4. The Ruined Commune (CR - Encounter)

Illustration by Adam Schmidt

4. The Ruined Commune

This is the site of a massive excavation that appears to house the ruins of a communal village, it appears to have been shattered by a massive flood, of water, mud, and debris. Pools of muddy water glisten from light spilling down out of small holes in the ceiling that is further defused by strategically placed mirrors. 4 passageways lead off into fog-filled mines, and grinding sounds resonate from one of the two caverns ahead.

This area is a nexus of the various factions, and the area is hotly contested. Whenever the PCs enter this area roll a d6 on a roll of three or lower results in a random encounter. For every 15 minutes the PCs remain here roll the d6 again. If there is a loud battle also roll the d6 as some creature may come to investigate 1 minute later.

Perception or Survival (5): You discover a significant number of human-sized booted tracks from the northern entrance to this cavern to the southern passageway.   

Perception (DC 15): You find the partial remains of many human females along with the rare human male.

Survival ( DC 20): You discover a small number of tracks from the northern entrance to this cavern leading to the southwestern passageway.  

Perceptions (DC 25): You locate the intact remains of a human female. And a secret iron door with a stone veneer against just to the right of the entrance way (This leads to Area 5), the door is locked with average lock supported by an arcane lock (Disable Device DC 35, The medusa Charissa holds the key)

A successful Knowledge (dungeoneering) check (DC 15) allows you to easily determine that this room was destroyed when some underground basin of boiling water broke through one of the cavern walls and flooded large parts of the complex especially this cavern.

If the PCs have learned of the Empyrean Bastille’s distortions a Knowledge (dungeoneering) check (DC 25) reveals these distortions as the cause of the flood.

A use of speak with dead upon the intact remains can reveal what happened here as well as some of the history of the area up to DC 25 (See Adventure Background), though she will know nothing of recent events.

This area has been thoroughly looted, and staying her long eventually results in a random encounter but if you are persistent you will encounter the Black Mist that hides in the mud during the day.

Black Mist CR 13

XP 25,600

mist elder black pudding

N Gargantuan Outsider (air, elemental, augmented [ooze], water)

Init –3; Senses blindsight 60 ft. Perception –5

Defense

AC 3, touch 3, flat-footed 3 (–4 size, –3 Dex)

hp 290 (20d10+180)

Fort +15, Ref +0, Will –2

Defensive Abilities air mastery, split, ooze traits, Immune gas, fog, and cloud-based attacks and spells. Resist cold 10, fire 10

Offense

Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.

Melee slam +19 (2d6+8 plus 2d6 acid plus grab)

Space 20 ft.; Reach 15 ft.

Special Attacks constrict (2d6+4 plus 2d6 acid), corrosion

Statistics

Str 26, Dex 5, Con 28, Int —, Wis 1, Cha 3

Base Atk +15; CMB +27 (+31 grapple); CMD 22 (32 vs. bull rush, can't be tripped)

Skills Climb +11 Stealth +0, Racial +15 stealth

SQ ooze traits, suction

Special Abilities

Acid (Ex) A black pudding secretes a digestive acid that dissolves organic material and metal quickly, but does not affect stone. Each time a creature suffers damage from a black pudding's acid, its clothing and armor take the same amount of damage from the acid. A DC 29 Reflex save prevents damage to clothing and armor. A metal or wooden weapon that strikes a black pudding takes 2d6 acid damage unless the weapon's wielder succeeds on a DC 29 Reflex save. If a black pudding remains in contact with a wooden or metal object for 1 full round, it inflicts 21 points of acid damage (no save) to the object. The save DCs are Constitution-based.

Air Mastery (Ex) Any airborne creature takes a -1 penalty on attack and damage rolls against black mist

Corrosion (Ex) An opponent that is being constricted by a black pudding suffers a –4 penalty on Reflex saves made to resist acid damage applying to clothing and armor.

Gaseous Form (Su): Black Mist can assume gaseous form at will. This ability works like the gaseous form spell, except a mist creature can remain in gaseous form as long as it wishes. Becoming gaseous or resuming its normal form is a move action

Split (Ex) Slashing and piercing weapons deal no damage to a black pudding. Instead, the creature splits into two identical puddings, each with half of the original's current hit points (round down). A pudding with 10 hit points or less cannot be further split and dies if reduced to 0 hit points.

Suction (Ex) The black pudding can create powerful suction against any surface as it climbs, allowing it to cling to inverted surfaces with ease. A black pudding can establish or release suction as a swift action, and as long as it is using suction, it moves at half speed. Because of the suction, a black pudding's CMD score gets a +10 circumstance bonus to resist bull rush, awesome blows, and other attacks and effects that attempt to physically move it from its location.

Treasure:

None

You can find the start of these encounters here in Area 1.

