Jason Bulmahn's page

Create a Survivor in this post apocalyptic take on the real world, using the core engine of Pathfinder, but powering it with a classless advancement system and giving greater narrative control to the players through Flashbacks. Or take on the role of Narrator and tell thrilling tales of survival and finding hope in the world ravaged by a zombie plague!

With 2 weeks to go, and already over 450% funded, the Hopefinder Print Edition kickstarter is well on its way to knock down a number of stretch goals. Its not too late to get a copy for yourself!

Follow THIS LINK to learn more about Hopefinder and to support this campaign as it enters its final weeks!

Jason Bulmahn
Minotaur Games (and.. you know, Paizo too)

Since Eventide, something is wrong with the world.
Magic is fading, and the world is fading with it.

You are that hero.

Eventide is a campaign setting designed to take advantage of everything that Pathfinder Second Edition has to offer! Built by one of the designers of the game, Eventide feels right at home within the rules of the game. Here is just a few, spoiler free, examples of how Eventide gets the most out of Pathfinder:

• The four traditions of magic inform the cosmology of the world itself. Each tradition is powered by one of the four planes that surround the world, and they are tied into its creation.
  
• Rarity is used to reinforce the story of the world. Some core elements have different rarities to reflect the story of the world.
  
• Destiny has been added as a part of character creation. This gives players agency over their character’s fate and special ways to get the most out of their hero points.

And that is just the start! Eventide features new rules and options for players and GMs to use when playing in this world, making for a rich and engaging play experience! A new ancestry, the Gloamling, is available NOW for Patrons and the Penumbrist class will become available to Patrons in the coming weeks!

You can learn more about Eventide by visiting the Minotaur Games Website!

You can support the campaign setting, getting a first look a the world and taking part in the playtest and introductory adventure over on Patreon.

Eight teams of monsters are set to do battle for the glory of the mysterious commissioner in MAUL, the Monster Arena Ultimate League, a Pathfinder Live Play Tournament on Roll20!

You can catch all the action TODAY at 4pm over on TWITCH, but if you miss out, you can watch all of the previous matches over on YOUTUBE!

Today's season kickoff features the KILLER KOBOLDS taking on the goblin FIRESTORMERS in a battle to the finish!

I hope you stop by and cheer on your favorite team!

Hey there folks,

Just thought I would drop a link to a new show that Dan and I have put together, pitting squads of Pathfinder Monsters against one another in a deadly arena contest!

Enter the MAUL!

Right now we are just doing some preseason matches to iron out any kinks before the first season begins! You can find episode 1 up on my YouTube Channel!

Watch

The Killer Kobolds

The Ogre Brothers

Hey there folks,

Since launching the Band of Bravos stream, I have gotten a lot of requests to release the maps that I created for the game. Early on (in the first couple of sessions), every map was hand drawn, and while we are looking for a way to get those all out to you, the later maps are now available!

All of the maps from the later part of the show were built using a Tile Set I have been designing for the past few months and as of today, those sets are now up on the roll20 store!

So, go grab them and build your own classic dungeons!

Jason Bulmahn
That evil cackling head in the bottom corner of the Band of Bravos stream

Hey the folks,

Seeing as we are all still stuck at home (mostly), I figured I might as well pass the time working on my campaigns.. and I thought all of you might like some insight into my process.

Campaign Design Tutorial

Enjoy! If you have any other topics you want to see, leave your ideas in the comments!

Hey there all,

I have been, in my copious free time stuck here at home, been working on some GM advice videos over on my YouTube channel. So far I have covered tips for writing one shot games and advice for GMs running a game for just 1 or 2 players.

If folks have ideas for more that might be applicable in this challenging times, leave a comment.

Running One Shot Games

Advice on Running Games for 1

Stay safe everybody and keep gaming!

Knights of Everflame, Episode 1 is now up on YouTube! Now you can get caught up on all the fun and excitement before the Episode 2 premier later today on the Geek and Sundry twitch channel!

You can watch Episode 1 right here!

Once you've watched, feel free to discuss below! See you all in tonight's chat!

EDIT

To keep things simple, here is a link to the entire YouTube Playlist!

This is part 2 of 3 of the epic Pathfinder Second Edition game with publisher Erik Mona and the folk from the GCP!

Here is a link to Part 1!
Here is a link to Part 3!

