Creative Director
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Two rather old-schoolish questions:
1) If a DM were to set Legion of Fire in the World of Greyhawk, which Baklunish country is the best fit for Katapesh?
2) My PCs are exploring Maure Castle right now, with the added wrinkle that a PC belongs to the Seekers. What I don't understand--and really matters--is whether the Seekers in Maure Castle, currently following Eli Tomorast (sometimes described as "a renegade Seeker") are members in good standing of the Seekers of the Arcane or not. Arley the Weaver is also mentioned as Octavus Marius' spy in the operation. Marius (NG alignment), is the head of the Seekers, based in Seltaran.
So are the Seekers following Eli "renegades" or not? Do they answer to Octavus Marius? How should they react when another Seeker wanders into the dungeon they're guarding? And how should Marius react if/when the PCs foil Eli's plans?
1) "Legion of Fire"? If you mean "Legacy of Fire," we were gonna set it in the west and explore some of the off-the-map regions there. I haven't had my head in Greyhawk for over a decade, so I'm not sure which nation would be best suited for it off the top of my head... any of the Baklunish ones would work in theory.
2) Again, it's been over a decade since I've had my head in Greyhawk... but my memories are that the Seekers themselves aren't 100% all good guys and that they can have different goals among themselves. It might be interesting to have the Seekers attempt to woo the PC away from the party, to set up a crisis between them and the PCs?
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Creative Director
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So, Iomedae was the herald of Aroden after she ascended, right? I had always assumed that the Test of the Starstone was a pass/fail kind of thing, until I came across that. So, there's a way to pass the test of the Starstone and not directly become a deity? Is it possible that there's someone who also passed the Test of the Starstone and is hanging out as a Psychopomp Usher or some other class of demi-god deities?
As Erik said, if you pass the Test of the Starstone, it makes you a deity. The timeline of when Iomedae ascended and when she served Aroden as herald is going to get more information in some upcoming Adventure Paths though, I suspect...
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Creative Director
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The Test of the Starstone turns you into a legit god.
For reals.
I'm really looking forward to the Aroden article!
That said, I have questions. It is James's thread, but if you answer it, that's fine too.
1) How much of the Starstone section of Mythic Realms is still correct? It seemed like a departure from what had been written before... and kind of a disappointment. I'm thinking mostly of the whole "the other gods make you a god" and "you just become a little more mythic" parts.
2) Piggybacking off of that... when we say "The Starstone turns you into a legit god"... does that mean a full god? Not a demigod or quasi-deity, but a five-domain deity who has transcended the concept of a statblock?
NO! Get yer own thread, Mona!!
1) It's still correct. The part that disappoints you, I suspect, is that we didn't have more words to explain things, and as such had to sort of summarize elements. The Starstone Test does make you a full-on deity, and there's a LOT more we haven't said about it yet.
2) My take is that it makes you into a demigod, but one with significant potential and a boost toward ascending further to full on deity.
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Creative Director
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Couple of questions
When a character has an intelligent item cohort (Cohorts and Companions) they can enhance/improve the item as if possessing the appropriate item creation feat, would this ability be enough to fulfill the requirements Mythic Crafter?
Can a intelligent Legendary Item (Mythic Adventures) have it's ability scores/senses /communication abilities be improved as per the normal Designing an Intelligent Item rules if the item gained intelligence from being Legendary?
ALL requirements for Mythic stuff are up to your GM to yes or no. My take, though, is that simply taking a few feats and spending a little money would not even put you CLOSE to qualifying for it.
Once an item is Legendary/Mythic... mundane stuff and normal rules are boring.
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Creative Director
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Anywaay, everyone always asks about Xanderghul, but what about Belimarius? Are there any hints about what happened to her? I think she is probably the runelord we know least about if I don't remember wrong
Not really many hints out there about Belimarius, because she's kind of the lame duck of the Runelords. She's not even accomplished enough at failure to be the least of the Runelords. She's the second least powerful one, which more or less sets her up PERFECT to be jealous/envious of all the rest.
