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I've lost interest in the "who would win in a fight" questions, especially in cases where the NPCs have or will soon have stats. Run mock combats! You tell me who won! :-)But what about a drinking contest? And what would be the choice of alchohol they'd settle on, do you think? Do they have preferences, such as beer, wine, spirits, or a particular type of one of those?
Meh.
The NPC I like more is gonna win.
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1) If a Qlippoth and a Daemon were to get to talking about existence, what would they think of one another and their philosophies?
2) Is it at all possible for a humanoid to freak out a Kyton?
3) Does Iomedae play chess? If so, is she good at it?
1) I suspect a qlippoth and demon actually talking to each other would be so rare, and would involve such unusual personalities on each side of the conversation that it'd be impossible to guess what they'd be saying to each other.
2) Kytons are not immune to fear, and humanoids can cause fear effects with the right tools, so yes.
3) She likely does, and is likely quite good at it.
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I've lost interest in the "who would win in a fight" questions, especially in cases where the NPCs have or will soon have stats.Emphasis mine.
What mortal NPC on Golarion would be most likely to survive an encounter with Chun the Unavoidable?
The one who did and would and could.
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Mr. James Jacobs,
How would a CG demigoddess of Darkness, Endurance, and Retribution go over in Tien-Xia? Baring in mind she likes to protect those in darkness and make the darkness safe to rest in, emotional/spiritual endurance as well as physical, and just retribution not vengeance.
Depends entirely where her religion popped up. Tian Xia is bigger than 5 Inner Sea regions, after all... there's a lot of different stuff there.
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Sounds like Ultimate Equipment has an error or something. Weird. And kinda annoying.In retrospect, I think they may have been attempting to standardize naming, since most of the time, it does seem to fall into light/heavy categories...light mace/heavy mace, light crossbow/heavy crossbow, light shield/heavy shield, light pick/heavy pick...though light hammer/warhammer doesn't completely fit, but in all fairness, heavy hammer sounds kind of dumb. Still annoying when you're used to using the list in Ultimate Equipment, yeah...
3) I really can't recall, frankly, since I don't really remember the order in which I encountered them... do movies count? How about you-tube videos? Short stories and novels?Well, I was particularly thinking non-professional work, so I would say You Tube videos would count, as would any you read on a forum or something along those lines...but if you can't recall, anything is fine.
1) Do you have any favorite graphic novels? Whether fantasy, horror, or even depicting regular everyday life?
2) In Inner Sea Gods, the orc deity of slavery, subjugation, and tyranny, Lanishra, is listed as having 'Chaos, Evil, Leadership, and Strength'. Considering that Leadership isn't a domain, but a subdomain of Nobility, should that be replaced with Nobility? And conversely, should one of his subdomains then be replaced with Leadership?
3) Also from Inner Sea Gods, I couldn't help but notice that the Urgathoan spell Plague Bearer is listed as being a 6th level antipaladin spell. Considering antipaladins only get four levels of spells, would you treat this as a 4th level spell for antipaladins, or just make it a spell antipaladins don't get access to?
That's not the way to go about standardizing anything. Sneaking changes like that into less-commonly referenced books is not a fix, it's an error.
I suppose searching for "Real ghost videos" on You-Tube would have done it... there are some remarkably frightening videos there.
1) Sandman and Watchmen are old favorites. Rat Queens and Saga are new favorites.
2) That's an error. It should be Chaos, Evil, Nobility, and Strength. No change to the subdomains.
3) I'd just cut it from the antipaladin list, frankly, since Urgathoa is neutral evil anyway and not the most commonly worshiped deity by chaotic evil paladins.
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I did not say anything about Feminism. james said he would like to see all of the male superheroes be marginalized and to me that is not gender equalityInteresting valuation. James said that he'd like to see all superheroes gender bent, and to you it meant margainalising the males by turning them into women. I guess in your eyes for the women, it'd be a tradeup.
And you'd be right. Female superheros have had it rough. they're typically hostage bait, or pitted against silly opponents until recently. hardly anyone sees them as anything other than objects of tititilation. In other words, hardly characters to be taken seriously.
The fact that this question comes up shows how far we have to go.
That last line sums it up.
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How exactly does a Succubi's Energy Drain play out? Does the person just feel weaker or is it something else? Basically what are the Visual, Physical, and Physiological effects and signs of being energy drained by a Succubus?
That depends on how comfortable you are with adult situations in your game.
At the very least, it causes the victim to grow weaker in all ways, physically and mentally and spiritually.
Visual and physical are the same, aren't they? The character would be shaky and feeble and slower moving and probably have eyes drained mostly or completely of color and might have livid physical marks on their body.
