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James, I was wondering, was the pricing of Amulet of Natural Armor a hold-over from 3.5? Because it costs the same as a Ring of Protection while only boosting regular & flat-footed AC; the ring boosts flat-footed, touch, and CMD.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Gonn wrote:

Dear James Jacobs,

First off, I want to say "great job!" on Pathfinder as a whole. I used to play 4E all of the time until a friend showed me this game. He got me rather hooked on it and it didn't suffer the RP drawbacks that 4E had. (I'll just attack with my CHA. Yeah, of course that makes sense!)

Anyway, I am currently in a campaign wherein the GM has ruled that using the "Prehensile Tail" alternate tiefling racial trait was legal as a "free hand" while reloading an early gun.

The entire group and I (GM included) decided that since the tail was "prehensile" that it could so long as it was being used with paper (or better) alchemical cartridges, as you'd basically just rip it open along the beeswax-sealed side and drop the contents into the barrel. That is, unless I'm mistaken about that type of ammo's usage. We tried to find such a ruling first, but to no avail.

I wanted to ask if this ruling was generally true for regular Pathfinder, and if it were also true for Pathfinder Society play should there be a difference.

We also thought that it made sense as it gave you a reason to be a Pistolero when being a gunslinger, (treating that archetype as something like a rogue/ranger in combat) VS the (unfortunate) idea that in the long run that only the Musket master gunslinger could keep up when compared to the other classes.

The exact wording for the racial trait from the Advanced Race Guide is as follows:

Prehensile Tail
Many tieflings have tails, but some have long, flexible tails that can be used to carry items. While they cannot wield weapons with their tails, they can use them to retrieve small, stowed objects carried on their persons as a swift action. This racial trait replaces fiendish sorcery.

Interesting! I've actually got a tiefling with a prehensile tail in the Way of the Wicked game I'm playing...

Anyway, the prehensile tail is capable of carrying things and retrieving small, stowed objects as a swift action, but they cannot wield weapons. That includes not being able to reload a gun. You could certainly retrieve a bullet or cartridge or whatever from a bandolier or pouch, but you couldn't load it with the tail; the tail thus does not count as a free hand.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

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Joana wrote:

Under Combat Maneuvers in the PRD:

PRD>Combat>Special Attacks>Combat Maneuvers>Performing a Combat Maneuver wrote:
Unless otherwise noted, performing a combat maneuver provokes an attack of opportunity from the target of the maneuver. If you are hit by the target, you take the damage normally and apply that amount as a penalty to the attack roll to perform the maneuver.
So a Combat Maneuver can be made more difficult by taking damage while making the attempt. Most Combat Maneuvers are instantaneous: you're either tripped or bullrushed or whatever or not. But what about Grapple? I believe it's the only Combat Maneuver that can be maintained from round to round. Do you think damage sustained by the grappler should make it more difficult for him to maintain the grapple in subsequent rounds? (I know that's not how the rules are written, but it does seem odd that peppering the grappler with arrows or stabbing him with a blade doesn't do a thing to give the grapplee a bonus to get free. Or is the idea that if the grappler is taking that much damage he ought to be incentivized to do something other than maintain the grapple on his turn?)

No difference. If you provoke an attack of opportunity when you grapple a foe, they get to try to hit ya, and if you take damage, you suffer that penalty on your CMB roll to establish a grapple. Maintaining a grapple does not provoke attacks of opportunity from the person you're grappling, since the grappled foe has the grappled condition and as a result specifically cannot make attacks of opportunity.

But adjacent foes certainly could, in which case you'd suffer the penalty on CMB checks to maintain a grapple if a foe stabs you while you're bear-hugging his ally.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

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Squeakmaan wrote:

1) Is Golarion old enough for fossilization to have taken place?

2) Can a fossilized skeleton be animated via the Animate Dead spell?

3). What sort of changes might that cause from a standard skeleton, increased AC, DR, or HP ?

1) Yes. For example, we have fossil golems in the game.

2) Yes... but see #3.

3) A fossilized skeleton would be a type of skeleton variant, similar to the burning skeleton variant. One we've not yet statted up. I would probably say that a fossilized skeleton has a speed reduction, doesn't gain Improved Initiative, and gains hardness 8 (like stone).

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Cerberus Seven wrote:
James, I was wondering, was the pricing of Amulet of Natural Armor a hold-over from 3.5? Because it costs the same as a Ring of Protection while only boosting regular & flat-footed AC; the ring boosts flat-footed, touch, and CMD.

Natural armor amulets stay the same price as a ring because, while they don't boost flat-footed stuff and all that, they DO stack with existing natural armor, which is pretty good.

But also, the fact is that the base AC bonus an item like this gives is the PRIMARY bonus it grants, to the extent that the other effects it has on secondary AC elements are negligible.


Filby Pott wrote:
AbsolutGrndZer0 wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:


B) Demon lords, Great Old Ones, kaiju, the Oliphaunt of Jandelay, Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Empyreal Lords, Archdevils, and several categories of monsters that we've been talking about in-house but haven't yet mentioned in public.

Um... Book of the Damned 3 has the Horsemen of the Apocalypse in it, doesn't it?
It has write-ups for them as deities, but not stats.

