Key Largo is one of those games that nobody knows about, but everyone SHOULD know about. I ordered a copy 2 years ago when I saw that it was only a few dollars. My 6-year-old son wanted to play, so I taught him the rules. Over the past 2 years, I have used the game to teach him math in a fun way. When his teacher assigned "play a game with math" as homework, we broke out Key Largo. This is a great game and one of the classics in my home. We are buying a copy to give away. We have not figured out who to give it to yet, but we will know when the time comes.
Disclosure: I was given a pdf copy of this book in order to write a review. However, I strive to be dispassionate in my reviews of all products.
GM’s Miscellany: Wilderness Dressing is a compilation of multiple GM-aid products that Raging Swam Press has released in the past. These products center around an outdoors theme. Please note that this product is most useful to a GM designing her own campaign, or dressing up parts of a published campaign. Players will find little of use here. Although this book is sold as Pathfinder RPG compatible, the majority of it is system free and could be used in any role playing game.
What is in this book? The book is 159 pages long. 8 pages are taken up with the covers, OGL, an advertisement, information about the authors and the title page. The entire book is black and white in two columns. This makes the book easy on your printer. There is occasional artwork throughout the book. All the art is black and white either line drawings or woodcut style pictures. It is all of good quality and helps to illustrate the theme of the section you are reading. The majority of the book consists of tables that GM’s can use to either randomly determine campaign elements, or read through to mine for ideas for spicing up their campaigns.
This book has four major sections: Features and Events; Folk; By Land; and By Sea.
-Features and Events: This section provides tables to inspire GM’s to create more interesting sites for PC’s to interact with. Some of the ideas are quite simple, like describing features or animals visible from the campsite. A Minor Events table provides ideas for things to happen during the night; things of no consequence, but that will keep players on their toes. Similar sets of tables are provided for Castles, Ruins, and Caves. This section also has a page of PFRPG haunts that you can inflict upon your players, and 8 pages of ways to insert weather into your campaign.
-Folk: This section contains 13 pages of NPC’s to insert into your campaign. These can be bandits met along the road, or just fellow travelers who may or may not have needs that the PC’s can meet. Most of these NPC’s are not fully fleshed out, rather they each have a paragraph of motivations/ background to get a GM’s creative juices going for a fun random encounter/ side-quest.
-By Land: This section provides Minor Events, Dressing and Random Encounters for 10 land terrains. GM’s can mine these tables for ways to make the PC’s journey from dungeon to dungeon or city to city more interesting. Minor Events are small things that can happen/ be seen along the trip. Dressing is descriptive bites that a GM can use to flesh out what the PC’s see. Random Encounters provide small adventure seeds that PC’s can investigate or ignore.
-By Sea: This section provides Minor Events, Dressing and Random Encounters for 3 oceanic terrains, then spends 7 pages on tables to help create more interesting Pirate Ships (or any ships, really). One page has statblocks for pirate crew members (Captains are left up to the GM to flesh out). Two pages consist of tables for naming ships along with sample ship names and sample pirate captain names.One page provides table for pirate flags, ship figureheads, and even a table of Pirate Epithets!
Overall, this is a highly useful product for GM’s running an outdoor campaign. Formatting and Editing were excellent; I noticed only a few errors in the whole book. I enjoy flipping through this book finding interesting ideas to inflict upon my players. If you are unsure if this book might be for you, check out one or two of the products that make up the book. There is nothing game breaking here, it is almost all ideas that will help to create a more immersive experience for your players by filling some of the quiet moments with mundane occurrences. Overall, I love this book and award it 5 out of 5 stars.
Full Disclosure: I was given a copy of this book for review purposes. I strive to review thoroughly and fairly.
This book is over 300 pages of delightful tricks and tools for GM’s to use when building an adventure, or just trying to spice up their descriptions. The book is divided into 4 major sections: Dungeon Design, Dungeon Dressing, Riddles, and Treasure Hoards. There are tables in this book. LOTS of tables. Please note, this book is written for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, but much of it is system neutral and could be used in ANY roleplaying game that has dungeon type features.
Dungeon Design is 9 pages long and contains entirely system neutral tips for building dungeons. This is VERY useful information for a GM designing their first dungeon, and good reminders for an older GM. Everything in this chapter is good info, it all is “take what you need and leave the rest,” type of information.
Dungeon Dressing is about 250 pages long. If you have purchased ANY of Raging Swan Press’ “Dressing” products, the format here will be very familiar to you. Each section contains a brief page of information about the dungeon feature you are putting in your dungeon, a table of different versions of that item, a table of characteristics, a table of dressing and features, and a few examples of trapped versions of that dungeon feature. For example: the section on arches starts with a page describing what arches are, different types of arches (inflexed, lancet, etc), and different materials you could make your arch out of (bone, glass, stone, etc). The next page is a percentile table that describes interesting characteristics for your archways (two statues facing one another support the archway). The next two pages are a table describing dressing and Features for your archway (a slight draft flows up from the tiles within the archway). The next two pages describe a few trapped archways. The traps are designed for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. The idea is that you can either roll on the tables to generate random archways, or read through the tables for inspiration to build your own archways. This pattern is more or less repeated for the majority of this section and describes a multitude of dungeon features. The first major deviation is in the “Fiendish Traps” section. These are all designed for the PFRPG and they are amazing and challenging traps that far surpass a “roll a disable device check, you pass or fail” trap mechanic. Of note, the Illumination section starts with the most concise rendering of Pathfinder’s Light rules that I have ever seen.
Riddles is about 20 pages long and starts with two pages about designing riddles and using riddles in a RPG. This was interesting reading! The use of riddles essentially depends upon your group. You want to challenge them. You don’t want to frustrate them with riddles that they can’t figure out. You don’t want to give them riddles that are too easy and present no challenge either. The rest of the section consists of different riddles that you could use or use as examples to help you write your own.
Treasure Hoards is the last 40 pages or so and consists of 12 treasure hoards for each character level (assuming levels 1 through 20). This is the sort of thing that you could pull out if your players get a random encounter with an owlbear, then decide to go hunt down its lair for the loot (that you didn’t think to prepare ahead of time for a random encounter!). You can pull up one of these and just hand over an appropriate amount of loot.
Overall, this is a highly useful product for a GM that would use it. The evil GM in me loves the Fiendish Traps and the Riddles sections. Format is 2 column standard in Black and White. Are is black and white stock art and is good. There were very few editing errors at all in the whole document, which is impressive for a book this size from a small publisher. I’ll admit that this is a hard book to sit down and read cover to cover, but each section makes for interesting reading. I found myself either chuckling or commenting, “that’s a neat idea,” or, “Cool!” as I was reading individual tables. I cannot think of any justifiable reasons to take stars away from this stellar product. It’s a niche GM book, but for GM’s who could use it, it’s a very valuable resource. 5/5 stars.
There are two "Faithful Servants" in this story: Salim and Connell. One unwillingly serves a (presumably) deserving mistress. The other willingly serves an undeserving master.
Connell is deliberately made likeable. He is compared to a puppy. Who doesn't like puppies? He obviously cares deeply about his master. Can eidolons love? The title of Chapter 4: The Greatest Gift, puts in mind John 15:6 - "There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends.NLT" I would say, yes, in James Sutter's view, an eidolon is capable of love. This is further supported by the two outsiders in the Clever Endeavor who are engaged in a relationship that is somewhere on the spectrum of lust to love.
Salim is initially made somewhat unlikeable. He is violent, gruff and rather unsympathetic. He gets somewhat more likeable over the course of the story.
Overall the story is good. We get a fun romp through Axis and Ustalav. We get to see some of the stranger outsiders engaging in somewhat illicit behavior. We also get to see the common folk of Ustalav. This story is also the first with an eidolon as a main character! I give it 4 stars!
This little four-chapter tale, is less of a single story and more of a pair of interludes between two Tales novels. The story shows how both of the "boys" are dealing with all the events that they went through in Master of Devils.
The four chapters alternate between Count Varian Jeggare and Radovan's point of view.
Count Varian Jeggare is frustrated with the Pathfinder Society. During his yearlong absence, the Decemvirate has reassigned all of his agents to other Venture Captains. They are not addressing him as "Venture Captain," or by any other honorifics he is due. While he concerns himself with the slight to his honor, he takes advantage of the Grand Lodge's librarys to increase his repertoire of spells. While engaged in that activity, he meets and old acquaintance.
Radovan has also just gone through a very difficult year. Somewhat against his will, he killed some people. Some of them were very good people. He feels guilty about what he has done. This story shows the beginnings of that guilt. Radovan is tired of killing, so how will he react when someone asks him to kill again?
I appreciate the pun of the title. This short story shows how the boys are "Killing Time" in between books. It is also about how Radovan deals with being asked to kill another person with whom he has no connections. It is Killing Time again for Radovan, but he's tired of killing, he'd rather incapacitate someone and walk away. We get a humorous account of this in his first chapter (Monkey Plucks the Peaches). However, in his second chapter we get to see how Radovan is really a nice guy who wants people to treat each other nicely, but sometimes life takes you the other way.
It's also "Killing Time" for Count Varian Jeggare as an old aquaintance with a grudge has decided that now is the time to enact his revenge upon the Count. Varian uses all the resources at his disposal to avoid death, but at some cost. His already strained relationship with the Pathfinder Society seems to be even more strained. As he leaves The Grand Lodge, he leads us into the opening of Dave Gross' next novel, Queen of Thorns.
This is a review by a GM who used the module as intended during the first book of the Carrion Crown adventure path. Spoilers for both the module and the first book of the AP are contained below. You are warned!!
I am currently GMin'g a Carrion Crown game and I decided to use this plug in to keep things interesting for my group. I had noticed that they were starting to get a little tired of all the "investigation" as they were trying to win the hearts of the townspeople (trust points) and complete all the research prior to entering the prison. In order to spice things up, I dropped this module on them.
In order to prepare them for it, I have had caravans of wanderers come through town and play fiddle music early in the morning. That way my players were not on high alert as soon as I introduced something "new" in the form of morning fiddle music.
One of the hardest things for me as the GM was waiting for them to WANT to go shopping at the store so that I could open the module as intended. Once things got started though, my group had an absolute BLAST. We took two sessions to play through the module, though I could see more efficient groups getting through it in just a single session.
A testament to how well this module was written is that my group started out completely rested. After the battle with the zombies, the shadow, the hands and the Skeletons at the posting pole, they were running very low on HP. At that point, however, they met the cleric who helped them out in that department. By the end of the module, everyone was nearly out of resources but having a great time!
At the end, they were shocked to learn that this was NOT actually a part of the AP as written, but that it was a 3PP plug in adventure. We had a great time, Greg vaughn NAILED the feeling of the town. 5 stars.
***Warning!: This review contains minor spoilers from preceding Tales!
I remember hearing an interview where Dave Gross described his elevator pitch for Hell’s Pawns as, “A fantasy Sherlock Holmes story where Holmes is a half-elven noble and Watson is a Teifling.” This story brings the boys back to their roots.
While travelling from Ustalav back to Absalom to bring the Lacuna Codex back to the Decemvirate, the Codex is stolen. While Radovan and the Count investigate, murder strikes on the boat. Everyone has motive and Count Jeggare and Radovan must sort through the clues.
The mystery is fun, the clues and misdirections are believeable and not transparent. Count Jeggare’s explanation of all the loose ends is very entertaining. Overall, this is a highly entertaining mystery story.
