Karzoug the Claimer

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Organized Play Member. 1,063 posts (1,068 including aliases). No reviews. No lists. No wishlists. 2 Organized Play characters. 2 aliases.



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Last session, my players were fighting a large sized vampire. We had to end the session before the fight was over, but I get the sense they will win next time.

My players had a really good idea: When the thing turns to fog and attempts to slink back to its coffin, cast stone-shape and trap it in stone, then wait for enough time to pass and the vampire will be destroyed, because it cannot reach its coffin.

I like the idea, but reading through the Stone Shape spell has raised a question for me. A question regarding the shape of the area that can be affected.

Stone Shape, as cast by the party's level 15 cleric, would affect an area of 25 cubic feet. Naturally this is not the same as a 25 ft cube, that much is clear, but what are the rules governing the shapes of the stone and the area? For instance:

must the area the cleric affects be a 25 cu. ft. cube? A small block that is? Or must it simply be any shape that can be formed within 25 1ft cubes, that connect to each-other? Is it completely free of area and only beholden to the mass of stone contained within the 25 cu ft, so you could feasably make an extremely thin, thousand-mile long stone rod?

Personally I'm inclined to say the stone can be shaped into any shape that can be made within any combination of 25 1ft cubes, all of which must be connected - so you could make a 25 ft tall/long stone rod, with a height and with of 1 ft max. If that makes a lick of sense :P

Anyway, your reading of the spell, and thoughts on the are that can be affected, are very much appreciated.

-Nearyn


I'm playing an Asmodean cleric in a Way of the Wicked campaign. My character is the leader of the Nessian Knot, our little group of evildoers, and we've just recently accomplished the goal of book one, the conquest of watchfortress Balentyne.

During our examinations of the fortress, we found that my character's younger sister Zhayelle was a captain of the soldiers on the fort, and since my character has a vested interest in turning his siblings to his cause, the Nessian Knot took her alive. She's now well chained and under control in an Inn we've commandeered.

She's a die-hard Iomedaean. For those familiar with the AP, you know the nation of Talingarde is monotheistically worshipping the god Mitra. In our campaign, Talingarde is somewhere southwest of Hermea and instead worships Iomedae in much the same way, except other Golarion-specific non-evil deities are given cursory recognition if nothing else. Zhayelle is also a career soldier. What she knows about Asmodeus is Talirean propaganda, meaning basically what you'd expect a nation of angel-bothering, Iomedae-fanatics to teach their common populace - meaning next to nothing outside of 'attack his worshippers on sight, because evilbad'.

Now we have a spit of downtime after taking the watchfortress, but sooner or later we'll have to move out and I suspect my sweet sister is going to be tough to break.

So what I need is basically the best arguments you can come up with, in favor of Tyranny, in favor of Asmodeus. Your best rhetoric that could shake my sister's stance and help me bring her into darkness.

And ideas for how to best transport her and manage her, should our next quest require some travel. Basic ideas for prisoner management, mundane items, restraints, magic items, poisons, potions, the works. Whatever you can think of to ensure we'll have no trouble out of her. No, killing her doesn't count, and I'd prefer to not beat her into unconciousness every time we have to go somewhere, although I'm not discounting the option entirely.

Anyway, thanks very much for your input, and suggestions, in advance. I look forward to seeing your ideas and reading what you can come up with in defense of tyranny.

Also, let's be honest, we risk political examples being raised in this thread, since I'm asking what I'm asking, so please, let's see if we can keep replies to eachother constructive and civil. Thanks :)

-Nearyn


Question in the title.

-Nearyn


Spoiler:
In book 6 of Rise of the Runelords, the players may encounter the so-called Hidden Beast, a Vampiric Decapus sorcerer.

Its statblock states it may attack you with a bite attack, a tentacle attack, and a slam attack. Of these, only the slam applies the energy draining vampiric ability.

vampire wrote:
Energy Drain (Su): A creature hit by a vampire's slam (or other natural weapon) gains two negative levels. This ability only triggers once per round, regardless of the number of attacks a vampire makes.

Is the Hidden Beast supposed to drain energy with all its attacks, or only the slam attack?

-Nearyn


How does it work? Last session a party member wanted to hand a scroll to another party-member during combat.

Are there rules for how this is done? If not, what are your takes on it? What actions are used, or not used, in handing an item from person to person?

-Nearyn


Okay, first off: My players, out. You know who you are.

Aaaanyhew.

I'm putting together an encounter for Rise of the Runelords. My players are exploring Xin Shalast and if they look the right place, they may come across a few NPCs from their past.

The encounter features Xanesha, who escaped back in book 2, an evil orcish witch(the mother of a former party member), the oldest son of said witch, and 2 orcish elites.

The group is APL 16 and I'm designing the encounter to be CR 17.

1 Orc scarred witch-doctor 14
1 Lamia Matriarch rogue 1/warrior 8
1 Orc invulnerable rager 11
2 Orc warrior 11

I just want to make sure that this is keeping with CR 17, and that there is not something I'm missing that throws the encounter out of balance?

-Nearyn

EDIT: treasure is standard, and all the Orcs are generated with PB 15.


The system tells us they can hold a certain volume of material, but is there any rules(or way to determine) how many lbs a container can hold, if said container does explicitly say so in its description?

-Nearyn


If several creatures work in unison to lift something heavy, how do you calculate what they can lift, push, drag etc?

-Nearyn


My players are in the Heptaric Locus in Xin Shalast, and are likely gonna encounter Gamigin(The Ice Devil Sorcerer). Gamigin's tactics involve summoning 2d4 Bone Devils, but an Ice Devil's summoning ability reads:

1/day—Summon (level 4, 2 bone devils, 50%)

Can someone please tell me if an Ice Devil -can- summon 2d4 bone devils, and if not, if I should let Gamigin summon 2d4 BDs or 2.

Thanks in advance for your lightning-fast, helpful response.

-Nearyn


Basically the questions in the title.

Since NPCs have half hp, can you retrain their hp? if so, can a PC be the trainer? If so, can you, as the PC, chose to ignore the money that are supposed to be changing hands? Or do they represent more than a fee for services rendered?

-Nearyn


The Heart of all Flame, the spellbook that can be acquired in The Knot of Thorns, is listed as being worth 1445gp.

The book contains
4 4th lvl spells
4 3rd lvl spells
7 2nd lvl spells
6 1st lvl spells
5 cantrips

I don't agree with the math that brings this book to a 1445gp value. Can someone please explain?

-Nearyn


I intend to have my Asmodean cleric claim territory in hell, and establish a powerbase there. In an attempt to better understand what I was getting into, I'm having talks with my GM, trying to clarify how the cosmology works an how mortals interact with the planes. During these talks, my GM told me that while there could be a myriad of complications, the main thing my character would have to do to get a domain in hell, is to lay claim to a piece of hell, and then be powerful/deceptive/resourceful enough to keep hold of it, when someone wants to take it away from you.

In addition to laying claims to territory, I intend to construct a stronghold to better defend said territory, and in order to do this, I'm thinking I'll be needing a small army of Petitioners as slaves.

How would you go about acquiring the manpower to catch and use a large amount of slaves, to construct you such a structure in hell, and how would you get the forces required to defend your domain from the greedy claws of other devils, who think they can muscle in on the "little mortal"'s territory?

Thanks in advance for your input and help.

-Nearyn


My players will soon reach the fabled city of Xin Shalast, and as I was reading up on the city, I found it mentioned that I should double the frequency of wandering monsters.

I have 2 questions.

1: Using the Random Encounters tables for Xin-Shalast, as presented in Lost Cities of Golarion, would you use only the High-level table (party is level 15), or would you use both the medium level and high-level table? Or maybe even the low-level table? If you would use multiple tables, how would you decide which table to use?

2: How often should I roll to see if my players attract attention, while exploring Shalast? Twice as often, the book says, but how often is that? Anywhere you can direct me to? If not, could I have your opinion on the matter?

Thanks a buch.

-Nearyn


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It is a classic trope of fantasy storytelling. The mighty and valiant heroes, after many trials and tribulations, find themselves fighting the royal forces of the evil emperor. As they battle their way up the steps to the throne-room, and kick down the door, they are met with two faces, both of whom they loathe. The loyal general and personal champion to the evil emperor, who has hounded the heroes steps multiple times, and the face of the evil emperor himself, self-confidently looking down on them from his throne, safely behind his champion and his mightiest guards.

The heroes spring into action and a great battle ensues. After both blood and effort have been spent, there is not only the evil emperor. Not trying to hide his anger, he rises from his throne. With his right hand, he draws the black blade Qyxorn, the blade that slew the old mentor of the heroes, and in his left hand black spellfire flickers and twists into life.

“I guess the old sayings are true, after all” The emperor speaks, his eyes narrowing and lips curling back into a snarl. “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself!”

+++++

I am personally a great fan of the classics. I can appreciate a classic adventure setup, I enjoy myself when my enemy gives a cheesy monologue, I like it if it turns out that my companions and I turn out to be the prophesized ones, and us fighting the evil overlord, turns out to be the will of the gods. I do not object to cheesiness or stereotypes. Despite knowing that it is not considered politically correct by many, I do not mind, in fact I sometimes appreciate it, if my GM has a loin-cloth-clad Conan-clone pop up every now and again, just as I appreciate buxom ladies in revealing outfits or, dare I say it, the dreaded chainmail bikini. I know it’s all very silly, and I can understand people’s reservations about these tropes, but my point is not that I want these to be prevalent, I just don’t object to them.

But that only counts, as long as it is not overused. I am of the conviction that the classics are classics, and usually well-loved, for a reason. But I do not appreciate certain tropes if overused.

Today’s topic is just such a trope. The trope outlined in the top segment, in fact. The Authority Equals Asskicking trope. For those of you who do not want to read it, or just don’t trust the link I posted, said trope is basically the idea that the higher you are in your respective hierarchy, the more of a badass you are. This is especially true in regards to your fighting prowess, ESPECIALLY if your hierarchy is that of an evil organization.

I love this trope sometimes, I really do. One of the things I loved most about Lord of the Rings, from the first time I read the story and to this day, is the fact that nobody is actually, genuinely contemplating fighting Sauron himself. The whole plot and the fate of everyone hinges on NOT letting that happen. Sauron MUST NOT return. If he did, there is not a soul alive who could stand up to him, and he’d be able to enslave middle-earth, not because of the ring-McGuffin, but because said McGuffin would be able to let Sauron take physical form. To once again fully release his powers on the realms. I loved that setup, and still love it to this day. But it gets overused.

