The Drunken Dragon's page

As in all things, there are good sides and there are bad. I'm not saying Pathfinder is a flawed system (of the 4 I've tried, it's definitely my favorite), but it isn't perfect. It has its flaws, it has its shortcomings. But generally, I've found it to be very fun to play and tinker with, and I've spent hours just reading some of the sourcebooks for fun (though I may or may not be crazy). That said, I am very happy with Pathfinder. It's not perfect, but as one traveling bard once said (paraphrased: It is one thing to love a thing BECAUSE, but to love a thing DESPITE, to see its flaws and love them as well, that is the truest form of love. -Kvothe, from Patrick Rothfuss' Wise Man's Fear.

I honestly don't mind it. It's a little iffy, and I'm not even a big fan of sci-fi, but it's there if you want a different flavour of mystery or creepiness. The only thing I actually mind are elves being aliens, but that's not because I think the idea is stupid, but...well, i never liked elves to begin with, so, biased and what-not. My point is, I don't think it's that bad. I like a little bit of the creepy alien vibe. And the way Numeria was designed you can quite literally ignore it if you don't want to go there/address it. So, really, who cares?

Cavalier. No one has played one of those yet in my group. Nor Inquisitor.

Cayden Cailean is at the top of my list, and right after him is Desna.
Among the evil deities, I like Lamashtu. Beyond that, i have few objections to the other deities, but those are my all-star favorites.

If there was a method (and I'm not sure there is one, I've looked but can't find a legitimate one) of allowing a druid to make their attacks have magical effects (like flaming, bane, whatever) for a short amount of time, would this violate druidic code? Does magic like that count as "nature magic" since it would allow them to wield the power of the elements, or would it be pushing it?

Can a druid wild shape into magma/ice/mud/storm elementals? Or only into the classic fire/water/air/earth?

I like the starknife, regardless of how impractical that sucker looks. I also really like glaives and bastard swords (not katanas, mind, just the regular old bastard sword), though the very last is mainly because of Longclaw...

As the thread title suggests.

The Rogue arguably one of the weakest classes in the game and its alternate class the ninja are leagues appart in powerlevel.But why do I have take all that asian flavour with katanas and shuriken and whatnot,just to make a rogue that works?

Why does the ninja get acces to pretty much all rogue talents and classfeatures, but the rogue only gets gimped versions of everything(like the Ki pool) and can't even take advanced ninja tricks?

These and other question arise when I look at the current state of things with these classes.

Does anyone feel the same?Or should I just suck it up and reflavour pretty much every single thing that makes the ninja a ninja?

Ah, but they also get none of the feats or favored class bonuses tied specifically to rogues unless you obtain DM fiat...by RAW they can't gain extra talents or other benefits that are specific to rogues and rogues alone, so...

Also, since when is the rogue one of the weakest classes? If you get a guy flanked (easy if your party has a wizard with spells that can do that or an up-front fighter), you can dish out HEAVY damage with two shortswords...

While Aasimar are very nice and can fit into almost any class due to their variants, they aren't truly that overpowered. Granted, they are more powerful than a core race would be, but a lot of their advantages diminish over time. Resistances are nice and all, but this becomes less and less of an issue as the rest of the party accrues class abilities, magic items, and spells that can accomplish the same (if not higher) resistances, thereby rendering the aasimar's head start moot. Besides, beyond environmental effects, most low-level encounters deal with physical damage, against which aasimars (unlike, say, kobolds or changelings) have no bonuses against. Darkvision is always very nice of course, but Dwarves and Half-Orcs also get Darkvision. Their spell-like ability is...um...okay I suppose? Alternative versions of it can be strong, but I make players roll if they want to try and change its power, and at that point its luck based (they could gain tingling pregnancy senses or an extra +2 all based on the luck of the die).

