rockfall22's page

The spell specifically calls out that it generates positive energy, and there's not a separate listing for an arcane version.

+1.

Yes,

But the real question is, does it Heal the undead, or harm them?

If it's not positive energy, and is instead arcane magic, it's entirely possible that it could heal the undead as easily as it heals the living.

I am entirely sure it causes harm to the undead. The fact that it uses arcane magic really should not factor into the equation at all. That's like saying that only clerics can produce effects that use positive energy, which I would think is erroneous, given that bards can cast arcane healing spells, too.

RD, I would gladly game with you anytime! That sounds awesome! My group has a bunch of players who would really feed off of that. I'm not looking for body-counts, I'm looking for FUN. Your fighters sound like a fun bunch of characters!

Y U NO MAEK ARKANE PALIDAN?!

I lol'd.

I use them all the time. Back in I was in high school (Read: young and foolish), we didn't use them (because we skimmed the combat rules and didn't update our notion of crits from our 2e playing experience), but after I joined the RPGA and started attending organized play events, I really started sticking to the rules for stuff like that.

Gruumash is banned for playing the race card.

linkified for you

Thank you for that. I'm a bit inept when it comes to all the link-sharing protocols around here...

Anyway, the series looks great and, as I understand it, there will be a lot more of this good stuff on the way.

Also, lots of the traditional MK lore and powers are going to be included.

It's a new online short video series... and it's surprisingly good.

I humbly offer this video snackrifice to you, the Paizonians.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6s6UiEuCYXA

KaeYoss, I am just glad to know someone can relate.

Ooooh... Okay, here goes:

When we were running a 3.5 game, this guy (we'll call him Tyler), seemed hell-bent on derailing and "crashing" the campaign.

- When approached by an informant who would lead the party to the next part of the adventure for a price, he didn't negotiate with the guy or even threaten him. No checks of any kind. He just up-and-knifed the guy between the ribs (luckily, the party paladin was not present at the time, running an errand).
- Speaking of the paladin, he offered a "healing potion" to the aforementioned do-gooder, only to reveal (after it was consumed, naturally), that it was actually universal solvent.
- When a demonic invasion had begun and thousands of lives hung in the balance, he convinced the rest of the party to abandon the city, the people, and go do "something else" because "we've saved this city from disaster, like, ten times... They should learn to watch out for themselves."
- Released a chichimec from it's ancient prison but decided he didn't really feel like chasing it down and stopping it. It proceeded to annihilate a large population within the campaign setting.
Problem Player: "Screw those people. They should've had some sort of defense against that."
Me: "They did! The PRISON YOU JUST DESTROYED AND OPENED!"

The campaign was killed... Later, I discovered he just hated gaming with me and was DMing a campaign across town (with my old gaming group, who were under the impression I had decided to "take some time off from gaming"... which was untrue) to which I was not invited.

Now THAT, my friends, is a campaign-killing player.

Seriously? Even without the whole charity thing, that sounds like a near-lethal case of entitlement poisoning.

No doubt, dude!

I love this idea. Paizo has eared +10 million awesomeness points for this.

Also, love the samurai iconic. Sounds awesomely badass!

Borrowing from a lot of the video games I've been playing and movies I've been watching, I introduced this into my campaign. Essentially, it's the end times and a few powerful fiends have taken up control of the world. Demonic creatures, hordes of undead creatures, and hideous mutants can be found roaming freely. Most towns and cities have become ruins. Groups of survivors roam the wasted territories, just trying to live. Some angels remain to aid the resistance, but they are in danger as well. An incredibly powerful evil being (the one responsible for kicking off the apocalypse) has cast a spell which severed the world from the heavens, stranding the angels without reinforcements. Divine characters can still gain their spells, but the spells are restricted (spells which would allow them to commune with their deities are restricted), and celestial creatures can not be summoned by summoning classes.

The world is dying. The only people who can set it right are the heroes.

Charles Scholz is banned for being inside my head. GET OUT OF MY HEAD, CHARLES!

Oooooh! I want this AP in my collection! It looks freakin' sweet!

He kind of reminds me of the cavalier from the old Dungeons & Dragons cartoon... except, you know, cooler.

Also, he sounds pretty well Lawful Neutral to me. (I like to call it "lawful self-righteous")

Wow, that was fast! Thanks!

Hey everyone!

