So, my players decided to try and bully their way into the archives to do research. They forced someone to offer them help and then left.
The next day, when they returned, they faced some serious magical guards because they had bullied the assistant of Doctor Archisa Aparna and she had gone straight to Doctor Ernst Landis for help.
So, my players have defeated the Brothers of Seven, including Justice Ironbriar, but have not told anyone that they killed a respected judge and have not translated the ledger yet...
I'm not sure what to do with them? They have submitted the book to a translator so I am thinking a trial with a dramatic, last-minute salvation in which the expert runs into the court-room and bellows at the mayor that they are prosecuting his saviours?
I have got a place in a PFS pbp with an alias that was not originally made as a PFS character.
Is it possible to transfer this alias into PFS? I can't figure out a way.
I've just been preparing to run Entombed with the Pharoahs and The Pact Stone Pyramid and I can't help but think that we've been waiting a long time for the final piece of the puzzle.
The hints and clues, the space telescope, The Last Theorem... my players will want to discover the White Axiom and solve the riddle of the Aucturn Enigma before the countdown finishes. And I want to know what happens if the PCs fail!
Please, Paizo, get Michael Kortes on the case and let the man fulfil his destiny before it's too late!
My impression is that you might occasionally call a man a witch but common usage is that it is female and if you use witch without attaching gender in another way then you should expect others to assume female.
Warlock appears to have evolved from other sources to mean 'male witch' in the 16th century and quickly moved beyond scottish usage.
So... Witch has over a thousands years of female lineage and the gendered witch/warlock split is over 500 years old.
It is a cool, bright evening in late spring. A light breeze takes the edge off the coming summer heat and the sky is high and clear.
It is a typical starday which is about to be... interrupted:
Pontia
Spoiler:
You awoke early this morning and set to preparing the equipment for the day: stretching parchment, cleaning pens, stirring ink, dissecting frogs... as you began you noticed a small envelope tucked under the door.
In a flowing script, the envelope was marked: "Pontia Canario"
Inside you found a note:
"Pontia,
You have suffered much and know all too well the dark heart of Westcrown's days. If you would play you part in making a better future for us all, join me this evening for light supper at Vizio's Tavern.
J."
light supper is served at roughly 4pm: some Wiscrani divide their days by meals, even though they might only have two or three themselves.
Hyngrot
Spoiler:
As you begin your daily preparations, you find a small note tucked under your wayfinder: you recognise Ailyn's hand immediately. It states simply:
“I am heading North. Back soon. Dine with J. at Vizio's Tavern this evening. 4pm.”
Daxius
Spoiler:
After you have completed your morning prayers you hear movement in the Inn downstairs.
Nicolai
Spoiler:
One of your tutors has mentioned a book on rare local plants which might interest you. As you are searching through the poorly archived 'flora & fauna' section of the library at your school a runner brings you a note.
He stands obediently, awaiting his copper, as he hands you the note. It reads:
“Nicolai Beauturne,
It is with some trepidation that I send you this message. I have been informed by a keen observer that you share my dissatisfaction with the injustices of Wiscrani life.
If this is so, please join me for light supper at Vizio's Tavern this evening. If not, I plead that you destroy this note and forget you ever read its contents.
Yours, in trust,
J.”
Astra
Spoiler:
You awake with a jolt, followed by the deep nagging pain of a hangover.
Even this, however, cannot distract you from the memory of last night: You were supposed to be having a quiet drink with friends and things had got a bit more excited and drunken. You stepped outside to take in some clear, fresh air and bathe in the cool light of the stars.
After a few moments you noticed a woman standing next to you: she stood confidently but relaxed, gave you a glance and then joined you in admiring the stars.
She spoke to you briefly before stepping into the bar, when you pursued she seemed to have disappeared into the Wiscrani night, like smoke or a dream. However, her words stayed with you:
“Hello, Astra Vesper.”
You didn't move your head but could sense her light, slightly teasing grin:
“We have a mutual friend, Samuel; he suggested that you should join me for a light supper with friends some time. Tomorrow, perhaps, at Vizio's Tavern.”
In Westcrown, 'light supper' is a meal served at roughly 4pm.
I'm going to post some background information in this thread, after that we can use it to organise the group and communicate out-of-character.
The most important things to understand about the AP are these:
- 100 years ago, Westcrown was a glorious version of Venice in its heyday, with extra power, wealth and magic!
- The city now has a much smaller population, with lots of abandoned buildings and areas. It is also much fallen in prestige and wealth, however it is still grand and thrilling in a way that most great cities may never be,
- At night, the city is under curfew except for a few lit thoroughfares. This is a consequence of the shadow beasts who stalk the night.
- The people suffer under the yoke of cruel laws, brutal hellknights and selfish nobility, yet they love Westcrown for its rich history, sophisticated culture (opera, fine art, sculpture and poetry are all popular amongst all classes) and beauty. The Wiscrani (people of Westcrown) are proud of their city, and most wish this pride had more solid substance.
I used my main forum idenitity for my game bu want to change it to my GM Elberion alias, would that be possible?
Similarly, I described the game as 'now recruting...' but can't figure out how to change that game description (which will obviously have to change soon).
