RPG Superstar 6 Season Star Voter. Organized Play Member. 359 posts (380 including aliases). No reviews. No lists. No wishlists. 2 Organized Play characters. 2 aliases.
You are all wonderful, and thank you so much to everyone for all of your kind words. I'm a bit overwhelmed reading all of this. OK, I'm a LOT overwhelmed!
But rest assured, when that passes, I WILL REMIND YOU ALL OF THE NICE THINGS YOU SAID. In the most obnoxious way possible.
:D
I will miss all of you very, very much. But I'm not going anywhere! I'll be around, and I can't wait to see everyone soon when in-person events resume!
I can speak only for me, Amanda, but the fact it's based in the old Order of the Nail's citadel is pretty huge selling point for me. :)
Oh yeah, I loved taking the opportunity to detail Citadel Altaerein. It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Hellknights and of weaving stories throughout the environment of dungeons. Plus, the Order of the Nail holds a special place in my heart because my first adventure for Paizo (#4-13 Fortress of the Nail) took place in Citadel Vraid, and that assignment allowed me to feel invested in and build personalities for some of the order's leaders. And I've outlined and developed adventures set in Isger, so this pretty much felt like a dream project!
Also, what most influenced the Damai. I’ve seen elements of Godzilla, Attack on Titan, and Evangelion in there...
And Pacific Rim, and Power Rangers.
Daimalko is absolutely anime inspired! Evangelion held me rapt in high school and was a major influence. Just as much of an influence was a more recent series you can find on Netflix called Knights of Sidonia. That series has some really fascinating sci-fi world-building revealed in delicious drips and drabs against a space mech-kaiju backdrop. If you like space kaiju and sci-fi, I'd definitely recommend checking it out.
Attack on Titan was certainly a secondary influence, especially in the way kyokors and the other types of colossi go about attacking the aboveground colonies.
You know, now that you mention it, Ravingdork--I didn't intend for Pacific Rim to be a huge influence, but I bet it was there rattling around my head in the background. I really love the world-building in it and the way its kaiju work. The main battle theme also gets stuck in my head constantly!
Godzilla and Power Rangers weren't intentional, but also probably fed into it from the background. I watched a ton of Power Rangers as a kid and have seen some things from the Godzilla franchise, though certainly not everything!
Only human. Other races, even core, really get no love in Pathfinder (ok... in most D&D settings actually).
Pass.
Rogar, I can confirm that this book will most certainly not contain only options for humans. The product description text mentions "heroes whose connection to such civilizations manifest in surprising ways" -- an indication that we fully intend to include lots of useful class options and other offerings for nonhuman characters as well as humans.
So if she succeeds and overthrows Moloch, then isn't she still doomed because Asmodeus would kill her for upending his order in Hell?
I would keep in mind that Asmodeus's machinations are rarely straight forward and always self serving. What would happen if some of Eiseth's plans come to fruition could be pretty darn interesting.
With you there, Thomas. Eiseth is a contender for the top spot in my Top 5 archdevils list.
I'm so glad to hear this! I'm STOKED about the new canon I was able to build for the Queens of the Night in this book. Eiseth is probably my favorite (ESPECIALLY the plans she has for the future).
As far as my understanding, this product should be available soon in print and PDF form. I don't have a definitive date quite yet, but they should be coming.
For those of you who picked up the print version of the module at the show, an error unfortunately cropped up sometime after we finished the files on our end. The final section is missing from the print version. I'm pasting it here for folks looking for that text.
** spoiler omitted **
I'm assuming this will be adjusted and added to the upcoming PDF and new print?
I don't know about any additional printing, because Paizo produced but didn't print this product.
The PDF remains correct (I just checked to make sure!), so when that's available on the website it'll have that missing piece of text in there as intended.
As far as my understanding, this product should be available soon in print and PDF form. I don't have a definitive date quite yet, but they should be coming.
