Achievement: 7000 posts Extra class skill: Having survived many horrors solely by relying upon one another, you have picked up on some of the expertise of those with whom you have closely associated. You may add one skill to your list of class skills, so long as one other PC or NPC with whom you have closely associated, has at least 5 ranks in that same skill in order to train you.
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Following is the list of skills in which various party members can offer training:
Alis:
Acrobatics, Bluff, Diplomacy, Perform (sing), Sense Motive, Stealth
Doesn't Iomedae have short, dark hair too? It makes perfect sense to me that one of her clerics would seek to emulate her (assuming their order doesn't already require as much).
Out of all the minis the only one that seems odd to me is the dwarf. The fact that his hair and cape are blowing is great, but it looks like his cape was donned over top of his hair. In all my years of costuming, I've never once seen someone do that, and unless you stood still all day without moving your head, I rather doubt it would even stay that way.
UG: You're replying to posts that are over a year old, you realize that, right? Vic was directing people to this thread to seek answers to a technical issue, not exhume dead horses. ;)
Vic, I appreciate the reply, but perhaps I need to clarify...
How can we export the PDF graphics and keep the alpha channel/layer intact? Some PDF Image Extract is the program most of us seem to be using to export graphics from the PDFs. (I know I've recommended it many times.) However, while it's great for maps, it does not preserve the alpha channel used around artwork. Mind you, the ability to select file types other that JPEG doesn't seem to work, so that's to be expected I guess. The other application I tried tonight (PDF Image Extraction Wizard), which does have the ability to export TGA, TIF, and PNG doesn't preserve that channel either.
I guess the prerequisite to following your guidelines then is that we need some way of exporting the graphics while preserving or recovering the alpha channel. So far, I haven't found a way to do so that doesn't apparently require the purchase of Adobe Acrobat.
I see that Vic was directing someone here for help on removing the black 'mess' that is the alpha channel in the images extracted from Paizo's PDFs. Unfortunately, I'm only seeing a general high-view explanation of the issue without any actual specifics on how to perform the steps using popular programs like either Photoshop or GIMP.
Now I've been extracting images from the PDFs for a few years now using Some PDF, but it only exports to JPEG which doesn't have an alpha channel. As some may have noticed, attempts to change the file type in Some PDF has no effect, you'll get jpegs and like it.
I just tried another program called PDF Image Extraction Wizard (which is unfortunately not freeware) and it can output to TGA, PNG, BMP, TIF, and JPEG. I thought that surely one of these formats would do the trick, but they don't. When I open the resultant files in Photoshop, there is neither an alpha channel nor a layer mask to edit.
Sooo basically I'm wondering what free or inexpensive tools are available that preserve the alpha channel so that it can be adjusted in the way that Vic mentioned up-post. And no, I don't mean taking a screenshot and cropping/feathering out the text OR using a paint bucket to fill-in the black and then clean-up the fringe around the actual graphic. I'm looking for something that can be automated as a batch job, not something I have to do manually.
This thread contains some useful advice on how to streamline the process of running a PbP. Also, I have links to a few helpful resources in my profile if you'd like to avail yourself of them. ShortKeys will be a godsend, I assure you.
I've seen plenty of threads about GM archetypes as well. I recall one from just a couple weeks ago that was based around 'merit badges' keyed to various GMing styles.
BTW, is that supposed to be an all-inclusive list Cibet? It doesn't seem like there are any GOOD GMs by those standards if it is. ;)
In all seriousness though, I find that a healthy bit of self-examination/introspection on expectations and preferences is a HEALTHY thing in terms of group enjoyment — that goes for players and GMs. Acknowledging that such differences exist and helping others to recognize common preferences in an unbiased fashion can actually be useful. There is no requirement that a stereotype MUST be derogatory, although the ones mentioned 3 posts prior all seem to be.
After a thorough search of the cave, you can find no trace of anything like the pod that was described, nor any magical or alignment-based signatures other than yourselves. Of course, as Darvesch explains, such a spore pod would have likely withered away long ago after having fulfilled its foul purpose of infecting everyone.
Indeed from what he can tell the only reason the captain's body was still around at all was because it had been host to the thing that grew out of him after he was infected. He was no more your enemy than any unfortunate soul who might get turned into a zombie by some dark act. A dead tree with fungus growing on it does not revert to being a living tree simply because something else is living upon its husk.
