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The Thing from Beyond the Edge:

I believe the solution to your question is to apply Awaken normally, then factor in the appropriate penalty for the Bestow Curse after Awaken is done.

- Gauss


Haladir wrote:
Not to step on JJ's toes, but creatures of the Animal type have an Int of 1 or 2. Nonintelligent animal-like creatures are generally Vermin, and animal-like creatures with an Int of 3 or more are Magical Beasts. See the "Creature Types" section of the PRD.

But, a vivisectionist alchemist can use anthropomorphic animal with a permanent duration upon reaching 9th level...

vivisectionist alchemist ability:

Torturous Transformation

At 7th level, a vivisectionist adds anthropomorphic animal to his formula book as a 2nd-level extract. When he uses this extract, he injects it into an animal as part of a 2-hour surgical procedure. By using multiple doses of this extract as part of the surgery, he multiplies the duration by the number of extracts used.

At 9th level, a vivisectionist adds awaken and baleful polymorph to his formula book as 3rd-level extracts. When he uses the awaken or baleful polymorph extract, he injects it into the target (not a plant) as part of a 24-hour surgical procedure. He can make anthropomorphic animal permanent on a creature by spending 7,500 gp.

Anthropomorphic animal gives an animal an intelligence of 3, normally making it not possible as a beneficiary of awaken...

anthropomorphic animal:

anthropomorphic animal description

You transform the touched animal into a bipedal hybrid of its original form with a humanoid form, similar to how a lycanthrope's hybrid form is a mix of a humanoid and animal form. The animal's size, type, and ability scores do not change. It loses its natural attacks except for bite (if it had one as an animal), all types of movement other than its land speed, and special attacks that rely on its natural attacks. One pair of its limbs is able to manipulate objects and weapons as well as human hands do; limbless animals like snakes temporarily grow a pair of arms. The creature's Intelligence increases to 3, and it gains the ability to speak one language you know. It is not considered proficient in any manufactured weapons. It can attack with unarmed strikes, dealing unarmed strike damage for a creature of its size (unless it has a bite attack, which is a natural attack).

Anthropomorphic animal can be made permanent with a permanency spell cast by a caster of 11th level or higher at a cost of 7,500 gp.

awaken:

awaken

You awaken a tree or animal to human-like sentience. To succeed, you must make a Will save (DC 10 + the animal's current HD, or the HD the tree will have once awakened). The awakened animal or tree is friendly toward you. You have no special empathy or connection with a creature you awaken, although it serves you in specific tasks or endeavors if you communicate your desires to it. If you cast awaken again, any previously awakened creatures remain friendly to you, but they no longer undertake tasks for you unless it is in their best interests.

An awakened tree has characteristics as if it were an animated object, except that it gains the plant type and its Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores are each 3d6. An awakened plant gains the ability to move its limbs, roots, vines, creepers, and so forth, and it has senses similar to a human's.

An awakened animal gets 3d6 Intelligence, +1d3 Charisma, and +2 HD. Its type becomes magical beast (augmented animal). An awakened animal can't serve as an animal companion, familiar, or special mount.

An awakened tree or animal can speak one language that you know, plus one additional language that you know per point of Intelligence bonus (if any). This spell does not function on an animal or plant with an Intelligence greater than 2.

By using the alchemist vivisectionist's ability to make anthropomorphic animal permanent for 7,500 gp (or a wizard using anthropomorphic animal and permanency and 7500 gp) one can create a talking animal with arms and opposeable thumbs and an intelligence of three. By reducing the intelligence back down and then casting awaken, you can create your very own Doctor Moreau style creatures.


Short answer: you cannot normally use both Anthropomorphic animal and Awaken on the same animal. One usually precludes the other.

Long answer: Only Ability Drain (not damage or penalties) can do what you are trying to accomplish. This is covered on CRB p555.

CRB p555 first quote wrote:
This damage does not actually reduce an ability, but it does apply a penalty to the skills and statistics that are based on that ability.
CRB p555 second quote wrote:
While in effect, these penalties function just like ability damage, but they cannot cause you to fall unconscious or die.
CRB p555 third quote wrote:
Ability drain actually reduces the relevant ability score.

- Gauss


Gauss wrote:

Short answer: you cannot normally use both Anthropomorphic animal and Awaken on the same animal. One usually precludes the other.

Long answer: Only Ability Drain (not damage or penalties) can do what you are trying to accomplish. This is covered on CRB p555.

CRB p555 first quote wrote:
This damage does not actually reduce an ability, but it does apply a penalty to the skills and statistics that are based on that ability.
CRB p555 second quote wrote:
While in effect, these penalties function just like ability damage, but they cannot cause you to fall unconscious or die.
CRB p555 third quote wrote:
Ability drain actually reduces the relevant ability score.
- Gauss

Except that bestow curse is not a penalty of 6 to a score. It specifically states the score is reduced by 6. It applies a penalty to attack rolls, saves, ability checks, and skill checks.

bestow curse:

You place a curse on the subject. Choose one of the following.

-6 decrease to an ability score (minimum 1).
-4 penalty on attack rolls, saves, ability checks, and skill checks.
Each turn, the target has a 50% chance to act normally; otherwise, it takes no action.
You may also invent your own curse, but it should be no more powerful than those described above.