A Lesson in Taxonomy gives us the story of Varian Jeggare's last excursion before completing the Bestiary which earns him the rank of Venture-Captian in the Pathfinder Society. For Maximum effect, it should be read AFTER Prince of Wolves.
The opening line, "No reprobate more taxes my patience than a drunkard," is wonderfully ironic, given what we know of Count Jeggare of Cheliax.
This story is quite short, with only two chapters. However, in that short time, Dave Gross manages to develop four characters into fairly well fleshed out people. The story is fun and filled with betrayal and trickery.
This Piratey Digital Novella is the 6 chapter story that was published in the Skull and Shackles Adventure Path. This stand-alone story tells the tale of Challys Argent, a Pathfinder pirate captain and her crew of buccaneers. They are seeking a treasure called Far Thallai, racing to get it before the Monster Captain, does. We see land battles, thefts, drowned ghosts, sea battles, and boarding parties.
One of the most interesting elements of this story is the four main adjutants serving Challys Argen. Each is a powerful pirate captain in their own right, but are bound under a spell by Challys Argent’s sword, Siren’s Call, to serve and obey her. They are not puppets, though. They are sentient and free willed, within the confines of the spell. They work very well together, but Argent has to be very careful as they each want very badly to kill her.
The story is fun, the battles are fairly cinematic. I enjoyed the description of how a fireball spell fired into the water might effect a group of Sea Devils (fish people). Hint: It’s pretty horrific.
The art is all black and white, but it is good quality nonetheless.
If the only part of the AP’s that you read is the fiction, I think that the $4.99 price tag is worth it to be able to slap it into my iPad and read on my commute.
What you get: Two black and white pdf’s each 13 pages long. One is formatted to provide a quality printed version of the document, the other formatted for viewing on a tablet device. Two pages of covers, two pages of OGL and ads, one title page, one page credits, and one page Table of Contents and Foreword, leaving 6 pages of content.
Artwork: The two pieces of black and white artwork were both of good quality and fit the theme of the product.
Layout and Editing: Layout was two column standard. Editing was excellent, with only one “her” that should be a “his.”
Overall Impression: There’s a very good reason that this product is sold as a “GM resource.” There is almost nothing here for players. For GM’s this is a gold mine of tables of ideas for making your shops more unique and interesting.
The first table is 100 interesting characteristics to make shops memorable. Some are as simple as, “a small wooden shop that smells of fresh baked bread.” Some are complicated enough to give a rough idea of the shop’s Ikea-like layout. If you don’t want to roll percentile dice to decide what a shop looks like, you can still cherry pick shop descriptions for your game.
The second table is 100 different traders and craftsmen that could be working in a randomly picked shop that the PC’s walk into. Other than having a nice list of craftsmen that might be in a medieval-fantasy town or city, I struggle to see what use I could get from this table in my game. However, I can see where other GM’s might find it useful.
The third table consists of 20 hooks or complications that PC’s might encounter in a shop. These could be used as plot hooks to entice the PC’s into investigating a possible quest, or they could just be something that keeps a PC from shopping in that shop. Generally, these are some sort of trouble going on just as they arrive (shelf fell over, shop owner in back complaining of having been bitten by a patron, etc.). This was the most fun table to read, as each entry inspired my inner GM to invent quests for each of these.
The final set of tables consists of 8 table that, used in sequence, allow a GM to quickly roll up an interesting NPC. You get gender, name, race, appearance, mannerisms, purpose for being in the shop, and rumors. This set of tables, could be used by a player as idea seeds for a character, though I’m sure there are better resources available for that sort of inspiration. The prepared GM would use these tables to provide NPC descriptions ahead of time. In a pinch they COULD roll up an NPC at the table with these tables.
Final Rating: This product is darned useful, even if it’s not the most riveting set of tables I’ve ever read. Even a GM running a published adventure is left to their own devices for 90% or more of the material when faced with PC’s in town looking to spend money. This product combined with a copy of one of the “So What’s for Sale, Anyway?” documents would make the prep for a town worlds easier. Despite the dryness of the material itself, this product accomplishes what it set out to do, and accomplishes it well and thoroughly. 5 stars, and I want to check out more of this line of products.
What you get: Two black and white PDFs, each 17 pages long; one is formatted for printing, the other formatted to be viewed (portrait or vertically) on a tablet. Front and Back Cover, Title page, Ads/OGL, and Credits/Table of Contents/Foreword take 7 pages, leaving 10 pages of content. Two tables (one of minor events and one of woodland dressing) are tables of 100 ideas/hooks/environment descriptions. One table has twelve woodland encounters. One page is woodland features.
Artwork: Artwork was black and white and was of good quality. The style hearkens back to the art in old D&D books. The art does not directly correlate to any items in the table, but is all woodland themed and provides an appropriate “flavor” to the subject matter.
Layout and Editing: Layout was two column standard. Editing was very good. Since the tablet version is formatted for portrait or vertical view, and I read on a landscape monitor on a netbook, I am not able to comment on the difference/convenience of the tablet version over the print version, both provided an identical reading experience for me.
Overall Impression: Raging Swan Press’ books are immediately recognizable by their black covers with white text. This book is strictly a GM resource. There is nothing here for players. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth the purchase. Within, you’ll find three tables (two of them MASSIVE) and a page of terrain features to make woodland combats more interesting.
The first table is 100 minor events. They range from animal sightings to trees falling on PC’s to adventure hooks, to creepy ghostly meetings. There is not a lot of information given for each one, but each one seems to be designed to get a GM’s creative juices flowing. Players can interact with or ignore the events as they will, but could end up with some fun side quests or at the very least, believable reasons for having a random encounter.
The second table is 100 items of “woodland dressing.” These items are designed to give GM’s material for making campsites or encounter areas a bit more interesting. You’ve got lots of different tree descriptions and geological features to play with. No more boring circles on the battlemat to signify the campsite.
The third table is twelve random encounters ranging from EL 2 to EL 10. Each encounter has a block of text outlining why the PC’s might have this encounter. Rather than having woodland creatures attack for no reason, you have enough background to make these encounters somewhat believable. Your players may just think that they are still on the main quest instead of just getting a random encounter!
Finally, you get one page of woodland features. These are dressing to make encounter areas more interesting. You get different things that PC’s and NPC’s can interact with in the environment during a battle. If your battle site has a fallen tree in it, how can it be used as cover? How do you adjudicate movement through the leafy top of the fallen tree? The rules governing these sorts of situations are outlined on this page. Of the entire document, this is the one page that I will print out when my players are getting into woodlands.
When I started counting up pages, I was surprised at how many of the pages in the document were “non-content” pages. The 10 pages of content were so densely packed with gaming goodness, that this is not a huge detraction from the product, but I did notice it. To be fair, the document IS short, and the number of pages that are non-content (covers, OGL, ads) are no more than what I find in Paizo’s products, the low page count makes the percentage feel high.
When I first glanced over this product, I cringed, thinking, “How am I going to read through a book of tables?” I was pleasantly surprised to find that these tables were interesting to read! I wasn’t bored, rather my mind flew between thinking, “How would my players react to that?” and “Can I find a good way to slip this into my current adventure?”
Final Rating: Five stars. Any product that is essentially 10 pages of tables, that keeps me reading and keeps me thinking, “I want to use that!” deserves a five star rating.
What you get: You get two PDFs of the product, a printer friendly version and a tablet/laptop version and a Hero Lab file. The printer friendly version is 10 pages; 1 cover, 1 credits, 1 table of contents w/ introduction, 1 OGL, and 1 back cover, leaving 5 pages of gaming content. The tablet version is 15 pages; 1 cover, 1 title page, 1 table of contents w/ introduction, 1 OGL and 1 back cover, leaving 10 pages of gaming content.
Artwork: Artwork is all black and white, and is good to very good. Artwork was all tied to the theme of the book, and, except for one piece, tied back to the material that it was near.
Layout and Editing: Editing is superb, there were very few errors. Layout is two column standard in both formats. Tablet version is in landscape, but it fits nicely on a 10 inch screen that way. Special attention was paid to layout in the tablet version. Only one thing (the mechanical owl familiar) crosses onto another page. This makes reading much more comfortable and natural.
Overall Impression: This product provides summer/fire themed extras for your PC to use. Released to coincide with the beginning of another company’s very cold centric adventure path, your PC can have lots of fire spells and domains to deal 150% damage to cold creatures. This product is also useful to anyone who wants to have a fire-themed or summer themed character.
The spells are well balanced. Some of them are a little complex with more than one effect, or an effect that last while the charge is held, but lost when the charge is expended for a different effect. A little careful reading will solve any questions. One spell (Campfire Forge) lists two different durations (one hour per level and one round per level). The new Bard Masterpiece is fun, and will be useful against trolls! New subdomains are very summer themed, but not overpowered. The new item hearkens back to The Princess Bride, with a Holocaust Cloak. The familiars allow you to gain a Mechanical Owl or a Young Phoenix as a familiar.
That covers the content. I’d like to address the tablet format for a moment. Paizo and the Third Party Publisher (3PP) community should take a good hard look at JBE’s tablet format and imitate it. In my opinion, this format is the best development in digital gaming books since the watermarked pdf. This format provided the most comfortable reading experience that I have ever had on a 10” netbook screen. Every time I have looked through this product, I have done so on the tablet format. I glanced at the printer friendly version to confirm there were no content differences, but I READ the tablet version.
Final Rating: This product is what it advertises: fire and summer themed options for a PC. It is balanced. Editing is good. The tablet format is superb. Overall rating is 5 stars.
Disclaimer: I was given a reviewer’s copy of this book. However, I am not paid for this review.
What you get: This pdf is 14 pages long. Cover (1), Title Page (1), Table of Contents w/ introduction (1), Universal Monster Rules and OGL (2), leaving 9 pages of beasts. At one monster per page, that buys you 9 monsters for $2.99.
Artwork: The artwork was okay to very good. Some of the art looked like a doctored photograph of something holiday themed (nutcracker, gingerbread cookie, meringue cookie), some looked like holiday cartoons, and some was exactly what you expect out of quality monster books.
Layout and Editing: Document is laid out in a standard two column format. Editing is superb. The only error I could find was a missing period in Appendix 2, Psychopomp Subtype.
Overall Impression: This book of Christmas/winter-holiday themed monsters is the first published material (I know of) from JBE’s new editor, Richard Moore. As you might suspect from the Santa hatted lich on the cover, there is significant selection of silliness in this book. You get constructs like the clockwork nutcracker and a golem made of gingerbread. You’ll find singing undead and Santa’s elves and Reindeer as you’ve never seen them before. If your party is hungry for more, you can serve up a killer fruitcake and wash it down with eggnog pudding. Although the theme of the book is silly holiday spirit, these monsters are still deadly serious. Any GM could easily strip the holiday out of the description and serve them up to players. CR’s range from 1 to 13. So, what’s the verdict for a rating? I like silly, so that was a mark up in my book. The monsters are well written and usable (and deadly!), even in a non-holiday themed campaign or adventure. The writing was pleasant to read; instead of slogging through a bunch of monsters, I was excited to see what made each one special. On the down side, it IS a specifically holiday-themed product, which could limit its usefulness for the less creative GM. It is also rather short for the price at 33 cents per monster.
Final Rating: That brings me to a rating of three and a half stars, rounded up to 4. If there’s one thing JBE writes well, it’s monster books!
As my review states, this was an interesting product! It consists of 12 different and imaginative domains that could be used for a Druid. Some grant familiars, others just grant special abilities. I'm not going to comment on balance of the domains, since EZG covered that all pretty well.
I'm interested in trying one of these out in my game next time I get to play a druid.
