For those interested in a slightly stricter definition of "average party", previously the devs have described it as such:
- all four of the traditional party roles are covered in some fashion, though this is taken liberally (for example, a Paladin can count as "healer" and an Alchemist can count as "rogue")
- approximately 20% of all "character build choices" will be used to support backstory/flavor/RP or are otherwise "wasted" from a power point of view. "Choices" includes ability scores, feats, skill points, rage powers, rogue tricks, etc.
- characters will not be able to rest whenever they want to. There will always be some risk involved in setting up camp, getting back to town, etc. The party is never able to nova with confidence that there is nothing else coming at them that day.
- characters will not find all of the loot in the book (approx 75%, but heavily varies). The majority of a character's equipped gear at any point in time will come from treasure hoards and not from custom purchases or item crafting. Less than half of the GP-value of carried gear will be from purchases/crafting.
- in battle, characters will not metagame to gain an advantage. This means they will have to roll Knowledge(X) to know the weakness of monsters they fight, rather than simply know from system mastery that (for example) trolls require fire or acid to kill. It also means they will not engage in "excessive" tabletalk to figure out the optimum strategy to kill an opponent.
And, of course, given these are broad generalizations, they are voided often. But it helps establish a baseline to build against. If your players are better (or worse) than any of the above, you may consider tweaking point-buy or other variables to account for such.
Specific masterwork tools for all the skills that can benefit from them, so that we can stop the arguments over "generic" masterwork tools and which skills can even have them.
Me: *playing Dungeon Hack* DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE!
Friend: You're being awfully violent. Isn't that against your religion?
Me: Look, I kill things here *points to computer screen* so I don't try to kill things in real life.
Friend: Ah, so you're some kind of Death Quaker.
Boy, it sure does look like we've stirred up the hornets nest this time. Let me clear up a few things.
1. Everybody just take a breath. There is no need for the tone I am seeing in some of these posts.
2. Every single one of these FAQ posts and clarifications are discussed by the rules team. No matter who makes the actual post or clarification.
3. Concerning this particular issue...
The intent of this particular rule was to marry the flurry of blows ability to the Two-Weapon Fighting feat tree, so that we could easily control and correct any problems that came up, and to have those corrections universally apply to everything that interacted with it. That said, there was an exception built into the flurry rules to allow them to properly portray the monk ability to beat you to death with various body parts (hence unarmed strike). I will admit that the wording could certainly be better in this regard. Let me give it to you clearly as to what we intended...
Flurry allows you to make multiple attacks as if using Two Weapon Fighting. You can substitute any of these attacks with an unarmed strike if you choose, up to all of them. If a weapon or attack is different than the others, it was the intent to limit that to the maximum number of attacks you could normally take with said weapon while utilizing Two-Weapon Fighting (ie 2 at +6BAB, 3 at +11BAB and so on), with all of those attacks falling into the standard chain of reducing attack bonus (-5 cumulative for each additional attack). It was not the intent to allow you to make more than this using one specific weapon (not unarmed strikes), or to take all of the highest attack bonus attacks with that weapon. This makes the monks attacks, from a baseline perspective significantly better than that of a fighter, who must invest in twice the number of weapon to gain a similar benefit.
That said.. this causes some problems that came to light today as this bounced around the office, namely that it was not common knowledge that it was supposed to work this way and has gone to print without this change. This is obviously a concern and one that I intend to investigate. There is also the problem of the Zen Archer, which clearly does not work with these rules (or rather, it clearly, as its intent, violates these rules). There is also the concern that this system is a bit of a pain to figure out, which is something that does concern me greatly.
We will be evaluating this situation a bit further in the coming days and I would like to thank everyone here for pointing out some of the problems with this ruling.
I hope that clears this up a little for folks. I will see to it that we get to the bottom of this soon.
We were playing in my friend's comedic setting, and a new girl joined as a halfling sorcerer. The GM was using the random encounter table, and he had a knack for rolling a vampire encounter during the day. He doesn't ever reroll encounters if they aren't too high of a CR for the party, he goes with it and accepts the natural consequences. The first time, he said a vampire jumps from the bushes... and immediately explodes because it's daytime, end of encounter. We all laughed hard. The second time, we got a chuckle, but the third time, he states a vampire jumps from the bushes, and we said, "yeah yeah, and he explodes." He corrects us, "no, make fort saves, those who fail are blinded for 1d4 rounds by his radiant sparkling caused by the sun." He points to the nearest girl, a fighter, "he professes his love for you, but says you must stay away from him because he is a horrible monster. Pass a will save or become angsty!"
A Twilight vampire.
So the new girl looks through her spell list, checks the Core Rulebook, grins, and says, "I cast erase!"
The GM says, "OK. Why?"
She points to the rulebook and says,"It says here that it removes mundane writing!"
We all roflmao'ed and the GM ruled in her favor, killing the vampire.
Not sure if Iced's reply was a non-sequitur, an attempt at humor, or if he thought you were talking about play-by-mail. By play-by-post though, I'll assume post means to the messageboards and not your country's postal service.
Anyway, if you haven't already seen it, check out this thread, it covers a lot of questions such as this.
Synopsis:
Basically PbP works by having a group of players and a GM conducting the game over the internet by way of a messageboard such as this one. Die rolls can be added to posts by using the [ dice ] tag, and you can use the [ ooc ] tag to mark portions of a post as out-of-character. Information that is player-specific or requires a skill check or requires you to speak a certain language is often placed within a [ spoiler ] tag.
Realtime or Turn-Based?
PbPs are not conducted in realtime. While groups may make use of Skype, AIM, GTalk, etc. to discuss things in private, all of the actual gameplay takes place on the messageboards. Therefore, the GM will need to develop skills and precedents for handling differences in the players' posting schedules. It is also necessary that the GMs communicate their expectations to the players and vice-versa.
Maps:
In terms of combat and exploration, maps will generally be uploaded to the internet. Wikis, Dropbox, Flickr, Google Sites... many groups make use of such tools to share maps. In theory, you could probably use a VTT (Virtual Table Top), but since the game will not be taking place live that's rather unlikely and possibly overkill/undesirable.
Note that the GameMastery Maps Subscription now includes PDF copies of the various Flip-Mats and Map Packs. These can comes in VERY handy when making new maps for your game.
Example Map
Metagaming:
Because anyone can look inside of any spoiler to see die rolls or private information for specific characters, it's necessary to establish and understanding of how players should treat spoilers. Some GMs expressly forbid reading them if they aren't meant for you, although there's really no way to enforce this. Some GMs even avoid the use of spoilers for this reason and will email players or contact them via chat or text message to avoid problems.
I myself fully expect players will read every spoiler if only so as to be able to enjoy the full story. Therefore, the understanding I have with my group is that spoilered information cannot be acted upon by your character unless your character qualifies for it (i.e. understands the language, made their perception or sense motive check, etc). This requires that the GM trusts their players to be mature about such matters, but that might very well be considered a fundmental requirement for even wanting a player in your group anyway. ;)
Roleplaying Conventions:
One benefit that PbPs have over live games (whether face-to-face or live Internet games) is that the players and GM have much more time to consider their responses. Unlike in your local game where talking in character might seem goofy, and the style might be kick-in-the-door, many PbPs are heavy on the roleplaying with all parties speaking in character.