3. Into The Breach (CR 17 Encounter)

Illustration by Adam Schmidt

3. Into The Breach

In the center of a stone wall next to a pit, is a 10-foot wide opening that leads to a massive cavern, on either side of the opening are bas-reliefs, of women with spikes being driven through their bodies and their eyes while they burn themselves.

Detect magic: 1^st rd: magic is present here, 2^nd rd: strongest magic radiates from the walls and the opening, 3^rd rd: It radiates strong abjuration.

In the center of the opening is dangerous pit trap. This trap is used not just to stop intruders but also to kill anyone who attempts to escape. It will trigger even if you fly over it, dropping the green slime on top of flyers. This leads from Area 2 into Area 4.   This area is protected by a permanent teleport trap spell, with a destination of  the prison room in Area 5.

Spiked Pit with Falling Green Slime Trap        CR 17

XP 102,400

Type mechanical; Perception DC 20; Disable Device DC 25

Effect 40-ft.-deep pit (4d6 falling damage); wooden pit spikes (Atk +15 melee, 1d4 spikes per target for 1d6+5 damage ) Green Slime Atk +15 touch; multiple targets (all targets in a 10-ft. square); DC 25 Reflex avoids the fall but not the green slime; multiple targets (all targets in a 10-ft.-square area)

Green Slime

A single 5-foot square of green slime deals 1d6 points of Constitution damage per round while it devours flesh. On the first round of contact, the slime can be scraped off a creature (destroying the scraping device), but after that it must be frozen, burned, or cut away (dealing damage to the victim as well). Anything that deals cold or fire damage, sunlight, or a remove disease spell destroys a patch of green slime. Against wood or metal, green slime deals 2d6 points of damage per round, ignoring metal's hardness but not that of wood. It does not harm stone.

You can find the start of these encounters here in Area 1.

2. The Doorwardens (CR 9 Encounter)

2. The Doorwardens

At the bottom of the cellar stairs is an empty room inset into the far stone wall is a decretive double door, with a massive number of iron bands.

Perception (DC 10, reduced by 1 for every 10 feet closer to the door you are when you reach the bottom of the steps)  at the top of the stairs once the cellar door is opened one can hear loud arguing from beyond the door.

Detect magic: 1^st rd: magic is present here, 2^nd rd: strongest magic radiates from the entire room, 3^rd rd: The entire room radiates overwhelming necromancy, plus the room radiates strong abjuration, and the door radiates moderate transmutation

True seeing: will reveal that the door is an animated object. 

What can be learned from the Duke’s Maiden’s arguments.

·       There are at least two women arguing from beyond the door

·       The Deathless Duke is close to achieving his goal.

·       Every day the followers are closer to reaching the Empyrean Bastille

·       The Empyrean Bastille creates distortions of space, time, and reality, making locating it nigh-impossible.

·       According to the oracle Rhys Larkchild of Our Mother of Madness, either the dragon will breach the Empyrean Bastille on the 7^th day or the sappers will breach it on the 12^th.

If the Doorwarden spots anyone in the room (Perception -5) or if someone touches the door, the door opens with a loud creek (that alerts the Duke’s Maidens) as if to let them pass through, if they don’t bear the arcane mark of the Deathless Duke, it will close on the first person to pass through (it bends around them to close) trapping them on the the other side and attacks them with its iron bands, using surprise, along with its grab and constrict abilities to crush its opponents.

Once the door is opened the Duke’s maidens on duty here arguing from the alcoves as well as those around the corner at the back of the room, go dead quiet and drink their potions of invisibility and stealthy move up and prepare to attack the first person through the door.   4 of the maidens engage in melee combat while 2 others engage in ranged combat. One of them will drink a portion of vampric touch and then move up so she can position herself to attack with it later. A third goes to activate the trap in Area 3, and then moves on to warning the rest of the Duke’s followers.   The stacking of the fear effects here can result in a panicked or cowering PC. 

The area from the cellar door all the way to Area 3 is warded by a permanent teleport trap. Its destination is Area 5.

In the far back of the room is a script carved in elven by a former follower of The Deathless Duke who was driven to despair and etched the following message into the wall

“I went to study at the towers unseen, unfortunately unknown to me where I stayed in the Antegate was a den of followers of The Deathless Duke.  I even met the Duke, who arrived via spell, he just had a way about him and he was so perfect, but never egotistical about it, he just wanted to make the world a better place. I thought I would stay till I finished my studies at the towers. I lost touch with all my family and friends, but the Duke and his followers were always there for me, they bombarded me with love.  I was happy.   