The curse bestowed by this spell cannot be dispelled, but it can be removed with a break enchantment, limited wish, miracle, remove curse, or wish spell.

Bestow curse counters remove curse.

Also, you left out the entire quote:

***
Some spells and abilities cause you to take an ability penalty for a limited amount of time. While in effect, these penalties function just like ability damage, but they cannot cause you to fall unconscious or die.
***

Bestow curse is permanent and therefore does not occur for a limited amount of time. Therefore the second sentence does not apply.

And, the full quote was left out on the first also:

***
Diseases, poisons, spells, and other abilities can all deal damage directly to your ability scores. This damage does not actually reduce an ability, but it does apply a penalty to the skills and statistics that are based on that ability.
***

But, bestow curse does not cause ability damage. It can permanently decrease an ability score by 6. Damage is not permanent. A decrease is not the same thing as damage.

Liberty's Edge

James Jacobs wrote:
Shirokitsune wrote:

A question regarding your possible actions in a game of mine.

Situation: a pair of high level characters got teleported for error from Golarion to our Earth and they are on a quest to find how to return. It's 2014 on Earth.

Reasoning. Golarion really DOES exists. The fact that on our planet you, at paizo, are writing about Golarion can only means a thing. That YOU are from Golarion! Maybe even from the future, since you know sooo much about it.

Then, a day, a news from China, a militar helicopter got crashed from a black dragon ridden by a human. An HD video on youtube shows it very clearly.

Don't know what you are. Maybe you are a high level adventurer, a mythic time-traveler wizard, a god of some kind.. don't know, just be what you like.

What do you do?

Crash us under your mighty tyrannousaurus feet It's not an option D:

And sorry for my bad english.

Ha!

This sort of meta-fiction, where the creator ends up inside the world he creates, is always fascinating. Stephen King did this in his Dark Tower books to pretty good effect.

As for what I would be in a game like this... that's something you'd need to decide for the needs of the game. If it were left to me, I'd probably end up stating myself up as a mid-level expert. But if you want to stat me up as a 20th level bard or something, I won't stop you! :-)

A 17th level bard/pathfinder with a pair of Mythic levels. You have still a few levels of growth available.

The Pathfinder part because you have evidently stumbled upon something that "man wasn't meant to know" to get here from Golarion.
;-)

Liberty's Edge

James Jacobs wrote:
Ash_Gazn wrote:
On the topic of the Muleback cords... could these be fitted to a riding dog to allow her to carry more?

Okay then.

Since this is a shoulder slot item, it depends if your GM allows dogs to wear shoulder slot items. If he is okay with letting them wear muleback cords, he has to be okay with letting them wear capes and cloaks. To me... that takes the game in a too-comedic "Underdog" sort of world that I don't enjoy in a serious game, so I would not allow dogs to wear muleback cords if I were the GM.

"Diego has a vision of superman dog with the red cape in some old comics" shudder

Beside that, while a cape or similar item seem really comic-like, a pack saddle with that effect seem a reasonable item.
You allow the crafting of custom magic items in your games?

That made me think about pack saddles and masterwork backpack.
It would be possible to make a masterwork pack saddle that work similarly to a masterwork backpack, increasing the strength of the use by 1 point for carrying capacity only?


Gauss wrote:

Short answer: you cannot normally use both Anthropomorphic animal and Awaken on the same animal. One usually precludes the other.

Long answer: Only Ability Drain (not damage or penalties) can do what you are trying to accomplish. This is covered on CRB p555.
- Gauss

Actually, if you just want to awaken an anthropomorphic animal you can imo, because the superior int doesn't affect the creature type because of this line:

Quote:
The animal's size, type, and ability scores do not change.

Thus, despite it raising the creature's INT it explicitly doesn't change it's type and thus qualifies for awaken.

However, I could be wrong. And if you're right, you'd have to drain the Antropomorphic Animal's Int, since, once it's awakened it it's a Magical Beasty.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

The Thing from Beyond the Edge wrote:

I have an odd question here.

If a creature with the type "animal" but an intelligence of greater than 2 is hit with a bestow curse spell that (permanently, the duration of the spell) lowers the creatures intelligence to 2 or 1, would it then be eligible as a recipient of the "awaken animal" spell? Or, would the fact that the intelligence was artificially lowered by curse and could be restored by remove curse somehow prevent this?

I'm thinking the former but cede some might argue the latter. What is your opinion?

First off... a creature of the Animal type should probably be regarded as a Magical Beast once its Intelligence hits 3 or above. But in the event of the situation you describe... no, I would not let Awaken work on the weirdo animal.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

AlgaeNymph wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
And while lesser planar binding allows access to commune (and all sorts of other options) via a conjured creature... it's still the conjured creature who does that, not you, and that means you're basically either hiring or enslaving a creature to do your work for you, which may not be to some players' tastes.

1. Well…what if I'm an evil PC like in Way of the Wicked? Or what if an evil NPC wants to make an CR 2 outsider cast commune?

2. Also, couldn't an evil summoner threaten, or mind control, the outsider into not lying?

3. Suppose an evil level 20+ wizard wants some questions answered via divination. Comparing two spells:

Contact other plane: 5th level, 10 questions, one-word answers, ~1-in-5 chance of a lie, risks Int/Cha decrease unless Int is 38+ (for "intermediate deity")

Lesser planar binding: 6th level, 12 questions, yes/no/unclear, completely accurate (assuming outsider doesn't lie), no risk

What would she opt for?