It is, by far, in our hobby, the most overused trope I can possibly think of. Because we consider it a cornerstone of the way the game is ‘supposed’ to work. The enemies get harder! The encounters must get more challenging in order to present any real danger to our heroes. So the game is in a constant state of arbitrary escalation, because if it is not, then it is not fun. I can certainly understand that, but I don’t think it is always true. I agree that as the heroes get closer to the heart of the evil empire, as they rise in levels and the stakes get higher, the encounters and challenges should reflect that, providing a great story-arc and accentuating the plot, making the entire campaign memorable. But I don’t agree that ‘more challenging’ means ‘enemies must be higher level’. In fact, if it is overused(and it is, it really, really is) then the idea of arbitrarily higher levels can hurt the campaign, because it becomes recognizable as an arbitrary tool, meant to ‘increase the challenge’, not to improve the story, and that breaks my immersion, or at the very least annoys me.

In order to learn if this trope really was as prevalent as I believed it was, I took to the Pathfinder Wiki, to learn as much as I could about the setting. And while I found a few reasons to smile, the mindnumbing prevalence of this annoying trope made me sad. Very sad.

Leaders of Avistan:

Absalom: Lord Gyr of House Gixx – Primarch +++++ level 13 rogue
Andoran: Codwyn I of Augustana – Supreme Elect +++++ level x paladin
Brevoy: Noleski Surtova – King Regent +++++ level 5 aristo/ warrior 3
Cheliax: Abrogail Thrune II – Infernal Majestrix +++++ level 2 aristo/ sorcerer 16
Druma: Kelldor – High Prophet +++++ level 15 Oracle
FKM: Borogrim the Hale – High King +++++ level 8 fighter/ aristo 5
Galt: Korran Goss – Citizen +++++ level x unknown
Hermea: Mengkare – Shepherd of Light +++++ Ancient Gold Dragon
Hold of Belkzen: Grask Uldeth – Chieftan +++++ level 17 barbarian
Irrisen: Elvanna – Queen +++++ level 10 wich/ winter witch 10
Isger: Hedvend VI – Steward +++++ level 4 aristo / rogue 5
Kyonin: Telandia Edasseril – Everqueen +++++ level 15 wizard
Lastwall: Ulthun II – Watcher Lord +++++ level 6 paladin
LOTLK:
--Sveinn Blood-Eagle +++++ level 18 barbarian
--White Estrid +++++ level 15 barbarian
--Ingimundr the Unruly +++++ level 15 barbarian
--Opir Eightfingers +++++ level 13 barbarian
Mendev: Galfrey – Crusader Queen +++++ level 15 paladin
Molthune: Markwin Teldas – Imperial Governor +++++ level 4 aristo/ cavalier 11
Nidal:
--Eloiander of Ridwan – Cabal leader +++++ level 15 druid
--Kholas – Ambassador +++++ level 14 sorcerer
Nirmathas: Weslen Gavirk – Forest Marshal +++++ level 11 ranger
Numeria: Kevoth-Kul – The Black Sovereign +++++ level 15 barbarian
Qadira: Xerbystes II – Satrap +++++ level x unknown
Razmiran: Razmir – Living Deity +++++ level 19 wizard
ROTML: Mighty Kuldor – Headsman +++++ level 14 barbarian
The River Kingdoms: Alot of unstatted people
Taldor: Stavian III – Grand Prince +++++ level 8 aristo/ wizard 4
Ustalav: Aduard Ordranti III – Prince +++++ level 3 aristo/ fighter 8
Varisia: City-state leaders of varying, unlisted level
Worldwound: Khorramzadeh – Storm King +++++ Balor

Leaders of Garund:

Alkenstar: Trietta Ricia – Grand Duchess +++++ level 14 aristo
Chauxen: could not find
Dehrukani: could not find
Droon: could not find
Geb: Geb – Dictator +++++ level 20+ Necromancer
Holomog: could not find
Jalmerey: Kharswan – Thakur +++++ level 14 monk
Katapesh:
--Angruul – Pactmaster +++++ level x unknown
--Jinvar – Pactmaster +++++ level x unknown
--Krimiltuk – Pactmaster +++++ level x unknown
--Morvithis – Pactmaster +++++ level x unknown
--Tzandarkon – Pactmaster +++++ level x unknown
Mediogalti Island: Jakalyn – Blood Mistress +++++ level 9 cleric/ red mantis assassin 10+
Mwangi Expanse: many tribal chiefs
Nex:
--Agrellus Kisk – council-member level x unknown
--Iranez – council-member level x witch
--Oblosk – council-member level x unknown
Nurvatchta: could not find
Orision: Khemet III – Ruby Prince +++++ level 15 cleric
Rahadoum: Malduoni – Keeper of the First Law +++++ level x unknown
Sargava: Utilinus – Baron +++++ level 10 cleric
The Shackles: Kerdak Bonefist – The Hurricane King +++++ level 8 fighter/ inner sea pirate 10
Sodden Lands: tribal leaders
Tirakawhan: could not find

Leaders of Tian Xia:

Amanandar: Audrya Vannisar – General +++++ level 12 fighter
Bachuan: Pei – Grandmother +++++ level 13 monk
Chu Ye: Tsuneri – Shogun +++++ Void Yai Voidlord
Dtang Ma: Khemkhaeng +++++ level x unknown
Goka: Nai Yan Fei – Lady +++++ level x unknown
Hongal: Kiriltai Khan +++++ level x unknown
Hwanggot: Hyun Eun-suk – Queen +++++ level x unknown
Jinin: Jininsiel Ryuikiatsu – Shogun +++++ level x unknown
Kaoling: Tsung-cha Kavangaki – Warlord +++++ level x unknown
Kwanlai: Sutarai-Gongen – Lady +++++ level 14 cleric
Lingshen: Huang – King +++++ level x unknown
Minata: many local warlords
Minkai: Jade Regent +++++ level x unknown
Nagajor: Vassath Shethagri – First Mother +++++ level x unknown
Po Li: The Oracular Council
Quain: Wen – King +++++ level x unknown
Shaguang: could not find
Shenmen: Lang Loi – Lady +++++ level x unknown
Shokuro: Toriaka – Shokuro +++++ level x unknown
Tianjing: Onishi Kazujun +++++ level x unknown
Wanshou: Zhanagorr +++++ Elder Kraken
Xa Hoi: Pham Duc Quan – Dragon King +++++ Sovereign Dragon
Xidao: Urakadussi – High Matriarch +++++ level x unknown
Zi Ha: Gyaltho Tulku +++++ level x unknown

I realize that this is not my world, nor should it conform to my idea of a fantasy world. At my own table, I can make of it what I will, but the published setting must be such a way that it is usable and enjoyable to players, while providing a template for devs to work on.

But I look at this list of leaders and something just doesn’t click for me. I don’t know if some of you share the feeling I’m talking about. Looking at the leaders with levels, who have their level an class listed(That would be a total of 34 leaders), there are 0 Bards, 8 Aristocrats(most of them dual-classed), 2 rogues and a whopping total of 1 Cavalier. Meanwhile there are 7 Barbarians and 3 Paladins. Now don’t get me wrong, I know that a character can be what you make of it. A barbarian can put ranks into knowledge(Arcana) if that is the way said barbarian wants to go, and I am not trying to make a statement that Barbarians and Paladins are not allowed to rule. I simply find it odd that there are so few classes, represented as leaders, that have mechanics that ties into ruling.

I mean, let’s be honest here, can you imagine a class less suited to ruling than Paladin? If you can, you’re probably about to write Commoner or Barbarian. Paladins can be great leaders, great commanders, great lords. But I’ll admit that I cannot imagine them as anything but disastrously bad rulers. With the possible exception being rulers of a shiny kingdom of perpetual goodness, where nothing and nobody is attempting to incite unrest or cause instability. But that is just my opinion and you are by no means forced to share it.

I did mention that there are things on this list that made me happy, so let’s not forget those. There are 2 entries, of the 34 I’m discussing, that make me happy. One is Ulthun II – Watcher Lord of Lastwall, and yes I know he is one of the Paladins on our list. I like 2 things about Ulthun II, the first things being the fact that it is the lowest level character on the list. A level 6 character is a low-to-around-mid level character when we consider the spectrum from 1 to 20, but in terms of in-world strength, a level 6 character is pretty darn mighty, able to cleave through many foes with barely a scratch. Still, Ulthun is the lowest level entry on the list and for that I give a thumbs up. Second is the fact that Ulthun was chosen to lead, not because of his right to rule, nor because he was especially fit to do it, but because he was the embodiment of the crusader-virtues that Lastwall values. That makes sense to me. You’re chosen because, to the locals, you’re the closest thing to a living incarnation of everything they consider right in the world. Our other contestant today is Lord Gyr of house Gixx – Patriarch of Absalom, the greatest city in Avistan, if not Golarion. First off, he is lower (if not low) level than most entries on the list, and secondly he is a rogue, which is not only awesome, it is also quite fitting(Ask the part of my mind that connects vague strands of sense, if you want to know why).

I’ll just say it plainly, the fact that a lot of these rulers are absurdly high-level does not sit well with me, at all, and I will be changing that in my home-games, should it ever become relevant to a campaign, methinks. I just don't understand why so many of the rulers must be this crazy high-level. In fact I think it hurts the campaign-world in some cases. The Hurricane King Kerdak Bonefist was presented as level 10 in the Faction Guide, and Blood Mistress Jakalyn was presented as level 12. I don't understand why they must suddenly be buffed through the roof. It's not a good change IMO, it's bad. Think of Blood Mistress Jakalyn for a moment. She's level 19... 19, she's absolutely a force to be reckoned with, and as the leader of the Red Mantis Assassins, and arguably one of the most dangerous people in the world, perhaps she should be? I argue that no, she should not. I foun Blood Mistress Jakalyn to be WAAAY scarier as a level 12 character, than I do now, as a level 19 character. Because you were reading through the entries and you stopped at the Red Mantis, and you said to yourself: "Wow..... oh wow, what is this? This girl is one of the most dangerous people in the world? But she's only level 12... sure level 12 is high, but there are people out there who are level 20. Why is she so dangerous? She must really have a head for this assassination thing. I'm not sure I want to think about what is going on in this womans head". She seemed much more threatening, because you realized she could not be expected to overpower anything and anyone at level 12, yet it was assumed that she could put anyone in the grave, should the Red Mantis be called upon to do it. I started thinking of her like I thought of the villain from Law Abiding Citizen, if that makes sense? She was powerful, but she could not kill you in 1001 ways, with only her thumb. What she was able to do, was ensure your death. It didn't matter that she could not drive home the knife herself, you'd still be dead. That was much more powerful to me, than a level 19 character, that I can imagine defeating her challenges by luck of the dice alone.