Psychologically, they'd be forgetful and depressed and self-loathing and kind of act addicted to the succubus.
In fact, various stages of drug abuse victims and withdrawal symptoms aren't a bad analogy.
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How exactly does a Succubi's Energy Drain play out? Does the person just feel weaker or is it something else? Basically what are the Visual, Physical, and Physiological effects and signs of being energy drained by a Succubus?That depends on how comfortable you are with adult situations in your game.
At the very least, it causes the victim to grow weaker in all ways, physically and mentally and spiritually.
Visual and physical are the same, aren't they? The character would be shaky and feeble and slower moving and probably have eyes drained mostly or completely of color and might have livid physical marks on their body.
Psychologically, they'd be forgetful and depressed and self-loathing and kind of act addicted to the succubus.
In fact, various stages of drug abuse victims and withdrawal symptoms aren't a bad analogy.
Thankies!
*takes notes*
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James how quickly would the word get out in Golarion if someone killed one of the big threats like Treerazer or Fafnheir?
Depends on the threat. Treerazer is in the middle of the region and is at active war with a nation; news his defeat would spread like wildfire. Fafnheir is off to the edge and isn't super active; his defeat would perhaps go unnoticed for a long time unless someone went out of their way to publicize it.
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What are your thoughts on an Undead created by those killed by a Succubi's Energy Drain?
They absolutely exist.
In fact, having a specific kind of undead created by that specific kind of energy drain is an interesting idea for a new monster... although it would need to contain language like "some, but not all, of those drained to death by a succubus rise as free-willed undead..." because the succbuus doesn't have a create spawn ability, and building a monster that stealth-grants an existing monster new powers is bad design.
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James, I'm going to Gen Con for the first time this year. What should I plan on doing that isn't an event I find in the guide?
I'm the wrong one to ask. I've only ever gone to Gen Con as an employee of Paizo, and as such, my interaction with Gen Con is as a worker. It's not a vacation for me—it's a lot of hard work filled with seminars and booth duty and meetings and manual labor.
The things I generally do beyond that usually involve getting as much extra sleep as I can so I don't get con crud.
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I did not say anything about Feminism. james said he would like to see all of the male superheroes be marginalized and to me that is not gender equalityInteresting valuation. James said that he'd like to see all superheroes gender bent, and to you it meant margainalising the males by turning them into women. I guess in your eyes for the women, it'd be a tradeup.
And you'd be right. Female superheros have had it rough. they're typically hostage bait, or pitted against silly opponents until recently. hardly anyone sees them as anything other than objects of tititilation. In other words, hardly characters to be taken seriously.
The fact that this question comes up shows how far we have to go.
Actually, what he said was that superheroes could be genderbent and that the men would be put into margainalizing positions
I'd not mind seeing pretty much ALL the superheroes do a gender change, and make a world where the vast majority of superheroes are women and the superheroes who are men were mostly regulated to sidekick or eye-candy or marginalized status.
Xavier didn't assume that. It was explicitly stated in the quote (bolded for emphasis). And while JJ did say it to get people thinking, it's hard to convey that over the internet (much like sarcasm and humor). So he took it as it was stated.
I regret asking that question now...
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I regret asking that question now...
Honestly, I didn't want to bring it up. But LazarX is misreading xavier and making him out to be the bad guy, and I don't like that.
James did not just say he'd like to see all superheroes gender bent. He went on to say that he would like to see male superheroes marginalized.
That is not xavier's interpretation. It is what James typed.
I regret asking that question now...Can't do anything about that mate.... Fixed Point in Time and all that.
Don't try to help me with your sorcerer's ways, Doctor Who, your sad devotion to that ancient series that I don't watch hasn't helped you find your way onto my T.V. screen. :P [/teasing]
a while ago you said that there are religious scientists are there any well known religious scientist that you know by name
I regret asking that question now...Honestly, I didn't want to bring it up. But LazarX is misreading xavier and making him out to be the bad guy, and I don't like that.All I did was hold up a mirror and interpret pretty much what he said. Jacobs said that he'd like to see ALL superheros gender bent, and what he took that to mean the marginalization of the male heroes.
If you take that as Xavier being a bad guy, that's your lookout, not mine. I see it as nothing more than a typical male reaction. As to what that says about men in general, that's for others to decide. What I've said about the treatment of female characters in superhero comics, I stand by.
Except you missed the part where JJ said that male superheroes would be relegated to sidekick and marginalized status. Go back and read the quote. There was no assuming that the male superheroes would be marginalized. He literally wrote it. If it was just "superheroes can swap genders" then yeah, xavier would be making a false assumption about it. But there was no false assumption. It's there, in bold for you, that the male superheroes would be marginalized.
