UllarWarlord Contributor |
Wolverine690 |
Also I'm curious, what kind of funds (GP) are we allowed for gearing our Gladiator Beasts? As far as weapons, armor etc. We are allowed to gear them with weapons as long as they could reasonably hold such a weapon?
ie. a creature with hands & fingers clawed or not could hold a sword of an appropriate size. Where as a creature with say a hoof or something similar could not?
Armor we assuming would be tailor made for said creatures unless they are incapable of wearing armor like goo's or ghosts and the like?
Curaigh |
I am flattered Ullar, simply flattered. :)
I won a ticket to GenCon last year from a game design challenge. I have been trying to get to GenCon for almost 20 years, so I had to take the chance. That meant missing PaizoCon as I cannae afford both. (That said I think I have this down to where anyone can run it and will/am looking for some help.)
Wolverine, the character generation rules will go live here after the lottery is done. I try to keep it as simple as possible: a +1 weapon & +1 armor. This tends to favor martial characters, so I try & balance it with scrolls/potions for casters, but I dinnae think I've quite perfected that balance so far. I do not go into special materials, unusual shape, 2X for large creatures, or wondrous items, etc..
Curaigh |
Aye some pre-gens will be provided. I am balancing the use of ACG right now, I may want to restrict them for balance.
Bestiary Bash 4714 for the rules from the last run & potentially FAQ.
CR+CL=10
So CR6 critter should only have CL4. HD partially determines CR. EDIT: templated monsters have always done poorly, don't think about them.
If anyone is interested in assisting with GMing, please let me know. :)
UllarWarlord Contributor |
Jon Yamato 705 |
Aye some pre-gens will be provided. I am balancing the use of ACG right now, I may want to restrict them for balance.
Bestiary Bash 4714 for the rules from the last run & potentially FAQ.
CR+CL=10
So CR6 critter should only have CL4. HD partially determines CR. EDIT: templated monsters have always done poorly, don't think about them.If anyone is interested in assisting with GMing, please let me know. :)
Just making sure, bestiary 5 is okay to use?
Jon
UllarWarlord Contributor |
Finjan |
I was thinking about making a full arcane caster, which I think is more interesting than melee. The main barrier to making this choice would be if spells don't recover after a combat, since if I rely on magic for offense I can't see caster level 6 spells lasting more than 1.5 combats vs an effective CR10 monster.
Something else of interest, are we trying to please a crowd? Because if we are entertainers trying to put on a good show in the arena, that greatly changes the kind of character I would make.
Thanks for putting on this event. I find it very interesting idea.
Curaigh |
'Tis oh so close! I am leaving out the fluff right now and this will probably raise as many questions as it answers. I give to thee, the character generation guidelines you have been waiting for!
Dual: The duals will allow 2 rounds of prep before battle begins. The winner of the dual is the critter with the most points at the end (50 minutes). Controlling the Emeralds Clouds should be key to winning the dual.
Race: Choose a monster with a CR equal to 4, 5 or 6 from Bestiary 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. Undead, elementals, golems, plants, oozes, and dragons are not allowed. Their abilities are unbalanced in single encounters. Please bring a copy of the appropriate book. Every template ever used has been trampled by overwhelming statistics, so no templates either.
Class: Choose a player class from the Pathfinder Core Rulebook, the Advanced Players Guide, Ultimate Magic, Advanced Class Guide* or Occult Adventures*. Gunslinger (& guns) are not allowed, because touch AC is too easy on most critters. Class level will be 6, 5, or 4 depending on chosen monster’s CR. Adding level and CR equals 10. See Monsters as PCs (NOT MONSTER ADVANCEMENT) in the Bestiary. Archetypes from these books are OK, unless it is a multi-class character (please no cherry-picking :) Please have some idea of what your next class level will look like, the Emerald Clouds are a source of power *wink wink nudge nudge* *Jury is still out on these, some restrictions may apply.
Abilities & Feats: Keep it simple: use the numbers from the monster’s stats. However if you need to raise an ability by 2 to qualify for spell casting or a feat, drop your Con by 4. Don’t forget the additional point at level 4. Monster feats should match the book's entry as well, but if it has a general combat feat (such as two-weapon fighting) and you want to trade it for another general combat feat (such as point-blank shot) that is OK. Choose from the CRB, APG, UM, UC, OA, & Bestiaries for class-given and level-earned feats. Again, bring a copy of the source.
