Creative Director
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Is this accounting for a completely random result, or is the 8-ball actually magical?The 8-ball would say, "Prospects look good!"JJ,
Thanks for fielding the Mana Wastes questions. That really helps pin down some details about it for me. I would absolutely love to see a book on the region, I think there's a lot of room for exploration and clarification about it, especially in relation to its political and geographical alignment between Nex and Geb.
If I shook the magic 8-Ball, what kind of response would it give about upcoming products detailing more of the wastes?
Answer unclear. Ask again later.
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when a creature like a pairaka div uses the change shape ability do they lose all their other racial abilities while in that shape?
As with all polymorph effects, when you change shape, you lose access to abilities that require your true form to function. Natural attacks are typically always lost, for example, but spell-like abilities always go with you. For PCs, we've codified things pretty well, but for monsters, since there are well over a thousand different "baselines" there to account... it's pretty much up to the GM to interpret every one on a case by case basis.
But normally... turning into a humanoid means you lose your natural attacks, most of your physical special abilities, your natural armor, and your unusual movement modes for the most part.
Is Baba Yaga a demigod? If not, is it difficult to figure out what she is exactly?
Could Baba Yaga be a patron for witches, and thus granting spells to them?
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Creative Director
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Could Baba Yaga be a patron for witches, and thus granting spells to them?
Patrons aren't things. They're ideas. Witches aren't "granted" spells by patrons as much as they are taught them, in a way similar to how a wizard can teach an apprentice a spell... only the patron doesn't have to be nearby or even aware of the witch to do this. Or indeed be a thing at all in the first place.
So there's no way for a patron to be a thing? Could the legend of a thing be enough to be a patron, in the same way that "moon" is a patron?
James,
Are there Pathfinder RPG-era rules anywhere for the grafting of artificial limbs (magical, clockwork, or otherwise)?
If not, is this an idea which is likely to be explored in the (relatively) near future?
Daron Woodson
Abandoned Arts
I'm not James, but I may have played a James in a roleplaying game at one point.
The Skull & Shackles player's guide had some rules for prosthetics I believe, and 4 Wind Fantasy Gaming's Luven Lightfinger's Gear & Treasure Shop book has some.
What would you name this patron concept? Grants healing but is flavored as the idea of Ygdrasil complete with mostly dead guy hanging in it.... And is there anything that could fit that in Golarion? Mostly healing by way of herbs and a bit of death...
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James,
Are there Pathfinder RPG-era rules anywhere for the grafting of artificial limbs (magical, clockwork, or otherwise)?
If not, is this an idea which is likely to be explored in the (relatively) near future?
Daron Woodson
Abandoned Arts
I'm not James, But if I recall Correctly, Book of the Damned II has Demonic Hand Grafts and Book of the Damned III has an object similar to the Eye of Vecna called the Oculus of Abbadon. There's teh hand of Droskar from one of the earlier modules... I wanna say Crown of teh Kobold King?And somewhere in the Skull and Shackles path is rules for prosthetic limbs like hooks and Peg legs,
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I posted this on the Rules forum, but anyone has yet to provide me with a RAW answer. Here is the original post
Spells such as inflict light wounds and cure light wounds channel negative and positive energy respectively, for effects that change the type of energy damage that you deal (such as a sorcerer's elemental bloodline arcana or the elemental spell feat), would they affect that type of spells?
That is to say, if I have a sorcerer/oracle with the elemental bloodline, can my inflict light wounds spell deal cold damage instead?
And this is the original post. Can you please provide a definitive answer, or at least the source of where I might find one?
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Creative Director
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So there's no way for a patron to be a thing? Could the legend of a thing be enough to be a patron, in the same way that "moon" is a patron?
Patrons aren't things, because unlike a cleric who can't gain spells if her deity is destroyed... patron spells are always available to a witch. And thus, patrons can't be things. They're actually relatively poorly defined, unfortunately.
But in any event... they're not spells "granted" to the witch. The witch is an arcane spellcaster, and thus she learns her spells; they're not infused into her by a higher power. That's what divine magic is about.
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Creative Director
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Dear Mr. Jacobs
Growing up, were you a fan of the old Thundarr the Barbarian cartoons of the early 80's? With their post apocalyptic mix of super-science and sorcery it seems like a world that would be right up your alley.
I would have been, but I was not since we didn't get reception for ABC growing up. Only CBS, NBC, and the channel that at the time was KTVU, an independent station, that would eventually become FOX.
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Creative Director
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James,
Are there Pathfinder RPG-era rules anywhere for the grafting of artificial limbs (magical, clockwork, or otherwise)?
If not, is this an idea which is likely to be explored in the (relatively) near future?
There's rules for demonic limbs in "Book of the Damned 2: Lords of Chaos." There's no rules yet for artificial ones though. It's not an idea likely to be explored in the next 12 months. Beyond that... who can say? Well.. I guess I can say, but I won't.