SOME day we'll reveal more, but for now, what we've said in Lost Cities and the Runelord article in the last Shattered Star is all.
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Creative Director
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I have heard there will be wood and void elements for the kineticist in Occult Origins. Do you know what the void element actually is(negative energy, balance of forces, anti-elements, etc.)? If you do not know for sure then can you tell me who to ask?
Void is a thematic element in Dragon Empires; it's a tricky one to grasp. It encompasses more than just an absence of everything; it represents the heavens above, the dark places between the stars, the nature of the spiritual world, and the place from which ideas come.
There's more info about it in Dragon Empires; a short version (the version I just cribbed from) is from the Void Yai entry in Bestiary 3.
"Legion of Fire"? If you mean "Legacy of Fire," we were gonna set it in the west and explore some of the off-the-map regions there. I haven't had my head in Greyhawk for over a decade, so I'm not sure which nation would be best suited for it off the top of my head... any of the Baklunish ones would work in theory.
Whoops, yes, "Legacy of Fire". I think "Legacy of Fire" & the old Gamma World "Legion of Gold" mated in my mind and had a child.
When you say "off-the-map" regions, were you thinking of just the west edge of the existing map (e.g. Ket, Tusmit, Zeif) or were you going to put it actually off the existing map in some new Baklunishy place?
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Creative Director
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"Legion of Fire"? If you mean "Legacy of Fire," we were gonna set it in the west and explore some of the off-the-map regions there. I haven't had my head in Greyhawk for over a decade, so I'm not sure which nation would be best suited for it off the top of my head... any of the Baklunish ones would work in theory.Whoops, yes, "Legacy of Fire". I think "Legacy of Fire" & the old Gamma World "Legion of Gold" mated in my mind and had a child.
When you say "off-the-map" regions, were you thinking of just the west edge of the existing map (e.g. Ket, Tusmit, Zeif) or were you going to put it actually off the existing map in some new Baklunishy place?
Actually going off the map, yes, into somewhere new. We'd already done a little bit of that with Sasserine and Cauldron, after all, and expanded the map south to include some stuff down there... going west was a logical next step. Basically, using Dungeon Magazine to expand the World of Greyhawk's scope was a not-so-secret goal of myself and Erik back in those days.
What do you like on your pizza?
whats your favorite type of mephit? and is their ever going to be more lore for them besides the 2 sentences describeing them?
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Publisher, Chief Creative Officer
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NO! Get yer own thread, Mona!!
I shudder to think of how boring and pedantic most of the questions I'd be likely to get on my own thread would be. I have to assume it'd just be minutia about Paizo policy, customer service questions, and traps designed to provide fodder for internet flame wars, with an occasional query about Greyhawk or something.
No thanks! :)
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NO! Get yer own thread, Mona!!
I shudder to think of how boring and pedantic most of the questions I'd be likely to get on my own thread would be. I have to assume it'd just be minutia about Paizo policy, customer service questions, and traps designed to provide fodder for internet flame wars, with an occasional query about Greyhawk or something.
No thanks! :)
Is Korvasa an independent state or it's a vassal of Cheliax like Isger?
Hey James,
What is the relationship between Calistria and Abadar? If any?
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Creative Director
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Hey James,
What is the relationship between Calistria and Abadar? If any?
None, really. They don't really get along at all, and likely have actually fought before, but their churches don't really bear any explicit ill will to each other. Although they don't really play well, as one might expect of two diametrically opposed alignments.
Which five gods does Asmodeus hate the most?
I'd assume that Norgorber and Calistria are on that list.
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Creative Director
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Salt, I guess.Do worms that walk ever disguise themselves with the skin of a victim to pass as human? I kinda got the itch to create a villain like that after reading Emily Carroll's Through The Woods collection.
tlktlktlktlktlktlk...
