Brother Fen's page

In the year of Aroden 4714. I periodically get disgusted with the trolls and gatekeepers, but I always come back to chat about the game I enjoy.

Yes! I'm glad Dead God's Hand hasn't been abandoned.

More Thassilonian secrets. I love it!

There are a few third party pdfs on Kaiju. Well worth picking up if you need more Kaiju in your gaming life!

Is there a link one can get to these wonderful conversions? Please and thank you.

Every year for Halloween, we work in a horror-themed one-shot in every campaign. I used a Freddy Krueger analogue for a few years in a row, as he kept surviving/escaping, naturally.

What I did was add a few templates to give him a boost to take on Pathfinder adventurers. I gave him the Nightmare Lord template as well as the Mythic Savage or Mythic Agile template. I forget which one it was but both work well depending on your party.

The party finally killed our Krueger by following the steps from ANOES III to lay him to rest. And then they encountered his creator, Dream of the Endless, who revealed the Nightmare Lord was one of his escaped Nightmares.

It's not a bug, it's a feature.

Monster Movie Matinee.

The Freddy Kreuger build needs a Nightmare Creature template or something similar to buff it up. It feels designed to kill commoners, which is essentially what Krueger did, rather than deal with trained professional warriors and wizards.

So in another thread a poster made a point about GMs that severely restrict or disallow the crafting of mundane or magic items, or restrict giving the PCs adequate resources or time between adventures to do so. Why?

If a player chooses to put ranks into a Craft skill, or a Profession skill like Baker or Woodcutter that might have some crossover into crafting, or they take an Item Creation feat, chances are they intend their PC to be making stuff. Some classes rely on these functions; a prepared full arcane caster might be under-resourced for spells to cast in a day without scrolls and what is the point of an Alchemist having Fast Alchemy and a portable alchemy kit if they are never allowed to use them?

So what reasons or justifications are we GM's using to prevent PCs from using these skills and abilities? More than that, why don't we WANT them making their own gear?

Mainly because there's always that ONE player that tries to push it too far. I haven't yet disallowed crafting, I just try to not let in players that give me too many red flags. For example, if we're gathering players for a Session Zero, and one player starts talking about how they're going to specialize in crafting and then take leadership so they have minions that can constantly craft while the PC is off adventuring, then you're heading for a whole heap of trouble.

These players often have their own game that they are trying to impose on the Gm and the rest of the players and it's usually best that they find a game conducive to their long term schemes, rather than one with an ongoing story and long term group-oriented goals.

I can see why GMs disallow it, and I try to not follow the same, but like I said, it is best to pay attention to warning signs when building your group.

You should have this conversation with your players. Sounds like you're burned out and could use some time away from the DM screen. Have you asked one of them to GM a one-shot for a couple months to give you a break? Play some Kingmaker or Wrath of the Righteous Crpg to get in your gaming without the headaches of live play for a while?

Evanfardreamer wrote:

I check back on this periodically, the Absalom book was my absolute favorite so far but Kingmaker 2e is narrowing the gap. Still hoping to see this sooner than later but I'll wait patiently, I know it'll be good :)

I’m sorry to say that you can stop checking. I don’t see this on the product schedule at all. It is on indefinite hold.

Bummer. Thanks for the update, at least.

In the process of prepping this to give my group another shot and running through it. Is there a specific place to look for an FAQ or Errata? I have run into a couple questions that I am having a hard time trying to figure out.

Legendary Games maintains a Discord channel. You can ask the creators questions directly there. I'm not sure if it's cool to link it here, but it's relatively easy to find.

Haha. Yeah, always expect your players to f up everything and go the opposite direction. Maybe they'll circle back at some point, so it won't be for nothing.

Today is a good day to... halp wrote:

Mosswater is also mentioned in the Thornkeep sourcebook- if I recall correctly, they're a bunch of Halfling ranchers living there? It's been a few years since I've read either.

Thornkeep Sourcebook? I missed that... Thank you!

Yes, the Thornkeep Sourcebook has more information on the area. Mind you, they are short blurbs or a page worth of information on the surrounding areas, but it is enough for creative GMs to fill in the blanks.

Tunnel to the Darklands? Ok. Grab that issue 82 of Dungeon magazine with that underworld adventure that you've always wanted to run and place it at the end of said tunnel.

It gives GMs the freedom to be creative.

Thank you, Lisa! Enjoy yourself!

Nice to see this coming to fruition. Thanks for the 1e supplement for those of us still going through our first edition shelf.

Conversely, as GM, you can allow them to use the language to make their own sigils and allow it to work. It's really up to you.

The players have to have the rune for the appropriate level in order to transport there. They identify it in the same way that one identifies any magic item using Spellcraft or Knowledge Arcana. They find the runes or symbols as they move throughout the tower.

I'm not sure how to answer your first question without it becoming one of those overly analyzed forum answers. It's just a rune that represents the level. One = 1. Six = 6. etc.

