ClarkKent07's page

While this is all very spirited and worthwhile discussion, I do have to agree that we see what we want/expect to see in the work of others and many of you are perhaps reading too deeply into this.

The dark has been a source of fear since the days of primitive man, it represents the unknown and at the time very real threat of predation, death, and dismemberment.

As society has grown, developled, and moved forward we have carried this idea with us. The dark remains the unknown and we fear the unknown, historicaly with good reason.

Space is dark and conceals all manner of unknown phenomenon, the depths of the ocean are without light and our imagination fills that darkness with dangers and threats.

Research on psychological evolution supports the idea that we survived as a (to be honest) frail and physically inferior species due to our sense of self preservation and fear of the unknown as much as for our minds.

So yes the dark is bad...the light isn't necessarily good, but hey you can see what's coming at you.

In NO way does this translate to dark skinned peoples are bad and light skinned are good, but as mentioned above...inhuman beastial creatures of darkness speak to our instinctual fear of the monsters in the darkness and not (unless you are a deeply seated racist yourself) the hatred or discrimination of people with darker skin tones.

Just my thoughts...thanks

First this message is not meant to include PFS issues as I run home based games and have not experience with PFS but understand everything for them has to be explicitly spelled out in the rules.

Step 1) Play with people who are your friends and agree that you are all there to have fun.

Step 2) Have everyone discuss what thier idea of fun is.

Step 3) If your idea differs too strongly from someone else's, decide if you or they can compromise. If not...go back to step 1.

Step 4) If you are the GM point out rule 0 to all players, agree to discuss disagreements but remind them that in the interest of supporting step 1 you will apply rule 0 as needed.

Step 5) If players cannot/will not accept that either offer to let them GM or find new players.

And boom nearly all the issues on here are fixed.

I don't mean for this post to come off sounding like a jerk, but it just boggles the mind that so many people talk about how this player or that player is doing something to break the game due to a loop hole in the rules.

If my players come to me with cheese like that I just say no. If they don't like that answer, I discuss why with them...but in the end as long as I am doing all the work of GMing...I make the final call.

I have yet to have a player leave the group or end a friendship over this.

Thoughts?

Behold! You have angered my sunflower called Daffodil...your's is soon to be a story of woe, for Daffodil is a raging sunflower....

All that they found at the murder site were bloody sunflower seeds everywhere and a puddle of tears....

59) The Thunderhand Trade Guild

A group of dwarves, gnomes, and others that specialize in the use of blackpowder, the secret of which they guard jealously and violently. They provide trade routes into otherwise very dangerous environments through means of thier effective yet volatile black powder use.

60) The Cabinet of Faces

A clandestine group of changlings, dopplegangers, and transmuters who work behind the scenes to influence local politics and battles in thier favor. Secretly being run by an aboleth but none except the highest ranking membersof are aware of this.

I tend to spend countless hours when designing a dungeon figuring out how the inhabitants survive and to make matters worse, most dungeons are really just repurposed from previous structures so each room, section, area has to be designed with its original purpose in mind and then I figure out how the new inhabitants are using it.

but for me this is one of the best parts of being the DM, I am able to write stories within stories that my players may never know or care about but they are there all the same.

Really great points all, but I think Pan hit the proverbial nail on the head...different groups need different levels of guidance.

I too am a fan of the illusion of choice and try to make it so my players never know that they are still right on track when they think they just did something way unexpected.

Slightly off topic

V -My apologies on the misplacement of this particular thread, though your condescension and sarcasm are greatly appreciated!

AD - TRUTH...or when did i EVER have THAT much free time.

Reminds me of the time when we had a 1001 Drizzt clones..."No, you can't have a magical figurine with a tiger/lion/leapord/Dire Housecat in it and no this monster did not have two scimitars/shortswords/wolverine style claw gauntlets in his back up gear".....

Ok so I have completed my Clockwork Engineer but now I need some worthwhile reasons/items to take craft engineering.

So please offer up your suggestions for items that you would be able to make via craft check engineerings.

DCs, Costs, Effects, etc.

I read so many threads on the forums about optimization and or why this or that build won't work. However, for myself, I have always enjoyed playing a character based on story/concept over numbers and this sometimes means that they are less than ideal in combat, but fun to play none the less.

So I'm interested in other characters that are purely for story/fluff/fun and still you enjoyed playing them and the people at your table at the very least didn't hate you for them...

I mentioned him in another thread..but

Bastion Slipfoot - halfling rogue (insane)
This guy reguarly reverse pickpockets party members to put grasshoppers in thier pockets. Attacks low CR monsters with improvised weapons (see chickens) and in general demonstrates high levels of insanity. He would frequently sneack up on an enemy and yell BOO instead of SA. Tons of fun to play and though I kept the flavor of the character in tact, he did dial it back a bit at tougher encounters...still he was a ton of fun.

@ Anguish,

I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head. I too have been pondering a possible need to improve static defense, but you made a good point. In the abstract a high level melee warrior's training shines in the number and accuracy of attacks and not in his/her AC.

Combine that with the fluff/abstract that HP is comparable to natural defensive ability to turn a deadly strike into a scratch and I would then say the system works as is.

Just my two cents.

@ Wraithstrike - I actually agree with you for the most part. I have never personally had any issues while DMing, but I attribute a great deal of that to the way I design encounters and how/what loot is available.

I had not throught about the multiclassing aspect and agree that it would be problematic.

and I guess I am a bit "old school" or backwards in that I grew up with the "you might suck at level one, but you'll rip at level 9" attitude for wizards.

Thanks for all the discussion from all though!