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Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

Hello Mr. Jacobs, me again...

another thing I noticed while combing through the bestiaries is the abundance of things with a CR far beyond 20, as well as the presence of figures on Golarion that have exceeded the "statistical level limits" so to speak? Such as Nex, or Geb, or the Whispering Tyrant? How does one deal with said figures? For example, how did people actually defeat the Tarrasque the first time it showed its big ugly head in the Inner Sea region?


Hi James. I'm curious what you think about a current thread (it's not particularly acrimonious, but there are differing views):

Could a LN character feasibly worship Gorum?

The character in question is a fighter with a religious trait of some description. (Which I mention due to another poster posting:

Quote:

As for Religion Traits, from the APG and Traits Web Enhancement:

Quote:
Religion Traits: Religion traits indicate that your character has an established faith in a specific deity; you need not be a member of a class that can wield divine magic to pick a religion trait, but you do have to have a patron deity and have some amount of religion in your background to justify this trait. Unlike the other categories of traits, religion traits can go away if you abandon your religion, as detailed below under Restrictions on Trait Selection.

Liberty's Edge RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16

I noticed that Paizo will be at the Emerald City Comic Con in a week. Do you have any info on who will be there and what events will be run?


Jason, how do you get a dragon to take the guise of human?

I know Bronze and Gold dragons can do it, but I'm hoping to try doing it with Red dragon. Sadly I can't do it with Alter Self since it is such a short duration. Same with Polymorph. What do you suggest I do?


1. Did you write “Souls for Smuggler’s Shiv” and the “Shipwrecked!” supporting article in AP37?

2. Is the word “moan” a synonym of “whinge” or “whine”?

3. Could the gnome given name of “Gelik” be translated into Common (Earth – Western Hemisphere) as “Eric”, “Erikt” or “Erix”?

4. Is your boss amongst the sartorial elite of (seriously-taken) A-list executives in the Pacific North West?

5. Could the NPC Gelik Aberwhinge be an epic send-up of

Erik:
Keith?

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Steve Geddes wrote:

Hi James. I'm curious what you think about a current thread (it's not particularly acrimonious, but there are differing views):

Could a LN character feasibly worship Gorum?

The character in question is a fighter with a religious trait of some description. (Which I mention due to another poster posting:

Quote:

As for Religion Traits, from the APG and Traits Web Enhancement:

Quote:
Religion Traits: Religion traits indicate that your character has an established faith in a specific deity; you need not be a member of a class that can wield divine magic to pick a religion trait, but you do have to have a patron deity and have some amount of religion in your background to justify this trait. Unlike the other categories of traits, religion traits can go away if you abandon your religion, as detailed below under Restrictions on Trait Selection.

A LN character would not be a very devout or honest or legitimate worshiper of Gorum at all. I don't see the point of such a character, actually... Seems like a deliberate attempt to just be difficult. Just worship Torag or Iomedae instead.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

1 person marked this as a favorite.
The Drunken Dragon wrote:

Hello Mr. Jacobs, me again...

another thing I noticed while combing through the bestiaries is the abundance of things with a CR far beyond 20, as well as the presence of figures on Golarion that have exceeded the "statistical level limits" so to speak? Such as Nex, or Geb, or the Whispering Tyrant? How does one deal with said figures? For example, how did people actually defeat the Tarrasque the first time it showed its big ugly head in the Inner Sea region?

Via a combo of luck and skill!

Paizo Employee Creative Director

JoelF847 wrote:
I noticed that Paizo will be at the Emerald City Comic Con in a week. Do you have any info on who will be there and what events will be run?

I do not.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Odraude wrote:

Jason, how do you get a dragon to take the guise of human?

I know Bronze and Gold dragons can do it, but I'm hoping to try doing it with Red dragon. Sadly I can't do it with Alter Self since it is such a short duration. Same with Polymorph. What do you suggest I do?

This is the ask James thread, not the ask Jason thread...

That said... Prepare polymorph spells. Most dragons aren't intended to do the human disguise thing, anyway...

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Yours is mined wrote:

1. Did you write “Souls for Smuggler’s Shiv” and the “Shipwrecked!” supporting article in AP37?

2. Is the word “moan” a synonym of “whinge” or “whine”?

3. Could the gnome given name of “Gelik” be translated into Common (Earth – Western Hemisphere) as “Eric”, “Erikt” or “Erix”?