4. Can a one-word answer from contact other plane be the name of a person, place, or thing?

5. Didn't the runelords have the common sense to get a level 5+ cleric minion to cast commune and ask "Is Sorshen's proposed deal going to grant her an advantage over me?"

6. Outside of Razmiran, wouldn't level 5+ clerics in Avistan have the common sense to ask via commune "Is Razmir a god?", "Did Razmir even take the Test of the Starstone?", and "Is Razmir mortal?"

7. Was Xin silly for giving Sorshen a double weapon? Was Sorshen silly for keeping it?

8. What's the story behind Andoran? Also, I can't help notice it's not on the "particular interest" list above

1) There are over a thousand spells in the game. Many of them do similar things. This is on purpose, because that lets players and GMs fine-tune their characters and NPCs as they wish. Some may prefer spell A and others might prefer spell B event though they both end up having similar effects in the end. This doesn't make A a better choice than B or vice-versa. AKA: Pick the spell that works best for your character. There is no right answer except the one YOU want to be right.

2) Any spellcaster could do that. Depending on the spell or skill check they make, and the GM's willingness to play along.

3) Depends ENTIRELY on the character's personality and preference.

4) If the GM wants it to be.

5) Didn't Sorshen have the common sense to get a cleric to cast commune and ask something to counteract that question?

6) First off... by they way... it takes a level 9+ cleric to cast commune. Anyway... there could well have been spellcasters to cast this spell and they may well have gotten answers... but that won't make a difference to someone who doesn't trust you when you say "I cast a spell and it says something you don't want to believe." Also... sometimes gods lie.

7) No, but the artist who interpreted "double-headed glavie" to be a double weapon and NOT a glavie with two blades at one end is silly, especially since we're now kinda stuck with the double weapon version of it which is really frustrating. I'll probably change that some day down the road though back to the glaive with 2 blades at one end.

8) The story behind Andoran is detailed in the Inner Sea World Guide. It's not on the particular interest list above because not everyone can like every thing, and we have far more nations in the Inner Sea region than we have editors and developers to have favorites for all of them.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

The Thing from Beyond the Edge wrote:
Haladir wrote:
Not to step on JJ's toes, but creatures of the Animal type have an Int of 1 or 2. Nonintelligent animal-like creatures are generally Vermin, and animal-like creatures with an Int of 3 or more are Magical Beasts. See the "Creature Types" section of the PRD.

But, a vivisectionist alchemist can use anthropomorphic animal with a permanent duration upon reaching 9th level...

** spoiler omitted **

Anthropomorphic animal gives an animal an intelligence of 3, normally making it not possible as a beneficiary of awaken...

** spoiler omitted **...

Way to pick out two abilities I really REALLY tried to have cut from those books because they were more trouble than they were worth.

Both of those effects are ways to magically augment animals, and in my opinion, should also turn them into magical beasts. I might not be able to change that in the rulebook, but I can certainly make sure that we rarely or NEVER use those options in Golarion products.


Darth Grall, Awaken requires an int of 1 or 2. A 3 int makes the animal ineligible. Thus, it does not qualify IF it has a 3 int. Hence my statement.

- Gauss

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Diego Rossi wrote:

Beside that, while a cape or similar item seem really comic-like, a pack saddle with that effect seem a reasonable item.

You allow the crafting of custom magic items in your games?

That made me think about pack saddles and masterwork backpack.
It would be possible to make a masterwork pack saddle that work similarly to a masterwork backpack, increasing the strength of the use by 1 point for carrying capacity only?

I absolutely allow the crafting of custom magic items and custom magic spells in my games. Those are some of the most fun parts of playing a spellcaster, after all.

It's possible to create ANY effect as a magic item, and therefore a saddle that does something like what you suggest is also possible.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Okay... I now officially suggest that the anthropomorphic cursed awakened animal topic please move on to its own thread. Keep this one to questions. Thanks!


Sorry JJ. :)

- Gauss


Mr. Jacobs:
How do you run the bard ability Fascinate when the bard uses it in, say, a crowd of 20 people:
1) if the bard doesn't care who gets fascinated (just "one or more creatures"--for example to use the incite violence ability of the Demagogue bard archetype)
2) If he wants "that cute redhead, and the blonde over there" (and is level 4--high enough to target both)
3) If he wants "that cute redhead, and the blonde over there" (and is level 1--and can only fascinate 1 creature)


James Jacobs wrote:
First off... by they way... it takes a level 9+ cleric to cast commune [and not level 5+].

1. Wow… How exactly did I make that blunder? Did I look at the spell level and get my brain wires crossed?

2. "Didn't Sorshen have the common sense to get a cleric to cast commune and ask something to counteract that question?"

Eh? How do you use commune to stop someone from asking a question? "Ask how to keep someone from questioning you" wouldn't make sense for a yes/no spell. Did you have some other divination in mind, like vision?

3. Speaking of vision, Can I use it to learn the true name of something I just summoned?

4. "No, but the artist who interpreted "double-headed glaive" to be a double weapon and NOT a glaive with two blades at one end is silly, especially since we're now kinda stuck with the double weapon version of it which is really frustrating."