So, I'm looking for a quote from "Come Endless Darkness". It was featured in the table of contents of the final print issue of Dungeon. Can somebody help me out? I don't have access to my Dungeon archive right now, and I regrettably can not get to a copy of that glorious novel either. Can somebody help me out?

rockfall22 wrote:

Indy wouldn't do such a thing either, I'm sure. Yes, he shot that guy in the street, but the guy had a sword. Indy wouldn't kill someone in cold blood for no reason.

Indy also had a bad case of dysentery at the time too. ;)

Yes, but it's still sensible to shoot the guy before he can cut you up, particularly if you're feeling ill. The point is, though, that Indy did not shoot the man without reason. He shot him because the guy was going to do him serious harm if he didn't.

One would have to wonder about the compassionate side of Lawful Good being involved here. Righteous fury is fine when you're taking a vile foe to task with a sword and your deity's power, but it's dicey when you're killing someone who didn't do anything to deserve getting killed. Isn't a Lawful Good individual supposed to be compassionate? It's not compassionate to carve up a goblin who had done no wrong, certainly.

Also, when you consider that, according to the Complete Scoundrel, Batman, Dick Tracy, and Indiana Jones are Lawful Good, try and imagine those characters doing what you suggest. Batman might squeeze the goblin for information, could be gruff and intimidating, but wouldn't tear the gobbo's head off. Dick Tracy would also do something similar, I'm sure. Indy wouldn't do such a thing either, I'm sure. Yes, he shot that guy in the street, but the guy had a sword. Indy wouldn't kill someone in cold blood for no reason.

I know that it's a slippery slope and whatever, and my argument is probably going to get ripped to shreds, but this is how I see it: if the goblin hadn't done anything heinously evil and wasn't drawing steel to knife said paladin, I'd say that a paladin who kills said goblin in cold blood loses his powers. Ask yourself: what would Indy do?

Scott, you just crystalized exactly what I have been trying to say for about the last 45 minutes. Thank you!

As someone who has worked for WotC in the past, I can say this: they rarely ever make a snap decision and often spend weeks talking about these decisions. Sometimes they make decisions which have unforseen consequences, and sometimes the fallout has been pretty bad. Wizards of the Coast spends a lot of time carefully weighing options before they execute the one they finally decide upon.

So, how are things going for Wikis and stuff there, guys?

I've extracted the maps from the supplements and created a Map of Mystery PDF. I'd really like the Paizo crew to upload #146-#150 so that I can complete it. :-\

Can I get a copy of that too? I need a little more "oomph".

email: lower_planes@hotmail.com

"So, I said to Karzoug, well you're just gonna - Whoa Nelly! SHE'S NEKKID!"

Avoid, at all costs, Pool of Radiance: The Ruins of Myth Drannor. It's a TERRIBLE game.

I wish there were more games like the three you mentioned though...

He shall be missed. He was a very good writer, and a classy guy all around. Rest in peace, sir.

I am. A full year subscription. I'm going to need it when grad school rolls around and I want to keep my campaign here going.

I like Grave Knight as a name for a creature. Perfectly descriptive: an undead warrior of great skill who has risen from death. Very cool.

It's a shame to see you go, bud.

There have been moments, I will admit, when I've been tempted to do exactly what Bugleyman is doing. I think of myself as a fan of fantasy in general, and I have liked all editions and most spin-offs. These so called "edition wars" are getting old, though.

Bugleyman, I wish you the best of luck in whatever you do, and I hope you'll come back and chat with us again. It's rare to find a person actually interested in good manners and a sense of fair-play when roaming the vast wasteland that is the internet. You will be missed.

Stereofm wrote:

a fine bottle of Furyondian wine ...

And a bottle dated CY 254 would fetch a VERY high price (if any of that vintage survive)...

Question is, does anybody know why (easy grognard question)?

Because that's the first year you could possibly get Furyondian wine. Before that, Furyondy didn't officially exist.

Well, I am not really sure what the most good act would be, but I can throw a couple out there for you to decide for yourself:

Descended into hell itself to rescue the soul of a deceased paladin, a church congregation (or, what remained of them, plus a couple of their souls), a crystal containing a whole world's worth of souls, and a bunch of holy relics... Obviously, this was in "A Paladin in Hell".

Let the villain of a really nasty encounter get away in order to save the lives of fellow party members after a nearly TPK experience.

