BigJohn42's page

So I started looking around for options, and stumbled across actual stats for different breeds/sizes of dogs on d20pfsrd.

Dog Breeds

The "Small Breed" is "Tiny" sized, and it looks like a pack of these could wreck low-level characters. Maybe play around with the Race Builder, swapping out Scent (and maybe Low-Light Vision) for a Teamwork feat, like Pack Attack?

EDIT: Off-topic, but I was thoroughly amused that there's stats out there for a Dire Corgi!

I'm surprised no one has made a "Dune" reference, yet.

The Fremen have secretly mastered a way to ride sandworms across the desert. First, a worm is lured by the vibrations of a thumper device. When it surfaces, the lead worm-rider runs alongside it and snares one of its ring-segments with a special "maker hook". The hook is used to pry open the segment, exposing the soft inner tissue to the abrasive sand. To avoid irritation, the worm will rotate its body so that the exposed flesh faces upwards, carrying the rider with it. Other Fremen may then plant additional hooks for steering, or act as "beaters", hitting the worm's tail to make it increase speed. A worm can be ridden for several hundred miles and for about half of a day, at which point it will become exhausted and sit on the open desert until the hooks are released, whereupon it will burrow back down to rest.

Maybe this is why my GMs never let me near a purple worm...

I'd say that the easiest way, by RAW, would be to pay 10,000 GP to give the Greatsword the Transformative quality. I can't think of anything beyond that other than GM Fiat.

So, no one has ever, for example, found their spouse in bed with another individual and committed a double homicide? I'm pretty sure you wrong on that.

I would dare to say that, in those circumstances, the spouse (and other individual) would no longer be considered "allies".

And while we are on the subject of soul selling.

If an Angel buys a soul through an agreement, is that considered a good act?

Many will say ANGELS DON'T DO THAT, but what if they did.

Look out for those soul-buying Angels... might be a Fallen Angel, looking to act as a middleman for the Devils...

Best to make sure you've got your Hitler-with-a-beartrap handy.

So is Dexter the new Batman?

He has houserules in place such as stealthing out in the open as an example to kill them easier. Basically anyone can walk up to the caster and just kill them, and it also seems the casters in his game enjoy things like blasting instead of the other spells.

Well, I can always houserule that away, then go onto his fourm to wonder why everyone doesn't just do it my way.

"Perrin, a Blacksmith Apprentice, turned hero, turned General, forged himself a warhammer while spellcasters gathered around him, adding their magical powers to his work. The end result was the first new magical weapon forged since the Age of Legends."

Notice how this scene, described sparsely here, but with some meaning behind it, differs greatly to, I did it over a few days at the end of the day, as I was camping.

Or, I shut myself away, and because I had some money, now all my spells are harder to save against because of my new headband.

:(

Good suggestions on keeping the boring parts out of the game. But some people, the crafting characters, that can be most of what their vacuous character is, a spellcaster whom turns loot into items. That is what they do, that is what they are.

So what you're objecting to is the lack of role-play description of the actions? That's a failure in gaming, not a failure in the system.

Get into the dungeons, the evil temple, the courts, the battlefield, the bar, and keep right away from the crafting.

There is no heroism at all in crafting, in winning the items without real effort or striving.

Xp cost or no, whatever you run, this type of blandness takes time. If you avalon think I wouldn't make a great dm, that's cool, but a dm should be taking games away from monotony, sometimes taking some things away from players if they waste others' time. You shouldn't be a dick (rule no. 1) but if players are taking up real time as they craft and excessively shop, those others who don't take this path shouldn't have to sit there and feel their love of the game fade away.

Bloody crafters and shoppers!

The answer to this is simple, player should do their homework, and bring what they want to the GM before the game (or if that's not possible, at the beginning of the game while everyone's setting up, or after the game). Keep the "boring" parts of crafting out of the actual play-time, and it's not going to affect the adventures at all.

Its become clear to me that my GM hates it when our party uses detect magic on everything suspicious. He has entirely made the spell useless for us.

Every time any of our party members attempts to use the spell, he claims that our party's magic users are too magical and they are overpowering any other magic aura that might be in the area. Magic sword? Who knows? The eidolon is far too magical to detect anything else. If its not the eidolon, its the wizard. If its not the wizard, its our own magic weapons. If I were to make the party move as far away as possible before I cast it, then its my own magical abilities that are throwing me off. I'm too magical to detect magic.

Now I understand that detect magic can sometimes ruin a GM's fun. I've run my fair share of games that have had certain plot points ruined with the spell, but I've always accepted it and moved on. I want to talk to my GM and maybe work around the way he has detect magic work. What are ways that you have dealt with the spell? I'd be a little less annoyed if everything had nondetection on it, as that would (at least somewhat) make sense.

Or perhaps should I just shut up and let my GM run it his own way and learn to prepare a different cantrip every day?

Thanks in advance. I always love to hear what other people have to say.

First, so we're all on the same page, here's Detect Magic. I've put most of it in a spoiler below, but there's a couple of useful charts that I just couldn't get to play nicely with the board's formatting.

I'll not mention the cone or range arguments, since those have already been discussed.

First, have your GM look at the Duration of the spell... up to 1 minute/level, but it requires concentration.

The spell lasts as long as you concentrate on it. Concentrating to maintain a spell is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Anything that could break your concentration when casting a spell can also break your concentration while you're maintaining one, causing the spell to end. See concentration.

In order to detect magic on something, you have to cast the spell, and then focus on using the spell, to the point where it counts as a standard action when in combat. This concentration can last up to 3 rounds (18 seconds) in order to get really specific information.

Hey, there's magic stuff over there!

Hey, there's lots of magic stuff over there!

Oh Crap! There's <insert horrible spells/effects> coming right at us!

