"We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive." - C. S. Lewis
I'm currently re-reading the old GAZ series of gazetteers for the Mystara campaign setting published for D&D by TSR back in the '80s. I'm currently on GAZ6, The Dwarves of Rockhome. It's interesting how different the writing and rules styles were back then when viewed with modern eyes. Good stuff.
What did/do you think of the Planescape campaign setting?
Just wanted to try the flagging system
Likely because the same reason FLGS always have had a beef with Paizo: PDFs and subscriptions. Both drive customers away from the store. But that has always been the case with Paizo. These two stores had been doing business with Paizo under that model for many years. And now both have suddenly dropped Paizo at around the same time even though that aspect of Paizo hasn't changed. I very much think it is due to something else.
My two Friendly Local Gaming Stores told me that they are dropping their Paizo business. The first one said they will no longer be getting any new Paizo products. The second one went into a little more detail. They said, "Paizo's terms and conditions became too toxic, and the owner is no longer comfortable doing business with Paizo." Does anyone know what the floob is going on? Why would FLGS be dropping Paizo business?
When the pre-order page says, "You may place your paizo.com preorder below," it's clear that their intent was for pre-ordering to be available NOW. EDIT: Ninja'd!
According to Erik Mona, it looks like Planar Adventures will be the last product of the PFRPG Ongoing Subscription line: This makes me sad :( I've been a subscriber to the PFRPG from the very beginning, and I doubt I'll continue with a PF2 subscription. Thank you for the 10+ years of fun and memories, Paizo....
I thought this would be a great place for Pathfinder players to share character backgrounds for the community to enjoy (and steal ideas from!). Here's my first entry.... Salah Kalosyni, human paladin of Erastil: Salah Kalosyni Salah Kalosyni was born 30 years ago on a small farm located a day's ride from Liberthane, a settlement near where the Chalkstone and East Sellen rivers meet in an unclaimed area of the River Kingdoms. An only child, Salah grew up with Momma, Pappa, and a small, ever-changing group of hired hands. Together they worked the small plot of land, growing and raising enough food for themselves with just enough left over to trade at the farmer's market in Liberthane for life's necessities. They were moderately poor, but they were also happy, content with the fruits of their hard labor. Momma and Poppa were both in their middle years when they had Salah. They called her their miracle girl, for they had tried and failed for over 20 years to have children before Erastil blessed them with Salah. They loved her dearly, and they dedicated themselves to teaching Salah about Erastil and how best to honor and take care of the land and its life-sustaining bounty. Shortly after Salah turned 10 Momma became very ill. She was a strong woman, but in the end her aging body just couldn't beat the wasting sickness within her. Thankfully she passed peacefully in her sleep. Shortly after turning 16 an extraordinary traveler arrived at the Kalosyni farm. Pappa invited the traveler to enjoy his family's hospitality for the night. Salah learned much about the traveler during dinner. His name was Jahno. Not much older than Salah, Jahno was an eager new paladin of Erastil. His ultimate destination was Mendev, where he could help wage the war against the demons of the Worldwound. However, he was planning to pass through Brevoy on his way there so as to learn some more fighting techniques from the Aldori swordlords. Early the next morning Salah awoke to the sound of her father screaming. She ran outside to find her father being attacked by a huge, terrible creature with armor-like skin and a gaping maw of sharp teeth. A moment later Jahno ran out from the farmhouse, bastard sword in hand, and immediately attacked the beast. The creature (which Salah later learned was called a bulette) turned his attacks upon Jahno. It bit down on Jahno's left arm, causing him to scream as he slashed (and broke) his sword across one of the creature's eyes. Roaring in pain and rage, the creature fled, burrowing into the ground to get away--taking Jahno's arm with him. Salah and the farmhands got Jahno and Pappa back into the farmhouse. Trained