No; if they wanted to do so, they'd use magic like alter self or veil. The "disguise via a skin" trope is the province of other monsters like blood hags and skinstealers.
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No; if they wanted to do so, they'd use magic like alter self or veil. The "disguise via a skin" trope is the province of other monsters like blood hags and skinstealers.Salt, I guess.Do worms that walk ever disguise themselves with the skin of a victim to pass as human? I kinda got the itch to create a villain like that after reading Emily Carroll's Through The Woods collection.
tlktlktlktlktlktlk...
So what should I use if I'm looking to pit my players against something like this?
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Creative Director
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So what should I use if I'm looking to pit my players against something like this?No; if they wanted to do so, they'd use magic like alter self or veil. The "disguise via a skin" trope is the province of other monsters like blood hags and skinstealers.Salt, I guess.Do worms that walk ever disguise themselves with the skin of a victim to pass as human? I kinda got the itch to create a villain like that after reading Emily Carroll's Through The Woods collection.
tlktlktlktlktlktlk...
Worm that walks is a template. Just put that template on something like a blood hag or a skinwalker or something like that and with a little bit of flavor text, presto!
I see that the art for Shensen on the cover of AP volume 100 is sold. Is it safe to assume you acquired it?
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Are you familiar with Emily Carroll's work? You can find her famous graphic short horror story "His Face All Red" here on the web.I'm not.
Here you go! I think her horror comics, like "His Face All Red" and "Out of Skin" would be right up your alley. They're short, spooky reads! :)
Is it weird that I'm a lot more comfortable READING horror fiction than I am seeing it on the silver screen? I don't know why that is. Do I just not like the sudden loud, discordant noises those films tend to rely on or is it more like written/illustrated horror is more "static" and thus seems less threatening than in a movie or game where the horrific things are moving?
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Creative Director
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Is it weird that I'm a lot more comfortable READING horror fiction than I am seeing it on the silver screen? I don't know why that is. Do I just not like the sudden loud, discordant noises those films tend to rely on or is it more like written/illustrated horror is more "static" and thus seems less threatening than in a movie or game where the horrific things are moving?
It'd be weird for me. It's obviously normal for you.
I recently learned that El Salvador's town of Najapa has a Fireball Festival in which they hurl kerosene soaked rags, wrapped in wire and then lit on fire at each other (video) to commemorate a volcano that erupted in 1658, forcing all of the villagers to relocate. Legend has it, the patron saint of El Salvador, Saint Jeronimo, fought off the evil of the Devil using fireballs from the volcano.
1) Is there any festival remotely like this on Golarion? Should there be?
2) If not, which people/region would be the most likely to have a festival like this?
3) Would you take part in a festival like this, given the chance?
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Creative Director
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I recently learned that El Salvador's town of Najapa has a Fireball Festival in which they hurl kerosene soaked rags, wrapped in wire and then lit on fire at each other (video) to commemorate a volcano that erupted in 1658, forcing all of the villagers to relocate. Legend has it, the patron saint of El Salvador, Saint Jeronimo, fought off the evil of the Devil using fireballs from the volcano.
1) Is there any festival remotely like this on Golarion? Should there be?
2) If not, which people/region would be the most likely to have a festival like this?
3) Would you take part in a festival like this, given the chance?
1) Probably, and yes.
2) dunno
3) No thanks.
Some questions on Hell inspired by the upcoming Adventure Path and a reread of the Book of the Damned on Hell. I know you didn't write the latter, just looking for your view on how these things would work in your mind/campaign.
1. As far as I can tell the Book of the Damned covering Hell is the only one that doesn't mention a method by which petitioners become outsiders through the mysterious choices of the plane itself or actions of the existing outsiders. Is this something that just happens when the plane itself desires, or do devils manage the process? If the latter, how do they decide who gets turned into what kind of devil?
