Philip Dhollander's page

Welcome aboard! :-)
Enjoy the ride!

Level 1: Alarm, mental ping on the outer door and some crucial intersections, where several hallways meet. That'll get you every time!Have the mage show up and catch/chase the culprit.

3.x spell, not sure whether translated into PF: Guards and Wards. Nasty!

Level 2 (I think): unseen servant, made permanent (lvl 5). Have 3 or 4 of these roam the house. It would be logical that a lvl 18 caster doesn't have to carry around his own tray of tea and biscuits. Or clean up his mess or laundry! Even at night, they roam and do some chores. Big chance that they see the intruder and go wake up the mage!

Lvl 4: divination (he IS a diviner, right?). "If I go to bed now without securing the house and hallways with an alarm spell active, will I have an intruder tonight/will anything be stolen tonight?"

Just some options :-)

Indeed, he would need a 4th level spell slot to sink into the staff in the morning to recharge one charge. (highest level spell in the staff = dimension door = lvl 4)

so RAW is correct and the DM is doing it right.

@HolmessandWatson: nothing is stopping you from using it again... and again... and again :-)
Merry Xmas Paizo and community!!!

Merry Xmas and thanks, you rock! (read: can I have one?)

Pay it forward is awesome!

New question!

This Discovery (Master Chymist):

Furious Mutagen (Ex): The damage dice for the feral mutagen’s bite and claw attacks increase by one die step. The character must have an effective alchemist level (alchemist level plus chymist level) of at least 11 and must have the feral mutagen discovery or advanced mutagen to select this ability.

--> Does that mean that the die size simply increases by one, thus becomes the next highest die available? D4-D6-D8-D10-D12?

OR

--> Does it mean that the "die step" increases by one? (as if you cast enlarge person while holding a weapon)? D6 becomes D8, but D8 becomes 2D6 and 2D6 becomes 3D6?

Thanks!
Philip

the board ate my post (rather lengthy post)... F*CK!

@Joesi: summary of eaten post: yes, it is very powerful, but the RAW alchemist can make 10 or even 20 mutagens per day if needed, IF he has one hour between encounters (usually the case, unless in a dungeon bash with dozens of rooms full of monsters). I can never have more than INT mod per day (3 now). The RAW alchemist can make one more mutagen before bedtime for the night time ambush... I can't when I'm tapped out...

Is it really good? YES! Was it needed to survive the first two-three levels of Way of the Wicked? Yes :-)

@Mapleswitch: I prepare in the morning, so with those prepared extracts, I can move + draw + drink in one round! Cool :-)

Some of the not-often used life savers such as death ward, delay poison, neutralize poison, remove paralysis, lesser restoration, remove blindness, remove curse (some are not on your spell list!)...

If you can go outside of your own spell list with use magic device: shield, mage armor, the clerical spells like shield of faith, divine power, ...

Potions of the stuff not on your spell list of course if UMD is not an option!

And that's just CORE... APG has a ton more (and UM even more!)

@Robert: I would assume it can be done at any time, but would also require a grapple (sort of) check in normal combat. Otherwise it can become quite powerful, but very flavorful :-)

I like it!

Can the rogue issuing the ultimatum still do as he pleases when the condition is fulfilled?

Example of your guard: Rogue says give me the keys *rolls sneak attack roll*
Guard gives keys
What can the rogue then do?
- Let guard go (as if!)
- Still roll sneak attack damage (dastardly! - but appropriate)
- Choose to do subdual sneak (but that would require dropping the blade, drawing a sap and trying to hit again - or do we use the same attack roll again)?

@Joesi: I can have - for free - 3 mutagens active at one time (under RAW, brewing time 1 hour, for all three). The 3 is based on my INT modifier, so it increases when I can pump my INT score.

As an offset, I can never make more than 3 (or INT modifier) per day. When they're gone, it's over for the day. As per RAW, I can spend an hour whenever I want to make an extra mutagen... no longer true for this version of the alchemist. So it is kind of balanced. The cost (1000 gp per extra mutagen) is just ridiculous. At worst, the progression should be as the paladin smite or the inquisitor's judgement: 1 + 1/3 levels of the class.

Almost no role is really necessary and there are ways around everything.

