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Noticed a lot of people trying to access this reccently, but Google changed their link system. Posting this new link in hopes it will help people:
Keep in mind this is a conversion booklet, not the full adventure. You need a copy of the original to run it. I did this for copyright reasons.
I had planed to deal with Control Construct on intelligent robots as described in the "Dominate Technology" ability for the Mindtech Psychic Discipline from Occult Realms. Forcing a Spellcraft check each round to maintain control. This means Bastion would be a DC 40 to control. Achievable, but not easy. I'd rather not invalidate the spell on robots or allow a no-save instant win. But, if forced to choose... I would also go for invalidating the target over letting it automatically succeed.
Name: Aden, Priest of Sarenrae; Oda, Sylvan Sorcerer
The Gory Details: Spoiler: The party strolled up to the Hawk Palace filled with confidence, as nothing had ever given them an impossibly hard time. The party is five characters and thus suffer for slightly less experience. They easily defeat the orcs, but the shouts of the dying guards prompted Birdfood to come out just as combat with the orcs was wrapping up.
From the upper level, Birdfood rained death on the party. His attacks were so effective as is that I never bothered using his human-bane arrows. He quickly brought down the cleric (Aden) with one round of attacks. Next round he was able to down the party's half-elf barbarian. The party, meanwhile, had only managed to down two of his hawks. At this point the party realized they needed to flee and started dragging the fallen down the front stairs, but it's hard to outrange a composite longbow... Birdfood, extremely angry at the loss of two of his birds and seeing the party in retreat, wanted to inflict the same pain upon the party by killing their animal. Despite being much better at killing humans, he began targeting the sorcerer's (sylvan bloodline) animal companion (a small bear). This was also a bit of mercy from a DM who didn't want to wipe the whole party. The bear was tanking the damage well as the party fled and the sorcerer used Vanish on the party's fighter so he could drag the bodies off in relative safety. However... The sorcerer loved his bear and wasn't willing to let him die, so he ordered the animal to fetch a piece of junk far in the distance. With the bear taking a run action and leaving everyone else behind... Birdfood took the only shot he had, at the sorcerer. Oda the Sorcerer died quickly, brought to negative Con with two arrows. The previously downed Cleric bleed-out as no one had the time, magic, or skills to stabilize him fast enough. The downed barbarian, however, did stabilize and later recover. As a side-note, the party's half-orc fighter had promised to rip the arms off anyone who harmed their cleric and chop the legs off anyone who harmed his half-brother (the barbarian). He made good on this promise when they returned a week later to face Birdfood again. After a bit of interrogation, dismemberment was Birdfood's cause of death as the fighter ripped his arms from his body bare-handed. He now carries around Birdfood's head as a trophy, holding it up and yelling "SCRAP WORTH!" whenever he meets anyone in Scrapwall.
I don't often feel a loss when three-manning. If anything, we're missing a little of the utility a regular party has. But, overall, the extra wealth seems to make up for it.
Exactly our current way of thinking. Thank you for making me feel validated! And, as always, for being so accessible. We went as far as to divide up the bonus relationship xp in Jade Regent among the party, so the low charisma characters didn't feel shorted. It occurred to me that perhaps that system was added to make Charisma more powerful (since it's a common dump stat), but I didn't think individual bonus xp was the way to do that.
James,
We found the veterans tended to scoop up big RP bonuses, while the less-confident, newer players didn't get as many; often due to their reluctance to open-up and talk to NPCs. While the bonuses motivated them to contribute more, it also felt like it was generating this "elite circle" that always had more experience than the new guys. There was also a little animosity towards players that were ahead in levels. On a related note; How do you feel about level gaps in reoccurring games (like in an Adventure Path)? What's the maximum gap you'd allow at your table (if any)? PS - You talking about Ameiko being based on an old Planescape character of yours reminded me of my old Sensate bard who founded an inn in Sigil. I feel like I understand Ameiko better now :P
I very much wish the static weapon damage had gotten cut because I believe it forces warpriests into using the silliest weapons with the smallest damage dice. They're already permitted to use a weapon other than their deities favored as a sacred weapon (thus alloying a warpriest of any god to use whatever weapon suits him best), so I don't see the point in up-scaling low damage weapons. Is it just for the lolz of smacking you enemy with a 1d10 damage torch? I also find the loss of full BAB a pity, though I did find that mechanic sloppy. Conditional BAB adjustments are odd, despite monks doing it with flurry (I also hate programming it into a sheet-keeping applications). I would have rather seen it become a static attack bonus, as opposed to adjusting BAB. With that they could have stuck the bonus at +1 for every 5 levels or +1 for every 6 levels and ended up somewhere between average and good BAB (a decent compromise). Additionally, there'd be reduced payoff for BAB dependent feats (like power-attack). I think that would have suitably weakened the class. As for my experience playing the class: I had changed a character from a nodachi wielding fighter/oracle to a warpriest during the playtest and enjoyed the change immensely. Except that I found myself wielding a scimitar instead of a nodachi. Quite crushing to my flavor as I was from Minkai and really liked the pseudo-samurai style. I just couldn't justify still using a nodachi since a scimitar now dealt the same damage, with the same threat range, and could be one-handed in a grapple or on a horse I failed to control with my knees. Maybe I need to abandon power for flavor more often... But when class abilities tell flavor to go **** itself, it's a tough decision. If this is how the final printing is I suspect I will be changing back.