I became so devoted to the Duke, I let him cast spell after spell on me, the early ones helped me with my studies, but eventually he and his followers started using a number of enchantment spells that changed the way I thought. Then the group forced me cut off to cut of The Deathless Duke’s head, and it grew right back in the blink of an eye.  Then I learned what is really…”

Nothing more is written as the other followers killed her and used the pit of green slime in the far back corner to dispose of the body, so as not to trouble the Deathless Duke with this betrayal of belief. 

A cavern next to the pit leads to Area 3.

Doorwarden                        CR7

XP 4,800

Huge Animated Object.

N Huge construct

Init -2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision;

Perception -5

Defense

AC 19, touch 8, flat-footed 19; (-2 Dex, +11 natural)

hp 78 (7d10+40)

Fort +2, Ref +0, Will -3

Defensive Abilities hardness 10, object; Immune

construct traits

Offense

Speed 30 ft.

Melee slam +15 (3d6+15 plus grab)

Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.

Special Attacks constrict (3d6+15)

Statistics

Str 30, Dex 6, Con —, Int —, Wis 1, Cha 1

Base Atk +7; CMB +19 (+23 grapple); CMD 27

(can’t be tripped)

Languages none

SQ construction points (5 CP); constrict (1 CP),

grab (1 CP), improved attack (1 CP), metal (2 CP)

Special Abilities

Object (Ex) the Watchtower as an object has a number of special defenses:

Energy attacks: These deal half damage to Gatekeeper. Divide the damage by 2 before applying the Watchtower's hardness. Acid does full damage against the gatekeeper

Ranged Weapon Damage: Watchtower takes half damage from ranged weapons (unless the weapon is a siege engine or something similar). Divide the damage dealt by 2 before applying the watchtower's hardness.

Ineffective Weapons: Most melee weapons have little effect on this metal door, unless they are designed for breaking up metal, such as a pick or hammer. Siege engines or something similar are also effective.

The Duke’s Maidens (10) CR 3

XP 800
Female human rogue 4
LE Large humanoid
Init +3; Senses Perception +7

Aura panicked (DC 12 or shaken 1d4 rounds)

Defense

AC 23, touch 14, flat-footed 20 (+3 armor, +3 Dex, +6 natural armor, -1 size, +1 shield)
hp 36 (4d8+18)
Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +0
Defensive Abilities evasion, trap sense +1, uncanny dodge, DR 10/magic, bludgeoning, and good SR 16

Offense

Speed 30 ft.
Melee mwk bladed gauntlet +10 (1d4+6 plus poison) or  mwk bladed gauntlet +8 (1d4+6 plus poison) and mwk bladed gauntlet +8 (1d4 +3 plus poison)
Ranged mwk composite shortbow crossbow +7 (1d6+3/19-20 plus poison)
Special Attacks sneak attack +2d6, precise strike +1d6,

Statistics

Str 22, Dex 16, Con 18, Int 13, Wis 8, Cha 10
Base Atk +3; CMB +9; CMD 22
Feats Point Blank, Precise Shot, Precise Strike,  Two-Weapon Fighting^B, Weapon Focus (bladed gauntlet)^B
Skills Bluff +7, Climb +13, Craft (Alchemy) +8, Diplomacy +7, Intimidate +7, Knowledge (Local) +8, Perception +6, Sense Motive +6, Sleight of Hand +10, Stealth +10 
Languages Common
SQ trapfinding, rogue talents (combat trick, weapon training)
Combat Gear potion of vampiric touch (+9, 2d6 plus 2d6 sneak attack and 1d6 precise strike), potion of invisibility, medium spider venom (5 doses; save Fort DC 14, frequency 1/round for 4 rounds, effect 1d2 Str damage, cure 1 save);  Other Gear +1 leather armor, masterwork bladed gauntlets (2), masterwork composite shortbow (Str +2) with 20 bolts

Fear’s Favor

The Deathless Duke meditated here for nearly a year to overcome the fear and dread he had of his father’s potential interference in his plan. This location now grants his followers the ability to strike fear into the heart of their enemies.

Effect: Followers of The Deathless Duke within this site can, as an immediate action, choose to become a larger, more awful version of themselves. They grow to size Large, and take on features that horrify their enemies. They gain the following abilities: a +6 size bonus to Strength, a +4 size bonus to Constitution, a +6 natural armor bonus, DR 10/magic, bludgeoning, and good, with spell resistance equal to 12 + the follower’s HD. The follower also emits an aura that emanates 30 feet from it. Enemy creatures within the aura must make a successful Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the follower’s HD + its Charisma modifier) or become panicked; creatures that make their saving throw are shaken for 1d4 rounds. Each time a creature shaken by this aura hits the fear-inspiring subject with a melee attack, that creature must save again or become panicked. The aura's effect is a fear and mind-affecting effect. These effects have already been applied to the Duke’s maiden’s above.

