DFang's page

Hey guys. Two slots just opened in our group due to a couple of drop outs from inactivity. If anyone's interested to join, please read through the Campaign Info section.

Lawful gods taken are: Alseta, Andoletta, and Lissala

If there's any other questions, as away.

Hey guys, one of our guys dropped before the first combat scenario. If there's anyone who wants to join, please read through the Campaign Info for more details be submitting your PC draft.

NOTE: I'll need you to show your updated inventory sheet on the Google Sheet we're using.

For what seems to be years, all you have experienced is silence. Perhaps you were taken during the first year of conflict, or maybe even just a last minute pick after the decades of deliberation by the Neutrals. Either way, you now dwell in the darkness of your mind. Your body does not move as you sleep in the Void, but during the short bursts of consciousness you think you have, you feel weightless.

Now, you feel a shift. Gravity takes its hold on you once again, pulling you down back to the surface of the.. a world. Flashes of memory rush through your mental being, from your first memories as a child up to the moment you were taken by the gods. They remind you of your task... your commitment to serve them... or die trying.

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The flashes of memory end with a bright light, forcing you awake. You lie down on a large boulder where a symbol of your deity etched upon its surface. Stalactites and stalagmites protrude all around, blocking much of your view but you manage to see one exit to the small chamber you are in. A few holes on the ceiling extend to what seems to be the surface, allowing light to spill into the room in small rays of light only a few inches in diameter.

You feel lost, and do not know where to go exactly, but you know your task as a voice from memory echoes:
"Find the others, each one holds a key to find the Pantheon."

Feel free to role play a bit. Once you're ready, pick a direction (left or right) and roll a d100 and Perception.

For what seems to be years, all you have experienced is silence. Perhaps you were taken during the first year of conflict, or maybe even just a last minute pick after the decades of deliberation by the Neutrals. Either way, you now dwell in the darkness of your mind. Your body does not move as you sleep in the Void, but during the short bursts of consciousness you think you have, you feel weightless.

Now, you feel a shift. Gravity takes its hold on you once again, pulling you down back to the surface of the.. a world. Flashes of memory rush through your mental being, from your first memories as a child up to the moment you were taken by the gods. They remind you of your task... your commitment to serve them... or die trying.

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The flashes of memory end with a bright light, forcing you awake. You lie down on a large stump of wood upon which is burned a symbol of your deity, its roots extend from its base only to join with the roots of nearby trees. You are in a small clearing in a very thick section of a forest, bushes taller than you blocking most of the view. The only source of light seems to come from high above, where sunlight has managed to break through the tree tops but even that is scarce.

You feel lost, and do not know where to go exactly, but you know your task as a voice from memory echoes:
"Find the others, each one holds a key to find the Pantheon."

Feel free to role play a bit. Once you're ready, pick a direction (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, and NW) and roll a d100 and Perception.

Hey guys, thanks for participating. I'll put up the Gameplay thread shortly, but first please review the updated house rules in the CAMPAIGN INFO section. If you have any questions or concerns, please post them here so we can settle it before we start. Also, please note my comments on the spoiler below and make any necessary adjustments. Otherwise, just post that you're ready.

The most important part is the TRACKING SHEET (a link to it is on the top of this page). I've already created a tab for each of you to fill up. I need it for faster tracking of character wealth long term, so please fill it in. There are formulas already included. You may look to the EXAMPLE tab as reference.

Again, you still have 24hrs to finalize your character profiles, after which I will put up the Gameplay thread. I also expect to see the quick info bar beneath your name fitted with frequently used stats by then.

Minimum Quickbar Contents:
Class & Level | HP | Other stats for monitoring (e.g. Spell, channel, rage, arrow counters) | AC normal, t, ff | CMD | Saves | Initiative | Perception

Hey guys, thanks for participating. I'll put up the Gameplay thread shortly, but first please review the updated house rules in the CAMPAIGN INFO section. If you have any questions or concerns, please post them here so we can settle it before we start. Also, please note my comments on the spoiler below and make any necessary adjustments. Otherwise, just post that you're ready.

The most important part is the TRACKING SHEET (a link to it is on the top of this page). I've already created a tab for each of you to fill up. I need it for faster tracking of character wealth long term, so please fill it in. There are formulas already included. You may look to the EXAMPLE tab as reference.

Again, you still have 24hrs to finalize your character profiles, after which I will put up the Gameplay thread. I also expect to see the quick info bar beneath your name fitted with frequently used stats by then.

