Starfinder Society GM. 207 posts. No reviews. No lists. No wishlists. 25 Organized Play characters. 
Does anyone know if there are any subsystems that allow you to reduce the minimum crew needed to use a starship?
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To be fair to Aaron, what he describes that Paizo are going through are the initial stages any company would go through if they wanted to address significant cultural issues. Cultural change is difficult and often fails. Creating policies to make the necessary changes requires expertise that just won't exist within most organisations. In addition, companies with cultural issues tend not to actually know the extent of the problem or problems. Discussing these issues with the people you work with to draw out the problems and the hiring of a full time HR expert is really the starting point. Until this has been done they can't really start to address the problems. Once they have spoken to their employees and the HR expertise is in place then you would expect to see changes to policy, procedures etc. As tempting as it is to go straight into problem solving mode it just doesn't work in the long run as it doesn't address the root causes. My one concern is that there has not really been a statement from the top to set out where they stand on diversity and inclusion. Paizo constantly imply that it is their products and refer to it in blogs and forum posts but you would expect it to be up front on the website and if it does exist I can’t find it. Admittedly as that kind of statement would tend to come at CEO/Chairman level it would probably be Jeff’s to make which might not help considering some of the allegations.
The guide to organised play states:
Does this mean that if you don't have the Achivement points to pay for a Second Chance Boon at the time of the adventure you can never make the character available for organised play again? Or, can you purchase the boon at some point in the future when you have saved up enough achivement points from playing other characters and then be able to use the character again?
And Swashbuckler, and Rogue. How many things are immune to precision damage? Can I just say thanks for your work on the spreadsheet. It's something I find really useful.
And Swashbuckler, and Rogue. How many things are immune to precision damage? According to the monster spreadsheet which is available on the PF2 Tools site, there are 154 monsters immune to precision out of 2288. The same tool has 312 out of the 2288 monsters with Attacks of Opportunity however this ramps up quite significantly at higher levels where you are getting 30% to 60% of the monsters with AoO.
Nothing says you don't, it says you Cast a Spell. Anything that triggers off of casting a spell will trigger. If a subordinate action triggers something, it's still triggered. Yeah. Rereading the text, Cast a Spell is capitalised so it does refer to the specific action. Although it reduces the output of the class it probably makes them more intresting as you will have to think how to avoid the AoO if you are up against creatures that possess one. I can see Starlight Span hybrids being quite popular too,
One thing I'm a bit unclear on is if using spell strike would provoke an attack of opportunity. My gut feeling is that it wouldn't. You seem to be using the new spellstrike action which doesn't have the manipulate or move trait, rather than either a strike action or the cast a spell action (which might have the manipulate component). Probably just missed it but would have thought it would be something that is clearly spelt out considering how critical it is.
I reckon it's going to do to Ultimate Combat what Secrets of Magic did to Ultimate Magic. It's probably the one major absence from the current line up.
Most of the caster first level feats are linked to the class themes. For example the bard's muse gives a 1st level class feat. There is also one non-muse feat for bards which gives an option for a human bard. The other classes are similar.
There isn't really on consensus on these unfortuately. There are a fair few threads (For example: Does a wit swashbuckler gain panche from a successful, ineffective Bon Mot ) with a number of different view points (Things like success being specifically defined in the glossary as suceeding at a check which as a step preceeds later steps such as applying immunities etc. In short, it's probably worth chatting through with your GM (You need to get a handle on if they are going to let you gain Panche from other sources anyway so you might as well get their view on this too).
I did check out the numbers in detail when the Swashbuckler first came out and if you use the Bestiary then it's a big bonus. There is a clear progression in the liklihood of a creature having a high save/perception DC. If you select only Bestiary creatures then targetting Perception is the worse, then Fortitude, then Reflexes then Will. The number of creatures with a Will save higher than their perception DC is very small. This had changed a bit in Bestiary 2 and there was a much better spread of high scores for the monsters. I think they realised they had gone overboard on Perception DCs in the orignal Bestiary.