OOOOH ok lol I was like going just off the "we've been talking about in-house but haven't yet mentioned in public" didn't catch that he was talking actual STATS for for them and such. :P

Paizo Employee Creative Director

AlgaeNymph wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
Would Sorshen want to make the whole world forget Korvosa even existed, secreting all history and records into a memory hole, or would she not care as long as she can reestablish her nation and culture?
Nope. She'd build on what Korvosa has built but bend it to her will and whim.

1. What's Korvosa's law say about anyone who comes up from beneath the castle basement (i.e., the Grand Mastaba)?

2. What's the best influential position in Korvosa's government that a powerful newcomer can hope for?

3. What would Sorshen do with the top two floors of Castle Korvosa? Set up a wizard's lair? Rebuld her harem?

4. Would cleaning up Korvosa's tax code make more money for the city?

5. Will the rules in Ultimate Campaign have rules for ruling established kingdoms rather than ones that are player-built?

6. Where did you get the idea to make Korvosa such a small name, big ego of a city?

7. Given how inexpensive polymorph any object is, I'm guessing that fleshwarping in Eurythnia fleshwarping

8. You said Sorshen could change shape if she wanted to. Is it a personal ability or does she have amnion change her?

9. Has Sorshen ever birthed any children? Has she ever sired any?

10. What did Sorshen do with her harem just before Earthfall?

1) No law yet, because it hasn't yet happened and no one knows it's a problem except Illeosa, who isn't eager to spread the word.

2) Given the right circumstances, any position in Korvosa's government is something a newcomer can earn. For example, PCs from out of town who play Curse of the Crimson Throne can be rewarded with any such position by a grateful city.

3) Depends on too many variables that I'm not currently willing to limit.

4) It would probably lose the city money in the short term, but in the long term probably would help. Maybe.

5) Yes, in the same way you can use the rules in Kingmaker currently for that purpose if you're fine with simply building ad-hoc kingdoms.

6) The fact that history is rife with such examples of new settlers thinking they're better than the locals and building cities bloated by their egos.

7) Nope. Inexpensive or not, it's still expensive for most, and still an 8th level spell, which only a relative few could cast, even in Thassilon.

8) Magic.

9) Unknown.

10) Unrevealed.


James Jacobs wrote:
Joana wrote:

Under Combat Maneuvers in the PRD:

PRD>Combat>Special Attacks>Combat Maneuvers>Performing a Combat Maneuver wrote:
Unless otherwise noted, performing a combat maneuver provokes an attack of opportunity from the target of the maneuver. If you are hit by the target, you take the damage normally and apply that amount as a penalty to the attack roll to perform the maneuver.
So a Combat Maneuver can be made more difficult by taking damage while making the attempt. Most Combat Maneuvers are instantaneous: you're either tripped or bullrushed or whatever or not. But what about Grapple? I believe it's the only Combat Maneuver that can be maintained from round to round. Do you think damage sustained by the grappler should make it more difficult for him to maintain the grapple in subsequent rounds? (I know that's not how the rules are written, but it does seem odd that peppering the grappler with arrows or stabbing him with a blade doesn't do a thing to give the grapplee a bonus to get free. Or is the idea that if the grappler is taking that much damage he ought to be incentivized to do something other than maintain the grapple on his turn?)

No difference. If you provoke an attack of opportunity when you grapple a foe, they get to try to hit ya, and if you take damage, you suffer that penalty on your CMB roll to establish a grapple. Maintaining a grapple does not provoke attacks of opportunity from the person you're grappling, since the grappled foe has the grappled condition and as a result specifically cannot make attacks of opportunity.

But adjacent foes certainly could, in which case you'd suffer the penalty on CMB checks to maintain a grapple if a foe stabs you while you're bear-hugging his ally.

Interesting. Does this only apply to damage from AoOs or to any damage taken while grappling? I can certainly see a situation in which the grapplee's allies could do a great deal of damage during a round of normal attacks that completely overwhelms the +5 to maintain a grapple and makes the DC virtually impossible to achieve barring a natural 20.

What about if the grapplee does damage with a light, one-handed, or natural weapon to the grappler instead of trying to escape? Would that damage apply as a penalty to the check to maintain the grapple? I once had a halfling PC being held underwater to drown where she had no chance to make the DC to escape and the +5 to maintain the grapple made it impossible for the grappler to fail his check barring a natural 1. She just had to keep stabbing and hoping the monster ran out of hp before she ran out of breath-holding rounds. It would have been nice if the damage she dealt made it harder for her attacker to maintain the grapple round after round.


I forgot to finish my question about fleshwarping! Here's the full version, with slight revision:

7. Given how polymorph any object costs less than fleshwarping (1,200 gp labor cost compared to 10,000 gp materials cost plus time and risk), I'm guessing that fleshwarping in Eurythnia was more extensive than simple cosmetic surgery, i.e., stat boosts or a new form.

Also, my shapechanging question was a bit garbled. I should really check my work if I'm typing while sleepy. I suspect the answer'll be the same, but just in case a correction gets something different:

8. You said Sorshen could change shape if she wanted to. Is it a personal ability or does she have a minion change her? You answered "Magic" so I'm guessing you're not ready to reveal the specifics yet.


1. Looking at the Mythic Adventures playtest, there is the Hierophant path for divine spellcasters, where flavor text implies the Hierophant gradually becomes a divine patron rather than a supplicant. Would you say that in Golarion, Hierophant clerics therefore will be exceptions to the rule that a cleric must have a single divine patron, and remain in the good graces of that patron to retain their magical powers? That is to say, could there exist e.g. godless cleric Hierophants (in Golarion, or in the Great Beyond)?

