Ginsu23's page

Aaaaw. Are you guys sad that your players aren't dying enough? This is D&D people. Falling from a great height should not be enough to end a high level character. I'm tired of GMs whining about the entire game system. I could take a dump and 100 GMs will complain that it's OP for some reason.
The book says 20d6. Roll the damage and leave it at that.

phoenix style should do a cone of fire damage every third hit...

I side with Surprise Attack, here's why. I look at it kind of like a card game; player one plays his sneak attack card, player two plays his uncanny dodge card to block it, but player one plays surprise attack to negate the block.

If it was just sneak attack vs uncanny dodge, then dodge would win, but the surprise attack ability is added to the mix later on. I don't think Uncanny Dodge is intended to be this fantastic godly power that counters a million things. It would really help if the Surprise Attack mentioned Uncanny Dodge in some way, but it doesn't. You'd think that Paizo would be able to foresee these things by now and nip them in the bud, but they don't seem to learn.

Then again, Uncanny Dodge says that it makes you immune to being flat-footed. end of story, no exceptions there. By that wording It makes sense for uncanny Dodge to counter Surprise Attack, but I'm still going with Surprise Attack based on the card game example I gave above. It makes no sense to me that one little ability that is usually gained at low levels like Uncanny Dodge can counter so many other abilities in the game, no matter how high level those abilities might be. Not an amazing argument, I know, but I'm going with my gut on this one.
I don't think ruling either way would make a huge impact on your game anyway.

in my experience APs tend to be rather stingy with magickal loot. Your party might be lacking in appropriate gear. High CR monsters are built in a way that assumes the party is using gear appropriate to the monster's level. Lack of said gear will create an im-balance and make the monsters harder than they should be.

Healing in combat can be necessary to keep people alive, but if the group survives the fight you can use methods to heal between battles. Wands, scrolls and potions and stuff are quick ways to do it. Anybody with at least a +0 modifier on use magic device can use a wand outside combat since failing to activate a wand does not expend a charge or cause any kind of negative side effects (you can basically take 20) Infernal healing, and infernal healing greater are really good options for such healing. the greater version would heal 40 hp with one single charge.

If you have a wizard in the group, he should have the stoneskin spell which grants DR 10/adamantine. he can use that on the heroes that are most likely to take the hits. There are spells and other ways to give someone a long-lasting fast healing/regeneration buff, but I can't think of too many examples right now (other than regeneration, which I don't think you're high enough to cast right now)

healing kits used with the healing skill can be a more time consuming option, but it's still cheap. the new unchained system improves the heal skill quite a bit, but i think it requires a feat to get the extra benefits IIRC. Some GMs may allow the use of a good quality horse-drawn carriage that the healer and patient can ride in while using the heal skill on the road.

don't forget that this spell gives you potentially all the magic item crafting feats. Since you can only craft a single item at a time anyway, you would just paragon surge-craft wondrous items one day, then paragon surge-forge ring the next day. before you ask, notice that the spell says nothing about ignoring feat prerequisites, so you would still need to meet those. no reliquary arms and shield for you. lol.

I personally allow this spell in my games. It has never been a big deal. I wish people would quit whining so much about game-balance. Pathfinder is not an MMORPG or some s%%&. Your personal pathfinder game essentially exists inside of a vacuum, noone else effects your game but your group. So what if other players out there are doing dumb s%#+. Things are only OP if an individual GM can't deal with them. Every Gm has a different threshhold and trying to conform the entire game to one single standard is stupid. If anything about the game is too strong for you to deal with as a GM, just tell your players "This s$$% is too crazy. I can't balance the encounters with this dumb s+@% in the game. it won't be fun." If the players are reasonable people that will be enough. if they're not, f@&# em. get new friends.

@Cuup: Jiggy was referring to the fact that the Magus1/Wizard1 was the same character, using a Wizard spell slot to prepare Magic Missile (this one being interfered with by armor) and a Magus spell slot to prepare Magic Missile. Why does that same character need to take off his armor for one but not the other?

because he dipped into a reduntant class like an idiot. if he knew what he was doin he woulda gone sorcerer instead. cross-blooded with blue dragon and orc. or maybe orc and earth elemental, for those pesky lightning-immune enemies. you can still dump your charisma since it's not an actual requirement of the class, just the spells.

