OmegaZ's page

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.

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?

Posted this on Reddit, reposting here to cover my bases.

So since PF2 started I had written off Inhaled poisons as a situational hazard for DMs to use as traps, but never really considered using them as an NPC or PC.

However, the Inhaled trait states:

"An inhaled poison is activated by unleashing it from its container. Once unleashed, the poison creates a cloud filling a 10-foot cube lasting for 1 minute or until a strong wind dissipates the cloud. Every creature entering this cloud is exposed to the poison and must attempt a saving throw against it; a creature aware of the poison before entering the cloud can use a single action to hold its breath and gain a +2 circumstance bonus to the saving throw for 1 round."

My understanding of this is that the container of inhaled poison can be opened and the 10 ft cube can be centered on the user OR pointed in a direction, so the cube only has to be adjacent to the user. Is this correct?

Also, can inhaled poison containers be thrown like a bomb, breaking on impact and releasing the toxins into the air?

If the directed-release or thrown uses work, Inhaled poisons are a LOT more useful than I had assumed based on previous experience. It would allow Alchemists and others to use inhaled poisons as battlefield control items, which hasn't been part of the Alchemists/Alchemical Items discourse that I've seen.
I suspect this reading is incorrect, otherwise others would have spotted it first, but I don't think its necessarily wrong. If nothing else, it'd be interesting to make an alchemical tool that releases inhaled poisons as a 15 foot cone or something.

As the title, I had been telling an alchemist in my party that they can apply injury poison to a Junk Bomb and the poison would hit everyone that took damage from the Junk Bomb.

However, after re-reading the rules on injury poisons I think I might be wrong. Specifically:

"An injury poison is activated by applying it to a weapon or ammunition, and it affects the target of the first Strike made using the poisoned item. If that Strike is a success and deals piercing or slashing damage, the target must attempt a saving throw against the poison. On a failed Strike, the target is unaffected, but the poison remains on the weapon and you can try again. On a critical failure, or if the Strike fails to deal slashing or piercing damage for some other reason, the poison is spent but the target is unaffected."

What's the correct answer here?

I'm looking into making an inventor who uses a lot of gadgets and I love the ones that were printed in G&G. However, I wonder which ones are best to pick up. Any advice on ones to definitely pick up and/or avoid?

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?

I had mentioned it in the title, but SPOILERS FOR BOOK 4 OF AGENTS OF EDGEWATCH. Okay? Okay.

In Assault on Hunting Lodge Seven, the Agents infiltrate the Noxious Retort, delve into the poison temple, fight through venomous fiends and monsters all to arrest Jonis Flakfatter, the Infector, for the (attempted?) poisoning at the Irorium. Jonis, a clever man and member of the Twilight Four, surrenders to the Agents custody knowing his hired protectors will come to rescue him from wherever the Agents hold the poisoner.

Except this is all assuming that the Agents take him alive in the first place. I'm fairly certain my players won't care about Jonis being taken into custody, even if the poisonous priest doesn't fight them, and understandably so. Jonis is a devious, unrepentantly evil, murderer (and in my game a huge part of the drug trade) who orchestrated a terrorist attack all to appease Norgorber. Why on earth would the Agents care about taking him alive, beyond questioning him for information or an ironclad sense of justice and proper law enforcement?

In my view, the assumption that the players take Jonis alive leads to some fun and interesting gameplay, but its also a huge assumption on what the players will do. So what does a GM do if the players kill Jonis?

My idea would be to keep chapter 2 basically the same, but the attackers coming after the PC's are out for revenge and/or seeking Blackfingers' favor by taking the Agents down. To protect the Agents, they're brought to Gevrin Manor as a safehouse to hide out in until the legal/social ramifications of the Agents extra-judicial killing of a citizen/high priest (Norgorberite or not) is sorted out. All of the alchemists, poison priests, venom mages, clockworks, etc. can assault the hunting lodge as scripted with minimal tweaks. This also gives the GM time to show how the Rumormonger is turning the populace against the Agents and guard, each issue of the Eyes on Absalom "asking questions everyone is thinking" about the Agents activities. Sure, taking out a serial killer and murder cultists is all good, but Jonis was a semi-respected member of the community who ran an (ostensibly) gentle temple of Blackfingers. Its hard to hate the alchemy temple when they provide medicines and Elixirs of Life to the general populace.

Got a question from a player about flying and want to confirm the action economy. The question is does moving and hovering in place use 1 action or two actions?p/b]

[b]EDIT: oh hey, here's the part I missed! On the rules for Fly it states "You move through the air up to your fly Speed. Moving upward (straight up or diagonally) uses the rules for moving through difficult terrain. You can move straight down 10 feet for every 5 feet of movement you spend. If you Fly to the ground, you don’t take falling damage. You can use an action to Fly 0 feet to hover in place. If you’re airborne at the end of your turn and didn’t use a Fly action this round, you fall."

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

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!

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?

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

How many turns on the initiative is too many? Like, you have 4 PC's + X baddies gets to be too many? 10 seems like a good upper limit to me, but maybe that's not what its about? Is it more about how long a player has to wait for something to happen that involves their character maybe?

I'm sure this will differ by player and by table, but I'm curious at what point you stop having a good time.

PF2 has switched to new iconic characters for the alchemist, oracle, gunslinger. Damiel (alchemist), Alahazra (oracle), and Lirianne (gunslinger) find themselves moping together in a tavern, mourning their lost status as adventuring heroes. Why did their friends abandon them? What's so great about that tengu or the dwarf? Damiel feels the worst, having been replaced by a goblin of all creatures.