Again, all of these are nice to start, but they have their problems. Unlike common races, they lack the versatility of favored class bonuses other races get. Unlike humans, whose extra feat is a far greater and more practical head start than resistances and spell-like abilities. Heck, they're probably better than any other race at what they do...BUT they can't do everything nearly half so well.

That aside, since i run a very RP heavy game, I strictly enforce the consequences of playing an aasimar, which often discourages players from the class after an NPC asks if they can have a pint of their blood or a lock of their hair for upteenth bazillionth time...

Depends on the situation and the campaign. Boreal is amazing if you're staying in the snow, but less than worthless in the jungle...

Arcane is the best universally, I'd have to say. Least fun themactically, though.

I would put a knife through my hand or leg to see if I am incapacitated by the pain and if it would also regenerate. If so, then I would put myself through a battery of tests to see just how far I could go before being truly injured. If I have no limit that I can determine, I'd go out and fight crime.

I'd probably do that eventually, but to begin with I'd mess around with my pseudo-invulnerability to do all of the crazy death-defying stuff I'd normally be too terrified to do. I'd go bunge-jumping, snowboard off a mountain, go on the scariest possible roller-coasters, etc. I'd do party tricks, like, all the time. I'd show up, grab a kitchen knife, and chop off my fingers before everyone's horrified eyes, and then I'd hold up my hand as it regenerates and bow to applause.

Then finally, when I've gotten tired of being a complete spazz (well, not really), I'll wear tight-fitting spandex in bright cheerie color, call myself "Dr. Impossible" and battle evil.

Analysis' questions made me think: what are those strange floating runes that are always depicted in art around character's hands in the hardcovers? Do those show up whenever spellcasters use spells in Golarion? Or is this an old Azlanti magic thing? Or is that just artistic license on the part of the illustrators? In addition, what do you personally imagine spellcasting to look like (i.e. what do you presume a somatic component would look like) and could you give an example?

I've briefly considered creating the entire One Piece crew, though it would be difficult to attempt. I've got this for it though, a Qinggong Monk that specializes in fire-magic and jumping, a sword-saint samurai that dual-wields (triple wields, though I've yet known how to build that) katanas, a sea/bonded witch with a few levels in rogue that focuses on weather magic, a possessed sentient skeleton bard that has a house-ruled ability to leave his body to cast an arcane eye-like spell, an invulnerable rager barbarian with a few levels of aberration-bloodline sorcerer that focuses only on using limb-extension, cyborg experimental gunsmith with a few levels in alchemist, bramble brewer alchemist that specializes in sling-shooting his bombs, and if i could build Chopper, i would.

A LG human fighter guardsman often accompanied by his butler, a powerful rogue/assassin that specializes in crossbows (Captain Vimes and Willikins).

A short human (small-sized) diplomacy rogue that's "handy with a crossbow" and is usually accompanied by a Cad fighter who eschews heavy armor and wields a razor sharp longsword (Tyrion Lannister and Bronn)

Cool. So totally dotting this...
Also, cool your jets guys, it's just an animation...
the more one analyses something, the more coldly detatched you become from it, and in many cases (especially if the thing is small, i.e., this) its like picking at a scab. Oh, sure, it's all enjoyable now, but when you tear it off and your leg is bleeding all over the carpet...anyway, point is. Just enjoy it. Not everything is perfect. This was fun. Yes, it bugged me a little to. Screw that.

As a side-note, i loved the high five the two girls do at the end. I found it to be a very humorous parallel considering the scene exactly before that...

Out of curiosity, just as there are non-human-born aasimar and tieflings, are there non-human born genieborn, or for that matter, dhampir? And as a corollary to that, if I had a ratfolk or kobold or goblin aasimar, per se, would their lifespans still be 40ish years, or would it go up to human-length? For that matter, would a ratfolk dhampir (assuming such a thing is possible) have a centuries-spanning lifespan like a human-produced dhampir does?

Howdy y'all.

