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Luis, what’re your top five (or however many) favorite monsters you've written?
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I had a blast writing the xulgath article!
Howdy! Since the rework, I've been accessing the forums "landing page" by clicking the Community tab at the top of paizo.com, then clicking "Paizo" beneath the Forums heading on the resultant dropdown.
This is on iOS 11.2.6, using the default Safari browser. Hope that's helpful and addressable! Thanks for your hard work on the new site! 
Discuss bears, hats, honey, breaking laws, etc.
A place for very serious ursine criminal activities.
This might be splitting hairs, but thought it worth an ask. Encounter CR is based on the difficulty of an encounter as a whole - environmental factors, multiple opponents, etc.
Basically, every villain has a lair, an ace in the hole, allies to call on, etc. But they don't always have access to them. Their "inherent" or "baseline" CR, so to speak, could be much different from their CR in a final showdown type situation.
Does anyone know a Paizo scenario, module, or AP that has a kineticist in it? I'm basically looking for a statblock to use as a formatting guideline. Not 100% sure how to portray wild talents, infusions, burn, &c in the official style.
Hello folks! I got the bug to design something for the first time, and I'm looking for honest critiques if anyone has the time or interest. Kindle Animus:
School enchantment; Level 7 Casting Time 70 minutes Components V, S, M (a skein of silk and mythril thread worth 500gp; hair, and blood or tears given willingly by each of the ritual’s targets), F (an unlit lantern, candle, or pipe; an item linked to the ritual targets’ shared purpose worth 5,000gp), SC (at least 2, but no more than the maximum number of targets) Skill Checks Knowledge (arcana) DC 31, 1 success; Sense Motive DC 31, 4 successes; Spellcraft DC 31, 2 successes Range touch Target up to 4 creatures of the same type as the primary caster, plus additional targets up to the primary caster’s Wisdom modifier Duration one month Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); SR yes Backlash Casters take 4d6 damage and are exhausted. The ritual’s targets are staggered for 10 minutes and exhausted as the animus melds with their psyches and they become accustomed to their new senses. Failure The animus is unable to fully manifest, the psychic feedback generated by its collapse causing the ritual’s targets to be nauseated for 1 minute; additionally, they are unable to hear or communicate telepathically with one another for 24 hours. Any magic items used as foci lose their magical properties, reverting to mundane or masterwork versions of the original item as appropriate. Effect The ritual draws on targets’ emotional bonds and shared purpose to create an animus, a composite thoughtform that melds with their psyches. The animus links their minds and drives them towards a common goal, referred to as the endeavor. The primary caster maintains a whispered litany focused on the endeavor; if the litany ceases, all targets immediately suffer the ritual’s backlash and failure effects. The primary caster scribes a circle of blood or tears around the targets. Targets take turns focusing on the endeavor, weaving their hair into the silk and mythril thread, and wrapping their left forearm and hand in the strands. They voice their motivations and commitment to the endeavor, echoed by the secondary casters. This continues until all targets are bound and have spoken. The primary caster then holds the foci aloft; all casters slowly build the litany to a shouted crescendo as the targets' desires are drawn out and formed into the animus. If successful, the material components disintegrate, the lantern, candle, or pipe flares to life, and the animus blooms and settles within the targets' minds. All targets gain the following benefits: Particularly strong emotional connections, motivations, or thematic foci may decrease the ritual's DC at the GM's discretion. The targets must pursue the endeavor until it is completed. If they are unable to complete the endeavor, they are exhausted for 24 hours after the ritual’s effects end. If the subjects are prevented from working towards their endeavor for 24 hours, they each take a -2 penalty to each of their ability scores. Each day, another -2 penalty accumulates, up to a total of -8. No ability score can be reduced to less than 1 by this effect. The ability score penalties are removed 24 hours after the subject resumes working towards their purpose. Benefits and penalties imposed by this ritual cannot be removed except by break enchantment, limited wish, remove curse, miracle, wish, or as described above. I have some thoughts, but I'm interested in seeing others' before I dive into my own.
Hello! I've asked my FLGS about this but I believe they have bigger fish to fry, so I thought I'd do some detectiving of my own. If I set up my own subscription (Campaign Setting, in this case) I get both the physical book and the PDF, whereas if I place an order with my local store, I just get the book. Is it possible to set up a subscription "through" a local game store? That is, can I have my cake and eat it too - get the subscription perk PDF while still giving the store my money?