When any creature uses any spell or effect with the fear descriptor (such as cause fear or scare) within this site, that creature can increase its effect by one step upon a failed save. For example, shaken becomes frightened, frightened becomes panicked, panicked becomes cowering, and cowering becomes helpless. In addition, if a creature is immune to fear effects, it gains the confused condition for one round upon a failed save.

Treasure

The maiden’s have been gathering up the treasure of those who attempt to enter through here and past the trap in Area 3. They have put most of it into an iron chest hidden behind a false panel in the wall (Perception DC 25), it has a superior lock (Disable Device DC 40, worth 150 gp), one of the maiden’s has hidden the key behind a stone at the far edge of the pit (Perception DC 40). One of the duke’s trusted followers comes to collect once a week.

 +1 buckler (1,165 gp), masterwork greatclub (305 gp)  longbow (75 gp), spyglass (1,000 gp), climber's kit (80 gp), leather armor (10 gp), shuriken (5, 1 gp);  an bracelet made from thread of gold (16 gp), zircon (44 gp), red spinel (63 gp), turquoise (5 gp), agate 3 (gp), turquoise 1 (gp),  3 pp, 67 gp, 260 sp, 700 cp

You can find the start of these encounters here in Area 1.

1. The Watchtower (CR 16 Encounter)

1. The Watchtower (CR 16 Encounter)

Standing in the center of a rubble strewn clearing is a 100’ tall 40’ square watchtower. Three prominent sigils mark the entrance to the tower. If one looks closely at the tower the stone resembles people who have been broken and put into horrifically unnaturally bodily positions to form the tower.


Perception DC 35 (+1 per 10 feet you are from the tower) reveals the inevitable arbiter keeping watch from the top of the tower.
Detect magic: 1st rd: magic is present here, 2nd rd: strongest magic radiates from the tower, 3rd: The sigils radiate moderate abjuration, and the tower radiates strong transmutation
Detect law: will reveal the presence of the arbiter watching from the top of the tower.
True seeing: will reveal that the tower is an animated object.

The treeline before the tower has been cut back by the Deathless Dukes followers so it is 250 ft away from the watchtower. If a creature who does not bear the arcane mark of The Deathless Duke comes within 15ft of the watch towers door, trigger’s the first sigil which is a greater glyph of warding (flying flaming corpse DC 26, Attack Roll +28) and the watchtower attacks. If it comes within 10 ft of the door it triggers another (chain lightning DC 26), and within 5ft. of the door the last (freezing sphere DC 26) All spells are caster level 18.

 If the tower is significantly injured the arbiter will use his make whole spell-like ability to repair he tower, as he has been commanded to do so by the Deathless Duke who bound him here. The tower only uses its catapult to attack fleeing opponents. There is a cellar door at the base of the tower’s normal resting place that leads down to Area 2 The Doorwardens.

A DC 15 Perception check reveals loud arguing going on beyond the cellar door. The tower was constructed by the craftsman and oracle Rhys Larkchild of Our Mother of Madness along with the deathless duke’s cohort the medusa Charissa who supplied the stone bodies that make up the tower’s walls. The arbiter knows this and can reveal this is if he is interrogated.

 Greater glyphs of warding are magical traps and as such are hard to detect and disable. A character with the trapfinding class feature (only) can use the Perception skill to find the glyph and Disable Device to thwart it. The DC in each case is 25 + spell level, or 31 for greater glyph of warding.

Flying Flaming Corpse 

School: Evocation [Fire]; Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 6
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Components: V, S, M (puppet strings)
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Target: One corporeal creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex partial; Spell Resistance: Yes
You set a creature on fire and fling it with telekinesis, potentially hitting nearby opponents or objects. The target takes 8d6 points of fire damage and is set on fire (1d6 additional each round) A creature can extinguish the target as a full-round action. You also hurl the target at any creature or object within range of the spell. You must make an attack roll whenever you use the target as a weapon. The attack bonus for this attack is equal to your caster level plus either your Intelligence or Charisma modifier (whichever is higher). If you successfully hit the new target with the creature, both it and the creature take damage based on the creature’s size plus 2d6 fire. The target struck by the subject of this spell must make a Reflex save or also be set on fire. If the subject would be killed or destroyed by the damage this spell inflicts, it remains intact until after it has been hurled. A successful saving throw halves the initial damage (4d6), the subject is not set on fire and is not hurled at another target. 

Watchtower CR 11

XP 12,800
Colossal Animated Object

N Colossal construct
Init -2 Senses darkvision 60, low-light vision; Perception -5

Defense

AC 19, touch 0, flat-footed 19 (-2 Dex, +19 natural, -8 size)
hp 151 (13d10+80 size)
Fort +4, Ref +2, Will -1
Defensive Abilities hardness 8, object Immune Construct Traits, critical hits and sneak attack.