For those of you who picked up the print version of the module at the show, an error unfortunately cropped up sometime after we finished the files on our end. The final section is missing from the print version. I'm pasting it here for folks looking for that text.
Spoiler:
CONCLUDING THE ADVENTURE
After the PCs have defeated the ettin, recovered the Golden Pendant, and emerged from the cave, they come face to face with Aurelliax in her true form. She is a magnificent mature adult gold dragon whose presence dwarfs that of the PCs. Once she sees that the PCs have her amulet, she thanks them. She gifts each of them statuettes of gold dragons with diamonds for eyes, each worth 2,000 gp. If the PCs still need information to resolve the goals they pursued during the Brightbloom Jubilee, Aurelliax tells them now: Kiliuk's mother is in Grayhaven, the cargo Torgen seeks left Highdelve destined for Grayhaven, and Carth Garenth not only has Rhylene's ring designs but would be willing to make Brialla and Meraina a new one free of charge.
While the PCs were in the cave, Aurelliax harvested the slope's brightblooms. The filled cart in her claws, the gold dragon offers the PCs a ride to Highdelve on her back. (She also transports the bullies and Feran to stand trial, if any of them accompany the PCs.) With the bullies and possibly Feran locked up, the townspeople fete the heroes, who are invited to hand out brightblooms during the most joyous Brightbloom Ball the town has ever seen—all thanks to the PCs’ efforts.
This year will be my 12th consecutive year at Gen Con--I've been going to the show since I was in college, when it was just a carload of us making the trip from Michigan/Ohio as fans. As my position in the industry has gone from fan to freelancer to full-time industry professional, Gen Con has always been a constant. It's been a place to meet up with friends, to network with professionals, and now to chat with fans. It's been a big cornerstone of my personal and professional spheres.
So, needless to say, it is SUCH a huge honor to have the opportunity to write the module that's celebrating Gen Con's 50th anniversary.
It's so cool to have been able to give names, stats, and back stories to iconic characters whose introductions I remember from Gen Con's promotional materials back in, I want to say, around 2013. It's also exciting to have immersed these iconics in the lore of Golarion, and to be able to introduce them to Paizo's fans as well as to hopefully interest new folks in Pathfinder and our world.
As much as Gen Con was formative for me as a young fan, I hope that this module and the show's 50th anniversary will bring new fans into the fold, and introduce youngsters to a hobby they can call their own.
Gen Con and Games & Gears have been great partners in making this product happen--and a huge shoutout to Managing Developer Adam Daigle, who gave the module a once-over and helped me trim the (originally way too long!) text to fit into the page count.
I am stoked to have had the privilege to be involved in this book! I hope folks dig it!
Okay I know I'm going to catch hell for this too but.... Does every group of characters need to have a gay character? Do we really need to know? It's starting to seem forced. And before everyone jumps on me, I don't care what your orientation is its your business, not mine. Do what makes you happy.
Navasi's sexuality is a core part of her being, as falling in love with -- and losing -- her best friend has shaped her into the person she is today. Sexuality is present in every fiber of storytelling, from references to husbands, wives, girlfriends, and boyfriends to more relationship-oriented details. Saying that a character's queerness is "forced" is like saying that a reference to a husband and wife is a "forced" example of heterosexuality. It's an ugly double standard.
Like Pathfinder, Starfinder is a place where people of all backgrounds and perspectives exist and thrive, and I strive as a writer to create stories in which all readers can see parts of themselves reflected in our heroes' backgrounds. I understand how deeply meaningful representation can be to folks who are used to never having any, and so I do what I can to move the needle.
Why, thank you for noticing! My cloak does billow quite gloriously, doesn't it?
Opsylum wrote:
My dreams of space piracy finally come true! I'll see all you seadogs in Lady Pharasma's Locker!
Speaking of the Lady of Graves and space lockers, I just might have a job for you. Bit of a warning, though: it involves lasers. And security robots. And vesk. Oh, sweet Weydan, so many vesk...
