RPG Superstar 2013 Star Voter. Pathfinder Society GM. 2,674 posts (3,530 including aliases). 1 review. No lists. No wishlists. 2 Pathfinder Society characters. 7 aliases.
Congratulations Steven! You had me from the Quicksand cloak. Actually as the only person to comment on my item in the very first 'critique my item' thread you have been on my watch list for a lot longer. :) Way to go! This was a great run.
It looks like the logo is going to stick around longer than in previous years and people keep asking me when the Blazing 9 will start sooo....
Actually it should be eight months, but tradition is tradition so I am keeping the name. :)(year four of the thread counts as a tradition right? :)
some suggestions:
1) Pick a day and post a new item every month by that day. Do that from now until December & you will have 7 or 8 items (double down once to make it nine. :)
2) Do a rewrite a week or two after that. This requires comments so please critique others.
3) Focus on formatting. It is the one part I feel even marginally qualified to comment on, and then only because of the practice. Practice formatting so you can focus on mojo with your submission.
4) Do not put an actual submission up. That will DQ it from the contest. :) But because it is not an actual item feel free to craft non-wondrous items.
I've said it before: this practice will not help you get into the Top 32. But if we focus on formatting, deadlines, accepting critique, and rewriting it will help us get a solid entry. It will help us be better prepared for quick turnarounds. At least that is the idea, unless you are just here for fun. 'Cause 'tis that as well :)
You can start with a rewrite of your entry after you got some feedback. :)
I have been dumping all my GM credits into one, as yet not-created, character. I thought it would be fun to play with the saw-tooth sabres of the Red Mantises and then got a RM mini. So I decided the background of the character is that he saw many people-family and friends-die by the hands of these assassins and has sworn a vendetta against them. To that end I want his chronicle sheets be from those scenerios where PFS met/dealt with the Red Mantises.
My question is how many of these are there, and which ones are they. Again I will be running these not playing (at least not until 6th level or so :) dinnae worry about spoilers.
OK time to get this started. Please give me your character and level. If you are new to PBP I only ask three things, learn how to use [out of character] so we can ask lots of questions and discuss the encounter, learn how to use [dice], and post daily (or more :). As a play test let's focus on the ROLL vs the ROLE and maybe we can get more than one in.
This is a recruitment thread to see if anyone else is willing (I know the guildhall has a one going) & interested.
Sign here if you are willing to GM an (& which one) encounter.
If you are willing to play in one of them, post here. Basically, we'll hook up a GM with the next four or five players).
For the sake of simplicity and consistency, I recommend the free PFS pre-gen character (feel free to do it how you want to).look to the right of the page.
Finally, provide a link of your thread, so others can watch the progress.
We'll have more details soon, but these are the options so far.
CR 05, CR 07, CR 08, CR 08,
CR 08, CR 09, CR 10, CR 11,
Is it too late, or too complicated, or too redundant, or too lame to offer suggestions for boon chronicles for this year's con season? I know we had a long list last year, though it was mostly in response to replacing race boons. Maybe you are already doing this with the VO's?
With 5 years of SS,there are a lot of winners and advice to read over as you prepare to enter every year. Did you reread the Top 32? I thought this might be interesting for all those people obsessed with numbers and lists wanting something to do for the next seven days. If you get it right, or if you have some other conversation starters from years past, post it here.
Question #1:
How many people have earned the title "Top 32?"
Spoiler:
155
Remember some alternates got in, bringing the number to 167. Of course Alexander McLeod (2010), Casey Smith (2009), Dan Jones (2012), Eric Hindley (2011), Eric Morton (2012), James Martin (2011), James Olchack (2012), Joel Flank (2011), Matthew Morris (2010), Sean McGowan (2011), & Tom Phillips (2011, 2012) were repeat contestants and drop the number also well.
WE DID IT!
Finally!
