It's been quite a while (nearly 2 years, if my search-fu hasn't failed me)since a Golarion Day post in the blog, and I've been itching to ask about it. Now that the Gen Con crunch is over, I thought it might be a nice time to bring it back up. I really loved the idea that once a week, there'd be a little post - a few hundred words - about a specific element of the Campaign Setting, and it's been sorely missed by more than just me. Is there any chance we might convince the staff to start that part of the blog up again?
It's possible that this thread belongs in Website Feedback. Mods, feel free to move it if that's a more appropriate place for it.
I've no idea if this is the right place for this feedback, but there's a typo in yesterday's press release about the new shirts. Correction capitalized and bolded. Maybe it's too late, and maybe it doesn't matter, but I just thought you should know.
Quote:
"We are thrilled to have the license for Pathfinder RPG apparel," says Barbara Tillburg, CEO of OffWorld Designs. "Our shirts are well-knowN in the gaming industry and Paizo, as well as Pathfinder, are both fan favorites, so this is all a natural fit!"
Jeff Mahood
Venture-Lieutenant, Canada—Ontario
aka Feegle
Questions:
p. 6 - Caphorite says it 'absorbs light.' Does this include nonmagical sources like torches and lanterns, or is the only effect the one notes in the boxed text, influencing spells with the light descriptor. Additionally, does Caphorite affect existing spells that enter the room, or only new spells being cast?
p. 7 - Does the magic suppression effect cover the entire room, or target individual creatures? Am I correct in thinking that there is no save against that part of the trap's effect?
Jeff Mahood
Venture-Lieutenant, Canada—Ontario
aka Feegle
The Ontario Pathfinder Society is pleased to announce that we'll be present and running games at Phantasm: Gamer's Equinox this year.
Because it's a new presence for us, and we're expecting mostly unexperienced PFS players, we're choosing to be very flexible about what offers. Rather than pre-registering for individual scenarios, we'll be mustering on-site based on player attendance, experience, and demand. GMs will be present with a number of scenarios available to play, and we'll do our best to accommodate everyone.
If you're a very experienced player who's planning on coming to the convention and want to make sure that you'll have a table you're eligible to play at for credit, please send me an email at jeff@ontariopathfinders.com so I can make sure that we have a table ready for you.
The "Join the Pathfinder Society and create your character now" link on the Pathfinder Society landing page takes you to the "My Pathfinder Society" user page if you're logged into the site.
If not, however, it just redirects to the store blog - I had a new store owner who wanted information on getting started who was very confused by this yesterday. Is there any way that for guest users, it could redirect to the login/create an account page instead?
I haven't received my copy of the Thornkeep Kickstarter physical copy (autographed version). I understand that some of the backers didn't get this with the January shipment because of technical difficulties and that those people should get it with their February stuff - my February stuff arrived today and still no sign of Thornkeep.
Jeff Mahood
Venture-Lieutenant, Canada—Ontario
aka Feegle
16 people marked this as a favorite.
After Gen Con last summer, I found myself in possession of a race boon that allows the creation of a Kitsune, a Nagaji, or a Wayang (player's choice.) Six months later, I find that I still have no interest in using the boon, so I have a racial boon sitting unused in my character binder.
Now, I've always been a fan of character development and personality. For that reason, I've decided to give away this boon as the prize in a writing contest to be held here in this thread. I'm interested in hearing about your character's experiences as members of the Pathfinder Society in their own words. And I'm prepared to offer to snail mail my race boon to the author of the best story.
The Rules
Your entry:
* Must not exceed 1000 words.
* Must be told, in-character, from your character's point of view, in the form of either a written report or an oral report to Venture-Captain Sheila Heidmarch.
* Must tell the story of your character's experience while completing a scenario from Season 4 of Pathfinder Society. It need not be the scenario from start to finish, and may be a chronicle of an encounter with an NPC, a combat, an exploration, the discovery of an artifact, or any other element of the scenario.