This is part 3 of the epic Pathfinder Second Edition preview game with Erik and the GCP folk!

Here is a link to Part 1!
Here is a link to Part 2!

Folks are not going to want to miss this game!

For those who are curious, this is part 1 of a 3 part adventure with Erik and the GCP crew using the Pathfinder Second Edition rules!

Here is a link to Part 2!
Here is a link to Part 3!

Hey there folks,

Just thought I would post up a link in case you missed it on twitch, but the first session of Oblivion Oath, the first Pathfinder Second Edition Actual Play campaign is now up on the Paizo Youtube channel!

You can watch the new video right here, and get all caught up before session 2 airs this Thursday at noon (pacific time).

Enjoy the show everybody!

Hey there all,

I just wanted to make sure this news made it here to the boards, starting on April 4th, Paizo will be streaming a live Actual Play game of Pathfinder Second Edition, featuring all Paizo staff, on our twitch channel!

From now until then, every Thursday at noon (PST), you can watch as we talk to each player and reveal their character. Then starting on April 4th and following up every Thursday after that, come back and join us for one hour of gaming!

Called the "Oblivion Oath", this campaign will feature an entirely original story, set in Golarion running in 4719, concurrent to the events of the Tyrant's Grasp adventure path (but dont worry, we wont spoil the events of that adventure).

We look forward to gaming with you!

Jason Bulmahn (GM)
Sara Marie (PC)
Katina Davis (PC)
Gabe Waluconis (PC)
Owen KC Stephens (PC)
Dan Tharp (Director)

Hey there Everybody,

This is your reminder that TODAY, December 31st is your last day to submit Pathfinder Playtest feedback to us via the surveys. The surveys will close at midnight PST. You can find links to all of the surveys on the Pathfinder Playtest Page.

In addition, these boards will be archived soon as well.

There will be a blog going over this a bit more tomorrow as well, but just in case you miss that...

THANK YOU!

Thank you for taking part in this playtest. We know it has not been easy. We know that passions have flared at times. But despite all that, it has been worth it. We are hard at work on the final version of the game and we could not do it without you!

So once again, from everyone at Paizo, thank you and have a Happy New Year!

Jason Bulmahn
Director of Game Design

Hey there all,

Just in case you have missed it, we have streamed a couple of sessions of James Jacobs playing Kingmaker over on our twitch stream!

In addition, I recorded my first session with the game and posted it over on my YouTube channel.

Hope you are enjoying the game as much as we are!

Hey there all,

Since it occasionally pops up in other forums, I figured I would start one central thread for discussion and feedback on my YouTube series of Design Musings. As of this posting, I just put up video #6, and I post them every Saturday and Wednesday. So far I have covered the following topics.

1. The Economics of Fantasy RPGs
2. Simplicity and Complexity in Games
3. Symmetry and Asymmetry in RPGs
4. Using Niche Design to give your Classes Space
5. How I got into games and how you can too!
6. Putting the Fear of Death into your Game!

You can find the entire playlist right here!

If I can hit 500 subscribers to this channel, I plan on launching a series on my GM style, tips, and advice that I think everyone might find useful... (instead of just my random musings on design, which tend to be pretty rules wonky).

Anyway.... thanks for watching.

If folks have any requests or feedback, post them up on YouTube or down below.

Hey there all,

When using the Pathfinder Playtest Rulebook, did you use the Index in the back of the book? If so, did you find what you are looking for?

If now, please let us know in this thread so that we can be sure that the final index meets your needs.

Want to help, here is how:
1. Post the topic you were trying to search for in the Index.
2. Post the words you used to try and find that topic.

This thread is only for posting up specific index issues. Comments and discussions should be reserved for other threads and will be removed if posted here.

Thank you for taking part in the Pathfinder Playtest.

Jason Bulmahn
Director of Game Design

Hey there all,

First off, welcome to the playtest! I meant to have a post up right during launch, but time ran out and there were just too many other things to do. Sorry about that.

Second, the team and I are all recovering from what was an amazing experience at Gen Con. The number of excited fans and playtesters was truly staggering. We have already started collecting valuable feedback and we are looking forward to hearing from all of you about your experiences with the game. Unfortunately, I think most of the team is taking the day to rest up a bit. The show was exhausting and we got to recover some HP before we dive back into the fray.

