality meats. It doesn’t take much to describe just how fascinating this place is for the group, so make sure to do so with some enthusiasm and a sense of wonder. In my campaigns they returned several times, so describe how delicious and filling the burgers are.

Anecdotes and info, check! Remember, Bob's not only yer Uncle, he makes a fine burger too!

 

Best thing of traveling is the folk one meets—and here are just two such fine folk.

My money is on the short one!

 

Oh yeah, the art. Pages of great old skool art by Dario Corallo, with a few new ones as well it looks like, and the great cover art is added to by the fine folk from Beer With Teeth (Kris Herbert & Diana Probst)! Any more inside, @Ian A. Thomson?

Flip, flip, flip, Temples... check! Flip, flip, flip... Villains, er, I mean Lunars (boo, hiss, boo)... check. Flip, flip, flip... Our hero, Pavis (yay, huzzah!)... check! Flip, flip, flip... Dwarfs, check! Flip, flip, flip... Rubble, ohhh yes... Check! Gazetteers... yep, it's all right here! And that is only half way though! 

Looks good Ian, but if I keep on typing I can't be reading!
Bravo and well done!

Ah hell, put yer money down for this bad boy, you'll flip!
(and keep on doing so, enjoyably, for quite a while!)

 

Edited October 21, 2022 by Bill the barbarian

[Jag]

Well I can only say that is absolutly brilliant and I want more :)

[Ian A. Thomson]

15 minutes ago, Jag said:

Well I can only say that is absolutly brilliant and I want more :)

Thanks so much

Great to hear that from someone who wasn't involved in the process too

I look at Vol 01 and am all like: 'that could be better', 'this could be expanded', 'that could be reworded' etc etc

But then others keep saying things like: "Errr, considering you also have to have a life, and this is a hobby not your job, give yourself a break. It's a pretty damn awesome intro to the campaign and kind of a miracle you could make time to do it at all to this quality!"

I'm working hard on Vols 02 and 03 at the moment, and of course the more the campaign unfolds the more juicy content appears related to the Old Pavic theme, so I'm actually pretty excited and entertained too as it all starts to come together! :)

Edited October 21, 2022 by Ian A. Thomson

[Nick Brooke]

52 minutes ago, Jag said:

Well I can only say that is absolutly brilliant and I want more :)

Remember to leave a rating and (if you want) a short review on DriveThruRPG: it really helps other potential customers to make up their minds. (Ian will appreciate it, too!)

[Soccercalle]

Great product @Ian A. Thomson I will write a review as soon as I have finished reading. Will Griselda show up in any of the modules?

[Ian A. Thomson]

46 minutes ago, Soccercalle said:

Great product @Ian A. Thomson I will write a review as soon as I have finished reading. Will Griselda show up in any of the modules?

I was reviewing the old material this afternoon and saw the stats that we created for Griselda and Wolfhead

I'll perhaps need to ask permission if I can do that again?

I think in the original campaign G and WH turned up twice, although I think some of their biggest involvement was in the finale sections that were never published

(There was a final campaign book that was never completed.)

But yes, she will

Edited October 21, 2022 by Ian A. Thomson

[Jag]

1 hour ago, Nick Brooke said:

Remember to leave a rating and (if you want) a short review on DriveThruRPG: it really helps other potential customers to make up their minds. (Ian will appreciate it, too!)

that's true, I tend to do a few in one go, and it's time to do it!

[Jag]

done 🙂

 

[soltakss]

It looks great, and apparently I am allowed to read it, so I'll do it in depth over the next few weeks.

[Ian A. Thomson]

11 minutes ago, soltakss said:

It looks great, and apparently I am allowed to read it, so I'll do it in depth over the next few weeks.

'Allowed?' You wrote some of it! :)

Guest star!!!

Edited October 22, 2022 by Ian A. Thomson

[soltakss]

15 minutes ago, Ian A. Thomson said:

'Allowed?' You wrote some of it! 🙂

As I am playing in an RQG Campaign, out GM have vetoed me reading some scenarios, in case he uses them.

Fortunately, he is staying away from Pavis, Prax, and Dorastor, so I can read those.

[Bill the barbarian]

3 hours ago, soltakss said:

3 hours ago, Ian A. Thomson said:

'Allowed?' You wrote some of it! 🙂

As I am playing in an RQG Campaign, out GM have vetoed me reading some scenarios, in case he uses them.