Enter Thean Tagonist (antipaladin), a black armored man with a horned helm, sword, and shield on his back. He gives a wicked grin and invites them to join him. Together they will have revenge on those "heroes" who left them behind!

Came up with the idea as a gag, but I think there'd be some fun in running a short adventure where the iconics have to deal with their forgotten friends seeking vengeance, being spurned to hate by the (technically not iconic) antipaladin. Could even try to frame the new iconics for some dastardly crime!

Note: the new iconics are rad, I like them a lot!

Players usually have their characters travel on foot at lower levels, maybe on horseback if they can. As most low-level PC's aren't rolling in coin, this makes total sense.

However, once they start getting some serious coin, I feel like more PC's should upgrade their travel arrangements to a wagon. Wagons are more comfortable, they provide shelter, make it easier to transport luggage, can give cover in a fight, and shows that you're not just some itinerant murderhobo.

Abadar's faithful often use the Safecamp Wagon which provides some lovely features and can shrink down to the size of a child's toy. I could see a party making similar upgrades to their wagon, like the Alarm spell, increased hardness/HP, make it larger on the inside, etc.

My next game with a lot of time on the road will feature some cool wagons that PC's can get.

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

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?

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.

I have read through the first three books and I really think they're fun, but the themes seem a bit disjointed to me. On one hand you're a circus troupe, traveling around the Isle of Kortos and dealing with the Celestial Menagerie. On the other hand you're also dealing with the xulgath's threat to wipe out life with the Aeon Stones, a threat you essentially stumble upon.

Both of these themes are good and I think are handled well in the adventure, but they really don't seem connected much. We find out that Dusklight was working with the xulgaths, but that connection seems like a weak link to make the two themes work together more. Were I playing this adventure, I would feel drawn to one theme at the expense of the other.

Has anyone else felt this way? Any solutions? Am I totally missing something?

I have not played or ran the adventure yet, so if it comes together in-game I apologize.

Let's figure out which PF2 weapons work best with the swashbuckler's abilities!

-Swashbucklers start being Trained in simple weapons, martial weapons, and unarmed strikes, so anything in those categories is fair game.

-The Precise Strike ability specifies Agile or Finesse weapons/unarmed strikes, so those would be best.

Interestingly, the rules do NOT specify that the weapon has to do piercing damage or be used in one hand to trigger Precise Strike, so that opens it up to more options than PF1 swashbuckler (ignoring feats like Slashing Grace).

Given those qualifications, here's what we have in Simple and Martial. The weapons with the highest damage dice are bold.

Simple: all are at 1d4, no clear winner.
-Fist
-Clan Dagger
-Dagger
-Gauntlet/Spiked Gauntlet
-Katar
-Light Mace
-Sickle

Martial:
-Dogslicer
-Elven Curved Blade
-Filcher's Fork
-Hatchet
-Kama
-Kukri
-Light Hammer
-Light Pick
-Main-gauche
-Orc Knuckle Dagger
-Rapier (obviously)
-Sai
-Sap
-Scourge
-Shortsword
-Spiked Chain
-Starknife
-Whip

Advanced: while the swashbuckler does not begin with proficiency in these, its good to see what's available
-Aldori Dueling Sword
-Sawtooth Saber

So all 3 of the "best" options, Elven Curved Blade, Spiked Chain, and Aldori Dueling Sword, are 1d8 weapons that have the Uncommon trait. An elven swashbuckler could easily pick up the Elven Curved Blade and someone from Brevoy could grab the Aldori Dueling Sword. I'd said its reasonable for a Nidaleese swashbuckler to be proficient with the Spiked Chain as well, given the nation's connection to Zon-Kuthon.

Thoughts? Critiques? Suggestions? Stuff I missed?

I've only breezed through the material on rebuilding and manning the citadel so I'm curious what peoples' experience has been. Do the rules seem okay for it? Does your group enjoy it? Is it playing a role in your adventure? I haven't seen it mentioned much, which is a bit disappointing, but I understand that Age isn't necessarily the castle-simulator adventure path.

As the title. I know that Wisdom is needed for Perception and such, but I'm not seeing anything about the monk class abilities/feats that asks for Wisdom. The sample Ki Monk says they use Wisdom for their ki abilities, but I'm not seeing in the rules anywhere that backs that up. Am I missing it on another page?

So hear me out: a bard built as a dancer who takes the multiclass archetype for monk as a way to gain the different styles (namely Crane Style) and Iron Fists for better unarmed strikes.

The styles can all be re-fluffed as different battle-dances, if you focus on Dex+Crane Style you're not MAD, you still get most of the good bardic abilities, and there ya go!

Thoughts?

Its that time again folks! The players guide for Tyrant's Grasp is out, so lets all share our character ideas!

-Medium who was inspired by the Pathfinders in Roslar's Coffer to explore the tomb and the history of the Shining Crusade. Became inspired by stories of the heroic crusaders..literally.

-Summoner with a castle-golem eidolon that's just completed their first contract as a merchant. They hope to join the Kalistocracy in Druma, but first they need to pay off some debts back home in Roslar's Coffer.

-Paladin of Iomedae who sees the virtue in humility. Does not think they are worthy of the sword, so they use a spear instead. Genuinely nice guy, not a bossy paladin but an encouraging one.

I've only read through book 1 entirely and it seems...fine. Certainly functional with some really cool parts, but kinda lacks direction imo (a better impetus for the PC's to do any of it would help). How do books 2, 3, and 4 look so far? I've skimmed books 2 and 3 and they look neat, but I'm hesitant to buy the 4th book.

