Reckless's page

For your edification The Flame Wars

Warm up on that, Fishy.

I won't stop until it's as meme-y as you know what.

Good to see my wife made #1 on the list. :)

Well, she is da hawtness.

Mine comes from my college years. I went to a Catholic college, and everyone was part of "Households" (fraternities on Cathocrack). While we all belonged to different households, most of my gaming buddies were "rebels" in that lame college kid way, and we formed a fake "household called "Restless Spirits", alternatively called "Independant Spirits".

After I graduated, Restless somehow became Reckless in my mind, and when I signed up to run games for Living Forgotten Realms, I did so as "DMReckless". Partly to honor those "Reckless" days of college, partly because I almost always DM, and partly because I like people thinking the DM stands for "Damn". I kept it while putting together The Thirteen Kingdoms setting with my fellow 12 DMs. When I joined the Paizo Community, I dropped the DM. You'll see me as either, depending on what boards you look on.

Additionally, I am of the conservative mindset, so the name has an ironic appeal to me.

Sorry, all this talk of Cyborgs combined with the title
Terminator:Deliverance
has my mind going the wrong way

Arnold: "Ah'll make you squeel like a pig. Give me all of your clothes."

carry on as if I never made this terrible, terrible post

Claremont?
You might as well just go back and read the old comics. Every time he gets involved with the X-men he tells the same stories.

Phoenix/Jean Grey yawn
Brood yawn.

Great the first time he told the stories; by the third time I couldn't care less.

got the bear bones up... tel me what you think?

I think your stats are too high, 32 point buy shouldn't have stats that high: 3.5 point buy:

S to the Murf, pizzles.

Well, since your starting equipment isn't really stuff you just bought the day before you started adventuring, but more like the gear you've acculmulated throughout your backstory/training, it kind of makes sense that some of those resources might be tied up in inheriting the weapon (ie, the "20 gp" cost is actually the extra time/effort you took out of training to spend with your family or whatever.)

Is it all right that I have knowledge of this AP? I'll keep all prior knowledge separate I just want to make sure you are ok with it.

I'm assuming this is for a PbP?

Same questions :)

I'll probably go with a posterboard on the wall, something I can keep off the table and up between sessions as needed.

I didn't know she was on Firefly. Might actually have to give that show another chance.

She appears in a couple of the episodes as a reoccurring villian. The first of which, "Our Mrs. Reynolds", shows her in full seduction mode, and is both sexy and funny.

I was just thinking about Settlers of Katan hexes.

Got me thinking: why not blow the map up to SoK size hexes, mount them on cardboard, cut them out, and let the players "build" the map as they go?

I think that's what I'm going to do.

Whipped this up wuick with hero lab no time to double check :)

