Akharus's page

Hi,

In the PF forums I have been asking for some advice how to play PF while visually impaired. I assume that just about all advice I can get there will help with SF as well.

So why am I here?

Because SF has space combat. I'm curious to know how complex/convoluted the space combat is, and whether or not it's something you can do "in the theatre of the mind" or if you really NEED to use miniatures.

If the latter, how complicated is the miniatures portion of space combat? Are firing arcs and the like very finicky and you'd really need to be able to see to use them?

I'm especially interested in the viability of the space combat for NOT using a hex map and minis. Although if firing arcs are done in hexes or combos of hexes I imagine a little notch at each corner might settle that out.

Thanks so much :)

How much do the rules of Starfinder differ from Pathfinder?

I played D&D 3rd since its inception, and 3.5, and have been playing Pathfinder for some years now; so I'm very familiar with the 3.5 d20 scenario.

Is Starfinder still based in that or is it something entirely different?

Hi guys,

Are there any people on these forums who are visually impaired or outright blind who successfully play Pathfinder?

I'm losing my vision, but don't want to lose my hobby, and I'm hoping someone has some advice to give on how to play Pathfinder without sight.

Thanks :)

Hi all,

I recently purchased the program Campaign Cartographer 3+, which is a great map making program! I'm curious though, does anyone here have any good web sites/tutorials/etc that they'd like to share to make it easier to learn?

The basics are easy to pick up, but I've been having problems finding good information about the more advanced techniques possible.

Thanks :)

Hi everyone,

I was reading the PF Unchained sidebar about two weapon fighting, as follows:

"When you fight with a second weapon in your off hand or with a double weapon, you can make two attacks with the first attack simple action you take during your turn: one with your primary hand and another with your off hand. You take penalties on these attack rolls as listed on Table: Two-Weapon Fighting Penalties. Any other attack simple actions you take during your turn allow only one attack roll, using either the weapon in your primary hand or the one in your off hand.

If you have the Improved Two-Weapon Fighting feat, you can make two attack rolls on both the first and second attack simple actions taken during your turn; both of the attacks made on the second attack action are made at a –5 penalty. Further attack simple actions taken during the same turn allow only one attack roll, using either the weapon in your primary hand or the one in your off hand.

If you have the Greater Two-Weapon Fighting feat, you can make two attacks on each of your attack simple actions on your turn, though you take all the normal penalties for two-weapon fighting, as well as the cumulative –5 penalty per attack simple action (all attacks made as part of the same attack action have the same penalty)."

So my question is as follows... For Improved Two Weapon Fighting, it says that you take a -5 penalty on your second attack... now, is this TOTAL penalty? Or do you first apply the two-weapon-fighting penalties (assume it's been optimized to be -2/-2 here), then add the -5 penalty for being your second attack option, then add the -5 penalty listed above for a whopping -12 penalty on your second round attacks? Or is the -5 penalty above simply the listed penalty for being the second attack action, which you then add the TWF penalty of -2/-2 to for a total of -7 penalty on your second attack round?

I ask because the Greater Two Weapon Fighting entry specifically states that you take the TWF fighting penalties, and then apply the -5 to your second attack action and -10 to your third attack action (which would be -2/-7/-12 in penalties here).

If the -5 is the sum total for the second attack action in ITWF, then you'd have -2/-5/-12 for your three attack actions.

So... which is it? Thanks for any help :)

Hi, first of all, I apologize in advance if this is the wrong forum for this, but it seemed more appropriate based on the posts I saw here than in the advice forum. I also apologize for the post's length!

So, I'm making an alternate Serpentfolk. I'm running into a couple of issues though, namely: 1) Size/Form, 2) Venom/natural attacks, 3) Movement, 4) stat bonuses. I would appreciate thoughts and advice on the the above :)

I am making two types of Serpentfolk, one for use in jungles and the like where there is a great deal of vertical terrain, water, foliage, etc; and another for subterranean use where there's all sorts of darkness, shadow, crevices, cracks, rubble - terrain that appeals to stealth and squeezing. They are meant to be the same species, with one just having some alternate traits suitable to terrain.

1) My first (and biggest) problem: Size and form! I want these Serpentfolk to actually resemble serpents, lol. That said, they will have a slim/lithe (scaly and snake-like!) torso with two rather normal arms, and the lower body of a snake (and the long serpentine neck seen in the paizo serpentfolk artwork). I want them overall to be rather lithe - like elves or fetchlings - and rather squishable. I intend to make the compression ability a racial feat. The difficulty is whether they should be classified as large or medium. I would like them to be roughly human height, ranging from 5 to 7 feet, although I'm ok with lowering that to 5 to 6 feet. However, I want a like amount of serpent-body on the ground, because: physics. Most serpents can't move with more than a third of their body elevated, and my sense of disbelief caps me out at allowing them a 50% lift due to handwavium. I don't want these guys to be more than 18" wide at the "torso" or much more than 12-ish for the rest of their body (assuming a normal oval-ish snake body shape), like I said - lithe (more viper than boa). The weight would probably be around 200-250 for that much snake plus a torso I imagine. Is this a Large(long) 10' space with 5' reach creature - or a medium creature? The stealth and dex and ac penalty is anathema to the concept of sneaky, quick, viper-people, but they would be anywhere from 10-14' long. Their weight and bulk (considering coils) is more in-line with medium however. Thoughts?

2) Natural attacks and Venom. I use the Pathfinder Unchained poison/disease system, because the old system drove me nuts. I would like to give these serpentfolk an STR poison, that is potentially lethal, but unlimited doses as with a standard viper seems too nuts for that. I want to limit the application of venom, and I'm not attached to keeping a bite attack separate from the venom (just using it to deliver venom). I'm considering a) 3/day + con modifier uses of venom per day (whether bite is nat attack or just a part of the uses), b) Adding a number of rounds between uses (3-4, probably). These limited applications would be lethal, and probably require 2 saves. Or, I am considering a weaker (non-lethal) venom with unlimited usage on bite nat attack that cures with 1 save. I want it useful but not too powerful. Kind of undecided on any sort of constriction ability - possibly as a feat, but just as likely not.

3) Movement: Snakes (I own several) get around QUITE well... I was considering giving them a land speed of 30, and a swim and climb speed of 20. Considering dropping the swim speed, or lowering the land speed to 20. What sounds most balanced? I do want them to keep the climb speed at the very least.

4) Stat Bonuses: this involves an ollllllld RPG argument that I'm hesitant to even mention for fear that the box cannot be closed once open. Namely, I want these serpentfolk to be clever, full of guile, quick and quick-witted. Properly viper seeming. I am giving them a net +2 dex (maybe 4) regardless of size or anything else. But for the rest... int, wis, or cha? I tend to think Cha would be ruled out since I want them to have a very predatory and ruthless vibe. So that leaves the terrible choice of Int or Wis - which best represents cunning and planning and guile? Sneakiness and ruthlessness? As for str/con, I don't particularly want any bonuses, and am considering -2 con and/or -2 cha.

Thanks very much for reading, and again - I'd appreciate any constructive feedback!

Oh, and yes, these serpentfolk would potentially be available for PC use. Some over-poweredness is acceptable, as I would just make the lethality of the campaign increased to compensate - but I don't want to go into racial hit die, I'd advance them with classes or for special NPCs, templates.

Thanks again!