As has been pointed out - an assisted grapple is entirely feasibly represented by my undead simply dogpiling and grappling.

Rules-lawyer arguements about 'you can't give a mindless undead a command to grapple' is anally retentive and assumes that simple is 'one-word', which, of course, is not supported by the rules anywhere....

Quote from Animate Dead spell;

"The undead can be made to follow you, or they can be made to remain in an area and attack any creature (or just a specific kind of creature)".

It does not say 'simple attack'.

Quote from Skeleton entry in Bestiary I

"While most skeletons are mindless automatons, they still possess an evil cunning imparted to them by their animating force—a cunning that allows them to wield weapons and wear armor."

.... and of course they have a CMB of +2, which they would not have were they not capable of grappling....

So - they can attack targets as directed, have an evil cunning and can grapple.

So enough with the 'they can't assist in a grapple' nonesense....

What would I like to see fixed with Pathfinder?

All the people who play it that cannot see past the rules they can/cannot exploit. I would change them into roleplayers - not roll-players.

These forums are full of players who want to min-max until the rules break from stress, and GM's who don't have a backbone sufficient to the job of supporting the movement in their lower jaw as they say 'NO' to their munchkin players.

As a GM - if you find a player exploiting and not roleplaying then don't give them XP - they aren't roleplaying and don't deserve any.

If you have a GM who cannot say no to you regardless of the outrageousness of what you ask for - then show some integrity and don't ask.

The Pathfinder rules are just FINE if people do not take the piss. A decent GM of any stripe can run an entire campaign without having to refer to these forums for a solution even once - most of the queries and suggestions here are no-brainers considering that a campaign is run by the GM and therefore subject to his/her decisions on balance et al.

If the phrases 'optimised build' and 'monty haul' are what you like to hear - stay away from any game run by anyone I know.... you will get nowhere!

****The Scarred Lands setting!!****

It is out of print and since begining my 'd20 life epic' when I picked up the first edition of D&D (after putting down my Chainmail rules), I have never enjoyed a gameworld so much.

Buy the rights, convert the crunch and spellcheck the fluff....

.... sorry to say it Paizo - but Golarion is unoriginal and flavourless gruel compared to Scarred Lands....

Swarm effectiveness depends on situation and target, but if you catch a melee character with spider swarm then slow them it is FANTASTIC.

Caliburn101 wrote:

The best way to control magic item availability is to take a realistic view of 'average campaign' demographics.

If you look at the following;

1. Population of a town/city/area
2. % of population of classes capable of casting spells
3. Level range of spellcasters
4. % of those who would take the Craft feats
5. % of those who would 'set up shop'

Once you have done this you find the availability of magical items 'off the rack' is FAR smaller than advertised in the rules - even in a magic-rich game.

Additionally, the availability would be further be reduced as 'pre-ordering' and monopolisation of services by the local nobility etc. would mean less was available.

Yes - this may be too anal an exercise to go through, but once you have done it it becomes clear why making things yourself or plundering dungeons etc. is a quicker route to becoming a Christmas Tree.

Actually it's completely inaccurate too (especially since it ignores the recommended standards of the CRB):

Especially steps 4 and 5 since anyone can take crafting -- and you forget that crafted magical items tend to last a nigh infinite amount of time.

Considering that 66% of classes including NPC classes can cast spells, and the Paizo given average level ranges from 2~9 easily with 'mover and shakers' going from 9~12 and the really 'high profile' going all the way up to 16th level.

Just counting the mover and shakers and lower you have plenty of room for magical items to be made.

66% of PC classes, 20% of NPC classes maybe - NOT 66% of the population!

A massive percentage of the population will be commoners unless your world is DAMN strange.

Also your level ranges are wrong too - by far the largest % of the population should be level 1-3.

Your arguement is entirely flawed I think.

As for the comment that 'everyone can take crafting'. Well - interesting logic here. I guess in your gameworld all the agrarian peasantry have one craft feat and the one which allows crafting magical items without spellcasting ability.

I am sure the nobility are happy for them to waive learning things like 'skill focus farming' or other things clearly useless to a 'magicmart' world.

Also if EVERYONE can make magical items (presumably mainly food creating items due to the poor output of farmers....) the prices would be in the toilet - unless of course 'magicmart' world also ignores even the basics of economics and trade.

Just because something is in a rulebook - does NOT mean a GM should switch their brain off and not consider how it fits into a campaign, nor does it give 'carte blanche' to players to demand their cake, icing and cherry on top whenever they put their hands out.