UNNAMED HERO CR 7
Male Halfling Rogue 5 Shadowdancer 2
CE Small Humanoid (Halfling, Shapechanger)
Init +4; Senses Darkvision (60 feet), Low-Light Vision, Scent; Perception +13
--------------------
DEFENSE
--------------------
AC 20, touch 16, flat-footed 15 (+4 armor, +4 Dex, +1 size, +1 dodge)
hp 39 (7d8+7)
Fort +5, Ref +11, Will +5
Defensive Abilities Evasion, Improved Uncanny Dodge (Lv >=11), Trap Sense +1
--------------------
OFFENSE
--------------------
Spd 20 ft.
Melee +1 Chain, Spiked +10 (1d6+1) and
Unarmed Strike +9 (1d2)
Special Attacks Sneak Attack +3d6
--------------------
STATISTICS
--------------------
Str 10, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 10
Base Atk +5; CMB +3; CMD 18
Feats Combat Reflexes (4 AoO/round), Dodge, Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Chain, Spiked, Mobility, Rogue Weapon Proficiencies, Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +21, Bluff +10, Climb +6, Diplomacy +4, Disable Device +8, Escape Artist +9, Fly +6, Handle Animal +4, Intimidate +4, Knowledge: Dungeoneering +6, Knowledge: Local +6, Perception +13, Perform: Dance +5, Sense Motive +11, Sleight of Hand +14, Stealth +18, Survival +5, Swim +4, Use Magic Device +10
Languages Common, Dwarven, Halfling
SQ Change Forms (Su), Fast Stealth (Ex), Fearless, Hide in Plain Sight (Su), Lycanthropic Empathy +11 (Ex), Trapfinding +2
Combat Gear +1 Chain, Spiked, +1 Studded Leather; Other Gear Boots of Elvenkind, Cloak of Resistance, +1
--------------------
SPECIAL ABILITIES
--------------------
Change Forms (Su) Change into Hybrid or Animal forms.
Combat Reflexes (4 AoO/round) You may make up to 4 attacks of apportunity per round, and may make them while flat-footed.
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white vision only).
Evasion (Ex) If you succeed at a Reflex save for half damage, you take none instead.
Fast Stealth (Ex) You may move at full speed while using the Stealth skill without penalty.
Fearless +2 morale bonus vs Fear saves.
Hide in Plain Sight (Su) You can use Stealth even while observed, as long as there is a shadow within 10'
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Lv >=11) (Ex) Retain DEX bonus to AC when flat-footed. You cannot be flanked unless the attacker is Level 11+.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in low light, distinguishing color and detail.
Lycanthropic Empathy +11 (Ex) Improve the atttitude of your type of animal, as if using Diplomacy.
Mobility +4 to AC against some attacks of opportunity.
Scent (Ex) Detect opponents within 15+ feet by sense of smell.
Sneak Attack +3d6 +3d6 damage if you flank your target or your target is flat-footed.
Trap Sense +1 (Ex) +1 bonus on reflex saves and AC against traps.
Trapfinding +2 +2 to find or disable traps.
Created With Hero Lab® - try it for free at http://www.wolflair.com!

"We have nothing to fear but fear itself. Oh, and (insert favorite race/ethnicity); can't forget the (insert favorite race/ethnicity)."

The monk can take the heal skill, which among other things can be used to treat deadly wounds at a DC 20.

Treat Deadly Wounds: When treating deadly wounds, you can restore hit points to a damaged creature. Treating deadly wounds restores 1 hit point per level of the creature. If you exceed the DC by 5 or more, add your Wisdom modifier (if positive) to this amount. A creature can only benefit from its deadly wounds being treated within 24 hours of being injured and never more than once per day. You must expend two uses from a healer's kit to perform this task. You take a –2 penalty on your Heal skill check for each use from the healer's kit that you lack.

Provided the Monk has a decent wisdom score, this is a 10 use item for 50gp divided by the 2 uses it takes = 10 gp per attempt. Supplement this with some of the ideas above and long-term care when necessary.

Remind the players that this is the route they've chosen.

Hey Em (Really hoping you're my old buddy Emirikol from T13K and LFR),
Golarion has some very distinct human "flavors" if you will (Azlanti,Chelaxians, Garundi, Keleshite,Kellid, Mwangi,Taldan,Tian, Ulfan, Varisian, and Vudrani), and the Campaign Setting book gets into them right off the bat. It was produced when Paizo was still writing for 3.5, so some minor changes my be needed if you're upgrading them to Pathfinder RPG.
Paizo does an excellent job of creating NPCs of different ethnicities, and the "flavor" comes through. How much or little a DM uses these tools, and how much the players are into it will vary by campaign and style, of course. I think you'll find some good examples in the play by post games here.
Also, traits can be used to give additional flavor and crunch to PCs and NPCs alike. They have already published a number of campaign-related traits, and a few racial traits. Expanding on these could give your campaign's humans the extra zest you're looking for.

Stratton aka Reckless

This wins da interwebz NSFW

While Reckless's tone leaves much to be desired, he's got some good points. Before you trash the rules, I would suggest auditing your use of them to make sure that you did, in fact, use them correctly. Did you give the beholder the full benefits the rules would give him?

Eran asked that people stop being passive-aggressive and say what they mean, so that's what I did.