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Okay... let's get back to questions on the thread. It's been going on too long to get derailed.
I probably should have not answered the question at all, honestly, since there was no way for me to do so without folks getting riled up. That said... this is me answering. You ask, and I answer. Not Paizo. Not your GM. Not necessarily even your friend (although I like to think I could be EVERYONE'S friend, the internet's good at reminding me that's probably unlikely).
The fact that folks DO get riled up tells me that it's important to discuss, and that we've got a long way to go to make up for decades of unfair gender bias and the like....
But we already know that.
So.
Let's get back to questions and I'll get back to answers.
In the meantime... be nice to each other!
HUGS!
Now.
More questions!
My understanding is you wanted to retcon the 'Taldor hates Sarenrae' bit in Golarion. How do you feel about the Iconic Slayer's backstory since it draws heavily on the very thing you wish to remove?
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Creative Director
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My understanding is you wanted to retcon the 'Taldor hates Sarenrae' bit in Golarion. How do you feel about the Iconic Slayer's backstory since it draws heavily on the very thing you wish to remove?
I think Erik hit the notes exactly perfect, and it's in this way, via fiction and material written by powerful, excellent writers who understand the complexities of the situation, that I want to move forward.
I don't want to retcon the "Taldor hates Sarenrae" thing at all. If I did, I would have removed it from the Inner Sea World Guide entirely and would not be talking about it still today.
I think that it's a FASCINATING example of a religious schism, and one that has a lot of room for exploration... in fact, I'd like to do an entire AP some day focusing on it and why it came to be and where it's going. The fact that the initial introduction to the whole thing was kind of poorly thought out and awkwardly presented and confusing is what I object to... and now, what you're seeing in Zadim's background and in other places (such as the Taldor and Qadira entries in the Inner Sea World Guide) is myself, Erik, and others whom I trust and know can handle the complex subject with the skill needed to carry it through is a further exploration of the situation.
I think that it's a FASCINATING example of a religious schism, and one that has a lot of room for exploration... in fact, I'd like to do an entire AP some day focusing on it and why it came to be and where it's going. The fact that the initial introduction to the whole thing was kind of poorly thought out and awkwardly presented and confusing is what I object to... and now, what you're seeing in Zadim's background and in other places (such as the Taldor and Qadira entries in the Inner Sea World Guide) is myself, Erik, and others whom I trust and know can handle the complex subject with the skill needed to carry it through is a further exploration of the situation.
If this type of AP doesn't happen, I will be sad. though as you said people you should trust should write it, and if Zadim and Kyra aren't the Iconics for it.......Zadim will not be pleased. But I would look forward to such an AP, especially with player companions and campaign setting volumes to help flesh out the situation. :)
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I think that it's a FASCINATING example of a religious schism, and one that has a lot of room for exploration... in fact, I'd like to do an entire AP some day focusing on it and why it came to be and where it's going. The fact that the initial introduction to the whole thing was kind of poorly thought out and awkwardly presented and confusing is what I object to... and now, what you're seeing in Zadim's background and in other places (such as the Taldor and Qadira entries in the Inner Sea World Guide) is myself, Erik, and others whom I trust and know can handle the complex subject with the skill needed to carry it through is a further exploration of the situation.If this type of AP doesn't happen, I will be sad. though as you said people you should trust should write it, and if Zadim and Kyra aren't the Iconics for it.......Zadim will not be pleased. But I would look forward to such an AP, especially with player companions and campaign setting volumes to help flesh out the situation. :)
It'll happen. (I HOPE!!!) Probably not for a few years. I initially wanted to start Jade Regent with Pathfinder #19, and that one didn't start until #49. I've wanted to do something with Numeria and the Worldwound from the start, and those just came out this year and last year. So... a Sarenrae schism AP might well be 5 years away at this point. Or more.
And at that point, who knows how many iconics we'll have?
It'll happen. (I HOPE!!!) Probably not for a few years. I initially wanted to start Jade Regent with Pathfinder #19, and that one didn't start until #49. I've wanted to do something with Numeria and the Worldwound from the start, and those just came out this year and last year. So... a Sarenrae schism AP might well be 5 years away at this point. Or more.And at that point, who knows how many iconics we'll have?
Until then I suggest the Iconics be from the current lineup...
Kyra(desiring peace and helping her church), Zadim(history with Qadrian government and CotDF), Quinn(wanting to find out the truth and solving the mystery), and Alain(representing Taldor and being a lawful bastard).
In terms of other products you could get,
2 campaign setting books reprinting Qadria and Taldor
Player companion dealing with Qadria, Taldor, and Jalmeray(?), People of the Empires.
