Zorgus

Realmwalker's page

798 posts. 11 reviews. No lists. No wishlists.


RSS

1 to 50 of 798 << first < prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | next > last >>

Qaianna wrote:
The usual consensus I've seen here is that a cestus replaces the entirety of the attack, so your 20th level brawler would replace her 2d10 punch with a 1d4 punch/slice, not accounting for the benefits on the weapon. You can of course just kick or headbutt for those times you don't need the mithral or cold iron properties.

Brawler's Strike... at 5th level the brawler may do unarmed strike damage at level -4 with weapons in the close fighter's weapon group. At level 20 the cestus is doing 2d8 damage not 1d4.


Secret Wizard wrote:
Lord-of-Boggards wrote:
I noticed you haven't done an Alchemist or Gunslinger. A Kasatha for either might be fun

Sling-user Halfling Gunslinger is one of the things I'd like to do.

As for Alchemist, I already have concepted a Syrinx Alchemist, just not written it down. It's basically an anti-caster, trading bombs for a pool of nega-energy he can use to counter spells, prevent enemies from running away, and manipulate light.

Make a Slinger Archetype for Halfling Gunslingers and I'll play it :)


Ambrosia Slaad wrote:
Would you consider hybridizing RGG's time thief and shadow assassin with Paizo's base/core classes?

I think a cross between the Time Thief and Shadow Assassin could rock not sure what to call it though. Chrono Monk for Time Thief and Monk


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Secane wrote:

Sorry just saw this post. On the topic of Pathfinder Bloat, there is a feeling by some local GMs in my area that way too much content (like the ACG) are coming out.

Could be the first sign of consumer fatigue.

The three groups I belong to do see it, they love the options. Again two groups MOAR and BLOAT...

I personally think the number of books that Paizo produces is perfect I can easily afford the ones I need.


Umbral Reaver wrote:
There is no PFS where I live.

Same here.


Any thing for Rogue Genius Games (Godling, Time Thief, Anachronistic, and Talented lines.)

More stuff for LPJ's Machinesmith.


I have you friended and your page liked.


Purple Duck Games
Legendary Races: Medusa
Has a Snake-Bodied Template You could use that.


If not for the new material released I probably would have lost interest in Pathfinder for another game all together. You can do a lot with the Core Rule Book which is technically all you need to get started. Options are fun, that is what got me to buy additional books and 3rd party material, I loved what was done with The Genius Guide to the Godling that was what sparked my interest in 3rd party products. The Magus is the reason I picked up Ultimate Magic, The Gunslinger was the reason I picked up Ultimate Combat, The Alchemist and the Inquisitor got me to buy Advanced Players Guide, and the Bloodrager and Brawler was got me to pick up the Advanced Class Guide. I picked up the Advanced Race guide mainly for the Race options and the race builder. These options have been fun and benefited my Games that I run.

I see a lot of good options and choices from both Unchained and Occult Adventures and will probably pick them up as well.

I don't see any of this as being bloat...Paizo is in the business to sell a product, they make a good quality product at a price I can afford, I keep getting new material and support for said product so I'm happy to keep giving them my money and suggesting them when it comes to getting people into the hobby.


Skeld wrote:
Kolokotroni wrote:
Gorbacz wrote:

But Pathfinder, like D&D, always was a wargame. No amount of rose-tinted glasses worn during re-reading Tomb of Horrors can change the fact that D&D grew out of a desire from Gygax and Arneson to have a small-scale tactical wargame they could use to play out their fave sword & sorcery heroes vs monsters adventures. And so they did.

When you try any RPG system that grew out of opposition to D&D - and has rules, narrative and acting interact together far more than D&D does - it become blindingly obvious that no matter if it's 0e, 1e, BECMI, 2e, 3e/3.5e/PF, 4e or 5e they're all wargaming rulesets with the entire role-playing part bolted on and only loosely connected. Having played quite a few dozens of non-D&D RPGs I always get a laugh when "old school" people ramble on about how 3e and onwards it's all rules and no role-playing. Guys, you're all wargamers arguing whether wood elves were better off in 2ed or 4ed of the game.

