The Thing from Beyond the Edge's page

Are there any rules for creating these anywhere?

Creating something like one of Golarion's flying cities (now fallen...) seems epic and out of league for the PFRPG. But, at a cost of 50000gp for the airship, it seems within the realm of higher level characters and the power doesn't seem to be out of bounds as, by upper levels, teleport is available and flight is pretty common.

So, I'm looking for some guidelines, preferably (but not exclusively) from the rules themselves...

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Alpha Orcs

Point Expenditures for Alpha Orcs
0 RP Type: Humanoid (orc, human)
0 RP Size: Medium
0 RP Base Speed: Normal
2 RP Ability Scores: Flexible Modifiers
0 RP Language Trait: Xenophobic (choose from common, orc, draconic, goblinoid
1 RP Defensive Racial Ability: Defensive Training, Lesser (humans)
3 RP Defensive Racial Ability: Defensive Training, Greater
1 RP Movement Racial Ability: Fast
4 RP Offensive Racial Ability: Ferocity
1 RP Offensive Racial Ability: Weapon familiarity (Firearms, Man Catcher)
2 Senses Racial Ability: Darkvision
4 Senses Racial Ability: Scent
2 Genetic Suite: Master Tinker (2) or Natural Armor (2) or Silent Hunter (2)

Alpha Orcs Racial History

Though their name suggests they are merely a superior breed of orc, they are in fact partly human. Many years prior to the present (though the actual meaning of time passage when comparing differing dimensions can be disputed...) the military of a nation in a highly advanced technological world (one might say it was a world with super villains and heroes) with little to no (common) knowledge of magic came upon a dimensional rift. Orcs poured through it. Of course, the orcs were no match for the technology of the nation and were quickly dispatched with many prisoners taken for interrogation (i.e. experimentation).

This "experimentation" resulted in an attempt to create super-soldiers that could be used for many purposes ranging from combat to crowd control. Using the Orc DNA to improve certain aspects, they were genetically designed to be superior in many categories but easily controlled. But, there were dissenters within the program and those who wished to destroy it from without. Many of the specimens grown in uterine vats had their chosen DNA altered to make them far more independent thinking, and some even rebellious. With the aid of an outside agency (some individuals referred to as super heroes), these free thinking Alpha Orcs made an escape and took with them many stored embryos (with the free thinking genes) and fled through an unstable dimensional door.

This trip was fraught with danger and much of the technology brought with them was lost. They held off many who thought to take control of them but finally claimed a reasonable amount of security. However, after much internal strife, they made a decision and abducted many women from some local human and orc tribes so that they could implant the remaining embryos brought from the old world and assure the survival of their race. The result brought forth an unforeseen outcome. None of the Alpha Orcs had been previously raised by mothers who had loved them. They were born out of vats.

This led to an awakening in the Alpha Orcs who had been focused solely on military survival. In the generations since, the Alpha Orcs have remained largely xenophobic but have begun to expand their area of control and have sought to trade with others in order to learn that which they have forgotten and raise the bar to new heights.

Alpha Orcs (racial description)

Alpha Orcs are a young, proud race resulting from genetic tampering with the intent of making super soldiers on some far off technologically advanced world. They have worked hard to ensure their survival and have only recently begun to reach out to other races and societies. Their current home world has a small population and a number of dimensional doors. They keep many secrets of their own which they have refused to divulge even for the much sought after knowledge of magic.

Physical Description: Alpha Orcs have an appearance that closely resembles their lesser Orc brethren but they are not quite as tall and not nearly so thick. Most are long limbed, almost to the point of being very unusual. They have dark, thick hair and eyes whose color covers a wide range. They often cut their hair short, even the females, and typically carry themselves in a distinctly disciplined and military manner.

Society: The Alpha Orc society is quite xenophobic as a result of having fought so long for their survival. They are communal but also have close family ties. Although they demand adherence to a strict set of rules, they do not tolerate slavery or magical compulsion. Those who do not follow the rules of the homeland are excommunicated. But, in the homeland, they have quite a bit of technology that they use with the most notable of these being firearms, even advanced ones. Resources have limited their production and growth as a society.

Relations: Alpha Orcs have little love for their Orc cousins and less still for their Human cousins, although their skill at fighting their human cousins will allow them the comfort of trading with them. They feel both empathy and pity for the Half-Orcs they have met and there are numerous ostracized Alpha Orcs who have sought to ally themselves with such half breeds. They resent the hatred they receive from Elves and Dwarves and have no trouble in returning it to these groups.

