If you are grappled by an Entangle spell, what is the concentration check to cast a spell? The grappled condition notes that it's DC 10 + Grappler's CMB + spell level. What's the grapplers CMB in this situation? Same question for Web. Black Tentacles seems to spell out the CMB as using the Caster Level as BAB in addition to size and STR bonuses.
Second Question:
A Fey Sorcerer casts Entangle in Round 1. Web in Round 2. Grease in Round 3. What's the total terrain penalties? Is it ever improved past standard difficult terrain (1/2 movement)? I've seen scenarios that require 1/4 movement for certain terrain, but can't find any references to such terrain in the Core Rules Book.
I'm trying to organize the schedule for next year's monthly game days. We only have a few pathfinder players as-is who attend, and they often walk away because their table doesn't get enough players. I can't schedule older modules (season zero) because the veteran players have already played them at conventions, and it is really hard to 'build up steam' for new players if they only get to play one scenario per month (since Paizo releases one low level and one high level per month). Extra releases in only June and August doesn't help.
Is anyone else running organized play for Pathfinder?
-Perry
In Detroit we've been having bi-weekly game days this fall. We keep a yahoo groups database of players, and record which scenarios players have played. That way we can offer the least played mods and skip the most played until we have enough new players to play them.
I don't fully understand one sentence above regarding new players. Why is it hard to build up steam for new players? If they're new, they can play all of season 0. That means there's 36 scenarios to choose from!
I ran this for a sub-optimal party at tier 3-4 on Sunday. They were heavy on healing, but very light on damage. To give an idea, the full-blooded cleric critted with his dagger dealing 1 nonlethal damage in ACT II. Seriously.
Even though they weren't an ideal party, they still managed to walk through the first 3 Acts. The difference between tiers 1-2 and 3-4 is so minor, it's pathetic. (my rolling for the first 3 acts didn't help either)
Then we come to Act IV. They even manage to spot one of the Ettercaps hiding in a corner and get a surprise round that the spend buffing. That was the last good round for the PCs. The Ettercaps used their web to effectively separate the party with the only PC that passed for a tank singled out and webbed up. They beat on this poor tank for round after round with the rest of the party almost unable to deal any damage, they spent their time channeling healing to keep the tank alive. I am being quite literal when I say that the tank was knocked unconcious SEVEN times in this encounter. "I'm not dead yet!" Salvation finally came when the gnome's riding dog stopped rolling 3's to escape the webbing and then critted an Ettercap. It then promptly chomped on the second one. At this point the party was nearly out of any resources, and that was before the cleric set off the block trap that dealt almost max damage!
Had they left the shrine and faced Riverbane, it would have been a TPK. They asked about setting up camp in the shrine (after burning all the webs!), and I didn't have a problem with it. If I wanted it to be "fair," or "real" I would have had Riverbane order a thug to confirm the party's demise, resulting in Act V being triggered, and everyone at the table dying. That's not fun for anyone.
I think the players enjoyed themselves and I enjoyed running the scenario, and at the end of that day that's all that matters.
I wouldn't expect to hear anything about the actual events until early next year. This will be my first PaizoCon, but even a con like GenCon doesn't release event information until about 3-4 months before the con.
This is my little baby. I am not quite ready to reveal the mechanics and such, but rest assurred we will preview this in the Paizo blogs before it releases. I am using a variant of these cards in my home campaign and they are a blast! Paizocon attendees will be able to use them in a very unique event that we are also not ready to unveil. :)
Is this poster different than the "3.5 Thrives" Poster? I've never seen a Society poster anywhere, but it would be nice for local cons as well as locations that host Society events. If there isn't a set poster has anyone created their own, using the Open Content art, they wouldn't mind sharing?
They are different. I'll see if I can snatch them off facebook later today. They have a few of the iconics on each with different colored backgrounds.
I saw those posters in pictures from the recent con in Italy. They're gorgeous! I'll have to ask our game-day coordinator to make a request. What about ever putting them up in the Paizo store for sale?
GM Rewards touches on a much broader subject of Quality and Quantity vs. Compensation. Be it Doctors, Teachers, or Pathfinder GMs. There needs to be a balance. Do you want a doctor that's in it for the money or one that wants to help people? Do you want a teacher who teaches for the (perceived!) benefits and pay or do you want a teacher who loves to teach? Same with a GM.
We need a reward system in place to attract new GMs. If you enjoy GMing you're going to do it regardless of reward. But what about those that could be good, but haven't tried (for a lot of reasons)? How do we attract those people w/o getting people who do it only for the rewards?
Personally, with what credit is offered for eating a scenario, I'd rather NOT take it. What's the point? My character's personality and, well, character, are determined by his experiences.
I do have a character concept for a character who could be made using only GM credit. He'll be Taldan of course, who's gotten his "prestige" and "experience" in life virtually (or literally) handed to him. Too bad we can't take the aristocrat as a PC class in PFS. Stupid nobles... Oddly though, he'll be less wealthy than those dirty "hands-on" type. Pfft.
#34 suggests the use of both Woodlands and River Crossing.