I must admit that I do feel the current number of interesting magic and mundane items is a little on the low side. However, I'm hopeful that the magic sourcebook will add a good number of such items and Guns and Gears will add the more interesting mundane ones. What I hope they don't do is try and fix a game problem with a class/rule with magic items. It wasn't satisfying to have to use a specific item in Pathfinder 1 to enable certain class builds to be viable so I really hope they don't go down that line for pathfinder 2. I am quite optimistic that they won't do this however as so far they have fixed issues without reliance on items (or not fixed it at all).
I would have said DC from item level and then modified by item rarity to account for the extra text in brackets. "The GM determines the DC based on the item’s level (possibly adjusted depending on the item or situation)." I seem to recall that rarity effects other level based DCs although I may have imagined that.
Ask you GM to let you treat it as an uncommon weapon. If they do you can take the Human Racial Feat Unconventional Weaponry and your proficiency will scale as you level. You could say that you're from Tian and that the Starknife isn't a common weapon in Tian (We haven't had anything about that continent yet), it is however a common weapon in Avistan and use that reasoning for the prerequisites of the Unconventional Weapon feat. I'm pretty sure that's not allowed under the rules directly so no Organised Play games but it could be enough to pursuade your GM to let you use it (You could even be a worshipper of Desna to really lay it on).
Draconic is probably the most important after common (Taldane). Draconic is a key language to pick up. Not just because there are a lot of dragons but if you look through the Bestiary most Demons, Devils and Angels speak Draconic as well (or understand all languages). This is to such an extent I wouldn't waste a language on celestial, infernal or abyssal. Most creatures who speak Aklo also speak common, draconic or can communicate in all languges so I wouldn't say that is particularly important either. Sylvan and Undercommon cover a lot of other creatures that aren't covered by common and draconic so I would suggest both of those. As of yet there isn't a specific language for Tian spirits as there was in 1st edition (Senzar) but I suspect that's more to do with the lack of material for that area in second edition than the removal of the language so maybe keep a slot free for that. As mentioned by Graystone and others, the languages that replace common in specific areas are going to be important if you head there (Tien and Polygot in addition to Taldane and Undercommon previously mentioned). After those six (seven if Senzar is included) then your not getting as much value per language. They can still help. There are some giants that speak Jotun and not common for example but it is nowhere near as widespread as the other languages I've mentioned. So: Taldane
I also suspect that as they add areas we will see more versions of common and some other widespread languages (I suspeact Vudrani will be fairly widespread for example when Paizo get around to cover that area)
In addition to those mentioned don't forget the technical stuff. Can people talk and hear comms properly and see everyone if using video? Are people able to properly mute their microphones (either through push to talk or higher quality microphones) so people can't hear them eat etc. Can people access the VTT Ok? Are they able to control their token properly and is it working as expected. Is there an expectation that people contribute to the cost of the VTT if appropriate. Also can people please turn off there microphone if they go to the bathroom. Seriously. It's very off putting. It really shouldn't happen. At all.
Oops. I did indeed mean Undetected.
If Merisiel beats the goblins Perception DC then she is unnoticed by them which is a specific condition (page 623) where they know someone is about but not where they are. In effect they have to guess the square she is in and if they guess successfully they roll their DC 11 flat check. If there is no cover or concealment available then unless they have an ability that lets them hide while observered, Merisiel becomes observed as per the rules for Hide on page 251. However, this would be rare in most settings as there is likely to be something they can take cover behind (Barrels, tables, corners etc). I would be very careful about having situations where there is no cover/concealment available as it removes tactical options which make the fight less exciting. It also robs some classes of a significant chunk of their key abilities which should be something you should only do in very rare and specific circumstances.
I also like the approach taken by Captain Morgan. In effect make Merisiel's initiative roll first and only procede to the rest of the rolls if she fails to beat the perception DC.
