DM Alistair's page

I understand, I do, and I sympathize as well, but after several days of this being on my mind and discussing it with people (which, I am quite sad to say, had the unfortunate result of some rather toxic commentary lobbed my way by several people on other forums and sites who purport to be diehard fans of the game same as I), I am still beyond pained by this. It is with heavy heart that me and my group have decided to go to other systems after finding that this has (rather surprisingly to me) taxed my and several other people in my group's mental and emotional health far too much.

I wish Pathfinder in general and Paizo in specific the absolute best and thank them for the years of joy they've brought me and my group.

Caldax the Shadow wrote:

This is a decision I cannot agree with. Drow are second favorite version of elves and to see them just cast aside like this is just WRONG. I've already told people at my table and game groups I'm doing the opposite and will be banning serpentfolk and instead expanding the Drow lore and such even more.

I love Pathfinder, I love the drow, and see them cast aside like this in all honesty almost feels like a good friend being dragged away to never be seen again by another friend who is trying instead to shove what feels like a stranger into the group and acting like nothing has changed.

Exactly what I feel. One of my great characters was drow rogue/assassin Shaal Azzar Levianko, a character I cherish to this day. I imagine that now the cave elf is in fact the "official" drow of Paizo. I know that we as players and GMs don't give a damn because our table, our rules. No lawyer can change that, (go Wizard, send a lawyer here sends him, he goes up the slum and never comes down again! I'm full of friends there!), but I always preferred to have something official, so I hope that Paizo is at least "smart" and creates a talent tree for cave elves, at least as I understand it, this shouldn't hurt any license. Here in Brazil we have a term that translated should be "You can copy, just don't do the same...", which I believe fits well with that. I just hate it now, in case I play it, because A) my GM only thinks about Starfinder and B) I still haven't swallowed this "remastered" version of the game, my thaumaturge will be a cave elf lol! I hope my idea touches the heart from someone at Paizo and they give a "dark" talent tree to the elves and everyone who lives underground. Which before all this fighting, would already be the smartest thing to do...

My favorite character I ever played in my 18 years of gaming was a drow. My second character ever was a drow. The character I played at highest level was a drow. My first campaign I ever ran centered on the drow. The reason I even started buying Pathfinder products and getting into it was because of Second Darkness (and Jade Regent). This HURTS and I am almost certain they will not be adjusting/expanding the current elf in PF2e to encompass the drow anymore so than can be seen now...

This is a decision I cannot agree with. Drow are second favorite version of elves and to see them just cast aside like this is just WRONG. I've already told people at my table and game groups I'm doing the opposite and will be banning serpentfolk and instead expanding the Drow lore and such even more.

I love Pathfinder, I love the drow, and see them cast aside like this in all honesty almost feels like a good friend being dragged away to never be seen again by another friend who is trying instead to shove what feels like a stranger into the group and acting like nothing has changed.

DM Alistair wrote:

Kill alignments.

That would be an evil action.

Sometimes one must do evil for the greater good.

Kill alignments.

They killed alignment restrictions on every other class except Cleric though they hogtied the cleric even more by stating they MUST worship a god while in 1e it was stated you could choose not too. Listen, Paladins should be allowed more alignment leeway. Either all good or the four-corners. But what do I know, I'm like 2 inches away from dropping Pathfinder entirely because it seems like for every time they try to change the game for the better it fails and what I've seen of 2e I am not impressed at all. There is not one thing I have read or seen or heard of that makes me go "yeah, I want to play that/run that." Not one thing. And the paladin issue just goes straight to the fore of the list of issues I've had with the game since 1e's release.

I like curing wands since it lets the party keep going. What next? Nerf wands of magic missile?

Tarik Blackhands wrote:

Conversely

"Throw another fireball Gandalf!"

"Sorry, I only studied it once the night before, I can't do it again,"

"You wha-"
-Death by orcs

Doesn't happen in any fantasy novel either. Turns out that most RPG mechanics don't actually translate to other mediums. Weird that.

But those novels are what most groups are trying to recreate at their table.

I have never once met a group that tried to emulate Lord of the Rings, not even in the One Ring RPG. 70% of the time they become Monty Python and the Holy Grail knock-offs and the other 30% is something more akin to the Slayers anime.

