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Regardless of what happens in the War of Immortals adventure, I hope Yivali shows up. They'd be a fun little helper-NPC!
Oh man, there goes my bracket! I was figuring Zon-Kuthon's death would be to merge with Shelyn. Comedy and Tragedy together, as divine pathos (like theater masks). Also, Yivali calling her "Miss Shelyn" is just adorable!
"Unfortunately, in some cases, a variety of reasons makes leaving behind strigiform-ursine hybrids or cuboid gels the best option for us." Life is pain, but I understand. :(
I'd actually recommend alchemical items for pre-buffing. Many alchemical items, like elixirs, mutagens, poisons, etc. have either a long duration for their level or last until used (bombs, poisons, etc.). Not to reinforce the idea that Alchemists are just fantasy vending machines, but they REALLY can buff the party in a variety of ways relatively cheaply.
My party was discussing how to get into Stormholt to assault the Black Whale prison-ships and one of them brought up airships. They also enjoyed the Dragonfly Pagoda dungeon and realized that it should be completed by now. That's when one (I think the monk?) had the brilliant idea "What if the Dragonfly Pagoda was actually an airship?!" As everyone was excitedly freaking out, I took a solid 3 minutes to think about it. Not having prepared anything close ot this (they can literally just take a rowboat to the Black Whale), this idea is too good to pass up. Right now they are already in the Black Whale, working their way through the prison, but I want to explore setting up the Dragonfly Pagoda as a vehicle they can use later on. I'm thinking using the standard Airship stats (https://2e.aonprd.com/Vehicles.aspx?ID=1) to represent the Pagoda and having Olansa Darvakka minions attacking Absalom from the skies to create an dogfight between the PC's and the Darvakkas. What do you think? This is going to be a BIG addition to the adventure, but it sounds so rad that I don't want to just ignore the idea.
Zon-Kuthon and Shelyn merging together could have some fun comedy/tragedy themes, like theater masks.
Brothers of the mine rejoice!
Born underground, suckled from a teat of stone
I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole
This would be a BIG change to the entire game, but I think creatures need more Weaknesses and fewer Immunities. I love the idea of the Alchemist having cheap access to a wide variety of damage types (fire, cold, electric, etc.) that they can use to exploit enemy Weaknesses and avoid their Resistances/Immunities. However, a minority of creatures have Weaknesses that can be exploited and far too many have Resistances/Immunities, so the creatures themselves undercut what should be the Alchemist's strengths. This also applies to other classes/builds that can use a variety of damage types (notably blasters). A solution to this would be to reduce the number of Immunities, reduce the number of Resistances, and increase the number of Weaknesses. I would drop most Immunities to a high Resistance (save the ones that REALLY need to be there, like a fire elemental being immune to fire). Most Resistances I would either reduce (Resist 10 > Resist 5) or do away with entirely. Adding Weaknesses to creatures that didn't have them before might be a little tricky with some, but by and large should be easy to pull off. An easier change would be to make Alchemists more debuff-centric via poisons. This would largely involve changing poisons by making more of the include conditions (enfeebled, clumsy, stupefied, etc.) and making fewer creatures immune to poison. I would also make poisons follow the Persistent Damage rules as opposed to their own subsystem, but that's me. More debuffing poisons, less poison immunity, and improved weapon proficiency, would be very helpful for making Alchemists pack more of a punch in combat. One last thought, but in PF1 I greatly enjoyed the +2/-1 tradeoff that mutagens and cognatagens provided. Maybe bring that back for the mutagens in PF2?
Introducing Terimor Before Book 6: the Gray Queen is one of those villains who doesn't really show up on camera until very late in the adventure. Part of this is certainly due to keeping her off the player's radar as a potential threat as well as Terimor's skill at deception. If I remember correctly she does appear in book 1 briefly, but doesn't have any scripted lines and is just another government official who's upset about the Graveraker's disappearance. It's not until book 6 that she's suddenly revealed to be the BBEG, seemingly out of nowhere. So how do we fix this? What I did in my game is introduce Terimor in book 3 as a political ally of Captain Asilia. Terimor is a low-ranking member of the Council of Absalom who presents as a shy, mousy, bureaucrat who is a bit over her head in politics. I also had her play a role in running the Radiant Festival. At my table, she's another NPC who is there to be a potential ally to the party and the "gateway" to the political side of the game. If my players wanted to, they could talk to her to learn about the political situation in Absalom with the Council, Radiant Festival, and any other high-level issues they'd like to explore. I had a few other NPCs in similar roles that my party could talk to, though they never really talked to Terimor much. I did make sure to get these NPCs on camera at least 3 times each, so they were established as Important People, but we'll see if my players suspect Terimor by the end.
