Creative Director
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Is Dwarven culture as a whole in Golarion xenophobic?Mostly towards elves I think. But the longears deserve it. :)
Actually... that's not the case on Golarion.
There's no significant racial hatred or competition between dwarves and elves on Golarion.
If dwarves have a racial hatred, it's for orcs and goblins. Hence their racial "Hatred" ability. Note that elves aren't mentioned in that line at all.
Elves on Golarion don't really have a hatred of any race... well, except maybe drow.
Elves on Golarion don't really have a hatred of any race... well, except maybe drow.
And goblins, right? (Cause everyone hates goblins.)
But those weren't the water weirds I remember from 2nd edition that were snake like instead of the powerful female elementals from 3rd ed.
The snakey version was written up in Dragon as the "larval elemental weird." Probably wouldn't be hard to convert to Pathfinder.
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James, two questions, born from a discussion about quickdraw shields:
1) do you know what was the intention on how the quick draw shield should work?
The discussion in that thread gave me some doubt.
Cited from the quickdraw shield thread:
Quickdraw Shield, Light Wooden or Steel: This light shield is specially crafted with a series of straps to allow a character proficient in shields to ready or stow it on his or her back quickly and easily. If you have a base attack bonus of +1 or higher, you may don or put away a quickdraw shield as a swift action combined with a regular move. If you have the Two-Weapon Fighting feat, you can draw a light or one-handed weapon with one hand and a quickdraw shield with the other in the time it would normally take you to draw one weapon. If you have the Quick Draw feat, you may don or put away a quickdraw shield as a free action.
Compare that with drawing a weapon
Draw or Sheathe a Weapon
Drawing a weapon so that you can use it in combat, or putting it away so that you have a free hand, requires a move action. This action also applies to weapon-like objects carried in easy reach, such as wands. If your weapon or weapon-like object is stored in a pack or otherwise out of easy reach, treat this action as retrieving a stored item.
If you have a base attack bonus of +1 or higher, you may draw a weapon as a free action combined with a regular move. If you have the Two-Weapon Fighting feat, you can draw two light or one-handed weapons in the time it would normally take you to draw one.
My doubt is that the item creator intention was to say:
If you have a base attack bonus of +1 or higher, you may don or put away a quickdraw shield as a swift action combined with a regular move. .... If you have the Quick Draw feat, you may don or put away a quickdraw shield as a free action combined with a regular move.
That seem much more reasonable than donning/stowing it away with a free action without any other requirement.
The quick draw shield become one "step" slower than a weapon: without quick draw it require a regular move + swift action against a regular move + free action for a weapon, with quick draw it require a move + free action against a free action for a weapon.
Drawing and strapping a shield is a more complex action than drawing a weapon.
2) Stowing the shield away provoke an AoO? I think so as sheathing a weapon and stowing a item away both provoke but people enamoured with the shield seem to think the opposite .
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Creative Director
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But those weren't the water weirds I remember from 2nd edition that were snake like instead of the powerful female elementals from 3rd ed.The snakey version was written up in Dragon as the "larval elemental weird." Probably wouldn't be hard to convert to Pathfinder.
No, but also just as against the law for us to do so in print, since Dragon's contents aren't open.
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Creative Director
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James, two questions, born from a discussion about quickdraw shields:
1) do you know what was the intention on how the quick draw shield should work?
2) Stowing the shield away provoke an AoO? I think so as sheathing a weapon and stowing a item away both provoke but people enamoured with the shield seem to think the opposite .
1) Not being the one who wrote that item or having really any amount of experience with it in play... but I suspect the point is to make quickdrawing a shield slightly slower than a weapon.
2) Sheathing a weapon provokes an attack of opportunity. I would say that doing the same for a shield, an object designed to protect you when it's out but not when it's put away, would do the same thing. Especially since min-maxers are so eager and ready and willing to use shields as weapons.