4. Is your boss amongst the sartorial elite of (seriously-taken) A-list executives in the Pacific North West?

5. Could the NPC Gelik Aberwhinge be an epic send-up of** spoiler omitted **

1) Yes to both.

2) Depends on who's moaning.

3) Nope.

4) Nope.

5) Nope.

Closest I've come to putting Erik into an RPGS book was the ocular adept NPC. In the beholder chapter of Lords of Madness... (Erik invented that prestige class so I named that NPC using his name as an annagram.)

Dark Archive

Do people confuse you with Jason often?


James Jacobs wrote:
Steve Geddes wrote:

Hi James. I'm curious what you think about a current thread (it's not particularly acrimonious, but there are differing views):

Could a LN character feasibly worship Gorum?

The character in question is a fighter with a religious trait of some description. (Which I mention due to another poster posting:

Quote:

As for Religion Traits, from the APG and Traits Web Enhancement:

Quote:
Religion Traits: Religion traits indicate that your character has an established faith in a specific deity; you need not be a member of a class that can wield divine magic to pick a religion trait, but you do have to have a patron deity and have some amount of religion in your background to justify this trait. Unlike the other categories of traits, religion traits can go away if you abandon your religion, as detailed below under Restrictions on Trait Selection.

A LN character would not be a very devout or honest or legitimate worshiper of Gorum at all. I don't see the point of such a character, actually... Seems like a deliberate attempt to just be difficult. Just worship Torag or Iomedae instead.

Cheers. I'm sure he wasn't trying to be difficult - his concept is a mercenary fighter whose life is war and who therefore venerates the god of battle (I think).

Appreciate your view. Thanks.


James Jacobs wrote:
Odraude wrote:

Jason, how do you get a dragon to take the guise of human?

I know Bronze and Gold dragons can do it, but I'm hoping to try doing it with Red dragon. Sadly I can't do it with Alter Self since it is such a short duration. Same with Polymorph. What do you suggest I do?

This is the ask James thread, not the ask Jason thread...

That said... Prepare polymorph spells. Most dragons aren't intended to do the human disguise thing, anyway...

Ah, sorry about that. It was late at night when I wrote that so I must've slipped up.

I was hoping to do a kingdom ruled by an evil red dragon under the guise of a king for my players. He'd be a mature adult dragon (CL 9) so he'd only be able to prepare up to level 4 spells. So, perhaps, a lot of Alter Selfs?

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Odraude wrote:

Jason, how do you get a dragon to take the guise of human?

I know Bronze and Gold dragons can do it, but I'm hoping to try doing it with Red dragon. Sadly I can't do it with Alter Self since it is such a short duration. Same with Polymorph. What do you suggest I do?

As a GM you just FIAT say that the dragon has the ability to shape change to a humanoid form. I've seen products that did simmilar things to other creatures such as Astral Devas in order to set them up as incognito features in a module.

The important thing to remember about a Monster Manual or a Bestiary is that these are just base springboards. There is nothing stopping you from making modifications or additions to base stats especially for sentient monsters that can be major figures in their own right. Especially when these changes are more flavor additions than power rampups. Dragons after all aren't "stronger" in Human form.

As it is, some dragons in the Bestiary DO have the "change shape" quality in thier stat block. It's not really defined other than the ability to take a humanoid or other form at will.

Dark Archive

will we ever see other metallic or chromatic dragons from paizo?


If you could have any 3 minor wondrous items from the Core Rulebook in real life which 3 would you want?

Paizo Employee Creative Director

ulgulanoth wrote:
Do people confuse you with Jason often?

Yes.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Odraude wrote:
I was hoping to do a kingdom ruled by an evil red dragon under the guise of a king for my players. He'd be a mature adult dragon (CL 9) so he'd only be able to prepare up to level 4 spells. So, perhaps, a lot of Alter Selfs?

In that case, I would instead have him use charm person and charm monster spells to control a puppet king and then work behind the scenes. Or just give him some sort of new magic item that lets him assume human form.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

ulgulanoth wrote:
will we ever see other metallic or chromatic dragons from paizo?

Probably not.

We'll do more true dragons now and then, but they'll be new categories, like the primal dragons or imperial dragons.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Dal Selpher wrote:
If you could have any 3 minor wondrous items from the Core Rulebook in real life which 3 would you want?

periapt of health

cloak of the manta ray
helm of comprehending languages and reading magic


James, I've been reading Faiths of Corruption (fantastic book!) and I'm curious about the Elemental Lords. Do you recall why you chose to make all four of them neutral evil?
The elements represent iconic neutrality to me, personally, both by balancing each other and by having both benevolent and consuming powers. This is clearly just my opinion, but I'm curious to hear yours.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Wildebob wrote:

James, I've been reading Faiths of Corruption (fantastic book!) and I'm curious about the Elemental Lords. Do you recall why you chose to make all four of them neutral evil?

