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Or if you have a boon from an earlier scenario as well, have fun explaining to the paladin why a body part of yours also detects as evil. (My druid had to, in Refuge of Time, explain why his, erm, posterior detects as evil. Luckily, he was not forced to show the offending part.)

I don't know what scenario that's in, but I must have it! That way my character would, quite literally, be a Bad-Ass! Paladin-confirmed!

My cleric has a sanctified shield so he can "present" this shield to channel.

I'd use scrolls instead of a wand. The UMD is only 1 point higher, and once you cast from the scroll you can throw the now-blank scroll down as a free action, as opposed to sheathing the wand as a move action.

For all of my characters, it'd be a pretty anti-climactic climax.

IMO, they would see pearls as mollusk boogers and be offended that you offered them such disgusting fare.

Quick Channel.

Possibly preceded by Extra Channel.

I'm beginning to think that's why updating the APG iconic pregens has had such a low priority for all this time...

Paladins, as a class, need a home they can feel good about in PFS just as much as the EEE-VILE (sorta) Chelaxians. Andoran, while "good", have had some pretty questionable faction missions. Grand Lodge might be ok, but some classes need some safe choices for factions, and this is one.

Plus, Silver Crusade vs Cheliax would play up well, much better than Andoran vs Cheliax. Likeise, I think Taldor vs Qadira needs to happen, just like Grand vs Shadow Lodges. Every faction needs at least one, perhaps two "opposites", not for pvp, but for good natured rivalries.

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I think instead of guessing who is going, we narrow down who is NOT going.

Andoran = 'nuff said.

Grand Lodge = you almost have to have the "not-a-faction faction" for those who don't want to mess around with the power struggle. There was a huge demand for this faction, so it's safe.

Silver Crusade = safe. There is no way they are moving in season 5 to a Worldwound crusade storyline and leaving a faction full of paladins and LG clerics named "CRUSADE" out.

Qadira = probably safe. I've seen an absolute ton of Qadirans, and many are also excellent roleplayers to boot.

Shadow Lodge = probably safe. I'll admit, my personal knowledge of how the factions are doing is limited, but this one seems popular enough and successful enough to make the cut.

That's half of them right out of the conversation.

Osirion = iffy. Early seasons had a bit of egyptian-tomb crawl missions, they just seem to have moved away from it flavor-wise. Ripe for a shake up in leadership.

Cheliax = iffy. Like I've said, almost every single one of these guys I've met has been an excellent roleplayer. While I understand Mike's desire to make PFS more kid-friendly, the folks who want to play EEEEEE-VILE have to have a home, and this is it. Prediction: they get the "faction leader change probabtion" treatment. Which leads me to...

Taldor = iffy. They've already gotten the faction head swap. I'd hate to see them go, as they were the "court intrigue" faction, and the only place where nobility even had any lip-service. I'd hate to see my Ulfen Guard bard-barian have to swap factions, especially after I painted a Taldan tabard on his mini!

That leaves us with two;

Lantern Lodge = Meh. It was a home for ninjas and samurai when they were first introduced, and had a whole season themed around them. To me they smack of product-placement, and their flavor of the month is past. Boring as white rice (IMO), they have next to nothing to offer in the new season. Unless they are safe because there needs to be a permenant home for asian-themed characters, this one is at the top of my list.

Sczarni = Meh again. Once the campaign shifts away from Varisia (and not into Ustalav), why have what is really a regional, ethnocentric crime family gain continent-wide influence? Not sure how popular this one is, but it is a niche within a niche, and I just don't see it making the cut.

All of course, IMHO.

I'd hate to see Cheliax go. While I'm not a fan of the faction nor do I have any characters who belong, I must say some of the best roleplayers I've encountered in PFS are members.

Sczarni? Haven't seen a single solitary one. Lantern Lodge? Passing season 3 fad. Shadow Lodge/Grand Lodge? Pffft. Silver Crusade makes a good home for the paladins and LG clerics, and would make for an excellent foil for Cheliax, moreso than Andoran. Qadira vs Taldor is pure gold, and Qadira vs Andoran fits too.

