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Shadow Lodge

On the twelfth night of Aroden's month, at the height of summer in the four thousand seven hundred and fifteenth year since the god raised the Starstone from the bed of the Inner Sea, it snowed ash in Kintargo. The city burned as away east, the country rose in rebellion. But out of the fires emerged not liberty, but a new order, enforced with the mailed fist of Hell and the darkest of magicks, and headed by a diabolic inquisitor, of the imperial house, with writ to take the city in hand and mold it to his will.

The fires consumed Kintargo's patriots and its radicals, the levelers and lovers of freedom that the people called "Silver Ravens" in private nooks and dark alleys - no one knows where the name came from. But they have not consumed its spirit, and you have received word that on the second day of Rovagug's month, the people will gather in Aria Park before mayor Barzillai Thrune and make their will known.

If you wish to attend, you should:


  • select a stat array equivalent to 15-point buy;
  • pick a class from among the Core classes, the Base classes excepting Summoner, the Hybrid classes, and Unchained Summoner (starting HP is maximized, starting wealth is average);
  • pick a race;
  • pick a campaign trait from the Hell's Rebels Player's Guide, but it will not have any mechanical effect;
  • pick a reason to protest from the Hell's Rebels Player's Guide;
  • set forth how you learned about the Aria Park demonstration (i.e., through word of mouth, from a handbill, from a poster, etc.); and
  • summarize your political sympathies and how you came by them, and what organizations you are a part of or orbit - the factions represented at Aria Park will include at least, in no particular order, liberals, radicals, anarchists, and Ravounel nationalists (these terms to have roughly the meanings they had in about 1850 in Europe - if you would like further explanation, please feel free to ask).

Recruitment will close by March 3, 2023, and I will announce the selected player characters by March 6, 2023.

Shadow Lodge

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Certain NPCs affiliated with the Silver Ravens are assumed by canon sources, whether the AP volumes themselves or other sources, to have leveled up during or after the events of Hell's Rebels. Certain NPCs are also excluded from doing so. Still others are the most likely candidates to make sure the Silver Ravens can do things they are mechanically described as doing (primarily crafting magic items), if these are not fulfilled by PCs (or as a backup even if they are). This OP will be a compilation of these NPCs, and following posts will propose builds for them as an aid for GMs.

Silver Raven NPCs Who Canonically Level

  • Octavio Sabinus fighter 5/Hellknight 3 (Turn of the Torrent) => fighter 5/Hellknight 6 (The Kintargo Contract)
  • Rexus Victocora aristocrat 2/sorcerer 1 (In Hell's Bright Shadow) => aristocrat 2/sorcerer 9 (Adventurer's Guide)
  • Laria Longroad brawler 2/rogue 1 (In Hell's Bright Shadow) => brawler 4/rogue 2 (Adventurer's Guide)

Silver Raven NPCs Who Canonically Do Not Level

  • Shensen bard (Dawnflower dervish) 8/fighter 4 (A Song of Silver => Adventurer's Guide)
  • Jackdaw swashbuckler 11 (A Song of Silver => Adventurer's Guide)
  • Mialari Docur rogue 3/sorcerer 4/arcane trickster 2 (Dance of the Damned) => level 10 2E NPC

Silver Raven NPCs Who Reasonably Should Level

  • Hetamon Haace cleric of Milani 5 (Turn of the Torrent) => cleric of Milani 7 (to meet all the prerequisites to crafting the devil catchers found in the Adventurer's Guide and also craft silver raven figurines of wondrous power with the help of one of the bards who has animal messenger and Manticce Kaleeki, if she is assumed to have animate objects - this role could also be filled by Xerelilah of Cypress Point (cleric of Desna 8), and if she does neither she nor Hetamon have to level, but The Kintargo Contract and Tomorrow Must Burn don't give me the impression that she's all that involved with the Silver Ravens.) (can also figure out the Devil Sense feat from the Adventurer's Guide)

