Character Build
Brawler 1
Human
Str 16
Dex 14
Con 14
Int 13
Wis 10
Cha 12
Traits:
Threatening Defender (Cheliax, Empire of Devils 19)
Affable (Champions of Purity 13)
Feats:
Toughness
Combat Expertise
Attack Line:
Unarmed Strike +4 (1d6+3)
Defenses:
AC: 15 (3 armor, 2 dex), 16 AC with combat expertise
Background:
Dax was orphaned during the Goblinblood Wars and spent her youth as a rough and tumble street fighter in Elidir. She turned to the worship of Kurgess as an escape from the oppressive environs. Inspired by the courage of her hero, she made her way south to Andoran, largely relying on a ready smile and the kindness of strangers to help her on her way.
Build Philosophy:
It seems like Martial Maneuvers is the cornerstone of the class, lending instantaneous in combat flexibility. I'm building the character as a generalist, with base feats that will allow for maximum feat chaining: Combat Expertise, Power Attack (which I almost took at first level instead), and weapon focus. I've got my eye on using Martial Maneuvers for the Improved [CMD] feats, as well as a few styles such as Dragon Style.
Confirmation PFS Playtest
Warning: SPOILERS
Party Composition and Marching Order:
Fighter (2-handed)
Warpriest
Brawler
Sorcerer (burning hands, color spray)
Alchemist
Druid
1st Encounter: Swarm
The brawler performed about as well as a 1st level melee character can be expected to do versus a swarm. She benefitted from her high fort save, and threw an acid flask (and missed, haha).
2nd Encounter: Undead
My character benefitted from her high hit points and bludgeoning damage. The high hit points (and reasonably good AC) allowed me to get into position to defend casters with impunity while taking some AoOs. I had acrobatics as a skill, but simply moved because of distance.
3rd Encounter: Young Gelatinous Cube
Moving up in single file, the fighter runs straight into the cube and promptly becomes paralyzed. At this point, I wish I had taken power attack so I could use Martial Maneuvers for Improved Bull Rush. I decided to go for broke, and bull rushed the gelatinous cube anyway down the narrow hallway and into an open space. From a purely qualitative point of view, I felt like this was the moment that was built for the Brawler. There was a niche combat situation, and had I selected my feats differently, I could have really taken advantage of it. I was going to grapple the fighter out of the cube in the next round, but it choose to abandon the fighter and try to engulf me instead, which I managed to escape.
4th Encounter: Minotaur
Combat setup: We emerged from a cave and saw the baddie about 120 feet away, across a stream. The brawler benefitted from the 30 foot movement speed and skills. After a round of positioning, in the second round I managed a running leap over the stream and charged into combat. Already injured from my companions' spells and bombs, the Minotaur attempted to escape, and I landed a dramatic AoO crit and downed the creature.
Overall Feedback:
First of all, I did not built an overly min-maxed Brawler, and I'm very well aware that I could have had a lot more strength or dex. But I built a character that is very much in line with my personal preference and play style. While not crippling, I feel like the character is a bit on the weak side mechanically. Compared to a regular monk with flurry of blows and a regular fighter with higher weapon damage (and a bonus feat), the 1d6+3 per round is a bit underwhelming. If you count Martial Maneuvers as roughly equivalent to a bonus feat, the Brawler still might benefit from getting Brawler's flurry at 1st level.
Additionally, after reading the blog post last week, I looked at the close weapons list. But quite frankly, the close weapons list still contains a bunch of Asian weapons, and is really weak compared to the monk list. Most of them are 1d3 or 1d4 damage, and I'd rather not use them at all. The only exception is using a spiked shield with the bashing property, but even then brawlers aren't proficient with shields as armor :) Perhaps the brawler can use his own unarmed damage when using a close weapon...but then again, I foresee a lot of unintended consequences (read: game-breaking) with that option.
I suggest using close, monk AND light blades as options for the Brawler.
