Joey Virtue's page

Screw the druid archetype

*looks at picture*

I daresay you'd get some takers on that...

I don't know if this has been asked already, but is there also gonna be an updated player's guide for RotRL? I can't wait to start running this for my players as soon as it comes out.

Nope... but there'll be a bit of stuff like player traits and getting started advice in the hardcover itself. Alternatively, you can use the campaign traits from the back of the Advanced Player's Guide.

Here are the requested stat rolls.

STR/DEX/CON/INT/WIS/CHA
rogue - elf

4/17/10/11/5/15

dwarf - cleric

7/11/18/9/14/7

human - ranger

11/12/11/12/11/11 (the muscle - he will be opening all the jars)

By Dark Hersey to you also mean all the Fantasy Flight Warhammer 40K line( Rogue Trader, DeathWatch, etc.) or just Dark Hersey in particular?

Shadowrun

Call of Cthulhu

Dark Heresy RPG

Lack of spare time and imagination + laziness = premade modules and APs are cool.

Mainly because paizo come up with better stories than I would.

Is there any time frame on Paizo releasing an epic level handbook? My campaign will soon be eclipsing the level 20 mark. I may just have to adjust and alter the feats, class and item rules from the 3.0 D&D book if not, which would be quite an annoyance as opposed to shelling out some cash for another well designed Paizo book... *hint* *hint*...

Whoa. Gadigan and Greg. Thanks for being insane.

Funny...that's what I thought ROLEPLAYING was for. Something other than a flesh run computer game. If you can't carry off Captain Jack, you're certainly not going to get the atmosphere by reducing everything about him to dice rolls.

If you can't carry off swinging a sword, you're certainly not going to get the atmosphere by reducing everything about combat to dice roles.

If you aren't a combat medic, you're certainly not going to get the atmosphere by reducing everything about the heal skill to dice roles.

If you can't cast a spell, you're certainly not going to get the atmosphere by reducing everything about wizards to dice rolls.

Any other straw men you'd like to throw up?

But then again, there's always Xanesha :)

Very soon now the older fans can tell the newer fans, "back in my day Xanesha was a TPK machine, you kids have it soooo easy ...."

PF APs assume that players grasp the basics of optimization and system mastery.

If they don't, and if their tactics are shoddy, things can go rough in places.

D&D is a tactical wargame, at least as far as rules are concerned. Step up or fall out.

As a DM, I got BORED running RotR, because I was making so FEW design and creative decisions as a DM....snip...

This is why I buy Adventure Paths.

I am a busy bee, I don't have the time for campaign design any more and, if I am honest, I'm not as good at it as the Paizo crew.

Golarion is an amazing world in which to adventure, my players love it.

Just a different perspective.

I think that if the various sub-systems were updated, mechanically fixed, expanded, and playtested, that they'd make a great start to a hardcover rule book. Then when they're fine tuned to work well, they could be much more easily used in future APs, without having to invent them in an already rushed development timeline.

I think one of the things you may be missing is that Dungeon and Dragon were not tied into 1 game world. All of the adventure paths now fit into Golarion. So do all the Pathfinder Society and Modules lines. Paizo isn't in the buisness of publishing random adventures that were found in Dungeon, where you had support for many different campaign settings.

I think this is a blessing and a curse. I like that Paizo can focus their creativity and energy in 1 place. I like that it fits together nicely. Overall, I think it works. The downside is though that Paizo is not producing as much adventure support for things that do not fit into their world. It reduces the creative material for people who want to do non-standard campaign settings. In general though, I don't think that is something that Paizo needs to work on, and I would rather they focus and don't compete with themselves the way TSR did.

Worth keeping in mind are two of the MOST common comments we had from subscribers and customers for Dungeon magazine:

1) "I only buy issues with Adventure Path installments in them."

2) "I don't run games set in [insert campaign setting here], so any adventure that's set in [that campaign setting] is useless to me."

My suggestion is don't do it.

People will tend to play the type of game that they enjoy. If you are punishing them instead of helping them have fun... well, I am not sure that sounds like an enjoyable game.