Offense

Speed 30 ft.
Melee slam +23 (2d8+27 plus trip)

Ranged catapult +3 (2d8 +27) 50 ft. range increment

Space 30 ft.; Reach 30 ft

Statistics

Str 46, Dex 6, Con -, Int -, Wis 1, Cha 1 

Base Atk +13 CMB +39 CMD 47 

SQ 6 construction points (additional attack, imitation ranged attack, stone, trip)

Special Abilities 

 Object (Ex): the Watchtower as an object has a number of special defenses:

• Energy attacks: These deal half damage to Watchtower. Divide the damage by 2 before applying the Watchtower's hardness. Acid does full damage against the watchtower. 
• Ranged Weapon Damage: Watchtower takes half damage from ranged weapons (unless the weapon is a siege engine or something similar). Divide the damage dealt by 2 before applying the watchtower's hardness. 
• Ineffective Weapons: Most melee weapons have little effect on the stone walls and doors of the watchtower, unless they are designed for breaking up stone, such as a pick or hammer. Siege engines or something similar are also effective. 

Inevitable Arbiter

XP 600
LN Tiny outsider (extraplanar, inevitable, lawful)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., detect chaos, low-light vision; Perception +5

Defense

AC 16,  touch 15, flat-footed 13 (+3 Dex, +1 natural, +2 size)
hp 15 (2d10+4); regeneration 2 (chaotic)
Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +3
Defensive Abilities constant vigilance, constructed; SR 13

Offense

Speed 20 ft., fly 50 ft. (average)
Melee short sword +7 (1d3/19–20)
Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks electrical burst
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 2nd; concentration +4)

Constant—detect chaos
3/day—command (DC 13), make whole, protection from chaos
1/week—commune (CL 12th, 6 questions)

Statistics

Str 11, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 14
Base Atk +2; CMB +3; CMD 13
Feats Flyby Attack, Weapon Finesse^B
Skills Diplomacy +7, Fly +12, Knowledge (planes) +5, Perception +5, Sense Motive +5, Stealth +16
Languages truespeech
SQ locate inevitable

Special Abilities

Constant Vigilance (Su) An arbiter gains a +4 bonus to recognize and disbelieve illusions created by creatures with the chaotic subtype or possessing the chaotic descriptor.
Electrical Burst (Ex) An arbiter can release electrical energy from its body in a 10-foot-radius burst that deals 3d6 electricity damage (DC 13 Reflex half). Immediately following such a burst, the arbiter becomes stunned for 24 hours. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Locate Inevitable (Su) An arbiter can always sense the direction of the nearest non-arbiter inevitable on the plane, the better to help it report back to its superiors. It cannot sense the range to this inevitable.

Treasure: 

The arbiter has gathered a great deal of wealth from the fallen who have approached the tower, it keeps on the top level a tower shield +4 (16,180 gp), a light steel shield +2 (4,159 gp) most it is in the four iron chests the 1st chest with a good lock (DC 30) worth 69 gp within you find
Magic: potion of resist energy, acid (300 gp), dust of illusion (1,200gp), potion of bless weapon (50 gp), potion of erase (50 gp),
Special: sunrod (2 gp), masterwork sap (301 gp), masterwork silver sling bullets (10, 80 gp), 
Mundane: elven curve blade (80 gp), kama (2 gp), scholar’s outfit (5 gp), scroll case (no scroll 1 gp), spell component pouch (empty 5 gp), signal whistle (1 gp),
Gems and Coins: fire opal (573 gp), fiery yellow corundum (612 gp), sardonyx (14 gp), chrysoprase (39 gp), malachite (9 gp), hematite (1 gp), lapis lazuli (2 gp); 37 pp, 567 gp, 2,500 sp, 6,300 cp

State of Rite Publishing 2014

Lost in Dream 

Illustration by Jason Rainville

One of Our Best Years Ever!

This year really fought hard to be out best year ever but it was just impossible to surpass the success of the Lords of Gossamer & Shadow Kickstarter from 2013.  It was however still an amazing year.  

Here are some of our highlights:

We won an ENnie award our first ever for The Demolished Ones (FATE). I can’t say enough about the amazing folks who made this happen, but especially author Brian Engard.

We saw the Lords of Gossamer & Shadow (Diceless) product line surpass our 3rd Party Support for Pathfinder over all in terms of direct sales, as the core book has become a very powerful evergreen product for us.

The big geeky fanboy in me got to publish products by Matt Forbeck, Rob Donoghue, Cam Banks, and Andrew Peregrine further strengthening the Lords of Gossamer & Shadow (Diceless) product line.

Matt Banach not only introduced an amazing line of products with our Gossamer Worlds (Diceless) series, but also wrote our first novel (Lost in Dream), which we released this year.

