Topic: Random Updates from Terry Amthor

[Terry K. Amthor]

As a little teaser for Emer II: I took the regional color map and broke it up into sections that make more sense (some of the old map sections were mostly water). The sections are also at different scales (trying to be sure I got the correct scale on each one), and have a lot more information.

[egdcltd]

Here's a random artifact for you... a poison case disguised as a book. Love the latches!

That's an interesting item; where did you find it?

[Terry K. Amthor]

Here's a random artifact for you... a poison case disguised as a book. Love the latches!

That's an interesting item; where did you find it?

I saw it on the Facebook page for Musetouch Visual Arts Magazine. Here's the link. They have lots of interesting items!

https://www.facebook.com/MusetouchVisualArtsMagazine

[Old Man]

As a little teaser for Emer II: I took the regional color map and broke it up into sections that make more sense (some of the old map sections were mostly water). The sections are also at different scales (trying to be sure I got the correct scale on each one), and have a lot more information.

Terrific map. On all of your maps, what is the elevation of the contour lines?

[RandalThor]

In the post above, the 2 items in your sig have 0 bytes, meaning they are nothing but a title. I am assuming that they are not supposed to be like that.

[Terry K. Amthor]

In the post above, the 2 items in your sig have 0 bytes, meaning they are nothing but a title. I am assuming that they are not supposed to be like that.

Oops, thanks, dunno what happened, but I replaced them. They are pics from that Facebook page.

[egdcltd]

I've been looking through the Jaiman book again. How likely is it that some of the places in there (Nomikos, Gryphon College etc.) could be expanded into full supplements of their own? Say, about 32 pages, with descriptions, NPCs and adventures. Admittedly, that would require a fair bit of expansion on the existing material.

[Terry K. Amthor]

I've been looking through the Jaiman book again. How likely is it that some of the places in there (Nomikos, Gryphon College etc.) could be expanded into full supplements of their own? Say, about 32 pages, with descriptions, NPCs and adventures. Admittedly, that would require a fair bit of expansion on the existing material.

I have given Jaiman some thought, and to be honest, I'm not sure yet what would be the best approach. Right now, it is a sort of chimera sourcebook/continent survey (which needs serious updating)/citadel layouts/campaign book. Regarding your specific question, I'm not sure that Gryphon College or the Library are particularly interesting places to adventure in, as opposed to the Dragonlord's Citdael or the tombs.

We have talked some about doing a GM Guide for each of the continents, and the Jaiman one would be a smaller book with just background, but more detail about all the realms, rulers, weather, GM maps, etc. Maybe the above locations could go there, as reference for the GM.

I could almost see the entire section on Tethior's artifacts pulled out and moved to the Artifacts and Lost Tech book, and the Kier Ianis quest pulled out into its own book, along with the associated layouts.

What does everyone think?

[egdcltd]

Yes, I wasn't sure where those locations could go. They're sort of important, and could well be visited, but they may not be adventure locations by themselves. Or maybe they could be - Harry Potter was set in a school after all.

The alternatives I thought of were individual supplements for certain places, an individual supplement that had several places of interest in it, and adding them to an adventure collection that visited them.

[Terry K. Amthor]

Yes, I wasn't sure where those locations could go. They're sort of important, and could well be visited, but they may not be adventure locations by themselves. Or maybe they could be - Harry Potter was set in a school after all.

The alternatives I though of were individual supplements for certain places, an individual supplement that had several places of interest in it, and adding them to an adventure collection that visited them.

True, Gryphon College could be a place of mystery and adventure I suppose, as seen in Loremaster Legacy.

[RandalThor]

I like the civilization centers to be detailed for it is easier for me to create the adventure locals that are in the wilds and such. It is the various places and persons that make-up civilization that are hard to do. Plus, I like to make adventures there - I have out grown the dungeon-to-dungeon days.