Now of course you can have fantastic role-playing in D&D and you can publish amazing campaign settings and adventures for it. But always, you'll be playing a tactical wargame, and the ruleset will concerns itself with combat and pretty much nothing else. The mechanical chassis doesn't interact with neither the players' acting nor with GM's narrative.

This is certainly true. The fact is that no edition of dnd actually lent itself particularly well to roleplay or narrative storytelling. The only thing that was different 'back in the day' was the rules were so poorly written that they were often ignored or houseruled by dms. That isnt to say the rules somehow stopped you from roleplaying, they simply never did anything to aid it. There is no narrative control built into the game. Its a tactical combat game, the simple fact that social skills are a NUMBER, or the fact that countless spells exist that simply solve narrative challenges should make this WILDLY obvious.

Counter to this, games like fate, not only have rules

...

Not to mention a lot of the adventure paths give xp rewards for many non-combat situations.

A good role playing session does not need to center around combat.


JoeJ wrote:
Realmwalker wrote:
1: All that is needed to play is the Core Rules (Named Core Rules for a reason) and the Bestiary 1, Unless they are very new to Gaming in General they do know what a core rule book is. Starting players even I when I was younger started with the Core of each game before going out and getting anything else.

What if you a mixture of new and experienced players? Do you restrict everybody to just the CRB, or do you let the experienced players choose from a wider range of books and tell the newbies that they really shouldn't play some of the most attractive (seemingly) classes in the CRB or they'll be sitting around wondering why they never get to do anything cool?

I don't restrict my players since I have most of the books and have had time to read through them I often help them with the character concepts they want to play. The only time I would ever restrict anything is if I have not read through the material.

Even when someone else is GM I'm often there to help the others with rules questions and some character design advice. The goal is to have fun not "win" something my group does very well.

As far as my mix of players I've been playing since D&D 1E, the alternate GM in the group started when 3E came out, I have a player that has played for a year now, and 2 players that have sat in on 10 games or less. So I say I have a decent mix of player experience.


Lemmy wrote:
captain yesterday wrote:

I knew someone would cherry pick that:)

the difference is a dead animal is dead, a gaming system is a product of the community, as long as the community is alive, engaged and vibrant the game system will to, no matter how much you add to it:)

The problem is with ever-increasingly number of options is threefold:

1- It makes the game increasingly unwelcoming to new players. Having to know 100 options is intimidating enough. Having to learn 5000 of them is basically telling them to not even bother (specially when half those options are traps)... And without new players, the game dies.

2- It makes the game more annoying to use. It's not fun to search through dozens of awful feats such as "Sure Grasp", "Water Skinned" and "Canny Tumble" just to find the few feats, spells and archetypes that are actually worth a damn. I dare say over 50% of the the game's feats/spells/archetypes are so bad, they might as well not be there. Ivory tower design is a great marketing idea for card games, but it's horrible game design, even more so for a cooperative game such as tabletop RPGs (at least for the players).

3- It increases the chance more stuff will break the game, therefore reducing the fun of veteran players. Or at least those who care about balance. If you don't, good for you... But decreasing the fun of players is never a good thing.

Like any other ever-expanding set of rules, Pathfinder will eventually collapse under its own weight. It's a question of "when", not "if". And I believe the adherence to ivory tower design is unnecessarily hastening the process.

Here is why I disagree,

1: All that is needed to play is the Core Rules (Named Core Rules for a reason) and the Bestiary 1, Unless they are very new to Gaming in General they do know what a core rule book is. Starting players even I when I was younger started with the Core of each game before going out and getting anything else.
2: Having options is not annoying in any way I have yet to find an Archetype produced by Paizo I felt was truly bad some are not optimized but I don't build overly optimized characters and neither do my players. I have yet to have a hard time finding what feats I wanted to use or help my players find them either.
3: It may increase the chance of breaking some part of the game you are including to use but hardly the entire system as a GM I decide what may break my game and choose not to use it. I find having options makes it easier on me to create a fun universe to use a setting for my players, As a Veteran Player (I've been playing since D&D 1E)I have never been not in favor of new material or options, I like options the more the better. I don't see Pathfinder collapsing anytime soon, they have taken a rule set that was having problems and have taken great steps to improve on it. Nothing so far in my opinion has been useless or over powered, the same goes for the 3rd party publishers out there that have also added material to this awesome game. The quality of products has been better now than in the 3.X variations.