The artist also missed, or disregarded, that Sorshen was described as "voluptuous," though admittedly this was once in Pathfinder #5, p.23. (That reminds me, I'll have to ask Merisiel if Seoni or Alahazra have back pain.)

Anyway, for her weapon, I'd suggest changing it back and giving it the transformative ability, maybe even combining it with her staff while you're at it. Her ioun stones are already inconsistent in the artwork so I think you can get away with this.

5. When I asked about Andoran I meant the behind-the-scenes story behind it.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Odea wrote:

Mr. Jacobs:

How do you run the bard ability Fascinate when the bard uses it in, say, a crowd of 20 people:
1) if the bard doesn't care who gets fascinated (just "one or more creatures"--for example to use the incite violence ability of the Demagogue bard archetype)
2) If he wants "that cute redhead, and the blonde over there" (and is level 4--high enough to target both)
3) If he wants "that cute redhead, and the blonde over there" (and is level 1--and can only fascinate 1 creature)

The bard gets to pick his targets... so it's not up to me who gets affected unless I'm playing the bard.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

AlgaeNymph wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
First off... by they way... it takes a level 9+ cleric to cast commune [and not level 5+].

1. Wow… How exactly did I mate that blunder? Did I look at the spell level and get my brain wires crossed?

2. "Didn't Sorshen have the common sense to get a cleric to cast commune and ask something to counteract that question?"

Eh? How do you use commune to stop someone from asking a question? "Ask how to keep someone from questioning you" wouldn't make sense for a yes/no spell. Did you have some other divination in mind?

3. Can I use vision to learn the true name of something I just summoned?

4. "No, but the artist who interpreted "double-headed glaive" to be a double weapon and NOT a glaive with two blades at one end is silly, especially since we're now kinda stuck with the double weapon version of it which is really frustrating."

The artist also missed, or disregarded, that Sorshen was described as "voluptuous," though admittedly this was once in Pathfinder #5, p.23. (That reminds me, I'll have to ask Merisiel if Seoni or Alahazra have back pain.)

Anyway, for her weapon, I'd suggest changing it back and giving it the transformative ability, maybe even combining it with her staff while you're at it. Her ioun stones are already inconsistent in the artwork so I think you can get away with this.

5. When I asked about Andoran I meant the behind-the-scenes story behind it.

1) We all make mistakes; no worries!

2) I'm trying to say that all the runelords were smarter than me and you both. To the extent that using Commune against one isn't necessarily going to help. They're smart enough not to need commune to know that Sorshen might not have their best interests at heart.

3) Up to the GM. Also up to the GM what that knowledge can give you. It's generally more fun to have true names be discovered as part of an adventure though.

4) Artists often get things wrong, and often when they do, we change the words to match the art because art is a LOT more expensive and harder to change than words. THat said... Sorshen can absolutely change her appearance as she wishes.

5) There's not really a behind the scenes story of any real interest. It's not a region I've had a lot to do with.

Scarab Sages

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Mr. Jacobs:
Sometimes, when I feel I have trouble fleshing out a character, I try to think of what that character would be in a completely different scenario - that often helps me thinking of traits or quirks I hadn't thought of earlier, making the character feel more 'alive'.

So: What kind of characters would Merisiel, Ameiko and Shensen be in
a) a classic era Call of Cthulhu campaign?
b) a contemporary horror campaign?
c) your own post apocalyptic campaign?

Do you have any tricks you use when you feel a character isn't 'complete' yet, but you ran out of ideas for the moment?


James Jacobs wrote:
Diego Rossi wrote:

Beside that, while a cape or similar item seem really comic-like, a pack saddle with that effect seem a reasonable item.

You allow the crafting of custom magic items in your games?

That made me think about pack saddles and masterwork backpack.
It would be possible to make a masterwork pack saddle that work similarly to a masterwork backpack, increasing the strength of the use by 1 point for carrying capacity only?

I absolutely allow the crafting of custom magic items and custom magic spells in my games. Those are some of the most fun parts of playing a spellcaster, after all.

It's possible to create ANY effect as a magic item, and therefore a saddle that does something like what you suggest is also possible.

Thanks for the previous info regarding my anthropomorphic animal question and my apologies for taking up so much thread space.

Next question.

I agree with the premise of being able to duplicate any "effect" with a magic item and that has led me to an odd question on how to create a particular magical device although I don't think that the effect I am wanting to create would necessarily match how you are using the term "effect" here.

Would it be possible (using the rules for magic item creation) to create a magical forge that did not need to be supplied with fuel such as coal or gas in order to work?

If possible, just exactly how would you use the magic item creation rules to do so?

This came to me when going over campaign scenarios in my head involving colonization of an area without having (or having very limited) contact with outside civilization.

Liberty's Edge

I would like your opinion on a situation I cold face as a GM.

AP spoiler:
I am playing the third module in a Kingmaker campaign and the player will meet the soul eater in a short time

At their current level if the encounter go badly for the PC (improbable but possible) one of them will be killed with little chance of returning to life.
The most logic target would be the summoner (partially because she is one of the top targets in the BEEG list, partially because with 6 players a summoner is a problem).

So I am considering the different possible effects of having the summoner (or her eidolon) soul permanently imprisoned.

1) the summoner is killed, the eidolon disappear and the player create a new character. I don't like it much as the character is well engrained in the campaign.