Gatewalkers involves a prolonged escort mission as the PC's guide Sakuachi so she can progress the plot. The story here kinda stops being about the PC's and instead focuses on this NPC (who I do honestly like). However, many players find escort missions un-fun and making an adventure about an NPC is often disappointing and frustrating for players. There is a sidebar that tries to address this, but I don't think that'll work for every table. So let's brainstorm alternatives. What can be changed in Gatewalkers in books 2-3 to refocus the adventure on the PC's as opposed to Sakuachi?
I'm thinking of running the new Candlemere material as its own adventure, separate from an ongoing Kingmaker campaign, and want to get any advice y'all have to share. Here's what I've got so far: This would start at level 4 in Chapter 2, part 7, "Candlemere Island". I'm not sure what the hook would be, but providing a few options would be pretty easy (Pharasmin PC seeks more information on a site of ancient clerical work they don't understand, occult investigators curious for secrets, dungeon crawler looking for treasure, etc.). This whole chapter could be run as-is. Cult of the Bloom could be reworked into some weird eldritch shenanigans, planting the narrative seed that Bad Stuff is happening and is tied to Candlemere. Stopping these occurrences and investigating them can give clues about what is going on elsewhere. This will cover levels 6-8. I'm considering adding the Varnhold Vanishing to cover levels 8-10. Considering the next Candlemere material is at level 16, I'm okay having a bridge between the two sections. Vordakai would make a good cultist as well, easy enough to change his backstory. I'd definitely want to add in a few elements that are more eldritch-horror and appropriate for showing that the Yog-Sothoth cultists are still a threat to the area. The "Among the Nomen" part would be a nice break from the spooky occult stuff, as well. Chapter 8, part 3, "The Ghost of Whiterose" could also be reworked to fit the adventure. Instead of looking for Briar, the PC's could be uncovering some fantastic treasure that will help them in the dungeons below Candlemere and end the Thresholders for good. The problem is this is a jump to level 14, so we'd either have to time/level skip or fill in the gap. After that we are at Chapter 9, "They Lurk Below" at level 16. This might require another time/level skip, unless we write more material (maybe borrowing from ideas in other AP's like Strange Aeons?). This whole chapter can be run as-is and will serve as the end of the adventure. As Yog-Sothoth is connected to time, maybe that could be tied to the time/level skips somehow? At least thematically, if not mechanically. What do you think? Any ideas? Suggestions? Critiques?
Okay that's not bad at all, really. I don't mind a couple bucks increase (and several decreases), especially for the quality of the books.
The real catch with new class ideas is to come up with the theme or mechanics that aren't already represented in existing classes/archetypes/builds. I'd really like something with mechanics similar to the Solarian from Starfinder, which builds up attunement to photons or gravitons the longer they're in either stance. Could translate it very easily or make it elemental as well! I'm a big fan of the Mesmerist from PF1 so translating that would be great as well. I've been fiddling around with a homebrew Mesmerist that includes a supportive therapist subclass, which helps avoid some of the ethically dubious aspects of the class. Lastly, this would work better as an Archetype, but some kind of Mageslayer would be neat. The dedication feat could give you better saves against magical effects and bonus damage against spellcasters. Later feats can give you tricks to help against different schools of magic (anti-conjuration gives you bonuses against summoned minions, anti-enchantment can trick the enchanter into thinking you failed, etc.) Eventually you can cut through magic like a knife through butter!
Oh nice, definitely using this in my game. The Harmony/Discord conflict alone makes for a wonderful character arc for a diviner.
