Captain Andoran's page

Being a Technician in real life I found the Skill check mechanic very unrealistic in my Starfinder game. I created the "Project Skill Check" to create a more in-depth technical feel to common skill checks.

A "Project Skill Check" consists of 4 phases:
Diagnose
Access
Repair (Manipulate)
Complete

I apply this to nearly every technical skill use in my game, from Computers to Medicine checks. My experience with this method has been that skill checks are more challenging and feel more rewarding. As most technical challenges will take at least 4 combat round to complete (hopefully). And as GM I do my best to describe the challenges the PC faces at each phase which creates a deeper connection with the PCs chosen profession. And also has the protentional to create some truly memorable moments in the game.

Thoughts?

Out of curiosity, with no opinion of my own presently. What is the balance between classes looking like in PF2?

For instance: With two primarily high damage output classes, How does the Wizard scale with the Barbarian in damage output? Is it a fair balance?

Or

How does the Bard, Rogue & Investigator scale for utility and skill monkeying?

Thought?

So here is the situation. This is a Pathfinder-1e/D&D-3.5 game. I came into the game playing a dwarf bard who was awesome fun to play and likable. Then the person playing the 3.5 Healer quit because she got a new work schedule. We needed the Healer desperately. So I retired my bard and took over the Healer.

Well because of events that transpired in the game the Healer, Manika, became extremely enraptured with her god Ilmater. Inspiringly so. Manika was sweet, tender, caring, artistic and above all courageous and self sacrificing. (Oh yes, and a stunningly powerful healer pacifist)

Well we all, ended up trapped in the Darklands. Without Manika the party was doomed. (We were 4th lvl). And the campaign went on. The group rallying around Manika as their sole hope of survival. Their rock of faith and motherly safety. In such desperate straights the group began developing real feelings towards my character. The female Ranger saw her as a teacher. The Magus as a person who had his back no matter what. The swashbuckler as the one person that would always believe in her. But the rogue has truelly started to fall in love with Manika. Real love for this woman that has saved his life more times than he can count. Who has braved a Hezru Demon (at 4th lvl) to save him.

So now things are getting a bit awkward. I talked to one of female players to see if she would be interested in swapping characters, but she's not. So how do you all handle romance between characters? Mind you. Our group is very much into drama and deep RP. Also, we're all trapped in the dark with each other so there is no downtime to "fade to black". I have a feeling the the rogue very much wants to grab my character and kiss her and it's weird.

help...

So here is the situation. This is a Pathfinder-1e/D&D-3.5 game. I came into the game playing a dwarf bard who was awesome fun to play and likable. Then the person playing the 3.5 Healer quit because she got a new work schedule. We needed the Healer desperately. So I retired my bard and took over the Healer.

Well because of events that transpired in the game the Healer, Manika, became extremely enraptured with her god Ilmater. Inspiringly so. Manika was sweet, tender, caring, artistic and above all courageous and self sacrificing. (Oh yes, and a stunningly powerful healer pacifist)

Well we all, ended up trapped in the Darklands. Without Manika the party was doomed. (We were 4th lvl). And the campaign went on. The group rallying around Manika as their sole hope of survival. Their rock of faith and motherly safety. In such desperate straights the group began developing real feelings towards my character. The female Ranger saw her as a teacher. The Magus as a person who had his back no matter what. The swashbuckler as the one person that would always believe in her. But the rogue has truelly started to fall in love with Manika. Real love for this woman that has saved his life more times than he can count. Who has braved a Hezru Demon (at 4th lvl) to save him.

So now things are getting a bit awkward. I talked to one of female players to see if she would be interested in swapping characters, but she's not. So how do you all handle romance between characters? Mind you. Our group is very much into drama and deep RP. Also, we're all trapped in the dark with each other so there is no downtime to "fade to black". I have a feeling the the rogue very much wants to grab my character and kiss her and it's weird.

help...

I'm trying to figure out what forms this feat allows. It doesn't seem to alter the 1st level Druid's stats in any way. That comes later with Animal Form Feat. But there doesn't seem to be any limitation on size or duration of the Power.

"You are one with the wild, always changing and adapting to meet any challenge. You gain a pool of wild energy, called your wild shape pool, with 1 use that you can use to cast a spell to shift your form; if you have at least four wild order feats, increase your pool to 2 uses. You can spend a use of your wild shape pool to cast pest form. All spells
you cast using Wild Shape function as if heightened to the maximum spell level you can cast,
unless stated otherwise.
Special If you are a druid of the wild order, you instead gain a number of uses of Wild Shape equal to your Strength modifier (minimum 1), and an additional use if you have at
least four wild order feats". PF2 PT Core

Building a frontline control fighter using the Shield Brace feat and a Bill (polearm)

So far the build looks like this:
Human STR 17 DEX 16 CON 14 INT 10 WIS 10 CHR 8

1st lvl
Multiweapon Fighting
Shield Focus
Shield Brace

So he walks onto the field with a large steel shield and a Bill wielded in 1 hand braced against his shield (if you ever wondered what that little notch in the Shield is for, that's what it's for).

