Paul Watson's page

Hmmm..

15 levels you say? Sounds like my player could have used this back at 5th level... but then I'm not sure our existing campaign will make it to level 20 anyway.

Are there any rules regarding the defeat of this devil? Other than it be singlehanded?

Is there enough background for me to logically point to which order she should join, being based out of Magnimar? Or is that decision more attitudinal in nature?

(We're doing Runelords)

Gotcha! Thanks for the help! I've started to take lots of notes as I read through the rulebook, but I have another basic question. This probably applies to roleplaying in general, but as a GM, would you ever establish a minimum ability score to prevent a player from having to use a 3, when they've already rolled 4 or 5 decent ability scores? My thought was that 7 would be a good number, since it's pretty easy to get using the standard method, and it's modifier is only and -2. What do you guys think?

So, to answer the question, no, I personally wouldn't, but it's not a terrible idea and won't make the game fall apart if you do. 7 would seem to be a reasonable place to set it, if you're going to do that.

It's a thirteen level class.

The entry requirements include, all martial weapons, heavy armour, must be Lawful and must defeat a devil of equal hit dice singlehandedly, and this must be witnessed by an existing Hellknight.

The class is built very much like a Paladin of Law with abilities like Smite Chaos. Each order of Hellknights gets specific powers and at higher levels you can get additional powers from a list (including at very high level the abilities of other orders).

You do have to provide your own armour, though, so make sure you've got a good amount of cash handy. Although your customised suit does make moving easier (get fighterish movement bonuses at higher levels but only in your special armour).

Is that enough to tide you over, Watcher?

EDIT: A pointed out by Sniggevert, it's actually a 15 level class.

Ok, great! :) I think I got the Hit Dice thing down now, thanks for the help, and the kind welcoming! I also understand the Channel Energy Spell now, so that's a huge help. One more thing I can think of now is "touch" and "flat-footed." I understand that if we begin a round and my initiative is higher and I attack you before you've had a chance to do anything, your AC is flat-footed... at least I'm pretty sure. My question is what is touch AC and when is it used as opposed to the regular AC?

Assuming the regular AC is used after one round of battle, is that when the modifiers are used? A skeleton's AC is listed as: AC 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+2 armor, +2 Dex, +2 natural). What do the modifiers mean and when are they used?

Touch AC is when a touch attack is made. This is a special type of attack, usually the result of a magic spell such as Shocking Grasp or Chill Touch, where just touching the creature is enough, rather than hitting it hard enough to get through their armour/tough skin. It does not include natural armour, armour or shield bonuses. As the Skeletons's AC contains +4 from armour and natural armour, it's touch AC is four less.

You're correct on flat-footed, but that AC also applies when you're unaware of an attack, such as from an invisible or stealthed attacker. It ignores Dexterity modifiers (+2 in this case).

Um, is Round 2 started? I can't seem to find it.

Okay, I've been playing D&D since '83 and I've never heard of "aggro". What does this stand for/mean?

RiTz21,
I think it's correct.

Normally Close range is 25+5/2 levels. It's now 50+5/level. That's doubled. The static component is twice and the variable component occurs at twice as many levels.

EDIT: So it's doubled. For a given value of doubled.

So, when converting the Prc from earlier PF products (like the Brightness Seeker from Elves of Golarian or the Liberator from Second Darkness) do you drop the skill rank requirements by 3 because of the PF skill level system (you no longer get 4x at first level and can only take 1 rank/skill/level)?

Otherwise, to become a Brightness Seeker (req 8 ranks Knowledge) you would need to be L8 instead of L5....

• Make sure to check the prestige class requirements (and the rest of the class) for any skills that have been altered or removed from the game and adjust them accordingly. In addition, the skill rank requirements should be equal to the 3.5 requirements – 3 (minimum 1 rank). Note that some of the core prestige classes do not follow this formula exactly and you should consider these requirements carefully.
• Prestige classes should give few class skills, since many of these will be redundant from the class skills garnered by the class taken to qualify for the prestige class. Focus any class skills on the core concept of the class and leave the rest out.

midknight wrote:

It could perfectly refer to the magical properties a bonded item had before becoming a bonded item.