Use Magic Device will let you trick an item into thinking you're a different class... but it does not grant the POWERS of that class. The way the ring of revelation is worded pretty much means you HAVE to be an Oracle (aka you have to meet minimum level requirements in class abilities granted by the oracle class, since the powers granted directly affect that ability rather than grant you NEW abilities). Furthermore, the ring specifically says that it has no effect if worn by a non-oracle.
SO. Best case scenario, you could Use Magic Device to trick the ring into activating, but if you don't actually have class levels in oracle, the ring will do nothing more than take up a ring slot for you.
Bearing this in mind, can an Oracle UMD a Ring of Revelation to emulate a different mystery? What about Soothsayer's Rainment (similar wording, but not identical)?
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No, but also just as against the law for us to do so in print, since Dragon's contents aren't open.But those weren't the water weirds I remember from 2nd edition that were snake like instead of the powerful female elementals from 3rd ed.The snakey version was written up in Dragon as the "larval elemental weird." Probably wouldn't be hard to convert to Pathfinder.
I know, just pointing the stats' existence out to the OP.
In some very low-probability alternate world, if Hasbro/WotC decided to divest themselves of the D&D IP, would Paizo purchase it if offered? And what would you do with it?
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Ok, the answer to this might be be fairly long and in-depth, so "Good Lord man, I have GenCon and the AP line to worry about, I don't have time for your drivel!" is a perfectly acceptable response. :-)
That said, one of the cool things about Paizo (to me at least) has always been the fact that you guys are willing to get edgier with your products than, for example, D&D has in the past. And not only are you willing to get edgier, but the edginess has always been there for a good purpose and to drive the story or setting (which holds up initially and in the long term), not just for shock value. So it's been the well-considered, well-implemented sort of boundary-pushing that marks your product as "adult" (in the non-porny way) as opposed to the deliberate puerility of something like, oh, F.A.T.A.L. *shudder* Knowing I'm getting product from you that will treat me as a grownup has been a big factor in making me a subscriber to several of your lines.
Something interesting occurred to me as I was perusing my awesome, amazing, and in all other ways fantastic hardcopy of Rise of the Runelords. Of all the APs I've read in whole or in part (which includes everything except Serpent Skull and Skull & Shackles, since I am currently or will be a player in those), it seems to me that RotRL is the edgiest. Between the overall emphasis on sin and the uses thereof, and Nic Logue's horrific imagination (and I mean that in the best and most complimentary way possible), it seemed to me that RotRL established a "high water mark" for edgy content that has never been equaled. Now, that's a purely subjective judgment and is neither here nor there, since the point is to push boundaries where and when appropriate to the story, and you've continued to do that. However, it did raise some questions in my mind.
Do you feel like RotRL was the furthest you've "pushed the envelope" in the AP line? If not, where do you feel was the "high water mark"?
Back when RotRL came out, Paizo was -- well, not a new company, but one forging a new identity, and RotRL was the flagship. Now Paizo is an established company, and one of the "big dogs" in the RPG industry. Do you have more to lose now by pushing the envelope, or less? And is it easier to push the envelope now than it was in those first days, or harder?
Given that there is a distinct difference between what constitutes "pushing the envelope" in, say, the US and Europe, which is easier for you you to do? Is it easier to do the sorts of violence that is controversial in Europe, or to cross The Great Nipple Barrier that's present in the US? Or is there some other dynamic that's present?
I know that's a lot to deal with, especially at this time. So thanks for your consideration, even if you don't have time or inclination to do more than laugh at my presumption for asking such questions. :-)
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... it's been the well-considered, well-implemented sort of boundary-pushing that marks your product as "adult" (in the non-porny way) as opposed to the deliberate puerility of something like, oh, F.A.T.A.L. *shudder*
NOW you've done it. You've opened The Door That Cannot Be Shut. And I'd finally managed to forget about That Game.
Do you play The Game?
Do you play The Game?
Crap.
