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Mike Welham has been doing all the heavy lifting while I was MIA for months at time, but now I'm trying to be [almost] regularly blogging again. So, here is the latest from MPR: The Classical Elements and World-Building.
And now for an anti-climatic announcement! This is my blog. Just as work has sucked away all the time I used to spend on Paizo, it has also taken most of the time I spent blogging. RPG Superstar 2012 Mike Welham stepped in and began a Friday creature feature, then he put the pedal to the mental metal and created a monster for each day of the A-Z blogging challenge. Here you will find some wonderful offerings for your Pathfinder game, many with some surprising extras tied-in at the end. Check out Mike's monsters!
A great track record. And folks who can't get enough of Mike Welham's work need to check out this feature on my blog: Mythopoeic Rambling. He's churning out the monstrous goodness for your Pathfinder game.
This problem has reached the critical point. A line must be drawn. Support must be rallied. Racism must not be tolerated. The hatred has got to stop. Now. Gnomes are demi-human, too, dammit. I don't know if it's going to take therapy, re-education, a couple of weeks staying at James Jacobs' house, or death threats, but whatever it is, we've got to do it. Take a good, long look at yourself, Jeremy. Embrace the inner gnome within.
I thought we had a general thread for this, and all I found with the BILLY! thread I started. This should be more useful. Adventure Time, the most D&D carton ever, had for a long time an implied setting in a post-apocalyptic world. That setting has sense been made explicit. The cause of the apocalypse was the Great Mushroom War. Here's a fact that recently struck me: I can only think of three characters that are good candidates for having lived before the Apocalypse, and one of those is absolutely certain. Spoiler:
The Ice King was originally a scholarly antiquarian named Simon Petrikov, until he found the crown and it began his transformation into the Ice King. The scenes from the videos in Holly Jolly Secrets I and II show this. By extension, we could say that Ricardio is also a pre-apocalyptic character.
Marcelline the Vampire Queen and Marcelline's dad (the Lord of all Evil) are probable candidates for having been around before the Mushroom War, whether as humans or vampires, although I can't find any confirmation of this. Those are the only characters I can think of as surviving from before the current age of the Land of Ooo. Anybody have any observations about this or anything else in series?
I learned this when I was little kid, watching Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs, but I didn't want to play dwarves in FRPGs until I was an adult. Just sitting here, looking at the Dwarf Fighter (looks more like a Dwarf Champion, to me) mini from PFB: Heroes & Monsters, I gotta say: Dwarves are Awesome. Discuss.
Anybody in the Seattle area ever go there? Their walls are decorated with dungeon maps for the month of January. The artist, Tony, is a cool guy.
The votes have been tabulated. It's been getting lots of discussion in other places, but I thought it could use its own thread over here. What do people think? My own rather personal reactions are below. Spoiler: 1. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien
Yes, yes, Lord yes! 2. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, by Douglas Adams I know this series has legions of fans, but the first volume just didn't grab me for some reason, though I could see it was funny. 3. Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card Only have read excerpts. I think I like his American fantasy writing better. 4. The Dune Chronicles, by Frank Herbert Yes, yes, Lord yes! 5. A Song Of Ice And Fire Series, by George R. R. Martin I wait for the cable series to become available to me. 6. 1984, by George Orwell What? Maybe F/SF = Speculative Fiction in general for them. 7. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury On shelf waiting. 8. The Foundation Trilogy, by Isaac Asimov On shelf waiting. 9. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley It was okay. 10. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman Good. 11. The Princess Bride, by William Goldman Good. I think I liked it more than I would have because of the movie and the shared experience. 12. The Wheel Of Time Series, by Robert Jordan I might give it a chance some day. Mixed feelings. 13. Animal Farm, by George Orwell It's official, you people have genre confusion. 14. Neuromancer, by William Gibson ?? 15. Watchmen, by Alan Moore Loved the movie. 