Campaign where I am the master has an oracle (who can heal), a bard, a fighter and a barbarian. It works: the bard can heal and can do roguish stuff (out of necessity now), the oracle can heal and cast spells, the fighter and the barbarian are the meatshields. There are two users for wands of CLW or CMW and lesser restoration. A bit more costly, but workable without a cleric and without an arcane caster (although the oracle and bard can help there with utility spells)

Current Campaign where I am a player (Way of the Wicked, evil campaign): Antipaladin, Alchemist (me), Rogue/Ranger gestalt (with -2 ECL), Sorcerer. No cleric again and we are almost level 4 and haven't missed it (at all). We just play a bit more tactical and smart! The rogue in this campaign is essential and our DM told us so, the rest was free to choose.

I've been in D&D for 15+ years and was also a fervent believer of the 'holy foursome': cleric, fighter, wizard, rogue. No thing is less true aparently. All classes are just nice to have!

Anyone? :-)

Okay, a new question came up:

I have the Discovery/Feat: Precise Bombs, which allows me to deselect INT modifier (3) squares from the bomb's splash area. Great stuff as my allies usually swarm the opponents I want to bomb.

No issues if the bomb hits. Assuming I have to declare ahead of the throw/bomb which squares to exclude from the splash (really? sub-question 1: do I have to declare ahead of time?), no issues, I spare my allies.

Now, what if the bomb misses due to a failed attack roll? (with my rolls, happens quite often)
--> I use the D8 scatter die to see where the bomb lands and then determine the new squares for the splash damage. Can I in this instance still decide to 'spare' some squares with allies in them? Or is the feat useless in this case and do I just shower all adjacent squares in this case with spash damage?

Just ran our fist 'session' during an entire Roleplaying weekend (+/- 18 hours of play) and already level 3.

First off, Way of the Wicked is a brilliant campaign!!!

The Alchemist is a great class: lots of skills (thanks to high INT and lots of usefull class skills). Mutagen is great for damage dealing, especially with Feral Mutagen! Boms rock, especially as of level 3 with point blank and precise shot and precise bombs. Against a tightly packed bunch of enemies and a good initiative roll, the 'mad bomber' is brutal!

All in all, very pleased with the class and the build. It's often a choice between going all out as Mr Hyde with Claws and Teeth or as Doctor Jeckyl with Bombs (or a combination with a dex mutagen... +2 to hit)

Thanks for the above clarifications, they were immediately useful in game! :-)

Thanks guys, that clarifies all of my (first) questions!

Now, on to the next one :-)

7/ If I take a mutagen that boosts my strength by +4, my intelligence takes a -2. Does this affect everything? Specifically:
- Int based skill checks go down with 1
- Number of Bombs decreases by 1
- Bomb damage reduced by 1 (both primary and splash)
- Prepared extracts due to high intelligence (like bonus spells): do I lose the ones that were allowed by high INT if it drops below the threshold?

As to some of your remarks & concerns: thanks for those! Really appreciated! Luckily I won't need Improved Unarmed Strike, as claws and bite count as natural weapons (like a monster's) and don't provoke AoO. As to the 'chaotic' build of mad bomber versus Jeckyl & Hyde, the stats do add up (16/16/14/16/11/8), so stat-wise I'll make it. Feat-wise, I'm not going beyond point blank and precise shot. Rapid, IPBS, two-weapon fighting etc are not on the list. I'll take fast bomber as soon as the BAB makes sense, nothing else. Bombs will be thrown, especially the smoke bomb, dispelling bomb and stinking/poison bomb once available :-)

But the bread and butter is indeed the mutagens... I'm getting more than RAW per day: I can have INT mod (3) prepared ahead of time (including an antidote if I want).

I have a lenient DM ;-)

Howdy all,

I'm going to be a player again after nearly three years in the DM seat and this will be my first PF character that I get to play (i/o NPC)

We're playing Way of the Wicked, the 'evil' campaign by Firemountain Games.

Starting at lvl 1 and going to lvl 20!

So, an 'evil' Alchemist! I'm thinking about the Jeckyl & Hyde (mutagens), combined with bombing (should work although it's MAD!)

The plan is 7 levels of Alchemist, then 10 levels of Master Chymist, and then the last 3 levels of Alchemist.

Limited to CRB & APG (and a splash of ultimate equipment). No UM or UC (no exceptions!). Access to MIC and SC from 3.5 upon DM approval.