You think I made a bad decision as a DM? Well why didn't you just come out and say that from the get go instead of this song and dance?

He also said that his last post was to be his last in this thread; true to his word, he opened another thread directed at me (specifically) asking for clarification on all-around vision. I suspect you'll find my "tone" in that thread more "friendly".

I have a lot of respect for his part in that thread. Here, some very unproductive comments had already been made (on both sides) and I thought it appropriate to cut through the B.S. and point out the issues with the session as described. And, as I noted in that thread, I, too, have been guilty of doing a horrible job running creatures I was unfamiliar with, just as Eran did here.

Also, believe me, I've had the same kinds issues with other monsters at different times in my DMing career. You read something in a statblock, don't look up what it is, and later find out: facepalm; that combat would have been completely different if I'd known what that was.

Heh, what you need to do is run the party up against another Beholder, who roars: "You killed Hyswetetti! He may have been dimwitted and blind, but he was my cousin!" ;)

All-Around Vision(EX): Beholders are exceptionally alert and circumspect. Their many eyes give them a +4 racial bonus on Spot and Search checks, and they can't be flanked.

The Beholder Eye Rays(Su) ability kind of require you to use some kind of facing rules, but the All-Around Vision (Ex)ability specifically negates flanking completely. That's the important part, that it is an extraordinary ability under the Beholder entry that generates specific results (+4 to skills, no flanking).

It's really too bad that the Beholder entry starts a page earlier than its statblock, and an opposite-side-of-the-physical-page at that; it's unsuprising that under your circumstances you missed that entirely.

Any chance you'd accept a Tengu Druid?

Thoughts on how to improve this system? Because I guess I'm going to be using 2nd edition rules for surprise checks for now on until I can find or devise a better method. It's ruining my game! I mean, come on, imagine soldiers in the battle field (think Marines here) hiding in the bushes waiting to ambush their quarry having no chance to "ambush" their foes in the Pathfinders system against a group of rogues because they don't have Stealth as a class skill, meaning even if they invest into it, it will never be high enough to surprise a Rogue of comparable level, but this is so unrealistic in terms of actually surprising someone, it's simply broken.

To continue telling you how to actually use the rules you're trying to complain about:

1) Marines would have Stealth as a class skill. They're taught camoflage and stealth. They also have equipment that would give them some kind of bonus (let's say +2).
2) Ambush attacks rely on tactics and timing as well as skill. This usually means your Perception check is going to be at Unfavorable Conditions (+2 to DC)
3) How close are the ambushers to the point they're ambushing? +1 to perception DC per 10'.
4) Is there something you can set up to distract the perceiver? If so, +5 more to their DC.

Juxtapose this to what you say about who is trying to perceive the threat: Halfling Rogues Racially, they are designed to be better than humans at perception. They have keen senses. Then, add the fact that they are trained observers of the most paranoid kind, who spend their lives looking for the unexpected around every corner, because that's their job , and I'd say the system works perfectly. If you want to surprise the buggers, you damn well better be trained and readied or it's not going to happen. Because it's not supposed to.

So here's the story, and the ire of my rant: the four halfing rogues and a hired fighter mercenary are standing in front of a black curtain of darkness in Undermountain - there are several of these in there - when they begin bickering with one another about how to approach the curtain and ignore the blackness at which point, a Beholder (CR 13) hiding behind the curtain wall waiting for it's opportunity to attack fly's into the center of the party - that's what the monster description says it does, to "sow chaos".

Alright, fine, so how to handle this surprise ambush? Well according to these, in my opinion, poorly thought out rules, the halfings have to see if they "notice" the beholder in time to react before the "surprise round". The behold has no Hide (3.5) as a class skill, so with a Dex of 14, gets a +2 to its roll. I roll a 10 - about as average as you can get - with it's +2, making his "Hide" 12. These little 9th level halflings have modified Perception scores ranging between 15-21... Yeah, so they all roll their perception checks, and unsurprisingly all pass - even the fighter, so we enter the initiative phase. Well guess what, all but the fighter beat out the beholder and since the halfings are all flanking it since it charged into the center of their party, they murder the thing with sneak attack damage and their regular attacks before the beholder...