2) Giving a new ability to the life link power of the summoner, the eidolon sacrifice her existence to save the character. The player keep his character and after a period of mourning and soul searching get to re-make her, choosing a new class with retroactive effects (i.e. she would get change his class from level 1 onward).
It would be the better option for continuity, but I am at loss about what class would be the best one for the character. Any suggestion? (naturally the player will have full choice, I only want a suggestion).

3) Same as above but the player maintain her class, without an eidolon.
No good. A summoner is too strong but I don't think that removing a major feature of a class will be a good idea.

4) The PC die but the player can continue to play using the eidolon as an unfretted eidolon capable to gain character levels.
Story wise it has possibilities but I don't know how balanced it would be.

Any other possible solution?

I admit that allowing a summoner in the campaign wasn't a good idea. it was my first experience mastering a character with that class and I suspect it will be the last one.

I would really like to hear your suggestions. Thanks.


Mr. Jacobs,
1) When it comes to PC (land-based creatures) movement in water, do they have to make a swim check every single round even during combat? I think that they do especially in combat.
2) Do they have to make a swim check to tread water?
3) The -2 on attack roles while in water applies if using one weapon or two-handed weapon or two weapon fighting? I would guess if using two wepons or two handed the penalty will be more b/c the character is relying on his legs to keep afloat? Does the attack panalty increase or the swim check?

THX

Mike


one last one:
While in water (treading or submerged), to take a "5 foot step" a swim check is needed?


James Jacobs wrote:
deuxhero wrote:
deuxhero wrote:


Does a Paladin's immunity to disease apply to his gear like energy resistance does (while the the gear is generally unable to suffer from disease, it can sure spread it)?

Don't think this one was ever answered.

Also: What do Clerics and Inquisitors of a deity with Unarmed Strike as a favored weapon get? Nothing or IUS?

That one did get answered. No. A paladin's gear is not alive, and therefore cannot get sick or contract a disease, so it doesn't NEED to use the paladin's immunity to disease. If a paladin's gear gets encrusted with disease-infested filth, that filth won't make him sick, but his immunity will not prevent the filth from infecting someone else.

Those clerics and inquisitors gain Improved Unarmed Strike.

Sorry I missed it.

Few questions on Create Reliquary Arms and Shields

Quote:
When you craft a magic weapon, magic armor, or magic shield, you may add one casting of consecrate or desecrate as part of the item crafting process. This increases the item’s price by 250 gp.

Do you pay none (So its only for the purpose of selling it), 1/3rd (per mundane item crafting), 1/2 (per magic item crafting) or all of the 250 GP cost when making a reliquary weapon/shield?

Does the casting of consecrate for Create Reliquary Arms and Shields consume the material components for consecrate (and if yes, is the 75GP part of the cost above)?

Can a reliquary weapon repel a vampire?

Unrelated to Reliquary Arms and Shields: What is Razmir's "holy symbol" (while not actually a god, Razmiran Priest says he has one, at least for the purpose of False Focus)?


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

Hi James - I think I am correct to say that the Mushfens in Varisia is in fact a swamp (ie a flooded forest). Assuming I'm right, would the Great Dismal Swamp in Virginia/Carolina be a good comparable? I need to try to give my players an idea of what it looks/feels like.


Hi James!

As a GM currently running both Jade Regent and Way of the Wicked, I was pretty psyched to read that you are a player in Rob's new Wicked game. I love gobbling up the stories of this stuff for my own inspiration, so a few questions if you don't mind.

1. Would you mind sharing a little about your character?

2. If the other players don't mind, could you share a little about the party?

3. Is Rob running it in Golarion? I am, so I'm curious how other GMs are implementing that.

4. Finally, as an aside, is Rob also still running you through Skull & Shackles, or has that game fallen aside in favor of this new path. I'm guessing it quite a bit different playing in an AP that you had no hand in.


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Have you played project swallowtail yet? And if so what did you think?


Would having awakened vermin be silly?


Justin Franklin wrote:
Have you played project swallowtail yet? And if so what did you think?

Answered by JJ here.

Paizo Employee Chief Creative Officer, Publisher

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Lucent wrote:


How exactly does the government in Nex work? The Council of Three and Nine seems confusingly laid out. I get that there's a representative from each of the major three Nex cities (the Three) and then there's nine others. But the entry says that there's "two representatives from each tribe."

You've got it mixed up a bit, I'm afraid. The Three are not representatives of Nex's three major cities. They are the archmage Agrellus Kisk of the Arclords, the arcane master Iranez of the Orb (who appeared in my novella "Two Pieces of Tarnished Silver"), and the pech architect Oblosk. All three of these figures dwell in the capital city of Quantium.

Representatives from Oenopion (the alchemist Borume) and Ecanus (the chief fleshforger Dunn Palovar) sit upon the Nine, but this is a lesser council, whose consensuses can be broken by the agreement of any two of the Three.

If it helps, think of the Three as the "high council," and the Nine as the "low council." The Three are figureheads of immense notoriety and political clout, whereas the Nine are more regional or specialized in their area of concern, and might have less influence as a whole than any one of the Three.

Shadow Lodge

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Are there any plans to do an archetype for LE antipaladins? I would love to be able to make paladin of tyranny force for diabolic followers


Would you consider a worshiper of Asmodeus to be basically like a real-life fundamentalist who's not kidding himself?