A couple of days ago I found and dusted off my DVD copy of Gurren Lagann, and after rewatching some of that, on top of finding a very interesting animation on the internet, I've decided to run a big sweeping adventure campaign, the kind that will take my PCs all across the world in search of some fantastic treasure.

But before I begin, I wanted to scope out on the forums a little for some ideas. Basically, what I'm looking for is input from you guys: what in your mind comprises a great sweeping journey? Windy deserts? Heaven-piercing mountain ranges? Haunted, centuries-old forests? Fast and narrow urban sprawls? What? Gimme all your best ideas and experiences.

On top of that, if anyone has any recommendations for adventure pathes or modules that have a similar bent, or even inspiration from other media (movies, books, etc.) that deals with this topic, feel free to share that as well. I'm all ears folks. What do you think makes up a really epic quest?

Can a draconic bloodline sorcerer choose to be descended of a primal dragon or imperial dragon? If so, what would he get if he chose, for instance, umbral dragon? Would his claws deal negative energy damage? And what would he gain resistances too? Would that also mean that a forest imperial dragon-descendant would gain resistance against piercing?

Not on everybody, but sure, why not? I'd use it on the most important PCs, like the rogue or perhaps the witch who is slowly preparing thunderbolts...but it'd suck to use up all of your 8th level spell slots just to mind blank everybody

Dresden. Also, George R.R. Martin's magic (the ones that have been explained) seem to function entirely off of components and foci (Masks for disguise-like spells, various powders and herbs to allow one to see through fire, living blood to resurrect the dead, etc.). Even the closest thing to "battle magic" that A Song of Ice and Fire requires blood to activate (essentially making a sword flaming for a few moments).

Also, keep in mind that single actions never equal to an alignment. One could make a fateful decision and still remain neutral, because he'll just go back to doing his thing next time. The idea of true neutrality, at least in my mind, is to be the moral equivalent of play-dough. You can reshape it whoever you like depending on the circumstances, and you can just mash it back into putty when you feel the structure is no longer necessary. A neutral character is motivated by what feels good at the time, not by altruism, not by spite, not by a sense of civil duty or a desire for individuality or self-expression. Neutral people are those that don't particularly commit one way or the other, and if they do, it isn't for very long. Mostly they just like being left alone, and if they ARE motivated, its to stay alive and content.

In other words, the only way you can remain TN is if you avoid a "higher calling." You have opinions, but they shouldn't be very strong ones one way or the other. Mostly, you just follow your gut and live life in whatever manner you can. You'll sometimes do nasty things because you have to, or good deeds because they seemed right at the time, but you'll never throw in, you'll never donate a kidney or volunteer long-term at a charity (and likewise won't go on a murderous rampage or start up a totalitarian regime). You'll just be you.

Depends on the character. I noticed some deities have subdomains that re tied into outsiders, yet I've never found any cannonical reference of said deity interacting with those outsiders, so I'm guessing outsider subdomains don't necessarily imply you follow their philosophy to the letter.

Mavrickindigo wrote:

How do bonus and automatic languages work in Golarion? Do humans get their ethnic/regional language automatically?

Yes.

Mavrickindigo wrote:

Do Non-humans?

Technically, no. Which is kind of weird in some cases. But ask your GM; I'd allow it. Half-orcs and half-elves also get their half-racial language for free, even if they were raised completely in one culture and had no contact with the other side of their heritage. Again, weirdness that can be figured out with your GM.

I've also had GMs rule that "common" in Katapesh is Kelish and not Taldane and that in Mwangi lands, it's Polyglot (unless you're in Sargava) which I find more logical.

It's stuff like this that make me ask the GM to simply house-rule me languages that make sense as opposed to languages that are standardized (i.e. if i was a Half-Elf raised in Numeria with no contact with elven parents he'd speak Common and Hallit instead of Common and Elven), of course, I'd never ask to add a language though...