Osirion.... *crickets chirping*

The screen isn't that small, but it is sharp, and scaling to 150% has been just fine. I will certainly second Tamago's opinion of the stylus, it is awesome. Intuitive, simple, beats a trackpad and in many cases it beats using a mouse. You can "hover" and right-click with it, so it's almost a complete mouse replacement.

I will also second Tamago's complaint about the virtual keyboard. Not every program will automatically call it up when you tap or poke the box with the stylus, leading you to swipe the charms bar in and tap the keyboard icon to bring it up. Hopefully this will soon be patched, because the actual virtual keyboard isn't bad, and it's handwriting recognition with the stylus is pretty good.

Even though HL is not touch optimized, it does still respond well to touch. Just touch the tab, the "?" icons, or the upper pane of a window to switch, open or drag it around. It works fine, it's just that the stylus is pin-point sharp, and my fingers, alas, are not.

I will admit, I did spring for a mini port to HDMI adapter, but that's mainly so I can use my 55" HD TV as a second monitor ;)

<totally different rant>

WHY NOT THE Surface RT AS WELL?? <SOB SOB>
</end totally different rant>

Thus the very reason I waited for the Surface Pro. I just transferred my desktop license to my Pro and off I go. Full Hero Lab, full d20Pro, full EVERYTHING!

I'm so looking forward to trying out my Surface Pro with all my rule PDFs and a full version of HeroLab acting as my character sheet, with One Note + stylus replacing my paper notes. Small profile, total package, no more 40lbs backpack to lug around!

But they can have my physical dice when they pry them from my cold, dead hands!

1) The licenses average out to a one-time drop of $10/player (and GM). What's the cheapest monthly investment for pay-to-play MMORPGs? Not even close.

2) If you are playing locally (not over the internet) and just projecting the map, the GM can "own" all the PCs and just move them as the player requests.

Magnimar and Windsong Abbey are both 2 days travel from Sandpoint. Both have clerics capable of Raise Dead and druids capable of Reincarnation. Note that the form you take after a Reincarnation is random and both options come with negative levels requiring A) Restoration or B) lumping it.

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Sounds like it ran almost exactly as it was supposed to run. The encounter was not designed to be "winnable". The diversion was supposed to be, well, a diversion.

This is as it should be. If you had the giants take prisoners, especially named NPCs that the party has developed an attachment towards, great! Now they are extra motivated to hunt down those giants, and the assault on Jorgenfist becomes time-sensitive, changing from an assault to a hostage rescue before the NPCs are branded and sacrificed.

This is a good thing!

My Cleric of Iomedade has a 18 charisma and the Charming trait. I usually tell the DM "I rolled a 19, 20 if they think I'm sexy!" Since he ends up being the "faceman" in most sessions, I get to say this a lot.

This also plays into why he took the free faction switch from Taldor to the Silver Crusade when it was offered. He got tired of being whored out for the equivalent of a new throw rug for Baron Taco.

Herger Storhoi, Battle-Bard already had being an ex-Ulfen Guard in his backstory, so as soon as the vanity appeared, he took it. Hoarding the rest, however.

Logan Firewolf, Cleric of Iomedae, got a Shining Wayfarerer Holy Symbol, and is debating official church membership (which, on it's face sounds odd) but that would put him below the Recover+Raise total...

I think the feat is ok for PFS, given that the feat tax prereq is a given in PFS, but I definately wouldn't bother with the Augment Summoning. It costs 2 feats and nets you almost nothing when used in conjuntion with Skeletal Summoner.

I'd use it with a general themed necromancer, vastly expanding what you can do beyond Animate Dead, especially at low levels.

I look forward to seeing the numbers once D&D next is released. I am thinking it will not see as much of an increase as WotC might like. Which to me saddens me as I know how Hasbro likes to cut their losses. Even if the company is making a little money but not what THEY want it to make... might see the sale of D&D to another company once again.

Hasbro is notorious for never letting go of an intellectual property. They will never sell D&D, but they will kill it, leave it in the ground for 5-10 years, and then reanimate it. Probably with Transformers.

Has WoTC released any new D&D product? I know about the reprints, but beside that?

The entire Dungeon Command miniature game line, along with some tokens and other boardgame stuff.

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GeraintElberion wrote:

So, would you postualte that Pathfinder is selling less books online than WotC?