HP: Use average hp for racial Hit Dice, maximize hp for class Hit Dice.
Equipment: Equip yourself with whichever +1 light or medium armor (+1 bracers OK) you wish, (no special materials). Heavy armor is available ONLY if the monster entry lists it. Arm yourself with a +1 weapon if you wish or give one natural attack a +1 magical bonus. Additionally each character may bring in potions of a first level spell (see below).
CL4=1 potion, CL5= 2 potions, CL6=3 potions.
Other Materials: Please bring or a mini or token. If you have a flip-mat please bring it (we need 8 total). We should be able to spread out to several tables. Each character will be given a score card.
Balance & Fun: Should one critter break the game so far as to ruin everyone else’s fun, I reserve the right to re-institute balance. Darkness I am looking at you. As an all or nothing ability, it makes for poor combat balance, so no darkness builds please. Other corrections may include an addition of the Cursed Sidekick’s Template to the offending critter or the Salty Golem Template being added to the offending player’s oatmeal.
Curaigh |
Starting a FAQ of sorts, but for most questions the response will be "keep it simple!" or "err on the side of simple." :)
Questions from above that are answered in the affirmative.
Are prestige classes allowed? (difficult to qualify for though)
Just making sure, bestiary 5 is okay to use?
Questions from above that are answered in the negative.
Use of traits?
Any Paizo source allowed for the monster?
Should we use PC wealth by level?
Is any Paizo source for class options and feats available also?
Are templates allowed?
Questions from above that are answered with full sentences.
What maps are used for this? What's the arena?
Standard flip mat, with my own addition for the victory collecting area known as the emerald clouds. Should both agree, terrain can be added, but it is too complicated to explain in the forums. "Tis assumed there is room to fly and to burrow, but please keep in mind the balance issues and that you want to occupy the center square.
And kudos for asking a question I have not seen before. :)
Something else of interest, are we trying to please a crowd? Because if we are entertainers trying to put on a good show in the arena, that greatly changes the kind of character I would make. [b]You and your opponent are here to please yourself. Make it fun for all involved, but they are the only crowd present, (RL or RP).
Jon Yamato 705 |
Nice rule set, clean and simple. Sadly I need to ask about a few complications. In particular, are companion critters allowed (like a druid or ranger's animal companion)?
The next 3 questions are variations on "do companion creatures count as normal PC-type combatants?"
Can they "control an Emerald Cloud"?
Do they benefit from the Emerald Cloud's fast healing and death resuscitation effects?
Does their death grant the opposing PC-combatant 2 points?
Finally, is the prestige class Shadowdancer's shadow companion an exception to the no undead rule?
thanks!
Jon
UllarWarlord Contributor |
Two follow-up queries in regards to natural attacks, and one other thing:
If we gained a natural attack through a temporary means (such as the animal fury rage power or the mutation mind's various powers), would we be able to apply that magical bonus to such an attack?
If a natural attack comes in a set (such as multiple claws), would we apply the magical bonus to both? Or just one?
Finally, may I politely ask that options in the Monster Codex be available? There are a couple of monsters in there that potentially catch my eye, as well as some options within that are cool too.
UllarWarlord Contributor |
I'd like to propose amending the rules to also ban swarms.
I think the Vescavor Swarm from bestiary 5 will prove to be a rather unfun combatant against many other builds.
I also think the Wihsaak Sahkil's at will vomit swarm ability will leave many combatants at a loss.
What do other's think?
Jon
Seconding the ban on swarms. I do have a kineticist build in mind as one of my concepts, but being forced into using it sounds...not great.
UllarWarlord Contributor |
Nice rule set, clean and simple. Sadly I need to ask about a few complications. In particular, are companion critters allowed (like a druid or ranger's animal companion)?
The next 3 questions are variations on "do companion creatures count as normal PC-type combatants?"
Can they "control an Emerald Cloud"?
Do they benefit from the Emerald Cloud's fast healing and death resuscitation effects?
Does their death grant the opposing PC-combatant 2 points?
Finally, is the prestige class Shadowdancer's shadow companion an exception to the no undead rule?
thanks!
Jon
How odd, that I reply to your posts in reverse order, but they triggered seperate thoughts.
