Goroxx's page

I'm a DM of a group who took a three year detour using a Different D&D System, and after much trial, tribulation and frustration, we're going to be returning to Golarion with Pathfinder.

I've always loved the Golarion setting, but there are several creative types in our group who enjoy creating their own kingdoms, societies, factions, etc.

Having been *ahem* gone for awhile, are there any regions or areas on the Inner Sea map where we could easily drop in a homebrew kingdom or two? We did try a conversion of the Kingmaker path that didn't really work and the group wasn't real fond of the River Kingdoms area anyway, so we're looking for places outside the River Kingdoms zone.

Any help for a DM and group who's seen the light would be appreciated.

I DM a rather large group of players (7-8) and we're deep into the Runelords adventure path and loving it.

In all of the previous adventures, my solution to the greater-than-normal number of players was just to add more monsters than what was called for in the encounter; it has worked out well. The book says three ogres? Lets make it six! I don't have a lot of prep time, and that was the simplest solution. We've had no problems at all and were having a blast. Up till now, that is.

The title of this thread is somewhat misleading. Its not my player's fault, they have played wonderfully so far. However, we've noticed that since most of them have hit 9th or 10th level, none of the encounters in this adventure have been really challenging for them. The attack on Sandpoint was fun, the journey to Jorgenfist was fun, but we've hit several encounters in a row now where it doesn't matter how many extras I throw at them or combination of tricky tactics, the monsters can't really *hurt* the PC's. Their damage output is very low compared to my PC's. The last couple of combats (deathwebs, redcaps) we just called as PC victories after a few rounds when it became apparent that eventually the monsters would bite it and no PC would be hurt worse than our healbot cleric could fix them up.

All of my players commented that since the change was so sudden (9th or 10th level), we probably have moved out of the infamous "sweet spot" and are seeing firsthand some of the effects of the way the math affects the game at this level. I'm not faulting my players at all for developing their characters they way they did. I'm also not faulting the adventure author for not making it harder; it was after all designed for a party of 4, not 7. I'm not faulting myself because, well...I'm the DM, and the DM is never wrong. (just kidding)

A good DM adjusts the adventure when he/she sees their party not having fun or not being challenged. I already have several ideas, I'm just interested in seeing how anyone else has handled sudden mid-campaign leaps in power like that.

Tonight's the night, my players should enter the Misgivings. Because this part of the adventure is so creepy, for the first time I'm going to break out of the mold and really set up the room to reflect that. I'm lowering all the lights except the ones over the table. I'm not planning on using a battlemat because I want them to really visualize the surroundings.

I'm also planning to use some dark ambient music playing in the background. I found that the Duskwood ambient theme from World of Warcraft works great, six minutes long and works great as a loop. Unfortunately, I found that you can't download that from the WoW site anymore. However, I found a great website where you can download all kinds of dark ambient music for free: Darkwinter.com. Check out the audio section, there's a ton of good stuff there.

Anyone else have good links to free music that they've used in their games?

Need some advice on tactics in Pathfinder #2

I'm fuzzy on the details - I know that Wizards of the Coast was propelled to fame and fortune on the back of Magic: The Gathering, and with that they bought up floundering TSR. They produced a new (IMHO better) edition of D&D with 3.0, but then it gets blurry - just when, how, and why did WOTC end up in the hands of Hasbro? Since I've read that many feel that pressures from Hasbro are spurring on this new edition, I was just wondering a bit about the corporate history of it all.

Ok, the following section contains spoilers, but I have a question regarding running the 2nd adventure.

While going back and forth between here, ENWorld and WOTC/Gleemax, I've read a lot of comments along the lines of "sure, there are things in 3.5 that are broken, but they can be fixed." I've heard several calls for "maybe a version 3.75" that can fix some of the "broken" rules in 3.5.

I'm curious as to what the Paizo family of designers, players, forum members, etc., think are specifically some of the "broken" game mechanics in 3.5 - and how you'd fix them. I'm talking about confining it to just the PHB/SRD here, game rules only. Also, lets confine it to game mechanics only; not fluff issues regarding elves/eldarin, the Great Wheel, or the like. I'll start off:

WHAT I THINK IS "BROKEN": Feat System. Too many feats that might be useful, but no one would take them due to limited number of feat slots over the course of a characters levels. Too many levels where you get nothing from leveling except a bump in HP and maybe a saving throw bonus.

HOW I WOULD FIX IT: In my home game, I've made a list of "secondary" mostly non-combat benefit-type feats, things like "Diligient" or "Acrobatic" (plus the item creation feats, wanted to jumpstart my player's making their own items for once). On levels where you would not normally get a feat (2,4,5,7,8, etc.) they get to pick a feat from this secondary list. This way they have something to look forward to each level. So far in our Pathfinder campaign, its working well.

Ok, your turn - what would you fix about 3.5?

Just got back from picking up an order my friendly local game store, and they had oodles of Paizo stuff for me, but no Critical Hit Deck. The owner called his distributor (Alliance) and they told him that the Critical Hit Deck "was not out yet, hasn't been published". Now, being an intelligent Paizo fan, I KNOW the deck has been published and is for sale - is Alliance fibbing here?

