James T Boyd's page

I got the confirmation emails, thank you very much for the quick reply

It arrived, had to pay customs but that's something I'll have to deal with the CBSA about, buuuuut the package was missing an item, it was one Murgmo Baron Tervin Blackshield short.
Thanks

Hey, this is my kickstarter backer print pack add-on, it was separated into two shipments both shipped on the same day June 19th. I got package 2 of 2 last wednesday or tuesday, package 1 of 2 has yet to arrive. I'll continue to wait this is just a heads up

I think this is aweful, just a personal opinion.

So, uh... anyone else super stoked to read about the gods of ancient Osirion?

I feel the opposite, I've had to spend time removing them from half dead city, and it pains me that this article on earth gods is double sized... sorry "ancient osirion" gods. I enjoy the Theme of the AP so far, and the earth golarion cross over hasn't been too bad up to where I am in half dead city, it's been pretty easy to remove it. I just hope this dosen't become more ingrained into the story. But of course this is my personal preference, and if it becomes to laborious I'll have to bow out.

Any chance the quests in the comics will see santioning? Or are they too short? If so that's 6 older ones (issues 1-6) and 6 newer ones (issues 13-18).

So there will be 8 flip-mats for this one if my math is correct, cause for Thornkeep there was two mats since the first dungeon was too wonky for a mat of its own (which I hope won't be repeated...oh all the diagonals!)

I've been making the map for the first level... mainly the rooms and about 15 feet of hallway where appplicable, and it is HUGE. Measuring out the diagonals to get something close to dimentions has been time consuming. That said I think it's great and I can't wait to get The Emerald Spire in the mail.

Welcome to PFS. Because its an episodic campaign shared among GMs, alignment is largely swept under the rug. Basically, feel free to act how you want, and as long as you don't hit "burn down an orphanage for fun" levels of evil, its all ok.

Or you could do something not quite as bad as this, but still very much not good, and have your GM note on your chronicle sheet a an alignment infraction and a shift toward the evil spectrum of the alignment scale. shifting you to CN. not that I'm encouraging you to anything bad or play the system to get a free alignment change.

Nihimon wrote:

I would email customer.service@paizo.com and try to get an official response. I know that I don't know th answer to your question, and I've been paying a lot of attention. :-)

After reading it again myself, I wonder. Was it possible to buy an Add-On and not a Pledge?

The Add On for the Print Package is a bit ambiguous:

Quote:

Crowdforger Reward Bonus - Reaper MIniatures

Our friends at Reaper have provided us with a great addition to the Crowdforger Rewards! Baron Tervin Blackshield, ruler of Thornkeep, and goblin commander of the Accursed Halls, Murgmo, come from the pages of the Pathfinder Online: Thornkeep book. These unpainted metal miniatures will be included free for all Crowdforger Rewards AND to the RPG Print Pack Add-On and the Hellknights Most Wanted Add-On! We've already got a sneak peek at Murgmo!

It seems to me that the RPG Print Package and the Hellknights Most Wanted could have been purchased independently of an actual pledge. Or simply that those figures would be included with those packages in addition to the ones received with the pledges.

It could be two of each?

I believe from reading the comments sections on kickstarter that the print pack add on could be purchased at any pledge level, even the 5 dollar society level. It was designed this way to accommodate players that are interested in the RP material but not interested in the MMO. fingers crossed for 2 of each, even though I'll already have more minis than I'll ever be able to paint thanks to reapers 2 excellent KS, and palladiums less than grand handling of their KS.

Hey
I'm sure this has been asked on here before, sadly I couldn't find the answer so here goes

I backed at the 100 dollar level and it says we get murgmo and blackshield. Now I also pledged for the print pack add on which says I get a murgmo and a blackshield.

Now should I expect to recieve 2 of each mini when it comes time to mail out my rewards?
In my pledge manager which is all green and has been for a long time it only lists one of each mini to be mailed out.
Thanks

If you insist. It is also in the right hand column under the heading "pathfinder society quests" on the addition resources page. I'm not a master of linking things without those long urls mucking up my post so use the one Doug linked.

Doug is right, Ambush in Absalom was published in issue 17. It was released for free as a quest on the paizo website. Issue 23 has The "Urge to Evolve" another sanctioned quest that didn't see free release, but has the chronicle sheet in the addition resources page.

I think I read in another threat that I won't be able to find or link to, that they are waiting for submission to reach critical mass, then sort through them and release a bunch at once. There is another quest in KQ issue... 23 I think, that is sanctioned for play. so that's 2 right now. Now you will have to pay real world money for KQ23 but it's currently on sale.

edit: issue 23 is NOT currently on sale

I agree with Soluzar, the player completed the fast majority of the module, and since it was played in "campaign" mode completed encounters not covered by PFS. I say they earned all 4 chronicles.