With this change, it seems there's very little reason to use anything but AoMF unless you have only a few monk levels. Though I do agree that as gauntlet/brass knuckles were written there was no reason to use anything BUT those. Both ways seem wrong, this much division in the power of your "choices" really means there are no choices. Makes me wish they'd never changed flurry to be usable with a single weapon. Then they likely would've left the "unarmed" weapons alone and we'd have options more balanced with each other.
RAW, I think you take damage but are not fatigued. Because the fatigue effect is converted to that nonlethal damage. You could argue this with the belt, since it doesn't grant you actually immunity to the condition. But with immunity to fatigue from oracle, I think it's much clearer: You can apply the condition all day long, it just doesn't work on you. RAI, I think you are fatigued anyway (in both cases). Despite the poor wording of the item, I think it was meant to not let you get away without being fatigued (because it's very powerful to cycle). You wouldn't take the damage in this case. So, depends on your game I'd say.
Looked into the copy/paste issues and I'm not quite sure why it's so messed up. I tried encoding a new PDF, same results. I'll look into finding a new program for the job and see if it does better. Love the doc. However i can't download it. Can you provide a downloadable link to the pdf? While viewing it, you should be able to choose "File" -> "Download" to download a copy. If you mean the original TSR adventure, I'm not sure there is an official link. Also what is the Font you used? It's the old TSR font isn't it? Font is Century Gothic.
Here is my Super-Sheet for Pathfinder. (it will look odd in google docs, you'll need to download it to use it properly) I designed and have been using/tweaking this sheet for years. It’s like a poor-man’s character builder. It is Excel-based and performs the vast majority of character calculations for you. The learning curve on this sheet is high. If you take the time to learn it (and have the knowledge of excel to customize it where you need) I imagine you’ll like it. Anyone else will hate it. This is NOT a virtual character sheet. It has much more documentation, a full character plan, and modifier-tracking than a standard pen and paper sheet. As such, it is very complicated. You need to spend the time filling in all portions of the sheet to have it work. Changing any formulae will involve a working knowledge of Excel as many are complicated. If you're not good with Excel you'll likely break something. (I avoided using VBA code however, so you won't need to know that.) It won't work for everything; You will need to edit the formulae to get certain abilities and rules to calculate properly. For example a monk’s higher BAB on flurry will take an edit to BAB to tell it to use the full monk level for BAB when the "two-weapon fighting" drop-down is a yes. Summary Page:
This page provides basic information on your character and will be the only sheet you’ll have to regularly look at (unless you’re a prepared caster). Stat Block – This will calculate automatically; you should only be altering the “Temp” column for ability damage and buffs. BAB/AC/CMB/Saves – These all calculate on their own. Hit Points – Only alter damage (count up) and temp boxes. The rest will auto-calculate. Hit points for this sheet use average hit points with max at first level (not PFS hit points, but true average). Speed/Spell Fail/Weapon Boxes – Don’t edit, calculates from other sheet. Level – Incrementing this will level up your character, saving you from a lot of work if you’ve filled out the level plan completely. Still will need to allocate skills and picks spells. Skills/Feats/Abilities – Don’t edit, calculates from other sheet. Damage/Spell/Energy Resist – These should be entered manually. The box above this one is for entering custom daily-use abilities and counting hero points (if used). Equipment/Notes – These are entered manually. If maintained properly your character wealth can be tracked by the equipment section. I use the notes for ability rules I may forget and familiars/animal companions. Spontaneous Caster Spells – This minimalist box I use for spontaneous casters. Just choose your casting stat and progression speed and it will work off your level plan to tell you number of spells known and per day. Enter spells manually under ‘spells’ and count spells used so far under ‘used.’ Spells Page:
This is the spellbook for prepared casters. Choose caster stats, progression, and if you get a bonus spell or domain. Then it till tell you under each spell level the number memorized versus available to memorize. Just list your spells and placed the number you’ve memorized next to them. Weapons&Armor Page:
This page is wear most of your magical item bonuses will be managed. It has slots for armor, shield, defensive items, and two weapons. Also a small box for base speed and speed modifiers that will read your current load and armor type to apply reduced speed if needed. Defensive Items – Armor/shield/deflection/natural bonuses won’t stack. The rest will. You can also enter feats and class abilities affecting your bonuses here. The gray boxes should be left alone, they auto-calculate. Weapons – Don’t edit the gray boxes. Use enhancement for magical/masterwork bonuses, the misc box is for bonuses from feats or class abilities. These will all translate to the summary page weapon blocks. Character Load – This uses Distant Scholar’s formula for character load, which is slightly off from true load, but pretty darn close. Was far easier to code and adjust for size than using the tables. Stats&Skills Page:
Don’t edit gray sections. Stats Block - This is where you’ll fill in your stats, point-buy is assumed and it will calculate and tell you how many points you’ve spent. Racial mods, levels mods, inherent mods, and magical enhancements are all tracked here separately (so you know where you’re bonuses are coming from). Skills Block – Will tell you how many skill points you have and how many you have spent, all skills are associated with their normal stat. Ability mods and armor check penalty will be added to skills that are affected by them. If you mark class skills, the +3 bonus for 1 rank will be added once you add a rank. Level Plan Page:
This is the true meat of the sheet, this level progression plan will be sued to calculate your core statistics and abilities. As a default, I’ve filled in the worst bonuses for each level. Don’t edit anything gray. Main Block – List classes you’re taking (and the level of that particular class), if it’s a prestige class, if it provides a spell level up (dual casters not supported, track manually), BAB progression, good saves, hit dice, and skill points per level (Int bonus will be added automatically). If you list feats and abilities they will automatically populate when you increment your level on the front page. Misc Bonus Block – Added this due to some initial oversight. This allows you to add bonus HP, skill points, initiative, caster level, and concentration from feats, traits, equipment, or favored class. If anyone uses this, I will offer limited support in hunting down and fixing glitches or finding out how it broke. In generaly though, you're on your own. Tear it apart and customize it how you like. At the very least it might serve as a scaffolding for you to make your own sheet.
- The police robots are *deadly*; Three of those could spell a Bad Day for the intrepid PCs. I know that's the way they were in the module, but I might drop their hardness to 5 for 7th level PCs. Only 25% of them will use lethal force per the adventure. Meaning even a mixed group is likely to have those in it that will only grapple, pin, and manacle. Also, possession (and understanding) or the right color card basically removes them as a threat. - It would be nice to have a little more backstory on the intellect devourer. If it possesses a PC, what are its motives, how should it act, etc. It's a key encounter given the lack of roleplaying opportunities. The adventure gives a lot on its backstory. But, good point. Here's an idea: If it was able to infiltrate the party I it will try to work with them to escape, only trying to kill the rest of them after it was free and when they were in a bad position (sleeping). If it shadows them to level IV it might even try to take a Baboonoid body and join the party that way. - Ah, the froghemoth. Maybe its a "young" specimen? Otherwise, it most definitely would be a Bad Day for the slowest PC. That's certainly a viable option. It not pursuing PCs much beyond the lake edge (and its slow speed) helps, but it's grab and swallow whole means someone will likely die. I'm running it with a 6 player party right now, so I think they'll do alright. Biggest worry is players that jump straight to the more dangerous lower levels before attaining equipment and knowledge from the higher ones. - It might be nice to add a thing or two to the module to "liven it up" a bit with some roleplaying opportunities - Maybe a computer that has figured out how to communicate with the PCs. Lots of directions could open up with something like that. Also, something to get the PCs moving along a little quicker (radiation leakage, the engine is a ticking bomb, etc.). The original was very well done, but having been through it a few times, it did get a monotonous without roleplaying opportunities (although disintegrating stuff [like fellow PCs] with ray guns was nice). Yeah, it's a bit bland. I'm ad-libbing many of the creatures to have more robust interactions, basically anything with intelligence and a language can be reasoned with. I thought of expanding the central computer menu and such, but wanted to avoid injecting too much of my own ideas into the conversion. Thanks for your input. I'll look into the copy-paste as well. I tested it a little and it looked good, but I didn't give it a full look-over.