Pathfinder releases books at just the right pace I have Adventure Paths, Modules, Pathfinder Society Scenarios. To run games, I have books on Races that add flavor to races I include in my games, Monsters galore, new books with options to use in my games and they keep producing "new" things. I'm happy.


Canzy77 wrote:
We ran a scenario with one of each new class in the party and it took forever

This happens when playing a new class, when you get used to the new rules and options it becomes easier to play. I had no problem's with my Kineticist other than a lack of utility abilities and not enough skills. I'd like to see more Wild Talents as well.


Not at all concerned, all you need to play is the Core Rule Book and Bestiary 1, any thing else is added at your convenience. It is not all that difficult for new players to understand.

More choices adds to the flavor of certain games I want to run. I can choose to include them or not include them. Not only do I like the hard covers that are put out I also get a lot of base classes from 3rd Party Publishers as well.

I don't believe in too many classes when my players are having fun I have succeeded as a Game Master. So when my players want to have a Druid, Alchemist, Brawler, Gunslinger and a Time Warden then that is what they play. I have no problems adapting any adventure path or home spun adventure to their unique choices.


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Duncan7291 wrote:

I'm concerned about the introduction of new classes so soon after the release of the ACG. I'm concerned that Pathfinder is become bloated and creating such a load of information that new players or GM's may feel the learning curve is too high to become vested in this system.

What are yall's thoughts? (Note: I'm not complaining just to complain, this is a real concern of mine and I would appreciate some honest discourse on the subject.)

Every time new classes have been introduced there have been posts with people worried about bloat, so no I'm not too worried.

I happen to believe more choices makes for a better gaming experience.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

A female designer on board would be cool and there are several that would do well on the design team.


Huzzah!


KenderKin wrote:

Usually a drow or drow noble or goblin or whatever only really "works" if the entire party is playing the same thing.

No player wants to play goblin "toady" to a drow noble PC!

I suggest that you inquire about an all drow (noble) campaign.

I would lol


JonathonWilder wrote:
Kerney wrote:
I'm surpized Bard has not come up.
Good call, a bard would make for an interesting bard.

The second Doctor played a recorder. All of them would have ranks in Perform (oratory) Matt Smith's incarnation would have several ranks in it.


Anguish wrote:

The Doctor doesn't have any powers beyond social contact. And reincarnation I suppose.

I'd just make him a unique race with spontaneous-reincarnation upon death (same race only) and stat him with decent Int and Cha, poor Wis. As for class levels, maybe Expert 1 or something. Certainly no core or base classes would apply.

The Doctor is a minor telepath (revealed in at least the forth incarnation of the doctor) and in one of the Matt Smith Episodes was able to speak infant and in another episode talk to a cat.

As fighting goes both Jon Pertwe's incarnation (Alien Martial Arts, and David Tennant's version ("Ahh now this is a fighting hand.")could easily defend themselves.

...and oh yes the Doctor does kill, he just does not like to.


Neal Litherland wrote:

The only reason I didn't suggest the Spy Master for Natasha is because short of a few very specific kinds of games the class is never going to really contribute to the party.

Regardless the point has been raised that while Natasha is a field agent she is much more heavily charisma based. From her looks (which disguise her sharp wits and keen mind) to the fact that she can bluff her way past nearly any door she's a spy first and foremost.

Combat is a necessary part of any RPG however, and it's a necessary part of comic books it seems. The Widow's abilities are best utilized with sneak attack, since she always takes her opponents unawares. That's the primary reason she comes out ahead in most fights; they don't know she's there, and underestimate her significantly.

Part of being a good GM is to include things that involve each of the character's skills and back story. Natasha would have plenty to do in most of my games


I was setting up a Golarion Avenger's Team using She-Hulk Brawler (Mutagenic Mauler), Black Widow Ninja (Spy), Wasp Sorcerer(Fey Bloodline, and Mockingbird (Brawler)


I enjoyed Obsidian Apocalypse from Louis Porter Jr.