You need to read it to play in this adventure but it comes with some warnings and houserules. Why? Because this is one of the worst products Paizo has released. It was produced as the PathfinderRPG was launched and esteemed Paizonians such as James Jacons have admitted that it did not have the full Paizo quality control exerted over it.
1. You do not need to read the Westcrown Environs section, you can if you would like but it is terribly poorly written.
2. There is a horrible trait which will not be accepted: Diabolist Raised.
3. Nobody gets to play a Hellknight, sorry.
4. Tieflings must take the Infernal Bastard trait.
Campaign Rules and character creation
Spoiler:
This is a heroic campaign. You must play a good character, I'm happy for you to have a grubby past and dirt under your moral fingernails but, ultimately, you must be good. I'm not sorry.
20 point buy.
Two traits, one of which is from the Player's Guide.
Anything Paizo is acceptable unless I ban it below but please ask if it is weird.
Third party stuff is acceptable if I own it and like it, please ask.
I will enter the character you give me into herolab. I know that it isn't perfect but if it flags an error then you should explain it or walk. I don't have the time or the inclination to manage anyone who would cheat at character creation.
No summoners, they confuse me.
No gunslingers, they don't fit the AP.
Um, I think that's about it but something will probably come up. That's okay: you're not perfect and neither am I.
Other useful stuff
Spoiler:
I make mistakes sometimes, if I do so in game then just let me know in a spoiler. Part of the beauty of pbp is that we have the time to look stuff up without slowing down the game.
Use the ooc bbcode for rules talk.
Use spoilers for anything which might eat up story time in the thread.
Use the Paizo dice-roller.
I love playing clerics but I get upset if a cleric is forced to be a healbot because his 'allies' don't want to drop 750gp on a wand of Cure Light Wounds... Basically, don't sign up if you're not interested in a co-operative roleplaying experience. That will bore me, and boring me will kill the game.
Your GM loves you and wants you to succeed but he doesn't want your success to be cheap. He wants you to earn it.
Any questions, please ask?
edit: Please, may I have a character description and rough stats to begin with. A character who will suit the AP and have a reason to be in Westcrown is much more important to me than a mechanically interesting race/class combo.
I will choose players by Wednesday at the latest, earlier if I feel we have enough suitable candidates.
My party are mostly first-time gamers and they seem to much prefer social interaction, small dungeons and the odd grand combat. They don't especially enjoy grand trawls through tactical combat.
We are nearly at the end of The Skinsaw Murders and my group really enjoy being in Magnimar.
Should I make Xanesha the BBEG and move on?
If so, which AP would be good (anything except Curse of the Crimson Throne is an option)?
It seems like we have a bunch of threads in Advice that simply boil down to the question of whether or not it is okay to make a character that is not in harmony with the rpg desires of the rest of the group.
My take on it is that out of game you should be a team dedicated to mutual enjoyment. It's like sex, if one of you isn't enjoying it then you're all doing it wrong.
I'm planning an edventure set in Taldor and I need to come up with high-level (18-20+) BBEG who might want to, and be able to, corrupt nobles from major royal houses.
I've been involved in a lot of APs which have an evil outsider or a humanoid wizard as the BBEG so I would like to avoid that if at all possible.
We're going to beat India but they don't look amazing. South Africa are still going strong aren't they? And what about the Aussies?
Can we beat India like this in India anyway?
Geoffrey Boycott reckons we are the best now but added the caveat: "along with South Africa."
I think it's just a bit overwrought - really channeling that deliberately obtuse style Stoker uses (drug as a past tense for drag, rather than dragged, really struck me, as did maniac used as an adjective; maniacal being rather more clear and common).
This style is not only a bit overwhelming in and of itself but also slows the plot right down. So little happens in the second chapter, and I don't just mean that in a crash-bang-wallop sense, even the character development and sense of place is very slowly produced.
I know that ornate fiction can work for PF (Paizo's unofficial poet-laureate has pulled it off) but this one isn't grabbing me.
So, now I'm stuck, I've got three characters to control and at level 7 I've no idea what feats to give them, or what spells to pick
Human Gestalt Ranger/Bard
Elven Gestalt Wizard/Cleric
Pseudodragon Rogue
The Ranger/Bard tends to sword n board with a bastard sword, I'm thinking to either take Vital Strike or the feat that will make his wolf animal companion into a druid-level-equivalent companion.
The Wizard/Cleric (Abjurer, Shelyn (Air, Good)) needs to pick 4th level spells and a feat.
The pseudodragon also has a feat to pick.
I could really do with some suggestions. Anything from Paizo is allowed, anything from KQ or from the Super Genius feat guides will be considered.
I like the skipping song but find the 'local folk song' angle a little thin.
I'm going to have the children tell the PCs that: "Everyone knows that song, we always sing it."
Everyone under 16 will know the song and regard it as natural and normal.
However, adults will have never heard the tune until the last few weeks and are as creeped/freaked out as the PCs.
Can we all please, please remember to use spoiler tags whenever there might be any risk of spoiling an adventure.