I'm so glad you folks like the story. I had SUCH fun writing up our resident fast-talking, sticky-fingered, kind-hearted space-farer. :D
Owen K. C. Stephens wrote:
I'm going to take off my Developer hat for a moment, and put on my Fanboy hat, and speak briefly about why I love this story Amanda wrote (which, in this case, I didn't get to read until today and had nothing to do with, so this is my fresh take)
Daww, thank you so much for the kind words, Owen!
(Psst. Folks! THE Owen K.C. Stephens likes it! Squee!)
I still need to reread and test the militia rules, but at a glance they look fun and solid. Nice work, Crystal and Amanda! <3
I'm glad you like the militia rules, Alex. The credit for shaping and building the militia system goes to Lissa Guillet, who wrote that entire section, while Amber Scott authored the rest of the book. I'm very happy with Lissa's work and proud to have been the developer who worked on it!
Hm, turns out that the "detailed militia system" mentioned in the product description is very explicitly for the Ironfang Invasion Adventure Path, and is basically a reskinned version of the rebellion rules from the Hell's Rebels Players Guide. It seems a bit weird to me that this takes up 12 pages in a Campaign Setting book instead of going into the Ironfang Invasion Player's Guide, as with Hell's Rebels, though.
A big conceptual difference between the militia system in Lands of Conflict and the rebellion system in the Hell's Rebels Player's Guide is that, while the latter is explicitly for use in Hell's Rebels and is constructed entirely in that context, the militia system in Lands of Conflict is more general and can be used in any game, homebrew or otherwise, where the GM or PCs want a mechanical system for building and running a militia from scratch. While the rebellion system's mechanics and flavor are tightly tied to Kintargo as well as the events and resources available in Hell's Rebels, the militia system in Lands of Conflict provides a way to easily build a militia in any game. The militia system's structure is very loosely based on the rebellion system, but that's about where the similarities end. Nirmathas, the Nirmathas-Molthune border, and even Molthune proper are some of the best-suited places to set a game in which players build a militia to oppose a larger force, so that's why the militia system is in Lands of Conflict.
That said, Crystal and I recognized that the militia system is perfect for Ironfang Invasion, since that AP is all about gaining allies and building forces to oppose a hobgoblin army. So, in Lands of Conflict's militia system, we included a short section with the recommended militia progression for each volume of that AP. Outside of that short section, though, the entire militia system is designed for use in any adventure you see fit.
For those who do decide to run Ironfang Invasion using the militia system, each volume of that AP will include a section giving explicit instructions and advice for doing so based on the adventure's events and NPCs. The Ironfang Invasion Player's Guide also will include a militia tracking sheet. That's because, in order to make sure the militia system was robust enough, we just couldn't squeeze a tracking sheet into Lands of Conflict. It's not needed for militia play, of course, but will be available for free as soon as the player's guide is released.
Just wanted to clarify for folks wondering about the differences between the two systems. :)
For Unconquerable Resolve, the temporary hit points last for 1 minute.
Since it'd be a shame for this thread to become too bogged down in adjudication questions, I'd like to gently suggest that folks make a separate thread for such inquiries, perhaps on the Player Companion board.
I'd like for this thread not to become too focused on such specific questions, especially because not everyone has the book yet, but I'm happy to answer these three inquiries.
Markov Spiked Chain wrote:
Is there supposed to be a limit on the level or duration of the "free" Druidic Herbalism potions?
Herbal concoctions function mechanically exactly like potions, including the requirement that the spell used to create one must be 3rd level or lower and target one or more creatures. As long as you could make a potion of the druid spell, you could make an herbal concoction of it, and it works just like a potion would.
Markov Spiked Chain wrote:
Is there any limit on the number of healing Touch Injections a Wasteland Blightbreaker can have stored?