2. Did Earthfall involve phenomena other than the wrecking of Azlant, cloud of ashes, tsunamis etc? It is suggested that some Doomsday Doors opened. I wonder, since it would seem that the Runelords, as individuals, could weather the destruction on a personal level, yet each descended into stasis for some reason and did not emerge for a very long time. Might there have been some sort of curse effects involved, weakening powerful individuals sufficiently that they would need to go into hibernation?


Hey James,

Just curious, what is the barbarian's World Serpent totem based on? I've searched around, but there doesn't seem to be any mention of a 'World Serpent' in Pathfinder lore.

The impression that I get from the abilities it grants is that it is some sort of pro-balance nature spirit that is heavily Neutral aligned. Would it be an enemy of Ydersius despite being another serpent?

I'm asking about this because I was thinking it would be interesting to add some serpent themed items to my campaign that would be useful against the final boss of Serpent's Skull, and the World Serpent came to mind.


James,

1) Do Catfolk call Humans "Apefolk" or Elves "Rabbitfolk"? Just checking cause I think my low wisdom Catgirl gunslinger is going to.

2) Also, my campaign world orbits a gas giant the size of Jupiter. It's considered that it's the home of the gods, like Mount Olympus. What do you think of the gas giant being a Genius Loci that watches over the inhabitants of the moons that circle it and sometimes grants the occasional Oracle her spells?

Also, As the Game Master over Cerberus Seven, many thanks for answering the ninja trick question in a way that won't be a headache for me!

3) Regarding headaches, would you allow players to pull things out of the Book of Nine Swords for use in your campaign? I think it's off limits in the next game I run.

~Tundra

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Joana wrote:

Interesting. Does this only apply to damage from AoOs or to any damage taken while grappling? I can certainly see a situation in which the grapplee's allies could do a great deal of damage during a round of normal attacks that completely overwhelms the +5 to maintain a grapple and makes the DC virtually impossible to achieve barring a natural 20.

What about if the grapplee does damage with a light, one-handed, or natural weapon to the grappler instead of trying to escape? Would that damage apply as a penalty to the check to maintain the grapple? I once had a halfling PC being held underwater to drown where she had no chance to make the DC to escape and the +5 to maintain the grapple made it impossible for the grappler to fail his check barring a natural 1. She just had to keep stabbing and hoping the monster ran out of hp before she ran out of breath-holding rounds. It would have been nice if the damage she dealt made it harder for her attacker to maintain the grapple round after round.

It only applies to Attack of Opportunity damage, since that's focused on the exact moment you're shifting your weight or scrambling for a better hold or whatever it is that you do when you roll the grapple check to maintain the hold. If you're grappling a creature that does more damage to you while you grapple it, that doesn't in and of itself make it harder to maintain your grapple, but it DOES beg the question "Why are you grappling it in the first place?"

Paizo Employee Creative Director

AlgaeNymph wrote:

I forgot to finish my question about fleshwarping! Here's the full version, with slight revision:

7. Given how polymorph any object costs less than fleshwarping (1,200 gp labor cost compared to 10,000 gp materials cost plus time and risk), I'm guessing that fleshwarping in Eurythnia was more extensive than simple cosmetic surgery, i.e., stat boosts or a new form.

Also, my shapechanging question was a bit garbled. I should really check my work if I'm typing while sleepy. I suspect the answer'll be the same, but just in case a correction gets something different:

8. You said Sorshen could change shape if she wanted to. Is it a personal ability or does she have a minion change her? You answered "Magic" so I'm guessing you're not ready to reveal the specifics yet.

7) Still... it's not commonly available. It was something only the rich and/or powerful could afford.

8) Magic = she's a 20th level mythic spellcaster. As a Thassilonian specialist in Enchantment, she can't cast spells like shapechange or polymorph herself (except of course via wish or limited wish), but that doesn't preclude her owning magic items or artifacts or simply having a magical ability granted via mythic means or via a template or whatever. And she absolutely does have legions of charmed and dominated spellcaster minions. But the exact method she does so is not yet revealed.


James Jacobs wrote:
It only applies to Attack of Opportunity damage, since that's focused on the exact moment you're shifting your weight or scrambling for a better hold or whatever it is that you do when you roll the grapple check to maintain the hold. If you're grappling a creature that does more damage to you while you grapple it, that doesn't in and of itself make it harder to maintain your grapple, but it DOES beg the question "Why are you grappling it in the first place?"

It was a freaking eidolon, in my case, that knew it could just get summoned back with a spell if it "died," unlike my PC. :P

Thanks for the answer, James!

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Analysis wrote:

1. Looking at the Mythic Adventures playtest, there is the Hierophant path for divine spellcasters, where flavor text implies the Hierophant gradually becomes a divine patron rather than a supplicant. Would you say that in Golarion, Hierophant clerics therefore will be exceptions to the rule that a cleric must have a single divine patron, and remain in the good graces of that patron to retain their magical powers? That is to say, could there exist e.g. godless cleric Hierophants (in Golarion, or in the Great Beyond)?

2. Did Earthfall involve phenomena other than the wrecking of Azlant, cloud of ashes, tsunamis etc? It is suggested that some Doomsday Doors opened. I wonder, since it would seem that the Runelords, as individuals, could weather the destruction on a personal level, yet each descended into stasis for some reason and did not emerge for a very long time. Might there have been some sort of curse effects involved, weakening powerful individuals sufficiently that they would need to go into hibernation?

