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James, is your preferred undead monster the lich, the vampire or the ghost and if could, would they have a dinosaur as a guardian of some sort.

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

I remember reading in the past that Skull and Shackles is in someways a test for a character themed AP, everyone being a pirate of some description, and that depending on if the AP were successful possibly doing similar themed APs in the future. So a couple of questions (even though I think I remember you saying your aren't the biggest fan of APs with themed characters)...

1. Is there any kind of decent chance in the future for a Knights of Ozem, redeem/put down Arazni.

2. If you were going to do a character themed AP, what would be your favorite choice.

Heh, thinking about this what I think I really want are a couple metaplot advancing APs but I don't think thats going to happen :)

Paizo Employee Creative Director

BluePigeon wrote:
James, is your preferred undead monster the lich, the vampire or the ghost and if could, would they have a dinosaur as a guardian of some sort.

I like all three undead... depends on the story. Overall, I think I like ghosts the best because they're so flexible when it comes to stories.

And a ghost posessing a dinosaur is an a-okay plot by my reckoning.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Jörmungandr wrote:

I remember reading in the past that Skull and Shackles is in someways a test for a character themed AP, everyone being a pirate of some description, and that depending on if the AP were successful possibly doing similar themed APs in the future. So a couple of questions (even though I think I remember you saying your aren't the biggest fan of APs with themed characters)...

1. Is there any kind of decent chance in the future for a Knights of Ozem, redeem/put down Arazni.

2. If you were going to do a character themed AP, what would be your favorite choice.

Heh, thinking about this what I think I really want are a couple metaplot advancing APs but I don't think thats going to happen :)

1) Unlikely. Because Arazni is mythic level, and at this point, we don't know how to make that work.

2) I'd LOVE to do an AP where every PC worshiped the same deity, and make it a religious-themed one.

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

Oh, I hadn't even thought of a religiously themed adventure, I kept thinking in terms of organizations and groups like knightly orders and wizardly consortiums and the like. That would be pretty awesome and leads me to a follow on question. If you were going to do a religious themed AP which diety would you use?


So James if I keep saying the words Neothilid, Intellect devourer, drow, Duergar, Vegepygmy, trogolodyte will it increase your desire for a darklands AP? If you want I'll handle Mona, you take McCreary, and we just need to find 2 people to hold down Spicer and Daigle and we can get this thing done.

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

I have to admit I love the idea of a Darklands exploration adventure as well. I love playing in and running games that have a strong "first time this has been seen by humanity" or "No one has entered this city in a thousand years" feel to them.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

The Minis Maniac wrote:
So James if I keep saying the words Neothilid, Intellect devourer, drow, Duergar, Vegepygmy, trogolodyte will it increase your desire for a darklands AP? If you want I'll handle Mona, you take McCreary, and we just need to find 2 people to hold down Spicer and Daigle and we can get this thing done.

No. My desire for such an AP is already at Maximum Level.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

3 people marked this as a favorite.
Jörmungandr wrote:
Oh, I hadn't even thought of a religiously themed adventure, I kept thinking in terms of organizations and groups like knightly orders and wizardly consortiums and the like. That would be pretty awesome and leads me to a follow on question. If you were going to do a religious themed AP which diety would you use?

Sarenrae, and it'd be all about dealing with the schisim in the church that's growing in Qadira.


James Jacobs wrote:
The Minis Maniac wrote:
So James if I keep saying the words Neothilid, Intellect devourer, drow, Duergar, Vegepygmy, trogolodyte will it increase your desire for a darklands AP? If you want I'll handle Mona, you take McCreary, and we just need to find 2 people to hold down Spicer and Daigle and we can get this thing done.
No. My desire for such an AP is already at Maximum Level.

Is it over 9,000?

BTW, I love this insight on how Paizo develops Adventure Paths :P


James Jacobs wrote:
Stratagemini wrote:

I noticed that all the gods of the test of the starstone are human. is there a reason for that? Is the starstone granting divinity by using all the human spirits of the azlanti it slayed to only empower humans?

Is there another reason? or is it just because no non-humans have passed yet?

Golarion is humanocentric. The starstone is located in a human city. It was raised from the deep by a human, who thereafter became the GOD of humanity.

By law of averages alone, it's not surprising that the first three gods to ascend via the starstone were human, but that doesn't mean the 4th one who comes along will be human.