Fortunately, he is staying away from Pavis, Prax, and Dorastor, so I can read those.

Just stay away from the ones you wrote Simon, unless ya have old folks disease. In which case go for it, it might well all be new to ya!

[Ian A. Thomson]

As mentioned at the start of this thread, this project would be impossible without volunteers helping out. It is endless, days, weeks and months of work for me. So to have people assist with creating stats, reviewing stats, proofing and RQG rules advice is what makes it possible.

As Vols 02 & 03 steam ahead I'm getting organised and creating proper lists for the first time of contributors as it all happens (rather than piecing it all together afterwards)

Enough content is now done that pieces are available to proof, and gaps are being left where RQG GMCs (both simple and more complex) will eventually appear

Here's the sort of thing that is the most useful:

* Basic 'interested reader' review (reading through an article and spotting grammar mistakes, inconsistences, missing info, repetitions, or just anything that goes 'clunk' in the reading process) People who know Glorantha already, and are also ideally somewhat familiar with Pavis & the Rubble
* Review of new spells (some people with solid knowledge of things like power-levels, spell formats and related rulesy stuff, so advise me on the spells/effects etc I am creating for the Pavis Cult and its subcults and heroes etc)
* RQG stats review (review of some already created supporting characters, to make sure they are correct)
* RQG simple GMCs (creating some basic incidental GMCs to support scenarios or random encounters in the Rubble etc) I will provide basic details of what's needed
* RQG major GMCs (creating more detailed major GMCs who are local personalities or scenario major characters) Again I will provide outlines of who/what is needed

Please let me know if you are available for any of this

If you are happy to help, but have limited time, know that every little bit helps
Proofing one small article, creating a handful of simple GMCs, creating just one major GMC
As you can imagine, it all adds up

And as usual, anyone who does have the time to contribute a chunk of stuff will get a complimentary copy of the Vol they do work for

Cheers folks

Ian

Edited October 27, 2022 by Ian A. Thomson

[Ian A. Thomson]

UPDATED

Fabian just uploaded an updated version yerterday

Two extra pages of material (Darren Happens' scenario seeds for the Knowledge Temple that I just found the other day, and realising I had included the old small version of the Artamon thief cult by mistake - so putting in the larger version)

Plus a bunch of small errors fixed, and 2 or 3 spells revised for clarity

Then I found out today that one Artamon spell was missed out. Wah!

Ah well, no doubt there will be another update in a few months to fix that and anything else we spot in the meantime

The call for volunteers was well-responded to

(I don't wanna get all soppy, but as anyone who does this kind of writing knows, a crew of helpful volunteers is like solid gold!!)

So thanks guys! You are champions!

This means Vol 02 is unfolding at a reasonable pace!

It will be even more awesome than Vol 01 cos we are getting into the Old City stuff now :)

Edited November 5, 2022 by Ian A. Thomson

[Ian A. Thomson]

Fabian just let me know that he has uploaded the second (which may well be the last) updated version of Vol 01

* Some small formatting changes due to errors, and to tweak appearance

* Tiny number of remaining spelling mistakes

* Runes added for Rune Spells and for (what I think of as) Rune Spirits, and for the Cult of Pavis

* Some old HQ terminology revised to accurately reflect RQG

* The cover text has also been slightly revised to change 'PC' to 'adventurer', and this new cover is part of the whole pdf that is downloaded. Fabian hasn't had time to replace the promotional image yet on the JC page

Edited December 3, 2022 by Ian A. Thomson

[Ian A. Thomson]

On 10/21/2022 at 5:37 PM, Soccercalle said:

Great product @Ian A. Thomson I will write a review as soon as I have finished reading. Will Griselda show up in any of the modules?

Working on the new RQG versions now (inc. Wolfhead, Snakefang et al), with the help of others. Based on the versions I created with Oliver Dickinson for the Legacy of Pavis

Edited January 3, 2023 by Ian A. Thomson

[binarydot]

Ian - great supplement.  If you are doing a new version at some point, I noticed one small typo (I think) on p176 of the current version.  You describe Will's Tavern in Garhound on that page as having "clientele not the most gentile".  I'm assuming that you are meaning "not the most genteel", rather than commenting on their adherence to Mosaic Law?

