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I wanted to make a group of kobold cultists who worship Jubilex, Demon Lord of Ooze, and their leader. I wanted to make the leader an oracle but nothing seemed to fit. Best I could come up with for the leader is a cleric with the demon and ocean subdomains, describing water spells as slime. Can anyone come up with a better class or archetype?

So, the movies make it seem like pirates just appear out of nowhere in the middle of an ocean, far from any landmarks, attack a ship, and then just sail off in a random direction. And they just circle around endlessly in the water, never going ashore except to raid a town or look for buried treasure. But they gotta have hideouts and stuff, right? I mean, there's always pirate hideouts and stuff in D&D, and in Pirates of the Caribbean there was that one grubby 'pirate town' they always went to. I guess my question is, where's the best place to hide these lairs? Would they be near the shipping lanes, or far away as possible? Could they even be on the same coast as the towns they're raiding, just further down, in a secret cove?

Finally got to work writing my Ringwraith template, which was discussed in a previous thread. I tried to make it as setting neutral as possible, so you could conceivably having these things running around in Golarion or your own setting. There's no reference to Sauron, The One Ring, athelas, Éowyn, or anything like that. The ringsense ability could be modified to include any magic item you choose, if you wanted to create a Staffwraith, for example. I looked at other templates (mostly the vampire and graveknight) to make sure the raw numbers were roughly balanced. Please look it over and let me know if the CR should be higher. I'm also worried that the "black breath" description is a little too wordy, but it had to be to get it to do exactly what I wanted to do. I didn't want to make it just a curse or a disease (as had been suggested), and I wanted to avoid duplicating the effects of any one spell (although crushing despair and nightmare were inspirations).

As always, I appreciate feedback, though I'm unlikely to make major changes at this point.

Creating a Ringwraith
“Ringwraith” is an acquired template that can be added to any living humanoid creature with 5 or more Hit Dice (referred to hereafter as the base creature). Most ringwraiths were once humans. A ringwraith uses the base creature’s statistics and abilities except as noted here.
CR: Same as base creature +2.
Alignment: Any evil.
Type: The creature’s type changes to undead (augmented). Do not recalculate class Hit Dice, BAB, or saves.
Senses: A ringwraith gains blindsight 60 ft. and ringsense (see below). Ringwraiths cannot see normally.
Aura: A ringwraith eminates the following aura.
Dreadful Presence (Su): A ringwraith radiates a chilling aura that casues all enemies within 30 feet to take a -4 penalty on saving throws against fear effects. Creatures that are normally immune to fear lose that immunity while within the aura.
Armor Class: Natural armor improves by +4.
Hit Dice: Change all racial Hit Dice to d8s. Class Hit Dice are unaffected. As an undead, a ringwraith uses its Charisma modifier to determine bonus hit points.
Defensive Abilities: A ringwraith gains channel resistance +2; DR 10/magic; and immunity to cold. A ringwraith also gains spell resistance equal to its augmented CR +11.
The ringwraith also gains the following ability.
Rejuvenation (Su): If a ringwraith is reduced to 0 hit points, it loses its corporeal form and returns to its master as quickly as possible. It gains a fly speed of 60 ft. (good). Once it reaches its master, a ringwraith is restored to corporeal form with full hit points in 1d10 days. If a ringwraith’s master is dead or on a different plane, the ringwraith instead returns to its master’s last known location or stronghold. Once there, it is restored to full power in 2d100 years. A ringwraith cannot be permanently slain unless the artifact that created it is destroyed, whereupon the ringwraith is also immediately destroyed.
Weapon Resistance (Su): Treat ringwraiths as incorporeal for all weapon attacks. Any non-magical weapon that hits a ringwraith (even if it does no damage) must make a Fortitude save or gain the broken condition.
Weaknesses: A ringwraith gains vulnerability to fire and spells with the good descriptor. A ringwraith also gains light sensitivity. Finally, ringwraiths have trouble crossing running water. A ringwraith must make a Will save (DC 20) to cross, and they or their mounts must move at half speed. For forded streams, the DC is 18, and for bridges, the DC is 15.
Attacks: A ringwraith gains a slam attack if the base creature didn’t have one. Damage for the slam depends on the ringwraith’s size (Bestiary 302).
Special Attacks: A ringrwaith gains the following special attacks. Save DCs are equal to 10 + ½ the ringwraith’s HD + the ringwraith’s Charisma modifier unless otherwise noted.
Black Breath (Su): As a standard action, a ringwraith can exhale the black breath in a 30-foot cone. Alternatively, the ringwraith can create a 10-foot burst with a range of 100 feet. All creatures within the black breath must make a Will save or become shaken. If a creature is already shaken, it becomes frightened. This effect typically lasts a number of rounds equal to the ringwraith’s HD. However, a creature thus effected must then make a new Will save once every minute (10 rounds). If the creature fails this Will save, it takes 1d10 damage and falls unconscious. The creature retains any fear effects, regardless of their source or duration, until it regains consciousness, and natural healing does not occur. Every 24 hours thereafter, the creature takes another 1d10 damage and attempts another Will save to regain consciousness. The save DC is equal to 10 + ½ the ringwraith’s HD + the damage taken. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. It can be ended by a remove curse spell. A ringwraith can use this ability a number of times per day equal to its Charisma modifier.
Mournful Wail (Su): A ringwraith is forever cursed to be an unwilling thrall of its terrible master. It can emit a mournful wail as a standard action. All living creatures within a 30-foot spread must succeed on a Will save or become shaken for 2d4 rounds. This is a sonic mind-affecting fear effect. A creature that successfully saves against the wail cannot be affected by the same ringwraith’s wail for 24 hours.
Special Qualities: A ringwraith gains the following.
Ringsense (Su): The ringwraith can detect magic rings by sense of smell within 10 feet per the item’s caster level. If the magic ring is also an artifact, this range becomes 10 miles per the item’s caster level. When the ringwraith detects a magic ring, the exact location of the source is not revealed, only its presence somewhere within the range. A ringwraith can take a standard action to locate the direction of the source. When the ringwraith is within 5 feet of the source, it pinpoints the source’s location.
Servant of the One (Su): All ringwraiths have a master, usually a powerful spellcaster or demigod, who uses an artifact in the ringwraith’s creation. A ringwraith’s master knows exactly where the ringwraith is at all times and can control its actions as if using a dominate monster spell. If a ringwraith’s master is killed or trapped on another plane, the ringwraith must work to resurrect or free its master, even if this requires years of planning, gathering resources, and manipulating other creatures.
Shadowy Form (Su): Ringwraiths exist partially on the Plane of Shadow. They must be given corporeal form and clothing by their master in order to interact with the material plane. Its corporeal body is invisible, and it cannot remove the clothing bestowed by its master while it is in corporeal form. A ringwraith can voluntarily shed its form to become incorporeal. It loses all powers and abilities and cannot interact with the material plane in any way, save through its blindsense and dreadful presense. A ringwraith in incorporeal form gains a fly speed of 60 ft. (good).
Ability Scores: Str +6, Int +4, Wis -2, Cha +6. As an undead creature, a ringwraith has no Constitution score.
Skills: A ringwraith gains a +8 racial bonus on Intimidate, Ride and Stealth checks.
Feats: Ringwraiths gain Improved Initiative, Mounted Combat, Ride-By Attack, and Toughess as bonus feats.