I have been staying out of this but ..thats kinda silly as it states that under"including any magic abilities added to the object". As you like to point out they all start as masterwork items.

The Grandfather wrote:

wraithstrike wrote:

I knew about that rule, and it was the reason for my statement. If they say the wizard can what is the logic behind saying a sorcerer with the arcane bond cant. I dont think that is what they will say, just in case though.

I appearantly did not get your point. Sorry.

It's ok, and it seems Jason shows up around 2ish EST pm. If I am awake I will bump the threads. To bad this site does not have PM's

Simcha,
To make the riots seem like a threat without directly confronting the PCs, have the riots impact on them indirectly. Burn their favourtie tavern down. Make talking to people more difficult as everyone's holed up waiting for the riots to pass. Have Commander Croft send them on a mission to help the guard clean up after the riots so they can see the aftermath. When they're out, make sure to mention the buildings that aren't there any more, the stains of blood and ash on the streets, a body pummelled so hard it can't be recognised. That will give them the idea.

As for the other problem, I'm afraid it's GM suggestion number one. When all else fails, talk to the players. Point out that you scaled back the interaction because they asked you too. Point out your valid concern that if you're less railroady (incidentally, it's an Adventure Path, so there is quite a bit of railroading going on by it's nature and they should be aware of that) they'll get lost and have less fun again. If they're going to want more interaction, they have to take some responsibility for picking up on cues. If they can't or won't, you have to cut back the interaction to a level they can handle.

At school, as we're trading name horrors, mine aren't forenames, but, well, I went o school with a Sherlock and a Holmes. For why this is a problem, look at the name attached to this post. Fortunately, we didn't have many classes in common.

Ok, so I'll confess that I'm on the fence on the subject of puns. Sometimes, I LOVE a good pun (or a bad one, depending on your POV) and others I can take it/leave it.

That said, I know there is a rich tradition of puns in gaming (tabletop/video/MMO/etc) and I'd like to hear everyone ring in with their favorite/least favorite/most godsawful puns.

With that said, I'll share one that has very little to do with gaming, but came up during a Shadowrun v1 game that I ran a very very long time ago.

<begin pun>

Now you may or may not be familiar with the concept of "Blue Ice", but the fact of the matter is that it sometimes happens.

Moreover, sometimes it's lethal. Imagine, if you will, a piece of this blue discharge hurtling down from flight altitudes and striking a hapless individual. One day, it happened. Crashed through a person's roof, slamming into them and rendering them VERY dead.

When the CSI was done and the cause of death was declared, the detective in charge wrote it off as "Cause of death = Icy BM"

</pun>

*runs to hide*

Zurai wrote:

It was a few years ago (obviously), and if I ever took any notes in the class I've lost them.

From what I remember of the specifics, the first half of each class would be a "lab" where we played a specific board or card game (thermonuclear war, settlers of cataan, munchkin are the only ones I remember at the moment). The second half of each class was a discussion about specific gameplay elements of each game and how they contributed to the overall experience and made the game fun. For example, the Cataan class focused on the social dynamic ("trade you a sheep for a wheat", etc).

Cataan is the only game where you might overhear someone proclaiming "I've got wood for sheep! Any takers?"

Not that I've ever done that. Nope, never.

Grep wrote:

Suzaku wrote:

So what do you guys prefer?

It really depends on your GM more than anything else. If your GM is the kind you can trust not to take away your bonded item, then it's almost certainly the best choice, IMO. Though something that can be easily disarmed might pose problems, regardless. I personally would never make it a weapon.

On the other hand, if your GM is a sadist, and might potentially deprive you of the item, then avoid bonded items at all costs! LOL

'Trust'?

The power of magic somes at a cost.

• You need to sleep well.
• You need to protect certain peices of equipment.

To a certain extent, it is the DMs responciblity to attack these thing occationally, else the wizard is getting a free lunch.

That isn't 'being sadistic' it is playing out the consiquences of power.

I'm enamoured with the idea of a sorcerer with the abyssal bloodline, the augment summoning feat, and maybe spell focus concentration. Even with a strength of 8, you will have a strength of 14 before augments).