And I know that there are a lot of people who like to reward good RP with XP, but it doesn't make sense to me. Again, if people are playing in a way they don't enjoy what is the point? Are you just trying to get people who care about XP only to game your way?

For me... RP is it's own reward. If you and other players at the table are RPing and it looks fun it will draw the others in or it just isn't their thing. If you don't want to play with people who don't enjoy the exact same aspects of the game then move on.

I know this comes across a little harsh, and I am sorry for that, it isn't my intent to single you out but more rail against a trend I have seen.

Sean Mahoney

From the end of "Concluding the Campaign" in Pathfinder 6:

The "easiest" way I can see to extend an AP into the highest levels would be to make it a double feature. By that, I mean two APs with overlapping story arcs that combined make a double length AP, where the first goes from Lvl 1 to 12/13 and the second goes up to (or past) 20. I believe it would be less risky from a business standpoint than simply starting an AP at 10th, since you can still keep the steady progression from 1st.

The use of the word "easiest" up there is hilarious and frightening. There's nothing "easy" about building an Adventure path, and two different Adventure Paths that have overlapping story arcs on a monthly basis would probably require two developers to work 80 hour weeks for six months. Which would result, in the end, in NO adventure paths since both developers would have had nervous breakdowns well before finishing the project.

This is a gret idea. Here's how I would do it, set perhaps 100 years before The Phantom Menace. It is pretty much a straight conversion of each episode.

**Massive spoilers for Second Darkness follow, so be warned **

Introduction
The Sith are gone, but not entirely forgotten.

A group of Jedi masters who call themselves the Winter Council dedicate themselves to seeking out users of the dark side of the force and remain vigilant for signs that the Sith may be returning. They seek out Sith lore and Sith technology, to better understand their enemy.

The Winter Council are not popular with the actual Jedi Council, who feel their obsession with the past hinders them in dealing with the present, and that their exploration of Sith lore is dangerous. In fact, one of the Council, researching a legendary Sith doomsday weapon known as the Graviton Device, fell to the Dark Side some decades before, and has not been heard from since. The Winter Council have done their best to keep this quiet, but have vowed to deal with the renegade themselves; their network of agents are on the alert for any signs of the renegade or (even worse) the construction of a Graviton Device.

Shadow in the Sky
The Heroes are hired by an agent of the Winter Council, who suspects retired crimelord Saul Vancaskerkin may have ties to the Dark Side. They are asked to sign on as employees at Saul’s new casino, and keep alert for unspecified “suspicious activities”.

Saul’s home town, a hive of scum and villainy known as Riddleport, is also experiencing strange gravitic anomalies. As a result a strange distortion has appeared in the sky. A group of Republic scientists are looking into it, but so far have not been able to explain the phenomenon.

Saul has his problems with the local criminal element, so working for him is not without risk. At some point, Saul becomes suspicious of the Heroes, and arranges for them to be “neutralised”. The Heroes (hopefully) survive the attempted murder, and confront Saul. After the dust settles, they learn details of the location Saul’s mysterious “backer”. They confront the backer, who pulls out a lightsaber and starts throwing around force powers – the backer is a Dark Jedi – and there are signs that there may be more of them on a nearby asteroid known as Devil’s Elbow.

Then a meteor strikes Devil’s elbow. It appears to have changed course in complete defiance of the laws of physics. The shadow in the sky above Riddleport disappears – but the town suffers as debris rains down upon it.

Children of the Void
Scientific analysis of the fragments of the meteor which struck Riddleport reveal it contains certain rare and valuable mineral deposits. A number of mining expeditions set off for the asteroid – and the Heroes are asked by their mysterious patron to follow suit; acting under the guise of prospectors they are to see if there are any signed of Dark Jedi activity on Devil’s Elbow.

They have to deal with rival prospectors, but most deadly of all a strange race of aliens came down with the meteor and has promptly started killing everybody. There is also a hidden group of Dark Jedi observing the results of their experiment, and the ruins of some sort of technological device.