Delved deep into the plane of negative energy in order to prevent a demilich from taking control of undead all over the universe.

I have to run quickly. I'll probably post more later.

This may not be the best place to ask this, but I didn't see any place better. My question is kind of world general (any world). In the game I am running I am thinking of giving the PCs, at the completion of the current adventure they are doing (and I will continue the game beyond this adventure) rewarding them with a land grant and titles. I have tried to research this and have found very little useful information. How would you handle coontinuing the adventures after the PCs get this? How would you handle the PCs and thier lands and titles? Any help, and advice would be appreciated.

PCs getting a stronghold of their own is a great thing from a roleplaying standpoint. It really allows for strong character development on the behalf of the characters. I have used this sort of thing before. The king granted one of the characters in our group the title of lord. He bequeathed the PC with the lands and castle of a knight who had actually become one of the campaign's villains (the PCs had slain him in a previous adventure).

Similarly, you could do this sort of thing by having the old master who taught the party wizard pass away, leaving his tower and lands to them in his will.

A rogue could take over the remains of the thieve's guild after the guildmaster is revealed to be a wererat.

Clerics could rise to the point in the area (and often do) of being the most closely connected person to their deity. Perhaps they are named high priest and have a temple from which they can preside.

A lot of good tips for this can be found in The Stronghold Builder's Guidebook. Other tips for this sort of thing can be found in Power of Faerun. There's a lot of ways to do this. It can be a great campaign enriching experience, if done correctly.

It's me!

Anyway, I guess since everyone else is tossing their two cents in on the new AP, I might as well do so, too.

Well, firstly I'll state that I like Pathfinder. I will also state that I like 4e. Also, I will add that I like 4e enough to write it, and would write for Pathfinder as well, given the opportunity. Both are great games, both have great ideas and interesting stuff going on.

I actually like the SoW adventure path. I loved Red Hand of Doom, and I'm kind of excited to see all the inside references to it in the new AP. I also noticed that message about the lack of a general overview of the Scales of War. Now, there's a part of me that really wants that overview, so I can really cannibalize it for my own campaigns. I want to know what's coming too. However, like I always have to tell myself when I'm staring at that pile of presents under the Christmas tree, sometimes it's better to wait to be surprised. I am looking forward to using the 4e material for all it's worth, but I really want to be able to open up that PDF and say "Woah, that's really cool!" or "The PCs have to fight a WHAT?"

Also, this was on Digital Insider #6. It's kind of what you were asking for. It gives at least a brief look at the next couple of adventures, while not giving away the big reveals.

In addition, there's another installment of our grand Scales of War Adventure Path.

As regards Scales of War, we've been getting a lot of feedback about our decision to hold the key plot elements pretty close to our chest. Some DMs like the suspense of being able to read along and watch as things unfold over time, and we've done our best to make the Path really easy to DM (with us seeding in cool plot hooks and NPCs ourselves), but we also recognize that other DMs prefer to have more context so that they can elaborate and expand things on their own. In order to help out that latter kind of DM, R&D has put together a couple of sentences worth of overview on each episode from the heroic tier along with a paragraph about the paragon tier and another on the epic tier (recall that this path is designed to take PCs all the way from level 1 to level 30). This overview is available to those who want it (and it's surrounded by spoiler tags for those who don't, though there's not a ton of spoiler info in there since we're still not revealing the details of the plot... just its overall trajectory). Meanwhile, episode 3, "The Shadow Rift of Umbraforge" (which includes a significant clue about how things will unfold along with the nature of the conflict in Elsir Vale) should be up within a week.

Scales of War Heroic Tier

Episode #3: The Shadow Rift of Umbraforge
On returning from the Vents, the characters search for clues behind the well-armed orcs that sought passage beneath the mountains around Overlook. Their investigation takes them beneath the city, and then to another plane!

Episode #4: The Lost Mines of Karak
A dwarven clan of Overlook - once renowned for their wealthy mines has fallen on hard times. But the rediscovery of one of their mines could spell relief for the city's war efforts, and redemption for a once worthy name.

Episode #5
The heroes are summoned back to Brindol by an unexpected source. Their new ally then guides them to a long-lost fortress now inhabited by all manner of foul creatures.

Episode #6
The characters return to Overlook to find the city marshalling for war. But something rotten lurks in the city's heart, and further investigation reveals that the city faces a threat as great from within as the army marshalling at the gates of Bordrin's Watch.