1) That's flavor text I'll likely have changed for the final product. I actually feel that the flavor text for the Hierophant is kind of insulting and inappropriate for that path, and needs to be mostly rewritten anyway. But you can still absolutely become a divine patron and still be a cleric yourself. There's rankings to the divine. A demigod can absolutely pray to and serve a deity.

2) Yes. Earthfall involved LOTS of other phenomena that we'll never attempt to catalog in one place that says "this is what happened and nothing more," because I want to be able to do things like what we did with the Doomsday Doors—which was an Earthfall related event that we didn't have in mind when we first came up with Earthfall.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Matrix Dragon wrote:

Hey James,

Just curious, what is the barbarian's World Serpent totem based on? I've searched around, but there doesn't seem to be any mention of a 'World Serpent' in Pathfinder lore.

The impression that I get from the abilities it grants is that it is some sort of pro-balance nature spirit that is heavily Neutral aligned. Would it be an enemy of Ydersius despite being another serpent?

I'm asking about this because I was thinking it would be interesting to add some serpent themed items to my campaign that would be useful against the final boss of Serpent's Skull, and the World Serpent came to mind.

Where's the World Serpent totem from?

EDIT: Found it, Ultimate Combat.

Not everything in Ultimate Combat has exact analogs in Golarion, alas. Most of it does. Some of the new content in the rulebook line is created without much thought given to how that specific rule would work in Golarion flavor. The world serpent spirit is one great example.

It's obviously implying Jörmungandr of Norse mythology. We do have a Norse-inspired region in Golarion—the Land of the Linnorm Kings. And Jörmungandr could well be the father of all Linnorms—that's not something we've approached yet, because Mythic Adventures is what we need to stat Jörmungandr up. But we also haven't included Thor or Odin or Loki in Golarion's mythology... so maybe we DON'T want to include Jörmungandr... in which case the World Serpent spirit should be something else.

Or nothing at all. There's not really anything in the rules text of "World Serpent Spirit" that requires it to be associated with Jörmungandr, or even snakes, at all. It could easily be called something like "Gaia's Favor" or "Gozreh's Champion" or "Protector of the Prime" or whatever.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Tundra Dragondust wrote:

James,

1) Do Catfolk call Humans "Apefolk" or Elves "Rabbitfolk"? Just checking cause I think my low wisdom Catgirl gunslinger is going to.

2) Also, my campaign world orbits a gas giant the size of Jupiter. It's considered that it's the home of the gods, like Mount Olympus. What do you think of the gas giant being a Genius Loci that watches over the inhabitants of the moons that circle it and sometimes grants the occasional Oracle her spells?

Also, As the Game Master over Cerberus Seven, many thanks for answering the ninja trick question in a way that won't be a headache for me!

3) Regarding headaches, would you allow players to pull things out of the Book of Nine Swords for use in your campaign? I think it's off limits in the next game I run.

~Tundra

1) No. I suppose I could see someone calling humanoids "monkeyfolk" or "apefolk" as an insult, but the game already has the charau-ka, who are more obviously that type of creature. And I wouldn't imagine anyone calling an elf a "rabbitfolk" at all, because that doesn't make sense to me. Sure, elves and rabbits have long ears, but those ears look nothing alike. Calling humans "apefolk" or the like would be, in my opinion, more akin to something a character with a low Charisma would do. A low Wisdom implies lack of faith, lack of attention to detail, and lack of mental fortitude... I could see a low Wisdom catfolk having difficulty telling one human apart from another, for example, since all humans would look alike to her.

2) That's a cool idea! I've always quite liked the idea that planets are sentient and alive and aware.

3) Nope; not a fan of that book. I don't even own a copy, and I got copies of all the 3rd edition stuff for free.


James Jacobs wrote:
Joana wrote:
Interesting. Does this only apply to damage from AoOs or to any damage taken while grappling? I can certainly see a situation in which the grapplee's allies could do a great deal of damage during a round of normal attacks that completely overwhelms the +5 to maintain a grapple and makes the DC virtually impossible to achieve barring a natural 20.
It only applies to Attack of Opportunity damage, since that's focused on the exact moment you're shifting your weight or scrambling for a better hold or whatever it is that you do when you roll the grapple check to maintain the hold.

I've tried to ask a related question on the Rules Questions board multiple times with no success.

Does this DC (CMD) increase for AoOs taken in response to the CMB check apply ONLY for 'non-Improved Maneuvers' or for ANY AoO specifically triggered by the CMB attack? I am thinking of Come and Get Me, which causes all attacks against you to provoke an AoO. Would such an AoO used against a Grapple check increase the DC (CMD) by the amount of the damage? There are also other cases... Perhaps trying to Trip (with Improved Trip) using a non-Improved Unarmed Strike that means you provoke?

Also, there is the Brutal Pugilist Barbarian Archetype who gains the Savage Grapple ability that says: She can make an attack of opportunity against creatures trying to grapple her even if they possess the Improved Grapple feat or the grab special attack. If she hits with this attack of opportunity, she gains a +2 circumstance bonus to her CMD against the grapple attempt.
Even if Come and Get Me's AoO doesn't apply DMG to DC/CMD, this ability seems to be more strongly evoking the idea of 'the normal AoO for Grappling', and so it seems appropriate to apply the 'normal' DMG to DC/CMD rule for non-Improved Maneuvers in this case...??? But on the other hand, the rule also mentions another +2 circumstance bonus to CMD: would that stack on TOP of the DMG to DC/CMD boost?