Still not liking resonance...

Yeah, if this is going to limit things like what my character can wear for a day, it's not cool. I can see it being a thing to limit wands, staves and maybe rings but I will rage out (and I rarely do) if this is extended to cover other gear.

Classes should be as open as possible within reason, limited only by codes, oaths, divine anointment, etc. Archetypes can impose alignment, racial and even gender limitations within reason.

But I'm also all for chucking the alignment bits altogether, especially since it sounds like detect evil will be focused more on INTENT rather than ALIGNMENT now.

And the more I hear the more I get excited! Looking forward to August and nabbing a playtest book!

Awesome! Thanks for making this!

Folks... let's take a breath here. We get that people are passionate about paladin, and we have an entire blog scheduled to look at the class.

I don't want to spoil it just yet, so please give us some time. I promise that we hazve looked into this deeply and I think we've come up with a pretty great solution.

*Holds breath in hope Paladins can be any alignment and are just renamed Warpriests*

I personally want to scrap alignments but that's me. If they do keep alignments, why not have the four-corners paladins (LG LE CG CE)? Choice isn't bad, is it?

I would also like to see each creature get a special base ability and more difficult ones get their own reaction abilities as well like how 4e did it

DM Alistair wrote:

KILL ALIGNMENTS PLEASE

Why?

Alignment is useful. It helps provide quick shorthand for characterization. From a DM perspective, it's useful for the many, many NPCs that get thrown our way. It can influence tactics and motivations without spending paragraphs detailing such.

More often than not it causes arguments, particularly where Paladins are involved (ie Orc Baby Dilemma or the "if your character ends up using an unholy weapon, even if they are unaware that it is unholy, does it make the paladin fall" or the dreaded "I burn the orphanage to the ground because I'm chaotic neutral, lol!")

And, having played plenty of systems without alignments, I can say that many of these arguments just never arise. Even in 5e, which kept alignments, by making them more or less unimportant except for a few extreme cases it has opened up the field to a whole lot more roleplay potential by making players not feel straight-jacketed into alignments and having to not only police their actions but also having the other players and the DM police them too.

I honestly hope they ditch alignments or at least downplay their significance. Then again I also hope they ditch most of the Paladin class and make it more-or-less the Warpriest but that's just me.

KILL ALIGNMENTS PLEASE

DM Alistair wrote :I never understood the hate against 4e and 5e.

For me, it was because when WoTC hyped their upcoming 4.0 and told us : «in the meantime, keep playing and buying D&D 3.5.» Only to find out later thant the 500$ worth of stuff I bought from those dweebs, would not be useable with 4.0. So I stuck with Paizo and Pathfinder and never gave WoTC another dime.

And most of 3.5 was invalidated in Pathfinder except by GM fiat.

4e was a fun game, I honestly, truly wish people had given it a proper shot. 5e is also a fun game and appears to be just plain dominating the market in both sales and visibility with so many podcasts and such showing people playing it and discussing it.

I said it already but I'll say it again - Change is not bad and Paizo as a company needs to innovate to stay afloat. If they don't then their fan base will continue to shrink. The d20 system is nearly 20 years old and it's showing! What was once new and exciting (feats, the sorcerer class, skills) are now so worn down and trodden over that many people either balk at them or just try to find new and exciting other things (Why play a sorcerer when you can be a bloodrager? Why take that feat which requires 4 other feats to unlock when you could use this 3pp feat that does the same thing and is only 1 feat? Etc etc).

PF2E? Yes please!

Bloat is a pejorative term used by gamers to manipulate perceptions.

Pathfinder mechanics are more like battalions of an army moved into position as needed. There is no bloat.

I just plain have to disagree with you. There are tens of thousands of rules, many options that should not be tied down in certain ways (such as Power Attack being a feat and not just something anyone can do) and more. And the sheer amount of rules turns of many players (I had one prospective player balk and leave after seeing d20pfsrd and panicking that they would not be able to make a viable character even AFTER I and the other players stated we would help them build one).

I'm a bit of an oddity in that I have loved every game I've ever played. Basic D&D, AD&D 2e, 3(.5)e, 4e, 5e, Pathfinder, Strike!, LotFP, DCC RPG, White Wolf, WHFRP 2e, The One Ring, BCG/Z, BFRPG, Darker Dungeons and more!