They activate it by touching the token to the spire and visualizing the rune representing the level they wish to transport to.

If you have a player that knows Azlanti, knowing a Rune is not the same as writing a number, so the answer is no.

Good luck!

Seems like a smart way to print money. I liked what I played of the Abomination Vaults. I'd like to dig deeper at some point.

I picked up the RPG Party Backstory Generator a year or so ago and have started using it during Session Zero to help build backstory links between the party, their settlements and each other. It has helped give us a few recurring characters.

For example, in my Rise of the Drow campaign, we have a running gag about a love triangle involving two party members and a local barmaid. She tends to pop up whenever they are back in town and causes hijinks for everyone.

Ultimately, it just depends on the player, how they like to play and whether or not the campaign gives them any sort of opportunity to return to their hometowns/homebase and interact.

If you've never run Mythic Adventures before, I'd recommend staying at Mythic Tier one for as long as possible. Once you add in Second Tier, the action economy becomes more disjointed with the addition of Amazing Initiative. It can take a lot of getting used to if you're unfamiliar with it.

I'd recommend using one mythic tier through level ten and then adding second tier abilities. I'd hold off on adding the third mythic tier until you reach the final adventure and a proper power up feels needed.

The book recommends one mythic tier for every two PC levels, but this adds up very quickly. Third tier and above becomes pretty disruptive and unless you're committed to constantly balancing it out.

The byproduct of making everything "middle of the road" appealing means it loses its appeal for those that are interested in something more. It feels like Paizo went from making adventures they wanted to make and were never allowed to, to now making adventures that they think some imaginary audience won't be offended to play rather than finding an audience that desires to play these adventures.

My one attempt at playing a second edition AP went down in flames because the younger players got bored and wanted to move on to something different - which is what these adventures feel like. Something that sounds different from the last, but feels familiar to the point of being completely uninteresting.

At the risk of generalizing, it seems that modern players seem more interested in their latest character build, leaving the "story" in which they are building their PC as secondary to whatever they have in their head. When the two don't meet, it's time to move on to the next one.

It was a confluence of zeitgeists. I kept hearing about Critical Role from the younger players in my game at the FLGS for years, but never watched it. Stranger Things all but made D&D a part of their narrative and it sparked interest in a lot of people that had never really thought about the game before. Now, the pandemic has forced people indoors and the availability of virtual table tops has made it easier to find a game and more accessible than ever before.

Since I'm here, I do need a little direction in one of my Pathfinder games. I'm running a campaign based in Arcadia which has very little lore offered about it so far. Do you mind offering a few suggestions for deities that might be interested in the peoples there, both with the best of intentions and those with the worst?

If that's too vague, then I'll rephrase slightly by asking which deities might want to see the Arcadians flourish and which might wish to seem them fall or be subjugated?

Thank you.

My follow up question is do you mind offering your choices for a few of the adventures that you've written or developed that you are most proud of, in terms of how they turned out, or the audience response to said adventure?

Thanks again.

Sending positive thoughts your way.

Hi, James! Just stopping in to offer support and thanks for all that you've done over the years for players and GMs that visit your thread looking for help.

I just started playing Wrath of the Righteous and since Mythic Adventures seemed to be poorly received on this forum, it will most likely be my only chance to play the adventure. It's great so far!

I always love hearing recommendations from writers whose work that I admire and one of my favorite issues of Dungeon was when you all released your list of the greatest adventures of all time.

My question is would you be so kind as to throw out a few of your favorite adventures that you've played in or run over the years?

Thanks in advance.

Halfway through book six of Return of the Runelords.

I'm converting classic adventures to Pathfinder to run in the RIFTS setting for one of my games. My standard fantasy game is currently Rise of the Drow with other adventures mixed in such as the Re-education of Coyotl from FGG.

I'll keep running and playing PF1 for as long as I can find decent players to play with. I'm becoming concerned that more and more players are more interested in goofy antics and rifftracking everything in a game rather than playing an actual adventure. It's making finding good players harder and harder.

Is Savage Worlds a different setting, different rules, or both? Same or different classes as Pathfinder?

Savage Worlds is the anti-D20 system as it doesn't use the d20. It basically just moves all of the same stats and abilities around in different ways, such as making dice your actual stats. Target numbers to hit are always four and you get penalties as needed. Dice coming up at max, such as 6 on a d6 or 4 on a d4 is considered exploding and gains another roll to add to the total.

It's elegant in some ways such as above and bizarrely complicated in others, such as using cards for initiative which is basically where it loses me.

The Kickstarter just launched for Icebound, a continuation of the Perilous Vistas series for Pathfinder 1st edition. Written by Tom Knauss and includes two adventures. Checkacheckacheckitout!

Icebound Kickstarter

Wu Xia swordsman.

Ya'll feeding the trolls again.

Argh, why could this content not also be in the Ultimate Spheres of Power book? It is a PITA to look things up in two different formats...