Is that a story you'd ever consider adding to Golarion's canon?

Sczarni RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

A1) What is the color/style of your favorite set of dice?

B6) On page 67 of Pathfinder #55, is that a clockwork arm or ancient Azlanti prosthesis dredged from the undersea?

C4) Favorite PF gaming accessory?

D20) On the same page, why would people compete with Asmodeus to see how far they could toss a pig? What kind of stakes would be involved?

E9) Favorite miniature?

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
James Jacobs wrote:
sanwah68 wrote:

My players and I are having a discussion.

I have both a Cleric of Sarenrae and a Paladin playing through Legacy of Fire. As you are aware, Slavery is legal in Katapesh. So the Paladin and Cleric feels that they would have no issues with slavery as it is not against the law. I can understand their point, but there are indications in the adventure that good characters would have issues with recieving slaves as rewards.

Is there anything anywhere that discusses this??

Slavery is legal... therefore lawful in those regions... but that doesn't make it good.

A paladin can oppose slavery if he feels it's causing pain... even if slavery's the law. Saying a paladin must obey all laws opens up too much potential for abuse... what if a paladin visits a place where the law says you must eat babies and must worship demons?

The Paladin should have a VERY good reason for going there. I don't see slavery as a contradiction with the Paladin ethos... provided of course we're not talking about American-style slavery, but a nation that had meaty codes and standards about the work, lifestyle, and treatment of slaves, and enforced them.

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

I may be mistaken but I thought the United States did have a lot of laws about the status and treatment of slaves in the past. Not that everyone followed them.

Edit: I was curious and did a quick bit of research. The United States had a ton of laws regarding the treatment, status and in some areas even the education of slaves (or more specifically the denial of education). At a quick glance each state had its own variations and bylaws and even then these changed multiple times during the course of US history.


Jörmungandr wrote:
I may be mistaken but I thought the United States did have a lot of laws about the status and treatment of slaves in the past. Not that everyone followed them.

The same can be said for the Old Testament.


I was looking through the upcoming miniatures and noticed a large number of Lord of the Rings miniatures. What's that about?

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Golden-Esque wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
Stratagemini wrote:

I noticed that all the gods of the test of the starstone are human. is there a reason for that? Is the starstone granting divinity by using all the human spirits of the azlanti it slayed to only empower humans?

Is there another reason? or is it just because no non-humans have passed yet?

Golarion is humanocentric. The starstone is located in a human city. It was raised from the deep by a human, who thereafter became the GOD of humanity.

By law of averages alone, it's not surprising that the first three gods to ascend via the starstone were human, but that doesn't mean the 4th one who comes along will be human.

Is that a story you'd ever consider adding to Golarion's canon?

Not until we know how mythic rules and turning into a deity works, I don't think.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Thomas LeBlanc wrote:

A1) What is the color/style of your favorite set of dice?

B6) On page 67 of Pathfinder #55, is that a clockwork arm or ancient Azlanti prosthesis dredged from the undersea?

C4) Favorite PF gaming accessory?

D20) On the same page, why would people compete with Asmodeus to see how far they could toss a pig? What kind of stakes would be involved?

E9) Favorite miniature?

Holy weird numbering scheme!

A1) Lava red with black numbers, although my glow-in-the-dark Cthulhu dice are fun too

B6) Dunno. Some things are mysteries on purpose.

C4) Initiatvie tracker. Can't play without one these days. Tac-tiles are cool too, though.

D20) Ummm. Huh?

E9) Shensen. Since it's a miniature of my own character.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Kilrex wrote:
Jörmungandr wrote:
I may be mistaken but I thought the United States did have a lot of laws about the status and treatment of slaves in the past. Not that everyone followed them.
The same can be said for the Old Testament.

And now that alignment and politics and religion have reared their heads, I formally close the subject of slavery in this thread.

Next question, please!

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Tels wrote:
I was looking through the upcoming miniatures and noticed a large number of Lord of the Rings miniatures. What's that about?

Well... "The Hobbit" comes out later this year...

Scarab Sages

Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Maps Subscriber
James Jacobs wrote:


And now that alignment and politics and religion have reared their heads, I formally close the subject of slavery in this thread.

Next question, please!

Thanks for answering the question anyway :) I didn't mean for it to morph into politics and religion.

