Shadowcount Sial

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** Pathfinder Society GM. 771 posts (1,394 including aliases). No reviews. 4 lists. No wishlists. 22 Organized Play characters. 2 aliases.


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Dark Archive 2/5

Ah, excellent. Thank you! I will do precisely that.

Dark Archive 2/5

Greetings fellow gamers. Inching back into PFS after being gone for most of the pandemic, and I noticed a handful of tables I GMd going back to 2nd ed launch day (1 Aug 2019) do not list GM credits. I have had zero luck getting mistakes fixed in the past (How exactly am I supposed to prove I wasn't at a specific convention? Or that the organizer reported the wrong scenario number?), but I thought this one is really obvious as it says right on the play record that I was the GM, and it lists Achievement Points, but not GM credits. What I am not seeing is an email address to which I might report these errors. Any help is appreciated. Thank you for your time, and Happy Gaming!

PS. The main reason I am even bothering with this is that it is the difference between whether I have a Glyph or not...

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So I am in the initial stages of converting the 3pp AP Way of the Wicked and one of the first major hurdles is how to handle Grumblejack, the surprisingly loyal ogre the PCs can befriend in the first few minutes of the campaign. The PCs play villains and have very few resources or allies to call upon, so some extra muscle is welcome, and as I understand it the ogre can turn into a sort of mascot if the players like him.

Question is, how should I stat him out? Like a monster, just updating him to fit the parameters of his new creature level as the campaign progresses and the party gains in power? Try to homebrew an ogre ancestry and just build him like a PC from there? Maybe a special minion that anyone in the party can command? In the original AP he gains both fighter levels and can gain some fiendish powers.

Any suggestions?

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Came here to report exact same thing.

Dark Archive 2/5

Thanks, Numbat! I will do that!

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Hello! I recently finished running Fall of Plaguestone, but when I report it I run into what I assume is a hard-coded website issue: I enter the correct prestige earned for both myself and the players, 12 each, but when I save it the amount is automatically lowered to 8. So that makes me think that 8 is the maximum the Paizo site allows. Has anyone else run into this problem and is there any official means I should be using to report it? Thank you and Happy Gaming!

Dark Archive 2/5

Thanks for the advice, everyone. It was indeed 1e, so no Infamy. I will try to get hold of my VC and ask what the policy on such issues might be around here; hopefully it will not often be an issue. Thanks again, and Happy Gaming!

Dark Archive 2/5

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So at my table today half my players tried to argue that executing their wounded, bound, surrendered prisoner after it told them everything it knew about its boss was not an evil act. Their rationale was that because it had tricked and attacked them earlier they now had carte blanche to kill it after accepting its surrender. -_- One even tried to compromise saying that he could untie it and toss it a weapon then kill it even if it didn't fight back because then it wouldn't be helpless.

Not caring to debate about it I told them that, GM fiat, it was an evil act whether they agreed or not, but in the interest of moving things along it was not quite evil enough to change the CN inquisitor of Lamashtu's alignment.

In a home campaign it would be easy enough to monitor the character over time and, if such acts continued, declare the character's alignment changed. In PFS obviously that is not an option. So now I finally get to the point of this post: what is a PFS GM to do in situations where a character callously commits an evil act? With a paladin or good cleric it is obvious, but how about the neutral character who, if they turn evil, are no longer a playable character?

Please note that I am not interested in debating whether or not the act was evil; as far as I am concerned there is no doubt, cut and dry. I would very much like to hear what you would do if a character committed an act at your table that you similarly felt was outright evil.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and Happy Gaming!

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Okay, well, apparently the consensus is that I made my character incorrectly. Which is... annoying? I thought PF2 was supposed to allow more freedom in character build, but it seems like it is the same-ol story of "better build 'em a certain way or you're hosed".

Anyway, I was able to get away with a minor stat change: when I retrained my racket from Ruffian to Thief I changed my prime stat from Str to Dex and the GM allowed that to change my stats as if I had picked that from the beginning. So now I'm 12 16 14 12 14 10. We just hit level 4, so now I look something like this:

LN F Human (Half-Elf) Bounty Hunter
Rogue L.4
Perception +10; low-light, darkvision
AC 22; HP 48
Fort +10, Ref +11, Will +10

+1 Striking Crossbow +10 (2d8 or 2d10+2 w/Crossbow Ace)
+1 Rapier +10 (1d6+3)
+1 Spiked Gauntlet +8 (1d4+1)

Thief Racket, Sneak Attack 1d6, Surprise Attack, Deny Advantage

Nimble Dodge, Ranger Dedication, Basic Hunter's Trick (Crossbow Ace)

Elf Atavism (Darkvision), Canny Acumen (Fortitude)(Will retrain this at level 9)

Acrobatics +9(T), Athletics +7(T), Crafting +7(T), Deception +6(T), Lore (Legal) +7(T), Medicine +8(T), Nature +10(E), Religion +8(T), Society +7(T), Stealth +9(T), Survival +10(E), Thievery +11(E)

Still interested in the Cat Animal Companion suggested because the support ability makes them flat-footed until the END of my next turn. So sure, I'll only be getting off one attack a round, but so long as I can keep hitting they will all be against flat-footed opponents, plus the cat will be one extra body to set up flanks and the like for the front-liners. Worried it will be pretty squishy though.