If that doesn't do it for you, consider this... Wizard and magus are different classes, each requiring different training to acquire. The magus can't cast the wizard spells while wearing armor, nor can he use them with spellcombat (I think so anyway. not gonna look it up right now). The spells may share the same name, but they are still different. each version requires a different method to cast. Magi perform spells differently than wizards.

All types of casters do things differently. It's similar to the reason why you always need to roll spellcraft when an enemy is casting magic missile. Sure you've seen a million magic missiles, you probably know the spell yourself, but each spellcaster has different methods depending on their traditions and training. A classically schooled wizard who learned magic in a university will likely adhere to astrict formulae. His spells are equations. The gestures, words, and spell component must be meticulously practiced and perfectly executed. These methods can be completely different from one university to the next.

Also, the appearance of the spell might be different. The appearance of a spell can be anything you desire as long as it doesn't interfere with game mechanics. Your magic missiles might be the standard globes of purple light, or they could be little red hands, flipping you the bird as they fly towards your face.

A goblin wizard would do things a lot differently than your typical gandalf. The goblin might do a little jig, throw some chicken bones in the air, then turn around and fart out five globules of green ooze that hit automatically and deal 1d4+1 damage per glob. If the gandalf from the last example is watching this happen, he likely has no idea that a magic missile spell is being cast, or even wtf is happening. The methods for casting spells are so varied that a mage would have to have lots of experience and knowledge in order to know what spell is headed his way (represented by the spellcraft check)

And That's just a comparison between two members of the same class. Sorcerers, bards, magi, and witches, are even more different in their methods. The possibilities are indeed endless.

It's not really a mcguffin when it's function and purpose are explained.

Time travel. Older you (or your rival, or some deity) manages to convince younger you to go into a different line of work. Maybe this prevents you from causing some greater catastrophe because power really goes to your head. Maybe alternate you could even turn up as the BBEG further down the road.

Be sure to occasionally look at the party wizard and sigh wistfully at what might have been.

saw this trait, with a little reflavoring it will go great what with you said...

[trait] FOUL BRAND:: Effect: You have the symbol of an evil deity burned into your flesh. If the symbol is on your hand, you take a –1 penalty on Disable Device, Disguise, and Sleight of Hand checks. If the symbol is on your face, you take a –2 penalty on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Disguise checks.

So here's what I'm thinking... My future self caused some great magical catastrophe that practically destroyed the world. He went back in time to brand his past self (that's me) with a glyph that prevents me from casting spells. I don't know that the guy was me from the future, so I just want to take revenge and get my magic back. My mission will be to literally kill myself XD

Time travelling nearly destroyed him. He realized that no living creature could survive the trip through time. When it becomes apparent to him that I am still on the path to f$~@ing everything up, he starts sending terminator golems back in time to kill me.

Does he have to have been a wizard or could he have been some other kind of arcane caster? Maybe a sorcerer who had the power in their blood stolen away or a witch who's connection to their patron was severed?

I want him to be a former wizard. I like all the flavor stuff for them. The whole thing about an old man toiling away in his tower, locked away from the world. The magic experiments and countless hours of study. Wizards have to work very hard for their magic, making it all the more infuriating when that power is taken away.

Not sure if it's been mentioned, but how 'about something that has permanently reduced his intelligence to something below 10? He'd still technically have the ability to cast spells, but would be limited to spells of level -1 or lower due to his intelligence score.

Cuz I still want skill points XD

hmmm. his power loss could be a result of personal hubris. he misused an artifact and suffered the consequences. that's a good one. thanks man.

perhaps he has a constant raging boner? not enough blood in his brain for casting?

o cool. i have never heard of spellblight before. good idea.

not having any luck with Roll20 lately and i'm really jonesing for a game. Is anyone out there in internet land currently running an online Pathfinder campaign that needs another player? It doesn't have to be Roll20 specifically. I'm broke right now so anything that requires a membership fee won't work.