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Creative Director
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Bearing this in mind, can an Oracle UMD a Ring of Revelation to emulate a different mystery? What about Soothsayer's Rainment (similar wording, but not identical)?Use Magic Device will let you trick an item into thinking you're a different class... but it does not grant the POWERS of that class. The way the ring of revelation is worded pretty much means you HAVE to be an Oracle (aka you have to meet minimum level requirements in class abilities granted by the oracle class, since the powers granted directly affect that ability rather than grant you NEW abilities). Furthermore, the ring specifically says that it has no effect if worn by a non-oracle.
SO. Best case scenario, you could Use Magic Device to trick the ring into activating, but if you don't actually have class levels in oracle, the ring will do nothing more than take up a ring slot for you.
Ring of Revelation: No. This ring grants access to a revelation. It does not allow the wearer to choose what revelation it grants, though; that's hardcoded into the ring. You can't Use Magic Device to change this any more than you can to change a wand of fireball into a wand of gaseous form.
Soothsayer's Raiment: Same thing.
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Creative Director
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That said, one of the cool things about Paizo (to me at least) has always been the fact that you guys are willing to get edgier with your products than, for example, D&D has in the past. And not only are you willing to get edgier, but the edginess has always been there for a good purpose and to drive the story or setting (which holds up initially and in the long term), not just for shock value. So it's been the well-considered, well-implemented sort of boundary-pushing that marks your product as "adult" (in the non-porny way) as opposed to the deliberate puerility of something like, oh, F.A.T.A.L. *shudder* Knowing I'm getting product from you that will treat me as a grownup has been a big factor in making me a subscriber to several of your lines.
Something interesting occurred to me as I was perusing my awesome, amazing, and in all other ways fantastic hardcopy of Rise of the Runelords. Of all the APs I've read in whole or in part (which includes everything except Serpent Skull and Skull & Shackles, since I am currently or will be a player in those), it seems to me that RotRL is the edgiest. Between the overall emphasis on sin and the uses thereof, and Nic Logue's horrific imagination (and I mean that in the best and most complimentary way possible), it seemed to me that RotRL established a "high water mark" for edgy content that has never been equaled. Now, that's a purely subjective judgment and is neither here nor there, since the point is to push boundaries where and when appropriate to the story, and you've continued to do that. However, it did raise some questions in my mind.
Do you feel like RotRL was the furthest you've "pushed the envelope" in the AP line? If not, where do you feel was the "high water mark"?
Back when RotRL came out, Paizo was -- well, not a new company, but one forging a new identity, and RotRL was the flagship. Now Paizo is an established company, and one of the "big dogs" in the RPG industry. Do you have more to lose now by pushing the envelope, or less? And is it easier to push the envelope now than it was in those first days, or harder?
Given that there is a distinct difference between what constitutes "pushing the envelope" in, say, the US and Europe, which is easier for you you to do? Is it easier to do the sorts of violence that is controversial in Europe, or to cross The Great Nipple Barrier that's present in the US? Or is there some other dynamic that's present?
I know that's a lot to deal with, especially at this time. So thanks for your consideration, even if you don't have time or inclination to do more than laugh at my presumption for asking such questions. :-)
Look at it this way. "Game of Thrones" is doing VERY well in both novel form and in film form. It's one of HBO's most popular shows (I've read it's in their top 3 all time most-popular, in fact, up there with the Sopranos and True Blood), which tells me that there an eager audience for fantasy with strong mature content that pushes at times beyond what even an R-rated movie can get away with. There's a pretty enormous gulf of difference between the adult topics in Game of Thrones and F.A.T.A.L (in fact, I think that's a TEXTBOOK example of maturity and immaturity in handling sex and violence), and given the option, I would and will always try to steer Paizo toward the Game of Thrones side of that division as much as I can.
Rise of the Runelords is probably the edgiest one we've done, but that's mostly because it was the FIRST one we did without having to be approved by Wizards of the Coast. As such, we wanted to see how far we could go, and what our audience would accept. Turns out, I think, that Hook Mountain Massacre was that limit. Maybe a little beyond the limit. Today, I think we could probably go further, since we've had 5 years to establish Golarion as a setting where there ARE adult situations. Some day we'll test those limits again.