in the ways of healing, Salah did her best to heal them. Pappa was a lost cause; the creature had damaged him too severely, even before she and Jahno arrived to help. Jahno nearly died; he fell into a coma for nearly a fortnight. By Erastil's good grace, though, Jahno survived, although with the loss of his arm his fighting days were effectively over. During Jahno's recovery he and Salah got to know each other very well. In time, they fell in love. Seeing a new lease on life, Jahno now saw that his duty and honor lay in marrying the woman he loved and working the land in Erastil's name. So, at the age of 16, Salah was married. She and Jahno (and the farmhands, of course) worked the farm together, eking out a modest living. During their happy years together Salah and Jahno taught each other all they knew. She taught him the ways of the land and how to manage a farm. He taught her they ways of battle, how to use weapons and wear armor. More than that, he taught her how he honored Erastil as a paladin, how to live on one's own in the wilderness, and how to map where one has travelled so as to aid future travelers in their own explorations. Salah and Jahno wanted children, but it seemed that the same malady that had beset her parents beset Salah as well; try as they might, Erastil didn't bless them with any children. Salah had faith, though. If her parents could wait 20 years for their miracle, she could wait, too. Alas, it seemed that Erastil had another Path in mind for Salah. After five years of marriage Jahno fell ill to what seemed like the same wasting disease as her mother had. Despite his youth and strength, however, Jahno ultimately succumbed to the illness and died. Salah was distraught. She began to question what the point of life was, the point of anything. Everyone she had loved had died. She felt alone in the world. In the depths of her despair, she cried out to Erastil. Why? And to her utter shock, Erastil answered. Not with words, but with a vision. In her mind's eye she saw a map of northeastern Avistan. A growing red line marked a long, winding road--the Path of a traveler. The line grew and grew--until it ended at her farm. There the line lingered, faded, and finally disappeared. In its place a red dot appeared on the map, on her farm. A new red line sprouted from that dot, growing up the East Sellen river, into Brevoy, where it lingered before growing again, across the Lake of Mists and Veils, and into Mendev. Salah knew what she must do. She must become the traveler, to continue along the Path that her husband had started along at Erastil's urging. She must travel the Path, to Brevoy, to Mendev--to wherever it may take her, trusting that Erastil will lead her true and not lead her astray. Soon Salah sold her modest farm and used the funds to equip herself for the life of a paladin on the road. It took her time, and a number of harrowing adventures, but she eventually made it to Mendev. There she fought in the crusades against the encroaching demons. She learned much, and her skills in dealing out death in justice and for the protection of others grew strong. After a few years there Erastil sent Salah another vision. This vision showed her that it was time for her Path to continue, this time back to the River Kingdoms. Ever faithful, Salah went back, but she didn't go back to her farm. Instead she spent the next few years travelling back and forth across the River Kingdoms, mastering the ways of living off of the land, righting wrongs, helping those in need. Her course seemed random at times, but Salah trusted that Erastil knew best. A short time ago, just after turning 30, Salah learned that the Swordlords of Restov were trying to bring civilization to an area of the River Kingdoms called the Stolen Lands. This sounded like the perfect opportunity for the civilizing influence of Erastil to take hold there. It also sounded like an opportunity for the lawless and dark-hearted to take advantage of a delicate situation. After praying on the matter Salah concluded that her next stop on the Path of the traveler is the Stolen Lands. More specifically, an area called Greenbelt. And so, with almost half a lifetime of experience and faith behind her, Salah walks the long road to Greenbelt, quietly hopeful that, if nothing else, she can make a positive difference along her way to the Clearing at the End of the Path.
What a very blessed life you've had so far....