First level take long spear, your claws, and mage armour and colour spray or sleep.
Feat: Improved initiative or Spell Focus Enchantment (if you take sleep)

3rd level, pick up Augment summoning, and summon monster I
4th level, summon monster II
5th level, Glitterdust, Spell Focus concentration.

By 6th level, your critters get DR 3/good, you've some resistances, and if you've scrolls of false life or a wand (or a spellstone from dragon magazine) you're a good support character who can hold off melee attacks for a few rounds (long spear/claw combo) until your meat shields can get in there.

For added fun, if you can play a tiefling, you can make magik pretty easily.

Who got Zelladra's deck? I found her to be a good motivational tool. She could also attempt to reunite them the same way she did originally, by a Harrow card. Given the accuracy of the last one, they might be more willing to come back and reunite the band to save their city.

But, I have to agree with Gamer Grrrl. The cold-blooded murder seems to be the main stumbling block and backing up to a do-over would be one way. Speaking to the players out of character and asking them to come up with reasons why they could work with the killer is another way. Basically, although it is a bit confrontational, the old blunt approach of "Look, if you guys won't adventure together, there's no game." Spending a bit more time with the player of the murderer and asking/telling him not to do that sort of disruptive action again woudl also help.

hogarth wrote:

Karui Kage wrote:

No need to let go. The point is that the frog is already dealing 'double' damage even if he maintains a grapple.

The point is that if the frog lets go, he can do the same full attack routine again next round. Whereas if he chooses to grapple, he only gets one grapple check next round.

Sure, but isn't it easier to just keep grappling?

Let's assume a basic level 13 fighter. We'll give him a good AC for a tank. +2 full plate, +2 heavy shield, +1 dex, +2 ring of prot.. we'll leave it at that. Give him a 20 STR too for the heck of it. These numbers really don't matter, but in the end his AC would be 29 and his CMD would be 29.

For the frog to attack him (with a tentacle) and then grapple him successfully, he would need to roll an 11+ (for the tentacle to hit) followed by a 2+ for the grapple check. If he's just grappling, all he needs is the 2+ on the CMB check to keep the grapple going and do the same damage. In truth, the more appropriate course of action would just be to have the frog try to swallow the dude on the first round, which it could easily do so long as it doesn't roll a 1. Then it can continue using its full attacks on people. :) Sure the fighter can try to escape with a light slashing or piercing weapon, but I've been surprised at how few fighters carry a backup tiny weapon for those purposes, so often it does keep them out of the fight.

EDIT: Actually, on rereading it, it says maintaining a grapple is a standard action. It doesn't say you can maintain only one. Hmmm. Depending on your GM, it might make more sense to keep maintaining it. Check beforehand.

KaeYoss wrote:

Draeke Raefel wrote:

Unless you want someone that is mobile while carrying an unconscious pc on his back :)

Then I take human or half-elf or half-orc, because of the (potential) strength bonus.

And even an elf is no slower than a dwarf if he has to carry a comrade. If he doesn't, he's faster.

And monks under the effect of a permanent haste are the fastest.

Set wrote:

The whole bloatmage thing makes me wonder if there are less-successful / lesser-practiced magical traditions based on the other bodily humors, or on precise balances of the four humors, or on the elusive search for a speculative fifth humor...

I recently completed a set of critters based on the four humors, but I'm unsure where they will end up.

The idea of different magical traditions based on the humors would be awesome, however. Cool idea, Set.

I'm playing level 6 ranger and just leveled up and am taking a level of wizard. I have the following feats: manyshot, rapid shot, precise shot, weapon focus. If I want to take vital strike as my next feat, would that stack with manyshot and rapid shot. My attack right now is +13/+8.

I am just wondering how all those would work together.

EDIT: So you could make one attack which would do a base 2d8 damage (using Vital Strike) and still make a move action. Or you could make a full attack at +13/+8. Or a full attack at +11/+11/+6 (Rapid shot). Or a full attack at +13 (to hit with two arrows)/+8 (one arrow) (Many shot). Or a full attack at +11 (to hit with two arrows)/+11 (one arrow)/+6 (one arrow) (Both).

That is the thing, though, it is the Lycanthrope that is weak against silver. Not the weapon that is better than the other. I honestly also think that 3.5 and than Pathfinder went further away from the "old timer" gaming, by making it easier to overcome all DR easily.