My take on it: From the section on stealth and initiative in the Gamesmastery Guide and the second part of the description of Avoid Notice in the main rulebook, the implication is that if there is an encounter and a potential for combat then initiative is rolled and at that point you would see if the character remained hidden. So the order would not be Merisiel makes a stealth check to see if she is detected, then upon failing you switch into encounter mode and everyone including Merisiel rolls for initiative. You would start in encounter mode because it is an encounter. If you take the text in the Gamemastery guide (Page 11 of the Gamesmastery Guide) the order would be: -Merisiel useds Avoid Notice during exploration mode -There is Potential for combat (It is an encounter) so Merisiel rolls stealth for initiative (Because she was using Avoid Notice) the gang members and other party members roll perception for initiative. -If Merisiel fails to beat the gang members perception DC with her stealth initiative roll, then she is noticed and the gang members take action against her on their initiative. -If Merisiel's stealth initiative roll is higher than the gang's perception DC then she remains hidden. If Merisiel's presence is the only reason why any further action would occur during the encounter you can just rule everyone continues what they were doing and the encounter ends. -You could alternatively continue the encounter and make everyone take their actions (Gang members continue what they are doing, party members walk down the street etc) until you reach Merisiel's turn. At which point you could make her use the sneak action to get past the gang members using the normal rules for that action. Now, the text in the Avoid Notice description (Page 479 of the core rule book) does talk about making a stealth roll to avoid notice as part of the exploration activity but that just gives you a general approach to use during exploration mode. If there is an encounter though then you would probably be best off using the more specific text after that that describes how Avoid Notice works in an encounter. However, you don't have to use encounter mode, you could just keep it in exploration mode (and in most cases that works fine). However that approach doesn't provide you with hard rules to adjudicate the situation you describe but using the more specific rules and treating it as an encounter does.
Sadly its nothing to do with proficiency. It is part of the definition of the sneak attack ability that if it is an unarmed attack it needs to be Agile or Finesse. So no Gorilla Slam.
As others have mentioned I'm not sure this is much supported by the rules or balanced if you are allowed to use silver pieces (and as people have said silver coins probably don't have enough silver in them anyway). Admittedly, I am tempted to allow as it's quite cool but would probably treat it the same as sling bullets in terms of costs etc to have something made from the relevant special material which you can use with telekinetic projectile.
I find pathfinder second edition both the hardest and easiest game I've ever ran. From the point of view of the rules and the mechanics it is really easy. Once you know the basics you can use the core rulebook as a reference document which it excels at. However, I found learning the basics from the core rule book really difficult until I managed to get some games under my belt. It's why the Beginers Box is so important as it allows you to get those first few sessions under your belt in a simple manner (Unless you know an experienced 2nd edition Pathfinder GM I would strongly recomend you start with the Beginners Box). The hardest part however is developing and tweeking the encounters. Not in terms of the numbers (AC, Saves, HP etc.) that is really easy with the tables in the Gamemastery Guide (and also held on Archives of Nethys). However, the monsters are designed in a different way to first edition (or any game I've played to be honest). Each monster or hazard has strengths and weaknesses as do each player. This can cause encounters to play out in very different ways. This means for the first time in an RPG i've played (and that's a long time) you have the opportunity to really make each encounter feel unique. However as GM you need to use these tools to do that and that takes hard work. Thankfully so far that hard work has paid off, I'm sure it will for you too.
If you are intrested try emailing one of the regional venture coordinators. There is definately a Baltic regional coordinator who will cover Norway so contact them. This link should help:
Obviously at the moment face to face games are a rarity but if you are happy with VTT play then most of the regions are running online PFS games at the moment. Just email any of the regional coordinators that play in a time zone that suits and I'm sure they will get back to you. I play in the Isles region and there are more games on offer over VTT at the moment than any sane person could attend ;)
I'm not sure why scaling against weapon skill is important. The alternative to a gymnast using Athletics to generate panache with a Trip, Grapple or Shove (Or any of the other styles using their style ability) is Acrobatics to Tumble Through. Panache is not really gained directly from using your weapons (There are some indirect options where you use a weapon but these are generally limited in application and tied to specific class feats and abilities). Gymnast also suffers from the save it targets as well as MAP. The alternate save is Fortitude (Tumble Through targets Reflex) which is often the highest save. Other styles (Braggart, Battledancer and Wit) target Will which is usually a lot lower. What balances Gymnast out is that it's panache ability (Trip, Grapple and Shove) is really useful for the group in its own right and can be used on pretty much anything (Bon Mot, Demoralise etc probably* don't effect mindless creatures for example). It's other advantage is that is can deal more damage than the other styles especially with its Exemplary Finisher. * There are some questions about how these abilities work on mindless creatures etc. In terms of this thread, each swashbuckler style requires you to play differently in combat. It even affects outside combat as it is going to be one of your three (Four if Acrobat Dedication) skills you take to Legendary.
