Conwrest Muralt

E. Steev Ramsdell's page

No posts. Alias of Steev42.




Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

Included in spoilers just because. Dale, if you are reading this, stop here.

Spoiler:

Throughout Broken Moon, four of the five PCs have contracted lycanthropy. Thus far, the full moon hasn't hit, but it's about three days away (should hit just about the time they make it to Feldgrau).

The players (and PCs) are pretty sure that they'd been infected. So, the resident wizard has been spamming Remove Curse like mad, two to three a day. They have not yet tried any of the wolfsbane despite my suggestions. They also haven't picked up on my suggestions (from both Cybrisa and the Prince's Wolves) to seek a cleric ASAP if they don't wish to join their tribes--since it needs it cast by a 12th level cleric to cure.

Now, I really don't want the game to end because the majority of the party goes beast. I also don't want to ignore the curse completely (and indeed, one of the PC's is actually looking forward to the change). So I'm looking for suggestions for post-change cures.

The one thing I've come up with so far is "a dose of wolfsbane every night at midnight for one month"...which obviously would be problematic as they'd be wolf-form for three of those periods and not wanting to take the cure.

Anyone have other ideas?


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As promised earlier today in the other thread, I've uploaded my conversions for Crown of Fangs. Rather than continue in that thread (unfortunately titled as just Escape conversions), I created a new one.

Edge of Anarchy (beta rules)
Seven Days to the Grave (beta)
Escape from Old Korvosa
A History of Ashes
Skeletons of Scarwall
Crown of Fangs

Quite possibly too late now for anyone to use it, but you never know when someone decides to raid the archives for a module, right?

Maybe if I get the time later, I'll do some editing and revisit the early modules as well. Would people be interested in that?


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

One thing I've only recently noticed was that none of the prestige classes within the Core Rulebook have their own spell progression. Either spells were removed (as in the case of the Assassin), or all spells were "+1 level of existing class."

I was wondering if this was an intentional design choice--is it likely that we'll never see a PrC with it's own spell lists and progressions? Personally, I think that's an excellent idea, as minor class spell lists rarely get new spells added to the list.

This came up as I was looking at the Red Mantis Assassin prestige class from the Curse of the Crimson Throne AP. They have their own spell progression, their own spell lists, and I realized at that point that it felt weird after looking at the core PrCs.

So, I guess as a followup question--if this is a design choice (or for those who don't know this answer, if you assume it as such), what sort of things would you give to previously existing PrC's to make up for removing their individual spell lists? Would you just give a '+1 to existing spells, if any', or try to give minor boosts to the powers of that class?

In my case, I did some minor tweaks to the RMA; their Red Shroud ability is now a rounds/day (like rage/bardic performance) and the dodge bonus increases according to level; I made the prayer attack get quicker to start/maintain as they gain levels, and gave extra uses of the call mantis ability. However, at lower levels of the class, it seems like the entire change amounts to 'remove the spells'.

What say all of you?


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

Knowing others are running this path in Pathfinder, and having just finished up my own conversion of the Escape module, I figured I'd share my work.

Escape from Old Korvosa

Previous modules had been converted under the Beta rules, though I do have a version of Seven Days that converts to final from Jolistina onwards, if anyone is interested.


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

Half-Dragons gain a breath weapon, which deals "1d6 hit points of damage per racial HD possessed by the half-dragon". However, most humanoid creatures, including all PC races, have no racial HD. Using Goblins as a base (because that's the first I flipped to), it says "Goblins are defined by their class levels--they do not possess racial Hit Dice."

Does this mean that half-dragon humanoids do not gain a breath weapon? Or do they have one that's based on their class levels?

I realize I could play it either way, I'm just somewhat curious what the designer's intent was with this.


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

I was reading through my recently-arrived Bestiary today, and found some misprints. Misbinding is probably a better term. Page 136 leads into a repeat of page 129; straight through to 136 again. After that is page 153, meaning I'm missing 137-152. 153-160 are fine, but then get repeated (though no missing pages after that one.)

If it weren't for the missing pages, I would be fine, and could deal with duplicates. Since I am, can I request the process of replacing my copy be started?


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

Now that all undead (sort of) have this ability, granting Charisma modifier to hit points and fortitude saves, what would you replace that ability with for those undead who had it already?

In particular, I'm looking at the Daughter of Urgathoa in "Seven Days to the Grave" at the moment.

