CROWNED B%*~$
by B. E. S. McMillan
(posted with permission of the author)
It was after one well-fought adventure,
which left our group battered but rich,
that Gyre (I think)
said "Let's stop for a drink.
There's an inn here they call The Crowned B$@%~."
Well it seemed like a harmless suggestion.
Our throats were dust-coated and parched,
so we shouldered our packs,
slung our bows on our backs,
and into that tavern we marched.
There were halflings camped out by the kitchen,
two gamblers were starting to spar,
and a full dozen brutes,
wearing rusty mail suits,
stood between our small troop and the bar.
Now you might think we'd have been dissuaded
from staying to order at all,
but Kagan was able
to find us a table
that put all our backs to the wall.
Aye, the scene in that tavern looked ugly,
but we four were strangers to fear.
'Gainst horrible odds
we will call on the gods...
but not 'til we've called for our beer!
So--assassins looked on from the shadows
and the barkeeper's lass gave a shrug--
as we ordered some porter,
two kegs and a quarter,
3 goblets, and one pewter mug.
A half-orc was glaring at Sorrel.
The lady dwarf just looked annoyed,
but if someone got killed
then our booze might get spilled
and that's what I hoped to avoid.
So I tossed a full purse to the innkeep,
saying "Sir, I have frequently found
that all sorts of trouble
will drown in a double.
Pray pour the good folk here a round."
We the innkeep obliged me with pleasure
and we garnered new friends by the score.
Not one squabble started
until we'd departed
and the gold turned to copper once more.
So if ever you visit The Crowned B#~+#,
don't plan to pay spells for your beer,
because, since that time
they've hung up a sign
that says "No magic users served here!"
There was a genasi-like race of planetouched humans in Elemental Water called the maridar. Their heritage was a sort of mixed bag of marid, sahuagin, etc along with an originally human stock.
Should we just consider these undines, or something distinct from undines?
Powerful spellcasters utilize the Astral Plane for a tiny fraction of a second when they teleport, or they can use it to travel between planes with spells like astral projection.
That bit about teleportation is technically no longer true. It used to be the rule pre-Pathfinder, but Paizo disconnected teleportation effects from reliance on the Astral so that they would function in places that lacked access to the Astral, such as inside a locked pocket dimension.
Of course any given GM can run it either way they want to.
Sword of Truth -- I tried reading the first one. It was fairly boring right up until the hero gets captured and tortured by the leather-clad bondage witches...then I needed to bleach my brain. I tossed the book aside (one of the few times I've failed to finish a book). (Note to aspiring fantasy writers: while plotting and writing your fantasy novel, be on the lookout for your lizard brain suddenly taking over and making you write bad porno.)
Years later, when the series had stretched out to over a dozen books, I wondered if I had missed out on something. Had there been an overarching storyline that made it worthwhile? So I read the plot synopses on Wikipedia. Nope, he was just making s~&~ up from book to book to keep the cash flowing.
Mazatlan Book of the Fallen -- I will be the first to admit that these guys have done an outstanding, superstar job designing a rich, original fantasy universe. However...I struggled to the end of Gardens of the Moon, when the climactic battle against the Big Evil occurs, and...an unknown force never before mentioned suddenly shows up, disintegrates the Big Evil, and disappears again...without explanation. End of book. WTF? (Also I needed to keep looking up stuff online about the universe so I could try to follow half of what was going on. Still not sure I understood exactly how the magic system works.)
Heh. See, I thought of it that way too. But, then again, the Astral plane is also specifically described in PF as being the plane that any Gate or Portal goes through to reach another plane of existence: In the same way the Ethereal is a buffer between Shadow and Material, the Astral is basically a buffer between All.
I find that rather strange, when it comes to the Inner planes, since it's basically explained they're like a sandwiched-up ball with the Ethereal being between the Shadow and Material.
I find it extremely important to know if Pathfinder has any direct rules concerning the interaction between these two planes, for the purpose of creating demiplanes and astral projection, though (Among other specifics)... And, sadly, I'm not all that savy myself in the occult to come up with houserules to suggest to a GM =P
It rings an interesting concept though; Being capable of Hiding from the outer planes, by concealing oneself in the land of Dreams and mortal spirits.