I would love to see Herolab support for this product line.
This is the tale of a “Cobblestone Druid,” named Luma Derexhi. She is the eldest daughter of the Derexhi family, a family that specializes in providing protection for others in the city of Magnimar. Luma is a member of the “Top Squad,” a party of her siblings that act as a sort of special forces group in the city. Robin Laws has, once again, written one of the best adventuring parties in the Pathfinder Tales line. Each party member is an individual and has good reasons for taking the actions they do.
The book starts out as a mystery that Luma is investigating, and then changes over to a revenge story for the final half of the book.
Revenge spoiler:
The revenge story aspect left the same taste in my mouth as a spaghetti western. I was melancholy because the hero gets revenge, but revenge does not make her happy. I feel that this makes for a good ending, despite the melancholy.
One of the neat aspects of this book that I enjoyed was seeing how a PC might perceive the process of gaining a level and the new powers associated with it. It was well written, and did not require knowledge of game mechanics to “get it.” Another aspect of the book that I enjoyed was the return of Hendregan, the mad fire sorcerer from The Worldwound Gambit. He is an interesting character and I would be interested in seeing him develop more as Mr. Laws writes more books in the Pathfinder Tales line.
-Aaron
Edit:Upon further consideration and in the process of a second reading, I have decided to up my review to five stars. This book is in my top three of the Pathfinder Tales along with Plague of Shadows and Death's Heretic.
What you get: This PDF only document is 12 pages long; front and back cover, title page and OGL take up 4 pages leaving 8 pages of content. On those 8 pages you get a new race: “Ratfolk” created using the rules from the Advanced Race Guide and 7 Ratfolk NPC’s of the following CR’s: 1/2, 2, 4, 6, 7, and 8. You also get the Hero Lab files for the content.
Artwork: There are 5 illustrations in the book ranging from “Meh” to “Excellent.” One illustration is in color (and would not look out of place in a Paizo AP or Module), and the rest are black and white.
Layout and Editing: Layout is a standard two column layout. Editing was very good, I noticed only one error in the entire document.
Overall Impression: If you came here looking for Wererats, you are in the wrong place. This book is filled with small humanoid rats. Two of the NPC’s listed are low level warriors for another of the NPC’s. The range of listed NPC’s is good. All of them could be helpful or harmful to a party to a greater or lesser extent. Each of the five NPC’s outlined has a reasonable backstory with potential plot hooks that could be used to drop them into an adventure.
Final Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Editing was great, price may be viewed as high for 7 NPC’s. The Excellent artwork balanced out the “Meh” artwork. If you are looking to run a sewer themed adventure, this would be a good investment.
Disclaimer: I was given a reviewer’s copy of this book. However, I am not paid for this review. That said, prior to being asked to review the book, I had already preordered it.
What you get:
This document is 34 pages long: one front cover, one table of contents, one page of OGL with an add, and one back cover leaving 30 pages of plane of shadows content. The physical book has a color cover with a black and white interior. The digital copy comes with two pdf’s: one is a printer-friendly black and white with color covers. It is basically almost exactly the dead-tree print version in pdf form. The second is a beautiful full-color pdf with parchment background. The digital copy also comes with Hero Lab files to allow you run Shadowsfall classes, races, deities, and all the options in Hero Lab. The digital copy also has hyperlinks to the PFSRD website to allow for easy access to all open Paizo content that is referenced. Now that we have the indisputable facts out of the way, let’s get down to my opinions!
Artwork: Jon Brazer Enterprises did not skimp on the art budget for this book. The artwork is mostly black and white and is good to excellent. The most of the art is better than what was in the Book of Beasts Monsters of the Shadow Plane. There are two pieces of full color art that are very good. The picture of the wanderer is as good as the Player Class artwork that I have seen in the Pathfinder books or in the 3.5 Player’s Handbook. The black and white artwork is still black and white in the full-color-parchment-background pdf, so it sticks out a bit, but the quality of the majority of it is high enough that it doesn’t detract from the reading experience. Some of the highest quality art was of the Shadowfall iconics; I assume that this artwork was commissioned for the Shadowsfall products.
Layout and Editing: Layout adhered to a two-column standard. Editing was top notch. I tip my hat to the new editors at Jon Brazer Enterprises! There were very few errors that I noticed.
Overall Impression: This book is designed to give players and GM’s options for running an adventure or campaign in the plane of shadows. Everything that gets lost on the material plane ends up on the plane of shadows. Undead are much more common on the plane of shadows, and they are less limited there. This is not a nice place to live. All light sources are cut in half, fire and light spells are harder to cast, shadow spells are easier to cast. Zombies are everywhere.
The plane of shadows slowly changes everyone who lives there, so many of the playable races (pulling lots of material from the Advanced Race Guide) are somewhat modified. Halflings are more like Gollum than Bilbo, Elves grow more Drow-like with each generation, and Dwarves slowly turn into Duergar as the generations go by. Some races are playable that would not normally be played: Dhampir, Drow, Duergar, Hobgoblins, Orcs, and Ratfolk are all common races. There are racial traits for all the races.
Two new races are included: The Umbral Kobold and the Wanderer. Umbral Kobolds are, well, Kobolds. They are small, quick, have darkvision and light sensitivity. The Wanderer is a celestial who has lost their immortality and looks human. I like the flavor of the wanderer race a lot.
Archetypes: Dusk Stalker is a magus archetype that allows a kobold magus to be a bit more roguish. Radiant Knight is a fighter archetype that allows a wanderer to use their Vestige of Holiness to provide themselves with some holy light themed abilities. The Radiant Knight archetype really makes me want to play a Wanderer when I play in Shadowsfall.
There is a new cavalier order, modified dragonblooded bloodlines for sorcerers, new evolution point options for the summoner, a Shadow elementalist school for wizards, and a new Witch hex. There are new animal companion options, including the Riding Dodo. It makes sense that an extinct species would end up on the plane of shadows. There are also new options for familiars; Pathfinder wizards can finally pull a rabbit (familiar) out of their hat!
Seven Strongholds (and the area outside the strongholds) are detailed, getting a half page each. Each also has associated traits for adventurers coming from that stronghold. Each stronghold is unique and well written. The traits do not seem to be overpowered and fit the flavor of each area. Room is left in Shadowsfall for an intrepid group of adventurers to establish their own Stronghold.
Thirteen new feats are provided, one of which allows any character to gain 30ft. Darkvision (must be taken at first level). There is a set of feats that amount to a Shadow Style for the monk, allowing you to move faster, bypass a portion of enemy armor and deal strength damage. Combat, Teamwork, and Metamagic feats are all represented.
Some new equipment is available, including two new vehicles using the vehicle rules from ultimate combat. Deities across the alignment spectrum are well written and thematically appropriate. The Oracle’s Joy mystery is interesting; it requires a level of bard to access one of the revelations. The capstone ability is very powerful, but not unbalanced for 20th level play.
There is one page of new spells, which are mostly shadow related. I was a bit surprised at the first level spell Flicker, which functions like Invisibility but lasts only until the end of your next turn. The spells seems pretty powerful for a first level spell, but I would have to see how it played out. I can see Wizard/Rogues abusing it.
There is one page of new magic items, that are mostly shadow or undead related. I like the salve that gives you darkvision! I also liked the cloak that operates differently (and more powerfully) on the plane of shadows. Neat stuff here.
The two pages of “Altered Magical Items” is my favorite part of this book. In the same way that the plane of shadows corrupts all creatures that live there, it corrupts the operation of magical items. My favorite is the Ring of Troll Regeneration, which operates exactly like a Ring of Regeneration, except that it slowly changes your appearance so that you look like a troll.
I read all my gaming products on a netbook which has limited processor power; I found that the black and white version had less “lag” than the full color version. I found that I preferred reading the black and white over the color, though if I were to print it out, I would print the color version.
Final Rating: The purpose of this book is to provide options and background for players rolling up PC’s to run in Shadowsfall. It succeeds in that purpose. There are options for all of the PC classes, there are new races (designed according to the Advanced Race Guide rules) for players (and GM’s) to use. Layout and editing were great. I honestly can’t think of anything bad to say about this book. 5 out of 5 stars.
If you, like me, are one of those sick and twisted individuals that actually enjoys Bruce Campbell films, this story is for you. Darvin and Fife are brothers. Fife writes stories and Darvin tells them. This is how they make their living. Unfortunately, the heroics that Darvin claims, come back to haunt him. He and his brother end up exploring a ruin filled with animated, disembodied hands. Their cowardice and bumbling would make Ash proud.
Although this is the most comical story to come out of the Pathfinder Tales, I don't think that the comedy is out of place. It is a lighthearted story set in Golarion. The comedy is (admittedly) influenced by the Evil Dead films, and reminiscient of Terry Brooks' and Neil Gaiman's work.
First, this is not a review of the adventure. It is a review of only the Pathfinder's Journal. Now that you know that (and knowing is half the battle), let's get to it!
Bill Ward, who previously wrote (among other things), the free web fiction, The Box, returns with Pathfinder's Journal: Light of a Distant Star.
This journal begins with a lone female wandering the streets of Riddleport. Not the wisest choice, but this character is tailing a loudmouthed gnome through the streets. The opening three pages are a phenomenal introduction to the bad Wharf District of Riddleport.
The reason the journals are included in the AP's is to give GM's and players a taste of the atmosphere of the adventure path without any spoilers, this opening journal does that job beautifully! We don't find out who the main character of the story is until the 4th page, but that's okay because in the meantime we learn that Riddleport's Wharf District is dangerous; home to pickpockets, pirates, sailors, gangs and other less desirable elements. We also learn a little bit about the Cyphergate, a giant arch over (circle around?) the entrance to Riddleport harbor. Finally, we learn that our main characters are engaging in a heist of some sort. This heist appears to be the main focus of the six-part story arc (story Cypher-arc?).
Editing is top notch (as expected). The story is well written with the main characters introduced gradually with a nice mix of action and exposition about each one that locks that character in your head so that you don't confuse them. Overall, the story is excellent worthy of 4 stars!
Like all the bullet points products, this is a very short pdf. It is 4 pages long. 1 title page, 1 page of OGL and credits which leaves 2 misssle packed pages of goodness!
I will not provide a summary of the feats in this product as Endzeitgeist and KTFish7 did a great job at that already. This product contains 7 feats that give you options to use with the magic missle spell.
I forsee this product coming in very handy in the game that I am running as our Magus/Wizard has been researching higher level spells based on Magic Missle. I think that he may find these to his liking.
Format is 3 columns in landscape. No editing issues noted, the geniuses have corrected the editing errors that KTFish7 noted in his review.
At $1, this is worth picking up if you think you might be casting magic missle at any point in the next 10 years.
This product takes the Pathfinder Rules and applies them to a Space Opera/ Space Fantasy setting. The Module supplies 4 pre generated characters to get any group started running the game. The setting draws on inspirations such as Star Wars, Alien, and David Brin’s [u]Uplift[/i] books. Corporations and governments both vie for control of nations, colonies and space. Aliens are selling surplus military technology to Earth governments and corporations.
Page 1 starts with a beautiful photo of Mars taken by NASA, an appropriate start since the majority of the adventure takes place on Mars. Layout is great, using a two column format. Sidebars are placed appropriately in a way that draws the eye to them at the proper time during reading. The art is good. It is all black and white. There is only art for the pre generated characters. There are no maps, which will create more work for the GM (but I assume was a cost saving measure by the publisher for a free module). No maps frees the GM to expand the environments to his/her liking, and/or allows the GM to pull in appropriate maps from other products.
