Toff Ornelos

J. A. Chapman's page

*** Pathfinder Society GM. 93 posts (9,898 including aliases). 4 reviews. No lists. 1 wishlist. 38 Organized Play characters. 29 aliases.


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1 person marked this as a favorite.

I really like how Light works. An elegant amalgamation of Light and Dancing Lights. Plus, no more silly need to cast light on objects (which always irked me).

Thunderstrike feels like a mix of Shocking Grasp and Call Lightning, which I like. Great range, too. I think I'm still more likely to use it on back ranks casters over melee though, as the perks of targeting people in armor are not enough to stop me from targeting people with less hit points.

I don't like the ambiguous duration of Waking Nightmare though. Does the mental damage from strikes only affect the foe while they are Frightened by this spell? Or can it be extended if something else makes (or keeps) them Frightened? Also, it feels like a lot of tracking at the table (remembering what level of Frightened they are, remembering to subtract from their rolls, remembering to take mental damage from strikes). Maybe I'm not big on debuffing, but this spell doesn't feel like it'll be fun.


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I am very interested in seeing what the schools will look like. Making magic for nerds is a cool approach that I can get behind. I liked the 8 schools, but will accept that nostalgia is a thing and new is good too.

The feat is a bit underwhelming to me. At 14th level it feels late, and it's application to a limited set of blast spells make it something that I will probably pass over. Both Reach and Widen Spell feel like better options, and even they are of situational value.

I would like to see Spellshape feats (going to take a bit to stop saying Metamagic) have more use, especially with Cantrips. Changing the shape of magic is cool, but sometimes you just need to Cantrip a foe. That pesky third action needs more options besides Shield.

3/5

3 people marked this as a favorite.
Hilary Moon Murphy wrote:

I'm not in good enough running shape to run a 5K today, but I decided that I want to be in good enough running shape to run a 5K someday. So I downloaded the Couch to 5K* app, and I did the first baby steps run today in the program. And it was cool. If you can walk, you can do the first run because it is mostly walking.

Jack, you finally got me running.

I used that same app to get running last year. It's very helpful, and makes easing into running a possibility. Even after a break from running, it helped me enough that I was able do a (not fast) 5K run for Jack this past weekend (like Doug Hahn). I ran with the free version of the app. If you have questions around it, I'm happy to answer them. Feel free to DM me.


2 people marked this as a favorite.

Fun fact: The prices for the books here are non-negotiable. Discussing it is kinda a waste of time.

Now, back to playing the game I go...

3/5

2 people marked this as a favorite.

Yes please.

3/5

2 people marked this as a favorite.

Aslynn. Must. Die.

3/5

Hooray, Bill! One of my favourite GMs!


2 people marked this as a favorite.
Male Human Consultant/21

I took the liberty to check boxes for folks. I used my common sense instead of Doug's, and I'm very sorry about that.


Male Human Consultant/21

I think I should be the one to switch, as I have the 4th level PC.

Right now I see:
Cleric 3
Rogue 3
Monk 1
Fighter 2

This just tells me that another wizard won't go amiss. But I think I'll hold off on that and instead add my own tanky Fighter.

Uthkosh it is.


Male Human Consultant/21

Which bumps us to high tier (19 challenge points). I'm OK with this, but I like things extra hard.

If needed, I can swap in a:
- Fighter 3
- Rogue 3
- Wizard 1 (which I can build quickly)
Any of those will get us back to low tier I think.


Male Human Consultant/21

I like the Ratfolk, but admit that I might want to swap to a different wizard then :)

I might not though, but regardless... that gets my vote


Male Human Consultant/21

I've got a few PCs available for this. They are:
- Level 4 Shoony Wizard (Transmuter)
- Level 4 Changeling Wizard (Necromancer)
- Level 3 Iruxi Fighter
- Level 3 Human Rogue
- Level 1 Halfling Wizard (Illusionist)
Plus a few other level 1s of different classes that I can bring in if need be.

My preference is to play Morgan (my Changeling Necromancer), but I'm flexible to the needs of the table.


