paizo.com Recent Posts by Brandon Hodgepaizo.com Recent Posts by Brandon Hodge2024-03-27T17:49:03Z2024-03-27T17:49:03ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: What is peoples opinions on the Spiritualist and Medium classes?Brandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2uv4k&page=2?What-is-peoples-opinions-on-the-Spiritualist#772018-04-22T16:57:09Z2018-02-19T17:51:40Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Serisan wrote:</div><blockquote><br />
<br />
<div class="messageboard-quotee">PRD wrote:</div><blockquote><p>Ectoplasmic Armor (Su): At 4th level when an ectoplasmatist manifests her spiritual lash ability, tendrils of ectoplasmic material envelop her body, granting her a +4 armor bonus to AC.</p>
<p>At 12th level, the ectoplasmatist's armor bonus to AC increases to +6 and is treated as ghost touch armor.</blockquote><p>There's the rules hole in question.
<p>I really enjoy <a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=14tIaPkwkc8UawGw1EjWxau3cBSLE_udr" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">my Ectoplasmatist</a>, who relentlessly hunts down the undead. He's more than impressed some others with his ability to continue attacking while healing the party. As Illeist mentions, though, it was kind of a rough blow to have such a similar archetype come out in a softcover that seemed to... </blockquote><p>Ahhh yes. I see the problem redundant armor problem. I wrote that as a deflection bonus, and not sure why that changed on publication. These things happen, usually for good reasons.
<p>I'm not too familiar with the phantom blade and can't speak to the similarities, but I originally envisioned the ectoplasmatist as manifesting the spirit appendages of dead <i>creatures</i>, not weapons, and its lash originally emulated natural attacks (claws, bites, etc), with some special abilities that eventually let you perform monster special abilities like grab, rend, etc. When I get around to playing one at my table, that's probably the flavor I'll go with.</p>Serisan wrote:PRD wrote:Ectoplasmic Armor (Su): At 4th level when an ectoplasmatist manifests her spiritual lash ability, tendrils of ectoplasmic material envelop her body, granting her a +4 armor bonus to AC.
At 12th level, the ectoplasmatist's armor bonus to AC increases to +6 and is treated as ghost touch armor.
There's the rules hole in question. I really enjoy my Ectoplasmatist, who relentlessly hunts down the undead. He's more than impressed some others with his ability to continue...Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2018-02-19T17:51:40ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: What is peoples opinions on the Spiritualist and Medium classes?Brandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2uv4k&page=2?What-is-peoples-opinions-on-the-Spiritualist#672018-02-20T01:34:40Z2018-02-18T19:02:33Z<p>I finally got on the other side of the GM screen and rolled up a Spiritualist, and I'm really enjoying it. When the game started I was in the middle of researching a lot of Black Dog folklore, so I opted for the totem spiritualist archetype and gave myself a churchyard grim (phantom wolf animal companion). Even without the emotion powers regular phantoms get, I find it a versatile scout that holds its own in combat since it starts off with that extra hit die (Improved Natural Attack helps, too). Makes a great flanking buddy for me and other party members, and my character uses a long spear to get a little more power and maneuverability to stay a step out of harm's way in combat. Great buff spells on the spell list keep the black dog going strong, and 3rd level brings touch spells transmitted by the companion into the equation, so that's nice. </p>
<p>I hoped to enjoy playing the class after having so much to do with <i>Occult Adventures</i>, and I really am. Our games aren't highly optimized, so I can't speak much to that, but it is versatile and fun and definitely holds its own.</p>
<p>And thanks for the Ectoplasmatist love, ya'll—that one's mine. I gotta go see what that rules hole in the archetype's AC is, though. I haven't heard that before! Ooops?</p>I finally got on the other side of the GM screen and rolled up a Spiritualist, and I'm really enjoying it. When the game started I was in the middle of researching a lot of Black Dog folklore, so I opted for the totem spiritualist archetype and gave myself a churchyard grim (phantom wolf animal companion). Even without the emotion powers regular phantoms get, I find it a versatile scout that holds its own in combat since it starts off with that extra hit die (Improved Natural Attack helps,...Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2018-02-18T19:02:33ZRe: Forums: Advice: Need ideas for creating and managing my cultBrandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2uw1c?Need-ideas-for-creating-and-managing-my-cult#32018-02-18T03:12:07Z2018-02-18T03:02:28Z<p>Create an idol (see Occult Realms) and start channeling your cult's power into it through homage and sacrifices.</p>Create an idol (see Occult Realms) and start channeling your cult's power into it through homage and sacrifices.Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2018-02-18T03:02:28ZRe: Forums: Reign of Winter: Rasputin Must Die! (GM Reference)Brandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2ph91&page=8?Rasputin-Must-Die#3972018-01-09T00:39:52Z2018-01-09T00:39:52Z<p>Hey guys! Excited to see y'all getting into the action, and thanks for the kind words!</p>
<p>There was a request upthread for an "original write-up" but I'm not sure from the conversation I see there what information is sought. This adventure as published is pretty pure from my turnover, so I don't know that I'll have any significant input on original intent versus what you guys have in-hand. Always happy to help, of course!</p>Hey guys! Excited to see y'all getting into the action, and thanks for the kind words!
There was a request upthread for an "original write-up" but I'm not sure from the conversation I see there what information is sought. This adventure as published is pretty pure from my turnover, so I don't know that I'll have any significant input on original intent versus what you guys have in-hand. Always happy to help, of course!Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2018-01-09T00:39:52ZRe: Forums: Carrion Crown: Shadows of Gallowspire (GM Reference)Brandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2lzx9&page=5?Shadows-of-Gallowspire#2152020-06-09T18:31:14Z2017-09-23T16:43:49Z<p>The lower level minions were one of the first instances in my writing where I wanted to introduce my troop subtype rules from my home game in a Paizo product, but it was my first AP chapter and I didn't have much influence to get a new ruleset introduced (finally got them in Rasputin Must Die!).</p>
<p>So, that being said—the Cultist troop from Bestiary 6 (they are drow, but you can file off the serial numbers) are CR 11, and just about right for a substitute for the minions that populate Renchurch, if you want a more streamlined way to run a bunch of low-level cultists.</p>The lower level minions were one of the first instances in my writing where I wanted to introduce my troop subtype rules from my home game in a Paizo product, but it was my first AP chapter and I didn't have much influence to get a new ruleset introduced (finally got them in Rasputin Must Die!).
So, that being said--the Cultist troop from Bestiary 6 (they are drow, but you can file off the serial numbers) are CR 11, and just about right for a substitute for the minions that populate...Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2017-09-23T16:43:49ZRe: Forums: Product Discussion: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Bestiary 6 (PFRPG)Brandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/products/btpy9r1y/discuss&page=74?Pathfinder-Roleplaying-Game-Bestiary-6#36872017-07-17T07:48:44Z2017-07-16T19:01:31Z<p>A slime naga (p. 199) paired with about a half dozen slithering pits (p. 254) made for one of the most exciting and unique encounters I've run in a while. Have fun with that combo, folks!</p>A slime naga (p. 199) paired with about a half dozen slithering pits (p. 254) made for one of the most exciting and unique encounters I've run in a while. Have fun with that combo, folks!Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2017-07-16T19:01:31ZRe: Forums: Product Discussion: Pathfinder Module: The House on Hook Street (PFRPG)Brandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/products/btpy9grs/discuss&page=3?Pathfinder-Module-The-House-on-Hook-Street#1172017-09-13T13:14:49Z2017-07-14T02:32:58Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Skivven Steelwhiskers wrote:</div><blockquote><p> Hi Brandon,</p>
<p>I'm currently running House on Hook Street, and one of the PCs in the group has the Lucid Dreamer feat. •• spoiler omitted ••
<br />
</blockquote><p>Hey there! I think both are fine solutions, particularly if you think that's best for your group. Another solution is to...
<p>[Spoiler omitted]</p>Skivven Steelwhiskers wrote:Hi Brandon,
I'm currently running House on Hook Street, and one of the PCs in the group has the Lucid Dreamer feat. ** spoiler omitted **
Hey there! I think both are fine solutions, particularly if you think that's best for your group. Another solution is to... [Spoiler omitted]Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2017-07-14T02:32:58ZRe: Forums: Pathfinder Adventures: Campaign Journal - The House on Hook StreetBrandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2u0xg&page=2?Campaign-Journal-The-House-on-Hook-Street#652017-07-13T20:03:13Z2017-07-13T19:01:32Z<p>What a ride! NINE MONTHS! I greatly appreciate you sharing your experiences and feedback so thoroughly, and know this thread will be a great boon to future GMs running House on Hook Street. And what a first campaign to tackle—MAJOR KUDOS!</p>What a ride! NINE MONTHS! I greatly appreciate you sharing your experiences and feedback so thoroughly, and know this thread will be a great boon to future GMs running House on Hook Street. And what a first campaign to tackle--MAJOR KUDOS!Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2017-07-13T19:01:32ZRe: Forums: Pathfinder Adventures: Campaign Journal - The House on Hook StreetBrandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2u0xg&page=2?Campaign-Journal-The-House-on-Hook-Street#592017-06-21T22:27:45Z2017-06-21T20:34:04Z<p>In my playtest, I used Nahum's dreamscape-warping abilities to set up a couple of contingencies that are triggered by certain events, thus saving his action economy. It's a little meta, but pretty cinematic. When he hits half hit points, for instance, the nearest wall could defensively reach out and swat his attacker. Fun stuff!</p>In my playtest, I used Nahum's dreamscape-warping abilities to set up a couple of contingencies that are triggered by certain events, thus saving his action economy. It's a little meta, but pretty cinematic. When he hits half hit points, for instance, the nearest wall could defensively reach out and swat his attacker. Fun stuff!Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2017-06-21T20:34:04ZRe: Forums: Pathfinder Adventures: Campaign Journal - The House on Hook StreetBrandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2u0xg&page=2?Campaign-Journal-The-House-on-Hook-Street#532017-06-10T16:47:47Z2017-06-10T16:25:59Z<p>Hey everyone! I'm continually impressed with this thread and your work on this campaign, Andrew—very well done! And MAJOR KUDOS to Rycaut for braving some PFS convention play—21 hours! That's some marathon session for which you deserve a frikkin' blue ribbon. Amazing. My playtest was over 48 hours of gameplay, and the fact that you got through what's meant to be a relatively extended mini-campaign in a weekend is very, very impressive. Great work, all! </p>
<p>Going to spoiler the following Drune stuff:</p>
<p>[Spoiler omitted]</p>
<p>Drune, post-campaign:
<br />
[Spoiler omitted]</p>
<p>All that, and don't sweat the small stuff on running lucid dreams. Sounds to me that it's fun and exciting for your PCs, which is all that matters! If they got away with something once, mark it up to the chaotic nature of the dreamscape and course-correct next time. </p>
<p>Brandon</p>Hey everyone! I'm continually impressed with this thread and your work on this campaign, Andrew--very well done! And MAJOR KUDOS to Rycaut for braving some PFS convention play--21 hours! That's some marathon session for which you deserve a frikkin' blue ribbon. Amazing. My playtest was over 48 hours of gameplay, and the fact that you got through what's meant to be a relatively extended mini-campaign in a weekend is very, very impressive. Great work, all!
Going to spoiler the following Drune...Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2017-06-10T16:25:59ZRe: Forums: Pathfinder Adventures: Continuing Feasts of Ravenmoor...Brandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2ub2v?Continuing-Feasts-of-Ravenmoor#22017-04-26T21:43:49Z2017-04-26T21:29:24Z<p>Lanathar!</p>
<p>Glad to see someone interested in continuing <i>Feast of Ravenmoor</i>! I don't have it open in front of me, but thought I'd share a few historical nuggets that might guide you in the right direction. </p>
<p>The Churlwood druid may very well be alive and...well, maybe not <i>well.</i> Understanding why that is trespasses into a bit of freelancer <i>faux pas</i> where I have to talk about the original draft over the published version, but there's some key inspiration there, so here you go. </p>
<p>The original draft's corrupting influence wasn't a giant mosquito blightspawn-thing, but rather a blight ooze. You're going to want to check out the recently-released <i>Bestiary 6</i> to see what Paizo eventually did with that idea, and Robert Brookes did a stand-up job bringing that idea to life. But for your purposes—and more CR-appropriate and relevant to my original intent with <i>Feast</i>—you should know that I recycled the discarded blight ooze idea into the Tears of Nuruu'gal for the Sun Temple Colony in <i>Lost Cities of Golarion.</i> Those critters are essentially the original blue-corn-blight antagonist of <i>Feast of Ravenmoor</i> given a fiery rewrite. So if you look those creatures up, you'll see that for as long as they inhabit their host, they effectively provide immortality. That's the great gift they offer, enabling them to spread their corrupting influence across the land through their humanoid host. And that's probably the sad current state of the Churlwood druid... </p>
<p>So, in short, if you want to recreate that creature, you've got a statblock in an official Paizo product that's pretty darned close to what I imagined that druid was dealing with in Churlwood, and can cover that 300-year spread and give you some nice tools to work with. </p>
<p>Lastly, my foundation for a lot of those Churlwood references were me imagining the aftermath of a scenario from an old published adventure from <i>Dungeon Magazine</i> #11—"The Dark Heart of Ulom," which is about a sentient forest that has been severely corrupted. And that was: "what if the corruption had a way to be mobile, and escaped?" Those kernels of ideas tend to get washed out and take on new life during the writing process, to where the homage might be tentative at best by the time it goes to print, but it does offer me a chance to highly recommend that adventure to you as a sequel of sorts that you might convert to serve the corruption theme as you explore the horizon beyond Ravenmoor. Have fun!</p>Lanathar!
Glad to see someone interested in continuing Feast of Ravenmoor! I don't have it open in front of me, but thought I'd share a few historical nuggets that might guide you in the right direction.
The Churlwood druid may very well be alive and...well, maybe not well. Understanding why that is trespasses into a bit of freelancer faux pas where I have to talk about the original draft over the published version, but there's some key inspiration there, so here you go.
The original...Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2017-04-26T21:29:24ZRe: Forums: Pathfinder Adventures: Campaign Journal - The House on Hook StreetBrandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2u0xg?Campaign-Journal-The-House-on-Hook-Street#142017-04-03T18:24:06Z2017-04-01T02:45:42Z<p>Still loving all of these updates! I think it's going great. One tip on the Mog-lathar confrontation:</p>
<p>[Spoiler omitted]</p>Still loving all of these updates! I think it's going great. One tip on the Mog-lathar confrontation:
[Spoiler omitted]Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2017-04-01T02:45:42ZRe: Forums: Rules Questions: Can a creature with 15 foot reach attack 3 diagonals awayBrandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2u6wr?Can-a-creature-with-15-foot-reach-attack-3#122017-02-24T23:22:26Z2017-02-20T16:32:39Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Selvaxri wrote:</div><blockquote><p> Player- "I'm flying 20ft in the air."
</p>
GM- "Okay, <monster moves closer> he has 15ft reach and stabs at you."
<br />
Player- "How? I'm 20ft up."
<br />
GM- "And the (large) monster is also 1Xft tall. Coupled with his Reach, he can still hit you."
<br />
Player- You're making this s@~• up, aren't you?
<br />
GM- •disbelieving stare• Physiology, ever heard of it? He's not striking at you <i>from ground-level</i>. He is 1Xft tall, so [monster's] physiology depicts his arms are Xft above the ground....
<br />
</blockquote><p>I mitigate this in play by assuming that all creatures take up a 3D •cube• relative to their size, not a 2D square. It's never occurred to me that the rules might not address it in those terms.Selvaxri wrote:Player- "I'm flying 20ft in the air."
GM- "Okay, he has 15ft reach and stabs at you."
Player- "How? I'm 20ft up."
GM- "And the (large) monster is also 1Xft tall. Coupled with his Reach, he can still hit you."
Player- You're making this s@~* up, aren't you?
GM- *disbelieving stare* Physiology, ever heard of it? He's not striking at you from ground-level. He is 1Xft tall, so [monster's] physiology depicts his arms are Xft above the ground....