That duration usually gets glossed over in games, where the wizard just asks "Is it magic?" I'm guilty of it myself, in games where I'm playing the magic-detector.

So, in an encounter, unless it was 1 minute/level since your last casting of Detect Magic, you'll have to cast it again. This has both verbal and Somatic components, which will cause all kinds of questions to be raised...

Why is your wizard casting a spell?

MAGIC? THOG SMASH!!!!

A couple of (fairly realistic) encounters like this would quickly control the use of Detect Magic.

I'm not saying that you're wrong for wanting to be able to use the spell, or that your GM should be nerfing the spell to the point where no spellcaster would actually be able to USE the spell...

I guess what I'm saying is, sit down with your GM, go over the actual spell, and see if you can reach an agreement as to what is reasonable usage of the spell, understanding that there can/will be social repercussions for casting spells willy-nilly, and agreement on how things should actually work.

My guess is that your GM is mistaking Detect Magic for Arcane Sight, a 3rd level spell.

I've been following the thread, and wanted to throw in my two cents.

- RAW, this works. Flat out. It works. The only person who's put up a reasonable argument as to it not working, per RAW, is LasarX.

The steel shield is not appropriate for the Druid. And beguiling gift doesn't change that awareness. He might accept the gift, but aside from thanking you and putting it down, he won't do anything with it.

I could see that argument from a quick-thinking player, as to why it shouldn't happen to their druid. Following that logic, however, would prevent someone from handing the enemy fighter a rubber chicken, or trout, or what have you, to wield instead of their +4 Hammer of Bard-Crushing.

... or, if you want to be sticklers, a cursed dagger, or a bottle of poison... I'm good with that.

As far as RAI goes, I don't see how this is worse than giving someone a cursed item, which is definitely allowed per the spell.

Is it powerful? In the right hands, Yes.
Does it exploit a weakness in the Druid? Absolutely.

How is this any different than casting Heat Metal on a fighter wearing full-plate?

A creature takes fire damage if its equipment is heated. It takes full damage if its armor, shield, or weapon is affected.

Heat metal exploits a weakness in a fighter (that they rely on heavy, metallic armor).

How is this any different than casting Feeblemind on an arcane caster?

Target creature's Intelligence and Charisma scores each drop to 1. The affected creature is unable to use Intelligence- or Charisma-based skills, cast spells, understand language, or communicate coherently. Still, it knows who its friends are and can follow them and even protect them. The subject remains in this state until a heal, limited wish, miracle, or wish spell is used to cancel the effect of the feeblemind. A creature that can cast arcane spells, such as a sorcerer or a wizard, takes a –4 penalty on its saving throw.

Granted, Feeblemind is a fifth level spell, and is WAY more powerful:

The druid, by comparison, loses some of their abilities for 24 hours, but is still able to function as part of the encounter (unlike our poor wizard/sorcerer/bard who got feebleminded).

Is it a little powerful for a 1st level spell? Sure it is. But, like most "powerful" 1st level spells, it takes a little creativity and finesse in order to make it work for you.

The bigger question is, is this a one-time moment of awesomeness, or is this going to happen to EVERY druid that the party encounters? If it happens every time they encounter a druid, then the GM needs to take steps, in game, to counter that ability (a druid develops an immediate-action "metal to wood" spell, or something along those lines).

Just like I don't expect my wizard to get feebleminded every fight, I also don't expect that this would happen to my druid every fight. Would it bother me if this were to happen to my druid? It'd annoy me, but not nearly so much as my wizard getting feebleminded.

All classes have drawbacks, limitations, weaknesses that can be exploited. And I'm fine with that. As previously stated by Foghammer, I would (as GM) ask to know about the bard's history with druids, to explain how they would know that bit of Druidic Lore, perhaps allowing a Knowledge: Nature or Religion check, or (as Player) be prepared to answer that question immediately and thoroughly.

I think this is extremely clever, and would allow it. However, I would first ask the player how his character knows that handing the druid a metal shield is going to be crippling to him.

I don't think everyone just happens to know everything about other player classes just because. Druid rites are secret, just like their language.

If the player could not provide a reason to do so IN CHARACTER, I would disallow it. His character should never have come to the conclusion that handing a threat something that will provide them more defense will make them weaker. That's my only caveat.

It would be much more amusing/abusive to cast the spell, and hand a character a suit of Full Plate. With how long that takes to put on, the character would be completely out of the fight for 4 minutes, to don it hastily.

The next time the player in question does something like that, refuse to roll the dice and say "No, my gold isn't cursed."

If your gold is cursed, trade it in for gems, or platinum pieces.

... or just go into a ten minute, in character, tirade about how all money is cursed, and that true happiness can only be obtained through taking a Vow of Poverty... then thank the bard for leading the way with this, and (with the help of the other players) steamroll the bard's player into taking VoP.

"Son, as you head off into that great wide world out there, I can't help but think you need to have this sword by your side. Your great-grandfather first fought with it over 70 years ago defending Lord Throckmorton in his battle against Lord Stone. Your grandfather carried it in the Denver campaign. And I used it to repel borders on that cruise that your mother and I took when we were first wed. Now, it is your time. Carry it well, my son. And when you earn your glory, think of your family."

"Why gee, thanks dad! I'll always remember you and mom, and what it means to be a Quantrill."

{starts walking towards door}

"Uh, son."

"Yes dad?"

"That'll be 28 gold pieces."

Son: Um... Dad... I hate to break it to you, but a Longsword only costs 15 gold pieces.

Dad: Listen here! Do you have any idea how much gear I've had to sell off for half-value? You'll pay the 28 gold, just like your grandfather charged me!

Grandpa: *mumbling in the corner* Damned ungrateful kids... the whole lot of 'em....