I HATE edition wars. They are divisive and more often than not bring out the worst in the gaming community. I loved 4e and feel so slighted that so many people balked at it simply because it was different. I felt the same way when people balked at 3e when 2e was winding down. And, while it was not as pronounced, I know more than a few people who freaked when WotC announced 5e.

Pathfinder 2e is something long needed. the d20 system is being weighed down and becoming far too bloated to be healthy. It needs to slim down or die from it's own weight.

That does not mean I hate Pathfinder! I love Pathfinder! I fully intend to continue playing it just like I do so many other games! Change is not bad, change is needed lest system fatigue occurs.

So bring on P2E! I embrace it!

I never understood the hate against 4e and 5e. It just does not gel with me how people can rage so badly at a game. You don't like it? That's fine! At least acknowledge the game! "It doesn't feel like D&D!" What is D&D? Original was literally "dungeon crawl and try to rob monsters of loot," Basic much the same. But the game evolved and began to be more narrative-focused as the years went on because more people joined in and became invested in the game. Saying 4e (or 5e in some people's cases) isn't D&D just makes no sense because 3e certainly does NOT feel like Original or Basic or Advanced D&D! And I remember the massive RAGE people had at it because of that!

Change is not bad! I certainly wish more people had given 4e an actual chance because it was good! And 5e is just crushing it sales wise and play wise (look at the number of games people are looking for it/running it on Roll20 or in numerous gamefinder forums across the net)!

Pathfinder needs to innovate or it will die. Like others have said, the massive rules bloat can make making a character daunting and the massive power discrepancy between spellcasters and martials is just ridiculous! I've had players at my tables quit because the differences in power and I've had players back away from games after looking at the sheer mass of rules the game has. Check out the srd or any other site that has the rules listed and imagine if you were brand new to the hobby and people directed you towards Pathfinder only to see not only 10,000+ rules but errata buried deep in more errata, forums filled with players having to detail ways to make sure your character doesn't fail at what they are supposed to even do and how you NEED 3pp supplements to make certain builds even possible.

Streamline and cut the bloat. There is 0 reason why feats should be so deep just to do one thing, that wizards can make almost any other class useless (and yes, just for fun once I ran an all-wizard party and yes, they summoned in monsters that were better fighters than fights or healed better than a cleric, cast spells that made them sneak better than rogues and more!) and balance the issues that have been yelled about from one end of the internet to the next for the last 18 years!

Bring on Pathfinder 2e, I invite it! If it makes the game even remotely easier to run or play in, then it is both wanted and needed imho.

I, for one, welcome our new 2e overlords.

I hope they go in a set pattern for stretchgoals - game feature, class/archetypes and then a race/alternative racial traits.

According to Kicktraq, PF:KM is on course to make over $2 million.

http://www.kicktraq.com/projects/owlcatgames/pathfinder-kingmaker/

Why do people say it's hard to understand him? I actually was able to listen to him quite nicely while doing other things on the computer. Sure, he has an accent and all but he's understandable...

Alright everyone, I'm getting even more excited the more I see and learn! Hopefully they upload the kingdom video again real soon.

And it is halfway funded!

I want to save the puppy.

Saving the puppy allows the demon army to summon the dark lord. Kicking it brings about a utopian age of peace and prosperity.

You evil, evil person! XD

Here's hoping I win the lottery tonight. I'd do a double Kickstart to get a quest and NPC in the game!

How did I never think about prestige classes? Jeez, I hope that becomes a stretch goal! Getting to play a Fighter who prestiges into Aldori Swordlord would be the greatest. If not that, I'll take the archetype of the same name.

Here's another thing I am curious about - campaign traits. Traits have joined with archetypes in my opinion in that they are almost needed for any Pathfinder game to feel like it's a true Pathfinder game.

Backed for early-bird access. Within just 14 hours they are about 28% funded. I think we may easily see $1 million folks.

Can't wait to hear more about what the stretch goals will be

The more I read the more I get excited. I really hope that "we have 5 companions" thing means "you can have up to 5 companions" or else I'm going to be woefully disappointed in that regard but everything else sounds great.