I mitigate this in play by...Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2017-02-20T16:32:39ZRe: Forums: Pathfinder Adventures: Campaign Journal - The House on Hook StreetBrandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2u0xg?Campaign-Journal-The-House-on-Hook-Street#82017-01-18T16:07:58Z2017-01-18T03:40:35Z<p>FANTASTIC summaries. Very exciting to see all this come to life in your hands. Keep it up!</p>FANTASTIC summaries. Very exciting to see all this come to life in your hands. Keep it up!Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2017-01-18T03:40:35ZRe: Forums: Advice: Need Help DMing the last boss fight for Carrion Crowns:Shadows of GallowspireBrandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2u26l?Need-Help-DMing-the-last-boss-fight-for#342016-12-11T16:59:00Z2016-12-11T15:59:51Z<p>Adivion is a staff magus—give him a staff identical to your PC's custom one and see how they like being on the receiving end of that abuse... ;-)</p>Adivion is a staff magus--give him a staff identical to your PC's custom one and see how they like being on the receiving end of that abuse... ;-)Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-12-11T15:59:51ZRe: Forums: Carrion Crown: Shadows of Gallowspire Review- Campaign Completed!Brandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2u0m8?Shadows-of-Gallowspire-Review-Campaign-Completed#42016-11-19T03:22:59Z2016-11-17T15:50:25Z<p>AWESOME!</p>AWESOME!Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-11-17T15:50:25ZRe: Forums: Curse of the Crimson Throne: Rival adventurersBrandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2u02l?Rival-adventurers#32018-04-19T02:24:53Z2016-11-11T13:26:53Z<p>You should definitely check out the <a href="http://paizo.com/products/btpy8kc2?Pathfinder-Campaign-Setting-Rival-Guide" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Rival Guide</a>, which has a chapter just for you!</p>You should definitely check out the Rival Guide, which has a chapter just for you!Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-11-11T13:26:53ZRe: Forums: Pathfinder Adventures: House on Hook Street - where is Old City Hall?Brandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2tzkj?House-on-Hook-Street-where-is-Old-City-Hall#52016-10-30T02:30:01Z2016-10-30T02:30:01Z<p>Andrew, you're definitely going to want to check that book out before running HoHS. And it's a great sourcebook!</p>Andrew, you're definitely going to want to check that book out before running HoHS. And it's a great sourcebook!Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-10-30T02:30:01ZRe: Forums: Product Discussion: Pathfinder Module: The House on Hook Street (PFRPG)Brandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/products/btpy9grs/discuss&page=2?Pathfinder-Module-The-House-on-Hook-Street#942016-09-22T01:24:39Z2016-09-16T15:52:58Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Andrew Mullen wrote:</div><blockquote> Mr. Hodge, I find the idea of the Lantern Man (from the Bridgefront Gazetteer) really compelling. I'm happy fleshing him out myself, but thought I'd see if you had any thoughts or ideas about him. </blockquote><p>Hello Andrew!
<p>I'm a fan of the Lantern Man myself, and after many months of campaigning in my home game (which takes place in the aftermath of HoHS, which my group playtested, though the sequel started fresh with new characters at 1st level), he's set to return to the stage any session now. So here's hoping my players aren't reading...</p>
<p>The Lantern Man is Old Korvosa's most thorough—and most secretive—source of information. Although not particularly powerful in the traditional sense (see below), he has used his unique method of gathering information to assume this near-omniscient mantle of the ultimate information broker. He developed the divination spell that allows him to see through flames lit from a target pyre late in life, and weaved through the political structure of Korvosa to eventually manipulate the Arkona family into sponsoring the civic project to install street lamps in Bridgefront as a way to improve the quality of life for the poor citizens there. With the fall of the family (see Curse of the Crimson Throne), he was in a perfect political position to take over the infrastructure he had caused to be created, and steered it toward a private enterprise which he exclusively controls.</p>
<p>I don't have my laptop handy to reference the spell, which didn't make the cut into HoHS because I wound up diminishing his original role, but you cast it on a fire, and gain the ability to scry through it to see everything in a 10-ft radius through any other flame lit from the target fire. With multiple nightly castings, the Lantern Man can essentially spend his evenings staring at the source fire and shuffling through various visions taking place on the streets of Bridefront, as well as any homes of citizens that light their fires by his street lanterns. His Lamplighters, too, are well-compensated and exceedingly loyal young street rats taught to strategically light the lanterns and encourage citizens to light their fires from them, in what seems an overt act of generosity that is really nothing more than another mode of infiltration for the information-hungry Lantern Man.</p>
<p>In this way, he has grown exceedingly wealthy through blackmail, extortion, and information brokering. But it hasn't bought him improved eyesight—he is near blind from his efforts—nor has it improved his health or reversed the effects of his extremely advanced age. Though shrouded in material luxury in his concealed estate, his form is cripple, sickly, and exceedingly frail. His disposition reflects his resentment to being confined near-immobile within his residence, and he is sour and bitter at not being able to truly enjoy the fruits of his clever enterprise, which makes him a hard bargainer and shrewd negotiator that doesn't care for the money, but rather the power it gives him over those seeking his aid that he resents for their mere ability to walk, love, and see unhindered. </p>
<p>He is best used in a campaign as a last-resort, desperate effort to fill in any information gaps your PCs have faced. If they become stuck on a mystery or missed a vital clue, the Lantern Man can provide the information they missed, but at a steep price. It essentially gives an option for PCs to buy their way toward a solution if they have exhausted all other efforts where it doesn't make sense to otherwise backtrack to give them what they need to move forward. I leave the payment terms vague on purpose, because it should be adjusted for each group. Just make sure the payment is about more than money, and personally affects a PC in some way with a high collateral cost that makes the decision to get the information a difficult one.</p>
<p>That's how I use him! Feel free to ask further questions!</p>Andrew Mullen wrote:Mr. Hodge, I find the idea of the Lantern Man (from the Bridgefront Gazetteer) really compelling. I'm happy fleshing him out myself, but thought I'd see if you had any thoughts or ideas about him.
Hello Andrew! I'm a fan of the Lantern Man myself, and after many months of campaigning in my home game (which takes place in the aftermath of HoHS, which my group playtested, though the sequel started fresh with new characters at 1st level), he's set to return to the stage any...Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-09-16T15:52:58ZRe: Forums: Reign of Winter: Rasputin Must Die! (GM Reference)Brandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2ph91&page=8?Rasputin-Must-Die#3772016-09-14T12:27:26Z2016-09-14T12:09:07Z<p>Hello Luna! </p>
<p>My laptop's away for repair so I won't be able to quote the relevant text while typing from my phone, but your second presumption is the correct one: Rasputin can calibrate the World Anchors from within the monastery and force it back to Earth, and does so occasionally, which is why some claim to have seen it.</p>
<p>The PCs •could• wait it out, but time is not on their side, and if they wait too long, Rasputin's efforts to absorb Baba Yaga's mantle of power will be successful. And he will certainly be able to accomplish this well before the Brothers Three's 12-day duration on their dominate effects wear off the soldiers.</p>
<p>Once Rasputin becomes aware of the PCs' intrusion, however, it is not in his best interest to return the monastery to Earth. He will have succeeded in his efforts before that becomes necessary. Should your party decide to wait it out, I'd let their divinations reveal a not-so-great-really-no-good-terrible future, have the tombstone fairy appear with a dire "hurry-up" warning, have the Hut become increasingly agitated over its master's pending demise, etc. Then not-so-subtly pull out Mythic Adventures, slap a few mythic teirs on Rasputin to represent the completion of his task (which is what he's up to—that book was just still in development when I was writing so I couldn't reference it), wipe the PCs' horseman mantle/geas away, and have an epic showdown when a newly-empowered Rasputin returns to Earth with his girlfriend and remaining minions. Assuming this doesn't result in the campaign's end with a TPK (and it really should), let the PCs' discover Baba Yaga's cracked matryoshka doll to reveal their failure, then you can figure out if there's any way to salvage the events of Book 6 for when they return to the Hut to try to get home, because the queen should be more free to act and more powerful as a result of her brother's efforts as well, if I remember correctly.</p>
<p>Could still be a total blast and an epic end to your campaign!</p>Hello Luna!
My laptop's away for repair so I won't be able to quote the relevant text while typing from my phone, but your second presumption is the correct one: Rasputin can calibrate the World Anchors from within the monastery and force it back to Earth, and does so occasionally, which is why some claim to have seen it.
The PCs *could* wait it out, but time is not on their side, and if they wait too long, Rasputin's efforts to absorb Baba Yaga's mantle of power will be successful. And he...Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-09-14T12:09:07ZRe: Forums: Off-Topic Discussions: I've always wanted one of my threads to be necromancied.Brandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2tv8h?Ive-always-wanted-one-of-my-threads-to-be#302017-08-24T15:44:25Z2016-09-10T13:52:47Z<p>The iPhone Calendar can currently be set as far in advance as 2030. Jus' sayin'...</p>The iPhone Calendar can currently be set as far in advance as 2030. Jus' sayin'...Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-09-10T13:52:47ZRe: Forums: Advice: Ectoplasmatist: Build concepts and questions.Brandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2tw3g?Ectoplasmatist-Build-concepts-and-questions#92019-07-14T02:38:49Z2016-09-10T13:26:32Z<p>I don't know if you've resolved the initial question of hand use with the lashes, but as the designer of the archetype, I can share that in both intent and execution (I thought the latter was clear, anyway), the ectoplasmatist's hands are indeed taken up when wielding the lashes.</p>I don't know if you've resolved the initial question of hand use with the lashes, but as the designer of the archetype, I can share that in both intent and execution (I thought the latter was clear, anyway), the ectoplasmatist's hands are indeed taken up when wielding the lashes.Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-09-10T13:26:32ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder Adventure Path: General Discussion: Ustalav Villain NamingBrandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2tw5s?Ustalav-Villain-Naming#102016-09-10T13:00:44Z2016-09-10T13:00:44Z<p>And the snake-handling Adderman on his catamaran.</p>And the snake-handling Adderman on his catamaran.Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-09-10T13:00:44ZRe: Forums: Advice: What kind of benefits should membership in an elemental cult provide?Brandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2tve6?What-kind-of-benefits-should-membership-in-an#112016-09-03T01:46:57Z2016-09-03T01:46:57Z<p>The idol rules in <i>Occult Realms</i> may serve you well.</p>The idol rules in Occult Realms may serve you well.Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-09-03T01:46:57ZRe: Forums: Carrion Crown: Shadows of Gallowspire (GM Reference)Brandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2lzx9&page=4?Shadows-of-Gallowspire#1802016-08-25T19:33:46Z2016-08-25T19:21:14Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Kalindlara wrote:</div><blockquote>If they're in Renchurch, though, it's banshee time. ^_^ </blockquote><p>That's just what I was thinking...Kalindlara wrote:If they're in Renchurch, though, it's banshee time. ^_^
That's just what I was thinking...Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-08-25T19:21:14ZRe: Forums: Rules Questions: Horror Adventures Book: Living Grimoire class featureBrandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2tuzu?Horror-Adventures-Book-Living-Grimoire-class#52016-08-25T00:29:29Z2016-08-25T00:29:29Z<p>Mark and I <a href="http://paizo.com/products/btpy9n5a/discuss&page=40?Pathfinder-Roleplaying-Game-Horror-Adventures#2000" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">already addressed this one main product thread</a>, but reposting my response here so you can have some clarification: </p>
<p>The Slayer class ability was meant to be folded into the trade-out of either the <i>Sacred Word</i> or <i>Blessed Script</i> abilities, but looks like it didn't make it in my final draft. So Brew Bird is correct here.</p>
<p>The good news is that the archetype is unaffected. Until fixed in errata, Living Grimoires will receive an ability at 17th level they can't use. From a design and mechanical standpoint, however, the trade-off in losing that ability at 17th was that level 16 is pretty front-loaded, and that's when Living Grimoires get their +4 enchantment for <i>Sacred Word</i>, an extra spell for <i>Blessed Script</i>, and 6th-level spells.</p>
<p>So, an annoying omission, yes, but by no means one that affects the function of the archetype in any way.</p>Mark and I already addressed this one main product thread, but reposting my response here so you can have some clarification:
The Slayer class ability was meant to be folded into the trade-out of either the Sacred Word or Blessed Script abilities, but looks like it didn't make it in my final draft. So Brew Bird is correct here.
The good news is that the archetype is unaffected. Until fixed in errata, Living Grimoires will receive an ability at 17th level they can't use. From a design and...Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-08-25T00:29:29ZRe: Forums: Homebrew and House Rules: Upgrading the Occultist!Brandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2tv3a?Upgrading-the-Occultist#42016-08-24T20:36:05Z2016-08-24T20:36:05Z<p>The Haunt Collector archetype from <i>Horror Adventures</i> lets you trade out entire suites of implement special abilities for those of the Medium's spirits' powers. </p>
<p>You're welcome. =-)</p>The Haunt Collector archetype from Horror Adventures lets you trade out entire suites of implement special abilities for those of the Medium's spirits' powers.
You're welcome. =-)Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-08-24T20:36:05ZRe: Forums: Carrion Crown: Shadows of Gallowspire (GM Reference)Brandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2lzx9&page=4?Shadows-of-Gallowspire#1712016-08-24T22:02:24Z2016-08-24T19:32:40Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Voomer wrote:</div><blockquote>These things have been there for a long time and it must be well known among learned people interested in Vyrlich that teleportation just isn't a great option in that region. I think it is a bit of a flaw in the module that we GMs are supposed to be able to surprise PCs with this.</blockquote><p>Unless you consider that everyone that's teleported in the past has never returned to report the danger... •twiddles fingers•
<p>As for Renchurch's location, I suspect that given its origins, that is a much more accessible piece of knowledge, and I don't think I tried to imply it was particularly well-hidden. It's just dangerous as all hell, which is protection enough. </p>
<p>Also, to answer your original question: if PCs skip the Witchgates, I think the adventure suggests you place the encounters from the various locations in their path as they travel across Vyrlich.</p>Voomer wrote:These things have been there for a long time and it must be well known among learned people interested in Vyrlich that teleportation just isn't a great option in that region. I think it is a bit of a flaw in the module that we GMs are supposed to be able to surprise PCs with this.
Unless you consider that everyone that's teleported in the past has never returned to report the danger... *twiddles fingers* As for Renchurch's location, I suspect that given its origins, that is a...Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-08-24T19:32:40ZRe: Forums: Product Discussion: Non-railroaded adventure paths, no kingmakerBrandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2tv3v?Nonrailroaded-adventure-paths-no-kingmaker#82016-08-24T18:48:14Z2016-08-24T18:48:14Z<p>Explore piecing together your own campaign with pre-published adventures and AP chapters. This will make your campaign more episodic (as-in: solve one problem (an adventure), break for downtime, take care of player-created plot lines, spell discoveries, magic item creation, etc, then seque to the next adventure) than a typical AP, which is •kind of• episodic, but carries greater risk of the overriding plot thread getting derailed.</p>
<p>You'll be amazed at how flexible things can be when you piece campaigns together this way, since you aren't tied down to that overarching plot, like, say, the awakening of a Runelord at a pre-set time or other such plot lines that are the necessary baggage of thematic Adventure Paths. You'll have the adventures—you'll just need to roll with the connective tissue between them, which your PC actions are going to help write...</p>Explore piecing together your own campaign with pre-published adventures and AP chapters. This will make your campaign more episodic (as-in: solve one problem (an adventure), break for downtime, take care of player-created plot lines, spell discoveries, magic item creation, etc, then seque to the next adventure) than a typical AP, which is *kind of* episodic, but carries greater risk of the overriding plot thread getting derailed.
You'll be amazed at how flexible things can be when you piece...Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-08-24T18:48:14ZRe: Forums: Product Discussion: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Horror AdventuresBrandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/products/btpy9n5a/discuss&page=40?Pathfinder-Roleplaying-Game-Horror-Adventures#20002016-09-08T20:31:08Z2016-08-23T17:35:35Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">kevinadnd wrote:</div><blockquote><p> I just got my copy of the Horror Adventures book and was looking at the new inquisitor archetypes (specifically the living grimoire). Well my question is thus, since they trade away all the <b>judgement</b> class features (for the <b>Sacred Word</b> ability), why do they keep the 17th level <b>Slayer</b> class feature that directly ties in with judgment?</p>
<p>Shouldn't they get something else to replace this class feature?</p>
<p>•• spoiler omitted •• </blockquote><p>Well, that's a pesky oversight. The Slayer class ability was meant to be folded into the trade-out of either the <i>Sacred Word</i> or <i>Blessed Script</i> abilities, but looks like it didn't make it in my final draft.
<p>The <i>good</i> news is that the archetype is unaffected. Until fixed in errata, Living Grimoires will receive an ability at 17th level they can't use. From a design and mechanical standpoint, however, the trade-off in losing that ability at 17th was that level 16 is pretty front-loaded, and that's when Living Grimoires get their +4 enchantment for <i>Sacred Word</i>, an extra spell for <i>Blessed Script</i>, and 6th-level spells. </p>
<p>So, an annoying omission, yes, but by no means one that affects the function of the archetype in any way.</p>kevinadnd wrote:I just got my copy of the Horror Adventures book and was looking at the new inquisitor archetypes (specifically the living grimoire). Well my question is thus, since they trade away all the judgement class features (for the Sacred Word ability), why do they keep the 17th level Slayer class feature that directly ties in with judgment?
Shouldn't they get something else to replace this class feature?