Third, I want to assure everyone that we are hearing your feedback here on these boards. It is early days, as was expected, there are a lot of passionate debates going on here, and at a pace that we can hardly keep up with. Once we are all back together we will be working hard to get caught up. Your patience in this is appreciated.

Fourth, I am seeing a lot of great commentary here, catching things we missed, pointing out places where we might have made a mistake, and generally giving opinions on the game. That is great. What is not so great is the amount of bickering, name calling, hyperbole, and disrespect I am seeing. Lets all try and remember that we are all hear for the same cause, to make the best version of Pathfinder that we can. We need your help. We want your thoughts. We can't get your feedback if you are driving others away and otherwise being unfriendly toward your fellow playtesters. If you can't be civil, this playtest and this game are probably not for you.

Fifth, there are a few pieces of early errata that we need to get up immediately.

• All PCs are trained in being unarmored.
  
• Both Alchemists and Druids should be trained in 3 skills (+ Int Mod) each (instead of 2 and 4 respectively).
  
• Alchemists can use Quick Alchemy for any alchemical item in their formula book.

Finally, the playtest surveys for Part 1 of Doomsday Dawn are now live. As a note, please make sure that you have completed your play through of part 1 before taking the surveys. The player and GM surveys both have four pages of questions but should only take about 10 minutes each to complete. Please make sure you go all the way to the very end before leaving the site. You can find links to the Doomsday Dawn Part 1 surveys on pathfinderplaytest.com, as well as surveys for the first three PFS scenarios as well.

Please, if you have played these games, take the surveys. They are really going to help us get a better understanding of our game.

Thank again for all of you help in playtesting this game. The team and I look forward to working with all of you to make this the best version of Pathfinder ever!

Jason Bulmahn
Director of Game Design

Hey there all,

I wanted to take a moment to talk to folks on the forum about the impending release of the Pathfinder Playtest.

1. We have reports of the book leaking already. While unfortunate, it is not unexpected. We would ask that if you find yourself with a copy that you refrain from posting every detail and spoiler until general release to allow everyone to have a chance to look through the book and learn about it for themselves. We will not be locking threads or policing discussion on this, but we are asking for your understanding.

2. Due to the amount of things we still need to do before the official launch, the design team will not be taking feedback or answering questions until release (or a short time after depending on how Gen Con works for us time wise). We will still be answering questions and comments about the blogs, but we are not going to be delving into any threads that deal specifically with spoilers from the book (and spoiler posts to the blog threads will be marked as off topic).

3. There will be a few additional blogs in the coming days to cover a few topics that just did not make it on the schedule. Expect one looking at humans, half-elves, and half-orcs very soon.

4. When the official playtest board goes live, this board, and all of its threads, will be locked. We have found the discussion here very valuable to our process and there are a few things we are going to be looking at based on the threads in these boards, but we want to start the discussion fresh in new boards based on the actual rules starting next week.

Thank you everyone. I am sure I speak for the team when I say that we are very excited for you to see the full Playtest rules for the 2nd edition of Pathfinder. We've spent 3 years making this game as good as it could be, but we know it could be even better. We are looking forward to your thoughts, you feedback, and your ideas.

Jason Bulmahn
Director of Game Design

We here at Paizo want to thank you for visiting our community to talk about the next evolution of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game! Before diving into the discussions, please keep the following points in mind.

These boards are for discussing the preview content as it becomes available. Feel free to point out news and spoilers as you uncover them, but be aware that we will not be posting new spoilers here. If you are looking for the latest news and information about the upcoming release of the playtest rules, visit the Pathfinder Playtest page. Finally, remember that we are all here to build a better game, so treat your fellow forum posters with kindness and respect.

Thank you! We can’t wait for you to see our new game!

Jason Bulmahn
Director of Game Design
Paizo Inc.

Hey there all,

First off, I want to thank everybody for their comments and feedback on the Shifter.

I thought I would take a moment to talk to all of you about the class and some of the problems that have cropped up with its use in game. There is a common sentiment among fans that the class is a bit underwhelming when compared to others, especially the druid. We always knew that the class would be compared to the druid, and part of our design attempted to speak to that comparison, treating the shifter as a martial version of the druid concept. Purely by the numbers, the class performs as expected, hitting and dealing damage along the expected lines that we laid out. What that analysis does not do (and probably should have) is compare the class to a druid with its full suite of options brought to bear simulating the same basic concept. Comparatively, the shifter can come off as a bit too restricted.

