Bruce Bogtrotter's page

Ah, yes, the SIaC. Always a point of contention, as in essence, most magical items are a SIaC. I have little to criticize or ask for clarification on here, just that it's always..well..going to be a point of contention. Just as the argument can be made that there are several items that somehow *transcend* the SIaC trap, the counter argument can also be made that said item is *just* a SIaC.

+1.

The contest rules seem clear cut, but the actually selection process seems rather arbitrary. Which is probably to be expected, because judging a person's creative writing has got to be difficult - I'm thinking of my writing professor in college:).

Disclaimer: I also have no desire to criticize the professionals that decide what is legal and what is not in this contest. Please do not mis-read my post as a thinly disguised attempt to do just that - it is not.

I have recently purchased the Pathfinder core and Bestiary programs and I have been very pleased.

As far as I can see, it is accurate. I only use custom material - no printed adventures or anything like that...so this cuts down on prep time.

It probably has cut my prep time in HALF getting ready for game night.

Yes...it's that good.

I would recommend it...a 7 or 8 out of 10

DISCLAIMER: I have only been using it for a week.

Bruce Bogtrotter wrote:

Hello,

I recently ordered and received a copy of the above mentioned product. I discovered afterwards, that I have some damage to the binding and the page layout inside. It seems that some pages were not cut and binded right. I actually really do not know how to explain it in publisher lingo.

I know that I'm probably gonna get wrapped in the moth for this... but can I get it exchanged? I do not want my money back, just a better copy:)

Oh, and did I forget to say please?

Bruce

Sorry you got a bad copy!

I'll be emailing the address associated with your account with instructions for exchanging the book.

thanks
sara marie

Got it! Thank you!

Hello,

I recently ordered and received a copy of the above mentioned product. I discovered afterwards, that I have some damage to the binding and the page layout inside. It seems that some pages were not cut and binded right. I actually really do not know how to explain it in publisher lingo.

I know that I'm probably gonna get wrapped in the moth for this... but can I get it exchanged? I do not want my money back, just a better copy:)

Oh, and did I forget to say please?

Bruce

My experience is that the modules will render 50% of most characters KIA/MIA. Now this is only my experience, and we use 25 point buy systems. However, we DO NOT have Ye Old Magic Shops around for 1-3rd level characters to stock up in. Well we do not have them for anyone actually...

We are starting a "Pathfinder/Spelljammer" campaign starting at 2nd level with a 25 point buy. Seems to be where all of my players are happy...and if the players are happy, the DM usual is:)

Our group ignores this guideline completely. We just have never felt the need to enforce the notion that every person must be equal in wealth.

Honestly, it has never come up in the game; other than when someone is complaining about not getting something in the treasure pile.

We need to expand the death penalty. More executions would be good. Don't worry about the innocent ones, because no one is innocent.

As far as eating your dog, or a dolphin, or a chimp, or even the person sitting next to you in that smashed fuselage - I say eat up! Meat is what's for dinner!

Bruce Bogtrotter wrote:

Yes. This. You are not alone in that assessment.

I'll say it again... while 3.5's mook classes got a lot stronger in PF, the high end classes (e.g., the only ones still played by players experienced enough with the system to know better) of 3.5 are anything but in PF.

Overall, PF characters made by people that I play with are weaker than 3.5 characters made by the same players. YMMV.

Yes, I heard.

However, I was ignoring you:)

No go away...or I shall taunt you another time!

Regards,

Bruce

When I wax nostalgic, I tend to go further back than 3.5, to the hoary days of AD&D or 2nd Edition. That said, I think overall PF is an improvement and natural evolution of 3.5, and strongly approve of most changes.

My only caution is of a general nature. PF did continue what I see as a continuing power creep throughout the entire evolution of the game. PCs have gradually, and sometimes not so gradually, become more powerful with each new edition, necessitating an increase in the power of their opponents to provide the same level of challenge. It has reached the point where many posters here credibly describe the upper levels of PF as more of a superheroes game than a classic heroic fantasy game. I'm fine with this, but I wouldn't want to see the power inflation continue forever. If anything, I would be more interested in a power down. I'm probably swimming against the tide here, as I'm sure the reason the inflation occurs is the heavy demand for more powerful/cooler characters from players, and the fact they snap up products that will make their characters more powerful. I don't think I'm alone in wanting to stop at some point before 1st level characters are able to one-shot Thor.

Yes. This. You are not alone in that assessment.

Epic level play is certainly missing. Maybe some of you do not want these options, I understand. I know that it is more difficult to play epic levels, and I know that 1st level modules are sooo fun, and I know that it is harder for the poor DM run these higher level modules and all of that...

If anything, some of us could use them. Heck, some of us feel that the stated level of the modules are rather overrated anyhow - probably 25% higher. A level 10 module probably could only challenge a party of 7th or 8th level anyhow. So epic level modules would really only be used against characters between 15-20th level.

