Guide to the Hidden: A New Direction

[Tobias Blackburn]

Hi everyone.

NOTE: This project has undergone a name change. It is now called The Outcast's Journal.

Last... Ouch, was it really December? Anyway, last december, I announced that I was starting a project called Tobias Blackburn's Guide to the Hidden. It was inspired by the idea of giving calibans some extra abilities and quickly grew into about 4-5 chapters. Then 6 chapters.

Then I sort of disappeared.

During that time, work on it halted. Life got in the way (left job, moved, going back to university to finish my degree) and I found that the actual writing was becoming a terrible slog through the mud. I found that I was coming across as either too generalistic or too preachy. It's difficult to write direct statements about a group which is grouped together only by the way they are treated.

The new netbook has a slightly different view on the Hidden. First , it points out that Hidden is a social class. After all, doesn't a half-vistani in Invidia or a sorcerer in Tepest suffer the same (possibly more) prejudice as a caliban in a Barovian village. The rest focuses on calibans and other overtly different characters, but all can benefit from the abilities presented.

The project is now a 9 chapters long, and the outline is complete. Most of the basic mechanics have been put in place and merely need fine tuning. I am intending to begin writing the assembling fiction (which will be the easy part) within the next day or two.

I hope to have the first chapter (possibly two, but no promises) ready for release in late December. I intend to release the project one chapter at a time and then re-format the entire thing into a pdf file.

Sorry about the lack of news thus far. Figured I should give an update.

Oh, and the following url is the first rough draft for one of the 4 PrC (Hunted Outcast, Fiend Born, Hag Spawn, Finder of the Twisting Form) and 2 core classes (The Occultist, The Witch) planned for the book.


The Hunted Outcast (I know it was posted under the screen name Wilder, I just decided to switch names back)

[Joël of the FoS]

Hello Mark / Brom / Tobias! Welcome back to the mists!

I haven't forgotten your email. I just take my time before I respond to it

Say hello to Mrs Baie from me.

Joël

[Tobias Blackburn]

No problem Joel. Take your time. Project has jumped even a little further ahead, so I figured I was comfortable announcing it (and not worrying about nothing coming of it).

And Mina says hi.

[Wiccy of the Fraternity]

I always wandered what had happened to the Guide to the Hidden, glad to see it is still coming along

[Tobias Blackburn]

As a note, the project title is also being changed. It is now going to be called The Outcast's Journal.

[The Nightmare Man]

I remember this... . In fact, as I recall, I'd offered my assistance with some of the project... .

Anyway, glad to see it's still going ahead. We look forward to the completion of your efforts .

[Olly]

Oh good! I was rather worried that this promising idea had gone the way of the dodo!

[The Nightmare Man]

So, any updates for this project?

[Jason of the Fraternity]

So, any updates for this project?

Actually, I was recently wondering the same thing. We haven't seen much in the past few months, and I was curious as to what the state of this project was.

[Tobias Blackburn]

So, any updates for this project?

Actually, I was recently wondering the same thing. We haven't seen much in the past few months, and I was curious as to what the state of this project was.

I have the worst luck with some things. A two month bout of pneumonia and the following scramble to catch up with my university projects have left me far behind in getting the rough drafts done, but my notes are complete.

At least I can increase the feat section to refer to the Aberrant feats in Lords of Madness, Races of Eberron and absorb anything new in Dark Tales, Disturbing Legends.

[taintedsoul]

I hope all goes well for you. I use Caliban in my campaigns as often as I can. I look foreward to your netbook. If you need help I am always glad to lend a hand and I am full of great ideas.