** spoiler omitted **
Well, that's a pesky oversight. The Slayer class...Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-08-23T17:35:35ZRe: Forums: Rules Questions: Living Grimoire, improvised weapon?Brandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2tunc?Living-Grimoire-improvised-weapon#112016-10-05T09:44:48Z2016-08-18T01:15:06Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Saethori wrote:</div><blockquote> I'm honestly thinking making a FAQ request regarding improvised weapons might be important at some point. It would be nice to get clarity, especially due to this new archetype. </blockquote><p>I agree. I had a long-standing argument with my home GM over whether or not my grave-digging cleric of Pharasma with the Rough and Ready trait could enchant his shovel, and we went round and round. I imagine the conversations between enchanters and their pet magical energy going something like this:
<p>Enchanter: <i>"Hey there, Theoretically Sentient Magical Enchantment! I'd like to introduce you to this...axe! Make it magical, please?"</i></p>
<p>Theoretically Sentient Magical Enchantment: <i>"No problem! Consider it +1!"</i></p>
<p>Enchanter: <i>"Hey again! New week, new adventurer request! Looking for a another +1 enchantment out of you, this time on this druid's...sickle! Cool?"</i></p>
<p>Theoretically Sentient Magical Enchantment: <i>"Yeah man, cool!"</i></p>
<p>Enchanter: <i>"Hey yeah...so! This guy just brought me a stick. It's just a...you know...a big stick. Just a tree branch, really. Let's call it a...club. Wanna enchant it?"</i></p>
<p>Theoretically Sentient Magical Enchantment: <i>"Yes of COURSE!"</i></p>
<p>Enchanter: <i>"Soooo...me again. Just hoping you can help me out on yet another +1 today! You mind placing your magical energy in this...shovel?"</i></p>
<p>Theoretically Sentient Magical Enchantment: <i>"What is the MATTER with you??? Hell no! I'm not going in THAT thing! Is an army of holes attacking the village? They getting damage reduction these days or what??? We are THROUGH!!!"</i></p>Saethori wrote:I'm honestly thinking making a FAQ request regarding improvised weapons might be important at some point. It would be nice to get clarity, especially due to this new archetype.
I agree. I had a long-standing argument with my home GM over whether or not my grave-digging cleric of Pharasma with the Rough and Ready trait could enchant his shovel, and we went round and round. I imagine the conversations between enchanters and their pet magical energy going something like this:...Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-08-18T01:15:06ZRe: Forums: Rules Questions: Living Grimoire, improvised weapon?Brandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2tunc?Living-Grimoire-improvised-weapon#92016-08-17T22:30:54Z2016-08-17T22:30:54Z<p>I based the mechanics on the <a href="http://archivesofnethys.com/TraitDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Rough%20and%20Ready" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Rough & Ready</a> Trait, which my wizards always make great use of to whack enemies with their weaponized spellbooks. The Catch Off-Guard feat is another one in this same design realm.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, even looking up those two abilities raises some of the same grey-areas issues: if it's a weapon for <i>me</i>, can I take weapon-specific feats for it or enchant my weaponized object (say, in another situation, the gravedigger archetype's shovel) as a weapon? </p>
<p>Tricky, yes. I wish I'd further clarified in the ability, but as it stands the questions of whether or not feats apply (personally, I'd think so, since feats are a personal thing requiring talent or training) or the ability to enchant the weaponized object (less clear, but does the energy of magic weapon enchantment cock its eyebrows and say "waaaaaiiiit a minute! This isn't a SWORD!!!" and run away from your book when you try to enchant it?) are going to have to be up to a developer or the FAQ.</p>I based the mechanics on the Rough & Ready Trait, which my wizards always make great use of to whack enemies with their weaponized spellbooks. The Catch Off-Guard feat is another one in this same design realm.
Unfortunately, even looking up those two abilities raises some of the same grey-areas issues: if it's a weapon for me, can I take weapon-specific feats for it or enchant my weaponized object (say, in another situation, the gravedigger archetype's shovel) as a weapon?
Tricky, yes. I...Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-08-17T22:30:54ZRe: Forums: Product Discussion: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Horror AdventuresBrandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/products/btpy9n5a/discuss&page=40?Pathfinder-Roleplaying-Game-Horror-Adventures#19802016-08-16T05:23:31Z2016-08-14T03:43:45Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Thomas Seitz wrote:</div><blockquote> Ah! So if I'm 18th level this spell would last then...6 rounds? </blockquote><p>The longest the spell can ever last is 4 rounds due to max damage dice. In fact, it last 4 rounds in every casting scenario except 7th level, which, as a 4th-level spell, is its minimum casting level:
<p>15d6 (max damage dice) > 7d6 (always round down in PF) > 3d6 > 1d6 = 4</p>
<p>14d6 > 7d6 > 3d6 > 1d6 = 4</p>
<p>13d6 > 6d6 > 3d6 > 1d6 = 4</p>
<p>12d6 > 6d6 > 3d6 > 1d6 = 4</p>
<p>11d6 > 5d6 > 2d6 > 1d6 = 4</p>
<p>10d6 > 5d6 > 2d6 > 1d6 = 4</p>
<p>9d6 > 4d6 > 2d6 > 1d6 = 4</p>
<p>8d6 > 4d6 > 2d6 > 1d6 = 4</p>
<p>7d6 > 3d6 > 1d6 = 3</p>Thomas Seitz wrote:Ah! So if I'm 18th level this spell would last then...6 rounds?
The longest the spell can ever last is 4 rounds due to max damage dice. In fact, it last 4 rounds in every casting scenario except 7th level, which, as a 4th-level spell, is its minimum casting level: 15d6 (max damage dice) > 7d6 (always round down in PF) > 3d6 > 1d6 = 4
14d6 > 7d6 > 3d6 > 1d6 = 4
13d6 > 6d6 > 3d6 > 1d6 = 4
12d6 > 6d6 > 3d6 > 1d6 = 4
11d6 > 5d6 > 2d6 > 1d6 = 4
10d6 > 5d6 > 2d6 > 1d6 = 4
...Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-08-14T03:43:45ZRe: Forums: Product Discussion: Horror Adventures potential errataBrandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2ttod?Horror-Adventures-potential-errata#212016-08-16T03:01:59Z2016-08-14T03:23:46Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Alchemaic wrote:</div><blockquote><p> p 62-63 HAUNT COLLECTOR OCCULTIST</p>
<p>Extricate Haunt's base ability (creating a haunt) does not have a listed starting level. The later additions are noted to start at levels 12 and 16, but the base ability has no text to indicate when it becomes available. </blockquote><p>I'm going to re-post the main points from the main Horror Adventures thread (see more detailed post <a href="http://paizo.com/products/btpy9n5a/discuss&page=40?Pathfinder-Roleplaying-Game-Horror-Adventures#1976" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">here</a>) to demonstrate why this is a non-errata issue:
<p>1. Extricate Haunt is not a direct 1:1 swap with a specific 2nd level ability and •also• trades out with higher class abilities (at 12th & 16th). The ability specifies that it is for use with haunted implements (accessed <i>as soon as</i> 2nd level), making listing the specific level of accessibility redundant (and possibly misleading; see below).</p>
<p>2. Since you don't HAVE to get a haunted implement at 2nd level, you might not be able to use Extricate Haunt at 2nd level. Haunted implements are a fluid option ("he <b>can</b> gain access to a haunted implement") you can take <i>as early as</i> 2nd level, but you don't •have• to. For this reason, the Extricate Haunt ability has to remain similarly fluid and level-unspecific. Because if you don't take the option to get a haunted implement until 6th level, you can't use Extricate Haunt until then, either. </p>
<p>3. The archetype already has an 8th-level replacement ability (Spirit Speaker), and if Extricate Haunt was •also• an 8th-level class ability replacement (as proposed in the other thread), it would be listed alphabetically, and come •before• Spirit Speaker. It does not.</p>
<p>But if you feel more clarification is in order, maybe mark that one for FAQ.</p>Alchemaic wrote:p 62-63 HAUNT COLLECTOR OCCULTIST
Extricate Haunt's base ability (creating a haunt) does not have a listed starting level. The later additions are noted to start at levels 12 and 16, but the base ability has no text to indicate when it becomes available.
I'm going to re-post the main points from the main Horror Adventures thread (see more detailed post here) to demonstrate why this is a non-errata issue: 1. Extricate Haunt is not a direct 1:1 swap with a specific 2nd level...Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-08-14T03:23:46ZRe: Forums: Product Discussion: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Horror AdventuresBrandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/products/btpy9n5a/discuss&page=40?Pathfinder-Roleplaying-Game-Horror-Adventures#19782016-08-14T02:46:21Z2016-08-14T02:46:21Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Thomas Seitz wrote:</div><blockquote><p> •had a question• The spell pyrotechnic eruption for duration says "See Text" but the text doesn't actually list the duration. </p>
<p>Is that an error? </blockquote><p>"Each round, the damage dealt is reduced to half as many d6; the spell expires when it would do no damage."
<p>So, if you're 8th level, the spell deals 8d6, then 4d6 the next round, then 2d6 the next, then 1d6, then nada, for a total duration of 4 rounds.</p>Thomas Seitz wrote:*had a question* The spell pyrotechnic eruption for duration says "See Text" but the text doesn't actually list the duration.
Is that an error?
"Each round, the damage dealt is reduced to half as many d6; the spell expires when it would do no damage." So, if you're 8th level, the spell deals 8d6, then 4d6 the next round, then 2d6 the next, then 1d6, then nada, for a total duration of 4 rounds.Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-08-14T02:46:21ZRe: Forums: Product Discussion: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Horror AdventuresBrandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/products/btpy9n5a/discuss&page=40?Pathfinder-Roleplaying-Game-Horror-Adventures#19762016-08-16T05:23:43Z2016-08-14T02:10:35Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Alchemaic wrote:</div><blockquote> <div class="messageboard-quotee">Gisher wrote:</div><blockquote> <div class="messageboard-quotee">Alchemaic wrote:</div><blockquote> <div class="messageboard-quotee">Gisher wrote:</div><blockquote> At what level is the Haunt Collector's Extricate Haunt ability supposed to be available? From its placement in the archetype description and the abilities that it replaces, I think it was intended to start at 8th level, but it doesn't explicitly say that. </blockquote>I think it's always supposed to be there starting at level 2 when you can begin picking up haunted implements. </blockquote><p>That was my first thought, but...
<p>(1) Archetype features are normally listed in order of the levels when they are first acquired... </p>
<p>(2) Archetype features that replace other features are normally acquired at the same levels...</p>
<p>So I'm having an Occam's Razor moment...</blockquote>Well that's another thing on the errata pile then. </blockquote><p>I'm not in a position to give you an official answer on this, but there's also a few reasons its formatted as it is that might ease your concerns:
<p>Extricate Haunt is the haunt collector's signature ability, and was designed to be usable as soon as the archetype is capable of gaining haunted implements, which is 2nd level. But since it isn't a direct 1:1 swap with a specific 2nd level ability and •also• trades out with higher class abilities (at 12th & 16th), <i>and</i> the ability specifies that it is for use with haunted implements (which, again, you get <i>access</i> to at 2nd), it felt redundant (and possibly misleading; see below) to call out the level the ability begins, since you can use it once you get Possessed Possessions. <i>As soon as</i> 2nd level. </p>
<p>There's some important parsing there: ALSO keep in mind that you don't HAVE to get a haunted implement at 2nd level. It's an option: "<i>he <b>can</b> gain access to a haunted implement.</i>" It would be silly to take this archetype and not take advantage of all the abilities, but it •is• a fluid option, and for this reason, the ability that plays off this option has to remain similarly fluid and level-unspecific. Because if you don't take the option to get a haunted implement until 6th level, you can't use Extricate Haunt until then. So there's that.</p>
<p>Also note that the archetype already has an 8th-level replacement ability (Spirit Speaker), and if Extricate Haunt was •also• an 8th-level class ability replacement, it would be listed alphabetically, and come •before• Spirit Speaker. It does not.</p>
<p>Given that the created haunt's destruction shuts down access to important abilities for the day, I felt that was a suitable balancing factor for earlier level entry. </p>
<p>As the final text matches what I turned over with only minor edits (and Mark sharing some kind words with me on its design at Gen Con), I would think the developers agreed with this design decision and the formatting. But if you feel more clarification is in order, maybe mark that one for FAQ.</p>Alchemaic wrote:Gisher wrote: Alchemaic wrote: Gisher wrote: At what level is the Haunt Collector's Extricate Haunt ability supposed to be available? From its placement in the archetype description and the abilities that it replaces, I think it was intended to start at 8th level, but it doesn't explicitly say that.
I think it's always supposed to be there starting at level 2 when you can begin picking up haunted implements. That was my first thought, but... (1) Archetype features are...Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-08-14T02:10:35ZRe: Forums: Product Discussion: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Horror AdventuresBrandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/products/btpy9n5a/discuss&page=39?Pathfinder-Roleplaying-Game-Horror-Adventures#19442016-08-11T00:21:17Z2016-08-10T23:00:26Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Plausible Pseudonym wrote:</div><blockquote> ...the Occultist options aren't all terrible in their mechanical benefits, they're just laugh out loud bad in what you have to do to get and keep them. A fair universe would award you a couple of mythic tiers for pulling that stuff off. </blockquote><p>The occultist archetypes have been pretty well received and the critique doesn't seem to match the mechanics. Are you sure you're talking about the right class?Plausible Pseudonym wrote:...the Occultist options aren't all terrible in their mechanical benefits, they're just laugh out loud bad in what you have to do to get and keep them. A fair universe would award you a couple of mythic tiers for pulling that stuff off.
The occultist archetypes have been pretty well received and the critique doesn't seem to match the mechanics. Are you sure you're talking about the right class?Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-08-10T23:00:26ZRe: Forums: Product Discussion: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Horror AdventuresBrandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/products/btpy9n5a/discuss&page=31?Pathfinder-Roleplaying-Game-Horror-Adventures#15492016-08-05T11:00:51Z2016-07-29T12:39:02Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Axial wrote:</div><blockquote>Brandon, I've always been a fan of your work, especially since you shared your knowledge and expertise of occult topics at Paizocon '15. Once again, you show great talent and imagination when it comes to turning fantastical and mythological concepts into rules and mechanics. </blockquote><p>Thank you for the kind words there, Axial. Between <i>Occult Adventures</i> last year and <i>Horror Adventures</i> this year, I've had a great time playing around with my favorite topics for Paizo, cross-pollinating my interests between esoteric history and game design, so it's been a lot of fun. It's awesome when the design team just unlocks the cell door and lets you roam the asylum to write things like Inquisitors who whack enemies with holy books and Occultists who collect haunted artifacts. Hahaha. I also had the privilege of collaborating with Alex Riggs on both the Environment chapter and the Dread Lords template discussed here, and we tossed that template back and forth a couple dozen times to dial it in <i>just right</i> to make that symbiosis with our Environment chapter and my Domains of Evil section work as well as it does. The template's Hit Dice-based Special Attacks menu was a particularly brilliant bit of design Alex envisioned that restructured how spell-like abilities can be awarded to creatures, and I think it will serve as the pattern for a lot of future template design. Great stuff, and I am glad to hear it's being well-received so far!Axial wrote:Brandon, I've always been a fan of your work, especially since you shared your knowledge and expertise of occult topics at Paizocon '15. Once again, you show great talent and imagination when it comes to turning fantastical and mythological concepts into rules and mechanics.
Thank you for the kind words there, Axial. Between Occult Adventures last year and Horror Adventures this year, I've had a great time playing around with my favorite topics for Paizo, cross-pollinating my...Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-07-29T12:39:02ZRe: Forums: Product Discussion: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Horror AdventuresBrandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/products/btpy9n5a/discuss&page=31?Pathfinder-Roleplaying-Game-Horror-Adventures#15352016-07-29T16:33:33Z2016-07-29T01:00:53Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Axial wrote:</div><blockquote> What's the skinny on the Domain Lord? </blockquote><p>It's actually a pair of templates: the Dread Lord template and the more powerful (but imprisoned in its realm) Cursed Lord. As you'd expect, these creatures are deeply and intrinsically tied to a parcel of land that makes up their domain (which grows in size as their HD increases). I won't give the full run-down here, but they get some tasty defensive abilities, significant attribute boosts, and a fear aura while in their lands, and little goes on within the domain that they don't know about, whether through various <i>speak with _____</i> spells or through other magical divinations they are gifted with. Their power and malign influence extends to the animals, plants, and even weather within their lands, and they can haunt the dreams of trespassers within their realm and possibly dominate them. Dread Lords can leave their lands at the cost of all that power (they lose all benefit when out of their realm), while Cursed Lords are trapped within their realm, unable to die and unable to leave by any means unless very specific conditions are fulfilled to alleviate the curse.
<p>My <i>favorite</i> part of the templates, however, is the <i>One with the Land</i> ability, which allows the Lords to customize their domain to suite their individual natures by seeding them with a host of environmental effects and supernatural hazards you can choose from any source, including all the creepy and dangerous new threats found in the Environment chapter (it's 12 pages of godless voids, zombie-animating fogs, haunted battlfields, and sentient bloodthirsty forests!). Furthermore, the Environment chapter contains an entry for Domains of Evil, which morphs the land in other ways depending on the power of its lord, so that just as creatures taking the template change to reflect their lands, so, too, does the land change to reflect their corrupt master. This symbiosis between rules mechanics makes the template incredibly flavorful and thematic, with tons of options to get a lot of mileage out of those pages. And, yes, there's a <i>dread fog</i> supernatural hazard that will be eerily familiar to some folks.</p>Axial wrote:What's the skinny on the Domain Lord?
It's actually a pair of templates: the Dread Lord template and the more powerful (but imprisoned in its realm) Cursed Lord. As you'd expect, these creatures are deeply and intrinsically tied to a parcel of land that makes up their domain (which grows in size as their HD increases). I won't give the full run-down here, but they get some tasty defensive abilities, significant attribute boosts, and a fear aura while in their lands, and little...Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-07-29T01:00:53ZRe: Forums: Product Discussion: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Horror AdventuresBrandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/products/btpy9n5a/discuss&page=29?Pathfinder-Roleplaying-Game-Horror-Adventures#14402016-08-03T01:09:09Z2016-07-28T02:01:29Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Xethik wrote:</div><blockquote><p>Looking at the archetype itself again, I totally missed that you
</p>
could play some Lovecraftian tome wielder, not just a holy zealot of your god. Minor reflavoring, sure, but a very interesting premise for me. Brandon Hodge did a great job with that one! Fits multiple themes of the horror archetypes. Using the word of their god to smite foes or inflicting madness (and pain) with eldritch tomes! </blockquote><p>Thanks for that! Excited to see this one out in the world. In my home games, I almost always play a wizard with the Rough & Ready trait that lets me use tools of my trade as weapons, take some ranks in scribe, and whack the hell out of opponents with my spellbook.
