Stebehil's page

I can´t recall anything about unhackable doors. The entrance doors are "very heavy". The doors to the crypt are "grand bronze doors". Otherwise, I guess the doors are quite unremarkable, standard wooden doors.

A character trying to become a lich (or recover from a first attempt) would be a far more interesting PC in my opinion. "It's the journey" and all.

Thats probably the best advice for that idea - make a story out of it. Why does he want to become a lich? The old "fear of death" trope? What does he do to become a lich? This could be a campaign seed in itself.

Well, basically, caster level 11, Craft wondrous item Feat, and there you go :-)

A lich a very powerful, evil, undead spellcaster and not very well suited as a PC. I would not recommend trying to play one (I would not allow it as a DM). Take a sorcerer with undead bloodline instead.

Stefan

My two cents? Don't.

Never sell any of your books. If you have room, keep them. I've still got all the 1st Ed, 2nd Ed, 3rd Ed, 3.5, and Pathfinder books on my shelves. I even have the core 3 from 4th Ed (though I find it hard to take them seriously!)

Keep them, regret can be a painful thing!

Seconded. I never sell any of my RPG stuff (except doublets), you never know when you might want to look at them again.

STefan

Stebehil wrote:

I would have expected England to win that game, not a tie. Not a good start for England. Stefan

A tie? See, this is why USAians have trouble with futbol. We want to crush our enemies and see them driven before us, not shake hands in a gentlemanly fashion and go to tea.

Well, you could - the Germans pretty much crushed the Aussies with 4:0. Not as bad as the Saudi-Arabians eight years ago - they lost 0:8 against Germany in the first game.

Stefan

Some information on the Circle of Eight was also found in the City of Greyhawk box, with some background on each member. A more recent writeup was in the first Living Greyhawk Journal (number 0, actually), which will probably hard to find these days. This writeup was authored by Gary Holian and Erik Mona.
Most of the CoE info will require patience and money these days to come by, as this info probably won´t be reprinted in the foreseeable future, if ever.

Stefan

I would have expected England to win that game, not a tie. Not a good start for England.

Yeah, the vuvusela are annoying, some kind of buzzing all over the game.

Stefan

roman insulae could have up to 8 or 9 stories, with 4 or 5 being usual. The really big cities should have some - Absalom for sure. Cities like Korvosa or Magnimar are several magnitudes smaller, but if you want to portray a real urban feeling, I would not let me be stopped by that.

Stefan

Although I don´t care that much for soccer, I do hope that Germany wins the World Cup - the fourth time is due (1954,1974,1990). They were 2nd four times already (1966, 1982, 1986, 2002)... :-)

And I do sincerely hope that it has a lasting positive effect for South Africa, although I doubt it. The FIFA has it made all but impossible that anybody else profits from any sales during the games.

Stefan

And it all started with this. Good luck trying to locate that one.

Stefan

Bitter Thorn wrote:

Is there any way to view Seelah's unarmored pic?

Alas, I can't seem to find it online, and I'm not sure how or if it's possible to post it here. It's in the Sixfold Trials chapter of the Council of Thieves, presumably during a 'costuming' section.

Oh, and it's actually evening wear...

p. 17. She does not seem to like it very much, but what you can see from her upper body and arms reminds me of olympian swimmers.

Many apologies to any Argentines on this thread:)

Well, and what about all the insulted Germans and Italians?

(to be at least a little on topic: I don´t care very much for the soccer world cup - I will probably watch a few games of the German team, if I have nothing more important to do, but thats about it.)

Well... there is a collectors value in some items.

I might just give him the option out of the 3.5 Complete Mage, where the animal companion feature is replaced with an elemental companion (most probably earth, of course). This sounds fitting for a dwarf druid.

Stefan

Remember that stone is an aspect of nature, and you can even have druids who take the Earth domain instead of having an animal companion. Torag (the main dwarf god) has Earth as a domain, so there's no reason this druid can't worship Torag.