It is not that I don’t see the point of high-level in certain cases. As I said, I don’t dislike the trope, I dislike its overuse. So I don't mind that the Everqueen is a mighty spellcaster, nor do I mind that Razmir is level 19 and pretends to be a god. But I question the necessity for fx Abrogail to be a level 16 sorceress. She already has HELL(cannot put enough exclamation marks behind the word, so I won't try) backing her up. You could make her a level 2 aristocrat and she'd still be plenty scary, and believable as the villanous leader of Cheliax. There are different ways to present dangerous and challenging, than a number behind a class.

There is no reason for the general to be higher level than his elite-guards. In fact, instead of the mighty generals, known throughout the lands as “The Three Kings” being level 10 fighters (to present a challenge), they should probably be warrior 3/expert 3/aristocrat 1 (or a bard, to inspire excellence in his men), or something similar, and instead of being under the notion that each such person absolutely MUST be the living child, of an unholy union between Death and a lawnmower, perhaps it is up to us, the GMs to put together a different sort of challenge, where the difficulty is not sawing off all the hit points, but something that maintains the challenge while adding coherency between narrative and game. Something helping the story along, and helping the players have fun, so that WHEN we use higher levels to provide a challenge, it not only feels difficult, it feels like it makes sense.

Anyway, this has been a rather long, likely not particularly coherent rant about my personal view on the prevalence of the Authority Equals Asskicking trope. I don’t know what I want to accomplish with this rant. If I want to inspire thought, or if I simply want someone to tell… something. Anyway feel free to drop a response whether you agree or not.

Have a nice day.

-Nearyn


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Hi everyone. There'll be a smidge of Rise of the Runelords spoilers here. Warnings here given.

Also: My players, kindly stop reading, now.

Last night something amusing happened in my Rise of the Runelords campaign. For a very long time, my dear, adventurous heroes have been braving the dangers of Varisia, attempting to stop the ressurection of Thassilon. And last nigh one of them died - permanently.

The Paladin Jeffrey Starmourne was a tired, old man, who fought in the name of Iomedae. He's been standing in front of the party for about a year of adventuring, and despite living up to the "moral compass"-duty of a paladin, has done so in a way that has earned him only friends, and not a single enemy in the party. Basically, everyone loved this guy.

Despite his defences though, more than once, a party member has died. However, due to the powers of the Hedge Witch Skjordi Summerfell, and in some cases the power of a few powerful scrolls of magic, the party has always returned, sometimes reincarnated as different creatures, but still the same guys. A while back, the mortality of the party came up in conversation, and Jeffrey was asked what he'd prefer they do to him, should he fall in battle. His response was that he'd prefer not to be brought back to life. If he died, it was because -now- was his time.

Last session was his time. He died in the battle against Karivek Vekker and the Frost Worm, in the Kodar Mountains. The party emergency teleported back to fort Rannick, and much sadness over the loss of Jeffrey was had.

However, Skjordi Summerfells reaction was different than the reactions of the others. Basically, her feeling like a doormat and a weakling has kind of been set up all campaign. She's healing focussed, her patron is a dormant life-tree, and her mother was an abusive b*tch, and a nasty piece of work, in terms of witchery. She was only recently starting to gain confidence, and now, she could not save Jeffrey, nor his corpse, which has been left in the Kodars to freeze, at least for now.

Her reaction was to seek solitude, then seek council from a few dryad NPCs, whom I've established in the area around Rannick, and who have a good relationship with the PCs after they helped bring sanity back to the Shimmerglens. Skjordi told them that she was through hiding, and was gonna start biting instead. The Dryads cautioned her, advising a balance in these things, but Skjordi was done with balance and being careful. She sought solitude again, and this time, she decided, in an attempt to find -some- answer to the question of "how do I become better at ending that which will harm my friends" (instead of her usual, 'how do I help my friends'), opened the Anathema Archive.

The Anathema Archive gives a +10 bonus on sinister research, but in this case, I gave her a bit of flavour about Thassilon, and told her how horrible a nation it was, when morally compared to the standards of the current age. I told her that the Anathema Archive was very forthcoming with information on how to gain power, how to hurt others and how to take lives. I also made sure she understood that as she kept reading, a realization became very clear in her head. That this was a time to make a decision. To keep reading, or to close the Archive. Skjordi decided to keep reading.

I had the player make will-save, without telling her why, and then, when it had been rolled, I told my player the following.

"Skjordi learns of alot of horrible things, reading through the Archive. You are nowhere done reading what it has to offer on this subjects, and you've been reading for hours. But you have a better understanding of the Thassilonian mind-set. Of might makes right, and how they came to believe that those with power could treat those without, as they pleased. You may not agree, in fact Skjordi likely disagrees, thought that is entirely up to you, but Skjordi understands.

More than that, the forbidden knowledge contained in the Archive grants you a boon for submitting to it. You can now memorize a single transmutation spell of each level of spell you can cast, each day, in addition to your normal memorization, as if you were a transmutation wizard without an opposition school. However, for as long as you remain Good-aligned, these spells have a 50% spell-failure chance, or worse, no matter what you do. If Skjordi becomes neutral, the failure chance is reduced to 25%, and if she becomes evil, they only have whatever spell-failure you get from shields, armor and whatnot.

In exchange for this power however, I want you to keep one thing in mind about your character. I will not change your alignment, and I will not tell you what your character does and does not do, that remains for you to play and us to experience. However, from now on, Skjordi will find that she has a -very- easy time justifying unspeakable acts of evil, in the name of pragmatism"

Skjordi then returned to fort Rannick.

I've promised my player a short write-up of what she learned from the archive, and I would very much like it if you would offer your advice and suggestions on what I could give/tell the witch now that her character may or may not go off the deep end.

Thanks in advance.

-Nearyn


Imagine for a moment that you're playing a level 4 Asmodean cleric, waging a shadow-war on a nation of angel-worshipping do-gooders. The government is hereditary monarchy, and despite permitting other good/neutral religions, Iomedae-worship is the absolute #1 across the nation.

So it's you and your fellow evil-doers vs the world, and the nation in question is an isolated island-kingdom far away from everything. Still, you do not give up, you're gonna corrupt and take over this nation for the glory of Asmodeus.

Now imagine you happen to have a +10 bonus on your linguistics checks. What would you do with this skill? What documents would you forge, and why? How would you remind this Lawful Good island, that the pen is mightier than the sword?

Thank you for your input :)

-Nearyn


Is there way to get the requisite 25.000 gps diamond dust needed to cast the empowered(not the metamagic) miracle, other than rely on the market? I'm not talking about adventuring, striking deals with dwarves, or buying them from insanely rich gemcutters or whatnot.

What I want to know is if there is a way to take 25.000 gp and turn it into 25.000 gps worth of diamond? Not looking for blood-money shenanigans or anything related to saving money on the transaction, merely the transformation of cash into what I need.

Thanks in advance :)

-Nearyn


Let's say you're a level 4 cleric, creating magic items for your party. Your wisdom is 20 and you have a feat or trait that raises the DC of your mind-affecting spells by +2.

You can cast Charm Person because it is a domain spell. So normally the DC of your charm person is 18.

Now you want to create a wondrous item that can cast charm person 3/day.

When said item is used, what is the will-save DC against the spell?

-Nearyn


I am GM'ing a certain adventure path, set in the Golarion setting. The campaign is mostly taking place in Varisia.

Today my players overcame some social encounters to aquire mounts from the small town of Urglin, and then they started travelling northward through the Cinderlands, making their way to the Kazaron River.

Since this was a chance to showcase how potentially hostile nature can be, and the dangers of travelling, I decided to try to make the most of it.

I'm gonna write out what happened as my players travelled, and I would like it if you would tell me how you think you would feel, playing with that kind of GM'ing. Constructive criticism is also very much appreciated, and if you notice I did something wrong, by RAW or otherwise, I'd like to know your perspective.

Thanks in advance =)

+++Traversing the Cinderlands+++

My party started out from Urglin with 7 horses, roughly 10 days of trail rations for each character, and a barrel of water to refill their waterskins, which they had tugged into one of the big bags of holding. I was uncertain if you'd be able to get a barrel into the bag to begin with, but I decided to roll with it, since my players tend to sometimes forget the travel preparations :) Positive reinforcement and all that, I guess.

Anyway, I measured out a hexgrid for Varisia, rolled out the weather, learning that the day they set out it would be hot, so there would be hourly fortitude tests vs the heat, and felt ready to go.

I started the whole thing off by asking one of my players to roll me 1d4, then had another player roll me 1d100.

I had made the following table in secret:
1-20: The travel continues uninterrupted
21-40: The environment presents a challenge
41-50: Something in the area alludes to local dangers
51-60: Something in the area alludes to the campaign plot
61-70: Local NPCs show up (roll to determine disposition)
71-95: Random Encounter
95-100: Roll twice

The idea was that in 1d4 hours an event would happen. Then, after that, in another 1d4+2 hours, another event would happen. Then I'd use my judgement to determine whether to do another event or let the party rest until the next day, then have the players roll again.

One of my players rolled aforementioned 1d4 and it came up 4, so for 4 hours my players travelled relatively unhindered, except by the general hostily of the Cinderlands. 2 hours after leaving Urglin, I decided they could no longer see it, or use it to navigate with, so from the on out, there would be survival checks for getting lost. I also had a player roll me a d100 for the above table. It came up 80 - random encounter.

I asked who led the group, and that player got to roll 2 survival checks, none for the first two hours, and then one for each hour until the first even would happen. Then I asked my players go give me 4 fortitude saves, with the DC escalating from 15 to 19 over the course of the saves.

I have a question for this part. The heat rules state that if a character takes nonlethal damage from heat, they get heatstroke and get fatigued. I was uncertain if the fatigue rule applied to severe heat only, or also to very hot conditions, so if you know, I'd like to know. I decided on the fly that I'd rule that very hot conditions inflicted heatstroke as well.

Two of my players failed and got heatstroke, getting the fatigued condition, then on the hours following the first, they failed again and I found myself with another question. Since they failed again, would that mean the heatstroke fatigue increased to exhausted? Again, if you know, don't hesitate to tell me. I decided to rule that it would inflict the fatigue condition again, escalating it to exhausted. Now two of my players were exhausted from riding in the heat.