Game design can be tricky that way. We can design to meet peak design, which has the danger of forever pushing the bar of “normal” up and up (aka Power Creep), or we can try to hold the baseline, which itself is an ever shifting target. We chose the later with the shifter, hoping that the class would hold its own, being simple for newer players to get into without running too far outside the norms for what we think a class could do. Its obvious in hindsight that we could have pushed this a bit further, or at least, given you a wider variety of options to play with to build the character in a more diverse manner.

None of this was helped by the lack of a public playtest on the class. We felt at the time that this was a relatively straight-forward class that did not need a lot of testing. These were game concepts we understood. Combined with an overwhelming design schedule (this was happening in the middle of Starfinder design), we decided to skip the playtest.

It’s clear that this was a mistake.

Going forward, we are going to be a lot more careful with our class design, ensuring that every class gets run through its paces before it reaches its final form. That will involve you. As for what to do about the shifter, we’re going to make a few changes right now to increase the versatility and playability of the class, based on your feedback (see the FAQ). These changes will be reflected in future printings of the book.

• Wild Shape: We are changing the way you gain uses and duration of wild shape. Remove "once per day" from the first sentence. Remove the 4th sentence from the shifter’s wild shape. Replace the second-to-last paragraph with “A shifter can use wild shape for a number of hours each day equal to her shifter level + her Wisdom modifier. It need not be consecutive but must be spent in 1 hour increments. For abilities that function based on ‘uses of wild shape,’ each hour of wild shape counts as a use.”

• Shift Claws: Shifter claws count as magic starting at 3rd level.

Finally, on our list of hotfix FAQ updates for the book, adding the missing creature abilities to the major forms (like owl’s Fly speed) is at the top of the list, and we have a solution underway for the questions about the oozemorph shifter archetype as well.

Thanks for being patient with us on this one. We will continue to monitor this class, as we do all others, and make adjustments as necessary.

Good Gaming!

Jason Bulmahn
Director of Game Design
Paizo Inc.

Getting closer and closer to the release of the first Edge of Eventide adventure, I've posted up a preview of some of the rules you can expect to get with each character.

Not only will each PC include a backstory, personality, and motivation, each will also have unique rules elements designed specifically for this campaign and for that character. In this first preview, I am showing off the elven subrace that is used by Leylinia, the elven cleric in the group. Called the Cenasar, these elves have a deep tie to the seasonal changes of the world around them, gaining abilities and resistances depending on the season.

You can download a FREE PDF that gives you all the racial traits of the Cenasar right HERE.

Enjoy!

Hey there all,

Just want to let everybody know that I have put a Pirate Loot Bundle on sale for the Holidays! The Admiral's Bundle contains the Base Game and the 6-Player Expansion deck for just $19.99.

It is only on sale here at Paizo, so get it while it lasts!

Happy Holidays from the Maze!

Jason Bulmahn
Minotaur Games

The Edge of Eventide Patreon is now LIVE!

Minotaur Games is excited to announce the launch of Edge of Eventide, a Dramatic Campaign built for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game!

Funded via Patreon, this epic gaming event tells the tale of six heroes, gathering together to put an end to a great evil and avenge a fallen friend. You and your friends will guide them. Your choices will decide their fate. You will journey with them as they face the Edge of Eventide!

As a supporter of this Patreon project, you will receive the adventures and the characters before anyone else! Backers also get an inside look at the process of creating a Dramatic Campaign and are invited to give feedback and thoughts on the adventure itself!

Click HERE to learn more about the Edge of Eventide, or go straight to the Patreon page to give your support!

The Edge of Eventide is created by Minotaur Games and its publisher, Jason Bulmahn, the creator of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.

The 6-Player Expansion deck, as well as the Pirate Loot Base Game, are expected to be released to the public on November 18th.

Jason Bulmahn
Minotaur Games

Pirate Loot, and the 6-Player Expansion deck, are expected to be released to the public on November 18th.

Jason Bulmahn
Minotaur Games

Hey there all,

This thread is for you to post up your FINAL THOUGHTS on the Vigilante Playtest. To keep this thread manageable, we request that you post to this thread only ONCE with your final thoughts on the class and the playtest. Additional posts will be deleted.