I don't know for sure how the other characters in the party are built, but my guess is that they are not really much more optimized than mine, because we do tend to have similar success rates (and we do tend to just barely make it through tough fights). But hey, we, a group of 4 level 3 characters, managed to beat a Severe 4 encounter last session, so I guess we're not that bad. :P

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@Blave: Interesting take. Is this one of those "if it's not optimized it's not worth playing" things? She is a ruffian, running around in scale mail, and when she does get into melee uses a spear or bladed gauntlet. True, if I hadn't needed to be a back-up front liner when I made her I might have dumped Str for Dex (or maybe Cha for deception so I could make distractions) and taken a different racket, but so far I haven't found my stats to be a huge detriment; I am hitting about as often as the rest of the group, and my hp, AC, and saves are all decent. I think that the main problem is, as you pointed out, that once again Paizo has given very little love to crossbows and only rangers really have the feats to improve them. To be honest, my concept is pretty much a ranger, but I need to fit that onto a rogue chassis because the group needed all the skills I could muster. I definitely had Crossbow Ace and Running Reload high on my list of wanted feats.

@Taja: Ooh, I had not even considered an animal companion. I will definitely keep that in mind as a possibility, thank you.

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Ancestry: Half-Elf
Background: Bounty Hunter
Class: Rogue (the party really needed skills)

Currently level 3. I have Nimble Dodge, Elf Atavism (darkvision), Ranger Dedication

When I started there was only one front-liner so I had to make her a switch-hitter by necessity, so her stats are not optimized for archery: 14 14 14 12 14 10. We have since recruited another melee character so I am now free to specialize in my crossbow like I planned, but it has been a bit lack-luster. The only times I tend to get sneak attack off is on the first round of combat or if I step into a flank and make a melee attack.

Flavor-wise she is a no-nonsense Nidalese bounty hunter. Thinking snares would be cool, but not sure if they're worth it for a non-ranger.

So, can't change anything that can't be retrained. With that in mind, any advice for how I should build this character? Oh, and again, pretty much need to stay a rogue because we need the skills (and the skill feats are nice too).

Thank you in advance for any helpful feedback!

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Well, I hope Mr. Seifter and co. feel differently about the situation than all of you. :/

In regard to the idea that there may be another, more prestigious archetype for the more advanced Aldori, well, that just further makes the current one feel overlapped, redundant, mostly useless.

In regard to the idea that the archetype is meant for classes that don't already have access to similar powers, well... you are correct that it is not about number stacking, and I never implied it should be. But this idea goes against lore. Just look at 1st ed Aldori: NPCs were invariably fighters and swashbucklers. Fighters and swashbucklers are the ones that got Aldori specific archetypes. I want to see an Aldori archetype for 2nd Ed that works well with fighters and swashbucklers, not be redundant with those classes and only useful for oddball builds that would, according to lore, be the exception and not the rule.

I know that more likely than not the more elegant way to achieve this would be via errata to the archetype itself than to the core classes (little things like adding a line to the Aldori Dedication feat stating that an Aldori dueling sword counts as having the parry trait when wielded by a swashbuckler). And if that is what it takes, I am willing to wait. I just want to make sure that the design team wants to know that at least a few of us (and I hope the fact that no one has actually taken my side here doesn't mean that I really am the only one) love the Aldori and want to play them in a lore-appropriate form at some point down the road.

I think that is pretty much all I have to say on the subject. Hopefully I am not upsetting anyone or stepping on anyone's toes by having these opinions. Take care, my fellow Pathfinders, and happy gaming!

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@Arachnofiend: Ah, yes, of course the onus was on the archetype to make sure it was distinct from the class that hadn't even been written yet rather than the writers of said class to not simply copy/paste the majority of the archetype's already existing abilities and provide no synergy. Silly me. -_-

@KitsuneWarlock: True, and I suppose that could be viable if one never wanted another dedication. I still really hope they bake in a bit of synergy since we are still in the design phase for it. If just one writer adds just a few words to a few swashbuckler abilities it could make all the difference between the Aldori being the premiere duelists they are supposed to be and a bunch of mostly wasted space. :-/

@Wumiao Xue: I am sorry, I don't quite understand what you are saying here.

@All: Whether I agree with you or not, I appreciate you taking the time to read and reply. Thank you for your time.

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Are you still maintaining this? For a lark I thought I would apply it to the first book of Way of the Wicked, and hoo boy, it's a doozy. Maybe because it is 3rd party or maybe because of the non-traditional start, the loot in just the very first act is not what I was expecting.

Knot of Thorns Act 1 Treasure:

5. The Garden: belladonna
15. Sergeant's Quarters: 12 x rotgut whiskey (5gp each=60gp), 1235gp
22. Richter's Library: "Astra Mysterii" (75gp), "The Travels of Titus the Mendicant" (120gp), "The Floralegium" (250gp)
24. Warden's Office: "Richter's Tome of Arcane Armament" (350gp), 5 x noble outfits (75gp each = 375gp), alchemist's lab (200gp)

Sergeant Tomas Blackerly: potion of cure light wounds, chainmail, masterwork longsword, 30gp
Warden Richter: potion of cure light wounds, scroll of magic missile, scroll of sleep, scroll of hideous laughter, scroll of invisibility, ring (250gp), ioun torch

Lashtongue's Lair: medallion (125gp), 45gp

First off they start with nothing except the Veil of Useful Items to provide them with a couple basic pieces of equipment. Through stealth or force they can easily get hold of some chainshirts, longswords, bows, arrows, and metal shields, none of which I included here. Assuming they are thorough in their looting they could easily end up with over 2000gp, 2 1st level scrolls (lvl 1 consumables), three doses of belladonna (lvl 2 consumables), two 2nd level scrolls (lvl 3 consumables), and whatever I would convert an ioun torch to (a dull grey Aeon stone and an everburning torch are both lvl 1 permanent items).