Hey Mr. Jacobs. I'm not sure if these questions have been asked yet or not, but after browsing the forums, I was hoping that perhaps you could give me a little bit of clarification.

In short, I actually have three main questions:

1) Regarding the 'Animal Fury' rage power, does this particular rage power count as a natural attack? (I assume so since it grants a 'bite attack') In addition, if the animal fury bite attack is used in conjunction with other natural weapons as part of a full-round action, does the bite attack still count as a primary natural attack?

2) Regarding the alchemist 'Tentacle' discovery, does this particular discovery also count as a secondary natural attack? (I realize that there is the whole 'no extra attacks' clause written into the discovery, but I have argued that a natural attack isn't 'technically' an extra attack since natural attacks are simply attacks that can be made as part of the 'normal attack routine' and therefore do not count as 'extra attacks'). The reason I ask is mainly because the 'tentacle' discovery specifically states that it grants a 'tentacle attack', which is defined very clearly as a secondary natural attack (yet still many players insist that it is not the same thing). Given that the damage of the attack is also the same as that of the 'tentacle attack' listed in the natural weapons section (1d4) I always figured that it counted as a secondary natural attack.

3) Regarding the 'tentacle cloak' from the Ultimate Equipment, if a player were to activate that cloak while wearing an Amulet of Mighty Fists, would the tentacle attacks also benefit from all the bonuses granted from the amulet?

Thanks again for the help.


Duskblade, if you would like some additional insight and reading materials, Sean K. Reynolds has covered both your first and second question.

Animal Fury

Tentacle discovery. That one requires reading around for some more context, but it's all there. Tentacle discovery is the exception to the rule in the first post.


Following on doc the grey's question, can you go into any detail about the templar that was eventually replaced by paladin archetypes in APG? I've only heard about it in passing reference.

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feytharn wrote:

Mr. Jacobs:

Sometimes, when I feel I have trouble fleshing out a character, I try to think of what that character would be in a completely different scenario - that often helps me thinking of traits or quirks I hadn't thought of earlier, making the character feel more 'alive'.

So: What kind of characters would Merisiel, Ameiko and Shensen be in
a) a classic era Call of Cthulhu campaign?
b) a contemporary horror campaign?
c) your own post apocalyptic campaign?

Do you have any tricks you use when you feel a character isn't 'complete' yet, but you ran out of ideas for the moment?

VERY interesting thought exercise!

a) Call of Cthulhu 1920's
Merisiel: Flapper with a knife.
Ameiko: Flapper with a guitar
Shensen: Flapper with a knife and a guitar.

b) Contemporary Horror
Merisiel: Exotic assassin.
Ameiko: Indie rock star.
Shensen: Movie star who moonlights as a mercenary.

c) Unspeakable Futures
Merisiel: Wastrel
Ameiko: Scavenger/Mystic
Shensen: Mercenary/Esper

What I often do to try to come up with something to give a character an extra tweak is to look at what the other players are doing and then just try to fit into a role that's not already taken, even if the character I'm playing isn't really meant for whatever role that might be. But I also like rolling on random characteristic tables... for my tiefling bard Bezlarue I'm playing in Way of the Wicked, once she was done, I rolled on the d100 table of alternative tiefling abilities after swapping out her spell-like ability and got a bite attack, which took her in a weird new direction.

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The Thing from Beyond the Edge wrote:

I agree with the premise of being able to duplicate any "effect" with a magic item and that has led me to an odd question on how to create a particular magical device although I don't think that the effect I am wanting to create would necessarily match how you are using the term "effect" here.

Would it be possible (using the rules for magic item creation) to create a magical forge that did not need to be supplied with fuel such as coal or gas in order to work?

If possible, just exactly how would you use the magic item creation rules to do so?

This came to me when going over campaign scenarios in my head involving colonization of an area without having (or having very limited) contact with outside civilization.

The rules for magic item creation are more like guidelines than rules, precisely BECAUSE they should be able to guide the creation of any item.

A perpetual forge that's always on is really not all that outlandish of an effect, really, especially if all the thing does is let you use a forge but still takes up the room a forge normally takes up. Even a small, portable forge isn't that outlandish.

For something like this, where there's not really a spell that is obviously the one to use to help generate the effect, it's best to just write up the item and submit it to the GM to see what it should cost.

If one of my players asked about this item, I'd probably have heat metal be the required spell, or perhaps pyrotechnics, and then would likely have the whole thing cost relatively little. Forges themselves aren't as expensive as even a +1 sword, I wouldn't think... I'd probably say a "fuelless forge" would cost about 1,000 gp. Maybe less.

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Diego Rossi wrote:

I would like your opinion on a situation I cold face as a GM.

** spoiler omitted **

At their current level if the encounter go badly for the PC (improbable but possible) one of them will be killed with little chance of returning to life.
The most logic target would be the summoner (partially because she is one of the top targets in the BEEG list, partially because with 6 players a summoner is a problem).

So I am considering the different possible effects of having the summoner (or her eidolon) soul permanently imprisoned.

1) the summoner is killed, the eidolon disappear and the player create a new character. I don't like it much as the character is well engrained in the campaign.