What a horrid job you did running this encounter.

What type of action did the beholder use to fly into the center of the party? Answer: Move action.

When did the Beholder do this action? Before initiative was rolled.

Next Question: If they were all standing around arguing, how was there enough space in between them for a Large (10'x10') creature to fit? DM wanted a dead beholder, so he made sure his 4 rogues were flanking it.
EDIT And even this is wrong, as Beholders have all-around vision and CANNOT BE FLANKED

Why does the Beholder get a move action before initiative is rolled?
Because the DM ran the encounter not in accordance to the rules he is now questioning/complaining about.

What was the result? Dead Beholder.

Surprise!

Oh, and Beholder has a +12 to Hide . So you were wrong about that too. If you gave the bonuses for being Invisible (behind the cutain) +20, and the +5 for the perceiving characters being distracted, you would have had a total result of 47 with your 10 roll. As in, the Beholder gains surprise. Even with their perceptions at +21, the best they could have rolled was 41.

So, to answer your initial question, no the rules aren't bad, they just weren't being used very well.

Suggestion: go back and re-run the encounter according to the rules and see how it actually plays out. You may find it's actually a pretty dangerous fight for a bunch of rogues, what with all the Fort and Will saves involved.

Fergie wrote:

Hmmm, I must say that a cyclops running around with an energy burst scythe makes me puke in my mouth a little ...

Make it a vorpal club. Gives "I'll knock your block off" a whole new meaning :)

(begins counting)

no such thing, by definition of vorpal

[end count]

I've used this website in the past.

linked

you can enter a city and check out it's weather history for the past 14 years.
I had a campaign set in an area around a South Carolina'ish latitude and pulled up the weather from Charleston from the past year in a calendar format and when it came into play I had the information right there at my fingertips.

[img]http://paizo.com/image/splash/PathfinderSociety.jpg[/img]

Seeking players for Pathfinder Society Scenarios played using OpenRPG

Details will be on this forum as they get fleshed out.

Current plans are to play beginning at 6pm EST on Tuesday Nights.

You will need:

To read and become familiar with The Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play

To Click on the Link on this page to Join Pathfinder Society if you haven’t already. All players must arrive with a Pathfinder Society Number and legal Pathfinder Character (You can also click on another link on that page to register your character.)

Unless you have a way of getting your chronicle sheets from prior games to me (scanned images are acceptable), you must create a new society character to play in these games. I will be scanning and emailing chronicle sheets to players, and will report the events online within 2 days of the scenario.

Pathfinder Core Rulebook (hard copy or pdf) AND/OR the Pathfinder Reference Document

In order to play, we need a minimum 4 players (max 6 for time reasons) each time we play. The nice thing about PFS is that we won’t need the same 4 people all the time, so I’d like to get a big pool of players together , and the first 4-6 to show up will get to play. I will be running low-tier adventures to start, so it’s a great way to get new characters a few adventures under their belts before hitting the convention.

If there’s a group of players looking to play specific scenarios who can get their sheets scanned in, let me know and we can try to set something up that way as well.

Also, anyone interested in sharing GMing and opening this up to other nights/times, let me know and we can try to work out scheduling/chronicle sharing details.

Stratton aka Reckless

strattonel at yahoo dot com

heh, when I saw the title, I thought to myself... The Goblin King Wants YOU! Running the Kingmaker with Goblin/Hobgoblin/Bugbear characters trying to take over the Stolen Lands for Goblinkind.

Just ran through my mind, is all :)

Boilermaker *hic*

1) Let it be known from the outset that the group has, in effect, chosen your character for this role, by choosing to play the supporting role.
2) Be sure to know the roles the others have chosen and encourage them to develop those roles in support of your kingdom.
3) Be the leader by choosing your character's morals; live or die by those standards; be the example.