Alignment and Religion: Alpha Orcs have been forced to live a regimented life in order survive but they chafe under it as they have many progenitors that were genetically engineered to be free thinkers. But, they still have a high genetic disposition toward cooperation as they were engineered to work in combat groups. But, having escaped with little culture (and none of it their own) they have very little cultural identity regarding divinity and the afterlife. Many who leave the homeland flock to various congregations.

Adventurers: There has been a recent surge in Alpha Orc adventurers as they have sought to investigate the world and dimensions around them. This includes spies and scouts as well as those who have been excommunicated. They are numerous gunslingers and monks and rangers among them. Practitioners of magic (both arcane and divine) as well as rogues are virtually nonexistent in those of the first generation to leave the homeland.

Male Names: David, Evan, Richard, Thomas etc.
Female Names: Beverly, Jennifer, Sarah, Vanessa

Alpha Orc Racial Traits

+2 to any two abilities: Alpha Orcs were engineered to be superior

Medium: Alpha Orcs are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Swift-footed: Alpha Orcs were engineered to move quickly about the battlefield. Base movement of 40'.

Darkvision: Alpha Orcs were given the genetics of darkvision so as to be elite units on a modern battlefield.

Scent: The Orcish olfactory senses were heightened to keep these battlefield predators from being ambushed.

Ferocity: Alpha Orcs were engineered to fight to the death. An Alpha Orc remains conscious and can continue fighting even if its hit point total is below 0. The Alpha Orc is still staggered and loses 1 hit point each round. It still dies when its hit point total reaches a negative amount equal to its Constitution score.

Defensive Training: Alpha Orcs were designed to react to human movements and gain a +4 dodge bonus when facing humans

Combat Training: Alpha Orcs were genetically engineered to react to the brutal modern battlefield with firearms and receive a +2 dodge bonus to AC.

Weapon Familiarity: Being genetically engineered for riot control and fighting on the modern battlefield, Alpha Orcs are proficient with Man Catchers and Firearms. They pick up the items and instinctively recognize their use.

Genetic Suites: Alpha Orcs were designed to fill various roles and there appear to be a number of genetic suits they have received. Choose one of the following: Master Tinker (+1 on disable device and knowledge: engineering, proficient with any weapon personally created), Natural Armor (+1 bonus to natural armor), or Silent Hunter (reduce the penalty for stealth checks when moving by -5 and can make stealth checks at -20 while running).

Languages: Alpha (The First, their language). Alpha Orcs with high intelligence scores can learn from the following: Common, Orc, Goblin, and Draconic.

Thread started.

link to the..."Serious: I can't believe I just read this" thread

Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem Are Having an Anchor Baby

At least Fox News can now openly admit their racism...

That seems pretty openly inflammatory to me. Not only that, we have been recently reminded, by Liz, of the thread at the top of the OTD subforum...

"Please Play Nice in the Political Threads" thread.

In it...

<snip>
Consider this a blanket warning: threads started with incendiary titles for the specific purpose of starting a flame war will earn the poster a temp ban, no warning, from now on. Paizo's messageboards are not the place for you to air your grievances against those you disagree with. Play nice.

-Josh

Although, technically, the "title" isn't incendiary, the actual content of the OP is. I don't see that as being a worthy distiction. So, although I feel it inappropriate to make inquiries regarding the starter of the thread, why would such a thread be allowed to exist after we have just recently been remined about the stickied thread?

link

I had no idea it is this bad. What has become of personal responsibility? :(

Would anyone happen to know the page count on this?

That would give me an idea on what type of crunching they did in this basic set.

Is it mostly lists and costs without full descriptions or is it all the full descriptions with the only thing missing being the individual breakdown (included in the corebook) of how advantages and limitations affect each and every power?

I was hoping I could find the answers to a few questions about this product. :)

1. I am assuming this is the 5th edition version because the Hero Games site has a May 28th blog stating that the Champions Universe book is currently in printing. Does anyone know when the new product will be available in PDF?

2. The product description makes this product sound heavy with fluff descriptions as opposed to mechanics and character stats. How heavily is this product laden with charcter? In other words, is it worth the wait for the latest print to come out with stats updated?