Yeah, this is probably the direction it will go. Another poster (known as Wormys Queue) had the additional idea that this protective element of these druids hearkens back to the oldest times, even before the Quest for the Sky, and before the dwarves developed more formalized religions, so these druids - few and far between - are the original keepers of the dwarven traditions and lore, in a somewhat more primeval state. Torag needs a little re-definition to be fitting as a druidic deity, but as he is the creator, he easily encompasses all other aspects needed.

Cool character concept, BTW,

Thanks. Coming from you, this is quite a compliment.

I am now starting to think just how I could change the druid class to make it more "dwarfish" with this rough concept behind it. As a first, I think they will definitely get the mountain stride ability from the campaign setting book. Perhaps the wildshape ability will get something else as well - creatures made from stone or something like that.

Stefan

One of my prospective players in a Pathfinder game tryout I plan for this fall (using Falcon´s Hollow) asked if he could play a dwarf druid. I ok´ed that, and am now starting to wonder: Just what exactly might a dwarf druid be? What is his role?

The companion about dwarves does not have many words on that, even if one of the example characters is a druid, but from Osirion. One spell for druids and rangers gives an idea that these classes serve the dwarven communities to protect them from hazards in the deepest recesses of their tunnels, so they seem to be more in tune with their community than other druids are.

So, the player had the idea that druids have a special role in judging new excavations, as they predict if that will go well or if dangers lie ahead. I like that idea, and we delevoped the background story that he had an elderly druid mentor who predicted something bad about the latest endeavour, but died before he could tell anybody besides his youngest pupil - the PC. Now, the PC, being a little pert, wanted to stand in the limelight and recounted that prophesy, but was instead set back into his proper place and got scolded for being too bold in face of the elders. He lost his face, and was quite upset by this turn of events and left his home (presumably somewhere within the Five Kings Mountains).

Now, with Droskar´s Crag and the old monastery right next to Falcons Hollow, it is not too far a stretch that he might wind up there, I think.

Still, what faith fits a dwarf druid? The dwarven gods don´t seem to have a deity that would make a good patron. The generic green faith does not appeal too much to me.

Any ideas welcome!

Stefan

I think it is extraordinary difficult to make rules for divine ascension. Basic D&D had the Immortal rules waaay back, and a system of epic quests that could lead towards immortality. Within Golarion, the Test of the Starstone is one story element leading towards godhood. I would not set any game mechanics for becoming a god, but rather try to capture this story-wise.
Perhaps Circe needs to succeed at a truly epic task, like changing all men of the world into monsters, as you described in your idea, and that is her final step into godhood.
Oh, and divine blood may be a prerequisite for even attempting to become a true god - Heracles´ twelve legendary tasks might have been his quest for true godhood, but he might not have been able to succeed had he not been of divine blood to begin with.

Stefan

The experience system should work without too much trouble, I guess - the PF medium advancement track should result in pretty much the same advancement speed as the 3.5 system, and it has been said several times that using older adventures should be made using this track. So, this should be relatively easy. I can´t say anything about using the xp penalties from 3.5, but if you use the whole 3.5 xp system, then it should fit in rather seamlessly. But I´m just talking from reflecting on the xp system here, not experience.

Stefan

Thanks. I figured that they weren't worth as marked. (Haha pun!) Simply because of the changes in regimes.

Hmm.. I also have an original flag from Germany from the WWII era. Along with three issued daggers.

I'll try and get images as soon as I can.

Wow, how did you get all that stuff? You know, the WWII era stuff may even be illegal in Germany, if they bear the swastika or are otherwise clearly identifiable as being Nazi stuff. Nobody would say anything about money from that era, but flags and daggers bearing the swastika are seen as symbols contrary to the "democratic constitutional structure based on the principal of liberty" (one translation I found) fixed in the Grundgesetz, and thus, are illegal within Germany to trade or make accessible, except within a scientific context. Well, art is ok as well, if it does not glorify that era. You know, Hitlers book "Mein Kampf" is banned as well, but nobody visits your home to see if you have a copy. I know of several people who do, just because there were millions of them distributed in Nazi Germany - it was more or less mandatory to own a copy. (I would not advise reading it - I tried and had to stop, as it is more or less unreadable drivel.)