With the addition of the new secondary success conitions is the expected level of fame still 4.5? This relates to possible purchasing power, mostly at higher levels. Where a character that is leveled solely through module play, at level 12, will have a fame rating of 48 (4 per level) meaning max purchases of 41k (+4 weapon bonus/+6 armour bonus), where as a character leveled through scenarios has a max potential at level 12 of 72 fame 205k (+10 weapon/armour with a lot extra in armour for special materials). Are GMs seeing an increase/decrease for secondary successes? Does a level 12 character have the resources to take advantage of a higher than average fame base?
just a few questions, thanks.

Do we run the risk of this item being a must have for ranged characters? Once it becomes public knowedge this item is available and on which chronicle (because it will), will players run this module just to get this item? Maybe. Maybe making it not upgradeabke wil make it less attractive at higher level play.

for first level characters thornkeep: accursed halls can be pretty difficult. for level 3 characters I found rise of the ruin lords: Burnt offerings to be problematic.

Will these maps appear in the mummies mask AP?

My favorite boon came from prince of wolves pathfider tales novel, +2 on diplomacy and intimidate checks vs. Lycanthopes, and 2 higher DC for them to intimdate you. It's pretty valuable in very specific circumstances, and you might never use it. I found it great as a roleplay element, those are the boons I really like.

My 2 cents for what's worth.
You're clown concept as you described seems fine, some of us have day jobs after all, naming him herpes seems vulgar for vulgars sake and adds nothing to the roleplay element of the character, I'm picturing bad joke eel here.

You're "pimp" character on the other hand is problematic, not knowing of course what language you use at the table it feels like you are demonizing or belittling sex trade workers, and contributing to the use of negative language around female characters in a fantasy setting. The pimp trope renforces a gender hierarchy which I believe paizo and pathfinder are interested in moving away from. Sexist jokes are still sexist, even if you don't mean them to be.

If nothing has come of this, I'd like to toss my hat in for I like the idea of shared boons (teamwork feats as boon being something different) I think it could add a lot to inner party roleplay (but not enough to slow the game down) by hopefully getting people more "into" their characters and how that character would inter/act with those around them and the world in general. This dynamic between "boon bubbies" © could hopefully also create a space where other players get more "into" roleplaying. why not reward roleplay, big numbers have enough advantages

Wardens of the reborn forge will probably be added to this list at some point 12-15 ish if it's like Dragons demand it'll have 3 chronicle sheets plus a 4th for campaign mode.

Akerlof wrote:

Rei wrote:

My PFS Lavode De'Morcaine wrote:

Paz wrote:

...

Thornkeep: The Accursed Halls
...

I can't find this one.

It's the first section of the Pathfinder Online: Thornkeep multi-module thing.

It's technically repeatable, but there is a VERY high death rate for first level characters running through that one.

Oh ok. From the description, I thought that was just another sourcebook. I didn't realize it was a module. Since it is so deadly, does it have particularly good rewards/boons/storyline?

.
It (and Snows of Summer) are pretty expensive for modules though.
Are they really good enough to be worth it?

------------------------------------------------
What would you consider the best three for experienced players starting new characters?

What would you consider the best three for inexperienced players starting their first character?

For new players I would assume The Confirmation, In Service to Lore, and We Be Goblins. But I would like your opinions because I haven't run or played through all of those yet.

Thornkeep is a great module, interesting local, some pretty interesting NPCs, but as stated before it is very deadly for 1st level characters, I can think of three particualr hard encounters any of which could wipe an entire party. If you want to get the best "bang for your buck" first steps part one is a free download, as is MotFF, and WBG.

Just be glad that it's a Wight and not a Shadow. Same CR, but incorporeal, just slightly lower HP, and its spawn aren't weakened at creation. While Energy Drain is stronger than the Shadow's strength damage, you'll have a much harder time killing a shadow at level 1 simply because you can't damage it. Or at least I'd think you would.

EDIT: And did I mention that the shadow can fly, so it can gain a higher ground advantage to its attack rolls? Oh, and it attacks against Touch AC. So sit it 5 feet off the ground to make its attacks +5, against Touch AC, meaning it typically doesn't need to roll higher than a 10 to hit just about everyone, and then 1d6 strength damage. At level 1 you pretty much can't hit it unless you're a caster or you have holy water, so you just have to kind of stand there and take the beating.