Like Doug, I agree that flip-mats work well for a time-pressed GM, but using them to design encounters really limits the possiblities of those encounters.
I completely understand the need of Prestige Award and the upgrade, I just didn't know how to price it.
Now here is a PFS specific question, are the animal companions presented in the Bestiary open to use or will we have to wait til the next update to the PFS rules to see what is and what isn't allowed in the way of animal companions and feats from that book?
The only book not listed in v2.01 of the PFS Guide Book that is legal for use is Seekers of Secrets. Players have to wait until v2.1 to include anything from the Bestiary.
Alright, here's the situation. You can only buy three Map Packs and three Flip Mats, so you decide to get those that are most useful. Which three do you buy of each? Which ones do you find yourself using more often than others? It doesn't matter if they are currently in print or not. Assume you've got all the APs, but none of the GameMaster/Pathfinder stand alone adventures.
I'm asking because I want to pick some up, but I really want to get the ones that will provide me the most bang for my buck.
With the flip-mats, your biggest bang for the buck will come from the most generic of them. My top three in this situation would be:
In order to upgrade ANY item, your current maximum Prestige Award must be sufficient to purchase the full cost of the upgraded item, even though you only need to PAY the difference between the costs.
As much as I detest the thought of ever having children myself, they can be amusing at times. :) What about developing an interactive specifically designed for kids of a certain age range? That could not only keep those little buggers entertained, but could also get them hooked on Pathfinder. >:)
I would love to see a high-level AP that deals with gathering things and making preparations to rid the world of the Tarrasque. It would be a great chance to fully flesh out the legends, myths, and history surrounding it.
Regarding the calendar, I think that's an awesome idea as well. You could even go as far as including things like, "On This Day in Golarion," including Golarion holidays, and perhaps even giving out special minor boons for Society play on special days (Pathfinder Society Founders Day or on other special Pathfinder Society days/events).
I'm similar to those above me. I like to integrate images into different handouts for players, be it character sheets, notes with "sketches" of who/what they're after, or enlarged printouts.
For example:
Pathfinder Society Scenario #34 [SPOILERS]
Spoiler:
I printed out a large image of the merfolk from the Bestiary for Act 3. To me that has a larger impact on players than holding up the Bestiary because it allows them to focus solely on the image, not the rest of the book. Keeping that image out during their conversations with the mermaid helped them focus on what they were talking with. Until it turned into a succubus of course!
I apologize if this has been answered previously. I searched the forums, but didn't seem to find anything specific to this particular question.
I understand from the campaign rules that GMs 'eating' a mod gain 1xp, 1/2 level-appropriate gold, and 1/2 faction points. It also specifically mentions that the character they apply it to does NOT gain access to "special bonuses [...] such as free magical treasure, boons, or bonus dice rolls in the future."
However, what category does 'regular' item access on an AR fall into? If the AR includes access to an otherwise normal, standard magic item that would be appropriate to the character level of the PC the rewards are being applied to, does the GM's character get that access?
Also, while I'm thinking about it, what if your GM character is, say, lvl 3? Would he get 1/2 gold as per the 1-2 tier, or 1/2 gold as per the 4-5 tier?
Thanks in advance,
Steve M
The GM will get access to any regular magic items on the chronicle and 1/2 gold for the tier that was run, assuming that their character is legal for that tier, and it is the first time they (the person) have played/GM'd the scenario.
If Paizo did do an electronic "Art of Second Darkness" (or another AP), what would it cost roughly? To buy the pdfs for the full AP, it's $84 MSRP. Would it be around $40 for just the art? Less? Would be better for Paizo to only release art that's older than a certain date? (giving full product owners an advantage)
Pages 16-17 of the Seakers of Secrets lists three feats: Boon Companion, Dilettante, and Friendly Switch.
My first question is, does a character need to be a member of the Pathfinder Society to take one of these feats?
If it's not in the prerequisite line, then they don't have to be a member of the Pathfinder Society, strictly speaking. Of course for PFS games you're already a member!
Lord Fyre wrote:
So a Single Classed Druid or Wizard would gain no benefit from this feat?
Correct.
Lord Fyre wrote:
So this would give the Ranger three effective levels? (Since Rangers get "Hunters Bond" at Lvl 4, and are normally considered as a Druid three levels lower.)
Correct, if they're single classed. A Ranger 4/Rogue 1, for example, would gain the full 4 effective levels.
The art, in any event, is EASILY the most expensive part of the art + words stew that makes up a book. As a result, we're a bit more hesitant about giving the art away for "free" as electronic, high-res pictures.
Not looking for free, but hopefully a fraction of the full product cost. Or is there a piracy or some other concern here I'm missing?
Heh. I've had the Tarrasque on my "must make" list for, damn, almost a year now? I actually e-mailed the Paizo guys and/or mentioned it in a Paizo chat about this time last year, trying to get a feel for how their version of the Tarrasque might look. 'Course, my copy of the Bestiary's in the mail now, so I s'pose I'll find out when it shows up. :D
It's good. It's not the best piece of art in the book, but good none the less.
