Evan Tarlton's page

Happy Authorization Day!

zimmerwald1915 wrote:

Spamotron wrote:

With the asterisk that Deities are influenced by their worshipers in some fashion.

For example Baba Yaga figured out how to ascend to godhood millennia ago but refuses to do it because she wants nothing to do with a worshiper connection.

Pretty sure that's just because she finds supplicants annoying at the best of times, and imagines/hypothesizes that prayers would be worse. Not because she's afraid of worshippers affecting her personality.

It's also part of Baba Yaga's style that if you come to her to make a bargain, if she vaguely approves of what you're after she will offer you what you want for a price that is fair from her perspective and astronomical from anybody else's (and if you pay it, she keeps her word). But having to do this for a very small number of people who have the temerity to ask Baba Yaga for something, and having to do it for a potentially unlimited number of worshipers is something entirely different.

Part of her likes rendering incredibly cruel vengeance on a party who has wronged someone who is paying her an exorbitant rate, and she'd be sad to give it up entirely. Like it's a core part of her role in folklore that "sometimes she helps."

Also, the people who approach her generally risk a lot just to do it. People that resourceful and/or desperate might actually be worth the trouble. If she ascends, people can bother her whenever they like. She's not obligated to respond to any of them, but the flood would be a pain to manage.

Besides, she's at a point where she can play on a basically divine level without being bound by those rules. Why surrender most of the freedom if you already have most of the power?

And now my watch begins.

This is great! I love the characterization and the game mechanic integration. Thank you so much, Gene! I would love to thank the artist as well, but I can't find the accreditation for this piece.

It's worth pointing out that the timing wasn't at all helpful. The... situation in January of 2023 required an all hands on deck response. Starfinder 2e would have been well underway by that point, but since it wasn't announced yet resources would have been taken away to help Pathfinder. Paizo then had a choice: release a 2e book that didn't have all of the intended content, or wait even longer for the book they had planned. They were running out of 1e material, so they went with the first option to keep Starfinder alive. Not ideal, but the best that could be done in response to a situation they didn't create. Getting an Iconic Encounters for the Technomancer indicates to me that the Technomancer and Mechanic were intended to be a part of the original lineup, but got folded in to the tech expansion to hasten production.

But back on topic: this is great! I love the Shadowrun-esque feel, and how the class abilities were worked into the story. Great job, Alex and Kevin!

Hi-hi nufriend!

Dse has already captured my heart with their brilliance! Thank you so much, Danielle and Pixoloid!

Starfinder Player Core: The real stars are the friends we find along the way.

They did indeed!

This is dizzying in the way I think a witchwarper should be. I also like that it was low-stakes compared to the others we've had. That makes it stand out. Thank you so much, Erin and Bastien!

Do we know when the pdf for Starfinder Player Core will be available?

And now my watch has ended.

Dark Archive is coming next year, so we're only waiting on Magus and Summoner.

Happy Authorization Day! (May our wallets forgive us!)

Is anybody else wearing the shipping goggles right now? I sure am. Thanks so much, Penn and Mirco! This is fantastic.

And now my watch begins.

Also: OW, my watch begins.

It's almost time! So very excited for this month of books.

I am also excited. My wallet, however, is bracing for impact.

Okay, show of hands, who wants Pakelia to be our Evolutionist Iconic?

*hand shoots up*

She is already iconic. Being an Iconic would be a short jump!

So what are some monsters that you hope to see in this from the previous Bestiaries or even a 2e version of something from 1e.

Personally I'm happy to see any Fiend and Celestaial creatures, both old and new.

Really want to see the Empyrean Angel.

And the Vulkodlak.

I've always been partial to the Agathions. I'd love to see them. I personally find them much more interesting than Angels.

Elfteiroh wrote:

If we were to get a movie around their shenanigans, I wouldn't complain one bit, if you catch my drift. :P

As a fan of them myself, I second this!

I was going to ask for fiction, but a movie works!

If Jack Black is Lem, then he would also be Meligaster.

I MANIFEST THIS NOW!

I love the artwork on page 6. I wasn't expecting to see the Would-Be Bride and the Escaped Lovers again, and I'm intrigued by what the picture suggests. She's saving the Firebrand who took her Unwilling Groom away? Said Groom is carrying her veil and shoes? There's a story here!

And now my watch has ended.

Valeros and Nahoa are perfect. I can see Seltyiel. Lem might work too. Seoni as Magenta, maybe?

This is fantastic! I love the integration of the game mechanics, and all the bits of characterization. Even if some of the drink preferences are questionable by human standards... Anyway, thank you so much, Rigby and Mirco!

Maya Coleman wrote:

Prince Maleus wrote:

And now my mind has replaced Franken Furter with Xanderghul and I am here for it.

I see the vision

Maya thank you for both indulging and engaging in my shenanigans.