Editing is less than good. There were multiple occasions where the incorrect word was used (lead instead of led, intended instead of intent, etc. These errors pass spell check, but should be caught by an editor.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this product. I think that anyone who might be interested in running or playing in a Space Opera setting someday should pick this line up. The price point is affordable, and I think that the company has promise to improve over time. The talent of a 2009 RPG Superstar Top 16 is apparent in this product. I wish Eridanus Books much success with future endeavors.
I picked these up because I have had combats grind to a halt while a player flips back and forth between the Core Rulebook and the Bestiary. Now I can just hand him a short packet and tell him to pick one.
Product is 54 pages long. 1 cover, 1 Title page w/ credits, 1 page Introduction, 3 pages listing the Summon Monster I-IX spells and Summon Monster Table, and 1 page OGL. That leaves 47 pages of Summonable Monsters with the Celestial and Fiendish Templates applied.
-This product lists all the monsters available under the spell with both the fiendish and celestial template applied.
-They are listed alphabetically within each spell level (all the Summon Monster I creatures are listed alphabetically followed by the Summon Monster II creatures listed alphabetically and so on).
-Text goes right to the edge of the page, so you can't 3-hole punch them to put them in a binder. However, this layout makes sense as the intent is for players to cut them out and use them as "cards."
-This product is all black and white with no artwork. It is a purely utilitarian product with no frills, which (I assume) allows for the VERY affordable price point.
I plan to print these out and put them in protective plastic sheets in a binder to be available as a resource at my gaming table.
Why 5 Stars?
-The product is exactly as advertised for a very small price. This is a useful aide for players and GMs.
Meet Norret Gantier, a wounded veteran grenadier from the Galtan military. He has returned home from the war to find that everything in his hometown has changed.
Kevin Andrew Murphy brings Galt to life. Yes, there is constant revolution. People live in fear of being accused of being an enemy of liberty. But they are still people just trying to get by in life. Kevin Andrew Murphy's tale gives alchemy an underlying order such that it is almost believable that, with the right reagents, you can augment your strength, improve your senses, or even heal old war wounds.
Not only does Kevin Andrew Murphy bring some measure of sense to alchemy, he weaves his story over a detailed backstory (some of which only he still knows) which allows him to combine art, theatre and science into an allegorical alchemical quest.
If you ever plan to play an alchemist, I strongly recommend that you read this tale. If you are setting an adventure in Galt, read this one. It will help to bring your world to life. I have stated elsewhere that I have yet to read a Kevin Andrew Murphy story that I have not thoroughly enjoyed. The story oozes research and reading that the author puts into all of his stories.
This is one of the best pieces that has appeared in the Web Fiction.
I pre-ordered this book on the merit of the one Shadowsfall Legends tale that was out and the previews posted on the Jon Brazer Enterprises blog. I am still new at reviewing books, I would counsel you to look to KTFish7, Dark Mistress, and Endzeitgeist's excellent reviews for a blow by blow of the book.
The monsters are a lot of fun. Some of them are VERY challenging, some are a very low challenge rating. My favorite in the book is the Cave Fisher Shadow in Appendix 1. It attaches an incorporeal filament to a creature's shadow and drags them away by its shadow. Awesome!
The flavor text for each monster is phenomenal providing some words of advice on facing the creature (usually they say to run away), or providing a hint at what inspired the monster. Artwork is black and white and ranges from good to excellent. Some of the artwork is reminiscent of 2nd edition monster books and on par with the artwork in The Tome of Horrors Complete. Editing was good with very few errors or glitches given the size of the book. Format is two columns with text flowing around the art. One monster per page, until you get to the appendices where they are lists of statblocks in challenge rating order.
If you are a GM or you ever plan to be a GM, you will not regret purchasing this book. The monsters are fresh and imaginative. The descriptive and flavor text is well written and grabs your attention. I will definitely be picking up the rest of this line as it comes out.
4 stars taking the one down because of the spelling errors that I did find.
Kurdag is a male umbral kobold alchemist with a penchant for explosions. He owns an alchemy shop called The Exploding Herb in the town of Blackbat. When a human adventurer comes to his shop with questions about a gem that caught fire, he ends up in a struggle for his life. That's fine with him, though; it means he gets to throw his beloved bombs.
The pdf is 14 pages long:
1 cover
1 title page
10.5 pages of story,
1 page talking about Shadowsfall and the author
This story deals with a main character who is not especially well liked by the people around him. They tolerate him because of his prowess at making (and throwing) bombs and other alchemical creations. Like all kobolds, life is a struggle, but Kurdag has done better than most. Despite that, he is still discriminated against by a human adventurer (though not for too long).
There is a fast paced, exciting battle between the kobold and some enemies. It will certainly keep you turning the pages (or scrolling down) to find out what happens next. The story gives you a good feel for what towns and cities in Shadowfall are like. Although the citizens band together for safety from the undead that stalk the wilds of Shadowsfall, the citizens are also their own worst enemy, quarreling amongst themselves when not combating hosts of undead.
I enjoyed the story enough to read it through more than once. I will be sure to come back to it as the other Shadowsfall Legends come out. The Shadowsfall Legends are shaping up to be high quality short stories. These compete with Paizo's Web Fiction for quality of author, story and characters. If you enjoy the web fiction, I highly recommend picking this story up.
Editing was top notch. I did not see any spelling, grammar or punctuation errors in the entire piece. Priced at $0.99, this is a perfect impulse buy, especially if you are planning to pick up the Shadowsfall campaign setting. I was very pleased to note that it came as an ePub, PDF and mobi (Kindle format) file.
Honestly, I am fine with whatever makes the DM's job even a little easier. Although I have never played with a block-initiative method (I think), I am sure it is not something I cannot get used to after a combat or two.
He has the Skilled Human heritage and does not have Natural Ambition (which is the ancestry feat that grants a 1st-level class feat) at 1st level. Versatile Heritage, by the way, gives a general feat, not a class feat.
According to the CRB, Ezren, being a Skilled Human Universalist Wizard with the Metamagical Experimentation arcane thesis, should have three wizard class feats at 1st level. One from being a 1st level wizard (as, according to the CRB, wizards get a wizard class feat at 1st level), one from being a Universalist (since Universalists get an extra wizard class feat) and one from his arcane thesis (since the Metamagical Experimentation thesis grants a 1st-level metamagic wizard class feat as a bonus feat).
He, however, only has two, Reach Spell and Widen Spell.
Going by his write-up, his Reach Spell class feat is from his Metamagical Experimentation arcane thesis, so that is accounted for. As far as I can tell it does not specify where his Widen Spell class feat comes from (whether it is from his being a Universalist or it is his 1st level wizard class feat).
Regardless, if the Core Rulebook is correct and wizards do indeed get a class feat at 1st level (unlike bards, clerics, druids and sorcerers by the way, who do not get a class feat at 1st level), then Ezren has one feat less than he should have, something that is true for both his 1st and 5th level write-up.
Alright, folks. Just to give y'all an update I'm going to switch Morthos out at some point with a rogue. Why? Well... we need one. That's pretty much it.
My initial plan is to go Swashbuckler/Unchained rogue mainly due to the fact I'll have a lot more options weapon wise. I don't want to waste a feat on weapon proficiency so that's the main reason I'm rolling with that. Although they do have some nice 1st level abilities that should prove useful. This is all going to be fairly new to me because I am a fighter type/cleric type kinda guy. IRL and pbp. I've only run 1 rogue ever. And he was a rogue/ranger. So this'll be different for me for sure. As far as the split I figure 1 level SB and the rest rogue. Although I do like that 2nd level SB Charmed Life ability. That's pretty cool. Especially considering their saves are garbage outside of Reflex.
Anyway, just thought I'd give y'all a heads up.
Were you not just telling me what a bother it is to rebuild when I asked if it would be alright to change Raven's crunch? :-P
The military R&D project that my android soldier is a product of is -or was- called Reactive Nanotechnology. It is -or was- an attempt to develop adaptable and self-upgrading nanotech (going to be fluffing soldier gear boosts and fighting style techniques, as we as augmentations and feats and ability increases, so basically his whole leveling up thingy, as his nanites making him better, faster, stronger, smarter) for potential combat applications. My guy's body and its nanites were the fourth model or iteration and had the designation 4.0. So Reactive Nanotechnology 4.0, or RN-IV. Aaron Ivey.
This means his backstory needs a few changes probably, but nothing too severe I think. Either way I will post something... fluffy tomorrow or the day after to reflect that.
Alrighty, here be the completed submission. Let me just roll for hit points first and on we go...
Hit points (level 2):1d10 ⇒ 2 => 6 Hit points (level 3):1d10 ⇒ 9
Raevanis Dwin'Alir, Elven Vampire in the Making:
RAEVANIS "RAVEN" DWIN'ALIR CR 2
Male Elf Brawler (Snakebite Striker) 1/Fighter (Weapon Master) 2
NE Medium Humanoid (Elf)
Villain Points 3
Init +5; Senses Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +11
--------------------
DEFENSE
--------------------
AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 12. . (+3 Dex, +2 natural)
hp 22 (3d10-6+3)
Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +1; +2 vs. fear, +1 vs. effects targeting longsword
Defensive Abilities Weapon Guard +1; DR None; Immune None; Resist None; SR None
Weaknesses Daylight (sickened)
--------------------
OFFENSE
--------------------
Spd 30 ft.
Melee Unarmed strike +5 (1d6+2/20/x2/bludgeoning)
Ranged None
Special Attacks Sneak Attack +1d6
--------------------
STATISTICS
--------------------
Str 15, Dex 17, Con 6, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 14
Base Atk +3; CMB +5; CMD 18 (19 vs. disarm and sunder when wielding longsword)
Feats Alertness, Improved Unarmed Strike, Run, The Bitten, The Dying, Toughness, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (Longsword)
Traits Dueling unto Death, Student of History
Skills (Trained) Acrobatics +9 (+13 to jump with running start), Climb +6, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (History) +7, Knowledge (Local) +6, Knowledge (Nobility) +6, Knowledge (Religion) +6, Linguistics +3, Perception +11, Ride +7, Sense Motive +9, Stealth +9, Survival +5, Swim +6
Skills (Untrained) Appraise +2, Bluff +2, Craft +2, Diplomacy +2, Disguise +2, Escape Artist +3, Fly +3, Heal +1, Perform +2
Languages Common, Dwarven, Elven, Goblin, Sylvan
SQ Bonus Feats (Fighter), Brawler's Cunning, Chosen Weapon (Longsword), Fleet-Footed, Martial Training, Memories Beyond Death, Shadowless, Unarmed Strike
Combat Gear None; Other Gear Pickpocket's outfit
Magic Items None
Oils None; Potions None; Scrolls None
Money 0 platinum pieces, 3000 gold pieces, 0 silver pieces, 0 copper pieces; Other Wealth None
Of Books and Covers:
Standing six feet tall, Raevanis combines an elf's slender form with the athletic build of a trained warrior and moves with the grace that is a defining characteristic of his people, even if on occasion it takes an almost predatory quality. With complexion so fair as to be considered pale, his long hair, once midnight black, a trait that along with his given name had earned him the nickname "Raven", is now white, while his almond-shaped eyes are entirely a deep red color, quite the change from the vibrant blue orbs he was born with. Usually dressed in well-made fitted attire of darker hues, such as midnight blue, indigo and black, Raven generally prefers to wear as light and non-restrictive a suit of armor as he can find when necessary, though he does show a preference of forgoing it entirely if he can do so. His weapon of choice is the longsword, ideally of mastercrafted quality, and one such weapon is more often than not resting in a scabbard by his left hip, while he tends to also keep a trio of daggers on his person at almost all times, one sheathed horizontally at the small of his back and the other two kept in a pair of concealed spring loaded wrist sheaths.