If you haven't watched A Knight's Tale, do yourself the favor of watching it. There's a great scene near the end where the hero is at his lowest and his comrades come forward to defend him. The speech by the Prince in response to this scene captures the feeling I want for my "King" player when I run this. "This, too, is Knightly." This is going to require some buy-in from the other players, though, since it is essential that they see your character as the leader, the hero, and understand that their roles as supporters are as essential to the story as your role as leader is.

Muchas congratulations.

Not a SOCK puppet

Reckless wrote:

Duh! Rick Deckard

He's smarter, younger, and edgier than either of those losers.

He's also a replicant and is therefore disqualified.

Well, then, Han gets disqualified for being a scruffy-looking nerfherder. :P

Duh! Rick Deckard
He's smarter, younger, and edgier than either of those losers.

The group I ran it for didn't stop one of the stable guards from running into the courtyard and yelling bloody murder. Then they tried making a run for the castle door. It didn't end well.

Guy Humual wrote:

Have we gotten feedback on the items on the second page yet?

I am on page two too, for anyone who would like to review it...Blood-stained War Cassock

It is included below under the spoiler button (so as to avoid spamming my item)...

** spoiler omitted **

Thanks,
anthrorob

Since you were kind enough to critique my item, I'll be glad to return the favor.

Descriptiveness: could have used more, especially with an inspiring name like "Blood-stained War Cassok". I do like the addition of the wearer's holy symbol after he prays. However, this raises the question of whether or not this symbology is removed when removing the Cassok, or remains until the conditions are met by a worshiper of another deity (I could see a worshiper of Iomedae having a real problem donning a cassok formerly worn by a worshipper of Zon-Kuthon, for example.)

Sacred bonus: does anything else give a sacred bonus to AC? I couldn't find anything. This means this AC bonus stacks with everything else. This could be a big problem. Probably would have been more acceptable as a deflection bonus.

Channel energy: At 6000 gp, this is probably too good. I think you may have wanted to scale this, for example 1 use per day at +1/+2, 2 at +3/+4, and 3 at +5 (or maybe 1 at +1, 2 at +2/+3 and 3 at +4/+5.) I just looked at the Metamagic, Quicken Rod for a comparison and a lesser is 35,000gp. Granted, this is much less versatile since it can be used for only one ability, but, even so, my gut tells me this feature may be what killed it even more than the sacred bonus.

Overall, I like the idea behind the Cassok, getting Clerics and Paladins into the middle of battle. But without changing it, I would want every evil cleric I run in my campaigns to have one, and I'm sure every PC Cleric/Paladin and a good amount of the fighty types would want one too. The 6000gp version at the very least.

Thanks

Stratton

Edit: on the creation requirements: the first two are aligned towards good; why would an evil creator not use desecrate and inflict light wounds, mass? Also, I'm not sure these requirements really line up with what the item does.

Thanks for the critique Anthrorob, I really appreciate it.

Reckless wrote:

I may have edited this one more time before submitting it (changing or deleting the Craft requirement,) but here is the item I submitted. Please critique it.

-Reckless

[b]Cricket Whistle

I like this however:

(1)Maybe mention the "secret messages" Bluff skill use specifically in the description,

(*As a move action, the possessor may make a Bluff check to send a secret message of up to ten words to one target with a +5 competence bonus on the check using the whistle.*) I'm not sure what you mean here, since that is pretty specifically what it says.

(2)I assume how loud you blow the whistle determines the distance it can be heard, otherwise why would you ever blow it loudly?

Yes, that's pretty much the reason to blow it loudly. For instance, if your ally were outside the room you were in, or on the other side of a wall, etc. Basically, to overcome the distance and other modifiers under the Perception skill. I argued back and forth with myself on whether/how much I should reference these modifiers. In the end, I decided both GMs and the judges either knew those rules or could look them up.

(3) How is this an improvement over just using message? Is it a line of sight issue?

Message can be perceived by a Perception check (DC25), this has to be understood with a Sense Motive check, which far fewer creatures will be able to do. Better than just Bluff because of the +5 bonus to the check. Also, the +5 bonus to the target's Perception check.

