Blindmage's page

Shaka, when the walls fell

Zinda, his face black, his eyes red

Run them on different xp schemes:

Non magical classes: fast xp
9th level casters: slow xp
Everyone else: medium xp

In the case of multi classing, use the class with most levels to determine scheme.

Oh, White Wolf. You incomprehensible barrage of stream-of-consciousness edgy purple prose, you.

It took me forever to find Page XX, but they printed it in the second edition Malkavian Clanbook..

Torture is crass and, while it's an art form in and of itself, it's an interrogation tactic. Zon-Kushan and his worshippers see pain and suffering as a tool of enlightenment, in some cases, the practices are sacred holy rites, as opposed to simple masochictic daliances. Seeking truth and knowledge through exposing yourself, being vulnerable on a level most can't manage, from physical pain, to emotional pain, all forms bring insight into the truth of things.

How does Wild Rager compare to Brute?

Best multiclass ever?

Don't dismiss the Winding rules, they could really be important!

Winding: The construct must be wound with a special key in order to function. As a general rule, a fully wound clockwork can remain active for 1 day per HD, but shorter or longer durations are possible.

Having your key stolen would be a HUGE fear and an amazing "on the clock" style tension mechanism.

I've played a 21st lvl commoner, it was amazing, since I was still just a common man walking around with archmages, high priests, and kings, it was so much fun, because atvthe level, I was generally just a servant, as far as NPCs saw me, and the common folk weren't awed or scared by me, like they were the rest. Champion of the common people, type thing.

With the gearcentric approach pathfinder has, let alone PFS, I have a feeling any class can manage if they buy the right things. Sure, they won't shine, but I have a feeling you could run a commoner, and still contribute meaningfully with smart purchases.

Blindmage wrote:

A number of people have said that is kind of post comes up often, he idea of playing a fallen paladin, or incompetent caster, etc.

No... an incompetent caster is the wizard who keeps fireballing his own party members. A wizard with an int score below 10 isn't a caster at all. And for the first couple of levels "buy a wand" is not a pratical answer.

Reminds me of my first PFS character, whose sheet is lost, an int 7, str 20 fighter that worshiped Zon Kuthon and was a beast using Boar Style to rip folks apart. His first mission had him hucking alchemists fires at a tower battlement. So he took a level of Alchemist, and threw the bomb components as improvised weapons, every now and then it would combine right, using his one bomb per day. He was a horrible Alchemist, I was planning on sticking wit it until I could get into the Pain Taster PrC.

He was a character that failed pretty hard at the class he had the most levels in, but always contributed and was fun as hell, especially with Contagen boosting his int, made him actually able to strategize and think, not just react.

Et voilà!

Saldiven, that's just the thing. Arcane manifestations appear in the other room, unseen by the players, they get no spellcraft check or even notion that a spell has been cast. Her voice (and line of effect) is enough for the spell to work.

I notice you keep saying 'arcane manefistations', yet the rule applies to all spellcasting, arcane, divine, psychic, etc.

If you're wearing a locked gauntlet, holding...anything...how do you put on the second one? Or if you're not holding anything, how do you lock them both, I can see the first, but how do you lock the second, or get them off once they're locked?

All of the characters gained from Leadership should be totally built and run by the DM, the player can totally give input as to the kind of people they'd be looking for and such, but they should never be involved in the mechanics of their minions.

Too legit, too legit to quit

I'd say that's a basic dc 5 + 1/10ft Heal check

A mix of the following:

Feat: Arcane Talent:
1 0-lvl sorc/wis spell, 3/day as SLA, CL = Character Level, DC:10 + cha

Trait (Regional) Arcane Dabbler:
2 non harmful cantrips, 1/day each, CL 1, if CL in casting class use that

Trait (Magical) Magical Talent:
Choose 1 0-lvl spell, 1/day as SLA, CL 1, if CL in casting class use that

That could give you a Fighter with:
3 Sorcerer/Wizard Cantrips (2 must be non-harmful)
1 0-lvl spell from any other list

so you could take..