Elder Wyrm CR:
CR 24
CR 30 Kaiju:
Fierty, three-headed kaiju slayer. With only one exception, kaiju can NOT use their recovery ability to avoid being killed by its attacks. Wild Hunt CRs:
CRs are 10, 11, 13, 15, and 19. Clockwork CRs:
CRs are 5, 8, 13, 15, and 17. Planar Dragon Abilities: "Planar Infusion (Su): A juvenile or older planar dragon can influence its surroundings as full-round action, causing an area with a radius of 30 feet x the dragon's age category number to be treated as an extension of its home plane. This imposes that plane's strong alignment traits and grants the plane's enhanced and impeded magic traits (Pathfinder RPG GameMastery Guide 187), affects whether a creature is treated as native or extraplanar for the purpose of spells like dismissal, and creates minor sensory effects evoking that plane. This effect is immobile and lasts for 10 days or until the dragon dies or uses this ability again."
What are a t-rex's two worst problems? Tiny brain, itty-bitty arms. Now, imagine if someone came along and solved those two problems. Someone did. And the saurians are the result.
Giant CRs:
CRs of 12, 13, 14, and 18.
Ouroboros:
Giant serpent (actually a writhing mass of countless serpents) eating its own tail. Very powerful, nearly impossible to kill. CR 21. Yarthoon: That's correct.
Euryale:
Super-ultra-mega medusa, with cool magical powers. CR 20.
CR20 Protean: A medium-sized, serpentine creature with six arms and a halo of constantly-changing symbols swirling about its head.
I find it cool that the Thessalhydra is referenced in Stranger Things :)
... that description of Nekomata scares me. Toonces, NOOOOOO!!!!!
What are the Immortality abilities for Yig and Rhan-Tegoth like? Yig:
After some time he is reborn by hatching from an egg of a venomous serpent. After some more time he sheds out of his reborn form and back into his regular form.
Rhan-Tegoth: He turns into a statue forever or until a sentient creature is sacrificed next to him. If the statue is destroyed his consciousness transfers to another statue of himself, even if it's on another world, to await a sacrifice. If no such statue exists anywhere then his consciousness travels to the past or future to inhabit such a statue and await a sacrifice.
Kaiju:
CR 25 and CR 30.
Dragons:
Elder wyrm, gowrow, and planar dragons. Fey: Alp, banelight, blighted fey satyr, boggart, boggle, calpina, danthienne, kamaitachi, mockingfey, naiad, whisperer, wild hunt archer, wild hunt horse, wild hunt hound, wild hunt monarch, and wild hunt scout.
Nekomata:
Imagine if Garfield lived just a little too long and didn't get quite enough lasagna...his tail splits in two, his eyes start to glow, he kills his family (turning each corpse into both a skeletal champion and a juju zombie) one by one, and changes his appearance to look exactly like his previous owner so as to move on to other homes and repeat the terrible carnage.
That, in short, is a nekomata.
Proteans:
I'd say no...they range in CR from 4-20. The CR 20 one looks pretty scary, though.... Mountain Giant: It is a CR 18 gargantuan humanoid (giant).
You're welcome! Horsemen:
Their CRs range from 27-30. ...and... Archdevils: Their CRs range from 26-30.