I was wondering what others might advise. Scrap it all and allocate treasure from scratch? Keep the general allotment assuming that the AP writers knew what they were doing and that villains need lots of extra cash at 1st level? Something in between?

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+1 for changing hexes from focus powers to special cantrips ala bards, even if the power level of a couple existing ones needs to be tweaked. Obviously the 1/target/day mechanic would still hold and then they would still feel like a 1e witch.

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The Aldori Duelist has been one of my favorite character types since it was originally released, but, just like in 1e, I find myself wishing it fit better with the Swashbuckler, which, thematically, seems like it would be a perfect fit!

The problem is that the abilities are both redundant and don't synergize. For example, Dizzying Parry is exactly the same as Aldori Parry except the latter requires the use of an Aldori Dueling Sword (and nothing else) instead of any weapon with the Parry trait (of which there are surprisingly few) and it does not work with the Storm of Parries feat. Suggestion? Add a line at the end of Dizzying Parry/Storm of Parries that for a character using Aldori Parry the Aldori Dueling Sword counts as having the Parry trait for the purpose of interacting with Swashbuckler abilities. And maybe some sort of bonus if someone has both Aldori Parry and Dizzying Parry at once?

Similarly Duelist's Edge and Aldori Riposte work mechanically exactly the same as Swaggering Initiative and Opportune Riposte (with a few obvious caveats, like the former two only working with the Dueling Sword, and not interacting with Panache or counting as a Retort).

I know that most people will probably say: they're not meant to combine. They're two different roads to get the same flavor. But... the Aldori are supposed to be the best duelists in the world. I don't want most of their signature moves to be the same as those of a base class, unless they can combine their toolset with said class to be even better. Anyway, I thought that maybe by putting this plea in at this early stage I might get my wish to see some built-in synergy instead of having to wait four years for a compatible archetype...

Thank you for your time.

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I have almost everything Paizo for HLC and use it for everything PF1 related that I do (which is a lot). It is a clunky interface and for some reason it CTDs me all the damn time (something which many other people tell me does not happen to them, so I assume it has something to do with my PC or install or something). And yet I have invested hundreds of dollars and use it all the time despite these flaws; that is how useful I find it.

HLO... no thank you. I spoke with some of the employees at Gen Con and I understand where they are coming from with the new model, but, just, no. When I first heard about it I thought it would be a subscription service that allowed automatic access to all the content. Not my first choice, but workable, and after a few years the costs would start to match that which I paid for HLC. But wait! Then I find out one has to pay for content packs like before AND a subscription so that one can access one's characters from the cloud. Of course, since I always bring my laptop and use HL from it exclusively, that feature is worthless to me. And the need for constant online connectivity means I cannot access it if I am at a game store that has spotty/no free wifi. Oh, and what I experienced of the interface was somehow EVEN MORE clunky than that of HLC! And yes, I had the major lag from the servers being overloaded as well, to the point that I was reading several paragraphs of my brand new PF2 bestiary between choices; and woe unto me should I accidentally click the wrong button and have to wait ten extra minutes to get to the correct menu!

So yeah. If you have good experience with HLO, if it works for you, then great, I am truly happy for you. I will avoid it however, for much the same reason I avoid MMOs and never tried Diablo 3. Maybe they will change things later on, improve their model, and then I will reevaluate. Until then I will use HLC for PF1 and look into an alternate program for PF2.

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Nevermind, I called in and had this taken care of over the phone. That said, if you're this backlogged, please hire more help! I live in the area and have experience in the field of online customer service...

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Okay, I am now home from Gen Con, the event for which I placed this order, over two weeks ago. An order for which I have now received four emails about the payment being declined (even though there was more than enough money in the account). An order from which every single item I have since purchased in person. An order which I have requested be cancelled twice now, and an order for which I have so far received NO customer service. I know everyone was busy for Gen Con. I was too. Ignoring your customers around a big event is far from good business however. Pathfinder is my favorite game. Paizo is my favorite company. And the Organized Play community is like family to me. But if I get charged for this order I am going to be livid.I am just thankful that whatever error caused it to be held up in the first place has continued while all of my attempts to cancel it have been ignored. Please cancel it. My bank is still withholding the funds and will continue to do so so long as Paizo keeps trying to charge it.

I seriously suggest you overhaul your website. Cancelling orders, subscriptions,etc, should not require contacting customer service (especially when the response time is two weeks plus).

Thank you,
Joshua M. Lee
A VERY frustrated customer
PS I sincerely hope my $35 store credit is still available for use after the order is canceled.