When does Protection from Good work against good-aligned PCs? I wasn't able to find this specific question, which leads me to believe I'm misinterpreting or overcomplicating something. My confusion here is over when someone "counts as good" for effect like this. For instance, I know that a paladin's detect evil won't ping your standard evil commoner - only a cleric, paladin, or creature with 5+ HD will detect as evil. I also know that for something like DR 5/evil, a creature has to have the [evil] subtype for its attacks to count as evil and overcome DR. Players have to use spells, fancy weapons, or certain class features to get that alignment component. So if I have antagonists that cast protection from good, do they only get their deflection and resistance bonuses against PCs using spells and weapons with specifically good effects? Or if they're level 5+ and good-aligned, is their goodness "baked in" to the point where protection from good's bonuses come into play?
Last Tuesday my group started House on Hook Street. I figured I'd make a thread to help me kinda distill a session's events, and to perhaps entertain some other folks. I also welcome any feedback or ideas people might have! The PCs
Jezidar Khorshed:
A younger woman raised in a small temple of Sarenrae in Bridgefront. Though the temple was abandoned long ago, Jezidar feels it is her duty to maintain the ruins of that holy place, forgotten amongst the dilapidated structures and Shingle dwellings that cover it like choking vines. Her purpose is driven by the Sarenite principal of "swift justice delivered at the scimitar's edge," misinterpreted and given undue importance thanks to the woman's lack of contact with her larger faith community. She enacts vigilante justice against the basest of Bridgefront's criminal elements and corrupt guards.
Jezidar is a slayer, cleaner archetype, focused on two-weapon fighting. The Moon Brothers - Atticus and Garvin Paraga:
So called because they are the proprietors of The Thirteen Moons, a Bridgefront occult emporium at the corner of Wave and Shale streets, near the Narrows. Brought to Bridgefront about a decade ago by a mother that only Garvin really remembers, they were left on the docks and adopted by Lucian Paraga, then owner of The Thirteen Moons. An animated portrait of “Grandpa” Lucian still hangs over the shop’s fireplace.
Atticus is a charming and earnest young man, with soft eyes under a nest of dark curls. While his coat and tie are threadbare and disheveled, his kind demeanor and soothing words more than make up for his appearance. When he speaks, people listen, and they know that he cares deeply about Bridgefront’s downtrodden population. He is a near-constant presence at the Korvosan Hope, a soup kitchen on the eastern end of Scuttling Way. Atticus is a mesmerist, vox archetype, who focuses on social skills and party buffs. Garvin is the older of the brothers, gruffer and more pragmatic, and this pragmatism is what keeps the doors of The Thirteen Moons open for business. He is often off-premises selling talismans or providing services, leaving Atticus in charge, and is frequently irked to return to closed doors and a “Be Back Soon” sign hanging from the handles. While his brother’s lack of practicality is frustrating, he values what he sees as their mother’s caring influence in Atticus. Lately Garvin’s dreams have included strange visions. Vocally distrustful and dismissive of faith, Garvin has felt pulled towards worship of the goddess Desna, a change of which not even Atticus is aware. Garvin is a psychic with a mix of mind-affecting spells and party buffs. Erik Ensign:
Mr. Ensign runs the Korvosan Hope (or simply the Hope), a soup kitchen offering physical and spiritual nourishment to Bridgefront’s needy citizens. He also owns an adventuring supply store in Old Korvosa. He pays for the Hope’s supplies at personal expense, including clergy or private citizens who come and speak, offering homilies or education to the assembled Bridefronters. The Hope is a small bastion of cleanliness, care, and support in a neighbor largely all but abandoned by church and government.
Erik cares deeply for Korvosa at large and Old Korvosa specifically, focusing almost all of his time, energy, and resources on improving his home. Few if any know that Erik was instrumental in the removal of Ileosa Arabasti from the Crimson Throne. Erik is a ranger, urban ranger archetype, a switch hitter and strategist. My thoughts on the PCs:
Jezidar is played but a less experienced player, and so I want to prompt them to do a bit more roleplay and expand their creative thinking. I think Jezidar’s faith is the key aspect of the character, and it’s very interesting to me that her take on Sarenrae’s doctrine is much more extreme than the greater church finds acceptable. I’m interested to see how Atticus’s and Erik’s altruism affects her. Atticus is fairly straightforward, but he’s also not someone who gets into many fights. I’m excited to see how combat affects the character, and how he reacts once he starts encountering some of the sources of the problems he tries to address through community service. Garvin’s hidden faith will be very interesting to reveal, especially since it’s a stark contrast to his outward persona. Erik is played by a veteran player who’s very comfortable in the character’s skin, having played him through about half of Curse of the Crimson Throne. In CotCC, however, he was a bit of a vigilante, and he has mostly left that part of his life behind. I’m looking forward to see how the old Erik and the new Erik mix as the campaign’s tension ramps up. Session 1 thoughts to be added soon!