(4)(shouldn't the craft be something like woodworking, carving or carpentry? ...and

I think I changed it in the submission, because, yes, it should be. I was trying to find the closest to "woodcarving" as an official subskill allowed. In the end, I think I either skipped it altogether or changed it to woodcarving or carpentry.

(5) I really don't like the disruption of spellcasters effect. It could be abused I think.

Well, since it's only once a day, and forces the caster to make a Concentration check as if fighting defensively (DC=15+2x spell level), it's not really all that powerful. But I can see where someone might worry about it.

Perhaps another angle would have been to allow the whistle user to disrupt sonic abilities like a bard's countersong? But that would have fallen into the "giving class powers away" category.

The bardic countersong was the inspiration, specifically the fact that countersong isn't useable against spells with a verbal component. I wanted to make it yet another reason a Bard would want it, as well as other classes, without stealing the Bard's thunder. Don't know if I succeeded.

Another angle would have been to add a sound burst like attack or something to do with crickets like maybe a jump bonus. Either way it is sort of a "spell in a can". Mind you, I think all the talking down of canned spell items is overblown. Some of the most useful items in the game are canned spells.

I could definitely see using something like this in my campaign with a few tweaks.

There...my two cents worth.
anthrorob

Yeah, I considered these items to make it more Cricket themed. I decided the jump was too cliche. The sound burst idea seemed like it would turn the whistle into too much of a spell can collection.

Thank you very much for the critique, I hope my explanations lend some more satisfaction to the Cricket Whistle.

Since I've chimed in on others' items, perhaps some board members could return the favor on the Cricket Whistle, a few pages back, while I wait for Clark's feedback. Thanks in advance.

Clark Peterson wrote:

Pierce Coady wrote:

Carved Finger Bones of Obligation

We felt this was very Ray Harryhausen/Jason and the Argonauts and not that original.

Well poo. Thanks for the honest feeback Clark. Between Harryhausen and Moorcock's Corum books you hit directly on the inspiration for the item. Unfortunately I obviously crossed the line from homage to uninspired copycat.

Anyone else see anything additional that I can learn from on the mechanics side? Price? Crafting components? Was the mechanical description tight enough to avoid a lot of argument at the table?

Just a few comments:

At 47K+ gold, this item is pretty much available to 11th level pcs and 18th level npcs. The ability to summon 5 skeletons every three days is not at all impressive.

I don't think Channel Negative Energy should be a requirement if you already have animate dead and control undead in there.

Do the skeleton(s) have to solo kill a creature, or just land the killing blow? Does that 11th level character then have the ability to go find the biggest fingered creature he can find and knock it unconscious and have the skeletons finish it off so he can have potentially useful creatures to defend himself? If so, why aren't the skeletons in the bag already this larger type, since any 11th lvl PC or 18th lvl PC worth their salt is going to do this upon finding the bag full of weak creatures, and the effect is permanent.

I may have edited this one more time before submitting it (changing or deleting the Craft requirement,) but here is the item I submitted. Please critique it.
-Reckless

Cricket Whistle

Aura moderate abjuration ; CL 7th
Slot none; Price 5000 gp; Weight –

DESCRIPTION
This intricately carved darkwood whistle resembles a cricket. When the whistle is blown, the wings of the cricket flutter and the whistle emits a high-pitched chirping sound. It is considered a masterwork wind instrument for the purposes of Perform checks and bardic performance.
As a move action, the possessor may make a Bluff check to send a secret message of up to ten words to one target with a +5 competence bonus on the check using the whistle. The possessor may choose to blow the whistle loudly (base Perception DC -10 to hear), regularly (base Perception DC 0 to hear), or softly (base Perception DC 10 to hear.) The target must succeed on a Perception check with a +5 competence bonus to hear the message, but does not need to be within line of sight or line of effect. Creatures other than the target who hear the whistle may make an opposed Sense Motive check against the Bluff result to understand the message. The possessor chooses a language he knows, and any creature (including the target) must know the language in order to understand the message.
Additionally, once per day, the whistle can be used to disrupt a spell being cast with a verbal component. As an immediate action, the possessor blows the whistle at a target caster within 30’. The target must make a concentration check as if casting defensively or lose the spell.
CONSTRUCTION
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, message, dispel magic, creator must have 2 ranks in the Craft (sculptures) skill; Cost 2500 gp

I'm not sure I have too much to add to what has already been said (nice item, needed a save on that last will save, etc.) However, since the item's description says as if you had cast speak with dead, I would rule that the 10' range is applicable without all the confusion being generated here.
It's one step away from being a swiss army knife item, but you avoided that step.
You made an item that keeps an unconscious PC active in the game, which is sheer brilliance.

