Number of times I've tracked free actions: 0 Number of times a free action has derailed a game: 0 A wise man once said, "Sometimes it's best to let those hard-to-reach chips go."
Spellcraft skill description states copying/learning a spell from a spell book is a DC 15 + Spell Level Spellcraft check. If it were me, this rogue could do so, as it's stated pretty clearly in the skill description. And I echo some advice upthread, as long as everyone's enjoying the game and this isn't going to bring play to a screeching halt, go for it. Not sure about the witch example, as the familiar is the "spell book" and can learn spells from other familiars- maybe they have the "intelligence" of Disney's Snow White's forest friends and can read? Or maybe the witch can read the spell book to the familiar? A good way to get creative for sure! (for quick reference)http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/coreRulebook/skills/spellcraft.html#spel lcraft
The duration is "on the next attack roll" iirc. Most players want a forever +20 to their next attack roll. Most DMs don't want a player with a forever +20 to their next attack roll. Every character doesn't want an angry ogre with a forever +20 on it's next attack roll. Remember that magic exists for all, not just the players. So about that wand...[edit] Personal effect, I think, so potion/scroll only?
Having failed to previously break through the leper-priest's enchantment, Kajar attempts to convince Ben-Garri into surrendering, or simply fleeing. Brandishing his cold iron Orc double-axe, Kajar's voice takes on the tone of a court-martial judge, ringing through the simple mud hut with both vitriol and purpose. He points one wicked end of his axe towards the priest, spittle collecting at the corners of his mouth, his yellow eyes slitted into a predator's gaze, teeth nearly gnashing as he paces- "YOU! You and your foul lot will answer our questions and then disappear from this place! Unless, of course, you wish to eat the steel of my friends. Think, Ben-Garri, your mortality is in our hands."
Ran a Serpent's Skull AP 25-pt buy. All 6 adventures, ended at 17-ish, iirc. The Fire Elemental Wizard and fighter/rogue/barbarian/idk with a 3.5 meteor hammer, supported by an archer ranger, core summoner/bipedal greatsword eidolon and an oracle of life wiped the floor of the campaign. The wizard and Tank were unstoppable. I let it get to that. It came to a point where they really couldn't die, as they had enough to grind figurative diamonds into life. Damn, we had us some fun! It was totally unbalanced, and no one cared because it was fun. Fun is an option, right?
Kajar beams, surrounded by the other initiates, taking in the scene. He whoops, hollers, and hugs the rest of the initiates with equal parts excitement and relief. The adrenaline rush wears off, and Kajar takes a look around. We killed a minotaur, and saved a Pathfinder. If this is Society work, I hope for more missions to come my way! "Master Janira, I am glad you are in one piece..." Kajar suddenly feels fumble-tongued, and twists his hands together, as if trying to find something important or relevant to say. "Teamwork. I learned about cooperation. I don't know much about human history, gillmen, or Absalom, but I did learn that it's more important to cooperate than it is to worry about my stake in the end goal." Blushing as only a half-orc can, he nods at Lissa, and cracks his toothy grin. "Oh, and I learned how a down-on-her-luck magician can still pull fish from the sea when it counts," he says, laughing. "Master Lissa, tell her how you rescued that cloak from certain doom!"
"Termites!" he cries after a pause, "Termites can *squawk* make a tree fall over. And they are tasty, too. You have to be careful to *squawk* crunch them quickly, though, or they bite your tongue. Of course, I'm not sure any of you would *squawk* appreciate them. It is a lot of work for not a lot of meat."
Kajar's nostrils flare, his eyes scan the underbrush, a smile cracking his lips.
"Sometimes, trees happen," he says. "Just Nbu T'ka, perhaps termites, or old age, or lightning felled that tree. I believe we are safe, though. If it were meant for us, we'd know." Kajar pauses a moment to consider wild flowers and berries growing trailside.
He nods to Luthor. "Master Luthor, you are right to reach for your sword, we should all stay alert. Bandits are more likely than harpies, though, as we are still closer to Absalom than the Kortos Mounts."
Flanking is flanking, it is a rule that benefits the attacker(s) and not the defender. Beyond house-rules, it is what it is. The invisible cleric grants flanking to the rogue in the OP's diagram. The fighter doesn't get a trophy mulligan to not be flanked, RAW/RAI/etc. This might be a case of over-thinking things. Flanking is flanking, and rogues have precision damage via Sneak Attack. It's their Thing, let them have their Shiny. And kudos to the player combo that has an invisible cleric and a rogue teaming up to flank a fighter in the first place, only to net the precision damage - those are some big brass ones, my friends.
Have you slept on a massive pile of shiny coins? It's like a tempur-pedic that plays a soft, jingling lullaby when you turn over, and you never feel the poke of the +5 holy avenger in your side. Truly lovely.