Things I've played with so far--
*The ability replaces the undead's hit dice with D12 (essentially makes them the same as they were in 3.5).
* A fixed bonus to hit points per hit die; 1 (equivalent to toughness), 2 (essentially equivalent to D12), or 3 (give them that little extra oomph).
* Double their Charisma modifier to both effects
* Use another statistic's modifier to add to the effect, probably Wisdom.

What would you use? Any ideas I haven't thought of?


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

In my game (Shackled City played online, from 3.5->PF Beta->PF Final), I've got one player who, completely legally, has been driving me bonkers. They're 12th level at this point, and when I really think about it, it's not that bad, but for some reason it drives me mad.

The build is this: A druid, wild shaped into a Huge Earth Elemental, weilding a (Huge sized) greatclub, with Vital Strike. Ends up dealing 6d8+something big every time he hits.

Worse, he keeps threatening to cast Shillelagh on his club, making the base damage 6d8--Vital Strike would then be 12d8 (or 18d8 on a critical). I'm not looking forward to his getting the 2nd feat on the tree either.

So what have you seen that just drives you insane?


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

So my players, sometime near the beginning of Seven Days, decided that they really wanted to rescue that pseudodragon that Devargo had stuck in a cage (dragon-bloodline sorceror feeling it was 'family'). So, they barged in, threatened his life, and basically took the dragon, while the King of Spiders barely survived (the threatening was a single powerful hit).

Needless to say, he's pretty peeved. I kind of like the fact that my players are now going out of their way to stay away from Eel's End (made the swim to the Direption have to come from the other side of the river, for instance), but I'd kind of like the revenge to come at some point before they leave the city. Problem is, I don't really know what kind of revenge to take.

Anyone got any ideas?


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

When I started playing Beta (running Shackled City on FantasyGrounds), I made some thought as to the monk. I never made a post about it, but with the ki strike now giving additional abilities, it always struck me as a little weird that the Stunning Fist wasn't tied in to that. With the mid-level monk, I made the changes to this end, and it's seeemd to work pretty well.

Unfortunately, with ki pool being a 4th level ability, some things had to change. But I've managed to do something I think is a good combination...shouldn't affect anything except for the fact that the monk's stunning fist is now Supernatural...

Quote:


Ki Pool (Su): At 1st level, a monk gains a pool of ki points, supernatural energy he can use to accomplish amazing feats. The number of points in a monk's ki pool is equal to 1 1/2 times his monk level + his Wisdom modifier. By spending 1 point from his ki pool, a monk may make a ki attack, which will attempt to stun the target of his attack, as by the Stunning Fist feat. You must declare the point expediture before you make your attack roll (thus, a failed attack roll ruins the attempt). A foe damaged by the unarmed attack must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 monk level + Wisdom modifier) or be stunned for 1 round (until just before your next turn). You may not attempt to stun a creature more than once per round.
As the monk gains levels, this ability gets stronger. At 4th level, he gains the ability to make a ki strike, as long as he has at least 1 point remaining in his ki pool. This ki strike allows his unarmed attacks to be treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. At 10th level, his ki strike attacks are also treated as lawful weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. At 16th level, his ki strike attacks are treated as adamantine weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and bypassing hardness.
In addition, the monk can replace his stunning attempt with new conditions. This condition replaces stunning the target for 1 round, and a successful saving throw (with the same DC) still negates the effect. At 4th level, he can choose to make the target fatigued. At 8th level, he can make the target sickened for 1 minute. At 12th level, he can make the target staggered for 1d6+1 rounds. At 16th level, he can permanently blind or deafen the target. At 20th level, he can paralyze the target
for 1d6+1 rounds. The monk must choose which condition will apply before the attack roll is made. These effects do not stack with themselves (a creature sickened by the ki attack cannot become nauseated if hit by the sickened ki attack again), but additional hits do increase the duration.
Furthermore, beginning at 4th level, the monk can increase his own abilities. By spending 1 point from his ki pool, a monk can make one additional attack at his highest attack bonus when making a flurry of blows attack. In addition, he can spend 1 point to increase his speed by 20 feet for 1 round. Finally, a monk can spend 1 point from his ki pool to give himself a +4 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round. Each of these powers is activated as a swift action.
A monk gains additional powers that consume points from his ki pool as he gains levels. The ki pool is replenished each morning after 8 hours of rest or meditation; these hours do not need to be consecutive.

This monk also had some feats from Complete Warrior? that utilized stunning fist attempts. I reworked those to be feats that used a point from the ki pool; it would possibly make sense to have them each add to the ki pool as well (1 point each, so as to not take away from Extra Ki).