Silver Raven NPCs Who Reasonably Should Exist

  • One sorcerer or wizard who can cast 6th-level spells (so at least sorcerer 12 or wizard 11), and who is neither Iylvana Desdoros (who per The Kintargo Contract does not level and remains the same 7th-level transmuter she was in In Hell's Bright Shadow) or Mialari Docur (who per Tomorrow Must Burn is more or less at the same power level she was as a rogue 3/sorcerer 4/arcane trickster 2). This NPC is necessary to meet the prerequisites to crafting the discretion charms found in the Adventurer's Guide, as well as to figuring out the wall of silver spell also found in the Adventurer's Guide. A 16th-level bard could also do both those things, but that might as well be a PC; SR NPCs tend to cap out at level 12, with Manticce being the exception. A 13th-level bard or inquisitor, or 11th-level cleric could cast wall of silver, but not programmed image. Kalisandrex Poppo from Out of Anarchy fits the bill. He's not statted, but his sail-the-whale ritual is similar to animate objects, a 6th-level spell, so putting him around 11th level isn't unreasonable. Failing that, Nandy Crissali (wizard 8 in In Hell's Bright Shadow) could be leveled up, if your SRs can shake her apolitical outlook.
  • One raven master ranger of between level 1 (to gain the first archetype benefit) and level 6 (to gain the latest unique archetype benefit (that is, one that doesn't improve an existing benefit)). Pictured with the raven master ranger archetype, possibly one of the prisoners rescued from Menador Keep (I don't know their names off the top of my head, but there are halflings among them).
  • One argent voice bard of between level 1 (to gain the first archetype benefit) and level 6 (to gain the latest unique archetype benefit). Pictured with the argent voice bard archetype, possibly Giveni Henge (starts at bard 3 in In Hell's Bright Shadow, and will need to retrain). Can figure out the Diva Style feat tree if he makes it to level 11. Retraining to argent voice should not be available until after the PCs reconstruct the Song of Silver.
  • One bard to at least bard 11/argent dramaturge 1. Pictured with the argent dramaturge prestige class, possibly Kohl Draksitus (starts at bard 4 in In Hell's Bright Shadow). Other candidate for figuring out the Diva Style feat tree. Argent dramaturge should not be available until after the PCs reconstruct the Song of Silver.

Shadow Lodge

So, this is a character introduced in Age of Ashes as having been an important person in the Bellflower Network and in the Silver Ravens during the events of 4715-16, yet does not appear in the narrative of Hell's Rebels. How, if at all, have people approached her use as an NPC in Hell's Rebels games? Has she been a team member or leader (a la Korva Fushi or Forvian Crowe (puns!))? Has she been an ally or cohort a la Laria or Zea? Is she a presence in the countryside a la the Desnan priestess or the aquatic elf leader? What stats, if any, have 1E gamemasters given her?

Shadow Lodge

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Something that has consistently bothered me about the Silver Ravens as presented in Hell's Rebels is that beyond a lowest common denominator of deposing Barzillai Thrune, they don't seem to have a positive program of social reform. This allows them to be all things to all men both in-universe and out - that is, to cultivate a broad coalition in-universe and to have whatever program the PCs impose upon it at any given table. But the roleplay of such an imposition might be helped if the players had some indication of the interests at play among their allies. This is not only a consideration at the opening of the campaign either; the organization might change as it gains adherents.

Presented here is a brief sketch of the main factions I anticipate developing within a mature rebellion (around Book 4), their programs, the outside organizations to which they orient themselves, and prominent allied NPCs associated with them.

The "Quills" (also known as the "blues"*)
Program: abolition of serfdom and slavery without compensation to former masters; land redistribution to former slaves and serfs; debt relief for former serfs and for small freeholders; revolutionization of Cheliax; municipal autonomy; government by municipal and national councils elected by universal suffrage; abolition of tax farming and tithes; freedom of religion except suppression of Asmodeus, Norgorber, and Zon-Kuthon worship; separation of school from church and state; inclusion in Chelish tariff zone (implies free trade with Cheliax and protectionism vis a vis the rest of the world); alliance with the White Thistles, the Bellflower Network, and the Glorious Reclamation.
Aligned NPC "Unique Allies": Laria Longroad (aligned with the Bellflower Network, opposes compensation to slaveowners), Rexus Victocora (sees little possibility of reclaiming his family's position), Zea (protectionism fosters industry, which means employment), Mialari Docur (she gets a free hand to run her school), Jilia Bainilus (owes her position to popular acclaim), Strea Vestori (sees Asmodeism as primary impediment to tiefling nationhood)
Social bases:** mill owners, workers, sailors, serfs, slaves, students, religious Iomedeans, halflings, tieflings, tengu

The "Talons" (also known as the "golds")
Program: abolition of serfdom and slavery with compensation to former masters; national independence; Ravounel to be constituted as a federation of the baronies and counties; local government by the estates of the baronies and counties; promotion of hitherto suppressed religions; subsidy of church and private education by the state, compulsory education; free trade (implies exclusion from the Chelish tariff zone and redirection of exports to Varisia); alliance with the Court of Coin, the Eagle Knights, the Hellknight Order of the Torrent, and the Gray Maidens.
Aligned NPC "Unique Allies": Octavio Sabinus (aligned with the Hellknight Order of the Torrent), Marquel Aulorian (heir to a county, in spite of everything), Cassius Sargaeta (follows where Marquel goes), Hetamon Haace (state patronage of his cult is too good a deal to pass up), Molly Mayapple (free trade benefits her warehouses and her hostels), Manticce Kaleekki (owes her position to Vyre being a free city, has no incentive to change that), Shensen (see Hetamon), Jackdaw (primarily a Ravounal nationalist), Solemestria (federation protects her people from encroachment better than a centralized realm with local autonomy)
Social bases: landlords and their retinues; merchants and shopkeeps; artisans; clergy of Abadar and Shelyn; religious Abadarans, Calistrians, Shelynites, Sarenites, and Milanites; elves; strix

As I've imagined them, I don't believe either faction gets to implement its full program in the face of 1) the events of the AP and 2) opposition from the other faction. I also think it might be interesting if they were to split into separate political parties going forward from the AP, but the Adventurer's Guide suggests otherwise and I suspect the PF2 setting guide will as well.