Minimum Quickbar Contents:
Class & Level | HP | Other stats for monitoring (e.g. Spell, channel, rage, arrow counters) | AC normal, t, ff | CMD | Saves | Initiative | Perception

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INTRODUCTION
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Ever since Asmodeus killed his brother Ihys, the other gods are always wary despite the peace they've had since the War of Heaven. They all agree on one thing however, a conflict directly involving the gods would destroy all of creation.

Now, their peace hang by a thread as the rift between order and chaos rage once again. Already, parts of the universe have distorted and threads of time merged. Gods who stand between finally intervened and proposed to let their creations battle in their stead. These neutral gods have spent the next decade designing the battle ground while the other gods plan and scheme their way to victory. And so, people and creatures of all ages have been disappearing from across the land over the years where they sleep in the Void until they have been called by the Neutrals. Blessed or cursed, willing or not, they will represent the gods in the final clash between Order and Chaos. But first, they must prove themselves worthy to reach the final arena or die trying...

------------------------------------------------------------------------
DISCLAIMER
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This campaign may deviate from published Pathfinder lore.

Hey guys,
I'm relatively new to the game (~3months), and this is my first d20 game too. That didn't stop me from being inspired enough to run my own adventure though. So now I'm thinking to give it a shot in PbP first. Depending on my load by the time I finish the first arc of the story, I may need a co-GM to run the second group of companions though.

But enough with that; let me show you what I got and feel free to send me some feedback. If I can gather enough interest, then I'll put up the official recruitment thread as soon as I can where you can post your character concepts.

EDIT: I'll probably go with anything Paizo with no 3PP. Gunslingers won't have advanced weapons to choose from, and will be limited to one for either group due to scarcity of ammunition.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
INTRODUCTION
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ever since Asmodeus killed his brother Ihys, the other gods are always wary despite the peace they've had since the War of Heaven. They all agree on one thing however, a conflict directly involving the gods would destroy all of creation.

Now, their peace hang by a thread as the rift between order and chaos rage once again. Already, parts of the universe have distorted and threads of time merged. Gods who stand between finally intervened and proposed to let their creations battle in their stead. These neutral gods have spent the next decade designing the battle ground while the other gods plan and scheme their way to victory. And so, people and creatures of all ages have been disappearing from across the land over the years where they sleep in the Void until they have been called by the Neutrals. Blessed or cursed, willing or not, they will represent the gods in the final clash between Order and Chaos. But first, they must prove themselves worthy to reach the final arena or die trying...

------------------------------------------------------------------------
DISCLAIMER
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This campaign may deviate from published Pathfinder lore.

Discussion tab is now open.
Also, we'll also be using Google Draw as map tool.

You are in Absalom, the mighty City at the Center of the World, and you’ve always longed to explore one of the countless ruins of failed conquerors that litter the plains outside the city’s walls. You’ve heard rumors that one of the sealed siege castles has been laid open by a minor earthquake. Word on the street is that no one has yet entered the tower, which folks are calling the “Fallen Fortress.” What better way to start a life of excitement and adventure than by exploring its long-abandoned, dusty halls and perhaps claiming its ancient treasures?

You have meet each other one bright morning in front of Absalom's Eagle Garrison and saw a posting from a local wealthy collector looking for any relics inside the Fallen Tower. It looked exciting and seemed like a simple task for a group of start-up adventurers. Agreeing to tackle the tower together and share the prize, you meet each other at the nearest city gate towards the Cairnlands after a couple of hours of preparation.

You guys have enough time to do some last minute purchases in Absalom before starting. I'll open up the Discussion tab for your introduction to each other.

INVITED PLAYERS ONLY
This is a closed recruitment thread for a pre-defined list of players.

- Please read through the Campaign Info tab before proceeding.
- Confirm which PFS character you'll be using by posting using its alias.

I've been reading through but there seems to be different opinions across different threads. But anyway, here's the question:

I have a monk with a cestus. If it's equipped on both hands, how is damage applied if I use Unarmed Strike, not the weapon itself?