It's an "only if" situation. A paladin would do everything in her power to avoid such a situation. I sincerely doubt that any party stranded anywhere would find cannibalism a sincere recourse. Survival checks, Profession checks, etc. Really? Paladin cannibals? Really? I understand the exercise but wtf. As a GM, I'll toss out a wounded moose- hey, it's got a broken hoof! Stabbity and sustainable. Why should a paladin fall to cannibalism? Spells, tactics, Survival, and aid from party members....
Just to weigh in again- Barbarians vs Robots. If you can't get behind that, the Technic League gives you all your palatable disdain to shred technology, and the Black Sovereign is an SOB himself. Be a GM, wrangle this into reality, make the players uncomfortable, just for the fun of it.
Just remember to adjust your NPCs and BBEG's to a 40-pt buy and you should be fine. And add a few enemy casters to each fight, and adjust the mooks' gear or HPs- but do note that this will cause combat to drag on at mid and higher levels, unless you want a cake walk.
Thanks, Sean, for everything. I've enjoyed your writing, your responses, your unbelievable stamina in the RPG Superstar forums. That itself is a testament to dedication, knowledge, and love for the game. You inspire a whole new set of designers through your feedback and advice; you are always spot-on and never mince words. Best wishes to you and yours.
TL;DR "Leveling" is a measure of the lessons you learned back there. You changed the way you held your blade, you reached into an until-now unknown arcane miasma to understand magic; that style your master displayed at tournaments- you get it now. You've reached the pinnacle of subtle movement, and recognize when a fireball is about to hit and react. Getting better at something is a culmination of experience. My character gets better at her class because she's had enough field and battle-tested moments that those experiences inform her future choices. New wellsprings of power are deviated from her innate potential. I see advancement as organic in-game, not a literal interpretation of numbers. The latter is straight-up boring. Though I do believe you must rest to level up, so maybe a character is powered by dreams.
Vodka, I like Tito's. Smooth and doesn't need any help, maybe a few ice cubes. Mixing is best with Absolut or Stoli. If you're looking for a cheap mixer, Svedka is a head above Pinnacle, a little less sting to it. I like a little seltzer with my vodka, lemon or orange flavored. I've learned that hangovers get a big boost from the sugars you add to the alcohol, so I avoid the colas, juices, and premixed additives. Tequila- Cazadores gets my vote. I'm an occasional sipper, it's great. Whiskey, oh whiskey. My first love- 7-and-7's a la Mean Streets. Besides that mix, Seagram's 7 can be used to clean your boat, sanitize your toothbrush, and take the paint off of just about anything ;) I like to sip Knob Creek, Bookers and Woodford's are also nice. Gin- is gross. An opinion born of too much bad gin too early in my college years. But there is a craft gin out of Vermont, Barr Hill gin, that is exquisite. It is blended with local honey. I dislike gin, but this stuff was great on the rocks and with ginger beer. Rum- well, C-Mo gets a bad rap, but I like it on the rocks now and then with a splash of lime or some crushed mint, maybe a dash of sugar. I find it terrible mixed with anything, but with hot mint or lemon tea it is a nice treat on a cold night. Avoid Bacardi. I've yet to try Kraken or Sailor Jerry, they are on the list.
You need, NEED to have saving finale (Bard 1, APG) on your list. You need your Bardic Performance to be up for the spell to work, but it can be a game-changer. Swap it for CLW, pick up a wand if needed for the healing. You end your performance as an immediate action, granting an ally a re-roll on a failed saving throw. Saved our fighter twice with that one. deafening song bolt (Bard 5, APG) is a top-notch damage spell for bards, if that is something you're looking for. No Save, no SR, decent damage to up to 3 creatures, ranged touch attack to hit.
You are all awesome! Your generosity is a testament to the things that are good and right and beautiful in this world. Shelter has been secured, so hooray for that! So much is still in limbo. Another source for Peter in this time of need is a fund-driven project brought to us by another player in our group. Blessings Brent, for putting this together! If you've got 5 bucks, I'm going to match it to get Peter to $100. If we get there, I'll can match 10$ donations up to $200. This will be for food and heating fuel. Maine's cold this time of year. Again, the output and generosity of this community is amazing. Your donations and support have really kept one person buoyant in a storm of epic proportion.
I posted this over there, but thought it might also inspire discussion here: other thread. I'd like to see exactly the opposite of what seems typical- A land of high magic, mythic monsters, unchecked power claimed by tyrants and heroes both. Something epic and inspiring, not a rehash of Euro-USA history. That's too easy- survive a raucous ocean voyage (ok, that part is difficult) and land ashore to discover... A race of hobgoblins the size of giants.