My group's about to start a new module, and I have a player interested in portraying a gender neutral/agendered character. I'm totally down with that, but unfortunately it's not an experience I know much about. I've started poking around the internet for perspectives and advice, but I always wanted to see if any Paizo folks had direct experience in this area. This was a recent conversation, so we haven't fleshed the idea out a ton yet. However, I get the sense the player wants gender identity to be an important part of their character, but not something that's super up front or "in your face" (their words) From the GM side, I'm unsure of things like terminology, pronoun use, or NPC reaction. My default is to treat folks like folks, and Paizo/Golarion do an excellent job of reinforcing that point! At the same time I, and by extension the world I'm portraying, would like to honor this character choice. I would like the world and its inhabitants to acknowledge this choice and incorporate it in an authentic, respectful way. In summary, I'm unfamiliar with this subject, so any advice or experience is helpful!
Where exactly in Korvosa is Old City Hall? I'd like to be able to narrate city travel when the PCs go to meet Druze for the first time.
I'm creating a scenario for a mix of new and experienced players, and I've written the following boss encounter. The PCs'll be exploring a forest that's being corrupted by a forlarren trying to fully embrace her fiendish heritage. Before this encounter they'll have had some foreshadowing of what threat to expect, and also have aid in the form of a dryad who's been kicked out of the tree the forlarren's messing with. The final encounter takes place in a circular grove with a willow hanging over a pool of water at its center. Standing stones are set along the perimeter of the clearing. I think it's tough but balanced for a 1st level party, but some second opinions would help! My main concerns are her AC, her low initiative keeping her form setting up the swarm/entangle combo that would form the main challenge, and whether or not I properly applied the druid class level. That being said, I'm fine with some level of numbers fudging, as long as it's an engaging encounter! forlarren druid encounter: KRESSIK, FORLARREN DRUID CR 3 XP 800
NE Medium fey Init +1; Senses low-light vision; Perception +12 DEFENSE AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 16 (+3 AC, +1 Dex, +3 natural) hp 26 (4d6+4+1d8) Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +7 DR 5/cold iron Weaknesses remorse, sickened OFFENSE Speed 30 ft. Melee 2 claws +1 (1d6-1), mw spear +2 (1d8-1) Ranged mw shortbow +2 (1d6x3, 60ft) Druid Spell Prepared (CL 1st; concentration +4) 1st level—entangle (DC 14), whispering lore orisons— read magic, create water, guidance Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5th; concentration +6) 3/day—summon swarm [spiders] (DC 14) STATISTICS Str 12, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 17, Cha 11 Base Atk +2; CMB +3; CMD 15 Feats Skill Focus (Perception), Magical Aptitude, Weapon Focus (spear) Skills Acrobatics +5, K: Nature +3, Perception +12, Spellcraft +3, Survival +7, Stealth +5 Languages Common, Sylvan TREASURE Gozrehn scrolls, hide shirt (20gp, +3 AC, +4 max Dex, -1 ACP, light armor), mw shortbow (330gp, 1d6x3 60ft) mw spear (302gp, 1d8x3, P) SPECIAL ABILITIES Remorse (Ex) Whenever a forlarren kills a living creature, it must make a DC 15 Will save to avoid becoming overwhelmed with remorse. If it fails this save, the forlarren becomes nauseated for 1d6 rounds. This is a mind-affecting effect. Sickened - Kressik’s blood ritual has left her with the sickened condition, and the modifiers are reflected in his stat block. Nature Bond (Animal Companion still need to do stats), Wild Empathy, Nature Sense TACTICS Kressik begins the fight by casting summon swarm, followed by entangle to trap his foes in the swarm’s area. If they escape or engage in melee, he attempts to flank with his animal companion or any surviving allies who have retreated to the grove. DEVELOPMENT Kressik has spent the last several days attempting to corrupt Springbough’s willow, hoping to bend the grove’s energies to allow her to escape her fey heritage and fully embrace her fiendish nature. Scrolls found in the hermitage under the tree, information gained via whispering wind, and her own intuition have helped her develop the details of a blood ritual. Scarring the willow and her own body and mixing her blood with the sap of the sacred tree have begun to shift the grove’s energies, causing the surrounding forest to wither and decay. With a few more days and the sacrifice of her animal companion, she will be able to complete her transformation. Although the ritual has left her weakened, her fey nature and druidic powers still make her a formidable foe. Remember that the PCs access the grove by traveling through the sacred mists of Gozreh’s stream, and have been restored as if they had a full 8 hours’ rest. Should the encounter still prove too challenging, consider having Springbough use whispering wind to hint that they can interact with the standing stones that surround the tree, granting a boon or dispersing Kressik’s summoned spider swarms. If not all party members are able to reach the stones, some of Springbough’s leaf leshy allies could appear from the trees to assist in activating the stones.