All the questions above, except as they pertain to summoned creatures, basically. Can a summoned creature control a cloud/fast heal? Seeing as they're banished upon being dropped to 0, the revivification seems highly unlikely, however. And I personally would prefer to see summoned allies give 1 or 0 points upon destruction, but...that's just me.
UllarWarlord Contributor |
It's too late to edit my other posts, so apologies for a fourth one.
Regarding animals and constructs: Can animals/creatures with 2 or less Intelligence be treated to an awaken spell, with average results (rounded down)? This would result in 10 Int, and +2 Cha. And there are several constructs that have no Int score that aren't golems; similarly, may I request they have 10 Int also? Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to have class levels RAW.
EDIT: This time, I'm in time! I presume monsters with mythic ranks are disallowed?
Curaigh |
I dinnae realize a swarm of appropriate CR exists now. Correct: swarms fall into the "No, too unbalanced for this venue" category.
Please send me link of Wihsaak Sahkil?
Is having a printed page with the critter in question ok or do we need the physical book or watermarked PDF as well?
I want to support the people who support our game (& this Con) If you have the book and don't want to pack it, a photocopy is OK. If you are using the PRD as your monster source... I suppose a printout of that is OK, but please do not bring one of the 3PP documents.
Do companion creatures/summoned creatures count as normal PC-type combatants?
They count as a class feature, like a bonus combat feat or spellcasting. Keep in mind, familiars, animal companions, eidolons, and the like do not come back when they die. If they are killed in the first round, your character will be without them for the rest of the tournament. In some cases their death is likely to cause the PC some issues as well. If the PC dies, in most cases they cease to be a class feature and become a regular critter.
Can they "control an Emerald Cloud"?
They can occupy space, preventing an opponent from controlling it, but they can not gain victory points.
Do they benefit from the Emerald Cloud's fast healing and death resuscitation effects?
Yes fast healing. No regenerate.
Does their death grant the opposing PC-combatant 2 points?
No, though I have toyed with a fraction point and it just got to complicated. After the game if folks are willing to help me work out the logistics, I will consider for the next time.
Is the prestige class Shadowdancer's shadow companion an exception to the no undead rule?
Ack! Incorporeal and Strength drain?!? watch the deity of balance weep! I would rather not have them.
Can a critter be treated to an awaken spell?
No. A) Awaken is a 5th level spell & there should be no 10th level casters. B) An awakened critter is a template. C)
Can we apply the magical bonus to a natural attack gained through a temporary means?
If you had an amulet of mighty fists, it would transfer to natural attacks so yes. It would however not be available when the temporary effect wore off.
If a natural attack comes in a set (such as multiple claws), would we apply the magical bonus to both? Or just one?Using the amulet above as an example it would apply to all, however I will nerf it to a maximum of one set of attacks (two-weapon-fighters only get one magical weapon) .
Finally, may I politely ask that options in the Monster Codex be available?You may ask. Politely.*
Jon Yamato 705 |
[...]
Can a critter be treated to an awaken spell?
No. A) Awaken is a 5th level spell & there should be no 10th level casters. B) An awakened critter is a template. C)
You should be aware that an Aranea, from bestiary 2, with 6 levels of sorceror could be counted as an 11th sorceror for casting purposes (for example the Aranea sorceror in Paizo's Jade Regent AP).
You may want to add to the rules, that even critters that "cast as a Nth level casting class" do not add their N to any class levels they may acquire if that's your intention.
Jon
Curaigh |
I already have that rule :)
Balance & Fun: Should one critter break the game so far as to ruin everyone else’s fun, I reserve the right to re-institute balance. Darkness I am looking at you. As an all or nothing ability, it makes for poor combat balance, so no darkness builds please. Other corrections may include an addition of the Cursed Sidekick’s Template to the offending critter or the Salty Golem Template being added to the offending player’s oatmeal....
I enjoy character creation a lot and this is a series of duals, but this is for fun. We have to play together to play versus. If someone expects a 6d6 fireball to be treated the same as a 15d6 empowered fireball they should expect all their opponents to have arrows of *** slaying, vorpal-keen-falcytheons, halfdragon cohorts on full-dragon mounts, or worse.
Keep it simple. Keep it fun... FOR ALL. :)
Wolverine690 |
Heeeeerrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeee's Johny!!!!
