Earthdawn Survival Guide

* Episode 150!

* Report on overall numbers and metrics for the show.

* 1,849 minutes of content created in 2022.

* 68,104 plays over the life of the show since launch.

* Average plays per episode: 180, Audience Size: 298.

* Single largest day: Oct 11, 2022 – 272 plays.

* Listener service and location breakdown.

* EDSG YouTube numbers: 575 views, 35 subscribers.

* ListenNotes.com – EDSG is in top 5% of podcasts.

* Proposed outline of pre-written Earthdawn adventures.

* Dan describes his very rough challenge rating method.

* Night of Desire: Earthdawn Journal 5

* Search for Wisdom (aka Runvir’s Tomb): Earthdawn Journal 2 (or Redbrick Shard)

* Days of Vengeance: Earthdawn Journal 5, sequel to Night of Desire

* The Kiss: Written by Earthdawn designer Greg Gorden

* Into the Breach: Included with 2nd Edition GM Screen.

* Mists of Betrayal: FASA

* Heritance: Earthdawn Journal 9

* Turnabout is Fair Play: Earthdawn Publishing Trust

* Terror in the Skies: FASA

* Rescue: Earthdawn Journal 2

* Gypsies in the Palace: Earthdawn Publishing Trust

* Arcane Mutterings: Earthdawn Publishing Trust

* Ardanyan’s Revenge: RedBrick Ltd

* Infected: FASA

* By the Book: Shadis Magazine 48

* Parlainth Adventures: FASA

* Woodland Whispers: Earthdawn Publishing Trust

* T’skrang Trouble: Earthdawn Journal 3

* And the Path Shall be Perilous: Earthdawn Journal 7

* Blackout: RedBrick Shard (also in Throal Adventures from FASA)

* Pale River: RedBrick Shard (also in Throal Adventures)

* Burning Desires: RedBrick

* Betrayal’s Sting: RedBrick Shard

* Tournament Troubles: RedBrick Shard

* Prelude to War: FASA

* Barsaive at War: Living Room Games

* Shattered Pattern: FASA

* Barsaive in Chaos: Living Room Games

* Blades: FASA

* Frameworks from Ork Nation of Cara Fahd: FASA

* Kratas Adventures: RedBrick Third Edition

* Josh offers suggestions to tweak the list.

* Thank you for your support so far, and we’ve got more on the way!

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* Our series on Horrors continues!

* “Lesser” and “Greater” versions of iconic Horror types.

* Different versions provide greater challenges, but also examples of how you might tweak the opposition.

* Bloatform: Category of tentacled, bulbous mass of deformed flesh.

* Love to torment their victims to madness, revel in pain, terror, and murder.

* Prefer to keep a community in their thrall, often with cults to spread their reign of terror.

* Corrupt Compromise power: Offer power in exchange for the victim doing a task, resulting in corruption points.

* Crystal Entity: Astral Horror that possesses a physical object, changing it to crystal.

* Unable to move but can telepathically communicate with those nearby to cause paranoia and doubt.

* Attacks with spells and spell-like abilities.

* Can be tough to locate if its minions protect or hide it.

* More subtle, often pretends to be a friendly spirit or avatar of a Passion to gain trust before turning their victims.

* Gharmek: Worm-like, death-and-decay obsessed undead spawners.

* Introduced in the Parlainth set, connected in some way to Twiceborn’s Kingdom.

* Not physically impressive, mildly cowardly, hide behind masses of undead servitors.

* Most likely source of “zombie horde” situations.

* Slipshade: Humanoid shadow-Horrors that can shift into two-dimensional form.

* Collect beautiful works of art; whether as bait for victims or appreciation is not clear.

* Fast, deadly ambush predators that feed on the fear and pain of their victims.

* Haunted house slasher-film monster, very difficult to keep them out of places.

* Wingflayer: Mass of small metallic shards that act in a swarm, shredding their targets.

* Level of sapience is unclear, no sense of guiding intelligence.

* Very fast, high-damage, ruin armor or other materials.

* Unsettling audio experience: rattling, buzzing, clattering sound as they move.

* Wormskull: Iconic. Humanoid figure with heads and limbs made of a writhing mass of worms.

* Despite their appearance, are suaver and more personable than bloatforms.

* Skin Shift: High damage power that separates skin from muscle beneath.

* Great as a mastermind or campaign-level antagonist, cruel but patient.

* Reminiscent of the cenobites from Hellraiser.

* Discussion of how to GM for Horrors and keeping it scary but fair.

* Resources for developing and structuring adventures featuring Horrors.