* Must be posted in this thread, in Spoiler Tags, with the title of the scenario and the word count outside the spoiler.
* Must be posted no later than midnight, Pacific Time, on February 28, 2013.
Things you need to know about me:
* I'm a bit of a grammar nut, though I make allowances are made for writing in accent or dialect. I'm also Canadian, so bonus points for extra Us in the correct placement.
* I'm a teacher, and I have absolutely no sympathy for people who can't follow clear instructions. You know how in RPG Superstar this year they didn't automatically disqualify anyone who misformatted their entry? That's not the way I would have done it.
* I like a good story, so tone, pacing, and voice are the most important elements of doing this right.
* I'm a Venture-Officer, but this contest is my own initiative,and has nothing to do with Campaign Leadership. They've okayed the idea, but this is a boon I earned that I'm giving away, not a boon that someone gave me for this. By extension, this does not signify a change in policy that race boons will be given away outside of conventions, so if you can't get to a con, this is a very limited opportunity for you to get your hands on a race boon.
* If you don't think this contest is fair to you because you don't think that you're a good enough writer to win, too bad. It's my boon to give away, which means I get to set the criteria for the winner. However, I encourage you to give it a try anyway; you might surprise yourself!
My exemplar, using one character's experience in a Season 0 scenario:
Perils of the Pirate Pact (838 Words):
On the Destruction of the Hanspur’s Luck
Lady Heidmarch,
It is my deepest hope that this missive reaches you ahead of the message that I suspect is already enroute to your esteemed self from the Black Marquis, that cursed Pirate Lord from Deadbridge with whom I was sent to entreat. My efforts to explain the circumstances surrounding the events aboard the Hanspur’s Luck were poorly received, and I would be very surprised if the Diplomatic Package he sent did not contain scathing remarks about my character and the ethics of the Pathfinder Society in general. I will endeavor to explain the Incident, and it is my hope that you find my explanation satisfactory.
On our initial meeting with this Pirate “Lord,” it was clear that he was unable to produce the tome that we were sent to secure. He spun us a fanciful tale, the crux of which was that we were to travel upriver in the company of his Second, a cruel and uncouth woman by the name of Riverbane. I will spare you the details of that river voyage, as they are incidental to the issue at hand.
Suffice it to say that we came across the wreck of the Hanspur’s Luck, tilted at a severe angle such that the stern was completely submerged. It was aboard this ship – part of the Black Marquis’ fleet – that the tome was rumoured to be lost. Riverbane and her subordinates made no move to investigate the ship, nor did they even seem to be interested in the fate of the book we were supposed to be recovering, but merely indicated that the last they heard, it was belowdecks on the ruined vessel.
My companions and I made for the wreck, and quickly secured the upper deck. Modesty requires that I add that this area of the ship was clear of threats to begin with, and the most complicated difficulty with which we needed to contend was the steep incline; it made movement about the ship quite difficult. As my dwarven sight gifts me with the ability to see in total darkness, my companions nominated me to lead the investigation belowdecks.
I had not even progressed past the base of the stairs when I noticed that the entire hold was filled with a thick and nearly opaque wall of spider webs, which covered the cargo, the ceiling, the floor, the masts, and everything else in sight. I have ever had an aversion to vermin of the eight-legged kind – I suspect it began as a childhood trauma in Absalom, but the reasons for my distaste are irrelevant. Suffice it to say that I had no interest in venturing further into the hold and disturbing whatever creatures might dwell in such a monstrous web. Without even calling to my companions, my decision was made.
From my pack, I withdrew a pair of torches, and set them alight. Once they were burning well, I tossed them into the webs, thinking that the webs would burn well, but the waterlogged hull should keep from catching. My suspicions were confirmed when several large spiders – and to be clear, by “large spiders” I refer to the variety that is the size of a small terrier – descended from their burning home to attack me. My companions and I were able to fight off the vermin, but in our preoccupation, we neglected to notice that some of the crates making up the cargo of the Hanspur’s Luck were also burning.
