Fenrat's page

Howdy Folks,

Seeing that I am about 7+ years late here, I was wondering if there is any way to get any of the "Ptolus in Golarion" docs you folks talked about in this forum.

Thanks Wheldrake!

ow ... not one response? I was really hoping for some great ideas.

Howdy Folks,

I was inspired by this excellent drawing: https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--PVT8vXvhtU/WXtTG3_i7mI/AAAAAAAADA4/7DLg VMnnnYgZ9FpN3oCN0-5AIm4iZK7SACJoC/w530-h686-n/Windward%2BIsle%2BExcerpt-p36 %2B300dpi.png

Its by Randy M - https://plus.google.com/112489330434466935673 - also known as Roan Studios (great stuff on RPGNow).

The island is a pinnacle of rock that rises 900 feet above sea level... I'd like to fill it with dungeon levels - the premise being that its isolation make it a perfect location for hidden bases ... with numerous different groups having used it at different times (most unbeknownst to each other). I don't know yet where I will place it in Golarian but am thinking of Lake Encarthan.

My main idea is for the upper half to have once been a way station (think "gas and supply station") for the Shory Flying Citadels - a place they could stop to resupply with food, anchor for repairs, etc. ... Much later, the lower half was used by the Dwarves during one of their troubled times as an emergency escape base of some type, but they encountered trouble when they excavated up into the Shory ruins and the knowledge of the whole dwarven ruin's location was lost during the one of the worst parts of the dwarves' history.

But I am looking for other ideas for small side dungeons to add to the mix .... other things the area may be used for. For example, a lost tomb is an easy idea, and perhaps a small base station for the Intellect Devourers of Ilvarandin (for storing Midnight Milk) is located on the island.

Any other ideas come to mind? ... (they can be Golarian themed or not)

Thanks so much!

Pulseoptional: thanks ... that thread was very helpful!

Howdy,

I'm one of those DM's who uses a lot of pre-made stuff due to time limitations, so I don't know the rules as well as I used to.

Can you all help me create an amazing quarterstaff user? It doesn't need to be a warrior necessarily, and there is no limit on level .... I just want to see an amazing wielder of a quarterstaff, doing more damage than one might expect, multiple-attacks, being great at disarming, etc.

Thanks so much.

Don Mac

Thanks Folks! Appreciate the thoughts!

Howdy Folks,

I've got some inventive players trying to use Stone Shape to tunnel they way through parts of the dungeon they are in. They recognize that it will take a while, as their druid can only "sculpt" 17 cubic feet of stone per application of the spell, but they still want to do it. These same players also feel it is possible to make a thin stone wall to block a dungeon corridor by pulling in the side walls.

Any thought or ideas here? .... Should I allow this? The spell does talk about making a door ... isn't that just a really thin tunnel?

Like other here, our group used to have to seek out trainers for everything .... but that got old and fairly unrealistic to us ..... now we use these house rules ... along with the notion that players can teach each other as well:

Pathfinder Campaign
Level Advancement “House Rules”

Introduction
Every player looks forward to acquiring enough experience to gain a new level. However, in a continuous, ongoing campaign, players often find themselves acquiring enough experience to go up a level at a time when training is either inconvenient or impossible. These “house rules” have been designed to allow the characters to advance in skills in the field when they receive enough experience, but still maintain some degree of realism.

Level Advancement Rules
Level Dependent Benefits That Automatically Increase
• Hit points, attack bonus, saving throws, and (when appropriate) ability scores
• Existing skills, class features, and class-specific feats.
• Arcane and Divine Spells
- Divine spellcasters (clerics, rangers, paladins) –
- Gain the ability to cast common spells (those from the Players Handbook), but not “name” or rare spells.
- Arcane spellcasters (wizards, sorcerers, bards) –
- Wizards gain new spells through research, scrolls, and “found” spells – if they have spells on hand when they gain a new spell level they can learn them.
- Bards gain new spells through musical experimentation, practice, other bards, “scrolls” (i.e. songs), and research
- Sorcerers, gain new spells through experimentation.