Scales of War Paragon Tier (Episodes #7-12)

The scope has changed. By the end of the heroic tier, the heroes finally learn that the war in Elsir Vale is on a much larger scale than they imagined. Not only their small slice of the world is in danger, and the forces of good need powerful champions. The characters venture across the planes as a small, elite strike team, pursuing missions few champions of their world would dare to undertake. There, they must make new alliances to further their war effort, while sundering those of their enemies. Finally, they uncover the magnitude of the true threat facing their home.

Scales of War Epic Tier (Episodes #13-18)

The stakes increase. As the heroes cross into the epic tier, they learn that their world is truly under siege from all sides. Pursuing numerous threats only they can deal with, they single-handedly have the potential to turn the tide of war in one direction or the other. As the balance teeters on a razor's edge, disaster strikes the characters allies, and they must act swiftly before their world and possibly more is lost to an age of darkness unlike any other.

I think that'll do it for me for now. More later, I'm sure.

It sells, man. As soon as it seems popular, edgy, or cool, television, movie, magazine, and book companies begin the slow but inexorable process of ramming a character trait/musical sound/storyline concept into the ground. Eventually the popular/edgy/cool thing loses all meaning as it has been completely and utterly exhausted in the public eye by every company wringing all the street cred they can get out of it.

There's a very good video article on this practice here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/

This concludes my Anthropology lecture for the day.

PS: Watch out for the "cool hunters".

George Carlin - It's Bad For Ya

Great, great album.

Sages n' Mages, reporting in.

Well, I'm a bit biased TOWARD WotC *ducks*, but I think that there are way too many people reading way too much into that video. I think they're targeting legitimate message board trolls, not everyone who was against 4e. Beyond that, yes, it's a poop joke. Not every joke can be a winner.

Lazaro wrote:

Latest 4th Edition cartoon

Nice. Well, they DID say they didn't need anyone who didn't "toe the party line" ...

Got a link to that quote? Cite your source?

I love the fact that the OP entitled this "I had an expert look over the new Forgotten Realms". What qualifies him to be considered an expert? Compared to most of the folks I know, they might say I'm a Forgotten Realms expert, though I do not consider myself to be one. However, I will say that I read the book, I liked the book, and I'll be working with it heavily in the future.

There's that.

When I've played that scene, I play the Ghostlord as having seethed under the indignity of being blackmailed by hobgoblins ... hobgoblins! ... and forced to manufacture their precious bonedrinker brigades, under the watchful eye of a Wyrmlord guard. When the PC's release him from his indenture, he's a lot angrier at the Red Hand than he is at the PC's.

So he aims the party at the hobgoblins, possibly correcting any wrong conclusions they might have drawn, and sets them on their way.

Killing the PC's, who have proven to be such a thorn in the Red Hand's side, is the very last thing the Ghostlord wants to do.

Exactly. Nothing says that the Ghostlord even wants to aid the Red Hand, but it could be he's been manipulated into it...

Refugees are always a good tool to show the horrors of war. These are people who were there, who've seen what the villains are up to, and fled as their homes burned. They can be sick, maimed, wounded, malnourished/dehydrated... the list goes on and on. Local priests are doing what they can to help those in need, but there's only so much one can do with limited resources. Most of the food/supplies are going to the army, so the refugee's are forced to endure while the war rages on.

I have a problem with the LIch. Once he has his phylactery, why wouldn't he jsut kill the PCs. He'll need to be adjusted right before they meet him so both sides are afraid of combat i.e. Mutually Assured Destruction.

Perhaps he has some shreds of honor left? Just because he's evil doesn't mean he won't honor a deal he makes. After all, if the PCs don't destroy his phylactery, there's at least a certain degree of trust/gratefulness that could be gained. I would treat him a little like Dr. Doom: evil, willing to ally with others to achieve his ends, but will honor a deal he makes to the letter, and will return a kind gesture with the privilege of at least leaving those who showed him the kindness with their lives. He's not a typical "I AM EVIL! YOU MUST DIE!" villain. He's more of a "I will withdraw my forces from the Wyrmlord's armies, and I shall allow you all to leave with your lives. Now return whence you came! The next time we meet, it shall not be so pleasant" kind of character.

Awesome Y, thanks for putting this all together. I've been working on the beginnings of an actually readable public livejournal all week. As soon as I have that together I'll be sure to drop ya a line.