Disclaimer: Note that I don´t say Paul is a Nazi. Just sayin´

Stefan

Sean K Reynolds wrote:

It actually means "this isn't written in English, so why is it using English-friendly letters? And if it's supposed to be a translation of whatever language it's actually in (Taldane?), why isn't it in English so we can actually read it?"

But those aren't English-friendly letters. They're Latin-friendly letters ;p

No, they are Latin letters (well, sort of). They happen to be very conducive to the English language, thus, calling them English-friendly is all right, I´d say. [/know-it-all mode]

Stefan

1. no, they didn´t - there was a reform after the hyperinflation of 1922/23. You might find some information here. They are not regular currency since 1923. Germany has lived through various currencies in the last 100 years, I think four or five. You can still exchange the Deutsche Mark (used after 1949) to Euro today, but the older ones have only collectors value today. This is a wholly different situation from the US.
I happen to know a little about the 20ies in Germany, as I recently wrote a master thesis about architecture in that time in my hometown.

EDIT: I saw too late that you have later currency as well. Anything from before 1948/1949 is not worth anything today as currency.

2. depends, naturally. I think there are rare bills and common ones, but I´m no expert on that matter. Generally, unused bills are worth more than used ones. Still, most of them are still numerous enough that they are mere trinkets, to be sold on any flea market. This might be different in the US, however.

3. Sorry, but I cannot help you there at all. I am not a collector myself, and even then, the US market is probably much different.

Stefan

If I use the Grey Lake serpent, I guess I will take the poisonous snake from the bestiary and apply either the advanced or the giant template - at the moment, I lean towards the giant template. This would be a CR 2 encounter, worth 600 xp total or 150 each for four to five PCs.

Edit: This would change the poisonous snake as follows:

CR 2
Size Large
Init +4
AC 15, touch 9, flat-footed 15 (+6 natural, -1 size)
hp 17 (2d8+8)
fort +7, ref +3
melee bite +4 (1d6+1 + poison)
CMB +3, CMD +13
acrobatics +8, stealth +4 (several skills can be strength-based now, as regular)
Change weapon finesse for weapon focus.

I don´t actually know if the poison is changed. I would change the save DC to 14 or even 15, and perhaps the damage to 1d3 con - that beast is supposed to be deadly.

I´ve been thinking of adding encounters on the way to add to the PCs xp:

After CotE:

- the Lake Serpent of the Grey Lake on the way back to Kassen (this cannot be a Sea serpent out of the bestiary. I´m thinking about something similar, but much smaller.)

- Some stray invaders of Belkzen (orcs are always a nice enemy)

- some Lake Encarthan pirates (perhaps even from Razmiran? I seem to recall that there are Razmiran pirates)

- Sea monsters (from the MotLG encounter tables)

- Molthuni privateers (as noted in MotLG)

After MotLG:

- The Cultists have an abundance of freshly minted coins from a mint most probably situated in Tamras. Is there a connection? Are the minters influenced by the cult? This might be a small story before starting CoGD.

I mean, Senator Byrd is a Zombie. WTF!

I like this picture of him: Nicely dressed!

Stefan

Thats something my players also asked for, as they found a lot of freshly minted coins in "Crypt of the Everflame" (not very surprisingly). Just talking about gold pieces is unsatisfactory, and strains the suspense of disbelief IMO.
What´s more, this implicates that there is a mint in Tamran, which should be a solid building, probably

Stefan

It seems that the modules are a bit short on XP - Masks has about 7000 to 8000 XP per character. (it is hard to calculate exactly, as there are several variable encounters. I added up the fixed encounters and the main NPCs, which gave about 7000 XP. Then I added another 1000) No matter what, if the PCs start at 3rd level in the medium advancement track, they set out with 5000 XP. Level 4 needs 9000, which is easily reached. Level 5 needs 15000, but according to my calculations, the characters will have about 13000 at the end at most. So, they will not be 5th level at the start of CoGD.

