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I was cleaning out old files when I came across a submission I made back in 2002 to a company called United Playtest for a PDF publication called "Gaming Frontiers: Monsters." I had completely forgotten about even submitting and never heard back from the company. Out of curiosity I Googled the company and the book and founds some reviews on RPGNET among other places. Not only did it get published, but from the review they used a number of the monsters I submitted. I would very much like to get a copy of the PDF, but it is not available as far as I can determine. Reviews are out there but all links to the product are dead. United Playtest doesn't exist anymore and their website is gone. They also published a gaming magazine called United Frontiers. Has anyone heard of the company or the publication? Anyone have any idea how I could get a hold of a copy?
I absolutely agree that third parties can influence an election. Nader is an excellent example. And there have been strong third party candidates in the past such as Teddy Roosevelt. I was speaking specifically too this year's election. As far as I am aware there is not significant third party movement this year. The two party system is pretty firmly entrenched in this country. Typically, the main parties absorb third party platforms that prove to be popular. Or, one of the parties dies off and is subsumed into a new party. I'm not sure a two party system is such a bad thing. Numerous smaller parties tend to radicalize and build platforms on a few narrow issues. Multiple parties leads to coalition politics where one small splinter ground can bring down the whole ruling regime over a single issue. I wouldn't want a multiparty system like in Germany or Israel. The "big tent" politics of two parties, drags both toward the middle and moderates policy to a certain degree. To my mind that is a good thing.
A few thoughts.. None of the third party candidates are credible in the sense that there is simply no way that they will gain enough votes to win. This is not meant to be an indictment of their platforms, only the prevailing political reality. In fact, I think it is safe to say that they will not win a single state. That being said, voting for a third party is akin to not voting at all - your vote will not influence the election. Consider this - The President of the United States has tremendous influence on how the government itself operates. This subtle influence is often as important in the long run as major initiatives that a President puts forth. The President appoints Federal judges who interpret and enforce laws for years after the president steps down. The next President will likely appoint at least one Supreme Court judge who will have the power to intrepret the Constitution. The President runs agencies that create, delete, enforce, or ignore regulations that effect virtually every aspect of our lives from the environment, to health care, to banking regulation, to industrial safety standards and more. The decision may be difficult, but I urge you to weigh the issues you care most about and trust your judgement when casting your vote.
High School history teacher going on year 7 happily married to an ESOL teacher.
"The more you tighten your fingers, WOTC, the more gamers will slip through your fingers."
Malcolm ReynoldsWell everyone knows that! How are ya gonna stir up any controversy like that? This thread is about nerd rage! ;-P True that. Picard then. Kirk would pee in his pants if he faced the Borg.
Malcolm Reynolds
The PDF will not personalize for download for this order.
Love Blue Beetle, but gotta disagree. He was a genius inventor who created weapons and tools to aid him. For a time he also was wealthy from his company, Kord Industries. How about some of the Watchmen? The original Night Owl was a tough cop and the Comedian's only power was his amoral outlook. Does Arthur Dent count as a hero?
Is there an easy formula to follow when adjusting encounters for a larger than normal party? I don't think you are going to find an easy formula. Despite how CR works and adventures are designed, building and running encounters is more art than science. If you want monsters to last longer against the PCs, consider upping their hit points and/or AC. If they are having a hard time hitting the PCs give the monsters a bonus to hit. You don't need to do a full rebuild of the monster, just quick and dirty adjustments to increase the challenge. You can easily do the same with damage, resistances, and DCs on monster abilities. Adding monsters to encounters is a good idea if you want to tie down the PCs. Extra henchmen provide cover for the big boss. They can block fighter types. Or have them use ready actions to disrupt spell casters with attacks or counter spells. Hope that helps a bit.