That's exactly what I said. The "Ultimate" book is anything but. Last Ks I ever back from DDS.

If you like Tian Xia have you seen the Jade Regent adventure path? It deals with the journey to Tian Xia. You might be able to mine some ideas from it.

Based on your OP, I'll answer my own question as "homebrewed" and "what's a Golarion?"

I recommend the excellent third installment of the Ironfang Invasion "Assault on Longshadow" wherein the PCs try to warn the nearby town of Longshadow of impending invasion. The entire adventure is very sandboxy in how it can be run and offers a variety of challenges and ways to approach them.

Here is the book.

Here is the GM thread where you can read and ask for advice.

Sysryke wrote:

You could probably modify several adventures to be "kid friendly" depending on how you define the term.

So would anyone be able to name some specific adventures that might be easy(ish) to modify? The party is currently 8th level.

What adventures have they played so far? Which part of Golarion are they based in? Or is this homebrewed?

The Runelords adventures are for long time players that like good gritty games. I wouldn't recommend them for kids. There are plenty of other starting points.

Conversely, nothing stops you from taking ideas from anywhere and tailoring it to suit your daughter's specific needs.

The book is probably 93% lore, 7% rules. It should be very useable by folks playing in either Pathfinder edition, or even any fantasy RPG for that matter.

It's currently in editing, and we're tagging up the maps because all of the locations are locked in and won't be changing.

We're still shooting for a November release, and will update everyone if that changes for any reason.

Glad to hear! Makes it easy to use for first edition folks! we've been hoping for expanded Absalom lore for quite some time.

If anyone can add to that some kid-friendly one-on-one adventures (one kid PC; one adult GM) then that would be great.

You can run almost any adventure one on one, but you have to decrease the CR by -2. Give your player an NPC (such as a healer Kira) to keep them company and you're all set.

Any of the We Be Goblins are very light-hearted in tone.

The perfect starting point for any players is The Crypt of the Everflame about a group of young adventurers setting out from Kassen to complete a yearly rite of passage only for things to take an unexpected turn.

Running this one on one would definitely require a healer NPC. As above, throw in a Kira and your ready!

Yay!

I have heard of "spheres of power", but what are "spheres of might"?

Spheres of Might contains the classes for the martial oriented classes. Then there is a third smaller supplement that meets in the middle combining magic and melee called "Champions of the Spheres."

It's all pretty good stuff. Power-wise, I always say it's on the barbarian end of the power scale. Mixes best with other spheres-based characters because they chop up Action Economy in many ways and regular classes might feel underpowered in comparison.

I grew up playing classic D&D modules that became rites of passage for groups. It was fun comparing stories on how each group made it through the Temple of Elemental Evil or died horribly in the Tomb of Horrors.

There are several Paizo adventures and modules that I think are worthy of classic status such as the Crypt of the Everflame and its sequels. For adventure paths, I'd put the three Runelords paths up there along with Iron Gods, Wrath of the Righteous, Kingmaker and Ironfang Invasion.

Of course, I haven't played or run everything yet, so there are plenty more I'll most likely want to add before it is all said and done and long before I move on to Second Edition.

Yeah, that "move" to Second Edition didn't quite happen. I tried to play Abomination Vaults, but I honestly hate the way second edition plays. Different strokes and all.

Favorite APs:

1. Iron Gods: I love the mix of Super-science and sorcery.
2. Strange Aeons: Has probably the best first installment of the entirety of the Pathfinder Adventure Paths, IMHO.
3. Any of the Runelords APs. I love the way they play into the lore of the Inner Sea. I'm in book six of "Return" at the moment and it has been a lot of fun - and a lot of heartache!
4. The Ironfang Invasion offers an alternative to the mass combat rules by making it more in the background. The war with the hobgoblins brings great urgency and the modules all felt fairly sandboxy in how the players could approach them.

Favorite Modules:

The Price of Immortality trilogy is the perfect starting point for a Nirmathas based campaign. POI= Crypt of the Everflame and its two sequels.

Kingmaker, I didn't care for too much. It was just too loose and sandboxy, to the extent that the driving narrative felt missing to me. Kingdom Building is a huge slog and is best handled away from the table and between sessions. That said, I do want to see the changes in the updated Kingmaker hardback.

The Spheres of Power/Might guys keep releasing supplements. There's been continued Akashic support. Legendary Games still releases PF1 pdfs from time to time and their recent AP collaboration with FGG was also for first edition. The Savage Company guys are still making everything for Pathfinder 1e and plan to release their own 1-20 AP in the coming year. So, if you know where to look, there is still plenty of new content coming out for PF1, just not from Paizo.

Purple Duck also released their own expansion to Pathfinder. A 3.85 edition perhaps? I haven't picked it up because the price of the book is pretty hefty, but I want to check it out some time.

Has anyone suggested Armiger from Spheres of Might yet? Much more dynamic version of a shield slinging build.

The print version is worth picking up as well. The monster designs are great.