Dark Archive 2/5

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MY STUFF WAS FOUND! It seems to all be here! It wasn't there last night when the room was swept, but this afternoon someone found in in the Sagamore Ballroom not twenty feet from where it was taken! I don't know if the thief felt remorseful or simply decided there was too many people on the lookout for it now, but somehow it is back and I cannot thank you all enough. To everyone who expressed sympathy, spread the word, generously offered me new gaming gear, or offered advice: Thank you. From the bottom of my heart and brimming with love for you all, I wish to express my enduring gratitude. Paizo, Know Direction, the Organized Play Foundation, and the entire community of fellow Pathfinders has humbled me and convinced me that there is more good in the world than I had previously believed. I hope to be able to return to Gen Con some year so that I can play with you all again. Good evening, and Happy Gaming!

Dark Archive 2/5

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My first time at Gen Con and I wish I had never come. My belongings were stolen this morning right under the noses of my fellow volunteers and PFS staff. All my gaming gear including over $200 of brand new 2E stuff. Six years of PFS chronicle sheets and all of the Con boons I had been collecting over the years. And most importantly my laptop, my most important possession. All taken in under three minutes when I walked away to ask a question. I was told this is the first such incident in all the years that PFS has been ran at Gen Con. I am devastated.

Why do I bring this up on a public forum, to perfect strangers? Because I want to commend the PFS organizers and staff for the compassion they have shown me today. Everyone was incredibly kind and understanding, and they did everything they could to help me. While my laptop is likely gone for good, with tons of irreplaceable photographs of loved ones and all of my characters (I kept them on Hero Lab), these kind souls replaced all of my Paizo products for free, allowing me to at least distract myself from my sorrows with some fantastic gaming. I am unfortunately horrible with names and so I am afraid I cannot really call out anyone specifically, but I just want to give thanks from the bottom of my heart to all of the organizers, volunteers, and other staff members of Gen Con PFS who treated me so kindly and helped me to make the best of a truly devastating situation.

And to the thief, if you happen to be a fellow player and so might see this: I hope you get what you deserve. I hope everyone finds out what kind of person you are, the kind of person who would steal from a poor, chronically ill (both physically and mentally) man who thought it was the luckiest thing in the world that events happened to conspire to allow him to attend Gen Con.

To everyone else, assuming anyone bothered to read this far: thank you for taking the time to read my rant. I needed to vent my frustration, and express my thanks, or I would have burst. May your gaming be happier than mine.

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I just received another payment declined email regarding this order. It is much too late, please CANCEL this order!

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Er, this is a time-sensitive matter. If it can be shipped out Friday the 26th with expedited shipping, please do that. If not, and there is no way to pick it up either at Gen Con or at Paizo headquarters (I live in Lynnwood, very close by), then please cancel it and I'll just hope that the maps I need are being sold at the Paizo booth.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

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I received an email saying my payment was declined. This is very odd, as my bank list the transaction as authorized and are withholding the funds. I went ahead and deposited more money in the account just in case; please try to run it again ASAP. I need these items by the 30th, as my plane leaves on the 31st for Gen Con. Thank you for your help.

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Ah, sorry to hear that. I was looking for the Forest Starter set, Bigger Sewers, and Wicked Dungeon, but if I bought them at the booth I am sure I would not be able to use my store credit. Too bad I can't just pick it up from Paizo HQ, since I live about 16 miles away. :P Thanks anyway, guess I will just deal with the shipping cost.

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If I place an order for some maps I need for the scenarios I am running at GenCon, can I pick them up at Paizo's booth? It would be nice to not only save on shipping but also have a bit less to pack for the very long flight. I will place the order once I know one way or the other. Thank you for your help!

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Thank you, Sharaya! I'll keep an eye out and if Paizo (still my favorite company) switches to a less all-or-nothing subscription model I will happily jump back onboard!

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I just got a confirmation for this order and was quite alarmed to see it totals nearly $100! I absolutely cannot afford that, and have no desire to own the flip tiles. I would, however, like to continue to receive flip mats and map packs. If the two flip tiles items cannot simply be removed from this order then please cancel it. If flip tiles products will continue to be part of the map subscription with no option to opt out, then please cancel the subscription as well. It is bad enough that I already have had to pay for and receive maps designed for a game I do not even play (Starfinder). I strongly urge Paizo to rethink their subscription service, allowing customers to opt in/out of specific products or lines that do not fit their needs. Either way I will continue to be a customer, as I love Pathfinder, but the current model will force me out of being a subscriber, and I doubt I am the only one.

Thank you for your time.

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Hello!

I just made this order for the second Strange Aeons Syrinscape set, and the My Downloads page lists a link to "Click here to fetch serial number". When I click it all that happens is the Downloads page reloads, still with a link, but no serial number. A little searching has shown that problems similar to this are unfortunately common, so I assume I will have to wait for someone at Paizo to contact Syrinscape, get a serial number from them, then email it to me? I had absolutely no problems with the first set, so was a bit surprised when this came up.

Anyhow, thank you in advance for any help provided!

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Insomnia leaves me with a great deal of extra time on my hands and this time could be spent productively, but who wants that?

For the bored, check out the oddly familiar characters I statted up on a whim. I'm sure it's been done before, probably better, but this was my take, and hopefully at least one person gets a kick out of it.

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Hello! I noticed that the product scheduled for February for my Pathfinder Maps subscription is, in fact, a Starfinder product. While I am sure it is an equally fun game, I currently do not play it, certainly do not run it, and have absolutely NO use for a map pack designed for it. For now I prefer to stick to fantasy and have no wish to pay for a product that I will not use.