The wasteland blightbreaker can only use touch injection as a spell-like ability through that class feature once per day, only to absorb an infused extract of the healing subschool, and only if he either has the infusion discovery or has also taken the chirurgeon archetype (in which case he's treated as if he has the infusion discovery). If he then prepares an extract of touch injection and absorbs another infused extract or permissible liquid that way, there shouldn't be anything stopping him, but the spell-like ability from the class feature is specifically 1/day, and it only lasts 1 hour/level (as normal).
Markov Spiked Chain wrote:
Does a Faith Singer Bard get the powers of their Domain, or just the spells? Do the domain spells use up spell slots?
The faith singer bard is only getting the domain's spells, but they're specifically called out as spell-like abilities, so they're not taking up any spell slots.
I now want to detour a campaign into the city on the back of a miles-long anglerfish.
I was particularly pleased with this gem, myself. Writer Eleanor Ferron did a fantastic job with the Plane of Water, as did all of the awesome writers on this project -- John Compton, Paris Crenshaw, Thurston Hillman, and Jessica Price. It was a ton of fun to develop!
Liz, I'm so sad to see you go, but so excited for all the awesomeness you will bring to all your future endeavors. Thank you for everything that you've done for Paizo and everyone here. I'll miss you terribly, but I know I'll see ya around!
...HELLKNIGHT LEATHER??? what is the point of this, cost more weights more and does nothing? umm does it count as hell knight armor allow hell knight to user his armor based abilities? should it also be master work like hell knight armor. It actual states in hell knight half plate it still counts as hell knight plate. This armor does not. Missed opportunity to branch in to maybe dex based hell knights.
Armored Spellcasting, Hellknight Aegis, and Signifer Armor Training call Hellknight Armor "any armor with “Hellknight” in the name" so the leather armor would count for those and probably count for anything else that calls for Hellknight armor but doesn't directly say Hellknight Plate.
Will there an option that PCs are from Saringallow ? It would be a great way to background for the PCs.
While the module doesn't provide any pregenerated characters, there is advice sprinkled throughout the adventures for GMs whose groups have one or more PCs from Saringallow. It's especially relevant in the first adventure, which takes place wholly in the settlement.
Playing a PC from Saringallow would be a great way to build a really immersive story, especially if you're playing all three adventures in the module.
Anything to actually justify making a Sentinel of the best goddess ever aka, Naderi?
Hmm, the First Boon gives you icicle dagger, castigate, or howling agony, Second um... will get back to this... Third Boon let's you use globe of invulnerability on yourself for a number of rounds per day equal to HD.
As for the Second Boon, I think a large part of it got chopped out. It lets you do a cone shaped bane effect (it doesn't actually say the spell but it has effectively the same effect) against foes. But it doesn't mention what action it is to use it, how long it lasts, how many times it can be used per day, or even where the burst is emanated from (I'm assuming from yourself).
*scratches head*
Thanks for the question! This indeed requires a standard action and is a 3/day ability that emanates from the user. The effect lasts a number of rounds equal to your Hit Dice (that part is mentioned in the ability itself).
Yeah, Amanda Hamon Kunz did an AMAZING job on the vigilante archetypes in this book! There are all kinds of sneaky ways to make you favorite heroes now. Leave it to a huge comics nerd to bring that to the gaming table :)
I love it! I've always loved superheroes :)
I cant wait to see this book!
:D
Some of the ideas came from the design team, and some from my own nerdy excitement. Sometime soon, I'm going to put together some thoughts about how I sat down, wrote out my pie-in-the-sky hopes for what types of character concepts I could include as vigilante archetypes -- and then had to get realistic about what I could include in the given word count. And then took that pared-down list and ran with it.
Hey, Wolfgang, happy birthday! I owe quite a lot to you -- if it wasn't for you bringing me on board some very hefty projects, my career in RPGs would likely look a lot different right now. So put on your kobold hat, blow out the candles, and may all your birthday wishes come true. All hail the Kobold King!