Core rulebook, Advanced Subterfuge detailing about factions, "cold war era" type tactics, Spying, assassination, blackmail, intrigue, and new archetypes to help classes fit those themes if they don't have them already.
edit:Sorry, my creative wheels were running and I forgot the breaks.
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Does anyone actually USE an iconic for an AP? Are the AP's even play tested with a party of Iconics? It's pretty evident that a recent module that featured the Swashbuckler iconic certainly wasn't play tested with him.
That's missing the point entirely.
The iconics aren't about playtesting. They're about flavor building and artwork and story. You'll note we haven't included stats for iconics in an Adventure path for years and years. That's why.
They also serve as pre-gens for folks who want to play in PFS and don't have characters of their own.
So the question of who we'd illustrate a Sarenrae schism AP ENTIRELY matters, and is, in fact, a great question.
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James did not just say he'd like to see all superheroes gender bent. He went on to say that he would like to see male superheroes marginalized.
That is not xavier's interpretation. It is what James typed.
I believe that his point was that the male heroes would be marginalized by becoming women, that assumptions would be made as to their lessened capabilities because of their change in gender.
The first commercial Star Trek set of anthologies, The New Voyages had a story in which the entire crew of the Enterprise is gender bent by an alien trap. (with the exception of Spock, who is given an extra Y chromosome.) The now female-bodied Kirk tries to macho his way out of a social situation in a bar when he discovers that going by male assumptions turns it into a disaster that he needs to be rescued from. In the conclusion of the story one of the women who had been altered decides to retain her male form, knowing that more opportunities in Star Fleet are open to her now. (this story was written years before TNG hit the screen with it's fait accompli assumptions)
No more, please. Please take this discussion to another thread, or if you feel the need to speak to me about it, PM me or email me. Let's leave this thread to questions for me, please. I don't wanna have to start flagging posts in here! :-)
More or less, yeah.
We've mentioned a concept of "divine laws" before that enumerate the ways the gods can and cannot interact with mortals, and what is to be done when they do, and that Rovagug breaking these laws is what started the war that ended with his imprisonment, but we'll not be showing those laws off in public. Because they're not actually written down here at Paizo. Because we're not gods and can't do them justice.
Would you categorize them in either broad strokes laws like the Ten Commandments or more like an Asmodean contract that has so many caveats that it takes a god to work with it without shooting themselves in the foot? Bit of both? Some Commandment main course with contract garnishing, maybe?
A better question might be if you guys have ever directly, seemingly contradicted yourselves with the gods so as to create some real head scratchers. Have you?
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More or less, yeah.
We've mentioned a concept of "divine laws" before that enumerate the ways the gods can and cannot interact with mortals, and what is to be done when they do, and that Rovagug breaking these laws is what started the war that ended with his imprisonment, but we'll not be showing those laws off in public. Because they're not actually written down here at Paizo. Because we're not gods and can't do them justice.
Would you categorize them in either broad strokes laws like the Ten Commandments or more like an Asmodean contract that has so many caveats that it takes a god to work with it without shooting themselves in the foot? Bit of both? Some Commandment main course with contract garnishing, maybe?
A better question might be if you guys have ever directly, seemingly contradicted yourselves with the gods so as to create some real head scratchers. Have you?
I wouldn't categorize them at all. The Ten Commandments were laws created for humanity. These are not... these are laws created for gods, and as such, are not things humanity could comprehend.
That might feel like a cop out, but I'm not interested in building a set of rules that we have to consult and weigh the balance of every time we build a new bit of world lore... which we'd kind of have to do, since building worlds is what gods are all about.
We've certainly contradicted ourselves. We've more or less implied that the gods do NOT intervene directly in mortal affairs, but they do it all the time. Be it Aroden coming down to defeat Deskari, Iomedae showing up in Wrath of the Righteous to talk to the PCs, or what happened at Earthfall.
Which is why I'm not interested in enumerating those "laws" or really even calling them "laws" at all in print.
James,
An inquisitor is proficient with the favored weapon of his deity. Ragathiel's favored weapon is a bastard sword. Does this mean that an inquisitor of Ragathiel is able to use a bastard sword in one hand (as if he had the exotic weapon proficiency)? Or is he only proficient with said weapon in two hands (as a martial weapon)?
Your thoughts?
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Creative Director
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James,
An inquisitor is proficient with the favored weapon of his deity. Ragathiel's favored weapon is a bastard sword. Does this mean that an inquisitor of Ragathiel is able to use a bastard sword in one hand (as if he had the exotic weapon proficiency)? Or is he only proficient with said weapon in two hands (as a martial weapon)?
Your thoughts?
That means exactly that, yes, an inquisitor of Ragathiel (and also a cleric of Ragathiel) effectivley gets Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword) as a bonus feat.