Jaeli's page

I've only recently started playing spellcasters in Pathfinder, and since that makes for a better learning curve, I've been playing in low-level games. The only spellcaster I've played so far is a second-level bard in PFS, and I'm about to start playing a second-level sorceror (built with GM credit).

However, so far the impression I'm getting is that spellcasters are slow to get particularly interesting. If I get into five battles a day, can cast five first-level spells and I already used up one on Mage Armor, what's left for me to do for all those remaining rounds? A handful of 0-level spells seem to have combat utility (ray of frost, resistance), and there's always the option of blindly firing my crossbow, but I can't help but think there must be a better way to spend my precious, precious standard actions.

Am I missing something? Maybe I'm only getting that impression because I'm used to playing melee combatants, for whom NOT getting to deal 1d8+4 damage to someone on every single round is the exception rather than the rule. Still, I'd love to hear suggestions on how to spice up battle for spellcaster characters when spells are out of the question.

I've recently been introducing a few friends to Pathfinder by running the PFS First Steps series to them, along with We Be Goblins! It's been great fun, but they could care less about the paperwork and rule restrictions. Fair enough.

So instead, I've decided to start from scratch and grab some modules to run as episodic adventures for them. Since most of them have little experience with the game, I'd start them off at level 1 and go from there so they can learn as they go.

The group members' familiarity and skill with the rules varies, as does their interest in Golarion lore, but one constant is that they're all rather laid-back. They're usually not interested in deep role-playing or crazy challenging battles so much as getting into interesting situations, cracking jokes and saving the day at the end.

...In fact, I just realized that their current party makeup maps alarmingly well to the Scooby Doo gang. That should give you an idea.

Ideally I'd like adventures that hold plenty of surprises and have colorful backdrops (which Golarion luckily has no shortage of). In a perfect world, I'd like adventures that somehow have a high prep time-to-fun ratio. So with that in mind, what modules would you guys recommend for this particular merry, rag-tag group?

I'm a bit of an oddball in my gaming groups, in that I tend to prefer PDFs over print copies of my Pathfinder books. I think both options have their ups and downs, but to me digital wins out for sheer convenience-- and admittedly, the reduced cost makes it an even more attractive proposal.

But just as I was about to give in and subscribe to the Player Companion line, I was surprised to find out that you could only preorder or subscribe to print editions of the books.

So my question is, is there any possibility of seeing digital subscribtions in the future?

Newbie PFS GM here. I gave a Crystalhue sheet to players I ran First Steps #1 for during the appropriate time window, but only now am I reporting it, and I'm not seeing the boon on the list. I'm seeing two options here:

1- Boon chronicle sheets don't need to be reported in the same way as mission ones to begin with, so I needn't worry.

OR

2- The Holiday boons disappear from the list when the time window is over, and by reporting it too late I have therefore ruined Christmas for my players.

Thanks in advance for clearing things up!

If a magic item grants my an effect that is for all intents and purposes permanent, can it allow him to qualify for a feat he normally couldn't otherwise?

Specific example: My bard gets himself a Wayfinder slotted with an Opalescent White Pyramid Ioun Stone, giving him Weapon Focus (Light Crossbow). Could he, then, qualify to take Dazzling Display next time he gains a feat from levelling?

For me, half of the fun when I dump stats is to find ways to justify them through RP. A low wis/int character rushes headfirst into traps, a low dex character keeps fumbling around... When it's integrated into a character concept that's fun for everyone at the table, even the most thoroughly min-maxed build comes to life with these little quirks.

For instance, for a one-shot evil game that I knew would involve mostly combat, I built myself a Duergar monk. As the die rolled and the racial modifier kicked in, all things told he wound up with 5 Charisma. I figured this was outstanding enough to need addressing, so I came up with this:

See, this duergar is ugly and mean-looking. No surprise there. But he also doesn't speak much. People might think "Oh, he's a monk, he took a vow of silence", but no. See, whenever he does open his mouth...

...he speaks in a high-pitched, annoying Muppet voice. Try taking THAT seriously when it tries to intimidate or charm you, I dare you!

What are YOUR negative modifier anecdotes? (A note: this thread isn't intended as a discussion of the merits and drawbacks of min-maxing, only as a place to share stories.)

I'm building a monk, and while picking out his first few feats, I found Belier's Bite, which seems like a rather handy ability, especially for a first-level character.

Now, after reading its entry, this tidbit and a few threads on bleed damage, I must admit that I'm more confused than ever on how it works. Two questions:

1: Is it actual "damage"? As in, if I deal 1d6+4 in one blow, does it turn into 1d6+1d4+4 with this feat? Or does the "you deal an extra 1d4 bleed damage" line translate to "the enemy gains the bleed 1d4 condition"?