Only if you choose to click the tempting Show button.... ;)
Here you go... Alphabetical Listing of Monsters: Algea (psychopomp) Alp Alter ego Amargasaurus (dinosaur) Animus shade Apocalypse horse Apollyon (Horseman) Arshea (empyreal lord) Atuikakura Azuretzi (protean) Baalzebul (archdevil) Banelight Barbatos (archdevil) Behimiron (qlippoth) Belial (archdevil) Black Butterfly (empyreal lord) Blighted fey Blood bramble Bloody bones Boggart Boggle Bonethorn Brimorak (demon) Brontotherium (megafauna) Calpina Cataboligne (qlippoth) Cave blight Charnel god Charon (Horseman) Chavazvug (qlippoth lord) Cipactli Clockwork angel Clockwork assassin Clockwork fiend Clockwork guardian Clockwork hound Coffin anemone (sea anemone) Combusted Common eurypterid Conqueror worm Coral capuchin Crimson jellyfish Crypt dragon (planar dragon) Crypt flower Cryptguard Cultist troop Cutlass spider Daitengu Danthienne Deathsnatcher Deep walker Deinotherium (megafauna) Derro magister Desert blight Devil monkey Dispater (archdevil) Dream naga Duneshaker (solifugid) Dunkleosteus (fish) Elasmotherium (megafauna) Elder wyrm Entothrope Erodaemon (daemon) Esobok (psychopomp) Euryale Exiled shade Exoskeleton Fallen Fen mauler Fire whale Forest blight Fungus queen Geryon (archdevil) Ghole Giant belostomatid (aquatic insect) Giant hellgrammite (aquatic insect) Giant raven Giant starfish Giant sundew Giant tube worm (sea worm) Giganotosaurus (dinosaur) Gluttongrass Goezspall Goblin troop Gold golem Gongorinan (qlippoth) Gorgoros (qlippoth) Gowrow Gravesludge Green man Havoc dragon (planar dragon) Hegessik (protean) Herecite Hivemind swarm Hookfang (sea worm) Horla Hupia Hydraggon (qlippoth) Ichkoh (sahkil) Infernal dragon (planar dragon) Isph-Aun-Vuln (qlippoth lord) Izfiitar (protean) Kamaitachi Kentrosaurus (dinosaur) Kikituk Krampus Lacridaemon (daemon) Leng hound Lilitu (demon) Llorona Lovelorn Mammon (archdevil) Mapinguari Memitim (psychopomp) Mephistopheles (archdevil) Mezlan Mire nettle Mockingfey Mokele-mbembe Moldwretch Moloch (archdevil) Mongrel giant Monkey goblin Mountain blight Mountain giant Mosslord Muhuru Munavri Naiad Nekomata Oaur-Ooung (qlippoth lord) Obcisidaemon (daemon) Oblivion Obsidian golem Olethros (psychopomp) Omnipath Oolioddroo (demon) Oshageros (protean) Ourdivar (protean) Ouroboros Outlaw troop Paradise dragon (planar dragon) Pelagastr (protean) Phasmadaemon (daemon) Piranha swarm (fish) Plague giant Psoglav Psychic stalker Quetzalcoatlus (dinosaur) Quintessence golem Ragathiel (empyreal lord) Raven swarm Rawhead Razormouth (solifugid) Rhan-Tegoth (Great Old One) Rift dragon (planar dragon) Rougarou Sangudaemon (daemon) Saurian Sewer blight Shadow giant Shoki (psychopomp) Siabrae Siren’s bed (sea anemone) Skincrawler Skrimsl Slime naga Slithering pit Spiny eurypterid Spore zombie Suspiridaemon (daemon) Swamp blight Szuriel (Horseman) Taniwha Tarantula tree Targotha Tawil at’Umr (Great Old One) Temerdaemon (daemon) Tenome Thessalhydra Thuskchoon (qlippoth lord) Titan centipede exoskeleton Titanic whip spider Titanoboa (megafauna) Tomb giant Trailgaunt Trelmarixian (Horseman) Tundra blight Uinuja (azata) Unrisen Urhag Utukku (qlippoth) Varklops (kaiju) Vavakia (demon) Veiled master Venedaemon (daemon) Veranallia (azata) Vermlek (demon) Vespergaunt Viduus (psychopomp) Viridium golem Vorgozen (kaiju) Vrykolakas Warmonger Weremantis (entothrope) Werespider (entothrope) Werewasp (entothrope) Whaler jellyfish Whisperer Wild hunt archer Wild hunt horse Wild hunt hound Wild hunt monarch Wild hunt scout Ximtal (sahkil) Yaddithian Yaenit (demon) Yamah (azata) Yarthoon (kaiju) Yig (Great Old One) Yurei Zohanil (sahkil)
PDF downloaded! YAY!!!
I played a 40-year-old human paladin in my last campaign. Being in his middle years gave him a more world-weary, live and let live (as far as the paladin code allows), live by example sort of way of seeing things. It was an interesting RP challenge.
