Bloodwort's page

“For even the very wise cannot see all ends.” - Gandalf

Hi. I am hoping you might be able to help me.

This is a request for some DM/GM feedback.

I'm working on a high-level homebrew campaign and it would be nice to get some feedback from some experienced DMs, especially if you have DM'd a game in the 15-20 level range.

Obviously, I could just post my content and questions on the boards but I really do not want my players to read about it. That would totally ruin all the fun and surprises. Spoilers!

I realize this is totally selfish of me to ask but I want someone I could trade emails with and bounce some ideas around.

Personally, I have been playing D&D for nearly 30 years. I've been DMing a game for almost 20 years.
I still think it would be helpful get some opinions from other DMs since I have never DM'd a high-level game.

We're playing pathfinder. The party is level 17, mythic tier 1.
They're about to hit level 18.

If you don't want to trade emails we could use the message board's private message feature.

So if you're interesting in helping me polish the outline of my campaign arc. Send me a note.

Thanks for your time!

~Bloodwort~

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Opinions/Suggestions wanted!

by a strange twist of fate (a.k.a. DM fiat) my previously dead PC is now back as an undead PC (juju zombie template).

It wasn't my idea but something the DM came up with.

We're both excited to see how this unexpected change will work... I've got some cool ideas on how to play him (btw, he's a monk). We are in the Skulls & Shackles campaign, which helps mitigate most of any potential alignment issues of being undead.

As a balancing factor, I will always be one level behind the rest of the party and at the moment, my hit points are about half the weakest PC. Why is that? good question. It's because I have a penalty to my charisma, which affects my hit points as an undead (and I'm a level behind).

SO.... this thread is just to see what the incredibly clever PRPG community can come up with on how to pimp out my undead monk to make him the biggest, baddest pirate the seas have ever seen.

Currently the PCs are level 4. My monk is level 3.

Got ideas on how to make him awesome? Then let's hear it.

Ready, Go!

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.Question about Eidolons and magic.
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.Eidolons are a "summoned creature".
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.The rules concerning eidolons say that " The eidolon cannot be sent back to its home plane by means of "dispel magic".
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.Would a "mage's disjunction" (9th level spell) send the eidolon back to his home plane?

Or would he stay since mage's disjunction says " spells and spell-like effects are unraveled and destroyed completely (ending the effect as a dispel magic spell does)"
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.I am confused.

I thought a "mage's disjunction ended all spell effects and sent summoned creatures back home.

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.P.S. as a side note, we used to believe that when an eidolon went home that any gear it was wearing stayed here on the material plane. Yet we cannot find that in the rules anymore. Was that in the beta and has since been removed?

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.we still don't have a definitive ruleset from Paizo on PaO (see my previous post)

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.However, now my 16th level players are thinking about using PaO on themselves to grow permanent wings.

I'm curious what my fellow DMs out there think about this use of the spell or any other uses to modify party members.

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.Everyone is wrong! (or maybe it's just me)
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So far every post I have read about this spell, the poster has misused used the spell.
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(I'm asking my players to stop reading here! Venom, Sparky, Cid!)

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.I am running a game and they PCs have reached the climatic fight where the BBEG sits inside an unhallowed area with a silence spell effect tied to it.
This has shut down any PC ability to speak or cast spells.

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.we have been discussing how would someone remove the unhallow effect without casting the natural opposite hallow (because casting hallow takes too long to work).

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After looking through the core book for spells, it seems like "break enchantment" is the best choice, but even break enchantment takes too long in a combat (one minute cast time).

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.Are there any other solutions to remove the unhallow effect?

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.Right now I am considering a little DM fiat and giving "greater dispel magic" a chance to work for the PCs.

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.The PCs have access to 8th level spells.

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.We did discuss the use of an anti-magic spell, but that's pretty extreme and has a very limited range and doesn't really help that much.

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.There were suggestions that amounted to just completely remove or damage the FLOOR through various spells, (casting from the entry way into the room). That is not a very desirable solution and arguably just scraping away the top layer of the floor doesn't necessarily remove the unhallow effect for the entire area.