Our group encountered a gentleman whose vocabulary apparently consists of only two words: praise and Zandalus. Replace some words, loop the first 10ish seconds of this song and whaddya know! It's the official Praise Man theme song. ♫Praise, praise, Zandalus♫
TL;DR: What spells or items would help a neutral good Oracle create and bring people to a demiplane that serves as refuge for those in need? The end of our Reign of Winter campaign of 2+ years is on the horizon, and I expect we'll be starting book 6 relatively soon. Our party's behind the level curve - we'll be 13 when we finish book 5, and probably 15 by the end of book 6. Backstory/character info below. Spoiler:
My character is a NG half-elf Oracle of Life and devotee of Shei, the Ibis Matron. Character sheet's here if anyone's interested, although as the second Pathfinder character I ever made, please don't judge some of the choices too harshly.
Veran started out an outcast who spoke in tongues and was plagued by dreams of bright light and booming voices in languages he couldn't understand. The source of his oracular power was eventually revealed to be Shei the Ibis Matron, an Empyreal Lord whose focus is liberation, community, and self-actualization. Through dreams, she's pushed Veran to take his gifts of healing and use them to forge his own path in life, and he's taken that to heart. He's been the general "help those in need" kind of good guy, and he's also counseled some NPCs on righting their wrongs. Given his history and his focus on helping the lost, once he's done with Baba Yaga he'd like to create a demiplane of refuge. Some place temperate, sunny, and pleasant, where the oppressed, rejected, and downtrodden could rest for a time before preparing themselves to go on and make changes in their lives or communities. The obvious spells needed to make this a reality are plane shift and create demiplane. Scrying also seems good, Veran could drop foci in regions of unrest to look for people to help. Teleport and its Greater version would be great too, but they aren't on the Oracle spell list. I like the idea of refuge, but it states it can't cross planar boundaries. I'm sure there's some items out there that would have thematic links, but I'm not sure where to start on that front. I'd appreciate any questions or ideas!
Pretty much what it says in the thread title! Shared consciousness states it applies versus mind-affecting effects, and using the Intimidate skill certainly seems like it'd be one.
This question came up in a game over the weekend - if you cast Summon Monster, do you also get to use a swift action on your turn? The player wasn't sure if a 1 round cast time made him "locked out" of other actions. I ruled he could just do the swift before he started casting the spell, but I wasn't able to find anything explicit in the rules. I assume a 1 round cast time falls into the "full round action" box of the 6 types of actions mentioned in the CRB?
I'm going to be running Master of the Fallen Fortress for a mixed group of vets and newbies. While I've played a good bit of Pathfinder, I've never run a game, and I'm running into some stuff I'm not sure about. First, there's an encounter with two Burning Skeletons that's listed as CR 1/2. I looked them up, and the PRD lists Skeletons as CR 1/3, and shows the "Burning" template as giving them +1 CR. So shouldn't an encounter with two Burning Skeletons be CR 2 and 2/3?
Second, there's some Troglodytes in here, and I see they're each armed with a club, two claw attacks, and one bite attack. Never had a character with natural attacks, so I'm not 100% sure on the rules - if they full attacked, they could club at their full BAB, then use one claw (since the other's holding a club) and their bite at -5 each?
Thanks for any help, this is more complicated than I thought. You feel like you know your stuff until you have to account for all the things that go on behind the screen!
I'm interested in building a Monk of the Four Winds, but the builds I've seen have me confused. Based on the description for Elemental Fist, it looks like it needs the feat Elemental Strike to work, but nobody's build includes EStrike.
Elemental Fist:
You empower your strike with elemental energy.