Thank you all for an amazing two years. Kyle Pratt and I have had a great time with all of you, both virtually here on these boards and in person at Gencon, Paizocon, and Dragon*con. We are excited to announce the new Venture-Captain of Atlanta, Dan Cornett! He's been an awesome VL for us, and we know he's going to do an amazing job carrying on Georgia Pathfinder Society.
I'm also pleased to announce the new Venture-Lieutenants of Atlanta: Carlos Robledo, Andrew Roberts, and Bart Bailey. Congratulations to all!
Congratulations to Venture-Captain Kyle Pratt for earning his 5th star!
Kyle has been playing PFS since the Grand Convocation at Paizocon 2009. He is famous for creeping out players so much in a scenario that they ran away screaming, and in another scenario at Paizocon 2013 revealing a plot twist so effectively that players literally dropped their bags in shock and awe. Thanks for being a great GM!
Think you're a hotshot PFS GM? Take Nani's Ultimate GM Test! Please reply with your own questions to this test. They can also include short answer format.
1. You are GMing a game and a player describes his character as wearing full plate painted white, complete with a face helm with breathing slots. He describes his favored weapon as a plasma blaster that makes pew pew noises (but it's actually just a composite longbow +1).
a) Nothing to see here! Move along.
b) Stand up and scream at the player to leave and never come back again. If he doesn't leave, snatch his character sheet and tear it into tiny pieces while laughing gleefully
c) All monsters in the scenario suddenly gain the "blaster immunity" special quality and make beeping noises
d) none of the above
2. Your players run into a town market square and immediately decide to rough up all the little old ladies and hungry orphans.
a) The little old ladies and orphans probably deserved it. Besides, you'd never want to curb your players' creativity and play style, right?
b) All little old ladies are balors and hungry orphans are pit fiends who were just about to have the epic showdown of the century. And a bunch of mortals just decided to step in the way.
c) Now they've done it. This is clearly the vilest act imaginable, and these players are the worst scum of Pathfinder Society. All of them should be immediately reported dead, banned from Organized Play, and publicly shamed by name on the Paizo forums so no one else will ever play with them again.
d) none of the above
3. A new player shows up at your table in a 7-11 scenario, as there wasn't room in any other game at the Con.
a) Turn him away. This is a game for L337 players only, and noobcakes are soooooooo not welcome. Go play My Little Pony RPG down the hall, lame sauce.
b) OUTSTANDING! He can be the first to die, as pregens don't really matter, right? Then the rest of the party can take his stuff, it'll be great.
c) Poor new player! Clearly they need to be treated with love. Let's spend an hour lavishing attention on this new player, helping him create a custom character and spending every combat round ensuring that the new player can add up all the widdle dice.
d) none of the above.
Origins:
So, a 3-star GM volunteered for Dragon*Con, and asked if we would be willing to accept him. This is what I sent in reply.
A century ago, the death of Aroden transformed the culture and politics of the Inner Sea nations. In the distant north in a land once known as Sarkoris, it changed the world itself, knocking Golarion out of metaphysical alignment in the direction of the Abyss, a nightmare realm in the Great Beyond, screaming with wicked souls and vicious demons. While many attribute the Worldwound to the machinations of Deskari, the Lord of the Locust Host, in truth another ancient demon lord was long established in Sarkoris.
Tsar, the great temple-city to the Demon Prince of the Undead, stood for centuries as a bastion of evil and hate. Foul beings of all kinds flocked to its mighty walls and found succor and purpose within. At its heart stood the great Citadel of Orcus, the black heart of Orcus worship on Golarion. Countless evils were perpetuated in those corrupt precincts, and equally countless wicked plots were hatched and carried out therein. Far from the reaches of civilization, Tsar flourished unchecked like a great blight on the land.
When the Worldwound erupted, Sarkoris was destroyed nearly overnight. As word of Sarkoris's swift and dramatic fall spread, the church of Iomedae was equally swift to react. Still reeling from the loss of their deity's patron, an obvious threat like a demonic incursion was precisely the thing that the Iomedaean faithful needed to stave off true despair—her champions and priests threw themselves into the crusade against the Worldwound with an almost reckless abandon, not only to blunt their own horror at Aroden's death, but also because they believed it was their responsibility to pacify Sarkoris and seal the Worldwound.