He takes the Shield ACP -2 to his attack roles with the polearm and he takes the two weapon fighting penalties if he decides to bash with his shield and attack with the Bill -2/-4

His backup weapon is a Scimitar And/Or Kukri

2nd lvl
Combat Reflexes

This his primary battlefield control element. He now has 4 attacks of op at reach.

3rd lvl
Improved Shield Bash

Armor Training I reduces his ACP by 1. He now only has a -1 to hit with the Bill.

4th lvl
Weapon Focus: Bill

Now he has no penalty with the Bill

5th lvl
Stand Still

Successful Op attacks stop movement

Weapon Training I: Polearms

Now he's +1 to hit with the Bill

6th lvl
Shield Slam

Pushing people back out to range for the Bill

7th lvl
Iron Will

A little sustain at this level now that spells are flying around a lot more.

Armor Training II. I'll skip the Advanced Training this time around because the reduced ACP also increases my attack. Bill attack is now +2

At this point the primary build is complete. I was thinking of adding Improved Critical to the Bill. Or going for Greater Two Weapon Fighting or Specialization with the Bill. I could also keep stacking Shield tree feats.
I'd like to improve damage output but I'm not sure what the best way to do that is.

Possibilities
8th lvl
Defended Movement

9th lvl
Vital Strike

10th lvl
Weapon Speclization: Bill

11th lvl
Shield Master

Any suggestions Would be appreciated.

Please get rid of this massively stupid rule! You're rollin in combat and BAM! A Nat20 is rolled and everyone is excited and happy. Then the excitement gets ruined by the confirm. Its just garbage.

We're running into some fun cultural quirks with Sheerin characters that I thought might be fun to talk about here. The Sheerin are extremely communal. So communal that they have a racial trait for it. How do you all think this plays out in game?

I play a Sheerin Mystic and in the Starfinder scenario we were in there was a Sheerin in a bar with two mean looking Vesk guards. I saw what the author was trying to do but didn't think they thought it through. Since My Sheerin and the NPC Sheerin were the only two Sheerin in the place it just seemed completely natural for my character to simply walk over and be NEAR the other Sheerin. No words needed to be said. I played it off as simply a natural inclination of the species.
Also, when drinks were ordered my Sheerin ordered a Bowl of what I ad-libbed as "Zil" (a drink Sheerin like) with five straws, one for each person at the table and 1 extra in case someone wanted to join. I saw this as mimicking the act of sharing resources in a matter of fact way.

How would you interpret Sheerin culture? Ideas? I'd love to hear them.

Hi

I want to change the faction symbol on my ID card but can't seem to find a way to do it. Is this even possible? Or am I stuck with Liberty's Edge?

I hate the spontaneous cast of "Summon Nature's Alley". It's just morally wrong to force animals that having nothing to do with you and your situation to fight and potentially die for you. Sure it works mechanically, but if a nature focused druid ever used this spell in my campaign without really good reason, I would slam her like a paladin that throws children at an charging dragon.

My question is:
Should I replace "Summon Nature's Alley" with another spontaneous cast spell?
Or just make "Wild Shape" available at lower level (6th lvl is way too long to wait in my opinion for such a core class ability)

Either I and my players are amazing or these scenarios are really really easy.

I admit I don't play PFS a whole lot. I started back again at a Sci Fi Convention recently were I played my 5th lvl Steel Falcon/Paladin. We were in a house defending a noble from waves of attackers. We spent a good deal of time devising defenses, talking it out and building things to help us. When the bad guys attacked we had one party member who is from what I'm told very experienced with PFS. That party member simply ignored everything we had done and engaged the waves directly, alone. And so we had to join the melee to support. We killed them all. Wave after wave. And barely lost a hit point doing it. Bosses lasted maybe three hits. Minions two at best. It was down right boring and a little annoying to see all that time prepping for the battle have no effect.

I played again last night, a pre-gen Kyla the cleric and it seemed no matter what I did every encounter devolved to combat as the more experienced players ignored the "danger" of the situations and waded in and lopped off heads in a couple of rounds. Again...boring.

Perhaps things will get more interesting past 6th lvl, which my Eagle Knight is now...

Now, My Fellow Knights. What business have we?