[Terry K. Amthor]

Oh you guys and my ADHD (which may or may not be clinically true in my case. I blame MTV in the 80's and now the Internet. I am seriously thinking of buying this app: http://www.getconcentrating.com/ I'd lock out all the social media...)

Anyway, you got me thinking about Jaiman, and I ended up doing some work on the Wuliris book!


Anyway, with this discussion of Jaiman, I am thinking more that a separate GM continent guide would be best (I think Matt H. suggested this?) with general history, and an overview of the continent, with profiles of each realm including the political structure, who's in charge, etc, with some secret GM info on intrigues. Lots of general maps and travel information. This is something that I would actually prefer to edit rather than write, with someone pulling in all the already written stuff from Jaiman, Tanara and Xa-ar, and adding material for NE, and SW that I would provide basic outlines of. It would be a smaller book, like the Player Guide.

Meanwhile, I'm pulling out the Dragonlord citadel to go into the NE module, and the artifacts stuff (and maybe Andraax's Tomb and the Crown Vault) would go in A&LT.

Not sure about the other layouts. I have been working on the Dansart High Priest citadel in the zor desert (looks like the Anasazi cliff castle in the old Angus RM2 red-spine covers), so maybe a book of Jaiman adventures, with the citadels and tombs and other adventures from the old book, and new adventures.

Now, back to Gryphonburgh! *crack*

[Vurkanan]

We have talked some about doing a GM Guide for each of the continents, and the Jaiman one would be a smaller book with just background, but more detail about all the realms, rulers, weather, GM maps, etc. Maybe the above locations could go there, as reference for the GM.
[…]
What does everyone think?

With Jaiman being more and more fleshed out by different past and future books, there is the question indeed, whether an overall Jaiman book is needed at all. I'm not convinced by the idea of GM Guides for the continents. What would be in there that I don't already know?
Maps, locations, floor plans and cities are always useful. It would be great, if such material would comprise a big chunk of the GM Guide.

[Terry K. Amthor]

I'm back on a productive phase, lots of writing on the Gryph. adventures (funny how the book has just added 4 pages), a little on Emer II, Wuliris, and a peek back at the Jaiman module.

Definitely thinking of Jaiman as a pure, smaller sourcebook with lots of general GM info, maps, realm overviews (including Ly-Aran and Urulan, because Kieron knows when I'll get to real modules on those). Pull out all the layouts and adventures, and maybe put the Rhakhaan ones into Haalkitaine, because that book has NO adventures right now. The artifacts and the Dragon citadel are already out; Andraax's Tomb and the Crown Vault might also go to Artifacts.

[Terry K. Amthor]

It's Saturday and I found the urge to go through old photos and scan them for posterity (hah hah!)

Anyway, this is me at my desk sometime in the mod-80's at the old ICE HQ at 300 W. Main St in beautiful Charlottesville, VA. (The perm was a one-time thing. What was I thinking?) Note the Kaypro computer, the same model Arthur C. Clarke was using!

[egdcltd]

Your workplace looks as neatly organised as mine does.

[egdcltd]

What software do you use to write in? I've just started looking at tools such as Scrivener for my more complex projects.

[Terry K. Amthor]

What software do you use to write in? I've just started looking at tools such as Scrivener for my more complex projects.

I use MS Word mostly out of habit, and that I have finally learned to tame the spelling and grammar checkers, and that other materials normally come in that format. I have heard good things about Scrivener, but not sure if I am ready to tackle a new software.

Back in that picture I was using WordStar (same as George RR Martin uses now!) but the Kaypro ran on CP/M. We would put in typesetting codes to send to the printer to get various fonts to come out the way we wanted. The Mac of course was like something magical.

[Terry K. Amthor]

BTW, that Kaypro got lugged up to Toronto and then to Kevin's family house in Collingwood (north of Toronto), where a lot of the original expanded Spacemaster got written! I drove my little Honda Civic up there, what an adventure.

[egdcltd]

How do you manage to keep everything organised with Word? Or is it simply done through experience?