Mmmm...a question for JJ: What is your favourite pizza??


James Jacobs wrote:
Tels wrote:
I was looking through the upcoming miniatures and noticed a large number of Lord of the Rings miniatures. What's that about?
Well... "The Hobbit" comes out later this year...

Damn, was kinda hoping Paizo was going to publish a LotR AP and I just hadn't heard about it.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

1 person marked this as a favorite.
sanwah68 wrote:
Mmmm...a question for JJ: What is your favourite pizza??

Garlic, jalapenos, and artichoke hearts.

Liberty's Edge

James Jacobs wrote:
Diego Rossi wrote:

More seriously, thank for the reply.

I have always applied the TWF modifiers from the start of the round in which the character decided to use them till the start of the next round when he get to decide again, so it is an eye opener.

So, some little adjustment to make at my gaming table.

Only if you feel that playing that way was bad. If adjusting the modifiers works for your table, then keep it that way. Changing the way your game works during the middle of a campaign is frustrating to the players, so I would suggest doing it as few times as you can.

I don't feel it is particularly bad, but I feel that giving a small gift to people going the TWF could be a positive thing.

My group till this campaign has played with 3.5 rules (with some Pathfinder graft, the polymorph rules were applied immediately, thank you to all the Paizo Developers for them), so we are still adapting to the new rules.

The only class that can be penalized by this rule change is the monk, as it will use the 3/4 BAB for the Attacks of Opportunities, but I asked my player to avoid them as we are playing a Kingmaker campaign and I feel there is little space for oriental flavoured characters.

Question:

Background:
Currently we are playing a Kingmaker campaign and I am using some modified faction rule, with the characters being (at least initially) in the Swordlord faction and the option to join multiple factions (the Erastil church is one of the best and easiest options in that setting).

That way I can give out prestige point awards instead of monetary awards for some of the player quests in the campaign (and for some of the Kingdom actions too, building the first Erastil Abbey will give out a award from the church, completing a road to the Tuskwater lake plus a waterfront there will open a secondary trade route between Restov and Mivon, getting them a Swordlord award, and so on).

Beside the usual things, prestige points can be spent to get BP for the kingdom, special NPC and so on, so at least some of the point will be spent outside the "character sheet".

One of the things I want to give out is the possibility to get extra traits and feats spending prestige points (what trait and feat can be learned change depending on the faction and generally there are extra prerequisites ).

At level 5 the characters have enough PP to build a extra feat and still keep a reserve of PP for emergencies. You have stated several times that you often rewards characters with extra abilities and so you have more experience with this this kind of awards, hence the question:
you feel that allowing them to get a extra feat at level 5 and probably another 3 during the character career is too much or it is acceptable?
(hopefully at least some of the feats will be RP oriented feats and not straight power ups, the players are all mature and don't push too much for ubercharacters).


If Paizo had the funds and personnel needed to maintain this without diminishing the production speed or quality of the core Pathfinder products and Golarion setting, would you create any other Pathfinder RPG campaign setting(s) beside Golarion?

If so what would you like to be their overarching themes? (like in how Eberron is for example advanced with this magic-technology)


James Jacobs wrote:
Thomas LeBlanc wrote:

A1) What is the color/style of your favorite set of dice?

B6) On page 67 of Pathfinder #55, is that a clockwork arm or ancient Azlanti prosthesis dredged from the undersea?

C4) Favorite PF gaming accessory?

D20) On the same page, why would people compete with Asmodeus to see how far they could toss a pig? What kind of stakes would be involved?

E9) Favorite miniature?

Holy weird numbering scheme!

A1) Lava red with black numbers, although my glow-in-the-dark Cthulhu dice are fun too

B6) Dunno. Some things are mysteries on purpose.

C4) Initiatvie tracker. Can't play without one these days. Tac-tiles are cool too, though.

D20) Ummm. Huh?

Did he hit any of your ships?

E9) Shensen. Since it's a miniature of my own character.

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

James Jacobs wrote:
sanwah68 wrote:
Mmmm...a question for JJ: What is your favourite pizza??
Garlic, jalapenos, and artichoke hearts.

!

Say it ain't so! I thought you were so cool!


James Jacobs wrote:
Thomas LeBlanc wrote:

A1)

B6)
C4)
D20)
E9)

Holy weird numbering scheme!

How 'bout I try to put the question below the quote, eh?