A lot of the debates on these forums boil down to 'it's in the rules but it's a problem for my camopaign/I should have it when I want - what do I do' threads.

GM'ing skills and roleplay (not rollplay) looks frequently like dying arts in d20.

Caliburn--

My apologies if I have offended you unnecessarily. My post, 2 posts above yours, was not a response to anything you've said, and if my other posts came off as attacks-- again, sorry 'bout that-- I should know better than to post when I'm pissed off, but sometimes I do it anyway; and sometimes I'm guilty of snapping at other posters as well when I'm really irritated with a different person. That being said-- this is the internet. Anyone can say anything... so sometimes, I do want to know a little more about someone's background when considering what they have to say-- your statement above is sufficient to satisfy my curiousity on that score, however. My apologies also for doubting your experience before.

I am still a little surprised that the British military put a longbow up against a 9 mm for armor penetration tests, but I'll take your word on it-- how did the 9mm fare against plate armor though? You stated how the longbow did, but not the results from the pistol, and I admit-- I want to know.

The 'British Military' didn't - but an enthusiast (a Sergeant Major friend of mine who was a member of the Sealed Knot re-ennactment group) and the range officer set the demo up.

One of the first things they do with new recruits is take them to the range to familiarise them with what guns actually do - not what Hollywood shows them doing. Metal jacketted assault rounds are FAR better than portrayed and soft rounds (and pistols ) are far LESS capable. For instance the Sterling submachine gun (which fires 9mm parabellum) can be stopped by a folded woolen blanket soaked in water at 100 meters. I kid you not....

The Browning did not penetrate the kevlar (as one would have expected), but the bodkin from the longbow went through it like it wasn't there frankly. The heavy breastplate deflected the browning (leaving an admittedly massive dent) but once again the bodkin went through. We even drafted a joke letter to the SAS recommending they be resupplied with a new 'carbine' version of the longbow....

For those who still think Bane is authoritative - well - enough said about their 'academic rigour'. As for claims that a 'high' draw weight bow could not be shot straight - I am speechless. The only significant functional difference between launching a straight shot and a volley shot is angle of release. Firing a bow angled up REDUCES pull strength, it

On your second point - I had a chat with someone far more knowledgeable than me and was assured that with modern bows the relatively low pull weights you are correct here. The issue comes when dealing with what it now thought about the extreme longbow poundages which were actually used. The bowmen did indeed bend over backwards to volley fire, but apparently the strain at this angle meant less draw. This however is received wisdom and based on educated assumptions about the nature of shoulder blade (scapula) damage on archer skeletons (the non-undead variety of course...)

In any case - my thanks for the reasoned rejoiner Finn.

Ultimate Realities

Two main sections;

Swords and Sorcery
* Gritty Fantasy World Building Guidelines
* Sorcerer, Shaman and Priest - Caster Archetypes in a World of Low Magic, Hypnotism and Spirit-Possession
* Warriors and Reavers - Martial & Skill Archetypes where the bared blade speaks
* The Skilled shall inherit the Earth - Expanded Skills rules in a world with few magical enhancements
* Craft is King - Where Enchantment is weak, Artisans Rule
* The Bazaar - equipment of the era and guidelines on caravans, barbarian raiders and exotic goods

Dungeons and Dragoons
* Flintlock-era Fantasy genre
* Witches, Alchemists and Magi - Caster Archetypes in the age of Black Powder
* Soldiers and Pirates - Martial & Skill Archetypes and the world of duelling, volleyfire and derring-do
* Artisans of the Rennaisance - Expanded Skills rules mixing the mathematical, alchemical and masonic
* The League of Merchants - equipment of the era and guidelines on early mercantilism
* Land Ahoy - from voyages of discovery in unknown seas to the 'silk road' - adventure ideas

Yay Caliburn :)

Not only are they luxuries, but they are also somewhat akin to buying high end weaponry... kind of attracts the wrong kind of attention when you set up a dealership. Local medieval ATF will be camping out in your lobby.

I am particularly keen on the attention of rogues, jealous nobles, pissed off churches, worried rules etc. etc. trying to reduce their stress levels by either forceably buying, stealing or killing to get powerful items from PC's.

Not only that - I have local authorities put reasonable restrictions on such things - warranting taxes, registration, bans (no fireball wands in 'Cedarwood City' limits....) and other perfectly sensible controls - like nobles not allowing any scrying items on their estates, or embassies confiscating Charm or +Cha based items.

The default is to allow the PC's free-reign with, in some cases, what amounts to WMD's in important and/or vulnerable places.

IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN!!!!

The best way to deal with Magic Item purchases is to treat them as what they are - LUXURIES. The vast majority of ordinary people in the world cannot afford them after all....

Essentially therefore, a Magic Item 'retail outlet' would be functionally similar to a Ferrari Dealer or a Millionaires Consierge Service.

That is to say - whilst they may have a few 'models' on display, they would only set up shop in a Metropolis, take orders for a purchasers requirements (by reputation and/or money-up-front) and THEN either manufacture, source the item from a current owner or pay for a retained adventuring team to go and get it from a known-off location....

A 'Second Hand' or 'Adventurers Guild' Magic Item market would sit below this - for consumables and items of the ~4000gp level and below. Many of these would represent low-mid level adventurer party sales of unwanted loot, demographically feasible market-led production, or perhaps an auction market drawing on noble house, temple or wizards guild sales or clearances.

The other way for the adventurers to 'get what they want' is for them to get off their lazy asses and research where such things may be found as treasure; do favours for the right power-players or organisations; or indeed, make them themselves.

There is a VERY bad body of opinion - grown up in rpgs in the last 15 years that thinks it is the role of the GM to simply furnish everything to those who ask.

This is game-ruining crap, and should be discouraged in my opinion. Making players work for their kit rather than simply putting their hands out to the local generic vendor when they have the cash is FAR better for a campaign and for roleplay within it.

Advice from an OLD GM

OK - some modus operandi that work for me.

Cultures: - Flesh these out with plenty of flavour and specific idiosyncracies. Make a list of male and female cultural names and list the noble houses , arcons, warlords, senators or whatever. List the cities and towns (under a decent naming convention for the same culture) and list no more than 5-6 names for caravanserais, pubs, inns or hostels. List 10 or so sketched NPC vendors and contacts.

It is likely you have enough material to use in ten games with the flexibility to seemlessly name-drop if the PC's go unexpectedly 'off piste' in the adventure.

Plots: - make a spider diagram of the main players and bulletpoint their motivations, favourite methods, goals and connections to each other. A flexible plotline can almost write itself as you go once you have done this - it is far easier to understand that when thread C of your resulting 'plot web' is pulled by action A by the party - what the connected 'movers and shakers' may do in reaction to it.

This allows a non-linear progression through a plotline which truly reacts to player actions (who love the fact their actions actually CHANGE things) with the only other parameter you need to feed in being timeframe.

It does require a list of assets for each mover and shaker (assassins, thugs, troops, scrying ability, political pressure groups, bound outsiders, magical items etc.), but these can be one-line entries with a rulebook page number in many cases.

Locations - dungeons, ruins, castles, sewers etc. are places for plot elements to be in - they should never be 'encounter 4' in a linear progression. Allow the party to cascade through the plot web and get there when they get there.

It is MUCH more fun for the GM seeing how the whole mess works out when you didn't write out the chronology in advance - trust me - the extra work is worth it - both for you, and the players who realise what they do matters and their fates are in their hands!

Wall of Text Warning - but do read on for a take on a low(er) fantasy campaign.

1st LEVEL CHARACTER GENERATION
At 1st level the PC’s choose both a secondary character class (Commoner, Aristocrat, Expert or Warrior) and a standard character class. The stat-blocks of both classes are ‘overlaid’ and the best of either is taken for the 1st level stats of the character. Some permissible secondary character class backgrounds (Aristocrat, Expert, Warrior) may require at least 1 pre-qualifying Trait to be taken, the Commoner secondary class being the only exception.

Starting characters gain 1 free Trait, and may use their 1st level generic FEAT to gain 2 additional Traits instead if they choose. Commoner characters gain 2 free Traits to represent their unusual heroic starting potential.

CAMPAIGN PC/NPC LEVEL DEMOGRAPHICS
Levels 1-2 (~30% of demographic; just under 1 in 3 people)
These are the apprentices, neophytes and uninspired peasants et al in the general population. This level range is for the young and inexperienced adventurer, or the run-of-the-mill commoner.

Levels 3-4 (~66% of demographic; just under 2 in 3 people)
Trained, competent and/or sufficiently experienced, it is within this range that a person has solidly established their place in the world. Not many people move beyond this level, as they do not lead lives which challenge them sufficiently to do so.

Levels 5-6 (3.95% of demographic; just under 1 in 25 people)
Mature journeymen, the supremely well-trained and/or widely experienced are in this range. Generally well regarded and sought out for their abilities, people in this range command good prices for their services and find as much work through personal recommendation as self-promotion. Adventurers of this level are relied upon to tackle dangerous challenges.