After 5 years, two weddings, two graduations, one conversion, twenty-some characters and over a dozen (rotating) players. We finished Savage Tide. We rotate GMs/campaigns every adventure and I went through 8 of them. I convinced my group to play when the third issue of STAP came out. But we dinnae get started until the other campaign ended, around issue 9. Only two players from the original group were in the final battle. Only one of them played the whole way through (the other getting married moved away move back etc.)
Demogorgan was a bit of a let down, it came to a slug fest at the end. This is better than the save or die that had been happening for the previous few encounters. Tarrasque of the multi-planes? One shot. Orcus death giants? Two rounds. The sorcerer got recalled to Guam (family) and the rest of party had been really dependent on him. So the shapechanged druid, arcane archer, the assassin and the whirling dervish scout, just had to trade blows with the Prince of Demons.
about the final scene
Spoiler:
Early in the fight the archer fell to the insanity gaze attack, bringing the numbers three (nulongo as a troglydyte ghast and both Demogorgans) to four (Gwynnevher lasted for two rounds more). G left and the party settled into a pattern of blow by blow. The druid (as a bone devil I think) tanked demogorgan holding him in a corner and hitting about 60% of the time. DG was only 30% successful on his full attacks, sending spells toward a different target with his other action. The blinking-ghost touch assassin took out N and was smart enough to close the door before one of the other 20 ghasts made his way in. Things started to fall apart when the phanaton scout stopped adjacent to DG (personally I think he wanted to be home early enough he could convince his wife to let him go to PFS later in the week :) . DG took the phanaton down in one round. With his attention less divided, the prince of demons started to eat through the party.
The archer finally got an ‘act normal’ and with his friendliness to DG (other gaze attack) he graciously put himself in a Ottiluke's sphere.
Two to two now. DG dispels shapechange & the druid goes down in a single round. Spring attack-sneak attacking blinking assassin left. DG Readied action for when he was is present, 50/50 chance to hit means SOMETHING will go through when you have 8 attacks a round. Fortunately the readied action did, full attack, full attack and the assassin drops.
The fight had been going on for close two 30 rounds by now, but in the last four the party lost a member each round.
I track fast healing and damage separately so I did the math. The party had DG down to 100 points or so. Any one of them could drop him on a max damage roll. We backed the game up five rounds, (through a force of his will the Prince of Demons can recreate the entire plan to fit his whimsy right). I gave DG a couple of his his heals and we started over.
The phanaton stayed out of range, DG had to split his attacks, and the dispel shapechange failed this time. The fight lasted another 5-6 rounds. Full attack on full attack on spring attack. The assassin had to step out for a round or two to heal. Considering any perfect storm attack could have ended DG. It turned out all right. After that many rounds -- and two RL game nights -- of d20’s missing/hitting we were all glad it ended.
Yeah, so many of them dumped charisma there was no way for them to claim the crown themselves.
Keelix the lonely (phanaton scout) lasted the longest, playing from level three to 22.
Teaglin (avanti cleric) was the longest living first character (even subtracting the time he moved out) playing from 1 to 3, and 7 to 18.
D'Nelo (human sorcerer) gets the points for most annyoing. maxed out caster level checks made save or die spells too much of the latter and not enough of the former. (I know, but upping critter's SR meant no one else could get near breaking through--I tried).
Minas (half-orc barbarian) gets the most damage dealt. Both in terms of his keen double falchion plus rage and power attack, and the frenzied berserker ability to fight well beyond the point when any muscle should have been connected to any bones and blood no longer had any veins to run through (300 damage and you only have 180 hp... wtf?.
TE gets the points for most characters. Something about his concepts precluded survival beyond the first encounter more often than not. (concentration to dim door out of the dragon turtles jaws... uh no points in concentration so i guess I uh provoke... :) Ironically one of them was named Phoenix Tavern.
More shout outs if later I can remember them all. :)
You have been called to the Grand Lodge of Absalom for a briefing. Seated in a small chamber around a darkwood table, various trophies gathered from across the face of Golarion hang from the walls. A monkey-shaped mask with a serpent's tongue glares out from the center of one wall, a strange halberd with gold rings piercing its thick blade and dragons carved along its haft hangs opposite the monkey mask. Fellow Pathfinders, who apparently have been here for the same purpose are seated around the table. Each begins the new assignment's opening custom and introduces themselves.
