nate lange's page

SKR posted the official critique my item thread a few days ago and said it would be unlocked on friday... has there been any word on what time they'll unlock it?

this may have been asked before but i tried several forum searches without any luck...
if you have all of the appropriate skills and class abilities (at the right level), can you take an archetype that is listed for another class?

i'm honestly not even sure how many cases there are where this would even be an option but, for example, a Tengu Archaeologist has disguise and knowledge (dungeoneering) and the trapsense ability, could he take the Swordmaster racial rogue archetype?

the "Vote for Neither" button does not vote against both items- all it does it put them back into the line so that someone else has to vote on them. it seems like a lot of people are using that button when they don't like either option and we're all seeing a lot more of the weak entries as a result.

you're not picking a winner by voting for one (nor are you gonna eliminate a good item by voting for the other option), you're only saying i like this one at least a tiny little bit more than that one. that's all. so please just pick the one that's not as bad as the other one and vote so that we can all see more of the good items!

edit: it has been pointed out that this comes across as rude. i'm sorry. please read post #6 for further apologizing/explanation.

i just finished reading the ARG. i think it was worth the $10 for the pdf. i think the race builder section was a good idea, and i'll likely use it to offer racial variants when i GM. i do wish that they'd been a bit more specific about some of the abilities though. it seems like some of the qualities and traits don't take into account the relative usefulness of different spell-like abilities, stats, etc.

for example: the Aasimar. With a bunch of resists and a spell-like ability they are, in some ways, bringing more to the table than the base races- but 15RP?!? that's nearly double a half-orc and 66% more than a human! my real beef is not that some arbitrary number is higher, its what else you could do with those same 15 points...

which isn't outrageous but is definitely more powerful. or... which is even more powerful, the same RP cost, and actually still sort of recognizable as an Aasimar. and these are thematic rather than maximized...

i know that they're trying to provide maximum flexibility, but maybe a couple of extra qualities/traits could have helped balance it even more. or at least a note somewhere about adjusting the RP value up or down based on your (or your GM's) estimation of overall usefulness... possibly with/on the Aasimar example in ch5 (they make a similar note in the magic item creation section of the CRB...).

well, that was my impression- anyone with me (or think i'm way off)?

Children of Carnage
Alignment: CE
Headquarters: Brimstone Haruspex
Leader: Aergoreth the Ascending
Structure: Religious cult
Scope: Regional
Resources: A broad network of fanatical devotees

Wherever there is war, wherever there is disaster, wherever there is ruin there are those who delight in the carnage. The zealots of the Children of Carnage are such people. Begun less than a decade ago, the cult is a very young organization but it is quickly gaining notoriety due to its brutality and depraved machinations.
Structure and Leadership
Aergoreth, a Chelish half-fiend, is both the leader of this dangerous cult and the object of its reverence. His terrifying charisma, overwhelming strength, and oracular acumen are all attested to by the willingness of the orcish oracles of Brimstone Haruspex to allow him to live and prophecy there. His otherworldly heritage and long exposure to the volcano’s fumes have granted him horrible visions believed to be messages from Rovagug himself. He is served by 13 lieutenants, called Dark Evangelists, who recruit new members throughout the Inner Sea region and deliver prophecies and assignments from their master to the faithful.
Goals
Members of the cult revel in wanton destruction, but simple devastation is not their ultimate aim. Their true aspirations are twofold. First, they seek to see their lord ascend to his rightful place among the gods, as the Herald of Rovagug. To this end, many are preparing themselves in the hope that they will be called to accompany him to the Test of the Starstone. Their second, and even more insidious, goal is to loose the Rough Beast from his prison. None seem to know how this will be accomplished, but all believe that a new cataclysm will rend open the Worldwound to allow his escape and that Aergoreth will be, or has been, shown how to bring this about.
Public Perception
Most people consider the Children of Carnage to be no more than murderers and deviants, people to be feared and avoided but no more dangerous as an organization than as individuals. As their influence spreads and their goals become more widely known, however, they are beginning to attract serious attention from organizations at odds with their ideology, especially the churches of Asmodeus and Sarenrae.

Sunblossom
Aura strong abjuration, conjuration, and evocation; CL 12th
Slot —; Price 35,000 gp; Weight —

DESCRIPTION
Worshippers of Sarenrae treasure these delicate orange glass rose blossoms. A sunblossom grants any creature carrying it a +2 sacred bonus to saving throws against fire spells or effects and a bonus to any magical healing effects received equal to +1 per die. If the possessor has the flame of the dawnflower trait, it also grants +1 fire damage to attacks made with a scimitar. It grants these bonuses even when stored in a pocket or bag, but not if in an extradimensional space.