In most of the games I have seen, dialog is [ bold ], internal monologue is [ italicized ], shouting is in CAPS or [ bigger ], and whispering uses the [ smaller ] tag.
Example Conventions
Expectations:
If you've ever had a local game where you ran into personality conflicts because you and a friend like different things in a game, know that in a PbP the potential for this also exists. In fact, it can be MUCH more dramatic than you might expect because the players come from circles completely removed from your own. While it's impossible to list everything, try to be as transparent and open as possible about what the game entails and what you want from it. Likewise, encourage your players to reveal the same.
This means you'll want to disclose any houserules you have, your policy on handling new situations requiring GM adjudication, if any NPCs or GMPCs will be joining the group, if there will be tons of combat or if it's a political/intrigue game, etc. Mind you, this is likely to be an iterative list that will be refined and evolve over time. It's impossible (and probably undesirable) to list everything, so just do your best to list the big things. Also, keep it up-to-date with issues that have come up in your own game — that will help when players leave and new players join.
Example Expectations
Workload:
Running a PBP can be a LOT more work than running a local game. At the very least, it will likely require a GM to learn new time-management, player-management, and story-telling methods, as well as learning the technological tools that will be employed. One thing that will help you to avoid burn-out will be to learn tools that will make your life easier and eliminate lots of repetitive typing. There are some links in my profile to a few such tools for every major operating system in use right now. I'd advise you to pick one and learn. That way you can concentrate more on storytelling and less on typing forum codes, die rolls, and initiative orders. ;)
Communication:
In my experience, something that is vital to a PbP is for the players and GM to be in friendly contact outside of the game thread. With local games, you hang out at each others' houses, visit the same game store, or just engage in conversation about other interests while waiting for players to arrive or during breaks. To keep a PbP healthy, IMO you really need to keep the channels for casual communication alive. After all, what separates tabletop RPGs from computer games the MOST is the social aspect of interacting with your friends. If you take that away, you reduce the experience to that of client-server computer paradigm.
There's probably a lot more I could say, but that's hopefully enough for an overview without being too much.
All right, everyone’s points are well taken. Here then is Take 3. Minor changes mostly, but (as per Drogan Tome’s suggestion) I have made the eldritch blast and invocations supernatural abilities instead of spell-like, which also necessitated a few other changes to various invocations and abilities, including the removal of Hammer Blast (it isn’t really necessary any more). I removed sonic from the types of energy damage the warlock can resist; but honestly, how many sonic damage spells and creatures are there? In addition, I renamed enervating blast to utterdark blast, and removed the old utterdark blast (the one that healed Undead). Sorry, no cabal of 18th-level Lich Warlocks for you, smilodan.
Hopefully, this is the final version.
Master Arminas
The Pathfinder Warlock: A Conversion (Take 3)
Born with eldritch power coursing through their veins, Warlocks are a breed apart from more traditional wielders of arcane magic. They see things that no child should notice, and they know things that none of such an age should be aware of. From their childhood years onward, Warlocks are isolated, as their neighbors begin to sense the strange power within him. Eventually, all fledging Warlocks grow angry, and manifest their first eldritch blast, often with tragic consequences. For those who are not simply killed by frightened peasants or do not go mad over the results of their actions, it is the first step on a perilous career to harness the raw energy exuding from within them. Those few discover that they do not wield magic, they are magic: a living, breathing avatar of eldritch energy.
No one knows the source of a Warlock's powers, not sages, not mystics, not even the Warlock himself. Unlike a sorcerer who is born to a blood-heritage that influences his magic, many fledgling Warlocks have no history of such influences in their family tree. Nor does race seem to matter to the power that gifts a Warlock with their abilities. Every race has seen some of its children born with this precarious gift.
Because of the toll inflicted on a Warlock by the constant rejection and hostility that he faces, most are neutral in alignment--at best. A significant minority are completely evil in outlook, seeking to do unto others as they have done unto him. Although rare, good Warlocks do exist, seeking to harness the eldritch powers within them for a purpose and cause higher than one’s own self. Sadly, even these few are shunned by those who become aware of what they are, for the stories of evil wrought by more malevolent Warlocks are the common fare of bards and commoners.
To be a Warlock is to be alone, a being never fully trusted by anyone who fears what unknown forces might well be granting these perilous powers to a mere mortal.
Role: Warlocks, while no true substitute for a sorcerer or wizard, are an excellent supplement to them. While their spells lack those which cause damage, for that purpose the class possesses eldritch blast, and there are many battlefield control and utility spells on their list. They also gain more skills than more traditional arcane casters, and their proficiency with arms and armor (and higher hit points) serves them well in melee.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d8
Base Attack Bonus: Medium
Good Saving Throws: Will
Class Skills: Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Fly (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Knowledge (The Planes) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: The warlock is proficient with all simple weapons. He is proficient with light armor, but not with medium or heavy armor, or with shields of any type. The warlock can cast warlock spells (but not arcane spells gained from other classes) in light armor without incurring the normal chance of arcane spell failure. While wearing medium or heavy armor or when using a shield, a warlock suffers the normal chance of spell failure.
CLASS FEATURES
Eldritch Blast (Su): A warlock gains a supernatural ability known as the eldritch blast; this ability allow the warlock to focus his eldritch arcane energy into a damaging blast of dark energies able to wound, or even kill, his opponents. As a standard action a warlock can make a ranged touch attack against an opponent within 60 feet, dealing 1d8 points of damage (the damage results from pure arcane energy and does not possess an energy type, therefore energy resistances and immunities offer no protection). The target of the eldritch blast receives no saving throw. Although the eldritch blast itself does not provoke an attack of opportunity, it should be noted that all ranged touch attacks in Pathfinder do provoke an attack of opportunity when the to-hit roll is made.
At 2nd level, and every two warlock levels gained thereafter, the damage inflicted by an eldritch blast increases by 1d8 to a maximum of 11d8 at 20th level.
An eldritch blast is not subject to spell resistance.
An eldritch blast deals half damage to objects.
For the purposes of the spells globe of invulnerability, lesser globe of invulnerability, and similar powers and effects, a 1st level warlock’s eldritch blast has an effective spell level equal to a 1st-level spell. At each odd-numbered warlock level gained thereafter, the eldritch blast strength increases by one level, to an effective spell of 9th-level at warlock level 17.
Invocations (Su): Warlocks learn a number of magic tricks, called invocations, which he can apply to his eldritch blast. At 1st level, a warlock gains one of the following minor invocations of his choice. He gains an additional invocation at 2nd level and for every 2 levels attained after 2nd level. A warlock cannot select an individual invocation more than once.
Unless otherwise noted, invocations are part of the same standard action a warlock uses to unleash his eldritch blast. The save (if any) to resist an invocation is equal to 10 + ½ the warlock’s level + the warlock’s Charisma modifier.
A warlock can apply only one invocation to any given eldritch blast.
