May I add that sometimes Easter Eggs can go completely wrong when you don't think through all the consequences? In naming my round two entry 'Avon' I was trying to be cute with the 'psion's go nova' bit. Instead I ended up with a cosmetic dealer.
My current writing character is indeed the bastard son of a noble, but became an adventurer to keep from being used as a pawn in Taldan games against his two younger (half)siblings. He's happy, well adjusted and his parents love each other and him, just to get away from that trope.
Spoiler:
The reason he wanders is that his mother is the baron's concubine, in the 'romance for love, marry for power' trope. The heirs are from a political marriage. Maybe that's an overrated trope itself?
Edit:
Let me add the other overused things that annoy me.
The "I want to play evil so I can screw over the party" trope.
Spoiler:
I've mentioned Shadrach before, so we'll not again
The 'gross and icky necromancer' trope.
Spoiler:
My late friend wanted to play a necromancer who looked like Melissa Gilbert on Little House on the Prarie. Throughrally evil, but not icky
Hmm, Lets take half ranks. at level 10 that's 5 ranks, + Class skill mod, + stat (we'll eyeball low and assume a 16) that's an 11. DC 25, 35% chance. Not bad for a half trained skill.
Assuming you'd allow a circumstance bonus for religion (given the article in the AP, I'd swing it) you could get down to 45%
Paladin's smite evil will go through the Rak like a hot (holy) knife through butter. While Rakshaha don't have the evil subtype, per my PDF, that's still +10 damage (assuming a 10th level Pally) and all of the damage ignores the DR. BAB + Str (or dex) + Cha + Misc) I'm looking at (safe to assume) +15 before weapons or feats.
9th level figther, figure 18 strength, that's +15 to hit before feats (+9 BAB, +2 weapon training, +4 strength) add in a +2 pig sticker, +1 for weapon focus, and we're looking at +18 to hit. (+16 with Power attack) sword will do (assuming longsword) 1d8 +4(strength) +2(Weapon Specialization) +2(magic) +2(Weapon training) and maybe an additional +4 (WS) This is before vital strike and the like.
9th level wizard/Sorcerer Glitterdust, acid arrow, Summon Monster X, Stoneskin (on self or fighter) Black Tenticles, heck even cloudkill for the wizard. Abyssal sorcerer will have Stoneskin as a freebie a fair strength, and her summons will have Dr 4/good. Summon Monster IV has the hound archon with its bite (which will bypass DR) and if you call 1d4+1 with summon monster IV, flanking and tearing is an option.
Is it going to be a tough fight? Yes. Might even consume about a quarter of the resources of a CR 10 party <i>without preperation</i>. Funny how that works.
And Twilight is crap. Horrid, foul smelling, putrid crap. Its very existence makes Robert Jordan look like a better writer. It must be stopped.
+1
I do think the dark angstyness of this episode does highlight a point. The only thing keeping the crew (well except for Rush) going is hope. Hope that they'll get home, that they'll not be forgotten.
That said, we need a funny episode. Not a 'crew all gets drunk' but a McKay/Rush episode, a 'they find Destiny's rec room' episode, that kind of thing. Something with a bit of light humour.
Though to me, a 'chloe dies again and again' episode is light. :-)
Valdemar- Land of Heralds, name of main character in Stonecutter's story.
Sometimes a name is just a name. The closest I get to an 'in joke' is my changlings/morphs/doppleganers are often named after anagrams of generic drug manufaturers.
As to bad jokes... Sir John of the Wain from Redsteel anyone?
The Vanccaskerkin family helps draw you into the world, Sir Jon of the Wain throws you out of it painfully.
Sounds like a throwback to Sylvester McCoy's Doctor. He was doing some morally questionable stuff and some pretty nasty stuff. Breaking Ace's faith, manipulating people mentally in Battlefield, Survival, etc.
Assuming it really is Morgan LeFay to appear later, how's Rush going to handle his first contact with an Ascended being? (Daniel doesn't count)
I hope they explain how/why she's not locked in conflict with Adria like Oma is with Anubis, that is if it is Morgana. Just watched Ark of Truth over the weekend, I'd forgotten how much I like both the actress and the character.
The Butch Cassidy reference (and that they had to explain it to Eli)
Chole dying, twice! (again, actress is cute, but character is really grating on me.)
Knowing what Eli's mom has.
Doom-vision!
Nugget for long time SG fans in that we knew why the wormhole was unstable.
Our second non-human alien, 3rd if you count the micro-organism from 'Water'
Things I didn't like:
Spoiler:
I loathe reset buttons with the passion of 1000 suns. I had hopes when it was just Chloe and some no names dying, but as soon as Telford died I knew it was a reset.
Questions. Did they get food on the second timeline reset? Now that they know to go during the day and harvest the slugs for venom? What would have happened if he'd gated back to Destiny, and tossed the Kino through then? Wait, just thought this through, from my understanding of StarGate physics, the Wormhole would throw things Forward in time. Which could be amusing if another Kino suddenly pops through the gate an episode or two down the line, or a copy of Rush...
Character background and development was for the viewers. Annoying but nice. Now that we know that Eli's got to shoot the M-4, I'd love the recurring gag being they don't trust him with guns.
I'm enamoured with the idea of a sorcerer with the abyssal bloodline, the augment summoning feat, and maybe spell focus concentration. Even with a strength of 8, you will have a strength of 14 before augments).
First level take long spear, your claws, and mage armour and colour spray or sleep.
Feat: Improved initiative or Spell Focus Enchantment (if you take sleep)
3rd level, pick up Augment summoning, and summon monster I
4th level, summon monster II
5th level, Glitterdust, Spell Focus concentration.