I'm actually running a homebrew adventure in Sarkoris where the PC's are all new members of the Reclaimers, the loose alliance of Mendevian crusaders, Kellid tribespeople "coming home", and Green Faith druids trying to resettle Sarkoris. Naturally, these three groups have different ideas of what "resettling Sarkoris" means that don't always overlap (beyond slaying any demons left behind). The Mendevian crusaders conflicted. On one hand, the Worldwound is closed and many want to just go home to pick up the lives they had assumed were over. On the other hand, leaving behind a broken land would be irresponsible and if the demons come back the crusaders will need to be ready. The war is over, but the work continues. The Kellid people driven from their homes by the demon hordes endured. They fought and have now won the war, so their homeland can now be restored! The Sarkorian tribes can return to their ancestral homes to live as they once did. Then again, a unified Kellid nation would also be a great way to help keep demons at bay as well defend against any neighbors with imperialist and racist motivations. The druids of the Green Faith also have goals in Sarkoris. The Abyss-blighted land was warped and corrupted in horrible ways. Healing the land and serving as stewards of the realm to ensure the ecosystem returns to its rightful state. The work of clearing this corruption will take many long seasons, so others had best recognize the druids' work as necessary and their decisions as wise (i.e. stay out of the way before you all make it worse). These three groups were allies during the crusades, but now that the Worldwound has closed, how long will that last? What will the PC's do? What horrors still remain in the wake of the demon hordes?
Ok so my players succeeded in my altered casino heist. Here's how it went down: -Instead of the heist automatically failing because Franca Laurentz beat them to it without any chance for success, I had Franca trying to rob the casino at the same time as the Agents. Franca also has connections to the Champion of Milani in the party, both having escaped slavery together, so its personal. -Franca's plan was to sneak in through underground tunnels that connect the Iorium to the elevator shaft in the basement of the Lucky Nimbus. She brought a Vaultbreaker Ooze with her (my party didn't end up fighting one in book 2) and had learned the basics she needed to pull this off while working in disguise as a guard at the Lucky Nimbus. While she's robbing the place, Sathka and the svartalfar would try to kill Gage Carlyle upstairs as vengeance and distraction. -The Agents did some wonderful prep-work for the heist, scoring 7 Edge Points by the time they began. They had learned secrets about NPCs, they had jobs working for the casino, the sorcerer had stored an item in the vault and used Prying Eyes to get the layout, it was *perfect*. They had also acquired a Insistent Door Knocker so they could just open a new door into the vault, completely bypassing the vault door itself (I had added a trap to the vault door that would go off if Gage's Key was used incorrectly or if the lock was picked and got a Critical Failure). -On top of that, they also were able to pick Gage's Key out of his pocked with a mixture of distraction and good spellwork, which they didn't end up needing! -Just after the Agents get the clockwork poison bomb (stored safely away with a Chest Feather token), Franca and the Vaultbreaker Ooze broke into the basement and knocked out the bouncer left in the basement (the others having run upstairs to fight the shadowy elves). The Agents had already gotten the bomb, so she chased them down and fought our rogue and monk. -Rogue, monk, and the oracle were able to stop Franca and take her into custody, while also protecting the casino guests and Gage himself! I'm not sure how the interrogation of Franca will go, nor am I sure what to do with Oggvurm and the other iruxi at the Irorium, but I'm excited to see what happens! Maybe Scathka will work with the lizardfolk to acquire the bomb and complete the gassing of the crowd? If Franca had acquired the bomb she was going to slip it down into the sewers as the Agents chased her through the Undercity to the Irorium.
While I do enjoy Curse of the Crimson Throne and Korvosa, I was hoping the next adventure would tread new ground as opposed to being based on the events of Curse (as we've already had the original 3.5 Curse, the PF1 Curse update, an entire book of Shattered Star, part of Return of the Runelords, and The House on Hook Street). Still, I'm sure it'll be fun and enjoyable by folks who are familiar with Curse.
I know it's an entirely different game system, but all of this is at the core of the White Wolf/Onyx Path game Mage: the Ascension. The different paradigms and how they help define how the varied ideas of magic/reality work is fascinating (and the source of endless discussion). Applying this to the PF2 magical traditions is not a perfect fit (necessarily, depending on your interpretation), but it can help with the Arcane/Occult divide.
"Foragers and For Ragers" An all-barbarian playthrough of Quest for the Frozen Flame!
I haven't tried it yet, but I don't understand why they don't treat the eidolon like an animal companion when it comes to the action economy. Having the PC spend 1 action to give an order to their animal, who then got 2 actions, seemed perfectly fine to me. Why add an entirely new class-specific system (thought PF2 was trying to avoid that)? As I remember folks did NOT like that in the playtest, so why keep it around? Why limit the spellcasting (which I recall folks didn't like either)? That all being said, I am excited to try one out. I want to make one with the occult list who's trying to join a secret cabal (maybe Palatine Eye?).