Level Dependent Benefits That Require Training
• New skills (ones the character has no points in after first level)
• Non Class-Specific Feats (feats are special abilities and require training; however, characters can teach each other feats while in the field).
• Adding a new class to one’s repertoire (i.e. multi-classing or taking a prestige class)
• “Name” spells and spells from other sources (those not in the PHB) are considered rare spells and must be learned, discovered on scrolls or in books (even prayer books for divine spells), specifically researched, or in the case of divine spells, specifically requested from one’s deity (i.e. one must ask the DM, which allows for more role-playing)

Costs
Giving the players the ability to increase their skills in the field is a powerful one and is not without its costs. There are three costs involved:

1) Although characters can now increase their skills in the field, they must still train and practice when they are in more civilized settings. When adventuring, the characters get to practice their skills in real-life situations, however, it is not the same as constant practice and research in a comfortable learning environment with no distractions. A rogue may pick 10 or 20 locks during an adventure, but this is not the same as spending several days doing nothing but examining many different types of locks, taking them apart, picking them over and over, etc. This training/practicing keeps that character’s skills honed, and allows the DM to still create the training sheets that allows for the introduction of rumors, NPC’s and other game related events.

• Training Times –
• New skills – One week per new skill acquired.
• Feats – Two weeks per new feat acquired
• Adding a new class to one’s repertoire for the first time – 4 weeks per new class acquired (I consider this to be a major undertaking that requires more training than normal).
• Acquiring “Name” spells and spells from other sources – This item is case-specific and will be determined by the DM on a case-by-case basis.

2) The costs involved in gaining a level still apply even though a character advances a level in the field. The costs involved are costs that we do not cover during regular game play. These costs include: weapon maintenance; armor repair, maintenance, and upkeep; spell components and magical inks; clothing; religious equipment; new strings for musical instruments; sheet music; parchment; adventuring equipment; etc. etc. For ease of game play, these costs will be assessed when the character gains the new level. If the character does not have the money, the funds can come out of party funds, or they must be paid as soon as they are acquired. Magic items can be sacrificed to pay for training costs.

• Training Costs –
• New skills and Feats – 50 gold pieces per week of training.
• Adding a new class to one’s repertoire for the first time
• Multi-classing – if a character is adding another common class to their character, the costs will be 100 gold pieces per week (400 gp total). This cost only occurs the first time one takes a new class.
• Prestige Classes – if a player wishes to add a prestige class to his character, this will be handled on a case-by-case basis as many of the prestige classes are rare and training may be difficult to acquire.
• Acquiring “Name” spells and spells from other sources – This item is case-specific and will be determined by the DM on a case-by-case basis.

3) The third cost is the living expenses (just food and lodging) that one incurs while spending time in town. According to the DMG (see pg. 142 for descriptions), these costs are:
• Meager: 5 gold pieces per month = 1.25 gp per week
• Poor: 12 gold pieces per month = 3 gp per week
• Common: 45 gold pieces per month = 11.25 gp per week
• Good: 100 gold pieces per month = 25 gp per week
• Extravagant: 200 gold pieces per month = 50 gp per week
Characters can choose to live whatever lifestyle they desire during training/practicing. However, some of the “background” things that the DM determines during training may change slightly depending on the lifestyle they choose.

Pre-Training

If a player is in the situation in which the next level his character attains is a level that has level advancement benefits that require training, the player can choose to have the character pre-train for those benefits. Although it may seem awkward to train for an ability that one can’t get yet, look at it as doing a lot of research or practicing, and then later either getting to really put it into action, or having the knowledge suddenly ”click” into place and make more sense. This can only be done for the next level of advancement. All costs and rules above apply to pre-training.

Hey folks,

I don't get on the message boards very often so please excuse me if this has been covered ... but is there any chance we'll ever see a really large detailed city product from Paizo? Not like the Campaign Setting Books, but something more along the lines of Waterdeep or City State of the Invincible Overlord or ....(fingers crossed, but knowing its not an option) ... Ptolus?

<hearing Jeopardy music in my head>

We'll get you for this Jason!

me too

Folks ... I've never had the opportunity to be home when a beta has launched before - and I mean this in the most endearing of ways - but you all are hysterical and the dialogue here is quite entertaining.

Am looking forward to seeing how they handle the wizard/sorcerer and the ranger/druid.

And didn't someone send Paizo a bunch of pizzas once a while back?

Yeah ..... I've already used a lot of those sketches over the years ... am looking for new sources. I'm looking more for sketches than final color images.

Having acquired Wayne Reynold's/Paizo's excellent art book Visions of War: The Art of Wayne Reynolds, I had a thought: I am looking for some sort of fantasy art book with lots of really great sketches (characters and otherwise) that I can scan and use in my home games.

