Awesome, Mikko! Thanks for the update. I'm excited to see the theme be announced!
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Abacus of Probable Paradox
Three times per day, the wearer of the abacus of probable paradox can perform one of the following: The wearer gains a subtle focus on the probability of distinct futures and can inexplicably prepare for events which have yet come to pass. This allows the wearer when readying an action, to instead ready two independent actions against two independent conditions, and can act if either (but not both) triggering actions occur. The abacus also allows the order of the wearer’s actions to become muddled in time, and occur long before their effects have been felt. After completing a readied action, the wearer can choose to have their initiative result remain unchanged and not be updated to the count on which they took their readied action. Lastly, the abacus allows insight when it has calculated the probability of a particular, distinct future to be zero, allowing the wearer to end a readied action before the start of their next turn (as a free action), and perform a standard action of their choosing. This action cannot be used to interrupt another’s action and is treated as if the wearer’s initial action was to delay. Construction
Thanks for the information, guys! I was thinking fighter initially, but that was because I completely forgot the brawler existed. That might even be a better fit. I'm going to survey some ideas and then post a tentative build for you all to review/comment on. I think there should be some decent possibilities, but the main problem I see would get not hitting a decent stride (as far effectiveness) for a few levels possibly.
I did a bit of reading in the link you posted. The iron man-dude seems to stick to a really tight theme, I.e. he seems to know exactly what he wants to do with the theme of his toon, and really sticks to it. Except the toon (from what I could see) appears to be really ineffective. Are the concerns or issues with the iron man-dude that his character doesn't get along with the group or that his character is completely ineffective (or both)? I think the build I have in mind could really work well for RPing, and fitting in with the group. But, to be 100% honest, the halfling barbarian/fighter will never be as effective as a straight half-Orc or human. But I think I can build something mechanically decent, or at least not completely terrible :)
Just have a few drinks, mechanically it gives you a +2 circumstance bonus on your bluff skill.
Mad props for the work level required to do this. Agreed. Incredible job, Garrett. It's impressive the effort you put into help keep this all straight.
Did we just become best friends? Yep! Seriously, thank you for making my day. Your compliments are far, far too kind. But I thank you and accept them all the same :) Be sure to keep me posted on how this magic item works in actual play in your game. I'm love to know. Hopefully, it's not a complete disaster and doesn't ruin your game :) Your point of pause is well founded. The ability run in a circuit and fill in the remaining squares with ash while having a 20' or 30' movement speed is.... umm... 'meh' at best. In fact not great with only a 30' movement speed. However, I actually designed the item's last ability as sort of capstone ability which would really shine when used in conjunction with a spell such as expeditious retreat or haste, where the wearer's base movement speed would end up at 50' or 60' for a single move action. I'd suggest that for the player in your game, just to see what happens. That is, until you're sick of this armor and then I'd suggest to you as the GM to have an NPC sunder it to death :) Thanks again for all the kind words. p.s. I've never actually read any of the Salvatore novels, but I might have to check this character out :)
@ Brigg: Thanks for kind words! I'm glad you liked it. On your one point of contention, you are exactly right. This was the case of mechanics making more sense than the 'story' of the item. I.e. mechanically I felt it was better and simpler for the ash cloud to restrict movement only when attempting to leave the 'tangled curtain of ash' as it were, rather than imposing even more complicated rules to it. But you're spot on that it does come off a bit contradictory :) Thanks again for the comments.
Congrats! I wanted to take a moment and say Fate-binder was hands down my favorite item I saw while voting. For me, it did what a superstar magic item should do and twisted just enough of the underlying mechanics to be fun and original, and in the process broke the right rules in a limited yet entertaining way. From the first time I saw it on day one of voting, I Congrats again and good luck!