25 point buy will go a long way, and humans (my race) have been improved and can add +1 to three ability scores. With the 25 point buy, I can't go below 8 or above 16 (but can add three +1's, so it could be 17 max)

I'm going for:
STR 16 (for more damage in mutagen form, I'll be front line!)
DEX 16 (for bombing, better AC, better reflex, more initiative, ...)
CON 14
INT 16 (skills and number of bombs and bomb damage)
WIS 10 (will hurt, especially with low will save progression)
CHA 8 (bit of a dumpstat, but fits well with my background and there are 2 other CHA 16+ characters in the party)

Feats on level 1: Point Blank Shot and Extra Discovery (Feral Mutagen)

Very decent in melee, fair chance to hit with bombs (+5 touch attack at level 1 for 1d6+4 direct and 4 splash)

So: my questions... and I apologize if any have been asked before!

1/ I read on this forum and if the FAQ that drawing, preparing and drinking an extract is a standard action. So I can move 30' and draw/prepare & drink an extract? Or does it have to be prepared ahead of time to be quaffed as a standard action?

2/ The consensus is that there is no way to avoid the AoO for preparing and drinking the extract. Although, even if you take damage, there is no chance the extract will fail and you can still just drink it and have it take effect right?

3/ Can I end my mutagen prematurely? It is 10 minutes per level, what if I want 'out' after 3 minutes? :-)

4/ Point Blank Shot adds 1 damage within 30 feat on a ranged attack. Does it only add to the 'direct hit' damage or also to the splash damage?

5/Drawing and drinking a mutagen: is drawing the mutagen a move action and drinking it a standard action, or is it like an extract: standard action to draw & drink?

6/ What action (how long?) does it take to change shape to the mutated form? Immediately upon imbibing? After a lapse equal to a standard action? At the end of my turn?

I'll have more questions later probably, but I'll start small :-)

Thanks in advance!

I'm also in that one, it's a great deal!
I'm in for Double Swarm, which will beat the value of Queen when we hit 40K later today. I'll trade in some grubs and hosts and get me the Overlord which is 'Queen only'.
Brilliant deal, I recommend everyone to check it out. If you're limited on funds, Host level (50 bucks) is the way to go, that deal is just insane for that amount of dollars!
This is a summary of what you are getting at each level:
http://trollforged.wordpress.com/kickstarter-stretch-goal-table/

Check it out :-)

By the way, even without the early adopter bonus, the 100 USD package is still GREAT VALUE! (free shipping in the USA by the way). Anyone, please go and find me a better deal, I dare you :-)

Uhm, it is what other KS'es with Early Adopters are doing too... the other KS'es just call it 'early bird pledge' where you pay 5-10-20 USD less for the first 100 backers and the rest doesn't get that discount.

However, the creator has already stated she will be adding stretch and/or bonus goals to the mix for other non-early birds, so everyone who backs will see it grow and get extra stuff.

So, for all those who feel negative about this, it's the same marketing trick as with many other KS'es, just worded differently, and more flexible, based on the end-result of the KS, which is smarter than throwing in a fixed rebate without knowing where you (as creator) will end up!

I'm in :-)

Brilliant, I love it!
I have an ongoing campaign for more than a year where the 7 deadly sins play an important part. These are great ideas for my own homebrew.

Sorry, nothing to add, except to say thanks for the great idea!

In the PF system? Or in 3.5 straight format?

On the WotC site, free:
example 1 (level 9 start)
example 2 (level 12 start; which might be an appripriate challenge for a lvl 10 PF party)
example 3 (lvl 10 start)

Just check out any of the links and search for other free old stuff there :-)

I sure hope the insurance policy covers my lost house and possessions :-)

Is Paizo Publishing including a spyware program in any their downloads?

That would be a fine example of "Suicide by lawsuits".

Unless it is under the terrorrist act, then they can get away with anything :-)

It's too much... the smite should EITHER bypass all DR, but not add massive amounts (+1/+2 per level) to damage dealt, OR it should give the damage boost as is, but without overcoming DR. Now it's just triple or quadruple (or whatever) damage.

Makes the DPR fans worldwide rejoyce I guess :-)

but they have no way of drawing aggro

Seriously, go play WoW or something... this does it for me, I'm outta here...

@Ernest, LOL!!! couldn't stop laughing :-)

I thought this was said:

you can up your pledge after the KS closes to pay for additional extra or adjust if you've made a mistake (for example when calculating shipping costs) but you won't be able to upgrade on your original pledge level so those pledging at skeleton level will be stuck just with the options open to every level

Check out: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1513061270/reaper-miniatures-bones-an-e volution-of-gaming-min

Scroll down a little bit to the video which shows FAQ in red and listen to the message.