Thoughts?


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber
Pathfinder Core Rulebook wrote:

Bleed: A creature that is taking bleed damage takes the listed amount of damage at the beginning of its turn. Bleeding can be stopped by a DC 15 Heal check or through the application of any spell that cures hit point damage (even if the bleed is ability damage). Some bleed effects cause ability damage or even ability drain. Bleed effects do not stack with each other unless they deal different kinds of damage. When two or more bleed effects deal the same kind of damage, take the worse effect. In this case, ability

drain is worse than ability damage.
Pathfinder Bestiary Preview wrote:

Regeneration (Ex) A creature with this ability is difficult to kill. Creatures with regeneration heal damage at a fixed rate, as with fast healing, but they cannot die as long as their regeneration is still functioning (although creatures with regeneration still fall unconscious when their hit points are below 0). Certain attack forms, typically fire and acid, cause a creature’s regeneration to stop functioning on the round following the attack.

During this round, the creature does not heal any damage and can die normally. The creature’s descriptive text describes the types of damage that cause the regeneration to cease functioning.
Attack forms that don’t deal hit point damage are not healed by regeneration. Regeneration also does not restore hit points lost from starvation, thirst, or suffocation. Regenerating creatures can regrow lost portions of their bodies and can reattach severed limbs or body parts if they are brought together within 1 hour of severing. Severed parts that are not reattached wither and die normally.
A creature must have a Constitution score to have the regeneration ability.

So, strictly by the reading, Regeneration wouldn't affect a Bleed effect, because it isn't a spell. However, it does heal hit point damage, so in theory (I think) it should be able to stop bleeding. Was this the intention behind the interaction?

What if the bleed effect was caused by something that would have bypassed the regeneration?


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

Did you pick up on anything when you read through the Bonus Bestiary? Here's what I noticed--

They (slightly) changed the format for Poisons and Diseases. Probably just for stat blocks, but it was different.

Treasure is by money value--I'm intrigued as to how this is going to work.

No Advancement section? Does this mean some unified mechanic, just by class, or no advancement at all?

CMD's calculation is confirmed as 10+STR+DEX+BAB+Size; plus AC bonuses except armor, natural armor, shield, and size.

Anyone else?


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

So, for years I've been running the Shackled City adventure path via Fantasy Grounds. Recently, I convinced the group to convert to the Pathfinder system, but in conversion, I found some issues that I'm not sure what the answer would be, particularly in regards to the cleric class and domains.

If a prestige class gives access to a bonus domain, how would you work it out? This, running under the assumption that domain power access work on class level rather than caster level, as per the cleric chart. The way I see it, this was overlooked in the beta, so I came up with my own method; but I'm curious what others would say.

The way I ruled it was this: If you gain access to a bonus domain, you can choose one of the following options:
A: Choose a domain in which you already have access, and allow the prestige levels to stack with the cleric levels for power access (A Clr7/Radiant Servant of Pelor 2 could have the Sun Domain power as if he was Clr9).
B: Choose a new domain, and access it as if your prestige level was your cleric level (That Clr7/RSP2 chooses a new domain, and accesses 1st and 2nd level powers).

Are there other options I've overlooked?

(Incidentally, I'm also running with the spontaneous 3.5e domain spell lists as opposed to spontaneous heal/inflict, at least for now--if that makes a difference at all.)


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

My group has made it to Bhal-Hamatugn. They entered, found their way to the central chamber, and then retreated, drawing Aushanna out with them, and took her out. They then went the back way in (taking long enough in the process to give Mangh-Mictho time to dress), entering through the secret door to the central chamber.

Now, this fight took them down. Two characters down for the count, and four more retreating to Garekk's flooded room, hoping to beat a retreat out of Bhal-Hamatugn.

They're wounded, low on resources (cleric and wizard both basically out of spells, and the two who died were their bruisers), and easily surrounded. I could easily get a TPK out of this.

I don't want to. Anyone have any advice of how to play the villains smart, give the PC's a chance to accomplish their goal, and make it out relatively alive?

Party Resources:
Human Cleric of Fharlanghn, low on spells, low on wands, ok, but not great in combat.
Human Wizard, nearly out of spells (I think he has a Mirror Image left).
Human Warlock,
Human Monk.


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

So my FantasyGrounds group has recently started on Zenith Trajectory. The umber hulk attack went well, and pretty much as needed/planned.