"Teleport effects do not use the Astral plane any more." -- JJ
Likewise, shadow and ethereal spells do not function away from the Inner Sphere (because Outer Sphere planes simply do not have shadow or ethereal planes).
I'm not yet seeing anything to suggest they don't, in pathfinder lore. I wanted to ask the question just to verify, though.
The base rules of the RPG don't specify the precise cosmology of the game universe.
In the Pathfinder campaign setting, my understanding is that they do not -- that is, they only "touch" in the same places that the Astral plane "touches" any world with an Ethereal plane. Remember that in the PFCS, the Astral plane is essentially deep space.
Brannon Braga is responsible for one of the worst episodes of Star Trek ever (namely "Threshold.")
I can honestly say that after that travesty he has to do a lot to make me trust him with anything. In fact the only thing I can say in his defence is that at least he didn't write "The Outrageous Okona..."
Now that has to rank as the worst Trek episode ever.
Uh uh. Angel One. Five words: Riker as a harem boy.
Nah, the biggest problem with that movie was the Vulcan Science Council sending a vat of material the size of an oversized beach ball, any one drop of which was capable of creating a black hole. I mean these guys are supposed to be some of the smartest people in the universe.
JJA admitted he was recycling the Giant Red Ball of Doom from the first season of Alias.
Kruthiks and Greenspawn Razorfiends don't show up much in Pathfinder modules (funny that).
Just wanted to point out that the Greenspawn (and other Spawn of Tiamat) were actually created for Red Hand of Doom, a module written by some guy named Jacobs ;)
Is there any Pathfinder Battles game in the works?
Yes! It's called the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game!
I know this was a bit of snarkiness but it actually illustrates something that I think will could make this line even better than DDM, at least from my standpoint.
Like others I spent waaaaaaaay more money than I should have buying DDM boosters to construct a collection of opponent minis for my tabletop game. I've got lots of nice goblins, orcs, dragons, undead and other critters that fit right into a PFRPG game. I didn't have to paint them and they're substantially lighter than pewter minis.
But I've also got an entire box of the weird WTF critters that WOTC created just for DDM. Kruthiks and Greenspawn Razorfiends don't show up much in Pathfinder modules (funny that). These things are basically useless to me, unless I drop them in as fiat encounters, while I have to hunt on Paizo's singles store to collect enough elementals and other core creatures for the encounters as written.
So I have every hope that this line, by being aligned with the Pathfinder RPG (instead of a separate game) will have fewer mismatch creatures for that WTF box.
Scott, what can we expect in general from this line? Fey creature stat blocks, check. Additional "crunch"? Settings? Adventures? (just curious -- the fey are something for which I would like to have more source material)
I guess I could just buy the DVD set for Rome but whenever I loan my DVD collections out I never seem to get them back; where art thou Band of Brothers, Carnivà le, and season 3 of The Sopranos?
My box sets of Rome went on an extended tour of Rochester. When I went to get them back the person would say "Oh I passed them to XXX -- hope that's okay" and I would chase down XXX and they'd say the same thing about YYY.
It took a bit of pursuit but I finally got both boxes back though.
... the Pactmasters forced my group to have a Dinner Party.
A year after starting the campaign and running it as a converted Pathfinder RPG campaign, my group is about to start book 6. Their most memorable moment ( and objection ) to the plot is when they're forced to hold a dinner party over the Scroll of Kakishon.
I kind of concur in a WTF kind of way. =)
By coincidence, I just ran that section last night. My PCs totally blew off the whole dinner party suggestion from Rayhan. Their "plan" is to get into Kakishon, kill Jhavul, clean the place out, and then maybe sell the Scroll. (heh heh heh)
Could someone please get this memo to Millennium Games in Rochester NY?
I go in there to impulse buy all the time and I only leave with new products on about 10% of visits. They have the CRB, GMG, Bv1, Bv2... that's all well and good. But I own them. I am way more apt to buy a chronicles book.
They're actually carrying more Pathfinder products now than before they moved, and better placed. But they're not going to carry full lines of either Pathfinder OR D&D at this point because those are now a really small part of their business (compared to box games like Ticket To Ride, CCGs, mini battle games like Warhammer, and the computer gaming rooms).
About the best you could hope for is a dedicated spinny rack in addition to the Pathfinder shelf.
Tiefling favored class options. I mostly just inverted the aasimar options.