The Armageddon Echo
The Winter Council ties in the activity in Riddleport with the activity of a group of space pirates known as the Azrinaes. These have gathered around the forest world of Mierani – a world that was once devastated by the original Graviton Device.

The Council mobilises the various armed forces at its disposal – whilst still keeping its own involvement secret – and launches an attack on Mierani. The attacking force includes the Heroes, who have proved to be extremely competent agents.

The Heroes find a massive virtual reality simulation of the last days of Mierani – created by the Sith using technology no longer available – and enter it in search for clues. They learn that the Azrinaes hail from a secret planetary base called Zirnakaynin, where they are just one of a number of rival pirate clans.

Endless Night
The Heroes are asked to disguise themselves as Azrinae pirates, and infiltrate Zirnakaynin. They find out that the clan is now led by a powerful Dark Side user called Allevrah – but that she and her key lieutenants have recently left for Coruscant. The Heroes escape from Zirnakaynin, and are asked to present themselves in person to the Winter Council on Coruscant.

A Memory of Darkness
The Heroes are intercepted in Coruscant by agents of the Jedi Council, and thrown in prison together with the Winter council agent they were supposed to meet. The Jedi Council is seeking to move against the Winter Council, but doesn’t know who they are or where they are based. As a result, they have decide to use the Heroes in an attempt to flush out the Winter Council, and arrange for them to “escape” with their contact.

The Winter Council meet in secret at a hideout in the dark and dangerous lower levels of Coruscant. Their base is constantly besieged by the monstrous creatures of the lower levels, but the Council are confident their defences will hold and the besiegers ensure they never have any unwanted visitors.

The Heroes manage to enter the Winter council compound, and confront the members. A violent argument ensures, one of the members turns to the Dark Side, and a fight breaks out.

Descent into Midnight
The Heroes chase around looking for the various components of the Graviton Device. It is powered by five linked Sith artefacts – none of which are on Coruscant! Allevrah is able to use the power of the Dark Side to draw energy from these 5 artefacts from their locations on other worlds. When she has enough energy, she will use the Device to destroy Coruscant.

Buff [INSERT YOUR FAVOURITE CLASS HERE*], because it's weak, Pathfinder almost crippled it, devs please, look at it!

Nerf [INSERT MY LEAST FAVOURITE CLASS HERE**], it's far too powerful, imbalanced and overbearing, my GM/friend/sister is making 100 damage per round, this is bad.

And remove [PICK TWO FROM: GUNSLINGER,NINJA,SAMURAI] from the game, they don't fit in my cherished vision of prisitne, Western Medieval fantasy.

* - bonus points if it's Cleric or Druid
** - bonus points if it's Fighter or Rogue

I am really enjoying the new format with the appendex, The interactive maps, the level summary at the begining of each chapter. I hope you keep this going in future APs am I the only one?

Yup; the plan is to keep with this new format... although in some adventures it's making us jump through some tricky hoops when we have more than 3 chapters...

And to build on something Wes mentioned... our Adventure Path line IS where we present big "macro events" for the world of Golarion. With a few exceptions, we don't assume the events in any AP take place in any particular order, but once they DO occur, some pretty significant changes to the Inner Sea region (and soon, to Tian Xia) will happen. ESPECIALLY if the PCs screw up and let the bad guys win.

To be honest, Paizo might do well by avoiding big metaplotty events for Golarion altogether.

That's definitely part of it. Nearly everyone playing in Golarion bought a big expensive campaign setting book and the last thing we want to do is say "Oh that's all wrong now" for whole sections or, worse, the whole thing. That said, if you look at the differences between the first incarnation of the campaign setting and the second, the timeline has advanced. Although we generally assume with the Adventure Paths that none of the APs have happened - allowing GMs to choose how the world has moved from the campaign setting text - we do have some plots coming down the line that have different assumptions.

By and large, though, we want GMs to make the calls about how and when the world's big changes take place. We don't want to put out some supplement that says "Oh yeah, that home campaign you've been running, we smashed its setting. Hope you weren't enjoying it." However, we do plan to advance the timeline again in the future, but that's the sort of thing that will be a big deal - not something that just sneaks by.

