Glen Taylor's page

Please correct me if someone has already brought this up.

I'm liking the kineticist; it feels like it fills a gap, occult or not occult. And my personal leaning is toward the aether kineticist (telekineticist). But it seems like there should be an option to throw bolts of pure force, rather than just picking up and throwing available unattended objects. Do any of the other kineticists need to use the materials around them to be effective (even if the material is ubiquitous)? This could be a purely cosmetic change, or it could be a separate form of simple blast. I would favor the latter. It could do bludgeoning damage, or perhaps force damage (likely with a lower damage amount). Doing force damage isn't strictly necessary, as if the character wants to do that, he'll learn the Force Blast composite blast wild talent.

I talked to customer service as well about this. I didn't get anywhere, of course; book distribution and availability is way above the pay grade of the minimum-wage customer service guy. Not his fault. Probably not anyone's fault; I just hope they fix it.

In the mean time, I'd recommend everyone who has had this problem bring the issue up with Amazon customer service. They track these things, and it's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease.

GT

The printability is a definite valid concern. I'll brainstorm ways to deal with that. Thanks.

Glen Taylor

IMNSHO "spam-can" (high-STR/low-DEX/low-INT) paladins are intensely boring.

= = = = =

STR+16
DEX:16
CON:14
INT:14
WIS:07
CHA:14

deity: Shelyn
traits: Dangerously Curious, Threatening Defender

01 pala1 Combat Expertise, Weapon Focus:Glaive
02 monk1 [Flowing][Improved Trip]
03 pala2 Improved Reposition
04 pala3
05 pala4 [Channel Positive Energy], Crusader's Flurry
06 pala5 [Weapon Bond]
07 monk2 [Combat Reflexes], Greater Trip
08 pala6 ...etc.

Did you really mean 7 Wisdom? That's gonna hurt Will saves and monk AC bonus... Plus, can you really picture such a dedicated ascetic holy warrior so lacking in wisdom and determination? Seems he'd be the laughing-stock of the monastery. I'd bring down Intelligence, Constitution and Strength before I sank Wisdom that low.

GT

Again disagree. The Jedi help when

A: They are told to by the republic
b: It benefits the Jedi order itself
c: When it balances the force in some manner.

Nothing they have done in the whole history of the orders ( Been a few at this point) does not meet one of those three.They have the power to do much good, yet they do not. They seek balance there code is all about balance they could give a rats ass about good if that good unbalances the force is is bad. They do not heal the sick ( they can) , they do not cloth and feed the poor or homeless ( hey could) they do not battle druglord, pirates or slavers unless it meets one of the three above. They do not run around righting wrongs, they never have. They go on missions they are given by either the republic and sometimes these do "good" things, which is a side effect of the mission not the goal.

But you seem to falsy thing " Light" side = good and "dark" side=bad. This is not the case.Some "Dark" jedi are not evil, they are in fact good or at lest lean more toward good and less toward balance. You "fall" when you use emotion to rule you, when you call upon the force not with a calm sense of balance but emotion. And not just with fear, hate or anger but also joy,lust or excitement.

And before you bring up sith, they are NOT dark "jedi" or just dark force users. They are a single type of force users who tap into the force using darker emotions. Mostly Hate, fear and anger.

The "Dark" side is emotion, the "Light" side is balance. Good or evil does not enter into it really.

All right, I'll weigh into this tangent...

The paladin is intended to be the ultimate paragon of a D&D campaign world. He embodies the highest virtues of the world itself in a world where good and evil are made manifest and concrete. Although there is sometimes a grey area between good and evil actions, good and evil are potent forces in their own right and cannot be denied.

The jedi is intended to be the ultimate paragon of the Star Wars universe. He embodies the highest virtues of the Galaxy in universe embroiled in a titanic struggle between the the light and dark sides of the Force, a limitless power formed from all life and consciousness. Living according to a code of serenity grants the jedi power, which becomes corrupted if he strays from that code.

From a narrative point of view, paladins and jedi are equivalent. The paladin follows a very objective code; here's a list of things you must do, here's a list of things you must not do. The jedi live by a more holistic code than the paladin; they serve the big picture, which might require some acts that are less than honest or even harm others, but it always serves to uphold the ascendancy of the light side of the Force.

Within their settings, the codes are equally stringent, so the real difference is a matter of flavor.

GT

I'd assume you'd have limited options if you're in someone's backpack or on their back as opposed to you being mounted on something designed as a mount. Difficulty with drawing your gear while you're in a backpack or difficulty with balancing if you're not in a backpack. Stuff like that. I'd assume there'd be some mechanical drawbacks because they say Bipeds can't get the Mount evolution.

That brings up just the most... odd... mental image... Picture a gnome or halfling summoner with a medium or large eidolon that he used as a mount from a position in a backpack... Pump up the eidolon with combat capability...

"Who run Bartertown?!"

Paladins are my number 1 favorite class (followed closely by monk), so I've got to chime in.

Nothing wrong with your plan. I, personally, would have put the 18 in charisma rather than strength, but then, I like to emphasize the paladin abilities; I know you're going for higher damage with 2-handed weapons.

I've never been much for the falchion, but that's just a matter of personal style.