(By the by, Rockfall, I think I accidentally deleted your last post. SORRY! Twitchy trigger finger. I didn't just want to be next to Mike. >_< )

Aw... that... that's just not cool.

Not to worry, F. Wesley Schneider! I was just singing the praises of Mike's work on Warlords of the Accordlands and his general awesomeness.

I'd have to say you folks are probably right on the Sean Reynolds guess... he's a great author.

Whoever it is, let me say: I'm jealous.

rockfall22 wrote:

Freehold DM wrote:

Thanks Rockfall. I'll try to figure out a way to work that into what I've already written- maybe the wiki will be a christmas gift to us all. I'll keep an eye open for the chainmail pdf, imisschainmail.

Hey, Freehold... how's that wiki coming along?

I'm pretty stoked for it. I'll write whatever you need for it.

Hey Rockfall, I still have all of my posts on my laptop, but I did not get much of a chance to work on it- at the time my wedding had me preoccupied. I'm glad to see you are interested in both this and the Pathfinder comic, I hope you can keep a foot in my ass on both projects.

My pleasure ;) I can't help it. I'm a sucker for a good story. Pathfinder and The Sundered Empire both have great storylines. Congratulations on the wedding.

Regards,
Colin Marco
Canadian Writing Director - Living Forgotten Realms

In D&D, I think it's a three-way tie: Vecna, Acererak, and Lareth the Beautiful.

In comics, Doctor Doom. The Joker's a close second, but Doom is just a more... relateable... villain. I also particularly liked Doom's incarnation in the Ultimate Universe, though I'm really glad they're at least hiding the goat-legs. The Green Goblin's up there too.

In novels, I'd have to say my favorite villain could possibly be Artemis Entreri... but there are so many, it's really hard to choose.

Favorite villain team/group/organization? The Medusan Lords from Warlords of the Accordlands are some of my favorites, so that could do it...

I've had to deal with player characters like this before. A lot. I've had to deal with samurai who call the other player characters weak or stupid because they are not of noble birth. During "A Paladin in Hell", a player caused a schism within the party, asking "Why should we save these people? We've got enough loot. Let's bolt." He took half the party out of the adventure and killed the campaign. Just recently, I had to deal with a Pirates of the Caribbean-flavored bard who considered all those around him as tools to achieving his own glory and satisfaction, and would gladly conflict with every other player just because it is possible to do so.

I often try to talk it out with players who are prima donnas or simply out of control. However, I have, on one occasion, come to a complete impass with one of these players and have been forced to ask him to leave.

So, that's my advice: talk to the player when you're both well-away from the game and the group, and attempt to reason with the player. Hopefully, you can reach some sort of happy middle-ground.

Of course, if worst comes to worst, you can always ask the guy to leave. It's a sad time when you're forced to do that sort of thing, but it does wreck other people's fun.

Electric Jolt
Electric Slap
Electric Spark

And don't forget the ever-popular and useful Electric Slide ;)

Regards,
Colin Marco
Canadian Writing Director - Living Forgotten Realms

rockfall22 wrote:

Player "I jump into the mouth!"
DM "As you plunge into the mouth, you are overcome with soul-wracking agony, and all you can do is scream for help as the gaping black maw begins to ravage your flesh and soul."
Player "Oh god! I attempt to escape the mouth!"
DM "Okay, you claw your way out of the mouth, but flakes of your body continue to break loose, and drift helplessly back into the darkness."
Player "I didn't make my save."
DM "The malevolent mouth continues to draw away bits of your being, and finally, you succumb to the wicked devil-mouth, and the last bits of your flesh and bones crumble away, much of it sucked away into the black void, leaving only a slight, whispy trail of dust leading back into the mouth of the fiend."
Some other player "Holy $#*%!"

Nice.

Glad to be of service. After all, it's the Tomb of Horrors... my favorite. I'm making a home conversion until an official version comes out...

I'll try to help you guys out with any conversions you need, when I can.

Regards,
Colin Marco
Canadian Writing Director - Living Forgotten Realms

Thanks Rockfall. I'll try to figure out a way to work that into what I've already written- maybe the wiki will be a christmas gift to us all. I'll keep an eye open for the chainmail pdf, imisschainmail.

Hey, Freehold... how's that wiki coming along?

I'm pretty stoked for it. I'll write whatever you need for it.