Earthdawn Survival Guide

* Mailbag (the Sequel)! * Josh is neck deep in final week of rehearsals and didn't have time to do full show notes! Find and Follow: Email: edsgpodcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EDSGPodcast Find and follow Josh: https://linktr.ee/LoreMerchant Get product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.com FASA Games on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fasagamesinc O...

* Mailbag! * Email from Matt: Anything we feel the narrators of the books got completely wrong? * Josh can't think of anything offhand * Talking about in-character vs out-of-character information * Email from Bernard * Sidebar about Josh listening speed * Table tales from Bernard * Josh talks about Names and Naming * NPCs getting a life of their own * Looking at the world through an Earthdawn...

* Vivane Adventures: Shadows * Written by Teeuwyn Woodruff * Upper Novice Tier (3rd & 4th Circle) * Jailbreak in Vrontok * Helping Aberdeen; recommended to introduce him before the adventure * His son Thillik was arrested and made a slave in Vrontok * But also... Thillik doesn't recognize his father. * Primary purpose: Free Thillik * Secondary purpose: Learn about the amnesia * Mervyn and...

* Vivane: The Theran Quarter * The Mailbox is empty! * Catching up with life stuff * GenCon and upcoming product delivery * Theran Quarter: aka The Old City or the Walled City * Walled off from the rest of the city. * Overgovernor's Palace * Least damaged by the Scourge and most rebuilt since then * The Grand Walk * North and South Barracks * Walls along the Flamewalk River * Contrast with Bar...

* Vivane/Sky Point Adventures: A Message to Vivane * A quick update on where we are. * Which came first for Josh--theater or gaming? * Shakespeare! * Josh has run this one. * Espionage and combat * Part One: The Commission * Hired to deliver information to the Vivane Resistance * How Josh tweaked the intro for his group. * What is the information being delivered? * Part Two: So This is Vivane * Ar...

* Mailbag! * Some discussion of why we've been away for so long * Email from Felix: Non-adepts humans and Versatility? * Email from Kevin (Jacklifear): Kudos and stuff going on. * Email from Aaron: Update on his home game * Coming at some point... the FASA Games Wiki * Upcoming Kickstarter and products? * Josh talks about Urupa book * Suggestions for Horror minions and theming * Another email from...

A quick note from Josh about recent silence and what this upcoming summer is liable to look like, release-wise. Find and Follow: Email: edsgpodcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EDSGPodcast Find and follow Josh: https://linktr.ee/LoreMerchant Get product information, developer blogs, and more at www.fasagames.com FASA Games on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fasagamesinc Official...

* Vivane Adventures: Chasing the Snakeskin Boots * Lower Circle Characters * Written By Carl Sargent * Lots of background action * Feels "Shadowrunny" * Act 1: Group hired to recover stolen property * Original owner (Daragast), current owner (Shand), Barsaivian thief * High pay for what seems to be a simple job, but urgent * Best for a group that doesn't have a problem working for Th...

* Vivane: The Broken Quarter * Largest region of the city * Bisected by the Longwater River * Much damage from past Theran bombardment * Only about one third of the buildings are undamaged * Part of Barsaivian Vivane, no interest from Therans to fix it * Few clear cobblestone streets, mostly mud and overgrowth * Neighborhoods of the Quarter * The Warrens, The Arrow, High Gate, Ratside * Historical...

* Exploring Vrontok * This is our second go at this topic * Located in the shadow of Sky Point * Desperate, lawless, crowded town built on the slave trade * Not a vacation spot! * Like Bartertown... but darker * Combination of town, slave market, and military base. * Stealing slaves is the most serious crime. * Only punishments for crime are enslavement or death. * Fortified by a high wall and dry...

* Mailbag! * Email from Eli: More about the winged t'skrang? * Do t'skrang and windlings derive from human stock? * What about their falling birthrates? * Email from Matthew: NPC based on Dan to introduce legends? * Email from Chris: Thanks for the show! * Blades: Handling different PC approaches to the curse. * Email from Nicholas: Question about Extended Pattern Spike knack * Email from...

* Blades: Pure Liquids * Interlude: Last Words * Rank 8 Key Knowledge and Deed * Very open framing; PCs just need to get the info in some way * Prophetic vision by the last surviving member of the Seven Spokes * Deed: Visit site of the last battle against Betrayer by the Seven Spokes * Adventure by Robin Laws * Destination: Pale Ones dome below the Tylon Mountains * Escorted by the Vodanicus famil...

* Blades in Depth: With an Axe in Hand * Interlude: With a Tale to Tell * Liferock corrupted by a Horror that resembles the way the Horror operates * Objective: Find a Troubadour who can provide information about the liferock * Campaign context and purpose of the interlude * Open format -- can easily substitute with an existing NPC or change location * Adventure written by Nicole Lindroos * Josh t...