Once I forced myself past the verbosity onset, I found an item that I don't care for. This is the kind of item loved by hyperintelligent players of wizards that can play havok with encounters and bog down game play. After the first few uses, I would be tired of dealing with this item.

Reckless wrote:

I love the beginning flavor text, and the touch of the adding of relevant symbols is a cool effect.

Mechanically, however, this item is terrible. This item is completely overcosted. A minor ring of energy resistance only costs 12000gp and functions continuously at 10 points of resistance (which is equivelent to a 19th level cleric with this item), and the benefit for negative channelers is basically non-existant (1 point of damage ooo ahhh, that's worth 21000gp. Even if it was written correctly 1 point of extra damage per die is still pretty weak at this cost.) As already pointed out, duration based on the wearer's stat is a flaw as well.

The name is weak, and unrelated to the item's function.

This item is more like a resist energy, mass however, so it should provide a lower amount of resistance than a single person item (or be way more expensive than the single person item)

You know, I saw that in my first reading yesterday, and somehow completely missed it today as I'm trying to critique these items. Thanks for the reminder. That makes this item somewhat better (but still overcosted in my opinion.)

Good imagery, solid concept, useful at low levels. How many Shipyard Rats victims could have been saved by this item?

This item lacks the decriptive, evocative prose of most of the other items I've seen so far.

It does do some neat things to enhance companions/familiars, which I'm all for. As already pointed out, the damage absorption bit is vaguely worded in terms of number of uses. Also, I'm a bit confused as to what a "successful attack" is. Does this include spells, or just melee/ranged attacks? If it includes spells, does it include spells the creture saved against but still took damage from?

The caster level requirement seems like it should have been higher, but that just may be my interpretation based on the item's cost.

The name throws me slightly, but I really like this item despite myself. It's magically delicious

Good imagery, tightly written. I like it, even if it doesn't particularly sing to me (the item's name and the Aria of Sorrows don't thrill me.)

One editorial nitpick: sanctuary should not be capitalized.

Thematically, I like this item. Crystal Chalices are a dime a dozen, but you managed to put some uniqueness into this one and give it a solid Pathfinder theme.

You had plenty of words left, and I, for one, would have appreciated a mechanical explanation of the fragility (0 hardness, 1-2 hp, something, other than "very fragile." Same thing regarding the dew freezing as it forms. What would cause that? Cold environmental hazards? Area effect cold spells? Those are the kind of details I would look for to improve this item.

Also, I think this item gives the GM too much power to screw with its effects. Between the four hours,the fragility, and the freezing, it's an easy way for nasty GMs to wipe out a 5200 gp item.

I love the beginning flavor text, and the touch of the adding of relevant symbols is a cool effect.

Mechanically, however, this item is terrible. This item is completely overcosted. A minor ring of energy resistance only costs 12000gp and functions continuously at 10 points of resistance (which is equivelent to a 19th level cleric with this item), and the benefit for negative channelers is basically non-existant (1 point of damage ooo ahhh, that's worth 21000gp. Even if it was written correctly 1 point of extra damage per die is still pretty weak at this cost.) As already pointed out, duration based on the wearer's stat is a flaw as well.

The name is weak, and unrelated to the item's function.

Congratulations, and good luck in the rest of the contest.

I just sent in my item. Whether it's Superstar or not, I think it's a pretty darn neat little item. I'm looking forward to comentary and growth regardless. I know last year's contest helped with this year's entry.