By 6th level, your critters get DR 3/good, you've some resistances, and if you've scrolls of false life or a wand (or a spellstone from dragon magazine) you're a good support character who can hold off melee attacks for a few rounds (long spear/claw combo) until your meat shields can get in there.
For added fun, if you can play a tiefling, you can make magik pretty easily.
I have to agree with Pres Man. One thing I do like about the writing so far is how they're slowly revealing the main characters' history slowly.
Spoiler:
little things, like how Young had declined the mission, and apparently had broken it off with doctor blond, and how it lends an interesting take to the 'staying past her enlistment thing.'
That whatever psychomarine did to end up in the brig was apparently to Telford and Young didn't disapprove...
That said, Chloe's cute, but I really dislike her. Then again, I emphasize with Eli.
I'd think it more important though to figure out how to dial to Destiny though. Sending supplies, food, maybe a puddle jumper or a naquada reactor...
We've been using my heroscape terrain for battletech (makes good for terrain types, elevation changes, etc). I'll have to look this over, It should give me enough for two oversized mapsheets.
I like that the cockatrice, gorgon, and basalisk all have 'outs' for their petrification. Just curious why not the medusae. Is it because she's an intelligent foe?
It's becasue the medusa is high enough CR that it's "fair" to play with petrification. The basilisk and the cockatrice are lower level, and thus their petrification powers are less "permanent" since it's not good to hit lower level PCs with effects they can't really handle.
Thank you James, I figured it was something like that. Still with the medusa being CR 7 and stone to flesh being 11th level... I think I'm going to have my 'medusa masterminds' use this.
Spoiler:
Stheno’s kiss
Transmutation
Effective level: 6th
Skill checks: Spellcraft DC 23, 2 successes; Disguise DC 23 4 successes.
Components V, S, M, B
Casting time: 60 minutes
Range: Touch
Target: one petrified creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw Yes (Harmless)
This incantation, known primarily by medusa, can turn a creature petrified by a medusa’s gaze attack back to flesh. The target is anointed with the blood of the medusa who petrified the target and a mixture of unguents and cosmetics to give the target a more flesh like appearance. The target is then restored to flesh and must make a DC 15 fortitude save to survive the experience. The caster is fatigued, the target is exhausted.
Failure: Each failure increases the DC of the fortitude save by +1, and inflicts 1d4 points of dexterity damage to the caster. If the caster is reduced to zero dexterity, she is turned to stone as well.
Material Components: The blood of the medusa who petrified the creature, and cosmetics and unguents worth 500 GP.
Backlash: The caster is fatigued, the target, if he survives, is exhausted.
(Math: Ad Hoc modifiers: Requires 2 skills, one not on the wizard list (-2) Medium to touch (-4) Ad Hoc target/Ad hoc duration (+0) Expensive Material Component (-1) Backlash: Target is exhausted Ad hoc (-1) Caster is fatigued (-1))
I like that the cockatrice, gorgon, and basalisk all have 'outs' for their petrification. Just curious why not the medusae. Is it because she's an intelligent foe?
Ok, I am set for monthly shipping, but just looked and all my stuff is set to ship in November. I'm confused, I switched to monthly shipping so I'd not have to wait for the next AP.
Yep, the tracking sheet is part of the PDF for the issue, but it is not printed in the paper version (because we ran out of room).
However, it will go up on the KQ.com site in a week or two. Whenever the schedule of other free content permits, basically.
Wolfgang, where's the link for subscribers to DL? I've been having issues w/Bigfoot and lost the e-mail with the link. I can't find it on the KQ page. My print copy has disappeared into the roommates room, and she really likes it.
I kind of would too... but the problem is that fewer, larger books means that cash flow into the company is spottier. It's better to have 120 clams of income come in over the course of 12 months in 10-clam installments than it is to have one single 120 clam payment every year, or even three 40 clam payments three times a year.
Strangely enough, my wallet feels the same about debts. :-)
Ok I don't have the document in front of me, so I'm working off my memory (stop laughing) but here's the mechanics for my shapeshifting race.
Morphs.
+2 to Wisdom, -2 to Charisma. Morphs often have to be more aware of their surroundings and how people are judging them, but their secretive nature makes them naturally less assertive.
Medium Size: Morphs are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed.
Low-Light Vision: Morphs can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
Natural Armour: Morphs have a +1 natural armor bonus in their normal form.
Shapechanger: While humanoid, Morphs have the shapeshifter subtype.
Empathy: Morphs have a +2 racial bonus to Sense Motive and Diplomacy checks.
Languages: Morphs begin play speaking Common. Morphs with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic).
Alter Self (SU) Morphs can change their shape to any small or medium humanoid, as per the Alter Self spell. This does not affect any equipment the morph may be carrying/wearing.
If your DM is playing with traits, this one is well worth taking for EK builds.
Pathfinder Traits suppliment wrote:
6 Magical Knack:
You were raised, either wholly or in part, by a magical creature, either after it found you abandoned in the woods or because your parents often left you in the care of a magical minion. This constant
exposure to magic has made its mysteries easy for you to understand, even when you turn your mind to other devotions and tasks. Pick a class when you gain this trait—your caster level in that class gains a +2 trait bonus as long as this bonus doesn’t increase your caster level
higher than your current Hit Dice.
So Fighter 1/Wiz 5/EK X may be a spell level behind, but his caster level is still (X + 6)
Heck, this trait also makes a Ranger/Paladin X cast as X-1 rather than X-3
Everything we're expecting this month has now arrived, and the "hold for monthly" shipments are now going out.
Am I correct in assuming that this process will take more than one day? I've set my subs to ship out monthly and they haven't shipped yet (heck, they're still in my sidecart).
I feel your pain. Patience is a virtue, it is said.