It was a pleasure working with you guys, and with our developer Amanda Hamon Kunz.
Daww, thanks, Benjamin! I think folks will really dig the madness (sorry, could not help myself!) that you, Mike, and Mikko have cooked up. We hope that the module's versatility -- whether as single one-shots or linked adventures in any order -- is a real asset.
Oh, and James, no worries. Those are still jellybeans in the jar on my desk.
P. 38 of Occult Realms implies that Gensmaren was founded as a supply fort of Taldor's Second Army of Exploration. This seems to contradict Seekers of Secrets, p. 14, which states that it was the Third Army that did this. Is this an Occult Realms "oops"?
The Gensmaren entry in Occult Realms defaults to the background on the fort given on page 160 of The Inner Sea World Guide, which establishes that it's one of the series of supply forts the Second Army of Exploration established in the region. Seeker of Secrets was in error, but that was corrected in the ISWG (although the Gensmaren entry does incorrectly refer to the Second Army of Expansion, instead of Exploration).
EDIT: Also, as an aside, prior to the ISWG, we hadn't codified exactly which armies went where and did what, so that might help explain the discrepancy a bit.
Also, just to clarify for folks, I wrote the mindtech psychic discipline on page 13, but Robert designed the awesome psi-tech discoveries you'll find earlier in that section. :)
I hate to be a bother, but can someone who has or who wrote the book tell me is there anything in the book that allows Psychics to use mind affecting spells on Constructs/Robots?
There's nothing that broad, no. The mindtech psychic discipline does give psychics a spell-like ability that mimics control construct at 13th level, but it doesn't go beyond that.
So, the psi-tech section is meant for folks interested in melding the psychic class with some of the offerings in the Technology Guide. Specifically, the book details several psi-tech discoveries, which are like wizards' arcane discoveries but for psychics. You can take them in place of a phrenic amplification or a feat.
The section also offers the mindtech psychic discipline, which conceptually lets a psychic funnel her psychic power through technology. The discipline powers interface with using batteries or generators, cybernetic implants, and, at a higher level, with dominating technology.
I've been looking for so long to find a way to integrate casting and cybernetics/tech without the use of the technomancer and this genuinely sounds like exactly what I was looking for! How well suited do you think it would be for the iron gods setting? Does it work at all with androids? I know that there is some weird rules implications there but.
I think it'd be pretty perfectly suited for the Iron Gods adventures. The more your character uses technology, the more they're going to find this psychic discipline useful, and IG ...
Spoiler:
...Does involve getting access to generators, and even finding a battery or two, beyond what you'd purchase on your own.
So I think it's a perfect fit.
As far as the android question, the higher-level dominate technology ability involves a slightly modified version of control construct. While we haven't issued an official FAQ about it, I consulted with the design team, and since androids don't have masters the ability won't allow your psychic to control them. But it does have quite a few other potential uses as far as Iron Gods is concerned.
So, the psi-tech section is meant for folks interested in melding the psychic class with some of the offerings in the Technology Guide. Specifically, the book details several psi-tech discoveries, which are like wizards' arcane discoveries but for psychics. You can take them in place of a phrenic amplification or a feat.
The section also offers the mindtech psychic discipline, which conceptually lets a psychic funnel her psychic power through technology. The discipline powers interface with using batteries or generators, cybernetic implants, and, at a higher level, with dominating technology.
Folks might also be interested to know that Naderi is one of the deities in this book with tight ties to some of the core deities, particularly Shelyn, as we've mentioned in Inner Sea Gods, but not limited to the Eternal Rose. We'll be exploring those divine relationships as well as the relationships that tend to manifest among the different deities' followers as a result.
In general, if your character worships one of the deities in this book, you'll get a good idea of how that character would see himself or herself in the context of the Inner Sea's other major religions. And minor religions, as applicable.
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