Terimor's Backup: Alright so Monsters of Myth is out and one of the legendary beasts it features is the Taljjae. This many-masked fey monster uses its different faces to wreak havoc and gets different abilities depending on the mask it wears. Now doesn't that sound perfect for a high priestess of Norgorber to have as backup? Its creature level 18 so that makes it appropriate for the final battle, it can stalk the PC's throughout books 5 and 6 (though it shouldn't fight in book 5, as it is likely to overpower them), and you can easily reskin it to be some exemplar of the masked god. I'm thinking a divine servant of Norgyborgy who was once an actor bard and spy who went so far into their various roles and identities that they stopped being a proper person and are now just a collection of archetypal mask identities. Something akin to Sakashima or Lazav from Magic: the Gathering. I'd drop the Jelly stuff, but you do what's best for your table.
Seconding Thuvia. I don't dislike the material that's been written, I just don't think there's enough going on in the region yet. Hopefully the future Golden Road book creates more material, can't wait to see what the writers come up with!
I interpreted this as "Evil alignments won't work because of the inherent need for cooperation to survive in the tundra." You can't afford to have any evil people in the following because their cruelty and selfishness will only make life harder for everyone (including the evil person). If you're evil and smart you'll soon realize its not worth trying anything too nefarious. If you're evil and foolish, your following will correct your behavior or leave you in the cold.
-Kellid human barbarian (rage instinct). Its the most on-theme character idea, which means absolutely no one will play it! -Investigator or alchemist specializing in herbal alchemy, tracking prey, crafting, and the many talents one needs when one is a nomad. Calm and pragmatic because someone has to keep their temper. -Champion of Iomedae (ex?) from Mendev who has walked away from the crusade after experiencing great loss and is looking for a purpose. -Bard storyteller from "civilization" who came north to "get the authentic wild, Kellid, rough-and-tumble experience" they've heard about in stories. They broke down sobbing after their third freezing cold night and are still adjusting. -Half-starved oracle (witch?) who survived being lost in the frozen wilds and survived by being guided by...something. Still a bit touched, but primal/divine magics are damn useful in the wilds.
I'm a big stan for abjuration magic, so I was disappointed when I dug into how Counterspell works in PF2. RAW, you can only attempt the Counteract check against the opposing spell if you happen to have the exact same spell prepared/in your repertoire (with exceptions for specific spells, like Bane and Bless). I feel that this makes Counterspell prohibitively difficult to use, which coupled with it being a reactive and defensive feat makes it even more unappealing. You can't even substitute Dispel Magic like you could in PF1. My idea is to change the Trigger and Requirement so they do not necessitate having that exact spell, but give you bonuses on the Counteract roll if you use up similar/identical spells. Here's what I've got: Counterspell Reaction Abjuration | Arcane | Sorcerer | Witch | Wizard Trigger: A creature Casts a Spell Requirement: You have an unused spell prepared or unexpended spell slot When a foe Casts a Spell and you can see its manifestations, you can use your own magic to disrupt it. Expend a prepared spell or spell slot. Attempt a Counteract check against the triggering spell. If the prepared spell/spell slot you expend can match the triggering spell's Tradition and/or School, you get a +1 bonus on the counteract check (+2 bonus if both Tradition and School match). If the prepared spell/spell slot you expend is Dispel Magic or a similar spell, you instead get a +2 bonus on the counteract check (does not stack with matching Tradition/School). If the prepared spell/spell slot you expend can match the triggering spell exactly or specifically states it can be use to counter the triggering spell (ex: Bane and Bless), you instead get a +3 bonus on the counteract check (does not stack with matching Tradition/School). With these changes, if a wizard is trying to counterspell their clone they would have a 50-55-60-65% chance to successfully counteract the triggering spell, based on if they used up a spell that had zero matches, matching Tradition or School, matching Tradition & School or Dispel Magic, or had the exact same/exact counter. Thoughts? Comments? Critiques? Suggestions? Let me know!
We'll see how it goes, but I'm cautiously optimistic. To me this reads as a company giving a measured mea culpa and outlines what they're doing now to address the issues. None of this will be happening quickly and change does not happen overnight, nor should it. This, combined with Paizo execs formally recognizing the union and the union's progress so far are positive signs. We'll see what the results of these moves are, but realistically this is what a company that is trying to do better can get done at this juncture (or at least try to *look like* they're doing better). Add in that these actions have costs (lawyers sure as hell ain't cheap), and its definitely NOT nothing.
Oh I like this! The Agents originally see Terimor in her normal form, but then she morphs to her drider-esque form through Norgorber's dark hand. Give her a web, venom, etc.