Apart from her Combat Skills Black Widow is a Bluff/Diplomacy MASTER She is much more a CHA based than a WIS base character. When Ironman was rebuilding the Avengers in Mighty Avengers just after Civil War he brought up Black Widow as a person to fill a Ninja "like" position she also deals in both Disguise and high levels of Stealth Ninja fits just fine.

I'd almost go Ninja/Slayer


Joshua and his families will be in my prayers, I'm sadden by his passing.


You could always use the Race Builder from the Advanced Race Guide and make a humanoid small sized racoon should be fairly simple.


ShadowcatX wrote:

I know this thread is old and I don't know if you check it any more, but one thing I would like would be SGG Sci-fi stuff. And not just warlords of the apocalypse, but universal things.

Like maybe: SGG Guide to the Talented Cyborg with cybernetics taking the place of talents, and feats to allow other classes partial conversion. (It wouldn't even have to be exclusively Sci-fi, it could easily be magical cybernetics.)

SGG to powered armor.

Etc.

Nice

Hell that can even cross into a Fantasy Setting fairly easily as well...Magical limb replacements and such.


Jesper at Blood Brethren Games wrote:

I find myself in need of some help from the 3PP community in understanding a few of the mechanisms of the industry better, so I hope some of you will help me shed some light on this.

For about six months now, my buddy and I have been working on a series of products for Pathfinder. We have paid close attention to all the great advice here on the forum and tried to learn as much as possible.

Unfortunately, we have very limited access to sales figures etc. on which to base our own projections and therefore make reasonable budgets for our coming products. And herein lies the problem. Maybe my math is all screwed. Maybe I am just having the wrong expectations. But with the numbers in front of me, I can't see a way to even manage break even - even in the longer run?

Based on information from the forum, I have collected the following advice and information:
- Don't skip the art, good art will more than earn the cost back
- Expect quality art to cost $50 from sources such as DeviantArt
- A rule of the thumb says 1 art piece per 3 pages in short products, per 5 pages in longer products
- If you sell 200 copies of something, it is a hit. Expect a lot less for most products
- Expect to have to build your brand, success and sales over time (naturally)

So, I did a quick calculation of a 30-page product with 6 pieces of art and a nice cover piece (worth two normal pieces). That's $400. Add to that $80 to pay off on a license for CreativeCloud. My own time is not added. It is still $480.

With a product price of $5, Blood Brethren Games earns approx. $3 per sold copy, times e.g. 150 copies, that is still only $450!?

So, I'd really like to ask the experienced Third Party Publishers how this all adds up. I expect to have to earn loyal fans and customers and most likely have a negative income on the products for a while, but with these numbers I find it really hard to see how - even down the line - a product can break even or turn a small profit?

Where am I wrong? Is the art too expensive? Is the...

There are very good quality artists that do charge less than $30 for an 8x10 piece many are just starting to get into the business many such as my self are willing to negotiate a cheaper price just to get our name out their. Try looking a redmonkey-da on deviant art like me there are others that want to break into the business, as for my works my pieces have been on a couple of Super Genius Products I've done and am doing a few pieces for Christina Stiles as well.

What I am getting at is good affordable artists are out there, look at LPJ as well he has some of the best art in the 3pp community and he will be the first to tell you he does not pay a mint on art.

While a physical product is good it is not necessary many of the names out there do mostly PDF and do just fine, PDF purchasers like myself are beginning to take up a lot of the gaming purchasers. I also have noticed a lot of the larger names balance large sized Pdfs/and Books with a lot of fast, smaller sized PDFs to get a good stream of PDFs out on the market. Don't let the selling power of 1-3 page PDFs for .99 cents fool you they can be pretty good sellers. I've bout a ton of the smaller PDFs .


Avatar-1 wrote:

Good point :) Goodbye Gunsmithing.

What about selling it after it's enhanced though?

Per the Gunslinger Class

This starting
weapon can only be sold for scrap (it’s worth
4d10 gp when sold).
As a Game Master that is all you would be able to sell it for even after any "Enhancements". It makes the player think twice about giving it up for the gold value.


Thanks I got mine !


Yes this works very well for me. I have enjoyed it very much.


amir90 wrote:

I feel a bit silly for asking, but I have read the description of this book several times, even gave it a peak at my local hobby story. I am still not sure what this book does, who it is for (I am guessing both GMs and players, because there are monster stats).