Acid Splash 3/day
Light 1/day
Mending 1/day
Purify Food and Drink 1/day

Pain Taster is pretty awesome.
I'm a huge fan of the theme (the non good requirement is at least better than evil only).
My PFS, int dumped, Zon-Kuthon following fighter is going for it, after a few alchemist levels.

As GM, I'd allow it suppressed as per the rules for suppressing Spell Resistance.

That said, at 13th level, the towns you visit might start featuring NPCs with higher will saves.

I think it's not so much the notable NPCs in a town, but the commoners in the feilds, streets, and shops that the OP is worried about.

If we're counting 3.5 I played a fighter1/adept 8. The fighter level was for weapon and armor proficency, but the adept is surprisingly playable as a pc.

+1

I played a full Adept alongside a standard party once. I loved it. It took them forever to figure t what class I was. The character was simply a very devout follower, in training by the local curch, but not even a priest/pastor.

I loved it, it really let me RP the class, and faith in a very different way from the normal cleric. I had PC wealth, so I loaded up on magic items, that I think I crafted. I never saw anything wrong with playing the NPC classes in a party with PC classes, you know what you get when you take the class, so it's on the player if they're not enjoying their choices. I was able to get some pretty fun feats I think, it was ages ago in 3.5 though.

Granted, I've played a 21st lvl commoner and had a blast in a full PC class party.

Wouldn't that split the now bigger patch into two, then those patches would grow individually, and if they are being tossed about by wind, they'd start growing..yes?

Thornborn wrote:

For the sake of playability*, I'd like to present an alternate interpretation of the encounter with a pool of lava. Assuming a pool large enough and deep enough that we need only consider the mold's effects, and taking the ruling in Avoron's post where the mold makes an island...

The island begins to sink. Lava laps around the edges, enters the field of the mold, and is chilled to solidity, forming a lip of stone at the edge of the island. If not yet a buoyant unit, the island sinks further, the lip chills again, and again, until the island is a boat. The traditional bubbling of the lava wobbles things a bit, the lip builds a bit more, and we can either take on cargo/ballast/crew (slowly) or chuck it out to adjust our waterline.

Aside from propulsion, we're set to sail the Lava Sea. With more islands, we might build a catamaran. Perhaps powered by a heat exchange engine.

*Not in the 'every party should have three of these' sense, but in the 'SOME party should do this at least once', sense.

See, that's the thing. The viscosity of the lava coupled with the bowl like shape of the hardened lava, I believe, would create a displacement of the lava that would ensure buoyancy. You could make it even more buoyant by using stone shape to make it more triangular.

And thus, the city that floats through the Burning Lands was formed. Where centuries before, careless magicians tore open rifts to the Earth and Fire Planes in an attempt at infinite power.

What do you mean? The sun is the SUN! I can see where it is!

Need to reply for the best use of a Flight of Dragons quote I've seen in ages that I didn't make.

I like the idea that it surpresses the immunity to the black blood, and automatically gives the optical the weaker effect of his/her blood.

Oh! That's what minded me. Right.

Now you have this thing that creates reality, etc.

Now imagine one the size of say... oh, I dunno, the Inner Sea Region or larger... Suddenly Rovagug's goal of 'destroy the world' takes on a *whole different shade*, doesn't it?

I told them my Master would heal the world by its total destruction, but they just attacked me!

Blindmage wrote:

I really like this idea, it's a huge staple in fantasy, that the wizard needs his staff to to magic, in some way. Personally I like the idea of the pacific spell lighting up on the staff, runes glowing and such when it's cast. I could see a wizard with fast study and the quick preparation thing, so he can prep a single spell in 30sec (5 rounds) working this way. The caster muttering and chanting, waving the staff as the party keeps the enemy from him so he can cast <insert critical spell here>.

Can you elaborate on how to accomplish this trick?