Raevanis is civilized, charming and witty, or at the very least he used to be before the bite of a vampire changed his life. That unfortunate event and the tragic circumstances of his life after it appear to have dimmed his spirit and made him more withdrawn than the gregarious and quick-to-smile elf that he was. Still, as his condition progresses and his connection to his mortal origins diminishes, the tragedies and crimes of his past life start to feel as not that much of a burden and have less and less of a hold on him. An odd consequence of that is that his charm and wit and even his crooked smile are returning as he embraces his new reality and life, or unlife as it were, even if such character traits now appear to on occasion have a bit more of a... bite to them and his wit is somewhat drier than before sometimes.
The Journey So Far:
There were two things about the young elf called Raevanis that no one expected to come true. One, that a boy that seemed so unable to stand still would actually manage to muster the discipline to do so long enough to become a capable and skilled swordsman. The other, that his noble House name of Dwin'Alir, elven for "Walkers in Shadow", would one day prove to be so fitting in so tragic a way.
The first of Celeador and Ellanira's two children, Raevanis was born more than a century ago, and almost two full decades before his younger sister Arianne, into the noble elven House of Dwin'Alir in the port city of Greengold in Kyonin. Quite unlike his father, who more or less epitomized the image of the aloof elven noble, Raevanis -or Raven as some of his non-elven friends would call him, the nickname having started being used because of his actual name as well as his midnight black hair- was free-spirited and gregarious, making friends among the commoner folk, elven and non-elven alike, easily despite his own social status. In fact, he preferred their company, finding them a welcome change from his family's friends and acquaintances, and would more than once sneak out of one of House Dwin'Alir's social gatherings to meet up with youths of other races on some rooftop or other. His father disapproved of course and his mother as well, albeit the latter less severely than the former, while his younger sister looked up to him, her older brother, and always looked forward to those times, few though they were, that he asked her to join him in his escapades.
Still though, even elves grow up eventually and must therefore leave behind childish things. And even though Raevanis did retain much of the nature of his youth, his charm and wit did become more refined as the years and decades passed, making men and women out of those boys and girls he had spent much of his own youth with, and he finally stood still long enough for his father to start teaching him and training him in the ways of fighting with a sword. Celeador, being an accomplished swordsman himself and quite proud of his mastery of the blade, wanted to pass his knowledge and skill to his son, hardly a strange desire for a father. And Raven proved an apt pupil, finding grace and elegance in his father's style of swordplay. Indeed, he was quick to pick up the moves and forms Celeador taught him, the longsword feeling almost like an extension of his arm during their sparring and training sessions before long. It was a good time. A pity it did not last long, at least considering how elves measure time.
As good as training and sparring is, even with real blades, and as much as it build discipline, it cannot replace actual battle experience and fighting or at least functioning alongside others, or so Celeador thought. It had certainly held true for him, as the older elf had spent quite some time when he had been younger patrolling the edges of Tanglebriar alongside other elves of Kyonin. So the time came he decided his most prized student, his own son, was ready to put what he had been taught to some use and perhaps learn from the experience. Indeed, even Raevanis, having grown much closer to his father over the years of training under him, was curious and perhaps even looking forward to putting his skills to the test. Unfortunately, such a thing was not to be.
It happened during Raven's first patrol. His was a newly formed unit, so its members were given a simple enough first task: scout a part of the Tanglebriar's northern edge, keeping a safe distance and with strict orders not to engage anything unless such a thing could not be avoided. A sort of a way to get their feet wet, as the human saying goes. But something went wrong, terribly so. Because with the exception of Raevanis, none returned from that simple scouting mission. And even he did so barely, sick and weak and pale from loss of blood, even though no visible wounds could be found. Not by the time he stumbled back into the closest elven camp, collapsing right in the middle of it.
It was immediately decided he would return to his family in Greengold, but he would do so under heavy guard as there were certain theories about what had transpired, or at least some of it. By the time he and his escort finally reached his family's estate, he was still weak and pale, but there were other disconcerting changes as well, such as his black hair slowly but surely turning white and the blue eyes he had been born with having given their place to orbs of a deep red color. These shifts in his appearance, along with the theories about what had happened, theories the elves escorting him shared with Raven's father, convinced Celeador that his son should be kept in his room and under guard at all times -imprisoned, in other words- until he and Ellanira could reach a decision about what was to be done. It took time, time during which Raevanis began growing resentful, while his father started to feel that his son was lost or would soon be and his mother believed that something could still be done, that perhaps some cleric or some divine magic could return him to how he was, to what he was.
And then there was Arianne. The sister who dearly loved her brother. The sister who would do anything for him and finally did. The sister who brought him food and drink each day and then, one day, a key as well. The sister who distracted the household guards. Who helped him escape.
Leaving his family and the city he had been born in behind, Raevanis wandered for a time, one year giving its place to the next and then the next and so on, until he found himself in Talingarde, an island in the northern hemisphere of Golarion, though not without assistance. It seems he had caught the interest of one Cardinal Adrastus Thorn, an apparently powerful man who through agents of his he had managed to facilitate the elf's voyage there. It had not come out of altruism of course, but even so Raevanis made it clear that although he was grateful, he did not see eye to eye with the man to say the least and any gratitude he felt would be expressed with words only raather than deeds. Surprisingly enough, the Cardinal actually allowed him to go, albeit with a strange smile on his lips. The elf was indeed a little suspicious, but he did not dwell too much on it, but in retrospect perhaps he should have had. Truth be told though, he did not plan on staying there for long anyway, but alas, fate had other plans and one more tragedy in store for him. Shortly after he had reached this land, Celeador and Arianne arrived as well and it was not long until their paths crossed. It was not a happy reunion.
Words were spoken, harsh words by both father and son, and despite Arianne's tearful attempts at stopping the argument, soon enough swords were drawn. Celeador had given up on his son ever becoming what he was long ago; indeed, it would not have been an exaggeration to say that the older elf had come to see Raevanis as no longer an elf, but a monster, an abomination, even though he still drew breath and was not yet what both his family and himself knew he would eventually become. And Raven was still bitter and resentful at the way his own father and mother had treated him after his return from the Tanglebriar.
The first sword blow was struck by the patriarch of House Dwin'Alir, but the younger elf managed to parry it just in time before responding kind. And so it went for a while, and even though it seemed as if Raevanis was holding his own, his weakness from whatever had happened to him at that scouting mission along with his father's clearly superior skill soon proved his undoing. But although Celeador stood poised to strike the final blow and end his son's life, his sword never came down. Something stopped him as he looked at Raven and for a moment saw his son as he had once been. Perhaps there was still a chance at reconciliation. Perhaps... if Raevanis had also stopped. But carried away by the fight and focused on parrying and counterattacking, the younger elf seized this opportunity. And he struck.
Afterwards Raevanis only remembered bits and pieces of what followed, distraught and even horrified as he was at what had done. There was his sister's cries and screams of anguish and the image of her beautiful face twisted with pain and grief and anger and hate. There was his coughing and the flecks of blood that came with it as he half ran and half stumbled away from the place the duel with his father, so unlike the sparring sessions of his youth, had taken place. And then... darkness and nightmares. And, oddly, a sense of... accomplishment of sorts, a feeling of pride at besting such a strong opponent, such a skilled swordmaster. And he felt a part of him, once small but having grown in the last few years and growing still, liked it.
After a while, he felt himself regaining consciousness. And the very next thing he felt? Strong arms lifting him up, gruff voices, threats spoken with a tone of authority. And in an instant he knew what had happened. And he knew who had turned him in, who had brought these men of law. And then he wept one more time, perhaps the last. In fact, when he turned on them, he still had tears in his eyes as he managed to wrest a sword from one of them and then proceeded to kill a couple and injure a few more, the element of suprpise and his own skill with a blade apparently all he needed to make his escape. Or at least his escape from the fate they had in store for him.
Cardinal Adrastus Thorn welcomed him back with a thin smile, a smile so like the one he had when he had allowed him to leave with only words of gratitude as payment for his debt. A smile that made Raevanis feel as if the man had known how events would play out for the elven vampire to be from the first time he had laid eyes on him.
Class Levels and Crunch, Timeline and Fluff:
His 1st character level (Fighter (Weapon Master)), along with stuff like the Fleet-Footed racial trait and the Student of History trait, are attributed to the time from his birth and somewhat free-spirited childhood up to his formal training in the ways of the sword and finally the bite, as well as the fact that he was part of a noble family along with the education and perks such a thing may provide. The bite is also responsible for his Memories Beyond Death racial trait, as I am considering it a weird side effect of his being bitten; it diminished his elven side, but granted him resistance to fear, as well as some insight and knowledge into subjects the one who bit him was knowledgeable about, such as nobility and religion for example, due to his quite possibly very advanced age.
His 2nd character level (Brawler (Snakebite Striker)) and quite a few of the class skills that come with it are a result of his life after "escaping" from his family estate and wandering about, having to rely on his wits and stealth, as well as having to learn how to fight without necessarily a weapon nearby and not always fairly or honorably. Also, I am thinking the unarmed strike's higher damage as indicative of his growing physical strength as undeath approaches.
His 3rd character level (Fighter (Weapon Master)) marks his return to formal training once he has finally more or less accepted his fate and finds himself under Thorn's "employ" so to speak.
A Couple of Extra Things:
I am a bit torn between Power Attack and Two-Weapon Fighting, but I am expecting to make up my mind, if chosen, before the character actually enters play.
I have not purchased equipment, but I aim to do so more or less immediately if chosen. They will mostly include standard stuff, like a good weapon and armor, a secondary weapon or two and the usual adventuring gear.
Looking ahead, if chosen, I may look into retraining him out of the Weapon Master archetype if permissible when he is a full vampire, i.e. around level 10. I am thinking that once he has embraced his new and formidable abilities, he will be moving away from focusing entirely on the longsword and will seek to probably blend swordplay with natural attacks, thus taking advantage of his vampiric strength.
Finally, I have played Way of the Wicked before and I think we had managed to finish Book 1. It was some time ago though and frankly I do not remember much, not many specifics anyway.
Having become the owner of a tiny little female human a week ago, I am a bit busy at the moment. However, with my returning back to work in four to five days, posting should resume at least somewhat.
Ha! Thank you for the wishes guys! And you can visit Europe and Greece for that matter anytime, I am sure there is a loophole or other... :-P
Work is basically a private practice, so when there are no patients I am generally able to post, yes. It is what I am counting on in order to still play PbPs.
In all probability in the coming days I am going to be the adequately proud owner of my very own tiny little human of the female variety. Thus, the little creature is probably going to upset my free time somewhat, but what can one do, right? Thus, posting may be affected for a few days, but I will do my best to not let such trivialities hinder me too much. After all, priorities, right?
Random logouts seem to persist for me, at least on an Android phone with Google Chrome. They may be happening a little less often but I am not entirely sure.
I, for one, cannot possibly believe this... debate, for lack of a better word, is still going on. And over multiple threads no less. But I do admit it is amusing in a somewhat bizarre way as it has actually lasted more time than the game has been out and available to most people (not counting preorder headstart of course). This also begs the question about how much actual empirical evidence there is regarding the poor Solarian's in-combat -or is it general?- "uselessness" not just at 1st level but also beyond it when we have all or most of us just begun playing Starfinder, but whatever.