"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch."
*You're
WARNING: Abundant spoilers ahead.... Everything in the book spoiler: PC Races
Familiars
Animal Companions
By Creature Type
(Aether): ether drake (Air): chuspiki, saxra, trench mist Animal: blue whale, cameroceras, ceratosaurus, chalicotherium, chicken, digmaul, dire polar bear, flying fox, frog father, goliath frog, kaprosuchus, megaprimatus, moa, narwhal, penguin, plesiosaurus, polar bear, red panda, seal, therizinosaurus, troodon, uintatherium, wolliped (Aquatic): bagiennik, cetus, cuero, deep merfolk, deep one, deep one elder, echeneis, giant mantis shrimp, heikegani, hunter urchin, ichthyocentaur, isonade, ketesthius, lusca, plankta, shen, spear urchin, stranglereed, trilobite, vahana, water leaper, wizard’s shackle (Chaotic): hundun (Cold): bisha ga tsuku, crone queen, khala Construct: annihilator robot, celedon, clockwork familiar, crystal golem, devastator, gearsman robot, gray goo, guardian scroll, lead golem, myrmidon robot, sphinx colossus, taxidermiccreature, terraformer robot, urannag, warmonger wasp, wood colossus Dragon: amphiptere, astral dragon, cetus, dragonkin, dream dragon, ether drake, etheric dragon, jungle drake, khala, nightmare dragon, occult dragon, pyrausta, rope dragon, scitalis, shen, vishap (Earth): glaistig, gravebound, jungle drake, plankta (Elemental): aerial servant, aether elemental, aether wysp, ahkhat, air wysp, anemos, earth wysp, fire wysp, water wysp Fey: bagiennik, domovoi, dvorovoi, encantado, fastachee, glaistig, hobkins, kikimora, liminal sprite, muse, nuno, ovinnik, sangoi, seilenos, shadow collector, vilderavn (Fire): cherufe, pyrausta (Giant): eclipse giant, elder deep one, firbolg, gegenees, kabandha, moon giant, papinijuwari, sun giant, ved Humanoid: android, astomoi, caligni, deep merfolk, deep one hybrid, eclipse giant, firbolg, gray, kabandha, moon giant, orang-pendak, papinijuwari, reptoid, skinwalker, sun giant, ved (Incorporeal): caller in darkness, death coach, duppy, etiainen, nemhain, pharaonic guardian, polong, psychemental, wyrmwraith Magical Beast: ahool, amarok, bat plague swarm, brain mole, brain mole monarch, cerynitis, cherufe, chuspiki, cytillipede, delgeth, echeneis, giant muckdweller, isonade, karkadann, ketesthius, locust plague swarm, lusca, mngwa, muckdweller, ophiotaurus, ostovite, peuchen, ramidreju, rat plague swarm, sha, shasalqu, su, tizheruk, uraeus, ursikka, vahana, water leaper, witchcrow, xiao Monstrous Humanoid: anunnaki, deep one, elder deep one, gegenees, grioth, ichthyocentaur, ningen, storm hag, stormghost, thriae constructor, thriae dancer (Mythic): anunnaki, apkallu, bat plague swarm, danava, devastator, glaistig, locust plague swarm, ophiotaurus, rat plague swarm, shen, sphinx colossus, wood colossus Ooze: animate hair, apallie, doppeldrek, emotion ooze, gunpowder ooze, hag eye ooze, living mirage, putrid ooze, riftcreeper, roiling oil Outsider: aeons, psychemental, tulpa, turul, unfettered phantom Outsider (aether): aether elemental, aether wysp Outsider (air): aerial servant, air veela, air wysp, anemos Outsider (chaotic): azatas, demodands, demons, lamhigyn, vescavor queen, vescavor swarm Outsider (earth): ahkhat, earth veela, earth wysp Outsider (evil): demodands, demons, devils, lamhigyn, sahkils, vescavor queen, vescavor swarm Outsider (fire): fire veela, fire wysp Outsider (good): agathions, angels, archons, azatas, manasaputras, moon dog Outsider (lawful): apkallu, archons, danava, devils, manasaputras, turul Outsider (native): ahkhat, bisha ga tsuku, etiainen, shabti, tsukumogami, wakandagi Outsider (water): apkallu, wakandagi, water veela, water wysp Plant: corpse lotus, flytrap