Depending on who you recruit to your team and what things you do will "change the story"

https://www.pcgamesn.com/pathfinder-kingmaker/pathfinder-kingmaker-chris-av ellone-interview

Vic Wertz wrote:

GeraintElberion wrote:

They've recently been funded by a larger organisation...

Not quite. Owlcat was formed as a separate studio by a larger organization (My.com, which is in turn a subsidiary of an even bigger organization, Mail.ru) specifically for this game.

That is, we're not talking about a small company who managed to get some money from a bigger company to do the game—we're talking about a big company that specifically assembled a small company to do the game.

So it's a wholly-owned subsidiary formed specifically to create this game? How did that happen? Did the game come first or was the studio formed and then Paizo approached?

From what I've read, they have been trying to get a game running since one of the guys worked for Obsidian and they got this team together to show a version to Paizo recently and they gave it the green light. So it is a company that, at the moment, was specifically designed to make Kingmaker and will be trying to get the game prepped and ready for a Summer 2018 release (again, based on what I have read).

Damn, I really wish I had money at the moment. Having no job really sucks!

Just curious but is the Kickstarter already up?

Not yet. They seem to be shooting for June 1st or 2nd though so soon!

RyanH wrote:

Kickstarter is just for more classes and such. If the Kickstarter failed, it'd still released, likely with just core and Kingmaker material though.

Right. Pathfinder: Kingmaker has an existing schedule, an existing scope, and an existing budget, and that budget will allow the developers to achieve that scope on schedule. They've already got a full team of people working on it, and they're committed to doing it regardless of what happens with the Kickstarter.

Success in the Kickstarter will allow them to increase both the budget and the scope on the same schedule. The goals you'll see in the Kickstarter include things like more kingdom-building options, more player options, more companions, more original music, more voiceover, more quests, and so on.

TAKE MY MONEY NOW

I remembered another detail. They mentioned that part of the kingdom side of things would include diplomats from neighbors, including Brevoy and Irrisen (and some paladins, presumably Mendev/crusaders related). If you make alliances, that could unlock different buildings, as well as possibly different army options if they reach the KS goal of adding in some form of mass combat.

This is awesome! I wonder what nations you can ally with...

Artem Lebeda wrote:

Still looks good to me.

I don't disagree, but it is a little concerning that they would describe it as isometric and then only a week later show demo footage of a fully 3D game.

Doesn't isometric mean that the world is presented at an angle? Like those old Ravenloft maps where you're looking down at the map but it's not a straight on view but at like a 90 degree angle?

What all did we learn from the demo/chat about this? I'm super stoked about this and stuff.

Just glad you're well, Raven.

@Simon: I know the pain, Simon, I lost my dogs over the last few years. Two within a month of each other and I had to give the other one up for various reasons.

I hope you get on your feet soon.

Panting lightly and visibly shocked at the strange man in a mask, Lynleera shrugs and raises her own rapier. "If there are more goblins, we should hurry then, yes?" Turning to Selaros she giggles at apparent hero worship. "Maybe he wears the mask because it is comfortable? I suspect most everyone will be wearing one in the near future!"

With that, Lynleera dashes off after the "knight".

If new Init is needed: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14

Wow... Monkeys? What monkeys?

There is a CE empire of sentient monkeys and apes in the Mwangi expanse. They also stole the largest cannon ever, too!

@TheWaskally - Hope you and yours are well during this trying time.

DM Alistair wrote:

Huh, how epic would it be to run the AP's in the order that they appear in roloz listing rather than by release date, allowing the adventures to affect the ones played later in varyibg degrees?

This would be hilarious if the PCs "lose" one of those games, and the BBEG has taken over and (done whatever they plan to do, none of which are pleasant for the world).

Well, a number of the AP's have contingencies in them for that as well, basically a "second and last shot" chance to winning. Barring that, it would lead to some epic world changes.

1024 - Fire-Footed Fennecs do not have fire for feet and Pathfinders for the Ethical Treatment of Familiars and Animal Companions will have words with you if you try to make this so.

1025 - Vorpal bunnies do not exist (we hope)

Good thing they have a sword of killing Hitler for that.

It's got a +5 against Hitlers!