Sure? Why not? I sort of assume all of the "half-a-thing" races aren't "origin race specific" with the obvious exception of half-elves, half-orcs, and samsarans. Though I question Changelings, which I think require a human male to breed with a hag to produce...shouldn't be too difficult to create a small dhampir...

Unfortunately, as it turns out, they are about a foot taller than most small-sized races. Ah well, there goes my perception of them as a race of chubbies...

I actually love magic shops. Of course, I never actually let my players just BUY things (other than basic potions). They look around, and maybe the vendor will direct their eye to the strange golden figure in the shape of a snake-man. Any and all magic items in the shop will have their own little backstory, and will be special, unique (at least in description), and will devout a bit of dialogue to actually buy it. And since I've accomplished RP, and i feel the PCs have earned it, does it really matter?

Okay, I gotta agree with the OP concerning the Dire Hyena thing (since it's been said by Paizo that they intended to make the "Dire" animals the prehistoric versions of the animals as I think 1st edition did), but the classification of hyenas as canines doesn't really bother me. I assume that's a game balance thing. Insects and arachnids are still "animals" yet they are classified as a completely different creature type by bestiaries. I cringe at it, but fully understand the purpose. Hyenas are listed as "canine" for the same reason as a lot of non-mustelid creatures are listed in the Bestiary as being able to "speak with kind" with weasels: because putting hyenas in their own category would mess stuff up cause they'd stand alone.

Dunno about 1st or 2nd edition, but I'd say the source is probably closer to real-world sociology than anything. Think about it this way. From an elven perspective, you have someone that doesn't quite belong with the clan, yet still resembles them, so they won't accept the fully. From the human perspective you have something that's almost human but not quite, which might trigger something called the "Uncanny Valley Effect" (referring to the fact that if you graphed a person's approval rating of a thing as its resemblance to a human being increased, the graph enters a sudden dip when you get to the point just 1 point away from "identical to human") thereby causing them to be rejected by humans as well.

Dunno. They aren't one race or another, so they just don't fit in with either very well, so they end up being alone most of the time. Also, Pathfinder half-elves aren't so lonely if i remember correctly. Aren't there entire cities composed of half-elves (there's one in Kyonin, i know that for sure), and as far as I can tell from most of the Golarion-lore I've read, no one treats half-elves very poorly that often.

They do have a negative strength modifier, though I'm pretty sure all of the small races do. So muscle doesn't really explain it away.

Heh, I never even noticed that. Wow, I guess they really are a chubby race.

Probably...maybe? I'm not sure. I don't think you'd be able to make an outright new lifeform, but you might be able to combine or reconstruct one. I always assumed the construction of sentient creatures were the domains of pseudo-deities, at the very least, so wish and miracle (being mortal magic) is probably not strong enough to create life from nothing...mythic level magic might do the trick though.

I thought that in Golarion they were her daughters, and if I recall I think Mr. Jacobs once said they were simply humans. Also, though I don't remember my Russian folklore as well as I should, if i remember the stories my grandmother told me, Baba Yaga was essentially human, but cannibalistic and magical and, as a side-benefit, extremely long lived.

Side Note: I enjoy what the paizo team did with Koshei the deathless, instead turning him into a demon lord cursed by Baba Yaga (at least, I thought Kostchitchi was an allusion to Koshei the Deathless). Even more interesting is the fact that they made the Gorynitch a monster...so I wonder if Baba Yaga has one of those...

Because adventuring and mercenary work is surprisingly parallel. It's a dangerous world, so use what you must.

That, and once i had a player who insisted on never taking items from the dead. It became incredibly difficult to give him rewards and items. It's more of a gameplay thing.

Play Arya Stark eh? That's a new one, though I can't say I'm surprised, I noticed demand for that. And a few people from my gaming group might find that interesting.

Can't wait. This book sound exciting, especially the background guide thing...