I guess I will run some short story in Tamran just before the PC traven to the City.

Stefan

Cool ideas, thanks. I guess I will go with the first one.

Stefan

There are really not much posts about it, so I thought that I might as well post my question here: I happen to have a player using a Greataxe as main weapon. Now,

Stefan

The Price of Immortality trilogy consists of the three modules "Crypt of the Everflame", "Masks of the Living God" and "City of Golden Death". While these modules can of course be played as standalone, they can be linked. This thread is meant for GM questions that come up in relation to using these modules as a mini-campaign, and for hints and tips that GMs can give that have already used these modules in this way.

I start with a question: What ideas do you have to bridge the XP gap between the first and second module? Crypt gives just under 4000 XP max. to a PC, maybe even less. With the medium advancement track, this is 1000 or more XP short of level 3, which should be reached for Masks. Just throwing random encounters at them is nothing I would like. (Besides, my five PCs have just over 3000 XP each, so they need 2000 each).

Stefan

Well, I wasn´t completely prepared when asked to run that adventure, so I did not have the time to work something out to bridge the gap beforehand. I don´t like the idea to just throw enough random encounters at them on the journey to have them advance in level. Besides, my PCs are at 3150 xp each, so they would need nearly 2000 xp each to advance, which would be quite a lot with just random encounters. (I have five PCs). I might just introduce something like "travel xp" (like in MERP/Rolemaster). I guess I will dig through my collection of Dungeon magazines and see what I can find.

Stefan

While this is not strictly GM stuff, I did not find any other thread in which I wanted to post this.

First off, my PCs (5 players) have about 3000 EP now after the adventure,so I need a story worth about 2000 EP for each to go in between - I would be happy for ideas here.

I finally DMed the adventure for my first-time Pathfinder group (all old hands at XD&D-my guess is that there were about 100 years of D&D experience at that table) this weekend. We had a lot of fun with it, but some things came up:

The dungeon setting could have used a few words explaining which part is how old, and who built what part for what purpose. It was stated in passing that the crypt is older than Kassen. Which parts are the oldest ones? The upper level? Then there are some catacombs missing there, or was it completely rebuilt? Was the lower level added after Kassens death? His crypt seems like it. Who built all the traps? The villagers after Kassens death are the most likely candidates. Did they build the traps to be harmless from the beginning? The Cassen statues in the upper level hallway indicate that the traps are meant to be deadly.

It would seem that regular villagers would have quite a hard time navigating the dungeon, even without deadly dangers awaiting them. My players doubted that regular folks would have had a chance to reach the crypt itself.

Encounters: My group consisted of two fighters, a cleric (of Abadar), a sorcerer (all human) and an elven rogue.

The six skeletons in the first room might have been a TPK if I had not cheated several damage rolls. The dice were against my players there, and the sheer number of attacks proved very dangerous.

The bombardeer beetle was minced meat before he could even attack once - two fighters are quite effective against one opponent.

I left the shadow completely out of the adventure - at that point, they would have had nearly no way to fight it, and a touch attack with 1d6 strength drain would have spelled disaster.

The PCs had not earned enough XP to advance to second level when they entered the second dungeon level, and had to fight the plague zombies (which proved no real danger in the confined room) and the frogs (who were not that dangerous) before advancing to second level.

I left the bats only as disorienting in the adventure, not as an enemy to fight, as I hadn´t the swarm rules with me, and didn´t think that encounter particularly interesting.

My players avoided the Azure Fungus in the water parts, and used clever tactics to easily defeat the skeletons at the wheel - positionig themselves so that only two skeletons a time could attack them. The noticed the water pits just in time, just before the two fighters in banded mail fell into them...

They waited for the arrow column to run its course, and passed through that room easily.