Minor Invocations (Su):
Beshadowed Blast (Su): The target of the eldritch blast suffers normal damage and must make a Fortitude saving throw or become blinded for 2 rounds. On a successful save, the target is instead dazzled for 1 round. A warlock must be at least 6th level to select this invocation.
Boreal Blast (Su): The warlock alters his eldritch blast to inflict cold damage. The damage on his eldritch blast increases by +1d8; this extra damage applies only to the boreal blast.
Eldritch Spear (Su): The warlock can use his eldritch blast at medium range (100 ft. + 10 ft./level) instead of the standard 60-foot range.
Exsanguinating Blast (Su): The target of the eldritch blast suffers normal damage and must make a Fortitude saving throw or suffer 1d6 points of bleed damage. On a successful save, the target is instead suffers 1 point of bleed damage. Regardless, the DC for a heal check to staunch the bleeding is equal to that of the invocation; a cure wounds spell of any level automatically staunches this effect. A warlock must be at least 4th level to select this invocation.
Frightful Blast (Su): The target of the eldritch blast suffers normal damage and must make a Will saving throw or become shaken for 2 rounds. On a successful save, the target not affected. This is a mind-affecting, fear affect.
Hideous Blow (Su): The warlock infuses his melee weapon with the power of his eldritch blast. This invocation may be used as a standard action, and imbues one melee weapon which the warlock is currently wielding with the energy of his eldritch blast. As part of the invocation, the warlock may make a single melee attack roll with his weapon, gaining a bonus on the attack roll equal to the warlock’s Charisma modifier (if any). If the attack successful hits the warlock deals normal weapon damage plus the full damage of his eldritch blast. A successful critical hit (using the weapons critical threat range) deals normal critical hit damage for both the weapon and the eldritch blast. Since hideous blow is not a ranged touch attack, this is the only eldritch blast invocation that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. A warlock must be at least 6th level to select this invocation.
Hindering Blast (Su): The target of the eldritch blast suffers normal damage and must make a Will saving throw or become slowed for 2 rounds. On a successful save, the target is not affected.
Inferno Blast (Su): The warlock alters his eldritch blast to inflict fire damage. The damage on his eldritch blast increases by +1d8; this extra damage applies only to the inferno blast.
Maelstrom Blast (Su): The warlock alters his eldritch blast to inflict electricity damage. The damage on his eldritch blast increases by +1d8; this extra damage applies only to the maelstrom blast.
Sickening Blast (Su): The target of the eldritch blast suffers normal damage and must make a Fortitude saving throw or become sickened for 2 rounds. On a successful save, the target is not affected.
Spells: A warlock casts arcane spells drawn from the warlock spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. To learn or cast a spell, a warlock must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a warlock’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the warlock’s Charisma modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a warlock can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is the same as that of the Bard class. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score.
The warlock’s selection of spells is extremely limited. A warlock begins play know four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of the warlock’s choice. At each new warlock level, he gains one or more new spells, as per the Bard spells known table. (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a warlock knows is not affected by his Charisma score.)
Upon reaching 5th level, and at every third warlock level after that (8th, 11th, and so on), a warlock can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, the warlock “loses” the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least one level lower than the highest-level warlock spell the warlock can cast. A warlock may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level.
A warlock need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his allotment of spells per day for the spell’s level.
Cantrips (Su): Warlocks learn a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells, as noted under ‘Spells Known’. These spells are cast like any other spell, but they do not consume any slots and may be used again.
Damage Reduction (Ex): At 3rd level, the warlock’s exposure to eldritch arcane energies begins to strengthen his body, providing protection from many attacks. He gains DR 2/cold iron. This increases by 1 at 5th level and every two levels gained thereafter, to a maximum of DR/10 cold iron at 19th level.
Energy Resistance (Ex): At 5th level, the warlock gains resistance 10 to two of the following energy types: acid, cold, electricity, and fire. The warlock chooses which types of energy he becomes resistant to. At 11th level, both of these resistances increase to 20. At 17th level, the warlock’s energy resistances once again increase, this time to 30.
Eldritch Intensity (Ex): At 6th level, a warlock may add his Charisma modifier (if any) as a bonus on the damage inflicted by his eldritch blast, up to a maximum bonus equal to ½ the warlock’s class level . At 13th level, this bonus on eldritch blast increases to twice the warlock's Charisma modifier, to a maximum bonus equal to the warlock's class level.
Eldritch Resilience (Su): At 7th level, the warlock can use his eldritch energy to reknit his tissues, sinews, and bones. The warlock can use a swift action to grant himself fast healing 1 for 20 rounds. At 10th level, and every three levels gained thereafter, the fast healing granted by eldritch resilience increases by 1 to a maximum of fast healing 5 at 18th level. The warlock can use this ability twice per day at 13th level and three times per day at 19th level.
Eldritch Aura (Su): At 8th level, a warlock’s eldritch power grows strong enough that he unconsciously releases damaging attacks on those who harm him. Any melee attack that damages the warlock for at least 1 point of lethal damage causes a backlash in eldritch energy. This backlash deals 1d8 points of damage to the attacker. This damage results from pure arcane energy and does not possess an energy type, therefore energy resistances, energy immunities, and damage reduction of any type offer no protection against it. It always deals lethal damage and is not under the conscious control of the warlock. Any melee attack that inflicts lethal damage to the warlock provokes the use of this ability.
At 12th level, and every four levels gained thereafter as a warlock, the damage inflicts by the warlock’s eldritch aura increases by 1d8, to a maximum of 4d8 at 20th level.
Eldritch Knowledge (Su): At 9th level, the warlock gains a 1st-level arcane spell of his choice that he may add to his list of spells known. He may select from any 1st-level bard, magus, sorcerer/wizard, or witch spell to add to his spells known. At 11th level, and every two levels gained thereafter, the warlock gains knowledge of another arcane spell, each time of a progressively higher level (2nd-level spell at 11th level, 3rd-level spell at 13th-level, etc.). At 19th level, when the warlock gains this ability, he may select a single 7th-level sorcerer/wizard or witch spell and add it to the list of his spells known as a 6th-level warlock spell.
Major Invocations (Su): Starting at 10th level, and every two levels thereafter, a warlock can choose one of the following major invocations whenever he could select a new invocation.
Bewitching Blast (Su): The target of the eldritch blast suffers normal damage and must make a Fortitude saving throw or become confused for 2 rounds. On a successful save, the target is dazed for 1 round.
Eldritch Bolt (Su): The warlock invokes his eldritch blast in a 120-foot line that is 5-feet wide and affects all creatures within the area. No attack is needed for this invocation, but all targets in the area of effect are allowed a Reflex save for one-half damage.
Eldritch Cone (Su): The warlock invokes his eldritch blast in a 60-foot cone that affects all creatures within the area. No attack is needed for this invocation, but all targets in the area of effect are allowed a Reflex save for one-half damage.
Entropic Blast (Su): This invocation can only be used against objects weighing no more than 10 pounds per warlock level. The object takes normal damage from the eldritch blast, and has its hardness reduced by one-half. This is an instantaneous effect. Any single object can only be affected once by this invocation. Magical objects are allowed a Will save to negate the effects of this invocation; non-magical objects are automatically affected.
