I'm currently working on my first Core Campaign character who will go into Shadowdancer. I'm wondering if there's a way to improve my Shadow or if the only things to change from the Bestiary stats are BAB and Saves? Can it get more Skills or Feats? Can I give it a weapon so that it has the option of dealing hp damage?
The shadow does not get much better.
It's BAB, and base saves go up to match the shadow dancer, and it has half of the shadow dancer's hit points.
It does not get additional skills or feats. If you want it to use a weapon then it has to be a ghost touch weapon.
However since ghost touch is a +1 enhancement then it must be a +1 weapon first, and since the weapon counts as incorporeal and corporeal at the same time the opponent may disarm or sunder it, if that is the shadow's only way to do damage. However most of the time the shadow draining strength will be the best way to use it.
Ah, okay thanks. At first I thought it was an awesome ability, then I saw that Shadows are CR3...Then I read Undead Traits and Incorporeal and liked it again. Still not a great 8th level ability, but it is neat and useful. Perhaps have a little Peter Pan thing going on...Summon the Shadow and when entering a town or such, have it pretend to be my shadow...
Hmm, matches my alignment and is intelligent...A class that gets an imaginary friend!
"Are you talking to your shadow?" "Yes, I am."
It can be ok if your character is focus around taking down single targets. Con damage is deadly, but I would not take the class just to get the shadow. The half hit points means it will die if the bad guys focus fire on it, and have magical weapons.
Then you lose it for 30 days, and that might be an entire AP, if your GM is running one.
Don't worry, not taking it for the shadow. I'm taking it for the shadowdancer (I want to play one). PFS Core Campaign with a couple additional rules for the venue:
No dump stats: No character may voluntarily lower their ability score below 10, except via racial modifiers.
Pathfinder Training: Characters are expected to be knowledgeable in their areas of expertise. Characters must put at least one rank into all their class knowledge skills (over the course of your first 5 levels)
Languages: Characters are expected to speak at least one language other than Common. Any Core-legal language will do.
Animal Companions: Characters may have animal companions, but they are to be just that. Companions. They are not to be disposable combat beasts (such as, but not limited to pounce kitties, large wolves, etc). They are your best friend. Treat them as such. Really. Just because the game doesn’t place penalties on their death doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t. Self-imposed penalties in the unlikely event of their death can be imposed, for those that choose.
This will be my first experience with the Core Campaign and likely my main one since this is my primary venue and this is the new format it will be using from March on. I intend to make a Half-Elf or Halfling Fighter/Shadowdancer, though I might toss in a level of Rogue for extra skill points for knowledge and language requirements.
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Just to be clear, is this for a homegame being run akin to the style of the new PFS Core Campaign? Or is it *the* PFS Core Campaign?
Because, if it's the latter, there are no such restrictions on character development as you've outlined. You can adjust your stats however the rules allow, including "dump stats", and aren't required to know any language other than Common.
Yes and yes.
Our Lodge has 4 venues spread all over the city and one that is actually an hour outside of town. Apparently we've been having trouble with player styles at some games such as a power gamer sapping the fun for the rest of the players, attendance at my venue has been lacking despite it being 'the best venue' (not my words) because of crap reasons, and some people only want to play core games...I'm not really that clear.
Anyway, our VLs have decided to implement different formats at each location. At one venue there will be a table exclusively for power gamers. My venue will now be switching from Wednesdays to Thursdays and be running this modified core campaign titled the Self-Limiting Core Campaign. Still PFS, still credit for core campaign, just with these additional rules to attract certain players while discouraging others.
So yes it is *the* PFS core campaign, and yes it is kinda homebrew.
We are all passionate about the game we love to play. It's a social game and we need others to play it, we can't do it alone. We seek out those of like-mind who share the same love that we do. We make characters together, we plan together, and we are saddened when one of us falls. We chip in to Raise and sometimes, when Pharasma's due must be paid, we raise a glass to the departed.
But with all social games, we end up disagreeing. Sometimes it's minor. Sometimes it gets heated. But we still need each other to play. It's all fine and good to make that unique creation in the comfort of your home, but she's really not quite complete until you adventure with allies.
Despite our disagreements and differences, we still come together and sit and choose to spend our time with each other, playing the game we love. Does that mean we won't disagree in the future? Of course not. Will a time-out need to be called in the future? Probably. If we didn't have to do so, we would have lost the passion that drives us to play the game.
SO.
IN an attempt to accommodate everyone's play style and provide them a table at which they can play said style, the VO Team is proud to announce the following:
Formats at Elie and Game Knight will remain the same.
Recently Pendragon has been running multi-session modules, usually every second week. This was started by Dave Strang and has been a great success, so it will continue for as long Dave is willing and there is demand.
A minor change at Imagine and the largest change being Westwin.
At Imagine, for our players that love to make the biggest, baddest Pathfinder, we are going to add a table just for you. Imagine has the ability to host three tables. Barry will continue to host the main table with Jimmy hosting a Core game (when he or whomever is able).
