Iron Gods Player's Guide

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

"You never said anything about an android being on board! Why not?"

Some people have been scrambling for this Adventure Path since before we ever announced it, and I'm happy to say that the Iron Gods Adventure Path is finally here! Next week GMs across the world will be reading Pathfinder Adventure Path #85: The Fires of Creation and prepping for an exciting campaign in Numeria—the savage land of super-science—thousands of players are dreaming up all the possible characters they can play in this Adventure Path.

The Iron Gods Player's Guide gives advice and suggestions to help players make the best character they can that fits in with the themes and challenges presented in this campaign. In addition to these tips, the Player's Guide provides six campaign traits that help anchor any character to the story told throughout the Iron Gods Adventure Path, a brief glimpse at the town in which the campaign begins, and notes on some of the things to expect during the campaign.

Don't waste any time! Download the Iron Gods Player's Guide now! Suit up and head out, because somebody has to go out there and it might as well be you!

Adam Daigle
Developer


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Yay!


And I don't have to come up with my own reason for introducing kasathas, nice!


I'm sooo gonna ROCK a female Lashunta arcanist in this path. ^_^


2 people marked this as a favorite.

The Android looks awesome!

I'm thinking orc barbarian brutal pugalist with the gear wrecker rage power.

I punch holes in robots...yes

Shadow Lodge

Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Liberty's Edge

If I ever get to play this, I'm totally doing a male Lashunta Investigator as a philosophical alien warrior-scientist. Because that's a thing.

And I'm very pleased by the hints of what's to come in the Technoogy Guide given here. Technologist is an excellent way to handle the issue, IMO.

Sczarni RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Couple of reference errors on page 10:

1) The Craft skill points to item creation feats on page 6. No item creation feats on page 6 or in the Player's Guide at all.

2) The Disable Device skill refers to detonators and e-picks on page 43. Is the PDF is missing a few dozen pages?

Were these taken from the Technology Guide perhaps?

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

While this document says a pistelero is a good choice, do gunslingers have any advantages over other characters with the use of ranged weapons such as "Laser pistols" or what have you?

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber
Thomas LeBlanc wrote:

Couple of reference errors on page 10:

1) The Craft skill points to item creation feats on page 6. No item creation feats on page 6 or in the Player's Guide at all.

2) The Disable Device skill refers to detonators and e-picks on page 43. Is the PDF is missing a few dozen pages?

Were these taken from the Technology Guide perhaps?

All but certainly, though the e-pick does get a brief mention in the Technic League hireling in the Numeria, Land of Fallen Stars bestiary. Same thing with the Numerian gunslinger and laser pistols.

EDIT: Also, the Technologist feat is called out as being on page 9, and is reprinted there.

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber
RyanH wrote:
While this document says a pistelero is a good choice, do gunslingers have any advantages over other characters with the use of ranged weapons such as "Laser pistols" or what have you?

Laser guns and such count as firearms, it seems, so all of the goodies gunslingrs get for doing stuff with firearms (free proficiency in firearms, deeds, gun training [or pistol training for the pistolero], reduced issues with misfires, etc.) work for 'em. So yeah, a fighter or ranger or whoever ('specially one of the archetypes that gets gun stuff) could pick up a laser gun and be pretty rockin' with it. But Dex to damage alone can make a gunslinger pretty aces with those pew-pews, and quick clear (if the pew-pews have those misfire issues) is a lifesaver.

Dark Archive

1 person marked this as a favorite.

Ooh, the Android has hexagons on her cape. I got BSG (the original) flashbacks! Hexagons = sci-fi!

RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32

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After reading the Player's Guide (including the sidebar on page 6), I still want to join the Technic League.


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Technology guide will be added to PRD?! Yay!


Is there any chance we can get an image of the android on the cover? She's absolutely amazing <3!

Paizo Employee Creative Director

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Lord Fyre wrote:
After reading the Player's Guide (including the sidebar on page 6), I still want to join the Technic League.

That would be like a person in Runelords joining Karzoug, or a person in Crimson Throne joining the Gray Maidens, or a person in Skull & Shackles staying with Harrigan, or a person in Wrath fo the Righteous worshiping demons and working for Deskari.

The Technic League is one of the major bad guy groups in Iron Gods, so playing a player who wants to join them is going to cause party conflict and diverge completely from the plot of the AP.