Male Human Consultant/21

If I have to state a preference, it'd be for me to play Domwurd (my Shoony Wizard). Silbeg has seen him in action, and he's a sorta Absalom-centric character.

But I'm flexible to the needs of the table.


Male Human Consultant/21

I have:
- Level 4 Shoony Wizard (Transmuter)
- Level 4 Changeling Wizard (Necromancer)
- Level 3 Iruxi Fighter
- Level 3 Human Rogue
- Level 1 Halfling Wizard (Illusionist)

If it wasn't obvious, wizards are my jam.


Male Human Consultant/21

I have... a lot of PC choices. Do we want to play in the low or high subtier?


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Male Human Consultant/21

Hey guys,

Just wanted to let you know that I am going to have to bow out of this game. I did a check on the number of games I'm in, and I simply won't be able to give this the juice it deserves. Once I finish a few games I'll be able to get back in, but I expect this one to be finished by then.

Have fun!

Jeff


Male Human Consultant/21

I will Ezren this one. My one in tier PC is in a PbP at the moment.


Male Human Consultant/21

Thanks for the invite! I'm going to try and really stretch beyond the typical PFS boundaries, and am stoked to be playing here!


Interesting!


Male Human Consultant/21

I'm interested. Like Dennis I've played this as well though, so I'm happy to step back as well if you get a full table.

3/5

Yeah, I would like OP clarification on this too (and I did click the FAQ). For now, I'm going to try and avoid using Magical Shorthand for the purposes of Downtime.

At least I'm getting good mileage out of the other aspects of the feat. Bumping into another wizard during a scenario and getting 6 1st level spells scribed in an hour is pretty nice. Especially when that hour is probably getting used for healing.

3/5

Leomund "Leo" Velinznrarikovich wrote:
It seems to me to be quite apparent that the Earn Income check uses "the tradition's associated skill" (i.e. Arcana for Wizards).

Agreed. Seems fairly clear cut to me too.

Leomund "Leo" Velinznrarikovich wrote:
It really seems odd to me that with 1 roll you can crit Earn Income and Learn a Spell

This is the one I can't get behind personally. The way it reads to me is as a kind of substitution for the regular Earn Income roll. It's modifying Earn Income, which only requires a single roll (even if it spans multiple days). The only awkward element is the different DCs that you're testing against, but they're known DCs. I actually like the idea that I could have a crit success on the part of learning a spell, even if I don't nail the cost-saving portion of it (or vice versa)

3/5

2 people marked this as FAQ candidate. 1 person marked this as a favorite.

I recently got pointed to this thread, as I thought I understood it but learned that... oh hey, there's some debate. This was my interpretation:

First, have a reference to the Magical Shorthand feat.

The pertinent bit is, "You can use downtime to learn and inscribe new spells. This works as if you were using Earn Income with the tradition’s associated skill, but instead of gaining money, you choose a spell available to you to learn and gain a discount on learning it, learning it for free if your earned income equals or exceeds its cost."

Learn a Spell is normally an Exploration activity, and doesn't have the Downtime trait. So the first thing the feat does is let you learn a spell using Downtime. In an AP, I expect a GM would just let you do this, but PFS is all about technicalities.

The next good thing is that you can use Arcana for the roll. My wizard, at level 3, is an Expert in Arcana which is better than all my other skills that Earn Income. Better chance to crit the income earned. Add the fact that a crit also halves the scribing costs... Here's the math I did.

A level 3 wizard with a scroll for a 2nd level spell he wants to learn. With a +11 in Arcana they make a single roll and get a 17 for a 28 total (YAY). That's a crit for both the task DC for Earn Income (15 for a level 1 task, because it's level -2 in PFS) and Learn a Spell (18 for a 2nd level spell). This means that they earn the task level 2 money (crits earn at +1 level so 3sp x8 days for 2.4gp) AND halve the cost from 6gp to 3gp. The net cost is 6sp! If I were learning a 1st level spell it'd be free.