Johny
Tarrasque (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 262)
N Colossal magical beast
Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +43
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Defense
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AC 40, touch 5, flat-footed 37 (+3 Dex, +35 natural, -8 size)
hp 525 (30d10+360); regeneration 40
Fort +31, Ref +22, Will +12
DR 15/epic; Immune ability damage, acid, bleed, disease, energy drain, fire, mind-affecting effects, paralysis, permanent wounds, petrification, poison, polymorph; SR 36
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Offense
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Speed 40 ft.
Melee bite +37 (4d8+15/19-20 plus grab), 2 claws +37 (1d12+15), 2 gores +37 (1d10+15), tail slap +32 (3d8+7)
Ranged 6 spines +25 (2d10+15)
Space 30 ft.; Reach 30 ft.
Special Attacks swallow whole (6d6+22 bludgeoning damage plus 6d6 acid, AC 27, 52 hp)
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Statistics
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Str 41, Dex 16, Con 34, Int 3, Wis 15, Cha 14
Base Atk +30; CMB +53 (+55 bull rush, +57 grapple); CMD 66 (68 vs. bull rush)
Feats Awesome Blow, Bleeding Critical, Blind-fight, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Critical Focus, Great Cleave, Great Fortitude, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (bite), Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Run, Staggering Critical
Skills Acrobatics +3 (+7 to jump with a running start, +31 to jump, +39 when jumping), Perception +43; Racial Modifiers +36 Acrobatics when jumping, +8 Perception
Languages Aklo (can't speak)
SQ carapace, powerful leaper, rush
Other Gear 150 gp
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Special Abilities
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Awesome Blow As standard action, damage and move smaller foe 10 ft. +1d6 dam if collide with something.
Bleeding Critical Critical Hits deal 2d6 bleed damage.
Blind-Fight Re-roll misses because of concealment, other benefits.
Carapace (Su) The tarrasque's scales deflect cones, lines, rays, and magic missile spells, rendering the tarrasque immune to such effects. There is a 30% chance a deflected effect reflects back in full force at the caster; otherwise it is simply negated.
Cleave If you hit a foe, attack an adjacent target at the same attack bonus but take -2 AC.
Combat Reflexes (4 AoO/round) Can make extra attacks of opportunity/rd, and even when flat-footed.
Critical Focus +4 to confirm critical hits.
Damage Reduction (15/epic) You have Damage Reduction against all except Epic attacks (weapons with a +6 bonus).
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white only).
Grab: Bite (Colossal) (Ex) You can start a grapple as a free action if you hit with the designated weapon.
Immunity to Ability Damage Immunity to ability damage
Immunity to Acid You are immune to acid damage.
Immunity to Bleed You are immune to bleed.
Immunity to Disease You are immune to diseases.
Immunity to Energy Drain Immune to energy drain
Immunity to Fire You are immune to fire damage.
Immunity to Mind-Affecting effects You are immune to Mind-Affecting effects.
Immunity to Paralysis You are immune to paralysis.
Immunity to Permanent Wounds Immune to permanent wounds
Immunity to Petrification You are immune to Petrification.
Immunity to Poison You are immune to poison.
Immunity to Polymorph You are immune to Polymorph effects.
Improved Bull Rush You don't provoke attacks of opportunity when bull rushing.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in dim light, distinguishing color and detail.
Power Attack -8/+16 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage.
Powerful Leaper (Ex) The tarrasque uses its Strength to modify Acrobatics checks made to jump, and has a +24 racial bonus on Acrobatics checks made to jump.
Regeneration 40 (Regeneration 40) (Ex) No form of attack can suppress the tarrasque's regeneration-it regenerates even if disintegrated or slain by a death effect. If the tarrasque fails a save against an effect that would kill it instantly, it rises from death 3 rounds later with 1 hit p
Run Run 5x your speed in light/medium armor or 4x speed in heavy armor and keep Dex when running.
Rush (1/minute) (Ex) Once per minute for 1 round, the tarrasque can move at a speed of 150 feet. This increases its Acrobatics bonus on checks made to jump to +87.
Scent (Ex) Detect opponents within 15+ feet by sense of smell.
Spell Resistance (36) You have Spell Resistance.
Staggering Critical (DC 40) Critical hit staggers target
Swallow Whole (6d6+22 bludgeoning damage plus 6d6 acid, AC 27, 52 HP) (Ex) You can swallow smaller targets whole.