...please tell me someone else is also trying to slot the iconics into the characters? I feel like Quinn should be the Criminologist, but that's typecasting.

A Dark Archive remaster wouldn't surprise me. I have my doubts about SoM. My gut tells me that the Impossible book will fill that void, complete with remastered Magus and Summoner.

And now my watch begins.

Happy Authorization Day!

Amazing! Thanks for sharing!

Wow! That was fast!

Shining Kingdoms reveals that Gorum's death has contributed to Andoran becoming increasingly bellicose. Thus far, there have been a few respected senior military officials pointing out all of the ways that's a problem (i.e. increased militarization requires mandatory conscription and other trampling of freedoms), and Andira has listened thus far, but she's in her third and final term as Supreme Elect and is becoming concerned with her legacy. She could be pushed if there's an inciting incident, which we know there will.

From a meta standpoint, it makes perfect sense. Cheliax isn't quite in a position to throw its weight around if it doesn't have to, and if it was the aggressor Andoran would gain a lot of support because everyone would want this over quickly and nobody wants the devils to get a win. Andoran being the aggressor changes the dynamic, because a lot of countries aren't too sure about its political system and because it already has few qualms about asserting itself. Oh yeah, and there's a super lich who is going to be a huge headache soon, so starting something unnecessary now will not be well received.

Elfteiroh wrote:

magnuskn wrote:

I am *highly* amused how much Carrius is being a reluctant isekai protagonist.

That would be closer to a reluctant reincarnation, or Tensei, protagonist. xD

Yeah, it's really uncanny.

** spoiler omitted **

Well...

And now my watch has ended.

The process started a day earlier than usual, so I am cautiously optimistic. If not today, then definitely tomorrow.

Happy Authorization Day to those who celebrate!

Thunder!

Maya Coleman wrote:

Perpdepog wrote:

Also, drakes are ducks. If drakes are a type of dragon, then it therefore stands to reason that dragons are also types of ducks.

This comment made me pause and think to myself about how much I love our community.

Can't wait to play a miserly Drakeblooded with a cane sword of pogoing.

With a Scottish accent?

And now my watch begins.

Wow! That's enormous!

Aquatic is definitely possible. We could also get a sky dragon or a storm dragon. Those would have whole ranges of colors.

I'd like to see Cheliax start to expand. Formally incorporating Isger into greater Cheliax is a decent start, but actually going into Molthune to take it by force would be interesting.

Making Nidal nervous would ALWAYS be cool in my book.

Formally absorbing Isger would probably be allowed. An unprovoked annexation of Molthune would risk drawing in the Lake Encarthan alliance. Molthune is not a canonical member, but such a move would make the members very nervous. They'd be caught the the lich and the devils, and that's not a fun place to be.

True!

Do you all think that we are getting another of the chromatic dragons reworked? I saw somewhere else that there's a mention to a black dragon equivalent, but I can't remember the name it was given. Swamp dragon or something like that.

Would you like to see them all reworked?

That was accidentally leaked in a Q&A for Dragon's Demand. IIRC black dragons are now bog dragons. That's three former chromatics down, and two to go. Now we just need the five former metaĺlics as well.

It was the opposite of a pyrrhic victory. It revealed and caused the removal of a number of internal enemies, it turned its most troublesome province into a reluctant allied nation, it forced the Church of Asmodeus and House Thrune to stop playing quite so many games with each other, and it gave them a strong drive for real victories.

Prince Maleus wrote:

Luis would you be so kind as to confirm if Daralathyxl gets stats in this book or maybe in Draconic Codex?

Luis has let me know that you will have to wait and see on this one, Prince Maleus, and to keep in mind that Lost Omens typically don't include NPC stat blocks!

...that "typically" is doing some lifting there. We'll find out one way or the other in a few weeks.

Aliens, aliens, aliens!

If the forums allowed gifs, I'd post the "I'm not saying it's aliens, but it's aliens" one from the guy with the Centauri haircut.

I stand corrected. Maybe we won't get stats after all.

True, but he is the most dangerous in-region threat. Besides... *points at cover* I mean, it would be a bit weird to not have stats for the guy on the cover.

Vorsk, Follower or Erastil wrote:

The recently spoiled by Barnes and Noble Lost Omens: Draconic Codex likly will be were we see the cinder dragons stated out.

Actually, cinder dragons were mentioned as being in Monster Core 2 in the Barnes & Noble leak for that product. But there will certainly be cinderific options in Draconic Codex.

My gut tells me we'll get Daralathyxl statted out in Shining Kingdoms. He will be unique, as a mythic cinder archdragon. We'll get probably get some idea of what cinder dragons and archdragons can do, but we will of course have to wait for October/November to get the specifics.

Also, WOW is that going to be an expensive month! Two rulebooks, a Lost Omens, and an AP for me!