Lathiira's page

Maybe in previous games, the casters didn't learn good resource management, and now you're the one teaching them?

Or maybe they've gotten hit so hard, so often, they are trying to turtle?

Or perhaps they're not translating well from video games to tabletop RPGs?

Or maybe no one wants to convert their 12th level wizard into an equivalent level commoner for however long it is before they get a proper night's rest?

Hot breakfast - nickname for the heroes' feast spell. Coined by the halfling shadowdancer in the last campaign as we figured out we needed to cast it first thing in the morning.

Neon sign - a term coined in antiquity, it refers to anyone, monster or PC, who currently has 1 hp. As part of the joke, everyone can see a pink glowing '1' over the head of the target-to-be. Usually accompanied by good-natured ribbing about not being able to squeak out that last point of damage or two needed to put a monster (or PC) down.

blackbloodtroll wrote:

Any spell can come off as comical, if you play it that way.

Quite so, I heard someone try using Shocking Grasp as a defib... Didn't work

We've joked about using wands of shocking grasp for that purpose. Then again, we've also joked that the verbal component of enlarge person is 'Inuk-chuk!', so go figure.

As for what it means, it refers to classes that require multiple ability scores to be high in order to function at full capacity. For example, monks need Strength for damage, Dexterity for AC, Constitution for hp, and Wisdom for several of their abilities. Paladins are similar, though swap Wisdom for Charisma and they can potentially drop Dexterity. Compare this to a SAD, or Single Attribute Dependent class, like wizards who can rely on their Intelligence (though Dexterity and Constitution certainly help).

hatenull wrote:

He can use the safe word while ball gagged by a typical whips and leather drow female. That is pretty special.

This is Drow. There ARE NO safe words.

Instead, he can plead for mercy to any drow he meets. Oh wait, there's probably no word for 'mercy' in that language. Maybe just say 'I'm more useful alive than dead'?

Agent, at low levels you don't need a critical hit to die. Someone hitting you with a two-handed weapon can drop you pretty easily, more so if they rage/Power Attack/get buffed. Low levels remain a game of Russian Roulette IMO, but that's fine; at higher levels I'd take all the crits I can get!

What, no one can sense arcane/divine/other power being drawn upon and figure out what's happening?

Party wizard: "That man over there. He's drawing upon strong elemental power. I can almost feel the fire he touches."
Party fighter: "What's that mean?"
Wizard rolls Spellcraft check with penalties, as the caster has the Silent and Still spell feats plus Eschew materials.
Wizard: "It's a ...."
GM: Reflex saves guys.
Wizard: "...fireball."

In order to get an AoO, it needs to threaten an area, otherwise, not gonna happen.

It isn't your point buy stats that break games; it's the players that do it :)

Wouldn't binding the hands, and gagging the mouth essentially prevent a caster from casting ANYTHING?

Since Somantic, and Verbal components cannot be used?

I should think a Sorcerer doesn't need a special prison.

A sorcerer can take Still Spell and Silent Spell as feats, and thus get around those problems. I'd also add a blindfold to keep him from establishing line of effect or otherwise screw with aiming some spells, but even that isn't enough to stop a dimension door spell with those feats attached. I like the feeblemind and petrification ideas personally. Of course, if you've got a high level caster or two around, things like trap the soul and imprisonment become options too.

I'd like to see more high-level material myself. All the comments about preparation time are valid points, and I understand some of the complaints about it. But I look at this from two perspectives:

1) If we have rules for high level play (and we do), why not use them? If we're all going to say 'no thanks, I'll stop at 12 (or 14, or whatever)', then why did we even bother to help assemble a game that plays to level 20?

2) Game design and development is like many other crafts. You have to practice to improve. If our favorite designers and developers write more high level stuff, I imagine that they'll improve their already outstanding skills. But if all that gets written is for levels 1-10 (or whatever cutoff), then there's a certain stagnation that I'd like to avoid. And to get good quality adventures, we're going to need people who can write those favorite modules we all like to talk about to apply their talents to high level games. Will it be a bumpy road? Probably. Will it be worth it? I think it will.

Both sides, as always, are doing what they think is right. The difference? Cyclops is working to protect all mutants. Fair enough. The Avengers? They're trying to protect the planet. That includes mutants too, last time I checked. Are both sides making some big assumptions? Yes, yes they are. Will either side be right? Nope. Will there be a big fight? Probably :)

Ranger, archery style comes to mind.

When all else fails, boost the relevant ability score that helps set the DC. Usually, that's Charisma.

Late 1st/early 2nd Ed were my favorites. Setting details were more important than mechanics, which could cause wackiness...but that was an acceptable part of the game. So even though I learned the game right around 1.5 (and also BECMI), that's my favorite time.