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Creative Director
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What would you name this patron concept? Grants healing but is flavored as the idea of Ygdrasil complete with mostly dead guy hanging in it.... And is there anything that could fit that in Golarion? Mostly healing by way of herbs and a bit of death...
I would name that patron "Herbalisim" or "Medicine" or something like that.
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Creative Director
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I posted this on the Rules forum, but anyone has yet to provide me with a RAW answer. Here is the original post
And this is the original post. Can you please provide a definitive answer, or at least the source of where I might find one?
Spells such as inflict light wounds and cure light wounds channel negative and positive energy respectively, for effects that change the type of energy damage that you deal (such as a sorcerer's elemental bloodline arcana or the elemental spell feat), would they affect that type of spells?
That is to say, if I have a sorcerer/oracle with the elemental bloodline, can my inflict light wounds spell deal cold damage instead?
Positive energy and negative energy are not "energy types," despite the unfortunately confusing use of the word "energy" in their name.
There are 5 energy types in the game that cause damage: acid, cold, fire, electricity, and sonic. In many cases, sonic is left off since it's one that so few monsters are resistant or immune to.
The sorcerer's elemental bloodline arcana and spell feats cannot affect positive or negative energy at all.
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Hey James, another question for you.
A few pages back you mentioned how Azlanti were the creators of Clockwork I believe. I was curious about the Clockwork Goliath which has a cannon arm and requires the gunsmithing feat to create.
Which brings up some questions like
1) Has such a monstrosity been found on Golarion yet?
2) Did Azlanti have access to gun powder technology and thus their own brand of gunslingers?
3) If not, what would you replaces the cannon arm or did a wizard do it? My own thoughts are a giant drill!!! But that might be my own propensity for Big Daddies and their drills.
EDIT: -Sigh- In their art they already have giant drill... =(
hey james all this talk about numeria (yes more books please)
got me to thinking have you ever played gamma world and if so what version did you like best
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Ioosef, that is a case of specific over general. There are a limited number of ways to gain resistance to Positive and Negative Energy Damage.
Really it's an issue of language. There are two different energy groups: The elemental energies: acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic; and the Life energies: Positive and Negative energy. So far, if there is any interaction between two different energy types (fire and sonic for example), they stay within the same group.
An Admixture wizard can only change the energy of a spell to another in the elemental energy group. (they actually have a specific list as they can't turn spells into sonic damage but that's besides the point).
In that same way, a living cleric with the death domain basically turns negative energy into positive energy (not necessarily flavor wise but atleast mechanic wise this is true) for the purposes of whether they get healed by the effect or not.
Your aasimar does resist 5 points of negative energy damage but it is not the same thing as energy resistance or resist energy or what have you.
It isn't complex but I suppose the rules are a bit unclear.
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Creative Director
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Hey James, another question for you.
A few pages back you mentioned how Azlanti were the creators of Clockwork I believe. I was curious about the Clockwork Goliath which has a cannon arm and requires the gunsmithing feat to create.
Which brings up some questions like
1) Has such a monstrosity been found on Golarion yet?
2) Did Azlanti have access to gun powder technology and thus their own brand of gunslingers?
3) If not, what would you replaces the cannon arm or did a wizard do it? My own thoughts are a giant drill!!! But that might be my own propensity for Big Daddies and their drills.EDIT: -Sigh- In their art they already have giant drill... =(
Well... first of all... the contents of the core books aren't automatically confirmed to be part of Golarion.
The clockwork goliath, in any event, is unlikely to have been an invention of the Azlanti if they do exist in Golarion. They're probably an Alkenstar invention, if anything. I can confirm that Azlant and Thassilon BOTH had clockwork leviathans, servants, soldiers, and spies. And more.
1) We've not used a clockwork goliath yet in a Golarion book.
2) Nope.
3) I wouldn't use that clockwork goliath as an Azlanti or Thassilonian clockwork. I'd make up something new.
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Creative Director
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If positive and negative "energy" are not in fact energy, then what good is the alternate racial trait deathless spirit for Aasimars? It says that they gain resistance 5 against negative energy.
Or is that another confusing example of the word "energy"?
That's another confusing example.
I can't think of anything else in the game that gains "negative energy resistance" like that. It should have been worded different, perhaps, or not invented at all in the first place. You'll note that the description DOES feel a bit awkward... if it were fire resistance, it'd just say "you gain resist fire 5." But it doesn't say "they gain resist negative energy 5." It's all written out awkwardly because it's a really REALLY unusual situation.
But all that said, it's obvious what it means. It's just a weird and confusing case, unfortunately.
Does a 7th-level inquisitor with a Bane Baldric (UE) get early access to Greater Bane?