Just in case you need the cue, here is where you die.
Ooops that comes later *grin* ...err... here is where you introduce yourselves. :)
What I need to start is for everyone to create an alias with their character. Then post here to let me know that is accomplished. There are several ways to set up your "sheet" & I dinnae really care which one you use. I would like to see links to non-CRB abilities if they are being used. I do not need to see chronicle sheets, unless it looks like you have something really strange. (at second level frex no-one should yet own a holy avenger. )
Two other things I would like to know is if there are regular days times when you will not be available. I am not usually posting on Sundays and Mondays (my days off) but will lurk during those days and can respond if needed. Also I need to know how to get a chronicle sheet to you, which probably means I need an address. Electronic or otherwise.
On format I would say use standard grammar, but the PBP have their own way of doing things.
"Bold and parenthesis" for things your characters is saying out loud.
italics for things your character is thinking.
No special formatting for things your characters is doing.
out of character for things you the player is thinking.
I will link to the maps when we need them, and assume your characters are making tactically sound moves.
I will make another post here once everyone has checked in. I want everyone to reply to it filling in the necessary blanks.
For PFS credit
Sub-tier 1-2
Have 2, want a full table (6)
Priority given to players with no local games (please include your zipcode :)
Let me know your experience with PFS (faint moderate strong)
Let me know your experience with PBP (faint moderate strong)
Please commit to regular, near-daily postings.
Please know that you are committing the character for a month or more.
The pathfinders are dispatched to aid Skelg, a fellow member of the organization who is suffering from a terrible freezing curse. Five weeks ago, Skelg the Ripper, a famed Ulfen warrior from Irrisen and member of the Pathfinder Society, raided the funeral ship of Haldyr Bjornsson, an Ulfen Jarl of Vraisia. He rescued Haldyr's wife, an dice witch named Natalya who was about to be sacrificed on her husband's funeral pyre, and looted the ship. He left Natalya aboard Haldyr's ship to sail where she wished.
Time to start thinking (if you havnae already) of Bestiary Bash Characters. As stated materials will be provided, but if you can bring some things you gain my gratitude. If you got them bring dice, mini (s), monster character, and a copy of the Bestiary. If you are using a critter from Bestiary 2 or 3, you MUST bring that book (I dinnae have a copy yet :) For simplicity you can just bring a copy of the page of your critter. If you want to create a second character it will help me and those new to the game. Sound good?
FIRST YEAR SECOND YEAR
The line in front of Shadowshell was not long, only a half dozen creatures stood in front him. Each pulled something from a dried skull and stepped into the portal. His ears popped when the creature disappeared. When his turn arrived he stepped into the portal, his innards tried to escape south, and found himself in a dark, grey-stoned hall. The tunnel stretched out to either side of him and he could see a dark place where another tunnel joined.
Spoiler:
The arena has many maze like tunnels surrounding a large open place (range will be an advantage in one, a disadvantage in the other). In the middle of the open space is a second set of mazes holding a fountain of dark, thick liquid. A boon if you should make it there. Default lighting will be dim, ceiling height 20’ feet.
Shadowshell looked at the coin in his hand. Of all the creatures he had seen over the last few days: wings, tentacles, paws, hands, hooves; the symbol did not resemble any of them. Nor did it look like a name that might be giant, draconic, or infernal. There were several creatures he did not recognize, maybe his target was one of them?
Spoiler:
RACE: From the Pathfinder Bestiary choose a monster with a CR equal to 4, 5 or 6. Undead, elementals, golems, plants and dragons are not allowed. Their abilities are unbalanced for their CR, at least for the way this combat works. Only one Misfit Monster fits the CR, it is allowed as well.
