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In addition to my above question, in PF #18 (p.43), how does Allevrah cast contingency from a scroll? It's an arcane spell and she's a divine caster and she doesn't have Use Magic Device. Same question for her permanency spells cast previously from scrolls. At some point was the intent for her to be an arcane caster and that later got dropped?
Does a character get the +3 trained skill bonus for a skill that the headband grants ranks in if the character otherwise doesn't have ranks in that skill? (I'm iffy on this as the flavour text below seems to indicate no) Does it matter if the skill is on the character's class skill list or not? (I'm thinking yes on this point as per below) From Skills in the SRD: In addition, each class has a number of favored skills, called class skills. It is easier for your character to become more proficient in these skills, as they represent part of his professional training and constant practice. You gain a +3 bonus on all class skills that you put ranks into.
Is there an electronic creature statblock template available? I'm trying to duplicate the current statblock format with Word and it's driving me CRAZY!!! In particular, replicating the lines above and below Defense, Offense, etc., is really a pain in the butt. Has someone cracked this or is there a template available somewhere?
Has there been any thought to compiling all of the pre-gen stats for the iconic Paizo PCs found in the various AP issues? I think it would be very useful to have the iconics' stats laid out from levels 1-20 so anytime you're running an adventure you could pull out an iconic of the appropriate level and bam you're ready to go. This is something I wish WotC had done with their iconics.
I'm trying to figure out the difference, especially in the context of using one of these spells to conceal a campsite from casual observation by creating the illusion of a pile of rubble from a wall (not necessarily with creatures present at the campsite). I'm thinking you need Mirage Arcana. Permanent Image/Silent Image will create a pile of rubble, but I don't think they let you conceal things with them (who needs Invisibility if they do?) or make your campsite look like something else (see Figment). Hallucinatory Terrain is natural terrain only so that won't let you make rubble from a wall. On the other hand, I think it would work if you were creating a grassy field to hide in (probably requiring you to make a Hide check as per Mirage Arcana). This is also a Glamer spell not a Figment. Mirage Arcana is a better version of Hallucinatory Terrain that also lets you creature structures, so rubble of a wall would probably fit here. Also, creatures within the campsite could make Hide checks to hide within the rubble. Does this sound right? Thoughts? Permanent Image: This spell functions like silent image, except that the figment includes visual, auditory, olfactory, and thermal elements, and the spell is permanent. By concentrating, you can move the image within the limits of the range, but it is static while you are not concentrating. Silent Image: This spell creates the visual illusion of an object, creature, or force, as visualized by you. The illusion does not create sound, smell, texture, or temperature. You can move the image within the limits of the size of the effect. Figment: Figment: A figment spell creates a false sensation. Those who perceive the figment perceive the same thing, not their own slightly different versions of the figment. It is not a personalized mental impression. Figments cannot make something seem to be something else. A figment that includes audible effects cannot duplicate intelligible speech unless the spell description specifically says it can. If intelligible speech is possible, it must be in a language you can speak. If you try to duplicate a language you cannot speak, the figment produces gibberish. Likewise, you cannot make a visual copy of something unless you know what it looks like (or copy another sense exactly unless you have experienced it). Because figments and glamers are unreal, they cannot produce real effects the way that other types of illusions can. Figments and glamers cannot cause damage to objects or creatures, support weight, provide nutrition, or provide protection from the elements. Consequently, these spells are useful for confounding foes, but useless for attacking them directly. Mirage Arcana: This spell functions like hallucinatory terrain, except that it enables you to make any area appear to be something other than it is. The illusion includes audible, visual, tactile, and olfactory elements. Unlike hallucinatory terrain, the spell can alter the appearance of structures (or add them where none are present). Still, it can't disguise, conceal, or add creatures (though creatures within the area might hide themselves within the illusion just as they can hide themselves within a real location). Hallucinatory Terrain: You make natural terrain look, sound, and smell like some other sort of natural terrain. Structures, equipment, and creatures within the area are not hidden or changed in appearance. Glamer: A glamer spell changes a subject's sensory qualities, making it look, feel, taste, smell, or sound like something else, or even seem to disappear.
Thanks! That's good to know and a nice easy answer!
1) Can a creature grapple via an AoO? For example, if someone provokes an AoO because of movement and the attacker has a special grab ability that enables it to grapple as a free action after a successful attack, can it use this grapple as a result of a successful AoO? 2) If a creature has multiple attacks and a special grab ability that enables it to grapple after a successful attack as a free action, can it make multiple grapples with each attack? For example, could a kraken grapple multiple different targets with multiple successful tentacle attacks? I think the answer to both questions is Yes but I'm looking for what other people think. The players in my campaign think it's overpowered and there should be a limit of one grapple per round (possibly multiple grapple attempts, but once successful you can only do it once). Thoughts? From the PF SRD: Grab (Ex) If a creature with this special attack hits with the indicated attack (usually a claw or bite attack), it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. Unless otherwise noted, grab can only be used against targets of a size equal to or smaller than the creature with this ability. If the creature can use grab on creatures of other sizes, it is noted in the creature's Special Attacks line. The creature has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use the part of its body it used in the grab to hold the opponent. If it chooses to do the latter, it takes a –20 penalty on its CMB check to make and maintain the grapple, but does not gain the grappled condition itself. A successful hold does not deal any extra damage unless the creature also has the constrict special attack. If the creature does not constrict, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals the damage indicated for the attack that established the hold. Otherwise, it deals constriction damage as well (the amount is given in the creature's descriptive text). Creatures with the grab special attack receive a +4 bonus on combat maneuver checks made to start and maintain a grapple. Format: grab; Location: individual attacks.