To this end, the leaders of Iomedae's church and those of several other religions decreed the First Mendevian Crusade, as well as the three that followed. Zealous followers of the Inheritor from throughout Avistan still travel up the Sellen River to Mendev in an attempt to support the crusaders. The first efforts to pacify the Worldwound met with considerable success: the demonic hosts were driven back and the crusaders stood sentinel over the land.
Then, the crusaders turned their attentions to the long-standing city of Tsar. This crusader army, raised from all nations and almost every non-evil faith marched for Tsar. In command of this army the church of Iomedae placed the archmage Zelkor. Supported by innumerable knight commanders, wizards, church patriarchs and scores of heroes of renown, Zelkor quickly advanced his army from its staging ground of Nerosyan, through Tsar's outermost defensive positions and into the great plain that surrounded the temple-city itself. Flush with their many quick victories, the First Crusade suddenly found arrayed against itself seemingly endless legions of every sort of vile warrior-race and fell outsider imaginable called up from all over the multiverse and lining the battlements and fields before their redoubt—one of the greatest fortresses and citadels ever erected in that time. The beginnings of doubt seeped into the ranks of the First Crusade.
However, hope was not lost as the heavens opened up and flight upon flight of angels and celestial beings descended from on high to swell the ranks of the Crusade. With grim determination in both camps, battle was joined on the plain before the gates of Tsar. The war raged for over a year, the Crusade advancing to the very foot of the walls and then being pushed back by a new surge of demonic power. The disciples of Orcus led by the Grand Cornu, Orcus's single highest-ranking priest on Golarion, threw every vile attack they could at the Crusade in defense of their city. Rains of horrific fire and acid fell from the skies or belched from fissures in the ground, great constructs crushed their foes before them, terrible clouds of poisonous gas choked entire regiments, and heretofore unknown plagues swept through the troops causing thousands of horrible deaths among the Crusade. Nevertheless the forces of the crusade persevered and fought on.
Finally, though the battle seemed no closer to victory, the fates seemed to smile on the Crusade. Unexpectedly the city fell. In a single night in 4638 AR the entire city virtually emptied of defenders as they all were magically transported to a point several miles outside the city's walls, complete with baggage train and mounts for many. The magical expenditure necessary to complete this miraculous maneuver cost the Grand Cornu his very life in sacrifice to Orcus, but the legions of the demon prince had broken free from the Army of Light's cordon. They immediately took flight before the stunned Mendevian Crusade, heading northeast towards the Worldwound.
Zelkor and his fellow commanders were immediately suspicious of this sudden retreat but could not afford to allow the combined followers of Orcus concentrated in one place to escape and spread their insidious evil again. Then, still with a seed of doubt niggling in his mind, Zelkor ordered his army in pursuit of the fleeing legions. The armies reached northern crusader city of Drezen, which formerly stood within the borders of Mendev. The malign, almost sentient chaos of the Worldwound, however, was not content to stay within its carefully proscribed borders. In an opportunistic counterstroke, the demon-hordes within the Worldwound overwhelmed its guardians and protective enchantments, flowing forth like a black tide. The city of Drezen, caught between the forces of Orcus and the Worldwound, fell under the influence of the Abyss. The combined force turned back upon the armies of the First Crusade. Tens of thousands of pilgrims and warriors drowned in the demonic wave that followed, depleting the armies of Mendev and necessitating the Second Mendevian Crusade.
Venture-Captain Jarina al-Mullam closes the heavy tome with a sigh. The Keleshite woman looks around at all of you with her serene and insightful gaze. "Since that time, staunching the expansion of the Worldwound has been the focus of the crusades, now on its fourth iteration. Tsar was forgotten, and the land around it shunned and remembered only as the Desolation. It is with great gravity that we send you on this mission, Pathfinders. Exploring these ruins and recovering the unimagined artifacts within is of tantamount importance."