A blast of energy hit somewhere down the hall and its heat washed over him. Shadowshell pulled his blade from its sheath and dipped scaled fingers into the pouch at his side. One of the targets had access to the arcane. He would need to be careful.
Spoiler:
CLASS: Choose a class from the Pathfinder Core Rulebook with the aim of getting into the assassin prestige class. APG, UM, UC classes (except the gunslinger) are also ok, provided you bring the book with you. No prestige classes (yet). Class level will be 6, 5, or 4 so adding level and CR equals 10. You must take the prerequisites for the Assassin from your class build first. Some races/class combos might prohibit this, so please be aware.
Spoiler:
ABILITIES & FEATS: Keep it simple: use the numbers from the monster’s stats. However if you need to raise an ability by 2 to qualify for spell casting drop your con by 4. Don’t forget the additional point at level 4. Monster feats should be the same as well, but if the race has a general or combat feat (such as two-weapon fighting) and you want to trade it for a different general or combat feat respectively (such as point-blank shot) that is OK.
The giant creature’s weapon crashed into his chest. He felt the energy of his armor warm against his chest and felt glad for the extra protection. He slipped his blade high, hoping for better luck against his opponent’s armor.
Spoiler:
EQUIPMENT: Equip yourself with whichever +1 light or medium armor you wish. Arm yourself with a +1 weapon if you wish or give one natural attack a +1 magical bonus.[spoiler]
Blood covered his robes, stuck to his scales and dripped from his blade. It had been a good fight so far. Shadow Shell felt pride in his performance so far. Then he also felt the blade in his lower back.
[spoiler]OTHER RANDOM GOODINESS: Max HP for racial hit dice, average HP for class dice. Every contestant will have Fast Healing/DR against almost all attacks. The assassin’s target will not have this advantage. (If Shadow Shell fireballs critters A, B, and C, and his target is C, A and B will take very little damage.) This means as the GM I will be tracking all HP. Perception checks will be important not only to find the target with your mark, but also to see if they took damage.
Please keep balance in mind. In order for this to be fun for everyone, there should be an equal chance of everyone winning. One-shots spoil the fun. Min/maxing could end the game too quickly (one way or the other) and is strongly discouraged.
Finally I will award characters a potion every so many rounds. These will mostly be cure, but might also include an offensive or defensive spell.
Again if you make up an extra character, it will help me and others. I will have at least three characters ready to go. I am sure I missed something (and I barely even hit preview before submit). You can check the previous threads for related questions, but please feel free to ask here (or gmail me at scott a janke) We have a full table and I am look forward to the carnag…ahem… fun!.
I think I have found an appropriate mini for my dwarven summoner. I plan to get rid of the book though. Your advice, should you be able to provide it, will be to help me to add a summoning spell effect in its place. I have seen a couple that come close but would like some more creative input. :)
I dinnae find this in the FAQ, but if I missed it my apologies are yours for the taking.
When I customize my badge so it shows my board alias will it still have my real name? The preference is to have both, but the choices make it look like one or the other to my (non-) degree of web-fu. :) Thanks,
Congratulations Mike!
You Tom, Steve, James, and the other Top 32 gave us a great show and did some truly outstanding stuff. Hopefully this practice will put us into your league soon!
Sadly the banner on the left disappeared today. This means the dedicated (certainly sounds better than 'the obsessed' :) are the only ones likely to find this thread. So welcome to you if you are interested in practicing items for next year's competition.
Some suggestions:
Spoiler:
1) Pick a day and post a new item every month by that day. Do that from now until December & you will have 9 items.
2) Do a rewrite a week or two after that. This requires comments so please critique others.
3) Focus on formatting. It is the one part I feel even marginally qualified to comment on, and then only because of the practice. Practice formatting so you can focus on mojo with your submission.
4) Do not put an actual submission up. That will DQ it from the contest. :) But because it is not an actual item feel free to craft non-wondrous items.
In essence practice deadlines, rewriting, and formatting. As Sean has said this is the part that can be taught.