Don't get me wrong, I love the catalog and I'm eagerly awaiting a 2010 version! But as a way to save money for Paizo and to save some trees (to be used for other Paizo products!), can we get an option somewhere to request "no catalog?"
Plus new to the game. Do you need some experience or is their a FNG "table"?
Generally no need for experience, but it may depend on the event being offered. Pathfinder Society games are a good way to get your feet wet. Depending on where you live, it may be easy to find some Society games before next June if you want to lose your newbie tag.
Do keep in mind that FNG's are just as tasty to evil dragons as FOG's!
Pages 16-17 of the Seakers of Secrets lists three feats: Boon Companion, Dilettante, and Friendly Switch.
My first question is, does a character need to be a member of the Pathfinder Society to take one of these feats?
My second question is about the "Boon Companion" feat. It says that
"The abilities of your animal companion or familiar are calculated as though your class were four levels higher to a maximum bonus equal to your character level.
Does that mean that a Lvl 4 druid with that feat would use Lvl 8 for his/her companion's abilities (PathfinderRPG p. 52)?
Or is this feat mostly beneficial for Multiclass characters; i.e., A Lvl 4 Fighter/Lvl 4 Druid would still use Lvl 8 for his/her companion's abilities? (And, where would Ranger's fit in this mix?)
Option 2. Character level is the summation of all your class levels.
A single classed Ranger would use his character level as his effective druid level for companion abilities.
I own the full chronicle line, the full RPG line (all 2 of them! lol), the full companion line, but I didn't start the APs until CoT. I bought all I own at and since GenCon '09. I love dead tree format. I wouldn't have it any other way when I'm at home reading it. I have no immediate plans to ever run or own any of the Pathfinder Modules or previous APs. I have no need to buy the pdfs for the books I bought at GenCon. Yet I find myself wanting them all. Why?... THE ART!
Not only do I love looking at it, I love to print select pieces out to show my players. It helps set the mood and describe things in ways I'm not capable.
It could be collected based on AP, period of time, or general product line. Something like "The Art of Second Darkness," or "The Art of 2009 Modules Part 1 of 4."
Would something like this even be possible? Could it include cartography as well? If it was available, would you buy it? What would it likely cost?
My guess from having to purchase large banners for work conventions is that you can find a local shop to produce it for you, but will need Paizo's permission to do so. A banner of that size will likely cost several hundred dollars to purchase and several weeks to produce (depending on the shop's workload). Of course you'll also need the artwork from Paizo too.
I will be booking tickets on monday with any luck. now...to start saving for trans-atlantic plane faires.
PS: Wow this is going to be expensive :o
Never would have thought flights from Detroit to Seattle would be so damned expensive. And if I try to use FF miles, it's 52,000 miles? WTF? I flew to Japan twice last year for 60,000 miles each time.
I would say yes, since only a few feet away (dragging) is mentioned. A different dimension is certainly far enough, as long as it's done w/in the first hour.
This scenario introduces a very powerful magic item, Sifkesh’s Bane, that states:
"Any cleric or succubus of Sifkesh can ask someone bearing one of these stones to inflict bodily harm on himself (as the spell dominate person, but removing the restriction of self-destructive behavior)..."
So when can GMs use it? Here are the two opportunities where it COULD come into play:
ACT 3
Except it states: "Under no circumstances will the succubus and her skum minions attack a PC carrying the stone..."
ACT 5
Except it states: "If one of the PCs still carries the stone found at the riverside, Mogla-Tor points his trident at that PC and says, 'You will make a good sacrifice for the stones! You live for now—the rest of you die.'"
So both the succubus and cleric of Sifkesh don't try to kill the PC carrying the stone.
How do we get to this point then, in the conclusion?
"By this point, the PCs should be aware of the negative effects of carrying the stone and will likely not want to take them with them."
I'm running this on Friday and will be able to give a full report then, but for now:
Where's the War Razor from? I'd like to be able to describe it a bit better than a 1-handed, 1d4 weapon...
edit: Campaign Setting. I guess I was under the impression that the equipment in PFS Scenarios would all be in the PFRPG. What happens if a player wants to buy the +2 War Razor off the Chronicle? Where do they find out its full stats?
A little birdie tells me that a bunch of marketing text was recently written by a certain Events Manager and that said text was used for some web-related functions that may or may not have something (yes) to do with PaizoCon 2010. That little birdie also told me that something could quite possibly be on the store blog about just such a show sometime this week.
More ducks?! gah! Stupid liddle burdies! kill'em and eat'em all!
As awesome as the blog has been lately, it's been been missing one crucial thing... a PAIZOCON III UPDATE!
Lisa, I'm starting to think there were never really any ducks. Instead there were a couple of geese, a moose, and a goblin. Ducks surely wouldn't be that difficult to row!
In lieu of any information as to when, how about we, your ever faithful community, work on the WHAT will be at PaizoCon III?
So I ask you Paizo faithful, what events would you like to see during the Revenge of the Purple Golem?
Kyle Baird
(GameMastery Superscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Pathfinder Adventure Path, Pathfinder Chronicles, Pathfinder Companion Subscriber),