David Fryer wrote:

Kobold Cleaver wrote:

James Risner wrote:

David Fryer wrote:

Can someone explain why a monk gets the two crossbow proficencies, but not the two bow proficencies?

Balance, Bows are worth more than Crossbows.

And I've made my feelings clear on THAT subject. Crossbows should deal more damage. I don't care if they're simple weapons, they're still generally better than the martial weapons, bows. Balance Shmalance.

Heavy Crossbow does 1d10, Longbow does 1d8. Light crossbow does 1d8, shortbow does 1d6. Otherthan the reload time with a crossbow, which the rapid reload feat does a handy job of reducing, I don't see how bows are substantively better than crossbows.

What? They don't deal that much, not in the PFRPG.

EDIT:

Crossbow advantages: Base damage. Range. Simpler Proficiency. Cost.

Bow advantages: Rate of Fire (enhanced with rapid shot and many shot). Mobility. Add Strength damage (with Composite bow)

It just depends how valuable you think those are. I would put Compound Bows as superior, and bows superior at high levels owing to the multiple attacks. But that's me.

I was able to locate all the Animal Companions listed in the Core Rule Book, defined/mentionned in the Bestiary, EXCEPT for the CAMEL...

So the question is: Where are camels hiding in the Bestiary?!

RiTz21
http://TheOnlySheet.com

I don't think it is fair or a good idea to lower the costs of Wands or allow them to recharge.

This is all good news, and with the playtest announced, I can't wait. However, I have heard of rumors in the past of the Blackguard ( Anti-Paladinish )and Templar( A Paladin for all the other Alignments ) Core Classes, and there is no mention of them anywhere here. Are they not to be included in this Volume ?

That is some exemplary arguing my good Watson.

Since the feat is self-scaling, I think it is okay for the feat to be accessible at level 1 for a human monk. The benefit is +1 stun DC on by taking a -1 to attack. This seems quite reasonable.

I don't think adding strength mod as a flat bonus to stun DC is a viable idea though - that can easily lead to monks having a DC 20+ stunning fist at level 1.

Keep in mind that there is always the easy "Ability Focus (Stunning Fist)" feat available from the bestiary to increase the DC by 2. Which is a more effective way for level 1 human monks to maximize their DC. That a power-attacking-stunning-fist is situational is certainly part of the intention. A flurrying monk gains +3 to stun DC while power attacking at level 8 (remember the modified BAB while flurrying); or +6 at level 20. That is a bonus that is not to be taken lightly, and as such should come at a significant cost/risk/circumstantiality :)

You're perfectly right, the feat needs to be a combat feat - especially since it is a great way of making an unarmed/stunning fighter more viable.

What about the possibility of adding a "Special: You may use your Strength modifier instead of your Wisdom modifier to determine your stunning fist DC".

Or perhaps that should be a feat on its own.

I like your suggestion of a Special. I was of half a mind (no jokes, please) to suggest a separate feat for that, but figured it was too tangential. I don't think, on it's own, it's strong enough to be a feat, but it rounds out this one nicely.

I'm looking for feedback and (constructive) critique on a feat I'm designing

Aspect of the Rock [General]
Prerequisites: Improved Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist, Power Attack
Benefit: When using the power attack feat the DC of your successful Stunning Fist attacks increases by the penalty you take due to the power attack feat.

I'd also consider making it a combat feat as it will especially be useful to unarmed fighters who don't tend to have massive Wisdoms to boost the DC with.

The only downside is I can see is that it is a very situational feat. I'd be tempted to simplify it to simply "You may add your strength bonus to the DC of Stunning Fist." This would make it work off any stunning fist attempt rather than ones against creatures with low ACs you can reliably Power Attack on.

[humorous exaggeration] The Eagle Knights? That's the organization where hiring assassins is a minor pecadillo, but they throw you out at once if you're ever anything less than impeccably dressed for a formal evening dinner? ;)
[/humorous exaggeration]

Edit:
Seriously, though, I don't think I've ever seen a picture in a Paizo product of an even slightly dishevelled looking Eagle Knight. How do they keep the bloodstains off those uniforms?