* Blue and gold are strongly associated with the revolutions following the end of the Age of Enthronement. See Magnimar, Andoran, Galt, Bachuan. Andoran and Magnimar both use blue, white, and gold for their national colors, and I suspect Ravounel would do the same: the revolutionary colors blue and gold, and white to commemorate the Silver Ravens.
** Excepts those of each group who are loyal to the government, which includes of the listed groups landlords, mill owners, merchants, workers, sailors, and tengu, and almost substantially all of government workers, soldiers, police, la boheme, religious Asmodeans, religious Kuthites, and religious Norgorberites.

Shadow Lodge

So I'm trying to get some non-TTRPG-playing friends into Pathfinder, because I figure that's easier on and less scary to my particular psyche than making new friends. In the spirit of dipping a toe in, they've asked for a one-shot before trying anything long-form. While I understand the mindset and want to cater to it, I also want to account for the possibility that they grow attached not only to the game but also to their particular characters, and want to keep using them in something more long-form.

To that end, I'm interested in severing the first book off an AP and just running that, or even the opening adventure from that first book. My question is, which opening books and/or opening adventures are best suited to doing that? I know all AP volumes are theoretically designed to be run as standalone adventures, but common sense tells me that some achieve this goal better than others.

Also, I'd prefer to run an adventure I already own rather than buying a new one. So if it turns out that any of the following APs has an especially-separable first part, that's all to the good:

1. Rise of the Runelords (original or anniversary edition);
2. Curse of the Crimson Throne (original or anniversary edition);
3. Second Darkness;
4. Council of Thieves;
5. Kingmaker;
6. Jade Regent;
7. Skull and Shackles;
8. Shattered Star;
9. Reign of Winter;
10. Wrath of the Righteous;
11. Iron Gods;
12. Hell's Rebels;
13. Hell's Vengeance; or
14. Ironfang Invasion.

I'm currently looking towards Rise of the Runelords, Curse of the Crimson Throne, Second Darkness, and Jade Regent as having especially standalone first parts, but am I mistaken about these, or missing something?

Shadow Lodge

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So I'm looking over the Hoaxer archetype for the Bard class found in Black Markets, and I spot something odd. The description of the Bad Deal bardic performance contains the language "[t]his performance replaces inspire courage, inspire competence, and inspire greatness." (Emphasis added). Straightforward enough. However, the description of the Curse Breaker ability reads "[a] hoaxer of 12th level or higher can use performance to create an effect equal to break enchantment. This otherwise functions as soothing performance. This performance replaces inspire greatness." (Emphasis added).

This should be impossible. The Advanced Player's Guide, which introduced archetypes, provides that "[e]ach alternate class feature presented in an archetype replaces a specific class feature from its parent class." It is further provided that when stacking archetypes, "none of the alternate class features can replace or alter the same class feature from the base class as another alternate class feature." We are dealing with a single archetype, but it seems to go against the design philosophy of archetypes for multiple abilities to replace a single ability.

So, which ability is meant to replace Inspire Greatness, and what does the other ability replace? Based on the level you get it (12th), and the fact that it operates like Soothing Performance, I believe Curse Breaker is meant to replace Soothing Performance, and that Bad Deal is meant to replace Inspire Greatness.

Shadow Lodge

1 person marked this as FAQ candidate.

This is to follow up on this unresolved question from 2013:

Corragh Bearson wrote:
Unclear whether that's 7 levels of beast rider or level 7 total for a character whose build includes at least one level of the beast rider class.

So to repeat, would a Druid 6/Cavalier (beast rider) 1 be able to enlarge - to use the example given in the Beast Rider archetype - their bear? Or would a character need 7 levels of Beast Rider to do that?

Shadow Lodge

For a Hell's Rebels game, I'm making some Adventurers' Guide options for the Silver Ravens available to players, so that they can "originate" the concepts that will later have wide currency in their organization. The options I'm making available include the Diva Style feats, the Devil Sense feat, and the Argent Dramaturge prestige class.

The feats have generated quite a bit of interest, but the only player even looking at the Argent Dramaturge is playing a Wizard. And he's enthusiastic for the PrC, seeing it gel with his backstory and concept (basically a theoretician of rebellions as much as an agitator; he jumped on the Historian of the Rebellion trait), and not seeing that it loses him anything but a bonus feat and his automatic spells learned each level.

I'd like to support my player's choices, but from where I'm sitting, the PrC does not work well with the base class. It doesn't lose much, but the number of performance rounds it gives is low, the dramaturgical flourishes seem to assume bardic performance even if the class itself does not have it as a prerequisite,* and Anchoring Aria and Righteous Chord are better as wizard spells because the latter scale off the entire caster level rather than the PrC level.