SPOILERS, JUST LIKE IT SAYS IN THE TITLE! ALL DUE APPRECIATION AND RESPECT TO THE PAIZO WRITERS FOR MAKING A GREAT ADVENTURE! Olansa Terimor, the Gray Queen, master thief, city planner, and high priestess of Norgorber is the final boss of Agents of Edgewatch. Of the villainous Twilight Four she is the one who worships the Gray Master, god of thieves. Terimor has been unhinged by the Cane of the Maelstrom and is now a drider-esque monstrosity sitting at the top of her tower, sending minions at the Agents, and...just kinda waiting for them to show up. I think I'd like to rework Terimor for my table (if we ever get there, currently on book 2). Terimor's overall goals, tactics in the fight, and stat block are what I'm going to be altering and I'd love some feedback, ideas, and critiques. Terimor's Overall Goal: Terimor's ultimate goal (before being driven mad by the Cane of the Maelstrom, is to become Primarch of Absalom through duplicity, which will fulfill a pact she (and the other Twilight Four) made with Norgorber in exchange for divine powers. I don't dislike the plan, I think its fitting and makes sense as it plays out. However, I want to up the ante: instead of just deceitfully becoming in charge of Absalom, let's lean more into the God of Thieves aspect and make her plan to steal the city of Absalom. While the PC's are busy in book 5, she enacts a grand ritual (set up over several years, as a city planner) to remove Absalom and planar shift it to Norgorber's divine realm. Not just the physical city, but the souls of everyone in the city and the all-important Starstone. Norgorber now has sole control over the deity-creating rock and that comes with some MAJOR metaphysical power. Nothing really needs to change mechanically, but I'd add in some creepier descriptions of the city (taking inspiration from the Upside Down from Stranger Things) and a giant roiling ball of souls floating above Terimor in the final fight. I'm also going to drop the madness from the Cane of the Maelstrom. To me that feels like it undercuts Terimor as a villain, is used to justify some poor choices on her end, and has not-so-great vibes in regards to neurodivergence = evil. Terimor's Build: while she is the Twilight Four member who venerates the Gray Master and is supposed to be a master thief, Terimor's build is basically a divine caster with Sneak Attack and Hidden Paragon. Certainly not bad, but I don't get a "master thief" vibe from it. Instead, I think I'll give her some abilities based on high level Rogue feats, Thievery feats, Stealth feats, and Deception feats. The ones I'm looking at are Steal Spell, Steal Essence, Extradimensional Stash, Legendary Thief, Legendary Sneak, and maybe Reveal Machinations. Let Terimor try to take away the party's best items, spells, and undermine their efforts. Thoughts? Comments? Ideas? Critiques?
Keeping the spelling of his name ambiguous seems very on-brand for Norgyborgy.
I moved the cockatrice to the area of the zoo with the wagons and telegraphed it with some petrified bodies the PC's could spot before getting attacked by the cockatrice, so a good Perception check could prevent a LOT of hurt. I put the hyenas at the front gate instead, that helped a LOT. I also put some helpful items in the grocery where the owlbear is hanging out, to act as a reward for taking care of the beast (couple potions and talismans. Oddly, my players soundly defeated the Pratchett and the binumir. 4 PC's VS. 2 baddies was stacked in their favor, even after I had Pratchett notice them coming in earlier rooms, prepare for their arrival, and they burned through some resources fighting earlier monsters in the basement.