True enough but this is D&D and it boils down to game mechanics. It's not an indestructible pennant so I'm looking for rules on how to destroy it. Battle standards in the real world usually suffer damage from indirect fire and standard bearers usually (but not always) aren't in the immediate front line. So I'm not surprised that battle standards survive because most soldiers want to kill the guy wielding it not the standard itself. See above about destroying the glaive.
The only requirement to gain the pennant's powers is to be able to see it so wielding the glaive in combat does not negate the pennant's powers. That's the way we've always played it. They are actually two separate magic items so sundering the glaive wouldn't do any damage to the pennant.
One of the PCs in our group has a glaive that he mounts a pennant/battle standard on. Effectively it functions as a Lord's Banner magic item (Advanced Player's Guide p. 307) but size-wise it's more like a Knight's Pennon (same page). If an enemy wanted to target the pennant for destruction, what rules would apply? Since it's an attended magic item I'm thinking the Sunder rules apply. That said, the attacking an object rules might actually make it harder since it's a relatively small target (and therefore high AC). Either way, it's cloth so it's going to be pretty vulnerable (anyone know of any way to improve its toughness?) with no hardness and few HP. I might consider it a +2 weapon (since it gives +2 bonuses) and therefore give it +4 hardness and +20 hp, but it's still not going to survive a dedicated attack (not saying that it should since a standard bearer normally isn't in the front ranks). Also, could it be targeted with magic? e.g., disintegrate?
Is it possible to use a program like Snagit (or whatever) to clip pieces of art out of products you've downloaded from Paizo? I can't seem to make it work as every time I try to highlight a region it only gets the background not the wording or picture layered overtop. I'm thinking it has something to do with the way Paizo products are formatted but it could just be that I'm an idiot and don't know what I'm doing. The reason I ask is because I like to clip artwork or magic item descriptions or whatever for use as a DM in my games, which is sometimes easier than transcribing a description from scratch.
Can you post the actual URL of a bookmark that behaves like this? We fixed the archives thing for bookmarked threads some time back. Here's one that's not that old, maybe 3-4 months: http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/paizoPublishing/pathfinder/pathfinderR PG/rules/dervishCompleteWarriorConversion&page=1#1
My group of players had a really tough time with this adventure. One guy got blasted out of existence by Kelvos and the party tried to defeat the Harbinger no fewer than three times without success. Eventually they gave up and pledged to come back when they were higher level. Some of the battles were a breeze but the tough encounters were the ones where the bad guys worked together as a team and developed tactics and counter tactics based on what they learned of the PCs. Good adventure nevertheless.
In the Age of Worms adventure path series there are some references to a couple prior events: 1) The Fane of Scales (a temple that fell to earth as a comet) 2) Malgarius (a demon lord in the form of a fiendish tree that explodes and wrecks destruction upon the surrounding city) Where can I find info on these events?
I'm going to stick with my Battlemaps (because I have so many of 'em!), but if I was starting from scratch I'd probably buy these. The reason being is that you have to erase the Battlemaps but with paper you can keep your maps forever. Very useful if the PCs decide to come back to an area later on. Or just for nostalgia.
Hagen's math (above) is off. For Flycatcher, if you use the default special ability formula, the save DC against paralysis should be 24 (1/2 HD = 8, +10 = 18, +6 Con = 24). For the silk slick, the adventure is correct with the DC listed at 20 (1/2 HD = 8, +10 = 18, +2 Dex = 20). EDIT: Ahh, my bad. You don't add his 3 sorcerer levels when calculating the save DC. So the paralysis DC should be 22 and the silk slick DC should be 18.
Don't let PCs walk around with 10 min/lvl buffs for encounter after encounter!!! Either delay them so they wear off or hit them with dispels. Then prepare your baddies to go on the offensive if/when the PCs decide to rest after a couple hours of adventuring. Keep the pressure up. In the Hall of Harsh Reflections my group of PCs tried (and failed) three times to complete the mind flayer lair. The drow organized their defenses and effectively countered the PC incursions. By the third attempt the PCs had defeated all of the drow except their leader but were then wiped out by a combined attack by the mind flayer and the drow priestess. It went right down to the wire. The PCs were rescued by Auric's Warband (setting up some sour grapes during the Champion's Belt adventure) and raised by allies (the elven family of the aristocrat they rescued earlier on at Sodden Hold). So in the end they failed to complete HoHR and learned (the hard way) that they can't just blow all their buffs upfront then withdraw and rest after 1-2 encounters. The enemy takes countermeasures that make the subsequent battles even harder. They're falling back into their old ways so it's probably time for a refresher course. ;-)
** spoiler omitted ** I had fully contemplated the undead threat getting out of control. I had planned for the "powers that be" in Greyhawk City to eventually get the undead under control but the PCs were going to be blamed and run out of town. To redeem themselves, they would have to complete the Age of Worms adventure path to prove they hadn't caused the problem in the first place. As it turned out, Auric got swallowed and the Apostle spewed all over the crowd. Undead wights started popping up in the stands and a riot broke out. Meanwhile the party slew the Apostle and it spit out Auric as it crashed to the ground. Auric landed outside the battlefield and was disqualified, leaving the rest of Auric's Warband to fight the party and eventually lose. The party then went into the stands and finished off the undead before the plague could spread. The PCs were then crowned Champions of the Free City Games!