So, the Runelord of Gluttony's weapon of choice is a scythe. But my question is, what sort? Is it the Core Rulebook farmer-implement-made-lethal (to fit in with his necromancy theme), or is it a real-world-war-scythe (link included for some visuals [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_scythe]) to fit in with the "runelords use polearms" theme, since the war-scythe is essentially just another sort of polearm?

The River Kingdoms had a bit of a pre-Prussian Germany feel to it (with the kellids making a decent match of Germanic "barbarians" and the whole unstable "ruled by a vast number of people and constantly changing hands"). Irrisen is based on Russia (the stilagi part made me laugh. My grandpa was one when he was in his thirties). Molthune reminds me of Prussia, Taldor of imperial England OR alternatively Byzantium. Qadira seems to be Arabia (but what part I'm not certain), Osirion is ancient Egypt. Minkai was a parallel to Japan, Hongal was this to Mongolia. The Crown of the World reminds me heavily of the highest reaches of Canada. The Land of the Linnorm Kings reminds me of Scandenavia. Andoren is either the United States or to a lesser degree the Netherlands. Iblidos is implied to be Greece, but too little information exists to be certain. There are parts of Mwangi that resemble Old Zimbabwe. Cheliax reminds me of the original Rome, with a hint of Italy and Spain thrown in. Brevoy...it has Russian elements (in the sense that their noble families sound like the Russian-language equivalent to their house sigil, i.e.Medyved is literally bear, and their symbol is a bear...) but their entire feel seems less like our world and more like Westeros ("Ours is the Right" is only one word away from "Ours if the Fury"). As to the rest, I have no idea whatsoever, except that Imperial Lung Wa sounded like ancient China...

There's also, if I remember correctly, a Demon Lord that reflects the horrors of the desert sun. Maybe they'd worship him?

Dunno about need but I certainly like the additional 6 classes in the APG. Summoners, Witches, and Inquisitors are very fun to play, and though you could "replicate" them with archetypes, its just not the same.

Sounds like a hilarious stupid name for such a powerful spell.
As in..."I cast...snowball! *toss*"
"Really?Just a sno-ohgod! My eyes! It's in my eeeeeeeys! Why?"

*shrug*

This is difficult to pin down. On the one hand, you are eating an intelligent creature...on the other...who...cares? He's not the same species as you, so it definitely isn't cannibalism (which would technically be evil...I guess...though the only reason we have such a visceral reaction to cannibalism is because evolutionarily its stupid as heck to try and eat someone of your own species, making it neither right nor wrong, just...stupid) I mean, I don't really see this act as moral or amoral, anymore so than eating anything else. Again, it isn't cannibalism, so its not "monstrous" anymore, and thus loses the flavour of evil.And you didn't kill him JUST to eat him(which would be evil), you decided to make use of his remains to stay alive (thoroughly neutral camp action).

Fits with character as well. In many "Barbarous" culture, the idea of consuming the parts of something else to gain their essence is intrinsic to certain old religions. This belief system not only continues in some way shape or form nowadayas, but is by itself no more evil than any number of random belief systems. For instance, there is one culture that mixes the blood of two people in cups of alcohol solution. The two drink each other's blood to cement a bond of brotherhood (thereby literally making themselves brothers "through blood"). Don't see anything evil going on there.
In other words, its different, but it doesn't FEEL evil to me. HOWEVER, I must ask: what was the character's intention during this entire interaction. If he killed the bugbear for food: that's evil. If he cooked him up as a spiteful rejection of proper burial customs: again, evil. But if he just made rations to stay alive...not evil enough.

The Drunken Dragon wrote:

There's a number of references in places in the Inner Sea Region about large protrusions from the ground covered in varied runes that seem to do nothing but sit there and absorb lightning. Each time they are mentioned as having an "unknown purpose" and as far as I can tell, none of the APs have dealt with this. I know that you can't tell me what their purpose is, but...are these magical lightning rods related in some way? Feels kind of conspiracy-theory-ish to me.