We have threads and other sites with guides for classes and spells, but I wonder if there's a similar repository for spreadsheets. I can't seem to find any, so I figure I'd make one here! Feel free to share any PF2 spreadsheets you find helpful or interesting. I have not made these, just figure it'd be helpful to have a bunch of these in the same place. Quick Reference Sheet for PC/NPC Stats: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1527ixdo1HOPNKwwnHJPEgp9bDm8Spx_-33R 0irBGB-E/edit?usp=sharing Summon Fey List: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16vgyRohPR23OdIeJ9M6IJr9QywcDrdHH5PJ YkztYGjY/edit?usp=sharing Earn Income Calculator: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1t4ZdpXQj_n8W6fUkOGCYsdd4SKJF0cnZLMD l4_o8myw/edit?usp=sharing Encounter Budget Calculator: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1t4ZdpXQj_n8W6fUkOGCYsdd4SKJF0cnZLMD l4_o8myw/edit?usp=sharing Monster Builder 1.2: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HMw4AixawD1X_hIlBrOtj4kw2ju6RPa7avl f_78ixIA/edit?usp=sharing
One thing I do plan on changing is setting up the Skinsaw cult a bit better. Most of the book revolves around the bank heist and dealing with the Copper Hand, then does an abrupt key change to the murder cult. I think what I'll do is flesh out the Dicaspiron's plan a bit more. I like the idea of Father Skinsaw teaching his followers to use the way a person dies to divine the future (as opposed to reading the stars, the flight patterns of birds, tea leaves, etc.). They chart out each stab, cut, throttling, etc. on the body and read it like omens. So Dicaspiron's end-game is to re-shape the world via murder and use this grim omen reading as a way to do it, but on a larger scale. One Skinsaw killer can glean a few secrets, but what if you had an entire city of people committing murder? What if you could fill entire populations with murderous intent? Think of the revelations one could get by killing Absalom! Dicaspiron is using Norgorberite rituals to fill the minds of others with a drive to kill (similar to the PF1 spell Murderous Command) and use that to put her divination into hyper-drive. To test it out, she's doing smaller versions of the ritual that only target a few people at a time (I'm choosing Gilel, Kolo when confronted about the Penny & Sphinx robbery, Franzic from Droan's gang, and one of the NPC's in Edgewatch itself). All of them have been having dreams of committing acts of extreme violence and have been on edge for several days as the ritual fills them with a bloodlust they've never known.
Just started this book and OH BOY are we off to the races already. The PC's were given the leads to the three banks, the tannery, and the request for aid from Ziraya against the smugglers. They decide to ignore all of that to investigate the Copper Hands directly and went to their "friend" Jeremin Hoff from the House of the Planes for info. They had left on good terms with Hoff (largely because he doesn't know they're in Edgewatch), so I figured Hoff could point them towards Percen Droan's smuggling operation as a way to "distribute their new drugs" they have as part of their undercover personas. So instead of showing up at Droan's as part of the Muckrucker raid, they show up undercover with a business offer by boat. With some good Diplomacy rolls and name dropping Hoff and Droan, they get into a meeting with Droan to talk...just in time for the sirens to start howling outside as Ziraya's raid begins. Their current plan is to "rescue" Droan from the raid as a way to gain his trust and use that to get info on the Copper Hand. Love this twist, should be a blast!
Oh sweet, I'm excited! I've been listening to the "Revolutions" podcast talk about the French Revolution and its so much more complicated and interesting than I knew. POTENTIAL SPOILER IDEA: Also curious if the one stat block we had in 1e for a Gray Gardener who was an inquisitor of Norgorber will be an anomaly or revealing about the Gardeners at large...
...a twisted part of me wonders if Mother's Day is a Lamashtu holiday in Golarion.
Hey guys. My players seem keen to investigate the missing persons (they asked Ollo specifically to relieve them of their patrol duties and assign them the cases) so I would really like to expand on the missing persons list and allow them to investigate each missing person individually instead of being pressured to go to the pagoda immediately. Does anyone out there have any mini-investigations (one or two sentences per missing person describing who they were, what they were doing, when they went missing and who reported their disappearance) I could use? Sure! Its a bit tricky because a lot of the trails run cold pretty fast, but that's kinda the point because eventually the PC's realize the Dreaming Palace is a tie between all of them which triggers the final act of the book. Kemeneles: missing wizard, master of Eunice. Eunice knows Kemeneles had gone to apply for jobs at the Arcanamirium, Forae Logos, Pathfinder Society, and noble houses but failed. The PC's can spend a few hour in-game asking these groups for info but finding none. The last known place Kemeneles was seen was the Dreaming Palace, with Honeywell or Ralso seeing him walk out for a job interview. I'm having my group get Eunice enrolled at the Arcanamirium's classes so the poor kid has a place to stay. Archibald Knight & Minera Frum: missing zookeeper and veterinarian who were having an affair, but the beds in their wagons were cramped so they went to the Dreaming Palace for more comfortable accommodations. The other zookeepers are aware of the affair and the wagons are cramped (also Minera's diary mentions finding a more comfortable bed). It would be reasonable to assume the lovers eloped, but they left their livelihood behind (the zoo and a lot of coin/equipment) so that doesn't check out. Mentioned in the sidebar on page 23, but not fleshed out further (no judging, gotta keep the page count under control) Anastatia Corvis: Irriseni merchant who came to sell icewine. I'm going to have this be a complaint from a noble house that was going to buy the icewine and had paid some in advance but then the wine seller went missing. The noble remembers meeting Corvis at a hotel, but can't recall the name. Elama Mohaso: dwarven scholar from Rahadoum who came to the city to study at the Forae Logos. Can tie this into Kemeneles's investigation if you like or at least use the same NPC's. I'm going to do that and also tie Mohaso's research into the Radiant Siege to plant the seed of that idea in the minds' of my players. Lyrma Swampwalker: a gnome ranger from Vidrian who came to Absalom to see the fair. We don't get much about Lyrma, but she does have a trident and comes from Vidrian, so I'm thinking of making some jokes about her hunting a grippli criminal who murdered her family named Constantine or Kermit or something (the Muppet-pun will make it look like a lame joke to my players, so they won't take it seriously. The Sachta Family: a family of Jalmeri tourists consisting of mother and father Vindi and Sudhar and their 8-year-old twins Bashar and Nita. I'm going to have the twins cause some mischief that gets them in trouble, but nothing serious or harmful (lvl 1 Heal spell would be enough to remedy any damage, if that). The family will be a minor blip on the radar, just another set of faces, until the Jalmery consulate files an official request (which is what Lavarsus includes in the file for the PC's).