Thank you for participating. This thread will remain open until August 17th, 2015.

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer
Paizo Inc.

Hey there all,

Shortly after this posting, all of the Vigilante playtest boards will close.

On behalf of the design team, I want to thank each and every one of you for giving us invaluable feedback on this class and sharing with us your ideas and thoughts on how to make it better. We will be considering these thoughts in the weeks to come as the class approaches its final form.

That said, you do still have one last chance to give us some feedback. From now until August 17th, the Final Thoughts: Vigilante Playtest thread will remain open in the Pathfinder RPG, General Discussion forum.

Remember, you can ONLY post ONCE to this thread. It is not a place for continued discussion, but is instead a place for you to post up your final thoughts from the playtest.

Thanks again for participating in this playtest.

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer
Paizo Inc.

Hey there everybody,

Just thought I'd spread the word a bit that I have started up a twitch stream to share some of the fun I have when not busy making up stuff for Pathfinder. Right now I am playing Darkest Dungeon (and will probably be on here tonight in a bit), but I am also archiving the streams if you want to watch them later.

You can find my twitch stream at twitch.tv/JasonBulmahn

Or you can check out the archives right here.

See you in the chat.

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

Hey there all,

James recently started up a Call of Cthulhu game here at the Paizo offices, running the super deluxe version of Horror on the Orient Express. Seeing as he spent a lot to make this happen, I figured it was only fitting to do something equally epic for my campaign journal.

I recorded it, and then using images from the game, made a video of it.

And I have posted it!

Enjoy!

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

Hey there all,

Just to post up a clean thread, the official Paizo WoW guild is called Warlords of Paizo and it can be found on the alliance side of the Borean Tundra PvE server.

There are usually a few of us on most nights, but I am hoping to schedule regular events and increase options (maybe even getting up to raid level) in the coming months.

Come play with us.

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer
Paizo Inc.

The design team would like to take a moment to offer thanks to all of the people who participated in the play test! You have helped us gather valuable feedback on the classes set to appear in Occult Adventures!

Over the coming weeks and months we will refine these classes and develop all of the exciting archetypes, feats, spells, and other rules to make Occult Adventures a great addition to you Pathfinder game. You helped, and for that, we would like to offer our thanks.

As of this post, the play test and the associated surveys, are closed!

Thanks again

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

The announcement just went up, the Surveys for the Occult Adventures Playtest are LIVE!

You can get all the news at this link.

Did I also mention that the blog post also contains the first look at the art for one of the Iconics for this book? Check out the art for the Occultist!

Go read the blog, check out the art, and fill out those surveys!

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

Hey there all,

I am starting this thread for one specific purpose, to discuss what occultist implements might be missing. For example, right now Divination uses crystal ball, goggles, harrow deck, headband, and lenses. What else might be added to that list?

Please keep this on topic. Here is the format for your responses...

Divination Implements: tea cup, finger bones.
Evocation Implements: prism

Lets leave all other discussion to other threads.

Thanks

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

This thread is for general discussion of the Spells and Magic system, found in the Occult Adventures Playtest document. This thread should be used for general impressions and overall concerns and ideas. Feedback on a specific concept or rule should have its own thread created by you.

As a reminder, please be polite and courteous to your fellow posters. We are all here to endeavor to create a better play experience with these rules and excessive arguing and insults are inappropriate.

Thank you again for participating in the Occult Adventures Playtest!

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

This thread is for general discussion of the Spiritualist base class, found in the Occult Adventures Playtest document. This thread should be used for general impressions and overall concerns and ideas. Feedback on a specific concept or rule should have its own thread created by you.

As a reminder, please be polite and courteous to your fellow posters. We are all here to endeavor to create a better play experience with these rules and excessive arguing and insults are inappropriate.

Thank you again for participating in the Occult Adventures Playtest!

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

Updates: Here are the official changes to the class:

Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The spiritualist is proficient in all simple weapons not light weapons.
First Level Spells Per Day: At first level ignore the 1/day in the 1st level slot, the spiritualist has a base of 1 1st-level spell per day at 1st level, and no 2nd-level spells at that level.
Bonded Manifestation: The first sentence in the 3rd paragraph should begin "At 8th level, and every 5 levels thereafter..."