As a certain pointy-eared half-alien tends to say...
Actually -to me anyway- the Solarian feels more like a switch hitter type of fighter or at least like he could be built as either melee or ranged. Certainly a fighter-type class, but not necessarily melee I think. You could after all take Solar Armor and invest in being a ranged combatant, right?
at first level there is only a few armor upgrades a android could even afford ,this being one of them...
The android could simply leave the upgrade slot empty if no suitable upgrades exist at first level, right? And simply fill it when something useful becomes available later on?
And from what I have gathered, most armor upgrades basically benefit the wearer of the armor anyway (someone mentioned jump jets and I think forcefields?), so installing them in the android itself does the same thing in the end. This particular upgrade (Tensile Reinforcement) seems to affect only the armor itself via strengthening its hardness and hit points, while doing basically nothing for the wearer. So I would simply see it as an exception to the android's upgrade slot and what can be installed in it.
Ah, no worries. You are frustrated. On such occasions a bit of venting can be good.
As for the blame, considering I find PbPs a perhaps more cooperative type of RP than PnP, well...
For my part, I still stand by what I said in my previous post though.
Sandbox games can be... difficult when played as PbPs because, I think, due to the whole forum thing and posting and all that, the rails of AP can more often than not prove quite useful indeed. I have been in a few sandboxes here on the forums; some were successful, others were not. And it is exactly because a sandbox requires quite a bit more from the players (and the GM of course) than structured APs. And speaking for myself, I have generally never been particularly adept at driving things forward (probably one of the reasons I have never GMed a game here), though I have done it on occasion. And I have to admit that my current schedule and RL circumstances (happy and positive some of which are) are not helping with either my energy or my free time or my mood. And I suppose it did not help that I went with a bit of an oddball character, no matter how interesting the concept felt at the time.
As for new players, I do agree. New blood does not magically fix things. It might up frequency of posting and the chances for interaction between the PCs and maybe the new guys would be better at acting rather than reacting. Quite a few maybes of course. But losing half of the party in quick succession certainly did not help. Especially when the ones lost are the verbose and boisterous Sigurd, Daerdryn with her story hooks (I do believe we were going to explore one of those before the town and the orcs and we were to continue with it after?) and Idana, who was one third of basically a set.
The above offers no solutions methink, just cents. Two of them.
Male Human Scout 1/Jedi 2; HP 46/46; FP 4/6; DP 2/3; Threshold 16; Fort 16 (21 vs. extreme heat or cold), Ref 19 (flat-footed 15), Will 17; Initiative +9; Perception +9
Callum and Hugo:
I did not actually remember that. Sure, let us keep the Force Point spent and have him for other Force users and any Dark Side taint. After all the skill check did take place before the Zabrak elaborated about hooded people and the tattooed dude.
"I... see," is all Callum says at first as his eyes fall on the crashed distress beacon, which he proceeds to pick up and examine a little closer. "Thank you," is what accompanies his putting the bits and pieces in one of the small pouches on his utility belt. And then the Zabrak mentions reward and his gaze moves to the credit chip still in his hand.
"Oh, dear," he utters, a look of mild surprise on his face. The reaction could be called almost theatrical, just without the almost. "I had forgotten I still had that," he quips as he proceeds to put it back in the pouch he had taken it out of. "A reward is indeed in order, certainly," the atypical Jedi agrees with a smile as he once again reaches into the Force.
"You do not want anything to do with death sticks or illicit substances of any kind," he finally says. "You want to go home and rethink the choices you have made in your life, including the company you keep." And then, as his smile comes dangerously close to turning into a grin, he adds, "And that haircut. Rethink that. Hard."
He then turns to Hugo, his smile undiminished. "Come, my friend. The game is afoot, as I am sure someone somewhere must have said or will say at some point."
A couple of potions of cure light wounds are definitely useful, yes. Also, I think Kieran could find some use for the potion of barkskin if nobody objects, at least until he can sorta kinda cast barkskin himself.
Actually, someone has made such a thing. As far as I know the following is a complete list of feats and talents and it also lists which book each can be found in.
I should point out that you should check the actual feat and talent in the actual book as the brief description in the above link may differ somewhat from the full description of the feat or talent in the book.
For Constitution definitely at least a 12 for me. And certainly never below 10. But then again I never drop any stat below 10, not even Charisma, as I hate dump stats with a passion. :-P
I have been around for quite some time now I think -a little over seven years apparently judging by when my first ever post was- but I have mostly lurked in the various forums. Again, I think at least; I mean I have posted now and then to be sure, but I do not remember how often. Sometimes I look back through my posts history and I surprise myself. Heh...
Anyway, I am mostly here for the PbPs, so that is the part I generally frequent, though real life does affect such things.
First PbP I got in I played with some interesting fellows. It was DMed by therealthom and the players -in no particular order- consisted of Dabbler, Wellard, hogarth, Set and Neil Spicer (though I think he was just NSpicer back then). I wonder if they are still around and posting...
It contains various resources, references and tools, not to mention a couple of files or three with rules clarifications and errata. I would direct your attention to "Jedi Counseling 100-115", "Official Errata for 6 books" and "Official FAQ & Errata Compilation Thread". The last one is quite possibly the only one of the three that you might need as it is fairly comprehensive (it certainly includes the "Official Errata for 6 books"); as a sidenote, it also is at least partially put together by Ravingdork I think.
I seem to remember a behind-the-scenes featurette in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. They are discussing when Frodo is in Mordor inside the dark and windowless cell. And yet there is light, OOC so we, the audience, can actually see what is going on.
And in the commentary there is an anecdote about how someone -perhaps Elijah Wood?- asked where was the light coming from if the cell is dark and windowless. And the answer? The same place as the music (referring to the soundtrack playing during the scene).
Regarding Spheres of Power (a system that is entirely unknown to me by the way), the following couple of links may help. "May" being the operative word here as at first glance they do seem somewhat complicated and maybe a little reminiscent of Words of Power (please note the "at first glance" caveat).
The following is taken from the Dragonlance to Pathfinder Conversion that you have already linked in the recruitment post, so I am assuming it is allowed?
I may or may not be interested in taking levels in this particular PrC (provided of course my characters is not only selected for the game, but also survives the Test), but I thought it good to have it here for your and our reference.
I have tidied it up a bit and put everything in one place for easy reference.
Wizard of High Sorcery:
Wizard of High Sorcery Prestige Class
Entry Requirements
. . Alignment: Any good (White Robes), neutral (Red Robes), or evil (Black Robes)
. . Base Save Bonus: Will +4
. . Spellcasting: Ability to prepare and cast 2nd-level arcane spells
. . Skills: Spellcraft 5 ranks
. . Feats: Spell Focus (any), Scribe Scroll, and one other Item Creation or Metamagic feat
. . Special:Test of High Sorcery: One of the traditions established by the First Conclave is the institution of the Test of High Sorcery, designed to challenge the dedication of any student desiring to master the art of magic.
Each Test of High Sorcery is uniquely designed for the individual taking it, and should include at least three challenges to be overcome by the wizard’s knowledge of magic and its use. Characters must solve problems and defeat foes by casting every spell they know at least once, and should also face confrontation with someone thought to be a friend or ally. The Test must also include at least one lethal danger of a Challenge Rating equal to the wizard’s own level.
Those taking the Test can bring companions with them if they desire, but will find the challenges scaled upward in compensation. No one who accompanies a wizard on his challenge has any guarantee of returning, for by the harsh terms of the Test, failure means death.
Favored Specialization: Each of the three Orders of High Sorcery has a degree of expertise in two schools of magic. This knowledge and mastery of these schools is reflected in the narrowed focus of dedicated wizards (see the Arcane Focus class feature in the Addendum spoiler). The favored schools are Abjuration and Divination (White Robes), Illusion and Transmutation (Red Robes), and Enchantment and Necromancy (Black Robes).
Hit Dice: d6
Class Skills: The Wizard of High Sorcery's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Craft (Int), Fly (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all) (Int), Profession (Wis), Linguistics (Int), and Spellcraft.
Skill Ranks at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier
Base Attack Progression: As Loremaster PrC
Saving Throws Progression: As Loremaster PrC
Spells Per Day Progression: As Loremaster PrC
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: As Loremaster PrC
Class Features:
. . Moon Magic (Su): All Wizards of High Sorcery draw strength directly from the moon aligned with their particular Order—White Robe wizards from Solinari, the White Moon; Red Robe wizards from Lunitari, the Red Moon; Black Robe wizards from Nuitari, the Black Moon (whose aspect only Black Robe wizards can see).
The waxing and waning of their respective moons has an effect upon the magic of Wizards of High Sorcery. When a moon is at High Sanction (from waxing gibbous, through full, to waning gibbous), wizards of that moon’s order cast spells at +1 caster level and with a +1 to any spell save DCs. When a moon is at Low Sanction (from waning crescent, through new, to waxing crescent), wizards of that moon’s Order cast spells at –1 caster level and with a –1 to any spell save DCs. During the waxing and waning periods around the quarter moons, wizards of that moon’s Order cast their spells normally.
The alignment of any two moons is a positive event for wizards of both orders, even if the moons are at Low Sanction. When two moons are in conjunction, wizards of both moons’ Orders cast spells at +1 caster level and with a +1 to any spell save DCs. These bonuses stack with any bonus or penalty already in place for the phase of the moons. Thus, if Lunitari and Nuitari come into conjunction at High Sanction, Wizards of the Red and Black Robes cast at caster level +2 and a +2 on spell save DCs. If the same two moons come into conjunction at Low Sanction, the benefit from the conjunction cancel out the penalty for the two moons being at Low Sanction, and these wizards cast spells as normal.
When all three moons come into alignment, all magic becomes more powerful. Wizards of all three Orders cast spells at caster level +2 and with a +2 on spell save DCs. Again, these bonuses stack with any bonus or penalty in place for the phase of the moons. If the three moons are in conjunction at Low Sanction, every wizard still casts with +1 bonuses. If they align at High Sanction, the bonuses are +3. This alignment, known as the Night of the Eye, occurs in a cycle of 504 days (exactly 1–1/2 years).
. . Tower Resources (Ex): A wizard who has passed their Test of High Sorcery and declared their allegiance to the Gods of Magic gains access to the libraries within the towers controlled by the Orders of High Sorcery. When a Wizard of High Sorcery is scribing or copying a spell using one of these libraries, the time requirement for this process is halved. The cost for researching new spells is onequarter standard.
When a Wizard of High Sorcery uses one of the Orders' laboratories to create magic items they automatically gain access to the most commonly used components and magical reagents. All magic item creation costs are automatically reduced by 100 stl.
. . Arcane Research (Ex): At 2nd level, a Wizard of High Sorcery gains a +1 competence bonus to all Knowledge (Arcana) and Spellcraft skill checks. For every two levels after 2nd this bonus increases by +1.
Additionally, each level that grants an Arcane Research bonus also grants the Wizard of High Sorcery a bonus spell to their spellbook in addition to spells gained from normal level advancement. This spell must be of a level the Wizard of High Sorcery can cast and must be from one of their Order's specialist schools (see Favored Specialization under Special in Entry Requirements).
. . Order Secret (Su): At 3rd, and again at 5th, 7th, 9th and 10th level, a Wizard of High Sorcery may select an Order Secret appropriate for the Order they belong to. A Wizard of High Sorcery may not choose the same secret twice.