* Fortress of Sky Point * Josh avoids gushing about Expedition 33 * 800 feet tall * Founding of Sky Point before the Scourge * Comparisons of Sky Point to existing buildings and structures * Context for impressive architectural presence * Basic structure; five pillars around the outside and one central pillar * Constructed over 50 years * Deserted during the Scourge * Base of operations for incurs...

* Mailbag! We asked, you delivered! * Email from Elie: Alternative mechanics to play in Barsaive? * Cortex -- https://www.cortexrpg.com/ * Earthdawn: Age of Legend -- https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/176986/earthdawn-the-age-of-legend-english * Earthdawn: Savage Worlds -- https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/100174/earthdawn-player-s-guide-savage-worlds-edition * Also discussed: Cypher,...

* Blades in Depth: A Traitor's Fate * Interlude: Lighting the Way * Visit Questor of Mynbruje * Darkness and paranoia start to intrude on the campaign * Questor communes with the Passion to find location * Provides a magical "compass" to point to the traitor's tomb * Main adventure written by Teeuwynn Woodruff * Travel to Liaj Jungle * Encounter with Lightning Lizards * Encounter Tamers * Backgrou...

* Year End 2025 * Spotify for Podcasters Wrapped * Numbers breakdown: Followers, listening time, etc. * Analytics * Thanks and looking back * Mailbag! * Email from Frank: Kind words and thanks * Email from Jesse: Beast spirit questions * Invertebrate beast spirits (e.g. octopus)? * Edge cases, writing inconsistencies and oversights * Where to draw the line on categories? * Happy New Year! See you...

* Vivane Province: Travel and Encounters * We're wrapping up our sixth year! * Great Roads: Heavily traveled * Some elemental earth built into them to help ease travel * Real world parallel: Roman roads * Vivane is (overall) more developed than Barsaive * Real world parallel: Pioneer-era United States West vs East * River travel * Vivane t'skrang compared to the Serpent River aropagoi * Mu...

* Blades: Grave Wisdom * Interlude: In Search of Knowledge * Timeline and time limit discussion * No specific location; just in a library * Connected NPC: Vanyk Auldsinger * Like the previous interlude: Points the PCs in the direction of the answer. * The Adventure: Travel to Cara Fahd to find the Hold of Courage * Suggested travel encounters. * How post-Krathis Gron Cara Fahd can change things *...

* We're back! * Post-hiatus update on Josh's latest theatrical production * Legends of Barsaive chapter 13 should be released soon! * FreedoniaCon: February 28-March 1 * Overview of Theran Provinces from Vivane boxed set * Great Thera: Island in the Selestrean Sea (aka the Mediterranean) * Present-day Santorini/Thira * Creana: South of Great Thera; city states along river and up along east...

* We're still getting new listeners! * Sidebar about "jumping into the middle" * Continued sidebar about James Gunn's Superman * Mailbag! * Email from Eli: Ideas and inspiration for seaborne adventures? * Sidebar about campaign theme: Scavenger Hunt * Email from Scott: Recommended reading order for Earthdawn novels? * Email from Tim: Highland trolls outside Twilight Peaks? * Forg...

* Blades in Depth: Bond Breaker * Lou P. responds to previous Blades episode * Origin of the interludes. * Concerns among the writers about the curse. * Short adventure * Written by Robin Laws * Interlude One: Secret of the Runes * Open-ended, lays groundwork to kick the story into motion. * Clearly provides what they need to learn and how they can learn it. * Good use of higher skill test results...

* Sky Point and Vivane Boxed Set * Josh and Dan's experience (or lack thereof) with the set * FASA's history with boxed sets * Overview of the box's contents * Publication history context * Not capturing attention or focus * Barsaive vs Vivane as a region * Dan's misconceptions * Sidebar about Earthdawn art * Vivane "province"? * Writers for the set * Overview of location...

* Introduction to Blades * Fantastic adventure collection. * Example of building story arcs around thread items. * Strongly aligned with Cara Fahd. * Using the items will make the game about the ork nation. * Book structure: Five adventures, each related to one Key Knowledge. * The Blades' curse and potential pitfalls. * While a good template, you don't need to go to this extent with all t...

* Mailbag! * GenCon recap * Email from Chris: Space travelers using magic to travel to Earth? * Email from Patrick: Alachia, Immortal Elves, and the Books of Harrow * Email from Konrad: Plans to rework other old adventures for Fourth Edition? * Email from Matt: Many questions about the Passions? * Email from Brandon: Any information about old dwarf Kingdoms mentioned in Throal Sourcebook? * Expand...