Would there be a way to make the base class and the PrC mesh better, without having to rewrite anything? In a pinch, I'll suggest variant multiclassing as a Bard, but I'd rather explore my other options before that.

* Okay, the Masterpiece option doesn't.

Shadow Lodge

The strix's only other two known settlements, Windspire and Kitkasiticka, are notably small, but the Shrieking Spire is home to the largest population in Avistan. Just how big is that population?

Shadow Lodge

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While detailing the reactions of Cheliax's neighbors to the civil war in that country, Alex Greenshields has this to say about Molthune:

Quote:

The current ruler of Molthune, Imperial Governor Markwin Teldas, is an intelligent and ruthless man who sees the upheaval in Cheliax as a way of furthering his nation's agenda. When the Chelish military makes a request for military assistance, Teldas agrees, but demands in that in return, it must supply a battalion of its best soldiers along with several platoons of bound devils to serve in his armies against the rebellious north.

Egorian agrees, though reluctantly, but informs the government in Canorate that the Molthuni troops are needed immediately and must therefore not take the lengthy route around the Menador Mountains, but travel directly through the dangerous and high Pass of Dark Rain between the two nations in order to be of any use in fighting the rebellion. The Molthuni General Lords send their most disposable non-human troops through the pass, commanded by the young and ambitious Colonel Denira Mettering. The headstrong officer wishes to make a name for herself, and ignores the advice given to her by her senior non-commissioned officers, who counsel that a complete survey of the Pass of Dark Rain must be made before an ascent is attempted. When the troops rush through the pass, a full quarter of them perish in a freak avalanche. Now desperate to escape the treacherous mountains, Mettering sends the remaining forces on a path that passes too close to the haunted ghost town of Finder's Gulch. Unknown to anyone, the abandoned settlement has become the lair of a powerful undead cleric of Urgathoa named Illcayna Alonnor (Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Undead Unleashed 60), who is slowly building an army of wights to invade Isger. When the Molthuni army makes camp for the night, the wights attack and slaughter nearly every soldier, greatly increasing the size of Alonnor's forces, and moving forward her timetable by several years.

Emphasis mine. Do we perhaps have our villains' legitimate grievance?

Shadow Lodge

The shifter's headband and tentacle cloak found in Ultimate Equipment both list the spell "polymorph self" among their construction prerequisites. This spell, however, does not seem to exist. So to what spell is the book referring? Alter self? Polymorph?

Shadow Lodge

Pathfinder Unchained includes a number of optional systems that allow tables to eschew traditional forms of character enhancement through items. One of these is the Automatic Bonus Progression, where characters gain certain bonuses as they level up in exchange for losing access to half their wealth-by-level. One of the bonuses characters gain as they level up is the weapon enhancement bonus. "The character can attune herself to any one weapon in her possession, and can change that attunement once per day." Dennis Baker, et al., Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Pathfinder Unchained 157 (F. Wesley Schneider, et al., eds., 2015).

My question is, how does this apply to temporary natural weapons? A character with innate natural weapons, like a tengu, seems simple enough. They always have their natural weapons available to them, so they should be able to attune. Same goes for a character who gained natural weapons through a feat like Aspect of the Beast. But what about a character who temporarily has natural weapons, like a barbarian with the Beast Totem line of rage powers? Can they pre-emptively attune to their natural weapons while not in rage? Or can they only attune to their natural weapons once they enter rage?

Shadow Lodge

Bardic masterpieces are special abilities Bards can take in place of a spell or feat, provided they meet at least one of several skill prerequisites. They are not feats, spells, or skills, and would not be recorded with such in a statblock. My question is, would they be listed on the Special Attack line or the SQ line? My instinct is to list them on the Special Attack line, but if you have a different take, or if there's a statblock out there listing them (I can't find one, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist!), I'd like to know.

Shadow Lodge

You awaken to a painful throbbing in the back of your head, a woolly coating on your teeth that tastes of cheap wine, the pervasive smell of sweat and fish left to stew together, and a rhythmic creaking accompanied by a lurching rolling of your world. It feels like you're still drunk, and after the wild night you had, you wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. When you open your eyes, however, you find yourself in a dark room. You can barely see, but it feels spacious. Certainly the walls aren't within reach. Neither, when you check, are most of your possessions. You can, however, see and hear the shapes and sounds of others nearby, in a similar predicament.

As you sit up to get a better look around, the creaking all around you is punctuated by heavy footsteps down what sounds like a staircase. A harsh, yellow lantern is shoved in your faces, revealing seven dirty-looking men, none of them dressed quite the same but most of them armed with saps. The one holding the lantern, however, wears dreadlocks, a beard, and a long, heavy coat, and carries a mean-looking, well-used whip in his other hand. A pained expression that might have been meant for a smile bruises his face as he cracks his whip on the floor.

"Still abed with the sun over the yardarm?" he shouts. The pain in your head flares. "On your feet, ye filthy swabs! Get up on deck and report for duty before Cap'n Harrigan flays your flesh into sausage skins and has Fishguts fry ye up for breakfast!"