(And in fairness... not only have we published nipples in Pathifnder before, but we've done so in Dungeon & Dragon magazine a few times. Two of which were in adventures I wrote, if memory serves...)
Rise of the Runelords is probably the edgiest one we've done, but that's mostly because it was the FIRST one we did without having to be approved by Wizards of the Coast. As such, we wanted to see how far we could go, and what our audience would accept. Turns out, I think, that Hook Mountain Massacre was that limit. Maybe a little beyond the limit. Today, I think we could probably go further, since we've had 5 years to establish Golarion as a setting where there ARE adult situations. Some day we'll test those limits again.
Was there anything in the Carrion Crown AP that made you wonder if it was going a bit too far?
And have you ever thought you were going right up to and a bit over the edge but it turned out the audience took it in stride?
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Creative Director
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When the Elves returned from their pre-Earthfall retreat, who did they have major conflicts with when it came to reclaiming their old haunts?Is Dwarven culture as a whole in Golarion xenophobic?Mostly towards elves I think. But the longears deserve it. :)Actually... that's not the case on Golarion.
There's no significant racial hatred or competition between dwarves and elves on Golarion.
If dwarves have a racial hatred, it's for orcs and goblins. Hence their racial "Hatred" ability. Note that elves aren't mentioned in that line at all.
Elves on Golarion don't really have a hatred of any race... well, except maybe drow.
Taldor.
Ring of Revelation: No. This ring grants access to a revelation. It does not allow the wearer to choose what revelation it grants, though; that's hardcoded into the ring. You can't Use Magic Device to change this any more than you can to change a wand of fireball into a wand of gaseous form.
Soothsayer's Raiment: Same thing.
Sorry, I didn't phrase that properly. What I meant was: can an Oracle of a given mystery use UMD to emulate a different mystery in order to access the revelation coded into the ring?
For example: Suppose a Nature oracle who finds a ring of revelation containing "Sacred Council" from the Ancestor mystery. Can s/he use UMD to emulate the Ancestor mystery class feature and thereby access the "Sacred Council" revelation from the ring (assuming s/he continues to make the requisite UMD checks every hour to continue emulating the Ancestor mystery)?
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Creative Director
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Rise of the Runelords is probably the edgiest one we've done, but that's mostly because it was the FIRST one we did without having to be approved by Wizards of the Coast. As such, we wanted to see how far we could go, and what our audience would accept. Turns out, I think, that Hook Mountain Massacre was that limit. Maybe a little beyond the limit. Today, I think we could probably go further, since we've had 5 years to establish Golarion as a setting where there ARE adult situations. Some day we'll test those limits again.Was there anything in the Carrion Crown AP that made you wonder if it was going a bit too far?
And have you ever thought you were going right up to and a bit over the edge but it turned out the audience took it in stride?
I didn't actually develop Carrion Crown, so I can't say. That's a Rob question. My understanding is that while it IS a horror-themed Adventure Path, it does not exceed the content level in Hook Mountain Massacre, and judging by the lack of angry/outraged emails/posts/messages I've seen on that topic, I'm pretty comfortable in adhering to that understanding.
I've never really been surprised, really about the audience taking something in stride that I though would be trouble... but the reverse happens a lot. I'm often surprised at how conservative and timid some of our customers are when it comes to adult content. I suspect that part of this is a symptom of good news, though... it's an indication that Pathfinder is continuing to grow its audience, I think. Things that established customers accept can be jarring to new customers who are used to D&D's classically much less "edgy" content.
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Creative Director
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Ring of Revelation: No. This ring grants access to a revelation. It does not allow the wearer to choose what revelation it grants, though; that's hardcoded into the ring. You can't Use Magic Device to change this any more than you can to change a wand of fireball into a wand of gaseous form.
Soothsayer's Raiment: Same thing.
Sorry, I didn't phrase that properly. What I meant was: can an Oracle of a given mystery use UMD to emulate a different mystery in order to access the revelation coded into the ring?