I then had a player make saves for all their mounts(I decided to treat their mounts as one creature, so 4 rolls), who passed with flying colours (+6 fort + endurance is pretty nifty for overland travel) and then I had the information I wanted.

I then described to my group how they travelled for a few hours, with the sun baking down on them, and how the bard and the rogue (the fort save failers) slowly but surely withered away in the crushing heat. At the 4 hour mark, my players decided to rest a bit, tossing up an obscuring mist to block out the sun if only for a moment of respite. One player was tending to the mounts while the others stood guard, so I decided to spring the encounter.

I asked for perception checks and the rogue scored highest, so I told her that as she walked through the mist, trying to cool off, she caught her foot on a bit of carved rock, jutting out of the sandy plains. She decided to take a look and see what it might be, so she dug away around it a bit, and I told her it appeared to be the edge of a building, slanted at a weird angle, almost completely buried in sand. I also said that as her spade struck the building, she could hear the echo within, then a moment later, a tap came back. She only just had time to realize something was up, before the tapping intensified as something hammered to get out, and the rogue skillfully jumped out of the way, as a bit of the ground gave way and sunk into a hole that only just opened up. Out of this hole, which opened into what appeared to be a slanted buried chamber, emerged 5 mummies (an APL-4 encounter), who then proceeded to attack the party. In short my group won without casualties, but they were cutting it a bit fine for a moment, when a member got paralyzed in melee and was lined up for a coup de grace. A well-spent hero-point let the paladin channel twice, nuking down the mummies before they could feast on the paralyzed party-member.

After checking that everyone was OK, they took a quick look into the chamber and found treasure appropriate to the encounter. When they'd finished inspecting their spoils and had packed them away, it was time to end the session, and since they'd used around 4 hours in Urglin anyway, it seemed like the right time to make camp too. I asked the player with the water to mark down the water that was consumed during the day (double water for it being very hot), and asked the rest of the group to mark down trail rations eaten. I then told them that since they hadn't taken time with survival to feed and provide water to their animals, they would probably want to look into that first thing the next day, or their mounts would start suffering from the starvation and thirst rules. Finally I calculated how far they'd travelled and marked it down so I know where to start next time. They are basically just entering a new hex, as we begin next session.

+++End of today's travels+++

I realize that was probably long-winded, but I wanted to describe what I was doing, not just what my players experienced was happening.

So, how would you like to play at my table? Would you enjoy the use of travelling rules and my use of dice-based randomness to determine what happened during travel, or would you find it tedious? Would you prefer your GM kept the travelling to narration, or would you like being involved the way I tried to involve my players? Would you prefer to do away with the travel-time entirely and arrive at the next part of the plot? I am very interested in knowing your point of view here.

If you find it relevant, I enjoyed working with travel in this way.

Your thoughts and time is very much appreciated.

-Nearyn


Hello Paizo Board.

My RotR party have just entered book 6. Last gamesession they teleported to the outskirts of Urglin, meaning to travel northeast to the Kazaron river and follow it in search of the plot.

I've hex-mapped the cinderlands and they have roughly 2 hexes worth of travel until they reach the Kazaron.

I would like suggestions for encounters, hazards and interesting locations along the way.

Last gamesession, when the party teleported into the cinderlands, they teleported directly into a violent duststorm and actually only barely survived.

I believe they intend to go into Urglin to aquire mounts before moving on, so I could use ideas both for challenges upon entering the anarchist-monster-city as well as travelling hazards.

Thanks for your time.

-Nearyn


Ultimate campaign teaches us that every room has a construction time. If you are willing to increase the amount of labour capital used in the construction of said room, you can speed up the construction.

Why does room construction time stack?

Let's say I want to have a lavatory constructed and that I pay for my capital, rather than participate in the construction myself. Building this lavatory would take 4 days. If a party member of mine then wants to build their own lavatory, they can do so at the same time, and that lavatory will be done in 4 days as well. Meaning that after 4 days, 2 lavatories will have been built. But if -I- want another lavatory built, then the construction time of the 2 rooms will stack, making it take 8 days, instead of 4, despite there being no difference in prize.

Call me crazy, but I imagined that when my fellow party member decided he wanted to build a lavatory, he paid for a seperate construction team to work on his lavatory, the same time my team was working on mine. Why is it then, that I cannot hire 2 construction teams and finish in 4 days, without having to pay double the labour cost to both teams?

-Nearyn


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I've been meaning to make some infernal rituals for use in my group's Way of the Wicked campaign. I've finished the framework for a series of 9 rituals, and have finished the first draft of the first ritual. I present the work to you, hoping for feedback and insight. Thanks in advance.

The 9 layers

The 9 layers is a series of infernal rituals, used by diabolists and devil-worshippers, to further the glory of their patrons, the 9 hells, and the prince of darkness himself. Like the highly structured hierarchy of hell, each ritual must be led by a ritual-master, also known as the Centre. Other participants, known as pillars, may assist the ritual, but aside from the Centre, no more creatures than twice the HD of the Centre can get benefit from the ritual. If there are more Pillars than twice the HD of the Centre, the Centre chooses who receives the benefits of the ritual, through the ceremonial marking of the chosen Pillars.

In order to perform a ritual the Centre must at the least, have HD corresponding to the layer. A 1HD Centre can only perform the Avernus ritual, while a 3HD Centre can perform the Avernus, Dis and Erebus rituals, but not the Mammon ritual or above. A 9HD creature may perform all 9 rituals. In order to participate in, or benefit from, the rituals, the participants must also possess at least 7 intelligence. The Centre must possess at least 10 intelligence, speak infernal and be able to speak infernal. Each ritual takes a certain amount of time to perform, during which time the participants can take no other action. If a ritual is disrupted (such as by the Centre being attacked, or more than half the Pillars ceasing to participate), the ritual comes to an abrupt end, and must be started anew.

Ritual 1 – Avernus

Avernus is an ash-blasted desert, dotted with molten pools of iron and serrated cliffs of metal jutting out of the ground. Invoking this ritual touches on the inhospitable first look the damned get at hell, and channel it to use against the enemies of Asmodeus.

To perform the Avernus ritual, the Centre must succeed at a DC 15 knowledge(Planes) or knowledge(Religion) check, to recall the proper incantations. The Centre pours religious oils(worth 10gp) on firewood, burns the wood to ashes(these ashes may be prepared in advance), then passes a handful of ash to each chosen Pillar, who must be within 10 ft of each other. After 10 minutes of prayer, the Centre drives a nail into an infernal unholy symbol (usually wooden), and speaks the name of the Archdevil of Avernus. At this, the ritual is completed and the Centre, as well as any chosen Pillars, benefit from the Avernus ritual.

Benefit: Upon completion of the Avernus-ritual, during the next 7 days, you may, as an immediate action, conjure long, sharp iron spikes to coat your worn armor. This effectively turns the armor into a spiked armor of its type, but also inflicts 1d4 points of piercing damage against natural attacks and creatures grappling you. This effect persists for 1 hour and can only be invoked once during the 7 days after the ritual. Once the hour has passed the spikes turn into ash and disappear. If the creature conjuring the spikes is not wearing armor, the power is expended but has no effect. Once the Avernus ritual is completed, no creatures who benefited from it may benefit from it again for the next 7 days.

Cost: The ritual requires religious oils worth 10gp, the ash from 20lbs of firewood(1cp) per 10 chosen Pillars, to be scattered among the participants. A nail of no required value, and an infernal unholy symbol(1gp minimum).

---------

So, that's the first ritual I've written for this series of 9 rituals. The idea is to make the following rituals progressively more powerful (and more complicated/expensive), while maintaining a connection to the layer that is being invoked. Again, your feedback is very much appreciated.

-Nearyn


If I have a Lizardfolk Barbarian with Lesser Beast Totem, does he get 4 claw attacks?

-Nearyn


When is a character "in immediate danger?". A character cannot take 10 on a skill check, if the character is distracted or in immediate danger. So what constitutes immediate danger?

Lets operate under the assumption that our game does not use the massive damage rules. A character with 200 hp decides to walk a tighrope across a 100 ft drop. In this case, the fall cannot kill him.

Is this character in immediate danger, and thus prevented from taking 10 on his acrobatics check to cross the tightrope?

-Nearyn


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I recently had a player of mine ask what advice I'd give him, if he said he wanted to GM a homemade campaign. Also, I remember seeing a few threads over the the last year, where would-be GMs came to ask for advice on how to be a good GM. While I, by no means, hold the secret to exceptional GMing, I do believe the advice I gave my player could benefit other GMs out there.

#1 Never assume your players will do as you've planned
#2 Your players will never do as you plan
#3 several small stories, can be just as good as one long story
#4 Players sometimes forget that running away is an option
#5 High CR does not a good villain make. A villain can be strong, or weak, as needed
#6 Wealth By Level assumes your players will do as you've planned. See rules 1 and 2
#7 Nobody likes being railroaded
#8 Nobody objects to a bit of cleverly concealed railroading
#9 A story with many settings, is a story with no settings
#10 Too rigid preparation is a waste of your time. See rules 1 and 2
#11 Preparation is necessary, so be utilitarian in your preparation
#12 Base the tone of your story on the characters, or let your players know what tone you want to go for, before they roll up characters
#13 A well-prepared, or clever, group can beat challenges that far exceed their APL. This is a good thing
#14 Stick with the dice. Every roll you fudge is a slippery slope to bad GMing
#15 NPCs make settings come alive. Use them dilligently
#16 Use GM tools
#17 No really, use GM tools
#18 "Brevity is the soul of wit"
#19 Learn the environment, travelling and settlement rules
#20 Talk with your players. Mystery GMing is reserved for the veterans, and they often screw it up themselves.

There's alot more to said about GMing, and there may be a time where you, as a GM, is not the one who needs to solve the problem. These advice cannot make you a good GM, or fix those problems, but it is my hope that they can be of help to you. So if this helps any GM out there, aspiring or not, then I feel like it was worth posting.

Have fun and roll initiative :)

-Nearyn


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Hello my fellow pathfinders.

Our pathfinder campaign group has just rolled up characters for our Skulls and shackles campaign. Presently the group contains:

A CN Human fighter (likely to be our captain)
A CN Half-Orc Sea Reaver
A CN Aasimar Storm Druid
A CN Human Pirate

And me, A CE Gnoll Cleric of Lamashtu.

I come to you all to present my character, and background. I would very much appreciate input and ideas for the character and what I could do with it. I would also like to hear your opinions on my build and suggestions for feats, or reconstruction of the character (we've yet to start, so nothing is set in stone, yet).

Thank you very much.