Note: I am not worried about universe "fluff" updates because I have my own campaign ideas that I plan to incorporate into a standing universe.

I don't know if the powers that be are aware of this or if this is the correct place to make this statement, but it seems that all the links to the faction guide product have broken down and send the site user to the Pathfinder Chronicles product page. There is a list of the products excluding the faction guide.

Pathfinder Chronicles product page

If a product is chosen and then the left and right arrows are followed to the right, the user will eventually get to a faction guide link that will revert the user back to the above page.

:(

I was looking through the bestiary and I read something in the back of the book that surprised me:

Orc Subtype: This subtype is applied to orcs and creatures related to orcs, such as half-orcs. Creatures with the orc subtype have darkvision 60 feet and light sensitivity.

So, does this mean that half-orc player characters are supposed to have the light sensitivity quality?

Has anyone been playing the race that way?

Is this in some errata that I haven't read?

I originally thought it would not apply to PCs because it wasn't specifically mentioned in the half-orc description within the PF core rulebook. However, I am reconsidering after reading this explicit statement:

Orc BloodHalf-orcs count as both humans and orcs for any effect related to race.

Any thoughts?

I am curious as to whether or not there is any published material for a few places and where I can find it if it exists. The places are as follows:

Palin's Cove: a port town in the vicinity of Korvosa at the mouth of the Falcon River.

Harse: a settlement upriver from Palin's Cove where the Sarwin River empties into the Falcon River.

Crystalrock: A fortress (?) upriver from Harse where the Falcon River first leaves the Mindspin Mountains.

Thanks in advance.

I prefer books but have decided to give some of the PDFs a try. However, I figured that I would go with the free downloads to see in advance how well it would work for me because, as stated, I prefer books.

I have IE 8 now.
I have Adobe Reader 8.1

I have a PF PDF folder on my desktop.
I have saved a couple of the free downloads into it.

When I try to open one of them (using Adobe Reader 8.1) the following happens:

Adobe opens up and in the page view I can see about the top 1/8th of the page but the rest is entirely white and blank.

If I try to scroll and view I receive the following message: Could not find the XObject named 'Im6'

Then I receive a notice that Adobe Reader 8.1 is closing. There is a popup at the bottom of my desktop that that Adobe Reader 8.1 has stopped working and it seems to boil down to Data Execution Prevention.

The system has told me that a fix would be to have the DEP work for every program except those I choose and to choose (I guess) either Adobe Reader or the file. It also says that I should contact the creator and obtain a copy of te file that is actually compatible with DEP.

1. Is such a thing available?
2. If I make DEP work on everything but Adobe 8.1 and/or the file(s) instead of the current windows essential operations only, would it make use of the internet and games on my computer a problem?

Note: I have tried deleting and downloading again more than once.

On a second file that I downloaded the following happens when I open the file:

Only the top 1/8th or so of the page shows up when I open it and I receive this message (or something similar to it): There was an error reading the page.

Everything but that top portion is blank white.

I didn't see muchuse in trying to download anymore files and that is where I am right now.

Note: I can be a computer moron from time to time, so I am hoping that there is simply an easy solution that I have just made myself blind to.

Any answers or suggestions for this dilemma?

Just fiddling with the dice roller here. That is all.

5d6 ⇒ (2, 1, 4, 5, 5) = 17

Is it a trap? Students push Admiral Ackbar for Ole Miss mascot

I just find this hysterical. :)

Will a "Star Wars" character be the new Ole Miss mascot?

The campaign for Admiral Ackbar is gaining Internet, if not intergalactic, steam.

Tuesday, Ole Miss students voted to find a new mascot to replace the abandoned Colonel Reb. A student committee to develop and propose a new mascot will be formed soon.

Ackbar, a member of the Mon Calamari species who led the Rebel Alliance ships into the Battle of Endor, appears to be the early favorite. He has more than 14,000 Facebook fans. Websites like notatrap.org -- "It's a trap!" was his famous line -- are promoting Ackbar's candidacy.

"Who wants a Colonel when you could have an Admiral?" the Web site asks, before launching into "The Story of Ole Miss Ackbar."

Fast Track Tragedy: Shame on Olympics

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- So this is what the Olympics have become, a dateline for a death sport. It wasn't enough for organizers to build a safe, practical sliding track on Blackcomb Mountain in Whistler. No, they had to design a $105 million monster that turned the luge into a joyride to hell, with wicked turns, a 152-meter drop -- the world's longest -- and a surface so rapid that it lured racers to approach 95 mph.