For me, the whole 'carving on the staff lights up in concert with spellcasting' thing is an awesome visual, and would go towards explaining the whole 'you can tell someone is doing magic even if they're Stilled, Silent, Eschewed' debacle. It makes for an amazing visual and component to the world.

It means that, ok, so a wizard will need more than 1 staff, even assuming each stall acts as a standard equivalent 100 page book. But it does mean then can take the time to make staffs for specific functions, an 'everyday, living life, lots of cantrips and basic utility spells' staff, or a 'battle staff' loaded with their most potent magics.

Would make an awesome plot hook, they find and old staff, the wizard in the group can tell it's loaded with high level spells (decently higher than the party could use), do they keep it? What if it starts glowing?

As for the fast prepping of spell slots, that's Fast Study, combined with Quick Preparation. It's a combination I've always wanted to make really good use of to produced a more ritualistic style of magic for a wizard.

Too taboo.. had this one in my head at least.

A wizard who creates a simulacrum of Drakainia and willingly participates in the use of her 2nd and 3rd abilities.

Strong character concept? Yes. Weird...? also yes.

That is one seriously cool critter!

You could totally sell it for more with enough Bluff, as long as they dint see through your game with enough Sense Motive to tell you're lying, or enough Appraise to know the gem isn't really worth that much.

You might have a pissed off wizard hunting you down, but it *is* doable. Some folks just try and cheat the wrong people.

Wild Mage.
A caster that doesn't have full control over his magic and sometimes things go wrong, or go super amazing.

Druid and Ranger have "nature" spells so it makes perfect sense they get cure and not inflict.

...wait so nature is always a positive, life giving, healing thing? Never destructive or violent, never something that kills some things, but not others based on seeming whims (gasses that might be toxic to some creatures but not others, poisons, fires, floods, radiation, etc) nature can channel the pure wholesome positive energy, but can't ever radiate it's opposite.....is not nature about balance?

If you want to take creepy in a different way, the pain taster may be what you are looking for.

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/prestige-classes/other-paizo/n-r/pain-taste r

A prestige class devoted to people who suffer horrible pains for the purpose of gaining strength. You want to creep your party out? Spend an hour a day chanting while slicing up your hands, or eating broken glass. Slice up yourself for bonus damage, whip and trip people, max out ranks in heal for the purpose of torture and go to work.

There's nothing bad about that!

anthonydido wrote:

Durngrun Stonebreaker wrote:

Imagine the poor monk. At 5th level, with 5 ranks in acrobatics, +3 class skill, +4 from increased speed, +5 from High Jump, and let's say a +3 from Dex. He cannot jump less than twenty feet?

Exactly my point!

Said monk has +20 acrobatics and needs to jump over a 5-foot gap from one platform to another. According to some of the posters here it is literally impossible for him to just make a 5-foot jump. So he is sooooo good at acrobatics yet he can't control himself?

THAT'S UTTERLY PREPOSTEROUS!!

THEN DON'T USE THE RULE! How hard is that? Make it say whatever you want it to say. The Pathfinder Police aren't going to show up at your door and force you to stop.

*knock knock*

Back in 3.5 we played a lvl 21 game.we had a knight who ruled a kingdom, the high priest of a god, an archmage, and me, the lvl 21 commoner.

All the nobles, and hight level people treated me like a common serf, I was nothing, no titles, just a farmer, cook, miner, the ignored me and were angered by my presence, the common folk on the other hand, spoke of me in hushed tones of wonder, myths of the serf that stood against his evil lord, with the help of some mighty adventurers, and went back to care for his village. If course it was all just tales, and the description changed from telling to telling.

Because everyone else was so....noble/high standing, they could never actually talk with the common folk in villages and such, it just wasn't done, the villagers would bow and be oh so respectful but clam up in fear of these people who's power rivalled the gods.

My character would go into wherever a few days in advance and talk with the commoners, the barkeeps, the stable hands and groomsmen, learn things that the higher society world just didn't know. Things like how a new colt was born...wrong and was killed, it scared the villagers, but the barons and lords didn't even give it a thought, the meaningless superstitions and fears of the poor and such..