We released Lords of Gossamer & Shadow Icon Deck with some amazing artwork, and had a successful Kickstarter for a second deck of NPC cards.

Just when I thought the 3^rd Party Publisher Pathfinder Roleplaying Game market was slowing down In the Company of Dragons (PFRPG) by Wendall Roy comes along and blows away all my expectations.

1001 Spells (PFRPG) even 2 years later it is still our best selling product.

Book of Monster Templates (PFRPG) went platinum on DriveThruRpg, our only product to have done so.

Faces of the Tarnished Souk: An Npc Collection (PFRPG) our largest book ever, with over 300 pages, is in the proofreading stage and we are planning to start fulfillment to our Kickstarter backer’s next month.

We produced another 12 issues of our free Pathways e-zine, bringing us to a total of #45 issues so far.

We started a new product line the Rite Map Packs with cartography but the amazing Tommi Salama.

We continue to have amazing success with our Hero Lab product support (Thanks Andrew!).

We continue to be a part of the Bundle of Holding website and participated in two specials there this year of which I was quite pleased (Thanks Allen).

We branched out to support new product lines beyond PFRPG, FATE, and Diceless,  we introduced products for Dungeon World, 13^th Age, and even 5^th Edition using the OGL (in the same manner Goodman Game used for 4^th and 5^th edition support).

We are now playtesting the first Card Game we plan to publish!

We saw the fulfillment on 4 different Kickstarters, and the successful launch of two others, one of which is in proofing so we plan to start fulfillment next month.

Low Points:

But as anyone will tell you, one cannot have peaks without valleys, and while Rite Publishing’s victories far outnumber our failures we do have them, here they are:

Adventure Quarterly #6 (PFRPG): Although its very late, it is done, and it will release in January. The lesson I learned here is that we have certain bottlenecks in our production process, because I over rely on extremely talented people who always deliver. Then when they have an issue beyond their control such as a death in the family plus a medical issue, I wait to long to bring in a substitute to do the work while they are out. I won’t do that again, but I hope I don’t run into that kind of issue anytime son.

The Martial Arts Guidebook (PFRPG): the book that has taught me never to use IndieAGoGo for a Table Top Rpg  Crowdfunding project, it was an experiment and it failed and continued to fail. However it now has a finished and edited manuscript,  a mock layout has been done, along with a new trade dress, we will be sending out art descriptions to our lead artist next week and plan to release it in March/April of 2015.  This is our oldest project on the books, and one I want it off my plate

Questhaven Campaign Setting (PFRPG): my pet project saw only two major updates this year, this is entirely my fault as I  have spent too much time and too little time writing. So I have set up one day a week where I will be doing nothing but writing for this project, it is another one I want off my plate.

Kaidan Campaign Setting (PFRPG): I will never start a Kickstarter again without a finished manuscript. This project is overdue, but we now have laid out, and art orders made, we still have chapters though we are still awaiting some finished chapters from the lead author (I have written a chunk of one chapter myself), again this is my fault, and the fix is hiring freelancers to come in and assist the lead writer.

The Long Walk: Life Along the Grand Stair: I had hoped to have this big diceless adventure/supplement for folks to play out by now, but its in editing, and will be out by April/May 2015 so I am quite happy with it right now. 

Distribution: The collapse of our print/distribution partnership with Chronicle City, my failure to move right away into getting our books into the traditional distribution channels, something I plan to correct in the coming year.

My friend and colleague Joshua “KTFish7” Gullion of AdventureAWeek.com died. He was an awesome person who I miss talking to.

Personal Highs:

Did I mention my company won an ENnie award!?

For the third year in a row, I am living the dream, and get to do this as my day job!

The two packed seminars I gave at Gencon!

I got my work published in my favorite monster book the Advanced Bestiary (PFRPG) by Green Ronin Publishing!!!

While at GenCon this year I was hanging out with a fellow game designer/publisher who I am a fanboy fan of, and whom I consider not only a mentor but a personal friend, while walking back to our hotel he and his wife mentioned how proud they were of me, and what I have accomplished. Damn but this room is dusty!

Final Thoughts:

This year reminded me why I started Rite Publishing, because I was ticked off at other publishers for doing things wrong. I have learned many things since then, but I continue to strive to do right by our customers, our freelancers, and by myself. I am reminded every day of how lucky I am that I have a job I love and of how successful we are both critically and commercially. I love every time I get to talk to a freelancer, colleague, customer, reviewer, or fan. I even found a perverse joy in firing an unreasonable customer because it was the right thing to do.  

This year also reminded me of what I wanted Rite Publishing to become, and while I still have goals that I have yet to achieve (like a stable form of traditional distribution), I am very much where I wanted to be.

Thank all of you for helping me get here!