Living Copperthread Net[/b]... @ Brigg This isn't a full review with critiques (just compliments). I wanted to say I really liked the Living Copperthread Net and upvoted for it often during voting. For me, the description, writing style, and mechanics were all well done and interesting, and it was one of my personal top 32 picks :)
------------------------- Mail of Ash Woven Ramparts: Mail of Ash Woven Ramparts Aura faint conjuration and enchantment; CL 5th Slot armor; Price 19,250 gp; Weight 25 lbs. Description The iron rings of this +1 balanced chain shirt are a pale, ashen grey. Rising from among the entwined links, a thousand gossamer cords tangle into a murky smoke that drifts away into nothingness. Three times per day as a standard action the wearer can become wreathed in a blinding maelstrom that leaves a tangled barrier of ash in its wake. Once activated, the wearer’s next single move action creates a 10-foot high curtain of ash that hangs in the air tracing their path and remaining for one round in each square the wearer has occupied during this movement. The woven curtain of ash completely fills each of the affected squares and blocks all sight (even darkvision), causing any creature inside the cloud (except the wearer) to gain the blinded condition. The curtain of ash does not restrict movement into or throughout its depth, but any creature attempting to leave the cloud must first succeed at an overrun combat maneuver check versus the wearer’s Combat Maneuver Defense or their movement immediately ends while still inside the cloud. Lastly, while activated, when the wearer’s move action ends in the same square from which it started, all interior squares contained within the envelope of their movement are immediately flooded by the surrounding maelstrom of ash. Construction
Acre, I think one of my PBP players really liked your armor, as he asked if I or another player were responsible for it. Thanks man, that's great to hear! I and another person I do PbP with were big fans of the catapult ring... Which I now see is yours :)
---------------------------------- Mail of Ash Woven Ramparts
Three times per day as a standard action the wearer can become wreathed in a blinding maelstrom that leaves a tangled barrier of ash in its wake. Once activated, the wearer’s next single move action creates a 10-foot high curtain of ash that hangs in the air tracing their path and remaining for one round in each square the wearer has occupied during this movement. The woven curtain of ash completely fills each of the affected squares and blocks all sight (even darkvision), causing any creature inside the cloud (except the wearer) to gain the blinded condition. The curtain of ash does not restrict movement into or throughout its depth, but any creature attempting to leave the cloud must first succeed at an overrun combat maneuver check versus the wearer’s Combat Maneuver Defense or their movement immediately ends while still inside the cloud. Lastly, while activated, when the wearer’s move action ends in the same square from which it started, all interior squares contained within the envelope of their movement are immediately flooded by the surrounding maelstrom of ash. Construction
I'm all in.
I'm curious: How many total votes among all items do you think will have been cast this year. I'm thinking it'd be an 8-digit figure. Anyone else care to guess? 138k total votes
Roger that, I'll roll up Reta Bigbad tomrrow and get a post it! Should be sweet!
Yep, that's my favorite item in the competition--even moreso than my own. I wish I knew what item you two are talking about! I know it's not my own, but I want to know if I've seen it and failed to realize how amazing this mystery item is :) Well crafted, vague compliments, both of you! Kudos, your compliments are sure to make a few people's day!
I finished mine up recently too! And now we wait....
I'm extremely excited as well! Come on RPGSS! I wonder what percentage of participants have their round 1 wondrous item completed, ready to submit, and won't be making any last minute changes?
I'm currently building a hunter with a wolf companion, but let me know if the group thinks we will need a full time healer.
I like the idea of doing a game with google hangouts, that would be amazing! Jaender/Cyrus and I already do that for our weekly game and it seems to work fine (unless he has a different thought on the matter)... though in that case, I am the only one video conferencing in for the game. I'd also entertain the idea of meeting up somewhere, at a Con or something.
I'm reviewing the hunter class and am thinking this is what I may pick. My other choices were Druid, Cleric, or Witch. I'm going to build a hunter tonight and see if it looks like it would be fun, but I'm open to suggestions if anyone thinks one of those other three classes would fit the part better. @Jaender the Black - I completely agree with your post above, this is the best PbP group ever.
Hey-o! Ibid here! From what I can see of the group make-up so far, it looks like we have Jaender the Black (sorcerer or wizard), and Strong Brute (Barbarian), which are for sure. Does anyone else know for sure what class they will be playing? I can figure out a role for myself within the group, I just was wondering if there are classes people know the would like to play/are planning on playing, and then I'll know what to work around.
Heck yes, congrats Wendall! That's an awesome monster. I suddenly feel less confident in my submission :)
So ready, just put us out of our misery! I can't wait for the reveal! :)
Great question, I wondered this also. 25 hours until the initial reveal? I.e. the first of the top five is revealed at 1pm EST (10am PST) on Satrday, 10/27/2014?
Best. teases. yet.
@Papasteve08, Per Paizo PFS Website, the cyphermage dilemma appears to be designed for levels 1-5 ( (Tier 1–5; Subtiers 1–2 and 4–5). I know I've got a level 1 toon ready and waiting to play in the Cyphermage Dilemma, if there is an opening. I'm on the queue list as well (approx. #18 at the moment)
Mummy's mask, this sounds amazing. Only thing is, I have a similar question as cartmanbeck above, would it be alright to roll up an investigator from the advanced class guide? I'm thinking a tomb-raiding historian who always carriers a trusty satchel.