Using the surname "Pratchett" for a villain as a bluff to hide the villain's motives and using the surname "Pratchett" to disparage a beloved comedic-fantasy writer are not the same thing. Your post is either incredibly reactionary or made in bad faith. Either way, grow up.
1. I love the Medium as a class, thank you for this! 2. Omg just having the spirits give you the archetype feats is brilliant!
In 2020 I'm just ignoring all plagues and diseases cuz...ya know...
Damn, this looks fun as hell! I'm a big of Terimor's look and design. I do have a couple questions though: 1. Have we been shown what Graveraker look like? I keep imagining the big construction machine from that old "Are You My Mother?" book. 2. So Terimor orchestrates Starborn getting imprisoned and tricks the Grand Council into electing her acting-Primarch which fulfills the Twilight Four's deal with Norgorber and gets her a spark of his divine power, then...what's next? She just goes to her new fortress, being influenced by the Cane, and...just devolves into madness? I feel like I'm missing her future goals somewhere. An idea: Terimor's magnum opus is to literally steal the entire city of Absalom. With Graveraker, the Cane, and Norgorber's power I feel like its entirely reasonable for her to just teleport the entire city (and everyone in it) to another plane, likely Norgorber's turf below Axis.
I am so unbelievably pumped for this! I've actually got a game going Wed night where the PC's are Pathfinders traveling to Magaambya to learn/steal knowledge and (hopefully) build up the relationship between the Society and Academy. Last session they had to help the Academy by going to the observatory where a ratfolk sorcerer-in-training had accidentally opened up a portal to the Plane of Water, flooding the entire complex and triggering the automatic Animated Brooms to deploy around the observatory to clean up. It wasn't until I started playing the song that they got the reference lol.
I'm just here for the sharktopus.
Metallurgy was a BIG part of irl alchemy but isn't represented much in the PF2 alchemist class (or the PF1, afaik). You have Silversheen (way too expensive, imo) and the Philospher's Stone, but not much beyond that. This research field is focused on buffing equipment, providing metallic effects, and making tools to solve problems. Here are some spit-balled ideas: Field Discovery: you can make extra vials of Silversheen (treat object as silver), Cold-Iron Lodestone (treat object as cold iron), or just a general Strengthen Metal Object vial (object has more Hardness, hp, and is better balanced to give +1 attack rolls for a short time). Perpetual Infusions: Silversheen, Cold Iron Lodestone, or Strengthen Metal vial Some objects to go with the new Research Field: Cold Iron Lodestone: this small hunk of dark-gray rock is strongly magnetic and sticks to objects. After sticking to a metal object for 10 min, that object will be treated as if it were made of cold iron for [insert duration here], after which the lodestone becomes inert. Strengthen Metal Object Polish: this quicksilver-like substance can be applied to any metallic object to make it harder, sturdier, sharper, and better balanced (essentially giving it a +1 on whatever roll is made with that object or to that object's DC, whichever works best). It taps into the platonic idea of what the object should be but this almost-perfection only lasts for a short time of [insert duration here]. Metallic Body Mutagen: same as Stone Body, but instead of the penalty to Reflex saves you are weak to electricity damage. Adamantine/Mithral/Sovereign Steel/Orichalcum Sheen: like Silversheen or the Cold Iron Lodestone, but gives the object the properties of adamantine, mithral, sovereign steel, or orichalcum for [insert duration here]. Could also do the same for the other star metals featured in the Shattered Star adventure path (noqual, abysium, djezet, etc.) I've considered adding in something to make crafting metallic construct creatures easier, but idk what that would look like. Thoughts? Critiques? Ideas? L