I don't really know. But my point is that ICv2 is just as ignorant on the subject as I am. Yet every quarter, people on this website use their rankings to cheer about how Pathfinder is the most popular-est RPG EVUR!!!

People on this website and certain others used these exact same reports to trumpet D&D's dominance and poo-poo Paizo. My how the worm has turned.

I own both of those. I guess I will have to see if those pages are in the Additional Resources section and upload my PDF to my skydrive! Thanks!

*edit:Annnnd they aren't. Of course! Dammit Jim!*

I did a search on both "tobacco" and "pipe" before posting, but I didn't see that thread GV, thanks. I would like to know which products had those products in them, in case I need to actually play in one to justify having a ready source to light alchemical bombs and smokesticks. It looks like 60gp is pretty standard for a "fancy" pipe, judging from these examples.

(I am right that you have to have open flame to use a smokestick, correct?)

I want to make sure, as I intend to also use it to have a ready source of flame for lighting smokesticks and such. At that point, it ceases to be merely fluff.

So I have been able to find tobacco for sale in a PFS legal source, but no means of smoking it. Is there a legal way to own a pipe, or better yet, a cigar?

The first level of the Aldori Swordlord PrC gives you a "free" Aldori Dueling Master feat ("free" as in you already have to all but one of the prerequisite feats except Quick Draw just to get into the PrC) and lets you add Dex to damage as well. The Dueling Master feat give yous +1 or +2 shield bonus to AC if you use it in 2 hands/1 hand respectively and I think a +2 bonus to initiative if you already have the blade in hand. I think it also lets you use the ADS instead of a piercing weapon for the Duelist PrC as well. The Swordlord PrC eventually lets you negate some of the to hit penalty when using Combat Expertise as well, which equals more stackable AC.

Play a pirate!

PF Power Attack is a switch, not a dial. It's all or nothing.

Paizo had some Runelords boosters for sale at their booth last Gen Con, but were pretty much gone shortly after the dealer room opened on Thursday morning.

Similarly I'd like to know if a Phylactery of Positive Channeling (or whatever it's called) would add 2d6 damage when worn by someone with Alignment Channel/Evil who is channelling to harm a demon.

I'm right there with you nosig. I understand what you are trying to say and I read the cover rules exactly the same way.

Familiars are walking/flying wands of "Aid Another" with unlimited charges.

Back in 1st/2nd ed, I had a wand house rule I tried out. Since it was really hard to learn exactly now many charges a wand had, instead of me secretly keeping track of every wand's charges, I instead had the owner roll 1d20 and add the number of charges he'd previously used. If he ever rolled over 50, then that was the last charge. I moved record keeping out of my list of things to keep track of, but still kept the number of charges a mystery.

Can alchemist bottle expeditious retreat then give it to the horse using infusions?

This. Precisely this. Make an infusion or whatever it's called with your second level discovery and bottle it, and make the horse drink it.

If you can.

I am actually planning out a PFS character that will take a single level dip, but it'll be a level of Algorithm SwordLord, not Kensai. Kensai 7/ASL 1/Kensai 4. Arcane Strike and Weapon Specialization = +5 damage (at 11th level), + Dex mod (at 8th) + (up to) 3 from Arcane Pool.

Ouch, harsh. But understandable.

Similarly, what happens when you think you have line of effect to a target but do not? Such as through a Wall of Force or just an invisible stone wall?

I dunno about Fabricate, but I've always allowed this with Dispel Magic + Polymorph Any Object. Mainly for resizing oddly sized weapons like a certain large +1 Defending Spell Storing club..

There is no "kill yourself" application of the spell.

"Obviously self-destructive orders are not carried out."

Even kill your friends is gray. If your friends are similarly powerful characters it could easily be seen as obviously self-destructive as you'll likely be killed.

You are correct, my mistake. There isn't a "kill yourself" option. But "kill your wife/children/mother/dog" only grants a new save at +2.

And the spell does specifically state that the subject performs the task given to the exclusion of all others, which to me definately rules out shouting "Hey look at me, I'm being Dominated!!"

Yes, I run it that they do just stand there, until told not to just stand there. If not commanded, the subject will stand still until they are about to collapse from exhaustion, at which time they would lie down in that very spot and sleep. Same goes for food and water, once on the verge of dehydration, they will move to the nearest source of known safe liquid and drink, then for starvation move to the nearest known source of food and eat.