The end fight was ok, the four skeletons were no big threat, and Asar was smashed into smithereens, with one warhammer crit (x3), followed by a solid hit from a powerattacking greataxe after he had taken some damage in the previous rounds - in his final round, he took some 30 points of damage.

Stefan

I just found another Dragon Magazine still in print:

link

Stefan

Bump

Kim Jong Il (or however his name is) has mastered the art of walking a fine line - he plays the crazy fool, but he knows quite well just how far he can go before either China or the US takes matters into their hands - not necessarily war (I agree with the analysis that the US already fights at enough fronts), but heavy political pressure. War threats can be an instrument of politics, they have been used countless times. Even China is not too keen on having a satellite state making everyone very upset.

Stefan

Have Clerics been a problem in anybodies game? My group will most probably contain a priest of Abadar, so if anybody has any advice if this is a feasible combination, please let me know.

EDIT: I could imagine that the faithful of Abadar won´t have much love for the Razmiran cultists, as they cut into business. Perhaps if I play into that sentiment, an Abadarian might even be very interested in getting rid of those cultists.

Stefan

Thanks for bumping it! A very helpful list.

Stefan

It is stupid to leave wireless networks unprotected, sure. But google using a software developed by one of its engineers (in his spare time?) for several years in their cars and calling it an accident when caught red-handed does nothing to make the company any more trustworthy. If they did not want to use that software, why develop it in first place? Having it installed in their cars does not look like they did not wanted to use it to me, either. If it has been really not planned this way, it was an extraordinary stupid mistake - which I won´t rule out as well.
(As an aside, it may be that some Germans react strongly to any percieved intrusion in their privacy, as a paranoid dictatorship bent on surveillance of every private move is well within living memory for several million Germans, as the GDR crashed just over 20 years ago.)
It rests on the shoulder of any individual to protect his privacy in first place. But companies in the computer/internet business should be legally obligated to high standards regarding private data as well. A moral codex won´t work, as long as there is money to be earned - money beats morals every time.

Stefan

The idea of using these Rogue talents as feats will do the trick, I guess. Thanks for your help. I guess I will take it one step further:

1. Take the trait to cast one cantrip once/day
2. Take a feat to cast the same cantrip 3/day, prereq. trait
3. Take a feat to cast a 1st level spell 3/day, prereq. trait, feat and being level 3 at least.

Stefan

I was looking for a feat that allows minor spell casting. I found a trait that allows casting of a single cantrip once a day. Now, would you think allowing a 1st level spell 1/day would be ok for a feat? Or would it be unbalancing on low levels? (on higher levels, it is pretty much useless). What do you think about a feat allowing you to cast two cantrips a day?

One player of mine asked for a fighter with very minor spell casting, that is what got me searching.

Stefan

I’m pretty sure there are 3.5 stats for Bargle in one of the latter Dungeon magazines, perhaps even the ultimate issue?

Right on spot!Dungeon 150 has the adventure "Kill Bargle!", written by Jason Bulmahn.

Stefan

And furthermore, is there an indicator which printing the book is? I guess that the first printing does not have any, but 2nd and subsequent printings?

Oh, and: Congratulations! So far, Pathfinder is a success, and I hope it stays that way - I´m doing my part, as anybody can tell from my tags.

Stefan

This time, the scientists have a better idea what they are facing, I´d guess, so the air traffic is probably not as messed up as the last time.

My latest order shipped on April, 22nd. Usually, it should arrive this weekend or at the beginning of next week. I´ll see...

Stefan

Wow! I just have to buy it, I guess. I love Freeport, even though I did not have a chance to play in it - yet.

EDIT: Couldn´t help myself and preordered it right now. Any idea just when it might be available - a month, three months, half a year?

Stefan

Heh. All that is a nice example for letter vs. spirit of the rules. The rules allow it, but I would disallow 0gres Ring of Ultimate Cheese ;-)

Stefan

What date and year does Kingmaker start?

I´d guess the answer would be "Whatever you as DM set it."