A sunblossom grants additional powers while held in hand. Spells with the [light] descriptor, when first cast, deal 1 point of fire damage per spell level to evil creatures within the area they illuminate. Any spell cast with the [fire] descriptor raises the light level throughout its area of effect by one step, to a maximum of bright light, for a number of rounds equal to the spell’s level (targeted spells illuminate the spaces occupied by their targets at the time of casting). Once per day as a free action it can be activated to have such a spell deal half its damage as divine power rather than fire (like the flame strike spell) and leave behind the effect of a daylight spell throughout its area for 1 minute per spell level.

A sunblossom has hardness 1 and 2 hit points. If destroyed, through damage or by the wielder as a standard action, it immediately releases a flame strike centered on itself (12d6; DC 17). It is irrevocably destroyed but consecrates the area as a hallow spell (the cleric version) with daylight fixed to it.

CONSTRUCTION
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, cure light wounds, daylight, flame strike, hallow; Cost 17,500 gp

the first one i offered was:

Transformation (4 points)- A small or medium eidolon gains the ability to grow to Large size as a standard action which does not provoke AoO. While in this form the eidolon gains [exact bonuses and penalties of 'large' evolution, not reprinted for space]. This ability can be used 3/day and lasts for a number of rounds equal to the eidolon's improved constitution modifier, when this duration ends the eidolon loses all hit points gained from the constitution bonus (as per barbarian rage). The summoner must be at least 6th level before choosing this evolution.
Beginning at 11th level, a summoner may select this evolution for a Large eidolon, causing it to grow to Huge size and gain the bonuses and penalties listed above (those bonuses/penalties, when stacked with already being large are identical to standard 'huge' evol. bonuses except nat. armor is +4 instead of +5) and reach 10' if it did not already possess it. Alternatively, a summoner may spend an additional 4 evolution points to grant a Medium eidolon the option of growing to Huge size when it transforms. It must decide when it transforms if it will grow to Large or Huge, if it chooses Huge it gains [large bonus/penalty x2]. All of these effects are polymorph effects and donot stack with other polymorph effects.

in keeping with how polymorph effects work i intentionally didn't give small eidolons an extra +2str/-2dex when taking large form (a gnome doesn't get it if he uses Giant Form 1). i offered this to a 7th level summoner who opted to just take "Large" because he thought the inconvenience of a large eidolon was better than "wasting an action to transform" and risking losing HP in the middle of combat; and also to a 13th level summoner who chose to keep his eidolon medium and take the 8 point version- with 8 points tied up in this evolution (and his build favoring combat while huge) the eidolon wasn't hugely effective in the combat he fought medium but in the others (when huge) he was very effective (even when he had to use an action to transform, even more so if he could transform round before combat/surprise round). overall, for us at least, it seemed helpful and not at all unbalanced.

Summoners need to be fixed-

their summon monster ability is VERY potent: nearly every summoner (with a racial +2 cha) will be able to use it 7+ times per day, far more than any other caster, and with its extended duration it allows for a lot of summoned help, even if you can only have one at a time (and starting @4th level, the summoner can use Invisibilty and remain invisible while summoning them).

Eidolons are much worse!
for example: make a biped; give it Weapon Proficiency-Greatsword for its 1st level feat; put every stat increase point in strength and buy the evolutions listed (plus whatever else you want with the leftover)-

level | evolutions | str | greatsword (hit;dmg)
1 | +2 str | 18 | +5;2d6+6
5 | ... | 21 | +9;2d6+7
6 | large, +2 str(x2)| 31 | +14;3d6+15
7 | ... | 32 | +16/11;3d6+16
10 | ... | 34 | +19/14;3d6+18
11 | huge | 42 | +23/18;4d6+24
12 | +2 str (x3) | 45 | +24/19;4d6+25
14 | ... | 45 | +26/21/16;4d6+25
15 | ... | 47 | +28/23/18;4d6+27
17 | ... | 48 | +30/25/20;4d6+28
18 | +2 str (x4) | 50 | +32/27/22;4d6+30*

if those numbers don't convince you imagine adding feats (Weapon Focus, Power Attack, Improved Critical, etc.), a magic weapon and a couple buff spells (summoners can learn Bull's Strength, Haste, Rage, etc; none of which end Invisibility)- then watch your party Fighter or Barbarian throw away their character sheet in disgust and start looking for a 4th edition game to join...

Paizo, please fix this class!

(* sorry, i r n00b and cant figure out how to format this chart; if you try you should be able to decipher it- if someone wants to tell me how to fix it i will...)