Personally, I enjoy reading Pathfinder each month, just as I did Dungeon and Dragon. I haven't run any adventure paths and do not plan to run any in the near future, but I have a subscription nonetheless. I read primarily for entertainment value and new ideas. One of the things I've really enjoyed about the Pathfinder line is the situational rules and advice on how to run different scenarios; simple, logical ideas that I can port into my campaign - sin points, respect points, the Harrow Deck bonuses, Logue's chase mechanic, etc. Finally, Pathfinder and the related books are a fantastic resource for a harried DM. I may not use the AP, but I borrow stated NPCs, chunks of APs, maps, magic, monsters, etc. Having a subscription means I have access to the PDFs too making it very easy to print exactly what I need. I also love the art. Fantasy art gets my juices flowing and often gives me knew ideas as well. Paizo's stuff has some of the best art around. As long as the quality remains as high as it is and the APs continue to entertain and inspire, I'm in
Very nice! A bit twisted. Reminds me of classic Twilight Zone.
Excellent thread.... PCs wake up in an alternate reality where they have the same stats, but are the antithesis of what they were before - heroes are villains, villains are heroes (Did this as a one-shot adventure). PCs must travel to the "real world" to protect their creators - the players (Did this as the last adventure of a long campaign). PC wakes up next to body with a murder weapon in hand. PC flips between two different realities and cannot distinguish which is real and which is dream. PC wakes up in asylum and is told whole life is fantasy (very cool Buffy episode). PC wakes up in body of most hated and pernicious foe and wonders if foe is in his/her body. PC wakes up as a member of a foreign culture/race in an unfamiliar land.
In this vein, heck out the Princes of Hell series in Kobold Quarterly - quality stuff. James wrote the last one, Jezebel, in KQ 5. Her origin story creeped me out. Well worth the price of admission just for that article.
I have the same problem with order #990049. FYI - I already responded to customer service by e-mail already. Thanks.
I would love to see Nolan's take on Hugo Strange. A pretty obscure villain, but the end of DK segways nicely into Strange joining the GCPD's Batman task force just like in the Legends of the Dark Night arc 'Prey.' He also has ties to Falcone and Maroni in the comics.
How about a racial bonus to CMB for monsters that are traditionally "grapplers" or swallow whole like the Otyugh? It's a simpler solution than swapping out feats or doing detailed rebuilds and there is plenty of precedent with monsters having racial bonuses to their skills. Thoughts?
Welcome to the boards. Always nice to see another Yankee about. I grew up in Maine. My wif is from Needham and mom was born in Worcester.
BA - History/Poli Sci
It is in Stormwrack, according to the WOTC site on pages 158-159. You can also find a leveled seawolf NPC here:
I like Spot and Listen rolled together. Its mechanically cleaner and saves on dice rolls. For me that benefit outweighs the "realism" of the separate checks for Spot and Listen, though I can see the other side of the argument. I agree Search should be a separate skill. If it stays part of perception in the final iteration of Pathfinder, I plan to house rule it back into my game. 
Is this where I complain about no ratzis in the new Indy film? Sure the commies are bad, but if you want true, unrepentant evil, you gotta have Nazis! No one does evil like Nazis. Commies are just too conflicted. The only thing worse than Nazis...zombie Nazis, or, dare I mention them lest they hear....SMURF Nazis!!!
After LONG years as a government consultant, I became a high school teacher. Now I happily teach ancient history to freshmen.
My preference is barbarian and fighter for half-orcs favored classes, with rogue and cleric a runners up. To me druids are protectors of the wild, while orcs (and half-orcs by extension) are rapine despoilers of the wild. Druidic half-orcs being fairly common just don't fit for me. I tend to think of "uncivilized" half-orcs as being barbarians and more "socialized" half-orcs as being fighters or rogues.
No problem. Things happen. Thanks for the quick response.
Sorry man, I go my Pathfinder today, but no Gazatteer. Do you guys have a goblin problem?
Totally frickin' awesome!! Next thing you know, you'll tell us you've got Ed Greenwood and R.A. Salvatore on board....oh, wait Rock on with your DnD badness!!