It was actually really fun!

you said pea

*headdesk*

My group tends to forget that Mending has a 10 minute casting time. I always have to remind them.

Personally I'm a fan of the Ripsaw Glaive, cause really, who doesn't love a chainsaw on a pole!?

Mojorat wrote:

You know none of the undead in create undead except maybe mummy retain class levels.

Create Undead With an example of juju zombie & skeletal champion Paizo disagrees with you. But it creates different kind of problem: "You must have a caster level greater than the HD of the undead to be created."

How you can have more caster level than your HD? I can only think about Orange Ioun Stone, but there must be something else.

Idea definitely stolen for wizard NPC in my campaign :D

Well...you could always make the undead 1hd lower than you, sure, not as powerful, but you are cheating death and coming back.

Orc + Halfling = ???

I don't really get the fascination with selective channel. Channeling for healing is a nice benefit, but in combat its just not getting the job done, certainly not enough to burn a feat on.

Since not all clerics will be channeling positive energy, Selective Channel can save you from killing your own party....not that I've done that by mistake... <.< >.>

The CN Rogue poured kerosene on him, lit him on fire, and then "put out the flames" so as not to kill him.

Aaaaand that is torture by any definition I can think of...which is always an evil act.

It seems like people are over complicating at least part of the issue.

Say you're an Empty Handed Moonk. Due to your rules, you yreat weapons as if they were either a Club, Light Hammer or Quarterstaff, meaning any Weapon Focus/etc, feats you have focusing on those weapons would apply.

So an empty handed monk weilding a beer stein as a weapon treats it as a Light Hammer (since it's most likely a light weapon) and if he/she has Weapon Focus (Light Hammer) would get an extra +1. There's no need for Weapon Focus (beer stein).

Even for non monks, you'd be looking at what the improved weapon is counting as for purposes of feats and such.

My group did a short game set in an underwater lab/biodome/complex like thing. A creation of an ancient race (we thought). It was in actuality made by a cult of evil cleric using stone shape to make the domes and thick glass and such for windows. There was a air system, which we eventually found out was a series of magical devices powered by people being sapped for their life-force.

We wound up down there while investigating something, catching the eye of teh cult, and being placed down there as a test to see what we would do. Eventually we go out, but almost died due to the depth, temperature and length of time it took to get to the surface...it was pretty epic.

I posted this over on the PFS boards, but I'd like everyone else's take as well.

I play my characters more for story and feel/theme/mood than mechanical benefit, if I can find a mechanic that's in theme and works well I won;t discard it, but I'd rather focus on the *character* rather than the crunch.

Thoughts:

- I <3's Commoners

- Most GM's (or PFS) aren't a fan of NPC classes on PC's, cause they suck.

- In a few Pathefinder threads, people have said that a Wizard with no spellbook is effectively a commoner once they cast the spells they have prepared, since they can't prepare anymore...even cantrips (they're at will, but still need to be prepared, to change them, otherwise you're locked into the same set of 3 at lvl 1)

- So I could play a Wizard...who's spellbook is either lost or stolen....and only has a few spells prepared, barring cantrips. Basically a commoner with a very limited resource, and the ability to use scrolls and such (if they're spells on the sorcerer/wizard spell list)...I like this idea ALOT.

- or I could have my spellbook, but leave slots open (meaning needing 15min to prepare a spell before casting it) to represent a more....ritual style of magic..

I'm trying to find a way to show a character that, while he's capable of magic, is *very* hesitant to use it, due to past problems, or even an innate fear of it. The magic would be a last resort/hail mary type thing, that, while powerful...I'm not sure if I can describe the feeling.

posted the idea to facebook for my gaming friends to talk over and everyone is basically ripping it apart :(

Concept-wise...he's pretty awesome.

It's not like I'd be ripping the spells out of a character built as a caster, he'd be designed with this in mind. Hell Scrolls could be a viable way for quicker magic...