Can you cite a specific example?

Aye. There's some in Katapesh that have "runes for the use of benevolent magic" written on them. These are the only ones I can currently find, but I know I've seen others.

There's a number of references in places in the Inner Sea Region about large protrusions from the ground covered in varied runes that seem to do nothing but sit there and absorb lightning. Each time they are mentioned as having an "unknown purpose" and as far as I can tell, none of the APs have dealt with this. I know that you can't tell me what their purpose is, but...are these magical lightning rods related in some way? Feels kind of conspiracy-theory-ish to me.

In Katapesh, there is a small area where large pillars of rock stand that seem to do nothing but attract magical lightning. The thing is...this isn't the first time such a thing has been cited in Golarion lore. I don't remember the exact locations, but I know that in several other areas in the Inner Sea there are, hidden in the wilderness, great upthrust stones which attract lightning and absorb the power within for some unknown purpose.

My question is two fold? Can anyone name all of them? (including the source where they found this) And second, what do you think they mean? Are they connected somehow? Are they the same type of thing, or is each of them separate and different, but are simply designed in a similar fashion.

Wow, can't wait. Having a platypus familiar seems like its a little underwhelming though...I mean, it's a platypus...they don't do much.

Corny references aside, I'm eagerly awaiting to see what they have set up for new familiars and animal companions, and details about Golarion's fauna ought to be very interesting indeed.

Okay, one more...if you do make an awakened platypus, it needs a hat of disguise...preferably in a fedora-shape...I'll sit down now...

Because why not. When you're one of those evil wizards who actually succeeded in obtaining UNLIMITED POWAH! than you can do whatever the heck you want with no questions asked. No one will question your choice to wield weapons normal members of your class would touch, or you'll kill them for questioning you. Besides, what part of the a runelord makes them "normal" in the first place. Exceptional weapons for exceptional people if you ask me.

Also, its original. Polearms are rarely used.

Much as beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, so is darkness. The level of darkness is entirely dependent on what the players as a whole are comfortable with. I know people who flinch at the idea of a scratch and others who can sit there and yawn while I tell them about how a barbarian horde has raped, pillaged, and burned a village in exhausting detail that would make even the more sturdy people squirm. It's all a matter of perspective.

As for Golarion in general...meh. I've seen worse. Paizo certainly doesn't flinch away from the bad parts of life, and it doesn't romanticize the setting as some others do. So, basically, it's not a place Sansa Stark would live very long, but it isn't bad enough that most people would object. MOST. Not all. In other words, ask your players beforehand. Make a gametable agreement. Whatever. Draw the line in the sand yourself, then move on.

As by RAW, i disregard any spell components that have a price of below 1 gp. as i assume that any and all of those are within a spell component pouch. As far as Eschew Materials is concerned, it's one of those free-be feats. I don't care if its not that useful, Endurance isn't that great a feat but Rangers still keep it and they don't complain. I will require spellcasters without it to have the pouch on hand at all times...

Profession (its basically an NPC skill and extremely situational in all other circumstances) fits the bill extremely. Craft might have actual uses, but Profession is FAR less often useful.

Ideally, I try to avoid it, since it messes the game up. However, I take the Abed stance on this. If the players start it up, I'll try to give them a reasonable way out, but if they go at it, I'll stay impartial.

That's going to be a very weird conversation. Eidolons with swallow whole seem to be very awkward turkeys. Just saying...

I loves me my arcane spellcasters. Of them, the ones I prefer more, in order of most liked to least, are Summoner, Sorcerer, Witch, Alchemist, Magus, Bard, Wizard. I love the idea of the summoner, of someone being able to twist the very aether in order to create spirit beings, and I've loved the sorcerer since 3.0, except in Pathfinder they are much more balanced and interesting. I don't tend to like wizards as much, but only because my GMs tends to run resource-poor campaigns, and anyone who has too few spells to contribute usually dies painfully...