So I am just wondering if we missed something in the Pathfinder system that would let the PCs bring down the unhallow effect.

(note: no PCs have the silent spell feat, no one has any silent meta magic rods, yet.)

P.S. Not sure if it matters but we are playing a Pathfinder game and the adventure is an older 3.5 module. The unhallow/silence dynamic was written in the book by the designers. The designers discussed how this is a tough challenge for the PCs to overcome.

DM Dream job! Help me build the ultimate BBEG.

I am looking for suggestions on creating a truly terrifying BBEG for a high-level campaign.

I'll provide some background and open it up for ideas.

My players should stop reading....now!

Campaign: I've taken the awesome Red Hand of Doom adventure and scaled it up significantly. The PCs are all currently level 16. The heroes are extremely powerful. Plenty of arcane casting, divine casting, and melee represented in the group. They have plenty of magic and items to support them. The PC group includes a barbarian, a cleric, an oracle of life, a mixed melee/casting dragon disciple, a bard, and a wizard.

Warning: spoilers ahead...

*NOTE* If you're going to post, please do NOT hint at what happens after this fight.
I want that to stay secret.

Thank you for responding.

-Bloodwort

SCENARIO:

Third level wizard/sorcerer spells "haste" and "slow".

The core book is pretty clear that these spells cancel each other out.

The PCs have "haste" cast on them.
The bad guys cast "slow". The PCs are no longer hasted.
The bad guys cast "slow" again, and if the PCs fail their save they are now slowed.

HOWEVER, what happens if the PCs have the 4th level cleric spell "spell immunity" on them and they selected "slow" as one of the spells they are immune to?

We have been playing that the PCs are completely immune to the spell "slow" and the bad guys would have to somehow figure out or discern that they are not being affected and further more have to discern, while in combat, that the PCs are under the effects of "spell immunity". Only then could the evil casters try and dispell the "spell immunity" and then if successful, re-cast "slow".

Does that look correct to you?

Recently started AoW, and we're about halfway through the Whispering Cairn (the actual cairn).

Best scene so far:

So I still have my first edition PF core rule book.

If I buy a new one, will it have all the corrections from the errata over the years in the newest printing?

I've been wanting to run this campaign for years! We're really excited to start. Just launched Whispering Cairn tonight. Almost killed a gnome caster with those wolves.

I've read over most of the boards for AoW. There is some awesome stuff here by other DMs. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing so many tips, and catching any errors!!!

Is there anything else you might want to share?

Some of my players do read the Paizo boards, so please don't mention anything specific about upcoming battles or monster types - but if there is another plot tip, or any other suggestions, let me know.

We are playing with the official Pathfinder hardcover books and using the Golarion setting.

I'm open to suggestions on locations deeper into the AP!

I decided that the "Free City" is Oppara in Taldor. I've put Diamond Lake north east of there, just south of the mountains.

Thoughts on who should be the three evil gods for the three faces of evil?

Opinions please!
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I have several years worth of Dungeon magazines. Not all of them sadly but quite a few. I am asking this community to share their favorite adventures from these great magazines from the past.

I'm looking for adventure ideas and I don't have time to go back and reread all of these magazines, which have on average about three adventures per volume. So I'd like opinions on which ones you thought were the most fun or most memorable.

If you can, PLEASE tell me which magazine number (if you remember) and what level the adventure was written for.
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FYI: I'm already familiar with the huge adventure paths like Savage Tide, Age of Worms, and the Shackled City adventures. So I'm looking for adventures besides these three (not necessarily APs, just individual adventures from the magazines).

WHILE I'm at it... I happen to have boxes and boxes of old 1st, 2nd, and 3rd edition D&D modules. So I might as well open up this thread to your favorite adventure modules too. I don't mind re-writing an old D&D module for Pathfinder.
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In SUMMARY....

What's your favorite or most memorable adventures you remember playing or reading from Dungeon Magazine or any of the old D&D modules.

Thank you so much. I look forward to seeing everyone's favorites!