Find and Follow:

Email: [email protected]

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Twitter: @EDSGPodcast

Josh on Twitter: @LoreMerchant

Dan on Twitter: @boice_voice

Get product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.com

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Earthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* Voice mail from Paul: Questions about Fog of Fear and Death’s Head spells.

* Email from Ike: Praise for series on the great dragons.

* Is there a template for creating adventures?

* Compendium or list of famous adepts from Barsaive’s past?

* Red’s Eats?

* Email from JB: Repeat questions?

* Thread Items and Name being the first key knowledge?

* Hiding true names?

* Multi-Discipline characters and additional Discipline Thread Weaving talents?

* King Varulus’s visit to the Shivalahala Syrtis prior to his death?

* House T’kambras

* House of Swift Waters, symbol is white salmon leaping over rapids.

* Longstanding rival of House K’tenshin on the Tylon River.

* Original aropagoi stood against K’tenshin expansion prior to the Scourge.

* House was wiped out by K’tenshin, and the central foundation blown up.

* After the first Theran War, a pirate federation started causing problems for K’tenshin.

* Most prominent captain is Jedaiyen Westhrall of Astendar’s Desire

* Some Scavian bargefolk are part of the new T’kambras, reflecting the potential strength of diversity.

* K’tenshin are trying to financially undercut shipping rates on the river rather than military conflict.

* Most likely involved in games involving Kratas or Travar, or other South Reach situations.

* SPOILERS: Discussion of “Pirates and Thieves” arc in Empty Thrones and the motivations and goals of House T’kambras.

Find and Follow:

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Twitter: @EDSGPodcast

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Dan on Twitter: @boice_voice

Get product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.com

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Earthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* Part five of our exploration of Horrors!

* Baggi: Obese, hairless, arboreal Horrors.

* Tough, fleshy sacks that swallow their prey whole.

* Feed on feelings of helplessness or frustration.

* Karma Void: Must spend more Karma than normal to affect them.

* Bloodshaper: Astral Horror that creates a physical construct they act through.

* Create corrupted blood charms that infect their victims.

* Feed on feelings of alienation and self-loathing suffered by the victim.

* Opponent for campaign-level or major story arcs.

* Deceiver: Shapeshifting infiltrators that specialize in illusion and deception.

* Empathic and telepathic powers to read targets and replace/impersonate them.

* Feed on feelings of paranoia and distrust.

* Despairthought: The Horror that tormented J’Role in “The Longing Ring”

* Thick, maggoty-looking worm that moves around on stubby arms.

* Astrally projects and deceives parents into infecting their child with it.

* Speaks in their victim’s mind, feeds on their isolation, betrayal, and depression.

* Eventually tries to provoke the victim to kill themselves.

* Doppler: Body Snatchers or doppelgangers.

* Kills the victim and grows a duplicate of them that replaces them.

* Actual psychological syndrome: Capgras Syndrome

* Dread Iota: Microscopic Horrors that infect water and are ingested by their victims.

* Cause victims to suffer a wasting death, then animate their corpse to spread them.

* Cross between modern germ theory and old ideas of illness caused by evil spirits.

* Kreescra: Short, twisted humanoids with out-of-proportion limbs and features.

* Stalk victims and cause nightmares, preventing full night’s sleep.

* Prevents recovery and can cause death if not defeated.

* Mindslugs: Small, black worms that burrow into your skull and eat your brain.

* Ambush and Gain Surprise make them difficult to notice.

* If they get started on a victim, it is painful and difficult to remove them.

* Miseryworm: Larger, more powerful, despairthought variant.

* Similar tactic of approaching parents and targeting their children.

* Rather than driving the victim to suicide, warps them into Wretched Imps.

* Scurrier: Small, chubby humanoids with exposed brains.

* Create and repair traps in ruins and kaers, feed off the pain of adepts that get trapped in them.

* Can complicate kaer delves or Horror lairs because even previously traveled areas might not be safe.

Find and Follow:

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Dan on Twitter: @boice_voice

Get product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.com

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Earthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* Email from Andy: Questions about Life Circle of One and Horrors?

* Email from Scott: Why was Death sealed away under Death’s Sea?

* Common creatures for low Circle Beastmaster animal companions?

* Ambassador program to spread the good word of Earthdawn?

* Email from Jesse: Gliding rules for K’stulaami t’skrang?

* Serpent River deep dive: House Ishkarat

* Masters of the North Reach: Lake Vors to Iopos

* Closely allied with the Denairastas

* New arrivals on the scene—unknown prior to the Scourge.

