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 Recent Posts
Yeah. Wow. Speaking as someone for whom public speaking is a critical part of my job, I'd have to say these guys need help. They looked nervous and unsure of themselves and it looked like they hadn't put much work to prepare for the presentation. I didn't learn much, and I'm not much more interested in 4th ed than I was before. The character portrait thing might have potential if it is highly, *highly* customizable. We'll see, I suppose.
This was mentioned a page or so back, but I think it is a good thing to have somewhat clearly defined party roles. I like the old schtick with the Tank, the Arcane caster, the Divine caster and the stealth/skill guy. Everyone has a chance to shine at *different* times. And having various niches means teamwork is encouraged rather than discouraged. If everyone had roughly the same skillset, it would be boring, and could foster games where everyone is always trying to steal the limelight...in every scenario. I like the idea of the small team of heroes, each of whom brings something different to the table. It's kind of like a modern Special Forces team: you've got your weapons specialist, your medic, your radio guy, your language guy, etc. By working together the *team* succeeds, not just a group of individuals, but a bona fide team. And for the cleric as being non-sexy? I can't believe that. They can be a back up tank, back up artillery (sometimes), they can heal...they are the one class that could actually stand a chance to tackle a problem on their own. That's pretty cool in my book. *shrug*
My take on all of this is that WOTC needs a 4th Edition regardless of what the rest of us need. I've seen good points raised about this and it makes sense. They need to make a profit and unlike some, I won't demonize them for that. But I do feel that we, the humble gamers, do not need 4th Edition any time soon. But we're getting it nonetheless, so I guess we will all have to take some time to digest all of this and decide what it means for the future. But my main point is that I don't think we do need a 4th edition yet. I think 3.5 could have taken us very far for many years to come. But corporations are obligated to maximize wealth for their shareholders, so the 4th edition train is coming. Let's just hope they manage to do something useful with it. But no matter what, I'm with Pathfinder, whether it is 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 4.75, 5.0... I've got Paizo's back. And I feel like they've got ours as well.
I hear what you're saying, but I still think Pathfinder is the way to go. (Although I still plan to pick up most, if not all, of the Gamemastery Modules at my FLGS). I agree with you about the footprint left in Dungeon by the APs over the past few years, and I definitely felt it as well. I also tended to prefer the random modules, but I also read it for the little extras like the maps of mystery, the DM advice, the critical threats, and various other goodies. I think the Gamemastery Modules are awesome, but, they are just adventures (admittedly, with the needed support info, such as town and new monster info) and at one a month, if I had to choose, I would choose Pathfinder, because it is going to have more than just the adventures. It will have a variety of things and ideas that I look forward to reading and that I see as a replacement for those parts of Dungeon and Dragon with alternate rules, backdrop, etc.
Also, you mentioned that you wanted something "Lankmar-esque", well, I believe the second AP (Curse of the Crimson Throne?) just might be what you are looking for. It starts in a big city and looks to promise intrigue and roleplaying and various urban shenanigans. Just my two copper.
LMAO! Anywho, no takers for the Earth Breaker? Will the powers-that-be get angry if I post the stats for it? Maybe if I do it stealthy-like...
Spoiler:
2d6, x3 critical, bludgeoning I realize that the thread is titled, "Great Sword Or Great Axe" but I think I have a "great" alternative. Seriously, no takers?
Sorry, the link requires some sort of password. What's the skinny?
Well, I'm going to have to take back something I said. I hadn't seen the final version of Merisiel, I had only seen the black and white drawing. I just saw the cover for RotRL #3 with the full color version of Merisiel and I've got to say...not too shabby. So, I guess that only leaves one illustration so far that I didn't like. *shrug* And when it comes to Trolls, I'm always hesitant to throw that word around because I think it is sometimes used unfairly or too readily, however, there reaches a point where it seems appropriate...
Or...you could arguably get the best of both worlds and go with an Earth Breaker!!! It is a new weapon introduced in the Rise of the Runelords Players Guide. (Free download is available around here somewhere). I think it is definitely worth a look if you're having trouble deciding between Greatsword or Great Axe. I've said it elsewhere, but I am so glad to see a viable alternative to the Greatsword. This baby has potential.