Case 1: Apply standard monk unarmed damage, but retain crit range (19-20) and the option to deal Pierce or Bludgeoning damage. (logically it should be both, but APG says OR)

Case 2: Apply all cestus stats; damage 1d4+STR. A good way to endorse this weapon to a monk. ;)

Now here's the catch, according to APG, here is the description of Cestus:
The cestus is a glove of leather or thick cloth that covers the wielder from mid-finger to mid-forearm. The close combat weapon is reinforced with metal plates over the fingers and often lined with wicked spikes along the backs of the hands and wrists. While wearing a cestus, you are considered armed and your unarmed attacks deal normal damage. If you are proficient with a cestus, your unarmed strikes may deal bludgeoning or piercing damage. Monks are proficient with the cestus. When using a cestus, your fingers are mostly exposed, allowing you to wield or carry items in that hand, but the constriction of the weapon at your knuckles gives you a –2 penalty on all precision-based tasks involving that hand (such as opening locks).

then, looking back a bit, here is the description of Brass Knuckles in APG:
These close combat weapons are designed to fit comfortably around the knuckles, narrowing the contact area and therefore magnifying the amount of force delivered by a punch. They allow you to deal lethal damage with unarmed attacks. You may hold, but not wield, a weapon or other object in a hand wearing brass knuckles. You may cast a spell with a somatic component while wearing brass knuckles if you make a concentration check (DC 10 + the level of the spell you’re casting). Monks are proficient with brass knuckles and can use their monk unarmed damage when fighting with them.

This leads me to conclude that it could simply be a case of forgetting to add the last bit of text for the Cestus since Brass Knuckles are functionally similar to it... Thus Case 1 will hold true, but I hope this can be verified by someone with legal authority.

1. Correct HP growth?
I posted this question recently and was replied that it would be handled similar to an animal companion with 5 base HP at lvl1 then 6, 5, 6, and so on. Just wanted to give it a second shot since I checked that the max roll for an Eidolon is 10 and initially assumed that it should be max HP at level 1 similar to PCs.

2. Eidolon with traits?
I was using PC Gen with PFS Resources loaded to create him and had traits in the 'things to do' list, which I did. Is this normal?

1. For the summoner's eidolon, what is its HP at lvl1 and growth rules for PFS?
2. When I take levels as an Eldritch Knight, does my Summon Monster spell as a summoner also improve if the effective class level is reached as well?
3. Same case as #2, does the effective Eidolon level increase too?

Sorry for if these seems like noob questions but reading CRB and APG makes it seem it could be taken both ways...

Before I permanently create one I wanted to get your advice if it will be legal to roll-up a Fetchling. The Organized Play Guide says:

"Select your character’s class and race from the choices
offered in the Core Rulebook. You may also select aasimar,
tengu, or tiefling as your character’s race with access to
the proper Additional Resources book. Other races are not
legal unless the character’s Chronicle stack includes a race
boon. Additional class and race options from resources like
the Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player’s Guide, Pathfinder RPG
Ultimate Magic, Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Combat, Pathfinder
RPG Advanced Race Guide, and Pathfinder Campaign Setting:
The Inner Sea World Guide are generally available with few
or no alterations, as well."

Does this mean I can choose a Shadow Caller Fetchling with standard racial traits if I have ARG or do I still have to get the boon before doing so?

Hey Guys,
Do you know of any local players in the Philippines? Preferrably in mid or southern Luzon, but all will be welcome. If you do, please help me get in touch with them. :)

I'm trying to setup a group and have already started on an FB page.

Cheers,
DF

Hello,
I can't believe it took me 24yrs to discover that a game such as this existed... But once I did, I immediately bought an PFRPG Beginner Box to start with. lol

Anyway, while waiting for it to be shipped to the Philippines, I've been browsing the site trying to understand the dynamics of PFS. Here are the things I wanted to have clarification on regarding online play that I can't seem to find using this site's search toolbar:

1. There are a lot of different scenarios to choose from. As a player only, do I need to buy a copy of that scenario or is that for GMs only?

2. I read a post about there being custom info sheets... What's the recommended standard info sheet to use? Is there an Excel File that on-computer users can use instead? (I'm a relatively good user on it and could generate one if necessary)

3. How do you qualify to be a GM (at least for online play)?

4. Is there some sort of incentive for being a GM?

PS Please pardon me if the last question touches a sensitive subject. It just seems that learning PFRPG enough to be an official GM has a learning curve by itself and carry much more responsibility during the game... Also a yes to the latter option of question #1 means GMs spend more too.

When sorting my name or by category, numerous titles are missing. As in I see one part of a 3 part Adventure Path.

But when I search my library for that Adventure Path all the volumes appear.