Did he manage to hit any of your ships?


During the days before Taldor had become an empire - were there any other "civilized" peoples and states in the area they had to defeat to get the empire up and running, or was it a case of expanding into monster-held territory until they came up against the Qadiran border?


Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
James Jacobs wrote:
The Minis Maniac wrote:
So James if I keep saying the words Neothilid, Intellect devourer, drow, Duergar, Vegepygmy, trogolodyte will it increase your desire for a darklands AP? If you want I'll handle Mona, you take McCreary, and we just need to find 2 people to hold down Spicer and Daigle and we can get this thing done.
No. My desire for such an AP is already at Maximum Level.

Is it on the 2 to 3 year list or the vague idea list?


I just read the foreword to the Trial of the Beast. Do you happen to know what F. Wesley Schneider was on? I need some of that.

Dark Archive

I had the same feeling about double weapons, such as two-bladed sword. Although there are some double weapons that seem plausible, such as ashandarei from Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time, which is basically quarterstaff-short sword combo. So,

1) This type of weapon would be pretty unusual in Golarion, right?

2) Would you consider too powerful to allow the player to enchant his two-bladed sword as two wands, or a staff? (My player had in mind some kind of ritual, using Weaponwand spell and appropriate wands as spell-components.)

3) There are no advanced firearms in Golarion, right?

3a) What about pepperbox pistol from UC, but with a mechanism that rotates the barrels? (That way you still have to reload it by hand, and it takes longer, but you get the same number of shots as with revolver and you don't need cartridges.) Or is this more appropriate as magic weapon (or clockwork weapon or whatever)?


After all this time, I'm finally playing RotRL.

Burnt Offerings:
What's up with all the fear effects? My oracle, with Will as her best save, has failed four saves against fear in 4 levels and missed every climactic battle. After working for 3 levels to save Ameiko, all but 2 of the PCs are running away from Thistletop, and one of the other 2 is bleeding out because the healer is panicked! This stinks. Will there be any change to the fear effects in the first module in the PF update to make the PCs less pathetic and set up to fail? My oracle is too ashamed of herself to go back to Sandpoint after her constant cowardice and will most likely be quitting the campaign because I've lost all respect for her due to the vagaries of the dice and don't want to play such an obvious loser.


Are there any spells you hate making saves agianst because you always seem to fail them?

Scarab Sages

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber
Joana wrote:

After all this time, I'm finally playing RotRL.

** spoiler omitted **

RotRL Spoiler:
I'm running RotRL and having the same problem. The party's Bard has been rendered useless in basically every single battle due to fear effects, except for the battle against the attic whisperer, where she was useless for other reasons.
Will there be fewer of these effects on the Hardcover?
Liberty's Edge

I'm having trouble understanding the difference between Attack Action and Standard Action.

The way I understand it, a melee (or ranged/unarmed) is considered a Standard Action.

With a Full Attack, you can take multiple melee attacks based on BAB, Two-Weapon Fighting, or some other special reason per the PRD under Full Attack.

Vital Strike is defined as an Attack Action.

Sunder is defined as an Attack Action that can take the place of a melee attack.

Yet some are using posts by Jason Buhlman in other locations to say that an Attack Action is always a Standard Action, and thus you cannot do a Standard Action at the same time as a different kind of action.

Yet that is explicitly not a true statement in regards to a Full Attack Action, in that you are doing at least one melee attack (Standard Action) during the Full Attack Action.

So, what is the purpose of the language "Attack Action" if it isn't treated differently in some way from a typical Standard Action?

If there is no difference at all, then he feats and Sunder should not use the words "Attack Action" and should simply say Standard Action.

So here are the major questions:

Can you use Sunder as part of a Full Attack Action?
Can you use Vital Strike as part of a Full Attack Action?

If not, please explain to me why the words Attack Action are used at all?

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Pssst! He already answered this one, a mere 4 months ago.

James Jacobs already wrote:
The monster's eye beams can't be enhanced by Vital Strike because using them requires a standard action. Since vital strike requires an attack action (a specific KIND of standard action, and not the one used by this monster to activate its eye beams—see the entry for eye beams under its special attacks), it can't be used at the same time the monster uses a standard action instead to use its eye beams.

Emphasis mine.

Liberty's Edge

Not really Jiggy. He didn't answer the crux of my question.