This is (admittedly marginally) better than just using a Lore skill to Earn Income and buy it normally. The perks are it's probably your best roll (assuming you prioritize Arcana, which I'd expect a wizard would) and it's only one roll. Using a different skill probably means a slightly decreased chance of a crit. It's also helpful if you really wanted to do Learn a Spell but never got time to during the scenario (unlikely, but could happen).

I didn't see anything anywhere that suggested 2 rolls were required, or that you'd for some reason roll Earn Income at a higher task level than the default level -2.


Male Human Consultant/21

If the warrior is 14 and we have a 15th level ranger then I will bring Nym. He is 15 or 16


Male Human Consultant/21

I'm cool with a 7th.

@Hrothdane - My usual thinking is play what brings you the most joy. That said, with a table of 7 it's not a bad idea to have a bard. That said, I think I've played wih your sister-in-arms PC before, so that sways me a bit :)

I plan on bringing my 11th level summoning druid, but if we really need I have a 10th level mad dog barbarian that I can bring if we need melee (which I doubt will be a problem with 7)


Male Human Consultant/21

Rogue is 15 and Wizard is 16. I also have a 12th level Bard.


Male Human Consultant/21

Ok, so I think all of my options are around level 15. Rogue and a wizard. I'm going to check and will update


Male Human Consultant/21

I'm here. I will go dot now


Male Human Consultant/21

Oh look, another game we can bot the GM in


Male Human Consultant/21

I'm cool with a 7th


Male Human Consultant/21

I'm here, sorry! Will post character details shortly


Male Human Consultant/21

Good to know. I'll take a look at the guide. Might only get a character together next week


Male Human Consultant/21

Dot


Male Human Consultant/21

I also took toughness. Given that I've got a week with a negative level still...


Male Human Consultant/21

This campaign is great, so keep reading if you like.

And Heaven's Leap is fantastic. Still a go to move in a lot of cases, with a ton of tactical benefits.

3/5

2 people marked this as a favorite.
Chris Johnson wrote:
My pleasure.... but that's not my last name ;-)

It is now.


Male Human Consultant/21

Pirate GM: How do you want to handle initiative for the animal companion? On the same turn, or separate rolls? FWIW, both have the same modifier of +4


Male Human Consultant/21

Also, I did the math and... based on all the lower level options listed in this thread, we're not going to be able to avoid high subtier. We round up to APL 7 (6.66), and for Season 2 with 6 players that means we have to play up.


Male Human Consultant/21

Morning folks! My name is Jeff and I'm looking forward to playing with a bunch of new people.

A bit about me (since I suspect that everyone else knows everyone else): I'm a Canadian living just outside Montreal, and I've been playing Pathfinder for 6 years now. A good chunk has been PbP.

I've GMed this one, and I can tell you that it's a great scenario. I'm looking forward to playing and promise to stay spoiler free while making sure I do my part in keeping us moving forward.

As mentioned in recruitment, my options are:
- Roger de Roche, 6th level Fighter
- Mirilani "Miri" Wyrmblight, 8th level Rogue
- Baron Gavin de Roche, 9th level Mad Dog/Urban Barbarian
The first two are what you'd expect. The third is a barbarian with social skills and a companion. I love all these characters, and will happily play any of them.

Given the mix so far, I think I would lean towards my Rogue.

Looking at everyone else, I see a few different configurations. We'll want to settle on a subtier soon. It looks like, from this thread at least, that we all have a high tier option. Should we aim for that? A word of warning though... If we did high tier, I recommend against an out of tier frontliner. This one has the potential for death.


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If you're playing Pathfinder for what you perceive to be "realism" then... you've grossly missed the point of a game where magic is commonplace and gods actually answer your prayers.

Personally, I think in this fantasy world of Golarion women have greater grip strength than men. I say we raise the strength cap for human women to be 20.


If we're low tier I've a 6th level fighter who will keep the smart people safe.

If we're high tier I've a 9th level mad dog barbarian who... will also keep people save. But the 8th level rogue I have is probably more useful for this. Either way, I have options and will play with what the group needs most.