I am working on a Nazgûl template for my Middle-earth Pathfinder campaign. I've never created a template before, so I'm looking for suggestions. It's my intention to use this template not just for the Nine Nazgûl but also "lesser" spirits under their control (such as the Cargûl from LOTRO). First, I'm going to list the general powers and features of the Nazgûl, found in ICE's Lords of Middle-earth Vol. II for the MERP system, and talk about various ways to turn them into Pathfinder rules.

1) Resistant to critical strikes — Ok, this is fairly easy to do. Nazgûl are incorporeal undead, and they probably have some DR on top of that. Done.

2) Shadowy form — Nazgûl are only partially present in the material plane, and the rest of their being exists "in the Shadows outside of the world." Ringwraiths cannot die as long as the One Ring exists. If Sauron is killed (or temporarily defeated), Nazgûl lose their form and retreat to the Shadow-world. They cannot return to the world until Sauron regains his power and summons them. It can take up to 200 years for a Nazgûl to regain its form and full power after that.

The first part sounds like pretty much the definition of incorporeal. The second is a bit like a lich's relationship to its phylactery. If a Nazgûl is defeated in combat and The One Ring is not found and destroyed immediately after (not likely to happen unless you're playing Frodo), then the Nazgûl returns in a matter of days.

3) Appearance - Ringwraiths are invisible. They can only be seen by Sauron, evil Shadow creatures, or someone wearing a Ring of Power. While wearing their own Rings, Nazgûl look like they did in life. Without their Rings, they look like haggard old corpses.

Invisibility is also pretty well-defined in the Pathfinder rules. It's worth noting that Ringwraiths seem to have a strong connection to what would be Middle-earth's Plane of Shadow, and I don't know that there's any specific way to express that in Pathfinder. The Nazgûl didn't have their Rings when they were encountered in The Lord of the Rings—Sauron had taken them, presumably to keep them on a tight leash. If another party of adventurers encountered the Nazgûl at an earlier time, they might actually have their Rings and be more powerful. Not sure how the Rings, each a unique magic artifact, could be hard-coded into the template. Definitely a Nazgûl with a Ring would have a higher CR than one without it.

4) Strength of form — They have the strength and vigor of hardy young Men. They do not suffer the penalties of age, and they do not get tired easily. They do not sleep. They are weak during the day. Non-magical weapons break upon contact with their flesh.