Very cool....makes me get all goosebumpy like the 1st time I saw the LoTR trailer. Well done sir. Well done.
I have the original Tome and love it. I would definitely be interested in an updated, Paizo-fied version.
It's the Free Masons...they want a piece of the action. Or, is it the Mafia and a piece of the Paizo pizza? mmmmmm.....pizza
I wonder if Pathfinder can use the name, "Monster Manual" anywhere in its title. Copyrighted? How about, "Magnificent Little Beasties?" Heh. Don't answer.Nope; copyrighted. We'll have to go with a different name. Sounds like an opportunity for a naming contest.... The Treatise of Terrors (too much alliteration?) The Pathfinder's Field Guide to Beasts and Brutes (too long?)
I would like to see rumors, recent local happenings, and news. Perhaps some that tie in to the AP directly or indirectly, and others that add spice. These add depth and flavor to immediate campaign world. A list of NPC contacts the PCs may have heard of or business that they may know in their home base location. Examples include where to get the best deals on supplies, who might have masterwork weapons for sale, the cheapest drinks in town, the safest inn, and the place to go to pick up adventuring jobs. Perhaps include a few unique low level spells that would be useful in the region or early adventures and the PCs would logically have access to. Thanks for asking for our input.
I like the new approach to turning, dealing damage with a fear effect. I also like the idea of clerics being able to channel turning as healing or harming depending on alignment. I share the concerns about the overall mechanics. A good cleric effectively healing everyone within a 30 foot radius with a turn strikes me as overpowered. Imagine a few clerics on a battlefield healing large groups of warriors all at once. This power effectively mimics the mass cure spells, the lowest of which is 5th level in the SRD. There is also the problem of healing enemies within the burst radius. Your fighter rises to his feet, refreshed and ready for battle, unfortunately so do the three unconscious orcs lying near by.... Likewise, an evil cleric can harm every living thing in a 30 foot radius. Imagine the effect on low HD threats as the cleric progresses. Even with a save for ½ damage, it is a bit like circle of death. Another concern is an evil cleric in the midst of living allies. If he rebukes enemy undead, and his allies are in the turn radius, won’t he harm them as well? The orc body guards suddenly and surprisingly drop as the priest of Amadeus rebukes the attacking ghouls. I suggest giving the cleric an option as to how he uses his divine energy. He can use the burst effect to turn/rebuke undead or as a touch to cure/cause wounds to allies and enemies alike. I am concerned about or confused by the wording of rebuke. [i] Undead who would be healed above their total hit points by this effect must make a will save or fall under your command.[i/] As I read it, that means if a cleric rebukes a crowd of skeletons who have taken no damage, he could effectively take command of them (providing they fail a save of course), but he is less likely to be able to command them if they are wounded? Or are you trying to say if the damage exceeds the undead’s total hit points, a cleric could take command of them? That seems more reasonable to me.
While I definitely think some areas need radical changes like the grappling and turning, a definitely agree that less is more. On the one hand, I don't simply want a reprint of the SRD, on the other change for changes sake is rarely good. It is definitely a fine line to walk, but I trust Paizo's staff to find the right balance. The beauty of their approach is everyone can put in their two cents and at least be heard. Some of the house rules people suggest might be real gems. Likewise, if the new fixes create other problems or go too far the creators might not catch it because they are too intimately involved in the process...a forest for the trees dilemma. By allowing all of us participate, Paizo is more likely to avoid that pit fall as well. The biggest challenge is going to be sorting through all of the input. Good luck with that
Please keep the old skill point system. I like the flexibility and variety the skill point system provides. I very much enjoy choosing how the spend skill points to tailor specific NPCs and creatures. Present the "new" system as an alternative option for those who do not care for the skill point system or want a more streamlined character creation process. While I admit the cross-class system can be confusing, I personally like it. To me it represents the particular training and focus of each class. Please keep the ability to add new skills over time. I like the idea of gaining access to new skills as you advance in levels. This reflects a character's growth overtime, experience, and exposure to other skills. From a meta-gaming POV this is a way for characters to gain access cross-class skills, just not right away at 1st level. As an aside, thank you for opening up the design process and asking for input. The boards are going to be buzzing for a while.