In hindsight - that most perfect of viewpoints that affords us the luxury of reflecting on the impact of the decisions we make – it is easy for me to say that I should not have lit the fire. The sudden explosions of the countless glass flasks of alchemist’s fire that made up the bulk of the cargo caught us off-guard, certainly, and even the soaked and treated oaken hull caught fire and began to burn. While the smoke billowed, it was all we could do to make it back to the upper deck and abandon ship, slogging toward the shore for safety.
It took only a quarter of an hour for the Hanspur’s Luck to burn to the waterline.
I will save the remaining details of the assignment for my formal report. To close this portion of my missive, however, I will note that on our return to Deadbridge we found the Black Marquis to be quite incensed. He complained vociferously that he was unable to salvage the wreck of the Hanspur’s Luck to bring his “fleet” back up to full strength; apparently keeping control of this portion of the Sellen River is a difficult task, though I have personally seen no evidence to support that point of view. Despite my best diplomatic efforts, he was unwilling to recognize my choice of stratagem as valid, nor did he accept my premise that the loss of the Hanspur’s Luck could not have been avoided.
I'm trying to report a game session from last night, and one of the ID numbers gives me an error and doesn't let me report the session. (I've reported the session with a blank space in the meantime.) The number in question is in the 79000s; I wonder if there's a problem with the number being too big for the data type in the column?
The recently added scenarios to the reporting system (4-13 through 4-26) are mixed in with the season 3 scenarios, which is going to make them hard to find come reporting time. ;)
Okay, first of all, it's not what you think, so put away the canon-rage.
There's a line in the Knights of the Inner Sea Player Companion about Knights of Asmodeus: "Some knights of Asmodeus refer to themselves as paladins, attempting to lend the veneer of righteousness to their grim deeds." (p. 18)
I'm wondering if there's a way to build a "Paladin of Asmodeus" in a way that mirrors some of a paladin's abilities. Obviously, you can't get all of them - stuff like mercies and so on, but I'm thinking of mimicking several of the skills in the same way that a priest of Razamir is a "Cleric."
I think that if I were to start a character who was a "Paladin" of Asmodeus, he'd be a Heavy-Armour sword-and-board fighter who dipped occasionally into levels of Inquisitor in order to get access to divine spells, judgements, and so on. That'd get the flavour, I think.
So, if you wanted to build a "Paladin" of Asmodeus, how would you do it?
Is this even feasible? I'm building a Disarm/Trip Lore Warden who uses a Heavy Flail at the moment, but I've also recently come into possession of a masterwork ranseur. I'm worried about getting my AC up to a respectable level.
Lore Wardens only have Light Armour traning, so heavy armour won't work.
A two-handed fighter doesn't have the option to carry a shield, so a shield bonus isn't an option either.
Combat Expertise will help, but not much, and not without a price.
Is this an inherently broken path to follow? I'm not worried about optimal - I'm just looking for survivable. Stats are mediocre, middling to above average - I don't do dump stats.
Jeff Mahood
Venture-Lieutenant, Canada—Ontario
aka Feegle
I've reached out to the organizers of Game Summit, a convention in Ottawa, and am working with some players from Ottawa and Montreal to get PFS represented at the convention. The con is receptive and enthusiastic, and at this point, my biggest challenge is in getting enough local GMs to run all of the tables I am trying to plan.
So, if you're interested in joining us at Game Summit, and are willing to GM a table or two over the course of the weekend, please email me at jeff@ontariopathfinders.com. The convention offers the following rewards for GMs:
* 1 Day Gamer Passport + 4 Tokens (day of your shift, upgrade to a Weekend Passport for $20)
* $10 coupon to be used at any Merchant (provided at the end of your shift)
Once I have the schedule finalized and everything ready to go, I'll post here with more details.
So, here's my problem. It seems to me that I'm missing something with respect to generating items available inside a settlement for sale, and I'd like to describe what I do to fix that problem, and I'd love some feedback and to know what other people do.