Shadow Lodge

This is a discussion thread. Discuss things here.

Shadow Lodge

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Ask and you shall receive! If you were interested in Odentin's proposed Skull & Shackles game, this is the place to submit characters for consideration. There are, of course, some guidelines to what I'll consider. If you can, please make characters:

  • Of any race detailed in a first-party book published before July 2012;
  • Of any class and archetype detailed in a first-party book published before July 2012;
  • Of first level, with all that entails in terms of hit points and favored class bonuses;
  • With ability scores bought using 15 points;
  • With average wealth for the character's class;
  • With two traits, including one campaign trait from the Skull & Shackles Player's Guide;
  • With a believable character history;
  • With a compelling motivation to engage in the campaign and to see it through.

If you require a dispensation on points 1 or 2 in order to fully realize a concept, I promise to be open to your arguments, delivered either in this thread or via personal message. I plan to accept four characters on Friday, September 19, 2014. If you require an extension, I promise to be open to your arguments, though I would prefer such requests to be delivered via personal message only.

Here's to our prospective motley crew!

Shadow Lodge

As of Inner Sea Combat, rangers who follow Erastil and select Erastil's combat style may take Snap Shot at level 6 and Improved Snap Shot at level 10. Snap Shot and Improved Snap Shot both only say they work with weapons with which the character has Weapon Focus. Normally, rangers can use feats without having the prerequisites, but in this case the text of the feats says that they only work on Focused weapons.

How does this work?

Shadow Lodge

This Riftwarden, now living in Nerosyan, is mentioned twice in passing in Aravashnial's bio. But she has yet to appear in The Worldwound Incursion, Sword of Valor or Demon's Heresy. Google, in its infinite wisdom, tells me that the Internet contains no information about her. At the risk of asking for spoilers...will she appear at some point, or has she been dropped?

Shadow Lodge

Is there any published domain or subdomain, Paizo or third party, that grants the binding spell? If not, can I get your advice as to what other spells would fit in a thematic domain or subdomain, and which gods might grant this homebrew domain?

Shadow Lodge

I know they only appear for one encounter as written, so fleshing this out in the text was probably not high on the list of priorities, but I'd like to try and see if I can keep Nazhena a presence in a hypothetical Reign of Winter campaign I may someday run, and this detail is important to me if I'm going to try and deepen her character. What is Nazhena's relationship with her familiar like? It mentions in her bio that she "loved [Radosek] as much as she was capable of loving anyone"; did she feel the same way about Zapada, or did she consider her owl a means toward achieving greater power? In the one encounter in which she appears, Zapada is given no tactics. Is this because Nazhena values his life and wants to keep him safe, or because she doesn't value his contributions?

I would greatly appreciate Mister Groves' take on the matter.

Shadow Lodge

Here's an odd corner case to consider. Suppose a wizard, witch, or arcane-blooded sorcerer finds herself currently without an arcane bond. She encounters another wizard, witch, or arcane-blooded sorcerer who has an arcane bond - let's say a familiar - and decides she wants to offer it a situation where it wouldn't be serving the master's totally evil ends. In the course of the encounter, she manages to capture the familiar alive, but the master gets away.

Is there a way to sever the link the familiar has with the master from without so it can then be made available for a new bonding? It not, what would be an appropriate method to homebrew? If this situation were to ever occur in a game I was running, I would be tempted to let the player try, because the image of a villain hounding the PCs in order to rescue his [ex-]familiar is just delicious to me; it allows me to call the player's righteousness into question a bit. But what should the player be trying to do? It shouldn't just be a matter of the "normal" familiar ritual, i.e., pay 200 gp and poof, the familiar's hers now. I feel like there should be some other kind of obstacle in the way. But what?

Shadow Lodge

On page 59 of Snows of Summer, there is, among other things, an explanation of how Radosek came to be in the service of Nazhena. To wit:

Quote:
...he was stolen from his family in Taldor at the age of 4 by a White Witch of Irrisen, and magically transported to the icy north as tribute for a service rendered to his late father - a foolish Taldan noble whose ambitions in Oppara ended in bloody disgrace despite the deal he cut with the White Witch.

How would the White Witch in question have done this? Scry on Radosek, teleport to the Taldan noble's domicile, and teleport back to the Pale Tower, Radosek in hand? Same as above, but using ice crystal teleport to transport the presumably unwilling Radosek to the Pale Tower? Is there a spell or hex I've missed that allows a witch to summon children to her? Or would she have used a unique ritual with no stats or write-up?

Shadow Lodge

I've perused Distant Worlds and found no answer to this question, so thought I'd bring it to the boards. Which moon, among Arkanen, Hallas, Melos, Nchak, and Osoro, orbits closest to Liavara, which orbits furthest away, and how are the remaining three arranged?