Favorite modules? Temple of Elemental Evil (because I can appreciate what was the ambitious nature of the project and still think of it fondly as a well-written adventure for its time) and Dragon Mountain (because we still tell stories of the game I ran in college through that boxed set--complete with Humanoids Handbook kobolds). But many of the BECMI and 1st/2nd Ed modules also qualify. As do many of the Dungeon adventures in the Paizo years, really.

Ah, but what's important is which characters reappear from DA1 and DA2. I didn't play DA2 on advice from a friend but loved DA1. You'd get my money for DA3 if I could get Lelianna back. Morrigan as an option as well, maybe even a few of the characters from the DLC.

I ran a high level game for 2 and a half years. It didn't quite reach 20 (although the PCs would have gained 20th level had the campaign continued).

I still say we should've leveled up at the end. I mean, we stopped the legions of Hell from taking over the world. That's not worth a level anymore? :)

One note about the Prestige Paladin. PrCs are generally meant to be entered after a character has 5 levels (or more) in one or more classes. Since there are no more cc skills as there were when this was created, it can now be entered after a character has attained 4th level without a problem (i.e. as a 5th level PC). You might consider bumping up the requirements slightly, either by increasing the required BAB or the Ride skill ranks by one. Otherwise, I like it!

what spell would be used to enhance the armor with a + bonus? magic weapon won't work on armor, will it? Only thing I can find for armor is Sanctify Armor...

No spell listed. You need the Craft Magic Arms and Armor feat and a caster level equal to 3 times the bonus you require, tops.

Natural 1s do not auto-fail perception checks or saving throws! Natural 1s only auto-fail attacks and combat maneuvers. So a DC 0 doesn't mean a 5% chance of failure, it means no chance of failure at all unless there is a negative modifier involved.

Natural 1's do result in automatic failure of saving throws as noted at the bottom of the second column of page 180 in the Core Rulebook. You're correct about skill checks however.

I agree with you RD. To me, that is power. When you find little/no reason to remain single-classed, that's not a good thing IMHO. I think multiclassing in Pathfinder still needs help, but this feels like a little too much.

Given the circumstances, I'd say it's pushing toward the level of Abjurant Champion. Not in raw power necessarily, but when you now have an 8th level multiclassed character with almost all of the power of an 8th level wizard but slightly better hp and saves plus respectable clerical power, it's time to reevaluate.

Lathiira wrote:

I agree with tarantula. Specific rules trump general rules. Stalwart may stack with class abilities; this is a general rule. Armored Defense says adamantine armor is the only DR it stacks with; this is a specific rule. So the two can't play nice together, sorry.

I will no say that Tarantula's post necessarily wrong but yours on the other hand seems quite wrong since you call a specific rule general ,no two DR stack that's the general rule the problem here comes from two specific rule that contradict each other.

If you want to look at it that way, then it's a hierarchy of rules. The most general is that DR doesn't stack; then we have specific rules for different types of DR. Stalwart is specific, it stack with class abilities. Armored Defense is more specific, stacking only with adamantine armor. Therefore, I would amend my statement to say that the most specific rule wins.

I agree with tarantula. Specific rules trump general rules. Stalwart may stack with class abilities; this is a general rule. Armored Defense says adamantine armor is the only DR it stacks with; this is a specific rule. So the two can't play nice together, sorry.

Hulk tired of being Strongest One There Is. Hulk have good long reign, now Hulk retire, smash green bad guys, spend time with Red She-Hulk. Hulk let Hammer Man and Orange Rock Guy have turn at Strongest One There Is while Hulk drink fruity drinks on beach. Bye!

For each level you take in the sorcerer class, you roll 1d6, add your Constitution bonus, add any other bonuses (favored class, Toughness), then add that to your total hp. For each level you add in barbarian, do the same, replacing where I said "1d6" with "1d12". Your total hit dice are equal to the number of hit dice you've rolled for your hp, which conveniently for us is equal to the sum total of your class levels in all classes. So if you're a 4th level sorcerer taking your first level in barbarian, you still have 5 hit dice: 4d6 + 1d12 + bonuses.

You want to exploit a game without AoOs? Be a spellcaster. Stand in front of the enemy and cast spells. Once they receive enough game-ending SoS spells, they'll learn :)

Based on the text, it looks like you have to move from one square to another, which would be a move action. So I'd interpret it as being part of a move action.