The Situation
Sandpoint (for example)has 3d4 Minor Items and 1d3 Medium Items for sale according to the Settlement Stat Block. What items are they?
The magic item type table in the GMG is the only table I can find between the GMG and UE that lets me determine the type of item itself, and the first 70 numbers rolled on %ile dice for a Minor Item are mundane and masterwork items.
Fix: I roll on this table and reroll anything that isn't magical.
Then, I go to the tables in UE to determine what each item is. The problem here is that there are different categories of Minor, Medium, and Major items - each of these being subdivided into Greater and Lesser.
Fix: I give it a 50% chance to be Lesser vs. Greater and make the additional roll.
Am I missing something? Is there another table in one of the books I haven't been able to find? Is the 50% Greater/Lesser split fair? Should I be allowing for the mundane equipment rolls and just not counting those slots as containing magical items? (That is, each Minor Item slot has a 70% to just not be there?) Thoughts in general?
What action does it take to make a Monster Knowledge check?
How do people decide what exactly composes "a bit of useful information about that monster?" Is that one subheading in the Bestiary entry? Do you let the player decide which one, or do you decide what they need to know most?
Jeff Mahood
Venture-Lieutenant, Canada—Ontario
aka Feegle
The Southern Ontario Pathfinder Lodge is pleased to announce that we'll be supporting Pathfinder Society at GenreCon, a new convention in Guelph this year.
Scheduling is ongoing, but there will be several tables of Pathfinder Society across multiple slots on Saturday, November 17th.
Check out the convention's website above for details on other activities going on at the convention; I'll post about the schedule and scenarios as soon as they're nailed down.
We're always looking for GMs to help out as well; if you're interested in GMing a table or two, send me an email at jeff@ontariopathfinders.com.
Kingmaker campaign, Druid's "Large Cat" AC was eaten by Bulettes. Nom.
He wants to reincarnate his AC rather than find a new one; he has access to the spell itself. Frankly, I've got no problem with this - I mean, it's functionally no different from just summoning a new one.
I'm thinking, though - and he's okay with this - that I should randomize what kind of creature his AC comes back as. Obviously, the table for humanoids in the Core book is no good. I'm thinking of making a custom table to just randomize what type of AC he gets back - and I'm not going to put things like aquatic creatures on the table because that's not fun for anyone.
So... thoughts? Am I missing something, or not thinking this through all the way? I'm less interested in whether this is technically legal, like if Reincarnation can't work on animals (as far as I'm concerned, fun trumps legality), but I am wondering if I have overlooked some bizarre consequence of letting this happen.
I don't know how long that's been there, but the words I need to describe how happy I was when I stumbled across it this morning literally do not exist in any language I speak.
So, last night I was GMing a PFS scenario, and a group of first-level characters was really hurting in a combat with some ghouls. 6 characters and an animal companion ended up with one bleeding out and two paralyzed, all in a tiny space with almost no room to maneuver.
The sorcerer, who was in the front lines after the great paralysis attack, doesn't know anything about undead (in-character), and so cast sleep on them.
Just to be sure, I check the bestiary entry. "Defensive abilities: channel resistance +2" What? No undead traits? Really?
In the absence of "Undead Traits," and in the interest of moving things along, I ruled that the sleep affected the ghoul, even though I was pretty sure that was wrong.
This morning, I checked the PRD, and while it's still missing Undead Traits, the description of "Undead" does say, "immune to mind-effecting, etc." I know I made a bad call last night, and so that's not the question.
Rather, the questions are:
1) Is this missing from the bestiary or left out intentionally?
2) Everything in "Undead Traits" seems to fall under the description of the Undead monster type. Is there any point to having Undead Traits at all? Is it just a reminder of the defensive part of the monster type attributes?
I recently cancelled my subscription to the Player Companion line of books. Don't get me wrong - they're good work and everything, and I like them, but as my Pathfinder books expand from one shelf to two in the living room so does my wife's ire - I needed to cut back on physical purchases. While I had always planned to continue purchasing the PC line as a PDF, I figured my days of physical Player Companion were done. It would make a small difference, but any difference is a good one.