Too fast. Too dangerous. And too deadly for a mere sled -- basically, a missile upon which a human being slides face-up and feet-first, vulnerable to his immediate demise.

All week, there have been crashes on the course, more than a dozen in total, one that left a Romanian athlete unconscious for a brief time. And all week, not a soul from the International Olympic Committee, the International Luge Federation or the Vancouver organizing committee expressed concerns about the wipeouts. Nevermind that one racer had described the 13th curve as the "50-50 Curve,'' based on the odds of a crash. Nevermind that 15 months ago, when the sport's elite racers familiarized themselves with the Whistler Sliding Center, athletes suffered 73 crashes during training runs. Nevermind that as recently as Thursday, U.S. luger Christian Niccum compared ramming into the ice at 90 mph to being on fire, saying, "I just wanted to rip off my suit, 'I'm on fire. I'm on fire.' '' And nevermind that on the same day, Australian luger Hannah Campbell-Pegg voiced an ominous tone and a cry for help.

"I think they are pushing it a little too much. To what extent are we just little lemmings that they just throw down a track and we're crash-test dummies?'' she said. "I mean, this is our lives."

For Nodar Kumaritashvili, a 21-year-old luger from the former Soviet republic of Georgia, this would be his death. In an accident so grisly and horrific that Canadian TV stations suggested viewers turn away, the young athlete died shortly after flying too fast through the 50-50 Curve, losing control on the final 270-degree turn, hurdling projectile-like over an icy wall and slamming into an unpadded -- yes, unpadded -- steel pole. A rescue crew tried to revive him trackside by pumping his chest and giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, but there was no hope. Kumaritashvili was dead, a victim of a sport gone mad and organizers who weren't paying enough attention

Wow. This is very sad. My condolences to the family. :(

There have been a few times where I have ended up making posts that have been really long. As a general rule of thumb I "copy" such posts before hitting the "submit" button. However, something I have noticed is that if not only was my post long but I took a while to compose it in the post creation page that not only does my post not get created but that I am actually logged out and sent to the paizo homepage.

So, even if I have used the copy feature to save my post I have to log in and that often requires the use of copying my password from a document. So, I end up having to open a word program to save my post before I can log back in.

Is there some reason that the forums do this? (Yes, I know there is some reason but I am interested if Paizo has a reason...) Also, can it be fixed?

I was watching the Fox News morning show this morning and I saw an interesting story. A fout year old kid who was suffering from over 100 seizures per day stopped suffering them after switching to a ketogenic diet.

WOW!

What is a ketogenic diet you might be thinking?

Well, generally it is a diet designed to stimulate the body to produce ketones by minimizing the amount of sugars ingested. In order to get energy the body must breakdown proteins and that produces ketones as a byproduct.

Note: People suffering from untreated type 1 (insulin dependent) diabetes are unable to use the sugars in their blood and as a result the body eventually begins breaking down proteins and producing letones also...

Well, enough words from me. How about what the Children's Hospital Boston has to say:

Seizures and Epilepsy

Ketogenic diet - Certain children who are having problems with medications, or whose seizures are not being well controlled, may be placed on a special diet called the ketogenic diet. Certain children who are having problems with medications, or whose seizures are not being well controlled, may be placed on a special diet called the ketogenic diet. This type of diet is low in carbohydrates and high in protein and fat.

What is a ketogenic diet?

The ketogenic diet is sometimes offered to those children who continue to have seizures while on seizure medication. When the medications do not work, a ketogenic diet may be considered. No one knows exactly how the diet works, but some children do become seizure-free when put on the diet. However, the diet does not work for everyone.

What does the diet consist of?

The ketogenic diet is very high in fat (about 90 percent of the calories come from fat). Protein is given in amounts to help promote growth. A very small amount of carbohydrate is included in the diet. This very high- fat, low- carbohydrate diet causes the body to make ketones. Ketones are made by the body from protein. They are made for energy when the body does not get enough carbohydrates for energy. If your child eats too many carbohydrates, then his/her body may not make ketones. The presence of ketones is important to the success of the diet

High-fat foods:

butter
heavy cream
oil
mayonnaise
cream cheese
bacon
cheese
cheese

So, the treatment consists of eating BACON! And BUTTER! And CREAM CHEESE! Of course, the low carbohydrate requirement of the diet would remove candy, and cake, and ice cream, and a lot of non-diet beverages. :( But hey, you can't have everything, right?