I'm a good roleplayer with over 15 years experience. I like to play castersand rogues mostly, with the occasional paladin mixed in. I work from home and have no life. Attendance will not be a problem. Available any day/time. I'd prefer a long campaign with good rp opportunities and cool players. A group that stays together over several campaigns would be awesome. I also enjoy long walks on the beach (and short walks to the bedroom, reowr) XD.

I have already done stuff with amnesia with past characters, don't really want to go there again. idk what spellblight is, but I'll check.

campaign is level one. as long as it's official paizo stuff, it's allowed.

Wow, those replies came quick. Thank yall for your ideas. My magic did not necessarily have to be lost during a fight. It was just caused by a rival in some way, like a curse or wish or whatever.

I wouldn't be opposed to ideas outside the of the whole "a rival screwed me out of my magic" thing. It could have happened some other way I guess. Great ideas so far, keep em comin. And thanks again.

I'd like some help with a character concept please..

the idea is that he used to be a wizard. his spellcasting ability was somehow taken away by a rival mage (still workin on that). with no magical ability left,, he hit the gym super hard and learned to wield a sword. he's gonna take feats and stuff for fighting casters to better get revenge on the guy that screwed him over. he's gonna be like 50 years old, and buff as hell.

I would appreciate some ideas to justify how he lost the ability to cast spells. I still want decent mental stats, so that leaves out the feeblemind spell. I was thinking of level drain or something maybe, but I'm not sure. Any ideas would be great. I'm also aware of all the modifiers for old age, I don't mind them.

I really don't need optimization advice or anything, just ideas for how someone would lose their magickal abilities.

human sorcerer
high dexterity / high charisma (like always)
feats: weapon finesse, dervish dance. then maybe arcane strike with weapon focus. then you should be good
that's really all you need.

spells like mage armor, and shield (which stack together, btw) will be your basic protection. bracers of armor and rings of protection will boost your AC more. later spells like stoneskin and displacement make you quite tanky. Actual armor isn't necessary. You have spells. At later levels there are many ways to stay protected permanently, or at least get your buffs up quickly. If you're a caster who's not using protective spells on yourself, you're not going to last long anyway.
Get a metamagic rod of quickening or something to protect yourself with swift actions later on.

Enchant your scimitar with straight up enhancement bonus to boost your attack at first, then your to hit bonus and damage will be good enough. You won't be amazing at melee combat. You won't be the most powerful in the world, but you will be really good at both things.

All this class dipping is totally unnecessary. any build that suggests spreading your character levels over three or four classes is dumb.

a magus with craft wand feat and wand-wielder arcana never "runs out of juice"

advanced firearms are indeed OP, and that's how it should be. the world of Golarion is on the brink of a technological revolution. one nation is already well into it and producing all of these advanced firearms. in reality guns beat swords. that's just how it is and i'm glad the game mechanics reflect that fact. nerfing firearms would be dumb as hell by making the game even more ridiculous than it already is. if you don't like guns just ban all of them instead of trying to make them crappy hand crossbows. you could just tell your players that guns haven't been invented yet because you're moving the timeline back to before the standard setting. say it like that instead of whining about how guns are too strong. also, if you have trouble dealing with strong characters, try getting better at GMing instead of gimping everybody because you're too dumb to handle a well designed character. if you want to GM for crappy people stick to GMing for noobs cuz once a player knows what they're doing they will become too much for your dumbass to handle. half of these forums are crappy GMs whining about how any player with half a brain can make a character "OP". like, anybody could enchant any weapon with holy and devilbane and totally wreck on some of the most powerful creatures in the bestiary. All characters should be optimized at least a little and if you can't handle that then shut up and get good at GMing. Don't try to nerf the entire game because you don't know how to build challenging encounters. I'll give you one for free...there's a f!!$ing thing called MAGIC. displacement alone would cause a gunslinger to miss most of the time, not to mention stoneskin, bullet shield, and all kinds of stuff. if you want to knock that gunslinger down a peg just put him up against a kensai or anything with DR. DR 10 would make a slinger useless.