I really like the idea of playing a game set in ancient Thassilon. The society alone is full of potential for adventure, but it needs to be fleshed out a bit more. I've read everything I can find on Thassilon and the runelords so I think I've got the right ideas for how the setting would be different. Here are some points I've got, let me know what you think and if you have any more!

-Thassilon's corruption depends a lot on whether or not Xin is still alive. Early on Thassilon would be LN and pretty progressive compared to the human-centric Azlanti Empire. Elves, dwarves, halfings, gnomes, orcs, and giants are all welcomed and this diversity brings strength. The corruption would creep in and grow as the years went on, but while Xin is still involved it can only get so bad (because the runelords would fear Xin discovering their abuses and take action against them).

-Society would be magocratic with monsters as part of the citizenry. Giants, lamia, undead, dragons, outsiders, etc. could all be part of Thassilon's society, walking the streets alongside the core races. There would be strife, but ultimately might makes right in Thassilon.

-Because runes and runic magic is so powerful, language itself could be restricted. If your lower class can't read, its hard for them to rise up. Writing becomes a privilege of the upper class mages, as its part of their justification to rule.

-Runes themselves are treated with a kind of reverence, as they hold magic power and are a symbol of the runelords' power. You're not going to deface the rune of Gluttony because Zutha's minions will come after you. The form a rune takes would also be an important indicator of status: if its a brand it marks you as a slave but if its worn as an amulet it marks you as protected by that runelord. If you don't have a rune, you aren't a protected citizen and therefore can be hunted by monsters.

-Learning wizardry/magic is restricted to the upper class, as it solidifies their power and keeps the lower classes subjugated. If you're a low class sorcerer you have to be careful not to alert the runelord's enforcers. Access to spellbooks, regular books, scrolls, etc. is highly restricted.

-If you're in the upper class, life is pretty good. You probably live a comparable life to nobles in current Golarion, but there's greater pressure to become a mage and less writing to go around (since less people are literate). If you're not in the ruling class, you're likely either a skilled worker, soldier, or apprentice mage. If you're not any of these, you're likely a vassal or slave.

-Since monsters are part of society and some of them eat people, there are probably laws that allow for the hunting/killing/consuming of vassals for the purpose of food.

-Personal freedoms are a luxury for the upper class, and even then its limited. Speak publicly against the runelords? Prepared to be hunted, tortured, and possibly killed.

-As this is pre-Earthfall, the deities are different. The Azlanti deities spelled out in the Ruins of Azlant adventure are worshipped minimally, but Lissala and the Peacock Spirit faiths are dominant. I see this as similar to Cheliax: Asmodeus is the dominant faith, but faiths that don't upset the apple cart are allowed. Faiths that upset the apple cart are discouraged or persecuted.

-Adventuring itself is mostly done in service of the runelords and the ruling class. Dealing with internal power plays, slaying non-citizen monsters, messing with other runelords, etc. Fighting against the runelords is certainly possible, but as they command the most power/resources its an uphill battle.

Its in the title, but SPOILERS FOR THE ENTIRE ADVENTURE. Okay? Okay.

So I really enjoyed reading War for the Crown, but I think that some of the enemies could use more foreshadowing and an earlier introduction, namely the Immaculate Circle, Carrius, and other factions vying for the crown. I suspect this is the result of cuts due to page count, which is perfectly understandable. Here are some ideas I have for this:

Other Claimants to the Crown

-When getting the mission briefs from Martella and Eutropia, have them mention what's going on with some of the other claimants. House Tiberan in Cassomir could be marshaling troops that Eutropia needs to use her forces against, which is something you can show by having Eutropia meet with her generals or Martella talking with other agents to get the druids of the Verduran Forest to help out.

-The gnomes of House Starborne can be holdouts from either side, wanting the rest of Taldor to take their claim seriously but knowing they're a longshot at best. As they're geographically removed from most of the War and have limited resources, they're really just throwing their hat in the ring to make sure no one forgets about them. Have them talk a big game and maybe send some fey to harass the PC's and northern enemies, but they can be turned to Eutropia's side if shown respect (even mocking respect, they're in on the joke).

-Pythareus's agents are notably absent from the earlier adventures, so why not toss in an agent in book 2 that tries to get other nobles to side with the High Strategos? If you really want to make things interesting, make the agent a genuinely nice person who sincerely wants whats best for Taldor and believes Pythareus is the right choice.

-An assassination attempt on the PC's, Martella, or Eutropia herself would be a fitting side quest. The killer could come from any faction that hasn't joined the Princess's cause or even a crazed anarchist who sees this as the chance to end the Stavian line entirely. The attempt should fail of course, but it will show that the "home front" isn't entirely safe. Furthermore the increased security that follows the failed assassination could make the successful assassination in book 6 that more dramatic and impressive.

-While the PC's are more involved in the shadow war, the hot war should be a factor. PC's travelling from one region to another could encounter a battle, keen-eyed scouts, wounded soldiers, enemy knights, and more. These can be avoided entirely if the PC's are sneaky, turned to Eutropia's side with the right words/deeds, or eliminated.

Immaculate Circle

-The Circle is a secret society, so it makes sense that the PC's don't know much about them. However I could see players being blindsided when the IC comes out of left field in book 5 & 6. Book 1 doesn't need much change, as the players have enough going on already and Dagio is a nice hint, but books 2-4 could use a few dashes of Circle interference. More hints about Panivar Lotheed in book 2, signs of a greater force behind the Twilight Child cult, and a side-quest in book 4 about a corrupt noble who's trying to become a lich as a way to enter the Circle would be good.