<p>When Stephen asked me for some archetype ideas for the Inquisitor, I recalled my fondness for that trick, and said: "How about an archetype that imparts the word of their God in the most violent way possible—by beating it mercilessly into enemies with his holy book?" </p>
<p>Luckily, Stephen and Mark share my penchant for tome-based violence and holy-word hostilities. Now it's yours! ;-)</p>Xethik wrote:Looking at the archetype itself again, I totally missed that you
could play some Lovecraftian tome wielder, not just a holy zealot of your god. Minor reflavoring, sure, but a very interesting premise for me. Brandon Hodge did a great job with that one! Fits multiple themes of the horror archetypes. Using the word of their god to smite foes or inflicting madness (and pain) with eldritch tomes!
Thanks for that! Excited to see this one out in the world. In my home games, I almost...Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-07-28T02:01:29ZRe: Forums: Product Discussion: Occultist Hybrid Class?Brandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2ts2p?Occultist-Hybrid-Class#92016-07-13T02:01:53Z2016-07-13T02:01:53Z<p>The relic hunter archetype for the Inquisitor obviously isn't a hybrid class, but there's such a wholesale swap of class abilities for occultist abilities that I can't imagine a hybrid class would be built any different.</p>The relic hunter archetype for the Inquisitor obviously isn't a hybrid class, but there's such a wholesale swap of class abilities for occultist abilities that I can't imagine a hybrid class would be built any different.Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-07-13T02:01:53ZRe: Forums: Shattered Star: The Dead Heart of Xin (GM Reference)Brandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2olvd&page=2?The-Dead-Heart-of-Xin#1002016-06-28T00:43:05Z2016-06-28T00:43:05Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">strato wrote:</div><blockquote><p> Question for the "flamma horacalcum":</p>
<p>It states that it works equivalent to "Searing Light" but mentions only a slow effect ... ??</p>
<p>Does that mean that the damage of searing ligt is disregarded? I'm confused ... </blockquote><p>Hey Strato! Haven't cracked this one open in a while, but reading the rules here, you have two cumulative effects from the same action:
<p>The <i>flamma horaclcum</i> is capable of casting <i>searing light</i> spells as a standard action and dealing damage as per the item's caster level (20th). And, <i>in addition to that effect,</i> creatures hit by the <i>searing light</i> are also slowed, as per the <i>slow</i> spell, for 1d4 rounds if they fail their save.</p>strato wrote:Question for the "flamma horacalcum":
It states that it works equivalent to "Searing Light" but mentions only a slow effect ... ??
Does that mean that the damage of searing ligt is disregarded? I'm confused ...
Hey Strato! Haven't cracked this one open in a while, but reading the rules here, you have two cumulative effects from the same action: The flamma horaclcum is capable of casting searing light spells as a standard action and dealing damage as per the item's caster level...Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-06-28T00:43:05ZRe: Forums: Miniatures: Affordable gargantuan/colossals?Brandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2tqal?Affordable-gargantuancolossals#62016-06-17T03:38:32Z2016-06-17T03:38:32Z<p>I rebased a bunch of cheap demonic action figs from McFarlane's Spawn line and think they look incredible. eBay is your friend for big loose figures...</p>I rebased a bunch of cheap demonic action figs from McFarlane's Spawn line and think they look incredible. eBay is your friend for big loose figures...Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-06-17T03:38:32ZRe: Forums: Product Discussion: Pathfinder Module: The House on Hook Street (PFRPG)Brandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/products/btpy9grs/discuss&page=2?Pathfinder-Module-The-House-on-Hook-Street#832016-06-16T23:06:21Z2016-05-10T17:12:52Z<p>What a fantastic resource! THANK YOU, Rob! I hope it will be put to good use by others running <i>The House on Hook Street.</i></p>
<p>Thank you for the kind words (and great review!) as well. HoHS is indeed a complicated adventure, full of twists and turns and betrayals, and, like you, I believe it is worth the effort to run properly, and there's a lot of value in the gameplay of this one. I will note a couple of clarifications in your prep document: 1) Drune is not Myra's father. He was an early suitor (he lost out to Nahum) and her intimations lured him into using his family's funds to sponsor the expedition to the Mindspin Mountains, and 2) the <i>dreamstone</i> does not actually offer immortality, but rather power over the Dimension of Dreams, which is what Nahum's trying to claim. The immortality offered to •some• cult members (the most devoted leadership only, not everyone) is a power granted by the spider idol itself, and is part of the idol ruleset. </p>
<p>Hope that helps. Thank you for putting together this great prep document—wish I'd had it when I ran my playtests!</p>What a fantastic resource! THANK YOU, Rob! I hope it will be put to good use by others running The House on Hook Street.
Thank you for the kind words (and great review!) as well. HoHS is indeed a complicated adventure, full of twists and turns and betrayals, and, like you, I believe it is worth the effort to run properly, and there's a lot of value in the gameplay of this one. I will note a couple of clarifications in your prep document: 1) Drune is not Myra's father. He was an early suitor...Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-05-10T17:12:52ZRe: Forums: Product Discussion: Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Faiths (PFRPG)Brandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/products/btpy9j74/discuss&page=7?Pathfinder-Campaign-Setting-Inner-Sea-Faiths#3212016-03-24T11:44:25Z2016-03-23T21:25:56Z<p>You guys just keep on ignoring Ghlaunder's write-up in this thread. By the time those bumps on the back of your necks start to itch, it'll be far too late... =-)</p>You guys just keep on ignoring Ghlaunder's write-up in this thread. By the time those bumps on the back of your necks start to itch, it'll be far too late... =-)Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-03-23T21:25:56ZRe: Forums: Advice: Group Combat; Options better than the Troop subtype or Armies?Brandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2ti6v?Group-Combat-Options-better-than-the-Troop#142016-03-06T03:09:41Z2016-03-06T03:09:41Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Ascalaphus wrote:</div><blockquote> I'm not against the idea of troop rules per se, but I'm not convinced those rules are fully mature yet. More trial and error are probably needed to discover and work out all the major kinks. </blockquote><p>With what's currently published, you might be right. Of course, for a long while, we only had the anachronistic rifle troop to use as an example to build new troops, and while we've got a few more statblocks fleshed out (officially and otherwise), I recognize it can still be tough to extrapolate builds from a relatively small data, though the advice given above on building to the CR-tables still stands.
<p>Here at home, which I recognize doesn't help anyone but me, we use my complete system for full-blown tabletop <i>battles royale</i> with a dozen+ units all over the table and PCs right in the middle of the action, and have a lot more components in place that I'd developed over the years, from enhanced flanking and charging rules, a sort of bounded accuracy for troop-versus-troop combat (because attack rolls far outpace AC in high-HD builds like troops, and hits and misses are a necessary element of the randomness of simulated battle), morale rules, special feats for troops, the PC armor-bonus-as-DR rules, and even special units you can insert in troops to give them special abilities. I even have rules for advancing units as they gain battlefield experience. And most troops are built from a few base statblocks (infantry, cavalry, etc) with modular menus to pick and choose abilities from, rather than the ground up, so my players get involved with the troops under their command, too. But of course none of that was necessary for <i>Rasputin Must Die</i>, where the goal was realistic portrayals of real-world (i.e. low-level) Russian troops in a high-level adventure. But like I encouraged RogueMortal above, I encourage you to let your support for more troop stuff be known, because I'd like to guide Paizo's official troops ruleset to that maturity. ;-)</p>Ascalaphus wrote:I'm not against the idea of troop rules per se, but I'm not convinced those rules are fully mature yet. More trial and error are probably needed to discover and work out all the major kinks.
With what's currently published, you might be right. Of course, for a long while, we only had the anachronistic rifle troop to use as an example to build new troops, and while we've got a few more statblocks fleshed out (officially and otherwise), I recognize it can still be tough to...Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-03-06T03:09:41ZRe: Forums: Advice: Group Combat; Options better than the Troop subtype or Armies?Brandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2ti6v?Group-Combat-Options-better-than-the-Troop#112016-03-05T20:39:06Z2016-03-05T20:39:06Z<p>I don’t mind contributing a few pointers here for you, RogueMortal, <i>if</i>, in fact, that <i>is</i> your real name. ;-)</p>
<p>First, keep in mine that troops are not part of the official PRD because they have yet to appear in a Paizo hardcover. And that’s regrettable, because I haven’t had the chance to publish the actual basic troop statblock whose modularity would prevent us from having to work from scratch for each new troop. I invite you to head over to the <a href=" http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2t3ao?Bestiary-6-Wish-List" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Bestiary 6 Wishlist thread</a>, the <a href=" http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2pvn9?Armies-of-Golarion-suggestion" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Armies of Golarion</a> thread, or <a href=" http://paizo.com/paizo/about/contact" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">email our long-suffering editor-in-chief Wes Schneider</a> and voice your support for the inclusion of more troops in future hardcovers! </p>
<p>Secondly, we have to consider the actual role of creature types and subtypes in monster (and troop!) design. For example, the magical beast subtype doesn’t dictate how a gorgon’s breath weapons work, how much damage they do or if it’s supposed to be a cone or a stream. The rules for the medusa’s gaze attack are nowhere to be found in the monstrous humanoid type. Nowhere does the magical beast type dictate that a lamia (magical beast) gets a host of spell-like abilities, when a remorhaz (also a magical beast, also 9 HD) doesn’t’ get any at all. Who decided a will-o’-wisp (9 HD aberration) gets a 2d8 touch electricity attack when a chuul (10 HD aberration) gets two 2d6 melee claws? For that matter, why does the chuul have +10 natural armor and the will-o’-wisp gets no natural armor bonus at all, and why doesn’t the creature type spell those differences out for us? </p>
<p>The answer, of course, is that in creature design, types and subtypes dictate only a creature’s <b>basic framework</b>. Most of the questions you ponder have to be asked, considered, and resolved with <i>any other creature type</i> when designing new monsters. And most of those answers are found in the <a href=" http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/bestiary/monsterCreation.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">monster creation rules</a>. So, you use those to build your ideas to suite, and compare to other statblocks to make sure they’re in the same neighborhood of other established creatures in the CR range and type, whether working with the troop subtype or not. As Mr. Compton posits: making seasoned veteran troops with plate mail and great axes? Increase your damage dice, bump their AC, and slow ‘em down. Want some light, mobile skirmishers? Reduce their damage dice to reflect lighter weapons, lower their AC, and increase their movement. Are they orcs? Make ‘em stronger and give them sunlight sensitivity…or even the ability to collectively rage. If the constituent creatures have some magical abilities at their disposal, create a special ability or two that reflects that (see below for an example). It’s <i>incredibly versatile</i>. If I had my druthers, we’d get a future Bestiary entry similar to dragons, with lots of modular options for troops. Again, express your support for that with the powers-that-be.</p>
<p>In short—the differences you yearn for in troops isn't an inherent fault of the subtype—special abilities (and even different weapon properties, like long spears set to receive charges) will be your key to adding versatility to various units. </p>
<p>I invite you to some previous discussions I provided on this topic. Here’s a nice <a href=" http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2ph91&page=7?Rasputin-Must-Die#311" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">pair of posts</a> discussing how to use the <a href=" http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/bestiary/monsterCreation.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">monster creation charts</a> to help determine damage and CRs of special abilities, for instance. I discuss <a href=" http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2pvn9&page=2?Armies-of-Golarion-suggestion#54" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">here</a> why you don’t see a whole lot of spellcasting troops out of me, though James Jacobs was nice enough to introduce an <a href=" http://archivesofnethys.com/MonsterDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Inquisitor%20Troop" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">inquisitor troop</a> in AP #100 that helps demonstrate how to create a special ability that reflects a troop composed of soldiers with the ability to bless and heal themselves (And hey! Bonus! The base damage chart missing on d20pfsrd is there for ya!). My friend Charlie Bell even did a troop of devils for <a href="http://paizo.com/products/btpy97u6?Wayfinder-11" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Wayfinder #11</a>, among others. </p>
<p>In my original rules here at home, troops have a to-hit score (you can see the leftover-artifact of that in the rifle troop statblock for Rasputin Must Die!), but only against other troops, auto-hitting only when engaged with single opponents. I also allow single opponents to subtract their armor bonus from troop damage to reflect that a heavily-armored knight can withstand just a <i>bit</i> more abuse when surrounded by a mass of armored flesh than a leather-clad rogue.</p>
<p>But mostly, remember troops are an abstraction, so when building don't get too caught up in the details—treat them as a big giant monster and let the subtype handle the rest, which is does <i>pretty</i> effectively.</p>
<p>There’s also a nice reddit discussion with some great ideas in it, <a href=" https://www.reddit.com/r/Pathfinder_RPG/comments/2gkf7i/the_troop_subtype_and_why_you_should_be_using_it/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">here</a>. </p>
<p>I hope some of that helps! Happy to answer further questions.</p>I don’t mind contributing a few pointers here for you, RogueMortal, if, in fact, that is your real name. ;-)
First, keep in mine that troops are not part of the official PRD because they have yet to appear in a Paizo hardcover. And that’s regrettable, because I haven’t had the chance to publish the actual basic troop statblock whose modularity would prevent us from having to work from scratch for each new troop. I invite you to head over to the Bestiary 6 Wishlist thread, the Armies of...Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-03-05T20:39:06ZRe: Forums: Advice: Group Combat; Options better than the Troop subtype or Armies?Brandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2ti6v?Group-Combat-Options-better-than-the-Troop#22016-03-05T17:28:12Z2016-03-05T16:57:06Z<p>Lucky you! You've managed to catch the creator of the troop subtype, who wrote it for Paizo after years of tweaking in his home games, sitting around bored on a Saturday morning with nothing better to do than offer some messageboard advice and insight to his fellow gamers. I've used this incredibly versatile mechanic to create everything from roving hordes of bloodthirsty ghouls to bands of healing battlefield medics, from armored knights on horseback to packs of spectral ghost hounds. There's a secret to building effective and memorable troops, and the REALLY important thing you have to keep in mind is...</p>
<p>...wait, did you say "hideously generic?"</p>
<p>Oh boy, would'ya look at the time...</p>Lucky you! You've managed to catch the creator of the troop subtype, who wrote it for Paizo after years of tweaking in his home games, sitting around bored on a Saturday morning with nothing better to do than offer some messageboard advice and insight to his fellow gamers. I've used this incredibly versatile mechanic to create everything from roving hordes of bloodthirsty ghouls to bands of healing battlefield medics, from armored knights on horseback to packs of spectral ghost hounds....Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-03-05T16:57:06ZRe: Forums: Website Feedback: Messageboards don't show up on my iPhoneBrandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2thhe?Messageboards-dont-show-up-on-my-iPhone#272016-03-03T02:16:05Z2016-03-01T23:19:02Z<p>Back!!!</p>Back!!!Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-03-01T23:19:02ZRe: Forums: Website Feedback: Messageboards don't show up on my iPhoneBrandon Hodge (Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2thhe?Messageboards-dont-show-up-on-my-iPhone#22016-03-03T02:13:42Z2016-02-27T19:13:17Z<p>Same for me on iPhone 6, same iOS, AT&T. Been that way since the heavy traffic banner went up.</p>Same for me on iPhone 6, same iOS, AT&T. Been that way since the heavy traffic banner went up.Brandon Hodge (Contributor)2016-02-27T19:13:17ZRe: Forums: Website Feedback: Locking Threads on Page 2: Weak Reasons and Locked Threadsfleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2pvw6&page=2?Locking-Threads-on-Page-2-Weak-Reasons-and#732013-06-26T13:08:06Z2013-06-23T17:11:58Z<p>The real question is: why do you even •want• to be here? </p>
<p>You <i>literally</i> wear your edition loyalty on your sleeve on a forum devoted to a different incarnation of the game run by a company who has moved on from your preferred ruleset. You obviously find the moderation environment hostile. You manage to always find threads crumbling around you without any introspection that your own negative contributions might have some part to play in it. You engage in thread sabotage against the wishes of the website's owners while they're away <i>and</i> against their stated wishes. And you seem to be at odds with the majority of posters here sympathetic to both the company's ruleset and forum decorum. </p>
<p>So what's here for you? Why not move on to another forum environment where you feel more at home? If booted, why in the world would you go through the trouble to conceal yourself for a return when you're at such odds with every angle?</p>The real question is: why do you even *want* to be here?