The elements represent iconic neutrality to me, personally, both by balancing each other and by having both benevolent and consuming powers. This is clearly just my opinion, but I'm curious to hear yours.

Two reasons:

1) Because of a nod to nostalgia—in 1st edition, the elemental lords were evil.

2) Because it's more interesting. It gives the elementals and elemental planes a more fun personality, and enables some cool backstory and mystery as to why/what happened to the good elementals... if indeed they ever existed in the first place.


A question about Summon Monster.

The spell says that regardless of the alignment of the creature, if it is marked with a star on the list, it has the same alignment as the caster. My cleric is Chaotic Neutral and summons a celestial dire bat. My DM says the celestial template automatically makes the creature good aligned but the spell says it is my alignment regardless of its usual alignment. Which is true as the spell would intend? Wondering because some enemies keep using protection from good.


James can a body be re animated more than once if it is still intact after the first time it is defeated?
Can you raise dead a body that was once a zombie?
Can you steal the list of future miniatures off of Eriks desk and send it too me? (I promise not to tell)
Would like wizkids to produce a new T-Rex pre painted plastic mini?
Is Cosmo really a supervillain in real life?
Will you be playing the pathfinder MMO?
Is Adam Daigle as scary in person as he seems online? (Just kidding Daigle don't eat me)
Am I asking to many questions yet?


Why is there seemingly more photographic evidence of bigfoot than of Vic Wertz?
Does Vic really exist or is he a hoax?


Jaçinto wrote:

A question about Summon Monster.

The spell says that regardless of the alignment of the creature, if it is marked with a star on the list, it has the same alignment as the caster. My cleric is Chaotic Neutral and summons a celestial dire bat. My DM says the celestial template automatically makes the creature good aligned but the spell says it is my alignment regardless of its usual alignment. Which is true as the spell would intend? Wondering because some enemies keep using protection from good.

Now that the options are available, your cleric can (and really should) apply the entropic template instead.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Jaçinto wrote:

A question about Summon Monster.

The spell says that regardless of the alignment of the creature, if it is marked with a star on the list, it has the same alignment as the caster. My cleric is Chaotic Neutral and summons a celestial dire bat. My DM says the celestial template automatically makes the creature good aligned but the spell says it is my alignment regardless of its usual alignment. Which is true as the spell would intend? Wondering because some enemies keep using protection from good.

It's a little weird... but technically, the rules for celestial creatures don't say they're automatically good aligned.

In my games... I would do the same thing as your GM though and would make the summoned creature good aligned. I would chat with your GM about instead using the chaos version of the simple template (see Bestiary 2).

Paizo Employee Creative Director

The Minis Maniac wrote:

James can a body be re animated more than once if it is still intact after the first time it is defeated?

Can you raise dead a body that was once a zombie?
Can you steal the list of future miniatures off of Eriks desk and send it too me? (I promise not to tell)
Would like wizkids to produce a new T-Rex pre painted plastic mini?
Is Cosmo really a supervillain in real life?
Will you be playing the pathfinder MMO?
Is Adam Daigle as scary in person as he seems online? (Just kidding Daigle don't eat me)
Am I asking to many questions yet?

Up to the GM.

Yes.

Nope.

Of course.

I'm not allowed to say.

Not if it's not playable on a Mac.

Scarier.

Nope.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

1 person marked this as a favorite.
The Minis Maniac wrote:

Why is there seemingly more photographic evidence of bigfoot than of Vic Wertz?

Does Vic really exist or is he a hoax?

Vic's better at dodging cameras is all! Although I've seen him photobomb a few snapshots before...


Hi James, I wanted to get an official ruling on this ability from the Magus class. My friend and I got in a debate about his character using his spellstrike.

*Spellstrike (Su)

At 2nd level, whenever a magus casts a spell with a range of “touch” from the magus spell list, he can deliver the spell through any weapon he is wielding as part of a melee attack. Instead of the free melee touch attack normally allowed to deliver the spell, a magus can make one free melee attack with his weapon (at his highest base attack bonus) as part of casting this spell. If successful, this melee attack deals its normal damage as well as the effects of the spell. If the magus makes this attack in concert with spell combat, this melee attack takes all the penalties accrued by spell combat melee attacks. This attack uses the weapon’s critical range (20, 19–20, or 18–20 and modified by the keen weapon property or similar effects), but the spell effect only deals ×2 damage on a successful critical hit, while the weapon damage uses its own critical modifier.