Fatiguing Blast (Su): The target of the eldritch blast suffers normal damage and must make a Fortitude saving throw or become fatigued. On a successful save, the target is not affected. This invocation does not stack with itself. If a creature fails it’s save against this invocation twice, he remains fatigued and does not become exhausted.
Noxious Blast (Su): The target of the eldritch blast suffers normal damage and must make a Fortitude saving throw or become nauseated for 2 rounds. On a successful save, the target is sickened for 1 round.
Repelling Blast (Su): The target of the eldritch blast suffers normal damage and must make a Will saving throw or be moved 5 feet in a direction directly away from the warlock for every 5 points of damage he suffers. If the target strikes an immobile, solid object (such as wall) while still having movement remaining, he suffers an additional 1d6 points of bludgeoning damage for every 5 feet of movement remaining. While moving in such a fashion, the target provokes attacks of opportunity. A successful save negates the repelling effect.
Thundering Blast (Su): The warlock alters his eldritch blast to inflict sonic damage. Unlike other invocations that alter the energy of his eldritch blast no additional damage dice are gained.
Vitriolic Blast (Su): The warlock alters his eldritch blast to inflict acid damage. The damage on his eldritch blast increases by +2d8; this extra damage applies only to the vitriolic blast.
Weakening Bolt (Su): Any creature damaged by the warlock’s eldritch bolt must make a Will save or take 2 points of Strength damage. On a successful save, the target only takes 1 point of Strength damage.
Empower Invocation (Su): At 11th level, a warlock may empower (as per the feat Empower Spell) his eldritch blast or any invocation that he knows. He may use this ability once per day. At 13th level, and every two warlock levels gained thereafter, a warlock gains one daily use of this ability, to a maximum of five times per day at 19th level.
Greater Invocation (Su): Starting at 18th level, and every two levels thereafter, a warlock can choose of one of the following greater invocations whenever he could select a new invocation.
Banishing Blast (Su): The target of the eldritch blast suffers normal damage. If the target is an outsider or a creature otherwise summoned or called through a spell-effect (such as a creature summoned by any summon monster or summon nature’s ally spell) it must make a Will saving throw or suffer the effects of dismissal (as per the spell) if the target is an outsider. If the target has merely been summoned via a spell but is not an outsider, this invocation ends that spell for the targeted creature if the creature fails to make his Will saving throw, immediately sending it back to where it was summoned from.
Eldritch Doom (Su): The warlock invokes his eldritch blast in a 20-foot radius spread with a range of 60-feet that affects all creatures within the area. No attack roll is needed for this invocation, but all targets in the area of effect are allowed a Reflex save for one-half damage.
Exhausting Blast (Su): The target of the eldritch blast suffers normal damage and must make a Fortitude saving throw or become exhausted. On a successful save, the target is fatigued instead. This invocation does not stack with itself. If a creature successfully saves against this invocation twice, he remains fatigued and does not become exhausted.
Horrific Blast (Su): The target of the eldritch blast suffers normal damage and must make a Will saving throw or be stunned for 2 rounds. On a successful save, the target is staggered for 1 round.
Mirror Blast (Su): The warlock can select two targets within range of his eldritch blast, so long as both targets are within 30 feet of each other. He makes a melee touch attack against both targets, and each suffers the full damage from his eldritch blast if his attack rolls are successful.
Utterdark Blast (Su): The target of the eldritch blast suffers normal damage and must make a Fortitude saving throw or gain 2 negative levels. On a successful save, the target does not gain any negative levels. Undead creatures suffer no damage and gain no benefit from this invocation.
Warlock Supreme (Su): At 20th level, the warlock undergoes an eldritch apotheosis that is the culmination of all that he has strived to achieve. His energy resistances improve to immunities and he gains resistance 10 against the two energy types he did not select. Once per round, he may use his eldritch blast, and any applied invocations, as a swift action instead of a standard action. His damage reduction increases to DR 10/cold iron and magic. The warlock can also select one 8th-level sorcerer/wizard or witch spell of his choice and add it to his spells known as a 6th-level warlock spell.
6th-level Spells: Acid Fog, Circle of Death, Contingency, Eyebite, Flesh to Stone, Geas/Quest, Greater Dispel Magic, Mass Suggestion, Mislead, Shadow Walk, True Seeing
Warlocks and Meta- Feats: Warlocks are not eligible for feats such as Empower Spell-Like Ability or Quicken Spell-Like Ability. Although the eldritch blast and various invocations are classified as spell-like abilities, there is sufficient difference between the two that the warlock is unable to use these monster feats. In much the same fashion, a warlock cannot apply a metamagic feat to his eldritch blast or to his various invocations (although he can apply such feats to his spells as normal).
Warlocks and Ability Focus: Warlocks may take the feat Ability Focus. It must be taken for a specific invocation that requires a saving throw and does not apply to any other invocation that the warlock knows or invokes. A warlock can select this feat multiple times. Each time, it applies to a different invocation.
A Few Words on Wizards of Coasts 3.5 Feats: My take on the Warlock is quite different in feel than the official Wizards (or Adamant Entertainment) version. I strongly suggest that the DM disavow feats such as Extra Invocation or Extra Spell for the Warlock; he is deliberated limited a very narrow range of spells and invocations. Giving him still more would dilute the favor of the class immensely. And to be frank, he doesn’t need them. Played intelligently, this version of the Warlock class is more than capable of holding its own in nearly any party (as long as the other members are not AM BARBARIAN or Pun-Pun clones).
Yeah, over at 4th Edition they reclassified the classic demilich as an elaborate trap. :)
My favorite demilich: the snarky one from Jeff Grubb's Forgotten Realms comic. When someone tried to turn him: "Oh, fear. Oh, panic. Oh, drop the woman and hie away to the hills."
With the vastness of Avistan and Garund we have a LOT going on on the macro and micro levels. There's the Cheliax/Andoran conflict, the cold war between Taldor and Qadira, the possibility of true peace between Nex and Geb, Razmiran proselytizers, and so much more. While all of these are fantastic material for adventure, the world is static. The setting isn't actually changing much (outside of expansion into Tian Xia and elsewhere). Cheliax and Andoran are still rivals, Razmiran priests are still mucking about, the Hordes of Belkenzen remain in their mountains, etc.
Many of the nations of the Inner Sea region have a ton of potential for this, depending on where an individual GM wants to go with it (although I agree with the above statements about not wanting the canonical setting itself to get shaken up every couple of years!).
Event option 1,
'Needs must, when the devil drives' or 'Unlikely bedfellows';
The Worldwound is currently on 'slow boil,' but could explode at any moment, and if Mendev falls, a much more intriguing set of battle-lines, with Ustalav, Numeria, Belkzen and the Realms of the Mammoth Lords could take place. (The demons don't expand north, onto the Crown of the World, 'cause of hard-learned experience of A) how little there is to plunder and devour there and B) how really unfriendly Shoggoth are to those who attempt to plunder their frozen abandoned haunts...)
