Wayfinder of the Planes

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***** Venture-Agent, Rhode Island 68 posts. No reviews. No lists. No wishlists. 23 Organized Play characters.



Grand Lodge

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The skills chapter regularly mentions taking 20 on skill checks if the character has access to an infosphere or a "downloaded dataset".

Page 430 notes starships can download an encyclopedia-like dataset that can be used in place of network-aided research. Page 215 of the computers chapter lists "secure data modules" that can allow a character with access to take-20 on some skill checks. Page 215 also suggests a price cap of 1000 credits.

So how many credits for that deluxe encyclopedia-like dataset; 1000cr? Or is it 1000cr per skill?

Can any tier 1 computer hold the dataset or is there a suggested minimum size? How about a mechanic's custom rig - or their drone or exocortex; could they download such a dataset?

Grand Lodge

Just for fun,

So you call a group of wolves a pack, and a group of crows a murder...

What would you call a group of air elementals? A dervish? A group of shadows? Other fantasy monster groups?

(Reference)

Grand Lodge

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So obviously, depending on your group's personal preferences, your Golarion has everything from the typical ren-faire turkey legs and mead to Coca-Cola and Twinkies.

But what types of food could we reasonably expect to find in what parts of Golarion? Smell is a powerful memory key, and describing the unique smells PCs detect (other than manure) when traveling the planes can help set the mood.

Some likely probabilities to get us started:
Most of the Crown of the World probably serves burnt meat on a skewer.
Sushi's probably popular in Tian-Xia.
Hummus in Casmaron.
Lembas bread in Kyonin.
Tea and crumpets in Taldor.
Snails in Galt.
BBQ in Bloodcove.
Ortolan bunting in Cheliax (hopefully, none of your players actually have these memories).

But where would I get tacos, pizza and the eponymous cheeseburger? I mean, if they're offered anywhere on Golarion I can probably also get them in Absalom (and other major cities, but as a Pathfinder Agent, I'm biased). But what cultures would spawn them? The 4th Earl of Sandwich wasn't even born until 1718 A.D.; are we even allowed to say "the greatest thing since sliced bread" yet? Earth mythology credits his gambling habit as the impetus behind it; what country is infamous for their gambling? Maize is sorta required for Mesoamerican cuisine; anywhere on Golarion famous for growing it? Can you even have pizza without deep-dish Chicago-style vs. New York-style thin-crust (Magnimar & Korvosa)?

(Probably) unrelated to Pathfinder Foods. And the Internet claims those ren-faire "turkey" legs are really emu.

Grand Lodge

50 people marked this as FAQ candidate. Answered in the FAQ. 4 people marked this as a favorite.

Reference:

Spoiler:

- PRD Nauseated: Creatures with the nauseated condition experience stomach distress. Nauseated creatures are unable to attack, cast spells, concentrate on spells, or do anything else requiring attention. The only action such a character can take is a single move actions per turn.

- PRD Actions in Combat

- PRD Staggered A staggered creature may take a single move action or standard action each round (but not both, nor can he take full-round actions). A staggered creature can still take free, swift and immediate actions. A creature with nonlethal damage exactly equal to its current hit points gains the staggered condition.

- Store Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play free PDF (Paizo.com account needed)

Quote:
The leadership of this organized play community assumes that you will use common sense in your interpretation of the rules.

Some other paizo.com threads discussing this here, here, here and here.

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So we had this discussion last week at a PFS organized play table (so we can't use a house rule to resolve this). The GM used a Suggestion spell to send the Rogue off to "buy a healing potion" to save our unconscious Inquisitor. I was a Nauseated Oracle (thus the bleeding Inquisitor), but we had looted a Potion of Cure Light Wounds earlier, and my action was between the NPC's casting of Suggestion (and the Rogue's failed will save) and the Rogue's action. So I had the bright idea of "selling" my potion to the Rogue. And I told the Rogue so.

And the GM ruled that since Nauseated says "single move actions per turn" and Staggered says "can still take free, swift and immediate actions" my Nauseated Oracle couldn't talk - a Free Action.

So I'm a Rules Lawyer by nature, but that irritates most people, so I acquiesced to his ruling and the party's Wizard eventually managed to finish off the NPC (by stabbing him in the back when he ran away). And honestly, although I didn't like that my kewl idea had been nixed by the GM's call, at the time my reading of Nauseated made me think he was making the right call. And that's the GM's thankless job, arbitrating rules on the fly when your idiot players try something shady (and occasionally getting the by-the-seat-of-your-pants ruling wrong).

But later on I started thinking - so while Nauseated I can pick up my weapon off the ground (move) but I can't drop it (free)? I can draw a bolt from a quiver and load it into the crossbow (move) but I can't drop it (free)? I can sheathe a Greatsword (move) but I can't draw a dagger from a spring-loaded wrist sheath (swift)? I can stand up from prone (move) but I can't drop prone and a Rogue couldn't use their Stand Up rogue talent (free)?

Or here's a really weird one - if Nauseated I can't "concentrate on spells" but if Nauseated prevents free actions, "Cease concentration on a spell" is a free action. But apparently I can still "Direct or redirect an active spell" (move).

So being a good (bad?) Rules Lawyer I went to the forums to see if there was clarification, and found a bunch more contradictions where Personal target spells that remove Nauseated can't actually be cast while Nauseated or swift action Class abilities that cure Nauseated can't be used while Nauseated.

So Paizo assumes we all "use common sense in your interpretation of the rules" and the forums repeatedly suggest that "specific overrides general" when two rules seem to contradict (although I couldn't find that quote in any Paizo publication).

I think it's obvious that common sense indicates we should be allowed free actions when Nauseated, even though a RAW reading of Nauseated might seem to contradict it.

And I know the 3.0/3.5 rules of "the world’s most popular roleplaying game" where you trade down actions didn't roll over to Pathfinder - but the spring-loaded wrist sheath seems to imply that a swift action is faster and simpler than a move action - especially in comparison to the cheaper plain wrist sheath (see Adventurers Armory).

So if it was a home game, I'd house rule that the game's designers seem to have intended swift actions to be used to cure the Nauseated condition - either by a swift class ability or via a quickened spell.

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Since this is a PFSOP table, what I really need is a ruling by a Paizo game designer. But in the meantime does anyone else have any thought? Is my logic flawed? Did I miss a line in the CRB that clarifies this?

Thanks.