You literally wear your edition loyalty on your sleeve on a forum devoted to a different incarnation of the game run by a company who has moved on from your preferred ruleset. You obviously find the moderation environment hostile. You manage to always find threads crumbling around you without any introspection that your own negative contributions might have some part to play in it. You engage in thread sabotage against the wishes of...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2013-06-23T17:11:58ZRe: Forums: Carrion Crown: Carrion Crown: Monstersfleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2l82x&page=2?Carrion-Crown-Monsters#542010-09-01T03:21:08Z2010-09-01T03:24:25Z<p>James will like this one on two levels, and it covers the Loch Ness angle someone else chimed in with:</p>
<p><b>A zombie plesiosaur </b></p>
<p>I'm totally thinking Dana Knutson's cover from <a href="http://img1.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/c0/c3181.jpg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><i>Castles Forlorn!</i></a></p>James will like this one on two levels, and it covers the Loch Ness angle someone else chimed in with:
A zombie plesiosaur
I'm totally thinking Dana Knutson's cover from Castles Forlorn!fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-09-01T03:24:25ZRe: Forums: Off-Topic Discussions: I am testing creating a new threadfleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2l6ch&page=2?I-am-testing-creating-a-new-thread#732010-08-31T22:45:56Z2010-08-31T22:46:22Z<p>I'm testing posting to see where my contributor tag went...</p>I'm testing posting to see where my contributor tag went...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-08-31T22:46:22ZRe: Forums: Website Feedback: Signatures - different rules for companies than regular posters?fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2l7wj?Signatures-different-rules-for-companies#142010-08-31T20:07:26Z2010-08-31T20:07:47Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Cosmo wrote:</div><blockquote> <div class="messageboard-quotee">Gary Teter wrote:</div><blockquote> Personally I'd prefer if nobody ever manually included a signature in their posts, including 3rd party publishers, Paizo staff, secretaries-general of the United Nations or ambassadors from another solar system. But that's just me, and others here may have a different opinion. We'll talk about it. </blockquote><p>I agree completely!
<p>Thanks,
<br />
cos </blockquote><p>I see what you did there.Cosmo wrote:Gary Teter wrote: Personally I'd prefer if nobody ever manually included a signature in their posts, including 3rd party publishers, Paizo staff, secretaries-general of the United Nations or ambassadors from another solar system. But that's just me, and others here may have a different opinion. We'll talk about it.
I agree completely! Thanks,
cos I see what you did there.fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-08-31T20:07:47ZRe: Forums: Website Feedback: I miss my little black dot...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2l6ls?I-miss-my-little-black-dot#162010-08-22T21:41:36Z2010-08-22T21:41:36Z<p>Not seeing my little black dot using Firefox. Just reporting in...</p>Not seeing my little black dot using Firefox. Just reporting in...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-08-22T21:41:36ZRe: Forums: Rules Questions: Can you use shocking grasp and send it by metal weapon?fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2l6ve?Can-you-use-shocking-grasp-and-send-it-by#92010-08-23T03:00:39Z2010-08-22T17:30:19Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Cartigan wrote:</div><blockquote> I can't stand DM fiat made up solely to screw people over. Since when did electricity destroy metal? Oh yeah, never. </blockquote><p>Would you please mind your tone, Cartigan? Even this simple post is unnecessarily aggressive to make your point, and we could use a lot less attitude on these boards now days. I'm even asking pretty please, with a cherry on top. =-)Cartigan wrote:I can't stand DM fiat made up solely to screw people over. Since when did electricity destroy metal? Oh yeah, never.
Would you please mind your tone, Cartigan? Even this simple post is unnecessarily aggressive to make your point, and we could use a lot less attitude on these boards now days. I'm even asking pretty please, with a cherry on top. =-)fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-08-22T17:30:19ZRe: Forums: Rules Questions: Is Concealment considered 'hampered terrain' for purposes of a Charge?fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2l2xw?Is-Concealment-considered-hampered-terrain#52010-07-26T13:42:36Z2010-07-26T13:25:52Z<p>The answer is "Yes -areas of concealment hamper terrain." Besides the fact that according to the rules you can't charge a person you can't see (see second sentence), visibility conditions otherwise negate the use of the charge action. <i>Fog cloud</i> provides poor visibility, poor visibility hampers movement, and you cannot charge while your movement is hindered. Here are the relevant passages from the PRD (emphasis mine):</p>
<div class="messageboard-quotee">PRD charge rules say wrote:</div><blockquote><p>You must have a clear path toward the opponent, and <i>nothing can hinder your movement</i> (such as difficult terrain or obstacles). If any line from your starting space to the ending space passes through a square that blocks movement, <b>slows movement</b>, or contains a creature (even an ally), you can't charge.</p>
<p><b>If you don't have line of sight to the opponent at the start of your turn, you can't charge that opponent.</b></blockquote><div class="messageboard-quotee">PRD Hampered Movement Table says: wrote:</div><blockquote> "Poor Visibility = x2 Movement Cost"</blockquote><p>That's my reasoning there. I'm pretty sure I'm accurate.
<p>EDIT: Quick on the draw there, TriOmega! No fair -I had to quote stuff!!
<br />
=-)</p>The answer is "Yes -areas of concealment hamper terrain." Besides the fact that according to the rules you can't charge a person you can't see (see second sentence), visibility conditions otherwise negate the use of the charge action. Fog cloud provides poor visibility, poor visibility hampers movement, and you cannot charge while your movement is hindered. Here are the relevant passages from the PRD (emphasis mine):
PRD charge rules say wrote:You must have a clear path toward the opponent,...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-07-26T13:25:52ZRe: Forums: Homebrew and House Rules: New Weapon and Exotic Weaponfleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2l2bc?New-Weapon-and-Exotic-Weapon#162010-07-21T16:44:55Z2010-07-21T04:34:38Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Maezer wrote:</div><blockquote><br />
<br />
I would lean towards no its not treated as a whip other than it shares proficency. They appear to have (even post Armory errata) intentionally left out the 'in all other ways treat this weapon as a whip line' that existed in its 3.5 description.</p>
<p></blockquote><p>The line "this <b>WHIP</b>" isn't specific enough? I'd say if it looks like a whip, smells like a whip, uses the whip proficiency and is, you know, a <i>whip</i>, then it's a whip.Maezer wrote:I would lean towards no its not treated as a whip other than it shares proficency. They appear to have (even post Armory errata) intentionally left out the 'in all other ways treat this weapon as a whip line' that existed in its 3.5 description.
The line "this WHIP" isn't specific enough? I'd say if it looks like a whip, smells like a whip, uses the whip proficiency and is, you know, a whip, then it's a whip.fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-07-21T04:34:38ZRe: Forums: Lost Omens Products: You know I noticed some thing in the Pathfinder splatsfleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2l1y7?You-know-I-noticed-some-thing-in-the#222010-07-20T14:14:50Z2010-07-20T14:14:50Z<p>When did campaign setting books become "splats?"</p>When did campaign setting books become "splats?"fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-07-20T14:14:50ZRe: Forums: Advice: Running Solo games! Question:fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kziv?Running-Solo-games-Question#62010-07-17T20:56:38Z2010-07-17T20:52:34Z<p>I'd love to suggest a solo adventure for you:</p>
<p><i>The Wooden Mouse</i> by Roger Smith. It can be found in Dungeon Magazine #11. Solo thief game for about 6th level. The PC is hired to break into a mansion during a party and steal a simple carved mouse. The mansion is well-detailed, cleverly executed, full of devious little traps, and would be a pretty easy on-the-fly conversion for Pathfinder, even. Pick up a copy on <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Dungeons-Dragons-D-D-Dungeon-Magazine-11-May-Jun-1988-/270572759721?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3eff64aaa9" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">eBay</a> and give it a read. One of my all-time faves and even great to introduce new players to the game.</p>I'd love to suggest a solo adventure for you:
The Wooden Mouse by Roger Smith. It can be found in Dungeon Magazine #11. Solo thief game for about 6th level. The PC is hired to break into a mansion during a party and steal a simple carved mouse. The mansion is well-detailed, cleverly executed, full of devious little traps, and would be a pretty easy on-the-fly conversion for Pathfinder, even. Pick up a copy on eBay and give it a read. One of my all-time faves and even great to introduce new...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-07-17T20:52:34ZRe: Forums/Lost Omens Campaign Setting: General Discussion: How to make Thassilon seem ancient.fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2hv77?How-to-make-Thassilon-seem-ancient#442010-07-17T18:23:08Z2010-07-17T18:23:08Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Firest wrote:</div><blockquote> But suppose Thassilon didn't have paper either? What if the library in Rise of the Runelords was filled with clay tablets, or etched gold sheets? </blockquote><p>Great minds, Firest! You should have been a patron! The books contained the Archives in <i>Shore to Sea</i>are in fact etched sheets of precious metals that levitate near the reader like ioun stones. A lot of Azlanti stuff orbits and floats -inspired, of course, from their obsession with those enigmatic little devices.Firest wrote:But suppose Thassilon didn't have paper either? What if the library in Rise of the Runelords was filled with clay tablets, or etched gold sheets?
Great minds, Firest! You should have been a patron! The books contained the Archives in Shore to Seaare in fact etched sheets of precious metals that levitate near the reader like ioun stones. A lot of Azlanti stuff orbits and floats -inspired, of course, from their obsession with those enigmatic little devices.fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-07-17T18:23:08ZRe: Forums/Lost Omens Campaign Setting: General Discussion: How to make Thassilon seem ancient.fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2hv77?How-to-make-Thassilon-seem-ancient#422010-07-17T14:01:25Z2010-07-17T14:01:23Z<p>Keep in mind that Thassilonian culture and technology was directly inherited from Old Azlant, so use what additional sources you've got there to augment your players' (and your own) understanding of the them. I can tell you from my work on <a href="http://paizo.com/store/downloads/pathfinder/pathfinderModules/pathfinderRPG/v5748btpy8evj&source=search" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><i>From Shore to Sea</i></a> that a lot of new elements of these cultures were introduced: buildings and structures that were magically grown from a coral-like substance, favoring of glyph and rune magic, lots of themes of orbiting and levitating devices (it emphasizes a high-minded laziness; I always figured these noble people would work as little physically as possible), clearly defined yet unusual architecture, and unusual technology with consistent themes that hint at the culture's mindset. </p>
<p>The companion book to FStS, <a href="http://paizo.com/store/byCompany/o/openDesign/pathfinderRPG/v5748btpy8ezw" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><i>Sunken Empires</i></a> took those ideas one step further. Sure, we "genericized" them, but the intention was to show what was left of an ancient Azlant-like/Atlantean culture, and there are chapters on incredibly advanced lost "arcano-technology" like firearms, arclights, and charged hoplite armor all powered by mystical <i>vril</i> batteries. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. If you've got a player really into figuring things out, let them discover a coral-encrusted weird glyph-covered cylinder with all the wood bits rotted off, and let them go crazy figuring it out how it works...until they find an intact battery, plug it in and blow a hole in the wall.</p>
<p>And that's just Pathfinder stuff you can get right now. Some of my source material when working on these cultures was James Churchward's <i>The Lost Continent of Mu,</i> Donnelly's <i>Atlantis: The Antediluvian World,</i> and the incredibly awesome, written-by-a-17-year-old-medium-channeling-an-ancient-Atlantean <i>A Dweller on Two Planets</i> by Phylos. Crazy stuff that does a great job setting the stage for lost cultures that are both ancient and incredibly advanced, albeit along tangent historical lines that are perfect for fantasy roleplaying. Pick up a cheap used copy and pick through it.</p>
<p>Just some suggested reading!</p>Keep in mind that Thassilonian culture and technology was directly inherited from Old Azlant, so use what additional sources you've got there to augment your players' (and your own) understanding of the them. I can tell you from my work on From Shore to Sea that a lot of new elements of these cultures were introduced: buildings and structures that were magically grown from a coral-like substance, favoring of glyph and rune magic, lots of themes of orbiting and levitating devices (it...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-07-17T14:01:23ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: Pathfinder Wiki nominated for an Ennie!fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2l0sa?Pathfinder-Wiki-nominated-for-an-Ennie#362010-08-07T05:41:55Z2010-07-10T14:46:49Z<p>Indeed, Mark, but HUGE congrats in any case. The Pathfinder Wiki is an indispensable part of my writing routine, and I'd be like a little lost puppy, flipping through multiple tomes and pdfs without it. Major kudos to you and all contributors, and count on all of our support when the polling opens! Ya' dun good work!</p>
<p>Brandon</p>Indeed, Mark, but HUGE congrats in any case. The Pathfinder Wiki is an indispensable part of my writing routine, and I'd be like a little lost puppy, flipping through multiple tomes and pdfs without it. Major kudos to you and all contributors, and count on all of our support when the polling opens! Ya' dun good work!
Brandonfleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-07-10T14:46:49ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: Cleric of Aroden Vs Cleric of No-onefleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kt2k&page=6?Cleric-of-Aroden-Vs-Cleric-of-Noone#2532010-07-08T02:51:07Z2010-07-08T02:51:07Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">James Jacobs wrote:</div><blockquote><br />
<br />
That's unfortunate and should never have gotten into print. I can't control everything that comes out under the Pathfinder Chronicles line, I guess.</p>
<p>Those shamans should not be clerics, actually. They should be adepts or druids. </blockquote><p>James -you know I'd love to see you bend on your stance a little on this one. My offer still stands. I'll write you a sidebar, gratis, that reconciles Core Rulebook allowances and Golarion Pantheism/Philosophical worship (NOT this "godless" worship, though) to leave the door open for folks who want to play official pantheistic clerics in Golarion. I could do it in four sentences! =-)
<p>C'moooooooon, James. I'll let you pick any two domains you want!!! ;-) </p>
<p>Brandon</p>James Jacobs wrote:That's unfortunate and should never have gotten into print. I can't control everything that comes out under the Pathfinder Chronicles line, I guess.Those shamans should not be clerics, actually. They should be adepts or druids.
James -you know I'd love to see you bend on your stance a little on this one. My offer still stands. I'll write you a sidebar, gratis, that reconciles Core Rulebook allowances and Golarion Pantheism/Philosophical worship (NOT this "godless" worship,...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-07-08T02:51:07ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: Underwater/Sea based Campaignfleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2l03y?UnderwaterSea-based-Campaign#22012-11-15T22:44:01Z2010-07-08T01:01:57Z<p>I've got one. Check out <a href="
<br />
http://paizo.com/store/byCompany/o/openDesign/pathfinderRPG/v5748btpy8ezw&a mp;source=search" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Sunken Empires</a>. It takes exactly that approach to aquatic adventures, giving level-by-level breakdowns for getting PCs' feet wet as they advance in levels, and even provides a great little environment to facilitate those sorts of adventures. Perfect for what you want to do...</p>I've got one. Check out Sunken Empires. It takes exactly that approach to aquatic adventures, giving level-by-level breakdowns for getting PCs' feet wet as they advance in levels, and even provides a great little environment to facilitate those sorts of adventures. Perfect for what you want to do...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-07-08T01:01:57ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: What's the Reason Wizards can't cast Silence?fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kzno?Whats-the-Reason-Wizards-cant-cast-Silence#142010-07-05T00:19:54Z2010-07-04T14:24:34Z<p>Research to add a desired spell to your list is TOTALLY worth it at only 1,000gp per spell level and a little time on your character's part. And easy to do, since you aren't making a spell from scratch.</p>
<p>I just added <i>spectral hand</i> to my cleric's spell list so I could heal at a distance, and it totally rocks.</p>
<p>I also felt the same way as the OP about <i>disrupt undead</i> not being on the cleric spell list. What the heck? The destroyers of these unholy abominations (esp. my cleric of Pharasma) can't use that great little spell?</p>
<p>Well, corrected, and cheaply at that. Very cost-effective.</p>Research to add a desired spell to your list is TOTALLY worth it at only 1,000gp per spell level and a little time on your character's part. And easy to do, since you aren't making a spell from scratch.
I just added spectral hand to my cleric's spell list so I could heal at a distance, and it totally rocks.
I also felt the same way as the OP about disrupt undead not being on the cleric spell list. What the heck? The destroyers of these unholy abominations (esp. my cleric of Pharasma) can't...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-07-04T14:24:34ZRe: Forums: Pathfinder Adventures: Interesting Icthyoid Implications (From Shore to Sea Spoilers)fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kz7r?Interesting-Icthyoid-Implications#32011-01-07T23:14:22Z2010-06-30T14:37:51Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Drakli wrote:</div><blockquote><p> So... Everyone in Blackcove is turning into a Gillman, on the way to becoming Skum. </p>
<p>Now... the PF Bestiary says Skum are all males, and that's why they have to have the sex with human females.</p>
<p>Since there are gill-tainted women, (some of which are rather far along, like Sara Vanderholt) ... does this mean the women are all becoming (fish)Men?
<br />
</blockquote><p>I can answer that!