MERP included a lot of stuff under one bullet point. From this I read that Nazgûl should have high Strength and Fortitude saves. They have the Light Sensitivity of orcs. Non-magic weapons that hit them must make a Fortitude save or gain the broken condition.

5) Vulnerability to Nature — Again, they're weak in natural sunlight. They have trouble crossing fresh running water. They are weak against fire.

All stuff that's actually pretty easy to do in Pathfinder. I'll just use the language in the vampire template for the whole running water thing.

6) Effect of Varda — Ringwraiths are weak against the power of the goddess Varda. Just saying her name "Elbereth Gilthoniel" can force a Nazgûl to flee.

Ok, so saying "Elbereth Gilthoniel" forces the Nazgûl to make a Will save or flee. This one seems most problematic to me for a roleplaying game. Any PC who happens to know this fact has a chance to defeat a Nazgûl with a free action. Even though it happens in the books, I'm of a mind to just flat-out ignore this. Any suggestions?

7) Enhanced senses — Nazgûl are blind in the material plane and use senses other than sight to see. Sounds like blindsight to me.

8) Presence — Anyone who sees a Nazgûl must make a Will save versus fear or flee in terror. MERP also says a Nazgûl can deliver a True Charm spell with a gaze. I don't know what that is in MERP, but it sounds like the Nazgûl has a very high-level charm spell-like ability, or perhaps an array of them. Not sure what part of the books this is based on.

9) Black Breath — This is the Nazgûl's most famous attack, described in numerous places in the books. MERP says it can be used 9/day, has a range of 300 feet and a 5 foot radius. Those numbers are obviously not set in stone, but they seem good to me. MERP gives the attack 3 levels of severity, depending on how badly the target fails its save—the target falls into "despair" for 1-100 rounds and the "unwakable sleep" for 1-100 hours; the target "despairs" for 1-100 hours and then "unbreakable slumber" for 1-100 days; the target immediately falls into a cursed sleep and dies from mental torment (unless healed) within 1-100 hours.

Obviously the above includes a lot of MERP terms that I don't know the definition. I don't really know if Pathfinder does tiered saves. It'd be easy to write up, but if no other monsters have it, I don't want to do it. I think this is probably best done as a poison or a disease that gets worse after so many failed saves. Any thoughts on poison versus disease? Also, should it be a Fortitude save or a Will save?

The Nine Rings of Power — Since Tolkien didn't really say what the Nine Rings did, I'm basically free to make up anything. MERP has a short description that uses MERP terminology that I'm not familiar with. Here's what it basically boils down to...
—A whole bunch of spell-like abilities. Here's where I can make all the Rings different if I want and tailor them to each wraith's specific personality.
—Can't be detected by magic/scrying.
—Wearer retains Dex bonus when flat-floted.
—Bonuses to caster level, AC, saving throws, and hit points.

I'd like the template to add +2 to a creature's CR without a Ring (the same as ghost, lich, and vampire), and +3 or more with a Ring.

Does anyone know the exact location of the Land of Urd and the Forest of Dír? These were the lands of Hoarmûrath the Ringwraith when he was mortal. They're somewhere in "the North." Also, if anyone can point me to a site that has ICE's interpretation of Middle-earth as one big map image, I would be grateful.

I'm looking for advice from people who know a thing or two about warfare. I have compiled a lot of data for this particular campaign but don't exactly know what to do with it. My campaign is set in Middle-earth in the year 2758 T.A., but you don't necessarily need to be a Middle-earth expert to help me out.

The campaign starts in this area, and most of the war takes place on this map
http://users.abo.fi/jumppa/Atlas_of_Middle-earth_-_maps/the_white_mountains .gif

Tolkien says in this year "three great fleets, long prepared, came up from Umbar and Harad, and assailed the coasts of Gondor in great force; the enemy made many landings, even as far north as the mouth of the Isen." Of the outcome, Tolkien only says that Gondor had "overcome" their enemies by Spring of the following year. This particular war is important because it kept Gondor from sending aid to Rohan, who was having troubles of its own. The devastation caused by both wars and a harsh winter in Rohan is what led the Steward of Gondor to give Saruman the Keys to Orthanc.

I'm trying to figure out some sort of timeline for how the war would play out, so that I can put the PCs in the middle of it. Gondor is a pretty big area to invade, even if you do have three great fleets. I don't actually know anything about war, and I suck at war strategy games. I have no idea how big a fleet might be, where they would attack first, how Gondor would react, how fast Gondor's armies could communicate with each other, etc. This is a low-magic setting, so no flying carpets or sending spells.