Finding nothing else of note in the cave or on the captain (beyond the metal buttons and buckles of his clothes that were not consumed by the blight), you make your way outside. As you shield your eyes against the glare of the setting sun, you find yourselves witnessing a surreal scene. With the sustaining presence of its god now destroyed, the unnatural fungus covering everything has begun to dry out. Everything touched by the sun has already begun to crumble and blow away on the wind, scintillating in the wind like snowflakes.
The rope bridge back to the island itself groans ominously when you attempt to cross, and Alis decides it best to simply fly everyone back rather than risk a fall into the rising surf. No sooner has Darvesch landed on the far side than does it give way, falling apart under its own weight. After spending a few minutes to fashion a make-shift litter upon which to bear Jask, you begin the trek south to rendezvous with Gelik and Sasha, eyes squinted against the fungal snow and the setting sun.
A pea-sized ember streaks from Lureene's finger and the fungal god quakes in impotent rage at the deception before it is consumed by roiling waves of flame. To the north, you can see the pygmy dodge the worst of it, but then a strange thing happens.
As the 'god's' body burst apart, depositing the bloated and blackened remains of a human male upon the ground, the pygmy goes rigid as a board and falls over, burning up even as the rest of the growth upon the floor, walls, and ceiling begins to disintegrate.
Before the thick, choking smoke can overwhelm Darvesch, Alis casts her spell upon him as well before helping him to his feet. Not far away, she can sense that King Tut finally managed to muster enough strength to dash outside before succumbing to asphyxiation.
Lureene's orb of acid flies straight and true striking the monstrosity squarely in a region already heavily damaged by Darvesch. The thing pauses for a moment, one of its tendrils inspecting the injury yet seemingly unable to tell what just happened as the greenish acid pours back out of the wound sizzling only when it splashes onto the cavern floor below.
Lureene's face falls as she realizes that this fungal god is either resistant to or immune to corrosion.
As she watches, the thing moves off of Darvesch, before unleashing a flurry of whip-like attacks against Alis. Although the lithe little dancer is fast, she's not fast enough and one of its tentacles strikes her hard across her arm nearly knocking her dagger away.
Alis doesn't have to say 'fly' twice. Lureene darts away from the fungal god as fast as she can, diving further into the retreating smoke. Nearby, she can hear King Tut choking even as Grak continues to badger her, wonder what's wrong.
Turning around, she sees Alis standing alone next to the abomination and wracks her brain trying to recall what other fiends were allergic to. She herself was somewhat resistant to freezing, burning, and electrocution, whereas her mother was impervious fire and lightning and shrugged off ice, and acid.
Yet this thing had actually gotten burned by her fireball so it clearly didn't share the same traits. About the only thing she knew for certain is that light spell she cast did far more damage than it had any business doing — even had she used it against someone like Lucia.
I just redownload the Ship and Pathfinder Lodge flipmats, and I can confirm that your fixes have corrected the issue I was seeing. The newly exported maps look the same as the PDFs/hardcopy.
While I like the idea of rolling stats, as a GM I've found that the power disparity between those who roll well, and those who roll poorly just isn't worth the headache. I switched to point buy and fixed HP some time ago and it's worked well. I may try rolled stats again at some point, but I doubt I'll go back to using rolled HP.
While this does lead to some similarity between characters, I generally operate my groups as being people of similar power who have come together. Differing strengths aside, I'm not big on having a couple clay pots floating down river with a bunch of iron ones. In my games those suckers need to be adamantine. ;)
Darvesch lands a terrific blow upon the abomination that makes its rubbery flesh boil away. Seeing that he chose wisely, the dwarf reverses his axe, trying to land a backhanded hit, but he is still off-balance from the first and misses by a wide margin.
Injured and in pain, the fungal god recoils as much from the axe-stroke as from Lureene's radiance. It lashes out, attempting to strike all those whom it can reach. Unable to quite reach Alis and Lureene, it focuses its wrath on Darvesch, and the one who dared to heal the being it had marked for death.
Darvesch feels the hard crack of a whip upside his head and just manages to knock another aside with his shield. As he braces for another attack, another tentacles lashes out with preturnatural precision to slash Jask's throat wide open. The old man drops to the ground, possibly dead. As the dwarf's gaze lingers, perhaps watching for signs of rot, another tentacle slips just past his guard and he feels darkness overtake his senses as he too falls to the ground, lifeblood soaking into the spongy cavern floor.