* Early encounters were aggressive, started taking control of villages from House Syrtis.

* Ignores the Free Trade Compact.

* Use overtures of diplomacy to take advantage of rivals; underhanded skullduggery and intrigue (like the Denairastas).

* Capture of Lake Vors

* Very firmly in the antagonist camp.

* Not a lot of detail provided about them in books because of their status as villains.

* Possible origins of House Ishkarat.

* Possible insight into the future threat Ishkarat might pose.

* About Lake Vors.

* Glenwood Deep as a base for anti-Denariastas and Ishkarat activity.

* Ihskarat in adventures and campaigns.

Find and Follow:

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Get product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.com

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* Our series on Horrorspawn continues!

* Ehrlgren: Constructs created for the purpose of spreading corruption.

* Have many powers that cause problems for magicians.

* Draamf Ehrlgren: Big, disgusting monstrosities.

* Increases astral corruption in the area, nauseating miasma.

* Ray of corruption: Ranged attack that can remove spell effects or corrupt matrices.

* Kaschrek Ehrlgren: Gaunt, gray humanoids.

* Ranged attackers, operate behind physical constructs and target the back line.

* Kruhz Ehrlgren: Misshapen humanoids of melted corpse flesh.

* Multiple mouths that continuously wail, causing Harried penalties.

* Robiech Ehrlgren: Hairless, scarred, gangly humanoids that could stand ten feet tall.

* Fast, cunning, ambush attackers.

* Gnashers: The most basic Horror type; hordes roamed the surface during the Scourge.

* Semi-mindless bestial entities that devour whatever they encounter.

* Likely the first true Horror adepts are likely to face.

* Crackjaw: 18-foot-tall monsters with two mouths, front limbs with long, sharp spikes.

* “Like a T-rex gone bad.”

* Deepcrawler: Long, snake-like tunnelling Horrors.

* Their aura causes vertigo in those nearby, bite damages their target’s armor.

* Gravetail: Lizard-like Horrors with eight legs and four tails.

* Can drain Recovery tests from its victim which the Horror uses to heal itself.

* Can target Mystic Defense with their physical attacks.

* Gyre: Flying, pony-sized Horrors with bright plumage.

* Can reduce target’s Wound Threshold and cause multiple Wounds.

* Slitherhorn: Large, canine Horrors with slender, pointed head.

* Can create darkness, long-range tentacles, enhanced charge.

* Spikestalker: Horse-sized feline Horrors with large saber-like teeth.

* Ambush predators that hunt in packs.

Find and Follow:

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Dan on Twitter: @boice_voice

Get product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.com

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Earthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* Email from K Scott Rowe: Lateral movement with the Climbing talent?

* Can the platform of the platform from the Levitate spell be made smaller?

* Email from Ben: Plans for more material about the Wastes?

* Email from Saint Bless: Is Jinarimaker related to Elfbane?

* Are the immortal elves immortal because of Icewing’s longevity potion?

* Is the spell matrix talent available for ally spirit familiars shareable?

* House Syrtis: House of the Dragon Moon.

* Oldest aropagoi; controls the Mid Reach.

* Loom large in t’skrang cultural mythology.

* Discovered and developed the t’skrang hibernation addition to the Theran rites.

* Made up of multiple noble houses, often squabbling and trying to one-up each other.

* Limited cooperation with the Therans before the Scourge.

* Horror attacks during the Scourge and the fate of the shivalahala.

* Slow to recover from the Scourge, remained neutral during the First Theran War.

* Politically complex internally, but no longer a major player in provincial politics.

* The Shivalahala Syrtis – “The Prophetess”, the child leader and timeline updates.

* Sidebar about homebrew setting material disagreeing with official publications.

* Thoughts about the Shivalahala as the focus of a campaign goal.

* Political hierarchy and management of House Syrtis

* The noble houses and private hatcheries.

* The Cliff City of Lalai Gorge

* Can house thousands, but only about ten percent occupied.

* Lots of adventure potential, especially for a t’skrang focused game.

* The Dreadnought: A massive battleship (and financial boondoggle).

* The obsidimen of Zirabul

* Praise for the variety of settlements and locations in the game’s development.

Find and Follow:

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Get product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.com

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Earthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* More Horrorspawn! Third time is the charm...

* Mournguard: An adept soul bound to a suit of armor by a Horror.

* Akin to the Death Knight from D&D.

* Could serve as a commander for groups of lesser undead with Tactics.

* Nightwist: Manifestation of the Horror Ristul’s corruption.

* Shadowy, mystic-targeting, Terror inducer.

