Café de Nuit

i hate to chime in with criticism ... but i dint think that this isse was as strong as some of the other thematically based issues of the netzine. if there was a common theme amongst these articles, i didnt see it. someone please point it out for me. The Nightlord was unecessary.

while this was my least favorite, there were some really great things about this issue: i enjoyed the character write ups for "Double Efects". The 4 horseman was a great idea that can be brought into RL campiagns in a variety of ways. The Misty Warrior supplement and the Heart and Stone story were other highlights.

Well, I agree with you on a lot of those points.

This issue was pretty weak, and speaking for myself, one of the least inspiring. Its hard to say why the theme just didn't get the juices flowing, though I think it could be attributed to either the basicness of the topic (evil humans is just to everyday), or the fact that it was too specific (it wasn't a theme, so much as the topic).

I would normally think that monster-type issues would have to be forsaken, though since the Shadow-Fey theme seems so popular, I'd keep it around a bit longer.

In the future, though, themes are going to shy away from things like creature types and be directed towards broad styles and motifs, like Middle-Eastern theme, or Science Fiction.

I see it as the difference between saying:
a) Your going to write about a vampire
b) You can write about anything you want, so long as it fits into a Arabic theme.

Well I did have a few psychopaths in the works but having my poc die on me repeatedly and constantly losing the half finished article I just gave up on it

Which is why I have something a little more cunning in the way my pc is set up now, so I won't lose everything if my pc goes down again

So far The Four Horsemen is my favourite among what I have read (sorry Stanton, it knocked your amazing Lost Gaz off the top spot for me), but I still have about half the issue to read.

Whoa boy this was a big one.

Hey Stephen,

Do you have an ETA on when the third revision of Quoth the Raven X will be out? I'm just eager to read people's thoughts on my article, is all.

The third revision was done almost two weeks ago - the issues complete.

Ahh, I see. The link on the Home page however, still links to the old version of the article.

The links in the Library link to the new issue, with my article in it.

That's right - there was a misdirected link. The problem is now fixed, and all links point to the updated issue.

A very usefull and enjoyable netzine. I liked most of the articles. What I liked most were the nightlords and the Aspects of the Horsemen.

However, I'll turn the aspects of the Horsemen to templates. With the spell that binds the fiendish spirit in the material plane, the fiend takes over a host or even the caster.

I also liked the maps of Reikenburg! Very good job there! I'll probably use this very detailed map. Could we see some more maps detailed like this one?

About the Fraternity of Shadows Prestige class, I didn't found many diferences from the one in the USS. Anyway I like this prestige, but a free rank in Knowledge Ravenloft every level is too much I believe.
A 5th lvl illusionist/ 7th level FoS will have 22 ranks in Knowledge Ravenloft. Along with a 18 intelligence that means a +26 bonus on Ravenloft knowledge checks! This man would probably know ways out of Ravenloft, secrets about the Darklords, even things that the Darklord doesn't know!
I don't believe that a 12th character is a common man, but 12th lvl members of the Fraternity do exist, and they're more than one.
So what I'll do? The fraternity member takes a free rank in the Ravenloft knowledge skill or a knowledge (local:domain) skill, but still, can't have more than level +3 ranks in any skill, including Ravenloft knowledge or knowledge (local:domain) skill.
That I spent a page talking about what I disagree in the prestige class, doesn't mean that I don't like the prestige.


Thank all contributors, because I enjoyed the article.

PS. I also liked the Fraternity members and I liked Drusilla more, but Socko was the ONE. Thank you Socko.

alhoon wrote:PS. I also liked the Fraternity members and I liked Drusilla more, but Socko was the ONE. Thank you Socko.

Glad you liked Drusilla. Gabrek had little changed except for some cleaning up with some obvious mistakes I found in in after the first time I wrote him, though I am sure a few more creeped in.

alhoon wrote:I didn't found many diferences from the one in the USS.

No, there are very few changes between this version and the original one presented in the 2002 release of the USS. The main reason we even brought this prestige class back was to compliment the Fraternity Unleashed article, since some readers might not have known the details of the prestige class being used.

Instead of merely referrencing the other netbook, Nathan and I felt that it would be better to update some details of the prestige class to better reflect some ideas that had changed over the past couple of years. Given more time we might have revised it in more detail, but there wasn't much that really needed to be changed.

alhoon wrote:About the Fraternity of Shadows Prestige classAnyway I like this prestige, but a free rank in Knowledge Ravenloft every level is too much I believe.

A 5th lvl illusionist/ 7th level FoS will have 22 ranks in Knowledge Ravenloft. Along with a 18 intelligence that means a +26 bonus on Ravenloft knowledge checks!

Actually, a 5th-level illusionist / 7th-level FoS would only have a Knowledge (Ravenloft) score of +15 (plus intelligence bonuses) due to the level cap (max ranks = level+3). The Forbidden Lore ability only provides one extra rank per level to the FoS member without having to buy it with skill points.

You could interpret it to be 15 ranks plus a +7 bonus, which would equal 22 ranks in Knowledge (Ravenloft). While this would be rather high for a 12th-level character, I would say that this wouldn't be completely unreasonable either. The fact that the Fraternity of Shadows dedicate most of their time and energy learning to unravel the very nature of Ravenloft would lead them to have knowledge above and beyond nearly anybody else.

I think that it comes down to what interpretation you would be more comfortable with in your campaign setting. As Azalin would say, it's DM's Perogative...

Jason of the Fraternity wrote:Actually, a 5th-level illusionist / 7th-level FoS would only have a Knowledge (Ravenloft) score of +15 (plus intelligence bonuses) due to the level cap (max ranks = level+3). The Forbidden Lore ability only provides one extra rank per level to the FoS member without having to buy it with skill points.

Ohh, Sorry. I thaught that the Forbidden Lore was a free rank, breaking the level cap! To think, I have proposed what you said. A free rank but up to level +3 max ranks.
Anyway, I would use the alternative of +1 free rank to either Ravenloft Lore or Local(Domain). Along with the other +1 free knowledge rank, it would give much knowledge about Ravenloft and domain without making the members of the FoS all knowing.

I love the NPC writeup of Andre Duvet. The current sketch and the included adventure hooks are big helps in how to introduce him as an NPC. This is one NPC that will definetly see some use in my Ravenloft game.

Frukathka wrote:I love the NPC writeup of Andre Duvet. The current sketch and the included adventure hooks are big helps in how to introduce him as an NPC. This is one NPC that will definetly see some use in my Ravenloft game.

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it

my thoughts wrote:there were some really great things about this issue: i enjoyed the character write ups for "Double Efects".

It's nice to see one person liked something about my submissions.
Thanks,
Hadis

alhoon wrote: I also liked the maps of Reikenburg! Very good job there! I'll probably use this very detailed map. Could we see some more maps detailed like this one?

It's nice to see someone else liked something about my submission: Double Effects. Even if no one seemed to like the story itself.

Also,
I remember getting an email around the time it was to come out about losing some things for the netbook. I noticed that most of my floor plans didn't make it into the netbook. Was this an oversite or were the omitted on purpose?
If anyone would like them, I could resend them and they could given as an addition to the netbook. If anyone cares.
Thanks,
Hadis