Spoiler. Thornkeep has a shadow and a wight for those lovely first level characters

I really really like this adventure, that being said, the encounters throughout can be... problematic for new to the game players. If the entire party was made up of all new out of the box players/characters I wouldn't run this in PFS. In a home game a party of first level characters have adventure options outside of the dungeon... things like the recuing a towns person from spiders (the map in one of the early pathfinder comics is great for this), the ghoul problem, while maybe a difficult could be broken up over a number of encounters (pathfinder comics also have a good map for a ghoul encounter). The sanctioned portions of this over all adventure don't to the story or the role play options that exist any justice. If this were sanctioned in the same way as Dragons demand then maybe people would have a better time of it. Also I wish PF comics still had maps.

not on the chronicle sheets... neither is the spell Wall of light

Is this material listed in any other sources (legal for play sources), or just in the module Dragons Demand (which is currently not a legal source)? I don't own all sources and have checked the ones I do have.
Thanks

As a person who reads a lot of comics (no really, like A LOT) I feel that with the average story and average art that you find in the last story arc and again in issue 7, you need to bring something else to the table. The maps did that, it pushed a mostly forgetable tale into a different space, that being the tabletop. Comic collectors should not be caring that the comic comes a "little creased" it is ultimatly the maps that are going to make these collectable and have any value after purchase or years down the road. I feel that your products should all lead back to the game, to boost sales of the core books and Golarion setting books, the comic no longer serves this purpose and I fear is now moving in the direction of failure.

As a player my first intro to PFS was Rise of the gobin guild, I didn't find it overly difficult, But many factors play into how difficult a scenario is. It has lots of role play opertunities and interesting combat the items on the cronicle sheet also can not be overlooked in making this a great intro scenario. I think it has something for everyone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cfMzamIWXA

as Andrew said most people aren't going to just pop off a +4 suit of armour, with the way magical armour advancement works, as I understand it, is that you can build your armour bonuses as you go... only paying the cost differental between the levels, so if you've perchased mtihiral full plate and had it enchanted at +1, When you get enough gold or fame to pay for +2 you don't pay the full cost just the difference in price between +1 and +2 (or 3 or 4). I see your point in the case of having all kinds of fame and wanting a huge item all at once, but if you slow build it I don't see running into this problem... but maybe I don't understand how magic armour upgrades work.

James T Boyd wrote:

My question is do the creatures killed by the shadows str drain raise as shadows under your (or your familairs) control, and what happens when the duration runs out? do you then have to fight a bunch of shadows?

It says in the spell description that the ability to generate more shadows from killing creatures by the Str. drain does not do so when using the spell.

Nathan Meyers
PFS NYC GM/Player

good to know, also a good lession is reading things before asking questions :p

My question is do the creatures killed by the shadows str drain raise as shadows under your (or your familairs) control, and what happens when the duration runs out? do you then have to fight a bunch of shadows?

I was under the impression that in a case like this whether the character lived or died the cronicle sheet couldn't be applied until the character reached the approprate level, so following that logic if you applied a cronicle sheet from a teir 3-5 to a new character she wouldn't die until reaching 3rd level, at which point you would have enough gold and pp for basically nothing. now if the pregen was level one, our new character is dead out of the gate. Am I incorrect?

The Gaming industry has a long history of misogyny; I'm talking about the art works as well as examples like the "Damsel in distress" trope we see in many adventures (and video games that surround the RP industry). Step one is to recognize the issue, many people are willing to accept this, many are not, as we have seen through the example of Anita Sarkeesian and the violent backlash to her work, that Jessica Price highlighted in her interview. Sexism doesn't have to be overt direct discrimination, it can be subtle and easily missed by males, this is privilege, and examples of this can be seen in the Feminist Frequency blogs and youtube video. http://www.feministfrequency.com/ so I won't address them individually here. Step two maybe is to address the issue, possibly by looking at ourselves and our privileged positions within the gaming community as a whole (table top, video game, etc.), we are the target market for the VAST MAJORITY of the product that is produced, with a nod to the increasing numbers of female (and all genders) gamers. We can do our part by choosing to support products that are more progressive, because it isn't "just a game," it's media representation of gender and sex role, and these have an effect of reproducing how the current and next generation see the world. Be aware, continue to educate yourself and those around you, think critically. This isn’t a problem of perception, remember, the privileged whale says “I’m sorry you’re offended,” instead of “I’m sorry I offend you, I will refrain from such action in the future.”

Christopher Rowe wrote:

Actually, I read it kind of the opposite of that. The system encourages gift-giving (of consumables) and sharing (of items that will be returned at the end of the scenario) but discourages—or outright forbids, rather—remuneration for those kinds of things. Pay it forward!

I agree with this sentiment. It's polite to carry around your own healing, even if you can't use it. The rule against trading also fosters altruism among players. I know my bard carries around a scroll of breath of life to be used on himself or others. Sure, it was expensive, but he'd rather the mission succeeds with everyone intact.