Bloodwort

To all my fellow GMs out there, I have a challenge.

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(pssst.... Venomblade, you can stop reading right here! everyone else, continue on)
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I am running a high-level game. All the PCs just hit level 16. One of them, a barbarian of great strength, has just taken the "come and get me" rage power.

How do I compete with this? It is unbelievably good. At level 16 he has four attacks a round. With combat reflexes and a high dexterity modifier this engine of destruction will have 12 attacks around. Nine of these will be at his highest attack bonus for the AoOs!!!

Without getting into details, his AVERAGE damage, when he gets to make all of those attacks, is OVER 500 points a round. Granted, the iterative attacks (3 of the 12) may not hit but odds are the other 9 will. He has a scimitar-type of weapon so he'll be critting on 15-20 so I'm figuring every 4th attack is a crit. Anyway, this post isn't to argue about his damage, just how to game around it, with it, through it, etc.

There is nothing in melee that can compete with that!

I seek suggestions on how to challenge this player. He will clearly mow through most fights but I'd like to challenge him every once in a while.

Suggestions please!

Right now I'm thinking something that does dex damage or strength damage but that sucks if that's my only weapon against him. That should be used rarely, besides his fortitude save is sky high.

-Bloodwort

Come and Get Me (Ex): While raging, as a free action the barbarian may leave herself open to attack while preparing devastating counterattacks. Enemies gain a +4 bonus on attack and damage rolls against the barbarian until the beginning of her next turn, but every attack against the barbarian provokes an attack of opportunity from her, which is resolved prior to resolving each enemy attack. A barbarian must be at least 12th level to select this rage power.

(I am re-posting this with a better, more descriptive title) btw, I want to offer Omelite my thanks for sharing their opinion earlier.
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I just GM'd a game this weekend and we had someone try and use the "Enemy Hammer" spell for the first time in the game ever.
I think this is a cool concept for a spell but the wording doesn't make sense.

It says save: Fortitude partial. Spell's duration is 1 round/level
The language of the spell (below) says each round as a standard action you can ATTEMPT to hurl a target. Then it says if the target makes its save it can act normally that round. If the target fails then it loses its action for the round and is knocked prone. If the target does nothing else that round but try and resist your attempts it gets +4 on its save.
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I did have this big long post about tactics and what would/wouldn't happen. Then I realized here is the core of my question:

If the target saves, does the wizard get to throw them/move them anyway. Or if they save, are they immune to the effects of the spell that round. That's all I want to know.

I really don't need any discussions on tactics using or resisting this spell. Just opinions on essence of my question.

Listen, I love Paizo and their products but sometimes the wording for spells can drive me nuts!

Thank you so much for your response!

-Bloodwort

TEXT of the SPELL:
cast time: standard action
range: long
target: one creature
duraction: 1 round/level
Saving throw: Fortitude partial

" You grab a creature with telekinesis and use it to batter nearby opponents or objects. You must target a specific creature when casting this spell and once you select that creature you cannot switch to another. Each round, as a standard action, you can attempt to hurl the target at any creature or object within 30 feet of it. You must make an attack roll whenever you use the target as a weapon. The attack bonus for this attack is equal to your caster level plus either your Intelligence or Charisma modifier (whichever is higher). If you successfully hit the new target with the creature both it and the creature take damage based on the creature's size.

(omitted chart of damage)

The target creature can make a Fortitude Saving Throw each time you attempt to use it as a weapon. If it makes its Saving Throw it can act normally, but if it fails its save it loses all actions for the round and ends its turn prone in a square adjacent to the target of your attack. However, if the creature chooses to resist your efforts to move it, taking no other actions for the round, it gets a +4 circumstance bonus on its Saving Throw. The spell ends immediately if the target creature dies or is destroyed."

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I don't know how to "quote" someone but this was Omelite's response:

"It's not incredibly clear, but I would say that you do not throw them that round if they save, since all "resisting your efforts to move it" does is give a creature a +4 on the save."

Listen, I love Paizo and their products but sometimes the wording for spells can drive me nuts!