I kid, I kid... :)
Eric Brittain |
You should be aware that an Aranea, from bestiary 2, with 6 levels of sorceror could be counted as an 11th sorceror for casting purposes (for example the Aranea sorceror in Paizo's Jade Regent AP).You may want to add to the rules, that even critters that "cast as a Nth level casting class" do not add their N to any class levels they may acquire if that's your intention.
Jon
Any clarification on this?
There are multiple beasties out there with caster levels. Are they allowed? What happens if we add more of the same caster levels?
If this is allowed we could end up with 10th level casters in the event.
I do not believe that this is your intent and I would appreciate your feedback on the above.
Curaigh |
Jon Yamato 705 wrote:You should be aware that an Aranea, from bestiary 2, with 6 levels of sorceror could be counted as an 11th sorceror for casting purposes (for example the Aranea sorceror in Paizo's Jade Regent AP).
You may want to add to the rules, that even critters that "cast as a Nth level casting class" do not add their N to any class levels they may acquire if that's your intention.
Jon
Any clarification on this?
Was my previous answer not clarification enough?
I already have that rule :)The rule is maintain balance. To keep the rule simple, I will provide a litmus.Curaigh wrote:Balance & Fun: Should one critter break the game so far as to ruin everyone else’s fun, I reserve the right to re-institute balance. Darkness I am looking at you. As an all or nothing ability, it makes for poor combat balance, so no darkness builds please. Other corrections may include an addition of the Cursed Sidekick’s Template to the offending critter or the Salty Golem Template being added to the offending player’s oatmeal....I enjoy character creation a lot and this is a series of duals, but this is for fun. We have to play together to play versus. If someone expects a 6d6 fireball to be treated the same as a 15d6 empowered fireball they should expect all their opponents to have arrows of *** slaying, vorpal-keen-falcytheons, halfdragon cohorts on full-dragon mounts, or worse.
Keep it simple. Keep it fun... FOR ALL. :)
Is caster level 10 higher than six? Is Caster level 11 higher than six? Is accessing 6th level spells higher than accessing 3rd level spells? It is late. I mean for this game to be fun, so I apologize if I did not remove all of the snark from my answer. :)
By all means change alignment if it is to meet the class prerequisites. Or you can change it just to better fit your concept. Please note, some abilities may disappear or be altered if an alignment changes (channeling for example) and that some changes might make you more susceptible to some abilities or spells.
Curaigh |
No worries. Though I obviously need to be more specific on this topic.
To make this fun for everyone, please be respectful of the intended balance. Balance comes in two parts, CR & Character level. Every critter should be one CR from 5. Every critter should be within one class level of 5. Yes combining the two can allow for some interesting combos, that is the appeal of this event. No, it should not trump the actual duels. If a CR 6 critter has abilities that stack with its 4 levels of class it may break balance. Please do not break balance. If that stack only adds to a 6th level caster for example, it should not BREAK balance just bend it a bit.
The sorcerous lunar Naga example would be a game breaker, but a cleric lunar Naga should not be.
I don't want to stifle anyone's creativity, but I also don't want people to stifle their own creativity fearing what someone else might bring to the table.
I hope that helps.
& now I am off to see how well a mystical theurgetic lunar Naga might work. :)
ArgentGryphon |
I fielded this build for pure annoyance value. Not to annoy my opponents so much as one of my players. So...
William-'o-Wisp
Will-'o-Wisp CR 6 + Unchained Rogue 4
Feats: Flyby Attack and Wingover
Rogue Talents: Bleeding Attack and Fast Stealth
+1 Ability at 4th-level: Dexterity
+1 Offense: Natural attack
+1 Defense: Ioun stone, dusty rose prism
Curaigh |
RWBY-arena? I'm not familiar with that. Care to share a link? I love 3D terrain, maybe some of it could go to the prize draw. Adding terrain features is on my wish list, but that's harder to arrange for something like Paizocon where I welcome system mastery of all levels. I like the idea & welcome suggestions in how to implement it. Thanks :)
RyanH |
Season 3 of RWBY by Rooster Teeth shows an arena where a competition/combat happens. For each bout random terrain is selected... half the arena is one type/the other half is another type.
RWBY Season 3 Episode 1 You can see an assembled arena at 2:25 and one being selected and assembled at 14:50.
Would be interesting to have say 8 different "halves" and randomly select two haves for each bout.
I'd say one inch foam board for the base and build up from there...