Q: Does a magus have to perform an concentration check when he uses spellstrike? Thanks for your time sir! :)

Paizo Employee Director of Game Development

James Jacobs wrote:
The Minis Maniac wrote:
Is Adam Daigle as scary in person as he seems online? (Just kidding Daigle don't eat me)

Scarier.

Wait! What!?


Adam Daigle wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
The Minis Maniac wrote:
Is Adam Daigle as scary in person as he seems online? (Just kidding Daigle don't eat me)

Scarier.

Wait! What!?

Aaaghhh!!! [Runs away]


Adam Daigle wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
The Minis Maniac wrote:
Is Adam Daigle as scary in person as he seems online? (Just kidding Daigle don't eat me)

Scarier.

Wait! What!?

Please don't kill and eat me!!!!!!


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Seriously? He has a flumph for an avatar now. That mantis was pretty scary, but now I just think about calamari.


Darkghost316 wrote:

Hi James, I wanted to get an official ruling on this ability from the Magus class. My friend and I got in a debate about his character using his spellstrike.

*Spellstrike (Su)

At 2nd level, whenever a magus casts a spell with a range of “touch” from the magus spell list, he can deliver the spell through any weapon he is wielding as part of a melee attack. Instead of the free melee touch attack normally allowed to deliver the spell, a magus can make one free melee attack with his weapon (at his highest base attack bonus) as part of casting this spell. If successful, this melee attack deals its normal damage as well as the effects of the spell. If the magus makes this attack in concert with spell combat, this melee attack takes all the penalties accrued by spell combat melee attacks. This attack uses the weapon’s critical range (20, 19–20, or 18–20 and modified by the keen weapon property or similar effects), but the spell effect only deals ×2 damage on a successful critical hit, while the weapon damage uses its own critical modifier.

Q: Does a magus have to perform an concentration check when he uses spellstrike? Thanks for your time sir! :)

You don't have to. Spellstrike isn't about casting spells. It's about using spells you've already cast through your blade.

Concentration checks are only for being disrupted while casting. So if he uses spell combat next to an enemy and doesn't cast defensively, meaning that he provokes an AoO and the enemy hits him, then he must make a concentration check or lose the spell (but still allowing him to full attack!)

See this post for more information.

Liberty's Edge

What alignment would you make a pirate who does all the piratey things but follows a code to not hurt those who surrender and give them a chance to get to lifeboats, etc?

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Darkghost316 wrote:

Hi James, I wanted to get an official ruling on this ability from the Magus class. My friend and I got in a debate about his character using his spellstrike.

*Spellstrike (Su)

At 2nd level, whenever a magus casts a spell with a range of “touch” from the magus spell list, he can deliver the spell through any weapon he is wielding as part of a melee attack. Instead of the free melee touch attack normally allowed to deliver the spell, a magus can make one free melee attack with his weapon (at his highest base attack bonus) as part of casting this spell. If successful, this melee attack deals its normal damage as well as the effects of the spell. If the magus makes this attack in concert with spell combat, this melee attack takes all the penalties accrued by spell combat melee attacks. This attack uses the weapon’s critical range (20, 19–20, or 18–20 and modified by the keen weapon property or similar effects), but the spell effect only deals ×2 damage on a successful critical hit, while the weapon damage uses its own critical modifier.

Q: Does a magus have to perform an concentration check when he uses spellstrike? Thanks for your time sir! :)

Only if he gets hit from the AoO, or only if he wants to cast defensively.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Coridan wrote:
What alignment would you make a pirate who does all the piratey things but follows a code to not hurt those who surrender and give them a chance to get to lifeboats, etc?

Chaotic good.


Adam Daigle wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
The Minis Maniac wrote:
Is Adam Daigle as scary in person as he seems online? (Just kidding Daigle don't eat me)

Scarier.

Wait! What!?

Flumph?!

FLUMPH!!

Only the unrighteous have cause to fear Daigle, Lord of the Flumps!

Scarab Sages

Dear Mr James Jacobs,

Have you been working on the race guide at all that pose to come out in June?