Sections of Ustalav could fall, only to have someone take advantage of the chaos to free Tar-Baphon (or perhaps one of his powerful servants, the 'Kas' to his 'Vecna'), and create a eternal war between undead hordes and demonic minions, with the surviving mortal population of Ustalav caught in the middle, viewed as tasty snacks and squishy playthings by one side, and a fresh supply of soon-to-be-undead recruits by the other.
In Belkzen, the orcs no more want to be devoured by rampaging demons than anyone else, and a surge of Gorumite-led orcish mercenary groups could attempt to hold the line, and create their own versions of 'warding stones' to protect their own holdings. Lacking the special advantages of some of the other lands, Belkzen might be almost overrun in short order, and troops from Lastwall (bolstered by fresh recruits from Nirmathas, Molthune, the Five Kingdoms, etc.) might ride into the heart of Belkzen, right past retreating and regrouping orcish encampments and refugee trains, to engage the approaching demons, to the shock and confusion of orc and crusader alike, as they buy the orcs time to regroup (and get their non-combatants to safety, behind *human* lines!). Tensions will be strained by orc tribes converting en masse to demon-worship, revering the strength of their conquerors, and wanting to be 'on the winning side.' On the front lines, troops of dwarves, humans and orcs will fight demonic invaders, with orcs of their own, and the occasional Five Kingdoms axe or Nirmathan arrow may find itself lodged in the wrong orcish skull, in a sort of 'friendly fire' accident...
In Numeria, the Black Sovereign and his 'techno-mages' won't give up Starmount without a fight, and big gun-equipped mecha-scorpions won't be the only surprise they are ready to bring to bear on the encroaching demon hordes. Mendevian knights forced to retreat into Numeria will be grudgingly tolerated, and wonder behind their hastily-constructed fallback redoubts, what sort of horrible alliance they have made, as drug-addicted techno-sorcerers and soulless mechanical horrors from beyond the stars fight the demons at their side.
The Realm of the Mammoth Lords seems likely to fare worse, lacking the more supernatural defenses available to Numeria, and, in the worst case, to Ustalav. Still, there's something to be said for the damage a herd of mammoths, or even a stampede of dinosaurs, could inflict, even to demons! It's also possible that agents of Baba Yaga could be drawn into the fray, intending to stop the demonic incursion before it reaches Irrisen (and, in the process, taking the Mammoth Lords lands for themselves). The Mammoth Lords may have no love for the Winter Witches (and vice-versa), but when demons are pouring over their eastern flank, better to allow winter wolf and ice troll slaves of the witches to engage them than to risk the extinction of their local mega-fauna on suicide charges.
Druma would contribute no troops, but every Drumite craftsmage would be set to pumping out arrows of demon slaying by the thousands, and they would be made available at precisely controlled prices by the Kalistocracy (single-handedly preventing wartime price-gouging, as they seize utter control of certain markets, out of 'enlightened self-interest').
Cheliax, while offering token support to the actions in Numeria and Belkzen (through Molthune, in the latter case), would buckle down and ruthlessly secure their own country and borders, erecting wardstones of their own, rumored to exist more to keep Chelish citizens in, than outside forces out.
There was gonna be an 'Option 2; Azlant Rising' and 'Option 3; The Gebbite Gambit,' but Option 1 kind of ran long...
Note: This thread is just for fun.
Note2: This thread is just for fun.
I thought it might be amusing to see how we can "break" the CR system by various appliances of templates, optimized NPC's and the like. The point of the thread is NOT to try to "prove" that the CR system is bad, because as we know all systems can be broken. It's just because it's fun to see how well we can optimize things for a given CR.
Using odd interpretations of the rules are okay, but breaking them is not.
My examples:
Skezriax The Fleshless (EL5):
Once a powerful sorcerer, skilled in necromantic arts, Shezriax made a pact with the lords of hell - in exchange for his loyalty and service, he would not become some lowly dretch upon his death but instead a fiend of some respect. When he died the lords held their promise - he was reborn an incubus. However, he was made small and physically frail, so his struggle in the hells where greater than for most. Despite that, he made it all the way through the promotion - finally ending up as a pit fiend, yet still physically small and weak. Other pit fiends thought him an abomination to pit-fiendness, and so he was sent on dangerous mission after dangerous mission in the hopes that he'd get killed. Finally, during a mission to Golarion he was, but the necromantic powers still flowed through him and he rised as a skeletal champion. Now he haunts Golarion, finding and killing any adventurers he sees, in a vain attempt to get some revenge after dying twice and still not getting rest...
Skezriax, young skeletal champion pit fiend (CR5)
LE diminutive undead (extraplanar)
Init +22; Senses darkvision 60 ft., see in darkness; Perception +35
Aura fear (20 ft., DC 23)
DEFENSE
AC 34, touch 32, flat-footed 16 (+18 Dex, +4 size, +2 natural)
hp 275 (22d8+176); regeneration 5 (good weapons, good spells)
Fort +7, Ref +25, Will +23
DR 15/good and silver, DR 5/bludgeoning; channel resistance +4; Immune fire, poison, cold; Resist acid 10; undead traits; SR 31
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft.
Melee 2 claws +23 (1d4+6), 2 wings +18 (1d3+3), bite +23 (1d6+6 plus poison and disease), tail slap +18 (1d4+3 plus grab)
Space 5 ft., Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks constrict 1d4+6, devil shaping
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 18th)
At will—blasphemy (DC 25), create undead, fireball (DC 21), greater dispel magic, greater teleport (self plus 50 lbs. of objects only), greater scrying (DC 25), invisibility, magic circle against good, mass hold monster (DC 27), persistent image (DC 23), power word stun, scorching ray, trap the soul (DC 26), unholy aura (DC 26), wall of fire
3/day—quickened fireball (DC 21), quickened empowered wall of fire
1/day—meteor swarm, summon (level 9, any 1 CR 19 or lower devil, 100%)
1/year—wish
STATISTICS
Str 23, Dex 47, Con -, Int 26, Wis 30, Cha 26
Base Atk +16; CMB +34 (+38 grapple); CMD 53
Feats Cleave, Empower Spell-like Ability (wall of fire), Great Cleave, Improved Initiative, Improved Iron Will, Improved Vital Strike, Iron Will, Multiattack, Power Attack, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (fireball), Quicken Spell-Like Ability (wall of fire) Vital Strike
Skills Appraise +19, Bluff +30, Diplomacy +30, Disguise +22, Intimidate +33, Knowledge (arcana) +33, Knowledge (planes) +30, Knowledge (religion) +33, Perception +35, Sense Motive +35, Spellcraft +33, Stealth +55, Use Magic Device +30
Languages Celestial, Common, Draconic, Infernal; telepathy 100 ft.
SPECIAL ABILITIES
- Devil Shaping (Su): For details, see Pit Fiend
- Devil Chills: Bite—injury; save Fort DC 20; onset immediate; frequency 1/day; effect 1d4 Str damage; cure 3 consecutive saves.