Spoiler:
I hope to find a group of RPGSS fans who can help me proof my submission. My local group tends to make suggestions that fall into the auto-reject categories. I also miss the SuperStar mojo factor and need someone to help me recognize it (or its absence :)
Considering the number of people saying they cannae paint, I started to wonder what the 'entry' level mini painting might be. In other art and photography black and white or no color is the right place to start with an emphasis on shading. Many of my friend's first attempts came out cool when they did the 'ninja-he wears black' mini.
Have you ever done a mini with only two colors (B&W)?
Have you ever done a mini with only various shades of the same hue?
Did it work?
Can it work?
I am going to need the weekend to fully come up with the backstory, but I wanted get some discussion going or at least throw out some details for those of you who have signed up.
Choose a monster with CR of 4, 5, 6.
Add class levels of 6, 5, or 4 (so the total is 10).
Eight people are signed up, so we will run four matches roughly an hour apeice, this will give a little under an hour at the beginning to finish characters and match people up.
I had an instructor tell me that you can not play tennis without a net. He was talking about poetry of course, free form taking the craft out of the art. For this reason I was thinking to limit the choices of class. This is a game however. The number one rule is FUN.
If you think this will ruin your fun please speak up!
If you think this will enhance the challenge and the fun, please speak up!
If you are excited for Paizocon and my small part of it, please speak up!
Well as John pointed out the banner is gone and Sam has had a while to bask in his well-earned glory (congrats again :).
You may remember DankeSean's recommendation to write one good item every month so we will have some awesome stuff for next year. It worked too, carrying him to Top Four and he is one of the few people to have Top 32 twice (congrats again :)
So are you ready to put some items out for practice and critique? One a month is not so bad (spend the rest of the month writing PFS submissions :).
Spoiler:
If you do not want to tip your hand we could stay away from wondrous items--weapons, armor, rings, and potions are fair game, but all the other rules apply.
In response to critiques, try rewriting the item addressing questions and concerns. Every good writer is first a re-writer first :)
Do not put anything you want to actually submit here. This is for practice after all. :)
Hi, we alternating campaigns between Eberron and Savage Tide, with some one shots thrown in for variety. Currently meeting Friday nights, but things change with the semesters. Let me know if you are interested. :)
Reindeer Slay
Aura strong enchantment; CL 18th
Slot--; Price 4440 gp; Weight 15 lb.
DESCRIPTION
Pictographs of flying deer surrounded by glowing white runes mark the edges of the large slab of dark red metal. When activated (a full round action), eight reindeer with silver-tipped antlers, snowy hooves, and eyes the color of glacial ice spring to life harnessed to the slab. The active slay takes the space of a gargantuan creature. The user directs the slay as a standard action to any space within 95 feet. The slay stops when it enters an occupied square and the occupant must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 24) or instantly die. Creatures with 101 or more hit points are not affected in this way. Those creatures who do not instantly die instead take 2d6 cold damage from the goring antlers and 8d6 damage as if trampled by the reindeer (DC 24). True neutral creatures get a +4 circumstance bonus to these saves as the slay is attuned to creatures with naughty or nice alignments.
The reindeer slay remains for one hour and only functions one night of the year. Clerics with the death, marketing or water domains may get a second use from the reindeer slay six months later. This use is considered much weaker and often ineffectual (DCs drop to 12).
CONSTRUCTION Requirements: Craft Wondrous Item, power word kill; Cost 2220 gp
We have some new iconics & the cover of advance players guide is awesome. Anyone else doing a Paizo Lantern for the bestest holiday ever? Any suggestions on what to carve this year?
I have a friend following his girlfriend to Portland for the summer. We are currently playing 3.5 savage tide, but he is eager to find a group and is interested in many other games. Let me know if you have space at your table, or at least a good place to LFG.
Someone suggested writing up a good item once a month so you would have 12 good entries by the time next year rolled around. Of course, by the time Matt was declared the winner (congrats again :) we only have nine months left to wait. Anyone want to submit a couple for practice and critique?