There is a history here that is solid, and actions on the part of PAIZO that have the kind of integrity gamers want/need and help build for the long hall.

In short:
2006 PAIZO finishes a five year glorious contribution to Dungeon and Dragon magazines as publisher when the license is pulled. Eric and the team begin Pathfinder Chronicles in v.3.5
2007 Eric Mona is undecided about supporting 4e; Long thread online of supporters encourage PAIZO to go forward and be stewards of the traditions and history of the game, continuing in the footsteps of Gygax/Arneson; During this time the smells of 4e were leaking out and it looked like the game was going to lack traditional tropes as well as lose vancian magic system and other significant alterations would be made to things unnecessarily like the alignment system and certain races
2007 Winter; An iron clad GSL (Game System License demands that any 3pp destroy v.3.5 inventory; GSL demands any 3pp writing for 4e must give up their in perpetuity clause of the OGL (Open Game License)
2007-2008 The GSL by wotc is revised, but its too late and the damage to gamer fan base is irrevocably done; the 4e system marketing pushes aside long time gamers, saying this is not your fathers d&d; flash animations by wotc show a red dragon dropping turd on a troll who is posting dislike for 4e, and the marketing backfires. Meanwhile all the .pdfs of 1e D&D are culled from sales anywhere on internet, suggesting a major departure from the old traditions and also appearing like a hostile "hiding of the past" in attempts to force a new video-game like dnd on the populace; meanwhile wotc forces gamers to pay for online content and makes half-rate dungeon/dragon online content too pricey without quality.
2007-2008 After playtesting/previewing 4e; PAIZO decides they will continue their brand in the v.3.5 version, and since previous October Jason Bulmahn begins making refinements to v.3.5
2008-2009 More than 50,000 gamers playtest and provide feedback on Pathfinder RPG. I know, I was one of them.
2009-2010 wotc designers like Mearls pay platitudes to things like rust monsters on their blogs, but their efforts seem hollow and contrived as though appearing to love the old games yet sounding like two-faced marketing for the new system. The d20 licence logo is also revoked by wotc-forcing several 3pp (third party publishers) to go under or suffer out-of-business effects.
2009-2011 Pathfinder RPG is lavishly designed with the traditions and history of the game in mind, while still appearing fresh, fun, and provides something interesting for all the classes at all levels. Artwork and writing is top-shelf quality, along with print/publishing.
2012-2018 The core rulebook is built to last. And subsequent supplements offered through the subscription model. This scrappy company has made business decisions over the past 5 years, suggesting that they care deeply about the game, and gamers. At each turn, the company listens to suggestions and offers by gamers to get what they want/need at their gaming table. Pathfinder RPG is acclaimed as perhaps the very best version of dungeons and dragons ever made, while 4e is found out to be a half-rate version, written hastily in the huff of Hasbro demands for more gamist design, as well as poor R&D and marketing delivered by its company toward legacy gamers, in an attempt to market the "new" game under the same name as previous versions, although 4e lacks the very heart of D&D. Meanwhile each winter, just about Thanksgiving time, massive lay-offs at wotc suggest to gamers that game designers there are used and abused just to put out the recent "new shineys" without the substantive heart of quality and tradition.

Pathfinder RPG has all the very best of the Monte Cook "high is good" d20 system, all the elements allowed under the OGL, and all the quality that Gygax/Arneson would have wanted to see put into the game. The game is dedicated to them on its first page, and the behavior of PAIZO has been supremely stellar.