* Can infect a target’s pattern to hide and cause problems.

* Nightworm: Giant, transparent, worm-like creature.

* Typically found in groups and target sleepers with nightmares to drive people mad.

* Can also wrap victims up in webbing to feed on them.

* Norikot: Large, vicious, canine beasts.

* Enhanced senses, pounce and charge attacks.

* Shadow: Insubstantial infiltrators and spies.

* More powerful in shadow, can control and expand darkness.

* Can possess a victim’s body while leaving their mind in place.

* Skullfiend: Massive pile of skulls and spines that scream.

* Long reach, area effect damage, terror-inducing scream.

* Spectral Child: A variant on the Spectral Dancer.

* Dealt with in a similar manner, with added creepy child vibes.

* Umbral Stalker: Aka “Soul Hunter”, corrupted Beast spirit.

* Can mark victims and pursue them over great distances.

* Echoes of the Wild Hunt.

* Wind Hag: Namegiver soul bound to an air spirit.

* Haunts high mountain peaks and kills living things that get near.

* Wretched Imp: Small, gargoyle-looking thing.

* Created from children betrayed by their caregivers.

* Not physically imposing, but annoying and difficult to deal with in groups.

* Wrap up and discussion of using constructs in your game

* Importance of player consent and boundaries.

* Tone and presentation with multiple examples.

Find and Follow:

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Josh on Twitter: @LoreMerchant

Dan on Twitter: @boice_voice

Get product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.com

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Earthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* Email from Anthony: Question about challenge rating in creature stat blocks.

* Attacks of opportunity, held actions, and the like.

* Email from Rasmus: Updating old setting material and how things have changed.

* Email from Nick Lowe: K’tenshin and T’kambras update in Empty Thrones

* Email from Bart: Thoughts and suggestions about player absences.

* The game Josh can’t remember is Rapscallion.

* Email from Scott: Getting into Earthdawn and Maine connections.

* Video of the Live EDSG episode 60: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kawJkaVV1AA

* House V’strimon and the Coil River.

* Very old aropagoi, long stood against the Therans, anti-slavery.

* One of the “good guy” factions on the Serpent.

* First to establish trade with Throal, Urupa, and cross the Aras Sea.

* Longstanding rivalry with House K’tenshin.

* V’strimon Protocols: Recording the aropagoi’s history and oral traditions.

* The Floating City: Reed islands with canals in place of streets.

* Strong Elementalist themes

* Festival of Flowers

* Shivalahala V’strimon: Powerful Elementalist, canny, but puts forward a grounded demeanor.

* House V’strimon’s hierarchy and goals.

Find and Follow:

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Dan on Twitter: @boice_voice

Get product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.com

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Earthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW

* More Horrorspawn! This time from the Earthdawn Companion.

* Boneless: Formless blob of flesh with a lot of mouths.

* Physically tough opponent, multiple attacks. Has crushing special ability.

* Brute: Patchwork construct made from different individual body parts.

* An upgrade from novice-tier physical opponents.

* Deathless Reaver: Giant multi-armed skeleton construct.

* Fast and deadly. Earthdawn version of an iconic fantasy image.

* Dil’kava: Creation of the crystal entity Ago’astia.

* Variant cadaver man with hardened armor, drawn from prior lore.

* Dreamer: Merged obsidimen victims of a Kreescra.

* Physically tough with strange mind-affecting dreamlike powers.

* Better to focus on surreal imagery and psychic weirdness rather than physical threat.

* Fire Wraith: Corrupted fire spirit.

* Like the storm wraith, inspiration for tainted or corrupted spirits.

* Flesh Beast: Undead Namegiver with an animal head attached to the body.

* Low-powered horde minion with body horror flavor, good novice-tier opponent.

* Pestilent Ghoul: Variant ghoul, spreads disease that turns others into ghouls.

* Earthdawn slant on the zombie plague monster.

* Gloomwing: Large winged humanoid, impose feelings of despair and sadness on their victims.

* Their aura imposes penalties and can lead to internal hemorrhaging.

* Grosteque: Formless mass of tentacles and toothy maws.

* Attackers must successfully perceive its form to strike without penalty.

* Kaer Crawler: Construct with a Namegiver torso and two extra pairs of arms instead of legs.

* Fast, unsettling opponent that climbs well. Ambush attacker, very dangerous in groups.

Find and Follow:

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Josh on Twitter: @LoreMerchant

Dan on Twitter: @boice_voice

Get product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.com

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Earthdawn West Marches: https://discord.gg/hhHDtXW