I received a swine flu innoculation in 1976. Am I correct in thinking that it was for a different strain of the flu and therefore ineffective against it. Would an innoculation againt a disease be effective 34 years later in any case?

Yes, it will have some beneficial effect, but after 34 years with no other exposure, it won't be as much as if you were infected closer to the vaccination.

grasshopper_ea wrote:

unfortunately pearls of power don't give extra slots, they let you recall a previously expended spell. With infinite/day cantrips 0 level pearls of power are only useful for adepts. Looking at the ring of wizardry is the better choice for this type of item.

Oops! I get those confused a lot. Right, ring of Wizardry.

10k seems like a lot for just 4 more cantrips, though.

Paul Watson wrote:

Because in America, where most of Paizo's customers live, ultraviolence is just harmless stuff, but even the suggestion of a nipple, never mind sex, can cause mass panic. No, I don't understand it either.

RPG publishers aren't concerned with offending the sensibilities of America's mothers as much as they are with making the hobby friendly to female gamers. You can only pander eye candy to male gamers so much before it starts to get annoying to women. Anybody remember the Seoni Christmas card controversy?

Cleave is You do a standard action and if hit you attack as a free action against to an adjacent creature. I know a coup de grace is a full round action but if you hit, wouldnt cleave go into effect as a full round action is more powerful than a standard. Just interpretation of the black and white. A hit is a hit yes?

lastknightleft wrote:

no, cleave requires a standard action attack to perform, coup de grace is a seperate full round action. you cannot do both in the same round. and a cleave attack is not a coup de grace on fascinated creatures.

So if cleave says if you hit, you can hit another that is adjacent in Pathfinder, a coup de grace is a hit? This is where the reading of the rules gets gray.

I'm making a Demon Slayer type character, starting with levels in Ranger for the Favored Enemy Bonus then moving to Cleric. Two feats I was considering were Channel Smite and Alignment Channel. However, Channel Smite says specifically that if I channel positive energy and hit an undead creature it takes damage. Does that mean that Alignment Channel wouldn't allow me to smite with Channel Smite against an evil outsider?

DM_aka_Dudemeister wrote:

These creatures and spells are brilliant!
My players are currently playing CotCT, these will make excellent additions to Rolth's arsenal of evil. Consider this yoinked.

Thanks! Yoink away.

Kaisoku wrote:

I recall a movie based on the Cthulu mythos (I think it was just called Dagon, named after one of the Ancient Ones), where they did something similar to that skin "sluffing".

Haven't seen that one, although I've heard of it. [tangent] Why, oh why, must so many Lovecraft-inspired movies suck so hard? [/tangent]

EDIT: [further tangent]Dagon predates Lovecraft by several millennia, being a Semmitic deity. Wikipedia link[/further tangent]

Morgen,
Why do this? Because, otherwise, it makes no sense.

If he doesn't flurry, the character is a badass who punches people at +19 to hit. If he tries to hit with both fists (something that every other character can do at only a -4 penalty, by the way) he takes a penalty of -20 points. Does that make sense to you? Apparently it does.

Can you name any similar penalty for any other class ability, because I can't?
A Wiz 1/Fighter 19 still gets +19 to hit with his Ray of Frost.
A Rog 1/Fighter 19 still gets +19 to hit with his sneak attack.
A Monk 1/Fighter 19 still gets +19 to hit with his fist. Unless, according to you, he flurries, when he immediately forgets all his training in fighting and reverts to the incompetent fool he was when he left the monastery. Yeah, that makes sense, doesn't it?

A level 1 monk / 19 fighter is *not* as good at flurries as a pure level 20 monk.

This is due to the lack of two-weapon-feat progression that a fighter build would not have access to.

Even should the fighter take the two-weapon feats manually, they would not apply to the monk.

Here are the relevant combat flurry modifiers

Level 20 monk flurry:
+18/+18/+13/+13/+8/+8/+3

Level 1 monk / 19 fighter flurry:
+18/+18/+13/+8/+3

Clearly not as good.

Enchanter Tom wrote:

That wasn't me being serious. That was me pointing out the flaw in that poster's reasoning.

No, you were being flippant. Your comparing a Monk Class Ability like Flurry of Blows to a fundamental mechanic of the game.