-When the PC's rescue Carrius from the cult in Yanmass, send some agents after the PC's to retrieve the addled prince while they're on the road back to the Palace of Birdsong. These agents want the Prince alive, so they will likely use stealth the approach the players under cover of darkness, try to kill them while they sleep, and abduct Carrius. They don't have to kill the players, just get Carrius back, so their tactics should reflect this. Maybe put the PC's up in a large house that's either abandoned or owned by a merchant family loyal to Eutropia.

-Once Carrius is under Eutropia's protection, the Circle can send an enchanter/psychic/mesmerist to them to help "heal the prince's psyche" while actually encouraging the six emperor's to greater heights. This mentalist can stay with Carrius, helping him regain his strength and vitality. They can work with Carrius to turn the Taldan people to Eutropia's side until its revealed they're a member of the Circle when the PC's find evidence against him in Hyden. After that the mentalist can either stay on as an ally of Carrius for the players to fight or be killed by Carrius himself when the legends grow tired of the meddling mentalist. It likely won't come up, but the mentalist's method of immortality comes from swapping minds with other people, jumping from one body to another to cheat death.

-For a town that serves as the lair for an immortal cult of aristocrats, Hyden has surprisingly little defenses beyond "people don't go there anymore." Keep the town pretty empty of course, but a few more threats shouldn't be a problem. Toss in an aura of dread around the place (to justify people not going there, if nothing else), recurring nightmares for anyone within a mile of the town (courtesy of the sahkils), cursed earth that has grown barren, and Circle Cutthroats patrolling the town itself to kill anyone who enters the ghost town. Heck, why not throw in an actual ghost or haunts?

Prince Carrius Stavian

As final threat to Eutropia's rule, Prince Carrius should be developed a bit more before he goes full on Evil Spirit Emperor. In books 1 and 2 he should be name dropped by Eutropia and Martella at least, possibly while looking at a portrait of the young prince. Others can remember him fondly as well, especially the other nobles in book 2. You can also toss in the red herring that the Silent Brotherhood from book 1 was responsible for the Prince's death, but be careful not to let your players get too invested in this.

In book 3 I think its better to have the PC's discover that the Twilight Child cult has Carrius on their own instead of Martella telling them directly. Don't have Martella mention the cult in name, just have her offhandedly mention that there's some new offshoot of the Abadarn or Arodenite faith going on up in Yanmass, but she thinks their main focus should be turning the city to Eutropia and stopping Merkondus. Martella can also give the players some magical method of communicating with her from Yanmass, so when they do discover Prince Carrius they can let her know right away. Martella will be shocked of course and ask the players to finish up in Yanmass and bring the Prince safely to her so she can determine if this is truly the Prince reborn or a cruel trick.

Once in Yanmass, let the PC's come across the cult naturally. First as rumors and stories from people who have seen the presentation, then to seeing members do magic to help the poor in the streets. If you really want to keep the Big Reveal of Carrius off until the end, make it a tenant that only members of the cult can refer to Carrius by name, so all the commoners call him the Twilight Child. Instead of a nightly ceremony, make it a weekly ceremony (with the next ceremony due to start once the players have ample time to take care of the other threats).

After leaving Yanmass with Carrius and fighting off Xan, Carrius will still be pretty addled by his brainwashing and drugs. The PC's can make Heal checks to help him through the withdrawal, but give him growing moments of lucidity that get cut by imperialistic shouting, as the six legends possessing Carrius begin to show. You only need a couple scenes of Carrius being pleasant and maybe one to show a "mood swing", but this will set the stage for his later corruption. Try to keep him mostly pleasant, but clearly troubled by his experience beyond the grave so the players don't get annoyed with him.

During book 4 Carrius should be well enough to walk around, but Eutropia will ask Martella and the PC's whether news of his resurrection should be made public. If word spreads that the beloved prince has returned, it can garner symapthy from the Taldan people by humanizing the Stavian family. Furthermore it would also help decide succession more cleanly if Eutropia takes the crown, as there's now an heir (something Pythareus doesn't have). If news of Carrius's return isn't shared intentionally, it can be spread by the remaining Twilight Child cult members and followers. This could be bad for Eutropia, as many Taldans would take this as the Princess trying to hide her returned brother for nefarious reasons.

Either way, I think news of Prince Carrius should get out before Eutropia's death. This gives him the chance to ingratiate himself with the people, which further justifies his ascension to the throne in book 6. Carrius should be much more lucid when met in book 5, though his "mood swings" should still pop up. Carrius himself will tell Eutropia, Martella, and the PC's that he's still troubled by "bad dreams" about his time in the afterlife to keep them happy, but Carrius knows something is wrong with his psyche.

While the PC's are off in Axis during book 5, Carrius should be actively working as Eutropia's "public relations manager", helping cement the people's support and trust in the Stavian line with oratory and charity. The players likely will only hear about this indirectly due to the nature of book 5, but you can toss in some axiomites who are monitoring Taldor's civil war from Axis and can give the PC's updates about what's happening. Show that the people are flocking to Carrius and Eutropia, especially if Carrius gives a grand speech (while under the control of a spirit) that resonates with the people but has hints of Carrius's current state.

In book 6, have Carrius give another grand speech to the people and show many of Eutropia's supporters turning to follow the prince instead of hoping the PC's resurrect the princess. Once Carrius makes his claim that the PC's were behind Eutropia's assassination, the Taldan nobility and people turning against the players makes a lot more sense. From here the adventure can proceed as normal.