Spells
Haste and slow should be on the the 3rd-level spiritualist spell list, not the 2nd-level list.
Tongues is on both the 3rd- and 4th-level spiritualist spell list, it should only be on the 3rd-level list.

Phantoms
Armor Bonus: The first sentence should read, "The number noted here is the increase to the phantom's natural armor bonus when manifested as an ectoplasmic creature, and its deflection bonus when manifested as an incorporeal creature."
Phantom Starting Statistics: Add, "Type: Outsider (phantom)" to the beginning of the stat block and change AC to, "AC +2 dodge (in incorporeal form) or +2 natural armor (in ectoplasmic form)"

This thread is for general discussion of the Psychic base class, found in the Occult Adventures Playtest document. This thread should be used for general impressions and overall concerns and ideas. Feedback on a specific concept or rule should have its own thread created by you.

As a reminder, please be polite and courteous to your fellow posters. We are all here to endeavor to create a better play experience with these rules and excessive arguing and insults are inappropriate.

Thank you again for participating in the Occult Adventures Playtest

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

Official Changes
The following are the official changes to the psychic’s abilities and spells. First off, the psychic does get iterative attacks as normal, but they’ve been omitted from the table by accident.
Class Skills: Add Diplomacy to the psychic’s class skill list.
Psychic Discipline: The saving throw for any discipline ability that allows a save is 10 + 1/2 psychic level + Intelligence modifier.
Phrenic PoolThe psychic gains this class feature at 1st level.
Phrenic Amplifications: The psychic gains her first amplification at 1st level instead of 3rd. She gains an additional amplification at 3rd level and every 4 levels thereafter. Adding a phrenic amplification is part of the action used to cast the spell. Change the following amplifications.
Complex Countermeasure This ability makes the spell harder to dispel, counterspell, or identify.
Conjured Armor: An 8th-level psychic uses the +2 bonus or her relevant modifier, whichever is higher.
Discipline of Abomination: In dark half, it should specify that attempting to return to normal is an ability that the psychic can used while she’s her dark half. The dark half can be used for a number of rounds per day equal to 3 + the psychic’s Charisma modifier + 1/2 her psychic level.
Discipline of Pain: Change the following abilities.
Painful Resurgence: Change painful resurgence to the following: When you take damage, as an immediate action you can gain DR 2/— against the effect that damaged you. If you still took at least 5 points of damage after applying DR, you regain 1 point in your phrenic pool. The amount of DR increases by 1 for every 4 psychic levels you possess beyond the first. The amount of damage you must still take to regain phrenic points is equal to your character level at every level beyond 5th. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier, and can use it no more than once per hour.
Agonizing Wound: Move dazed from the initial list of conditions onto the list of conditions that can be applied if you expend 2 uses of the ability. Remove stunned from the latter list.
Discipline of Tranquility: In the bonus spells list, change detect thoughts to silence.
Remade Self: This ability should clarify that the spell is chosen when the psychic reaches 20th level and can’t be changed.

Spells
Remove permanency from the 6th-level spell list. Add lesser create demiplane to the 7th-level list, create demiplane to the 8th-level list, and greater create demiplane to the 9th-level list.

This thread is for general discussion of the Occultist base class, found in the Occult Adventures Playtest document. This thread should be used for general impressions and overall concerns and ideas. Feedback on a specific concept or rule should have its own thread created by you.

As a reminder, please be polite and courteous to your fellow posters. We are all hear to endeavor to create a better play experience with these rules and excessive arguing and insults are inappropriate.

Thank you again for participating in the Occult Adventures Playtest

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

This thread is for general discussion of the Mesmerist base class, found in the Occult Adventures Playtest document. This thread should be used for general impressions and overall concerns and ideas. Feedback on a specific concept or rule should have its own thread created by you.

As a reminder, please be polite and courteous to your fellow posters. We are all here to endeavor to create a better play experience with these rules and excessive arguing and insults are inappropriate.