I just started (as a player) playing rise of the runelords.
I am enjoying it so far ;)

I just found for my wizard i am playing in the Rise of the runelords a nice familiar :)

Awesome Dino of doom
MY dino pic

IT LOOKS LIKE A DINO!
I LOVE DINOS!

and sandpoint is by a fishing ground, so it well have plenty of fish to eat...

Mwhahahahahahhahaha...


If Paizo were to do an AP limiting characters to a single race (I know, I know, you probably won't, but humor me here) what would be the two most likely choices?

Also, as far as you know, do many of the cartographers employed by Paizo use the Campaign Cartographer software?


Similar to Gregg's question, what do you think the top 3 candidate classes are for a group of *just* that class?

Does your answer change if your limited to just one full spellcasting class in the list?

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Black Lotus wrote:

Dear Mr James Jacobs,

Have you been working on the race guide at all that pose to come out in June?

I just started (as a player) playing rise of the runelords.
I am enjoying it so far ;)

I just found for my wizard i am playing in the Rise of the runelords a nice familiar :)

Awesome Dino of doom
MY dino pic

IT LOOKS LIKE A DINO!
I LOVE DINOS!

and sandpoint is by a fishing ground, so it well have plenty of fish to eat...

Mwhahahahahahhahaha...

I had barely any actual interaction with or work on the Advanced Race Guide. I believe the sum total of my direct involvement with that book was that I rewrote the introductory paragraph for the samsaran entry and that's pretty much it.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Gregg Helmberger wrote:

If Paizo were to do an AP limiting characters to a single race (I know, I know, you probably won't, but humor me here) what would be the two most likely choices?

Also, as far as you know, do many of the cartographers employed by Paizo use the Campaign Cartographer software?

The MOST likely choice would be humans. The second most likely would depend on who was in charge of the AP at the time (if it's me, it'd probably be drow or tieflings, since if we were going to do an "all one race AP, that's the PERFECT time to embrace more powerful race options).

While some of the adventure writers use Campaign Cartographer to create the map turnovers for their adventure... the cartographers we hire to create the actual maps you see in print use Adobe Photoshop or similar programs.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Cheapy wrote:

Similar to Gregg's question, what do you think the top 3 candidate classes are for a group of *just* that class?

Does your answer change if your limited to just one full spellcasting class in the list?

Cleric.

Rogue.

Barbarian.

If i'm limited to just one full spellcasting class, then cleric it is.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

If one hired the Red Mantis to kill a king, how would they know whether or not that king has a "god's right to rule?" What if they were a usurper, or claimed the throne during a period of social upheaval, and are therefore in no way related by blood to the original "divinely chosen" bloodline? Does the Mantis God give them the "okay" if they have to do an assassination of some ruler, or do they outright never take on an assignment to assassinate kings, regardless of background checks?

Also, how does the library on Mediogalti get updated if only the leader of the Red Mantis can use it?

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber

James

Is it just me that's now seeing your Avatar as a shark instead of a Dinosaur?

If it has changed, is there a particular reason why you have changed?

Paizo Employee Creative Director

The Drunken Dragon wrote:

If one hired the Red Mantis to kill a king, how would they know whether or not that king has a "god's right to rule?" What if they were a usurper, or claimed the throne during a period of social upheaval, and are therefore in no way related by blood to the original "divinely chosen" bloodline? Does the Mantis God give them the "okay" if they have to do an assassination of some ruler, or do they outright never take on an assignment to assassinate kings, regardless of background checks?

Also, how does the library on Mediogalti get updated if only the leader of the Red Mantis can use it?

The Red Mantis would know. Until we do more about them, though, exactly HOW they'd know is unknown and unclear. Probably has something to do with casting commune spells though... In any event, the fact that the Red Mantis don't assassinate rightful rulers is well known enough that folks do NOT generally approach them for these types of jobs, since you don't wanna annoy the Red Mantis!

That second bit's a mystery too, isn't it? Needless to say, it DOES get updated. You can update a library without using it. Another mystery I'm not yet ready to reveal, in any event.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Enlight_Bystand wrote:

James

Is it just me that's now seeing your Avatar as a shark instead of a Dinosaur?

If it has changed, is there a particular reason why you have changed?

I think it's just you. I'm still a dinosaur here at my end. I haven't changed my avatar, in any event.


How much importance does Amanandar, in Tian Xa, have 'back home' in Taldor?
How much active Taldan control is there? I would otherwise compare it to Cheliax/Sargava.
Is Amanandar signifigant to Taldor's conflict with Qadira/Kelesh Empire?

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