16. I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov On shelf waiting. 17. Stranger In A Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein On shelf waiting. 18. The Kingkiller Chronicles, by Patrick Rothfuss ?? 19. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut Haven't read. 20. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley Good. 21. Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick Good. 22. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood Still haven't gotten to it. 23. The Dark Tower Series, by Stephen King Never finished it, but the ones I read were good. 24. 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke On shelf waiting. 25. The Stand, by Stephen King Memory is hazy. Pretty sure I did read it, though. 26. Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson All these NS books. I've only read Quicksilver. LOVE IT! 27. The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury Good. 28. Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut Haven't read. 29. The Sandman Series, by Neil Gaiman Couple I read were good. 30. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess See all my Orwell/Huxley comments. 31. Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein The movie gives me pause. 32. Watership Down, by Richard Adams Good. 33. Dragonflight, by Anne McCaffrey The excerpt I read made me both snoozy and apathetic. 34. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein On shelf waiting. 35. A Canticle For Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller Still haven't gotten to it, in spite of high recommendations from friends. 36. The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells Good. 37. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, by Jules Verne Good. 38. Flowers For Algernon, by Daniel Keys Hope to get to. 39. The War Of The Worlds, by H.G. Wells Good. 40. The Chronicles Of Amber, by Roger Zelazny I think I only want to read the first five. 41. The Belgariad, by David Eddings Recommended to me, I might read it. 42. The Mists Of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley Good: Don't go by movie. 43. The Mistborn Series, by Brandon Sanderson Have the first one as an ebook; haven't gotten to. 44. Ringworld, by Larry Niven Heard of it. 45. The Left Hand Of Darkness, by Ursula K. LeGuin Haven't read. 46. The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien YES! 47. The Once And Future King, by T.H. White Good. 48. Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman Saw BBC series. Like the idea. 49. Childhood's End, by Arthur C. Clarke Haven't read. 50. Contact, by Carl Sagan Movie. 51. The Hyperion Cantos, by Dan Simmons Haven't read. 52. Stardust, by Neil Gaiman GOOD. 53. Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson All these NS books. I've only read Quicksilver. LOVE IT! 54. World War Z, by Max Brooks Haven't read. 55. The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle Good. 56. The Forever War, by Joe Haldeman Huh? 57. Small Gods, by Terry Pratchett Pratchett is the one of the few, if only, folks that makes me pause before saying No Thanks to humor. 58. The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant, The Unbeliever, by Stephen R. Donaldson Might well read due to what I've heard. 59. The Vorkosigan Saga, by Lois McMaster Bujold Haven't read. 60. Going Postal, by Terry Pratchett See 57. 61. The Mote In God's Eye, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle Haven't read. 62. The Sword Of Truth, by Terry Goodkind Don't plan to read; TV series was better than most average TV and watched with wife. Was hoping they would continue. 63. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy Haven't read. 64. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke YES! (And Yes to related works.) 65. I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson Have been wanting to pick up. 66. The Riftwar Saga, by Raymond E. Feist Not sure. I think I'd rather read the Magician books. 67. The Shannara Trilogy, by Terry Brooks Blah. The first one hit the spot when I was given it and I was in withdrawal/forgetfulness during a period of academic orgy. 68. The Conan The Barbarian Series, by R.E. Howard YES! 69. The Farseer Trilogy, by Robin Hobb Haven't read. 70. The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger Movie. 71. The Way Of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson ? 72. A Journey To The Center Of The Earth, by Jules Verne Yes. 73. The Legend Of Drizzt Series, by R.A. Salvatore Read the comic books with my nephews. 74. Old Man's War, by John Scalzi Haven't read. 75. The Diamond Age, by Neil Stephenson Haven't read. 76. Rendezvous With Rama, by Arthur C. Clarke Haven't read. 77. The Kushiel's Legacy Series, by Jacqueline Carey Don't plan to read. 78. The Dispossessed, by Ursula K. LeGuin Haven't read. 79. Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury Read the original short story; plan to read. 80. Wicked, by Gregory Maguire Haven't read. 81. The Malazan Book Of The Fallen Series, by Steven Erikson Haven't read. 82. The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde ?? 83. The Culture Series, by Iain M. Banks ?? 84. The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart ?? 85. Anathem, by Neal Stephenson All these NS books. I've only read Quicksilver. LOVE IT! 86. The Codex Alera Series, by Jim Butcher Haven't read. 87. The Book Of The New Sun, by Gene Wolfe Haven't read. 88. The Thrawn Trilogy, by Timothy Zahn ? 89. The Outlander Series, by Diana Gabaldan ?? 90. The Elric Saga, by Michael Moorcock Overrated. 91. The Illustrated Man, by Ray Bradbury Yes. 92. Sunshine, by Robin McKinley ? 93. A Fire Upon The Deep, by Vernor Vinge ?? 94. The Caves Of Steel, by Isaac Asimov ? 95. The Mars Trilogy, by Kim Stanley Robinson ? 96. Lucifer's Hammer, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle ? 97. Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis ?? 98. Perdido Street Station, by China Mieville Don't think I'm interested in his message/assumptions. We're both Pathfinder fans, though. 99. The Xanth Series, by Piers Anthony Read the first one, enjoyed it. 100. The Space Trilogy, by C.S. Lewis YES! Severely underrated.. DENIED: Jack Vance, Manly Wade Wellman, C. L. Moore, Leigh Brackett?
I just ran across this blog's idea for a game mechanic for those who might be inspired to run a heist in their game. It's untested, but seems like worth a look.
Frank Mentzer has never been one of my go-to designers, getting real active in TSR a little late for me, but he sure seems like a good guy and gives some nice reminiscences in this podcast.
Well, it looks like it is time to open up a discussion thread for this. Keep in mind that I am going to be in surgery Monday and in recovery for awhile, so please be patient if it takes me a while to get back to your questions. If you have not gone to download the S&W Core Rules, draft of 4th printing, you might want to do so. I know Matt Finch is getting close to releasing the 4th printing, and I'm not sure if there will be a period of time when the draft and the new printing are both unavailable in download during transition or not, but I figure it is better to be safe than sorry. When the actual 4th printing is available for download, I'll provide a link. Overtime, I'll migrate text from FB and DB over here, especially once it has achieved something of a more final form. Also, it occurred to me that now I am going to have to deal with a spoilers on the blog, so I think I will make two pages now. "THE DUNGEON OF GAME-MASTERY" will be off-limits to players thenceforth, so if anybody has a good suggestion for a name for the Player Page, let me know.
So, looking through the submissions page for this year's ENnies, I only see two submissions for Paizo products. That can't be right! I believe this is the last week to get submissions in. Why torture us like this? Suspense-building? Last minute blitzkrieg planned to throw off the competition? Erik sleeping off his birthday slider coma has thrown off entry schedule?
Anti-Pseudo-Callous Jack Cloaking: You, like me, gentle reader, have years of happy memories of Callous Jack, the famous golem with his own cult, and his callous escapades on these boards. Then, all too soon, Callous Jack, simply the Boss or CJ to his callousest friends, was taken from us. We looked for him high and low, yet he was gone. Rumors circulated for months, and then even those grew still. Finally, Callous Jack was declared dead, and his cult's clubhouse passed from prominence to almost complete obscurity. The massive clubhouse stood as a fitting monument to his passing: just as it would never again be full of boisterous, drunken Jacks and their companions, and its remodeling never complete, so CJ would never return to us. Now, after we lose track of the long passage of time, one claiming to be Callous Jack appears. The cult does not resurge, but he wanders around, a brain without a golem's body, a metaphor for the headless cult and the disembodied Jack whose ghost no doubt wanders the gray wastes forever. But be warned! Impersonation is never undertaken without some devious scheme to bring harm. Do not tolerate this desecration of the Callous golem and all that he stood for! We must unmask this false Brain Jack for who he truly is, and punish him for his profanation! Neither his friends, his enemies, nor his flunkies can afford to stand by and allow his scheme to go unchallenged!