I also agree, my rogue carries not only a wand of CLW, but I've also invested in a few scolls CLW, mage armour, enlarge, and oil of magic weapon. If party survives you survive, thus investing in the the party is investing in yourself

I would like to note that just because a character is "crass" and has a low charisma doesn't mean you need to play him as a racist, a crass fighter might place value on combat and not take race into consideration when pointing out others "weaknesses of character." A lot of historys most notorious racists, I would argue, also have the most charisma.

James, I'll happily accept "this isn't my style" or "I don't really like the sound of this" or even "get your modern day chocolate out of my fantasy peanut butter..." Heck, I won't even argue with you if you really think it is the "WORST idea" you've ever seen. Fair enough.

But "weak" and "very uncreative?"

C'mon, man. Uncreative? PCs shanghaiing Baba Yaga's hut to traverse time and space to rescue her from her treacherous daughter to prevent an eternal winter from descending on Golarion, which includes visits to other planets, including WWI-era Earth? Breaking through dimensions to confront one of Earth's most notorious occultists during the Great War?

"Totally not my cup of tea" I can handle, but if you really think this is "very uncreative" then I'm not sure what else we can do for you, dude.

using existing earth mythos seems very uncreative, what are you bring to the table that is new or exciting? not baba yaga, Rasputin, or WWI era russia, all of these things are very well documented, and if you're versed in the folklore of the area than you have even less to think about. Time/Dimension travel is the vehicle that is being used to draw the player/GM/reader away from the fact that they are visiting the familiar. Maybe you have a "new and interesting" take on history, but the fact remains that you're molding clay that has already been molded.

I was really excited about an AP set in northern Golarion.... but then a trip to earth, during WWI.... weak... this is the WORST idea I have seen come out of paizo to date. I hope it comes with an alternate story that allows you to not have to run this very uncreative plot

depending on your level and resources, maybe oil of magic weapon (50pg) on your blowgun to provide a plus to strike for 10 rounds, but if you want it for your ammo, I think you'd need oil of greater magic weapon (which is a lot more expensive).

James T Boyd wrote:

the FAQ states "As a cavalier, you may select a mount from those listed on page 33 of the Advanced Player's Guide. No additional mounts are legal in Pathfinder Society Organized Play <b>except when granted from another legal source</b>." -bolding mine- I would argue that dipping into druid would open up a legal source or aquiring a Large Animal Companion, which by its being Large and an animal companion as per the rules of both cavalier and druid (stacking) makes it a suitable mount.

That's kind of like saying a 8th wizard taking one level of cleric should be able to prepare Raise Dead spells.

if caster levels stacked (which they don't), but I believe someone earlier said that these abilities did stack for determining the CL for the animal companion. so if a cavilier has a level 7 tiger as a companion, buy virtue of it being a large creature and from a legal source it seems to fit the definition of legal mount.

the FAQ states "As a cavalier, you may select a mount from those listed on page 33 of the Advanced Player's Guide. No additional mounts are legal in Pathfinder Society Organized Play <b>except when granted from another legal source</b>." -bolding mine- I would argue that dipping into druid would open up a legal source or aquiring a Large Animal Companion, which by its being Large and an animal companion as per the rules of both cavalier and druid (stacking) makes it a suitable mount.

As a Casual Gamer who has only played on 5 senarios (and two of these at a con)since, I think, August, I would be saddened if I went to a bimonth game and found I was baned from playing because I hadn't played in enough senarios with a single character (I know this would never happen in my region. Props to our VC who has been more than great). I see the word optimized thrown around a lot, and I think it's great if players wish to have characters like that, but I don't think it should be expected when you sit at a table to play, each character should be as fun and unique as the person playing it, when you start excluding based on build of the character and the experience of the player you have entered into the realm of elitism, and that's fine if that's what you like... if you don't want to play with a fresh off the street player who happend to show up on a day a teir 5-7 is being run that's your option. by turning away the newly interested you can only hurt the community, if an "elite" player dosen't want to run with the "newbs" they can choose a different route, the PFS is not here to cater to the "old guard" (unless I'm very mistaken by the reason PFS was started) it's ultimate goal is to get people playing, and in turn sell more product. At the end of the day win or lose, live or die, the experiences we take away from the table are just as much built on the interactions we have with our fellow players as it is on the story we're told, any new player, playing at any teir will be back if they have a good time, share a few jokes, and meet some liked minded people to share an afternoon with. "elite" players should be more vocused on growing and supporting the community than in protecting their "snowflakes" from the curse of the deadly "newb"