I had decided that by the RAW, AoOs triggered against a maneuver, not due to the Maneuver being non-Improved but for some other reason (e.g. Come and Get Me), DON'T invoke the specific DMG to DC rule that non-Improved maneuvers's AoO use. But Savage Grapple (and any similar cases I'm not aware of) does seem to invoke those 'non-Improved Maneuver AoO' rules a bit more, so I feel like the DMG to DC should apply there...???

---------------------------------------------------

back to Joanna's question, wouldn't a Readied Attack ALSO happen 'exactly when they are shifting/establishing their grip' just like an AoO, and so shouldn't it also apply DMG to DC/CMD just like for AoO's? But I don't see that proscribed by the rules at all... (but if ALL AoO's damage, not just non-Improved Maneuver AoOs, increased the DC/CMD, then I would be more amenable to house-ruling to allow Readied Actions also to do so)

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Quandary wrote:

I've tried to ask a related question on the Rules Questions board multiple times with no success.

Does this DC (CMD) increase for AoOs taken in response to the CMB check apply ONLY for 'non-Improved Maneuvers' or for ANY AoO specifically triggered by the CMB attack? I am thinking of Come and Get Me, which causes all attacks against you to provoke an AoO. Would such an AoO used against a Grapple check increase the DC (CMD) by the amount of the damage? There are also other cases... Perhaps trying to Trip (with Improved Trip) using a non-Improved Unarmed Strike that means you provoke?
Also, there is the Brutal Pugilist Barbarian Archetype who gains the Savage Grapple ability that says: She can make an attack of opportunity against creatures trying to grapple her even if they possess the Improved Grapple feat or the grab special attack. If she hits with this attack of opportunity, she gains a +2 circumstance bonus to her CMD against the grapple attempt.
Even if Come and Get Me's AoO doesn't apply DMG to DC/CMD, this ability seems to be more strongly evoking the idea of 'the normal AoO for Grappling', and so it seems appropriate to apply the 'normal' DMG to DC/CMD rule for non-Improved Maneuvers in this case...??? But on the other hand, the rule also mentions another +2 circumstance bonus to CMD: would that stack on TOP of the DMG to DC/CMD boost?

I had decided that by the RAW, AoOs triggered against a maneuver, not due to the Maneuver being non-Improved but for some other reason (e.g. Come and Get Me), DON'T invoke the specific DMG to DC rule that non-Improved maneuvers's AoO use. But Savage Grapple (and any similar cases I'm not aware of) does seem to invoke those 'non-Improved Maneuver AoO' rules a bit more, so I feel like the DMG to DC should apply there...???

---------------------------------------------------

back to Joanna's question, wouldn't a Readied Attack ALSO happen 'exactly when they are shifting/establishing their grip' just like an AoO, and so shouldn't it also apply DMG to DC/CMD just like for AoO's? But I don't see that proscribed by the rules at all... (but if ALL AoO's damage, not just non-Improved Maneuver AoOs, increased the DC/CMD, then I would be more amenable to house-ruling to allow Readied Actions also to do so)

Well... for better or worse, one of the side effects of the "Paizo needs to get its house in order" is that I'm not supposed to be answering as many raw rules questions. Especially things that are super complicated, or at least have the appearance of being super complicated due to wall-of-text posts or long arguments in process in other threads.

I do hope that means that the rules team in the future will have a stronger presence on those boards, interacting with customers and answering questions, or at the very least keeping the FAQ files up to date...

...but for the meantime, I'll not be answering the really complex rules questions because that tends to make it look like Paizo's house isn't in order.

I can certainly still answer simpler/easier/shorter questions... so if you want my input on a rule, keep your questions brief and to the point. I don't want histories, examples, or summaries of how previous long arguments have gone—that'll just get the question passed over.

Sorry... but that's how things are changing in the short term as regards rules clarification posts.

Questions about Golarion products, non-Paizo stuff, and all the rest is ABSOLUTELY still welcome here and I'll answer them as best I can.

But if I don't answer a rule question... it's not because I don't want to or can't, but because we're trying to have those types of questions resolved by our design team.


James Jacobs wrote:

2) At this point, the new races in Advanced Race Guide do not fit into Golarion. There's not an established presence for them in the setting, and I really don't like simply adding in new PC races without having them already having an established role in the setting... or in the case of something like catfolk, an established role in the genre. The new races in Advanced Race Guide are brand new and as such don't really have ANY weight or heft to them in or out of Golarion. As such... I'm not seeing them having a role in the world. If I were to find places for them, it would be on parts of continents we haven't done much with yet, or perhaps on other planets in the Golarion solar system.

Well, none of them are totally new, all of them were in the bestiaries first... though I guess the bestiaries aren't seting-specific.

Shadow Lodge

Is the fiend folio ogl or considered intellectual property of Wotc?


Jeff Erwin wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
Mikaze wrote:

1. Why are planetars green bald giants? I'm not knocking it, as they've long been my favorite of main angel types partially because of their unique look, but I've always wondered about the "why" behind it...

2. After reading a particularly frustrating horror story elsewhere, have to ask this:

Garudas are not genocidal absolutists in their prejudice against nagas, right?