I wonder if it is for the magic book due next or a later book? If it's the magic book then something like an Arcanist, Shaman or Inquisitor (Possibly also the Kineticist which would be cool) If it's for a different book then it could be anything. I do wonder if they might be going down the line of adding very specific character classes into Lost Omen books. I'm thinking of something like the Gunslinger in a book about the Impossible Lands.
Sadly I think the answer is no. Tumble Through is an action in itself seperate to Stride. Although it has Stride as a subordinate action I think the rules on page 461 apply to that element of it: "Using an activity is not the same as using any of its subordinate actions. For example, the quickened condition you get from the haste spell lets you spend an extra action each turn to Stride or Strike, but you couldn’t use the extra action for an activity that includes a Stride or Strike. As another example, if you used an action that specified, “If the next action you use is a Strike,” an activity that includes a Strike wouldn’t count, because the next thing you are doing is starting an activity, not using the Strike basic action."
I don't set a DC in these circumstances if the action already has a DC associated with it. At the GM's discretion, after succeeding at a check to perform a particularly daring action, such as swinging on a chandelier or sliding down a drapery, you also gain panache if your result is high enough (typically the very hard DC for your level, but the GM can choose a different threshold). If your roll for the action met the very hard DC for your level I would simple let you gain panache. That way you can describe your action however you want without clogging up the game with changing difficulties adding modifiers etc. So in your example, the action sounds like you would need an acrobatics roll to keep your balance so I would let you roll that against the correct DC for keeping your balance. If your roll would meet the very hard DC for your level you would gain panache independent of the outcome of the roll (although achieving a very hard DC would usually give you at least a success but you can always fail with style too). You would then be able to describe it however you want. Although it would be tempting to allow you to gain panache for something that doesn't normally require a roll, it creates a few problems. For example: If you allow someone to make an athletics roll to Stride in style and possibly gain panache this causes issues with the action economy. You could resolve this by making the action have a fail state if you don't make the very high DC but I'm not aware of any rules support to say that is possible (So although I do allow this in my home game, I wouldn't if it was Pathfinder Society play).
Would you say Ancestry Feats fall under Ancestry or feats.
What are the limits of Evolving Destiny? The text for the evolving destiny boon (Taken from this thread: Link to Thread on Achievement Text is:
Looking at the Core rulebook and the organised play guide there are clear restrictions on retraining when it comes to ancestry, heritage, background, class, and ability scores and these are not removed by the additional rules on retraining in the pathfinder guide. However I'm unsure how that interacts with Evolved Destiny: As it doesn't mention retraining do we just look at the text of the boon and ignore the retraining rules when deciding what the boon covers? Do we take the exclusions as only being from the text and if so which way do we view it.
In a similar manner how are Ancestry Feats treated as they are part of your ancestry but also a feat and so potentially covered by both elements of the boon text. Finally the text of evolving destiny doesn't make any mention at all of Ability Scores or Heritage. These are excluded from retraining but as mentioned earlier, the boon doesn't mention retraining in anyway.
From the post by James Case in the Errata thread:
In practice does the GM need to sign off the crafting roll as being sucessful on the chronicle sheet if someone does this? On a related note, can Hirelings craft for you?
it could just be assumed (reasonably based on the artwork) that pouches and straps and belts are just part and parcel with clothingWhy can't you still have pouches and bandoliers on you, even if you didn't explicitly buy them?So you're asking why a character can't have items they didn't buy? Isn't that how buying things works? It's actually explained that way in the errata: Worn items are tucked into pockets, belt pouches, bandoliers, weapon sheaths, and so forth, and they can be retrieved and returned relatively quickly. Damn 30 seconds too slow ;)
I know it is probably nothing and I shouldn't get my hopes up but this is now showing on the Upcoming Releases section of the Paizo front page.