As the two men fall, the fungal god seems to reconsider its retreat, but you notice that Darvesch's axe still burns in his grasp. The thing inches backwards, biding its time even as it sends out the mental call to its minions to aid it.
Well, he knows that it's at least part fiendish, although it's not an outsider per se. Aberration or Evil Outsider seem like the best best though. (He didn't roll high enough on one of his checks to tell for certain.)
As Darvesch raises his axe, its flames take on a golden cast. This time when he rains down a blows upon the fungal god, it emits a piercing howl of pain as a deep rent is torn in its violet form, dark energy pouring forth from the wound.
Still it is not done-for, not yet anyway. A dark aura suffuses the air around it and you recognize it as the same sort of attack the blackguard in Light's End brought to bear against Priyya!
A multitude of whip-cracks fill the air. One tentactle is blocked by the dwarf's breastplate, another two by his shieldwork. Yet even as he seeks to retaliate as the thing begins to move away, a hard blow strikes him through a gap between the plates of his left pauldron.
Immediately he can feel the weight of his shield double as the very muscles in his shoulder begin to wither and rot beneath the plate. He pales visibly as his very life-force shrinks from the abomination's vile touch.
Yet he is not done, he steps up and strikes at it again inflicting another terrible wound upon it even as the fungal growth on the ground snares his legs.
Paizo doesn't allow custom avatars so there's no way for you or me, or anyone else who doesn't get a paycheck from Paizo to upload anything. The only people who have custom avatars are pretty much Paizo employees.
Also there's no way to provide you the URL to the area to change your avatar image since it's dynamically generated. You might check other sites using HTTPS to ensure that's working properly since I can confirm the link it working OK for me.
There's no ability to upload custom images. That link should have taken you to a page to select from the several 1000 that are already on the site though.
As the monstrous god moves away, Darvesch steps up and strikes. His burning axe bites into the abomination, black smoke seething from the point of impact. While it is not his best axe-stroke, he feels certain that it should have left a bigger gash than it did. Instead, the mark looks more like one left by a broadsword wielded by someone with no greater strength than Alis or Lureene. Something about its make-up was resisting his attack!
Thinking quickly, noting the way the pygmies acted in unison, the seemingly designed nature of the 'bridge' connecting this spire to the Silent Island, the unnatural proliferation of growth that should not be possible on the surface, the inquisitor realizes this is no mindless, natural thing he fights. While it might be beyond mortal ken, he recognizes all the signs of something not quite of this world, something with a dark enmity for the natural life of this world...
Darvesch:
Darv realizes that the creature before him could be better harmed by good-aligned weapons along with any targeting aberrations or evil outsiders.
He also realizes that its whiplike tentacles are capable of rotting living matter in short order and that it would prefer to attack at range.
due to the awesomeness of Chris, all of our Map Pack PDFs are available
Wow, that was fast! O_O I just purchased the PDFs of the Caravan and Ships map packs and the exported graphics look great — same as my hardcopy, same as the PDF.
I also purchased the PDF of the Pathfinder Lodge flip mat, but unfortunately this is suffering from the same issue as the Ship flip mat — it is too dark to be usable.
For the time being, I'll hold off on buying any more of the flip mat PDFs since unusable like this. Hopefully Chris will be able to figure out the issue soon so that I can resume shoveling my cash into your store. ;)
A barrage of whip-like blows crack loud and hard around Darvesch. He dodges two to one side, and just barely blocks another with his shield. Yet the fourth strike comes too quickly for him to react and he just barely ducks his head in time to suffer that strike along side his jaw instead of across the throat.
He can feel the burning sensation of some fell taint in the attack, but even without the added protections of Súmalya's blessing or the dead witch's antitoxin, he shakes it off. As the taste of blood reaches his lips, Darvesch realizes the fungal abomination is trying to pull back further into the sheltering morass of entangling growths to the west.
Jason: Movement-based AoO for Darv if you want to try Stand Still or some such. Also, please make some knowledge checks for your inquisitor abilities.
Darvesch pounds his way through the smoke, his shorter stature and acclimation to caves perhaps helping to avoid choking like the women behind him. As he advances, he finds that there is a stretch where Lureene's repeated firebombing has burned away the fungus blanketing the cavern and he can actually get firm footing.
Smirking at the charred husks of pygmies he sees on the ground, he just barely has time to get his shield up to block the powerful lash of a fibrous tentacle that assails him as he draws near the god that towers over him at at least twice his height!