Abadar, the LN god of wealth, trade, cities, and nobility has his sacred animal listed as a monkey (and previously an eagle back in the 3.5 days). While the intelligence of monkeys is certainly something Abadar would value, I don't think the mischievous and flighty monkey to be the best fit for such a disciplined and reserved deity.

Inspired by Abadar's CR 4 divine servitor from Inner Sea Gods, the orsheval (think an iron horse), I think the better fitting sacred animal is the horse. Its a land animal which fits Abadar's Earth domain, its used for travel, its a pack animal making it indispensable for trade, and its often associated with nobility in the medieval world.

Ultimately this is just a small flavor change, as I don't think there are any game mechanics that involve sacred animals, but I think its fitting.

And don't get me started on Irori and the snail...

IMO abjuration doesn't get the love it deserves. Let's come up with new spells for the defensive spellcaster in your party!

-Dispel Abj/Conj/Evoc/Ench/Ill/Necr/Div/Trans: a level 2 spell that functions as Dispel Magic, but only for magic of the school you prepare. Example: you can use Dispel Illusion to get rid of an illusory wall, but not to get rid of a necromantic curse. Great for scrolls.

-Anti-Scry: lasts in hours per level. When the subject of the spell gets targeted by a divination spell, the subject immediately knows it, the diviner needs to make a caster level check to get any information, and the diviner takes damage (like psychic needles in their mind). Lesser versions could have the damage without blocking the actual scrying.

-Glass Shield: the next time the target gets hit by an offensive spell of 3rd level or lower, that spell gets automatically countered. This spell lasts in minutes per level or until discharged. More powerful versions of the spell can counter higher levels.

-Guilt Trip: the next time you are hit by an attack, the attacker has to make a Will save every time they try to attack someone for the next minutes per level. Kinda gives everyone else Sanctuary.

I like the idea of an alchemist that makes alchemically enhanced food instead of the usual potions. This can be a simple change of fluff, but I think there's potential here for something more.

My idea is to replace the normal Mutagen & Brew Potion class features with Alchemical Meal. Alchemical Meals are made and ingested in an hour (usually as the alchemist prepares other abilities) and can be eaten by a number of other allies up to the alchemist's Int modifier.

The Alchemical Meal grants a long-lasting bonus to whomever eats it, lasting for a number of hours per alchemist level. The bonus starts as a +2 to either Str, Dex, or Con (chosen by the alchemist when the meal is prepared) as well as temporary hit points equal to the alchemist's Int modifier. As the alchemist levels up the ability score bonus will increase and other features can be added, like DR, increased movement speed, darkvision, fast healing, etc.

Also, the alchemist adds spells like Hero's Feast to their Extract list.

The alchemist can also use Craft: Cook or Profession: Chef instead of Craft: Alchemy.

Thoughts? Comments? Ideas? Apologies if this idea has already been done.

While I really enjoy the plot for Bastards of Erebus, I feel like a few changes would go a long way in solidifying the themes of the adventure for players. Here's what I've done the first couple times that my players and I enjoyed:

-When you introduce the Children of Westcrown, instead of throwing a dozen NPC's at the players all at once just introduce the NPC's that share a class with your players (or a similar class). The Children will look up to their respective PC and you can make the other Children recruitable throughout the adventure (with possible XP rewards!)

-Show the shadow monsters as a threat early on, preferably "on screen." A PC could be woken up at night to the sound of something scratching at their window. A neighbor could disappear after stepping out the back door for a quick smoke. Bonus points if you can maneuver your players into staying out in the late evening.

-Show the Bastards gang doing bad stuff. If you want your players to care about something make sure it happens "on screen." They could be shaking down shopkeepers for "protection" money, beating someone up in an alley, dealing drugs (pesh and shiver), or robbing people at dusk (right before the shadow monsters come out and everyone is rushing home. This will help the PC's zero in on taking the Bastards as an achievable goal.

-When the PC's decide to start going after the Bastards (I recommend shortly after they rescue Arael), have the Bastards retaliate. PC's stop the Bastards from beating up a debtor? Bastards try to steal that PC's magic wand. PC's save a shop from being burnt down? Bastards send leg-breakers to rough them up. If the PC's are clever they can actually use these encounters to find the Bastards' base of operations before hand.

-In between dealing with the Bastards you can toss in an encounter with the Church of Asmodeus (which is notably absent from the entire adventure path). What I did was have a pyromaniac bard and cleric of Asmodeus give a sermon in a poor neighborhood that focused on the punishments lawbreakers, thieves, and rebels rightly suffered. The bard & cleric then bring out some poor fool who said the wrong thing after a couple drinks (and maybe a recruitable NPC?) to be burned alive. The only people around are the horrified onlookers and a couple guards (lvl 1 warriors), plus these particular bard and cleric are pretty unpopular in the Church, so the PC's have the chance to save the person without too great a risk.

-Another side mission you can have is to escort some cattle ranchers back to their homestead outside of the city. Along the road they can deal with some Bastards plus the hanniver gremlins from the book's Bestiary section. This will give them a chance to get outside the city and get to know how the commoners live under Chelish rule.

-Lastly, I like to include something to introduce the idea of the Flies hags. PC's can overhear a scary story about the witch of the swamps, a friendly NPC could get sick from the bugs after sailing too close to the swamp, mercenaries in town could mention at a bar that they're getting ready to head into the forest, etc. The Mother of Flies is an important NPC and should really talked about before book five, at least.

What stuff have you changed or added on for Bastards of Erebus?

Really like them all, but I'm curious why Ulon has the Community domain when he's the god of isolation. Is this to show his role as the god of conspiracy as well? Trickery + Community = conspiracy?