I would love to just order from Paizo straight up, but I feel it is vitally important to the current and future health of our hobby to support our FLGS's, and I try to keep all my game-related purchases local.

So any truth to this? I know that some distributors (**Alliancecoughcough**) can be very difficult to work with. I will wait as long as it takes to buy my products locally, but the temptation is getting greater every week as I keep drooling over the prospect of unleashing the Crit Hit Deck at my table.

I love the new concept for goblins here in Pathfinder. You've done a nice job of taking a cliche'd old monster and made them fresh and even a little fun, vicious lil pyromaniacs that they are.

So now that Paizo's not chained to WotC's intellectual property, how about giving the same treatment to some other monsters?

I'm suggesting trolls to start with. I'm quite tired of the old 1st edition AD&D version of trolls - "thin, rubbery, and loathsome". And for heaven's sake, I know they regenerate, but here in 3rd Edition, with that goofy nose drooping down past their chin, they'd be biting it off every time they eat. I'd like to see trolls put back in their Norse mythology place as big, strong, and scary, similar to what we saw in the LotR movies. Or heck - turn the whole troll concept on its head and give them a civilization. Or something like that.

I see this a great opportunity to get really creative and break out of some of the stale old stereotypes that D&D as perpetuated now for 30 years.

So how about it? Anyone have any other ideas for other monsters they'd like to see re-imagined like Paizo's done with goblins? Post 'em up here!

Like everyone else, my first reaction was bitter disappointment, but then after reviewing your site further and seeing your vision for Pathfinder, I started to get excited thinking about the direction that Paizo could take us now that they're freed from the corporate shackles of WOTC. The whole idea of Adventure Paths were the best thing that ever happened to Dungeon magazine (Savage Tide being the best one yet). Then I started poking around further, and read the Pathfinder blog page.

You sold me. From the ideas for a new world to play in, to fantastic artwork, it looked great. Then there were the goblins - they were it. I'm in. Anyone who can take a tired old run-of-the-mill monster and make 'em fresh, new, menacing, and even a lil funny the way you have has got my money. Dungeon magazine has consistently churned out the best adventures in the past few years under Paizo's leadership. I trust them to take it to the next level.

My only dilemma is how I'm going to get it. I'd dearly love to support my FLGS, but the distribution channels in our hobby stink these days and its always a crapshoot as to whether they'll get new game materials in on schedule. So for the first time, I'm probably going to subscribe. If I think about it, its not that much more expensive than buying the Dungeon and Dragon magazines every month. Or any more expensive than my now-canceled World of WarCrack subscription. Or a couple of cases of cheap beer...but you get the point.

New adventure campaigns, new monsters, new world - I'm sensing a fresh cool breeze blowing through the world of D&D. Count me in.

During this weeks gaming session, my brave band of adventurers will most likely meet and kill the tiefling Bozal. Its only the 2nd day of the Games, but they managed to bluff/bribe/slip past the guards to make their way down to the secret chambers that hold the growing ulgurstasta.

My question is this: The adventure has a cool ending planned, with the ulgurstasta bursting forth from the ground during the final fight, the adventurers having to fight it on the floor of the arena. This scene will happen only if Bozal willfully drops the wall of force surrounding the monster on time. According to the Apostolic Scrolls sidebar, if he (as the original reader of the scrolls) is killed, the ulgurstasta will lose 1d8 hp/day until reverts back to an average version of its type, and then be released. According to the Fiend Folio, an average ulgurstasta has 110 hp. That means it needs to lose 94 hp - assuming an average 1d8 roll of 4.5, this means in roughly 20 days it will revert and then be released "in an extraordinarily foul mood".

I would like somehow to keep the final scene and have the thing released in just a few days, as it is much more dramatic. But how can I do that if the person who can release the ulgurstasta at will, Bozal, is dead? I guess I could have Raknian homself release the thing during the last fight using one of the ways listed in the sidebar, but I don't know. I'd appreciate any help or suggestions.

My group is about to finish Three Faces of Evil, and will be starting Blackwall keep soon. In preparing for the future, I know that my party HATES dopplegangers and the headaches they can cause in an adventure. No offense is meant to anyone who like dopplegangers, its just how my group of players feels; they really would not like an adventure that centers around dopplegangers.

If I recall correctly (don't have it in front of me at the moment), the bad guy has some scrolls that are the adventure's only real tie to the overall Age of Worms plot.

Since I can stick scrolls in any treasure pile, my question is this: is there another good city-based adventure printed in Dungeon in the last few years that I can substitute for Hall of Harsh Reflections, one that is around HoHR's recommended 7th character level? I know that I can remove the dopplegangers from the adventure, but since they're so central to the adventure's plot, I feel that I would make more mistakes that way than by just playing a different adventure, and putting the right Age of Worms treasure at the proper spots. Has anyone else made a substitution here?

Thanks in advance