How is an attack action different from a standard action in that they would use that term in the first place. Otherwise, just call all attack actions standard actions and alleviate all this confusion.

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Andrew Christian wrote:
How is an attack action different from a standard action
James Jacobs wrote:
a specific KIND of standard action

I'm not sure what else you're after.

Liberty's Edge

Why is the term “Attack Action” used?

What is it about an “Attack Action” that is a “specific kind of standard action” that makes it different than a typical Standard Action?

What exactly IS an “Attack Action”?

Where is Attack Action defined in the core rule book?

How can I reasonably be expected to adjudicate all the feats and abilities that use the term “Attack Action” when “Attack Action” has only been ambiguously defined as a “specific kind of standard action” in message board posts?

Scarab Sages

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

it's a standard action where you attack. As opposed to a standard where you cast a Spell. or a Standard where you use a Class ability. Or a Standard where you demoralize a Foe, or a Standard where you use diplomacy (with class abilities)

That's why.

Silver Crusade

Also, some spells and abilities refer to an "attack". "Attack action" clarifies what qualifies as an "attack". (Ex. Anything referred to as an "attack action" would end an invisibility spell.)

Liberty's Edge

Stratagemini wrote:

it's a standard action where you attack. As opposed to a standard where you cast a Spell. or a Standard where you use a Class ability. Or a Standard where you demoralize a Foe, or a Standard where you use diplomacy (with class abilities)

That's why.

Ok, where is that defined in the book?

I can read the words and extrapolate a meaning. But I’d like to see where Attack Action is defined in the book.

Grand Lodge RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Andrew Christian wrote:
Stratagemini wrote:

it's a standard action where you attack. As opposed to a standard where you cast a Spell. or a Standard where you use a Class ability. Or a Standard where you demoralize a Foe, or a Standard where you use diplomacy (with class abilities)

That's why.

Ok, where is that defined in the book?

I can read the words and extrapolate a meaning. But I’d like to see where Attack Action is defined in the book.

It's not, unfortunately. Like plenty else, the Attack Action is a term that only means something if you happen to follow the right threads on the messageboards. :/

Scarab Sages

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

It's in the Core Rulebook under types of Standard Actions. They are as follows: Attack, Activate Magic Item, Cast a Spell, Start/Complete Full Round Action, Total Defense, Use Special Ability.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Threeshades wrote:

If Paizo had the funds and personnel needed to maintain this without diminishing the production speed or quality of the core Pathfinder products and Golarion setting, would you create any other Pathfinder RPG campaign setting(s) beside Golarion?

If so what would you like to be their overarching themes? (like in how Eberron is for example advanced with this magic-technology)

I would LOVE to do a post-apocalyptic game. I've got about 90,000 words sitting "on deck" for that development, in fact—"Unspeakable Futures," which I've been tinkering with ever since 3rd edition D&D came about.

If not that... then some other genre. Fantasy is covered with Golarion.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Jiggy wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
sanwah68 wrote:
Mmmm...a question for JJ: What is your favourite pizza??
Garlic, jalapenos, and artichoke hearts.

!

Say it ain't so! I thought you were so cool!

If I get my garlic, jalapeno, and artichoke heart pizza now and then, I'm fine with not being regarded as cool.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Kajehase wrote:
During the days before Taldor had become an empire - were there any other "civilized" peoples and states in the area they had to defeat to get the empire up and running, or was it a case of expanding into monster-held territory until they came up against the Qadiran border?

There were certainly tribes of Kellids that they conquered, and plenty of other small groups of locals, free cities, and the like. I suspect there were some other civilizations that they rolled right over as well.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Justin Franklin wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
The Minis Maniac wrote:
So James if I keep saying the words Neothilid, Intellect devourer, drow, Duergar, Vegepygmy, trogolodyte will it increase your desire for a darklands AP? If you want I'll handle Mona, you take McCreary, and we just need to find 2 people to hold down Spicer and Daigle and we can get this thing done.
No. My desire for such an AP is already at Maximum Level.
Is it on the 2 to 3 year list or the vague idea list?

Vague Idea list.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Cheapy wrote:
I just read the foreword to the Trial of the Beast. Do you happen to know what F. Wesley Schneider was on? I need some of that.

A standard Paizo mix of sleep deprivation, deadline stress, and a dash of eccentricity.

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