Hey Paizo. I wrote you folks an email to customer.service@paizo.com back on Sep. 20th at 10:00 PM CT, then again on Sep. 22nd at 10:49 PM CT, and Sep. 25th at 11:02 AM CT. I haven't receive any response to these emails so I'm reaching out to you here. Here are the emails I've sent.

Please help me out. Thanks in advance! :)

9/20 email:

Hey Paizo,

I'm trying to check out with PDFs of the Book of the Damned and Elemental Master's Handbook, but when I click to submit my order nothing happens. There's the little loading swirl on the screen, but then nothing happens. I've checked my email and my downloads but it the purchase isn't going through.

I did just add a new card to my account, could that be the trouble? I just checked my bank statement online and it showing 3 pending charges for $20.48. Obviously I only want 1 of these to go through, as I don't need to pay for the PDF's multiple times.

Let me know and thanks in advance!

Yours,
Tommy Zei
___________________________________________________________________
9/22 email:

Hello Paizo,

I deleted my old payment methods, re-entered my new card, but when I click "Place Your Order" nothing happens. Please do what you can to make sure the charge only goes through once. I've got money, you've got PDF's, let's make this happen.

Thanks in advance!

Yours,
Tommy Zei
___________________________________________________________________
9/25 email:

Hey Paizo,

Its been 5 days since my first email and I have yet to receive any responses. Would really like those PDF's. Please respond as soon as you can.

Yours,
Tommy Zei

I've read through the first Ironfang Invasion book, but I've been hesitant to buy more until I know whether or not I'm gonna run it. Now that we're (almost) at the end, what's the overall impression people have of the adventure? Any weak sections/books? How does it compare to other adventure paths?

Apologies if this idea has been discussed already, but what if swashbucklers could do a Flurry of Blows, like a monk? Maybe they need at least 1 panache or maybe it should cost them 1 panache, but I think it fits their flavor and mechanics to launch a barrage of rapier thrusts in quick succession.

It would certainly give them better opportunities to regain some panache through crits and killing blows, and I don't think this would be game breaking (probably bump them up a tier, but that's it). Thoughts?

So I'm a big fan of Mage: the Ascension, especially the Syndicate faction within their Technocracy. Tl;dr the Syndicate have vast control over most of the world's economics through their "hyper-economics". Basically, take the idea of super-science from comic books and apply it to trade, value, money, etc. They can do stuff like tie your personal luck to the Nikkei Index or spend the money on Krav Maga lessons to instantly master the martial art. Their biggest trick was getting everyone to see "worthless" bits of paper as being vitally important.

I think there's big potential in applying a similar type of economancy to Pathfinder. With Abadar, the Prophecies of Kalistrade, and the Aspis Consortium being three large factions it makes sense to me that they would have developed similar spells, feats, rituals, class options, etc. that stem from these ideas. Unfortunately the Prophet of Kalistrade prestige class isn't worth it for most PC's, but I like a lot of the ideas it has. Maybe make a Psychic discipline for Trade or a better Prophet of Kalistrade that's PC-friendly? The spell Coin Shot was a great idea, but let's expand on that.

Other ideas:

-Monk that worships Abadar and views the ebb and flow of trade the same way as the flow of ki. Ki would be your own sense of self-worth that you can invest in actions like attacks, Acrobatics checks, extra movement, etc.

-Value psychic discipline could derive power from understanding how we choose what to value, why, and how there's an inherent magic in that. A lot of enchantment, abjuration, and transmutation spells/abilities. Wisdom would be the Phenic Pool Ability, though maybe Charisma would make more sense? Probably have some of the Prophet abilities like Austentatious Display, Business Acumen, Purchase Spells, and Mystical Contacts.

-Re-work the Prophet of Kalistrade prestige class by expanding their spell list, maybe by giving them access to the Travel, Protection, Nobility, and Artifice domains. Purchase Spells can be expanded to any spell on the Prophets list, provided he pay the larger cost.

What do you think? Is this just so crazy it might work or stupid?

I really like the idea of the Medium occult class and I want it to work so badly, but its just bad. What are some of the changes people have made to it that work well?

Some ideas that I think would go well, in no particular order:

1. Change the Influence "cap" to 3+Charisma modifier. Let's say you're level 1 and have a 16 Charisma. With your +3 Cha modifier, your new Influence cap is 6, not 5. Makes Charisma matter more to the class. Spirit Surge is one of your main class features, I find it ridiculous that you can only use it 4 times a day at most before you lose control of your character. Imagine if Wizards could only cast 4 spells a day before losing control of their character!

2. Get bonus spells based on which Spirit you're channeling. Maybe you have to gain a point of Influence when you use them or something? This would give you some spells for levels 1-3 and would probably bump you up to the bard/mesmerist/inquisitor tier. Maybe there are a pool of Spirit Spells for each level, like the Champion gives you Enlarge Person, True Strike, Jump, or Gravity Bow for levels 1-4, then Bull Strength, Force Sword, Stone Throwing, or Tremor Blast for levels 5-9. The playtest Medium had something like this, if I recall.

3. Steal some of the Occult oracle mystery's revelations, like Automatic Writing, Project Psyche, Shroud of Retribution, and Spirit Walk.

4. Around level 10 and 15, let the Medium switch the spirit they're channeling and shorten the seance time to 30 min. and then 10 min. Being stuck with the Archmage all day when you really need the Marshall feels unnecessarily debilitating.

5. Favored locations are not required, but they do bump up the Influence cap by 1.

Mesmerist is one of the occult classes that appeals to me the most, but I'm not really sure what a high-level one looks like. I know it can be built several different ways of course, but let's just go with the archetype of the cunning manipulator who's decent at melee combat and excellent at debuffing enemies. Would it be comparable to a high-level bard of a similar build? I feel like it would be very close.