A player of mine wants to use a rabbit or dire rabbit as an animal companion (probably rooted in a desire to emulate either Monty Python or Watership Down). However, neither animal appears on the list of animal companions. I can convert either a rabbit or dire rabbit statblock to an animal-companion-style statblock easily enough, but I'm stumped as to how to advance the animal at fourth level. Is there a system for how this is done, or is it ad-hoc? If the former, what is it? If the latter...any advice?

Shadow Lodge

Hey gang. A heads-up: I'll be away from my computer tomorrow. I've promised to help with a first aid refresher, and it'll take most of the day. I'll try to have a post up tonight, though.

Shadow Lodge

Welcome to the game. I've started you off separately because that made more sense to me, and to put your characters in their circumstances before they have to interact with each other.

Caerwyn:
You spent the night on a hard, thin cot in the Garrison, courtesy of Sheriff Hemlock. The militiamen waking up around you groan in discomfort at their cricking necks and aching lower backs, but you feel refreshed and ready to face the day. The iron-framed canvas beds might be utilitarian, but they were more comfortable than the root-riddled forest floor on which you've become accustomed to sleeping.

"Look alive, Caerwyn," says a voice, and you feel a heavy, leathery hand clap down on your shoulder. You turn around. The tanned, shaven face of the Sheriff looks down at you. Anyone else would take the man's expression for a scowl, but you know better. "Sun's nearly up, and we've got to be down at the square before it gets too crowded to move."

Timor:
You are woken up by a loud, insistent rapping at the door to the room you rent above Cracktooth's Tavern. Your eyes are bleary in the early morning half-light and your nightshirt sticks uncomfortably to your body, but your visitor sounds impatient, so you make haste to open the door. Standing there, wearing a wool shirt and beat-up leather jacket, is the Jesk Berinni, Cracktooth himself.

"I'll make this quick," he says, chuckling slightly at your appearance. "You know Cyrdak Drokkus, the Theater owner? Well, last night he asked me for a favor. He's making a big speech this morning in front of the new Cathedral, and he wanted me to shill for him. Y'know, clap and cheer real loud on the big lines." The heavyset innkeeper rolls his eyes at the cynicism. "Probably learned that trick from Grobaras himself. Anyway, I know you've wanted a shot at the big time, and if you did this for him he'd probably appreciate it."

Alys:
You and the captain of the cog that brought you to Sandpoint, the Barbry Allen, stand on the dock, watching the sailors load the last of their cargo in the early morning gray. "Sorry we can't stay and show you around," he says, "but you know how it is. We've gotta make Kalsgard by Lamashtan or lose twenty percent. Hey!" he calls, waving to a man with a bristly black beard and a wooden leg. He looks up and starts toward you, a smile on his face.

"This is Jargie," says the captain, clapping the other man on the shoulder. "I must've stayed at his place, the Hagfish, a dozen times, when I could." Jargie holds out his hand to shake.

"Best lobster bisque in Varisia," says the Jargie, a boastful smile on his face. "Come down to the new cathedral around noon, I'll be selling some cheap."

Teobold:
You hear two voices, a young man and a slightly older one, arguing outside your bedroom door. You cannot understand what they are saying through the thick wooden door, so you ignore them, focusing instead on getting dressed. Eventually, the older one sighs and you hear footsteps stumping off. The door opens just as you finish buttoning your top button.

A handsome, brown-haired man in a white tailcoat walks into your room. "Cousin Teo!" he says warmly, spreading his arms wide. "It's me, Belven. Forgive the noise," he says, inclining his head towards the door. "Brunton wanted to call you down, but Father told me you hadn't seen anyone but servants since arriving last night, so I came myself. After breakfast we're going to take a walk into town for the dedication, do you want to join us?"

Jin:
"Get up, get out," sings a voice, rousing you from your slumber. "You lazy louts." It sounds like Ameiko, the keeper of the inn at which you're staying. The melody's one you've heard before, though it seems she's changed the lyrics to something more topical. "Get into your Sunday clothes. The town's gonna be at the church, you see, and there's nowhere else to go."

You remember people in the common room last night talking about their plans for the festival today. Apparently the townsfolk were dedicating a new temple and everyone was taking the day off to celebrate, including the Mayor and the Sheriff. If anyone would know where to start looking for dangerous beasts or other trials you could impose upon yourself, they would be there.

Shadow Lodge

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System: The Anniversary Edition was written for the Pathfinder RPG, and that's what we'll be using.
Player Count: I am looking for a group of five players. I also plan on having two alternate players.
Style of Play: I try as a GM to immerse players in the given circumstances, and would appreciate players enthusiastic about such an experience. I will try to post at least once every two days, and would appreciate similar attempts from the players.
Allowed Content: I'll allow content from the Core Rulebook, Advanced Player's Guide, Ultimate Magic, Ultimate Combat, and the Advanced Race Guide. I would prefer core races, however.
Backstory: I would most appreciate a backstory that ties your character to the given circumstances, either through a place, an organization, or another person.
Experience: Begin at first level with zero experience points and two traits (one and only one of which should be from the Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition Player's Guide, reproduced below).
Wealth: Begin with average starting wealth for your chosen class.
Ability Scores: Please generate your characters' ability scores using 20 point buy.
Hitpoints: Begin with the maximum hit points for your chosen class. All further hit dice will grant average hit points.
Alignment: Don't be a dick.
Other Notes: I have GM'd one other game on the Paizo boards. My attempt at Curse of the Crimson Throne fizzled, and I know why. I had taken over the game from the previous GM, but had begun in his game as a player. I continued playing my character, but couldn't keep up with both playing him and GMing. I know better now.