The problem I'm seeing is that they're now too focused on finding out the motive behind the attack. Obviously, they're not going to get to the crux of the matter this early. They've recieved their invitation to the Cusp of Sunrise--and I just don't see them accepting Celeste's request for them to hunt down Zenith.

Can anyone help me out here? What would you suggest as a better way to get them on the main plot?


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

My PC's are venturing through Oblivion, and when they ran across Aszithef and Khetru, I was unable to provoke them into a fight. They did, however, walk away without paying the tribute to Coalfire, but with a pseudo-promise for servitude in the future.

Of course, then Thifirane nearly managed to eliminate the party with good tactics, but only succeeded in sending the tank to another plane. But as they regroup, it gives me a chance to come up with plans for how the Flamewardens will use them. I welcome any ideas.


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

I'm incredibly interested in playing the AWAP, but as I am really the only GM locally (and we're still running SCAP, with a campaign of my design to follow), I don't get to just be a player often. So, I'm putting out a call. Are there any generous DM's out there who would be interested in putting together an email or play by post game for the AWAP?


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

I was very pleased to see the player's handouts provided as a .pdf at http://paizo.com/download/shackledCity/PlayerHandouts.pdf.
Of course, now comes the inevitable question--how likely is it that we'll be getting a packet of unkeyed maps to use like have been coming out with the Dungeon enhancements lately?


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

One of my 4 SC Campaigns recently experienced their first death (to Skaven's Phantasmal Killer spell). As this game happens to be played online, we discussed a number of options. The one that seems to be in the lead for the player at the moment is to use the rules of the Ghostwalk setting to bring the character back pretty much immediately.

I came up with the idea that the Ghostwalking is a minor feature of the Soul Pillars that are nearby. The problem I have is trying to determine why the PCs are unique in showing this particular tendency towards ghost-hood. While I have a few ideas, nothing seems to be solidifying. Can anyone come up with anything for this?

Also, can anyone think of any potential balance problems that should be headed off at the pass?

[Potential Double Post--First didn't appear.]


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

One of my 4 SC Campaigns recently experienced their first death (to Skaven's Phantasmal Killer spell). As this game happens to be played online, we discussed a number of options. The one that seems to be in the lead for the player at the moment is to use the rules of the Ghostwalk setting to bring the character back pretty much immediately.

I came up with the idea that the Ghostwalking is a minor feature of the Soul Pillars that are nearby. The problem I have is trying to determine why the PCs are unique in showing this particular tendency towards ghost-hood. While I have a few ideas, nothing seems to be solidifying. Can anyone come up with anything for this?

Also, can anyone think of any potential balance problems that should be headed off at the pass?


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

It has been brought up in my group that we play the Age of Worms AP as a multi-gm game, with each gm running one module at a time. Now, I haven't read the modules that have been published, as I'm hoping to be able to play in them (7 straight years of GM > players), so I don't know how possible this will be.

How integrated are the plotlines? Will plots from one section be neccessary to play another? Are there backgrounds that would be needed to move on, that only the GM should read? In short, how easy would this AP be to run as a multi-GM game?


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

Ok, folks, I need your help. I have a warlock player in my game who wanted to take Ability Focus (Invocations). I told him that each of the invocations he had counted as a single instance of a Spell-Like Ability, and therefore would have to be taken individually for Ability Focus. He asked me where that rule came from, pointing to the book's wording as backup of his interpretation. It's a little unclear about this issue.

Obviously, I could just say outright that it's my game, and what I say goes, but I'd like to have some sort of official (or even semi-official) source backing me up if at all possible. I swear I read something of that nature a while ago, but I can't seem to find it anywhere now.

So, the question is, can anyone help me find a clarification of this ruling?

Thanks for your help.


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

So, as my party entered Secrets of the Soul Pillars, they were still a little low on experience. I figured that Zarik Dhor would be a decent experience gain for them, so I brought him out basically to start the module.

The problem is, that the group has one surviving member from Bhal-Hamatugn, and besides that, never encountered Dhorlot the Dragon-Father to begin with. So, conversation ensued (with the crowd a respectable distance away in case combat began), and it ended with the party deciding to go back to B-H with Zarik and take out Aushanna as revenge for their previous defeat, as well as trying to help Zarik determine who actually killed his father.

So now, I'm stuck with trying to figure out what changes have been made in the Pit of Seven Jaws all the way through B-H. I have a couple of ideas, but figured this board was a good way to get more.