How, exactly, does one put out Alchemist's fire, if it's burning on a boat or something?
Foresight:
This spell grants you a powerful sixth sense in relation to yourself or another. Once foresight is cast, you receive instantaneous warnings of impending danger or harm to the subject of the spell. You are never surprised or flat-footed. In addition, the spell gives you a general idea of what action you might take to best protect yourself and gives you a +2 insight bonus to AC and on Reflex saves. This insight bonus is lost whenever you would lose a Dexterity bonus to AC.
What is the intent behind this spell? Does it really only give crappy bonuses? Or does it let me act when something would otherwise catch me off guard (such as to duck as a hidden sniper attempts to take my head off from a mile away)?
Foresight:
This spell grants you a powerful sixth sense in relation to yourself or another. Once foresight is cast, you receive instantaneous warnings of impending danger or harm to the subject of the spell. You are never surprised or flat-footed. In addition, the spell gives you a general idea of what action you might take to best protect yourself and gives you a +2 insight bonus to AC and on Reflex saves. This insight bonus is lost whenever you would lose a Dexterity bonus to AC.
What is the intent behind this spell? Does it really only give crappy bonuses? Or does it let me act when something would otherwise catch me off guard (such as to duck as a hidden sniper attempts to take my head off from a mile away)?
Think Spider-man or Jedi.
Also, when a class ability says something like "A ranger adds half his level" to something, does it mean your RANGER, level, or your CHARACTER level.
I remember it specifically saying "A ranger adds half his ranger level" in 3.5... or earlier? and it'd sure be awesome if my Samurai mount scaled to my ECL of 9, instead of my Samurai level of 2.
(also) Also, Is there no sort of Feat or something that allows you to use Diplomacy or Handle Animal with your Wild Empathy ability?
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Foresight:
This spell grants you a powerful sixth sense in relation to yourself or another. Once foresight is cast, you receive instantaneous warnings of impending danger or harm to the subject of the spell. You are never surprised or flat-footed. In addition, the spell gives you a general idea of what action you might take to best protect yourself and gives you a +2 insight bonus to AC and on Reflex saves. This insight bonus is lost whenever you would lose a Dexterity bonus to AC.
What is the intent behind this spell? Does it really only give crappy bonuses? Or does it let me act when something would otherwise catch me off guard (such as to duck as a hidden sniper attempts to take my head off from a mile away)?
Not James, but let's bold a different piece of the spell description:
"You are never surprised or flat-footed."So when the "hidden sniper try to take your head off from a mile away" you get not only the +2 insight bonus to AC, but you aren't flat footed, so no sneak attack bonus [he will have sniper goggles, obviously ;-)], full dexterity bonus to AC, normal initiative with the possibility to act before the sniper.
Not a bad effect.
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Creative Director
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How, exactly, does one put out Alchemist's fire, if it's burning on a boat or something?
Same way you'd put out any fire.
If you don't have something like a quench spell handy, you only need to take a full-round action to put out the flames. By smothering it or dousing it with water. Alchemist fire is normal fire; it's not wildfire or Greek fire or napalm, and goes out like normal fire.
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Creative Director
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Foresight:
This spell grants you a powerful sixth sense in relation to yourself or another. Once foresight is cast, you receive instantaneous warnings of impending danger or harm to the subject of the spell. You are never surprised or flat-footed. In addition, the spell gives you a general idea of what action you might take to best protect yourself and gives you a +2 insight bonus to AC and on Reflex saves. This insight bonus is lost whenever you would lose a Dexterity bonus to AC.
What is the intent behind this spell? Does it really only give crappy bonuses? Or does it let me act when something would otherwise catch me off guard (such as to duck as a hidden sniper attempts to take my head off from a mile away)?
The intent of the spell is that it gives you an insight bonus that lasts for a long time. Insight bonuses are VERY rare, and they stack with most everything. It also pretty much makes you immune to sneak attacks via the typical route. The intent behind the spell is that it grants you danger sense—spider man's "spider sense" is a good comparaion.
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Creative Director
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Also, when a class ability says something like "A ranger adds half his level" to something, does it mean your RANGER, level, or your CHARACTER level.
I remember it specifically saying "A ranger adds half his ranger level" in 3.5... or earlier? and it'd sure be awesome if my Samurai mount scaled to my ECL of 9, instead of my Samurai level of 2.
(also) Also, Is there no sort of Feat or something that allows you to use Diplomacy or Handle Animal with your Wild Empathy ability?
It means you add half your ranger level. If it meant total character level... it'd say "Character level" or just "level."
What do you mean "use Diplomacy or Handle Animal with Wild Empathy"? You mean stack them all together? Not that I know of...