PLEASE separate maps from the two lines into different subscriptions; it is called PATHFINDER Maps subscription, after all, not Paizo Maps subscription. Alternatively adding an option to opt out on a given month or to sub the subscription item for another of equal value would be appreciated. If none of these options can be made available I, and I cannot imagine I am the only one, will be forced to cancel and renew my subscription on a month-to-month basis, not only defeating part of the point of having a subscription, and also likely leading to eventual permanent cancellation when it just becomes too annoying to jump through the hoops every month.

I love your company, love your game, and am sure I would love your other game too, but I have neither the time nor the money to get into it right now. Please help out one of your loyal subscribers!

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One of the players in my Strange Aeons campaign wants to play a greatsword-wielding human slayer who specializes in anti-magic tactics. Took Power Attack and Improved Sunder at 1st level, just hit level 2 and has no idea where to go from there. Mostly looking for feat/slayer talent advice, maybe some key equipment. Any suggestions?

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EDIT: Wrote a big thing about Glower seemed to have an extra feat and stat point only to realize I misread the stat block and she has 3 levels of Gray Gardener, not 1. So nevermind all that stuff. But the last paragraph is still valid:

Then there is the fact that she has two levels of rogue that do almost nothing for her. A few extra skill points, trapfinding, 1d6 sneak attack, and evasion? And a rogue talent spent on... Weapon Finesse. With a dexterity score of 8. I'm used to seeing poorly made enemies in adventures (and WAY too many rogues, the universally accepted poster child for under-powered class), but this one just seems like someone was trying to fail.

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I'm in California. Site loaded without difficulty last night. Won't load at all today if I use wifi (Comcast). Only Sprint 3G data seems to work.

Just in case I flushed DNS and cache on laotop, no luck though.

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Daridela's morale says that if she is reduced to fewer than 10 hit points, she casts obscuring mist and flees. Only... she doesn't have obscuring mist as one of her memorized spells... Guess she's losing that cure light wounds.

(Also, if I were her I'd be casting barkskin and call lightning rather than cat's grace and produce flame. If you have access to 3rd level spells, probably want to use those before 1st levels!)

(Also also, I think I'm gonna give her the Fungal Pilgrim archetype from Heroes of the Darklands, since her tactics don't have her use wild shape anyway...)

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@Adam Daigle: Yes, I have indeed read it! I believe the majority of these class/archetypes appeared in the suggested list. I am now checking to see if these specific combinations seem like they would work well together. :P

@Mergy: Well, the player of the striker already plays a barbarian in PFS. She wanted to try something different while still sticking with a melee striker.

Similarly, one of the few things the second player mentioned when I asked for a bare-bones idea of what sort of character he wanted was a "Sherlock-type". My mind immediately went to the Empiricist. I have never played an investigator, so am not terribly conversant with their power-level or how the archetypes interact.

Yeah, I had thought of that and looked for a racial trait or feat that reversed the negative energy affinity (no such luck). I figured that the majority of healing will be out of combat via wands, that the spiritualist would also pick up cure spells and be a secondary healer, and that, yes, the oracle would grab inflict spells. This was the last player to give me her character gist and she, too, wanted to be a beat-stick. I warned her that without a full caster in the party they would likely have a very difficult time against some kinds of encounters and so she agreed to being one as long as it was spontaneous, but I had to dangle the carrot of getting to be an unusual race (though she doesn't know what).

My last group had a summoner, and this looks fairly similar in how much time it will take up. That is partly why I was thinking to build the phantom as simply as possible so the go-to every round will be "it rushes up and hits things". A ranger might be simpler, but I really thought the flavor of the spiritualist fit better, and thought that my idea for the phantom would really mess with the player's head in delicious ways.

Also very true about the arcane casting part, and I had noticed that. None of my players were interested in playing one, however, so there is little that could be done. Maybe if one of their characters dies off early they will bring in a mage next.

SO, overall, looks like you're saying the party seems complicated and unbalanced. Crap. I'll see what I can do to change things up within the guidelines of what the players indicated they want to play. Thanks for the input!

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Since my Kingmaker game fell apart, I have a (mostly) new group and they want Lovecraft. I told them that they will start with amnesia, and so they voted to have me create their characters so they can discover them as they go. I could use some advice on builds, and specifically on party balance.

4-man, 20-point buy. Based on the player's preferences, here are the four characters I have in mind:

Human Slayer - Kellid Gorum-worshipping, greatsword-wielding dpr striker. Pretty much a barbarian without being a barbarian. Maybe even barbarian VMC? It's not like 2h style fighting requires many feats to be effective... Thinking of Pureblade, Spiritslayer, and/or Witch Hunter archetype (if the latter, maybe allow it to count against psychic magic instead of arcane).

Half-Orc Investigator - Empiricist archetype, knowledge and trap-guy. Might I just take this opportunity to complain about the fact that neither Fencing Grace nor Slashing Grace applies to a sword cane? Good thing this is a home game, but it seems silly that there aren't feats like Slashing grace for bludgeoning, and, especially, piercing weapons.

Dhampir Oracle - The dedicated caster of the group. Dark Tapestry mystery, Shattered Psyche curse. Also likely the main face. At first she will think she is human, but slowly the truth will be revealed...