Ideally people won't suspect him of being a caster at all, he seem more like a weaker fighter or a rogue maybe, crossbow at range, lots of skills, heavy on spellcraft, knowledge arcana and similar things.

I can't think of another way to show this style of character, if there's a archetype or build that would give the same feel with better mechanics, by all means toss it out. There's just so much in Pathrfinder, so many options. I could be missing something obvious.

Can you see the theme I'm shooting for? Not necessarily a do nothing commoner, a combat focused guy that uses his abilities with magic as a last ditch/Hail Mary thing. Maybe he made a horrible mistake with magic in his past and has vowed not to use it unless absolutely necessary.

Does this makes sense? Basically a Wizard that's more physically focused, but still semi-capable of magic, if he has to.

Thoughts?

I'm a huge fan of the NPC classes, mostly Commoner, Expert and Adept.

I've played a few games, where I talked the GM into letting me play NPC classes instead of PC ones with all of the IC social issues and what not. Being the brave warrior's (fighter, paladin, barbarian, etc) squire or actually playing the party animal handler/hiering really gives some great RP moments, like being able to actually *talk* with the normal citizen that are in awe/fear of the magic users or warrior's they've hear stories about, etc.

Hi all!

I do have a specific scenario in mind but I'll post it after I post the rules I see as important. I'm running strict RAW because I'm running a modified setting (Primitives, no metal, just bone/stone/wood/obsidian).

Animals have Int of 1 or 2. Having higher Int uses the Intelligent Animals rules.

Animals have kill points equal to 2 + Int modifier (minimum 1) per Hit Die. The following are class skills for animals: Acrobatics, Climb, Fly, Perception, Stealth, and Swim.

No animal can have ranks in (or make checks in?) a non class skill.

Heal is not a Class skill for an Animal.

Bleeding Attack (Ex)
Bleeding creatures take that amount of damage every round at the start of each of their turns. The bleeding can be stopped by a DC 15 Heal check or the application of any effect that heals hit point damage.

Scenario:

If a 2nd lvl Rogue takes Bleeding Attack (Ex) and does 1 bleed to ....say a Giant Snapping Turtle (stats used for a tortoise as suggested in the entry) with max HP = 154. and does...2 damage with a thrown dagger and 1 bleed (tortoise at 151) and simple keeps ahead of it on a mount while taunting it and staying out of reach (mount is faster than the tortoise's 20ft/rnd)...in 152 rounds the tortise will bleed into Dying, since it is unable to make the Heal check, then and only then getting a chance to stabilize (totally doable). at which point the Rogue can Coup De Grace it or simply keep stabbing it untill it dies....lvl 2 rogue kills a CR9 critter...

Am I running this right?

Sure, a GM could completely ignore the CR rules and select encounters that are easy enough for characters to win without having any "save or die" spells thrown at them, without having to hit really high monster AC, without having PCs die because monsters always hit their low AC, without having monsters always survive every spell the PCs use because the PC spellcasters have pathetic save DCs, etc.

This usually means sticking to encounters that have CRs below the party's ECL. That means getting really low XP, so the GM should probably ignore the XP and Leveling rules too.

So, sure, a GM could "elect to play" in a style that utilizes very little of the "must have" magical items. But to say that it's not a problem with the rules is going too far.

The only way to "elect to play" such a style is to completely ignore the "bad" rules and replace most of them with houserules that work better, so I would say this is very much a problem with "how bad the rules are".

Well, you can use more than one critter in an encounter. I'm finding that a single Creature can be taken out by my group, even when I'm running something crazy, like throwing a CR9 animal (Giant Snapping Turtle) at my 4 player lvl 3 group.

Through ingenious rules use (which I'm hesitant to allow, but it IS RAW), they killed it via 1 point of Bleed Damage, use the Grease to keep it from following them (hitting the feet, and it eventually failing it's saves) while being faster than it, but staying close enough to keep provoking it to follow, and the fact that it simply couldn't heal itself or get away while they Acid Orb's it when it pulled into it's shell for safety.