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Creative Director
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I thought that the witch in her concept was a bit of a straddler between both tropes, While fundamentally an arcane caster, she does take a bit of divine's territory in the form of healing gifts. It's also rather unfortunate that you've pretty much dropped the classic witch trope of a pact. Granted it's less uniformly defined than say a cleric's bond with a deity, but I do think that DM's should be encouraged to draw from some of the classic witch tropes and make something creative from them rather than just classifying witches as concept clerics with black cats and broomsticks.So there's no way for a patron to be a thing? Could the legend of a thing be enough to be a patron, in the same way that "moon" is a patron?Patrons aren't things, because unlike a cleric who can't gain spells if her deity is destroyed... patron spells are always available to a witch. And thus, patrons can't be things. They're actually relatively poorly defined, unfortunately.
But in any event... they're not spells "granted" to the witch. The witch is an arcane spellcaster, and thus she learns her spells; they're not infused into her by a higher power. That's what divine magic is about.
So does a bard. Both of those classes blur the lines between divine and arcane. If GMs wish to do something different with patrons... go for it! I personally wish we'd done more with them and hadn't gotten all vauge... in fact, I preferred an earlier incarnation where the patron and your familiar were inexorably bound, and your familiar choice was more what granted those bonus spells. Patrons aren't really "witchy" feeling to me. Because the word "patron" sounds too mundane.
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Creative Director
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Question on Mending
When it comes to fixing ships using magic how does these spells work:
Mending-
Range 10 ft.
Target one object of up to 1 lb./levelWhat is considered an object when it comes to ships.
Is the whole ship an object?
Is one deck an object (made of numerous wood planks)?
Is a mast one object (one big trunk)?
Is the sail an object (one giant cloth)?
Is the complete hull considered an object (made of numerous wood planks)?
Is the individual wood planks of the hull and decks considered objects?
Or is it just the portion/section of the "broken" deck/hull (regardless how many plnaks are broken), mast, sail, hull considered the object.Range: For example, if the main deck is an object, then the caster has to be 10 feet away (range) and touch any part of the deck to fix it or the caster has to be 10 feet away from the actual broken spot?
Thanks
The whole gamut of using magic to repair objects is weirdly anemic and unsupported in Pathfinder. You've got DOZENS of spells that can fix hp damage to creatures in various ways, but very little in the area of objects.
Now... mending is a zero level spell. It's not really intended to be able to fix ships or huge objects, so I'd say that it wouldn't do much good at all to fix ships. You can fix a broken rope, perhaps, or something minor... but you really need make whole to heal damage to a ship's hp.
What do you mean "use Diplomacy or Handle Animal with Wild Empathy"? You mean stack them all together? Not that I know of...(also) Also, Is there no sort of Feat or something that allows you to use Diplomacy or Handle Animal with your Wild Empathy ability?
Like, a feat or something that would allow you to apply Diplomacy to your Wild Empathy check - instead of just Charisma and your Ranger Level.
I'm a fighter/samurai that multiclassed into Ranger to gain the Wild Empathy class ability, specifically because I'm extremely diplomacy focused - one of my Ronin Edicts specifically states that I must try Diplomacy first, unless it is obviously futile (when facing undead, for instance).
So Wild Empathy would have effectively allowed me to scratch Wild Animals off of the list of things that I can't reason with (and we're playing the Jade Regent adventure path, so there's a lot of outdoorsmanship going on.)
if there ISN'T a feat like that, you should, like, suggest it to someone that does rules on stuff, because it'd be pretty sweet.
1. Let's say you had the chance to do another hardcover adventure path. There's no worry about throwing off deadlines or concern about sales. However, you must create an original AP. What would you produce?
2. I plan to run an adventure in which lots of clockworks and constructs rise up and must be defeated. However, I'm worried about my spellcasters getting upset about their magical immunities. What other creatures can I add for some creature variety?
Do lamia matriarch's make good allies to demonic forces?
(Boldface is the simple question, everything follows is discussion, and context)
The core version doesn't speak to their relationship to religion, but the campaign version does.
My take-away from the campaign version of the creatures is that they're somewhat contemptuous of the gods.
Looking at them they seem like fine allies to demonic powers, because they have all the nastiness without being outsiders (and the disadvantages that come with that type). They even speak Abyssal. They both like to corrupt.
But that makes me think of their relationship to religion. And I suppose in a round about way I am feeling out the difference between demonic worship and worship of an actual god. But I am also specifically curious about the lamia matriarch.
What are your thoughts on the matter?
EDIT: made further interesting because they can cast cleric spells. I guess the whole question is really obvious to the point of being almost pointless.. I guess I'm just curious about the mixed relationship with the divine, and do demons constitute a specialized type of divine power?
Can you suggest a good map making program. I'm looking to make a world map and star map for my home brew setting. I'm currently doing some research on Campaign Cartographer 3. but I hear the interface is hard a pain.
Thank you.