Secrets of the Black Robes
. . Magic of Darkness: Once per day for every two Wizard of High Sorcery class levels attained, a Black Robe who knows this secret can imbue a damaging spell with negative energy. Half of the damage dealt by such a spell is negative energy damage, and is therefore not subject to being reduced by protection from energy or similar magic (although death ward negates it). The remainder of the damage is dealt as normal for the spell. Undead are healed by negative energy, so damage dealt to undead creatures simply averages out to nothing for a spell modified in this way. (Assume that the healing takes place first, granting the undead creature temporary hit points above its maximum if necessary, with equivalent damage then dealt to leave the creature back where it started.)
. . Magic of Death: Once per day for every two Wizard of High Sorcery class levels attained, a Black Robe who knows this secret may apply the Empower Spell or Extend Spell feat to any Enchantment or Necromancy spell they cast as a swift action. This ability does not use up a spell slot one level higher than the spell's actual level.
. . Magic of Fear: A Black Robe who knows this secret can make her spells more intimidating. As a full-round action, the wizard can cast any spell that deals damage and has a normal casting time of 1 standard action. Then, as a free action, she can immediately attempt to demoralize one opponent within 30 feet. The wizard receives a circumstance bonus on the Intimidate check equal to the level of the spell she casts.
. . Magic of Hunger: A Black Robe who knows this secret may draw even further upon her own resources to increase the scope of her magic. Each day, she may prepare one extra spell of any level she can cast at the cost of 1 point of Constitution damage per spell level. This ability damage heals normally but cannot be magically restored.
. . Magic of Pain: Once per day for every two Wizard of High Sorcery class levels attained, a Black Robe who knows this secret may cast any spell that deals hit point damage to inflict pain beyond the spell’s normal effects. Any creature damaged by such a spell must make a successful Fortitude save (DC 10 + spell level + Constitution modifier) or suffer a –2 penalty on attack rolls, skill checks, and ability checks for one round due to the lingering pain the spell inflicts. As a price for this wracking pain, the Black Robe herself takes 1d6 points of damage when the spell is cast.
Secrets of the Red Robes
. . Magic of Change: Once per day for every two Wizard of High Sorcery class levels attained, a Red Robe who knows this secret may apply the Enlarge Spell or Extend Spell feat to any Transmutation spell they cast as a swift action. This ability does not use up a spell slot one level higher than the spell's actual level.
. . Magic of Deception: Once per day for every two Wizard of High Sorcery class levels attained, a Red Robe who knows this secret may apply the Enlarge Spell or Extend Spell feat to any Illusion spell they cast as a swift action. This ability does not use up a spell slot one level higher than the spell's actual level.
. . Magic of Independence: A Red Robe who knows this secret casts spells that are harder to dispel. When another spellcaster makes a dispel check against one of the wizard’s spells (including using dispel magic to counterspell a spell the wizard is casting), the DC is 15 + the wizard’s caster level.
. . Magic of Mystery: A Red Robe wizard knows this secret casts spells that are harder to detect and identify. When another spellcaster attempts to use a divination spell (such as detect magic), or a spell-like ability or magic item that might detect the magical aura of one of the wizard’s spells, the other caster must make a level check (DC 11 + the wizard’s caster level) to successfully detect the spell. Similarly, a spellcaster attempting to use a divination (such as see invisibility) to reveal the effects of one of the wizard’s spells must make a level check to reveal the spell’s effects. Any given caster can check only once for each divination spell or effect used, no matter how many of the wizard’s spell effects may be operating in an area.
In addition, when another spellcaster attempts to identify the spell a Red Robe wizard is casting (for instance, to counterspell it), the DC of the required Spellcraft check is increased by +1 for every 2 class levels the Red Robe wizard has attained.
. . Magic of Purity: Once per day for every two Wizard of High Sorcery class levels attained, a Red Robe wizard who knows this secret can imbue any spell that deals hit point damage with pure arcane energy. Half of the damage dealt by such a spell comes from this arcane energy, and is therefore not subject to being reduced by protection from energy or similar magic. The remainder of the damage is dealt as normal for the spell.
Secrets of the White Robes
. . Magic of Defense: Once per day for every two Wizard of High Sorcery class levels attained, a White Robe who knows this secret may apply the Empower Spell or Extend Spell feat to any Abjuration spell they cast as a swift action. This ability does not use up a spell slot one level higher than the spell's actual level.
. . Magic of Radiance: Once per day for every two Wizard of High Sorcery class levels attained, a White Robe who knows this secret can imbue any spell that deals hit point damage with radiant energy. Half of the damage dealt by such a spell comes from this radiant energy, and is therefore not subject to being reduced by protection from energy or similar magic. The remainder of the damage dealt is as normal for the spell. Against undead, a spell modified in this way deals half again as much damage as normal (double the radiant energy damage). As a side effect, radiant spells give off as much illumination as a light spell of equivalent caster level, and this light lingers in the area for one round after the end of the spell’s duration (or one round for an instantaneous spell).
. . Magic of Resistance: This secret allows a White Robe to more easily counter or dispel the magic cast by others. The wizard gains the benefit of the Improved Counterspell feat (if she does not already possess it) and gains a competence bonus on dispel checks equal to +1 per two class levels.
. . Magic of Sustenance: This secret allows a White Robe to cast spells even under difficult circumstances. The wizard gains a competence bonus equal to +1 per two class levels on all concentration checks made to cast or direct spells (but does not gain a concentration check bonus while casting defensively).
. . Magic of Truth: Once per day for every two Wizard of High Sorcery class levels attained, a White Robe who knows this secret may apply the Enlarge Spell or Extend Spell feat to any Divination spell they cast as a swift action. This ability does not use up a spell slot one level higher than the spell's actual level.
Addendum:
The above conversion has removed the following two features of the Wizard of High Sorcery prestige class, reasoning that they are adequately replaced by the Arcane Bond And Arcane School features of the Wizard class.
Arcane Focus: Upon passing the Test of High Sorcery, a wizard has the option of narrowing the focus of his arcane power in accordance with the traditions of his order. The effects of this optional focus depend on whether the wizard was already a specialist or not.
Non-Specialists: At 1st level, a Wizard of High Sorcery who was not already a specialist wizard may choose a specialty school from one of those favored by his Order (see Favored Specialization under Special in Entry Requirements). From this point on, he follows all of the rules regarding specialist wizards in the Player’s Handbook, including the selection of prohibited schools.
Specialists: If the wizard was already a specialist in one of the two favored schools of his Order, his specialization is enhanced. In addition to his existing benefits, he gains a +1 bonus to caster level on spells from the specialist school, as well as gaining a +1 bonus on saving throws against spells from his specialist school and against spell-like abilities (but not supernatural abilities) that duplicate such spells.
In exchange for this enhanced focus on one school, the wizard must give up one additional school of magic, chosen from among the specialist schools of the other two Orders of High Sorcery (see Favored Specialization under Special in Entry Requirements). He cannot choose a prohibited school that he already chose as a 1st-level specialist.
Item of Power: Once a prospective Wizard of High Sorcery successfully completes the Test, his order gives him a permanent magic item, usually valued between 2,000–4,000 steel pieces (though the reward may vary depending on the number of Risk Points at the end of the Test). The order does not tell the new Wizard of High Sorcery what powers the item possesses, as discovering the item’s secrets is seen as a challenge on his new path.
My personal suggestion is to keep both features anyway.
The Arcane Focus is not really affected by the way Pathfinder handles specializations any more than it was affected in 3.5 for which the PrC was first created. And wizards with archetypes that replace the Arcane School can either be excluded from the PrC's Arcane Focus feture or actually remove the archetype and take a specialization instead like a vanilla wizard. After all the Test is supposed to on occasion profoundly affect the wizard taking it.
The Item of Power is in my opinion not the same as Arcane Bond in the least, being one of the rewards and reminders of what can very well be the most important time of a wizard's life in Dragonlance. This feature of the PrC refers to the Test's reward which at times is something simple and at other times... well, anything but, if a certain staff is any indication. That the Item of Power may end up becoming the wizard's Arcane Bond item as well, that is indeed a possibility and an option, but they are not the same thing. Not to mention that the Item of Power makes a very suitable candidate for the Scaling Magic Items ruleset from Pathfinder Unchained, as the GM can actually gift a magic item that at that moment does not exceed the price limits set in the Test of High Sorcery chapter of the Towers of High Sorcery book, but can with time and patience and experience reveal powers that actually make it something worthy of the name Item of Power.
In Dragonlance spontaneous spellcasters do not really exist in this particular era of play. Sorcerers (spontaneous arcane casters) and mystics (spontaneous divine casters) come into being after the Summer of Chaos once the Age of Mortals begins and the Gods are not around (or rather the world has been stolen from them; long story...). And the relationship between spontaneous and prepared arcane spellcasters is... strained at best (another long story...).
Bards I think are special circumstances, but technically cannot cast healing spells as those are the purview of the Gods and their clerics, i.e. divine magic. Or so it went if memory serves in the Dragonlance Campaign Setting for 3.5.
Occult classes or psychic classes I have no idea if they exist in Dragonlance, but from what I remember they do not. Though I suppose they could be refluffed.
Setting-wise, arcane magic is ridiculously regulated. All prepared arcane spellcasters fall under the scrutiny of the Orders of High Sorcery (the White Robes of Solinari, the Red Robes of Lunitari and the Black Robes of Nuitari), though they are more or less left alone and unharmed right up to the point that they are able to cast powerful spells, i.e. 3rd level spells. In order to do that they have to pass the Test of High Sorcery (which can result to death) and officially don the White, Red or Black Robes to show that they are disciplined and committed enough to do so. Those that refuse to do so but continue to grow in their magic are deemed Renegades to be hunted down and either forced to take the Test and commit to one of the three Orders or killed. I also think there is the option of forsaking magic forever, but my memory is fuzzy on that part.
Yeah, Sand was an inspiration for the nickname. But I do not actually remember the tiefling?
Oh! Neeshka the Tiefling rogue with a bit of a martial bent (similar to Sand's transmutation focus). She's chaotic (opposed to Sand's LN nature), so the chaotic prepared INT-based caster (with a martial bent) rogue elf seemed kind of like a hybrid of the two concepts.
Ah, I see. I think I remember her now. I will admit to not having played NWN2 as much as I would have liked. Still, maybe my subconscious remembered and merged them into one? I wonder... ;-)
Other than gear both mundane and magical, money has also been spent to add a preparation ritual to the spellbook (as well as the spark cantrip). The preparation rituals can be found in the Ultimate Magic and Arcane Anthology books (this particular one is from the latter).
Furthermore, the ioun wyrd familiar is from the Familiar Folio book, and since I am not exactly sure how it works being a base familiar (it is not an improved familiar) and yet a construct, I preferred to err on the side of caution and pay for it (1500 gp for its construction and 500 gp for the dusty rose prism (cracked) ioun stone, since it requires an ioun stone during its construction). Fluff-wise it is a gift from his sun elven mother, a wizardess, when he left home; it will be elaborated upon when the fluffy parts of my submission come as well.
So, I think I have the concept down. This is Forgotten Realms so why not a Bladesinger?
A rather mobile scimitar-wielding Chaotic Good Male Elf Rogue (Unchained, Acrobat) 2/Magus (Spell Dancer) 3 to be precise. Traits will probably be Magical Knack and Metamagic Master (shocking grasp), while I will be replacing the Weapon Familiarity racial trait with Long-Limbed for a bit of extra speed (fluff-wise, still nicely proportioned and not freakishly tall or anything, just faster). Otherwise, he will be going straight Magus from now on and quite possibly investing in the Dimensional feat chain further down the road.