Currently at less than 50 cents per mini, including some big ones like the storm giants!

however, I think you need to pledge vampire now and upgrade in the questionnaire app later. Pledging 1 USD now won't let you get Vampire or better thereafter, outside the scope of the Kickstarter.

besides, pledge vampire now, unlock more stretch goals for everyone, including yourself! :-)

And that kids... is why we say... don't do drugs like mr Owlbear does :-)

Yeah, probably the best deal in mini-history... like... ever! go pledge and pledge a lot, it unlocks even more freebees and gets you more options too!
Go go go!!! 60 hours to contribute :-)

mmmmm, too much opinions and text to read it all... but coming from Europe and looking at the US... why are you asking who will pay for a few hundred million for something as valuable as health care for all when you are a country who spends hundreds of BILLIONS on waging war (or keeping the peace) all over the world?

seriously, 'nough said!

There's also some more books, specifically dealing with traps and puzzles from the 3.0 era, not WotC though:

Traps & Treachery part 1 & 2

I've used them to great effect! (from CR 1 to CR 12+ traps)

they're on Amazon too:

http://www.amazon.com/Treachery-Dungeons-Dragons-Fantasy-Roleplaying/dp/158 9940202

The great thing is that it includes images and worked-open versions of the traps, exposing the inner workings so you can adapt them even more if you detect weak points :-)

Enjoy!

Keep it simple:

Give him the Scythe as a martial weapon, with greatsword stats...

But KEEP greatsword stats... so 2d6 slashing, twohanded... BUT also 19-20/x2... not 19-20/x4 (scythe is 20/x4 if I'm not mistaking)

So either the better standard damage (2d6) or the greater crit multiplier with lower threat range... not AND/AND...

Life can be simple... if you want it to be :-)

Keep it simple:

Give him the Scythe as a martial weapon, with greatsword stats...

But KEEP greatsword stats... so 2d6 slashing, twohanded... BUT also 19-20/x2... not 19-20/x4 (scythe is 20/x4 if I'm not mistaking)

So either the better standard damage (2d6) or the greater crit multiplier with lower threat range... not AND/AND...

Life can be simple... if you want it to be :-)

I'd love to have one of these too!!!

Philipdhollander (at) hotmail (dot) com

Thanks a million!

4 Paladins...

Each spends a free action to 'smite', then assigns Treerazer as a swift action. Alternatively,one uses aura of justice to give each of his buddies 'smite', so the three other pallies can use their own swift actions for items or abilities

Each Paladin will now do + cha mod (+5/+6 on average) to attack rolls and a whopping +40 on damage per hit.

Two rounds, goodbye Treerazer :)

It gets worse with three barbarians and one paladin... The barbarians will start doing 2d6 + 70 per hit... Give them a high crit range weapon (scimitar or is it falchion, large sized) with improved critical and nothing can stand against that! I've seen a barbarian boosted by a paladin this way take on balor's (yes, multiple, actually three of them) heads on and walk away after 3 rounds...

Take it from me, I DM for a group of lvl 19 characters (paladin - who gives +5 to hit, +39 damage to all; barbarian; sorcerer; rogue) and the paladin granting smite to all others for free combined with their inherent damage output (sorcerer --> dragonform) is unstoppable.

I've pitted CR 23's and 25's against them, to little avail...

High level (17+) PF is über, period!

...

Do you really think the average intelligence of Americans is 10, while in rest of the first world, it is 12-14?
...

Actually, yes :-)

You could have a blast with this... make it not a 'five minute roleplay' or 'lucky D20 roll'

Instead, try this:

*** This is not mine (credit where credit is due, I don't know who originally wrote this), I picked it up from the internet a few years ago and it was too good not to use :-) ***

Thief: "The property must be worth thousands!!!"
Fighter: "Hey, we could move in! I'm tired of sleeping in lice-infested bunks at the Mercenarys' Guild."
Wizard: "And I could use the necromancer's lab instead of sharing bench space with a bunch of 1st year apprentices at the Wizards' Guild. Do you know how much it would cost me to set up my own private lab somewhere else?"
Thief: "But the property must be worth thousands!!!"
Priest: "I agree. We should move in and use this building as a new base of operations. The dorms at the Temple are the size of a closet, and Brother Tuck snores. We'll have to register the deed in our name, though, or the city will seize the property as ownerless. Besides, we'd have to register the deed before we could sell it off anyways."
Ranger: "I'd still rather sleep in the woods."

