GeraintElberion's page

I want to play a time thief but I'm not entirely sure i get how to use one.

I'm playing a human with decent stat options and have gone for
Dex
Int
Str/Con
Wis
Cha

as my order of priority for stats.

I am thinking of him as a skill-monkey more than anything else.

Is this the best way to play a time-thief? What am I missing?

So, we were asked to take the witch warlock discussion elsewhere.

I have always been fascinated by etymology so...

The earliest thing I can find is c.890

Ða fæmnan þe gewuniað onfon gealdorcræftigan & scinlæcan & wiccan, ne læt þu ða libban

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

Hyngrot

Daxius

Nicolai

Astra

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.

Hello, two queries:

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).

which is nice.

I have been tempted by the possibility of running this Adventure Path as a play-by-post on these lovely, lovely boards.

If you would like to be a player in this particular adventure: read on!

Council of Thieves Players Guide

Campaign Rules and character creation

Other useful stuff

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's rhyme time!

Playing a flumph magus, that's outrageous!

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.

Am I 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.

Any ideas?

Nice.

I especially like that it is divided by book.

So, the third most important event in international rugby (behind the Six Nations and Lions) is about to kick off in New Zealand.

What's your team? Who's going to win? Which will be the craziest mismatch in the pool stages?

Let's talk about the awesomest sport of all!

I'm cheering for Wales but we're a limited side who will miss Rees (Captain and Lions hooker) and Henson a lot.

The bookies are all over New Zealand but I reckon the Wallabies are where it's at.

Georgia and Romania are going to take hidings from teams looking for points difference with Argentina, England and Scotland in the group.

Having just read, and greatly enjoyed, Goblins of Golarion I am considering the possibilities of an all-Goblin party for Skull and Shackles.

Is this something that will be a realistic possibility?

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."

But, but, but... she's already dead.

In my campaign.

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.

Is it just 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.

Waddya reckon?

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

May [insert deity of choice] bless the goodship Paizo, and all who sail in her. Especially when the waters are spoiler-free.

Vallyn as the nervous young upstart?

I like it.

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.

Is this equation correct?

(fantasy - magic) + guns = Western

Any idea on a release date for this?

My better half absolutely adores War of the Worlds.

The box in the image is German. Is there an English version?

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'.

Any help?

This looks... lame.

Where's the mystery or menace?

In this image it looks like a sesame street puppet.

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 am looking for a mini for my ranger's animal companion as he shoots up from medium to large size.

When I look on reaper and similar sights i'm struggling to tell if a wolf mini is large or medium. Can anybody help?

I play-tested a magus villain yesterday
RotRL spoilers

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?

I am about to make

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.

New to me anyway and ace stuff.

Online tale

Awesome comic with Alan Moore

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...

It could cover paper minis as well.

This might be in the wrong area as it is related to RPGs. If anyone would like to suggest an alternative, go for it!

I have a mini for a character and I'm really stuck on how to paint her clothes, please help.

You can see the model and sketches here.

Basically this character is supposed to be an upper class Taldan who has joined the pathfinders, she is a rogue who uses whatever she can to get ahead, including her beauty (although not her body). I thought the mini could walk the fine line between classy & sexy without being slutty...

She has thigh high boots, and a short dress which is divided into skirt, bodice and collar (it might make sense to make the collar and skirt one colour).

So, advice requested: What colours will work for her boots and the components of her dress?

If you want to know more about the character it is the character I am posting with, so just click on the name or pic.

There was talk on these boards about many peoples' satisfaction that Paizo's prestige classes represented the training/membership of significant groups in the world.

Unfortunately, the setting neutral books do not (can not) fulfill this criteria.

So, perhaps we might suggest some prestigious organisations in Golarion to which these free-floating prestige classes might be anchored.

And, fingers crossed, perhaps we might even get some ideas from our Mighty Paizo Overlords as well.

Arcane Archer
A natural fit would be Celwynvian. Elite troops keeping treerazer's forces at bay.

Arcane Trickster
Um, a bit stuck on that one.