Why would a Monk EX ability increase when your not taking levels of monk?

When taking levels in something other then monk, your Stunning Fist doesn't improve like a monk's does, your Slow Fall doesn't improve like a monk, your Diamond Soul doesn't improve like a monk. So what to you makes Flurry of Blows warrant BAB stacking, when your BAB is replaced with your monk level while flurrying?

Maneuver Training does improve as you level in other classes, but specifically says that the base attack bonuses granted from said classes are unaffected and are added normally. Flurry of Blows doesn't mention anything similar to that in it's description.

A Fighter doesn't gain extra Bravery, Armor Training or Weapon Training while taking levels in other classes. A Rogue doesn't advance their sneak attack while taking levels of other classes. Rangers don't improve favored enemy, Bards don't improve their bardic knowledge.

So where exactly are you getting this idea that Flurry of Blows should improve while taking levels of other classes?

Rhubarb wrote:

perhaps some of the artist who specilize in fantasy could get together, each draw a new picture with heroes fighting the monsters from the beastie book, drawn for adults, then put it out in a book. giving us not only great artwork to show the monsters, but multiple new ones so players have to figure out what it is with out the easy recognition of the normal monster's picture. imagine if you will a ghoul pulling out someone's intestines while another hero splits its face wide open with a war axe.

Seconded. I merely request that for certain creatures (dryads, nymphs, succubi), the fighting should be of a... different nature.

I mean grapple. Like firefly uses the word!

If we're going to use violence, we cannot neglect it's twin sister sex!

A Goblin spellbook might have pictograms and diagrams rather than words. He still can't read but illiterate scrawl can be intensely meaningful to the person who writes it. Spellbooks can't be read without magical help anyway. How he learned could be from a captive spellcaster who taught him how to cast by rote in exchange for not being eaten.

Alternatively, the goblin wizard could be the same as the non-evil Demon. It's possible, even though they are "always evil" it's just a one in a billion chance. Your goblin wizard is the only goblin wizard so far seen on Golarion. He might still be nervous of writing, but he has the-knowing-of-the-words a little bit.

darknerd wrote:

For Monks, what's the point of using Monk weapons? The unarmed attacks will yield more damage in the end, otherwise they are equal with the weapons. Shouldn't the monk get some bonus dmg when using monk weapons?

The biggest thing is special materials for DR I believe

Announcements: Khillissandra’s player could not make it and was played by committee.

The party decided to ignore everything in their way, and proceeded straight up through the shaft to the chamber of blood. On the way, Timon cast Stoneskin on Sir Varren, while Khillissandra cast Prayer and Sir Varren cast Deathward on Timon. As they emerged into the room, they stared as Korvosa fell into the pool of blood, replaced with a gigantic face of Ileosa screaming at them. Some of the blood dripped to the floor, rising as bloody dread wraiths. Sir Varren cast Death Ward on himself and strode up to them, while Torgul slipped to the side to stab one with vital strike and power attack tearing at the shades. Timon used one charge from the staff to cast shatter, sending a rain of crystal pipework plunging into the hovering Everpool, while Khillissandra channelled positive energy at the wraiths.

Then the dread wraiths struck. One tore at Torgul, who made his save, while the others ripped at Khillissandra, draining her vitality in half. As Rarg charged up to defend his source of healing, Sir Varren called on Sarenrae and smote one of the wraiths, tearing it apart until it was mere shadows drifting on the air. As he did so, Ileosa dropped from the pool of blood to the floor, followed by another Ileosa, then another until six duplicates all rose up from the blood. Now heavily outnumbered, Timon used the staff to unleash Chain Lightning on them all. Four of the Ileosa’s exploded in a hail of blood and water, while the wraiths continued, although significantly more cautiously. One fell to Torgul, while Rarg battled the other but failed to destroy it.