2) Giving a new ability to the life link power of the summoner, the eidolon sacrifice her existence to save the character. The player keep his character and after a period of mourning and soul searching get to re-make her, choosing a new class with retroactive effects (i.e. she would get change his class from level 1 onward).
It would be the better option for continuity, but I am at loss about what class would be the best one for the character. Any suggestion? (naturally the player will have full choice, I only want a suggestion).

3) Same as above but the player maintain her class, without an eidolon.
No good. A summoner is too strong but I don't think that removing a major feature of a class will be a good idea.

4) The PC die but the player can continue to play using the eidolon as an unfretted eidolon capable to gain character levels.
Story wise it has possibilities but I don't know how balanced it would be.

Any other possible solution?

I admit that allowing a summoner in the campaign wasn't a good idea. it was my first experience mastering a character with that class and I suspect it will be the last one.

I would really like to hear your suggestions. Thanks.

First off... if you're worried that an encounter would ruin the campaign... it's not "wrong" to change or even just omit the encounter.

If you still want to go on with the encounter, another option is to foreshadow the coming danger. With a nightmare, perhaps, or have the PCs perhaps learn about the monster's use on other targets in the region through rumors or by examining a kill site.

Now... the eidolon is a fragment of the summoner, and if it succumbs to the soul eating... it just dies. It can't be permanently removed from play in this manner since it's a physical representation (being an outsider) of a portion of the summoner's soul. So... if it's killed, it just goes away and can be brought back normally. It's only the summoner himself who can be soul drained. Having an eidolon doesn't put a character into double jeopardy.

Which means that the correct answer is #1 above, but note that even if this happens, there's a grace period that allows the other PCs a chance to kill the monster and let the soul of the soul-drained victim get back into the body and come back to life.

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Cojonuda wrote:

one last one:

While in water (treading or submerged), to take a "5 foot step" a swim check is needed?

To take a 5 foot step in water, an actual swim speed is needed. A swim check alone won't work.

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Cojonuda wrote:

Mr. Jacobs,

1) When it comes to PC (land-based creatures) movement in water, do they have to make a swim check every single round even during combat? I think that they do especially in combat.
2) Do they have to make a swim check to tread water?
3) The -2 on attack roles while in water applies if using one weapon or two-handed weapon or two weapon fighting? I would guess if using two wepons or two handed the penalty will be more b/c the character is relying on his legs to keep afloat? Does the attack panalty increase or the swim check?

THX

Mike

1) Yes, every single round. If you have a swim SPEED, you can take 10 and not have to worry about making that check every single round, since you'll be making most swim checks by just taking 10. Characters who lack a swim speed do need to make a swim check each round in combat.

2) Yes. If you make the swim check, you can tread water (this is the swim version of not moving and doesn't take up a move action to do).

3) The –2 on attack rolls in water applies to ALL attacks. It doesn't increase or decrease based on the number of attacks or the number of hands you're using.

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Timothy Ferdinand wrote:
Hi James - I think I am correct to say that the Mushfens in Varisia is in fact a swamp (ie a flooded forest). Assuming I'm right, would the Great Dismal Swamp in Virginia/Carolina be a good comparable? I need to try to give my players an idea of what it looks/feels like.

The Mushfens are one of the largest swamps in the Inner Sea region. As such, the terrain encompases fen, swamp, bog, marsh, and everything else at some point along the way. BUT the vast bulk of the Mushfens is indeed akin to the vast swamps of the southeastern USA. LOTS of trees, in other words, and patches of dry ground here and there but riddled with deeper pools and creeks and rivers and sloughs.


Are there any calderas in galorian?

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deuxhero wrote:

Few questions on Create Reliquary Arms and Shields

Quote:
When you craft a magic weapon, magic armor, or magic shield, you may add one casting of consecrate or desecrate as part of the item crafting process. This increases the item’s price by 250 gp.

Do you pay none (So its only for the purpose of selling it), 1/3rd (per mundane item crafting), 1/2 (per magic item crafting) or all of the 250 GP cost when making a reliquary weapon/shield?

Does the casting of consecrate for Create Reliquary Arms and Shields consume the material components for consecrate (and if yes, is the 75GP part of the cost above)?

Can a reliquary weapon repel a vampire?

Unrelated to Reliquary Arms and Shields: What is Razmir's "holy symbol" (while not actually a god, Razmiran Priest says he has one, at least for the purpose of False Focus)?

Ummm... first off, don't forget to cite where non-core rules options are from. Took me a bit to figure out what you were talking about here...

A reliquary weapon or shield is basically just a weapon or shield that, in addition to doing its normal job, can also be used as a divine focus for spellcasting. You spend the full 250 gp when casting consecrate or desecrate on the weapon; that +250 is added to your total out-of-pocket cost to create the item. This replaces the normal 75 gp material component cost for the spell.

A reliquary weapon can repel a vampire as equally well as a holy symbol of that same deity. You have to present the weapon forcefully to do so, which means you can't attack with the weapon at the same time, though.

Razmir's holy symbol is an image of his mask.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Justin Franklin wrote:
Have you played project swallowtail yet? And if so what did you think?

I played a very early incarnation of the game, before it had any Pathfinder flavor on it. It was pretty fun then, but still in very rough early shape. Haven't played it since, but it's looking neat!

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Joseph Wilson wrote:

Hi James!