Steven D. Russell
Rite Publishing

37 things Rite Publishing is working on.

Card Game

1. Code Name: Erlking , in second playtesting phase, additional cards added, some cards updated 

Fiction

1. Lost in Dream a novel has been released.

  

13^th Age Roleplaying Game

1. The Breaking of Forstor Nagar  in layout.   
2. 101 Mystical Site Qualities in conversion development

   

Fifth Edition Done Rite

1. The Breaking of Forstor Nagar  in layout 

Fate

1. The Demolished Ones: Fly in the Ointment  mock layout complete, waiting on art.
2. Making The Demolished Ones available on Amazon.com

Lords of Gossamer & Shadow

1. The Long Walk manuscript complete, in editing, art complete. Expected release March/April
2. Addendum: Shapeshifting in development by Jason Durall. 
3. Threats: Threshold Ghosts in development by Jason Durall
4. No Beast So Fierce adventure by me, manuscript in playtesting/development, art is complete. Next stage after that will be using this to run my online game for backers
5. Icon Deck: NPCs: Art Descriptions in development. 2 pieces assigned to artists.
6. Gossamer & Shadow Adventure Path/Campaign Saga in development 
7. Threats: Secrets of the Annunaki  in editing.
8. Lucien’s Guide 3 in development by Rob Donoghue.
9. Gossamer Worlds: The Black
10. Gossamer Worlds in development by Clinton J. Boomer. 
11. Gossamer Persona: Delayed in the Development Pass stage.
12. Gossamer Worlds: Planet Fiction a 32 page full-color Print and PDF project in development.

Pathfinder

1. In the Company of Dragons: The Lost Isles (In Development).
2. Pathways #46 assigned to writers.
3. Adventure Quarterly #6 Coming in Jannuary.
4. Faces of the Tarnished Souk: An NPC Collection  300+ pages in proofing, coming in March/April.
5. Martial Arts Guidebook waiting on art, doing mock layout.  (print)
6. Rite Map Pack: Regional Map (working title) by Tommi Salama in development.
7. 101 Not So Random Encounters: Desert manuscript in development
8. Summoner of the Jade Oath manuscript in development
9. Kaidan Campaign Setting in mock layout, final chapters to be written, art orders being placed.
10. The Secrets of The Divine: Death, Healing, Law, & Madness in development.  
11. Questhaven Campaign Setting in development with me writing. 
12. 1001 Magic Items mock layout complete, cover art complete, needs interior art
13. Ultimate Monsters Hero Lab (Book of Monster templates, 101 not so simple monster templates, 101 Monster Feats, 101 Variant Monsters etc.) assigned to the Rite Coder.
14. Book of Kaiju assigned to Riters
15. 10 Wizard Magic Items releasing today.
16. A print on demand version of Breaking of Forstor Nagar
17. A print on demand version of Coliseum Morpheuon

Game Mastering in 30 minutes or Less.

Game Mastering in 30 minutes or Less.

You worked 80 hours this week, you got sick, or you were just plain lazy, whatever the reason is, you have people who want to game, and they will be here in 30 minutes.  What do you do?

1.      Map It: You could do it with an overland map, a dungeon map, you are a GM I am sure you have some lying around. If not, I have some for sale. But for now let us keep it simple you can find one by browsing the Cartographer’s Guild, something you made while messing around with Campaign Cartographer, or maybe you loot it from Jonathan Roberts’ website. In my case, I am publisher so I get to use a map I commissioned and use it for something else so let us take the level 3 map of the Ruins Perilous.  

Now we are not going to have time to write a bunch of description for each room so we need to pick a theme that we can constantly build off, something that is constantly challenging your players, creating an environment tension. It could be that every surface is covered with some unique ooze, it could be an influx of chaos or wild magic permeates the area, perhaps it is just underwater and subject to strange currents and shifting tides. So for this case we will change the appearance of the dungeon, it will be underwater, in the arctic,  parts of the dungeon will be iced over, and there will be unpredictable currents and tides.

2.      Iconic Monsters: Don’t get crazy and hunt down the latest bestiary, these need to be monsters you know how to run already. Use good old standby monsters and adapt them to your environment.  You want your players to have a emotional reaction and you need to get the monsters together in less than 4 minutes. So we have a cold and underwater enviorment. Any Undead and/or Constructs, they don’t have a problem with underwater. Sharks of all sizes. Shapechanges, they can adapt to the environment. Gargoyles they are stone, don’t care about cold or water, Orca will scare them, they are worse than sharks. Trolls and Deep Ones because who does not love Cthulhu.  You can even bring back an old foe (see Don’t Explain It below).