In My travels I have run across various "evil" Pathfinders. I realize that one cannot be truly evil to be in the guild but there are many who are "neutral" in word only. In what way could we possibly bring these wayward souls back into the light?

Another issue; Tomb raiding. Desecration of tombs is sacrilege. However , when one is in the tomb of an evil cult or ancient worshipers of fiends what say we on the subject?

Other Business? Please bring it forward.

A tall Linnorm woman uncharacteristically slouched, peering from beneath the cowl of her firm trimmed cloak.

Hello? Is anyone here?

I just ran The Devil We Know Part I: Shipyard Rats and my players did excellent although they almost died as a group during one battle, burning a lot of resources to stay alive.
When the adventure was over I printed off the Chronicler Sheet and it said in the Items Block "No Additional Items". Does that mean there are No Items for the adventure? Or does it mean I have to hand write them in?

So much happening all at once it's almost like the Rune Lords have returned to Thassilonia...or have they?

Listen brethren, hear me. We have an opportunity here and we've been quick to grab it. Under the Family's guidance we have made some coin and some friends but what are we really doing helping Pathfinders plunder our lands? While you explore with the southerners don't forget to take back our artifacts. They are ours after all.
And remember, good help is a Sczarni caravan away. We should push to have every Lodge House staffed by Sczarni. Especially Sczarni women (because who wouldn't want that?)
With the Pathfinders help we could clear out some more troublesome areas as well...like clearing Korvosa of Cheliax. Especially those annoying Hell Knights.

I just played "My Enemey's Enemy" and My Andoran Faction mission was to help Andoran bust drug traffickers. Huh? Andoran is supposed to be about freedom! What business is it of mine if someone in Andoran wants to take "pesh"? I don't think this faction mission should be in the scenario. It's waaay too close to actual real world politics. 

I just had a interesting idea. What if we set up PFS "Quests" as Faction specific missions that award 1PA?

Then Paizo could market them specifically to the Factions.

OK, I just wanted to check to see if I did this right. My paladin Roland has achieved 12 Fame and the corresponding 12 Prestige.

I bought Eagle Knight rank: Lance Corporal Faction Guide pg.16 for 5TPA 1CPA. Then, when I earned enough, I bought rank Captain 10TPA 3CPA. (and my GM signed off on it)

My questions are:
Does Fame = TPA and Prestige = CPA? They seem to be the same thing just slightly different names.

Is it even possible to become an Eagle Knight in Pathfinder Society?

If I'm wrong, could someone please tell me what I have to do to become an Eagle Knight Steel Falcon?

Any chance the ePubs will be available for Kindle or Nook?

Goblin carry stone
Pounds head against Rock
Goes Up Level

Are the classes from Ultimate Magic and Ultimate Combat allowed in PFS?

I want my Paladin to be an Eagle Knight. But I can't seem to find any rule on it. Can I just make him an Eagle Knight? My paladin has 4 prestige points. I'm not sure if that helps. I've read on the boards that corprel costs 2pp. I'm confused.

As a way of trying to explain "living" campaigns and generate interest, I have tried to explain to potential PFS recruits that their characters actions would actually have some weight in the gaming world as a whole.

Unfortunately I have not seen any such instances of that happening. Is this a "living" campaign? Or just tournament rules?

Is there any point to the factions? They never seem to get anywhere.

Is there a place or website or page that displays faction standing?

I mean personally from a purely Andoran standpoint, I'm pretty sure we could carve out a few more Cheliaxian (if I misspelled that too bad demon worshiping scum) provinces on our western border. Provided our faction standing was kicking their rosie-red butts.

Am I missing the fun or is there no fun being had?

I have been all through the books and the discussion forums about rogue skills and it seems that you can indeed take a single level of rogue and then apply your total HD to the acquired skills. This rules discrepancy makes leveling a Rogue a pointless waste of time. Since essentially it is the same as taking 1 level of wizard and gaining every spell at every level. The entire class is bought for a SINGLE level and the only thing left exclusively to the Rogue is a collection of little talents.

This essentially makes Rogues obsolete.

Hello Everyone

Just an idea; I started a Pathfinder Society Group for my city (Spokane WA) on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_192289444140910

and noticed when I did a search that mine was the only one I could find. I think it would be great to see a Pathfinder Society Group on Facebook for every town in the world, that way you could contact your local groups easier.

For Pathfinder Society sanctioned modules are we allowed to run over 4 hours to complete them?
I ran Master of the Fallen Fortress a few weeks ago and my group only made it halfway before time ran out.

Is there any talk of adding new factions to the Society? I like to play Dwarfs and would love to see Ninth Battalion added to the faction choices.