Conquer that! Heck, try to find food that won't kill you, or that you aren't too proud to consume. The setting must account for the reality that returning home is not an option. In short, a place where anything is possible, a place where every bestiary entry can exist, where the PCs are totally uncomfortable until they can truly explore the region. So many obstacles and barriers. The idea that PCs can roll up to a village and smallpox the population is timid. Another post mentioned magic- of course the natives would have access to it, too, great observation. Like Avistan and Garund but raw- more savage and feral, disconnected from 99% of the current source material. A few Denizens of Leng, a thin veil to the First World, a hidden portal to Aballon, and undiscovered entrances to the Darklands and you've got yourself a campaign setting.
I'd like to see exactly the opposite of what seems typical- A land of high magic, mythic monsters, unchecked power claimed by tyrants and heroes both. Something epic and inspiring, not a rehash of Euro-USA history. That's too easy- survive a raucous ocean voyage (ok, that part is difficult) and land ashore to discover... A race of hobgoblins the size of giants.
Conquer that! Heck, try to find food that won't kill you, or that you aren't too proud to consume. The setting must account for the reality that returning home is not an option. In short, a place where anything is possible, a place where every bestiary entry can exist, where the PCs are totally uncomfortable until they can truly explore the region. So many obstacles and barriers. The idea that PCs can roll up to a village and smallpox the population is timid. Another post mentioned magic- of course the natives would have access to it, too, great observation. Like Avistan and Garund but raw- more savage and feral, disconnected from 99% of the current source material. A few Denizens of Leng, a thin veil to the First World, a hidden portal to Aballon, and undiscovered entrances to the Darklands and you've got yourself a campaign setting.
If it's me, playing a reincarnated King in Kingmaker, I'm a freakin' GOD! Well, not really, of course, but I'm sure going to try to play that out, especially if at least one PC survived all my deaths (or I can convince an NPC I am who I say I was). He/she is my Immortal Adviser, ooh the intrigue... Surviving NPCs/memories/Pcs can create a link to the reincarnated ruler, creating a really powerful platform for adventure. I'd build myself up as The Unkillable King, capable of cheating death, so join my banner and reap the fruits of my unshakable leadership; Warriors will see my stature and flock to my mantel of strength and power, casters will want to study the secrets of my realm, clerics to build temples to their gods beneath my unwavering vitality, together we can become a bastion of stability in a land of tumultuous change, etc etc." Sorry for the tangent- to the OP, never have gone the reincarnation route; saved by Hero Points house rules, resurrection, timely clerical assistance... or straight up died. I don't see resurrection as an immersion issue- the party has to lay a ton of gold down for one of their own or an NPC to cast the spell; it can be a very in-game circumstance if you want to play up the scene. I mean, how well do you know the NPC casting the spell? Can they really cast it, do they have alternate or nefarious designs on the body, or the party for that matter?
Fight fiercely in every single combat- disregard tactics, positioning, flanking, etc., claiming that your patron will restore your powers when you have shown your faithful fervor through combat. Refuse healing until you die; go ahead and make saves against the cleric's positive energy burst. A fun RP opportunity- go nuts! No, seriously, play a deranged, half-mad fallen paladin whose moral compass is shot. Or you could just have the fallen pally leave under the cover of night, burdened with shame and have your next character eating breakfast at the inn where the group is staying.
Golarion as a setting is very diverse, and offers up myriad opportunities for adventure. A few I've come to like and appreciate, in no particular order: 1. Daemons
To add some banter, I like the presence of Pathfinders, Red Mantis, Aspis Consortium, Pirates of the Free Shackles, etc as "global" organizations because it gives the party the opportunity to engage the world in a manner that is not dependent on their actions alone. It reminds them that their actions influence the world they live in, for good or ill (and profit). Heroes need both allies and foils, and a standing order of each helps to root players in the immediate moment.
If you as the GM feel like you need time to work towards your intended end-game, many good suggestions here. Use the stall technique, set up a CR-appropriate challenge followed by a puzzle of some sort (a maze, a logic test, a pick-a-door scenario). Busting in on the BBEG reveals a cult of winter-werewolves. Fight!
have fun!
No one has really addressed though the question of whether I should be detecting evil on pretty much any and ever NPC I interact with. Is that normal, or am I going overboard? My DM is trying to prevent me from doing it by saying that I have to hold my holy symbol and chant for 10 seconds and it's super rude + obvious to the person I'm doing it on. I disagree... this might be your DM's way of subtly asking you to stop using detect evil on every person you meet. Maybe try and focus on how those you meet interact with the party, chat 'em up, rifle through their stuff when they're asleep or in the bathroom, shake down some known cohorts, find some possibly evil motivations... and then detect evil. Roleplay the detecting of evil schtick rather than blindly relying on the spell. Because really evil folk will have undetectable alignment up, anyways...