Campaign Traits:
Eager Performer: Hearing that Sandpoint had a theater rivaling those found in large cities like Magnimar and Korvosa, you decided to try your luck getting stage time there. After sending a letter to Cyrdak Drokkus requesting an audition and not hearing back, you’ve taken it upon yourself to travel to Sandpoint and meet him in person, trusting your force of will and charming inf luence will get you what you want. You gain a +1 trait bonus on checks for any one Perform skill. Additionally, choose any one spell of the enchantment school; its save DC increases by +1.
Family Ties: While not ethnically a Varisian, you have been raised among Varisians and they consider you one of their own. Furthermore, you managed to get in good with a group of Sczarni and consider them your new family. After being run out of the last place your Sczarni family camped, you tracked down a friend of the family in Sandpoint—a ruthless thug named Jubrayl Vhiski at the Fatman’s Feedbag. During your time with the Sczarni, you learned a few tricks of the trade. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (local) checks and Knowledge (local) is always a class skill for you. In addition, you begin play able to speak and read Varisian.
Friends and Enemies: One of your family members, perhaps a parent, cousin, aunt, or uncle, helped Daviren Hosk put down a group of goblins near Sandpoint. Since then, your family member passed away, but not before telling you about that day and the offer Daviren made her should she ever be in need. Once you make it to Sandpoint and meet up with Daviren Hosk at the Goblin Squash Stables, he gives you one of his best steeds and all the necessary accoutrements as gratitude for your family member’s help: a heavy combat trained horse, a military saddle, saddlebags, bit and bridle, a month’s worth of feed, and lifetime stabling at the Goblin Squash Stables.
Giant Slayer: Your family’s village was plundered by giants in the wilds of Varisia, leaving nothing but a smoldering ruin. After the destruction of your village, your family trained for combat against giants to prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again. Since hearing of giants mobilizing throughout the countryside, you ventured to Sandpoint to help the town prepare for a possible incursion. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Bluff, Perception, and Sense Motive checks and +1 trait bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls against creatures of the giant subtype.
Goblin Watcher: You grew up in Sandpoint staring off the cliff across the Varisian Gulf. Spending so much time there at Junker’s Edge watching the goblins below as they scrounged through the discarded junk and seeing what they made out of the garbage, you developed an eye for spotting the most useful and valuable discarded items. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Perception and Appraise checks, and a +5 trait bonus on Appraise checks to determine the most valuable item visible in a treasure hoard.
Hagfish Hopeful: Ever since passing through Sandpoint when you were a child and hearing about the contest at the popular tavern known as the Hagfish, you wanted to take that coin purse as your own and carve your name on the ceiling beam above the bar. Training yourself to choke down indigestible food and drink water a pig would refuse, you’ve built up quite a strong resistance to all things putrid and gross. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Fortitude saves against disease and poison.
Merchant Family: You are related to one of the four noble families from Magnimar who founded the Mercantile League of Sandpoint. You either grew up in Magnimar as a cousin in the Valdemar or Deverin family or were born and raised in Sandpoint. Education in running a business and years of looking after the family enterprise have given you a knack for trade. You increase the gp limit of any settlement by 20% and can resell items at an additional 10% over the amount of gp you normally would get from selling off treasure.
Monster Hunter: Perhaps you came to the Varisian Gulf in search of the Sandpoint Devil, or maybe you followed fisherman’s tales of Old Murdermaw—regardless, you’ve ventured through Varisia to hunt down famous monsters. While they have all eluded you so far, you made it to Sandpoint to research and restock before heading back out into the wilderness. Because of your training, you gain a +1 trait bonus on attack rolls and weapon damage rolls against aberrations and magical beasts.
Scholar of the Ancients: Growing up with your nose in books, you’ve had a great interest in past cultures and ancient history. Furthermore, having grown up in Varisia, you know the monuments dotting the landscape belong to an ancient civilization known as Thassilon. From your life of study and dogged research, you’ve pieced together the language and partial history of this once-great empire. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (arcana) and Knowledge (history) checks, and begin play able to speak and read Thassilonian.
Student of Faith: While you have personally dedicated your life to a single deity, you study all religions and mortal faiths. Upon hearing that the town of Sandpoint recently completed a cathedral dedicated to the six deities most popular in the area, you had to see the place for yourself, and have arrived in time for the consecration of this holy edif ice. Because of your strong faith and broad range of study, you cast all cure spells at +1 caster level, and whenever you channel energy, you gain a +1 trait bonus to the save DC of your channeled energy.