EAT MORE BACON!

This may sound like a vague question, but what exactly are the limitations on what can be used and thrown as a weapon?

What are the opinions out there and why?

Reporters Become Part of the Story in Haiti by Steve Pendlebury

(Jan. 19) -- As a rule, journalists try to avoid getting personally involved in the stories they cover. But in the midst of such a monumental tragedy as the Haiti earthquake, professional detachment is sometimes put aside -- especially when the reporter is also a physician.

Case in point: CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who's spent a week treating quake victims in between filing compelling reports about the medical catastrophe in Haiti. Gupta -- a neurosurgeon who turned down President Barack Obama's offer to become surgeon general -- has played this dual role before, in 2004 after the tsunami in Southeast Asia and the next year after the earthquake in Pakistan. While reporting on a team of Navy doctors in 2003, he was called on to perform emergency brain surgery on a wounded boy in Iraq. A few days ago, the Navy paged Dr. Gupta again. He went to the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson to operate on a Haitian girl who suffered a severe head injury in the quake.

Gupta told TVNewser that in such situations, he's a doctor first. But Bob Steele, the Poynter Institute's journalism values scholar, complained that Gupta crosses the line between covering the story and participating in the story too often. "It clouds the lens in terms of the independent observation and reporting," the DePauw University journalism professor told the blog DimeWars.

Of course you can add me to the list of people complaining about something but I believe my complaining about this complaint is warranted. ;)

Note: I am not complaining about the editor (Steve Pendlebury) who penned the linked and quoted article but rather those complaining about the journalistic standards of Gupta and others.

Mexico cartel stitches rival's face on soccer ball

MEXICO CITY—The body of 36-year-old Hugo Hernandez was left on the streets of Los Mochis in seven pieces as a chilling threat to members of the Juarez drug cartel. A note read: "Happy New Year, because this will be your last."
To drive home the point, the assailants skinned Hernandez's face and stitched it onto a soccer ball.
<snip>
His torso was found in a plastic container in one location; elsewhere another box contained his arms, legs and skull, Robles said. Hernandez's face, sewn onto a soccer ball, was left in a plastic bag near City Hall.

I think they have sen too many Quentin Tarantino movies.

This thing is frikkin' huge. I added nearly 1000 feet to the plans after they started building. That is crazy.

Dubai Set to Open World's Tallest Tower

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (Jan. 3) - Dubai is set to open the world's tallest building amid tight security on Monday, celebrating the tower as a bold feat on the world stage despite the city state's shaky financial footing.

But the final height of the Burj Dubai - Arabic for Dubai Tower - remained a closely guarded secret on the eve of its opening. At more than 2,625 feet, it long ago vanquished its nearest rival, the Taipei 101 in Taiwan.

The Burj's record-seeking developers didn't stop there.

The building boasts the most stories and highest occupied floor of any building in the world, and ranks as the world's tallest structure, beating out a television mast in North Dakota. Its observation deck - on floor 124 - also sets a record.

I found this starting in USA Today's site and it led to this article:

Forever Gone

'Page 1,020" — it may soon be a mantra for one of the most disturbing abuses of legislative power in history. In setting up an Independent Medicare Advisory Board, that page of the Senate health overhaul bill passed in the dead of night early Monday says, "It shall not be in order in the Senate or the House of Representatives to consider any bill, resolution, amendment or conference report that would repeal or otherwise change this subsection."

What does everyone think of this "provision" that was slipped in and would (provided it is constitutional) prevent future congress and senates from making changes to it?

At work last Friday I found a compilation of some really bad jokes and decided to share them with you guys. Of course, many of you will probably have heard of them prior but I make no claims to be able to generate excitement with this thread.

:)

Of course, feel free to add some and improve upon my list if you so desire.

So, I will start with a few REALLY bad jokes in the hopes that someone somewhere might find one or two of them the slightest bit amusing.

How do you catch a unique rabbit?

How do you catch a tame rabbit?

What do you call a boomerang that doesn't work?

What do you call Santa's helpers?

Anymore or will I be forced to keep posting poor jokes?