Sean, I think it sounds like a great idea. Consider me signed up (whenever it's allowed). It's been ten years since I've been in school, but this would be a decently awesome reason to start taking classes again :)
As Papasteve mentioned above, I'm in for sure. This sounds amazing.
I apologize for the delay everyone! I should be all set tonight.
Thanks for the suggestion! I do like the sound of playing a kobold, as I've never done that before. I'll mull it over a bit and see what I come up with.
Hey everyone! I wanted to pop in, introduce myself, and say hello. I'll be joining in on the fun over the next few days, I just need to roll up a character, pitch the backstory elements to Mike, and figure out a decent way to meet up with the adventuring party at your current location. I'll do my best to quickly come up to speed on everything that's happened so far, become familiar with party dynamics, and (hopefully) not make too terrible of an entrance. If anyone has suggestions for how best to work a character for me into the story, I'm open to anything. I'll also try to come up with some decent ideas too, once I'm up to speed on all that has happened in the campaign thus far. I'll admit, I don't have very much PBP experience yet, but I'll do my best to not be too terrible for you all. Also, I'll stop posting with this account and begin posting under a character alias once I roll a toon up which will work for the campaign and will fit well into the party. Let me know if anyone has any suggestions or advice, and it's nice to meet everyone! Chris
Thanks for all the good information, Mikko! A Sword for Hire is a swell read. Keep the great posts coming!
Feros, thank you for the reveiw! I intentionally wanted to make an item with relatively simple, easy to understand mechanics. Looking back, however, I can see how this may have backfired a bit. In the end, the jar can easily be taken as bare-bones, so far as mechanics are concerned, which can be a turn off. And, you certainly might be right that I got a bit caught up in the description, and maybe, just maybe, went too far with attempting to make the jar and its effects sound neat-o. In the end, what I take from some of the critiques people have generously written, is that a wondrous item may not the best place for (overly)descriptive language. A lesson for next year. Thanks again!
Jar of Imprisoned Echoes Thank you for the review Nickolas! It is very helpful to understand the way I pictured the item being used is not necessarily the way the description makes it sound to another (who is reading it for the first time). The intention of being able to use the jar on a helpless creature was actually included for the use of goodish PC's, as they could incapacitate their target and steal their voice without outright killing anyone. While the ability of the jar to steal the voice of a dead creature was included for the use of more neutral or evil aligned PC's (generally speaking). However, I do see you're point, the description and tone does put a slightly sinister connotation on the text about using the jar on a "helpless" creature. It truly is helpful to understand how others actually see the tone and usefulness of the item, rather than what I saw in my mind's eye during design.... i.e. the many games where a failed stealth check botches a would be sneaking game session, and me wishing I had an item to steal the voice of the first guard who happened upon the group, in order to bluff/fool the remaining garrison form coming to check on the large clatter in the next room :) Thanks again!
Literally, a spell in a can :) Jar of Imprisoned Echoes
As a full-round action, when the jar is held to the mouth of a helpless creature, an echo of their voice is painfully siphoned and imprisoned within the jar, inflicting upon the creature the caster croak spellblight. Once bound to the jar, the imprisoned voice seeps from the badger’s mouth over a period of 24 hours, manifesting as a murmur of incoherent, tortured whispers until the jar is empty. The possessor may imbibe the captive voice as a standard action, emptying the jar and gaining the ability to perfectly mimic its tone, regional accent, and manner of speaking for 1d4+1 minutes. When used as part of a disguise, the possessor receives a +10 bonus on the Disguise check when trying to fool a listener by impersonating the voice. The possessor may increase the duration the voice can be mimicked to 1d6+1 days. However, increasing this duration requires the sacrificial destruction of the jar (hardness of 5 and 5 hit points) after imbibing the imprisoned voice. The jar can be used on living creatures, which receive a DC 12 Will save to resist these effects, and creatures that have been dead for up to 1 hour. The jar does not grant the ability to speak additional languages after imbibing a voice.
This item was awesome.