Some raw data. Gondor has a population of about 400 thousand, with roughly 30-35 thousand living in Minas Tirith (the capitol). After Minas Tirith, the second largest population centers are Pelargir and Dol Amorth, which are both port cities able to deploy sizable naval forces. Most people live in Lossarnach, Lebennin, along the coasts, or along the River Morthond. West of the River Morthond, the land is mostly uninhabited (only about 5000 people for that large area). Another important strategic location is Tolfalas, where Gondor maintains a watchtower and token naval force. We know that at least part of Umbar's forces traveled to the Mouths of the Isen, far outside of Gondor's territory. It's likely they were not part of the war but went to help the Dunlendings that were invading Rohan at that time. It's possible to travel from Gondor to Umbar by land, crossing the River Poros, and while Umbar has invaded Gondor by that way at other times, Tolkien doesn't mention any land battles occurring in this year.

There's a road that goes from Minas Tirith through the heartland of Gondor and ends at Erech. In LOTR, it took Aragorn (with an army of Rangers and undead) about 7 days to travel from Erech to Minas Tirith by horse and then by ship. He was in a Big Hurry and was partially aided by divine powers. There are several important bridges along this road that could hinder an army's movement if destroyed.

The campaign has already started and it is summer of 2758 T.A. Umbar has been harassing Gondor's coasts for years now, so news of ships sacking coastal towns is nothing new. However, the PCs are just starting to get the sense that a major invasion has begun. In addition, the Steward's son Beregond is currently captured by orcs in the wilds of Anfalas, and one of the PCs' first missions will be to rescue him. I intend for the war to be happening around the PCs without them getting too involved, as they will have missions of their own.

I do have access to a lot of the old MERP books, which I absolutely love. They are good at filling in details that Tolkien left out. However they're very dense and don't always have the information that I want, especially if the book is set hundreds of years before or after my campaign.

I built this guy for a one-shot module. I'm playtesting on Friday. He will attack with four shadow rats (Tome of Horrors Complete page 504), making the whole encounter EL 5. The PCs are 3rd level. At this point, I'm checking to see if there's anything I should tweak (ability scores, feats, tricks, weapon choices).

Dimos --- CR 3
XP 800
Male fetchling ninja 4
LE Medium outsider (native)
Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +4
-- Defense --
AC 16, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+2 armor, +4 Dex)
hp 27 (4d8+4)
Fort +2, Ref +8, Will –1
Defensive Abilities shadow blending, uncanny dodge; Resist cold 5, electricity 5
-- Offense --
Speed 30 ft.
Melee mwk wakizashi +8 (1d8+2/18–20) or
Mwk dagger +8 (1d4+2/19–20)
Ranged mwk shortbow +8 (1d6/x3)
Special Attacks sneak attack +2d6
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 4th)
1/day—disguise self (humanoid only)
-- Statistics --
Str 14, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 6, Cha 12
Base Atk +3; CMB +5; CMD 19
Feats Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +11, Appraise +5, Bluff +7, Climb +9, Diplomacy +5, Disable Device +10, Disguise +9, Escape Artist +10, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (local) +5, Knowledge (nobility) +5, Linguistics +5, Perception +4, Sense Motive +2, Sleight of Hand +11, Stealth +13, Swim +6, Use Magic Device +5
SQ ki pool (3 points), ninja tricks (shadow clone, vanishing trick), no trace +1, poison use
Combat Gear leather, masterwork dagger, masterwork katana, masterwork shortbow; Other Gear disguise kit, black smear poision (2 doses), thieves’ tools, 200 pp, 250 gp
-- Special Abilites --
Poison Use (Ex) A ninja is trained in the use of poison and cannot accidentally poison himself when applying poison to a weapon.
Black smear—injury; save Fort DC 15; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Str; cure 1 save.
Shadow Clone (Su): The ninja can create 1d4 shadowy duplicates of himself that conceal his true location. This ability functions as mirror image, using the ninja’s level as his caster level. Using this ability is a standard action that uses up 1 ki point.
Vanishing Trick (Su): As a swift action, the ninja can disappear for 1 round per level. This ability functions as invisibility. Using this ability uses up 1 ki point.

Not sure if this is the right board for this, but here goes. I'm writing an adventure that takes place in an abandoned factory and features a fight that takes place on a catwalk over a large room filled with industrial-sized vats and other discarded equipment. (Think when Batman met the Joker the first time)

Anyway, I thought it would be fun to have this big, heavy hook on a chain dangling from the ceiling that could be swinging around and knock people off the catwalk or even catch on their clothing and swing *them* around. If one of the PCs was clever, they could grab it and throw it at the bad guys, or grab on and ride it to the other side of the room. Just a fun prop to make a rather bland encounter more exciting.

I was just wondering what the best way might be to represent this thing in game terms, without making it too complicated and slowing down the game. What would be appropriate attack and damage values?

This is meant to be a CR 4 encounter.

I'm trying to create an undead barbarian/sorcerer as an NPC. Don't ask why. Are there any feats or character options that make this work? My chief worry is that undead don't have Con scores, so an undead barbarian is only getting some of the normal benefits of raging. Can a sorcerer cast spells while raging (i.e., does it require 'patience and concentration'?). If not, is there something that would allow such spellcasting? Thanks.