Shadow Lodge

So here's an odd question. Is there any arcane spell (and I really would prefer a spell, as opposed to, say, a psionic power or magic item) that can stick two creatures, not including the caster, together? That is, they'd occupy the same space, move together, interfere in each other's movements, etc. At the moment all I can think of are creative applications of Bestow Curse, Major Curse, Limited Wish, or Wish, but if there's a more specific spell that can do what I have in mind, I'd like to know about it.

Shadow Lodge

1 person marked this as FAQ candidate.

Well, this is a pretty straightforward question, so in that spirit, I'll come right out and ask it. If you cast Magic Jar and possess another body, can you still cast other spells, your spells, out of your spell slots? The Magic Jar description notes that you don't have access to the possessed creature's spells, and I've read the threads in this forum suggesting rulings for which buffs transfer over, but I'm more concerned with spellcasting itself. Can you cast your own spells when possessing another?

Shadow Lodge

Reading the description of the Ring of Force Shield, it does not say what type of bonus to AC it provides. Since it is wielded by the ring's wearer as if it were a heavy shield, and since it provides the same numerical bonus as a heavy shield, it would be logical to assume it provides a shield bonus to AC. This is not, however, specified in the item's description, and it could be reckoned that the bonus to AC is untyped on that basis.

Any clarification on this point would be appreciated.


Hello ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to my first campaign journal. Not my first game, mind you, but journaling a PbP is rather pointless and my notes for the last FtF campaign I wanted to journal blossomed into a booklength form before I could get a handle on it. This is a maptool campaign, which turned out to faciliate just the right mix of accurate and to-the-point record-keeping that I could begin keeping a journal with some confidence in the product. We've played one session so far, this Thursday, and expect to have a session each Thursday until the Adventure Path is concluded.

As this is a RotRL campaign journal, it will contain spoilers for that Adventure Path. Then again, if my journal is the first thing on these Internets that spoils RotRL for you, please consider me immeasurably flattered.

Before we begin I'd just like to pay homage to Denek/Moonbeam, whose journals, in part, opened me up to the depth of the Adventure Paths and whose posting format I will be shamelessly ripping off.

And now without further ado, I present to you the protagonists of our little, or perhaps not-so-little, tale:

Amarantha Montenegro 23-year-old male varisian inquisitor, Chaotic Neutral
Amarantha's player joined on short notice, and I haven't got a backstory for him yet.
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Nil Silverwind male half-elf magus, Chaotic Good
I haven't got a backstory for Nil either, and don't have as good an excuse. I'll add it when I get it.
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Antonie Tobyn 49-year-old male chelaxian evoker, Chaotic Good
Ezakien left his younger brother behind in Magnimar when he left to minister to new-founded Sandpoint. News of his death brought Antonie from his star-mapping and researches into light at the Stone of the Seers to Sandpoint, and a land deal gone sour and a vindictive colleague made him stay.

Zegomda gro-Tulga 17-year-old male orc druid, Neutral Good
Zegomda's people preyed long upon the Shoanti, until a Shoanti druid struck back. The example of her strength, which all but destroyed his tribe, and the uncaring mountain which nevertheless sheltered him, inspired his calling to nature. He has amends to make, and may as well do so in Sandpoint.

Ulrioc 28-year-old male chelaxian paladin, Lawful Good
Ulrioc turned to Iomedae's faithful for salvation, first from a troubled home life and then from destitution when he could no longer call his house home. His time as an acolyte is at an end, and his first mission, a goodwill gift from Iomedae's flock to the new Cathedral, brought him to Sandpoint.

Shadow Lodge

Is it mentioned anywhere, or has it been surmised anywhere, how old Ezakien and Nualia Tobyn were in 4702?

Shadow Lodge

So let's say some wizard were to advance to level 7 using the Infernal Binder archetype for Conjurers. At that level he gains an Imp Improved Familiar. At level 8 he begins taking levels in the Diabolist prestige class. At level 1 of Diabolist he gains an Imp [acts-like-an-Animal] Companion. My question is: how do these class features interact? Is the Improved Familiar dismissed in favor of the Companion? Is the Companion unavailable thanks to previously having the Improved Familiar? Does the Improved Familiar gain the Companion bonuses as well as its own? Does the wizard summon a second Imp, who gets the Companion bonuses, in addition to his Improved Familiar?

Shadow Lodge

Hiya fine folks of the Paizo messageboards. I'm creating my first character for PFS - you can probably guess which faction - and have all but settled on the wizard class. In Pathfinder RPG games I'd pick up a bonded object instead of a familiar, mostly because my GM likes killing familiars and animal companions, and then an item creation feat a little down the line to give it some extra utility (Bonded ring becomes Bonded Ring of Feather Falling is the first example I can think of). However, that option is not available in PFS.

My question is this: is there a way to upgrade a bonded object in a similar manner in PFS, without taking the item creation feats yourself? For example, could you request or buy the upgrade from an NPC, patron or otherwise, between sessions? Apologies if this is covered somewhere in the rules.