When I'm trying to tick him off, I address him as "cottage cheese" :p

Wow, I've missed this thread. Back for another go-round, my comments about thread necromancy from last year still stand :)

157. Reality just isn't the same. You lived, you fought, you died. While your friends frantically sought means to bring you back to Midgard (or Golarion, or Toril, or wherever), you enjoyed countless days feasting beside other great warriors in Odin's mead halls, after countless battles with these same men and women preparing for Ragnarok. When your friends called you back, you came back reluctantly. You knew you'd come back, but it was still hard to leave this paradise. Now that you've returned, the world just seems...bland. Nothing is as exciting, as inspiring, or as important as preparing for the end of the world. If you previously possessed the rage ability, you lose it and all rage powers. You are now immune to all morale effects as you endure life, instead of enjoying it. Your charisma is reduced by two, as the spark of life has faded from your eyes. On the other hand, knowing what awaits you when you die has removed any concerns in your heart about your fate. You are immune to fear effects, as you know you're going on to a better place. You may take reckless risks knowing that you're rejoining great warriors when you die again.

152. We can rebuild him. Stronger, faster.... That cleric did a bang-up job when he called you back. He fixed you up and then some. Your physical stats all improve to 18. If you have a higher score, that score remains.

153. Too bad they couldn't fix your brain! Maybe next time the guy doin' the revivin' will remember to put all that grey stuff back between your ears before starting. You're back, but you're not all there mentally. You suffer the permanent loss of 1d6 points to a randomly-rolled mental ability score.

154. We put something extra under the hood. When you returned from the grave, something wasn't cleaned out properly. You suffer not-so-phantom pains as that something moves around inside you. Whenever you're in combat, you are treated as if sickened. This lasts until that something is removed, which requires a DC 40 Heal check, or until you suffer your first critical hit, which deals normal damage to you but kills that something.

155. That which does not kill me makes me stronger. And if it kills me, well, I'm still getting stronger. Being dead was like the ultimate workout for you. You return from the grave with the Endurance, Diehard, Lightning Reflexes, and Great Fortitude feats as bonus feats.

156. Close, but not quite right. Whether it was the cleric who revived you or the will of the gods, your return comes with a consequence. You are now lame, as the oracle curse. You gain the same benefits as an oracle or your character level. If you already possess this curse, you gain the wasting curse instead, also functional at your character level. Your next class level will be in the oracle class, but after that you may advance as you like.

151. What Could Have Been...and may yet come. Your brush with death has given you an insight into the fates of others. Whenever you look at another creature, you see how that creature will appear at death. An elven knight destined to die on the field of battle appears to your eyes as if he'd been hacked and stabbed, yet continues to walk around and act normally. A mage foretold to die to treachery may seem fine...until they turn around and you see the handle of a poisoned knife sticking out of their back. These images change from time to time as a character's actions affect their futures. The elven knight retires to become a simple hermit and you see them with their eyes closed sleeping peacefully; the mage makes a stand against a marauding army and appears on the night before battle to be blasted and burned by enemy spells. A Heal check may be necessary to discern how exactly a given person dies.

EL, we'll be waiting for your inevitable and triumphant return. And I'm sure Liz will have more cookies waiting when the time comes that you succumb once more to the Paizo side :)

I'd probably rule that demons and devils can partially negate DR based on material. Maybe that pit fiend can't bypass DR/cold iron and good, but instead of losing 15 pts. per swing, it is powerful enough to bypass the cold iron part. This lets it swat lesser demons with impunity. Against those more powerful demons, like that balor, give it the equivalent of Penetrating Strike or Greater Penetrating Strike. Sure, the damage it does goes down, but it can now hurt the balor. It'll also need help against the regeneration, but hey, it's an uber-genius, it'll think of something. In the meantime, when the balor and pit fiend slug it out, it'll now be an unholy debacle that massacres hordes of weaker fiends as these two titans pound away at each other.

See page 459 of the Core rulebook for the saving throws of magic items, 2nd column, labeled "Saving Throws against magic Item powers".

For Use Magic Device, yes, you can activate scrolls and wands with it if you have training in it. The DC for these checks is in the skill description, on page 108 of the Core rulebook, 2nd column.

So just to make sure, because as silly as it might seem this is a big stumbling block for me starting out, people are saying that when you go into a town it should, at least in general, be a vague and abstract kind of thing? You say "There's a blacksmith, a priestess, two pubs" and so on, and kind of cut to each of those places as the players decide? And if any NPCs need to say anything (e.g. "My daughter has gone missing!") you basically cut into that scene rather than waiting for anyone to talk to that particularly NPC?

When the PCs go into town, describe what they see, hear, smell, and feel. Then let them decide what they want to do. You can put several things out there for them to notice and interact with in detail if you like. For example:

"As you enter town, you notice that the streets seem unusually empty. No one is in sight as you walk down the street. Toward the center of town you can hear people, what sounds like quite a large crowd, and they aren't happy about something."

You don't need to tell them there are shopkeepers until they ask if there are any or happen to meet them. Same with other kinds of people.

As GM, you're going to verbally describe what the PCs see/hear/taste/smell/feel (physically) and then let them decide how to respond. The party might never talk to the NPCs who know about the missing children; just as in real life I might not learn about such a thing if I don't read the paper/watch the news/listen to the radio. But your party might pick up on that cue when they ask what's going on in when they find the crowd in the town's square.