I just GM'd a game this weekend and we had someone try and use the "Enemy Hammer" spell for the first time in the game ever.

I think this is a cool concept for a spell but the wording doesn't make sense.

It says save: Fortitude partial. Spell's duration is 1 round/level

The language of the spell (below) says each round as a standard action you can ATTEMPT to hurl a target. Then it says if the target makes its save it can act normally that round. If the target fails then it loses its action for the round and is knocked prone. If the target does nothing else that round but try and resist your attempts it gets +4 on its save.
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I did have this big long post about tactics and what would/wouldn't happen. Then I realized here is the core of my question:

If the target saves, does the wizard get to throw them/move them anyway. Or if they save, are they immune to the effects of the spell that round. That's all I want to know. I really don't need any discussions on tactics using or resisting this spell. Just opinions on essence of my question.

Thank you so much for your response!

-Bloodwort

TEXT of the SPELL:

cast time: standard action
range: long
target: one creature
duraction: 1 round/level
Saving throw: Fortitude partial

" You grab a creature with telekinesis and use it to batter nearby opponents or objects. You must target a specific creature when casting this spell and once you select that creature you cannot switch to another. Each round, as a standard action, you can attempt to hurl the target at any creature or object within 30 feet of it. You must make an attack roll whenever you use the target as a weapon. The attack bonus for this attack is equal to your caster level plus either your Intelligence or Charisma modifier (whichever is higher). If you successfully hit the new target with the creature both it and the creature take damage based on the creature's size.

(omitted chart of damage)

The target creature can make a Fortitude Saving Throw each time you attempt to use it as a weapon. If it makes its Saving Throw it can act normally, but if it fails its save it loses all actions for the round and ends its turn prone in a square adjacent to the target of your attack. However, if the creature chooses to resist your efforts to move it, taking no other actions for the round, it gets a +4 circumstance bonus on its Saving Throw. The spell ends immediately if the target creature dies or is destroyed."

Quick question... Pathfinder has three different XP progressions: fast, medium, and slow.

What progression works best with old 3.5 material? Is your answer printed anywhere?

I was thinking maybe the Pathfinder conversion notes from 3.5 might say something about this but I can't find that. I'm running a mostly Pathfinder game where the PCs gain several levels from beginning to end but it's an older 3.5 edition adventure.

Hi Paizo,

I'm a huge fan of your work. Question for you.

If I buy your books at my local gaming store (I do want to support them too), can I then buy a PDF copy of the same book from you on the paizo website?

Thanks!

I have a monk and I was looking at the trip feats.

If I use the Greater Trip feat it says when I successfully trip a foe, that foe provokes an AoO. Now do I get to take advantage that opportunity and immediately fire off an AoO attack? Or is the provoked AoO only available to my adjacent comrades?

If this has been covered somewhere else, please point me in the right direction.

Thanks!

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My question pertains to the level 1 wizard/sorcerer spell "ray of enfeeblement" that does 1d6 +1 per 2 caster levels of strength damage to your target (max 1d6 +5 at 10th level).

The rules state that this effect doesn't stack with itself and if YOU hit the target more than once it takes the worse effect. Seems pretty clear. (example: spellcaster A hit for 2 strength one round and hit again for 5 strength damage the second round the target would only take 5 strength damage not 7 damage.)

However, what if there are TWO spellcasters shooting rays of enfeeblement at a target. Wouldn't the target suffer this effect per caster? If caster A hit for 4 strength damage and caster B hit for 5 strength damage, would the target be at -9 strength or is it just -5 strength? Just curious if a second caster's spell would stack with this effect.

Thoughts?

You could always use the "empower spell" feat, making your 1st level spell use a 3rd level spell slot for 1d6 +50% of your die roll.

Or you could use "maximize spell" feat, making your 1st level spell a 4th level spell for a flat "6" plus your 1 per two levels.

Or we could make this level 1 spell a level 6 spell by using both feats. By now you're a level 11 caster so it would be "6" for maximize +(1d6 x 50%) for empower +5 for your caster level, which would give you a range of 12-14 strength damage (empower doesn't seem like it's worth it for this spell).