For example: Suppose a Nature oracle who finds a ring of revelation containing "Sacred Council" from the Ancestor mystery. Can s/he use UMD to emulate the Ancestor mystery class feature and thereby access the "Sacred Council" revelation from the ring (assuming s/he continues to make the requisite UMD checks every hour to continue emulating the Ancestor mystery)?
Yes. That's using the "emulate a class feature," in this case, the class feature of having the Ancestor mystery. I guess, in theory, you could do that if you were ANY class, though. Which may not be the way I've interpreted the ability before.
As always, though, your GM has the last say.
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Things that established customers accept can be jarring to new customers who are used to D&D's classically much less "edgy" content.
On the other side of it, it might also be that at least some of the older long-term players are now introducing their teen and pre-teen kids to tabletop gaming, and, despite growing up with Monster Manuals and Dieties & Demigods full of free-range boobies (thanks Jeff Dee for that Egyptian pantheon!), are looking for stuff that they wouldn't feel uncomfortable sharing with their kids.
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Things that established customers accept can be jarring to new customers who are used to D&D's classically much less "edgy" content.On the other side of it, it might also be that at least some of the older long-term players are now introducing their teen and pre-teen kids to tabletop gaming, and, despite growing up with Monster Manuals and Dieties & Demigods full of free-range boobies (thanks Jeff Dee for that Egyptian pantheon!), are looking for stuff that they wouldn't feel uncomfortable sharing with their kids.
That's also a possibility... but if they've been with Paizo from the start, they likely would have noticed that already is what I'm saying.
Hi James.
In the Inner Sea region, is dueling legal?
In particular, Taldor and Cheliax.
Today, I think we could probably go further, since we've had 5 years to establish Golarion as a setting where there ARE adult situations. Some day we'll test those limits again.
I would and will always try to steer Paizo toward the Game of Thrones side of that division as much as I can.
By all means, please do! And please tell us beforehand when you are going to test these limits once again.
I admit being a member of that 'eager audience for fantasy with strong mature content that pushes at times beyond what even an R-rated movie can get away with' you cited, and content where this topic is handled in a mature way (as you are referencing Game of Thrones) are rare gems.
I trust Paizo to being able to go to the edges of R (and at times beyond), in a way that results in great stories and APs. So, please 'test those limits again'. And again. Thank you!
I trust Paizo to being able to go to the edges of R (and at times beyond), in a way that results in great stories and APs. So, please 'test those limits again'. And again. Thank you!
Gladly seconded. I'd lost touch with the magazines well before they went back to WotC (I think my last subscription issue was shipped well before Shackled City started.) but Paizo won me over with this tripod of win:
1) The quality. Can't leave that out.
2) LGBT-friendly. (My first post on these boards was in reply to the fainting couches being pulled out over the gay paladin in Sandpoint and my first Paizo purchase was consciously to support a company writing stuff like that.)
3) The willingness to push the boundaries and go there when called for. G and PG fantasy content has never been in short supply, but well-done content that wouldn't make it past the Comics Code Authority long has been.
2) LGBT-friendly. (My first post on these boards was in reply to the fainting couches being pulled out over the gay paladin in Sandpoint and my first Paizo purchase was consciously to support a company writing stuff like that.)
Close, but no cigar.
And speaking of early posts, James: How often when someone quotes something you've said here, do you realise that you've completely forgotten about that particular thing?
2) LGBT-friendly. (My first post on these boards was in reply to the fainting couches being pulled out over the gay paladin in Sandpoint and my first Paizo purchase was consciously to support a company writing stuff like that.)Close, but no cigar.
Ok, the first I remembered making.
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I trust Paizo to being able to go to the edges of R (and at times beyond), in a way that results in great stories and APs. So, please 'test those limits again'. And again. Thank you!Gladly seconded. I'd lost touch with the magazines well before they went back to WotC (I think my last subscription issue was shipped well before Shackled City started.) but Paizo won me over with this tripod of win:
1) The quality. Can't leave that out.