I'd like to add that I think the Earthbreaker is a welcome--and much needed--addition. It has been my experience that a certain type of player (and heck, for that matter, certain types of DMs) seem to think that the only way to make an "effective" fighter is to go nuts with a Greatsword. Although different, I think the Earthbreaker will be an equally attractive option to these folks. Sure it has a smaller chance of inflicting a critical hit, but it does more damage when it does crit. Nice. And I love the idea of a troll or an ogre or even a muscle-bound orc wielding one of these things. Blunt force trauma here we come!!!
One thing I find interesting about this thread is that it makes one thing patently clear: we all have our opinions about our artwork and those opinions are strong. (Okay, so two things are clear) To me, this is a good thing. We're passionate about our hobby in general and Pathfinder in particular. I don't know the difference between anime and manga and chibi, but I believe back in my day it used to be called "Japanimation." Maybe that name was offensive for some reason? Anyway, there are definitely certain styles I think most people associate with "anime" and big eyes, small mouths, big feet and blue hair are certainly what leap to my mind. Any fans of Homestarrunner might be familiar with the anime version of Strongbad that sort of parodies the genre. In any event, I'm glad to hear that isn't the direction Pathfinder is going. I'm admittedly old school and in my mind it just doesn't get any better than Larry Elmore. But I also like Easley and even Erol Otus. And it is odd, but I had never heard of Wayne Reynolds until the news came out about Pathfinder. Then, of course, I started noticing various illustrations that I liked in various WOTC sourcebooks and I noticed that a fair number of them had a little "WAR" at the bottom. What do you know? So, I obviously don't know a great deal about art, but I know what I like. I like art that is unabashed fantasy but still somewhat realistic. I don't particularly care for "dungeon-punk" as a style. I like armor that looks functional. I don't care for armor that is asymmetrical or that looks like it was cobbled together or scavenged from various sets of armor--unless it is meant to say something about that particular character. I like most of what I've seen so far for Pathfinder. I love the nasty little Goblins...right down to their dogslicers. Very cool. I will say that I wasn't wowed by the drawing of Merisiel. She did seem a tad anime to me. And I wasn't crazy about the guy wearing the cargo pants in the Player's Guide. The boots with the tread I think I could look past, but to me cargo pants just make me wonder, "Did he buy those at the GAP?" If he needs the storage, I'd rather see belt pouches. But that's just my preference. And of all the art we've seen so far for Pathfinder and Gamemastery, two illustrations that didn't thrill me are easy to overlook. Especially since the rest more than make up for the tiny fraction I didn't like. And the artwork for D0 and D1 was topnotch. So I'm optimistic that the majority of what we can expect for the future will continue to be top notch.
However, a halberd is not a reach weapon by the RAW. Strange, I know. Of the reach weapons, the Glaive is probably the best. You are correct. I was strictly talking about polearms in terms of reach weapons. Of those, the glaive is arguably the best. To be honest, I don't usually give the spiked chain much thought. I don't believe there was any precedent for it in previous editions, and it doesn't fit well with my concept of D&D (not that innovations are bad, I just don't see it as an innovation). But I know some people do like it and for those who do, that's fine for them. And, somewhat on topic, I found the Earthbreaker from the RoTRL Player's Guide to be a fairly attractive alternative to the greatsword, which is a welcome innovation in my book.
Ah! This quote (combined with the recent thread on time travel) made me realize something: When this thread is resurrected three years from now, I want to be on record for having predicted that Pathfinder will be a huge success. Now, when we look back in three years' time I will look like a visionary...
My sources inside Paizo tell me that the dial actually goes up to 11. Dude! You beat me to the punch!!! Spoiler:
This one goes to 11!!!!
I played for a couple of months when it first came out. There are things I liked and things I didn't. Some of my information may be outdated because I stopped playing a while back. Here's what I liked:
Here's what I didn't like:
Overall, I think it is an interesting game that does exhibit some real innovations in MMORPG design. I agree with the others who said give the 10 day thing a shot. You might really like it.
Just a minor nit pick--I would say that the book deals with "specific ways characters would aspire to be truly good..." Your post seems to imply that Lawful Good is more good than Neutral Good or Chaotic Good, which is not the case. This book is all about benevolence and righteousness...but not so much for or against law. By the rules, an Exalted Chaotic Good character would be more good than a run of the mill Lawful Good character. My apologies if I misunderstood. And I agree with you that this is a great book.