The party's rogue is definitely going to buy this and I have no problem with that. The party's scout is also interested and will probably look to buy one (I've told him it will work with skirmish). The worry is that all of the other PCs will say, "Hey, that's a great idea and the damage stacks with energy damage so let's all buy one!" With a party of 6 PCs, that's a lot of extra damage dice getting thrown around...
The truedeath weapon augment crystal (Magic Item Compendium, p. 66) comes in three levels of power. The first level costs 1,000 gp and allows you to deal an extra 1d6 damage to undead with a masterwork or magical weapon. The second level costs 5,000 gp and allows a +1 or greater magic weapon to function as a ghost touch weapon. The third level costs 10,000 gp and enables a +3 or greater weapon to deliver sneak attacks and critical hits against undead. My question is... should the cost of these be upped in the Age of Worms campaign due to the fact that the majority of the opponents are undead and therefore these crystals will be more effective than in an average campaign that is not undead-focused? Thoughts?
My group of players holed up in the doppleganger lair as well. They used the planning room with the secret door and they wedged the doors shut. This happened after the party was soundly defeated by hit-and-run ambushes in the mirrored corridors. Despite that, I still had Telakin organize an assault for the middle of the night. The primary purposes was to drain away the party's spells for the next day. It also helped that one of the PCs had already been charmed. The dopplegangers managed to get into the room before the PCs knew what hit 'em. Things were looking grim for the PCs early on but eventually they prevailed. The net effect actually hurt Telakin because it stripped away dopp minions he could have used later on. He ended up getting smoked fighting the PCs all by himself. In the illithid lair was where the party really learned their lesson. They made a total of three incursions into the lair, retreating the first two times and being wiped out in a TPK on the third. Their high water mark was the chamber with the advanced octopin. The key to handling their multiple incursion strategy was having the illithid organize its drow throws and strike an alliance with the naga (who had managed to flee the PCs twice beforehand). As a result, by the party's third incursion the enemy was well organized and waiting for them. While the party went after the naga, the drow (plus some undead and carrion crawler fodder mustered from the sewers) attacked from behind. Myrianaas hung back and summoned or supported with divine firepower. It was a grand slaughter, with Myrianaas and a lone PC fighting it out at the end. The drow won. The party's wizard was the only one to escape. I had decided beforehand that if their third incursion wasn't successful in slaying the illithid (they never even reached him), then the city guard and another band of adventurers (Auric's Warband) would intervene and clean the place out. As it turned out, the PCs were wiped out and Auric's Warband finished the job they started (although Zyrxog escaped via his plane shifting ability). I kept the adventure going by having Tirra provide to the party the incriminating documents about Loris Raknian. So in the end, the party got what they needed but they're in tough now because they're underpowered for the Champion's Belt adventure. The key to all this is that a DM must make the adventure's enemies dynamic. They must react to the PCs. If the party keeps blowing their load in the first battle and then trying to retreat and rest (effectively trying to wage a slow war of attrition), have the enemy hit 'em hard. When the enemy knows the PCs are coming, they no longer have to abide by the initial adventure setup. Have all the bad guys muster together and launch an all-out assault on the PCs. That'll teach the PCs that they need to take advantage of their initial surprise when entering a dungeon and capitalize on it before the enemy can muster its forces, organize a plan, and coordinate an attack of their own.
What about PCs with magic circle against evil? That was one of the prominent flaws that I immediately noticed with Bozal's tactics. My PCs regularly have magic circles up on at least 2 PCs, which they then use to shelter the rest of the party as needed. Such PC tactics largely negates the effectiveness of summoning monsters...
Why not just have some higher level NPCs come along (the trio from Diamond Lake would serve very well indeed) and take the iron from them? Oh what a rivalry that would create! It would be quite difficult, if not impossible, to get all that iron out without being detected. Not to mention the impact it would have on the economy. It wouldn't take long at all before the powers that be intervene and lay claim to all that iron. Think of it like finding a shipwreck laden with gold just off the coast of some country. That country will lay claim to the treasure and, since it's within territorial waters, will have a legal right to do so. The Whispering Cairn is only an hour outside of Diamond Lake so it's easily within someone else's jurisdiction. For that much treasure, have them pull rank and seize it from the PCs (perhaps with a finder's fee, if you're feeling generous). Or you can just say the PCs sell all the iron, become wealthy beyond their wildest dreams, and retire. End of campaign. That iron might not look so tempting afterall...
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