Is it a book that gives your heroes and monsters a sort of template? They gain powerful abilities and can withstand more, and you can apply that at very low levels (less than level 5) and epic characters? (15+, even over 20).

At first, I thought it was a book for epic level characters.

I am still not sure, if anyone could clarify this for, I would be very grateful.

It is not rules for epic play (Levels 21+)

It is usable between levels 1-20
every 2 Mythic Tiers is approximately equal to 1 level and there are up to 10 Mythic Tiers.

I hope this helps somewhat :)


Sweet I am in need of a few Minions.


Margrave wrote:

I'm curious about that also...

The adventure included at the back of the book already set an example. And while it looked pretty amazing, I can see myself struggling to come up with bigger, better, harder, faster stuff each time...

Take a look at the Wrath or the Righteous Adventure Path it does just that it scales each of the mythic encounters as the PCs progress, it can be done.


The Time Thief by Super Genius Games

2 products I'm looking forward to seeing:
Warlords of the Apocalypse
Bite Me


Paizo had to get their start somewhere and where was that?

Oh yeah 3rd Party Publishing...Yeah Rise of the Runelords was just some hack fan fiction writing for TSR/Wizards of the Coast.


2 people marked this as a favorite.

Then you have Minotaur Games, I'm pretty sure Paizo wouldn't want anything that 3pp produces...


Justin Rocket wrote:
Zhayne wrote:

I know some people who automatically assume that 3PP material is inherently imbalanced or 'too far out there'. I laugh when I realize that those people must think the core PHB is, in any way, balanced.

You don't have to use 3PP material any more than you have to use elements of the core. But automatically dismissing it out of hand is simply moronic.

For the record, I've never called the core PHB balanced. It is, however, more balanced than a lot of the 3PP content.

Again, there's good content in 3PP, but I don't have the time to dig through 3PP and find it.

Hmmm then it must be my superior reading skills it takes less than 30 mins to go over a class for one of my players and tell them I will not or will allow it in my game...

The main rule that we go by is if you play the class you provide a purchased copy of the 3rd party material to the GM unless he already bought it. My players often go through my 3rd party stuff on my computer looking for cool options to play.

3pp has expanded our gaming experience, and not hurt it in any way.


The one quote mentioned in this thread got to me...
3PP produce things that Paizo refused to buy...
You know the Prehensile Hair Hex that the Witch gains...It was in a 3rd Party Book by Super Genius Games before released as a Hex by Paizo.

3pp often releases product that Paizo wants to put way down the line (Psionics), and releases support for Paizo Products that Paizo does not have the time to produce, some of these get used later on down the road by Paizo.

3pp also give me more choices to use in my campaigns and my characters when I get to play and my top 5 character classes to play 3 are 3pp.
Time Thief, Clever Godling, Alchemist, Luckbringer, and Rogue.

I've seen a lot of Amazing products from 3pp like Rite Publishing, Super Genius Games, Open Design, Louis Porter, 4 winds, Raging Swan and many others. To be honest if you total up the amount of money I've spent I have spent as much on 3rd party publishers as I have on Paizo's Pathfinder product...and have over 8 gig worth of Pathfinder and supporting 3pp in my Pathfinder Folder.


Justin Rocket wrote:
137ben wrote:
Orfamay Quest wrote:
Zaister wrote:


And it's really not a nice thing to imply that all third party products are "beta".

Reality is under no obligation to be nice, any more than it's under an obligation to be polite.

While I acknowledge that some 3PP products are complete and well-made, an uncomfortably large number of them are effectively beta versions.

Examples? If by "third party product" you are referring to, say, a thread posted on the homebrew forum, then yes, I would agree that a lot of that is not polished. But of the main 3rd party publishers (FGG, DSP, Kobold Press, Rite), I haven't seen any "effectively beta versions".

I will say that a couple publishers have a tendency to do stuff like that...(I'm looking at you, Adamant Entertainment's version of the Warlock). But the good publishers? Never put out anything less polished than, say, the Summoner (which, like it or not, is really effectively beta). Or WotC's Truenamer.
Please tell me how this is balanced

How in your opinion is it unbalanced, I have a player in my home game playing a shaman I've had no problems with the class.