I've got to ask about something my friends and I have been seeing in Dallas for the past month, maybe two. We are seeing large numbers of Judges Guild products for D&D and Traveller, mostly, although also for Runequest, Dragonquest, and Trolls & Tunnels. We're talking periodicals, modules, and supplements, mostly from around 1979-1980. Maybe a third of them are still wrapped in plastic. This is not just at Half Price Books, but also at least one other independent used bookstore. There has got to be a story behind this. Is anybody seeing this anywhere outside of Dallas, Texas? Any facts? Speculation?
Paizonians, attend! If you know not of The Audio Science Fiction Magazine, I bring you tidings of one of the greatest podcasts ever!
I'm not so much taking a poll, as interesting as that may be, as asking, Is there a correct pronunciation of Coeurl? If van Vogt never gave a pronunciation, was there a consensus of how staff said it in-house? Guidance here will remove a little pebble that has been wearing in the shoe of mind for some time. Why did I wait so long to ask?
Muammar Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi, leader of Libya, is regularly referred to as Col. Gaddafi. This never made any sense to me. What kind of colonel leads a country? What kind of autocrat has only the military rank of colonel? Or maybe, just maybe, a Kentucky Colonel gained control of Libya in 1969. What would it mean for a peer of Col. Harland Sanders to have come to power in a North African country? Sounds like an awesome alternative Earth to me that would make a strong campaign setting. Just imagine!
Black Gate, the wonderful Sword & Sorcery publisher, has published an article on Paizo, focusing on the Rise of the Runelords AP, on their website (linked above). It seems a little late in the game, but is really cool. When two great companies come together, it's a beautiful thing.
About Stenne Deepmug3'7" 122lbs Apperance:
Fair skinned with bags under her eyes from lack of sleep,freckles pepper her narrow high cheeked features.Droopy hazel eyes.A curly afro of dirty blonde hair tops her head. Apple cheeked and a ruddy,button nose. A pair of goggles sits tucked under her chin. Small,slender,almost built like a wiry mongoose where other dwarves resembled burly badgers.
Wears a headband,a leather overtunic riddled with pockets and straps,an apron befitting a blacksmith,thick leather gloves,what seemed to be a pair of wood and leather clogs, and a most out-of-place saddlebag strapped to her waist bulging with items.The clink of glass and steel vials follows her every step. Almost always sips from a flask she produces from her person. Crunchy:
Dwarf Alchemist 1(Moonshiner); Chaotic Neutral Medium Init: +3 Senses Darkvision Perception: +8 DEFENSE AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 14, ( +3 armor +2 dex) hp 16 (10-10) Fort +7 Ref +5 Will +2 OFFENSE Speed 20 ft. BAB +1 Melee punching dagger+1(1d4 20/x3);morning star +1(1d8 20/x2); Ranged 4/day Bomb +4(2d6 +3 fire(4 splash),20ft. Splash dc 16;Throw Anything +1
Extracts prepared (CL 2; concentration +6) Adhesive Spittle,Expeditious Retreat,Enlarge Person,Firebelly.1st LVL (4/day) 2nd LVL Fire Sneeze(1/day) 3rd Lvl Fire Trail(1/day) Ranged Bomb +5, 20 ft. Fire (2d6+3 fire, splash DC 16), Acid +5, 10 ft (2d6+3 acid),Intoxicating Bomb (2d6+3,splash dc 16,staggered and sickened) STATISTICS Str 11, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 17, Wis 15, Cha 8 Base Atk +1; CMB 0; CMD 12
Adventuring Skills: Knowledge (nature), Knowledge (alchemy), Perception (+1 trait bonus,darkvision),Survival,Profession (Brewer)+1,Heal,Disable Device,Sleight of Hand,Craft (alchemy)+10
Background Skills: Artistry(brewing), Knowledge (nature),Appraise,Lore(taverns in a region),Lore (Alcoholic Beverages),Craft (Alchemy),Craft (Brewing),Profession(Brewer),Profession(Merchant) TRAITS:
Militant Merchant (Dwarf):You know what it takes to get your goods to market and will stop at nothing to protect your products. Years of fending off thieves, cutthroats, and brigands have given you a sixth sense when it comes to danger.