The third table will be for those who wish to bring their best and brightest creations to the game and play with those like-minded individuals who also love that style. You will, however, still need to find a GM, though I know René is willing to hehelp out.
For Westwin, we are introducing the Westwin Self-Limiting Core Campaign (we will accept suggestions for a better name), switching back to Thursday nights.
The WSLCC format will be as follows:
No dump stats: No character may voluntarily lower their ability score below 10, except via racial modifiers.
Pathfinder Training: Characters are expected to be knowledgeable in their areas of expertise. Characters must put at least one rank into all their class knowledge skills (over the course of your first 5 levels)
Languages: Characters are expected to speak at least one language other than Common. Any Core-legal language will do.
Animal Companions: Characters may have animal companions, but they are to be just that. Companions. They are not to be disposable combat beasts (such as, but not limited to pounce kitties, large wolves, etc). They are your best friend. Treat them as such. Really. Just because the game doesn’t place penalties on their death doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t. Self-imposed penalties in the unlikely event of their death can be imposed, for those that choose.
The goals of the Westwin Self-Limiting Core Campaign are to provide a play experience suitable for veterans and beginners alike. Beginners will find the simplicity of choices makes it easier to learn the game and still be able to make a great, well-rounded character while the veteran can be challenged to embrace giving up all the extras and the RPers should find the game more to their style.
No mechanical benefits are accrued by playing Westwin Self-Limiting Core Campaign characters over regular PFS Core Campaign characters. It is provided simply as a way to give Westwin a unique identity and a play option for those who prefer that style.
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As awesome as that sounds, if it's a public game, you have to be accommodating to anyone that shows up with a legal PFS Core character.
If I happened to visit your particular venue, and the only character I brought had a 7 Int, or only knew Common, you couldn't refuse me solely on those grounds.
That's what private games are for.
As an example, locally we had a GM that would only prep the lower tiers of scenarios (but they were posted as public games).
I saw a 5-9 tier game posted, and its theme really fit my level 9 Fighter, so I brought him.
Everyone else was 5 or 6, or had a pregen, and when we did a head count we were solidly in the low tier.
When the GM noticed my PC's level, he refused to seat me. He offered me to play a pregen instead.
When I refused, he said I would be unable to play at that table. So I left, and the first person I contacted was my VC.
Long story short, he can no longer offer public games, and restrict who shows up with what character.
True enough. For walk-ups who don't have characters yet, Pregens will still be available. For folks who aren't privy to the Facebook Group we use to coordinate/run the lodge, (especially folks like you who come in only hearing that there's a game running) that have a character within the level range, I'm sure we'd let them sit and play with us. Our GMs and players are very accommodating, and we're fine with playing up or down, though pregens might be recommended if the level gap is too great (three level 1s and a level 5 might recommend a pregen, though we won't force it; a level 2, a level 3, a level 4, and a level 5 work fine)
What you say however is somewhat difficult now that there's the core campaign. What happens when you show up with a regular PFS character and we're playing core? All I can think of is offer you a pregen, though I suppose level is up to you. (I'm assuming that core characters can't play with regular characters.) The same sort of thing might happen if you show up with a rolled character to any PFS game; offer you a pregen since your character is not PFS legal.
Like I said, it's only my primary venue that's adding this new 'challenge', and there's another venue that plays the same night at the same time that has regular core as well as regular pfs games. Almost everyone in our lodge uses Facebook to learn if games/players are cancelled, etc., so everyone knows what kind of games are preferred where. But we're very accommodating and would never outright refuse letting someone play. If you showed up with a legal core campaign character, we would of course let you play with us. If you decided to become a regular player with our lodge, we'd probably recommend creating a character that fits these new rules if you're going to play at this venue or point you to one of the other venues that might suit your style of play more, but we're not going to outright refuse to let you play. It's kinda like if a min/maxer came as a walk-up; we'd let them play but also point them to a venue where like-minded people like to play.
The goals of the Westwin Self-Limiting Core Campaign are to provide a play experience suitable for veterans and beginners alike. Beginners will find the simplicity of choices makes it easier to learn the game and still be able to make a great, well-rounded character while the veteran can be challenged to embrace giving up all the extras and the RPers should find the game more to their style.
No mechanical benefits are accrued by playing Westwin Self-Limiting Core Campaign characters over regular PFS Core Campaign characters. It is provided simply as a way to give Westwin a unique identity and a play option for those who prefer that style.
The only reason I brought the extra rules up was because I was trying to justify a reason to dip rogue, as well as the fact that I'm still not 100% on what race to play. But I have another thread to try and figure that out.
Considering it uses my BAB, I would assume that when I get iterative attacks for high BAB, so would it.
Oh, and am now going to be Half-Elf Barbarian 4/ Cleric of Pharasma 1, Shadowdancer 7
Does it gain iterative attacks with its touch attack?The shadow does not get much better.
It's BAB, and base saves go up to match the shadow dancer, and it has half of the shadow dancer's hit points.
Nope. It is not a manufactured weapon.