Greetings, folks!

We are a small, but dedicated gaming group in Eastern PA seeking to grow larger. We have been playing together for about 2 1/2 years. In addition to Pathfinder Society, we also support Living Forgotten Realms and D&D Encounters. In short, we try to accommodate the interests of everyone. We are also seeking to add other Living campaigns as well. We also occasionally run special events like board game days and one-shot RPGs.

The Portal Comics & Gaming is located in Bethlehem, PA, approximately 1 1/2 hours drive from Philadelphia and New York. In addition to selling roleplaying games and board games, The Portal caters to Warhammer, War Machine and Magic: The Gathering players. They sell graphic novels at 20% off every day. Soda and snacks are sold on-site and convenient restaurants are nearby.

Our group has a mailing list at
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/aberpga/
and a Warhorn page at
http://warhorn.net/abe-rpga/

If you want to contact The Portal directly, information is below (we are not employees of The Portal, merely dedicated patrons):

The Portal Comics & Gaming
2005 Willow Park Road
Bethlehem, PA
610-419-8004
http://www.theportalcomicsandgaming.com/

Thank you for your time and interest!

I'm going to be running a Middle-earth campaign this summer using Pathfinder. I'm using a number of house rules to make it feel more Middle-earth-y, such as restricting advancement in spellcasting classes. A character's level in a spellcasting class cannot be greater than half his level. I had considered converting the character classes, magic, and herb-gathering rules from FF's Midnight campaign setting, but this seemed a simpler solution.

Another thing I'm trying out is Hope and Dread points. These were inspired by The Lord of the Rings Online, and you can Google it to see how it works there. Here, Hope points are similar to Action points. They let the characters be more heroic and overcome their limited healing and magic capabilities. Dread represents the power of Sauron, the ability to instill fear in the hearts of Men (and other races). An idol erected to Sauron in some lonely place might give off Dread points. A Ringwraith's Black Breath or a stab from a Morgul blade might give a character Dread points. Any land that Suaron has touched with his black hand and left tainted could be a source of Dread points. Dread points deaden or negate entirely the effects of Hope points.

A PC starts with Hope points equal to twice his level. (This may be woefully inadequate.) The pool replenishes whenever a PC levels up. Any unspent Hope points are lost. Ways to regain Hope points might be explored.

Generally, any time a PC spends a Hope point, he can add 1d4 to a roll. A PC can spend any number of Hope points at once. A PC can spend Hope points to enhance an attack roll, a skill check, or a saving throw, but NOT a damage roll. Hope points only increase the chance that a PC will succeed at something, not the degree of success. A PC can never spend Hope points to succeed at something that would have been impossible without them (that is, wouldn't have succeeded on a natural 20).

A spellcaster PC can spend Hope points to increase the save DC of one spell by 1d4 for each Hope point spent. The same concepts as above apply (can't increase degree of success, can't do the impossible).

Whenever a PC receives natural or magical healing, the PC can spend up to one Hope point per level of the spell (or one Hope point per 8 hours of rest) to regain an extra 1d4 hit points.

This one's really iffy--a PC may spend all the Hope point he currently has to save himself from death. Probably need more specific rules for that one.

I'm a little less clear on how Dread points should work, how one acquires them, how one gets rid of them (a saving throw most likely). For each Dread point a PC has, a d4 becomes a d2 when spending Hope points. (So if a PC has 2 Dread points and spends 3 Hope points, he rolls 2d2 and 1d4.) If a PC ever has Dread points beyond a certain threshold (I'm thinking, equal to his level or more), they should have negative static effects on the PC, but I'm not certain what those are.

Some ideas: the PC behaves as if Encumbered; incoming healing is reduced by 1 hp per Dread point (or by 1 hp per Dread point over the limit); penalties to attack rolls, skill checks and saving throws (particularly saving throws against fear effects).

How a PC gets rid of Dread is uncertain. Some Dread are tied to locations, like an evil idol or a spooky cave, so they should go away as soon as the character leaves the area. Others behave more like poison, like a Ringwraith's breath or Shelob's bite.

I'm sure this seems like a big, complicated mess to most of you and probably a whole lot of work for nothing. If any of you manage to read this far, I'd appreciate some advice, as long as it's not "Don't do it."

Do I get to keep my free ammo and guns? I already sold my musket (at half price) to buy a masterwork musket. Do I get to keep all that?

I was trying to make a Witch the other day when I realized I haven't made a 3e/Pathfinder character in years and I have no idea what I'm doing. Help!

I wanted to make a Taldane Human Witch named Arthur, named after the Uncle Arthur character from Bewitched. And I haven't watched Bewitched in years, I just liked the name. I just like the idea of a male witch with slicked back hair and coattails.

What ability scores should he have (besides Intelligence)? What deity should he worship? ALL my characters worship a deity. I think they're the most fascinating things about a setting. Should I bother giving him a weapon? Does he need a spell component pouch? What other class tools and miscellaneous items does he need?