Your argument seems appealing at first glance, but it presupposes that if there had been time travel previously, we would know about it. If we assume, arguendo that a time machine will be invented and has already appeared in our past, what proof would we necessarily have to the contrary? Also, how can one prove that there is not a method for travelling to the past in existence now? Maybe the method exists but we lack the intellect to make use of it? As an aside, this whole thread kinda weirds me out. It reminds of that episode of Sifl & Ollie where everything was a des ja vious (sp?) as a result of drinking too much creme soda...
There is. It is called "Short Haft", Player's Handbook 2, page 82. It allows you to attack adjacent squares, which I think is what you're saying. However, a halberd is not a reach weapon by the RAW. Strange, I know. Of the reach weapons, the Glaive is probably the best.
I have to agree with this. I like many of the cliches of fantasy literature and gaming. They're part of what keep me interested. I keep looking for the perfect campaign that makes enough use of familiar cliches while giving just enough leeway to do something different. What I usually get are attempts (by various DMs) to be "creative" that end up having more to do with defying cliches than actual creativity. (Okay, Myconids are the dominant race and everyone uses clam shells for currency instead of coins...Elves are stupid and ugly, Dwarves are beautiful and charming, Halflings are warlike and in your face...there's this steam technology that allows everyone to travel in horseless carriages...) No, I'll take my cliches any day. Take a look at Hollow's Last Hope. It has a number of familiar cliches that have been tweaked just enough to be unique while also being recognizable as familiar fairy tale elements. The creepy witch who lives alone in a small cottage in the woods? The animated cauldron? Razorcrows? The brilliant thing about these things is that they seem familiar and appropriate to the genre, but they are done in such a way that they have a unique Paizo stamp on them. So anyway, that's how I see it. And I also like that the Runelord of Lust is a female. That's how I would have done it.
I would like to chime in and also recommend core three + Player's Handbook 2 + Spell Compendium + Magic Item Compendium + Complete Adventurer/Divine/Arcane/Warrior. That gives plenty of options and depth without going overboard. If I had to part with the majority of my collection, these are probably the ones I'd hang on to. (I'd sort of miss the Tome of Magic and Unearthed Arcana, and the newer books with the reserve feats, but I think I'd manage).
Now this I like! This sounds like old-school goodness. A reason to make the underground world intriguing and creepy. I like this better than a hollow world type setting because the hollow world thing seems a bit too cheesy to me. Just a matter of personal tastes, I suppose.
Is there any actual difference between derro and duergar? Or is 'duergar' just a Forgotten Realms term for the same thing?Duergar are larger, saner, and psionic (or at least they were in 1e). Derro are smaller, more numerous, totally insane, and have magic-using "savants" and weird weapons (hook fauchards, etc.). That's sort of what gets to me. Do we *really* need *two* races of subterranian dwarves??? Can't we get by with one or the other? Do I, as a dedicated D&D fan really have to learn the distinction between them? Back in my day, I thought there was only one variety of each "demihuman" for the underdark...
I think my brain threw up a little there.Well, we've recently tasked fill with taking a more direct approach...Sheesh, he can't even call me by name... Yep, any minute now Vic will post and tell us that Phil has been a verb since 1492 and that Columbus used to "Phil" his time by making long sea voyages or something...
I always thought using town criers would be an interesting way to distribute information in lieu of a newspaper. There could be a "Crier's Guild" and in major cities there could be a number of "Crier's Posts" where at certain times of the day, say, noon and "a couple of hours before dark" Town Criers go to posts located in strategic spots all over town where they climb a podium (or something) and proclaim any news. It would be a great way for the government to spread (mis)information efficiently. And maybe the criers would take money in exchange for spreading "news" from private citizens. You could go a number of ways with this--they could be simply a way to make wedding announcements, etc., advertise for businesses, they could get caught up in gossip wars...all kinds of things.
There's also "Dungeons & Dragons for Dummies" which I've fipped through a few times at the Big Chain Bookstore that actually does a decent job of explaining the 3.5 rules. If you're familiar with previous incarnations of the game then parts of it will be a little *too* basic, but overall I would recommend it for someone wanting a quick introduction to the newest version of the rules. That and the SRD would probably get you pretty far. And I'm not sure why you thought you'd get flamed for asking that. Sounds reasonable to me!