As the two false Ileosas chanted spells (slow and confusion, both of which failed to affect anybody), Khillissandra cast Restoration on herself, as the real Ileosa glided down from the pool, the Crown of Fangs resting on her brow, and 8 other Ileosa’s floating around her. She cast her Dispel Magic, stripping Sir Varren of his Stoneskin, Rarg of his Haste but not affecting the others. The Charm Monster she followed up with on Torgul failed to affect him, but as her Errinyes guard appeared, Rarg ignored the Wraith and hurled himself up at them, managing to shake off the Crown’s dark counsel, losing shreds of his stamina in response as the wraith’s icy claws touched him. Khillissandra cast Holy Smite, centred on the ground, wounding the wraith and killing one of the Ileosa’s. Torgul had to ignore the looming wraith as he had to take off his boots, given Sir Varren’s Celestial Armour had used up its ability to fly. Torgul unstrapped the boots and hurled them to the Paladin, who slit open his own footwear to put on his replacements.

The Erinyes split up, one taking a small step back to cast Charm Monster at Rarg, successfully turning him friendly, but not friendly enough to prevent him charging after her sisters. Meanwhile, Timon cast Dispel Magic back at Ileosa after her Mind Fog and quickened Dispel Magic failed to affect anyone, stripping her of several of her protections, including her mirror images. The Crown then dominated Rarg, giving him a simple command: “Kill the Paladin. Now.” Sadly, as Rarg plunged down, he fell into Sir Varrens’ protection from evil aura and the compulsion was suppressed. The Unholy Blights of the Erinyes sickened Torgul as Sir Varren cast protection from evil on Rarg to protect him from the domination effect. Torgul, despite his sickened state, sliced up the wraith. Khillissandra cast Dimensional Lock in the centre of the room, leaving only a small space in each corner open to dimensional travel.

Ileosa stepped back from the charging paladin, casting displacement as the Crown replaced her images. Sir Varren and Rarg surrounded her, battering at the images. The three Erinyes unleashed more unholy blights on the ground, although Timon ignored them all thanks to his spell resistance and diabolical rolling by the erinyes. Timon responded by casting magic missiles, stripping Ileosa of half her image entourage. Torgul killed the last of the simulacra, while Ileosa lost more images, and Timon pre-emptively protected Torgul from charms by casting Protection from Evil. He then managed to resist the crown’s fell influence himself, while the erinyes dropped more unholy blights, dropping Khillissandra.

Timon used his healing belt to cure the cleric, who cast a mass cure as Ileosa hurled her fan at the Paladin and Rarg charged after the blinded erinyes, successfully hitting her with Scorpion Strike, while the Crown renewed her images a third time, provoking immense frustration in Timon. The erinyes knocked Torgul down with yet another volley of Blights.

Rarg easily pounded on one of the Erinyes until her broken body collapsed to the ground, then charged at his ‘friend’, while Timon banished the other and Sir Varren luckily managed to strike the real Ileosa with Selathtial, damaging her armour with the holy blade. Timon cast magic missile to strip more of the images away as Khillissandra healed Torgul up. The last erinyes decided she was bored playing with the mortal and struck at him with her trident. In reply, Rarg battered her until her broken body dropped down to the floor. Torgul then attempted to demoralise Ileosa and given the dire situation succeeded in shaking her confidence. She hurled her fan at Sir Varren and retreated, but Sir Varren ignored it as Rarg joined him in flanking her and her last image winked out of existence. Ileosa fled, taking several hits and teleported away as soon as she could, leaving the party extremely annoyed (mostly at the DM).

Thinking fast, Timon sent his familiar out scouting, somehow persuading it that this wouldn’t end as badly as its last scouting mission. As soon as he found Ileosa at the edge of the dead end, Timon teleported the party to her, Sir Varren landing another blow. As Ileosa tried to flee though the illusory wall, Torgul and Rarg struck, leaving her severely wounded as Sir Varren lopped off her head. “And that’s what happens when you break a contract.” Rarg muttered.

Just then, the party heard an ominous sound of chains whipping against the stone walls of the Everpool room, and teleported back to it to find a giant dragon’s skeleton emerging from the pool, long iron chains flailing about it. As Sir Varren called up a second use of his holy bond, thinking speed would be more use against a dragon rather than brilliant energy. As he did so, he heard Selathial in his mind telling him to cleanse the room of the foul blood’s taint. Plunging the holy blade into the pool, the dragon vanished in an explosion of blood. The party then returned to Ileosa where Rarg’s great strength proved insufficient to harm the Crown. A wrathful blow from Selathial shattered the bindings and Sir Varren carefully gathered up the shards, ignoring the whispered promises and threats from the dark teeth. The rest of the party looted Ileosa before they returned to Korvosa with her head, on the look-out for a pike to mount it on properly.