Then, I made the mistake of listening to a podcast of the banquet at PaizoCon, and you were so excited about the relaunch of the line. The magazine format sounded so great. Splash pages? Double-wide art pieces? Roles? How can I not want to own a copy of that physically?
Oh, and what's that? Where it used to be 32 pages + cover every two months, now it's going to be twice as often?
Well, that's just great.
Listen, fair warning: When my wife kicks me out on the street because I have too many Pathfinder books, I'm coming to live at your house. It's only fair, what with it being all your fault and all.
Jeff Mahood
Venture-Lieutenant, Canada—Ontario
aka Feegle
4 people marked this as a favorite.
Disclaimer: I'm fairly certain that I've seen this idea described before - if not here at these forums than somewhere else - which means it's not mine. I've been looking for a half-hour now, though, and I can't find the post that inspired me. If I stole it from you, please post in this thread so you get credit for the creative aspect of it.
I've been thinking about the aspect of "numbers" at my tables and how to get people out of numbers mode. What I mean by this is how, when a diplomacy check comes up, Everyone asks, "Who's got the highest diplomacy modifier?", and the highest number wins.
In looking for a way to encourage people to remain in character, I stumbled across an idea somewhere that sparked this one. Tonight, at my game, I'm going to hang a piece of paper on my GM Screen that says the following:
The point of this is to put a standard language to modifiers so that players don't have to resort to numbers to decide who the best diplomat is, but they don't feel cheated, because they can be confident (to within a point or two) that their best diplomat is the one doing the talking.
Similarly, I'm thinking of the following for measuring injuries:
80%-100%: Just a scratch
60%-80%: A flesh wound (I know, I know, cue the John Cleese voice here.)
40%-60%: Bleeding
20%-40%: Really hurting
0%-20%: At death's door
I'm wondering if anyone has any thoughts about this practice. Constructive criticism is welcome.
To be absolutely clear, I am not going to ban anyone from using numbers at my table, so I don't want to read comments from people complaining that I'm forcing my playstyle on others. I'm going to encourage them to use it to stay in character, and provide it as an option.
Not that it's a huge deal, but on the Adventure Path Splash Page, the upcoming subscription repeats the shipment for August, so if you're not really paying attention, it looks like there are 4 AP products shipping that month.
...or something similar. Is there a wondrous item that basically acts as a permanent "Tongues" spell? Or that gives you the ability to speak a language of your choice?
(For the record, I know that you can normally cast Tongues and make it permanent, but this is for Pathfinder Society, and permanency is not a valid option. FOr the same reasons, 3rd-party sources are not available either.)
I found the Belt of Dwarvenkind, but it specifically (obviously) lets you speak Dwarven.
The closest I can see is the Robe of Blending, which would give me the chance to speak a given language while I'm in the appropriate shape - but it's a little pricey for my current economic power.
Any ideas? (Besides a potion of Tongues, which is my fallback option.)
Forgive me if this question is in the wrong forum; it seemed like the best place for it.
I'm working on putting together an online forum for a local group of Pathfinder Players, and I want to make some of the icons (PFS factions, Nation flags, etc.) from the community use package available as avatars.
For the record, the site already contains the appropriate disclaimer and is already registered here on the list of resources using the community use packages.
The issue is that the forum software I'm using (Mingle forum plug-in for Wordpress) doesn't have a "pre-set avatars list" for users to choose from; rather, the option is for people to upload their own.
What I'd like to do is to take the icons, shrink them down so that they're no bigger than 50px x 50px (retaining the aspect ratio, of course), and make those available for download as a .zip file so that people can choose the avatar they want from that package and upload it back to the site. (Convoluted, I know.)
So, here's my question:
Can I do this? I think I'm okay with it, given that the disclaimer is posted on the site, and I was planning on including it in the zip file as a text document so that it's part of the download as well.