So, what's a DM to do? The easy solution is to say "Ok, you go to the courthouse, pay 100 gp, and register the deed." But why pass up a chance for some interesting role-playing, and the chance to frustrate your players at the same time! In my own campaign, the PC's completed an adventure where they had cleared out a City of Greyhawk residence that belonged to a sage. The sage had died an unfortunate death as a result of experiments that had gone very wrong. Those experiments were still wandering about the residence, and caused quite a bit of difficulty for the PCs. In the end, one of the more valuable pieces of "treasure" that they had found was the deed to the sage's residence, a deed that they became intent on registering. This is how I resolved the situation. Adjust any specific references to specific guilds (such as the Sages' Guild) as your needs require. What follows is the tangle of red tape the PCs were forced to run through. Paragraph headings indicate where the PCs are. When there, the clerk they meet generally requires them to explain why they are there and what they need (each and every time!). Below that, I list the questions the clerk asks, his actions in response to the answers, then what he requires from the PCs before he can give them what they came for. Keep track of the time it takes visiting all the locations, since the party will have to wait until the appropriate City Hall wickets are open.

The PCs approach the room within the City Hall or Courthouse they've been directed to. On the door is a sign that says:
Estate Dispensations 9:00-11:00 Property Registry 1:00-3:00
Entering the room they see a counter at the back with two wickets. "Estate Dispensations" and "Property Registry". Only one of the wickets will be open (depending on the time of day it is). A room behind the counter is filled with shelves and stacks of books. If they wish to register their deed, they must come when the Property Registry wicket is open. They will approach the wicket and ring a small bell. An elderly scribe will eventually emerge from the back room.

1. Property Registry
They will be asked "Where is the property?" The offiicial disappears into the back room for a while and looks up the address they give in the city property index.
Who is the currently registered owner? Looks up the official registry and finds the name of the sage.
"Our records indicate he is the registered owner and that he is still alive." To prove otherwise, the PCs must produce an official death certificate Form E71-c bearing the Embalmers' and Gravediggers' Guild seal.

2. Embalmers' and Gravediggers' Guild
Was the death of the sage reported to the City Watch? Was the cause of death investigated?
PCs must produce a favorable Incident Report, Form I-9a, from the City Watch.

3. City Watch
If the City Watch was not involved in the proceding adventure (for example, if the Watch asked the PCs to investigate, or were called in during the course of the adventure), the PCs may find it difficult explaining their actions. Once they can prove that their actions were well-intentioned, and may have even benefitted the city in some way, they will be issued a copy of the Incident Report Form I-9a (for a fee, of course). Whether the PCs's actions were on the up-and-up or not, the Watch may now mark them as potential troublemakers, and will be keeping an eye on them in the future.

4. Embalmers' and Gravediggers' Guild
When the PCs produce Form I-9a, which must indicate that the body was identified, and that the sage is indeed dead, they will be asked where the sage is buried. Lord's Tomb, Common Crypt, or New City Cemetary (the choices for the City of Greyhawk)? At this point, the PCs will be required to pay for the internment of the sage's body, if it hasn't been taken care of already.
After paying another fee, they will be issued a Death Certificate Form E71-c.

5. Property Registry
PCs produce form E71-c. They may now request to reregister the property. They will only now be told that in order to do that, they must have a Form LC207-a Certificate of Legal Claim from "Estate Dispensation". Since it is now afternoon, and the Estate Dispensation wicket is closed, they will have to return the next day.

6. Estate Dispensation
When the PCs arrive the next morning, they see the Estate Dispensation wicket open. When the bell is rung, a scribe emerges from the back room. The same scribe that they had been dealing with behind the Property Registry wicket, of course. The scribe will not acknowledge that he knows who the PCs are, what their story is, or what they want. They will have to explain everything from the start. After they have done that...
Was there a will? The scribe checks to see if there is an official Last Will and Testament registered with the office. If not, the PCs must verify the absence of a will with the Lawyers' and Scribes' Guild, and if there isn't, must return with a Form EW222-3b as proof.

7. Lawyers' and Scribes' Guild
If there is a will, the PCs' quest ends here. The DM could then use the will, and the named (potentially mysterious) beneficiary, as a jumping off point for a new adventure. If there is no will, they get their EW222-3b (after a fee, of course).