Assassin
Of course, anyone who kills by contract is an assassin and the Red Mantis already have a prestige class. Perhaps the River Kingdoms might furnish a suitable organisation?

Dragon Disciple
An odd one this but Hermea might fit: a dragon obsessed with a perfect race...

Duelist
Taldor, surely, although I can think of some famous fighting schools elsewhere.

Eldritch Knight
any suggestions?

Loremaster
um...

Mystic Theurge
A sect of Nethys worshippers (Nethytes?)

Pathfinder Chronicler
At last, an easy one.

Shadowdancer
Again, I am stumped, perhaps somewhere where most important events happen at night - maybe somewhere ruled by vampires and whatnot?

So, those are my ideas - any more for any more?

I assume it is a yes, because a goblin can ride a wolf.

Second to that.

I was thinking of adding a 'bareback riding' feat but I am in a quandary as to the effect.
Even for a lion (or elephant, or roc) rider the feat is replacing a cheap piece of equipment. In fact, I think a feat should probably be worth more than a 60gp piece of kit (an exotic military saddle).

So...

What should such a feat do?

At first I thought it would simply negate the penalty for no saddle, but then looking at the cost of a military saddle I think that might be a meaningless feat. Because a 60gp spend gets you a superior effect to the feat.
So now i'm thinking that perhaps: You gain the effect of a military saddle without needing to use a saddle.

This is better than the kit because of the added utility but still not spectacular - does it seem reasonable?

The files in My Downloads are refusing to personalise.

There are only so many times I can check back in a minute.

Is there some kind of problem?

Lorekeeper's World Cup thread got derailed so I thought I would start a new one.

Opening goal of the tournament was ace. France v. Urugauy is not as good a game as the ace South Africa vs. Mexico opener.

Although I am Welsh I live in England and am looking forward to the England v. USA game tomorrow.

(and if Brazil win, I get 70 quid from the sweepstake at work - wooha!)

Lorekeepers feats are ace, although I think you need a level requirement for the headbutt.

How can I keep my player's two characters competitive in combat while running published modules?

They are currently gestalt with good stats (sorcerer/rogue and fighter/cleric).

Combat has a had a good level of threat so far but I am concerned that the lack of actions in a turn will kill them off fairly soon - the last time one player went unconscious things got really difficult.

They are both characters of religious conviction so I had considered handing out the half-celestial template as a reward for saving the day and claiming the mcguffin at around level 8.

Is this a good idea?
Any other suggestions?

We are currently running through Darkmoon Vale and will follow up with Red Hand Of Doom (all PF converted).

On page 7 the DC check is missing for the Hollowed Pommel.

What should it say?

I have quoted but it won't show properly.

Is the BBcode wonky?

http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/community/gaming/playByPost/wichtsRotR L&page=69#3400

Odd. The cover text is different to that on the KQ site.

Will we get a .pdf option soon?

I am converting characters that have gone through 3.5, alpha and beta... One is a pseudodragon with 5 levels worth of XP.

Am i write in thinking that this CR1 critter should now have four character levels?

My expectation is for three books a month to pop through my letterbox (1 chronicle, 1 AP, 1 of either module or companion).

I have had a glut of chronicles this month and am led to expect:
both a companion and a module in December
two chronicles, and both a module and companion in January
two chronicles and two APs in February.

So rather than three books a month I'm now paying for four or five.

And this at a time when the move to PFRPG has necessitated to purchase of two expensive books (PFRPG core rulebook and Bestiary) and possibly more (replacing defunct gm screen with PF version).

Are we going to return to the original release cycle any time soon?

is that meant to be a pun?

If so it's a lazy one (Badum tsh)

So, any chance of a PFRPG version of this - I'd be happy to give a bit to charity in exchange for an update of these fabulous beasties.

So... having read through Crypt of the Everflame I saw this at my local FLGS whilst picking up my PFRPG.

And I bought it, i think it's called synergy...

and now you have even more of my pennies

I think I have spotted the first Easter Egg in Council Of Thieves.