<p>The simple answer is..."only sorta not really." =-)</p>
<p>The mutation of the female villagers isn't due to a breach in the "breeding rules" of the skum, but rather the mutating nature of the island's energy field known as "the Warping," as detailed on page 12. The female villagers who have undergone 'the change' (like sweet, lovely Sara -pucker up!), have done so because of their long exposure to the island's field, Mohl'omog's slime, and the fact that most of them have some "true" gillmen blood, as described on page 19. Since they also have a lot of ulat-kini taint in their blood after years of breeding with the creatures, their ultimate mutation is a bit more stable than the random way it affects PCs, so you get to see Sara and some of the others with gills and aquatic traits that the females would not have developed otherwise if left alone in the village to live their lives. </p>
<p>But, you could certainly rule otherwise if you wanted to make an exception and deal with the implications! That could be exciting! You might decide that after the close of the adventure, the villagers escape without the cure, and a new female breeding stock for skum develops. This would lead to a temporary increase in the skum population, threatening the coastline of Cheliax a generation from now with raids from the waves. Of course, all the resulting offspring would be male, but it would increase their raiding party numbers and maybe tip the balance in the region. PCs might have to venture below the sea to destroy this rapidly breeding skum colony to stop the attacks. Hold on...I'm feeling a sequel coming on... =-)</p>
<p>The implications were left intentionally vague, though. The way I saw it, the females would just never fully change, and cease mutating once achieving their potential gillmen form, never reaching that next stage of evolution to become true skum, because, like you pointed out, skum are all male, and we stayed aware of that while writing. But that's just me. Do what's FUN! =-)</p>
<p>Brandon</p>Drakli wrote:So... Everyone in Blackcove is turning into a Gillman, on the way to becoming Skum.
Now... the PF Bestiary says Skum are all males, and that's why they have to have the sex with human females.
Since there are gill-tainted women, (some of which are rather far along, like Sara Vanderholt) ... does this mean the women are all becoming (fish)Men?
I can answer that! The simple answer is..."only sorta not really." =-)
The mutation of the female villagers isn't due to a breach in...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-06-30T14:37:51ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: Let's Dish Gishfleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kwqt&page=5?Lets-Dish-Gish#2042010-07-31T03:43:52Z2010-06-11T22:43:16Z<p>Maybe a few of these are already among the posts:</p>
<p><b>Theurgist</b></p>
<p><b>Incanter</b></p>
<p><b>Legerdemist </b></p>
<p><b>Spellbinder</b> (hey -spellbind is a word!)</p>
<p><b>Warfarer</b></p>
<p><b>Magister</b></p>
<p><b>Maleficarist</b> (has a certain ring to it) or <b>Maleficar</b></p>
<p><b>Ritualist</b></p>
<p><b>Enochiast</b> (use celestial language to empower weapons?)</p>
<p>B.</p>Maybe a few of these are already among the posts:
Theurgist
Incanter
Legerdemist
Spellbinder (hey -spellbind is a word!)
Warfarer
Magister
Maleficarist (has a certain ring to it) or Maleficar
Ritualist
Enochiast (use celestial language to empower weapons?)
B.fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-06-11T22:43:16ZRe: Forums: 4th Edition: D&D on CNNfleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kwgd?DD-on-CNN#322010-06-10T14:24:26Z2010-06-10T14:20:52Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Amael wrote:</div><blockquote>Well the way I see it, I'd prefer it to the witchhunts/ignorance of the 80's...it took a long time to shrug off that mountain of BS. </blockquote><p>Man, Amael, I can remember so well (growing up in very conservative Southeast Texas) the crap I had to put up with at school from other students and some of the brochures from the local churches that had screen-shots from the cartoon of "satanic pentagrams" on the castle walls and copies of Monster Manual devils as 'proof' that we were all worshiping the dark lord.
<p>Once, my previously tolerant father showing up from his job at the refinery with some pamphlet a co-worker gave him about the "evils" of D&D. I think I was 10. After he lectured me for a few minutes and read some stuff off the pamphlet while telling me I couldn't play anymore, I ran upstairs, got a few books, and sat down and kind of gave him this <i>full disclosure</i> of what I was doing with my friends when we rolled dice and talked about dragons. He watched and listened, sort of muttered something like "Yeah, I though Bertrand was a little too religious" and told me I could keep playing.</p>
<p>Sad epilogue is that the guy who gave him that pamphlet is still estranged from his son, Tim, a classmate of mine, because of D&D. He caught him playing the game just after we got out of high school and "banished" him from their family. Tim's 36 now, for chrissakes. Sheesh.</p>Amael wrote:Well the way I see it, I'd prefer it to the witchhunts/ignorance of the 80's...it took a long time to shrug off that mountain of BS.
Man, Amael, I can remember so well (growing up in very conservative Southeast Texas) the crap I had to put up with at school from other students and some of the brochures from the local churches that had screen-shots from the cartoon of "satanic pentagrams" on the castle walls and copies of Monster Manual devils as 'proof' that we were all...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-06-10T14:20:52ZRe: Forums: 4th Edition: D&D on CNNfleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kwgd?DD-on-CNN#302010-06-10T14:11:00Z2010-06-10T14:07:47Z<p>I totally agree with Dennis here. The BRP system is easily the most straightforward and intuitive of the major game systems for new gamers and on-the-fly roleplaying sessions with non-gamers.</p>
<p>"Here's your character. Everything you can do is listed as skills here on the right. The percentage is your character's chance of performing the action, and if you roll less than that number on <i>these</i> two dice, you are successful. I'll explain a few other things as we play, like damage and hit points, but let's get started!"</p>
<p>It really is that easy. And quite elegant. In my experience, that really is the extent of the opening conversation with new players. I <i>also</i> know it isn't quite as simple as I made out here, and it complicates just like any other game, but it really is that easy to get started with non-gamers. Sure beats explaining skill ranks, armor class, saving throws, attacks of opportunity, etc. </p>
<p>Cool article, btw. Exposure to new potential gamers can only be good, right?</p>I totally agree with Dennis here. The BRP system is easily the most straightforward and intuitive of the major game systems for new gamers and on-the-fly roleplaying sessions with non-gamers.
"Here's your character. Everything you can do is listed as skills here on the right. The percentage is your character's chance of performing the action, and if you roll less than that number on these two dice, you are successful. I'll explain a few other things as we play, like damage and hit points,...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-06-10T14:07:47ZRe: Forums/PaizoCon: General Discussion: Progress photos on flying angelic castle terrain piecefleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kwkp?Progress-photos-on-flying-angelic-castle#22012-11-15T22:38:41Z2010-06-09T18:47:59Z<p>The heat is ON, Reynolds! Daigle and I have a pretty impressive Black Rock for the Green Blood tournament. But your skills are legendary...your prop-fu most impressive...we shall see...</p>
<p>Of course, I'd better get the thing in the mail, too, or we're going to be playing on a flat table... =-)</p>
<p>Brandon</p>The heat is ON, Reynolds! Daigle and I have a pretty impressive Black Rock for the Green Blood tournament. But your skills are legendary...your prop-fu most impressive...we shall see...
Of course, I'd better get the thing in the mail, too, or we're going to be playing on a flat table... =-)
Brandonfleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-06-09T18:47:59ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: Sell me on Pathfinder?fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kw0s?Sell-me-on-Pathfinder#112010-06-05T14:47:18Z2010-06-05T14:46:16Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">LazarX wrote:</div><blockquote><br />
<br />
I do think that if you really want to try Pathfinder out, it's best to try it out in native format... in other words take your 3.5 material and put it on a shelf for awhile and try Pathfinder in it's pure form.</p>
<p>You may find that you'll never want to return to that shelf. </blockquote><p>THIS.
<p>Our Austin group (which includes a couple of PF contributors) has always been a by-the-book gaming group. No houseruling or, in the past, non-WotC sourcebooks.</p>
<p>With our full conversion to Pathfinder, we shelved everything and declared Paizo the way to go. The supplemental materials in the APs and CS give a lot of good flavorful feats and traits, and Chronicles materials give lots of great information on regions, classes and religions. And our community here is unparalleled in communication and support. </p>
<p>As a game, much more balanced and streamlined, and we're thrilled with our recent gaming experiences. We haven't had to change a thing!</p>LazarX wrote:I do think that if you really want to try Pathfinder out, it's best to try it out in native format... in other words take your 3.5 material and put it on a shelf for awhile and try Pathfinder in it's pure form.You may find that you'll never want to return to that shelf.
THIS. Our Austin group (which includes a couple of PF contributors) has always been a by-the-book gaming group. No houseruling or, in the past, non-WotC sourcebooks.
With our full conversion to Pathfinder, we...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-06-05T14:46:16ZRe: Forums/PaizoCon: General Discussion: Autographs and Pathfinderfleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kvu5?Autographs-and-Pathfinder#182010-06-04T22:46:39Z2010-06-04T22:46:39Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Marc Radle wrote:</div><blockquote> <div class="messageboard-quotee">Erik Mona wrote:</div><blockquote> <div class="messageboard-quotee">mearrin69 wrote:</div><blockquote><p> I plan on stalking you guys until I get all of you to sign my core book. Hopefully I can get Erik to sign it with a "c" instead of a "k" but that might be asking too much.
</p>
M </blockquote><p>This will never, EVER happen.
</p>
</blockquote>I feel your pain - I can't tell you how many times someone has spelled my name with a K! </blockquote><p>Marc Radkle? Yeah...that sucks. =-)Marc Radle wrote:Erik Mona wrote: mearrin69 wrote:I plan on stalking you guys until I get all of you to sign my core book. Hopefully I can get Erik to sign it with a "c" instead of a "k" but that might be asking too much.
M
This will never, EVER happen.
I feel your pain - I can't tell you how many times someone has spelled my name with a K! Marc Radkle? Yeah...that sucks. =-)fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-06-04T22:46:39ZRe: Forums: Product Discussion: How to pitch an idea...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2ktvp?How-to-pitch-an-idea#382010-05-24T14:29:18Z2010-05-24T14:29:18Z<p>Buzzby is right about the <i>Kobold Guide to Game Design</i>. GREAT resource full of juicy bits about pitching and freelancing.</p>
<p>And don't discount the baptism by fire that Open Design provides to its Senior Patrons in projects. I know it certainly opened the door for me. In less than one year, I went from pitching ideas to patrons to running my own two-book project and writing for Paizo. Senior Patrons of Open design projects not only get the best seat in the house (either front row or backstage, depending on your analogy) but get to collaborate with other talented writers and pitch ideas in successive rounds towards adventures, crunch and fluff of the finished product -in some cases entire chapters. Your pitches get positively critiqued and you get the straight dope pretty quick on why yours may or may not have worked. </p>
<p>It is an excellent way to get your feet wet, and there are new projects on the horizon! Get in early and stay late.</p>
<p>Brandon</p>Buzzby is right about the Kobold Guide to Game Design. GREAT resource full of juicy bits about pitching and freelancing.
And don't discount the baptism by fire that Open Design provides to its Senior Patrons in projects. I know it certainly opened the door for me. In less than one year, I went from pitching ideas to patrons to running my own two-book project and writing for Paizo. Senior Patrons of Open design projects not only get the best seat in the house (either front row or backstage,...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-05-24T14:29:18ZRe: Forums/PaizoCon: General Discussion: The Arena for Green Blood on a Black Rock (Wow!)fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2ktf3?The-Arena-for-Green-Blood-on-a-Black-Rock#242010-06-23T15:11:09Z2010-05-21T11:57:02Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Bad Influence wrote:</div><blockquote> Hey I didn't see any 5ft squares. (grin) </blockquote><p>They're on there now! Done manually with a charcoal pencil so they blend in nicely and don't ruin the whole paint job. It looks great! Now to just get Daigle over for some detail work and some final touches.
<p>B.</p>Bad Influence wrote:Hey I didn't see any 5ft squares. (grin)
They're on there now! Done manually with a charcoal pencil so they blend in nicely and don't ruin the whole paint job. It looks great! Now to just get Daigle over for some detail work and some final touches. B.fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-05-21T11:57:02ZRe: Forums/PaizoCon: General Discussion: The Arena for Green Blood on a Black Rock (Wow!)fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2ktf3?The-Arena-for-Green-Blood-on-a-Black-Rock#212010-06-23T15:11:09Z2010-05-19T03:56:03Z<p>I was going to post the series of pictures, but it took longer to take them between coats than it took to paint it. Soooooo, without further ado, here is the <i>mostly</i> complete <b><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p116/fleece66/P1011163.jpg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Black Rock!</a></b> </p>
<p>I really went for a bilestone feel to it.</p>I was going to post the series of pictures, but it took longer to take them between coats than it took to paint it. Soooooo, without further ado, here is the mostly complete Black Rock!
I really went for a bilestone feel to it.fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-05-19T03:56:03ZRe: Forums: Product Discussion: Sunken Empires (PFRPG)fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/products/btpy8ezw/discuss&page=2?Sunken-Empires#902010-07-30T05:19:36Z2010-05-17T04:56:12Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">IconoclasticScream wrote:</div><blockquote> <div class="messageboard-quotee">terraleon wrote:</div><blockquote>I don't think it could have been in "weeks ago," as the print edition was only made available on the 10th</blockquote><p>And yet, my receipt for the print edition is from April 26, three weeks ago tomorrow. Maybe I used magic to order it before the 10th of May. <sigh>
<p>At least I don't have to worry as much for the time being that it's lost. Gracias. </blockquote><p>I'm pretty sure Sunken Empires was available for pre-order for a few weeks before it was finally available to ship from the warehouse on the 10th. You're both right! =-)IconoclasticScream wrote:terraleon wrote:I don't think it could have been in "weeks ago," as the print edition was only made available on the 10th
And yet, my receipt for the print edition is from April 26, three weeks ago tomorrow. Maybe I used magic to order it before the 10th of May. At least I don't have to worry as much for the time being that it's lost. Gracias. I'm pretty sure Sunken Empires was available for pre-order for a few weeks before it was finally available to ship from the...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-05-17T04:56:12ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: Cleric of Aroden Vs Cleric of No-onefleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kt2k&page=5?Cleric-of-Aroden-Vs-Cleric-of-Noone#2342010-07-08T01:34:41Z2010-05-15T14:32:51Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Snorter wrote:</div><blockquote><br />
<br />
Why not?
<br />
That's exactly what a player would do.</p>
<p>DM: "The psychic shockwave reverberates across the multiverse, as you wake from your sleep, to realise that Bokkblag, the god of War and Destruction, has been slain by his rival Cherubia..."</p>
<p>Player: "Dangnabbit; hand me that eraser..."<rub, rub>....
<br />
<span class=messageboard-ooc><writes 'War and Destruction' in the 'Deity' box, where Bokkblag used to be></span>
<br />
"Right, all done, let's pray for spells, and go kick some Cherubic ass."</p>
<p>PCs are just NPCs, with delusions of importance; they act under the same cosmic laws as everyone else.</p>
<p>If it were possible for a PC to worship domains, without the need for a god, then it's possible for NPCs to do it just as easily, in which case, no NPC would ever pick a deity, since doing so is simply hamstringing oneself. </blockquote><p>Man -that wouldn't fly for a second in my group, and it obviously doesn't fly for Paizo in their Campaign Setting, either.
<p>But getting into this gets us beyond rules and into less defined territory. See my post on faith, above, or just read the flavor text of the cleric class in Core and CS. Listen, if you are a 15th level cleric of Aroden 100 years ago, and you've spent your whole life in his devotion, from a young boy aiding priests at the altar all the way to your final indoctrination in seminary and an adventuring career promoting his causes, you don't just shrug off the death of your god and say "Awww...shucks. He was alright, I guess. It was really what he stood for that ultimately mattered." No. Your god was the <i>living personification</i> of those ideals, and you asked him <i>directly</i> for the blassing of his power. I mean, you've drank the kool-aid at that point, and it is a little late to spit it back up.</p>
<p>The death of Aroden DECIMATED CULTURES. It destroyed a church. Your character, through the advancement of class levels through the rules, has taken level after level as a <i>worshipper of Aroden</i>. You've been praying DIRECTLY to him for power, not asking his individual 'ideals' aspects for spells. After some serious roleplaying, you could probably eventually figure something out, like ask for the grace of a sympathetic god like Iomedae to allow you into her fold, or discover a way to tap into the divine power of a sympathetic philosophy by asking gods with similar portfolios to not abandon you, but that's going to take some serious roleplaying, and a heck of a lot more than 10 seconds with an eraser...</p>
<p>Of course, if you <i>started</i> the game as an undeclared cleric that worshiped the same ideological mindset as Aroden's followers, but weren't devoted to him directly, you'd probably say "yes -our world has lost a great bastion of Strength and Justice," but you'd keep praying to those two "divine concepts worthy of devotion" that you always have, because that's how YOU were raised and nurtured, and get your spells as usual, despite the death of a god sympathetic to your cause. </p>
<p>In our groups, anyway, and certainly according to the CS.</p>Snorter wrote:Why not?
That's exactly what a player would do.DM: "The psychic shockwave reverberates across the multiverse, as you wake from your sleep, to realise that Bokkblag, the god of War and Destruction, has been slain by his rival Cherubia..."
Player: "Dangnabbit; hand me that eraser..."....
"Right, all done, let's pray for spells, and go kick some Cherubic ass."
PCs are just NPCs, with delusions of importance; they act under the same cosmic laws as everyone else.
If it were...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-05-15T14:32:51ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: Cleric of Aroden Vs Cleric of No-onefleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kt2k&page=5?Cleric-of-Aroden-Vs-Cleric-of-Noone#2252010-07-08T01:34:41Z2010-05-15T05:46:08Z<p>But I wanted a retort to my Razmir-disintegrating-his-cleric example! Hahahaha.</p>
<p>This really has been a nice mental exercise, and still surprisingly flame-free with only a minor, minor hiccup with a couple of posts. Fun, fun. Kudos.</p>But I wanted a retort to my Razmir-disintegrating-his-cleric example! Hahahaha.
