Cypher magus's page

I think an easy success should be the reward for all their planning and hard work setting things up. However if they wing it hit em with both barrels as the captain isn't a moron.

When i ran the game all the allies of the PCs were locked up separate and under guard at night while the hostiles kept watch. They made a plan and carefully passed the word around to their allies. Then , before the island led a successful mutiny by opening a hole into the guarded room and jumping a large majority by surprise and stealth. The best part was when they caught plugg sleeping (the stealth rolls were silly good). They tied him up and chucked him out the port hole. Scourge was then rushed by the full team who took some major hits but dropped him pretty fast.

Well, closing your eyes is always a start. Simply averting your gaze is also a good start. But, keep in mind these medusa vulnerabilities:

- Gaze attacks work off fortitude. Do you have any ways to boost your fortitude saves? If so, utilize them. Remember that anything that boosts constitution boosts fort saves.

- Gaze works with a range of 30 ft. Chances are, wizard Medusa can fly with magic, but if not, simply keeping in the air elimiinates her chance to use the gaze at all. This said, keep outside of 30 ft however possible. Consider spells such as shadow anchor and entangle. The simple items like the net and tanglefoot bag might even see some use here, though it's not recommended.

- Lowering Medusa's charisma score will lower the power of her gaze attack as well.

- Blind grappling isn't the worst idea in the world.

Its in a dungeon so guessing close quarters unavoidable and cant get outside 30'.

However the raising fort to just suck it up might work as the ranger is a beast in melee
Have to check on any ways to kill its cha.

Any ways of getting blindsense or equivalent short term?

My 11th lvl team of 4 know through in game info know they will be dealing with a beefed up medusa within 48 hours game time. Ideas on avoiding becoming stone? Have a mystic thuerge, ranger, alchie, archeoligist bard. They own a magic item shop, have enough cash, and most creation feats. Im guessing wiz medusa from hints so standing around with closed eyes swinging aint gonna cut it. Help plz.

Cypher magus wrote:

Joshua Goudreau wrote:

Lord Snow wrote:

...stuff and things...

These are all valid points. Serpent's Skull is very sandboxy and I can see how that would overwhelm a nervous or inexperienced GM.

Argh! Now I can't decide you all argue both sides too well.

I think I'll let her GM darkness and just play a 3 man crew since it's just me vs her. Let's her avoid conversion and solves the power issue of pathfinder vs 3.5.

Serpent skull sounds like a lot of behind the scene paperwork that's unavoidable with some making crap up as you go. Sounds like more a AP for me.

Just in case you missed it, in my previous post I linked to a conversion guide that has Pathfinder stats for every single monster and NPC from Second Darkness converted to Pathfinder. It will mean your wife wouldn't have to deal with any conversion by herself.

All in all I think you've made the correct choice. Serpent's Skull requires surer hands at the wheel.

Yup saw the conversion. Thanks

Lord Snow wrote:

...stuff and things...

These are all valid points. Serpent's Skull is very sandboxy and I can see how that would overwhelm a nervous or inexperienced GM.

Argh! Now I can't decide you all argue both sides too well.

I think I'll let her GM darkness and just play a 3 man crew since it's just me vs her. Let's her avoid conversion and solves the power issue of pathfinder vs 3.5.

Serpent skull sounds like a lot of behind the scene paperwork that's unavoidable with some making crap up as you go. Sounds like more a AP for me.

My first thought on the bard is: Did he take any buffing spells? Good Hope and Haste are must-haves. (If you have Haste already, he may skip it, but still... Haste). Moment of Greatness gives everyone the chance to double their morale bonus on one roll (and with Good Hope there are lots of +2 morale bonuses to choose from).

Touch of Gracelessness is a wonderful 1st level spell that dishes out some amount of dex penalty no matter whether the opponent saves or not. Lower dex = easier to hit = useful to everyone. If he wants, he can pick up a wand of spectral hand somewhere to deliver the touch at range. Being a bard and all, he probably has the charisma for UMD.

To really look at how to make him better, I think we need to know what he actually does/can do in battle other than be ineffective with a whip.

Yes I picked up haste but not the others.

10 str. 18 dex. 10 con. 19 int. 10 wis. 22 cha. ( couple ioun stones ,etc)
Massive skills due to shard artifact,high int,and bard stuff. Has about 10-15 in all talking physical. Thief and knowledge skills

Spells are pretty standard (cures,charms,buffs,sonic)

Combat for him has been tossin spells or runnin like hell. We keep finding brainless stuff like golems which shuts down his spells. In melee his bonus to hit stink and damage is a rapier when whip fails or Short bow but 1d4 is barely worth effort. Almost all feats are for social or whip so no help there except weapon finesse. In short he is a beast out of combat and lacks anything I can think of productive to do in combat. Yeah, spells but you don't have unlimited supply. Need a plan C I guess ?

Oh yeah thats right...Second Darkness was written using 3.5 rules so you will have to convert it over...forgot to mention that in my post above.

Convert from 3.5? Well I know which one I'm doin then. She struggles without havin to restat every encounter. Tho she has been doin well with shattered star so far.

Thanks for the tips. I'll check out those conversion notes

Well deep gnome theurge with early entry solves prob #2.

Ideas For bard archieologist to help in combat? Want to ditch hench since I'm playing solo and 5 toons is pushin it. But I have a feelin that ship has sailed without total rewrite of that toon

Thanks for all the great ideas so far

#1 - he's contributing, isn't he? He has buff spells, bardic performance? Then he's doing what bards are meant to do: make everyone else better at what they do.

Archeologist don't get bard songs, their thief light. Spells were geared for charm and cure. We keep seeing golems and outsiders and caster. All high wills. Could change to more buffs. Other ideas? And yeah I got leadership. Mostly as a crutch to fix bigger issues. Since it's just me and GM would like to ditch hench so only juggling 4 characters solo.

#2 - yes, it does, but you can make it work better with a few traits. Witch is a good replacement, I will agree.

I grabbed all the tweaks (magic trait, orange ioun stone,etc) but 3/3/4 split hurts! Did not know about early entry option. He is deep gnome so that's easy fix if allowed rebuild instead of total replacement. That alone will fix major portion of issues. Rebuild would be better than scrapping toon.

Startin book 4 of shattered star AP. 4 man crew all lvl 10.
Team is ranger,alchie, archeologist bard, mystic theurge, lvl8 rage prophet hench for bard.

Ranger is melee beast and alchie cleans up rest. Hench keeps strays off weak guys.

Problem 1: bard is halfling whip master. Sounded fun for style but contributes nothin for combat. How to salvage him? Have to keep due to Plot and storyline. Awesome skill monkey and out of combat everything tho.

Problem 2: mystic theurge SUCKS! Alchie helps more with potions than this guy. GM allowing replacement. Lvl 10, 25 pt buy, 45k in gear from party fund. Suggestions? Was thinkin witch for same style but removed the suck. Other ideas??? All help appreciated.

Hope this is right forum. First time poster, longtime lurker.

I got both serpent skull and second darkness full AP's for Xmas from wife from Xmas sale. She was going to run one for me to play and I would run other one for her. She is new at being GM so I want to give her the one requiring less improvisation and I'll take the tougher one. Problem is I won't know which to pick without reading spoilers and ruining my fun in being surprised.

Can the enlightened please give guidance with NO SPOILERS as who should run which AP??? Any other tips would be appreciated as long as the surprises are not ruined for me.

Thanks