SPECIAL ABILITIES Bomb +1d6; Mutagen; Alchemy; Stability; Defensive Training; Greed; Stonecunning; Darkvision; Slow and Steady; Weapon Familiarity; Hardy; Hatred;
Kit, Alchemist’s
Moonshine Stupor (Ex):A moonshiner’s body and mind handles alcohol differently from other people, mixing with his innate magical energy to astounding effect. As a move action, that does not provoke an attack of opportunity, the moonshiner can drink a tankard of ale or similar quantity of alcohol to enter into an intoxicated state for a number of rounds per encounter equal to 3 + his Intelligence modifier. At 2nd level, and every two levels thereafter, the duration of the moonshine stupor increases by 1 round. Upon entering into a moonshine stupor, the moonshiner gains a +2 dodge bonus to his AC and may apply a +4 alchemical bonus to his Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution, at the cost of a penalty to a mental ability score. He may apply the full bonus to one ability score or may split the bonus between several scores in increments of +2. If the moonshiner applies a bonus to his Strength, a –2 penalty applies to his Intelligence. If he applies a bonus to his Dexterity, a –2 penalty applies to his Wisdom. If he applies a bonus to his Constitution, a –2 penalty applies to his Charisma. Temporary penalties to Intelligence, such as those gained from the moonshiner’s intoxicated state, do not decrease the total number of rounds that a moonshiner can remain in his intoxicated state. At 8th level, and again at 15th level, the dodge bonus of a moonshine stupor increases by +1 and the alchemical bonus increases by +2. While in a moonshine stupor, the moonshiner can drink a potion, an extract, or a tankard of ale or similar quantity of alcohol, as a move action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. A potion or extract has its normal effect, while an alcoholic drink allows the moonshiner to maintain his stupor that round without expending a round of moonshine stupor for the encounter (instead of the alcohol’s normal effects). For each alcoholic drink consumed while in a moonshine stupor (including the drink that initiated the stupor), the moonshiner is sickened for a number of rounds equal to 2 times the number of rounds spent in the stupor. If the moonshiner enters into a moonshine stupor while sickened, the sickened condition is suppressed for the duration of the stupor, but then the moonshiner becomes nauseated instead of sickened after the stupor ends. The moonshiner cannot enter into an inebriated state while nauseated. This ability replaces mutagen. Signature Brew (Ex):Starting at 2nd level, when the moonshiner creates an extract he can infuse a bit of alcohol with the extract. When consumed, a signature brew is treated as both an extract and an alcoholic drink. When creating a signature brew, one tankard of ale or similar quantity of alcohol is consumed in the process. This ability replaces poison use. Tempered Resilience (Ex):At 3rd level, a moonshiner gains a bonus on all saving throws against disease equal to his alchemist class bonus against poison. When he gains the poison immunity alchemist class ability, he becomes immune to disease as well. This ability replaces persistent mutagen. Good for What Ails You (Ex):Starting at 6th level, while in a moonshine stupor, the moonshiner who takes a drink of alcohol may attempt a new saving throw against one of the following conditions that may be affecting him: blinded, confused, dazzled, deafened, exhausted, fatigued, frightened, nauseated, panicked, shaken, or sickened. If he succeeds at the save, the effect is suppressed for the duration of the stupor. He also may attempt a new saving throw if poisoned; a successful save counts against those required for a cure, but a failed save has no ill effect. This ability replaces swift poisoning. Moonshiner Discoveries:
Liquid Courage: While in a moonshine stupor, the moonshiner ignores the penalty to Will saves while taking a Wisdom penalty from his stupor. Furthermore, he gains a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting and fear effects for each alcoholic drink he consumes during his stupor (including the drink that initiated the stupor), to a maximum of +1 per four moonshiner levels. Noxious Belch: While in a moonshine stupor, the moonshiner may expend 2 rounds of his stupor to expel noxious fumes from his stomach into an adjacent opponent’s face. The target must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 the moonshiner’s level + his Intelligence modifier), or be nauseated for 1d4+1 rounds. If the save succeeds, the creature is instead sickened for 1 round. Staggering Stupor: While in a moonshine stupor, a moonshiner may move 5 feet as a swift action. This movement does not count against the moonshiner’s ability to make a 5-foot step. Furthermore, he gains a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks of opportunity for each alcoholic drink he has consumed during his stupor (including the drink that initiated the stupor), to a maximum of +1 per four moonshiner levels. Social Drinker: Whenever the moonshiner would be able to enhance a physical ability score when entering into a moonshine stupor, he can instead choose to enhance his Charisma ability score. If he does, the –2 penalty for the moonshine stupor applies to his Constitution ability score. Complimentary Discoveries The following discoveries complement the moonshiner archetype: breath weapon bomb, combine extracts, staggering stupor, intoxicating bomb, precise bombs, social drinker, spontaneous healing. Bio:
Ostensibly for the good of the people, most centralized governments heavily regulate commerce and science. Some of the most explicit restrictions are placed on mind- and body-altering liquids. Hillfolk have rebellion in their bones, however, and many make it their business to distill and deliver the goods to anyone who wants a taste—free of taxes and pesky ingredient guidelines. Using hand scrawled recipes and unorthodox methods, moonshiners create wondrous effects in the form of potent liquids which affect the imbiber. Years of ‘taste-testing’ allow the moonshiner to metabolize and employ their brew in interesting ways. Tales are told of moonshiners breathing fire to spook lawmen, and brewing potions allowing them to double in size or harden their skin. They get their name by largely employing their craft ‘by the light of the moon’ to avoid legal entanglements. Anywhere the law restricts imbibed substances, a moonshiner is sure to be close. Stenne simply calls herself a Moonshiner when asked her name.An oddly quiet woman, she seems to be small,frail,and nonthreatening but her half-lidded eyes gleam full of sharp wit. She wanders from place to place,making just enough money to keep moving,never settling too long in one area. She detests the cold,packing up and moving to warmer weather whenever signs of so much as a snowflake falls.Despite her small size, she carries what appears to be a bulging saddle bag around her waist filled with vials and other odd things people are unfamiliar with. She is never defenseless,which many unfortunate enough to attempt to prey upon her discover once she reaches into her saddlebags,ever the militant merchant. She has been spotted wandering alone combing over deserted battlefields,scavenging corpses of those slain in battle or unearthing lost treasures to sell or keep. Even the most unlikely item she has been known to pick up and chuck at someone to use as an effective projectile. She usually interacts with others simply to sell her homebrews and other curious items--items that mimic magic but can be used by others without the talent for it.Other times she simply assists random travelers on a whim,to experiment with how her newest creations work and how others react to them. She does not speak about her past, although she seems to scoff at the thought of religion and gods but respects those who have faith. She thinks of nobles as fools to dupe and bled of their gold and commoners as sheep to either be preyed upon or guided for their own good. Her reasoning for being here? She got drunk on a new homebrew and set off a rather spectacular chain of disasters that ended with setting a caravan on fire. To set things right, she agreed to mercenary herself out for a few favors. This happens to be one of them. With a pleasant, somewhat sly smile that feels as if she's quietly laughing at you because she knows something you don't,eyes glittering behind half-lidded eyes, the Moonshiner gestures with flask and belches under her breath,"Wanna nip? You're gonna need it before we're halfway through!" |