Half-Elf Spiritualist - Usher of Lost Souls with an Anger spirit. Specifically the spirit of her dead child who is really mad at anyone and everyone who would threaten his mommy. Player wants to be a front-liner, so thinking she can be another two-hander, probably pick up armor proficiency, and wade into combat next to her spirit.

So, any suggestions? Builds, comments on balance (or lack thereof), or anything really. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

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Well, that is disappointing. Oh well, thanks for the advice.

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I was thinking of making a CN human cleric of Rovagug in PFS who specialized in summoning, and thought qlippoths would make for some interesting minions. Not sure about specifics though. Herald Caller? Evangelist? Something else? Any build advice?

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Just ran this one and it was awful. TPK in the first encounter. Three level 7s, an 8, and a 9. The pirates were nothing more but speedbumps, but the galvos were brutal, and the alchemist's bombs finished off a couple characters. It was all over in about an hour and a half. Played everything precisely by the tactics outlined in the adventure. Not fun.

Dark Archive

Okay, since I've seen exactly zero people talk up vigilante for this build, I think slayer it is. :P

Scott Wilhelm: Wow, those seem like some crazy and effective builds! Totally not what I am going for flavor-wise, and not really a fan of kitchen sink multi-classing, but thanks for the ideas; like I said above about the fighter and ranger ideas, maybe I'll make some NPCs for my home game. :)

@Havoq: He was referring to the invisibility ability gained by the Stygian Slayer archetype in place of their 4th level talent.

@Quentin Coldwater: Ooh, I hadn't really looked at Kitsune Style. Kitsune Tricks seems really useful!

@Inlaa: Yeah, I agree that the feat tax for dex fighting is a bit too high for this build.

Still Very Rough Build
Hassan al-Din Khurshah
Human Slayer; Exchange faction

Str 16, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 10
(I don't really like dumping a stat unless it fits the concept; I know that for optimal crunch I should drop Cha to 7 and raise Str and Dex a point each, but I roleplay my stats and I really don't see him as a Cha 7 sort)

Traits: looking at Clever Wordplay (Diplomacy) and Upstanding (Diplomacy) because I want to be a face in addition to being a merchant and stealthy warrior; if I take the Velvet Blade archetype to gain Diplomacy as a class skill then replace Upstanding with Cunning Liar

Skills to max: Acrobatics, Appraise, Bluff, Diplomacy, Perception, Profession (Merchant), Sense Motive, Stealth. Remaining points scattered among various knowledges.

1st: Dirty Fighting and Power Attack
2nd: Underhanded Trick
3rd: Kitsune Style
4th: Ranger Combat Style (Underhanded): Dodge
5th: Kitsune Tricks
6th: RCS: Greater Dirty Trick and Combat Trick: Quick Dirty Trick (via human FCB)
7th: Iron Will (low Will saves hurt)
8th: Fast Stealth or Weapon Training (Scimitar)?
9th: Critical Focus
10th: Evasion
11th: Dirty Critical Hit

Use a keen scimitar 2-handed. Can use first attack for DT to apply two conditions for multiple rounds; free DT on crit; hope most GMs will allow using weapon for most DT (nick the eyebrow to cause bleeding directly into eyes = blind, etc.) Maybe carry a backup shield for when higher AC is more important than damage output.

Regarding archetypes, I'm pretty much decided that Bounty Hunter is out.

Stygian Slayer is really cool! Not just the invisibility, but being able to bust out a scroll of mirror image or displacement for a tough fight would be incredibly useful. The flavor neither enhances nor clashes with the base concept. Only problem is that it screws up taking GDT and QDT together at level 6. Could take QDT with feat at 7th, but would probably make more sense to keep the much needed boost to Will saves and just take it with a talent at 8th. So the question presented is whether or not all the cool spell abilities are worth getting QDT two levels later. Probably? Not 100% convinced.

Still really considering Velvet Blade as well. It stacks with Stygian, so they're not competing. Gain Diplomacy (bonus) and Knowledge (nobility) (meh, but fits the concept if I go from merchant to full-on Merchant Prince), and lose Knowledge (dungeoneering) (meh). Lose medium armor (I wasn't really planning to use that anyway) and shields (oh well, it was just a backup anyway). Lose Track and Swift Tracker (double meh, wasn't planning to invest in Survival anyway), gain the Betrayal feat, the Silent Dispatch vigilante talent, and a very situational way to gain automatic sneak attack with extra dice (up from 3d6 to 6d6 at 11th!). The main thing is that Studied Target gains its bonus to Diplomacy, Disguise, Intimidate, and Stealth, but loses it to attack and damage. Great for being a face, quite a blow to combat ability. But I really love the flavor! What do you guys think; is the trade at all worth it?

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Build is getting refined pretty well, definitely looks playable to me, but could probably use some tweaking. Thanks again for all the suggestions and ideas, please keep them coming!

Dark Archive

Cool, more ideas! Thanks avr!

I had looked at the teisatsu, and while it has some cool abilities, the flavor is just too far from what I am going for. For instance, loses scimitar proficiency. My build doesn't have to be completely mechanically optimal, thankfully, allowing room for flavor choices; after all, PFS scenarios don't tend to be super difficult unless you're always playing up.