2. In your view, do exceptionally useful/accomplished servants of Asmodeus, the Archdevils, and the Dukes get special treatment in Hell, such as early conversion into a (non-lemure) devil or exemption from torment, with the really nasty stuff reserved for failure or godless sinners? Can such a thing be bargained for in an infernal contract? How should we expect Abrogail Thrune I and II to actually be treated in the afterlife?
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Creative Director
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Some questions on Hell inspired by the upcoming Adventure Path and a reread of the Book of the Damned on Hell. I know you didn't write the latter, just looking for your view on how these things would work in your mind/campaign.
1. As far as I can tell the Book of the Damned covering Hell is the only one that doesn't mention a method by which petitioners become outsiders through the mysterious choices of the plane itself or actions of the existing outsiders. Is this something that just happens when the plane itself desires, or do devils manage the process? If the latter, how do they decide who gets turned into what kind of devil?
2. In your view, do exceptionally useful/accomplished servants of Asmodeus, the Archdevils, and the Dukes get special treatment in Hell, such as early conversion into a (non-lemure) devil or exemption from torment, with the really nasty stuff reserved for failure or godless sinners? Can such a thing be bargained for in an infernal contract? How should we expect Abrogail Thrune I and II to actually be treated in the afterlife?
1) Hell is likely too organized and ordered in how it generates petitioners to have spontaneous petitioner manifestation like the other two planes. It MIGHT happen, but not on a scale large enough to notice or warrant mention.
2) To a certain extent, you can see this question answered in action in Hell's Rebels, particularly the last adventure. The short version: bad guys who go to Hell do suffer, but their torments are shorter and tend to be more about forging the soul into something new than just torture.
Have you heard of this book, James?
Do you have an opinion of it?
Are there any organizations that openly oppose Hellknights in Golarion?
I'm interested in both good ones and evil ones.
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Creative Director
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Are there any organizations that openly oppose Hellknights in Golarion?
I'm interested in both good ones and evil ones.
Hellknights cover a wide range of philosophies, and range in alignment from lawful good to lawful neutral to lawful evil. It's easier to ask about specific orders being opposed, but harder to answer that since there are SO many orders. It's possible even for one Hellknight order to oppose another.
Both of the next two Adventure Paths, "Hell's Rebels" and "Hell's Vengeance" are going to have a fair amount of information about Hellknights, including who they oppose or ally with.
I think it's fair to say that if you want a group that is almost always going to oppose the Hellknights, you'll find that group in the church of Milani, and also in most of the other chaotic churches. The Bellflower Network comes into conflict with them pretty frequently as well. And in some rare cases, House Thrune clashes against them.
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Creative Director
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Would you allow a Barbarian to rage-cycle while under the effects of an invigorate spell in your campaign?
I'm not super up-to-date on the lingo folks attribute to the game—I tend not to use phrases like "rage-cycle" in my writing or gaming at all ever. I'm also not immediately familiar with invigorate as a spell.
Looking it up, it appears that spell makes you THINK you're not fatigued when you really still are, and that makes me assume that "rage-cycle" means drop in and out of rage over and over more quickly than you could normally since you can't rage while fatigued.
In which case I would not allow it. The spell is pretty clear when it says it is "not a substitute for actual rest or respite." What it would let the barbarian do is function without the penalties from fatigue after dropping out of rage, but she'd still have to wait for that fatigue to end before entering a new rage. As normal.
I'm a big fan of old school horror fiction and am getting into Lovecraft and so naturally I'm fascinated by the upcoming 'Strange Aeons' and in particular the Outer Gods/Great Old Ones.
Is there any chance of writing up some rules for Evangelist/Exalted/Sentinel followers of Hastur and Xhamen-Dor (or any of the Outer Gods) in the publication ?
The Great Old Ones/Outer Gods are such a rich source of insane (pun intended!) RP potential it seems a shame not to flesh them out a bit!