I agree. It’s why I changed it when I started running it. However the writer not only picked a high level creature but then gave it the elite adjustment which is what brings it up to level 4. They must have wanted a level +3 encounter to give it the elite adjustment as it makes no sense to add it otherwise.
As has already been said, the Adventure Paths are written a long way in advance and the writers are still getting used to it. The monster levels in the Zoo are similar to what you got in 1st edition adventure paths. Single target level +3 and Level +2 fights were common and relatively easy to suceed at in first edition but are brutal in 2e. Over time I fully expect that will start to change. I suspect Agents of Edgewatch is the last of them as I'm sure I read somewhere that the writers submit the adventures 18 months or so before publication. In the meantime I use the Creature tables from the Gamesmastery Guide and use them to adjust numbers on the fly to make the encounters more sensible
Fight: The Rust Monster fight is Level + 3 for example which is meant to be for a major boss not a minor encounter in a Zoo. Dropping it to level +1 makes it much more in line with the expectations and using the tables it is really easy to adjust the numbers accordingly.
Outside of PFS I have started to use Hero Points as a way of smoothing out bad luck. Giving a hero point whenever they suffer from a critical hit or critical failure. A bit early to say if I prefer it to the default system but the initial few games have been quite promising.
As others note, the rules for attacking something while jumping without any Feats are Ready Action - Jump. You will usually need a way to increase your vertical leap to make this useful, but it's doable. Can you do this though? According to the description on page 470 the Ready action ends your turn so you wouldn’t then be able to jump.
And in fact Eric Mona expressed regret that he had let the idea go through and didn't listen to the people expressing their reservations, and all but stated that if it wasn't essentially financial ruin for Paizo at that point, he would have pulled the product. It's hardly being treated as untouchable by Paizo. As well as giving it additional support to help ensure some of the issues with the material are addressed they have also approved its use by one of the major RPG podcasts who are dedicated to playing through the Adventure Path.
Thank You
Could you let me know where the guide says this please? I've tried to find it in the guide but haven't been able to. It would be really useful to be able to point to it. Thanks
If you have been playing a few months you should be fine. You will already know all about the action system, multi attack penalties, movement, skill checks etc (If there is a skill you've never used then looking it up won't hurt). The Pathfinder Society scenarios list all the DCs in them and obviously check the rules recording any creature's special abilities. Here are a few things that might make things go smoother: Read the section on Hero Points. It is very easy to forget about them while you are juggling everything else in your head so having something/someone remind you can be helpful. Look through the organised play guide so you know what to do with Treasure Bundles, reporting, reputation etc. Have something handy which lists the conditions. If your playing over the internet there is probably some user created content covering these for whichever virtual table top you are using. Make sure you know the Death and Dying rules. It is probably the one part of the game that you need to get right immediately because players will get shirty if you don't know it.
Thanks for putting this all together so soon after the book is released. A quick question about the adventuring gear on pages 114 and 115. You don't mention them specifically but the opening paragraph is similar to that for the magic items and academy instructors (117 to 119) Pathfinders use a wide variety of equipment on their journeys, ranging from standard adventuring gear to magical items.
However the language is slightly different. Magic items and Academy Instructors both say Pathfinder membership but adventuring gear says Pathfinder agent. Does this mean that only those characters with the Pathfinder agent dedication can select the uncommon adventuring gear or should it be open to everyone?
I think this is the fifth thread where there is some debate/confusion around the various swashbuckler styles and the generation of Panache. It would certainly be nice to get some clarification for PFS games. Wonder if it's worth either a dedicated thread or a post in the ask questions on Twitch thread (As we can no longer request FAQs)?
I must admit that the few times I've played where there is a significant gap in levels within the group the lower levels don't have as good a time of it. With the way the game is designed, the increases arising from the challenge points system to make the scenario a challenge for the higher level characters also make it very difficult for the lower level ones to suceed. This is especially true at 1st as the gap between you and a 3rd level or higher character is huge.
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