Cheapy wrote:
Realmwalker wrote:
Cheapy wrote:
My sources tell me that Krazy Kragnar was considering a deal with a traveling merchant peddling Ape Iron Staves, but the monkeys proved too much of a nuisance for him to sell them!
Lol My Vanara Monk could use one of those.

Good news!

Ok, I'll stop muddying this thread.

Nice!

"I wear a Fez now..."


Kain Darkwind wrote:
Mythic Power Attack should have died in a fire, but it seems it survived its needlessly confusing way into the final copy. That's a bummer.

Confusing?

It is +3's instead of +2's, the extra damage is applied to criticals spend 1 mythic power to negate the to hit penalty for one minute.

it read very simple to me at least...


At most Mythic Weapon Finesse makes it easier on my rogue as now I can get the bit of extra damage with out having to be proficient with a Scimitar and not have to spend a crap ton on the Agile enchantment. I can either take Shield Proficiency and get a buckler (extra defense) or duel wield rapiers (extra damage). Hell I'd take this as a Trickster Path Ability


Teller of Tales wrote:
Cheapy wrote:


(..) there's finally a Core Dex-to-damage option!
Cheapy wrote:


Which is why it's (..) not a core feat!

:P

Mythic Weapon Finesse on its own is not a problem and I actually love it (since I love Dex builds in general), I just think there should be be a way for Strength Builds to somehow keep up in AC now that Dex builds completely keep up on damage for the cost of 2 feats (yes, yes, for Mythic characters, not for normal ones) and can circumvent max Dex on armor.

Want to build a slow, heavily armored hulk? To bad, his AC will now be far lower than for his quick, not much less armored Dex counterpart.

They do, it is called heavier armor...most people have a tendency to over look this high strength builds can utilize heavier armor easier and not be gimped. Lower strength builds though they get to add more of thier dex to AC don't get it at as high a rate as being able to wear heavier armor types. My dex based Dervish Dancer always lagged behind the fighter in full plate AC wise.

Prerequisites: Dexterity 13, Weapon Finesse, Perform (dance) 2 ranks, proficient with scimitar.

Benefit: When wielding a scimitar with one hand, you can use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier on melee attack and damage rolls. You treat the scimitar as a one-handed piercing weapon for all feats and class abilities that require such a weapon (such as a duelist’s precise strike ability). The scimitar must be for a creature of your size. You cannot use this feat if you are carrying a weapon or shield in your off hand.

2 feats, 2 ranks of Dance, Dex 13, proficient in Scimitar...for the most part 2 feats (with this and weapon finesse) all before Mythic.

Now I can add dex to damage with any weapon I can finesse at Mythic. (Most finessable weapons do d6 damage so it is far from overpowered.

I can still get more damage and AC with a fighter strength build.


Cheapy wrote:
My sources tell me that Krazy Kragnar was considering a deal with a traveling merchant peddling Ape Iron Staves, but the monkeys proved too much of a nuisance for him to sell them!

Lol My Vanara Monk could use one of those.


Cheapy wrote:
Teller of Tales wrote:
Cheapy wrote:
Well, Weapon Finesse (Mythic) made the keep, so there's finally a Core Dex-to-damage option!

Though I still think they went kinda overboard here, since it completely replaced strength in all ways related to damage.

Why would any primary meele(outside of a few specialized, feat starved or strength boosting cases) not go DEX with it?
Two feats (well, 3 if you count effortless armor to remove max dex) to basically increase AC and Ref Saves by about 5 to 10 (remember that the MT alone nudge you to take +10 to your primary stat).

I honestly don't see how a strength build can hope to even get close to a Dex builds AC now (on higher levels at least).

Which is why it's a Mythic feat, and not a core feat!

I have no problem with it, it has been my experience that speed and accuracy (Which is almost always dex based) was equally damaging as power. It does not have as much an impact in game unless you have players that have an over emphasis on optimization. We have had maybe 2 Dervish Dancer builds 1 Rogue, and 1 Time Thief in my party and they did not outshine the greatsword wielding fighter.

As a Mythic Feat Mythic Weapon Finesse definitely has a place.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

The Waysides are very good in my opinion. Definitely keep them in production

1 to 50 of 798 << first < prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | next > last >>