Mother Milk-Eye Stats::
Mother Milk-Eye CR 1
Female gnoll cleric of Lamashtu 1
CE Medium old humanoid (gnoll)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60ft; Perception +4
DEFENSES
AC 12, touch 11, flat-footed 11 (+1 dex, +1natural)
hp 12 (1d8+3con+1FC)
Fort +5, Ref +1, Will +8
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee unarmed attack -3 (1d3+1)
Special Attacks channel negative energy (1d6; DC 15)
Domain Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1)
7/day – Vision of Madness
7/day – Copycat
Class Spells Prepared/Known (CL 1)
1st – Infernal Healing(2), Lesser Confusion
0 – Create Water, Detect Magic, Guidance
STATISTICS
Str 13, Dex 12, Con 17, Int 18, Wis 19, Cha 18
Base Atk +0; CMB +1; CMD 12
Feats Selective Channeling
Traits Birthmark, Reactionary
Skills +8 Heal, +8 Knowledge(Arcana), +8 Knowledge(History), +8 Knowledge(Religion), +8 Sense Motive, +8 Spellcraft
Languages Gnoll, Abyssal, Taldane
SQ Orisons, Channel Negative Energy, Domain(Madness/Trickery), Aura of Evil
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Domain Spells: 1st- disguise self/lesser confusion; 2nd – invisibility/touch of idiocy; 3rd – nondetection/rage; 4th – confusion; 5th – false vision/nightmare; 6th – mislead/phantasmal killer; 7th – screen/insanity; 8th – mass invisibility/scintillating pattern; 9th – time stop/weird;
Vision of Madness (Sp): You can give a creature a vision of madness as a melee touch attack. Choose one of the following: attack rolls, saving throws, or skill checks. The target receives a bonus to the chosen rolls equal to 1/2 your cleric level (minimum +1) and a penalty to the other two types of rolls equal to 1/2 your cleric level (minimum –1). This effect fades after 3 rounds. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
Copycat (Sp): You can create an illusory double of yourself as a move action. This double functions as a single Mirror Image and lasts for a number of rounds equal to your cleric level, or until the illusory duplicate is dispelled or destroyed. You can have no more than one copycat at a time. This ability does not stack with the Mirror Image spell. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.

Mother Milk-Eye Background::
”We see it cowers. That is gooood. It should fear us, we want it to fear us, yes: We and I, have business that needs settling, prizes that needs paying, a toll for which the only coin is blood, and screams, and torn flesh. Who am I? It is not so scared that it cannot speak. Who am I?! We and I, am called Mother Milk-Eye. We are many, I am Mother, yet I have no son or daughter. I have no cub, I have no kin, for stolen were they, by greedy hands: hands that it uses to cover its filthy, hairless face!! Even as it screams it spill lies from its mouth, like a thousand flies rising from dead flesh. Its mouth crawl with maggots, but its grubs will not reach these ears, noooo. It must not spit on our memory of our kin, or we take its lying tongue! Its partner may have held the chains, but it was ITS hands who passed the coin! We care not for its excuses, for its partner is already carrion fodder. It looks shocked? We and I will not be stopped before we have our revenge. So say we and I, we are Mother Milk-Eye, and the mother of our mothers watches with her third-eye. Its partner is dead, and just like it, it crawled on its knees, and clawed with its filthy, hairless hands! WE TOOK ITS PARTNERS HEAD! AND WE ATE HIS WOMAN AND CUBS BEFORE HIS BLOOD WAS EVEN COLD! It was chance that led its whips to my kin, and it was its coin that killed them! I saw as they rotted in those cages! I saw as you dragged my cubs away! To do your circusses, and your fighting-pits. To be touched by your knives! To be LAUGHED at, and JEERED at, AND SCORNED! LOUD, WEAK, FILTHY WRETCHES, ALL! I was alone. And as it took away my kin, my fire burned clearer, brighter, now as scorching as the cloudless sky, as merciless as the terrifying day-star! But our mother did not leave. And she gave us back our kin! Now We and I, will never part. We and I, will outlive it, eat its cubs, burn its home and kill its beasts! And then, when it has screamed the scream of a thousand needles, and tasted a hundred fangs, and our revenge is finally satisfied… then We and I, will watch it die”

Mother Milk-Eye was shaman and mother of her pack in katapesh. A fateful backlash to their evil ways saw the pack destroyed and the survivors sold off to the shackles. Her cubs got taken from her one by one, those who did not die in their cages, died at the hands of their 'owners', until Mother Milk-Eye, now mother of none, was the only one of her pack. Obsessed with living to avenge her kin, Mother Milk-Eye escaped her captors, and set about avenging her pack. Her form was broken, and she was but a shell of herself, but Lamashtu blessed her with blissful madness, and now she her pack is with her eternally (We and I). After exacting her revenge, she lived for around 4 years in the Shackles, avoided by some and cautiously accepted by others. Trading foul healing magics and clerical services for food, fetishes, favors and shinies, led her to her finally being press ganged into the service of a ship, where the campaign will start

-Nearyn


My campaign group just killed a human knight. I have no doubt from his strength that he is higher than first level.

So lets imagine he's a level 3 character. If I raise him as a skeleton with lesser animate dead, he becomes a 1hd undead skeleton. Does that mean I have to pay for a 75gp onyx(25 per each of his 3 levels), just to have him drop to 1hd and lose every feat and special ability? Or do I only pay for a 25gp onyx, because his HD drops to one, no matter what, since he's a human with no racial HD?

-Nearyn


It takes the Trapsmith NPC from the NPC codex over a week to dig a 10ft hole in the ground(assuming he took 10 on his craft check).

Can you propose any fixes?

-Nearyn


I am presently playing an Asmodean cleric in a Way of the Wicked campaign. My GM has informed me the campaign will take us all the way to level 20, and since the plot, so far at least, is about us taking over the island nation of Talingarde, an angel-worshipping, monoteistic Iomedaean utopia, I started daydreaming about going Old Testament on the island.

Now we may not even make it that far, or my character may die and get replaced, who knows. But I was considering what to do with the high-powered version of Miracle against such an island, and visiting the 10 plagues of Asmodeus on them, seemed like a good idea.

I come to you, paizo board, for creative advice and input. What would be some cool calamities to inflict upon an island nation in the name of Asmodeus? Now bear in mind that while God wanted Pharaoh to release the isrealites, the result I'm shooting for is abandonning their heretical angel-worship and kneel down to Asmodeus instead.

So far I've got 2 ideas myself.

The plague of light.

For 7 days every cloud over talingarde is banished and no wind moves. The light of the sun burns brighter, and longer, irritating skin and blinding those who gaze directly upon it. The night will almost not come, in favor of the burning daylight, robbing people of their sleep and creating choking heat.

The point of this plague is to make people shy away from the light. The implicit Iomedae = light = good, Asmodeus = darkness = evil quantification is all well and good until someone makes you loathe the light.

The plague of faith unfounded.

For 3 days and 3 nights every person who enters, or comes in contact with a person who has, an Aura of Good, be they outsiders, paladins or good aligned clerics, will experience intense nausea and contract disease and pestillence. For those same 3 days and nights, no good outsider, paladin or cleric may in any way suppress or remove their Aura of Good.

The point of this plague is of course to make people revile and avoid those whom they looked up to as paragons of their faith and way of life. The angels they worship inflict disease and plague on everyone in their vicinity, while the righteous shining paladins, and Iomedaean clerics who travel the land they are supposed to protect, vest the same hurt on all they come across.

Those are my two ideas for now. Your thoughts, suggestions or attempts at creating some fitting Asmodean plagues are very much appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

-Nearyn


I want to research a new spell-chain for my Way of the Wicked Cleric, Melkor. I would like some feedback on whether or not they are too powerful, too weak, why, and how to make them better.

Your input is very much appreciated.

-Nearyn

Painbolt Wrack Chain:
Melkor's Minor Painbolt Wrack

School Evocation [Electricity], [Evil]; Level Cleric 0
CASTING
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components S
EFFECT
Range Close (25 ft. +5 ft./2 levels)
Target one creature
Duration Instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance yes

DESCRIPTION

You shoot jagged arcs of lightning from your hands, targeting one creature within range. You must succeed at a ranged touch attack to land the spell. Once struck, the target creature is wracked with pain, and it gains the sickened condition for 2 rounds.

Melkor's Lesser Painbolt Wrack

School Evocation [Electricity], [Evil]; Level Cleric 1
CASTING
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components S
EFFECT
Range Close (25 ft. +5 ft./2 levels)
Target one creature
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance yes

DESCRIPTION

As Melkor's Minor Painbolt Wrack, except the painbolt is fired as a swift action, and can be fired repeatedly, for as long as the duration of the spell lasts. Hitting the same target with the spell several times prolongs the duration of the sickened condition, but never longer than two rounds at any one given time.

Melkor's Painbolt Wrack

School Evocation [Electricity], [Evil]; Level Cleric 2
CASTING
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components S
EFFECT
Range Close (25 ft. +5 ft./2 levels)
Target one creature
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance yes

DESCRIPTION

As Melkor's Lesser Painbolt, except a target hit twice over the course of the two consecutive rounds, gains the staggered condition for 2 rounds.

Melkor's Greater Painbolt Wrack

School Evocation [Evil]; Level Cleric 3
CASTING
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components S/DF
EFFECT
Range Medium (100 ft. +10 ft./level)
Target one creature/2 levels
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw see text; Spell Resistance yes

DESCRIPTION

You channel the corruption of the pit, manifesting as smoky, lightning-like tendrils of darkness, that dart towards their targets. Make a ranged touch attack against each foe targeted. Once struck, the tendrils wrack their target with the tortures of hell. Good-aligned targets are automatically stunned for 2 rounds, non-good targets get a fortitude save. If the save fails they are also stunned for 2 rounds. If the save succeeds they are staggered for 2 rounds.

Melkor's Superior Painbolt Wrack

School Evocation [Evil]; Level Cleric 5
CASTING
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components S/DF
EFFECT
Range Medium (100 ft. +10 ft./level)
Target one creature/2 levels
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw see text; Spell Resistance yes

DESCRIPTION

As Melkor's Greater Painbolt Wrack, except good-aligned targets are automatically stunned for 3 rounds, non-good targets who fail their fortitude save are stunned for 3 rounds, and non-good targets who succeed their save are nauseated for 3 rounds.


After illustrating my villain cleric for Way of the Wicked, I wanted to do a high-level illustration of him. After trying to come up with a cool design and failing for awhile, I decided to start drawing in what gear I wanted him to have instead.