It isn't advisable to try to detail every object and person in even a tiny hamlet. There really just shouldn't be much of interest in barrels, crates, etc. As GM, you decide what you want to be exceptional, i.e. which crates and barrels have loot.

For the NPCs, it is again not advisable to try to detail all of them. Instead, have a few prepared in advance for regular, everyday occurences. People like typical guards, merchants, farmers, etc. You can create others you need on-the-fly.

Now, important NPCs (those tied to the plot of your story, those regularly interacting with your PCs, etc.), these need to be detailed to a degree. If you expect them to get into a fight, you'll need combat stats. You might very well wing it when it comes to their skills and feats if they're noncombatants, but at the least I'd advise knowing their motivations, background, and potential roles in the game.

For going overland, you can detail this or not. For some groups, it's OK to say "you left town and arrived at your destination". Others want to enjoy the trip, see a few things, then arrive. You don't need to map it all out, just have some idea what you have out there. Even the party rangers and druids aren't likely to get much benefit from knowing that the forest is primarily sassafras and tulip poplar with a flowering dogwood/American holly understory.

Really, the video game RPG gives you all this information and more. But at the tabletop, preparing things to this level is beyond what most GMs can expect to accomplish. Those games like Torment? The work of months and months to reach that level of detail, spread over an entire team. You're one person as GM, so you have to decide what information you really need and prepare that. The rest you can improvise.

That's my best answer to your question, I hope it helps clear things up! If not, some of the other posters will undoubtedly come along and help.

Not a spell, but a series of feats. You could also get the Flaming Dragon Punch IIRC :)

Stuff for your home. Not just enchanted griddles and everfull mugs, but magic for your keep, similar to the old Stronghold Builder's guide.

Also, herbal items. Some can be useful as nonmagical healing, some as new poisons, and others with miscellaneous uses aka alchemical items.

The invisible, incorporeal undead are fully affected by force effects, ghost touch weapons, and channel energy, assuming that any such attacks overcome the miss chance due to invisibility (as needed).

Evicting a possessing spirit would require in all likelihood dispel evil, (greater) dispel magic, or possibly the GM wants a specific ritual. I'd also rule that positive energy would still hurt an undead that is possessing someone, but only if they could be hit, so you'd be able to use channel energy against them. That's not RAW though.

Are bracers of armor armor? No. They provide an armor bonus to AC, but they aren't armor. Items that qualify as armor show up in that portion of the book marked "equipment". So they work just fine.

For the robes, ditto.

Adding dodge bonuses? Normally, no. But if you look through the rules on magic item creation, there are rules for pricing magic items that boost AC in nonstandard (i.e. armor, deflection) bonuses.

Loaba, Finn, may I suggest you two step away from this before someone goes too far?

Check to make sure it's still there and not a pouch of pebbles...she's good that way.

Dragon Age 1's strength wasn't in the story, it was in how well that story was told. The story itself had little uniqueness, but it was told in such a way that it gripped you.

Also, DA1 had Sten and Shale.

And Leliana. But you're right, it wasn't in the story, but how well that story was told.

Oh boy, I can see this thread's going to be a doozy....

*breaks out the beer and popcorn, then sits down with the notebook*

Now, let's see if we can get this done in a more organized manner. Who are the greater gods? The intermediate? Lesser? Demis? Let's work our way through this.

Another one. <sighs>

No matter. I will have just have to form an inquisition. :)

Inquire away! What do you want to know? :p

Dot..

Question...

When do I get my Hadoken? I already sacrificed the 9 orphans... I WANT TO SIPHON ALL LOVE OUT OF THE UNIVERSE DAG NABBIT!

You already got it in 3.5. I believe it was in the Player's Handbook II.

I think wraithstrike needs to change back too. The new avatar is great, no arguing that, but the flaming skull was not just great, but classic. Hmm, maybe that's the solution. Wraithstrike, you need a new account with the old avatar: Classic Wraithstrike!

Hmm, now I need to sit down and build Lulu :)

0-detect magic. Even if the other casters know it, it never hurts.
1-protection from evil. I'd rather prevent damage than heal it, and this prevents all sorts of damage, from summoned evil creatures to charmed barbarians.
2-resist energy. Sometimes, you just need to not feel the cold. Or fire. Or acid....
3-dispel magic. Because I learned that at higher levels there are never enough of these handy.
4-I like moving. Don't you?
5-Greater command. For when the frost giants just aren't in the mood to listen.
6-heal. So many good choices here.
7-holy word. Useful at dealing with nuisances. Not my favorite level by far.
8-holy aura. What can I say, I like buffing the whole party and making monsters roll saves to avoid blinding themselves.
9-mass heal. Not many choices here, this narrowly beats miracle, only because I'm not involving my god so much.