Spoiler:
Cleric: Add +1/2 to the cleric’s effective caster level when determining the effects of her Channel Negative Energy ability (both damage and healing). A tiefling cleric who has chosen to channel positive energy does not benefit from this reward.
Druid: Each time the druid selects this reward, increase her resistance to one of her racial energy resistances (cold, electricity or fire) by 1 (maximum 10 for any one type).
Oracle: Add +1/2 to the oracle’s effective caster level when determining the effects of any spell (or spell-like ability) she casts with the [darkness] descriptor.
Rogue: Add +1/2 to the tiefling’s racial bonuses on Bluff and Stealth checks.
Summoner: Add +1/2 to the summoner’s effective caster level when determining the effects of summoning a fiendish creature.
Sorcerer: Add +1/2 to the sorcerer’s effective caster level when determining the effects of any spell (or spell-like ability) she casts with the [darkness] descriptor.
Witch: Add +1/4 to the save DCs of the witch’s hexes.
wish (p. 370, 4th printing) can produce the following effect:
Quote:
Undo the harmful effects of many other spells, such as geas/quest or insanity.
limited wish (p. 305, 4th p):
Quote:
Undo the harmful effects of many spells, such as or insanity.
Okay, a cut and paste error, no big deal.
What struck me as odd (and worth a question) is...insanity is a 7th level spell, the same as limited wish, while geas/quest is a 6th level spell (for sorcerers and wizards at least).
My take is that limited wish should be able to "undo the harmful effects of" any 6th level spell or lower, but not another 7th-level spell.
Bard: Add +1/2 to the suli’s effective Charisma when determining the Will saving throw DCs of her bardic performances.
Druid: Each time the druid selects this reward, increase her resistance to one of her racial energy resistances (acid, cold electricity or fire) by 1 (maximum 10 for any one type).
Monk: Add 1/2 round to the suli’s elemental assault duration.
Ranger: Add resistance 1 to one energy type (acid, cold, electricity or fire) to the ranger’s animal companion. Each time the ranger selects this benefit, the resistance increases by 1 (maximum 5 for any energy type). If the suli ever replaces his animal companion, the new companion gains these resistances.
Sorcerer: Add +1/2 to the sorcerer’s effective caster level when determining the effects of any spell (or spell-like ability) she casts with one energy descriptor (acid, cold, electricity or fire). Each time the suli selects this benefit, it may be applied to any one of the four energy types.
Summoner: Add +1/2 to the summoner’s effective caster level when determining the effects of summoning an elemental creature.
Wizard:Add one spell from the wizard spell list to the wizard’s spellbook. This spell must be at most the same level as the highest level spell that the wizard can cast, and must have at least one of the following subtypes: acid, air, cold, earth, electricity, fire, or water.
Delabarre the Paladin one is hideously overpowered:
At level 20 I would gain:
+10 to all my save throws,
+10 deflection bonus when smiting evil
+10 to hit when smiting evil
+10 uses of lay on hands
+10 to the DC of my lay on hands
And spells (with DCs too) as if my Charisma was 10 points higher.
For my Legacy of Fire campaign I codified seven laws that govern the binding of genies and their granting of wishes.
Spoiler:
1. Law of Binding: A mortal shall immediately become a genie's master upon any of these conditions occuring: if the mortal gains possession of an object that the genie is bound to; if the genie swears an oath of service; if the genie incurs a debt to the mortal, which he cannot otherwise repay; or if the mortal releases the genie from captivity.
2. Law of Service: No genie may serve more than one master at a time; nor may the genie swear service, nor be bound into service, until all previous bonds are struck and debts are satisfied.
3. Law of Wishes: A genie may only grant wishes to his master; a genie who grants his master three wishes is instantly released from all bonds and debts.
4. Law of Protection: A genie must defend his master, and his master's family and property, from threatened harm.
5. Law of Obedience: A genie must obey a command by his master, so long as that command does not require the genie to do harm to himself, or harm to any other living creature; or to yield his body or soul unwillingly; or to attempt a task beyond his power; or to break any of these laws.
6. Law of Retribution: A genie may pursue no retribution against a former master.
7. Law of Destiny: A genie may not use wishes to change the destiny of any mortal without their consent; nor may they use wishes to change the past or future.
This is what I came up with for Aasimar, take a look and critique.