Basically a fast, agile and graceful elven warrior mage who was a bit of a scoundrel in his youth before following the family tradition and training in the ways of sword and spell. No worries though, he still remains scoundrely, roguish even. Father a Moon Elf, so a bit more relaxed, and mother a Sun Elf, so a bit... well, less relaxed, with Isandril -or Sand to his friends- combining physical traits from both of them. Demeanor-wise though? The kid takes after his father mostly.
NATHANIEL HARKER CR 1/2
Male Human (Chelaxian) Occultist 1
CG Medium Humanoid (Human)
Init +3; Senses Perception +6*
--------------------
DEFENSE
--------------------
AC 14, touch 12, flat-footed 12. . (+2 armor, +2 Dex)
hp 10 (1d8+2)
Fort +5*, Ref +3*, Will +4*; +2 vs. emotion and fear effects
Defensive Abilities None
--------------------
OFFENSE
--------------------
Spd 30 ft.
Melee Cold iron sword cane +2 (1d6+2/20/x2/piercing) or
. . Alchemical silver dagger +2 (1d4+1/19-20/x2/piercing or slashing) or
. . Unarmed strike +2 (1d3+2/20/x2/bludgeoning, nonlethal)
Ranged Sling +2 (1d4+2/20/x2/50 ft./bludgeoning) or
. . Alchemical silver dagger +2 (1d4+1/19-20/x2/10 ft./piercing or slashing)
Special Attacks None
--------------------
SPELLCASTING
--------------------
Implement Schools
. Abjuration (Cloak, 3 points)
. . Resonant Power - Warding Talisman
. . Focus Powers - Aegis, Mind Barrier
. Divination (Planchette, 3 points)
. . Resonant Power - Third Eye
. . Focus Powers - Sudden Insight Occultist Spells Known (CL 1st; concentration +5)
1st (2/day) - heightened awareness, shield
0 (at will) - detect magic, resistance
--------------------
STATISTICS
--------------------
Str 14, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 17, Wis 12, Cha 11
Base Atk +0; CMB +2; CMD 14
Feats Additional Traits, Extra Mental Focus
Traits Affable, Arcane Temper, Enduring Stoicism, Fiend Blood, Slippery
Drawbacks Warded Against Nature
Skills (Trained) Disable Device +6, Knowledge (Arcana) +7, Knowledge (History) +7, Knowledge (Planes) +7, Knowledge (Religion) +7, Linguistics +7, Perception +6*, Sense Motive +5, Spellcraft +7, Stealth +7, Use Magic Device +4
Skills (Untrained) Acrobatics +2, Appraise +3, Bluff +1, Climb +2, Craft +3, Diplomacy +0 (+2 to gather information), Disguise +0, Escape Artist +2, Fly +2, Heal +1, Intimidate +1, Perform +0, Ride +2, Survival +1 (+3 to avoid becoming lost), Swim +2
Occult Skill Unlocks Automatic Writing (Linguistics, 1/week), Gatefinder (Perception), Gatekeeper (Knowledge (Planes)), Phrenology (Knowledge (Arcana), 1/day), Prognostication (Sense Motive, 1/day), Read Aura (Perception, 1/day)
Languages Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Varisian
SQ Bonus Feat, Implements (2), Mental Focus (6/day), Skilled
Automatic Bonus Progression None
Combat Gear Cold iron sword cane, sling, sling bullet x10, leather, thieves’ tools, spring loaded wrist sheath (1 lb: alchemical silver dagger); Other Gear Pickpocket's outfit (0.5 lbs: compass, flint and steel), backpack (24.5 lbs: bedroll, ink (black), inkpen, mess kit, shaving kit, silk rope (50 ft.), soap, torch x2, trail rations x4, twine (50 ft.), waterskin), belt pouch (1.16 lbs: money), scroll case (0 lbs: parchment x5)
Magic Items None; Potions None
Money 0 platinum pieces, 43 gold pieces, 9 silver pieces, 6 copper pieces; Other Wealth None
NATHANIEL'S IMPLEMENTS:
Kyras Harker's Hidden Blade: Kyras Harker was not a famous thief. He was not even a particularly infamous one. But he was Nathaniel's -or Nate's as the half-elf called him- adoptive father, as well as his teacher in matters of stealth and swordplay. And he was a capable enough mentor and a caring enough parent, at least up until the night he vanished, becoming a somewhat mysterious and unsolved disappearance case. It was a job like any other, he said the last time they talked, the last time they saw each other. Nothing to worry about, he would be back before dawn. And then he left, leaving his sword cane behind. And that was the one thing that was strange about his departure, as the half-elven scoundrel never went on a job without his trusted blade. In fact, he never went anywhere without it. And when the dawn came and went the next day, Kyras did not return. And so his adopted son, thinking to give his father some time as even simple jobs may prove less so, waited for one more dawn. And then another. And another. And another...
Lady D'Argent's Heart: What appears to be a vaguely heart-shaped brooch made of sterling silver with the words "non sic dormit sed vigilat" -roughly translated as "sleeps not but is awake"- engraved on it once served a purpose other than keeping a cloak in place. A purpose it can still serve in fact, even without the now long lost smooth round crystal that was once set in the item's round hole and the magics of seeing and revelation bound within it. For this particular item was made for Lady Viviana D'Argent, a Taldan noblewoman and diviner of no small skill, to be used as a planchette alongside a wooden spirit board in order for her to communicate with the Other Side. Or at the very least that was the idea. But the very first time she looked through the silver planchette's crystal, using it as a focus for her divination magic, was also the very last as whatever she saw shattered her mind, her body soon to follow. Or, at the very least, so the story goes. Whatever the truth, the planchette's crystal is long gone and the remaining item was at some point fashioned into a cloak clasp, albeit one with the part of it that is the original planchette made to be detachable.
Signifer Petronicus Crispin's Ebon Cloak: Petronicus Crispin was a Signifer, a Hellknight of the Order of the Gate. He was neither the greatest swordsman nor the most accomplished mage, but what he was was a particularly skilled craftsman and enchanter. And one of his creations was an entirely black hooded cloak he made for himself, imbuing it with magic of various kinds, prevalent among them that of a protective nature. Hearing others speak of it, it could stop anything from sling bullets and arrows to fire and lightning. If only it were so. The cloak certainly possessed such enchantments of protection and shielding among others, that much was true, but quite possibly not to the extent some of his brethren in the Order were talking about. And even if it did, it became apparent one fateful day that such protections did not work against boulders hurled by giants. Following that particular incident, Petronicus Crispin's black hooded cloak, its magic and powers all but gone, was buried with what remained of Petronicus Crispin himself.
OF BOOKS AND COVERS:
Standing five feet and ten inches tall, Nathaniel is fit and healthy, albeit possessed of a slender build. His raven black hair and fair, almost pale, skin are, along with his sharp features, evidence enough of his Chelaxian heritage. Still, there is one exception, for Nathaniel's golden eyes are quite unlike his people's more common dark orbs. And it is this particular characteristic that along with another strange trait of his, that being the fact that animals of all kinds seem oddly wary of him to the point of almost never approaching him if they can help it, serve as hints that something about him is slightly different, perhaps something to do with his birth or ancestry or a relic hunt gone awry.
Nathaniel shows a preference for comfortable fitted clothing, ideally well made and with several hidden pockets sewn into the fabric, and light armors, unwilling to sacrifice freedom of movement for better, but more encumbering, protection. An entirely black hooded cloak secured with what appears to be a vaguely heart-shaped brooch or clasp made of silver complements the rest of his attire and is in fact one of two items he is almost never seen without. The other is what appears at first glance to be a finely made cane of steel and black wood, although closer inspection reveals that it is actually a sword cane with a blade of cold iron. Other than that, he has a couple of other weapons hidden on his person, such as a dagger of alchemical silver that is concealed in a spring-loaded wrist sheath of dwarven make secured on his left forearm and wrist, as well as a sling and its accompanying bullets that are kept in a nondescript leather pouch.
REACTION TO DM'S SCENE:
Nathaniel stops, taking a moment to stare at the two paths in front of him before turning to look at the sickly fog behind him. He seems to have managed to evade it so far, leaving it ever so slightly behind, but there it is, inexorable, drawing ever closer. He sighs as he turns his gaze upwards.
'Such a strange sky,' he ponders with a sigh as he takes in the alien colors of it, of the moon and the stars. 'Such a... familiar sky?' The thought is as much a statement as it is a question.
He then turns entirely, no longer facing the two paths but the roiling mist. "This is futile, yes? The upward path will slow you, perhaps, but it will do the same to me. And the descending one will certainly feel quicker to me, but to you as well," he says softly, almost as if he is addressing both the fog and himself, as a faint click and then another are heard. The first is followed by the bottom part of the cane held in his right hand falling to the ground and revealing a cold iron blade underneath it, while the second is accompanied by the sudden appearance of a gleaming silver dagger in his left hand. And then comes the magic as both his black cloak and the clasp that secures it in place come alive for but a moment, as enchantments of protection shield him. "Enough running, I believe."
He looks down at the weapons in his hands. "I... I know how to use them," he mutters to himself, feeling as if the fog is not only out here, but in his mind as well. "I have been... taught?" He looks back up again. The mist is close enough now to make out shapes within it. Not all look human. "Well, at least he is not here to see me make an utter fool of myself," he quips, a crooked smile appearing on his lips. Then a thought, a rational one. 'Cold iron in one hand, silver in the other. One of them is bound to work.' And then another thought, a fleeting one. 'He? Who is he?'
"We have such sights to show you." The whispering voices, inviting and threatening at the same time, come from all around him. They are everywhere.
"Yes, I trust that you do." He brandishes his weapons and looks at the yellow cloud about to envelop him calmly, stoically. "But I very much doubt I will survive the experience."
Male Human Jedi 3; HP 46/46; FP 5/6; Threshold 14; Fort 14 (19 vs. extreme heat or cold), Ref 18 (flat-footed 14), Will 16; Initiative +9; Perception +8
As the pieces of metal fall and kill the two remaining thugs there is a... feeling tugging at Jeren's consciousness. A sensation that directs his eyes from the "freak accident" to Jace.
'Well,' he thinks to himself with a mental sigh, 'this pretty much confirms my suspicions.' Another sigh, this time an actual one, albeit a soft one. 'Hopefully I am the only one who felt this.'
Male Half-Elf Vigilante (Avenger) 1; AC 16, touch 14, flat-footed 12, CMD 18; HP 6/10; Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +3; Initiative +6; Perception +5 (darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision), Sense Motive +6
"No, I do not believe I will be willingly sacrificing myself any time soon," Erevan replies casually, "and certainly not to a... touchy gem."
Despite his somewhat nonchalant response, he does pause to think a little before speaking again. "Still, Etna expressed doubts as to its nature as well, yet I am the one with the dubious honor of being a preferable sacrifice? Perhaps Etna, being what she is, is not to the artifact's liking? Or perhaps it prefers humans? And if it does, it could not very well ask for Tatienne's sacrifice, seeing as it is her who communicated with it."
The golden-eyed man sighs. "No matter. At least for now. But I agree that further research is necessary. If for no other reason than the fact that I would not want to test the boundaries and fine print of our Contract."
Mechanics:
Lest I forget again, Erevan will be using two charges from the wand to bring himself back to full hit points. :-)
OOC:
Perhaps "Some of the sheep." is written on it.
Wishlists and Lists
Wishlists allow you to track products you'd like to buy, or—if you make a wishlist public—to have others buy for you.