If you do not want to tip your hand we could stay away from wondrous items--weapons, armor, rings, are fair game, but all the other rules apply. Oh and do not put anything you will actually submit here. This is for practice after all. :)
The water fills your vision. Every where is water except for the large scaled creatures that break through the black expanse.
The water also fills your lungs. Coughing sends bubbles everywhere. Which way is up?
Water is the only sound. Crashing waves, frothing slowness and drowning cries shout one word: water. Tons and tons of water. The pressure squeezes your burning lungs. The salt cuts your swelling tongue. The cold steals your strength, arms and legs becoming leaden.
A foot hits something solid. You kick. Something sharp-rock? scales? teeth? hits your shoulder cutting it wide open. Is that the sky? More water spatters your face. Fresh water though--not salty. Rain? Taking a deep breath you gulp more water with a little air. The sky is the same as the water.
Black, wet and cold.
A wave lifts you into the air only to slam you into the rocky shoal a second later. In its trough you realize you are in shallows, but it is a short glimpse of what might be hope. The next wave crests overhead, rolling you like broken doll, curling you into its embrace.
Suggestions wanted. Four of my plyers have moved and I am having some replacements join in. The folks who moved wanted to continue in a pbp. So I am splitting the party/universe. I ended the tabletop in the last storm of the SWW where the sea wyvern was thrown into a maelstrom of wind waves, and electricity--alas some crew got pulled into an alternate (electronic) universe while others got thrown out. I will begin the story with the ship wreck on the beech (insert Lost opening here) but wanted some help introducing new characters to both stories. I thought it would be fun to have two wrecks on the reefr, neither of which is whole. I want this to foreshadow the split of the Bid D.
Besides having the nameplate of one of the ships have a backward S, any suggestions on emphasising the split demons personality (or am I stretching too far)?
Did they pay off? If it is not telling too much. That is, did they make it to the next round? Did they make it to the final four? Did they at least provide some memorable moments and add some fun to the contest?
Another question of the contest I have is how the voting went? I assume 853+ voted for round two, but did the numbers hold up for the entire contest? Did we lose people somewhere, or did we bring more people in at some dramatic moment? just curious.
Thanks for the holiday card PAIZO! You beat my family to it (that is probably significant!) And it was a funny song to boot. Just another reason I am glad to be a part of this community! Thanks again.
Wow?!? Last year's Halloween thread started in July and went on for three months. For anyone carving savage lanterns let me know. For anyone not carving savage pumpkins Happy Halloween anyway!
As expected my PCs decided to take Rowyn up and join the Lotus Dragons. They figure they can do that and still work for Lavinia as both are currently connections to Vanthus. The sidebar says Rowyn will ask for 'increasingly dangerous and sinister tasks' in the LD's effort to take control of the harbor. Growing up in the desert however I do not have many ideas on this matter. I want to play up the harbor control bit so I beseech you for a few suggestions. I do not even know the tasks of a harbor master (beyond the general mastering of the harbor). The couple ideas I do have are: strong-arming some captain who skipped out on an LD payment, robbing a ships hold, framing a non-cooperative merchant with stolen/smuggling goods, taking payment to/from the watch, destroying a pier, assign three ships too many to the same dock, attach friggin lasers to all the ixixitls heads.
Rowyn has already suggested they will have to be able to replace Vanthus in the org, before she even introduces them to him (but is willing since he was obviously unable to take care of Lavinia's flunkies :)
This was the article that pushed us into the STAP as it had all those interesting places to go outside of Sasserine! Kudos for all the inspiring adventure hooks and I hope we get to visit many more (party was tempted to turn down the offer for Farshore just to do more of these. :) Of the 26 locales listed, only one had a 'detailed more in...' line (Hookface's Lair was a part of the Shackled City.) Kraken's Cove also cove gets detailed in SWW. My question for y'all is which other of these locals have been detailed elsewhere (and where)?
If you homebrewed any of them I would be interested to hear which you used and how--just for the fun of it. :)
Curaigh
Star Voter