Can't believe I used to know how to do all this stuff and it's just gone!

Thank you. Have a nice day.

This has been 'pending' for a couple weeks now. When is it going to ship? What's the delay?

I'm really not understanding the Gray Maidens, as described in Pathfinder #8. So, like any female villain, Queen Ileosa is jealous of other attractive females. A bit cliche, but so far so good.

So why is she taking strong, beautiful women from the Korvosan military? Heroic PCs and NPCs aside (who always have dazzlingly perfect hair even in the worst conditions!), women in the military and law enforcement are not likely to be stunningly beautiful or remain that way for very long. Not after a few years of working up a sweat swinging a sword every day and getting into fights. You'd think Ileosa's jealousy would be directed more towards noblewomen with whom she interacts regularly.

Then it says that women who don't pass "the Queen's examination for strength and beauty" are secretly killed. Why? Why summon women to serve you and then kill them because they didn't pass the test to be in your secret army? If they don't have the "strength and beauty" to be in the Gray Maidens, there should be no harm in letting them go before they have a chance to really learn anything.

And finally, if Ileosa is in fact a lesbian, wouldn't she rather have an army of attractive, loyal eye candy that serves only her? Rather than heavily scarred women who wear concealing steel helmets? Sabina is at least as attractive as Ileosa and is allowed to show it off. Any male ruler who has an eye for women wouldn't be content with just one hot chick in his employ (see King Eodred).

It feels ironic to me that the more detailed an NPC is, the more I become attached to them and the less I want them to die. By the time I finish reading an adventure path, I'm more attached to the villains whose behind-the-scenes lives I've been following than my PCs. (I suppose it might help if I ever had players who could create interesting PCs) In RotRL my heart went out to folks like Nualia and Orik Vankaskerkin, who were really the victims of poor choices more than anything else. I'm starting to get that feeling with Ileosa, who doesn't seem like she was much more than a stupid, spoiled teenager before she opened "the wrong box" under Castle Korvosa. Oh well, just sharing thoughts.

In "Champion's Belt," the PCs killed Bozal before he was able to release the ulgurstasta. Ugh. NEVER have a PC that does something "if reduced to fewer than 5 hit points." That almost never happens.

It's extremely unlikely that the PCs have the means to shut off the containment field on their own, according to the methods described in the sidebar on p. 60. They don't have a cleric powerful enough to make the turn check and caster check (there is no cleric, actually, only a paladin), and they certainly don't have access to any of the spells listed in the top bullet point. The only option, it looks like, is to go with the third bullet point, which sounds like it requires a lot of math headaches and having a Fiend Folio.

If I go with this third option, it could be several days before the ulgurstasta is released. The PCs still have to finish the rest of the tournament. The tournament could be over by the time the ulgurstasta is released, and the PCs certainly won't have access to the underground chambers of the area once the games are over. Plus, I really don't want to stretch out the game any longer than I have to. We've been stuck on this chapter for a few months because of delays, so I really want to move it to a finish as soon as possible.

Any ideas?

I wanna say the Acadamae uniforms pictured in the Guide to Korvosa are awesome. Nothing like school uniforms combined with fantasy elements to get me thinking of anime! The Acadamae seems a bit like Hogwarts... I'd describe it as "Hogwarts with a lot more devil-summoning and a lot less ice cream."

What's the weird half-cape thing that they have? I've just been calling it a half-cape. Does it have a more proper name? I kept thinking the black dude (a Shoanti?) in the one pic was wearing a skirt, until I realized all the uniforms have those capes.

Any chance that Senior GMs of the Pathfinder Society could get uniforms like that to wear at cons? Would definitely make a statement!

So I'm noticing that each issue of Pathfinder has a new iconic character on the cover. There's four iconics 'assigned' to each Adventure Path (given the pregens in the back of the book), but each Adventure Path six issues! Do the math and you can see where this is going. Is Paizo going to create new iconics for each cover indefinitely, or go back and use old ones? Or will they occasionally put a villain or an NPC on the cover?

After purchasing and reading through (glancing, in some cases) various Pathfinder projects, I can't help but notice that the Pathfinder Campaign Setting seems to be a place where evil often rampages unchecked. Tyrants routinely oppress the weak and create misery, people openly worship devils and evil powers, and cruelty seems common. I know a D&D world that's full of conflict and strife is better than a world where everything's peaceful, but I wonder if Pathfinder's overdoing it? Where are the bastions of good and the havens of peace, love, and safety in the world?

Note: Please don't take this as a complaint. I'm just trying to see how my opinion matches up with everyone else's.

I was a little confused when I saw Pathfinder Companion added to the product line. We've already got Pathfinder, Pathfinder Chronicles, and tons of other supporting products. Why add yet another line of books?