First, I'm probably going to have the Fingerlings have matured into half-dragon Kuo-Toas. It's been a good three or four months since they've been there, and it seems likely that they have.

Second, the high priest kuo-toa is still around, and has probably recruited replacements. I'll probably add a level or two to his stat block.

Third, Hlanamm the Spearmaster is probably going to get a level-bost as well.

For the PoSJ, at the moment, I'm thinking of putting a Purple Worm there, but I'm open to suggestions.

The group as it stands has 4 ECL 10, 1 ECL11 (with the smoking eye template), and 1 ECL13 (the survivor), for reference. The ECL 10's are all around 800 xp from leveling to 11.

Any thoughts from anyone as for other adjustments/improvements?


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

(Apologies if this posts more than once. It didn't show the first time I wrote it, and I couldn't get it back.)

So, after my primary group finished up the Test of the Smoking Eye, I have to put them through a side adventure to get them to the right level to move on. I'm planning on running a modified Fiendish Foot which ends up set in the Demonskar, and having Nabthatoron, or however you spell that name, return at the end of the module. He is just one of the enemies this party has made, including Zaur Sza the rakshasa and Myrkul the lich along the way.

What have other DM's done about bringing back old enemies the PCs have made along the way?


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

So my first group, the one furthest along, has just finished the Test of the Smoking Eye with heavy casualties, but not so much that they can't move on. After finally all reuniting on the material plane two characters short (and one resurrected), they are to set out on a new adventure.

But, with the party ECL ranges now 9-13, I find that they aren't quite high enough to move on to the next module. So I figure to run them through a heavily modified Fiendish Foot, and probably bring back Nabthatoron, who escaped when they faced him prior.

They've also made a few more enemies who survived the encounters somehow, notably Zaur Sza the rakshasa, and Myrkul the Lich (who was killed, but as his phylactery wasn't anywhere nearby...).

What have other people done with bringing in enemies with vengeance on their mind that have escaped from their PCs in the past?


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

Perhaps not the best place for this, but it's close enough. With Wizards closing all their retail locations, and the local gaming shop that I knew of shutting down, I'm dead in the water for non-online sources of gaming materials. Anyone know of a FLGS in the Moorestown, NJ area? Philly works too, so long as it's fairly close to the river.


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

...but I just thought of it this morning. With a followup question, as well.

I don't suppose that the other churches in Cauldron got a map treatment like Wee Jas did in the hardcover? It provides a bit of foreshadowing if the DM is able to provide a map for one of the churches straight from the book, but not the rest.

The followup: Is there any chance of getting a web-enhancement bit for the campaign path that includes player-maps of all the explorable bits from the path? This would be an awesome resource for GM's to have. [As an aside to this, a few of the early player-portraits would be cool too.]


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

So I'm about to start up my 4th concurrant version of this campaign. The players in this game have decided to play all clerics and paladins. So far it seems as though I'll have a Cleric of St. Cuthbert, Cleric of Kord, Paladin of the good gods, Paldin of Wee Jas, and Paladin of some other god.

Can anyone think in advance of any problems that this might bring up? I've thought of a few, and will be trying to avoid them, but more minds is always good. Anyone think of a problem this could have?


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

I'm looking for advice. The group of mine that is furthest along in the path is approaching the end of the Smoking Eye module, and I'm trying to come up with tactics for Kaurophon to use. The group he has to face is as follows:
Bugbear Bbn/Rog who has a cloak of enlargement and a maul (blunt greatsword stats)
Human->reincarnated to Bugbear (oh god) Fighter 2-bladed sword enthusiast, who also wields Alakast.
Elven Druid
Human Bbn1/Sorceror
Human Warlock
Trumpet Archon with a split personality...though that's because he's played by two people...when one person is there he weilds a greatsword and a longsword, when hte other person is there, he weilds just the greatsword.

Any thoughts on appropriate tactics? Granted, this would likely only be for the first round, but still, any advice helps. He knows the two most likely to damage him are the bugbears, but the large one has evasion, so has a good chance of not taking any damage from his evocations...

I just haven't really come up with anything that might work decently. So I come to the group for help. Thanks for any advice.


Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

So, I have a problem with the Zenith Trajectory map. I can't seem to figure out how the players can get to Zenith's room. There are no stairs going there that I can see, and the upper level of the Sea Mother's Shrine is split into three parts. Now, they could try to jump across the 10' gap, but I don't see Zenith doing so.

Any help? ASAP--starting to run tonight in about 1 hour.