I've always assumed not, given that they're Good-aligned celestials and there's the possibility of variance in evil nagas, not to mention the presence of neutral and good nagas. But one unfortunate nagaji player apparently had a terrible time of it recently due to the opposite interpretation and there hasn't been anything to give any nuance to that aspect of garudas(though garuda-kin aasimar have gotten an anti-naga trait).

3. If not, how would you portray the prejudice garudas hold when they're dealing with good/neutral nagas?

4. Were Xin and Xanderghul related somehow, beyond the similar appearance and names that start with X?

1) Because that's kind of how they've always been portrayed in the game.

2) Garudas are not. They're good aligned. Good aligned things are not genocidal.

3) A garuda would be impatient and standoffish and smug and arrogant toward a non-neutral naga.

4) They're not related. As you'll see in Pathfinder #66, they also don't really look all that alike... Xin is much older looking than Xanderghul.

I'm going to comment a little here...

Planetars are a type of Deva/Angel. The terminology of Deva as synonymous with Angel seems to be borrowed in D&D from theosophy, which was profoundly influenced by Blavatsky's interest in Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism; and the representation of Devas as bald and green skinned seems to be adapted from a Westernized depiction of the Devas (Hindu Gods) in Buddhist (specifically Tantric or Tibetan) art.
Garudas are raptor spirits; they eat and kill snakes (Nagas) because eagles and other...

I'd like to add to this that in their first appearance in D&D, Planetars were not classified as Angels, just good spirits. Gary Gygax was adamant about not explicitly including Angels in D&D while he was in charge. When 2E rolled around, Planetars, Solars, and Devas were grouped together as "Aasimons" (hence Aasimars), and it wasn't until 3.5 that Aasimons were officially changed to Angels.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

The Golux wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:

2) At this point, the new races in Advanced Race Guide do not fit into Golarion. There's not an established presence for them in the setting, and I really don't like simply adding in new PC races without having them already having an established role in the setting... or in the case of something like catfolk, an established role in the genre. The new races in Advanced Race Guide are brand new and as such don't really have ANY weight or heft to them in or out of Golarion. As such... I'm not seeing them having a role in the world. If I were to find places for them, it would be on parts of continents we haven't done much with yet, or perhaps on other planets in the Golarion solar system.

Well, none of them are totally new, all of them were in the bestiaries first... though I guess the bestiaries aren't seting-specific.

The ones I'm talking about above are the gathlain (page 230), the kasatha (p 233), the trox (p 324), the wyrwood (p 237), and the wyvaran (p 238). Those five races are all brand new and have no ties to anything; they certainly currently have no ties to Golarion, since we've never mentioned any of those once in the past 5 years of Golarion products. They certainly haven't appeared in any bestiaries yet.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

doc the grey wrote:
Is the fiend folio ogl or considered intellectual property of Wotc?

It's the intellectual property of Wizards of the Coast.

That said, there's a few mythologically inspired things (like the shedu) or things that are also available via the Tome of Horrors (such as the demodands) in there.

But for the most part it's all closed content.


About the "Calling human Apefolk/monkeyfolk."

Ever heard about them being called "Furless ape/monkey"?

Scarab Sages

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber
James Jacobs wrote:
Well... for better or worse, one of the side effects of the "Paizo needs to get its house in order" is that I'm not supposed to be answering as many raw rules questions. Especially things that are super complicated, or at least have the appearance of being super complicated due to wall-of-text posts or long arguments in process in other threads.

Should we start an >>ASK *PAIZO'S DESIGN TEAM* ALL YOUR QUESTIONS HERE!<< thread then? Would that actually work?

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Stratagemini wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
Well... for better or worse, one of the side effects of the "Paizo needs to get its house in order" is that I'm not supposed to be answering as many raw rules questions. Especially things that are super complicated, or at least have the appearance of being super complicated due to wall-of-text posts or long arguments in process in other threads.
Should we start an >>ASK *PAIZO'S DESIGN TEAM* ALL YOUR QUESTIONS HERE!<< thread then? Would that actually work?

I wouldn't bother. It wouldn't work. The design team is focused on the rules forums and maintaining the FAQ.

Not everyone at Paizo is as dedicated to a single thread/wastes as much time on a single thread (depending on your point of view) as I am to this one. And furthermore, this thread, being in the off-topic forum, isn't attached to any real "production-based" thread. If I were to suddenly stop answering questions here, that'd be disappointing to some, but it wouldn't likely be perceived as "Paizo suddenly doesn't care about their rules!"


James Jacobs wrote:
Quandary wrote:
Question about AoO's, CMBs, Savage Grapple, etc...
Well... for better or worse, one of the side effects of the "Paizo needs to get its house in order" is that I'm not supposed to be answering as many raw rules questions. Especially things that are super complicated, or at least have the appearance of being super complicated due to wall-of-text posts or long arguments in process in other threads.

Sure thing... I really hope this 'new house order' thing works out then.

Joanna's question did seem to run right into an issue I hadn't seen resolved satisfactorily,
but in the mean time, please hit FAQ on my Rules Question thread of the same topic if you're still curious about it :-)

Shadow Lodge

Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

Hi James,

Are the Pathfinder Tales books considered cannon for Golarion?


James Jacobs wrote:
The ones I'm talking about above are the gathlain (page 230), the kasatha (p 233), the trox (p 324), the wyrwood (p 237), and the wyvaran (p 238). Those five races are all brand new and have no ties to anything; they certainly currently have no ties to Golarion, since we've never mentioned any of those once in the past 5 years of Golarion products. They certainly haven't appeared in any bestiaries yet.