Like some giant, ambulatory mushroom, he can see that its 'head' flares out wider than its bloated body, and from there protrude four tentacles, stronger than the surface tendrils it uses for movement, that flail and seek for flesh to rot. The axe in his hand seems to burn all the hotter as his approaches his fell quarry, and he knows that he has his god's calling before him...
Rolls:
AoO 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (11) + 12 = 23
Next Up: Jask; enemies, Alis, Lureene, Darvesch
MAP: S-The Fungal God, (Round 46d) Note: The gap in the purple is normal terrain, not difficult. The areas overlaid in white are full of smoke. It does not grant concealment, but it does force a save against smoke inhalation. It is dissipating at about 10-ft per round.
Hmm a few of these still crop top the plate... one makes up for it with chain underneath...
Glad that you, Laurefindel, and DQ like the pics.
As far as cropped plate...
Try leaning forward and side to side to check your flexibility. For me, at about a hands-width below my sternum, I become become able to actually bend. If you want to retain good mobility for tumbling, etc. then you need to limit the use of inflexible plates to those areas of the body that do not flex: thighs, shins, upper and lower arms, skull, and upper torso.
In areas where flexibility is required, you either have to leave it unprotected, or gird it with something that allows for bending/twisting such as leather, chain, kevlar, articulated plates, etc. — elbows, knees, hips, abdomen, wrists, etc. Needless to say, some types of protection are much more affordable and prone to locking up when damaged than others.
Vic: I just had an idea for an additional option for the digital versions of the Flip Mats and Map Packs.
Since many of us have been asking for the digital versions of the maps for the purposes of using them in MapTool, etc. how about a download option that contains the maps/tiles in PNG or JPEG format?
This would eliminate the need for customers to spend time manually exporting the maps which (as I discovered) can run into issues from product to product.
I'd appreciate it. I've been using that app specifically for Paizo PDFs for a couple years now and this is the first time I've run into this issue. I don't mind using another app (if you know of one that works better), but I know that I'm not the only GM/player who uses it for this purpose.
Product Suggestion: Releasing the maps in PNG/JPEG format would probably work better for many subscribers. MapTool cannot load PDFs meaning it is always necessary to export the images prior to using the product. If the downloads page displayed links to download either the PDF or the PNGs, that would be a nice time-saver.
Glad you liked them doctor_wu. Here's a few more that I found in a Deviant Art group entitled "Battle-Ready-Womyn". Some are animé style, some concept art, some character studies. There's more BreastPlate™ in these designs, but I don't think any of the poses or dispositions could be considered demeaning or even funny-looking.
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Bellona - Goddes of War Greco-Roman musculata armor (yes, the historical male versions of this are replete with 6-pack abs, rock-hard pecs, and nipples) artist states this one is still a work in progress
There is a chorus of excited yipping from the alcove west of Darvesch as the pygmies, inspired by the awakening of their living god, surge forward to attack Darvesch with claw and spear. In their haste, the pygmies nearly trample one of their own before the others turn to head back around from the other direction.
Darvesch easily deflects a spear aimed at his head, burning axe casting grim shadows across his stony visage.
As Alis' voice trails off, you can hear what sounds like many whips cracking, the straining of fibers, and the soft thuds of something large approaching. Then you see it.
From out of the darkness emerges a vaguely humanoid thing the size of an ogre. Its bulging hulk strains its thick, violet 'skin' taut. From gaping pores, thick filaments and rope-like tendrils twitch spasmodically in the still air. These lash out with mindless precision latching onto the rough surface of the cave pulling it along like some perverse self-animated marionette.
While you have no idea if it can even see as you know it, as it draws near to the princess, its blubbery bulk shudders and you feel the cave rumble as the tough, fibrous growths all around and beneath you surge to life seeking to root everything near it in place. Alis gives a cry of surprise as the twisting growths entangle her legs, painful barbs digging into her skin!
Has something changed about how the newly released backlog of Flip-Mat PDFs were processed?
I just purchased Ship, and while it looks fine in Fox-It (i.e. the same as my hard copy), when I export it using PDF Image Extract 1.5, the resulting image is so dark as to be unusable. It's like the contrast and saturation are both getting maxed out. I've tried png, jpg 70/100, bmp, and tiff all with the same result.
To ensure that it wasn't just a botch on my part, I retried the export with the Tavern and it looks the same as in Fox-It.