Can anyone recommend any decent books like that? I am thinking of some of the books I have seen full of concept from various movies, computer, and card games and what not.

Also, I am considering making the DC for creation increasingly more difficult with each magical effect added to the item. So the base DC would be 5 + 12 (the Caster Level for the Belt of Physical Might with similar abilities). But I see adding each effect to be a more difficult exercise due to having to handle/preserve the existing effects as well. Perhaps and additional +2 or more to the DC for each added effect?

What do you folks think of this idea?

Thanks Gauss .... now I understand ..... he does have the Craft Wondrous Item feat as he plans to make other items as well...... so he is gimping himself.

hee hee ... still not catching on Third Mind

Thanks Gauss ..... The Disguise Self and +4 Int are already on the bonded item .... I'm just trying to figure out the costs for adding the +4 Dex/+4 Str.

I'm not sure I understand your comments:
"Since the wizard is clearly trying to get as many wondrous items as he can into one slot so that he does not have to pay for the feat"

Q - what feat are you referring to?

and

"if your player does in fact have Craft Wondrous Item he is actually gimping himself by doing this"

Q - Why is he gimping himself?

He does have the proper feat ... what am I not understanding?

I've got a pretty good handle on crafting rules (though probably not a perfect understanding)

Hey folks .... I have a question ..... the wizard in my g roup has a bonded item that he as enchanted twice before ... it is a choker that allows him to cast Disguise Self as the Hat of Disguise and also add +4 to his Intelligence. He now wants to add a +4 Dex/+4 Str bonus as per a Belt of Physical Might.

In the Core Rulebook, under the rules for adding abilities to existing magic items, it specifically states (page 553): "If the item is one that occupies a specific place on a character’s body, the cost of adding any additional ability to that item increases by 50%. For example, if a character adds the power to confer invisibility to her ring of protection +2, the cost of adding this ability is the same as for creating a ring of invisibility multiplied by 1.5."

So ... adding +4 Dex/+4 Str to his bonded item is the same as a Belt of Physical Might +4 (which adds +4 to two physical stats) and which has a market price of 40,000 gp. And since he is adding this to his existing bonded item that occupies his neck slot the "x 1.5" kicks in. So the market price for what he wants to do would be 40,000 x 1.5 = 60,000 gp. And since "creating an item yourself costs half the market value listed" .... it will ultimately cost him 30,000 gp.

The above seems to be the cheaper way to go .... the other way is that by looking at the chart for creating magic items where it says that the cost should be "Ability Bonus squared x 1,000 gp" which would be:
+4 Dex = 4x4 = 16 (x 1,000 gp) = 16,000 gp
+4 Str = 4x4 = 16 (x 1,000 gp) = 16,000 gp ........ = a total of 32,000 gp base cost.

Despite the fact that he did pay a lot before to enchant the choker both times, 30,000 go doesn't seem like enough to end up with a single item that increases 3 stats by 4 points each and mimics a hat of disguise?

Any advice?

Also, I am considering making the DC for creation increasingly more difficult with each magical effect added to the item. So the base DC would be 5 + 12 (the Caster Level for the Belt of Physical Might with similar abilities). But I see adding ear effect to be a more difficult exercise due to having to handle/preserve the existing effects as well. Perhaps and additional +2 ore more to the DC for each added effect?

Please help!

Have an Illusory(Phantasm) bridge over a dangerous chasm. Then in the middle, a tip-off that there is an illusion "on the bridge" to anyone who makes their save to disbelieve, the bridge vanishes.

Have the illusory spot be less dusty than the rest of the bridge .... The spell caster may have included some dust as part of the illusion but if time has past then the rest of the bridge may have more dust (or old, moisture, footprints, etc.) and a perception check may notice the difference.

I also had a dungeon with a necromancer in it who used non-aggressive undead (skeletons in tattered clothing) as torch bearers .....after the party got used to them and stopped worrying about them, they came to a pair who had large skins of oil sewn into their rib cages under the clothing ...... And as the party got partway past them they each thrust their torches into the skins of oil and ... Booommm!!!!!

I have a monk/wizard in my game that has all the qualities you'd expect (speedy, high dex, etc.) who likes to cast Grease spells and often does so very effectively.

So let him find a room where I put a treasure in the middle of a room with a trap that covered the entire room in grease spells and summoned a number of shadows. So he could move fast, slip and get hit more easily by shadows, or move slowly to avoid falling nd still get hit a lot by the shadows.