Oh, right, I forgot about those. They're new, yeah, I took them mostly as examples of what you can do with the race-building rules. All the races in the Featured Races and Uncommon Races sections (such as the catfolk and changelings) were previously featured in the bestiaries, though.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Kieviel wrote:

Hi James,

Are the Pathfinder Tales books considered cannon for Golarion?

Pathfinder Tales books are canon, but as with our adventures, the dates at which the events in the Tales take place is not set in stone.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Quandary wrote:

Sure thing... I really hope this 'new house order' thing works out then.

I hope so too. I just wish it hadn't of taken a caustic thread to spur change. :-(


Probably been asked before, but; if you had one or more kid(s) how would you name him/her/them?


James Jacobs wrote:
Quandary wrote:

Sure thing... I really hope this 'new house order' thing works out then.

I hope so too. I just wish it hadn't of taken a caustic thread to spur change. :-(

Well, the majestic phoenix is reborn after a violent blaze... so there's that...

Do any groups or cultures in Golarion use glass weapons?


Does my Grenadier's class ability “Directed Blast" allow him to throw an explosive bomb twenty feet and then have it explode in a cone instead of a burst.

-Or-

Is the terminology "throws" really meant more like "activate or detonate" and is used because you effectively still throw the bomb, since you make a ranged attack roll against a target that is within the blast radius of the cone. But you cannot actually use this ability in conjunction with a thrown bomb attack.

Directed Blast (Su)
At 6th level, a grenadier can detonate a bomb so that it splashes in a 20-foot cone rather than affecting a radius. The cone starts at the alchemist and extends away from her in the direction she chooses. The alchemist designates one creature in the squares affected by the cone to be the target of the bomb and makes her attack roll against that creature; all other squares in the cone take splash damage. If the alchemist has the explosive bomb discovery and throws an explosive directed blast, the cone of splash damage is 30 feet long instead of 20 feet.
This ability replaces swift poisoning.


I remember reading a few lines about an ancient city sitting timeless under a crystal dome, where did I read that and has there been any modules/ap's that used said city?

Greg

Scarab Sages

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

So, The Emerald Spire. I can't help but notice the cover has a giant Clockwork Spider-tank on it. Your influence?

How much Input as creative Director do you have over stuff like the Pathfinder Online Kickstarter books? I ask because you're the Creative Director of Paizo, but Goblinworks isn't Paizo, but they're releasing books set in part of Golarion. Or at least they're released in connection to the Golbinworks Kickstarters. And you Did write an awesome Sanctum of a lost age in the last one... but Officially, you don't seem to be an officer or employee of Goblinworks from what I can tell, so how does that work?

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

Freedom of Movement vs Create Pit.

Does FoM let the person auto-pass their save?


Mr. James Jacobs,

Considering how Merisiel is presented, what would you say are her positive qualities?

Silver Crusade

James Jacobs wrote:
Good aligned things are not genocidal.

:)

James Jacobs wrote:
4) They're not related. As you'll see in Pathfinder #66, they also don't really look all that alike... Xin is much older looking than Xanderghul.

Woo! Xanderghul(along with Alaznist) has been the one I've wanted to know more about for a long time now, so I'm really looking forward to that! Guess I was reading a bit much into those references to Xandy's appearance.

Jeff Erwin wrote:
Planetars are a type of Deva/Angel. The terminology of Deva as synonymous with Angel seems to be borrowed in D&D from theosophy, which was profoundly influenced by Blavatsky's interest in Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism; and the representation of Devas as bald and green skinned seems to be adapted from a Westernized depiction of the Devas (Hindu Gods) in Buddhist (specifically Tantric or Tibetan) art.

Oh NOW I can see it. Can't believe I didn't catch that from the start with the old Deva name during the Planescape days. :)

Jeff Erwin wrote:

In the Mahasamaya Sutra, however, the Buddha makes peace between the Garudas and the Nagas, signifying the possibility of reconciliation between opposites and the end of eternal feuds.

According to another folk tale, Garuda forswore his killing of Nagas because he saw a Nagini mother try to protect her son from him, and their protests that they were cousins.

Oh man there's so much to play with here in a Golarion context. Especially if one goes with Korada if as the resident Buddha analogue...

I'm not sure which of those two I'd want to adopt, they both have so much potential. Maybe combining them...

Thanks for the answers!


James Jacobs wrote:
Mikaze wrote:
1. Why are planetars green bald giants? I'm not knocking it, as they've long been my favorite of main angel types partially because of their unique look, but I've always wondered about the "why" behind it...
1) Because that's kind of how they've always been portrayed in the game.

To go into extreme detail:

When planetars were first published back in Dragon #64 (August 1982), Gary Gygax wrote, "A planetar appears as a tall and powerful humanoid. In material form the skin is opaline, the head hairless, and the eyes glowing blue. The wings are double and likewise opaline." This was repeated in 1983's Monster Manual II.

Opaline is of several possible colors, but this description is specifically modified to say "emerald" for the skin and "white" for the wings in the 1991 AD&D 2nd edition Monstrous Compendium Outer Planes Appendix; those colors are repeated in the 1994 AD&D 2nd edition Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix, the 2000 D&D 3 Monster Manual, the 2003 D&D 3.5 Monster Manual, and then in the Pathfinder Bestiary.

Liberty's Edge

1 person marked this as a favorite.