"But if we were to send anyone into a situation as treacherous as this, I can think of no one else," interjects Venture-Captain Charlotte DesChamps, who peels herself from a shadowy corner of the room. She blinks a little, as if rousing herself from the long history lesson, "You have proven yourselves, ahem, in many ways during your long tenure in the Society. On numerous occasions you have proven capable, flexible, independent, and able to somehow always come back alive. And amazingly adept at getting out of some very strange situations." Behind the desk, Jarina mutters, "Interesting how those always seem to happen..."
If she heard, Charlotte ignores the comment and drops a heavy satchel on Jarina's lush Qadiran carpet before sitting on the edge of the desk. Jarina barely conceals a look of pained consternation at Charlotte's impropriety. The younger Taldan woman continues, "Your first stop after Nerosyan is to the southern edge of the Desolation, a small settlement of cutthroats and the worst kind of profiteering entrepreneurs sprang up on the southern fringe of the Desolation. This hole-in-the-wall known simply as the Camp will serve as your staging ground. You'll love it!"
Jarina stands and gently moves a chair next to her friend, cringing every time Charlotte's many buckles and weapons scrape the polished wood. "Ahem. Charlotte, we have been going on, but I don't actually think all of our agents have met. Please, introduce yourselves before my fellow Venture-Captain goes on a tangent about the joys of vagabond camps. Please."
Hello, welcome to the game! This is the OOC discussion for Nani's game.
My goal is to post three times a week: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I recommend that players post in between each of mine. Posting your character is fine, but not necessary, as I will have a digital copy of each character with me.
I hope this letter finds you well, agents. You have been selected for an important mission that will take you into Andoran. Make your preparations, and I will meet you in Cassomir in two days hence. Be prepared for travel.
So, while playing a Pathfinder Society game, our party was involved with some underwater combat, and a few things came up. We were playing tier 3-4, and were of mixed but appropriate levels. We normally steamroll any and all PFS scenarios, but this one particular encounter was INSANELY hard for us.
Setup: We were in small boats, with 5 characters and an animal companion. We were attacked by sahuagin who approached from the water and then rocked our boats.
On page 432 of the PFRPG it states:
"Attacks from Land: Characters swimming, floating, or treading water on the surface, or wading in water at least chest deep, have improved cover (+8 bonus to AC, +4 bonus on Ref lex saves) from opponents on land. Land-bound opponents who have freedom of movement effects ignore this cover when making melee attacks against targets in the water. A completely submerged creature has total cover against opponents on land unless those opponents have freedom of movement effects. Magical effects are unaffected except for those that require attack rolls (which are treated like any other effects) and fire effects."
So, basically what happens is that the entire party, if we are attacking from the boats are completely unable to hit the sahuagin because they have a +8 to their AC except for extreme lucky rolls. If we get into the water, because of rough water conditions, we need to make a DC 15 swim check in order to stay afloat/move.
We double checked the rules and they are unchanged from 3.5. In addition, if any underwater target is completely submerged, even under ONE INCH of water, they have total cover.
Basically, as far as we can tell, these rules seem very unreasonable. By the logic of the RAW, it is nearly impossible to spear a fish on the surface of the water (AC 27 +4 size, +8 cover, +3 dex). And if it's under 1 inch of water, it's IMPOSSIBLE to hit it. How do people spearfish? Seriously? How is it that if I say, throw a harpoon from the boat to hit a sahuagin it gets a +8 to AC, but if I jump in the water to poke it, I only get a -2 to attack? This seems just silly.
Has anyone else experienced these ridiculous problems with underwater combat?
I seek to use all the tools at my disposal to further the Pathfinder Society, whether it is a clever lie or a well placed blade from ambush. However, it appears that poisons are not available on the standard list of equipment that I am permitted to purchase. I assure you, I am trained in their safe use, and even know the means to craft them. Will I ever get a chance to use these skills?
With great anticipation,
Pathfinder Charlotte Deschamps
OOC: Hello! Will I ever get a chance to use the second part of the poisoner feat as part of PFS? For the moment, the only good it does is making sure I don't kill myself while Craft (poisonmaking). :-)