Just as a heads up.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

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Thomas LeBlanc wrote:

Couple of reference errors on page 10:

1) The Craft skill points to item creation feats on page 6. No item creation feats on page 6 or in the Player's Guide at all.

2) The Disable Device skill refers to detonators and e-picks on page 43. Is the PDF is missing a few dozen pages?

Were these taken from the Technology Guide perhaps?

Those are errors; that section was copy-pasted directly out of the Technology Guide. You'll need to wait for that book to find out more about item creation feats and e-picks (and you should probably get your GM's approval first, since some GMs will want to present the technology rules as a surprise for the campaign).

Scarab Sages

I'm very much looking forward to playing a Gunslinger on Iron Gods. Too bad the PG is so vague on many things, in particular on the technology!

For instance, I'm currently considering going for a human character and not starting with the Technologist feat just so I can afford the heavy feat taxes needed to play an effective Gunslinger. If I knew I'll be fighting with lasers as early as level 2 or 3, I might forego Rapid Reload, allowing me to go non-human or take Technologist earlier.

Would a Gunslinger with Technologist be allowed to build herself a pistol from, say, a build-in arm laser scavenged from a dead robot...? Or at least develop metal cartridges inspired by alien tech...?

Also: Will there be futuristic melee weapons to be used with Swashbucklers? I love the concept of Swashbucklers, but if they can't make use of Numerian tech, I'll save it for a later campaign.

Liberty's Edge

Catharsis wrote:


For instance, I'm currently considering going for a human character and not starting with the Technologist feat just so I can afford the heavy feat taxes needed to play an effective Gunslinger. If I knew I'll be fighting with lasers as early as level 2 or 3, I might forego Rapid Reload, allowing me to go non-human or take Technologist earlier.

Would a Gunslinger with Technologist be allowed to build herself a pistol from, say, a build-in arm laser scavenged from a dead robot...? Or at least develop metal cartridges inspired by alien tech...?

I'm neither James Jacobs nor have I read the Tech Guide (shipment pending, grrr) but I suspect the "Techslinger" archetype is going to be your best bet.

Scarab Sages

DrSwordopolis wrote:


I'm neither James Jacobs nor have I read the Tech Guide (shipment pending, grrr) but I suspect the "Techslinger" archetype is going to be your best bet.

Sounds like a plan... though the Pistolero is the archetype recommended in the PG. We'll see.

Liberty's Edge

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Catharsis wrote:
DrSwordopolis wrote:


I'm neither James Jacobs nor have I read the Tech Guide (shipment pending, grrr) but I suspect the "Techslinger" archetype is going to be your best bet.
Sounds like a plan... though the Pistolero is the archetype recommended in the PG. We'll see.

My shipment shipped!

I suspect pistolero is recommended because it's part of the core line. I could see an argument made for pistolero, but Techslinger lets you add dex to damage to advanced tech weapons. There're couple of other really cool class features you're going to want if you plan on using advanced tech.

Nothing about the archetype helps you craft (aside from being able to pick up technologist as a bonus feat), but there are feats for that (including for scavenging from existing tech).

RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32

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James Jacobs wrote:
The Technic League is one of the major bad guy groups in Iron Gods, so playing a player who wants to join them is going to cause party conflict and diverge completely from the plot of the AP.

I take it that no one actually likes the League?

Could someone naively start out wanting to join, and be disabused of the idea during the events of the campaign? Much like the players in CotCT start out as loyal subjects of the queen, but events normally change their opinions.


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The Technic League is overtly brutal and sadistic, and uses slavery. It would be pretty much impossible to want to join them and not be totally aware of these aspects.

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber
Lord Fyre wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
The Technic League is one of the major bad guy groups in Iron Gods, so playing a player who wants to join them is going to cause party conflict and diverge completely from the plot of the AP.

I take it that no one actually likes the League?

Could someone naively start out wanting to join, and be disabused of the idea during the events of the campaign? Much like the players in CotCT start out as loyal subjects of the queen, but events normally change their opinions.

From what I've read, you absolutely could. In fact, an NPC in Numeria has done the same thing. Won't tell who due to spoiler-age, though.

The League is universally disliked, definitely. They don't share, for one, which is a great way to lose friends. And folks who take stuff they think is rightfully theirs (which is everything tech in Numeria) get hassled, robbed, and murdered. Members of the Technic League don't even really like each other.

RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Aratrok wrote:
The Technic League is overtly brutal and sadistic, and uses slavery. It would be pretty much impossible to want to join them and not be totally aware of these aspects.

Well, given that Iron Gods does not presume "heroic" characters (Iron Gods Player's Guide p. 4), those could be selling points.

RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32

2 people marked this as a favorite.
Lord Fyre wrote:
Much like the players in CotCT start out as loyal subjects of the queen, but events normally change their opinions.

The PCs don't face off against the queen or her minions in the first few issues of CotCT. They have time to learn the truth and find other motivations.

In this case, the Player's Guide is telling you that the Technic League will be a foe from the get-go. Which means that building a character at first level with a goal of joining the technic league at high level will not work in the AP, in a similar manner to making a character for WotR with a goal of "become Dreskari's right-hand man and get promoted to Nascent Demon Lord".

RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32

Ross Byers wrote:
Lord Fyre wrote:
Much like the players in CotCT start out as loyal subjects of the queen, but events normally change their opinions.

The PCs don't face off against the queen or her minions in the first few issues of CotCT. They have time to learn the truth and find other motivations.

In this case, the Player's Guide is telling you that the Technic League will be a foe from the get-go. Which means that building a character at first level with a goal of joining the technic league at high level will not work in the AP, in a similar manner to making a character for WotR with a goal of "become Dreskari's right-hand man and get promoted to Nascent Demon Lord".

Ah!

Grand Lodge

Am I the only one for whom the PDF renders at far, far too low a resolution to comfortably read? (if it helps, I'm reading it in SumatraPDF)

Liberty's Edge

Hmm...the guide suggests taking constructs and humanoid (android) as favored enemy. However, androids count as constructs for the purposes of such things. Any point in not just taking constructs (other than flavor)?

Dark Archive

2 people marked this as a favorite.
Ross Byers wrote:
Lord Fyre wrote:
Much like the players in CotCT start out as loyal subjects of the queen, but events normally change their opinions.

The PCs don't face off against the queen or her minions in the first few issues of CotCT. They have time to learn the truth and find other motivations.

In this case, the Player's Guide is telling you that the Technic League will be a foe from the get-go. Which means that building a character at first level with a goal of joining the technic league at high level will not work in the AP, in a similar manner to making a character for WotR with a goal of "become Dreskari's right-hand man and get promoted to Nascent Demon Lord".

Like many evil (or even just non-good) organizations, the membership of the Technic League don't seem terribly loyal to each other.

And so, it might be completely on-theme for a self-starting young recruit to betray his superiors plans in hopes of having all that sweet, sweet Numerian tech to himself. :)

It's not the Church of Razmir, where there are story reasons (brainwashing!) why it's harder to be a part of the organization and yet also work against other members of the organization.

As for 'joining the Technic League' at high level, it sounds like the goal might be, less obviously at 1st level, but as time goes on, take over, or even, as levels accrue and the amount of them you keep opposing / defeating / killing increases, replace the Technic League entirely!

Sort of an Agents of Atlas deal, where the group starts out opposing the evil organization, and ends up in charge of it, by the end, and starts turning it's resources towards better ends (while dealing with the occasional crimefighting ally who is attacking their operations, unaware of the change in management, or that the new boss is very much not like the old boss...).

But I'm kind of contrary on this score. I see 'you shouldn't do this, because it might take 10 seconds of thought to come up with a characterization that fits' and think, 'too late, I already thought about it and / or read this story...'

Heck, that was the plot of the Phineas & Ferb Star Wars special the kids watched yesterday, where Candace was a proud and loyal Stormtrooper at the beginning, and [spoiler alert] figured out that the rebels weren't bad guys halfway through and ended up switching teams. If children's cartoons can handle that sort of storytelling, I'm pretty sure grown-ups should be able to, as well.

RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32

Set wrote:
Ross Byers wrote:
Lord Fyre wrote:
Much like the players in CotCT start out as loyal subjects of the queen, but events normally change their opinions.

The PCs don't face off against the queen or her minions in the first few issues of CotCT. They have time to learn the truth and find other motivations.

In this case, the Player's Guide is telling you that the Technic League will be a foe from the get-go. Which means that building a character at first level with a goal of joining the technic league at high level will not work in the AP, in a similar manner to making a character for WotR with a goal of "become Dreskari's right-hand man and get promoted to Nascent Demon Lord".