BTW, one point I don't think I've seen raised is that characters aren't always walking around fully clad for a dungeon crawl or open warfare. At chiefly diplomatic events, it might make a great deal more sense to wear ceremonial armor or otherwise less Battle Practical™ attire so as to gain other advantages. In such situations it might even be against decorum to wear your full kit — particularly if it's all dinged and such from seeing actual usage in the field.
Not every depiction of a character (even one wearing armor) needs to assume they are currently in or expecting a fight. I don't know about you guys, but my characters and NPCs don't exactly walk around in the same gear 24×7. IMO it's a bit unfortunate that the iconic characters never seem to get a change of clothes. I'd personally love to see more variety in even a single character's attire.
Spying Grimnon's now smoking (albeit extinguished) axe not 5-feet away, Darvesch suffers a barrage from the pygmies in order to reclaim the weapon. Trusting to his armor to protect him, he suffers only a minor cut as a single spear manages to get past his guard.
Gripping the weapon in his hand, he pushes himself back to his feet now looming over the spear-wielding foe between himself and Lureene.
As the smoke begins to disperse throughout the cave, leaving behind charred and smoldering fungal growths, the succubus notes that she successfully halved the number of pygmies standing before her. Darvesch's axe now lies amidst the blackened ashes of the foe that had snatched it.
From seemingly out of nowhere, another four pygmies come barreling at Lureene unfazed by the uneven footing. Two come from the north, the others from around the wall separating Darvesch from the larger cavern.
While those that run straight up to slash with their claws are little more than a nuisance, it is only the succubus' mirror images that keep her face from getting ripped open by savage spear thrusts!
Darvesch rounds the corner and sees the injured vegepygmy limping just up ahead of him. Yet at the last moment, he spies something out of his peripheral vision that isn't quite right and realizes he very nearly walked past another that was hiding in the fungal growths hoping to ambush him, to catch him in a pincer maneuver!
Jason: Darv can make an attack from where he is if he wishes.
Rolls:
Perception Checks D 1d20 + 14 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 14 + 2 = 29 good hope
Which is not to downplay the awesomeness of Arny as Conan... The first film, at least.
I recall hearing that Ahnuld actually changed his training regiment for that movie to add more bodyfat and to better resemble someone who was strong from physical trials and genetics rather than body-building.
Darvesch rushes after the pygmy, axe hungry to finish dispense vengeance for the blight they have caused. He finds the enemy Lureene struck, now badly deformed by acid, just up ahead still trying to flee deeper into the cave.
Further in, he can hear the subtle sound of things tearing and softly padding about, and he realizes that the creature before him is attempting to lure him further in for some purpose.
Darvesch speaks boldly as he strides forward, navigating the slick, uneven terrain inside the cave, each step seeming to sink into the spongy filth coating every surface. The vegepygmy however continues to stand its ground, unfazed by the dwarf's mind-affecting magic.
Once Darvesch has closed to within striking distance, the small creature thrusts with its spear, yet it thrusts not at the impending mountain of muscle and metal, but at what had looked like a simple protrusion of smooth rock. Immediately, there is a loud *BANG* as the bulging spore sack ruptures spewing its contents into the humid air!
As the cloud settles into the air around the room, the tiny adversary realizes this his giant foe remains undaunted by its surprise.
Rolls:
Fort DC 17 D 1d20 + 9 + 1 + 2 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 9 + 1 + 2 + 5 + 2 = 39 resistance, poison, poison, good hope
Next Up: Lureene & Grak (Alis), (Jask); Enemies
MAP: S-The Fungal God, (Round 39b) Note: The spore cloud is not as thick as obscuring mist and does not grant concealment.
As the taller, stronger intruders mass on their doorstep, the pygmies retreat further into the cave. One disappears around the corner while the one that was threatening Darvesch at spear-point moves back into the tunnel where it can only be approached by one intruder at a time. It yips out a threat and shakes its spear menacingly as if daring him to come closer.
Right now in my local game I've got about 3 flip mats taped together for a fairly large dungeon that the party is progressing thru in Savage Tide. In your shoes I'd either join flip mats together, or run MapTool on a monitor/TV for exploration (it has fog of war), then quickly sketch out the area of any battles on a flip mat when an encounter starts.
Darvesch hears them before he sees them. Two vegepygmies lunge at him with spears from either side of the cave, sun in their eyes as they strike. With ease he catches their thrusts on his shield and turns the attacks aside.
Upon seeing that their attacks have no effect on the metal-clad warrior, one of them breaks and runs further into the tunnel and nearly out of sight.
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