Planning Thread: Issue 1 - Qrt 1, 2012

It seems like turning forum material into cohesive articles could be a workload on par with writing something completely original (which isn't to say we shouldn't do it). How do you imagine drawing from the forums as working in practice?

To get discussion going, here's what I think the first issue *could* have in its pages. Definitely disagree, provide feedback, etc.

Feature: Right now I'm thinking "Killing the Lady of Pain", "Walking the Parallel Multiverses", or the planar renovation of Limbo. The first I think would make the biggest splash.

1. Conversion - because it is useful for people playing right now.

2. Something Mechanical, possibly a new class or prestige class - useful to players even if they aren't playing Planescape.

3. Location - preferably one that can be inserted into 4e, PSCS, or Pathfinder planar games. Though there is always the danger of having something too watered down in flavor if it wants to be liked by every cosmology.

4. NPC - A useful guy for DMs to use.

5. Campaign Spotlight - I think it is important to show how people are running campaigns utilizing the planes.

6. Organization - Details about an old or new sect/faction, cult, corporation, or conspiracy.

7. DM Help - Setting the mood or RPing with immortal uber gods or whatever.

8. Fleshing out some culture, race, or religion on the planes.

9. Reviews: A book, an album, a game that people with interests in PS might enjoy.

I figured for Campaign Spotlight we'd basically have someone talk about the campaign they ran, some interesting moments the players had (like when Shemmy's group had to deal with the Blind Clockmaker), and maybe some hurdles they had to get around.

I was thinking GMs might draw from the ideas and extrapolate them into their own planar adventures.

It's something I'd like to see but yeah, I'm iffy about it too.

I think anything to do with trying to kill the Lady will take place outside of Sigil as much as in it.

Still, I like the idea of a centralizing theme to each issue. Perhaps the first one should be planar metropoli over just Sigil?

At the same time, would a central theme make things too confining? Not sure myself..

myth-weavers.com has/has had some Planescape campaigns as well.

Perhaps the theme for Issue One could be the Cosmic Game - that way with Jem's permission we could add Surcease and Dolor which is a contest between guardinals and 'loths, have Killing the Lady of Pain as the feature, perhaps include an NPC who is a major planar player, and other articles could deal with the contests between elementals/gods/archfiends/archangels...

How do the rest of you feel about Cosmic Game as a first issue theme?

@Anerta - As Sigil is pretty much the grand prize for these competing forces, we could definitely have a lot of interaction with the Cage. Makes sense to have Sigil as a focal point leading in, as it is the defining location of PS.

You could also plan each issue so that the dominant theme of a particular issue is X, but it's perfectly OK to have articles in the same issue that have nothing to do with X. As an example, take Dungeon #100. It features Lich-Queen's Beloved/ githyanki, but there's content in that issue that has nothing to do with either.

Have to double check, but I believe Jem gave us permission to use Surcease and Dolor. So far we have the following possibilities:

Feature: Killing the Lady of Pain (unless there's a proposal for an alternative?)
Location: Surcease and Dolor
DM Advice: DMing a Villain who knows his Fate

Should we put out an open call for articles with the Cosmic Game as a theme? I figure we can post the request on this page, the mailing list, the Planescape section of the boards, and the Planescape section of Piazza for starters.

Thoughts?

Put out the word at The Piazza, PS Mailing List, and Community Creative forums on Wizards.

I have some conversions, and if none of them are suitable to the theme, I could convert something else.

Laying around at the moment, I have Pathfinder versions of:
- Kylie
- Prisine
- Sly Nye
- Black Marian
- Jemorille the Exile
- Shemeshka the Marauder
- A'kin

Off the top of my head, "COSMIC GAME" would seem to favour Jemorille, as he is Rilmani. However, it seems ... somehow undesirable to toss a single example of a creature into the book and ignore the whole rest of the race. If we feature Jemorille, I feel like we ought to include a set of Rilmani conversions to 4e/Pathfinder.

Next up would be Prisine, since she's a lady with some big plans, but ... though this issue does feature the How To Kill The Lady Of Pain topic, I feel like she should maybe be held back for something a little more Aoskar-centric? If we do something more Aoskar-centric? Regardless, she seems like a weird first choice.

All in all I feel like Kylie makes sense as "the first one to include," but I'm not sure how suitable she is to the theme, other than HAY I'M A TOUT LEMME SHOW YOU THINGS.

Agk-. Um. I can try! I don't know how insightful I am or can be, though. I'll see if I can come up with something decent.

Jem said we could use the Hedge Witch class as well - for a bit more crunch.

And we can utilize one of Kobold Avenger's Races in Sigil articles, which will sorta tie into the Cosmic Game as gods likely want representatives of their racial creations in the Cage.

Again, anyone who has an article definitely suggest it or submit it!

Another good article that was suggested was music to set the mood while DMing.

Editorial notification seems to work just fine.

This issue probably warrants a short introduction concerning what Planescape actually is and why we're so damn fond of it, right?

Editor queue is working for me.

Any ideas on an interview candidate? (we don't have to have one)

@Anerta - Sounds good, though I've forgotten just about everything dealing Aoskar. If you start a thread though I'll try to help. Also, do you want to do the Music on the Planes article? Totally up to you!

@Everyone - I'm a little concerned about art. Should we start putting out a call to the Deviant group now if we can finalize at least a couple articles ASAP? By finalize I don't mean done, but rather someone has stepped up to write it (with or without help).

I can definitely say we'll get Killing the Lady of Pain in there, as well as an article about the work of the celestials in promoting the Good.

(I realize others have offered to write up articles, but don't want to speak for anyone without their express permission.)

I was thinking, since the proposal for an article on Prime Worlds and the Cosmic Game is being worked on, might we also do a spotlight on the Planejammer Campaign that IIRC Loki runs?