Levels 7-9 (~0.045% of demographic; around 1 in 2,500 people)
Hardened veterans or those immersed for a lifetime in their craft or profession, this level range is for those who, for the vast majority of normal people, have reached the fullest extent of their abilities, or for the more heroic – those who have accomplished deeds worthy of widespread and significant recognition, and who are expected to succeed against the odds.

Levels 10-12 (0.004% of demographic; 1 in 25,000 people)
Exceptional masters of their professions recognised far and wide, or renowned heroes whose deeds live on in songs the Bards sing. This level is nearly always the shining pinnacle of a persons’ career even if they started life gifted. Potentates will offer rich rewards to secure their services.

Levels 13-16 (0.0009% of demographic; less than 1 in 100,000 people)
Famous heroes whose deeds are immortalised in song, tapestries, statues and folktales. They are frequently on a first-name basis with Powerful Monarchs, Kingmaking Cardinals, Arch Magi or Elder Dragons alike.

Levels 17+ (0.0001% of demographic; 1 in 1,000,000 people)
These are the rare legends whose sagas will live a thousand years or more. The world shakes where they tread and the greatest powers of the world take pause at the mention of their names.

CHARACTER ADVANCEMENT, WEALTH AND LOW FANTASY GENRE
• Treasure rewards from adventures reflect NPC wealth advancement levels - new characters above 1st level beginning with NPC basic wealth as starting money and rewards being roughly balanced against this progression
• Character advancement uses the Slow track and easy-average CR encounters give no XP
• Bonus XP is given for good role-play based on a 0-10% of current level XP band per session

HERO POINTS
CR’s in the game are based primarily on Campaign Demographics and NOT typically on CR balanced ‘adventure paths’. In-game clues/hints/guidance help to steer PC’s in the direction of manageable challenges, but these will not be ‘designed in’ or ‘spoon-fed’ to PC’s.

To this end, Hero Points are adopted for the campaign but players are STRONGLY advised to save these for the ‘Cheating Death’, or ‘Special’ functions they can facilitate (as written), aimed at surviving encounters with threats they cannot handle.

CHARACTER ALIGNMENT
Characters or entities who have not made a particularly focussed stand somewhere within the polarised ethos of the game world do not ‘transmit’ their alignment.

In effect, detect spells, powers and similar abilities to determine or effect alignment get no reading or do not work on those who are not Undead, Outsiders, or Paladin/Cleric type classes.

Changes in alignment forced by strong good/evil/law/chaos actions or the use of aligned powers can flag the character responsible as aligned unless there are mitigating circumstances, relevant remorse/regret or GM-determined cultural, racial or religious factors to counterbalance this.

OTHER IMPORTANT BALANCING ISSUES

1. Scrolls and Potions fully available.
2. Crafting extends to 'Grandmaster Crafted' (another +1 damage or +hit) with steel, and a further +1 to hit for mithril or +1 damage for for adamantine - which now require Grandmaster crafting to create.
3. Spellcasting classes limited to those which max out at 6th level spells or less.
4. Drop all DR/magic in the game to 20% of the numerical value and change to DR/-.
5. Drop all +skill bonus magic and items from the game.
6. Allow Alchemists to make Talismans and Amulets which give a limited range of Save Bonuses (+1 to +2) vs magic and at a high level of skill, levels of SR.
7. Increase the number of 'inherent' magic 'items' in the game like the Nighthags stone. Make their bonuses situational - or limited in effect -a Lamias Hide cloak which gives +2 vs Charm effects; a Stone Giants Gall Stone which gives Resistance 5 against Acid damage; or a Hellhounds Tooth which when worked into a sword allows it to do do +2 fire damage. Alchemy and a Knowledge (Innate Magic) skill can be prerequisites as can weapon crafting.

The simplest way for a competent GM to control the unfortunate habit of d20 systems to balance around expected values with high numbers, high randomisation and high min-max build potential is to use CR as a GUIDELINE and not be a slave to it.

Most second generation+ rpg's require that the GM/Storyteller/Keeper et al do this as a matter of course.

I find many of the number crunching exercises in these forums in complete denial of this - being sterile and pointless speculations with far too many assumptions thrown in.

For instance - WHY is there an assumption that the fighter has access to precisely the defensive kit he wants, when he wants it? In any campaign with a storyline and even a nod at roleplaying would not have racks of kit available at every turn to allow such kit optimisation. Nor indeed would it have hundreds of Cha 7 fighters running around.