I would contend that a major part of a character build is optimal allocation of resources over the whole. In this case, as far as I can tell, feats are tighter for this build than talents. Since both the slayer and the vigilante can take a talent which gives them Improved Dirty Fighting plus an additional bonus AND there aren't really all that many other things that stand out as being super useful to take instead, why use a feat at 1st when I can wait only one level and use a talent instead? Of course, with PFS allowing unlimited rebuild until level 2, in this case I CAN have my cake and eat it too, taking IDT at level 1 and then switching it out for another feat and replacing it with a talent at level 2. :)

Dark Archive

I seem to recall this question coming up years ago, and the short answer is backwards compatibility. It was on the Summon Monster III list in 3.x, so it had to be on the list in Pathfinder, and it would be too strong for said list if it had a realistic strength score.

Dark Archive

Thanks for the advice, all! @Inlaa, avr, and Sammy T: I'm pretty set on either a slayer or a vigilante; I already have both a fighter and a barbarian character, and want to try different classes. Those look like fun options though, and maybe I'll throw enemies using those options at the PCs in my home game sometime. :P

@Kalindlara: Yes, I am aware of that one, and definitely will take it if I go slayer, which was my initial idea.

Character Concept Thus Far:
Qadiran merchant; human; secretly good "assassin" who takes out slavers and other sorts who give merchants a bad name/profit from the suffering of sentient creatures (see why vigilante appeals? The only concept I've ever had that actually has a use for Dual Identity!); preferred weapon scimitar; limited, if any spell-casting; dirty trick maneuver specialist

(Very) Tentative Build:
1st Feat & Human Feat: Dirty Fighting/Dodge/Iron Will/Power Attack/Toughness?
2nd Talent: Underhanded Trick (start getting those DTs off fast!)
3rd Feat: Same list as 1st
4th Talent: Fast Stealth/Weapon Training (scimitar)?
5th Feat: Same list, but Dirty Fighting has to be chosen by now
6th Talent: Combat Trick (Greater Dirty Fighting)
7th Feat: Quick Dirty Fighting
8th Talent: No idea. Maybe Combat Style (Sarenrae) for Improved Initiative?
9th Feat: Critical Focus
10th Talent: Probably Evasion or Opportunist
11th Feat: Dirty Critical Hit

Other options to consider:
Stygian Slayer: lose 4th Talent (not a big deal), 10th talent (only advanced talent a PFS char is likely to get, so kinda sucky), and Stalker (don't care) for some cool magical stealth utility, most notably invisibility

Bounty Hunter: Lose 2nd Talent (delay Improved Dirty Trick to 4th, which hurts build), 6th Talent (take human FCB 1/6 slayer talent to make up for this and still gain Greater Dirty Trick this level), and 10th Talent (again, only advanced talent, ouch) for the ability to trade sneak attack for more dirty tricks (though part of the reason to use dirty tricks is to get sneak attack...), a grapple ability I won't use since I don't have the feats to spare for Improved Grapple et al., and a knock-out ability that probably won't have the best DC in the world. Probably pass on this one.

Velvet Blade: Lose tracking and Studied Target bonus to attacks/damage (meh and ouch) for some cool social abilities that would help the concept I'm going for, but may not come up very often in PFS play.

Dervish Dance: Since the character actually uses a scimitar for flavor and is from the appropriate culture, worth looking into. Would have to fit in Weapon Finesse and Agile Maneuvers at 1st and this at 3rd, so absolutely no leeway for feats.

------------------------------------------------------------------
Haven't even looked at a vigilante build yet. Thoughts, comments, suggestions, criticisms? I very much welcome and hope for more feedback!

Dark Archive

Hail, fellow gamers. A few months ago I had a great time playing the Serpent's Rise scenario at a convention, and part of that was because I was the brawler character and used martial flexibility to gain feats with which to perform dirty trick maneuvers. I like dirty tricks, and am thinking of having one of my PFS characters specialize in them, but am having a difficult time coming up with a build. Heck, I can't even decide on the class! I've narrowed it down to two, however: slayer and vigilante. Here is where you come in. Please give me your thoughts on which of these classes would make a better dirty trick fighter. Please give me your thoughts on dirty trick builds in general. If you feel so inclined, please feel free to post builds!

PFS character, so 20pb, normal restrictions. Strong preference for human. And due to the artwork I've already picked out, extra points if he uses a scimitar. :P

Thank you in advance for any advice you can offer, and happy gaming!

Dark Archive

Thanks again for all your input, I will certainly keep it in mind. Maybe I'll roll up some caster concepts next... :D

Dark Archive

The Int and Wis on Torin are exactly where I intended for RP purposes: he is the epitome of Lawful Stupid and a blast to play (I have played him up to level 4 in PFS). I have had more than one person tell me afterward that he is the best paladin they have ever seen. Too dumb to be afraid is perfect. :P Think Zapp Branagan, The Tick, and Glorian from JourneyQuest all rolled up into one holy package.

I don't need him to be optimal, or even all that great, I just worry if the build is so gimicky that he is actually a liability to the party; that I want to avoid. If you feel he is that, any advice on how to buff him? I thought riding in with a spirited charge and giving a minor buff to the party at the same time would be sufficient, but if not I don't want to be a drag.

As for Isolde, her TWF is a prereq for spear-dancing, which is kind of the lynchpin of her build. At higher levels she'd get Trick Riding and Mounted Skirmisher and charge in using the lance as a double weapon, able to give either or both ends reach on any given round, using dex to hit and str plus half vigilante level to damage. Does that change your opinion of her any? Or is there somehting I am not seeing that invalidates this strategy?