As a secondary concern, the setting so far shows no sign of the magico-technological elements that settings like Eberron has, that is, railways and flying ships. I'm hoping these will not be appearing in the setting. I really like players getting around on horseback.So do we. There are bits and pieces of magitech in Golarion, but it is by no means widespread. Kaer Maga has some, but Numeria is probably the magitech king (and even then, it's still a mostly medieval place). I'm really glad to hear this. (And this is consistent with what we've seen in the Gamemastery Modules so far). I know there are people who love Eberron, but to me it is so bizarre and out there that it doesn't even remotely resemble D&D. And I lament that the online game is set in Eberron. I'm not saying that people who do like Eberron are wrong, I'm just saying we have very different tastes. But I have an almost unhealthy dislike for the setting. It is a mixed genre setting, and--to me--the mixture feels forced. (Yes, I bought the Campaign guide before I made up my mind). In my opinion, mixing genres is the uncreative person's attempt at being creative. There is an infinite number of cool stories that can be told by creatively imaging what might transpire in a "normal" fantasy world. The hard part is to engage in that creative imagining and to then produce something to convey what has been imagined. But so far, the new material for Pathfinder and Gamemastery seem to be doing just that. Look at what they've done for Goblins. Awesome! They found a new spin on Goblins that is both original *and* coherent with the genre. That is hard to do and even harder to do well. Mixing genres is just lazy. So I'm glad to hear that our PCs won't be taking the "magic" train to their jobs where they work in "magic" cubicles on "magic" boxes with "magic" screens to send information "magically" over great distances while they worry about their "magic" 401K plans...
Went to my local gaming store here in Humboldt, the owner (nicest guy ever) hadn't heard of Pathfinder. He logged onto the Paizo site while I was standing there (this was some time ago) and almost did a jig when he read about it. Yes, my local store will carry it for me :) I try my best to support my FLGS, but sometimes I get really frustrated with them. They never seem to get their product on time and they never have any clue about coming attractions. They never even know about the stuff from that other gaming company until it has actually been released. I had to read everyone raving about D1 for a week or two before my FLGS got a copy (and only one copy so far as I could tell--purchased by yours truly). In fact, the month before D1 was released (my memory is shot--did D1 just come out in July?), I asked about it and the guy said he hadn't heard about it. He said the only Gamemastery modules are the smaller ones with the minis. I showed him the ad on the back of Dragon (?) and said, "No, there's a cool new line coming out, like the one you got on Free RPG Day." I bet they won't have Conquest of Bloodsworn Vale until the end of August. You'd think staying up on new products would be part of running a business like that. How hard is it to check Paizo.com and that other website a couple times a week? And seriously, isn't Pathfinder the biggest thing on the horizon in fantasy RPGs? Isn't it kind of sad when the customer knows more about new products than the retailer? Sorry, I had to rant. I'll make sure they know about Pathfinder and if they don't, I'll send the appropriate Paizonians an email.
As it is, the art on these has already helped me getting a better understanding of the world. The cleric's god has many domains in common with Pelor, but the cleric looks nothing like Jozan. And if I need a male cleric, it doesn't take much imagination to bulk up the cleric.Plus, Kyra's a LOT nicer than Jozan. Jozan's an evil heretic. Want proof? Check out his picture near the end of the PHB. Yeah... the one where he's casting a symbol of pain. Which is, of course, an EVIL spell. OMG! I can't believe I never noticed that! I'm so disappointed in Jozan. He must not be a true follower of Pelor after all... And I agree about the previous disparity with female adventurers--and I totally get Paizo's rationale. And who knows, maybe this will make the game more inviting to female gamers...
Does anyone have any information about this product? I went on to the Wicked Fantasy Factory website, and it doesn't even appear to me that the first product is out, nevermind any mention of the other two listed here on Paizo. I picked this up for free on Free RPG Day (along with D0). Overall, it's a solid adventure or "module" as we old-schoolers say. Temple of Blood is a D20/OGL dungeon crawl adventure for 4 to 6 first level characters. I'll start with the negatives first. In its attempt to set itself apart, this module has occasional expressions and turns of phrase that seem forced and awkward, and that make it seem more geared toward 14 year olds than adults. For example, the introduction says, "Maybe you want adventures that are WICKED SICK! That's what Wicked Fantasy Factory gives you: axes hacking, spells exploding, and blood spewing. Don't just crawl through dungeons -- make them sorry they ever met you!" Wicked sick? Who talks like that? Okay, okay, I've been known to say things like "wicked-cool" but posting on a message board and writing for an adventure are two different things. I don't know, it just felt like they were trying too hard at times to be hip and young. Another thing I wasn't crazy about was...
