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I have an Aquatic race boon that I'd trade for Aasimar. I also have dhampir, vanara, and 3 Xenophobias that I'd trade for something.
While GenCon was wonderful, as usual, I found it very challenging to muster Core tables. It would be helpful to write in LARGE letters of bright ink the scenario names, so that the weak eyed and aged [like myself] do not need to squint at the mustering boards. If one area could be designated Core and another Normal, it would facilitate mustering. I had at least two people buy Core tickets, get mustered in Core tables, and then grow upset that they could not play their non-Core characters.
Dundracon was once again a blast. Thanks for all the hard work you guys put in to make it great. Save for a quirk of fate, a VL would have died on my Bonekeep 3 table, or at least, his character. Kudos to all of my Plunder and Perils judges, and especially to the fabulous hand-crafted maps of Earl Bingham.
You could pay 2000 gold pieces [you need 13+ fame] for a cracked vibrant purple prism Ioun stone from Seekers of Secrets, page 49, and pay 2 Prestige Points for a fully charged Wand of Shield. Prior to combat see if anyone in the party can utilize the wand to charge the stone. Also consider investing skill points in Perception. Your low AC puts you at risk of dying during a surprise round, and a high Perception can lessen the chance of being surprised. My low AC characters often buy darkwood tower shields, even though they are not proficient with shields. This has saved their lives many a time during surprise rounds. Should they wish to fight, they generally un-don the shield [a move action], drop it [a free action], cast a spell [like Shield], and 5 foot step if a nearby space is tactically advised.
If everybody followed Jason S's recommendations, the vast majority of PFS players would become better people and live more fully. In addition to his "Fine points" I would add the virtue of table balance. Many players know other players at the table more intimately than the judge, whether that person is a friend, spouse, or family. Often that latter person is a reluctant player, new to the game, has special needs, or several of the above. If a PFS game were a dinner party, the judge the host, and the players guests, then table balance would entail the host and guests doing what is necessary for every guest to have an equal opportunity to taste each dish and partake in the conversation. For players, particularly advanced players, that might mean the exercise of significant restraint, including, but not necessarily limited to, withholding unsought for advice, refraining from one-shotting encounters [whether by spell, skill, or combat], or hogging table time. When the judge "bends" rules to engage or accommodate the needs of her table [that is, to balance her table], a good player should attempt a Sense Motive on the judge to ascertain if she is sending him a message [judge to player]. Said player should really think thrice before quoting chapter and verse "rules" that interfere with what the judge is trying to do. Often by the end of a scenario, 2 or 3 of the players have made the vast majority of the decisions or rolls. A good judge will likely want to draw in those characters who have suffered low initiatives, unfortunate saves [like being Blinded or Held], unlucky tactical positioning, or simply have been bullied into doing whatever other players at the table want them to do. Table balance is a concept that very few players will appreciate if they do not judge. For me, table balance encompasses considerably more than simply not being a jerk, which is a pretty low bar. The well equipped character might invest in Wands of Bless, Potions of Cure Serious Wounds, Scrolls of Borrow Skill [to assist others in trained only skills], Potions of Darkvision, etc. Many familiars are perfectly able to deliver potions to distressed party members. Careful analysis of scenarios will oft reveal "treasures" in the early encounters that enhance the enjoyment of subsequent encounters, or at least prevent the later encounters from running off the rails. Sometimes those items are as simple as knotted rope, sunrods, or alchemical items like antitoxin. These are good items to buy to help other characters whose players in need. Table balance might also direct buffs toward the disenfranchised character rather than to the "heavy hitters." Should an experienced player do this, it would reflect poor judgment to point this out as a tactical error. This would be the equivalent of taking the last portion of a choice dish when another guest at the table has not had any; tactical meta-gamers need to exercise restraint in these situations. It lies in the hands of the judge to intervene if less-than-optimal tactics jeopardized the mission or party. In sum, exercising table balance as a player requires significant maturity [not necessarily experience], social sensitivity, and generosity.
On page 25 of Seekers of Secrets, under the heading "Gestures," you will find a description of Pathfinder specific non-verbal communications. Everything in this book is part of the core concept, so I would be surprised if any GM's give you grief. Consider working in an extended stint at the Grand Lodge for your deaf/mute oracle. I would also advise compiling on a table tent 3-4 of the most important communications that you use in combat and their associated gestures. Thereafter, make sure this character provides sufficient lighting and tactical positioning so that any characters in melee will have no problem seeing you. If you adventure regularly with a group of players, you might even incorporate Silence into your tactics. This can lead to some unexpected advantages in otherwise extremely challenging encounters. Personally, I find Telepathy problematic from a roleplaying perspective. It is difficult to adjudicate unless the telepath actually writes down the communication and passes it to the receivers. Many players use Telepathy as though it unambiguously communicates meaning, which it does not. It is fraught with all of the problems of language with the added problem of dissociating phonation from body language. Good luck! |