One of the things I wanna craft for him is a horned helm that can fire high-damage rays as a use-activated item. Presently I'm going with energy drain, but it could be anything really.

Can you please help me figure out the appropriate cost of a helm that can spam a 9th level spell forever?

-Nearyn


It came up...

-Nearyn


Because I am. Not alot mind you, I'm not making sour faces, but I cannot help but feel... just the slightest bit grumpy.

So, last night's playsession went really well. We went back into the thick of things in our Faerun campaign, after a long break, and we go questing, awesome.

As part of this quest, we're stopped on the road by 3 meatheads, one of whom is wanted dead or alive in Zazzespur. We asked them very politely if they would let us pass, and when they didn't we killed them. Standard adventuring fare.

During the fight I roll a natural 20, backed up by a 18 on the die for confirmation, and my level 3 cavalier completely obliterates the leading meathead... just annihilates him, with 82 points of dmg. Best roll I've done in the campaign, and I feel awesome.

My GM pauses for a momnt, then asks me if there are rules for the lance breaking. Moment tarnished. I look at my GM and say "no, it does not break. It is a weapon, and thus is subject to sunder rules as normal, but no, otherwise it does not break any easier than other weapons".

He then pauses again, then resumes GM'ing. He says that as I impale the guy, he latches onto my lance, pulling it down as he falls, forcing it out of my grasp. I say that I do not believe that that is in the rules. He says that it narratively makes sense. I state that I object to that houserule, and that I thought we agreed houserules be made at the start of the campaign, so as to not mess with characters while in the adventure, but otherwise say that I respect his right to rule as GM, and that I will just roll with it for the rest of the session.

I mean... it's not that bad. I got disarmed by a dead guy, the fight was not -that- hard, although I get the feeling that the meathead I killed was quite tough (possibly a mini-boss). But in future, harder encounters, that disarm could -really- hurt me, and my party. Also, he claims it narratively makes sense, but just 2 sessions ago his Hobgoblin soldiers were gleefully swinging greatswords in cramped quarters so.....yeah...

I feel targeted. I feel like he saw me dealing 82 dmg, and somewhere in his mind he thought "Shit! I cannot have that". I know it's not fair to him, the guy's been GM'ing for many years, it's not like he doesn't know how to catch a curveball. But ... I'm grumpy.

Am I doing it wrong? Am I wrong for disagreeing with my GM here?

-Nearyn


My heroic party of heroic heroes arrived in Runeforge today's gamesession. They're now trapped there, and don't know how to get out. To begin with, they played it very cautiously. The witch scouted the Envy section with a floating eye, and proceeded to check out the opening section of Wrath and Greed, before checking on Lust. In Lust,she saw Mr Mutt, and instantly dropped any semblance of subtlety or care. They charged forth like big damn heroes, and were instantly heard and met by the Alu-Demon sister. Delvahine joined shortly after, and what followed was... unfotunate. After a bit of back and forth, the party witch managed to tick Delvahine off a bit, wherepon she suggested that the witch get down and bark like a dog. The Bard decided to countersong the effect, wherupon the Witch went into combat-mode, and from thereon the party simply got destroyed. First to act was the party Rogue, who sneak attacked Delvahine with her holy bow. Pissed and hurting, Delvahine called for the slaves, and ordered her daughters to silence the Bard and Kill the Rogue. The Monk tried valiantly to pose a threat to the Alu-Demons, but being good daughters, they did what mommy said,and maintained focus on the two squishies, while Delvahine assumed Greater Invisibility and initiated a grapple with the witch, managing to energy drain away access to her highest level spells.

The fight continued for a few rounds, and the party remained in control of themselves by virtue of the Bard's countersong. Then the Witch had to dimensiondoor out to save her skin, and as the Rogue and Bard lined up to follow, Delvahine dragged the bard off, to prevent them from escaping. The bard was struck down and is bleeding to death. The rogue escaped to the main chamber with a sliver of health, and the Monk, while battered and bruised, is not ready to leave the Bard behind yet. So now its the Monk and the Paladin vs the entire Cathedral of Lust. No enemies are down yet, or even at half HP. And Delvahine presently has the helpless Bard in her grasp, high above the battle, ready to murder him in a second if needed.

I imagine Delvahine would wanna keep the Bard for a pet for a little while, seeing as how he has an extremely pretty voice (Casual 50 perform), and would probably start a hostage situation, rather than continue the fight, with the risk of losing her daughters to a lucky smite.

Can you offer any advice on how to make the most of the present predicament?

Thanks in advance.

-Nearyn


Let's say a level 2 monk levels up. As part of his leveling, he puts the 3rd rank in intimidate, can he now use his character level 3 feat, for Boar Style?

-Nearyn


Yesterday I tried my hand at creating a troop, for the first time.

Tried making a troop of Winter Wolves. This particular troop is supposed to reflect a group containing about 12 wolves.

So, do you think this statblock looks right?

Comments and insights appreciated.

-Nearyn

Winter Wolf troop:

Winter Wolf Troop CR 12 – exp 19200
NE Large magical beast (cold, troop)
Init +5; Senses Darkvision 60 ft. , low-light vision, scent; Perception +23
DEFENSE
AC 25 touch 10 flat-footed 25 (+1dex, -1 size, +15 natural)
hp 200 (16HD+96Con+16Toughness)
Fort +14 Ref +9 Will +5
Immune cold, trip, bull-rush, single-target spells
Weaknesses vulnerability to fire, area of effect spells
OFFENSE
Speed 50 ft. (10 squares)
Melee troop (4d6+18(30 with power attack)+1d6 cold + trip)
Space 20ft. Reach 5ft.
Special Attack breath weapon (every 1d4 rounds, 15 ft. cone 6d6 cold damage, Reflex half (DC 24)
STATISTICS
Str 34 (+12), Dex 13 (+1), Con 22 (+6), Int 9 (-1), Wis 13 (+1), Cha 10 (+0)
Base Atk +12 CMB +25(27 on drag) CMD 35
Feats Improved Initiative, Run, Skill Focus (Perception), Toughness, Power Attack, Improved Drag
Skills Perception +23, Stealth +8(+16 in snow), Survival +7, Racial Modifiers +2 perception, +2 stealth (+8 in snow), +2 survival
Language Common, Giant
SPECIAL ABILITIES
-


Hi everyone.

Taking some advice from this board, I'm changing an encounter with 40+ winter wolves, to an encounter with 4 Winter Wolf Troops, of 10 wolves each, and a few high-tier wolves + a boss.

But I cannot seem to wrap my around the troop mechanics.

How do I calculate the HD and HP? Do I just multiply the 6HD of a winter wolf by 10? One for everyone wolf in the troop? That would make such a troop a 60HD creature with con score of 18, totalling 540hp.

What about saves, breath weapon and attacks?

I am pretty inexperienced with applying templates and subtypes, so some assistance in creating this Winter Wolf Troop correctly, would be appreciated.

Thank you very much in advance.

-Nearyn


Hi everyone.

I have a question regarding how to run combat with a massive amount of enemies. Today my players decided to help out a region of frontier country, by challenging a giant pack of Winter Wolves.

I am unsure if they'll go though with it, but presently they stand to fight around 40 CR5 Winter Wolves and their Alpha Usxhvalha, an Advanced Winter Wolf CR 8, totalling quite the epic challenge for their APL 13 party.

Now I can only imagine my players will be inventive and find some way to tip the situation in their favor, but let us assume for the moment that everything fails and the enemy just opens the floodgates and pour on them like a wave.

How would you run such an encounter? I'm concerned that the encounter will feel slow to my players, with around 8 wolves taking turn in between each of theirs.

-Nearyn


Hi everyone.

I've been playing through Rise of the Runelords for around 1½ year now, with my present group, and they're getting really close to the endgame. 4 of my players join me over skype, and I have my GF here in the apartment with me, so for the most part, we run the game digitally. We use maptool, for dungeonmapping and stuff like that.

Over the course of the game I've had succes with mood music, basically playing it on my side, and letting it pass through the mic onto my skype-buddies. However, this, of course distorts the music a bit and sometimes requires me to play it loud enough, that it becomes a nuisance to hear my players through the PC speakers.

I'm looking for a program, preferably browser based, but I'm trying to be flexible, that will let me play music for my players live. So I can have a playlist running with the proper mood-music, and switch as appropriate.

Do you know of such a program? I know Roll20 has the jukebox function, but that program does not really agree with me in its present form.

Thanks in advance.

-Nearyn


So my players are playing Sins of the Saviors, and are slowly, but surely, approaching the encounter with Arkrhyst. Only problem is, I rolled the weather for that encounter in advance, and its gonna be a nice, sunny, albeit cold day to be an adventurer... and then somewhere around afternoon, severe winds and heavy snowfall.

Usually I'd just roll with it, I mean, a bit of harsh weather will just add to the challenge, but usually not spell outright doom for the players. But in this case, I think that with severe winds and heavy snowfall, Arkrhyst is gonna completely destroy my players. Also, I predict them hitting Arkrhyst around midway through Pharast, meaning it'll be fairly dark, that time of day.

My question is: Should I hand-of-god this encounter and make the weather less of a deathtrap to my players? I realize they may just flee and live to fight another day, but if they don't, or their casters get iced, then they're as good as dead, the way I see it.

Your input would be very much appreciated.

-Nearyn


Bunks (400gp), are upgraded into Lodging (430gp)

If I want to build a Lodging Room, do I pay:
430gp (for Lodging) or
830gp (Bunk cost, and Lodging cost)?

Thanks in advance

-Nearyn


In Ultimate Campaign we're given examples of buildings, and in some cases, a building has been illustrated, to give an idea of what the players can create(I assume).

I have a few questions regarding rooms and buildings.

First and foremost, What is up with the Guildhall illustration on page 109? That thing is HUGE! It takes up a flat area, nearly twice that of the fort, presented a few pages later, though the fort then climbs, ultimately having more squares than the Guildhall.

Now when looking at the Guildhall, we see it consists of a long, wide hallway, ending in a very large, open room. Aside from that, there are several doors along the hallway, leading into several, much smaller rooms.

But what exactly is the hallway? What type of room is it? Is it a room? Have the creator paid for that particular stretch of the building? It seems like it would hold up quite a bit of the roof of the building, but I am uncertain what room it is supposed to be. Are you supposed to include hallway space in squares of the rooms you buy, when you plan a building, or can you get hallways for free? If it isn't free, how do I calculate the prize of the hallways? I guess I could just buy an extra common room and convert the squares into 30 squares of hallways, foyer and other non-rooms.