Is the book set in Yarth or Aerth? The back of the book says Aerth, but in the book they say Yarth. Anyone know where to find a map of Yarth? There must have been one for the Dangerous Journeys game.

Something strikes me as interesting about the illustration of Seoni on the cover of Pathfinder 2, and no it's not her Cha 16 displayed up front and center. Look at her right leg. Doesn't it seem a little odd to you? Her foot is forward of her knee, and the musculature of her knee is all weird. It almost looks like her knee is bent backwards. The whole leg reminds me of a horse's foreleg, or a deer. The thick leg-warmers she's wearing certainly makes her foot look like it's got a hoof. And where's her other leg? It just seems to disappear. All of this, combined with her forward-thrust upper body and wonky posture make me think Mr. Reynolds was halfway through drawing a centaur when he got the assignment and just decided to switch gears.

Just 2 cents from an Art History major trying to put his degree to work. :P

I am running this at home for my players. We're currently done with the zombie plague in town, and the PCs are on their way to see Madam Eva.

I want to replace Madam Eva with an important NPC from my own campaign world, who also happens to be a fortune-teller. This NPC is not a hag, not evil, and not really tied to the current adventure. She's just there to foreshadow events in my next campaign, which will be entirely my own story in my own world (something I haven't done for a long time).

Seeing how Madam Eva is a hag and has 2 other evil hag sisters in the adventure, which I assume the players will have to fight at some point, how will making this change effect the rest of the adventure?

Just read the recent novel by James Wyatt.

Can anyone tell what Rienne is supposed to be? Considering her anime-like style of fighting, I'm guessing she's a class from Book of Nine Swords, but I haven't read that book.

After reading the section on the lizardfolks' lair, I'm not clear on a few things. For starters, what hook is there to get the PCs to go into the room with the eggs? Once the PCs have freed Marzena and the other hostages, there's no incentive for them to stick around (my PCs aren't quite as treasure-hungry as some). Also, the notes don't really say how Hishka the druid and Shukak the lizard king react to news about the green worms in the slain lizardfolk in room 6C.

And finally... what is a mangaroo tree?!

I have a PC who is a bard-worshipper of Zagyg, who is, among other things, a god of humor. I need a repertoire of bad jokes for her to tell in any given situation. Really, really bad jokes that still fit the D&D setting. Long jokes. Short jokes. Dirty jokes. Clean jokes. Puns. Riddles. Physical gags (like 'pull my finger'). Schtick. Submit your bad jokes here!

I have a PC who's a bard of Zagyg, who is, among other things, a god of humor. I need her to have a repotoire of bad jokes to tell in any given situation. Really, really bad jokes that still fit the D&D setting. Long jokes. Short jokes. Dirty jokes. Clean jokes. Puns. Riddles. Physical gags (like 'pull my finger'). Schtick. Submit them here!

Okay, I just realized I have no effing clue what's happening in this comic. Seriously. It's not like I just started reading it; I've been a subscriber for over a year. Can someone PLEASE explain to me who these people are and what they're fighting about? And why did Downer spit out that chicken?

I keep reading on the message boards that the Adventure Paths are designed for 6 players. Where is this information coming from? Was it in a news post or one of the magazines? Are all Dungeon adventures designed for 6 players or just the APs?

I have made available my own Dungeon Magazine Index on my website. There is one file for adventures and one for articles like Dungeoncraft and Campaign Workbook. They go back as far as the revamp in 2004. If you found this resource useful, please let me know, as it will encourage me to keep updating. :)

http://www.geocities.com/respectablehobbit/index.html

This is a problem that plagues me every time I run a beholder. A beholder a 150-ft. antimagic field cone that is continuously in effect as long as his eye is open. The problem is that there is no facing in D&D; the beholder is facing in every direction at once. So how do I decide when and if the beholder can change the direction of his antimagic eye? Could the beholder begin his turn by pointing his antimagic eye straight up, use all his eye rays on surrounding PCs, then reorient his antimagic eye on the PC of his choice? Could the beholder move the antimagic eye when it's not his turn, or set it to follow a certain PC?

So I've noticed that with every adventure path, there's a group of sample PCs that appear in all the artwork and magazine covers. And they continue to pop up now and then after the AP's done with. That cleric of Wee Jas is one. And I just saw the chick with the Princess Mononoke wolf hat on the opening page of Bright Mountain King. Any info on who these people are? Do they have names?

My party was facing Smoking Eye Vhalantru last night, and we couldn't figure out how the DC for his eye rays got to be so high. Even with the boosted Charisma and the Ability Focus (eye ray), we figured the DC should have been 21. But he had a whopping 32. How did that happen?

I am waiting and waiting and waiting for #140, and it hasn't come yet. I really want to read it, because it has Mephistopheles on the cover. Does Mephistopheles actually appear inside?

I can't find the stats for Mhad (Chapter 8) anywhere in the book. Where are they?

