The Van Richten Society Research Notes: Doppelgangers - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

The Van Richten Society Research Notes: Doppelgangers

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
thanael
Oct 14, 2007 11:22:11 The Fraternity of Shadows presents: The Van Richten Society Research Files: Doppelgangers.

The new netbook of the Fraternity of Shadows is out and it looks great. The accompanying thread on the FoS boards is here
#2
sptjanly
Oct 16, 2007 14:22:02 That makes me cringe... Always one of my favorite monster races and I have felt they have never got enough due for their wickedness.
#3
rotipher
Oct 16, 2007 16:39:56 It's "VRS Research Files: Doppelgangers", actually. "VRF: D" for short. ;)
#4
ravenloftlover347
Oct 16, 2007 20:38:04 Why isn't it a VRG? The last two were complied by the twins, as was VR's Arsenal, Vol 1. (Really wish there had gotten to be a volume 2!)
#5
kwdblade
Oct 17, 2007 3:54:11 YEEEEAAAAAAAAAAH. Another freakin' sweet netbook from the guys who know Ravenloft. I love dopplegangers.

Why isn't it a VRG? The last two were complied by the twins, as was VR's Arsenal, Vol 1. (Really wish there had gotten to be a volume 2!)

Did they even have plans for a 2nd one? Sometimes they don't (I imagine the bombed Dragon Compendium won't have a sequel, even though it says Volume I). Also, there may be some copyright issues...
#6
rotipher
Oct 17, 2007 15:23:22
Why isn't it a VRG? The last two were complied by the twins, as was VR's Arsenal, Vol 1.

Just as the FoS Gazetteers have avoided intruding on Arthaus's unfinished "S" storyline, by using in-game Fraternity of Shadows members as travel guides, this new netbook has stepped back a bit from the 3E products' monster-book narrators. By presenting this and possible future monster-books as submissions to the Weathermay-Foxgrove twins, we're leaving such key NPCs as Laurie and Gennifer for individual DMs to develop as they see fit, in their own campaigns, without fear that we'll contradict their ideas.

This also leaves the floor open for in-character narrators whose perspective differs from that of the W-F twins, or whose tactics are better suited to a particular line of investigation. ("Cory J. Rookhausen" -- a VRS member who's far sneakier and much more accustomed to undercover work than the sisters, hence is better suited to out-think doppelgangers and to comment upon their ways -- is a case in point.) Future VRF netbooks we release (if any) will be drawn from other appropriate VRS sources, thus allowing us to introduce new NPCs for the Van Richten Society, as well as expand the game-potential of Ravenloft's various monsters.

The shift from finished "guides" to "research files" also opens up more options in terms of release-format. If a given monster doesn't need a full book's description to do it justice, it can be detailed in a brief "file" of its own, as an article in the FoS's Quoth the Raven netzine or as a mini-netbook. And since the "files" in question are headed for the Society's own archives, rather than bookstores throughout the game-setting, it allows for the inclusion of information the Van Richten Society's members might not think it prudent to tell the world at large, as with dread doppelgangers' breeding habits.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 thanael Oct 14, 2007 11:22:11	The Fraternity of Shadows presents: The Van Richten Society Research Files: Doppelgangers. The new netbook of the Fraternity of Shadows is out and it looks great. The accompanying thread on the FoS boards is here
#2 sptjanly Oct 16, 2007 14:22:02	That makes me cringe... Always one of my favorite monster races and I have felt they have never got enough due for their wickedness.
#3 rotipher Oct 16, 2007 16:39:56	It's "VRS Research Files: Doppelgangers", actually. "VRF: D" for short. ;)
#4 ravenloftlover347 Oct 16, 2007 20:38:04	Why isn't it a VRG? The last two were complied by the twins, as was VR's Arsenal, Vol 1. (Really wish there had gotten to be a volume 2!)
#5 kwdblade Oct 17, 2007 3:54:11	YEEEEAAAAAAAAAAH. Another freakin' sweet netbook from the guys who know Ravenloft. I love dopplegangers. Why isn't it a VRG? The last two were complied by the twins, as was VR's Arsenal, Vol 1. (Really wish there had gotten to be a volume 2!) Did they even have plans for a 2nd one? Sometimes they don't (I imagine the bombed Dragon Compendium won't have a sequel, even though it says Volume I). Also, there may be some copyright issues...
#6 rotipher Oct 17, 2007 15:23:22	Why isn't it a VRG? The last two were complied by the twins, as was VR's Arsenal, Vol 1. Just as the FoS Gazetteers have avoided intruding on Arthaus's unfinished "S" storyline, by using in-game Fraternity of Shadows members as travel guides, this new netbook has stepped back a bit from the 3E products' monster-book narrators. By presenting this and possible future monster-books as submissions to the Weathermay-Foxgrove twins, we're leaving such key NPCs as Laurie and Gennifer for individual DMs to develop as they see fit, in their own campaigns, without fear that we'll contradict their ideas. This also leaves the floor open for in-character narrators whose perspective differs from that of the W-F twins, or whose tactics are better suited to a particular line of investigation. ("Cory J. Rookhausen" -- a VRS member who's far sneakier and much more accustomed to undercover work than the sisters, hence is better suited to out-think doppelgangers and to comment upon their ways -- is a case in point.) Future VRF netbooks we release (if any) will be drawn from other appropriate VRS sources, thus allowing us to introduce new NPCs for the Van Richten Society, as well as expand the game-potential of Ravenloft's various monsters. The shift from finished "guides" to "research files" also opens up more options in terms of release-format. If a given monster doesn't need a full book's description to do it justice, it can be detailed in a brief "file" of its own, as an article in the FoS's Quoth the Raven netzine or as a mini-netbook. And since the "files" in question are headed for the Society's own archives, rather than bookstores throughout the game-setting, it allows for the inclusion of information the Van Richten Society's members might not think it prudent to tell the world at large, as with dread doppelgangers' breeding habits.