[Ian A. Thomson]

On 10/22/2022 at 10:05 PM, soltakss said:

It looks great, and apparently I am allowed to read it, so I'll do it in depth over the next few weeks.

New version just uploaded

Lots of small error corrections, and some minor changes of content to reflect the unfolding discoveries as I near completion with Vol. 02

Cover not updated, and new preview not there yet, but Fabian's been notified, so hopefully soon

[EDIT - New preview up now :) ]

Edited February 2, 2023 by Ian A. Thomson

[Ian A. Thomson]

On 1/4/2023 at 5:57 AM, binarydot said:

Ian - great supplement.  If you are doing a new version at some point, I noticed one small typo (I think) on p176 of the current version.  You describe Will's Tavern in Garhound on that page as having "clientele not the most gentile".  I'm assuming that you are meaning "not the most genteel", rather than commenting on their adherence to Mosaic Law?

Dam, just saw this. Thanks :)

Sent new version for upload yesterday

Will make this correction, and another version will go up in a few months. Most likely that next one will just be due to tiny little error corrections like that

Edited February 1, 2023 by Ian A. Thomson

[Ian A. Thomson]

Version 1.3 of Vol. 01 as of yesterday is finally up on DriveThruRPG! :)

As is common, I'll express my gratitude for the volunteers who will henceforth whenever I remember from now on be known as 'collaborators'. If you like these books think of them from time to time, because without these awesome people it would not be possible to get this series out there!

As with v1.2, the slightly revised cover is on the new document (change of text to better reflect RQG terminology) but the preview image is not yet replaced, and preview pages have not yet been reinstated., but Fabian is onto this [EDIT: Preview pages reinstated.]

Changes:

* LOTS of small error corrections, grammar clarifications etc

* Slight revision of Thandros cult to clarify its role as religion for Old Pavic traders

* Slight revisions of Cults of Pavis & Flintnail (and section describing OId Pavic magic) to clarify their background and oddness and include a few new details (based on the material being written for Vol. 02 that is almost complete now)

* Clarification that the finale of The Ghost in the Darkness will now be the originally-intended Old Pavic Heroquest. (The previously mentioned underground complex has been reverted back to its original form as a Borderlands location. Now that it is clear that Vol. 03 will cover Pavis County and the Zola Fel Valley, it is more suited to be the primary adventure in that book instead.)

Edited February 8, 2023 by Ian A. Thomson

[Ian A. Thomson]

Version 1.5 of Vol. 01 as of a few hours ago is up on DriveThruRPG!

This may be the last ever update of that book. Fingers crossed :).

Anyway, another small number of grammar and formatting errors fixed, some clarification of spells, and a handful of sundry other minor revisions due to the evolving work in Vol. 02 having made some snippets of Vol. 01 need alteration.

Plus one personality has been expanded, and with new image courtesy of Roy Duffy :)

This is all in preparation for Vol. 02

I am working on one final additional piece of information for Vol. 02, and receiving feedback about that already, so it should be fine to pass the second book on to Fabian tomorrow for him to put on Drivethru

I'll make a new announcement post when it goes up, but will also mention it here

EDIT: Just finished sending all of the information and other bits and pieces to Fabian for Vol. 02. He may be busy of course, so we'll see when he has time, but all of Vol. 02 and accompanying details and handouts are now with him

Edited March 13, 2023 by Ian A. Thomson

[Ian A. Thomson]

Vol. 02 is up there on drivethru!! :)

Vol. 01 is still discounted for a day or so, so if anyone doesn't have that yet, now is a good time if you want it

I'll make a proper announcement page now too

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/430121/Old-Pavis-The-City-that-Time-Forgot-RuneQuest

Main contributors/volunteers will of course be getting links for their copy sent to them shortly if they haven't already

[Nick Brooke]

[Ian A. Thomson]

On 10/21/2022 at 3:22 PM, Bill the barbarian said:

Folks, I did not get a chance to work on this puppy, volume 3 was where I hung my hat, so getting a copy of this was a pleasant surprise. Volume 3, when I worked on it was 60 or so pages (Ian tells me it will possibly grow even larger!) and that one was filled to the brim with Pavic Goodness.

Just an official heads-up that the book you contributed very heroically to (The Rough Guide to Pavis City) is now Vol. 05 in the series, for reasons of campaign flow. To some extent the series is forming itself as it goes along. This positioning is likely to stay consistent now