So my players got to the Soul Pillars last session, and I just wasn't prepared for their questions. I ended the session and promised to pick up with the Soul Pillars next week. I'm just not good at the whole cryptic answers thing. Anyone care to offer a list of sample questions and answers? One of the PCs actually asked "What are the names of the Cagewrights involved in this particular plot?" Is it okay to tell them that?

This is a question about "Caverns of the Ooze Lord" in Dungeon #132. Specifically, the goblin encounter on page 49. I'm having a hard time understanding how this encounter is supposed to play out. Are the goblins clinging to the outside of the cliff face? Or are they hiding in little rooms behind the cliff wall? Or are they attacking from the doorway where the "1" is on the map? Where are the sleeping goblins hiding? If anyone has this issue, please crack it open and see if you can clear it up for me.

I don't understand this map. Where do the PCs enter? Are they supposed to come in by boat? Where exactly is the rope described in Area 1?

This is a question for those of you who are a little more than intimately familiar with Greyhawk, particularly the Kingdom of Keoland, *particularly* the Kingdom of Keoland as it currently exists in Living Greyhawk.

I want to run "And Madness Followed" from Dungeon #134 as a one-shot adventure for some friends. This is NOT an RPGA event, just a casual home game. I want to set the game in Keoland, since I've rather become enamored of the setting from playing Living Greyhawk. I'm just looking for some general tips and advice as to how I can give the adventure a "Keoish" feel.

If you don't own Dungeon #134, here's a brief description of the adventure. A mad bard and her followers discover a copy of "The King in Yellow," and they're using it to summon Hastur from the Far Plane. They perform the play in three places: first a small village, then a larger town, and finally a bustling port city. Each time the play is performed, a portal to the Far Plane opens and the water of Lake Hali pours fourth. Those who've been watching the play are turned into pseudonatural creatures and run amok. The PCs have to follow the bard's trail of destruction and stop her before she achieves her goal.

The port city is probably going to be Gradsul. Since the bard is using powerful planar magic, I might have agents of the Silent Ones or the Knights of the Malagari show up to advise the PCs and keep an eye on events. Anyone have any tips on putting these, or other Keoish elements, into the scenario?

Just wondering if there's a significance to the name "Axel Herewall" which appears in Chapter 5, p. 157. Is this perhaps a reference to an old Greyhawk module or one of the author's own PCs?

Looking over the 8 leveling NPCs in the back of the book, there appear to be a lot of mistakes and things that don't make sense. Annah Taskerhill has a bonus feat, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (whip), which I can't identify where it comes from. She doesn't even use a whip, so why does she have this feat? For Cora, they forgot to give her an ability increase at 4th level, which means that her ability increase progression doesn't make sense. The skills are just a mess. Skills in general are a b*~$@ to figure out in reverse, but I worked out that some important synergy bonuses are missing in a few cases.

I'm starting chapter 5 this weekend, and I'm wondering when we're going to be seeing the important NPCs (Stormblades, Striders, Jenya) again? I've been afraid to use them too much in the campaign because I don't know if they're going to show up later or not. Then I read at the end of chapter 5 that the PCs are supposed to get stuck in a desert, and one thing it mentions is that they might already be members of the Striders of Fharlanghn, so they can just send a message to Meerthan for help. I didn't know I was supposed to be building up that relationship already! The PCs never encountered Fario and Fellian, and Shensen disappeared at the end of chapter 3. The PCs never fought the Stormblades either, resisting their taunts and just staying inside the tavern when the Stormblades tried to get them to duel.

So I guess my question is... can I get some sort of guide as to how I should be managing the PCs' relationships with these people, chapter by chapter?

The encounter with the cryohydra in the Pit of Seven Jaws was really hard for my players and not much fun for me to run. The hydra is a really difficult monster if you're not prepared for it, and with SEVEN breath weapons every 1d4 rounds, it would've killed the party quickly if I hadn't pulled punches. Here's a couple ways for DMs to deal with it:

1) Just bypass the encounter. It's hard, there's no treasure, and it doesn't advance the plot, so there's no reason to run it.

2) Give the PCs clues about the Pit of Seven Jaws before they leave Cauldron. Make sure they have a chance to do some research so that they are prepared to take on a seven-headed cryohydra.

3) Adjust the cryohydra itself. I feel this monster is really too hard for its CR. Perhaps, like the beholder, the cryohydra is only able to use a fraction of its heads in any one 90-degree arc. Perhaps it can't use its breath weapon from all heads at once, or perhaps each breath weapon only does 1d6 damage (making the total damage equal to a fireball from a 7th-level wizard, not TOO bad for a 5th/6th level party).

I don't know if the book gives this information, but what's the highest level wizard, cleric, and druid in Cauldron? The PCs want to raise one of their fallen comrades and they're looking for a druid that can cast 'resurrection,' but I have no idea if such a druid exists in Cauldron.

What adjustments should I make to run this campaign with a 6-man party? Should I simply add one monster to every encounter?