...the audacity (and large number of new items/monsters) of Expedition to the Barrier Peaks prevented me from ever attempting this one*. I tried to model the effects of equipment after spells when possible. The weapons and equipment were the big problem. Used Paizo firearms rules for the weapons in general, but had to add a ton of special rules for each to keep their power level and effects similar to the original adventure. Went back and forth on different ideas half a dozen times. A majority of the creatures had already been converted by Paizo or a third party publisher, so I really only had to do the robots. ** This was back in the days when it was reasonably assumed that there would be some kind of wristwatches in the space-future. Yeah, a lot of material in the Barrier Peaks is based on an out-dated view of the future. I updated a little of it, but decided to leave it mostly untouched for the nostalgia. Heck, even the size of the ship feels wrong! 10 and 20 foot wide hallways everywhere? Whoever built this ship was not concerned with using space efficiently.
I see there have been other posts on converting this adventure, but I never saw a completed conversion. So, I did it. My conversion document for Expedition to the Barrier Peaks to Pathfinder is completed (pending a playtest and some balancing) but am concerned about the legality of posting it. I don't want to violate any forum rules. I've stripped down the document to only include only rules and flavor changes, no re-printed descriptions or images and as little content from the original adventure as possible. So much so that it should be unplayable without the original adventure book. Additionally, there are a few creatures that are WotC IP, which I converted. I am fairly sure I can't include those, correct? I've prepared alternate creature suggestions for these encounters. Any advice is appreciated. If all goes well I'll post this within a day or two. UPDATE:
You'll need the original adventure to use the conversion. It shouldn't be too hard to find.
So, I've always believed this wording for Wyroot meant that the weapon had to be completely wooden or have a long wooden grip that make up a large portion of the weapon. Like a polearm or spear, maybe a mace or axe. However, if you want to get technical, even a sword has a "wooden haft" since a haft is defined as the handle of a weapon or tool. Does this mean any weapon with a wooden grip can be Wyroot? That's a quite a lot of weapons. I'm inclined to say no, the wording seems like it was intended to limit weapons made with very little wood. I'd like to know how others feel about this.
If you just need to rid the prime material plane of it... After you down it from damage and have it really negative HP, just set a bag of holding next to it and wrap a portable hole around a rock. Toss the rock in the bag (from greater than 10 feet away). Tarrasque is now the astral's problem. Heck, with a good golem, undead, or sacrifical player holding open the bag and running (crazed-like) at the Tarrasque, or being teleported in... You could do this at pretty low level. Though I guess he might find a color pool eventually, though back to your plane? I doubt it, he's not very smart.
Use Floating Disc or Secret Chest spells I find secret chest is an incredibly cumbersome spell, since you can't store gear you might need on-hand regularly. Additionally, it costs more than my animated chest. Putting a few construction points on your luggage might help if you are willing to spring for the extra cost. This is needed if you are making it out of anything other than standard wood. I mentioned that in the customization section. Heck, 1 CP can make it fly. 1,000gp extra for a flying chest you can ride at 120 ft movement? That's a deal.
A decision that has become very hard for me to make lately is: How do I carry loot? Now, this used to be very easy... Give the fighter a bag of holding to sling over his back. But, as time went on I became aware that this put my loot in great danger due to problems with the item.
My issues with the bag of holding/handy haversack:
1) Durability - If punctured, the bag is destroyed and your items lost. This means one attack from a vindictive enemy or even a prick from a stealthy rogue and you've lost your bag and all its loot. This can be partially solved by placing the bag in a wooden or metal box, but the bag is still vulnerable when removed as the bag itself can't be made out of anything but cloth (Classic Treasures Revisited). 2) Weight Capacity - Like being punctured, overloading the bag destroys it. Considering it doesn't provide you with instinctive knowledge of the weight inside it your character better meticulously weigh and document every item placed within. This is so cumbersome that I've known some DMs who house-rule this away. Given this, I went back to my old second edition favorite: the portable hole. A great solution, easy to keep safe and no weight limit. But, alas, they are very expensive. I wanted something you could use at low levels. Here is my alternative: A large animated object; in this case, a “huge” treasure chest. Let me outlines its features:
Notes on base object:
You may notice I used a "huge" treasure chest as the base object here, 37gp/250 lbs. The actual stats for that item say 250 lbs, but only 8 cubic ft (whereas mine has 48 cubic ft). That low storage capacity is, frankly, insane. A medium size hiking pack has that much storage, so that chest must have more. To verify this I used real-word wood weights to calculate the weight (2/3" boards at 2 lbs/sq ft) based on my dimensions and got 236 lbs... So close to the huge chest weight, I just used that. Now, I realize this is not without downsides...
Feedback is appreciated. Anyone have reasons this won’t work as expected? Any suggestions to improve the chest’s design? Anyone come up with a similar alternate loot carrying device? |