As a GM currently running both Jade Regent and Way of the Wicked, I was pretty psyched to read that you are a player in Rob's new Wicked game. I love gobbling up the stories of this stuff for my own inspiration, so a few questions if you don't mind.

1. Would you mind sharing a little about your character?

2. If the other players don't mind, could you share a little about the party?

3. Is Rob running it in Golarion? I am, so I'm curious how other GMs are implementing that.

4. Finally, as an aside, is Rob also still running you through Skull & Shackles, or has that game fallen aside in favor of this new path. I'm guessing it quite a bit different playing in an AP that you had no hand in.

1) My character is a demon-blooded tiefling named Bezlarue; she's the half-sister of another PC (Andrew Valas's wizard character). Bezlarue is a bard, has a prehensile tail, and vampire fangs that give her a bite attack. She was thrown into prison mostly because she got spotted by agents of the witch hunter who saw through her disguise and realized she was a tiefling. When they caught her, she shrieked out several heresies, claiming that "The lady in shadow LIVES in the shadow of Mitra, and your silly god gives her power by standing in the light you so value, for it is in the shadow he casts over your land that my goddess Nocticula gains the power to seduce away those who Mitra ignores!" She revels in decadence and hedonistic acts, and enjoys scandalizing and shocking other people. At this point, she's somewhat adrift—she's pretty devoted to her brother, and really doesn't like the laws of the land or those who enforce it, but for the moment is focused on figuring out how to escape this prison with her brother alive. She's pretty ripe for recruitment into the machinations of the church of Asmodeous, as a result... as long as they don't try to force her to give up worship of Nocticula, whom she kinda has the hots for.

2) The rest of the party consists of a grim and surly and intimidating antipaladin named Umberto the Bastard who burned down some churches (played by SRM), Bezlarue's brother the wizard who was thrown in prison for consorting with dark powers (whose name I can't remember, played by Andrew Valas), a serial killer rogue named Stitches or something like that (played by Adam Daigle), and a cleric played by Will who was unfortunately out sick the first day, so I don't know anything about that character at all so far.

3) Rob is not running it in Golarion... but he's using the Golarion demon lords so I get to be a Nocticulan!

4) Rob is indeed still running Skull & Shackles. I need to update my posts on this board, in fact... been keeping pretty detailed notes of that game. My character there, Lady Sasha "Firetop" Dracktus is now the captain of the Demon's Kiss!

Paizo Employee Creative Director

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doctor_wu wrote:
Would having awakened vermin be silly?

Nope.

They would be magical beasts. And would need a different and new spell to awaken them than the one that works on animals... probably a 6th level one, since awakening a mindless creature is tougher than awakening one that's just stupid.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

doc the grey wrote:
Are there any plans to do an archetype for LE antipaladins? I would love to be able to make paladin of tyranny force for diabolic followers

As far as I know, nope, there is not any plans to do this. Although I believe there are rules for this associated with Way of the Wicked...

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Voltron64 wrote:
Would you consider a worshiper of Asmodeus to be basically like a real-life fundamentalist who's not kidding himself?

No.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Cheapy wrote:
Following on doc the grey's question, can you go into any detail about the templar that was eventually replaced by paladin archetypes in APG? I've only heard about it in passing reference.

At one point, Jason wanted to have the templar be a paladin archetype that works for all non-LG non-CE paladins... but then more or less abandoned the idea when it was obvious that there wasn't really anything for these guys to really do regarding smites and more importantly, mercies. Basically... they were really just kind of flavorless, and ended up not being different enough from a paladin to justify existing.

Which is FINE with me.

Because I didn't like the idea to begin with.

And because now the word "templar" isn't stuck as a paladin archetype, and is something we can do something else entirely with.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Duskblade wrote:

Hey Mr. Jacobs. I'm not sure if these questions have been asked yet or not, but after browsing the forums, I was hoping that perhaps you could give me a little bit of clarification.

In short, I actually have three main questions:

1) Regarding the 'Animal Fury' rage power, does this particular rage power count as a natural attack? (I assume so since it grants a 'bite attack') In addition, if the animal fury bite attack is used in conjunction with other natural weapons as part of a full-round action, does the bite attack still count as a primary natural attack?

2) Regarding the alchemist 'Tentacle' discovery, does this particular discovery also count as a secondary natural attack? (I realize that there is the whole 'no extra attacks' clause written into the discovery, but I have argued that a natural attack isn't 'technically' an extra attack since natural attacks are simply attacks that can be made as part of the 'normal attack routine' and therefore do not count as 'extra attacks'). The reason I ask is mainly because the 'tentacle' discovery specifically states that it grants a 'tentacle attack', which is defined very clearly as a secondary natural attack (yet still many players insist that it is not the same thing). Given that the damage of the attack is also the same as that of the 'tentacle attack' listed in the natural weapons section (1d4) I always figured that it counted as a secondary natural attack.

3) Regarding the 'tentacle cloak' from the Ultimate Equipment, if a player were to activate that cloak while wearing an Amulet of Mighty Fists, would the tentacle attacks also benefit from all the bonuses granted from the amulet?

Thanks again for the help.

What SKR said.

Regarding question 3... an amulet of mighty fists grants its bonuses to ALL natural attacks, regardless of where they come from. So, assuming that cloak grants natural attacks... yup!

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