Like many evil (or even just non-good) organizations, the membership of the Technic League don't seem terribly loyal to each other.

And so, it might be completely on-theme for a self-starting young recruit to betray his superiors plans in hopes of having all that sweet, sweet Numerian tech to himself. :)

I think I get what they mean with this.

While the Player's Guide says that the AP makes no presumptions about PC alignment, they also point out that plot-line works better for characters that are willing to help out.

In short, evil characters (the type most willing to join the Technic League) will have greater difficulty being part of the story.


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James Jacobs wrote:
Lord Fyre wrote:
After reading the Player's Guide (including the sidebar on page 6), I still want to join the Technic League.

That would be like a person in Runelords joining Karzoug, or a person in Crimson Throne joining the Gray Maidens, or a person in Skull & Shackles staying with Harrigan, or a person in Wrath fo the Righteous worshiping demons and working for Deskari.

The Technic League is one of the major bad guy groups in Iron Gods, so playing a player who wants to join them is going to cause party conflict and diverge completely from the plot of the AP.

Just as a heads up.

But it could also present some interesting roleplay sitautions as the double agent hides his true nature from the party. If I ran Iron Gods and a player came to me in private with this character concept, I would totally allow it (safe in the knowledge that the rest of my regular group would not bear a grudge when the traitor eventually stabs them in the back and twists the blade). :D

Spoiler:
There's already a Technic League mole in Torch, who could serve as the PC traitor's handler.

RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32

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Set, a good GM could absolutely adapt the AP for a character like that. I was just trying to show why there is a difference between "Loyal Korvosan subject" in CotCT and "Loyal Technic League retainer" in Iron Gods.

(And it is still easier if the player of the character in question is aware that he is going to have to turn on his former patrons rather quickly.)

Paizo Employee Creative Director

The_Hanged_Man wrote:
Hmm...the guide suggests taking constructs and humanoid (android) as favored enemy. However, androids count as constructs for the purposes of such things. Any point in not just taking constructs (other than flavor)?

Nope; just flavor.

Humanoid (android) is a sub-optimal choice, but it's not wrong to pick for roleplaying reasons.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

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A GM who wants to allow a player to play a member or agent of the Technic League would be well-advised to wait until the entire adventure path is out to make that decision, particularly due to elements int he last two adventures and how the Technic League plot plays out.

It's not a recommended PC option at all.

Could a GM adapt the AP for a Technic League player character? Yes. But that GM might end up having to rewrite a few adventures as a result.

It's REALLY not an appropriate choice, frankly, and a player who insists on it is kinda being disrespectful to the GM who wants to run Iron Gods as presented in the text.

Playing a member of the Technic League in another adventure... pretty much ANY other AP... would be preferable to playing one in Iron Gods, frankly.

Scarab Sages

James, will the Techslinger archetype be required to make use of lasers and stuff, or will the Pistolero do just fine? I guess I prefer the abilities of the Pistolero... would one-handed tech guns count as pistols for the Pistol Training ability, for instance?

RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16

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Huh. Went to download this and discovered Fires of Creation is already in my downloads! I apparently missed the shipping notice (or it came in the last few minutes while I'm in another email)!

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Catharsis wrote:

James, will the Techslinger archetype be required to make use of lasers and stuff, or will the Pistolero do just fine? I guess I prefer the abilities of the Pistolero... would one-handed tech guns count as pistols for the Pistol Training ability, for instance?

Techslinger helps to optimize your deeds for futuristic weapons, but at the cost of being able to use standard Pathfinder gunpowder weapons at lower levels. It's a trade-off. Neither archetype is "right," honestly.

All you need to use the tech weapons is one of two exotic weapon proficiencies—firearms or heavy weaponry.

And frankly, since most of them are touch attacks, the non-proficiency penalty is pretty minor overall if you have a solid base attack.

Scarab Sages

James Jacobs wrote:

All you need to use the tech weapons is one of two exotic weapon proficiencies—firearms or heavy weaponry.

And frankly, since most of them are touch attacks, the non-proficiency penalty is pretty minor overall if you have a solid base attack.

Great, thanks! Pistolero it is, then. (I'm counting on glitches not being Horrible Catastrophes of Doom here.)

Any chance we'll be able to repair tech guns with the Gunsmith ability, maybe in conjunction with the Technologist feat or related traits? Or replenish limited ammo resources...? (If only the Gunslinger weren't so feat-starved already!)

RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32

James Jacobs wrote:
Playing a member of the Technic League in another adventure... pretty much ANY other AP... would be preferable to playing one in Iron Gods, frankly.

Just a quick follow up. Can I assume that Khonnir Baine would have made sure that any apprentice of his (Local Ties trait) had no desire to work with the Technic League?

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Catharsis wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:

All you need to use the tech weapons is one of two exotic weapon proficiencies—firearms or heavy weaponry.

And frankly, since most of them are touch attacks, the non-proficiency penalty is pretty minor overall if you have a solid base attack.

Great, thanks! Pistolero it is, then. (I'm counting on glitches not being Horrible Catastrophes of Doom here.)

Any chance we'll be able to repair tech guns with the Gunsmith ability, maybe in conjunction with the Technologist feat or related traits? Or replenish limited ammo resources...? (If only the Gunslinger weren't so feat-starved already!)

Glitches are more or less 50% bad, 25% meh, and 25% awesome.

There are plenty of places to replenish tech ammo in the adventure path, or ways to repair damaged guns... although not so much timeworn guns.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

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Lord Fyre wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
Playing a member of the Technic League in another adventure... pretty much ANY other AP... would be preferable to playing one in Iron Gods, frankly.
Just a quick follow up. Can I assume that Khonnir Baine would have made sure that any apprentice of his (Local Ties trait) had no desire to work with the Technic League?

Absolutely, Khonnir is no ally to the Technic League.

Dark Archive

What is this that I keep hearing about Timeworn stuff?

Paizo Employee Creative Director

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brad2411 wrote:
What is this that I keep hearing about Timeworn stuff?

The technology in Numeria is thousands of years old. Not all of it works well. The stuff that's aged poorly is timeworn—it can glitch and can't be recharged. Timeworn objects are a way to introduce technology into a game in a way that gets objects in with a sort of "timer" in case you don't want them to stay forever (aka, be recharged), and a way to get them in "cheaper" since they cost less (since they're charged items that can't be recharged).


James Jacobs wrote:
brad2411 wrote:
What is this that I keep hearing about Timeworn stuff?
The technology in Numeria is thousands of years old. Not all of it works well. The stuff that's aged poorly is timeworn—it can glitch and can't be recharged. Timeworn objects are a way to introduce technology into a game in a way that gets objects in with a sort of "timer" in case you don't want them to stay forever (aka, be recharged), and a way to get them in "cheaper" since they cost less (since they're charged items that can't be recharged).

Which is just an awesome and elegant way to handle things. I am beyond excited to start running this campaign!


There is a Typo in this book on Page for Under the Archetype Options. It recommends the galvanic saboteur (rogue) archetype in people of the River when it is in fact a Ranger Archetype. :)


I want to make an android ranger with that archetype. "I conspire against my own."


Devastation Bob wrote:
I want to make an android ranger with that archetype. "I conspire against my own."

I had a warforged character in Eberron with a similar outlook, but was more, "My creators made me for war...now I do war upon them."


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motteditor wrote:
Huh. Went to download this and discovered Fires of Creation is already in my downloads! I apparently missed the shipping notice (or it came in the last few minutes while I'm in another email)!

Android gninjas are sneaky like that. Just be sure to utter "Bah-weep-graaaaagnah wheep nini bong" in thanks to Gninja Claws and leave a plate of energon goodies out for her tonight.


James? I think we're gonna need some height, weight, and age categories for the Lashuntas, Triaxians, Kasathas, and Androids. I can't seem to find them in the Iron Gods Players Guide (maybe I missed them somewhere). The Players Guide also seems to lack any tips for playing a Lashuntas or Triaxians in the adventure path. Does this mean those races are pretty much unheard of in Numeria?


Quote:
Android gninjas are sneaky like that. Just be sure to utter "Bah-weep-graaaaagnah wheep nini bong" in thanks to Gninja Claws and leave a plate of energon goodies out for her tonight.

You just won high praise in my book. Bless you sir and GOD do I WISH they'd bring back the TITANIANS and TALARIA in the bloody Transformers Cartoons! Good thing the female Lashunta kinda look like the denizens of Titan from G1 Transformers. Maybe my GF wouldn't mind playing a smexy Lashunta ranger rebel leader. ^_~

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