Cases only? I was really looking forward to these minis but I am sorry but this isI the first time I have felt seriously let down by Paizo. I cannot afford cases and don't want that many figs anyway .... But as a charter subscriber I feel like this is a serious mistake and that we are not being treated well at all.

Why can't you subscriptions for less than a case?

If you want a megadungeon and you aren't a subscriber to Dungeon A Day then you are really missing out. It's the best mega-dungeon I've ever seen. Even if you don't use it as is, there are great ideas on how to keep a dungeon feeling like a living, changing environment.

The current Dungeon is finishing soon. After a short interlude of smaller adventures another mega-project will begin. From the interludes on the site will be 100% Pathfinder compatible (the current project is dual statted 3.5/Pathfinder.)

Thanks Deinol ... but I've been there and done that .... its the fact that DaD is ending that made me ask the question in the first place!

Awesome .... nice to know .... thanks James!!!

Hey Paizo,

Having read most of Dungeons of Golarion, i have a question:

Any chance we might see some sort of Mega-Dungeon as an Adventure Path or another product at some point in the future? Please?

Thanks so much!

Folks,

Thanks sooooo much for continuing to improve on the wonderful products you create. THa Rule of Fear supplement is, IMHO, exactly how it should be done. I cannot tell you how unbelievable helpful it is to have a map of each of the settlements you discuss.

Awesome job....

Don Mac

Hey Folks,

Now that Paizocon is done - where you hopefully talked about some of these things - are we going to get to see some new and juicy additions to the Paizo catalog soon?

I am dying to see what is in the works for 2011.

Thanks

We are doing the best we have ever done. Period. We are hiring people, throwing a Christmas party this year, and having the best sales we have ever had. Trust me, there is a lot less stress at Paizo this year than ever before. And that is with the worst recession in my lifetime. I couldn't even imagine how well we would be doing if this was a boom economy. But I am very thankful that we are doing as well as we are. It makes the holiday season much more bright and shiny. :)

-Lisa

LIsa,

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer. Appreciate it. Have a great holiday season and keep producing those wonderful products.

I just saw the latest news on ENWorld re: more WOTC layoffs .... to do that at this time of year is just so horrible.

But it makes me wonder: How is Paizo doing these days? I'm not asking for numbers because that is too rude, but is Paizo doing okay in the current economy?

I'm just asking because I love you all so much and would hate to find out things are not going well.

Please let us know.

Don Mac

Hi Folks,

I am starting a campaign soon - Dragon's Delve in Ptolus in Pathfinder's Golarion Campaign Setting - and just realized that I've not yet determined one important detail. Where should I locate Ptolus within the Golarion world?

Any input from you all?

Thanks so much.

Don Mac

We only just got !st edition lol. If they radically changed anything or started anew i would not buy it. That is the reason i didn't buy 4th edition.

I have to agree here ... I know this is hypothetical, but if I have to change to another system soon I am gonna give up and just play WOW all day.

I didn't switch to 43 because of the money invested in 3/3.5. If PFRPG 2.0 comes out any time soon I will just have to give up on role playing.

Could he be referring to The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Beta Playtest Edition Magic Items web enhancement??

Mine just got here too ..... its so huge and shiny!!!!! And, of course, the day is full and I've got absolutely no time to look at until maybe Sunday night.

But it looks soooooo nice. I am in Maryland, BTW.

I am right in Columbia, MD ... may I inquire as to the age of the players, type of game you play (serious, funny, hack and slash, etc.), and frequency of play?

I'd love to see them as well!

I have two favorite scars that are related.

Right Hand Scar - This one starts right where my knuckles are .. it runs around the perimeter of the back of my hand, splitting off in several places as it crosses my wrist, before running back up to meet up where it started. In other words it is approximately hexagon in shape and connects itself.

Back Left Scapula - I have a large scar that runs down my back. It is over a foot long and an inch and a half wide in the middle.

Intrigued as to their origin?

I was in a car accident and as the car rolled over, my right hand went out the window and the car rolled over on top of it and skidded to a stop - with my hand between the top of the car and the road. As I slid out the open window, my hand was trapped under the car. My brother, who was driving, came running around and lifted up the car (adrenalin!) and I turned my hand over and saw ALL the bones in the back of my hand clearly. I lost EVERYTHING off the back of my hand - right down to the bone.