The thing to watch for will be to take the top 32 and then see who's list was closest. Then flood that person with requests for feedback on your next year's item. :DSee Neil Spicer's post on the first page... I agree it is very interesting, especially when you contrast it with the judges, who have a tendency to come to a quick consensus on the top 20 or so. I think that discrepancy between what we (individually) think are good items and what the judges ultimately come up with is invaluable insight into our own skill as a designer. Of course that takes a willingness to be honest with yourself if you are in fact, way off. That is definitely my plan :0 Hopefully the poor soul with most correct exit poll picks for the actual top 32 is prepared for that eventuality...
Excellent guilt trip, added my list :pLook, this is a bit ridiculous. Why not have a google doc spreadsheet where all the lists are posted.I'm maintaining a (private, non-anonymous) Google Doc where everyone who wants to share their picks can do so in one centralized but non-public location... Unfortunately, very few of the dozen plus people with the link to that Document have added anything yet, and I'm hesitant to add other voters' lists on their behalf. Me too, I'm all in!
I PM'd you (and most everyone else here) Zi'on Darkbane, so you should have one personal top 32-ish list at the very least.
I'd love to get down on some of this and toss my top picks out there. I'll start sending out some PM's to you all. Great idea, Papasteve08! It will be interesting to see who's picks (if any) will get the most matches to the judge's actual top 32. Then, when I inevitably don't make the top 32 this yeast, I'll be sure to have that person critique my item before RPG superstar 2015.
Thanks for the post Ravingdork. My group is four game sessions into season 2 (our group refers to each book as a season), and I'm glad to see some notes/ideas how other GM's have handled Raiders of the Fever Sea. With permission, I'll probably end up cribbing some of your ideas regarding Tidewater Rock and why the PC's venture up an unnamed river before sighting the Dominator.
Thanks for the input/explanation, Ravingdork. And it was a much more succinct answer than mine :)
Thanks for the information. As I currently cannot find any rule that basically states, "a weapon must have an equal or greater enhancement bonus in order to damage a magic item," I must have been mistaken regarding this. Maybe there was never a rule like this and I was simply confused. However, Malag, I think you have raised an interesting question: How can you sunder a weapon with Bane if weapon isn't a creature type? Bane affects only certain creature types, not their weapons or armor. I would argue the +2 enhancement bonus granted by the inquisitor's Bane (Su) ability, when engaged in combat with the selected creature type/subtype, could be used during a sunder attempt against that creature's weapon or armor. Here are a few reasons how I would justify this. The way I read the Pathfinder rules, it is in the spirit of the game to treat characters and their gear as one and the same. By this I mean, the game mechanics/rules do not seem to differentiate between the armor of a character and his/her skin. I partially reached this conclusion because magic items carried by a character can use that character's saving throw as their own. Magical Items: Magic items always get saving throws. A magic item's Fortitude, Reflex, and Will save bonuses are equal to 2 + half its caster level. An attended magic item either makes saving throws as its owner or uses its own saving throw bonus, whichever is better. As stated above, a magic item can use a characters Will or Fort saving throw as their own. To me this means, in the spirit of the game, a character and his/her gear are one entity. They share saving throws. And a character and his/her magic items sharing a saving helps to illustrate that a character and their gear are one, especially when referring to will and fort. Furthermore, when the Bane (Su) ability is activated against the selected creature type, the weapon's enhancement bonus is treated as +2 better than its actual bonus. As an example, if an inquisitor was conducting a melee attack against the selected creature type, the inquisitor would receive a +2 bonus to attack and damage. In order to succeed at this melee attack, the inquisitor's melee attack would have to meet or exceed the creatures Armor Class (Armor Class being a function of armor bonus, shield bonus, Dexterity modifier, etc.). In this instance, the inquisitor's bane (Su) ability is used to overcome a creature's armor and shield, though the armor and shield are not specifically selected as the type/subtype for bane. If, so far as I understand the game mechanics, pathfinder did not intend to treat a character and his/her gear (armor) as one in the same, the equivalent +2 bonus granted by bane could then also not be used to overcome armor class even when preforming a melee attack, as part of the armor class mechanic includes armor bonus and shield bonus. In these examples, If a character and his/her gear were not one in the same, would the equivalent +2 enhancement bonus granted by bane work only when engaged in combat with a creature using only natural amor and dex (or a naked opponent, for that matter)? I apologize for this longwinded example and post, but it was a hopeful attempt to show that it is my understanding that within pathfinder, a character and his/armor are treated as one for the purposes of simplicity regarding game mechanics. And from this standpoint, when using the bane (Su) ability against a designated creature, an inquisitor would still retain the equivalent +2 enhancement bonus granted by bane when attempting a sunder attack against that creatures weapon or armor. |