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For some reason I thought that Mage Armor, since it's a force effect, granted the +4 armor bonus to your touch AC.

I realize now that's not true. It's still just an armor bonus that happens to work against incorporeal attacks and has no benefit to your touch AC. Am I correct here? (just looking for some validation).

If I'm wrong, and mage armor does help your touch AC, then the shield spell (another force effect) should also help your touch AC even though it's just a shield bonus.

Now after reading these spells again, they seem to offer no bonus to your touch AC.

Am I right or am I right?

My question is can the party rogue uses stealth to avoid detection by a creature with blindsense? (e.g. hiding in the bushes from a dragon).

What about a shadow dancer in a shadow?

It seems pretty clear that Pathfinder's explanation of blindsense is that no, stealth does not work as long as the creature with blindsense has line of effect to the target. Furthermore, blindsnse can still detect invisibilbe creatures (although they still suffer the 50% miss chance to hit them).

This pretty much negates anyone's ability to hide from such a creature. My thought process was what about a rogue, hiding along the ground, couldn't stealth be used to blend in and have the dragon "miss" the PC because they're being still and near the natural environment?

Thoughts? Was this an oversight? Are the Shadow Dancer's HIPS ability or the Ranger's Camouflage ability completely worthless here?

My next questions, is there any way (spell or item) to get around blindsense (other than etherealness or incorporeal)?

FYI Blindsense description: Other creatures have blindsense, a lesser ability that lets the creature notice things it cannot see, but without the precision of blindsight. The creature with blindsense usually does not need to make Perception checks to notice and locate creatures within range of its blindsense ability, provided that it has line of effect to that creature. Any opponent that cannot be seen has total concealment (50% miss chance) against a creature with blindsense, and the blindsensing creature still has the normal miss chance when attacking foes that have concealment. Visibility still affects the movement of a creature with blindsense. A creature with blindsense is still denied its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class against attacks from creatures it cannot see.

...are there any spells that can freeze the top layer of a body of water?

In my mind I'm picturing a spell caster than can touch a body of water and create a layer of thick ice across the top of it. Strong enough to walk across.

(I realize "wall of ice" could work but I'm envisioning something else. Is there a spell that can do this but I'm just not remembering it?)

If there is not, then feel free to just say so.

Thanks!

You don't have to answer all of these questions. If you have an insight on one question, then let me know. Don't feel pressure to answer them all.

Thanks.

...I am looking for opinions here...

We are playing Crown of the Kobold King. Last night the group found the kobold nursery. Guarded by the unarmed brood mother (kobold). The small cave has dozens of kobold eggs and infants.

The PC party is all good characters with one lawful good paladin. The discussion begins. What should the party do?

Do they leave the kobold, the eggs, and infants alone?

Do they kill everything under the belief that all kobolds will grow up to be evil and thus a threat to the nearby civilized populations?

Do they spend the time to bring them to the local human town to be "redeemed" but in doing so face a life of bias and persecution?

Would killing kobold eggs and infants constitute an evil act that would force the paladin to lose his paladin abilities?

If the paladin uses his detect evil ability on the room (with the kobold mother removed) would the infants and eggs give him a positive reading on "detect evil"?

If the kobold babies did detect as evil would the party be justified in killing them even though they were not a threat to the party?

Would leaving them there to die of starvation be an evil act and thus killing them an act of mercy?

These were just some of the questions coming up?

...I have NO doubt that these questions have come up before. If you know of the message board thread please point me to it.

Thank you for responding.

As the DM I was unsure how to answer these questions.

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A PC who has the benefit of a wind walk spell on them but was currently in their normal humanoid form failed their save on a Baleful Polymorph spell.

The PC's new form is a rabbit (poor choice by me. it should have been a turtle, anyway). The PC did make their will save to keep their mind.

So, my question is, is the wind walk spell still in effect?