Thank you again for participating in the Occult Adventures Playtest

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

Official Changes
The following are the official changes to the mesmerist’s abilities and spells.
Consummate Liar: Add this new class feature at 1st level. The mesmerist adds 1/2 his mesmerist level (minimum 1) on all Bluff skill checks.
Hypnotic Stare: The initial penalty from hypnotic stare is –2 instead of –1, and increases to –3 at 8th level. (It no longer increases at 12th level.) The stare no longer affects two creatures at 9th level. This class feature should also state that the stare ends if the mesmerist dies or is rendered unconscious.
Mesmerist Tricks: Triggering a mesmerist trick is a free action the mesmerist can use when it isn't his turn. Instead of lasting for 1 minute per mesmerist level, a trick remains set up until the mesmerist regains his spells. If the mesmerist sets up a new trick when he is already at his maximum number of concurrent tricks, he must choose one existing trick to dismiss without effect.
False Flanker: This trick can also trigger when the subject begins its turn adjacent to an enemy.
Mesmeric Mirror: The images last for 1 minute per mesmerist level or until destroyed.
Misdirection: In the third sentence, delete “, using the mesmerist’s combat maneuver bonus (including any bonuses specific to feinting)”.
Spectral Smoke: The cloud lasts for 1 minute per mesmerist level.
Painful Stare: Add this new class feature at 1st level. Once per round when it’s hit by an attack that deals damage, the target of a mesmerist’s stare takes additional damage equal to 1/2 the mesmerist’s class level (minimum 1). The mesmerist can use this ability as a free action, and can use it even if it isn't his turn. If the mesmerist uses this to increase his own damage, increase the damage by 1d6 for every 3 mesmerist levels. This damage is precision damage and is not multiplied on a critical hit.
Bold Stare: Alter the following bold stare improvements.
Disorientation: The penalty applies on attack rolls, but not damage rolls.
Timid Strike: The hypnotic stare penalty also applies on damage rolls.
Will Breaker: Remove this ability.
Mental Potency: This ability also increases the number of creatures affected by an enchantment spell or illusion spell that affects a number of creatures greater than one. This doesn’t increase the number of targets for a spell that targets one creature, but does increase the number if the spell targets one creature per level. The HD limit, number of HD affected, or number of creatures affected increases by 1 at 5th level (as the playtest document says), any by another 1 for every 4 levels the mesmerist possesses after 5th, to a maximum of +4 at 17th level.
Expedient Tricks: Remove this class feature. It's now redundant.

Spells
Change bestow curse to a 3rd-level spell and major curse to a 4th-level spell. Change phantasmal killer and telepathic bond to 4th-level spells. Add battlemind link to the 4th-level spell list.

This thread is for general discussion of the Medium base class, found in the Occult Adventures Playtest document. This thread should be used for general impressions and overall concerns and ideas. Feedback on a specific concept or rule should have its own thread created by you.

As a reminder, please be polite and courteous to your fellow posters. We are all here to endeavor to create a better play experience with these rules and excessive arguing and insults are inappropriate.

Thank you again for participating in the Occult Adventures Playtest

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

This thread is for general discussion of the Kineticist base class, found in the Occult Adventures Playtest document. This thread should be used for general impressions and overall concerns and ideas. Feedback on a specific concept or rule should have its own thread created by you.

As a reminder, please be polite and courteous to your fellow posters. We are all here to endeavor to create a better play experience with these rules and excessive arguing and insults are inappropriate.

Thank you again for participating in the Occult Adventures Playtest

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

OFFICAL UPDATES:

In the burn ability in the second paragraph in the first sentence, add the word "blast" before "wild talent".

Entangling Infusion should require kineticist level 6th.

Burn damage cannot be reduced or redirected.

OFFICIAL CLARIFICATIONS:

In the force ward defensive ability, when you end and reactivate your force ward, it does not refill the force ward with hit points. Those only refresh at a rate of 1 per minute.

Kinetic blade uses the same critical range and multiplier as a usual kinetic blast (which is 20/x2). Since it is used as part of a full attack or attack action, it doesn't have its own additional action cost, but you still can only use one instance of kinetic blade with your full attack (that is, you can't summon up 50 kinetic blades, but you can make a full attack with the one blade you did summon). The same is true for kinetic whip. You can use kinetic blade and whip with the charge action as well. Since these wild talents are part of another action, they do not provoke attacks of opportunity, as they are not a separate action.

This forum is for posting feedback based on actual play experience. Comments, concerns, and ideas generated without playtest feedback should be posted in the Rules Discussion Forum.

When posting to this forum, please list the specifics of your encounters in terms of character levels, foes faced, and any changes in play style that deviate from the norm (ie very high character wealth, house rules that impact play, etc).