I'm interested in this. I have characters for either subtier. It's a great scenario. I've GMed this, but can avoid any spoilers :)


4 people marked this as a favorite.

Based on a tweet made by John Compton that discussed/encouraged writing reviews for products, I took the liberty of examining the user experience in submitting a review.

My reason for this is because, as a regular user of the website, I've noted some... well, I can only call it odd behavior. It seemed to me that this user experience might directly impact a persons desire to submit a review. If it's easy and painless, people will generally feel okay to submit reviews. But if it's even a little bit off-putting I would expect that someone would just not bother.

My conclusion? I found the process clunky. Here's the step by step on my process:

Step 1) Navigate to paizo.com. No problem :)

Step 2) Search for a scenario using the top search bar. Since I'd recently run The Lion's Justice, I searched for it.

Step 3) I get search results. Sort of. The first thing I see are all the filters I can apply to the results, and they take up a significant amount of screen real estate (my screen resolution is 1920x1080, so I know it's not that). This is odd because I very rarely even need these filters. A better approach would be to have them on the left-hand side of the screen, or have them collapsed/hidden. This way the search results show near the top of the screen, where a user expects to look. I had to actually scroll down to see the link for the scenario. Anyhow, I then click the link for The Lion's Justice.

Step 4) The product page for the scenario loads, but I am again given a strange starting place. Instead of the page loading at the top, showing the scenario name and synopsis, it loads mid-way down the page at the Product Discussion section. This is probably one of the least pertinent places for a user to start at. Not only that, but I don't actually see anything at this point that tells me I'm at the right page. I need to scroll up first. Once I verify that I am at the right page though, I click on the Product Reviews tab.

Step 5) Ok, time to write a review. I go looking a button. None at the top of the reviews. None at the bottom of the reviews. Maybe I need to be logged in? I login to my account and navigate back. Still no "Write a Review" button. I'm about to give up, because this shouldn't be hard but I don't. I ask a buddy of mine, and he tells me there's a "Write a Review" hyperlink embedded in a sentence. I'm at first embarrassed because I missed it, but... why isn't this a more prominent button? If you want to encourage people to submit reviews, you want this to stand out. Embedding it as a hyperlink in text is subtle. In my mind there ought to be a big button at the bottom of the page as well, especially because if someone takes the time to look at the reviews, it's possible that they'd be willing to submit one too. In any case, I click on the hyperlink.

Step 6) The page for writing a review appears. This is simple and straightforward, which is nice. I quickly write up a review and give it a rating.

This was my first product review, and I want to reiterate that the process to do this was just difficult enough that I felt disinclined to write it. You might feel that this is a harsh assessment. If so, I'm sorry. But I do feel that if you want to increase the number of reviews (a metric people look at when buying products) that it's incredibly important to make that process as simple as possible. The user experience for me did not reflect that.

TL;DR - Search results show huge list of often unnecessary filters. Product page loads mid-way down unhelpfully. Write a Review hyperlink on product page is hard to spot. These three things make writing reviews clunky for a first time reviewer.


Male Human Consultant/21

Sorry, should have been using all the chat about stuff here.

Rodric is all set. And I think we're decided on high sub-tier.


Male Human Consultant/21

I have... A 5th level Cleric of Shelyn. Or a 4th level Magus that might need work.


Male Human Consultant/21

Crap. Ignore my discussion stuff in the Gameplay thread.

Also, who else we got?


Male Human Consultant/21

So... Matt is making a wizard. What about everyone else?
I'd not mind trying out a Ranger, or a Sorcerer, or a Cleric.


Male Human Consultant/21

Dot


Male Human Consultant/21

I dunno how much we need a map. There's a known element around how much movement we have. As long as we use maps with a scale on it, I think it we can wing it just fine


Male Human Consultant/21

I am going to have so many dumb questions. But first, I must find a character sheet (XLS for Google Sheet upload) that I like. I really hope I won't be making one..

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