I've checked & I'm seeing this for Adventure Paths, Bounties, and Society Scenarios. There may be other categories affected

Is Treasure Vault included?

It's listed here as part of the $30 Bundle level, but isn't listed at Humble Bundle's site

We cannot let ourselves be spoiled by the incredible free work done by Pathbuilder and the Foundry PF2e module folks.

I think this is a fair statement. But it creates a market value problem. There is clearly a ton of work that has been done here, but there was also a ton of work done by the folks behind Archives of Nethys and Pathfuilder.

* Every content pack of a rulebook and Lost Omens book I've bought from Paizo is discounted down to $20, no matter if their starting price was $35 or $40.
* Every content pack for the standalone adventures I've bought from Paizo is discounted either down to $3 if they're a smaller adventure that started at $7, or down to $10 for all others. Except for Crown of the Kobold King which is $20.

The problem is how much some of us have already & how unwilling we are to either have partial access to it here or have to pay a ton for it to "catch up" to the libraries we already have built.

Where I starting Pathfinder 2e fresh, I would debate whether this was a good value to me or not. However, We are almost 4 years and dozens and dozens of books into 2e. It will take me $1000 or so to unlock the PDFs I own on Paizo.com in Demiplane. That is a *lot* of money for a new way to view the content in a new way and get a character builder.

I bought a lot of my rules and lost omens books as PDFs direct from Paizo or from Humble Bundles, and it looks like it will be hundreds of dollars more to unlock them. I'm a subscriber to the APs and it looks like it will cost $350 or so to unlock that content here, and I already own a PDF and physical copies of all of it. I just don't see why I should drop that kind of money?

I get that the devs did a lot of work here, but I just don't see the economic value of it *TO ME*. If there was some kind of inexpensive way to "catch up" or maybe if this really is official an Paizo starts including Demiplane content in it's subscriptions.

The trouble with that is that I would bet money the “overthrow Walkena” plotline is one we’ll see the Bright Lions do sometime down the line, likely in their own AP - and empowered by what the Magaambya does here.

My concern is that specifically what is accomplished is that non-Mwangi visitors are no longer being summarily executed and maybe the allowed visitor list is expanded. I actually hope this *isn't* what brings down Walkena down the road. (I REALLY don't want a foerign group of heroes to slip in & kill the guy the citizens of the Mwangi Expanse didn't or couldn't)

Empowering his rival God is much better, but that happens before the heroes leave Mzali and doesn't really have to impact the final battle. (She can still help them out as a "thank you" regardless of the opposition)

This was never going to be the book that liberated Mzali.

I agree. "Overthrow Walkena" is a pretty great plot and I'm sure we will see that down the road.

I'm not upset that he is still on the throne at the end of the AP, I'm upset about the mix of diplomacy, attacks on the innocent, and violence and their apparent disconnect. I think in my ideal scenario the PCs take the win after meeting Walkena and then go to the Golden City with the info they have unearthed.

IMHO The threat in the 3rd act should be disconnected from Walkena entirely. The part where the PCs discovery of the Map leads others to the Golden City should probably be kept. Responsibility of action and the repercussions of knowledge seems like a great subplot

the two (the diplomatic efforts in Mzali and the battle over Osibu) don't have much of anything to do with one another, so I don't see the latter as any kind of failure or betrayal of the former.

The idea that as written they don't have anything to do with each other is my problem.

What is the point then? (I get the long term idealistic "change takes time at patience" thing, but tell that to the families of the dead in Osibu if anyone asks what the PCs did before they came).

I think we are talking past each other. As I understand it, You are fine with the idea that everything in the first half of the adventure is disconnected with the final battle.

I am *not*.

In my mind the PCs spend weeks getting a meeting with Sauron and acomplish the impossible and actually get him to treat the Elven merchants with a bit of respect.. then they go back to watch him assault the white city and then they personally pitch in to kill some Ring Wraiths. I just don't think anything about that feels good and I strongly feel the two halves of the narrative are at odds.

This AP wants players to be deliberate about violence, but I don't think it's asking them to shun it entirely. Sometimes the fash have gotta be bashed, y'know?

I don't know that I agree. Your only choices in the final battle are to fight or to let the worst happen. All the early warning systems and outer defenses are bypassed before you even know the army is there and it is fight or die.

I agree that we don't want someone new dropping in for a fight at the end.
Any new invader added at the end should be setup ahead of time. Perhaps as a rival group of diplomats in Mzali or as uncouth interlopers in the School. I just really hate negotiations that are treated as a victory but don't prevent the war. It makes PCs feel like they should have just gone to violence in the firstplace if they are going to get railroaded into it anyway.