It would be like a ridiculous cartoon.

Such a shame the system allows for such min/max behaviour as a matter accepted fact.

Good house rules should curb this to a reasonable degree and a good GM use the CR as guidance - not a hard and fast ruleset.

Yes - this is a prallel issue to the debate, but one which should see the light more often. The rules and the threat level balancing therein are not set in reinforced concrete.

We could all benefit from not treating them as such and endlessly debating the minute details.

Imagination and creativity should trump rules loopholes, min/maxing and power-gaming every time WITHOUT interfering with themed characters (such as a very high AC fighter).

What is possible should not always equal what is readily available. If players complain about that they are not concerned so much with roleplay as gaming dominance, and who wants players like that eh?

Please feel free to add your own - but here is one of mine.... (more later)

FALLING DAMAGE: FAR too simplistic and unrealistic even for d20 in current format.

An object falling toward the surface of the Earth will fall approx 30ft per second faster until an uncontrolled terminal velocity (around 240ft/sec) is reached.

Falls are by definition uncontrolled without free-fall skills and a baggy suit so....

So if we agree that 1d6 is fine for the FIRST 10 feet of falling (lets take the real-world figures and round off....) then the following progression should be for falling damage based on realistic falling speed with the virtue of keeping traps based on falling in the usual range of damage up to 30ft and the long falls which should not be survivable without a miracle allowing precisely that!

10ft - 1d6
20ft - 2d6
30ft - 3d6
40ft - 5d6
50ft - 7d6
60ft - 9d6
70ft - 12d6
80ft - 15d6
90ft - 18d6
100ft - 22d6
110ft - 26d6
120ft - 30d6
130ft - 35d6
140ft - 40d6
150ft - 45d6
160ft - 51d6
170ft - 57d6
180ft - 62d6
190ft - 70d6
200ft - 77d6
210ft - 84d6
220ft - 92d6
230ft - 100d6
240ft - 108d6
**Terminal Velocity reached**

Mitigators include Size (minus 10ft from a fall per Size Category above Medium) and softness of surface (-10ft for heavy vegetation, -10ft for sand or hard snow, -30ft for soft snow, -60ft for water are ones I use). Note that with water a swim check of increasing difficulty allows a 'dive' which further 'reduces' falling distance to water in terms of damage.

62. This one is a campaign changer designed to mix it up....

A black flying citadel appears over the capitol of the most powerful nation in your established game-world. It immediately starts vomitting out aberrations which carry crystals which can warp mortal races into humanoid aberrations - by driving the crystals into their foreheads. This 'Aberrant Scourge' spreads - and as it establishes 'aberrant sorcerers'and 'invulnerable rager barbarians' start appearing - both with the tentacles and warped flesh trope explanations for their abilities. Seemingly unstoppable, the various factions of the world have to join forces or die fighting them.

Think Skyline but there is a chance to fight back and no starships....

You are playing a character with a high Int and HALF of the alignment the Pally has.

So act intelligently.

Over-emphasise the honourable, lawful and 'keeps-his-word' part of the LE alignment. Tear into the forces of darkness with a vengeance when they threaten chaos or wanton destruction. You oppose such wasteful evil tropes anyway. Avoid taking actions which point to your dark little heart and always conduct your evil out of sight of the Paladin.

Wear bright colours and be friendly with everyone! You do NOT have to brood, cackle, threaten to enslave the world or do anything else 'typical' of your alignment. You can just harbour such delightful thoughts.

You can be the future Emperor Claudius - waiting for a future time to rise to greatness and dispose of your opponents - rationalising that association with the Paladin will give your character a certain 'cache' with the 'great and the good',taking advantage of his reflected glory and reputation and making everyone think you are 'harmless'.

It will make your eventual tyrannically evil plans all the easier to implement as you will be tied with great deeds of good, bright and shiny friends and everyone will find it hard to believe you could be associated with such terrible deeds.

Being a Pally's mate is a great way to obfuscate your rise to evil domination!

Play it that way - and tell the GM your rationalisation - so he realises the self-discipline you show when doing distasteful acts of 'good' is all a means to an end and he doesn't penalise your alignment choice because of 'uncharacteristic' behaviour.

Intelligent evil is sooooo much more fun.

On the mechanical side - get in touch with the local Cult of Asmodeus or something of that nature and explain your plans. Tell them you need their help and by walking behind the Paladin you will be able to ride on his coat-tails to wide acclaim - making you effectively a 'mole' within the forces of fluffiness....

.... they will be falling over themselves to hide your alignment for you!