I'd say that the Unbreakable archetype, as it stands, is perfectly balanced for the flavor it represents. If you're going for damage per round, it's not for you. But if you're sick and tired of having your character yanked around by mind control and status effects, and want someone who can take a lickin' and keep on tickin', you might want to make an Unbreakable. This time, when the mind-flayer tries to blast your consciousness into oblivion before eating your brain, you just give him the finger and then head-butt him to death.

GT

Make it 1 hit point per different die size Glen. That's the change in average HP.

I thought of that, but went with the change in maximum possible hit points rather than average, which is more stringent, but either would work. I like the idea of a higher trade-off so the player perceives it as a genuine price being paid.

I suppose, also, that my way would have you gaining 2 hit points if you converted a level of paladin into barbarian. Going with average, you would gain 1 hit point.

Just decide which rule to use and stick with it, and it's fair.

GT

Here's a possibility.

Falling from grace as a paladin is catastrophic, and leaves you as a shell of the man you once were (losing all the paladin-specific abilities). However, over time and with long soul-searching, you can come to grips with your loss and even grow stronger from your struggles.

Game terms:

Let's say you are a 5th-level paladin, and you fall. You are now a 5th-level paladin without any paladin abilities; life sucks.

However, when you reach 6th level, you not only take a level in whatever class you select (obviously not paladin), but you also swap one level of paladin for a level in another class, and recalculate your abilities as if you had always had a level in that class. Do this again each time you gain a level, until you either run out of paladin levels or decide to hang onto some paladin levels in case you fully atone some day.

Hit points are a stickler, but easy enough: for each level in a class with d10 hit dice, keep hit points the same. For each level in a class with d8 hit dice, remove 2 hit points from your maximum. For each level in a class with d6 hit dice, remove 4 hit points from your maximum (I realize that's not statistically accurate, but it makes for an equitable trade-off).

This change is one-way; if you atone and regain your paladin-hood (assuming you still have any levels of paladin left), you do not re-convert those class levels back to paladin.

I believe that, if it were my campaign, I would make a rule that you can only convert levels of paladin into levels in specific classes. The most appropriate classes to choose from are fighter and cavalier, as their class abilities at least resemble a paladin without divine abilities. However, I could also see the player selecting ranger (as he draws away from people into the wilderness) or barbarian (his frustration with falling from grace becoming a burning rage). Balance-wise, no class is really a problem, though.

GT

Hello, all!

I wrote up a new arcane spellcasting class for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game that comes with much of the same flavor as the wizard, but uses completely new rules for spell preparation. This class (the "mage") prepares spells as they are needed, rather than all at once, and is not limited to a certain number of spells per day or even on a system of spell points.

I made it into a Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatible Product, and it is 100% Open Game Content.

I put it up on RPGNow for $1.00. I hope you'll check it out.

Here it is: http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=83862

Glen R. Taylor

As a player, paladins have been one of my favorite classes for years, and I'm always disappointed when I encounter a GM who doesn't like them or doesn't allow them. As a GM, I'm pretty strict on paladins, but always give multiple clear warnings about code violations. So, I'd say that, more than any other class, a paladin in a party requires a partnership between the player and GM.

If I had to boil it down to one thing, I'd say that the one thing that playing a paladin "correctly" requires is looking beyond the rules and finding the character's personality. Paladins don't follow their rules simply to the letter; they make their decisions based on their personal moral and ethical principles. If a character's personality doesn't fit with the rules of a paladin, then the GM should encourage the player to consider changing the character to a fighter, cleric, or fighter/cleric. That will let him play the character he wants.

Hey, folks of the Paizo community. I'm just putting out the word that I started up a new column as the Detroit Tabletop Gaming Examiner at Examiner.com (here: http://www.examiner.com/x-52440-Detroit-Tabletop-Gaming-Examiner). So far, I've covered mostly industry information, but I intend to work my way through any topic I can come up with, including gaming advice and anything suggested by people leaving comments. I've already discussed Paizo and Pathfinder briefly in my most recent article, and they're sure to come up again, since I run a Pathfinder game.

Game on!

Glen Taylor
Detroit Tabletop Gaming Examiner

Hydro wrote:

I just want to chime in and say that I played in a game on the Necromancer Games boards where we had over 20 PCs in one room tangling with an enormous mob of Orcusite cultists.

Our bard- and with five or six adventuring parties present we still only had one bard between us- was a freak'in rockstar.

That's a slightly hyperbolic example, I'll admit, but bards still rock in large (martially inclined) groups. The more attacks a group is making, the more powerful inspire courage becomes.

if you want to play a buffer character play a cleric that way or a wizard.

Maybe if people really like this type of character maybe a tactician class should be designed to allow others options personally i think many will not play the bard class.

You play a bard if you want to play a character who is a specific fantasy archetype: the traveling storyteller and magical musician. This has shown up in mythology (Orpheus, Apollo, and the legendary Irish bards), fantasy literature (Fflewddur Fflam from the Chronicles of Prydain, Jon-Tom Merriweather and others from the Spellsinger series, many of the elves from Middle Earth, etc.), and video games (the Bard's Tale, for example).

You could play a multi-class rogue-druid to get some of this flavor, but not very effectively. And what if you don't want to "buff" your party; you want to inspire them?

It all depends on why you play the game. If the flamboyant feel of the bard isn't your cup of tea, don't play one. If it is, you can accept no substitutes.

GT