JEThetford's page

thank you so much! I do appreciate it. This is why I love Paizo. Prompt customer service with respect for the customer. Very rare these days.

Jeff

I love the book, but have only actually looked at it about a dozen times when "CRACK!"--the binding not only broke but fell apart. I purchased the book at GENCON 2009 and am a bit irritated that it did not last long enough to get any real use out of the book.

Any help out there?

Jeff Thetford

You have to look at 4E in terms of what the biggest seller for Wotc is right now. 4E will not be a change in the sense that 3E was a change for 2E. 4E will be an incorporation of the Miniatures that has become so popular lately. Wotc is going to follow the money trail and right now, that trail leads to Miniatures becoming the new wave of DnD.

This way, they can continue to put out supplements for 3.5E to carry the RPG line forward while adding the Miniatures to expand into the area that will make them the most cash.

IMVHAHO

Jeff

My longest is still running after 27 years. I started in Greyhawk (yeah Erik!) and did a switch over using a wild surge to put the players into the Forgotten Realms and Second Edition. Now, we play 3.0 / 3.5 and are going strong. They have retired and rerolled so many characters it is not funny. I love looking back and seeing how they began and how the current characters go to those wizened old retired characters for advice and just for a quick story or song.

I love roleplaying.

Jeff

In the September edition of the Silven Trumpeter, there will be an article about what's new at Paizo that I did. It will touch on all of this.

I live in Longwood (just north of Orlando next to Altamonte Springs). My group disbanded about 3 yrs ago when one went to jail (very long story) and one moved to France and became snobby toward any RPG's upon his return. I am always looking to get a group back together.

Fake Healer wrote:

DM rules that in addition to the pluses and minuses incurred by the potion, I also lose my +4 ac vs. giants because I am no longer smaller and thus would lose my racial ability.

The Dwarven racial dodge bonus is not due to size. It is only applicable against giant types. It is not applicable against other non-giant creatures whom are the same size as giants, therefore it is not bonus due to size. The size modifier, if the character is small, as gnomes are, stacks with this bonus. You do not lose this racial bonus when you are enlarged, but your size modifier for being a different size does change.

Fake Healer wrote:

-4 ac for fighting in 4-5 foot of water on top of losing Dex bonus and minuses to attack and such.

I am not 100% conversant with the rules of fighting in water. Realisticly, if you are a dwarf...fighting in 4-5 feet of water should give you close to total concealment, not a negative to your armor class. Also, if the DM is arbitratily handing out the penalties to you, is he handing them out to his NPC's as well? Share and share alike.

FH (stumped)

Having been a DM since the late seventies, I have to say I still agree with the loss of the +4 bonus. Even if it is not a racial bonus and a fighting bonus, he earned it by learning to fight against a foe much bigger than he. Now that he is closer to the size of the giant, then those techniques for fighting a larger foe are moot.

Jeff

Is the dungeonmaster getting insecurity? Sometimes they do, and they start trying to stick it to the characters, because they're insecure about their "ability to challenge them adequately." I've been there, on both sides of the table.

Maybe try a little "overly cautious guy who kills all the dungeon masters' character hooks by being too rational to attempt such a deadly mission." THAT always straightened me out as dungeon master.
The dm will have to respond by sending a slew of bumbling drunken ettins after the party to "rebuild the party's confidence in themselves."

Heathensson, master of passive dragon aggressive tiger-style

It has nothing to do with insecurity. If the bonus is gained due to height differences, and the dwarf needs to height change to adequately battle the giant for what ever reason, then the bonuses that the player gets are gone. Simple as that. A good DM does not need to slide the rules to gain the upper hand in a game. The DM should be the guide and the referee. It is ultimately up to him/her to decide. In this case, the decision was fair and just.

I feel $5 is a small price to pay for getting a back issue, shipped miniature (I just bought the dragon limited edition one). $5 is a standard shipping fee to cover postage and handling.

If you don't want to pay, don't order it... Or, get a subscription and don't miss any Dragons or Dungeon magazines!

I think losing the 4 ac in water on top of the dex bonus is bullcrap. The dex bonus I half understand. The rest comes from armor, right? Maybe your chainmail is soggy. I don't really know about the racial bonus vs. giants and chugging the potion of growth. It feels wrong to me, though, to get hosed when you are using a beneficial SINGLE USE magic item. Maybe it's a cursed potion of growth. Look out, man, your dwarf might get elephant man's disease. (edit) potion of enlarge...wow, I am an old grungy bastich. I need a potion of longevity.

I agree with your DM that you lose the +4ac bonuse vs giants. Since you no longer have the advantage of size when fighting them and unless they are a 'favored enemy' (I don't think the dwarven rogue has a favored enemy)then the bonus would be lost.

I like Dungeon where it is. More content is good. More comics would be bad. If a comic or two were dropped, I'd be fine. Increasing the page count, that would also be fine. Making sure critical threats, maps of mystery, and a text free cover were all printed every month? Well, that would probably be perfect with 3 adventures each month. Make it four and I'll remake my will with Paizo as my sole beneficiary and die happy.

I could do without any MORE comics, but I would at least keep the ones that are there. I would like to see more usable maps with each adventure printed. Maybe even a special MAPS edition during the year with maps that have been used or new ones by those creatures. Just a thought.

I searched the Dragon archives and could not find any 'one' reference to wrold/mythical/locations. However, seperately, of course, there are about a gazillion. None of the articles looked like what you are looking for. Could you be more specific?