What is your take on this? How would you go about the issue of hallways? Do you let the people building the building have it for free? If so, how much hallway can you build before the GM needs to put his foot down?

Thanks in advance.

-NearynUltimate


What magic item slots are open to a dragon?

-Nearyn


I'm afraid I don't fully understand how the UC downtime system works.

The lead-in:

Lets say you pay for an inn (2130 gp) and a thieves guild organization to operate out of it (770 gp), and a Guildmaster manager for 45 days (225 gp).

We want our building and our teams to earn us only gp. We take 10 on each capital check.

The inn has a capital check of +52 (for gp), meaning by taking 10 we get a profit of 62/10 gp. So as far as I can tell we get 6gp and 2sp per day from our inn.

Our thieves guild organization(2 cutpurses, 1 robbers, 1 scofflaws, 1 soldiers) earn us a +17 capital check, meaning we get 2gp and 7sp by taking 10.

so a daily profit of 8gp and 9sp, or a weekly profit of 56gp and 63sp. Great.

But every day, there is an upkeep phase. What happens here?

step 1: Add up ongoing costs for your buildings and organizations... but where are those? My building and organization is supposed to pay for itself as far as I know, meaning the only ongoing cost would be the manager's wage? Is that it? If it is not, what ongoing costs are they speaking of? Where can I find them?

Step 2: Okay, easy peasy, if you got step 1 down, then just pay up. No issue here.

Step 3: For every 7 days I was away (14 with a manager), reduce my goods, influence, labour and magic by 1 each to a minimum of 0. Do I have any of those? Does this attrition subtract from the capital I used to create my building and team? What does this attrition affect? Can someone spell it out for me?

Step 4: I think I get this. If I stay away for more than 30 days, the management start wondering if I'm coming back, and start rearranging the leadership, right? So I return and have to reclaim control of my enterprise, by rolling 1d20+leadership score, DC days since last contact - 10. I think I get this one too.

Please help me understand what is going on in step 1 and 3. I'm certain it is spelled out in the book, but its setup confuses me, and I can't seem to find it.

Your assistance is very much appreciated.

-Nearyn


The issue:

I have a LE cleric of Asmodeus in a Way of the Wicked campaign. It's a good character, and I look forward to exploring the AP with him.

Only problem is that, according to my current predictions, I will be using Channel Negative Energy, one of my main class features, a grand total of 0 times, over the next 20 levels.

It's not that it is bad, it is that I do not believe I will come to be in a situation where I get to let off a nuke, centered on myself, without my party being in the 60ft diameter hotzone.

My character has 15 charisma and selective channeling, meaning 2 of my mates get to not eat the xd6 negative energy explosion, but the rest are not so lucky.

My question: How do I make Channel Negative Energy not suck for me? I see it being useful for maybe healing some undead later down the line, but for combat purposes, I simply don't see how I can use this class feature, without being a nuisance to my party.

Help appreciated.

-Nearyn


Warning: this thread is about a character for a Way of the Wicked Campaign. However, I do not wish to have the campaign spoiled. Thank you.

A GM of mine has started a Way of the Wicked campaign. We're 4 players, with a 5th, seemingly on the way.

I come to the Advice board today, seeking your input in portraying my character. I'll start by presenting the character, and then I'll be more precise about the advice I seek.

NOTE: The background describes the zealots of Talingarde as Iomedae worshippers, rather than Mitra worshippers. This is because the GM runs Talingarde as an island west of Avistan.

Melkor, statblock:

Male human Cleric of Asmodeus 1
LE medium humanoid
Init -1 Senses Perception +6
Languages Taldane, Infernal, Elven, Draconic
DEFENSE
AC 9, touch 9, flat-footed/ 10 (-1 dex)
HP 11 (1HD+3)
Fort +5, Ref -1, Will +7
Defensive Abilities -
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee unarmed strike +3 (1d3+3)

Ranged -
Special Attacks Channel Negative Energy (30ft burst; DC 13; 1d6 dmg) 5/day
Spells Prepared (CL 1; Concentration +6)
1st – Sanctuary (DC 16), Charm Person (DC 18)(2), Murderous Command(DC 18),
0 - Create Water, Detect Magic, Enhanced Diplomacy
STATISTICS
Abilities Str 16 (+3), Dex 8 (-1), Con 16 (+3), Int 16 (+3), Wis 20 (+5), Cha 15 (+2)
Base Atk +0; CMB +3; CMD 12
Traits Sacred Conduit, Consorting with the Dark Powers, Veteran Forest Guide, Pride(Drawback)
Feats Arisen(Story Feat), Selective channeling,
Skills Appraise, Craft, Diplomacy +6, Heal, Knowledge (Arcana) +8, Knowledge (History) +7, Knowledge (Nobility), Knowledge (Planes) +8, Knowledge (Religion) +7, Linguistics, Perception +10, Profession, Sense Motive +8, Spellcraft +7, Survival +7.
SQ Aura (Evil), Channel negative energy (DC 13;1d6), Domain(Evil-Devil; Law-Slavery)
Combat Gear Other Gear Gear not carried
Encumbrance light 76 lbs. medium 153 lbs. heavy 230 lbs. Weight Carried 0 lbs.
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Domain spells (Evil:Devil; Law:Slavery): 1st – Command, Charm Person; 2nd – Align weapon (Law/Evil); 3rd – Suggestion, Magic Circle against Chaos; 4th – Order’s Wrath, Unholy Blight; 5th – Dispel Good, Dominate Person; 6th – Hold Monster, Planar Binding; 7th – Blasphemy, Dictum; 8th – Unholy Aura, Shield of Law; 9th – Summon Monster IX (Law/Evil);
Hell’s Corruption(Su): You can cause a creature to become more susceptible to corruption as a melee touch attack. Creatures touched take a –2 penalty on all saving throws and must roll all opposed skill checks twice, taking the worse result. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 your cleric level (minimum 1). You can use this ability for a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
Touch of Law(Sp): You can touch a willing creature as a standard action, infusing it with the power of divine order and allowing it to treat all attack rolls, skill checks, ability checks, and saving throws for 1 round as if the natural d20 roll resulted in an 11. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
Scythe of Evil(Su): At 8th level, you can give a weapon touched the unholy special weapon quality for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 your cleric level. You can use this ability once per day at 8th level, and an additional time per day for every four levels beyond 8th.
Master’s Yoke(Su): At 8th level you can attempt to assert your dominance over any visible creature within 30 feet by declaring the target your property. The target can resist this effect with a Will save (DC = 10 + 1/2 your cleric level + your Wisdom modifier). If the target fails the save, it is affected as if by dominate monster for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 your cleric level, save that the target can choose to ignore any order you give and instead take 2 points of Constitution damage and become staggered for 1 round. You can use this ability once per day at 8th level, and an additional time per day for every four levels beyond 8th. This is a language-based mind-affecting effect.
Put to Purpose(Arisen Story Feat, Changed): While returning you from the dead, your god filled you with dark purpose and malice. His words still echo in your head “Dominate, Subjugate, Command”. Benefit - The DC of your mind-affecting and compulsion spells increase by +2. Goal: You meet in person and hear the words of your deity. Completion: You gain a +2 bonus on saves vs Death effects and Fear effects, in addition the DC and dmg of your channel energy ability increase by 2;

Melkor, Character summary:
Concept: Power-Hungry megalomaniac and Asmodeus worshipper, in a holy land. Affably Evil trope.

Personality: He is well-mannered, well-spoken, pleasant company, and unscrupulously, unappologetically evil. He does not consider what he does wrong, and has only the vaguest respect for the moral counterargument to his behavior. He’s driven and ambitious, but not foolhardy, and he’s generally not good at taking chances, without some form of insurance. He’s thorough and very devoted to his gods, and while he obviously prefers calculated action, he won’t shy away from brute-force solutions, if they seem likely to succeed; especially if he gets a chance to showcase the superiority of his god, in doing so. With that said, he can be quite petty, jealous, and greedy, and holds very long grudges.

Motivation: “My god is all powerful, and by extension, so am I. I am better than those I behold, and unless I act with uncharacteristic stupidity, I will overcome them, and subjugate any I please. With my superior mind and the might of my god, I will take what I please, and control the rest. And when I possess everything, and when I am finished enjoying it, I will offer it all up to Asmodeus; and he will reward me with even more.” – Melkor

Melkor, Background - made with the Ultimate Campaign BG tool:

“Melkor Whitewalker!...” “It’s Melkor” “…Melkor, you stand accused of devil-worship, blasphemy, attacks on holy mother church, sedition, heresy, war-crimes against the kingdom of Talingarde and its people, and of consorting with dark and terrible beings! You are sentenced to be burned at the stake for your crimes against humanity and this kingdom, so decrees the court! Do you have anything to say?” “…The sentence of a court is meaningless, if they cannot enforce it” “Get him out of here!”

28 years ago, the zealots of Iomedae made the final charge against the non-believers of Talingarde, dealing the decisive blow against the Asmodean cult, and putting the last of the heretics to the sword. Or so they thought. The events that followed are too numerous to fully describe here, but the events that transpired with respects to a certain family is not.

Tharyn and Isha Whitewalker were Knights of the Aleriun, and both raised swords in their goddess’ name during the religious cleansing of Talingarde. Little did they realize that their great valour and tireless pursuit of righteousness, put them in the gaze of creatures beyond their understanding. When the family was graced with childbirth, Isha Whitewalker gave birth to twins: Melkor and Castiel Whitewalker. But as the mother held the children in her arms for the very first time, an angel of the celestial realms appeared. It told the whitewalkers that their valorous service, and self-sacrifice had not gone unnoticed, and that their children would live happy, fruitful lives. At this, the angel laid his hand upon the secondborn, Castiel, but before he could touch the firstborn, a devil of Hell appeared. The angel raised his fiery sword, but the danger of hurting the children was too great. The devil said that the Whitewalkers had indeed not gone unnoticed, and that by the powers of hell, their children would work to destroy what they had fought to create. The devil touched hand upon the children, but its vile influence could not taint the holy radiance on Castiel. Melkor however, was tainted by the touch of the devil, and was prophesized to carry the banner of Asmodeus’ black crusade, back into Talingarde. At this, the devil vanished, and the Whitewalkers wept for their firstborn child. The angel told them, that they had to watch their children carefully, for the eyes of hell were on them, and that they must never know of the dark fate that had touched the family.