I attest that just on my end, I've introduced more than 35 gamers to Pathfinder RPG since the Alpha1, Alpha2, and Beta Playtest versions. Now, in my area, those who play role playing games are playing Pathfinder RPG. The game can be played as my old "guru" friend does, with a bit of handwaiving and DM fiat, just as 1st edition was played. The game can also be played with as much grandiose grandeur that AD&D 2nd edition provided, as one can easily run Rod of Seven Parts or any AD&D 2e feel games. And finally, as is my enjoyment, the game can be played RAW (rules-as-written) with much enjoyment of the v.3.5 feel, only better. The game can be played with or without miniatures, though plays fun and interestingly with miniatures, floor tiles, and all the trappings one can afford. The games accessories are smart; from the combat pad to the condition cards. The game's card accessories make for great treasure handouts, and the quality of game balance is there for most "gamist" style players. The Narrativist or the Simulationist also can get everything they want out of Pathfinder RPG.

The question of longevity, and the duribility of PFRPG imho is a great question. And as someone who's watched this enterprise grow from the seedling ideas of making a few tweaks to v.3.5 all the way to the many optional supplements, guides, maps, card, rulebooks, and online support... I can say that I project this endeavor will continue, as it was built-to-last right from the very start. PFRPG seemed destined for greatness for the long haul from the start, because its makers like Bulman, Mona, Cook (who consulted on the Beta Playtest and Core Rulebook), Jacobs (and his endless pool of creative ideas) and later Reynolds and the rest of the team, are deeply dedicated to making the highest quality game for the gaming community that the gamers ask for, want, and play.

This is imho for once, the world set-right e.g. a game company that listens carefully to gamers, provides high quality usable materials for them, and still shapes and guides the game not with the almighty dollar as their first goal, although profit is naturally important to any company. It would seem, based on the past 1000 data points I've read, heard, and spoken with PAIZO staff about, that the endurance of Pathfinder RPG is attributed to the love of the game that the designers share, Lisa Stevens (CEO of PAIZO shares), and that the gamers who purchase and read and play the game can SEE is inherent in the great game design, and lavish publications.

Thanks for taking the time to read these quick thoughts of mine. Thanks for asking if PFRPG is a long-haul kinda game. Just as the game takes 2 or more players normally, I would say its the partnership of the PAIZO gaming community that supports and works with PAIZO that makes this edition the game for our times and the future.

Sincerely,
Pax Veritas (just a game player, like any other)

Yeah, sorry about the tone of that post. It's pretty frustrating if you are prepping for a campaign, need some help on an important topic and nobody is responding for a long time.

Now that I know that the important NPC's are not getting any further official personality advancement support I can work with that. It's not what I wanted to hear and I think it's a bad idea to do it like that from your part, but it is what it is.

There's a LOT of good reasons why waiting for all six of the parts of an AP to be out before you run the AP is a good idea.

As a random aside while some one is casting thresurection, after Clegg basically won the race for resource acquisition in the second AP, having got back to Riddleport first with a hull full of precious, but unknown metal, he naturally cornered the market, and vainly named it after himself.

I now, much to my players dismay, in any campaign, refer to it as Cleggsteel.

Oh they wish they killed Cleg now...

I'm curious if the OP was aware how threads like this one turn out, or was it just a dash of sweet innocence there :)

I will be the one running this game for Mikaze and the others.

I am thinking of the party more as a family of hunters that is focused on undead in general instead of specifically on vampires.

As I haven't read through the AP yet, I don't know how exactly I am going to tie the party concept into everything, but I am looking forward to it. The concept is an interesting starting point, and everyone is excited about their characters concepts, so that is always a plus.

I am going to encourage them to keep a campaign journal, but I think it is going to have to be a collaborative effort so one person doesn't get overwhelmed.

So which one is Sammy and which one is Dean? Better keep a eye on Sammy is all I can say.

Keep in mind that neither Paizo nor Wizards of the Coast are likely to post in this thread any secret future plans, so everything posted in here is going to be pure speculation, based on pure speculation.

So when you feel like disagreeing with someone (and you probably will, I can tell it has the potential to be that kind of thread), keep in mind that it's just their opinion. They're no more privy to the truth than you are.

And when you post your awesome idea that Paizo absolutely must do or else we're going to go out of business, please have faith in Lisa, Erik and the rest of us that we got to this point because we're not stupid.

According to Monte's own statement on his facebook profile, he's now an employee of WotC.