Once back, the Seneschal came to Sir Varren with a proposal. The council laws deeply divided over who should take over the Crimson Throne, and the Seneschal proposed Varren as a temporary regent, noting that the council would probably take at least three years to come to a decision, at least if he had any say in the matter. Varren accepted, turning the fangs over to the Temple of Sarenrae for disposal and guarding. Timon was promoted to Archmage of Korvosa, a title that provoked many dark looks from the Academae, but which had little actual power so they relented. For the moment. Khillissandra took custody of Selathtial, leaving Korvosa for another challenge to the holy blade, while Torgul and Rarg were found positions in the governance of the city: Torgul, the only surviving member of the band of heroes who had joined together to confront Lamm so many months before, was charged with reforming the Sable Company, choosing to combine scouting with their hippogriff cavalry, while Rarg took over the sadly deceased Magistrate’s role as chief tax collector, a role that he is enjoying immensely, even if some of the regent’s new rules mean he can’t be as aggressive as he’d sometimes like. Commander Croft has returned to the role of Watch Commander, while Sabina continues to work with the former Gray Maidens.

And, as Trinia Sabor is commissioned for another royal portrait (with hopefully better results), we leave the fair city of Korovsa under its new rulers.

Welcome to the family Rob! Thanks in advance for your part in all this Paizoiy goodness!
Hope you enjoyed your sanity while you had it. ;)

David Fryer wrote:

Paul Watson wrote:

We will especially stop breeding them in South America where the need for pasture is reducing the rainforest.

Only if we could convince all humans to give up beef as a food source. I think that would be nearly impossible since many cultures rely on cattle not just for food but for status. The type of action you are talking about would all but destroy many Middle Eastern, African, Asian, and Pacific Island indiginous cultures.

Somehow this message went poof and vanished.

Chris,
In the vegan proposal, the cows are managed into decline. They live, they do not breed. We still control them. This is the basis of why going vegan, and reducing animal consumption, reduces greenhouse emissions. It is not a quick fix solution. As you answered the question about why it was a solution, I presumed you were aware of the basic details of the proposal. Next time I'll give a fuller answer the first time and not assume the audience has any prior knowledge.

ChrisRevocateur wrote:

Paul Watson wrote:

ChrisRevocateur wrote:

Yknaps the Lesserprechaun wrote:

ChrisRevocateur wrote:

A lot of vegans also quote the amount of methane gas that cattle release into the air, since methane is a greenhouse gas.

Damn those cows! They need to stop farting!

Yeah, I always laugh at that one. Personally, my thought is that the cows exist, they're going to fart whether we raise and eat them or not. So really, trying to blame global warming on another species' flatulence, and using that as a reason to guilt trip people into changing their diets, is in my opinion misleading and underhanded.

I only included the factoid because it is in most vegan's arguement for people going vegan.

Except that if we weren't going to eat them, we wouldn't raise them so they wouldn't exist.

** spoiler omitted **

So because we stop raising cattle, the entire species is going to disappear? I don't think so.

It would likely decline due to natural predation. However, it would also create huge populations of feral cattle. I saw this on Life After People.

Paul Watson wrote:

ChrisRevocateur wrote:

Yknaps the Lesserprechaun wrote:

ChrisRevocateur wrote:

A lot of vegans also quote the amount of methane gas that cattle release into the air, since methane is a greenhouse gas.

Damn those cows! They need to stop farting!

Yeah, I always laugh at that one. Personally, my thought is that the cows exist, they're going to fart whether we raise and eat them or not. So really, trying to blame global warming on another species' flatulence, and using that as a reason to guilt trip people into changing their diets, is in my opinion misleading and underhanded.

I only included the factoid because it is in most vegan's arguement for people going vegan.

Except that if we weren't going to eat them, we wouldn't raise them so they wouldn't exist.

** spoiler omitted **

So because we stop raising cattle, the entire species is going to disappear? I don't think so.