You might take the Golarion date of the publication of the first book as starting point, that would be early spring 4710 (IIRC).

Stefan

True, but you could make a ring with a +3 Sacred bonus and another with a +3 Dodge bonus. Flame on.

This would give you a +6 Bonus, but IMO, it should have the same cost as a "regular" +6 ring.

Stefan

Finally saw the movie yesterday, in 3D. Well, the movie could have done without 3D. The Mad Hatters dance in the end really did not fit in there, and spoiled the mood somewhat - I felt reminded of some stupid movies where the characters start to sing and dance just to have singing and dancing in the movie. It was equally stupid when Alice did the same dance back in the real world. In an RPG, I would complain that it ruined my suspense of disbelief.

Otherwise, I liked to movie - it was a homage to the story, while trying to develop it further. My wife liked the red queen best - I guess she will be "off with their head!" all day in office today.

Stefan

Racism can take many forms. The obvious form is the Neonazi Skinhead beating up foreign-looking people on the street, or the same Neonazi bunch demonstrating their tenets in public. Even this obvious form is still seem far too often in Germany for my tastes - I had a Neonazi demonstration right through my street a few years ago, and perhaps again this year. Of course, they are not so stupid as to chant their racist songs openly, as this would be a felony according to German law - given our history, this is probably right. But a democratic society has to suffer these demonstration in the name of free speech and freedom of assembly, as long as there are no solid reasons to rule otherwise.

Then again, conservative politicians had a tenet that Germany is no immigration country, and repeated that for many years like a mantra. In truth, Germany has always been an immigration country, and will likely be a long time. By denying that fact, the immigrants that were there were poorly integrated for many years, even decades. The effect is that many immigrants, especially those from Turkey, the various Balcan States and former Soviet Union, have worse education than german people. This in turn leads to immigrant children having less chances to get a good job or university education, and a higher than average criminal ratio among these groups. This of course leads to the immigrants being seen as disruptive elements. So, a mislead political dogma lead to the exclusion of the immigrants and to a latent or sometimes open racism. Mind you, some turkish people live here in the 3rd generation already, and their integration can still be quite shaky.

That a turkish-descended woman was made social secretary in the Federal State of Lower Saxony just a few days ago was without precedent, and resulted in extreme high media interest in her. Add a few ill-advised interviews on her part, and the right wing in the conservative party is all up in arms again - it was even asked if she as an avowed muslima could swear an oath upon god to help her in her duties. She had to remind these "good christians" that it is the same god that is revered by jews, christians and muslims. This is for me a sign of latent racism.

Racism is IMO coming back again because it provides an easy answer in a very complex world. Lost your job? The (X) are to blame, they do it cheaper. Drugs ruin society? Blame the (X). Prices for (Y) are on the rise? That´s because all those (X) buy all (Y). And so on. The world has become a hugely and frighteningly complicated network of mutual dependencies over the last 150 years, not to mention that has become quite crowded. Understanding even a part of it is a monumental task, so easy explanations are popular. Racism is one such explanation, it is the old "us vs. them", only that nowadays there are a lot "thems" and seemingly ever fewer "uses".

Stefan

Fletch wrote:

What decides whether a worshipper of Gozreh, fer instance, is a cleric or a druid? Does the follower make some sort of distinction in the way he views the god?

Can someone tell the difference between a cleric of Gozreh and a druid of Gozreh? Do they focus on different aspects of the god or interpret his aspects differently?

A druid is a sort of cleric IMHO, but his focus is on nature, instead of trying to spread or impact his faith in some way.

Clerics are more community oriented for the most case, while druids don´t care much about their fellow humans (or whatever creature they are), but focus on nature. Druids fit more easily to the hermit archetype, IMO.

Stefan

Wide-eyed simple rustic, who is overwhelmed by the big city, until he has seen through all these facades, and realized that humans are pretty much the same everywhere. He will probably be easy prey for elaborate con schemes and things like that.

just my 2c

Stefan