This feedback is very valuable to the design team as it evaluates these classes and rules. Thank you for taking part in the Occult Adventures Playtest. We look forward to hearing about your game.

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

This forum if for general discussion of the rules and content appearing in the Occult Adventures Playtest. Feedback derived from actual playtest experience should be posted in the Playtest Feedback forum.

In this forum, you will find seven threads, stickied to the top, each of which covers a general portion of the playtest. There is one such thread for each one of the classes and a seventh thread for a discussion of the magic and spells presented in the document. These threads should be used for GENERAL feedback only. Specific discussions about one particular aspect of these classes or spells should get their own thread, created by you!

As a reminder, please be polite and courteous to your fellow posters. We are all here to endeavor to create a better play experience with these rules and excessive arguing and insults are inappropriate. The design team reserves the right to close down threads that are no longer serving the interests of the playtest.

Thanks again for participating in the Occult Adventures Playtest. We are looking forward to seeing your thoughts and ideas on these exciting new rules.

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

This forum is for general discussion of the playtest process, announcements, and updates. If you have feedback of a general nature, not necessarily tied to actual playtest feedback, please post that feedback in the Rules Discussion forum. All feedback tied directly to actual playtesting should be posted in the Playtest Feedback forum.

Check this forum regularly for news and updates about the playtest process. Thanks again for participating in the Occult Adventures Playtest.

Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer

We are in the final days of the Pirate Loot card game Kickstarter! This Friday (September 19th), the ships will set sail on this fast-paced card game of treasure and treachery!

Designed by Jason Bulmahn (creator of the Pathfinder RPG) with art by Scott Kurtz (PVPonline and Table Titans) and Dylan Meconis (Bite Me! and Family Man), Pirate Loot has been a huge hit on Kickstarter! Reaching its initial funding goal in just the first few days, Pirate Loot has sailed past a pair of stretch goals, raising over $30,000!

There is still time to join the crew! For just $20 you can get a copy of the game! Sign up to be a Gunner at $35 and you will get the game and all the bonuses unlocked during the Kickstarter (including a 6-player expansion deck if the game reaches $40k). Sign up to be a minotaur gunner for $45 and you get all the gunner bonuses, plus 10 Pathfinder-compatible PDFs from Minotaur Games!

Want to learn more, you can see a play-thru of Pirate Loot at this link! You can also download the complete rules of the game and see a great deal of concept art and final card designs by visiting the Minotaur Games website!

The Pirate Loot Kickstarter ends on September 19th at 9pm (PST), which just also happens to be International Talk Like a Pirate Day! Join the crew! Drink some grog! Betray your friends and steal their Loot!

Jason Bulmahn
Minotaur Games

Hey there all,

As the Pirate Loot card game Kickstarter draws to a close, I have added a new backer level that includes every Pathfinder-compatible PDF created by Minotaur Games!

For just $45, you get every reward of the Gunner level (which normally costs $35), and every Minotaur Games Pathfinder-compatible PDF! Including:

Monster Focus: Skeletons, Zombies, Ghouls, Mummies, and Liches
Favored Terrain: Crossroads Inn, Lucky Dragon
Rule Zero: Critical Hits, Underlings, and Gem Magic

That's a $25 value for just an extra $10!

The Pirate Loot Kickstarter runs until Friday, September 19th at 9PM PST.

Click Here to check out Pirate Loot

Jason Bulmahn
Minotaur Games

Hey there all,

Minotaur Games got it start doing PDFs compatible with Pathfinder, but we want our game company to offer a wider array of products. Just two weeks ago, I launched a Kickstarter to fund a game called Pirate Loot! Its a fast-paced card game of treasure and treachery for 2 to 4 players. As of this moment, it is already well past funding, but I need your help to reach some of those Loot-filled stretch goals!

So. I am running a challenge this weekend! If you can help Pirate Loot crush its $30K stretch goal (only about $3,300 to go) by midnight (PST) on Sunday September 7th, I will make ALL of my previous Minotaur Games PDFs available FOR FREE until the end of the Pirate Loot Kickstarter! That's $25 in PDFs for free, for EVERYBODY!

Check out the Pirate Loot Kickstarter HERE!

Plenty of room to join our crew! Welcome Aboard!

Jason Bulmahn
Minotaur Games