Spoiler:
The wall of force initially protecting the BBEG. I was thinking there was only one way to deal with it, but looking at the module again I see that there are *two* ways. But something about the whole wall of force and giving the BBEG a chance to deliver a monologue just struck me as video gamey. I wish the back inside cover was used for something other than a full color advertisement. Some more of that neat artwork would have been nice. And my last criticism is that part of the "reward" seems to be winning the gratitude of the ladies they have rescued. My suspicion is that this might be something of a turn off for female players--especially if this were used to introduce them to the game. It's kind of sexist. On the other hand, it is also kind of old-school, so I'm conflicted. Now, on with the positives. The artwork, including the full color dungeon map on the inside cover is really pretty decent. I like most of the artwork throughout (including the aforementioned ladies-fawning-over-the-heroes), although nearly all of it is black and white. Still, it is pretty solid old-school type art and I like every single illustration in it. It is 16 pages, counting two pages to detail a new magic item and new monsters and one page for the OGL legal stuff. It is a straight-forward, no BS dungeon crawl and it is solidly delivered. There are a couple of new optional rules type components, and here is where the module really comes into its own and sets itself apart from the competition. One is that this adventure (and supposedly, all WFF adventures) has a piece of "Phat Lewt," which is a piece of loot that is worth at least as much as the rest of the adenture's loot combined. ("Maybe in the boss's stash, maybe in some secret room.") "That's right, WFF adventures provide double the normal amount of treasure compared to your standard adventure, and half that loot is wrapped up in a single item." I actually like this idea. I know, I know, the campaign world is a delicate ecosystem and blah blah blah, but when you're a player, sometimes it is fun to find a really great piece of treasure. And it can always be hidden so that maybe the players don't find it. And it may be over the top, but that's how these adventures are intended, I think. And it really fits with the whole "beer and pretzels" feel they deliver. They also have rules to allow a player character to execute a "finishing move," which I won't go into, other than to say I think it is kind of a neat idea and I think the rules are solid for the sort of game-play the authors intend. It reinforces the concept that the PCs are the bad-ass rock stars of their campaign world. They also have special rules for dealing with Mooks (again, calculated to demonstrate that the PCs are special and to allow for some cinematic, "everybody's kung fu fighting" action). The flip side of this is that they have special rules for the BBEG which makes him even tougher. The adventure even has a couple of situational options to allow the PCs to pull off cool tactics with cinematic results
Spoiler:
(Can you say, "barrels full of lamp oil"?) In all, I'd give Temple of Blood an Eight out of Ten. I would say Seven out of Ten, but it is so rare to find a module I really like, I think they get a slight bump. This adventure delivers a brief yet solid, old-school, beer and pretzels dungeon crawl. The artwork combined with the (admittedly cheesy yet intriguing) optional rule components pushes this adventure a solid notch or two above most of the competition.
I like the drawing. I don't know if Larry Elmore has ever done anything I didn't like. But I agree with nearly everything that's been said above. I kind of expected something more sombre or more "in your face," but frankly, I don't know if anything drawn by mortal hands could capture what many of us feel about the end of this era. So we get a cool drawing by Elmore with a cool castle and dragon and sorceress, and the drawing kind of implies change. Well done, I'd say. It's funny how cheesy old cliches sometimes explain things better than anything, and here I'd have to say there's one that holds true:
And as much as I'd like to criticize those seaside mages, the game is, in many ways, better now than it has ever been. My new resolution is to try to accept the changes by embracing Pathfinder and the Gamemastery products and savoring them and not taking them for granted like I did with these two great magazines for a number of years. All of that being said, I do like the drawing and I'm super thrilled that Elmore got to do the final cover. He's the best in my book. But I'm sort of old-school like that. And I also loved the Dragon (and the glowing magic sword!) on the cover of the old red (Mentzer?) Basic set. That drawing was used as inspiration (and as a surprise) for my groom's cake at my wedding. (my wife secretly sent a copy of the drawing to the cake lady--and the cake was red velvet, of course). So, yeah, that drawing has special meaning for me. Have I digressed enough? Spoiler:
Signs point to "yes."
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