I always only asked how you would rule something to work in your home games for that reason. I have a question like that for right now.

My gnoll wizard in Legacy of Fire gave birth to six half celestial gnolls. I would like to play one of those children in Broken Chains, the upcoming module (and my GM is amenable). Without level adjustment in pathfinder we are trying to figure out the best way to balance it.

The module is level six, the 3.5 LA was +4, gnoll was 2hd +1 LA. I will probably use the Advanced race guide gnoll which I believe is balanced agains the PC races. +4 seems a bit high as good as half celestial is, a level two char would probably get smushed. Any recommendations?

Liberty's Edge

James Jacobs wrote:
Gonn wrote:

Dear James Jacobs,

First off, I want to say "great job!" on Pathfinder as a whole. I used to play 4E all of the time until a friend showed me this game. He got me rather hooked on it and it didn't suffer the RP drawbacks that 4E had. (I'll just attack with my CHA. Yeah, of course that makes sense!)

Anyway, I am currently in a campaign wherein the GM has ruled that using the "Prehensile Tail" alternate tiefling racial trait was legal as a "free hand" while reloading an early gun.

The entire group and I (GM included) decided that since the tail was "prehensile" that it could so long as it was being used with paper (or better) alchemical cartridges, as you'd basically just rip it open along the beeswax-sealed side and drop the contents into the barrel. That is, unless I'm mistaken about that type of ammo's usage. We tried to find such a ruling first, but to no avail.

I wanted to ask if this ruling was generally true for regular Pathfinder, and if it were also true for Pathfinder Society play should there be a difference.

We also thought that it made sense as it gave you a reason to be a Pistolero when being a gunslinger, (treating that archetype as something like a rogue/ranger in combat) VS the (unfortunate) idea that in the long run that only the Musket master gunslinger could keep up when compared to the other classes.

The exact wording for the racial trait from the Advanced Race Guide is as follows:

Prehensile Tail
Many tieflings have tails, but some have long, flexible tails that can be used to carry items. While they cannot wield weapons with their tails, they can use them to retrieve small, stowed objects carried on their persons as a swift action. This racial trait replaces fiendish sorcery.

Interesting! I've actually got a tiefling with a prehensile tail in the Way of the Wicked game I'm playing...

Anyway, the prehensile tail is capable of carrying things and retrieving small, stowed objects as a swift action, but they cannot wield weapons. That...

I just wanted to say two things:

Firstly, thanks for you swift reply. :-D I felt quite validated by that.

And secondly, in response to your ruling (which was fair) Balls, lol.

The Exchange

Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

At what point would you say a Gunslinger can't use an advanced weapon? Say if they pick up a Gauss Needler pistol from inside the Silver Mount in the middle of a crazy 3 way fight between the Technic League, internal defense systems, and his party. Would he have to take the -4 for Exotic Weapon?

Did I mention I'm loving the Gunslinger? LOVING IT!


Say you have an extraordinarily lucky player at your table, what would you do?

I ask, because I have a player that (using multiple sets of dice, even from other people) manages to roll a natural 20 at least once every 3 rounds or so, using a longbow (which he nearly always confirms). A full attacking archer at 10th level is bad enough, but knowing that once every 3 rounds he's going to crit with that bow is kind of depressing. I have a paladin using Improced Crit and a Scimitar that doesn't get as many critical hits as this guy does with a longbow.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
James Jacobs wrote:
2) That's a cool idea! I've always quite liked the idea that planets are sentient and alive and aware.

What's your favorite living planet(s) from either novel, comic book, or other source.?


Tels wrote:

Say you have an extraordinarily lucky player at your table, what would you do?

I ask, because I have a player that (using multiple sets of dice, even from other people) manages to roll a natural 20 at least once every 3 rounds or so, using a longbow (which he nearly always confirms). A full attacking archer at 10th level is bad enough, but knowing that once every 3 rounds he's going to crit with that bow is kind of depressing. I have a paladin using Improced Crit and a Scimitar that doesn't get as many critical hits as this guy does with a longbow.

I once rolled over 13 natural 20s during one session. It was most awesome.

Liberty's Edge

Cheapy wrote:
Tels wrote:

Say you have an extraordinarily lucky player at your table, what would you do?

I ask, because I have a player that (using multiple sets of dice, even from other people) manages to roll a natural 20 at least once every 3 rounds or so, using a longbow (which he nearly always confirms). A full attacking archer at 10th level is bad enough, but knowing that once every 3 rounds he's going to crit with that bow is kind of depressing. I have a paladin using Improced Crit and a Scimitar that doesn't get as many critical hits as this guy does with a longbow.

I once rolled over 13 natural 20s during one session. It was most awesome.

I rolled 3 nat 20 and a 19 with the full attack from a scythe tree. The level 7 wizard that had just fired his scorching rays against the tree instead of mirror image wasn't happy.

Well, after being raised he wasn't happy, at that time he was very dead.


Based on Monk of the Four Winds capstone ability, is he FORCED to reincarnate, or is it a choice?

Immortality:
Immortality (Su): At 20th level, a monk of the four winds no longer ages. He remains in his current age category forever. Even if the monk comes to a violent end, he spontaneously reincarnates (as the spell) 24 hours later in a place of his choosing within 20 miles of the place he died. The monk must have visited the place in which he returns back to life at least once. This ability replaces perfect self.

Also, any chance of seeing the fifth horseman statted up with the other four?

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