A couple of thoughts for feats - SKIRMISH TRAINING
TACTICAL TRAINING
I'd also like to see some new combat maneuvers as well - something that allows for realistic hostage situations - the classic dagger at the throat scenario. I'd also like to see some rules for garroting enemies like those in Dragon #355. EDIT: Corrected BBCode tags.
Do you really want or need that the level of detail? Could you describe the effects their actions have on the local markets in general terms and charge them for their purchases? What are they planning to do with the stored food? Have they taken precautions against vermin and mold? What about the tithe to the local lord? Also it seems to me that certain "concerned" citizens are going to take an interest in someone trying to undermine the local markets. Does the local thieves’ guild get a piece of the action? They might be running a protection racket of some sort. Will the guilds you mention stand idly by? Surely they have political connections with the local nobility and the resources to sort out the problem. The whole point of medieval guilds was to set standards for the market and bring a measure of economic stability for the betterment of their members. Are the local towns going to take kindly to being starved out? Nothing like an angry mob. Maybe they should recruit some adventurers to solve the problem. What about the powers of good and order...local lords, temples, knightly orders. They might not take kindly to such acts, if they bring misery to their people. Some ancient governments would buy up and store surpluses for times of draught and famine. What if these stocks were released to the public? Just a few thoughts.
I was not planning on converting to 4E. The D&D Experience only cemented that feeling. I played the delve and escape from Sembia. While I enjoyed both sessions for what they were, the style of play is not what I ma looking for in an RPG. The game definitely has a much more cinematic feel in the Hong Kong chop-socky sense. I can see why this would be entertaining, but for me I had trouble with suspension of disbelief because of a number of powers and effects. I guess I like a little reality in my phantasy. As a brief example - sleep and fear worked on skeletons and arrows and swords were just as effective as clubs and maces. I think a 4E game could be a lot of fun, but it's not the D&D I want to play. Right now 3.5 serves that need best for me.
I have to agree with sentiment regarding the switch from Basic to Advanced D&D. I felt like was part of a secret society and had been initiated to a whole new level of the game. As a possible marketing strategy what about a "Living Golarion." It's a crying shame that Living Greyhawk is being shut down, because of the switch to 4E. I have to imagine that there are a lot of Grognards out there who are pretty unhappy about the end of Living Greyhawk. Finally I would love to see Paizo's version of the DMG. I found 3.0 and 3.5 to be a disappointment. I'd like to see something akin to the old Gygax tables of gems, herbs, and governments put back in. Not to mention ideas on running different sorts of scenarios effectively, like large-scale battles and chase scenes. Paizo has a lot of experience with this sort of thing from Pathfinder and APs - like the pirate battle in Sasserine and the Stone Giant invasion of Sandpoint.
In reponse to the original question...I intend to continue with 3.5. This weekend I went to the D&D Experience and tried out 4E in both the Delve and one of the preview adventures, "Escape from Sembia." Admittedly, I am not excited about 4E. That being said, I did my best to leave my bias at the door and judge the game on its own merits. While there are bits and pieces of 4E that I intend to salt into my own campaign, my experience only confirmed that I will stay with 3.5. It's not that what I saw is "bad" when compared to 3.5. Indeed, those I played with where clearly excited by the new options and mechanics. I enjoyed playing the game for its own sake, just not as much as I enjoyed previous editions. 4E just didn't give me what I am looking for in D+D in particular, and RPGs in general. It's too Hong Kong style cinematic and super heroic for my taste. The scales seem to be weighted heavily in the PCs favor. I had trouble with suspension of disbelief. I prefer a more gritty and realistic edge to my game. I like that you have to be lucky and clever to survive at low levels. I like to feel challenged and threatened by my foes. I love Paizo's products and Golarion. If Paizo goes 4E, I'm not sure what I will do. I suppose it will depend on the balance of crunch versus fluff. I get ideas from both though and sincerely hope that Paizo continues with 3.5.