This really has been a nice mental exercise, and still surprisingly flame-free with only a minor, minor hiccup with a couple of posts. Fun, fun. Kudos.fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-05-15T05:46:08ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: Cleric of Aroden Vs Cleric of No-onefleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kt2k&page=5?Cleric-of-Aroden-Vs-Cleric-of-Noone#2232010-07-08T01:34:41Z2010-05-15T05:39:51Z<p>(And on a brief sidenote, we all know that the reasoning behind rules for generic clerics of "ideals" is to placate those who want to play the game that might otherwise find the concept of pretend-worshiping a false god in a fantasy roleplaying game to be against their individual real-world religious doctrines and beliefs, right? Just wanna make sure we're all on the same page there.)</p>(And on a brief sidenote, we all know that the reasoning behind rules for generic clerics of "ideals" is to placate those who want to play the game that might otherwise find the concept of pretend-worshiping a false god in a fantasy roleplaying game to be against their individual real-world religious doctrines and beliefs, right? Just wanna make sure we're all on the same page there.)fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-05-15T05:39:51ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: Cleric of Aroden Vs Cleric of No-onefleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kt2k&page=5?Cleric-of-Aroden-Vs-Cleric-of-Noone#2222010-07-08T01:34:41Z2010-05-15T05:36:11Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">seekerofshadowlight wrote:</div><blockquote><p> What virtues do Razmir and Aroden have, those Are the domains you get...see they still fit the "divine concept requirement"</p>
<p>Any Ideal that can be made a "divine concept" by Raw. If you think about it hard enough. </blockquote><p>I don't know about that. It doesn't say that, and the given examples don't lead me to believe that you can get far beyond loosely defined abstract concepts like "Strength." Keep in mind that all but one of the example concepts correspond directly to domains, which makes my point pretty strong.
<p>Let's say you are in Razmir's church and try to be his cleric. At least that's what you'll claim. You choose Knowledge and Community domains, just as examples. Now, your devotion is <i>to those ideals and concepts</i>, and <b>not</b> to the <b>direct</b> worship of Razmir. Same with Aroden. Neither god is going to answer your prayers. Your chosen divine concepts will be granting you your power, and they'll be roughly equivalent to your domains. Razmir is going to see you getting power, realize it isn't from him, and immediately disintegrate you, sympathetic to his ideals or not.</p>
<p>Razmir won't like it because you aren't praying or receiving power <i>directly from him</i>- you're sidestepping his worship, because paying homage to concepts he supports is NOT directly worshiping some guy claiming to be a god. As for Aroden, he doesn't care because he's dead.</p>seekerofshadowlight wrote:What virtues do Razmir and Aroden have, those Are the domains you get...see they still fit the "divine concept requirement"
Any Ideal that can be made a "divine concept" by Raw. If you think about it hard enough.
I don't know about that. It doesn't say that, and the given examples don't lead me to believe that you can get far beyond loosely defined abstract concepts like "Strength." Keep in mind that all but one of the example concepts correspond directly to...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-05-15T05:36:11ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: Cleric of Aroden Vs Cleric of No-onefleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kt2k&page=5?Cleric-of-Aroden-Vs-Cleric-of-Noone#2172010-07-08T01:34:41Z2010-05-15T05:19:48Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">seekerofshadowlight wrote:</div><blockquote><p> Ah but see thats the point, You just did the same thing. Any ideal works or just Ideal you think win your augment. See how that works?
</p>
See the slop there? It simply is not defined. </blockquote><p>I think it IS defined, and I think that DOMAINS define the legal ideals. Maybe that has gotten lost here. (continuing just because this is still fun, right?)
<p>A cleric undeclared to a single deity "selects two domains to represent her spiritual inclinations." </p>
<p>Unfortunately for clerics who want to find a loophole to worshiping Razmir by worshiping the ideal of his godhood, there isn't a "Please Make Razmir A Real God" domain, just as there isn't a "Dead God" domain for those who want to get around Aroden's death, or a "Damn-I-live-in-a-country-where-divine-magic-is-outlawed-but-maybe-if-I-tak e-this-domain-they'll-like-me" domain. </p>
<p>You might not have to declare a single deity, but you DO have to commit to the ideals with the selection of your domains, and those are pre-defined, RAW "divine concepts," right?</p>seekerofshadowlight wrote:Ah but see thats the point, You just did the same thing. Any ideal works or just Ideal you think win your augment. See how that works?
See the slop there? It simply is not defined.
I think it IS defined, and I think that DOMAINS define the legal ideals. Maybe that has gotten lost here. (continuing just because this is still fun, right?) A cleric undeclared to a single deity "selects two domains to represent her spiritual inclinations."
Unfortunately for clerics...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-05-15T05:19:48ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: Cleric of Aroden Vs Cleric of No-onefleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kt2k&page=5?Cleric-of-Aroden-Vs-Cleric-of-Noone#2132010-07-08T01:34:41Z2010-05-15T05:02:28Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">seekerofshadowlight wrote:</div><blockquote><p> I disagree, as he is not a god, worshiping hims IS worshiping the ideal of his godhood. Same with a dead god, he is dead so all you have is his ideal.</p>
<p>It simply is the very same thing and both by RAW are valid. Bout are worthy of devotion. One was a god with ideals and a massive following, the other you think is a god. Both count. </blockquote><p>NOW who's the one defining what is and isn't an ideal, Seeker? There isn't anything you just said that is discussed in the rules beyond your own presumption of what defines an ideal. It is the same presumption you just accused everyone else of making, when in fact we're quoting from the rulebook, which defines and lists several divine concepts worthy of devotion, yet we find no mentions of "the ideals of gods."
<p>How now brown cow? =-)</p>seekerofshadowlight wrote:I disagree, as he is not a god, worshiping hims IS worshiping the ideal of his godhood. Same with a dead god, he is dead so all you have is his ideal.
It simply is the very same thing and both by RAW are valid. Bout are worthy of devotion. One was a god with ideals and a massive following, the other you think is a god. Both count.
NOW who's the one defining what is and isn't an ideal, Seeker? There isn't anything you just said that is discussed in the rules beyond...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-05-15T05:02:28ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: Cleric of Aroden Vs Cleric of No-onefleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kt2k&page=5?Cleric-of-Aroden-Vs-Cleric-of-Noone#2112010-07-08T01:34:41Z2010-05-15T04:48:12Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">seekerofshadowlight wrote:</div><blockquote><p> To me an ideal is an ideal. To you guys you place all kinds or restrictions on what is and is not an ideal, restrictions that are simply not there in the rules.</p>
<p></blockquote><p>Seeker, man, I love your tenacity, but you're overlooking some important aspects of the debate.
<p>First, the rules DO define what an "ideal" is, and it can't just be anything. It is defined as "a divine concept worthy of devotion—such as battle, death, justice, or knowledge." Like it was stated above, the sorts of "ideals" that end up being domains or powering philosophies. </p>
<p>Simple: Razmir can't have clerics because if they are worshiping his ideals, they aren't worshiping him directly. If they aren't worshiping him directly, then they aren't part of his religion. Similar case with Aroden. </p>
<p>I don't buy into that "we'll just worship what our dead/false god stood for and keep going." Faith doesn't work that way, and there is a lot of flavor text to back up what it takes to be a devoted cleric of a god, and if your god dies, a BIG light goes out in your life that can't be sidestepped by suddenly switching your fealty to the ideals your god once had. </p>
<p>And James left the door open for undeclared clerics in Golarion with his refusal to deny them, so you <i>gotta</i> stop using only half of what he said in your argument. =-)</p>seekerofshadowlight wrote:To me an ideal is an ideal. To you guys you place all kinds or restrictions on what is and is not an ideal, restrictions that are simply not there in the rules.
Seeker, man, I love your tenacity, but you're overlooking some important aspects of the debate. First, the rules DO define what an "ideal" is, and it can't just be anything. It is defined as "a divine concept worthy of devotion—such as battle, death, justice, or knowledge." Like it was stated above, the...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-05-15T04:48:12ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: Cleric of Aroden Vs Cleric of No-onefleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kt2k&page=4?Cleric-of-Aroden-Vs-Cleric-of-Noone#1912010-07-08T01:34:41Z2010-05-15T03:13:52Z<p>I think this argument ends very simply, as I explained a long time back:</p>
<p>"Ideals" that grant spells, like Good and Strength, are <b>"sponsored" by the deities who represent those ideals in their portfolios, and they grant spells to undeclared clerics of sympathetic alignments they wish to promote.</b></p>
<p>Isn't that simple enough? It solves the debate. You can't have "godless" clerics, but you CAN have clerics undevoted to a singular deity.</p>
<p>After all, both Core and the CS <i>do</i> explicitly state that deities grant spells.</p>I think this argument ends very simply, as I explained a long time back:
"Ideals" that grant spells, like Good and Strength, are "sponsored" by the deities who represent those ideals in their portfolios, and they grant spells to undeclared clerics of sympathetic alignments they wish to promote.
Isn't that simple enough? It solves the debate. You can't have "godless" clerics, but you CAN have clerics undevoted to a singular deity.
After all, both Core and the CS do explicitly state that...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-05-15T03:13:52ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: Cleric of Aroden Vs Cleric of No-onefleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kt2k&page=3?Cleric-of-Aroden-Vs-Cleric-of-Noone#1302010-07-08T01:34:41Z2010-05-14T18:46:12Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">seekerofshadowlight wrote:</div><blockquote><br />
<br />
It goes on to say <i>"Yet despite their unusual—some claim heretical—
<br />
religious views, the pious members of the Order of the Godclaw receive spells just as the worshipers of any other deity. What power grants the faithful of the Godclaw their might remains a matter of some debate outside the order, with many believing Asmodeus himself encourages this
<br />
corruption, while others suggest they draw their power from the fanatical devotion to law alone. The signifers of the Order of the Godclaw have another answer, though, claiming their might merely proves the legitimacy of their faith.'</i></p>
<p>So while they seem to think it is faith alone, they do in fact worship a pantheon and most agree Asmodeus is fueling the most of it.</blockquote><p>You and I are still on the same side in this debate, and this quote really backs up my pantheism argument definitively, but I'm afraid it really opens the door more for the worship of an ideal in the passage you quoted: <i>"others suggest they draw their power from the fanatical devotion to law alone."</i>
<p>That <i>really</i> leaves the door open to 'idealogical' worship and is intentionally vague, as it was meant to be. All it states is that others outside the order think Asmodeus <i>might</i> be behind the power, and is far from definitive proof otherwise, as you cite. Quite the opposite, it <i>does</i> say that it is a <i>possibility</i> that the order's own convictions grant it divine strength. </p>
<p>So, there's that.</p>
<p>(circles, circles!) =-)</p>seekerofshadowlight wrote:It goes on to say "Yet despite their unusual—some claim heretical—
religious views, the pious members of the Order of the Godclaw receive spells just as the worshipers of any other deity. What power grants the faithful of the Godclaw their might remains a matter of some debate outside the order, with many believing Asmodeus himself encourages this
corruption, while others suggest they draw their power from the fanatical devotion to law alone. The signifers of the...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-05-14T18:46:12ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: Paizo Blog: GameMastery Guide Preview: NPCs and Early Copies!fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo5lazb?GameMastery-Guide-Preview-NPCs-and-Early-Copies#152010-05-14T16:30:09Z2010-05-14T16:29:45Z<p>Most impressive thing here to me is the inclusion of tables that actually list potions by name, so you don't have any more arguing about which spells can be made into them! We did the same thing on <i>Sunken Empires</i>: New spells? <i>These</i> are the ones that qualify as potions! No more flipping around between the spell listing, the magic item chapter and the brew potion feat!</p>Most impressive thing here to me is the inclusion of tables that actually list potions by name, so you don't have any more arguing about which spells can be made into them! We did the same thing on Sunken Empires: New spells? These are the ones that qualify as potions! No more flipping around between the spell listing, the magic item chapter and the brew potion feat!fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-05-14T16:29:45ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: Cleric of Aroden Vs Cleric of No-onefleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kt2k&page=3?Cleric-of-Aroden-Vs-Cleric-of-Noone#1232010-07-08T01:34:41Z2010-05-14T14:19:53Z<p>Mikaze brought up the Hellknight Order of the God Claw previously, and for those of you interested in this topic, and whether or not Golarion can officially have undeclared clerics, it does shine some interesting light on the subject in another example of a philosophy, and even the specific domains that followers of this order have access to.</p>
<p>From the <a href="http://pathfinder.wikia.com/wiki/Order_of_the_God_Claw" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Pathfinder Wiki</a>:</p>
<p>The Order of the God Claw is a Hellknight order which extols the virtues of five lawful deities, distilling select tenants into a dogma far from any one god’s faith.</p>
<p>Although the God Claw venerates aspects of Abadar, Asmodeus, Iomedae, Irori, and Torag, it is unclear from which of these gods it draws its power; indeed, it is <i>possible</i> that <i><b>its own convictions</b></i>• grant it divine strength. Clerical signifiers and other religious members of the order have access to the Glory, Law, Protection, Strength, and War domains. </p>
<p>•(emphasis mine)</p>Mikaze brought up the Hellknight Order of the God Claw previously, and for those of you interested in this topic, and whether or not Golarion can officially have undeclared clerics, it does shine some interesting light on the subject in another example of a philosophy, and even the specific domains that followers of this order have access to.
From the Pathfinder Wiki:
The Order of the God Claw is a Hellknight order which extols the virtues of five lawful deities, distilling select tenants...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-05-14T14:19:53ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: Cleric of Aroden Vs Cleric of No-onefleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kt2k&page=2?Cleric-of-Aroden-Vs-Cleric-of-Noone#962010-07-08T01:34:41Z2010-05-14T04:03:50Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">seekerofshadowlight wrote:</div><blockquote> The only thing that gets me about the philosophies is not all of them have gods, so they would not have clerics from that philosophies alone. Although a cleric of a god could still follow one of those I am thinking. </blockquote><p>Yeah -I hear you, but there is a lot of stated leniency in that listing that leaves things open, and the Diabolism listing, in particular, states that followers of that philosophy supplicate all 9 architects of Hell as well as the structure of hell itself, so that gives some clue of pantheism there.seekerofshadowlight wrote:The only thing that gets me about the philosophies is not all of them have gods, so they would not have clerics from that philosophies alone. Although a cleric of a god could still follow one of those I am thinking.
Yeah -I hear you, but there is a lot of stated leniency in that listing that leaves things open, and the Diabolism listing, in particular, states that followers of that philosophy supplicate all 9 architects of Hell as well as the structure of hell...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-05-14T04:03:50ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: Cleric of Aroden Vs Cleric of No-onefleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kt2k&page=2?Cleric-of-Aroden-Vs-Cleric-of-Noone#932010-07-08T01:34:41Z2010-05-14T03:51:57Z<p>For what it is worth, <i>Gods & Magic</i> explicitly states that <i>gods grant spells</i>, just as the Core Rulebook states they grant domains. I'm being very explicit here on purpose.</p>
<p>I think this simple fact alone precludes any sort of "godless" cleric in "official" Golarion, or, as Core states, a cleric "free of deific abstraction." The fact is, it doesn't make sense to pray to "Strength" and expect "Strength" to grant you spells, even in our high fantasy games, even if Core defines it as "a divine concept worthy of devotion." Rather, as I argued before, you've got to ask the appropriate, closely-aligned god or philosophy that <i>represents that ideal concept in its portfolio</i> for the power to cast the spells and domain abilities that they represent, and those abilities can <i>only</i> be granted by the grace of a divine power.</p>
<p>I think that fits everyone's argument here, for the most part. It accounts for standard clerics as well as pantheism, which I think is the proper term for the misleading implications of "godless." You just can't have divine magic without a divine source. In Golarion, the evidence seems to be that you can either pick one or draw power from the pantheon through philosophies. In Core, "divine concepts worthy of devotion" can stand in for gods, but I'm still not sure that "godless" is the term to use when you go that route.</p>
<p>EDIT: And, for what its worth, I guess the first officially pantheistic NPC in Golarion will be coming up in <i>From Shore to Sea,</i> because Lira Schruuven was specifically stated as being undevoted to a singular deity in my turnover, and instead administers the rites of many gods of the sea for the varied worshipers of Blackcove, who spend a lot of time trying to supplicate a harsh sea.</p>For what it is worth, Gods & Magic explicitly states that gods grant spells, just as the Core Rulebook states they grant domains. I'm being very explicit here on purpose.
I think this simple fact alone precludes any sort of "godless" cleric in "official" Golarion, or, as Core states, a cleric "free of deific abstraction." The fact is, it doesn't make sense to pray to "Strength" and expect "Strength" to grant you spells, even in our high fantasy games, even if Core defines it as "a divine...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-05-14T03:51:57ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: Cleric of Aroden Vs Cleric of No-onefleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kt2k&page=2?Cleric-of-Aroden-Vs-Cleric-of-Noone#762010-07-08T01:34:41Z2010-05-13T23:47:23Z<p>Good debate, guys! I enjoyed this thread today! Way to keep it civil, folks!!!</p>
<p>(Of course, I'm assuming we all got the answers we came for, right?)</p>Good debate, guys! I enjoyed this thread today! Way to keep it civil, folks!!!