Can we have a 5E subforum already? ;)

Take a look at the new Pathfinder Reference Document. Now take a look using your phone, or your iPad. Notice anything different? That's right, it doesn't suck anymore.

In addition to now including all the open game content from Ultimate Combat and the errata for the third printing of the Bestiary, the PRD is now optimized for tablet and mobile display. Before you ask, yes, that means iPhone, iPad and Android. Probably others, too, but that's what we tested on.

I have been showing this thing off to anybody I can corral here at the office. Lissa and Chris Lambertz have put in a lot of hours tweaking this thing and they deserve all the credit. Ross deserves some too, but he gets all the credit for making the Pathfinder Battles subscriptions working. So there's plenty of credit to go around! Except for me. I take no credit for any of this. Except to say, "Make it not suck."

Since this is a major revision of several hundred pages of content and navigation, there are bound to be problems. Please use this thread to let us know anything you find that needs to be fixed, and we'll fix it as soon as we can.

And yeah, searching the PRD kind of sucks. We're working on that.

If I, as a GM would handle an imbalanced Wizard by declaring in the middle of a dungeon that bookworms ate his spellbook, I would likely end up thrown out of the window by my players.

I live on the ground floor, so it's not a biggie, but still.

Since a thread about this topic was locked I will start two new threads one for and one against. Keep it civil otherwise the thread will be locked and lets try to not have that happen again.

I will start the ball rolling. I am in favor of an official product that supports Epic play. I think PF could use one ot round out what I think is missing in the rules and to compete on equal terms with 4E and 3.5.

That's right, I am starting a Jade Regent AP campaign and I am starting it TONIGHT! Woo hoo! (Aug 16, 2011).

I've got 5 players each running a PC. I'll detail those for you later. All official rules and rule books are in play, no house rules. PCs created using 20 point buy. Traits to be selected using the Jade Regent Player's Guide. Players have been told their PCs have recently been working for their friend Ameiko escorting supply wagons that supply the Rusty Dragon from the recent goblin attacks, so the PCs start with an extra 50 gp above their average class starting gold.

My players have crafted their PCs. But what they don't know is that they aren't going to be using those PCs tonight. Instead, after we start and introduce characters for about 10 minutes I am going to tell them: "Put those characters away, tonight you are playing goblins."

And then we are going to run We Be Goblins. I've made an extra 5th goblin (a goblin cavalier with a strange mount).

We are going to play out We Be Goblins and I presume they will be successful in recovering more fireworks and other things. As a result, they will become goblin heroes to the Licktoad tribe. One goblin player will get to marry Gupy Wartbits (the ferciously corpulent and lusty daughter of Chief Gutwad), they will likely all get "fancy" goblin titles. Then after playing out teh adventure, we'll just do a narrative of how the next additional weeks they are more successful, following the fan map to a second ship wreck and to caves, where they eventually recover more stuff (including a shiny tube).

Then, just as they are reveling in their goblin success, I am going to attack the entire village with the skeletons from Brinewall Legacy and wipe them all out :) Maybe a few will escape, we will see...

That should make a fun prologue for Brinewall Legacy. And should give the real PCs some more subliminal motivation to go to the swamp :)

Oh, and I am working up a fun "start up" encounter to begin Brinewall Legacy proper.

I notice, unlike all other APs, Jade Regent does not begin with a "set up" encounter--no mugging in an alley, no caravans in the desert, no carriage rides and funeral processions. I actually talked with James Jacobs a bit about that. I'm going to work up something fun to get the AP started.

I'll let you know how tonight goes. I'll keep a running log for you. And I may even give you all access to the group page where we post stuff.

of course, my players will also get to playtest some of the support materials that the various Legendary Games Design Team authors are writing for the Jade Regent AP, so you might get some glimpses of that stuff, too! One of which is a specially created goblin PC. Yes, you read that right. I am going to give the PCs (and you guys) the chance to run a goblin PC who will actually start a level ahead of the other players. (A goblin wizard 3, I'll let you figure out who that might be, and yes that does require me revising someone's fate from We Be Goblins).

I can't wait!