Paizo is waiting to see what its customers are going to do. Customers are waiting to see if Paizo converts... Two men are in a dark room. Each has a flashlight and a pistol..
I want to continue with 3.5. While the system has its warts, I still feel like there is a lot I can do with it. Converting to 3.0 for me was as about new possibilities and tiring of more than a decade of 2nd Edition. I'm not tired of 3.5's possibilities yet. I'm very particular about how I spend my hobby dollars. I generally haven't been impressed with WOTC's recent materials. On the other hand, I've been very pleased with work from third party publishers. I loved picking up Dragon and Dungeon every month. I started reading them again after a long hiatus, beginning around the time of the Age of Worms. I am very impressed with the quality and creativity of the Game Mastery modules and Pathfinder. There is also a wealth of free stuff available on the net. I'm concerned about what I've heard so far about 4.0's mechanics. It may be too early to judge, but it sounds like their going past simplification and dumbing down the game. I also don't like them redefining the rules and history of their multiverse. That's about marketing to - easier to bring in new customers if they don't have to know all that back-story. Marvel and DC do the same thing. I'm not against a new edition in and of itself. I like the idea of cleaning up the rules and adding new bits every so often, but it seems too soon to me. I'd rather see more incremental changes like the ones from 3.0 to 3.5 as opposed to a radical revamp. I'm not interested in WOTC's proposed electronic products. To me D+D is a pen and paper game. Nor am I interested in monthly user fees for something I cannot physically hold. Online content is good (I love Paizo's PDFs), but making that a significant part of the game is bad. I'm also reluctant to learn a radically new system. My free time is at a premium and I feel pretty good up DMing with 3.5. It took me a while to get to that comfort zone (and a few TPKs). All that being said, I'll keep an open mind and at least check out the new books. My ultimate decision will probably be based on what Paizo and other third party publishers decide to do. Not much fun reading a Pathfinder adventures if I don't understand the rules mechanics. I don't really know how much market share WOTC really has. My fantasy is that Paizo, Green Ronin, Goodman, etc. form a consortium of 3.5 publishers. Fan boyz wake up and stop buying everything that has the WOTC label. 4E becomes the new New Coke and Paizo reaps the benefits. Probably not a likely scenario, but I can dream. Sorry for the long rant Eric, but you hit me where it hurts.
So the kids are back in school and being a teacher that means things have gotten rather hectic. I finally sat down to read the final Dragon (sigh) when I see my name in the letters column. Quite a surprise given that I had not written in to Scale Mail. I am very pleased and excited to be on of the winners of the GameMastery Giveaway contest. My wife nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the "YAH!!!" from the back porch. I cannot wait to recieve the bag of swag. Thank you very much. BTW - I also had time to check out Pathfinder. Very nice...I'm definitely using the "Monster in the Closet" scene. Keep on rockin' with your bad selves boyz!!
I've been a lurker for some time now and have finally been compelled to post. I am not concerned about the future generation embracing our hobby. I have been a high school teacher for some time now. I've had kids enthusiastically describe their Maunty Haul campaigns fighting devil lords and demon princes, others who brought in characters to show me, and have been asked several times to sponsor a gaming club. I even had a teaching assistant give me a weekly report on her Star Wars campaign for a year. They are the same kind of kids I started playing with when I was *ahem* that age. They are intelligent and in some respects more sophisticated and mature than many of their peers. They gravitate toward intense, high-time investment hobbies like D+D, theatre, dance, auto-tech, and art. They are very independent, tending to avoid mainstream trends and doing what works for them (it's a tough kinda person to be in high school, but will serve them well once they escape). While online gaming and video gaming are huge, if anything, I think they draw more mainstream types into our hobby. |