Dark Archive

@avr: Check, Hybridization Funnel, Potion of Heroism, and elixirs.

@Devilkiller: Goblins not allowed in PFS. Might try some of those ideas for a future character.

Any feedback on the other two characters, Isolde and Torin? Especially Torin; his build pretty much centered on wanting a Battle Herald that was immune to fear, and I'm not sure it will actually be effective.

Dark Archive 2/5

Having received no response either on my website feedback post or my emails to the support staff, I turn now to my fellow PFS gamers: weird stuff has been happening on my PFS account, including a credit showing up on a character I registered but have yet to play for a scenario I never played and one of my other characters disappearing entirely, credit and all. Who has the power to fix this kind of stuff?

Dark Archive

Somehow I never realized that a tumor familiar can detach itself. I always pictured something like Kuato from Total Recall. I wonder if I could convince a GM that it attaches to the character's butt, granting it fast healing during flight and making it impossible to be dismounted. :P How does this version look?

Ziitabo Jancok Mati Mk.2:

Ziitabo Jancok Mati
Wayang alchemist (grenadier) 12
N Small humanoid (native, wayang)
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +27
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Defense
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AC 29, touch 17, flat-footed 25 (+7 armor, +2 deflection, +4 Dex, +2 natural, +3 shield, +1 size)
hp 87 (12d8+24)
Fort +12, Ref +14, Will +7
Defensive Abilities fortification 25%
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Offense
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Speed 20 ft.
Melee dagger +10/+5 (1d3/19-20)
Ranged bomb +14/+14/+9 (6d6+7 Fire) or
. . confusion bomb +14/+14/+9 () or
. . mwk composite longbow +13/+13/+8 (1d6/×3) or
. . tanglefoot bomb +14/+14/+9 ()
Special Attacks bomb 19/day (6d6+7 fire, DC 23)
Alchemist (Grenadier) Extracts Prepared (CL 12th; concentration +19)
. . 4th—echolocation, freedom of movement, greater invisibility, stoneskin
. . 3rd—amplify elixir, channel vigor (2), displacement (2), gaseous form
. . 2nd—alchemical allocation (4), barkskin, false life, resist energy
. . 1st—cure light wounds (2), heightened awareness, reduce person (DC 18), shield (2), targeted bomb admixture
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Statistics
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Str 10, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 25, Wis 12, Cha 8
Base Atk +9; CMB +8; CMD 24
Feats Alertness, Martial Weapon Proficiency (longbow), Mauler's Endurance, Mounted Archery, Mounted Combat, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Throw Anything
Traits firebug, militia veteran (any town or village)
Skills Acrobatics +4 (+0 to jump), Craft (alchemy) +22 (+34 to create alchemical items), Disable Device +19, Fly +24, Knowledge (arcana) +22, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +19, Knowledge (local) +19, Knowledge (nature) +22, Perception +27, Ride +20, Sense Motive +3, Sleight of Hand +19, Spellcraft +22, Stealth +10, Survival +16; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception, +2 Stealth
Languages Aklo, Common, Giant, Minkaian, Nagaji, Samsaran, Tengu, Tien, Wayang
SQ alchemical weapon, alchemy (alchemy crafting +12), battle form, bond forged in blood, damage reduction, directed blast, discoveries (confusion bomb, fast bombs, infusion, precise bombs [7 squares], tanglefoot bomb, tumor familiar, dissolution’s child, increased strength, mutagen (+4/-2, +2 natural armor, 120 minutes), precise bombs, scion of shadows, staggering blast, swift alchemy
Combat Gear mutagen, poisoner's gloves, potion of cure serious wounds, potion of good hope, potion of tongues, potion of water breathing; Other Gear +3 darkleaf cloth lamellar (leather) armor, +2 light fortification buckler, arrows (20), dagger, mwk composite longbow, admixture vial, amulet of natural armor +2, belt of incredible dexterity +4, cloak of resistance +2, eyes of the eagle, formula alembic, headband of vast intelligence +4, ring of feather falling, ring of protection +2, alchemy crafting kit, backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, bombchucker, flint and steel, ink, inkpen, thieves' tools, waterskin, 121 pp, 6 gp, 1 sp

Bodho Iawa
Male tumor-bat (mauler)
N Medium magical beast (animal)
Init +0; Senses blindsense 20 ft., low-light vision; Perception +21
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Defense
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AC 26, touch 11, flat-footed 26 (+8 armor, +1 deflection, +7 natural)
hp 67 (1d8-2)
Fort +6, Ref +8, Will +6
DR 5/magic
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Offense
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Speed 5 ft., fly 40 ft. (good)
Melee bite +12 (1d8+4)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
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Statistics
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Str 16, Dex 11, Con 6, Int 6, Wis 14, Cha 5
Base Atk +9; CMB +12; CMD 23
Feats Extra Item Slot (shoulders)
Skills Acrobatics +0 (-12 to jump), Disable Device +10, Fly +19, Perception +21, Ride +12, Sleight of Hand +12, Spellcraft +10, Survival +14; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception
SQ battle form, bond forged in blood, improved evasion
Other Gear +2 mithral breastplate, amulet of natural armor +1, belt of giant strength +2, muleback cords, ring of protection +1, bit and bridle, blanket, exotic riding saddle, saddlebags

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