2) LGBT-friendly. (My first post on these boards was in reply to the fainting couches being pulled out over the gay paladin in Sandpoint and my first Paizo purchase was consciously to support a company writing stuff like that.)
3) The willingness to push the boundaries and go there when called for. G and PG fantasy content has never been in short supply, but well-done content that wouldn't make it past the Comics Code Authority long has been.
For me this, and the representation of all sorts of populations is what makes Paizo great.
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Creative Director
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Today, I think we could probably go further, since we've had 5 years to establish Golarion as a setting where there ARE adult situations. Some day we'll test those limits again.I would and will always try to steer Paizo toward the Game of Thrones side of that division as much as I can.By all means, please do! And please tell us beforehand when you are going to test these limits once again.
I admit being a member of that 'eager audience for fantasy with strong mature content that pushes at times beyond what even an R-rated movie can get away with' you cited, and content where this topic is handled in a mature way (as you are referencing Game of Thrones) are rare gems.
I trust Paizo to being able to go to the edges of R (and at times beyond), in a way that results in great stories and APs. So, please 'test those limits again'. And again. Thank you!
We actually test those limits fairly often, and sometimes without much planning. Some books, such as the Books of the Damned, actually go even a bit MORE adult in a few places than Hook Mountain Massacre did. And we've often got relatively minor but still pretty mature/adult elements showing up in all our other books at times. \
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Creative Director
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What is the favorite non-alcoholic drink in the inner sea region?That's like asking, "What is the favorite non-alcohholic drink in North America and Central America combined?"
The answer is probably "Water." A less snarky answer would be "It varies wildly by region."
Interestingly enough, I suspect that it would be very hard to find a nonalcholic drink in a midieval setting. Simply because they wouldn't be safe to drink. Water was something that was considered fit only for bathing, slaves, or condemmed prisoners.
The usual family drink was wine for all ages. My Italian grandfather in Paterson NJ, made his own wine from the grapes he grew in the backyard. That was virtually all he ever drank. Sad note... I recently passed by the house he had it's still standing in what little is left of Jersey Street, but the roof has fallen in.
That might be true... but Golarion's not strictly a medieval setting.
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What is the favorite non-alcoholic drink in the inner sea region?That's like asking, "What is the favorite non-alcohholic drink in North America and Central America combined?"
The answer is probably "Water." A less snarky answer would be "It varies wildly by region."
How about in southern Varisia? Specifically Sandpoint, Magnimar, and Korvosa?
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Creative Director
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How about in southern Varisia? Specifically Sandpoint, Magnimar, and Korvosa?What is the favorite non-alcoholic drink in the inner sea region?That's like asking, "What is the favorite non-alcohholic drink in North America and Central America combined?"
The answer is probably "Water." A less snarky answer would be "It varies wildly by region."
Sandpoint: Ameiko's raspberry/mint punch (although the alcohol infused version is MUCH more popular) or coffee
Magnimar: Coffee
Korvosa: Thileu tea (kind of a minty chai-like tea)
Sandpoint: Ameiko's raspberry/mint punch (although the alcohol infused version is MUCH more popular)
That sounds delicious. May we please have the recipe? ^.^
1)Is there any chance that the Formians making it into the Innersea Bestiary or at least maybe a furture product early next year?
2)I was looking at the Magician bard arctype in the Advanced Players Guide and noticed that you can get a familiar(or bonded item) at level 5 but it didn't say what your equivelent wizard level was for your familiar's abilities and feats. So are considered a 5th level wizard when you get it or are you considerd 1st level?
3)Have you seen "The Fly 2(1989)", "The Blob(1980's)", "The Blob(1950's)", "Saturn 3", or "Dark City"? did you like them?
4)Is there any reason a arcane bloodline sorcerer would pick a bond with an item over a familiar?
5)What are the odds of seeing options for sorcerers that allow them to replace there first level bloodline power for more class skills that fit there bloodline choice?
6)Have you played any of the Castlevania games? if so wich ones? any favorites?
7)If humans weren't the dominate(or at least most numerious) race on Golarion, what would be your 2nd choice to take there place?