The core book says that: "Any polymorph effects on the target are automatically dispelled when a target fails to resist the effects of baleful polymorph, and as long as baleful polymorph remains in effect, the target cannot use other polymorph spells or effects to assume a new form. Incorporeal or gaseous creatures are immune to baleful polymorph, and a creature with the shapechanger subtype can revert to its natural form as a standard action."

Wind walk is not technically a "polymorph" effect but it is a transmutation spell (same school as baleful polymorph).

Would you qualify wind walk as a polymorph effect that is automatically dispelled by baleful polymorph?

Or since the PC retains their mind, can they now spend five rounds to turn back into gaseous form?

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Is there anything in the rules about spell casting under water?

If you have a caster, trying to cast a spell with a verbal component, and he is swimming (holding his breath underwater), can he cast a spell with a verbal component?

If the answer is yes, is there some sort of penalty for casting a spell with a verbal component underwater?

I did see the part about a standard action, while holding your breath, uses up one of your rounds that you can normally hold your breath.

Thanks!

Okay, I'm being a little dramatic. It's not really "eternal life". However, given the new rules that let PCs recharge staves, it looks like the cost is out of balance.

A "Staff of Life" can use 1 charge to cast 'heal' or 5 charges to cast 'raise dead'.

Now normally 'raise dead' cost 5,000 gold worth of diamond dust. Yet a level 11 cleric can use 'heal' to add charges to a 'Staff of Life' that essentially gives the party a FREE 'raise dead' spell every five days.

It's true the recently revived come back with two negative levels but the same cleric can cast restoration to make those go away.

...DMs may want to think twice about putting one of these staves in their game. I was planning on having death be a more of a challenge. Now PC death is a minor inconvenience. Yes, the same cleric could memorize raise dead and restoration without the staff but the party would still have to find and/or pay for diamond dust. There is no penalty for death with this item in the game.

Any thoughts on this?

...Forgive me if this has already been answered somewhere. I couldn't find any threads on it.

...If I cast darkness or deeper darkness, can I see through my own spell effect since I am the one who cast it?

...got a question for everyone...

I'm going to be running an encounter with a very old dragon. I've given the dragon the "greater sunder" feat (and the necessary prerequisites).

Do you think this dragon can sunder a weapon with +3 enhancement bonus?

My argument is "yes" but here's my logic. Tell me if this makes sense.

In the beastiary for the black dragon entry they get damage reduction DR 5/magic at young adult, DR 10/magic at mature adult, and DR 15/magic at very old. It seems like a good fit to equate that to +1, +2 and +3 at each increase in it's DR.

Does this make sense? The beastiary says that if a monster has DR their own natural attacks qualify as overcoming the equivalent DR (I think it's around page 300).

...Second question...

Dragons seem like they would be good grapplers. Yet any larger or huge dragon is not going to have the necessary dexterity score to qualify for improved grapple. It seems like a hole in the logic for grappling. Obvously they can stillg grapple but they'll provoke an AoO in the process and won't get the bonuses if they had improved grapple or greater grapple.

...any thoughts on overrulling the feat requirements for grapple feats for beasts with claws and teeth?

(and lest you think I'm a mean DM there is nicer equipment in the dragon's hoard if the PCs are victorious)

...how much does it cost to build a simple stone tower as a PC headquarters/home?

If there is another thread on this subject let me know.

...The reason I ask is that I saw in the leadership feat that if a PC has a "headquarters, stronghold, base of operations or guildhouse" they get a +2 bonus.

I figured some form of manor, tower, keep, or castle would qualify but I'd love to know what the absolute lowest cost would be (besides moving into the nearest cave and sticking a sign out front with "Go Away" on it)

Thanks,

Bloodwort

Wow! I am very surprised that no one has an opinion on this subject.

I just know other DMs and players have discussed this or considered this spell before.

Please share your outlook on how this spell should work.

Thanks again,

Bloodwort

I've got one question. Where is Treantmonk's Guide to Rogues (Optimization)?

Treantmonk, I loved your comments and observations on rangers, monks, druids, and wizards. Please do one for rogues.

Come on, everyone. Sign the petition. Ask Treantmonk put his brilliant mind to work on rogues.