Sooo, over the course of two years and 10 operations, the took a large chunk of my back (not just skin, but vein, muscle, artery, and flesh) and tendons from my right arm and foot and rebuilt my hand.

Now I have two very unusual scars, and after years of therapy, my right hand is at about 85% use. I have full flexibility of the fingers and full strength of the hand, but my fingers function only as a unit now (not individually) and I've lost motion in my wrist in two directions (I can' drive a stick any more!).

Tarren, do you happen to play a Tauren in WOW? Perhaps you were channelling your toon and the greeter was reading your aura.

In our house rule campaigns, everyone can take Search as a class skill, and find traps if they devote enough points to the skill .... but rogues get an automatic skill point in the skill at every other level ..... they can devote extra points to the skill if they like, and still can't go over the max restrictions ...... but it seems to work very well with our group.

Also, in our games, we don't feel that any class gets enough skill points .... so each class gets 4 extra points ... 2 of which are supposed to be used on knowledge skills.

Barovan,

I am located just a few miles away in Jessup, Md, but am unsure of my availability due to work issues .... can you give out some more details? .... DM experience, make-up (age, sex) of players, frequency of play, flavor of game (serious, humorous, evil, etc.) and other pertinent details.

Thanks, Fenrat

- My 3-year old daughter (she's little)

- People who use their blinker's when driving

- HUGS

- Paizo products

- Hard Ciders and Mojitos

- Thai Food

- A new CD from your favorite band (mine is Dream THeater at the moment)

- Pre-painted plastic minis

- Really good bread from an authentic French bakery

- All of Skeleton Key Games' E-adventure tiles

Where can I find the audio for the Pathfinder seminar or any other Paizo stuff for that matter?

The description of the grappling hook on page 112 requires the use of a Use Rope check, but the Use Rope skill has supposedly been removed from the game (see table 5-3 and the introduction)

I have to agree with the others who say that it won't unbalance things ..... in fact, in our games we go two steps further...

First we got rid of cross-class skill too ... and then we added this house rule: Each class get 4 extra skill points at each level, but at least half of them must be used for knowledge skills ... this gives all classes a few more skills and a bit more knowledge and seems much more real to my players... and it has never seemed to unbalance the game at all.

We just couldn't abide by fighters (and sorcerers) having only 2 skill points (and who both usually don't get an intellience bonus) ..... So what? Fighters only get to be good riders and climbers? That is ridiculous .....shouldn't they know something about the area they live in (knowledge - geography?)... or maybe it's history .... what about weapons crafting and repair(profession)? .... and, if its in their character background, why can't they be a good dancers, or have knowledge of courtly manners (diplomacy) ... or have learned to speak another language ...or any one of a number of skills.

This way all classes geta few more skills and things seem a bit more realistic...It works great for our group anyway ......

Not bad ... I will have to play around with that idea .... but what I've been trying to create is some sort of check they have to make .... with both an effect even if they do make it (bad headache, or worse with associated effects) ... and the possibility of worse if the DC is failed and real bad consequences if the DC is failed by a large amount.

In the name of heroic fantasy, I'd like to see rules for overcasting. To me, overcasting is casting a spell:
1) Beyond your daily allotment; or
2) A spell within your level to cast, but that you don't know; or
3) A spell normally beyond your normal level to cast.

I view overcasting as something that one does in very desperate situations .. something that could have dire consequences depending on what you are trying to do. Perhaps trying for an extra first level spell requires a DC check or you get a headache and can't cast spell for a bit ... but perhaps trying for an extra 9th level spell would be much more dangerous.

And overcasting could be tried more than once .... but each time the chance of serious harm (perhaps even burning one self out and permanently losing spells or even the entire ability to cast spells).

I would love to see something in the Pathfinder RPG on overcasting. However, I've never been able to come up with something that works....

Any input from all the great gaming minds on these boards?

I totally agree with you Patrick!

There are two main reasons for the delay:

1) Its not all his fault ... his publishers keep giving him other editing projects such as is Wild Cards, and the tribute to Jack Vance.

2) He's been having trouble writing certain parts - I would much rather have along delay and get it right rather than compromise just to get a book out ...... plus, when you are that good (i.e. sell that many books) you get aLOT of leeway from your publisher.

I say that the wait will definitely be worth it.

Don't know where I read it, but his works originally started out as an RPG ... it never got developed, but that is what he was shooting for ... and at some point he changed his mind and started writing the fiction instead ...... great books ... I am on number 5 at the moment.