- Poison (Ex) Bite—injury; save Fort DC 20; frequency 1/round for 10 rounds; effect 1d6 Con damage; cure 3 consecutive saves.
When scrying around and seeing some group of hapless adventurers, he usually teleports invisibly to their vicinity - preferably when they're asleep, he's a mean bastard. On the first round, he usually casts Mass Hold Monster (DC 27), followed by a quickened empowered wall of fire on as many as possible. Second round he usually mops up survivors through a quickened fireball followed by, if needed, meteor swarm. While he's lost the ability to fly, he often still carries a potion of fly to use as needed.
How it's broken: This is completely RAW and not an interpretation. Skeletal Champion gives a CR equal to skeleton CR+1, skeleton CR is 8 for a 20HD creature. Then it's -4 for applying Young four times, which actually is a beneficial template for a creature without a con score. I DID give him an extra feat in exchange for the double improved initiative. I didn't swap any other feats though (great cleave for weapon finesse? yes please).
On to the second, which is where I got the idea to the thread (from the "staves are to expensive" thread)...
Blinn the Accidental Havoc-Wreaker (EL 2):
Blinn had always put his nose where he shouldn't. After being relegated from the second school of magic, despite showing some talent, he dedicated his life to full-time arcane burglary. Just lately, he's stolen a wand that looks really pretty, although it IS kinda old and worn. He hasn't had time to identify it, but is looking for a fence for that and some other stuff, when BAM he runs into some holier-than-thou soldier and his pals on some "quest" to stop all the thefts from the mages guild lately... Whoops. What to do? Well, he can test the wand at least!
Blinn CR2
XP 400
Human wizard 1/rogue 2
NE Medium humanoid
Init +6; Senses Perception +5
DEFENSE
AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +2 Dex)
hp 22 (3 HD; 8+1d8+1d6+6)
Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +2
Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee Dagger +3 (1d4/19-20)
Special Attacks sneak attack +1d6
STATISTICS
Str 13, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 10
Base Atk +1; CMB +4; CMD 16
Feats Weapon finesse, improved initiative, scribe scroll
Skills linguistics +7, knowledge (arcana) +7, spellcraft +7, knowledge (local) +7, stealth +7, perception +4, bluff +4, appraise +5, diplomacy +4, sense motive +4
Languages Common, abyssal, elven, infernal
SQ trapfinding +1
Gear Wand of Summon Monster V (1 charge), dagger, some gems and trinkets worth ~50 gp
If blinn gets initiative, he uses the wand. He doesn't really know what he's doing, but either an infernal bearded devil, a babau, a salalamder or a kyton appears. He hopes for the best when he sees the creature and screams for it to attack, in all languages he can speak. Then he runs.
How it was broken: The rules can be read as that wands with X charges are readily available (75% chance) at X/50 original price. Thus a 1 charge wand of a 4th level spell, such as a summon monster V from a summoner, only costs between 420 and 600 gp. It also requires no checks whatsoever to succeed as long as you have the spell on your list! Since 3rd level heroic classed characters have a 650 gp alotment for weapons, yeah...
It's true. While the bardic performance ability and the Perform skill are both closely related... they aren't co-dependant. Think of it as similar to the relationship between spellcasting and the Spellcraft skill. You can still cast spells if you don't have ranks in Spellcraft.
From a roleplaying viewpoint, it makes sense that a bard who has ranks in specific Perform skills will want to use those performances to add flavor to his bardic performance ability to describe and represent what his bardic performance actually looks like... but he doesn't actually ever NEED ranks in a Perform skill to use bardic performance. He only ever needs to make a Perform check for a few of his specialized bardic performance skills (such as countersong or distraction) but he can do that EVEN if he has no ranks in a particular Perform check. He'll just create a better result if he uses a check he's really good at is all.
For things like fascinate, inspire courage, inspire competence, and most other bardic performance abilities, the Perform skill doesn't interact with the bardic performance at all.
If you have a bard with 20 ranks in Perform (keyboard), you can STILL use inspire courage on the battle field to grant bonuses to allies and keep fighting or spellcasting yourself. You aren't actually playing the piano while you're fighting or spellcasting just because your best Perform skill happens to be Perform (keyboard).
Okay; I've been thinking this over and rephrased myself better on a similar thread... but basically, here's the trick.
Bardic performance does NOT require you to use a Perform skill that you have ranks in. It doesn't even need a Perform skill at all. Not only is Perform usable untrained, but the bardic performance ability does not require you to make Perform checks of any kind except for a few specific TYPES of bardic performance, such as countersong or distraction.
This means that when you inspire courage, you're not necessarily doing so by playing the flute or banging drums. It's more likely that you're singing or bragging or taunting or dancing or otherwise just showboating to raise your allies' morale. If you WANT to say that your bardic performance is from a particularly rousing violin solo, that's fine... but once it's started you don't have to keep playing the violin if you want to put the violin down and fight or spellcast or whatever because the actual Perform (strings) skill doesn't ever enter the picture.
I've seen ir repeatedly put forth on a number of forums that players using races that are disliked in an area, be it half-orc, tiefling, drow, or some humanoid out of the Bestiary/Monster Manual, are "free game" so to speak. Often with undertones of "those players are doing it wrong anyway" and that they're being taught a lesson. They range anywhere from "untrusted and ostracized whereever they go" to "lynched/shot in the first session, no exceptions".
Generally, the gist is "make that PC as miserable as possible" often with no real hope of it ever getting better.
Adversity stemming from a player's race choice is fine and dandy, and is a great roleplaying opportunity, but if the world refuses to react to that PCs attempts to overcome adversity it becomes something else. A PC half-orc or harpy being distrusted, feared, and pelted by rocks from villagers that don't know them is one thing. Those same characters getting the same exact treatment after they've risked life and limb for those villagers multiple times is something else. I can speak with experience that it's frustrating and miserable when you've got frequent and static persecution coming your character's way no matter what you do, though this came from another PC rather than the GM(whose world was affected by player actions).
If that player has no real hope of getting the world to react to what they're doing, then why should they bother with the game?
And then there's the first session lynching scenario that some GMs actually brag about using. If the GM isn't going to give the player an honest chance with that character, they shouldn't have allowed it in the first place. Otherwise it serves no purpose but to grief that player. If the GM wants to run a world with that level of haterade for that race and allows such a PC, they have to work with that player to give them a reasonable way to get by. Goblins of Golarion features a helpful baseline to build from in its player advice section, for one canonical example.
There's also the irony that so many who knock "monster PCs" as being angst-ridden as a rule often suggest that they would run their games involving such characters in such a way that non-stop angst is the only reasonable reaction. For all the hate Drizzt gets from these GMs, they certainly seem hellbent on shoehorning monster PCs into that role.
I don't know, it seems frequent online, but how common is it for GMs to set out to make players regret their race choice, regardless of what the players actually do with their characters?
Note that this is not, and some will certainly try to read it this way, a suggestion that such characters' experiences should be all sunshine and rainbows. If the world is set up with them on the outs, they should face challenges because of it. But they should also be able to overcome those challenges and have the opportunity to do so.
After two unavoidable postponements, the next game is scheduled for this coming Saturday.