It is an extremely powerful spell, but it's only 5th level. It has to have some drawbacks, espeically since "kill yourself" only nets you a new save. And it lasts for DAYS.

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The way I read Dominate Person and run it IMC can be summarized thusly:

"You do as you are told, and you don't do as you are not told."

Glassy-eyed automiton, unless told NOT to be a glassy-eyed automiton.

I think someone is confusing a Bag of Holding with a Portable Hole. Unless you can shrink someone down to fit through the opening of a BoH, you shouldn't be putting live, intact PCs in there easily.

As for teleporting, have at it! Split the party! Then enforce those mishap rolls! Wheee!!

I just picked up a 128GP Surface Pro. It'll run anything, including HeroLab (character sheet and combat tracker) and of course several open PDFs for all my rulebooks, and OneNote with the stylus lets you take handwritten notes including dropping in images, hyperlinks, tables, etc. It ain't cheap, but it ain't a toy either.

In the original 3.5 version they explicitly state Barl used a scroll, and Lamatar was just a bog-standard wight with no class levels.

A) It's magic!

B) He used a scroll.

C) Since Mokmurian, Barl's boss, is only 11th level, bumping him to 15th level just doesn't make sense.

You can order him to walk off a cliff, slit his own throat, dance a jig, anything. The only thing that grants a new save are those that are extremely against it's nature. Self-prservation overrides dominate, usually, so anything that obviously and immediately would result in the dominated creature's death grants it a new save, as would forcing a cleric/paladin to blaspheme, a parent to murder its children, etc etc. A dominated person will do whatever you tell it to do and only stop to rest when it's too exhausted to go on, or must eat/drink or stave off starvation/dehydration. It is fully aware of what it is doing and more importantly what you are making it do, and will retain these memories when the spell wears off.

IMC, I run it like googly-eyed robotic control, complete with "yes Master" and "no Master" and "as you command, Master" unless or until commanded to "behave normally" or some such. The creature won't offer information or help, but does precisely what is commanded, nothing more and nothing less. Getting the most out of a Dominated Person is up to the player, so word your commands wisely.

As for your questions:

1) Up to the DM, but I usually allow it.
2) Personality is there, but suppressed unless you dictate otherwise
3) No.
4) Telepathically, up to any range (as far as I remember), as complicated as you think the creature can understand.
5) No. As I said above, the person shouldn't ever be getting new saves unless it's told to do something that is autokill or equivalent.
6) Yes, but if failing the save is autokill (Disintegrate, Flesh to Stone, etc) it gets a save.
7) No. You can't see through its eyes or other senses.
8) As many as you can get.
9) No. But you CAN tell all of them to follow one's orders, and order the "leader" with a move action.
10) No, but it can be. The spell does not have the Evil descriptor. It's a tool, just like a sword or bow.
11) It remembers everything, and probably isn't too happy about it.
12) Yes, but it gets a save. If it makes the new save, it's totally free. If you Dominate a creature already under a Dominate effect, it's opposed Charisma check time. Note, a Dominate overrides a Charm.
13) Up to the DM, but in my game, no way, Jose!

I would use the "inefficient weapons" rule for doors, not allow it for solid stone walls, for the record.

And "best material" is relative. Both of my characters picked up cold iron very early on, because it's the cheapest option and because it seems like the authors for PFS in the first 2-3 years had a love-on for fey. Now one has an adamantine axe (and the cold iron one as a back up) and the other has enchanted the cold iron longsword. This one is a cleric and about to upgrade that +1 cold iron longsword by adding Greyflame to it. Now, for the cost of one of his 9 channel energies/day it overcomes magic, cold iron, good and silver DR. The other character, a bard, is about to have the Versitile Weapon spell so as to cover adamantine (base weapon), magic (Arcane Strike), slashing/blunt/piercing cold iron and silver (Spell).

It's a really hard sword, not a lightsaber or monomolecular whip.

The bell is not easy to "reset" as a trap. Likely, it's a one-time ever deal. No need to drop it if the Scarecrow is just dealing with some homeless drunkards or kids on a dare.