Here's what I've got for the Medium in my house rules. I really like the flavor of this class and I think it can be good, but it needs some work. Thoughts?

Spellcasting

Spell casting progression like the bard/mesmerist/spiritualist. Use spiritualist spell list for lvl 5 and 6. If a spell shows up on both the Medium and the spiritualist spell list at different levels, you get it at the earlier level.

If the Medium's other abilities were comparable to the bard's spell progression their spell progression would be okay, but they simply don't.

Spirit Surge

The dice size increases to 1d8 at lvl 5, 1d10 at level 10, 2d6 at level 15, and 2d8 at level 20.

An extra 1d6 doesn't cut it when you get to mid-levels and above. The escalation of the dice matches the Warpriest's sacred weapon damage dice.

Favored Locations

Favored locations are not required to channel the spirit you want. However, if you do channel a spirit in their Favored Location, the Spirit Bonus increases by 1.

I like the idea of favored locations, but not the requirement for them. Sure, most DM's will be loose with this requirement, but that's not really a solution to the problem.

Archmage Arcana

Spell Focus of your choice for free while channeling the Archmage. The type of Spell Focus you have can be different every time you channel the Archmage. At level 10, you also get Greater Spell Focus in the same school of magic.

Also, for each level of spell you can now cast (including level 0), each time you channel an archmage spirit, select a single spell of that level from the sorcerer/wizard spell list to add to your medium spell list and spells known until you lose contact with the archmage. When you cast these spells, they count as arcane (though not for the purpose of fulfilling prerequisites), and thus you must provide verbal and somatic components instead of thought and emotion components.

Changed this, since the Medium now has the bard's spell progression.

Divine Surge

You can touch yourself or an ally as a move action to relieve the following conditions: fatigued, shaken, or sickened. At level 5 you can also relieve dazed, diseased, or staggered. At level 10 you can relieve cursed, exhausted, frightened, nauseated, or poisoned. At level 15 you can relieve blindness, deafness, paralysis, or stunned. You can do this an amount of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier.

Also, for each level of spell you can now cast (including level 0), each time you channel a hierophant spirit, select a single spell of that level from the cleric/oracle spell list to add to your medium spell list and spells known until you lose contact with the archmage. When you cast these spells, they count as divine (though not for the purpose of fulfilling prerequisites), and thus you need a divine focus if the spell requires one.

The first part is similar to the paladin's mercies. I feel like being in a position to relieve these conditions is uncommon enough to be on par with a well chosen Spell Focus, though I'm not 100% sure.

Good! I'm crossing all my fingers here in hopes that this book does martial characters justice. Unchained was a great step in the right direction (especially for monks), so I'm really hoping this works out.

So the mesmerist class looks pretty simple, in terms of how it works and what optimal ways to build it are. It works EXTREMELY well with rogue, since you can pick up Improve Feint without needing Combat Expertise, so I'm sure there will be plenty of multi-classing there.

For pure mesmerists though, it looks like you'll have many of the same builds as a bard. Prioritizing Charisma, Con, and Dex are always going to be good for you, so its just a matter of deciding how much melee/ranged combat you'll be doing. Doesn't look like the class gives you many ranged options, but an elf or half-elf could start out with a longbow from level 1.

I dunno, I'm just spit-balling as I fall asleep. What do you think? I kinda want to make a NG mesmerist who works with the mentally insane to help understand and heal their fractured minds.

In an upcoming Rise of the Runelords adventure I'm going to be playing a human fighter named Kellan. Kellan is going to be a member of the Sandpoint militia and an avid combatant with a variety of weapons, to the point where he's essentially a Swiss Army Fighter.

The idea is to create a fighter who is good with a variety of weapons, so he always has what's needed in a fight. I got the inspiration for his build from Treantmonk's guide to the ranger, where he suggests a switch-hitter build that uses both archery and a two-handed weapon for the main weapons, using Quick Draw to change weapons on the fly depending on what the situation needed. I decided to take it one step further: why just archery and two-handed? Why not archery, reach, and a little sword/board?

Many of you will say that this fighter is going to lack focus and come up short, which is definitely a possibility. However, I think that the fighter has the best chance of making this idea work, since he has the most feats of any class.

Right now I've got Quick Draw, Point Blank Shot, and Power Attack feats. Kellan fights with a lucerne hammer (reach), flail/heavy shield (for defense), longbow (dedicated range) and has three chakram to use for when he needs range on the fly. Threw in a sap as well, since he is a town guard and the people prefer non-lethal damage.

For range Kellan will get Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, and Deadly Aim. For melee he will get Improved Sunder, Combat Reflexes, Step Up, Cleave (trade out later), Disruptive, Shield Focus, and probably Toughness (to make up for Con 12).

What do you think? Is this crazy? Crazy enough to work? Any feat recommendations?

I've been running The Snows of Summer for the past few weeks, and I have two questions:

1. How much is it actually snowing? I don't think the book says it, but its really starting to screw over my player's ranged inquisitor, which leads me to ask...

2. The rules for snow state that while snow is falling it gives a -4 to all ranged attacks, just like rain. My player's ifrit inquisitor just hit level 2, she has Point Blank Shot, but still gets screwed by the snow anytime she wants to shoot. How do I make her feel like she's not getting completely hosed all the time? In the High Sentinel Lodge she was fine and I had the snow stop for the night when some random encounter wolves showed up, but its prohibitively difficult for archers.