8. Estate Dispensation
Upon return, they will be told that if there is no will, all property goes to whichever guild the deceased belonged to. The deceased's guild can waive all rights to the property if an official from the guild fills out a Form PRW27-42-1c. They will then be handed the appropriate blank form. If the previous owner was not a member of a guild (unlikely for an NPC wealthy enough to own their own property), skip to step 10.

9. Union of Sages and Academics (varies according to your campaign)
The guild will not relinquish rights. "Give up a claim on a property worth over 15,000 gold pieces? You've got to be kidding!" There no doubt will some arguement from the PCs. In a more chaotic or lawless town, the PCs may be able to bribe the official (raising potential adventures in the future when the guild hierarchy finds out) to sign the paperwork. A more likely response would be.... "You're adventures are you? Well maybe we can come to a mutually beneficial agreement." The agreement will vary according to what type of guild is involved. In the case of the Union of Sages and Academics (in my campaign example) the guild asked that the PCs allow the guild to copy any maps or books the PCs find over the next 5 years, and just hand over materials that the PCs do not want to keep. Provide copies of any maps the PCs make. Finally, the dead sage's library was to be handed over, and then the PCs could keep the property, furniture, and equipment for a 2000gp donation to the guild. The PCs sadly informed the official that the library was destroyed by fire sparked by a spell cast in combat during exploration of the residence (they were lying, of course). After agreeing to the guild's conditions (the PCs may be required to sign a document), the official signs the Form PRW27-42-1c and affixes the seal.

10. Estate Dispensation
The PCs produce the deed, the Waiver of Property Rights PRW27-42-1c from the guild, and the Form EW222-3b (Absence of Last Will). They will then be asked for their Form R87-401T. "What?" "No transfer of property can be made unless all outstanding taxes are paid. Form R87-401T certifies that there are no outstanding taxes."

11. GRS (Greyhawk Revenue Service)
Well, it turned out that the very busy sage had been too busy to pay his taxes. After the PC's coughed up 587gp in back taxes, the GRS issued an R87-401T certifying that there were no longer any outstanding taxes.

12. Estate Dispensation
Now the PCs produce the deed, the Form EW222-3b (Absence of Last Will), the Waiver of Property Rights PRW27-42-1c from the guild, and the GRS Form R87-401T. Now the clerk fills out the Form LC207-a Certificate of Legal Claim. "Bring this form to the Property Registry Office and you may register your property." By now, the PCs shouldn't even have to be told. They will have to return in the afternoon when the clerk is behind the wicket that lies just a few feet away.

13.Property Registry
The PCs proudly produce Form LC207-a Certificate of Legal Claim. They can taste victory! The clerk then asks for their C95 Citizenship papers. Doh! "Only citizens and permanent residents can own property within the walls of the City of Greyhawk. It is the law." If none of the PCs are citizens, they can prove residency if they get a Form R1-p, Certificate of Permanent Residency, from the Office of Immigration and signed by an official from a city registered guild or temple stating that the person in question has been a resident of the City for at least 6 months of every year for a period of not less then 7 years. Once they produce either a C95 or an R1-p, pay a 100 gp fee (of course!), their claim is registered (Form PR-c). If no other claims on the property are filed over the next 90 days, the property is theirs. If any other claims are filed, the case will go to court and you will have to hire a lawyer.
"At the end of the year you will be assessed your property taxes."

-MEGA BUMP-

So anyone have a chance to see it yet? Opinions?

'Very Poor' at best...

Truly not a good movie!

Too 'comical' but major fail because most of it isn't funny at all... Some good puns in between a lot of crap!

Poor acting... Don't even recall who the lead actor was, but please...

Kato was cool! Like in 'really cool'! Nice moves, overall pretty good acting.

As to story... interesting and has potential... but it didn't unfold at all... Chaotic at best I'd say. Too much emphasis on humor again, but not my kind of humor!

The car: nicely done! Lots of gizmo's, but many of them don't get a chance to really 'shine' :-(

Special effects: nice in 3D, for the full 5 minutes of 3D you get (only the explosions and stuff). I took the 3D glasses of for 90% of the movie and didn't see a difference! Actually, the end credits were the most 3D of the entire movie!

Overall, I'd recommend NOT to go see this and spend 90 minutes on something useful!!!

If I'd have to score it, it would be a 1/10 or maybe 1,5/10.