Prerequisites: Con 13, Wis 13, Improved Unarmed Strike, base attack bonus +8. Benefit: When you use Elemental Strike pick one of the following energy types: acid, cold, electricity, or fire. On a successful hit, the attack deals damage normally plus 1d6 points of damage of the chosen type. You must declare that you are using this feat before you make your attack roll (thus a failed attack roll ruins the attempt). You may attempt an Elemental Fist attack once per day for every four levels you have attained (see Special), and no more than once per round. Special: A monk of the four winds receives Elemental Fist as a bonus feat at 1st level, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. A monk may attempt an Elemental Fist attack a number of times per day equal to his monk level, plus one more time per day for every four levels he has in classes other than monk. Elemental Strike:
You draw upon your extraplanar heritage to imbue your weapons with elemental energies.
Prerequisite(s): Ifrit, oread, sylph, or undine. Benefit(s): As a swift action, you can imbue your weapons with elemental energy. For 1 round, your weapons deal an additional 1 point of energy damage. The type of energy damage depends on your race: acid for oread, electricity for sylph, fire for ifrit, or cold for undine. For every 5 levels you possess, this bonus increases by 1, to a maximum of +5 at 20th level. Special: You can use this feat instead of Arcane Strike to qualify for or attack with the Deadly Dealer feat. Monk of the Four Winds says it gets EFist as a bonus feat for free, but EFist also specifies "when you use Elemental Strike." If that's the case, why doesn't MotFW give EStrike as a bonus feat? Assuming you don't worry about EStrike, how does activating EFist work? Swift action, as specified in EStrike? Always on? Maybe I'm overcomplicated it, since I couldn't find any similar questions or errata. It could also be a d20pfsrd transcription error: the style feats that require EFist are from Ultimate Combat, but EStrike's source is listed as Inner Sea Races, which was published well after Ultimate Combat. What do folks think?
This came up in our game last night, and I couldn't find a definitive answer: does Kinetic Blast benefit from the bonus to weapon damage rolls from things like Inspire Courage and the Flagbearer feat? I know from a Mark Seifter post (which I can't find) that Kinetic Blast qualifies as a weapon for purposes of the Weapon Focus feat. That seems to also imply that it gets the benefit of weapon damage rolls per this FAQ. I guess it just "feels weird" to get that damage bonus since it isn't a manufactured weapon or a ray, but it does seem the rules support it. What do you other people think?
I've got a character concept I like a lot, but I'm not sure on the class and feats I've chosen; there's probably a more efficient way to realize it. Hopefully y'all have ideas! Some background. One, I picked up Inner Sea Races, which piqued my interest in Golarion's elves. Two, I started poking around the Cavalier stuff on the SRD and found the Emissary archetype. Those gave me the idea to make a "traditional" elf: lithe, fast, maneuverable, attuned to the wilderness, and using elven weapons. The core concept is a lone Elven sentinel or envoy with his mount companion, at home in the forest.
20 point buy would be something like 14, 18, 12, 10, 12, 10
I'd start with a riding elk (probably just horse stats, reskinned) and work up to a griffon or a hippogriff to cement that feel of being one with the environment. The Emissary's bonus feats would let me tear around the battlefield on a mount pretty well, but I'd still be capable on foot. The mount could also flank or provoke AoOs. High Dex would hopefully offset lack of heavy armor, and Weapon Finesse and Elven weapons would take advantage of that and add to the overall feel. My first thought is that something like a Ranger or Hunter might accomplish this better, but I don't know much about those classes. Plus the Emissary Cavalier really caught my eye, I haven't come across anything that removes the speed penalty for medium armor before and I like the idea of a mount.
Not sure if this really need to be spoilered or not since it's just a name, but better safe than sorry! Spoiler: How do you pronounce Amyreid? We've been saying it like Amy Reed, but that lends a distinctly soccer mom feel that doesn't quite mesh with the fantasy setting.
Our group has been having a blast with this AP, and a large part of it has been how our Bard's been leveraging her backstory and artistic ability. I thought I'd share some of her finer moments and see if others have had similar craziness. Our party is:
As mentioned, the Bard takes her art seriously. She's from a blue collar family, but runs in avant-garde circles and tries to put on slightly aristocratic pretensions when in that company. She attended the Alabaster Academy and has an extensive knowledge of Kintargan opera and Chelaxian art and culture in general.
Hopefully all that isn't totally a "you had to be there" thing, and comes across here as cool as it was in game. It's just been really great to have a character who does things that tie superbly into their backstory, their class, and the setting, while also allowing participation by all the party members. Those performances have really helped give a sense of the party dynamic, a connection to the city of Kintargo, and an in-game, RP way to build the rebellion and gather momentum. Anyone else have Bards or other characters really grab ahold of the Kintargan arts angle? |