Just finished running the third session of Reign of Winter using the alternate armor as DR rules from Ultimate Combat. It seems to be fine so far, the changes themselves are easy and everyone is still having fun, but I do have one concern: ranged weapons seem to be very weakened in this alternate system. Is there a way around this? Are the ranged attacks just weak because its book 1? We just finished up the High Sentinel Lodge, so it could be that lvl 1 warriors aren't a serious threat, but Rohkar's crossbow didn't seem too scary either.

Well, my players finally did it. It took them awhile, but they managed to reach 0 Trust Points in Ravengro. I put up warning signs, I gave them options to avoid all this, I explained that all actions have consequences, but they managed to make an entire town of people hostile towards them. After the town hall burned to the ground, there was no way around it. The people grabbed their torches and pitchforks and chased them away into the night.

I've never been so proud.

Now I've got to figure out how to run the rest of the adventure, because we are WAY "off script". Right now the PC's are level 2, in the woods/fields outside of Ravengro, with nothing in their inventory but manacles (attached) and the clothes on their backs. Before the town hall fire, they had been arrested for breaking into Harrowstone, stealing from the Restlands, and some other trouble around town, so all their gear is in the Ravengro jail.

What should I do? If they go back to town to get their stuff, they are almost CERTAIN to get spotted by the townsfolk and the mob will start up again. If they try to finish Harrowstone, they'll be doing so with no gear. If they leave for Lepidstadt, they'll leave Ravengro to die a horrible ghostly death AND be very low leveled.

I'm honestly stumped by this one. I'm not a terribly cruel or hard DM, so I'll try to reasonably accomodate their plans, but this is a pickle. Any advice?

Has anyone ever played or ran a game with only a single player? I've been kicking the idea around for a while now and I find it very interesting. Part of the fun is tailoring the challenges to what the PC can do, which can be a bit tricky if they don't have access to healing.

What do you guys think? What kind of plots/encounters are good for solo adventurers? Any stories?

So my PC's just finished The House of the Beast, they have the Scroll of Kakishon, Zayifid and the Carrion King are dead, and they'll be returning to Kelmarane shortly. This is all going swimmingly and they're having a great time. Only problem? They're level 8 and Jackal's Price says they should be starting at level 7. On top of the that, they're only ~13,000 xp away from level 9!

I probably did too many random encounters in book 1 and in the Brazen Peaks, so I'm gonna stick with the written encounters from here on out, but what do I do about them being too high a level? I don't want to take away their xp, that would be stupid and mean.

So what's a DM to do? Do I ignore the first 13,000 xp of book 3? Obviously I'll leave out any random encounters, but how do I stop them from completely bulldozing their way through book 3? Maybe only give them half xp?

Outside of the Verduran Forest in Taldor and the Uskwood druids in Nidal, what other druidic circles have been fleshed out? I know that the Green Faith has some good information and serves as the non-deity "druidic faith", but what else do we know about it? What other druidic circles are out there?

I also think this is a good place to share ideas about different druidic circles. Here are some of mine:

-A halfling circle that focuses on a rare kind of magical white clay. The clay has restorative and healing properties that they use in their rituals and spells.

-Traveling Kellid druids that follow ley-lines from nexus to nexus, erecting monoliths and dolmens to mark these centers of power.

-Desert druids in Thuvia and Rahadoum that guide travelers from oasis to oasis. They are very proud of their skills and offerings of fine gifts are often necessary to secure their services.

A witch's patron is the source of their magic. By making a pact and communing with this entity/force, a witch is granted spells, hexes, a familiar, and other goodies. However, I haven't seen much talk about what people have done with the patron in game: no stories about the details of the pact, interacting with the patron, nothing.

I'm sure its out there and you all have good ideas, so let's here them! What is your witch's patron like? How is their relationship?

For example, a player of mine made a tengu witch with the Trickery patron. I asked if he wanted to come up with a patron or let that be something I come up with. He said no, so I decided his patron would be Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream. Seeing his face when the tengu learned who he had made the pact with was priceless. Much hilarity ensued.

Quick question: what is the highest selling Pathfinder product? Any chance of getting a list of them? I'm honestly curious where everything falls (guessing Core is highest). Thanks in advance!

Starting Council of Thieves tomorrow, have the party made up and we are ready to meet at Vizio's Tavern. One thing I wanted to change is the downtime section (after Arael's rescue, before the Bastards' hideout). Instead of just having Thesing and the PC's lying low, I wanted to give them some side quests to get a feel for Westcrown, get to know the other Children of Westcrown, and set up the Bastards. Here's what I have so far:

-The elven alchemist PC loses contact with her mentor. Upon investigation, she finds that he's being killed by the Alchemical Ooze Swarm (Haunting of Harrowstone bestiary) he's been working on. Kill the ooze swarms, save the mentor, get fame points, gp, and gold.

-Fiosa has found out through her halfling friends that some slaves have found a ship that will take them out of Westcrown to Andoran. Problem is, they need help getting out of the villa and to the docks. PC's will be left to come up with their own solution to this problem, but it will likely involve distracting nobles, eluding Hellknights, etc. Would get fame points, but no gp.

-A demonic cleric has been kidnapping children for sacrifice. To save them, the PC's must ally with an Asmodean inquisitor! Puts them in an awkward position, and I intend to have the inquisitor be a recurring character.

-Bandits in Rego Dospera (ruined slums in the northern city) are having a turf war! Help the civilians get out of the crossfire while fending off gangs and opportunists. Clues leading to the Bastards of Erebus will show up, including the location of their hideout.

What do you think? Any ideas on what I can throw in?