leshy, ghoran, griefgall, kawa akago, lotus leshy, lotus tree, nulmind, psychepore, stranglereed, tsaalgrend, zygomind (Shapechanger): anunnaki, doppeldrek, encantado, flytrap leshy, lotus leshy, peuchen, reptoid, rope dragon, skinwalker, vilderavn (Swarm): bat plague swarm, gray goo, locust plague swarm, rat plague swarm, scarab swarm, termite swarm, undigested swarm, vescavor swarm Template: mummy lord, mutant, plagued beast, taxidermic creature, tsukumogami, tulpa, vahana Undead: bone ship, caller in darkness, crone queen, cursed king, death coach, duppy, fext, gravebound, grim reaper, kurobozu, leechroot, leng ghoul, lesser death, mummy lord, nemhain, pharaonic guardian, plagued beast, polong, saxra, swamp mummy, tiyanak, undigested, undigested swarm, vukodlak, wyrmwraith Vermin: blood caterpillar, giant assassin bug, giant mantis shrimp, giant scarab, giant termite, great assassin bug, horn caterpillar, hunter urchin, knight ant, megapon ant, scarab swarm, spear urchin, termite swarm, trilobite (Water): bone ship, cetus, shen
I'd suggest not reading a thread about a book if one doesn't want to read spoilers about that book.
I recently ended a five-year campaign that took my players' characters from 1st to 20th level. From level 17 on they played through a mega adventure I wrote. The final chapter of that adventure was the Test of the Starstone. They didn't take it to become gods, though; they took it because they had discovered that something was wrong with the Starstone itself, something that was tearing reality apart, and they needed to get to the Starstone in order to save/fix both it and all of Golarion. I don't plan to go into a lot of details of what happened during the Test. Needless to say, they had many harrowing encounters (literally--one encounter was with a Harrowed Deck of Many Things) on their way to the heart of Starstone Cathedral. Once they made it there, they learned the answers to many mysteries--why Aroden died, why the Worldwound opened, why the Eye of Abendego exists, why prophecy has no meaning, and some others. They also discovered that in order to save/fix the Starstone, one of them needed to become a god and then voluntarily die at the hands of the Unmaking ability of a Time Flayer (Tome of Horrors Complete, p. 603); this would erase that character from reality, all memory of their existence forgotten by everyone. The catch, though, was this--only one of them would be granted godhood, and they all had to agree willingly and unanimously as to which one of them it would be. Five out of seven characters volunteered, and they agreed to draw straws to determine who it would be. The arcane trickster of the group, named Lel, used slight of hand to cheat (getting a result well north of 50), and ended up tricking the rest of the parting into choosing him. So, Lel became a god for a few moments, long enough to save/fix the Starstone, shrink the Worldwound by a few miles, close the Eye of Abendego, return prophecy to the world, and save all of reality from unraveling. Of course, Lel was forgotten. The rest of the party emerged into a changed world. Their efforts triggered the return of mythic power to the world (and a mythic tier for themselves), the birth of a new power called psionics (and the wild talent feat for themselves), and a lingering spark of divinity within themselves (with each of them earning a one-time miracle spell-like ability). The adventure ended with everyone at 20th level with one mythic tier. We probably won't come back that campaign, but if we do we'll transition it to a mythic one, with their first adventure's goal being to bring Lel back into existence--a difficult task considering they aren't even aware he ever existed. |