Saybia - The day after tomorrow

Linkie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okrRBLIC8WQ&feature=related

Raymond E. Feist... Krondor Series and Serpent Wars series, both brilliant! Riftwars is also a recommended read, but not as good (although a prelude) to the two above mentionned references

Terry Brooks... Shanarra series (as already mentioned by one of the first people to reply. Absolutely recommended!

David Gemmel... anything except the 'troy' series. Especially the books like: Swords of Night and Day, Druss the Legend, Wayfinder, King beyond the gate, White Wolf.

Brilliant pics in the link...

Gotta love those rings!

I would have thought it to be a foil version of the one ring, but alas... ;-)

congrats guys!

How many of you in this thread have played a high level barbarian and can speak from experience?

I DM weekly for a bunch of very experienced role players (15 years experience each)

I DM Pathfinder, and in the (long) wait for my current campaign to go live, I playtested Pathfinder to get a feel of the power level with a party of six players from level 1 tot 20, perfectly min-maxed as we played a few sessions at lvl 2/4/6/8/10/12/14/16/18/20. Everything from PF was allowed, when APG came out, they could re-spec their build.

Long story short, the barbarian OWNED everyone and everything!

Sidenote: I removed the DR 5/- from the fighter at lvl 19/20 (whatever)... DR is for barbarians, not for fighters, that was a slip on behalf of PF that I thought needed to be corrected. You can be a tank, but to be a tank with DR? No thanks!

Especially with the Invulnerable Rager from the APG (DR 10 at lvl 20) combined with the extra DR rage powers (three of those), so DR 13/- at highest level.

Add to that superstition (way too good in my book, every barbarian takes it, so that says something), reckless abandon, come&get me, ...

The barbarian has virtually no weaknesses left... No sneaking him, no flanking him, trapsense, very good saves all round now (high dex as usual, and superstition for those pesky will saves). 'Per Rage' powers which are there every round (free action to go in and out of rage, rinse and repeat)

His AC at lvl 20 was like 8 or 10 or something... His damage output and to hit however were through the roof. I posted a while back (I play more than I post) on how the barbarian fared against a CR 23 half red dragon barbarian 20... he smashed the pulp out of it in 1,5 rounds. Nuff said.

Your question: is the barbarian worth playing again?

My reply:
1/ For usefulness in combat? Hell yes! The most powerful all-round melee-bruiser in town. Heavy DR, so he can take a LOT of punishment. Heavy Damage with witch hunter, reckless abandon, power attack. Always hits his targets with his first few attacks.

2/ Outside combat? Meh... low cha, low int, the usual dump stats. If your campaign is all about combat and tactics, then fine. If there is a lot of roleplay, then your barb is going to be bored...

My two cents.

Btw, the actual campaign (lvl 0 to lvl 30) went live a month ago with same player again picking up barbarian... there's also a fighter, rogue, cleric, oracle and bard. In combat: barbarian ownage (double the hitpoints of anyone else at lvl 2). Outside combat: bored barbarian :-)

E-Bay link as soon as the stuff is for sale please :-)

Please. "Encounter cards" for the Ravenloft Board Game (wonder if they'll make boosters for it?).

Oh, and don't forget the Fortune cards for your plain old D&D game.

Oh my god... seriously? Extra powers (encounter/daily/whatever) "sold" for 4 bucks a pop (8 randoms)???

Sjeesh, how low can you fall...

Looks like they really did fire all their creative talent and went for marketteers (better paid, but with obvious results in the community)

*sigh*

APG stuff that is challenging, aside from my previous example...

Cavalier (high level) + barbarian (high level) + other trivial characters (compared to the above two):

Cavalier Order of the Dragon lvl 20 (yes, I master at that level currently, we're resetting in three weeks again) + barbarian lvl 20...

Initiative roll, cavalier wins

His first action is:

- Challenge closest BBEG monster (half dragon barbarian)
- Charge said half dragon, using his capstone ability and doing WITHOUT critical hit 275 points of damage (challenge = cavalier level in extra damage to challenged monster)... Damage on a charge = x5... and use ride-by-attack, no AoO.
- "Act as One" kicks in, all allies in sight get a free normal move + 1 attack as an immediate action. Hence they all close with said BBEG and all even charge hime for the additional damage, the penalty offset by the +2 AC the cavalier grants.

Then, it the barbarian's turn. Instead of having to close with the half dragon and have only one attack, he is already adjacent to him and can unload a full round attack on it, wasting said Half Dragon before it even got to act...