2: And the eternal question, does it stack? From my understanding it doesn't-- If I punch someone with this, even twice in the same round, they get "bleed 1d4", rolled on each of their rounds until they fix it, and not "bleed 2d4" or "bleed 4" or anything.

So clarification would be appreciated! As far as I've seen the second question still seems hotly debated and up to GM interpretation, but the first seems to get glossed over wherever I check, but still is unclear to me.

Note: I was made aware of the existence of the "We Be Goblins!" Free RPG Day module right when I was in the middle of writing this, and while it really fits the sort of feel I'm going for and should be a great source of inspiration, I'll likely be going with my own idea rather than running it, if only to test out my chops at building a scenario from the ground-up.

So I'm thinking of running a goblin-based one-shot for a few friends sometime in the future. The plot would basically be an excuse for the characters to cause as much mayhem as possible, and I'm aiming for a humorous (if somewhat disturbing) tone. To get into the spirit of things, I've devised two special game mechanics I'm looking for feedback and suggestions on.

Expendable: Rather than controlling a party of adventurers, the players will control a group composed of members from a goblin tribe. Each goblin is weak (I'm thinking level 3) individually, but whenever one dies, a new character runs in to replace them the very next round, with no real penalty other than losing a turn.

Each player will have a certain number of "lives" (I'm thinking five) to spend like this. This is meant to encourage them to play recklessly, but not suicidally. To keep things simple, each character will likely be a "clone" of a pregenerated goblin from three or four archetypes.

Goblin Power: To encourage players to embrace the flavor of the bloodthirsty/mischievous critters they'll be playing, particularly "goblin-like" actions will be rewarded with Goblin Power points at the GM's discretion. These can be redeemed for useful combat boosts. Since the goal of the game would be the spectacle more than the challenge, I'm not looking to make Goblin Power rewards balanced so much as powerful, useful and entertaining.

Points would be awarded on a scale similar to this:
1/2 point: Particularly "goblin-like" (mischievous, bloodthirsty and/or chaotic evil) actions with a tactical benefit attached: Gleefully looting your fallen ally's corpse, finishing off an opponent by biting them in the face, hiding in a cupboard to set up a Sneak Attack.
1 point: Flavorful actions that don't help or hinder the group: particularly getting into "goblin roleplay", taking unnecessary (but only time- rather than resource-consuming) pains to subdue a leashed, barking dog, setting fire to a signpost because it has so many words on it.
2 points: Hijinxs that harm the group somehow: hit a teammate, rush to your death and get replaced (points transfer between characters), basically any turn-waster proposed in Classic Monsters Revisited.

Meanwhile rewards for Goblin Power could include but not be limited to:
-Summoning a Goblin Dog mount.
-Summoning a Level 1 goblin to unquestioningly obey one specific command (such as "run down this trap-filled hallway" or "steal that guy's cool hat".)
-Expanding the radius of a bomb.
-Granting a large damage bonus to a bite attack.
-Giving a very large bonus to Craft checks to cobble a weapon or tool together with garbage.
-And so forth!

So as I said, suggestions and feedback would be appreciated!

I've been introduced to Pathfinder fairly recently after a few failed attempts at getting games of 3.5 games going in high school. I've been eagerly learning the game and eating up the setting. However, when comparing myself to some of my friends, it's clear I still have a lot of catching up to do before I know what I'm talking about.

Now, the open call page has been very intriguing to me, and in spite of myself I'm already brewing a few ideas that I think would play very nicely with the Pathfinder Society conceit. I consider myself a talented writer and a good GM, and figure there would be no harm in giving a submission a shot.

My main weaknesses are still not having a solid grasp on game mechanics and balance (being more used to freeform games in which story and roleplay take precedence over challenge and number-crunching), and having not yet gotten around to looking up things that some consider fairly basic (like what, precisely, the difference between Devils and Demons is).

So my question is: I realize that I would be at a disadvantage compared to DnD/Pathfinder veterans, but would it be enough of an obstacle to be a dealbreaker?

When an Archetype takes away an ability that you learn at a specific level, but doesn't specify when the new ability is learnt, is it available from the start, or is it learnt at the same level?

Example: In the Advanced Race Guide's Prankster archetype description for the Gnome, it says the Swap skill replaces Lore Master, which is learned at level 5), but it doesn't say when you get it. Is it available from the start, or do you also learn it at level 5?