At the moment however, I’ll mention several things about the last game session. I haven’t gone on one of my Rants about players, since my Killer Age of Worms thread, but last game session has inspired me to do so. In the most recent session, there were twelve PC demises, and there was some pretty hefty player whining & complaining by my dear players.
[Turin, insert patriotic American music in the background of this ‘speech’.]
First of all, I hadn’t heard this much whining since back in the days when Hexen Ineptus was with my group. But I’m not writing to complain about my players whining directly, but rather WHY the whiny players are, the way they are. I’m sure you can point to certain personality types and some other related family/background issues being factors of why some players are Whiny. And yes, “Role-Playing” players seem to be more prone to whining than your typical 'hack'n'slash' player. But what really bothers me are the PANSY-ASS GM’s, [THAT’S RIGHT, I SAID IT!!!] who have “created” these types of players by running games year-in and year-out, where they let players off the hook, pull punches, allow overpowered/over-the-top characters & equipment, and provide candy-coated happy endings when the player’s characters were clearly in over their head or made stupid ‘in-game’ decisions that should have provoked the appropriate natural consequences (i.e. PC death/destruction).
This wouldn’t be an issue if these Pansy-ass GM’s perennially kept these players in their groups, but people move, people change gaming groups, etc, and the “corrupted” players of Pansy-Ass GM’s eventually find their way into other GM’s groups, like MINE. Think about it fellow GM’s: Have you ever had a group session where your players had low level characters, and wanted to be heroic/foolish by going after a monster/opponent that was clearly over their characters’ heads and beyond the ability of their characters to defeat? Sometimes it seems that not only are players eager to do this, but THEY EXPECT YOU TO PULL PUNCHES, BEND RULES, AND FUDGE DICE ROLLS to allow their underpowered characters to prevail in a close, last minute victory, against a vastly superior foe. Is this logical? Hell no. They do it, because they have been preconditioned to expect favorable results when taking huge risks that, dare I say ‘normal, intelligent’ players, would never take.
When players get spoiled with a long history of this kind of GM’ing style, it is only natural that said players are going to carry these insane expectations into future gaming groups that they are involved with. And when their ridiculous expectations are not met & catered to, they become upset and start whining.
Fellow GM’s, can we just stop with the Candy-coated games where the players routinely win in the face of insurmountable odds and their own bone-headed decisions. Please fellow GM’s, will you start routinely applying the natural consequences to your players’ bad decisions & lousy dice rolls during the game. Otherwise, would you please keep all of these spoiled players that you have helped create in YOUR groups for the foreseeable future.
There have been a lot of homebrew races posted in these forums, and a great many of them are quite broken and very one-sided. There ARE some minor guidelines in the pathfinder conversion guide for making or converting races (which are often ignored, I might add) but not a lot of information on building up races that will lack an adjustment. So, after looking over the races I've written up a rough set of guidelines for making a race that will not be game-breaking, and which will be roughly on par with existing races, without having a level adjustment (typically).
Start here for stats. For the purposes of the guidelines, stat category means "physical" or "mental":
+2 to a stat of choice if the race is at least half human.
+2 to a predetermined stat and +2 to a stat of the other category, balanced with a subtraction from the same stat category.
Bonuses are racial bonuses, penalties are untyped penalties. Thus, racial bonuses do not stack, but the penalties do. The guidelines for races in PF are not "any combination of stats that sum to +2" as some people seem to believe.
As for racial abilities, races should have roughly the equivalent of 2.5 feats worth of abilities. To avoid dealing with fractions, we'll convert the 2.5 feats into 10 points... thus, 4 points is equivalent to 1 feat. Here are some examples of racial abilities and their "point cost":
10 point racial ability:
Improve a racial stat bonus from +2 to +4
8 point racial ability:
A feat of the player's choice
Add a new +2 bonus to a stat that lacks it in a category that already has a bonus
4 point racial abilities:
up to 30 foot fly, burrow, climb speed or up to 50' swim speed
negate -2 worth of racial stat penalty.
switch a racial stat bonus to the other category.
+2 to a stat in a category with no stat bonuses yet.
+1 bonus to all saving throws
+1 AC bonus (armor, natural armor, etc)
spell resistance of 6+class levels
One natural attack that deals 1d6 or two (ie claws) that deal 1d4
anything that resembles an existing feat (ie, gnome magic's +1 DC is identical to spell focus)
2 point racial abilities:
1 bonus skill point per class level
+2 save bonus vs. small set of specific things (ie, fear, poison, disease... up to 3)
+2 racial bonus to two different skills.
Immunity to one type of effect (ie fear, sleep, poison)
+5 spell resistance if the race already has it.
One natural attack that deals 1d3 points
Amphibious (breath both air and water)
Darkvision 60'
speed not reduced by heavy armor
anything that resembles an existing feat but with half the bonus
1 point racial abilities:
+4 dodge bonus vs. a specific creature type.
+4 CMD bonus vs. one type of combat maneuver.
+2 save vs one very specific thing
+2 racial bonus to a skill.
+1 attack bonus vs. specific creature types (one type - for humanoid and outsider must select up to two subtypes)
Low-Light vision
Weapon familiarity (up to 4 martial weapons - if only exotics for the race, costs 0)
anything that is fairly trivial or minor
Things that give you MORE points to work with are generally penalties that are half as powerful as their same-point positive equivalents.
-4 point racial drawbacks
-2 penalty to a stat that lacks a penalty in a category that has no existing penalties.
-10 foot movement speed (a 5 foot penalty is worth nothing)
Vulnerability to fire or cold.
-2 point racial drawbacks
-2 penalty to a stat that already has an adjustment (positive or negative).
Negate racial bonus to one stat
Vulnerability to electricity, acid or sonic.
-1 point racial drawbacks
-2 penalty to a stat in a category where additional penalties have already been applied.