Outsea Delver. This archetype does everything it is supposed to do in this competition: it is well-written, makes sensible trades in powers, and is so steeped in the region I wanted to play one. Green Knight is neck-and-neck, but since I can only choose one... The Outsea Delver really comes alive in its description, it adds to its class despite taking things away, and I find it to be a very interesting archetype to play because it has such strong ties to the flavor of the River Kingdoms. It creates a real niche for its class by giving alchemists a reason and a need to be in the River Kingdoms, something some other archetypes lacked. I would choose this over another half-dozen well-designed archetypes.
I'll confess that I am not sure I'm qualified to choose between "cool" and "Superstar", to me they can be one in the same. I treated each entry like I'd never seen it before, read the text, checked the price, reread the text, checked the requirements, then went to the right column and repeated. Once I'd seen a 'meh' item several times, I really put the screws to it. If it was cool, I voted for it. If it was lame or less-cool, nope. Cool/Superstar to me hit one or several of these- - the item's 'thing' (what it 'does') was unique enough to be crafted into a wondrous item
^ like theheadkase pointed out upthread, some of them just rang true on first read. I did trend away from items (mostly recurring ones) that were mechanically broken, jokes, priced too high or low, combat-bonuses-in-a-can, and anything requiring or involving blood or body parts.
By Book 3 of the Dragon AP, the PCs will be guessing at which type of dragon is behind the shenanigans. And dragons are somewhat predictable. And you've got 3 books to go. Have them on a hunt for the 'history of dragons on Golarion', including all references to dragon dieties (tiamat, apzu, et al) to make them REAL experts on dragons. Dragons seem rather rare on Golarion, maybe the Pathfinders/other groups want to know where and how they "exist"? Heck, add Knowledge (Draconia) to the list so they can tell a wyrm from a dragon, and properly ID a dragonet. Have fun with it, tie in powerful dragons. As a player, I'd welcome the challenge to both categorize and battle the seemingly sparse dragons of Golarion. I'm sure there's a bronze that quests me, a gold that trusts me, a black that antagonizes me, and a red that just needs to be confronted. Because dragons are simply awesome.
"Transform" should be a swift action.
This?
He's either a half-orc or a human. He can take the feat to be less-obviously-brutish, but the Shoanti would kill him on sight (it's a rules thing.) Your player is playing you. he is either one or the other. Tell your player to choose one race or another, and be done with this. Forgo special treatment. The character is either One or The Other, use the feats available to make the concept work.
Is it time to show some love to the "other" races of Golarion? The elf says, "bring on Treerazer!" How about a Kyonin-themed AP? The Orcs of Belkzen- can the dwarves challenge them? Darkmoon Vale is very tempting, as is a serious delve into the Darklands.
Adequate medical treatment at the onset of illness or injury, in emergency situations, and both prenatal and preventative care should be a right not a privilege. I'll pay a bit more in taxes to assure that, because a healthy populace is worth it. Ever hit the ER w/o insurance? You can outlast the bill, but it still shows up on your credit report. I've never taken the time to break down any of my finances to percentages (family of 5, three young kids) so if Big Brother takes an extra 1-5% to give all Americans health care, awesome. That also means that (in theory) if I ever lose my personal coverage, my children get what they need. I'm sure many families crippled by the recession this past decade would have loved to have state-sponsored health care. It will never be perfect, but we are all in it together, no?
Perhaps I was too flippant. To expand, if it's my game and the PCs capture an enemy and resort to torture to gain intel, I would not award them the XP. Now, if they go the route of bribery, or good cop/bad cop, or spells like zone of truth or charm or Intimidate or Diplomacy the intel out of their prisoner, that's worth the XP. If they capture the Boss' Right Hand Man, I would assume and expect they'd want some answers, I just would not (would try not to) let the encounter degenerate into morally questionable grounds. If it did, perhaps the Evil Henchman dies before it is willing to turn on his Master. That also assumes that my scenario here is full of neutral and good aligned PCs. It's a game full of magic and options beyond cutting off fingers to find out where the lair is, is my point. Oh, and torture in Pathfinder is, IMO, Evil.
stuff It's an exercise in futility to second-guess the judges in this contest. There is no court of appeals. They also won't be writing any items for the community to simply copy-and-paste as an entry. They also do not owe it to contestants to offer feedback- that is what makes not winning great- you get a small glimpse into the process. Why pry that window open? There is no complete formula for winning, besides maybe "mojo + follow the template = keep". It seems you're casting your net into an over-fished lake. Entries will be FIAC, SAK, SIAC, break rules, all that 'no-no' stuff, but as has been said, the item might still be Superstar. In under 300 words. Can Neil have his thread back now?
Thanks, Clark and Neil, your vitality and excitement for the process does shine through; I must say I appreciate the transparency of the contest and the access the community has to the panel. I think Sean's thread is a great tool for anyone trying their hand at game design, even beyond the RPGSS. Oh, and Spoiler: Finkel is Einhorn- and Einhorn is Finkel. :) |