As a potential change to the heist-where-you-fail-no-matter-what-you-do, here's an idea: The PC's open the vault and do find the poison gas bomb, but its one of two. The lizardfolk already have the other, but they need both of them to hit everyone in the Irorium. One poison gas bomb will only effect about half the crowd (depending on crowd density, wind, etc.), so when the PC's succeed in the heist and confiscate the poison gas bomb from the casino it will massively cut down on the lives lost at the Irorium. As far as I know, this won't change anything of import in the adventure. The overall flow will change, but the players and PC's will be able to get the "reward" for successfully pulling off a casino heist to save the people of Absalom. I could see some players still being disappointed by this ("Oh, so he has another poison bomb somewhere else? Great, way to force this event to happen railroading DM") but they'll still get something for doing an Ocean's 11, especially if you treat it like the poison bomb would have been picked up by the Norgorberites had the PC's not succeeded at the heist. If there's anything I'm missing or any other complications that would make this not work please let me know!
I think what I'll do is this: -Increase the power of the talisman effects (mostly change them to replicate spells) -Broaden the triggers/requirements to make it more likely that you can actually benefit from them -Cut the cost in half for buying/crafting For example, the Jade Cat talisman would be changed like this: Price: 3 gp Requirements: none (just affix to armor) Benefit: For 1 minute after you activate the cat, you are treated as if you had Feather Fall, you are not flat-footed when you Balance, and narrow surfaces and uneven ground are not difficult terrain for you. (RAW Jade Cat talisman, for reference: https://2e.aonprd.com/Equipment.aspx?ID=223)
I really like the idea of talismans and the Talisman Dabbler archetype. They fit the flavor of any fantasy world well, many of them are very creative, and they fill the niche of "consumable magic charm" well. However, after reading through talismans and the Talisman Dabbler archetype, I feel a bit...underwhelmed. Part of this is certainly due to them being so new that they haven't been fully fleshed out like potions, wands, staves, etc. However, many talismans have very specific triggers and uses that they feel too specific to be worth using. The Dabbler archetype certainly makes them easier to use, but since so many of them are niche it doesn't really feel worth pursuing. I think the design idea behind talismans being comparable to potions/elixirs is good, but because these are so niche they just need a tweak to be worth the trouble. What I've started doing is making changes like changing the Jade Cat talisman to act as the Feather Fall spell instead of just letting you ignore 20 ft worth of fall damage (in addition to the help it gives you while balancing, walking on uneven terrain, etc.). The Dabbler archetype could also benefit from being able to share the benefits of talismans with allies. To use the Jade Cat as an example again, giving the party's sorcerer the benefits of the talisman while they're falling from a high tower could be incredibly useful. Maybe increasing the number of times a talisman can be used before its magic is expended could be good as well (equal to the number of Dabbler feats you have?). Anyone else make any changes to the talismans or the Talisman Dabbler archetype? Am I underestimating these magic baubles?
This is exactly the sort of nonsense I love!
While the four spell lists are fairly universal and wizards cast Magic Missile in very similar ways, the actual philosophies behind different magical cultures in Golarion aren't super-fleshed out. Let's fix that by coming up with different magical paradigms (to borrow the word from Mage: the Ascension). Magic as Mastery Most commonly found in Cheliax and its former holdings but originating on Taldor, this paradigm looks at magic as a different forms of mastery. Mastery over elements, mastery over shapes, mastery over minds, etc. The spells commonly taught emphasize control, dominance, and commanding. It engenders a steely will, dedicated study, and a towering ego. Magic as Change While most paradigms have vague origins, this paradigm originated with Old Mage Jatembe himself. He taught the idea that magic, much like life, is about change. Changing one thing to another, changing someone's mind, changing places, all to live harmoniously. Closely tied to the halcyon magic taught in the Magaambyan Academy, this paradigm has dominated central Garund for millenia.
Omg this made me cry! <3 Now I want to see Estra (spiritualist) tearing it up on the dance floor.
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