3.      Make it Unique: You have a list of encounter locations, and a list of creatures to encounter, now take that list and make a short phrase about each encounter that makes it unique.  You don’t want it to just be a 10’x 10” room with a monster in it.  For example the Orca will be, awakened by a druid, uplifted by technology, or is from a world with intelligent killer whales, regardless it will be extremely intelligent and use extremely intelligent tactics. The big circular room in the center, its “floor” is covered in broken up ice sheets and there is a hole in the center. The currents cause it to spin. The Orca baits the area around the hole with bits of treasure frozen to the think ice pack (its an orca what use does it have for gold, it wants fresh meat), when it is time to fight it simply rams the thin ice and makes it very hard to get back to the doors.   Therefore, the note would be: Intelligent Orca, Broken up rotating ice floor with water underneath, hole in center, frozen treasure.

4.     Fudge It: Don’t be a slave to stats or dice, they are just a guideline, what you are looking for is a dramatic encounter something that is not long and not to short, when it is time for the villain to die have him die. Add hit points if you have to or increase/decrees the challenge as needed. The magic holding the undead creature together fails or is renewed. The contruct is malfunctioning but could get a surge of nananites to repair it. There are more sharks where that came from but they could feed on each other. The shapechanger has a one-winged angel form but its form couldbe unstable. Did you not see all the other stone statues they are gargoyles too, but perhaps they have grown brittle from too much time in salt water. The trolls and deep ones just keep coming, most of them panic at the very sight of fire. Therefore, the note for the orca could be: The Orca has a mate or has weak lungs and could easily suffocate underwater.

5.      Don’t Explain It: If someone asks you as the GM how did this place end up underwater, way-out in the middle of the arctic, say “Your character doesn’t know”. If they ask an NPC have that NPC give his opinion, state various theories, and let that NPC be completely wrong. Let the player characters put forth there theories.  If you hear the beginning of a theory you like, drop a clue to that effect to encourage it but never give them Word of God confirmation. The same can go for the old adversary you recycled for this adventure he is here looking for the McGuffin that will let him get revenge on the PCs, but when asked how did he survive being disintegrated and his ashes cast to the four winds, say “Your character doesn’t know.”  He might be his ghost simply animating his armor, or a shapeshifter mode locked and implanted with the memories of the PC’s adversary but the players don’t need to know that, and right now neither do you. Again let the PCs and NPCs put forth their own opinions and be wrong or write as the whim strikes you.  You can do the same thing with a the mysterious McGuffin, let the players lead you to what it is, the ultimate mystery magic item, or piece of indecipherable future tech. It’s a Rorschach blot, it only has the meaning the GM and PCs apply to it.

6.     Roleplay It: Have the NPCs ask the PCs questions, keep asking questions, get them talking. Before the PCs can leave on the adventure they get invited to a dinner party where all the major NPCs of the region will be attending because everyone loves the inn keeper so much, they will even put aside hated feuds. If the PCs attack someone the whole dinner party defeats them, and they have offended everyone.  Do you have a questionnaire for PCs? Let different NPCs ask questions from it. Are the PCs famous perhaps a Bard or a Report tries to ask them questions as they travel?

7.      Impersonate Someone: So you need an Npc for the PCs to interact with, and you can’t come up with one. Do an impersonation of someone your players don’t know. Players might recognize you impersonating your best friend (who is sitting there at the table) but do they know your grandmother, your boss at work, or even that special someone you had a crush on in school?  I love impersonating my mother to folks who never got to know her.  Imagine a hunchbacked bespectacled woman with curly brown hair at an Inn who takes care of your every need, treats you like her own children, never asks you for anything, but is constantly talking about her friend’s spouse who was checking out the report of a suspicious occurrence that sounds like your PCs nemesis. Moreover, when the PCs go to find out more, she does not want them to be bothered, and will not discuss it anymore until after dinner as she has work to do. She then invites the aforementioned friend, whose spouse is missing, to dinner.

8.     Puzzle It: I have a big book of riddles sitting on my shelf right next to big book of puzzles, you can also use an internet search engine to find a near infinite number of riddles.  Or pull out a puzzle game like Jenga (find the specially marked piece), Mastermind (for every wrong answer X happens), or Chess (sacrifice pieces sacrifice PCs).  Perhaps the Ghoul did it, the pleasures of the flesh don’t matter anymore, but pleasures of the mind do; or maybe one of the monsters hoards riddles and puzzles like a dragon hoards treasure, or perhaps it is just a riddle that is the clue to the password or magic word like “Open Sesame” or “1234”. Modern and future games make this fun if the riddle is two personal pieces of information you need to know about the original inhabitant. “What is the name of your first pet? What is your mother’s maiden name? The PCs then have to do research or talk to Npcs; the undead creature might know stuff about the places creator, and that painting we saw might have his pet's name. 

If all else fails have someone come to the dungeon to hunt the PCs down. Hey it's that Nemisis again.