At the age of 14, both twins were the older brothers of 4 younger siblings: Zhayelle of 11, Thurel of 10, Vynia of 7, and Flora of 4. The Whitewalkers were a happy family, and none of its members were as close as Castiel and Melkor, despite their eternal feuding. One wintermorning, the twins snuck outside, in the early hours, to watch the deer across the river from where they lived. Only Melkor was not satisfied, and tried approaching the deer, despite his brother’s warnings. But as he neared the middle of the frozen river, the ice gave way, and Melkor fell into the icy blackness. And there, alone in the darkness, his body screaming against the burning cold of the winter-waters, Melkor Whitewalker died, and his body was carried downstream, beneath the sheet of ice.

Understandably, his parents were both overjoyed, and quite disturbed, when their soaked and freezing firstborn, knocked on the door again, that very same evening. He was sick for the longest time, but eventually, he regained his strength and was able to get out of bed again. Only something had changed. Melkor Whitewalker had drowned in the river, that wintermorning, and only Melkor had come back. He became distant, avoiding the company of his siblings, and began speaking out against his father. The parents had their fears, but they could never begin to guess what the child was feeling, or fathom the power and malice of the disembodied voice, that had pulled their son from the Darklands, and thrown him on the riverbank a mile downstream. For no uninitiated mortal can fathom the words of Asmodeus, or the vile purpose they sow in the hearts of his chosen.

Melkor started having nightmares, every night, and no herbal cure or divine ministration would put it to rest. Darkness crept over him, and in the late hours, when it was just him and the voices, a vile purpose was awoken in the child of the Whitewalkers. As a student, Melkor was brilliant, he was strong, and healthy, but his isolationist ways worried his parents, who finally saw no alternative. They sent him off to the Abbey of 4 valleys, praying that the holy power of Iomedae would cure him from whatever was festering in him. It did not. The young man’s malice was boundless, and although he grew to become both well-mannered and socialable, shedding his isolationist ways from one day to the next, he had nothing but scorn for the Abbey and its ways, preferring to immerse himself in ancient documents and the gardens, and completely neglecting any holy duties. One fateful night, Melkor, now a man of 20, left the Abbey of 4 winds, sneaking out in the dark of night, and disappearing into the wilderness.

Chasing a vision of dark and magnificent purpose, Melkor traversed the mountains, entering the wildlands of Caer Bryn. There he found an ancient temple, overgrown and abandonned, dedicated to the Dark Prince. Here Melkor came into contact with Avaxiel, a bonedevil trapped in the writings of the temple. After learning what he could, Melkor struck a deal with the fiend, and in return for its freedom, Melkor grew in both power and knowledge, gaining understanding of things vile and terrible, and with a rusty iron pentagram found in the temple, Melkor would wield the dark powers of Asmodeus.

As a cleric of Asmodeus, he walked the forests of Caer Bryn, showing himself to the woodsmen of the barbarian tribes, greenskins and beastpeople of the forest. With the aid of Avaxiel he tricked and manipulated first a few creatures, cultivating rumours until his mere presence would instill silence in the folk of the woods. He then began expanding his influence over them, influencing the mind of leaders, and empowering them to subjugate their enemies, through the miracles of Asmodeus. Spoiled food would turn good, polluted water would turn pristine, by the powers of the Dark Prince, one tribe would get the benefit over another, with the leaders of the tribes under the influence of Melkor, they rose in strength above their enemies, and many tribes joined the fold. Finally, Melkor put them to his purpose, using his puppet soldiers to raid villages in the heartlands, and desecrate holy places and shrines to Iomedae the commoner-goddess.

But his plans were stopped early, by a decisive and sneaky attack from the inquisitors of Iomedae. After his disappearance, his family had prepared for the worst, enlisting the help of the witch-hunter Balin of Karfield. After years of tracking his movements, and gathering rumours of unsettling movements in the western wildlands, the crafty crusaders had prepared to strike fast against Melkor, who was not prepared to deal with the attack. Before he knew it, he was in irons, and on his way to Branderscar.

[i]“It will not end here”[i/] Melkor said to sir Balin as the gates of Branderscar began to close between them. [i]“This is just the beginning”[i/].

And that is basically Melkor. However, while I have a clear idea of what I want him to be, actually doing it, expressing it, is a different matter. What to do and not to do, how to speak and act? How to deal with a situation where I am firmly in control, and how to deal with a situation that is out of my control? Expressing megalomania, despite an affable personality. What plans to make, how to make them. How to properly play someone like this, when I undoubtedly face people who are superior to me in terms of power and personal strength? These things I find tricky. I believe I will grow into this character, as I play him, but I'd still appreciate the advice of this board. I have yet to be disappointed by the creativity of these boards, and so I ask for your own take on my character, and any helpful hints, tips, and tricks you could possibly spare my first real villain?

Thanks in advance

-Nearyn


2 people marked this as FAQ candidate.

Lycanthopy confuses me. It seems like the rules for Lycanthropy are all over the place. Now I don't just mean that as in: they don't make sense. I also mean they're literally all over the place. And when I finally get them all together, I don't feel any less confused.

For those of you who don't know, Lycanthropy is a curse that turns the victim into a werewolf. Note that we will not be discussing natural Lycanthropes, only those who have been afflicted.

The lead in and information:

Lycanthropy, the curse wrote:

Type curse (injury); Save Fort DC 15 negates, Will DC 15 to avoid effects

Onset the next full moon; Frequency on the night of every full moon or whenever the target is injured

Effect target transforms into a wolf under the GM's control until the next morning

So going by this an afflicted person risks going into wolf-form when the full moon is out, and when he takes damage. So far so good. Easy to understand. But what does it mean to be a werewolf? For that information we consult the Lycanthrope template.

Lycanthope, the template wrote:

A creature that catches lycanthropy becomes an afflicted lycanthrope, but shows no symptoms (and does not gain any of the template's adjustments or abilities) until the night of the next full moon, when the victim involuntarily assumes animal form and forgets his or her own identity. The character remains in animal form until the next dawn and remembers nothing about the entire episode (or subsequent episodes) unless he makes a DC 20 Will save, in which case he becomes aware of his condition.

A remove disease or heal spell cast by a cleric of 12th level or higher cures the affliction, provided the character receives the spell within 3 days of the infecting lycanthrope's attack. Alternatively, consuming a dose of wolfsbane gives an afflicted lycanthrope a new Fortitude save to recover from lycanthropy.

Hmm, curious. Lycanthropy is a curse, but a Remove Disease(?) spell cures it, if applied within 3 days of the attack, provided the caster is 12th level or higher.

We can also use Wolfsbane to give us another save. Let's look at Wolfsbane.

Wolfsbane, the 500 gp poison wrote:

Type poison (ingested); Save Fortitude DC 16

Onset 10 minute; Frequency 1/minute for 6 minutes

Effect 1d3 Con damage; Cure 1 save

Wolfsbane, the 5 sp plant wrote:
The root of this tall plant with blue flowers is toxic, but herbalists use it in low doses to reduce pain and regulate the heart. Folklore says it can help a victim of lycanthropy throw off the curse.

uh oh...

And with this, my mind begins spewing stuff without my permission. If lycanthropy is a curse, why does a Cure Disease spell affect it?

Why must an afflicted character have a heal or Remove disease cast on them by a 12th level cleric? Do they mean to say that an Oracle could not cure it? What about a druid? Why does the level matter?

Is Lycanthropy a disease that is extraordinarily powerful while incubating (necessitating a 12th level cleric), but then matures into a weak curse? Is it a curse from the very beginning? The rules seem to indicate so because the rules tell us:

Lycanthrope, the template wrote:
Curse of Lycanthropy(Su): A natural lycanthrope's bite attack in animal or hybrid form infects a humanoid target with lycanthropy (Fortitude DC 15 negates). If the victim's size is not within one size category of the lycanthrope, this ability has no effect.

The name indicates that it is a curse, and the save DC is the same as the save DC of the Curse called Lycanthropy, which has been listed earlier.

So what is with the Remove Disease? If lycanthropy is a curse, it can be removed with a casting of Remove Curse. Keep in mind that Remove Curse is a 3rd level cleric spell and a 4th level wizard spell, meaning a 5th level cleric or 7th level wizard could cure lycanthropy with little effort. So why then must the curse be halted in its tracks by such obscenely powerful magic?

Remove Curse wrote:

Remove curse can remove all curses on an object or a creature. If the target is a creature, you must make a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) against the DC of each curse affecting the target. Success means that the curse is removed.

So what's the issue? Is it because it does not count as a curse before 3 days have passed? If so, do you still risk turning into a werewolf if you get hit in combat, as per the Curse Lycanthropy?

Furthermore, if you get attacked by a werewolf, what are you supposed to do? Folklore(and the Lycanthrope template) would have you know you should eat Wolfsbane, but that leaves us with a decision to make. What Wolfsbane? We can use a 500 gp Con poison, or a harmless 5sp plant.

So Lycanthropy is a curse, unless it's a disease, unless it's both, that can be removed by a 12th level cleric within 3 days, or any caster capable of casting Remove Curse, at any point in time after becomming afflicted. Further, Lycanthropy permits an extra save within 3 days if the victim consumes a plant, unless the victim is supposed to consume a poison.

Lycanthropy confuses me...

-Nearyn


The Magic chapter teaches us that:

Magic wrote:

Divine Focus (DF): A divine focus component is an item of spiritual significance. The divine focus for a cleric or a paladin is a holy symbol appropriate to the character's faith. The divine focus for a druid or a ranger is a sprig of holly, or some other sacred plant.

If the Components line includes F/DF or M/DF, the arcane version of the spell has a focus component or a material component (the abbreviation before the slash) and the divine version has a divine focus component (the abbreviation after the slash).

An example of this M/DF notation can be seen in the spell Greater Magic Weapon, where it appears that a cleric may present his holy symbol, in place of using up some powdered lime and carbon.

The Cursed Earth spell also have the M and DF notation in its listed components, but instead lists them as follows:

Cursed Earth wrote:
Components V, S, M(Powdered Onyx 10.000 gp), DF

There is no slash here, which I suppose means that the cleric has to present a divine focus AND use material components.

How do you go about presenting your holy symbol, while handling, a bag full of onyx dust, while also weaving somatic components? All in the span of 3 seconds. Are both your hands required to be free in order to cast this spell? Do you have to physically manipulate your material component and divine focus, or is it enough that they are merely there? Am I reading it wrong?

Input appreciated

-Nearyn


Simple question:

Can a Seaweed Siren cast 3 charm monster spells, 3 confusion spells and 3 tongues spells per day, OR can they cast either charm monster, confusion or tongues, 3 times per day?

One lets it cast 9 SLAs, the other lets it cast 3. Which holds true? Citation appreciated :)

-Nearyn

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