These forums were red-hot on spoiler tags back in the times of RotRL and CotCT but now I seem to have to half-read and dodge a spoiler for Serpents Skull, Legacy of Fire and Curse of the Crimson Throne every other day. I also notice a lot of spoilers which could ruin the APs I have read for those who have not.
So, two pleas.
1. If you start a thread whih has spoilers, use the **spoilers** in your thread title.
2. If you include spoilers in a post
Spoiler:
put them in actual spoiler boxes
May [insert deity of choice] bless the goodship Paizo, and all who sail in her. Especially when the waters are spoiler-free.
They have the same 11th level ability (Rapid Attack replacing Armour Training 3) and the only other conflict is replacing Armour Training 4 at level 15.
Would it be reasonable to choose Lightning Strike over Fleet Footed and create a Mobile Dawnflower Dervish?
It seems like a neat combination and would match up well with light armour (or Web Of Steel from The Genuis Guide to Feats of Battle) for a nimble fighter, dancing across the battlefield.
Every year I get a few late Christmas cards, and every year the latest one of all comes from Paizo. I took down the decoration on Thursday and today my card arrives.
It's very cool, all the same; so thank you and Seasons Greeting from the UK.
God bless the goodship Greenwood, and all who sail in her!
It's a Western with an odd setting, still not quite a fantasy... in my humble opinion.
I reckon the Gunmarshall is bent as a nine-bob note and Gelfur sent him away to test his suspicion. At east he thinks he can trust the Gunmarshall. Maybe that trust will be broken too.
My girlfriend has created a new character for a gestalt tilt at the Price of Immortality modules.
She has created a monk/oracle.
And she has decided that he is an old man.
So I need a monk-style mini, with a bit of mysticism and looking fairly old.
Any ideas? Even the magic of reaper figure finder has not helped!
Certain terms from gaming, I'm thinking Grognard and Gish, are universally recognised for a whole community of readers. So surely they should be in the Oxford English Dictionary.
To make a submission I need printed sources for these words. I have encountered them most in speech and online. Can anyone point me toward printed resources (even letters pages of magazines would do) that have used the terms 'gish' and 'grognard'?
Grognard is probably a bigger deal as it's a social term and not so 'in-game'.
Most classes have some neat little abilities for when they're involved in situations beyond a bit of fisticuffs.
Not the fighter, obviously, but everyone else gets a few toys for when they're doing other things. What does the Magus get? And what should he/she?
I play-tested a magus villain yesterday
RotRL spoilers
Spoiler:
Turned Koruvus into a Magus 4 and gave him a Sinspawn ally.
So our 4-armed mutant goblin magus wielding medium-sized weapons was a real challenge for a party of four level 2 unoptimised players.
His damage was good with his primary attack (put highest stat in strength, with mutation he had a +4) doing 1d8+1d6+4 (+1 longsword, flaming Arcane Weapon, +4 strength) and with a +4 to hit or +0 when spellcasting there was quite a lot of flailing around.
The mwk hand-axe and silver dagger in his third and fourth hands barely ever hit (but I don't think they should).
His main advantage was economy of action. Despite being outnumbered he could burn off a lot of actions. His Colour Spray halved the party and although web and grease both failed he kept on firing of daze spells, which occasionally caught someone.
He was an effective villain and could have been a TPK without some bad rolls by me as GM.
Conclusions -
1. He burnt through his spells very fast, which is better for a villain than a PC.
2. Of the spells he used, colour spray worked but grease, shocking grasp and web all failed - that's a 25% success ratio, even with combat casting.
3. His weapon could dish out the damage when it hit but it didn't hit often enough (partly due to the odd character).
4. An interesting/entertaining character whose mass of actions caught the players off-guard "Wow, how much stuff can he do!"
5. If his spell-casting was 100% effective he would have taken down the whole group on his own (CR4 magus vs. level 2 party).
My thoughts
1. Casting and fighting at the same time should be presented as an option of last resort. Otherwise Magus is better off being a character who casts one/two spells and then charges in.
2. Arcane weapon is the coolest thing. Not simultaneous casting.
I have started off with a sword and board ranger (APG) waving a bastard sword about.
I'm not really interested in bashing but there are only two defensive feats on the combat style list.
Are there other feats somewhere I could ask my GM to swap in because they're thematically appropriate, or should I just switch to the two-handed path for those moments when I drop the shield and start swinging?
the four-armed goblin, Koruvus, from Burnt Offerings
into a magus.
Spell Combat wrote:
To use this ability, the magus must have one hand free, while wielding a light or one-handed melee weapon in the other hand.
Could we add a clause or one more sentence just to say: "Magus' with more than two arms must wield at least one melee weapon in their other hands, this can be any type of melee weapon."
It just seems to make sense that a Witchwyrd or Marilith could use two-handed swords and/or shields in some of their hands.
Not only do Paizo sell a big range of minis, they also produce their own ever expanding range of minis.
I want to ask for tips, share ideas and link to photos of my minis for advice (i.e. I have just started using GW transfers to decorate some of my pathfinder minis and want to get ideas for magical runes).
Could we have a Pathinder Minis subforum? There's one for modules, PFS, CS etc...
GeraintElberion