(Of course, I'm assuming we all got the answers we came for, right?)fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-05-13T23:47:23ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: Cleric of Aroden Vs Cleric of No-onefleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kt2k&page=2?Cleric-of-Aroden-Vs-Cleric-of-Noone#692010-07-08T01:34:41Z2010-05-13T20:10:16Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">TriOmegaZero wrote:</div><blockquote> <div class="messageboard-quotee">James Jacobs wrote:</div><blockquote>Godless clerics are possible under the Pathfinder RPG... as they should be. I'm not sure if they're possible in Golarion, though. To be honest, we probably just won't say one way or another and let each individual GM decide if he wants Godless clerics in his Golarion campaign; we just won't have NPC clerics without deities showing up. It's generally not good game design to set arbitrary "nos" into stone, after all...</blockquote>So no, godless clerics are not forbidden in Golarion. None exist in canon, but they can exist if the GM wants. <a href="http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/paizoPublishing/olderProducts/pathfinderRPGBeta/design/clericDruidPaladin/archives/clericNoDeityRequired&page=1&source=search#21" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Link for reference.</a> </blockquote><p>There it is! Man -I've got some memory! Of course, I'd never have found it.
<p>That's all good stuff. I'd be curious if the definition of "godless" means you pray to ideals like "healing" and "strength" without ANY deific influence at all, or if you just don't pray exclusively to one particular god to get all your spells (or, like Core says, "not devoted to a particular deity").</p>TriOmegaZero wrote:James Jacobs wrote:Godless clerics are possible under the Pathfinder RPG... as they should be. I'm not sure if they're possible in Golarion, though. To be honest, we probably just won't say one way or another and let each individual GM decide if he wants Godless clerics in his Golarion campaign; we just won't have NPC clerics without deities showing up. It's generally not good game design to set arbitrary "nos" into stone, after all...
So no, godless clerics are not...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-05-13T20:10:16ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: Cleric of Aroden Vs Cleric of No-onefleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kt2k&page=2?Cleric-of-Aroden-Vs-Cleric-of-Noone#632010-07-08T01:34:41Z2010-05-13T20:00:47Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">KenderKin wrote:</div><blockquote> <div class="messageboard-quotee">Brandon Hodge wrote:</div><blockquote><p> [I put a lot of thought on this subject with a previous character, who was an "undeclared" cleric. He carried about 8 holy symbols of various deities, went through the rituals of different faiths every morning and gave proper tithing and supplication to the various gods he prayed to for spells of different ideals/domains. They were all within one step of his alignment. It was a lot of fun and very interesting to play.</p>
<p></blockquote><p>Reminds my of that guy in "The mummy" who keeps pulling out symbols and speaking different languages!!!
<p>Was that how you played that PC? </blockquote><p>Quite a bit, yeah. He was actually a very academic mystic theurge, and he had all of his holy symbols on the inside of his cloak, like a New York stolen watch dealer, and he'd rifle through them when he needed one. "Damn -I need to cast <i>flame strike</i>. Where the hell is my holy symbol of Sarenrae??? Crap! I left it in my other cloak!"
<p>Apparently he cursed a lot. =-)</p>KenderKin wrote:Brandon Hodge wrote:[I put a lot of thought on this subject with a previous character, who was an "undeclared" cleric. He carried about 8 holy symbols of various deities, went through the rituals of different faiths every morning and gave proper tithing and supplication to the various gods he prayed to for spells of different ideals/domains. They were all within one step of his alignment. It was a lot of fun and very interesting to play.
Reminds my of that guy in "The mummy"...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-05-13T20:00:47ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: Cleric of Aroden Vs Cleric of No-onefleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kt2k&page=2?Cleric-of-Aroden-Vs-Cleric-of-Noone#572010-07-08T01:34:41Z2010-05-13T19:55:22Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">TriOmegaZero wrote:</div><blockquote> <div class="messageboard-quotee">Brandon Hodge wrote:</div><blockquote> You obviously CAN'T tap into divine power without a patron of some sort. </blockquote>And I'm saying it is <b>not</b> obvious. Just because no one in the setting does is not proof that no one can. Hopefully someone will officially clarify it before too long. </blockquote><p>Well, I think that is where the entries for cleric in both Core and the CS come into play. Lots of statements about faiths and representation of gods on earth, but yeah, this isn't the first time this debate has erupted over undeclared clerics. I imagine James will be along shortly. Last time this happened, he said "you gotta have a god" but I don't recall what his clarification was regarding polytheism or pantheism or philosophies. That would be a nice quote to dig up right about now, eh?TriOmegaZero wrote:Brandon Hodge wrote: You obviously CAN'T tap into divine power without a patron of some sort.
And I'm saying it is not obvious. Just because no one in the setting does is not proof that no one can. Hopefully someone will officially clarify it before too long. Well, I think that is where the entries for cleric in both Core and the CS come into play. Lots of statements about faiths and representation of gods on earth, but yeah, this isn't the first time this debate has...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-05-13T19:55:22ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: Cleric of Aroden Vs Cleric of No-onefleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kt2k&page=2?Cleric-of-Aroden-Vs-Cleric-of-Noone#522010-07-08T01:34:41Z2010-05-13T19:47:37Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">seekerofshadowlight wrote:</div><blockquote><br />
<br />
True, I hope the new CS does cover the new classes however. I can agree if ya follow one of the philosophy that have gods that you could venerate all of them. I still think you would have a main god, but I can see ya giving a nod toward the others. But I am not saying you could not have pantheism, far from it. I am saying you could not have a cleric without a god of some type. I think we are on the same page more or less.</p>
<p>I do think the oracle however was made to fit that role best and really hope they cover that in the updated CS. </blockquote><p>See there! We are on the same page! Hahaha.
<p>Right. "Godless" is misleading and, in my view, not possible. Divine power comes from divine sources, which are gods. So, yeah, you can be a cleric of "Strength & Light" but you've GOT to pray to the deities of Golarion whose portfolios encompass those ideals or philosophies. You can't just worship "Strength." You can embody and idealize it, but ultimately you've got to ask Torag or another sympathetic deity close to your alignment with Strength in their portfolio for those spells when you need them. And they'd grant them, because they'd see that you are a sympathetic embodiment of the ideals they wish to promote in the world.</p>
<p>I put a lot of thought on this subject with a previous character, who was an "undeclared" cleric. He carried about 8 holy symbols of various deities, went through the rituals of different faiths every morning and gave proper tithing and supplication to the various gods he prayed to for spells of different ideals/domains. They were all within one step of his alignment. It was a lot of fun and very interesting to play.</p>seekerofshadowlight wrote:True, I hope the new CS does cover the new classes however. I can agree if ya follow one of the philosophy that have gods that you could venerate all of them. I still think you would have a main god, but I can see ya giving a nod toward the others. But I am not saying you could not have pantheism, far from it. I am saying you could not have a cleric without a god of some type. I think we are on the same page more or less.I do think the oracle however was made to fit...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-05-13T19:47:37ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: Cleric of Aroden Vs Cleric of No-onefleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kt2k?Cleric-of-Aroden-Vs-Cleric-of-Noone#492010-07-08T01:34:41Z2010-05-13T19:34:35Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">seekerofshadowlight wrote:</div><blockquote> <div class="messageboard-quotee">Brandon Hodge wrote:</div><blockquote><br />
<br />
Listen -I'm not saying at any point here that a cleric can get away without actual worship. They have to, at the very least, pray to the multiple deities that represent their ideals and domains in order to be granted spells, but you seem unwilling to concede pantheism even with explicitly stated evidence in the Campaign Setting.
<br />
</blockquote>Wanted to address this. That is an oracle not a cleric. A cleric is the servant of a single god. The CS states this, the oracle however is the servant of an"ideal" and is powered by all the gods with that domain. </blockquote><p>Yeah, sorry man. A cleric is <i>typically</i> the servant of a single god, and there are other options. You're relying on things that the CS <i>doesn't</i> say to make your argument, and I'm relying on what it <i>does</i> say, which supports the existence of pantheism through philosophies, most obviously through Diabolism and the Green Faith, which precludes the worship of just a single deity. <i>And</i> I've go the Core Rulebook explicitly backing up my argument.
<p>But it's alright that you don't agree! We're still buds! =-)</p>seekerofshadowlight wrote:Brandon Hodge wrote:
Listen -I'm not saying at any point here that a cleric can get away without actual worship. They have to, at the very least, pray to the multiple deities that represent their ideals and domains in order to be granted spells, but you seem unwilling to concede pantheism even with explicitly stated evidence in the Campaign Setting.
Wanted to address this. That is an oracle not a cleric. A cleric is the servant of a single god. The CS states this,...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-05-13T19:34:35ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: Cleric of Aroden Vs Cleric of No-onefleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kt2k?Cleric-of-Aroden-Vs-Cleric-of-Noone#482010-07-08T01:34:41Z2010-05-13T19:27:06Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">seekerofshadowlight wrote:</div><blockquote> <div class="messageboard-quotee">KenderKin wrote:</div><blockquote><br />
<br />
A class/character/concept doesn't fit my CS.
<br />
So, can't there be just 1 in the whole CS? </blockquote><p>No there can not be..of you get no Cheilx war, you get Clerics of man would be all over Rahadoum and may , Razmir WOULD have clerics and would be spreading the 'faith" of the living god.Druma would be full of clerics and not need to rely on magic items for protection, something the CS points out they do, they would have clerics all over the place.
<p>Simply put the CS would be a diffent world if just 1 was possable, as if there is one then faith is all you need and faith is not limited to just one and the CS shows faith is not enough you need a god or god like critter. </blockquote><p>This post really revealed to me that my argument has maybe fallen on the wrong side. At no point am I saying that you can get away with being a cleric without worshipping a deity. As in, not giving supplication to any single god. My only argument has been that you CAN be polytheistic in Golarion, and that the philosophies back that up. You obviously CAN'T tap into divine power without a patron of some sort, but I think you could make a concession that you CAN tap into the power of multiple deities through the various philosophies, such as the Green Faith, which probably includes a little Erastil, a little Gozreh, etc.
<p>My point is that the evidence for pantheism is strong, and the rules and CS both back that up. Totally godless, to use the terms bing thrown around? I don't think so. You've GOT TO AT LEAST ask for spells from the gods that back your philosophy or ideals, and that isn't "godless."</p>
<p>Cool!</p>seekerofshadowlight wrote:KenderKin wrote:
A class/character/concept doesn't fit my CS.
So, can't there be just 1 in the whole CS?
No there can not be..of you get no Cheilx war, you get Clerics of man would be all over Rahadoum and may , Razmir WOULD have clerics and would be spreading the 'faith" of the living god.Druma would be full of clerics and not need to rely on magic items for protection, something the CS points out they do, they would have clerics all over the place. Simply put the...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-05-13T19:27:06ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: Cleric of Aroden Vs Cleric of No-onefleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kt2k?Cleric-of-Aroden-Vs-Cleric-of-Noone#422010-07-08T01:34:41Z2010-05-13T19:16:40Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">seekerofshadowlight wrote:</div><blockquote> Bunch of stuff</blockquote><p>I hear you, Seeker, and just don't agree. I'm not seeing refutation of what I proposed in your evidence, and certainly don't see "proof" in what the CS <i>doesn't</i> say. I'll stick with what it does state. But we might be arguing different things. Maybe. Point-by-point (and only because this is fun, dude -no snarkiness or ill will here):
<p>1. I agree that there aren't any clerics of Aroden. Not a single one. Because if they are trying to get spells from him, they are dialing a disconnected number. He's dead. I never agreed with some of the above posts that you could get around his death by worsipping the ideals of Aroden instead. That's the whole faith thing that I brought up and that KaeYoss finished off with a great post. Maybe related deities like Iomedae would grant you a boon if you REALLY stuck to those ideals, but then your divine source becomes those <i>philosophical ideals</i> or even Iomedae if you made that switch, but NOT Aroden.</p>
<p>2.Of course there aren't any true clerics of Razmir. He isn't a deity and can't grant spells. Clerics who instead worshipped his proposed ideals would be worshipping those <i>ideals</i>, NOT Razmir, and I somehow doubt he would like that.</p>
<p>3. Rahadoum doesn't have clerics because they are outlawed. It doesn't say that they don't exist in the region, only that they get run off if they pop up. It only says they are outlawed. Someone who has drunk of the Kingdom of Man philosophy kool-aid is going to have faith in <i>that</i>, and the very belief in that philosophy precludes divine supplication or worship.</p>
<p>Listen -I'm not saying at any point here that a cleric can get away without actual worship. They have to, at the very least, pray to the multiple deities that represent their ideals and domains in order to be granted spells, but you seem unwilling to concede pantheism even with explicitly stated evidence in the Campaign Setting. If you've got a pantheistic cleric of, say, good deeds and healing, this guy prays to those sympathetic gods that represent those ideals, and he makes a little sacrifice or saves a little prayer to this one, then that one, and they grant spells because they want those ideals to be promoted in Golarion. I'm not sure how that doesn't fit. </p>
<p>Ultimately, I think what is getting lost here is the FAITH requirement for a character of this class. This isn't about just dipping your feet in the pool and giving lip service to some god. Becoming a cleric is serious stuff, and you have to dive right in to the belief in the god or philosophy of your choice. Whether you do that as the direct vassal of a single god or through the worship of multiple gods in the various philosophies, you've still got the have FAITH in someone or something.</p>seekerofshadowlight wrote:Bunch of stuff
I hear you, Seeker, and just don't agree. I'm not seeing refutation of what I proposed in your evidence, and certainly don't see "proof" in what the CS doesn't say. I'll stick with what it does state. But we might be arguing different things. Maybe. Point-by-point (and only because this is fun, dude -no snarkiness or ill will here): 1. I agree that there aren't any clerics of Aroden. Not a single one. Because if they are trying to get spells from him,...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-05-13T19:16:40ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: Cleric of Aroden Vs Cleric of No-onefleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kt2k?Cleric-of-Aroden-Vs-Cleric-of-Noone#262010-07-08T01:34:41Z2010-05-13T14:08:04Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Kakarasa wrote:</div><blockquote><br />
<br />
We use the concept of pantheons with a patron deity or two. All divine spells come from a deity in the pantheon. Domains can be chosen or mixed from the two patron gods. The way clerics become ex-clerics and require atonement is when they are untrue to themselves (breaking alignment without a good reason) or blasphemously angering the gods.</p>
<p>This seems more logical in settings where say, the priest of Odin also respects Tyr, Freya, etc... Paladins are still the... </blockquote><p>Oh, yeah -totally. I absolutely agree. And KaeYoss has a great entry up there explaining Aroden's demise and why his followers can't just get powers elsewhere, too.
<p>Did we just win D&D? =-)</p>Kakarasa wrote:We use the concept of pantheons with a patron deity or two. All divine spells come from a deity in the pantheon. Domains can be chosen or mixed from the two patron gods. The way clerics become ex-clerics and require atonement is when they are untrue to themselves (breaking alignment without a good reason) or blasphemously angering the gods.This seems more logical in settings where say, the priest of Odin also respects Tyr, Freya, etc... Paladins are still the...
Oh, yeah...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-05-13T14:08:04ZRe: Forums/Pathfinder First Edition: General Discussion: Archery Rogue - Can It Be Done?fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2kt3j?Archery-Rogue-Can-It-Be-Done#42010-05-13T13:42:17Z2010-05-13T13:42:17Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Rake wrote:</div><blockquote><p> I know it <i>can</i> be done, but could a viable build exist for a bow-or-crossbow rogue (as compared to, say, a two-weapon-fighting or spring-attacking rogue)?</p>
<p>The problem I am of course encountering is <i>how</i> to trigger sneak attacks past the surprise round and first round of combat. Generating concealment and hiding is an option, but not a very <i>good</i> one since full attacks and rapid shots are right out if I have to spend a move action to hide each round.</p>
<p>I am sure this idea is not a new one... has anyone given much thought to this before? What is the general consensus on the "ranged rogue"? </blockquote><p>Without getting into a whole "look at my character" thing, the simple answer is hell yes. Especially if you take 4 fighter levels at some point, which are very, very worth it.
<p>In 3.5, I managed to create the most deadly character our group had seen in a while, and he was a fighter/rogue crossbowman. I ran him through RotRL, and it was crazy. By the end of it, it got to the point where I wouldn't even bother sneak attacking any more.</p>
<p>And he was done by the book in a middle-of-the-road fantasy game, with no third party splatbooks. Just WotC Core with the PF Campaign Setting and Pathfinder players guide for that campaign (for crossbow mastery and big game hunter, specifically). Otherwise, he was just all archer feats, imp. critical, etc. Levels of fighter let him specialize, and he flip flopped between the two until 4th level, then road rogue all the way out.</p>
<p>So, yes, you can do it, and it is fun and effective.</p>
<p>Brandon</p>Rake wrote:I know it can be done, but could a viable build exist for a bow-or-crossbow rogue (as compared to, say, a two-weapon-fighting or spring-attacking rogue)?
The problem I am of course encountering is how to trigger sneak attacks past the surprise round and first round of combat. Generating concealment and hiding is an option, but not a very good one since full attacks and rapid shots are right out if I have to spend a move action to hide each round.
I am sure this idea is not a new...fleece66 (alias of Brandon Hodge, Contributor)2010-05-13T13:42:17Z