Now I know that the almighty dollar comes into the equation. So if it doesn't make enough money for the publisher, then it is not going to happen, right?

I know that in todays business world profit must come before everything else, I understand that. I guess I am just left desiring a little more than the same old stuff packaged a different way for today.

And of course, let me put my legal disclaimer in: I am in no way disparaging the corporations owners, employees, publisher, products, logos, business models, fans, or acquaintances - I am just offering an opinion that has no value.

We roll all dice out in the open. We all usually know what a successful roll is (but not always). We let the dice fall where they may. My experience has led me to conclude that player's can usually figure out when you loose your nerve behind the screen.

We want to earn our victories. We want it to be "close" when the dice say it will be. We also want fate to speak out when it must!

We do not want the playing field leveled, because we believe that there is nothing worse than someone handicapping our fun:)

Regards,

Bruce

I do. I love it. I love autorejecting submissions. I can't speak for the other judges but I love it.

How can I respond to this without getting censored... This sounds very high-handed and arrogant. I seems that you think very highly of yerself. Very well, and applause for you from all around I'm sure... but, is this really encouraging people to participate?

Well one thing is for sure, YOU have definitely (pre) auto rejected my submission, because I have NO desire to participate with a company (or people) that behave in this way.

So have a big laugh on me. Good day to you sir!

Meat is murder. Tasty, tasty murder...

In answer to the original questions:

1. The Free Confederation of States

2. Personal rights; and the right of the individual state.

3. Remind them of the alternative - i.e. socialism and the loss of personal rights and liberties.

4. Hades no! (and please bite yer tongue!)

5. No. I would be as brutal as any dictator, of course.

I have been a TOS+ user since 2006, and I must say that it has been the single most important tool to me as a DM. I can create characters and NPCs in record time with no (well, very little)chance at messing up the math!

I actually at first had Excel access from work, but then I ended up buying it for myself - JUST so I could run TOS+ - that is how good this is!

TOS+ is well worth the small cost to subscribe yearly, and it is certainly worth the cost of buying Excel.

I like the work that you have done. Good job. Thank you for the offer to use this - I will!

I like the basic mechanism you're using. I don't like that you haven't tied it back very tightly to the skill structure of the game.

Thank you for NOT following the tired, old system that everyone must be equal and no one class or choice could possibly be better. I am so sick and tired of the notion from game designers that every choice of class, race, etcetera MUST be equal, so all of the little kids self-esteem will be okay...

Thank you again.

Beyond that, I actually hope that the core rules portion of Pathfinder stops. I don't want Pathfinder to suffer the same bloat that has plagued every edition of Dungeons and Dragons.

I agree. Three core books is quite enough, thank you.

This thread has become very painful...except for the very last part.

Just remember...cake.

I love chocolate cake.

Greetings fellow gamers. I am a DM in search of a group of 4-6 players to get a Pathfinder group going. We will be playing D&D 3.75 using the Pathfinder rules, but probably not the Pathfinder world setting. Campaign will be starting at 1st level. Looking for mature gamers only (age does not matter, maturity level does). I am seeking players that want to ROLE-PLAY, rather than ROLL-PLAY, if you get my point:)We will be rolling dice, of course, but I like to develop characters and story plots - rather than over and over killing the monsters to take their treasure to repeat over and over. E-mail me at cmarshall20@tampabay.rr.com if interested.

I will not have any part of 4th Edition, because I, also, have stopped trusting WotC. They told us 1st Edition was broken and that they were going to "fix" it for us with 2nd Edition - even though we didn't even have a problems with what we had. Then they told us they were once again "fixing" the problem for us, and presented 3rd Edition. Then 3.5. Now 4th? What about the broken promises all along of a fix? Obviously we have been lied to - no? Doesn't the introduction of 3rd Edition negate the promise made by 2nd Edition. What about 3.5? What about 4.0? What about 4.5? Whatever!

I don't know about anybody else, but I could still play 1st Edition and have few problems that I couldn't "fix" by myself. I never upgraded to 2nd Edition or third. 3.5 got me somewhat, and I liked a lot of it, and discarded the parts that I don't.

From what I can see, they are "dumbing it down" for the ever- decreasing ability for the common person to really work for something. They have to constantly "reward" players and offer less restictive rules, so that the lazy person can have it all. Hench the explosion of "player" books that trashed any boundary there ever was between the basic four classes.

I feel like the person who was slowly strung along at the local automotive repair shop trying to "fix" their car. First they tell you that you need a tune-up. After you've paid for the tune-up your car breaks down again and you're told that you need some other part. The repairman keeps recommending more repairs everytime they look at your car, because this is how they stay in business. How sad!