Review: The Slumbering Tsar Saga

Having read the chapter version myself - yeah, it's that good.

 

[Mr Baron]

Steel Wind - Many thanks for the detailed review. I have always enjoyed your thoughtful commentary on products. I have the PDF chapters and I agree with your assessments. Just by flipping through the adventure, you can tell that this was a labor of love from Greg. A very talented writter that just keeps cranking out high-quality work. Hands down, one of the best writters in the business.

Greg V - Glad to see that you stuck with the project, to see it through. Looking forward to the end of May!

 

[Grumpy RPG Reviews]

...but too specific in its usefulness?

I am always a fan of pillaging supplements for useful material. However, in my experience using material from books of this kind (extensive Adventure Path works) requires changing the material so much, you might as well just wing it or start from scratch. Unless you are running something similar to what is in the book.

 

[son_of_frumm]

Greg,

You weren't sure that it was James?

 

[kitsune9]

Wow, that's just big.

[MENTION=31270]Greg V[/MENTION], from outline concept to final draft, how long did it take you to write this?

 

[Greg V]

I am always a fan of pillaging supplements for useful material. However, in my experience using material from books of this kind (extensive Adventure Path works) requires changing the material so much, you might as well just wing it or start from scratch. Unless you are running something similar to what is in the book.

I think you'd be pleasantly surprised just from the first part of the adventure alone (the wilderness area). You can always check out the pdfs of one or more of the 14 individual adventure chapters that are sold through Paizo.com and talesofthefroggod.com to check it out and see if your suspicions are true. Heck, the first chapter, ST1: Edge of Oblivion, is still available for $2.00, so it's not even a financial risk.

I sometimes run sections of the adventures at cons with little or no attachment to the overarching adventure, and it has always worked out just fine. The encounters are not wrapped in a specific story nearly as much as often happens in adventure paths.

Hope the information is in some way helpful to you.

 

[Greg V]

Greg,

You weren't sure that it was James?

I did the math and figured it pretty much had to be; I just wasn't familiar with the son_of_frumm handle.

 

[Greg V]

Wow, that's just big.

@Greg V , from outline concept to final draft, how long did it take you to write this?

Including the PF RPG conversions and final retooling for the combined book, just a shade under 8 years.

 

[Azgulor]

Sorry if this is dumb question, but I take it that Slumbering Tsar has evolved beyond its origin as a prequel to Rappan Athuk?

I'm trying to reconcile a product that takes you to level 20 as a prequel to anything...

Thanks!

 

[DarkSasha]

It isn't necessarily a prequel as much as the two are very much linked together. You could conceivably run one as a continuation of the other generationally, with the sons and daughters (ie: brand new characters) of the heros or survivors of one (assuming there were any) delving for answers as to why the minions of Orcus remain active in the other. Story-wise, the Slumbering Tsar is where an important historical siege took place. When the forces of evil withdrew from ST, they vacated to Rappan Athuk.

 

[DarkSasha]

Rappan Athuk Kickstarter

Incidentally, we are currently offering Rappan Athuk in both the Pathfinder RPG rules and Swords & Wizardry rules via kickstarter. I had attempted to create its own thread, but EnWorld doesn't seem to want to let me.

Here's the Link