But this is the internet and I don't think either of us is going to convince the other. The finale of this volume of the AP just doesn't work for me. I feel it undermines everything else you have done to get there.

You clearly disagree.

I mean, Mzali's leadership is evil. You are dealing with people at every turn who are complicit in a state that is fond of public executions essentially on a whim, with myriad instances of oppression and violence. Those people being willing to play nice when the Magaambya when it suits...

Right. And the stated goal of the first half of the adventure is that no matter how evil the leadership is, diplomacy can engage with it and moderate it. Which is good, and very in-theme for this adventure path.

Then they try to kill all your friends in the Golden City and you end up having to massacre the armies of the city you just negotiated with out of a sense of constructive engagement.

The problem isn't that the leadership of Mzali is evil (It's not great, but it isn't the main problem) the problem is that they are *expansionist*, at least in this AP if not generally. They are actively trying to conquer and/or destroy another city. Long term gradual diplomacy doesn't work when they are actively plundering and murdering.

As a PC I think you are right to ask "what was the point of all those weeks of politics if we just had to kill their army anyway?" I think as written a few of my players are going to start making Neville Chamberlain allusions.

I'm a big believer in encouraging PCs to not use violence as a first resort and everything about this chapter of the AP is all about that... until the finale fight where you kill the army and avatar of all the NPCs you were being nonviolent about for the first half of the book. The AP give you no choice but to wage war against the people you just negotiated with or stand by while they murder the Golden City.

I just don't think you can have it both ways without giving the impression that negotiation just delays violence it doesn't prevent it. That *really* seems to miss the point of the Adventure Path

Just my two cents, but I'm really smitten with this volume, and see my group enjoying it.

I'm enjoying it as well, but as this is supposed to be a GM advice thread rather than a debate about general story structure... my thought would be to NOT have the invading army at the end of the book be from Mzali. It creates too much conflict in a place where the PCs just spend a ton of time reducing conflict. The Expanse has a long history of invaders and plenty of other groups could find the location of the Golden city and try to invade it. Perhaps the "map" the PCs found is seen by the wrong diplomat from another power in Mzali, or let a porter or researcher back at the school find out about the expedition and carry that knowledge to the wrong ears.

I'm struggling a bit with tone and theme on this one.....

The opening of the book tells us under the "Dealing with Evil" section:
"This isn’t an adventure where the heroes cast down these leaders and return righteousness and justice to Mzali. This is the adventure where trusted diplomats and hard-working heroes make Mzali a bit more open, a bit more trusting, and a bit more susceptible to bigger changes in its future."

We spend the first half of "Secrets of the Temple City" with the PCs as diplomats to Mzali, climaxing in actually meeting the God-King and negotiating better treatment for non Mwangi people in a triumph of diplomacy over violence.

No need to fight the God-King. Negotiation and cool heads will prevail. So far so good.

.. and then we go to the Golden City where we find out it really is as great as we thought and now we *do* have to fight the God King or his armies will kill all these nice people we have made friends with. No point in negotiating, his army is here and his Avatar will show up at the climax of the big brawl for the PCs to stick spears into. Start killing the solders we were negotiating with a few sessions ago.

This seems like a really cool combat encounter and all.. but I feel like PCs who feel really good about what they accomplished in the first half of the adventure are going to feel jerked around that they end up having to fight the guy they weren't supposed to fight earlier and PCs who spent the whole time in Mzali thinking they should just kill all these evil people will feel vindicated by the throwdown and might decide that all that negotiation was a waste of time.

I'm feeling like my players are going to feel really betrayed by the swerve.

A 100x expected peak demand isn't something any IT group scales for. We'd never get the budget for that kind of overkill. It'd be like a grocery store having 700 cash registers, just in case.

As a fellow IT guy I sort of agree with you. It isn't reasonable to budget for this *yourself*. This is the sort of event that you setup cloud scaling for. It is possible to run your own servers on your own hardware but to have a contract in place with a could provider like Amazon or Microsoft. In the event of a huge peak like this scripted triggers fire up additional cloud resources and distribute the load.

It takes work to get it setup, but it can take the misery out of unexpected successes like these.

Not to throw stones. I learned about scalablity the hard way.

Good luck to the IT team. Many of us feel your pain.