Light sensitivity
Very situational penalty (ie, merfolk not liking to be out of water for long)
These are by no means complete or comprehensive, but they do give a rough guideline for building PF races that have no level adjustment and are on par with the existing examples of races from the Core books. Here's a quick look at a few of the existing races:
Human:
+2 to any stat
bonus feat of choice (8 pts)
+1 skill point per level (2 pts)
Half-Orc:
+2 to any stat
Darkvision (2 pt)
Intimidating (1 pts)
Orc Blood (1 pt)
Orc Ferocity (4 pts)
Weapon Familiarity (1 pt)
Dwarf:
+2 Con, +2 Wis, -2 Cha
Slow (-4 pts)
..and steady (2 pts)
Darkvision (2 pts)
Defensive Training (1 pt)
Greed (none - so specific that its fluff)
Hatred (1 pt)
Hardy (3 pts) - ad hoc +1 adjustment since "spells and spell like abilities" is pretty broad
Stability (2 pts)
Stonecunning (2 pts) - ad hoc +1 adjustment for the utility of 10' notice range
Weapon Familiarity (1 pt)
Merfolk:
+2 Dex, +2 Con, +2 Cha
Slow x 2 (-8 pts)
Negate racial penalty (4 pts)
Swap bonus to other category (4 pts)
+2 bonus to another stat (4 pts)
50' swim speed (4 pts)
Ambibious (2 pts)
Low-light vision (1 pt)
Can't (or won't) spend too much time out of water (-1 pts) ad hoc
Goblin:
-2 Str, +4 Dex, -2 Cha
Improve +2 Dex to +4 Dec (10 pts)
-2 Str (-4 pts)
Negate bonus to mental stat (-2 pts)
Darkvision (2 pts)
Skilled (4 pts... +2 to two skills x 2)
Orc:
+4 Str, -2 Int, -2 Wis, -2 Cha
Improve +2 Str to +4 Str (10 pts)
Negate mental bonus (-2 pts)
Penalty to mental stat with bonus (-2 pts)
Penalty to new mental stat (-1 pts)
Penalty to new mental stat (-1 pts)
Darkvision (2 pts)
Ferocity (4 pts)
Light Sensitivity (-1 pt)
Weapon Familiarity (1 pt)
Hobgoblin (12 pts, thus +1 adjustment... or CR 1/2 rather than 1/3):
+2 Dex, +2 Con
Negate racial penalty (4 pts)
Swpa bonus to other category (4 pts)
Darkvision (2 pts)
Sneaky (2 pts)
Kobold (0 pt, thus -1 adjustment.. or CR 1/4 rather than 1/3):
-4 Str, +2 Dex, -2 Con
-2 Con (-4 pts)
-2 to Mental stat with bonus (-2 pts)
-2 to Strength with penalty (-2 pts)
Darkvision (2 pts)
Armor (4 pts)
Crafty (3 pts) +2 to 3 skills, and two are always class skills ad hoc +1 pt
Light Sensitivity (-1 pt)
As always, the best guideline is to look at a racial ability and say "would I accept this ability as being about as powerful as a single feat? Would I let players have this ability as a feat without reservation?" If no, its worth more than 4 points! In fact, if its something you probably wouldn't let a player have as a feat, the race as a whole probably needs a level adjustment and thus the ability should be worth 8, 10, or even more points. You'll note, for example, that no 3.5 race had "Powerful Build" and 0 level adjustment... Goliaths and Half-Giants were both +1 ECL... and yet maybe a third of the races people post have powerful build with 0 adjustment.
Also notice the diminishing returns on stat penalties in the same category. This prevents people from category-loading their penalties in order to super-charge the race's stats in the other category and/or give lots of racial abilities. The Orc is an example of how you can category-load your penalties and get a pretty decent focus on the other category, but not superhumanly so!
I hope this helps some folks. Obviously when you get into fancy and intricate races you'll need to use ad-hoc point adjustments in conjunction with your common sense - the latter being the best tool of all.
Provocative: You are extraordinarily beautiful and attract lust often in others, who seek the make you their own. Any time you are dealt nonlethal damage, you suffer +1 additional point of nonlethal damage for each die of nonlethal damage dealt to you. You may fail a Diplomacy check by 10 or less without having the character’s attitude toward you decreased by one step. At 5th level, you receive a +2 competence bonus on all Diplomacy checks and may take 10 on a Diplomacy check even if you are distracted or threatened. At 10th level, you may make a Diplomacy check to influence the attitude of another as a swift action. At 15th level, your Diplomacy checks to gather information take half the normal amount of time to search for rumors and informants.
The first in our new line of products designed to build on the material presented in the Advanced Player's Guide, this book presents thirteen new curses for players and GMs to use to burden oracle characters. They provide fatal flaws, afflictions, and weaknesses both physical and spiritual that, together with the attendant minor boons or resources they bring, open new challenges, pitfalls, and opportunities for peril and heroism to any party that includes an oracle.
The latest preview for Campaign Cogs- Sailing the Starlit Sea is now available at the Clockwork Gnome Publishing site.
The Major Planets of the Seren System
In Sailing the Starlit Sea, the Seren System is presented as the default setting. Its main purpose is to give GMs a jumping off point for their space fantasy campaigns while also providing inspiration for their own designs. The star system also acts as a baseline, an example of what an “average” solar neighborhood might look like. This brief overview is but a glimpse of the full details that will appear in the book.
Campaign Cogs- Sailing the Starlit Sea will be the essential book on fantasy space travel for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.
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Campaign Cogs- Sailing the Starlit Sea includes:
Details on outer space and the hazards one must face in those cold, airless depths.
Rules and guidelines for magic-driven starships and other modes of interstellar travel.
A sample solar system with five planets and a host of smaller celestial bodies that can be easily dropped into any space fantasy campaign.
New creatures that originate from alien stars and planets.
I didn't know outsiders treat as outsiders with racial HD so they should not be immune to the hold person type spells. I know devs have said they don't get the other benefits outsiders get such as automatic proficiency with martial weapons and so on.
They're saying here right now if that counts.
Weapon and armor proficiencies are basically "rewards" you get for taking a class level OR getting a racial hit die. Some races (like elf or tengu) do grant specific weapon proficiencies regardless of Hit Dice, and in those cases, they have a specific racial trait that lists that.
But beyond that, a creature that does not possess racial Hit Dice gains its weapon and armor proficiencies pretty much ONLY by taking class levels and feats. Thus, a tiefling or aasimar does not gain the standard Outsider trait of "proficient with all simple and martial weapons and any weapons mentioned in its entry," and the human doesn't gain the standard Humanoid trait of "proficient with all simple weapons."
It's not really spelled out as clearly as it probably should be, I agree, but it's also kind of common sense as well.
THAT SAID: it's true that spell effects DO care about type. Hold person won't hurt a tiefling or aasimar, for example. Neither will charm person.
The main reason the Aasimar is not balanced is cause when WoTC converted it to 3.x they forgot to or intentionally left off the racial negative.
The original 2nd racial stats mod: -2 CON, +1 WIS, +1 CHR, which in 3.x conversions would equate to a -4 CON, +2 WIS, +2 CHR.
I don't have my 2nd Edition Planeswalkers Handbook with me right now, but I do remember an option, that allowed the play to trade the CHR stat increase for a STR stat increase.
While am at it the Tiefling wasn't converted correctly either, the original racial stat mod: -1 STR, +1 INT, -1 WIS, +1 CHR, which in 3.x conversion would have been -2 STR, +2 INT, -2 WIS, +2 CHR.
Most playable races originally had a net gain to Stats of +0 and they didn't differentiate based on physical and mental back then.
Since the only open content is the 3.x stuff, are friends at paizo might be sum what limited in their conversions, of course I may be entirely off based with this comment and I'm sorry.
“Hello, roleplayers, look at your character, now back to mine, now back at your character, now back to mine. Sadly, it isn't mine, but if you stopped rolling fighters and wizards and switched over to alchemists, he could be crazy like me. Look down, back up, where are you? You’re in a dungeon with the character your character could fight like. What’s in your hand, back at me. I have it, it’s a bomb that will turn that monster into swiss cheese. Look again, that bomb is now an ooze. Anything is possible when you roll an alchemist insead of any other class. I've had to ask my DM about the viability of 4 handed weapons.”
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