Next round, same on other BBEG, lycanthrope barbarian this time... Cavalier just attacks this time, but grants all allies +6 to hit the lycanthrope as long as he threatens them and uses second challenge of the day (7 total) to waste the lycanthrope in under two rounds with the help of the barbarian.

All in all, I'm cool with the APG and the powers (although some have been removed for all the right reasons), but it does indeed force us as DM's to rethink the strategies we have been using successfully for many years as the new mechanics work around (or can work around) them with ease...

To come back on how my barbarian deals 150-200 damage in one round? Again talking levels 16-18-20 here... he does 2d4 (falchion) + 50 per hit... The 50 extra comes mainly from APG sources, Reckless Abandon (-5 AC / +5 damage), Witch Hunter (+5 damage to spellcasters or creatures with spell like abilities, which they all have above a certain level), +5 weapon of course, strength 38 in rage with two handed weapon, power attack with two handed weapon). His Falchion with improved critical gives him a 30% per attack of being a critical and multiplying above damage by 2... So by level 20, damage outpout with haste (which he always gets) on average (assuming as proven that 4 out of the 5 attacks hit) 220 without crits and taking the crit chance into account 286 on average per round. Not much can stand in his way for long.

And yes, he has combat reflexes and a very decent dex! So he can return up to 5 AoO per round with each attack (even from the same creature) provoking an AoO at his highest attack bonus, so 5 retaliatory strikes per round... try about 300 damage outside his turn and almost 300 on his turn (and I have houseruled come and get me to return the favor AFTER the opponent's damage comes through). Like I said, not much that can stand up against such punishment...

Now combine again the above monster of a barbarian with the cavalier and they just found another loop hole (by the rules of course!).

The Cavalier Trips an opponent and has granted the virtual team work feats to his allies. The trip provokes an AoO from the cavalier thanks to the greater and improved trip), the barbarian also gets one because the cavalier got one (thanks to the feat), the barbarian happens to crit the monster, the cavalier gets an AoO because of his abilites (ally critting a threatened opponent gives him a free AoO). His extra AoO triggers another AoO from the barbarian who happens to crit again, the cavalier goes again with a free AoO and then the barbarian again. Needless to say, that downed opponent never got a chance to get back up...

So there I was with a party of 5 very optimized characters at level 20 with liberal use of Core / APG / MIC (to an extent) versus my 5 barbarians (no come and get me on my side though) with templates (lycanthrope, half dragon, half fiend, vampire, ...) with CR 20-23 each and they all got wasted. I did take the cleric with me though in a final blaze of g(l)ory...

APG does boost the power level of a party again, but it will just require more creativity from us as DM's :-)

That new Arcane Blast feat from the APG...

Let's you dump spells or slots in exchange for a ray dealing 2d6+1d6/level of the spell/slot.

Ranged Touch, no SR, no save, untyped damage...

Bang!

Ditch a lvl 5/6/7 spell each round and deal 7d6/8d6/9d6 automatically (a mere touch attack will even work against a dragon at that level)

Otherwise, dip into your favorite 3.5 splat book, such as Spell Compendium and go for the gruesome 'Assay Spell Resistance' and watch the dragon die :-)

"Come and Get me" as barbarian rage power ruined many a good encounter for me.. Allowing the barbarian to counter-attack (first!) every time he is hit (and his damage goes through first at his highest bonus) meant a damage output of 150 damage on avarage during his turn and another 150-200 outside his own turn. All this in exchange for a +4 to hit and +4 damage by the enemy attacking him.

Even brutal opponents with hitpoints (boosted) of 200-300-400 doen't last more than 2-3 rounds.

I follow Malaclypse on this one and for all my future story-arcs/campaigs: disallow the APG and allow stuff on a case-by-case, mostly as rewards and in exchange for influence points (my own system)

With regards to the pdf's, how does one easily print them?

When I want to print the APG say, it takes half an hour to 'flatten' the document and only then does it start printing. This is (according to some It guys I consulted) due to the different layers of the document (text, images, ... all in seperate layers)

Adobe reader works really hard to prepare it for printing (even on a dual core with 4GB of ram)

Any easy way to make it faster? Any setting in Adobe reader that I should check/uncheck?

Apparently, using the fully licensed Adobe Writer takes even longer as it digs deeper into the layers...

thanks in advance!