Spoiler:
Cleric: Add +1/2 to the cleric’s effective caster level when determining the effects of her Channel Positive Energy ability (both damage and healing).
Druid: Each time the druid selects this reward, increase her resistance to one of her racial energy resistances (acid, cold or electricity) by 1 (maximum 10 for any one type).
Inquisitor: Add 1/2 to the aasimar’s total number of bane rounds per day.
Oracle: Add +1/2 to the oracle’s effective caster level when determining the effects of any spell (or spell-like ability) she casts with the [light] descriptor.
Paladin: Add +1/2 to the paladin’s effective Charisma when determining the effects (or number of uses) of any paladin class abilities.
Summoner: Add +1/2 to the summoner’s effective caster level when determining the effects of summoning a celestial creature.
Sorcerer: Add +1/2 to the sorcerer’s effective caster level when determining the effects of any spell (or spell-like ability) she casts with the [light] descriptor.
P. 121, Table 5-13: Martial Weapons -- there is a gap of 3% (87-89) between shield spikes and starknife. (Something got deleted, but the percentile column didn't get recomputed?)
I recommend going back and rereading Harry's encounter with Fix in Small Favor. I'm pretty confident that the shooter was Fix, and that Butcher foreshadowed it for us.
I consider it essentially a full-round Distract and Hide action, for a character to transition from unhidden to hidden while being observed. This generally involves some sort of concealment, unless the character has one of those class abilities that allows hiding without concealment.
1. Roll Bluff to distract your opponents. "Look! The Winged Victory of Samothrace!" [standard]
2. Any opponents observing the character have to make a Sense Motive check, DC equal to the character's Bluff roll. [immediate]
3. The character has to move to a square with concealment, or that otherwise provides an opportunity for hiding. IMHO, staying in the same square (even if it has partial concealment) is not an option -- they know where you are now. [move]
4. Once in the square with concealment, the character rolls Stealth. [free]
5. Opponents who failed their Sense Motive check in (2) may attempt a Perception check (DC equal to the character's Stealth roll) on their turn to reacquire the character, if possible.
What would PCs reasonably know about Kelmarane at the start of the adventure? In particular, I'm struggling with how to explain the concept of the Battle Market.
I struggled with this a bit myself. What I told my players is that when the Pactmasters first started building frontier trading posts, these gladiatorial pits would quickly spring up right next door as soon as the settlements started getting traffic...so, the Pactmasters just started incorporating the combat arena into the design of the trading posts.
This implies that there are (or were) OTHER battle markets besides Kelmarane, of course.
What would be cool (but would require extra design work) would be to give the Magus several Magus-only variants of the standard stabyacadabra spells, similar to the Paladin getting the superior bless weapon in place of align weapon.
Nethys has posted a comprehensive list of magic items from the Pathfinder APs and campaign setting line, including any necessary conversions from 3.5 to PFRPG.
In addition, once each day, the wearer can draw upon the magic of the Stockings and cast any single zero or first level Conjuration spell from the arcane energy stored within the stockings.
This is sort of vague to me, but my interpretation is that once per day, a sorcerer wearing these stockings could cast cure light wounds or summon nature's ally I. Correct?
1) Am I missing something or is the class's only touch spell Shocking Grasp until 7th-level? I realize Ultimate Magic will introduce new spells, probably many of them touch spells, and I also realize that at low levels Shocking Grasp far and away out-damages any other touch spells, BUT it would be nice if the magus had something to spellstrike other than damage. Why no chill touch, etc.? I agree with a strict limitation on how many touch spells, but a single 1st-level spell until 7th-level? Honestly, even if Shocking Grasp is always the best choice that's more of an argument to allow more options than to deny them, since more options would only make the class less boring and not more powerful. I'd strongly encourage Vampiric Touch as a high-level option also. Even if they're only temporary replacements until we see the new spells from Ultimate Magic, it would help to have a few more options to use with spellstrike.
We know this to be a concern and it is something that UM will address in some detail. There will be a number of new touch spells for the Magus to use.
I know that makes it a bit tricky to compare right now, but alas, some of this other material is still in development.
Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer
Paizo Publishing
This is an inherited problem from 3E, one I stumbled over playing a Rogue/Sorcerer pre-Pathfinder. Getting sneak damage with a touch spell is awesomesauce except that there was really only spell to do so with -- shocking grasp.
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