Jesse Falke's page

So I have an idea for a product that a 3PP might find interesting and I have a fair amount of the initial design work done already, but I wasn't sure what the process is for proposing such a thing.

Should I say what the product idea is in these forums and see if anyone is interested?

Should I privately message people and tell them what I have in mind to see what they think?

Should I not do something like this without building up credibility by doing assigned work beforehand?

Thanks in advance for any advice/guidance you can provide :)

Ok, so I *really* like the Cavalier class...except for the mounted thing. So has anyone done any rewrites/archetypes for the cavalier class that replaces its mounted abilities with other stuff? Or are there any 3PP products that have done so? The only archetype I know of is Huntsmaster, and it's very cool, but I'd like to know of more options if they're out there.

Thanks in advance! :)

So, as a counterpoint to the absurd/unnecessary rules thread, I thought it'd be interesting for people to try and take rules that they think *are* absurd/unnecessary and try to give the best defense possible or at least try to understand what the rationale is behind them.

I'm anticipating some people saying "there is no possible justification for X." That's fine if you think that, but it's not really conducive to the discussion I'm trying to have. I want people to think outside their comfort zone and essentially play devil's advocate with themselves.

Alright, I'll start. Let's see...I really don't like how swingy sneak attack damage is. It makes rogues quite good damage dealers when they can pull it off, but subpar a lot of the times when they can't. I prefer Cheapy's alternative myself (thanks Cheapy!).

Possible defense: Flanking is a fairly common and easy tactic to pull off most of the time. Along with feinting, the flat-footed condition, and potions of rings of invisibility, the rogue should be able to use it fairly consistently. Additionally, it's very thematic of the opportunist vibe that rogues are supposed to fit and being able to inflict conditions with it by using rogue talents is cool.

Probably not the best defense possible (just the best I could think of at the moment), but that was just an example.

Any people on the internet willing to argue against themselves for a change? ;)

I'm applying the half-fiend template to a slag giant and I'm confused about skill point allocation. Do I just calculate the skill points based on the template and allocate them as desired? Do I add to the slag giant's preexisting skill distribution? Or is there another option?

Thanks in advance for any help :)

After reading "Mother Bears", I'll definitely have to pick this up. Jendara is an awesome character. Congrats on the novel, Wendy! I look forward to it :)

Does anybody flavor combat with larger enemies (huge and bigger, let's say) in a different way than with smaller enemies? What are some tricks you have? I have some of my own, but if anybody else has some, I'd love some suggestions.

Thanks! :)

So, how would people feel if all base saves for all classes started at +1 and progressed to +9 (basically in the middle of the two options now) and the ability score bonus and magic items determined the rest? I see people talking about the disparity between good/bad saves at higher levels. How much would this help to alleviate that? Any other thoughts?

Hey paizo community,

I'm about to start a campaign for two people and I wanted to hear experiences and advice for dealing with small parties. First, I'll give you some info on the campaign and modifications I've done already. Right now we are using the gestalt rules and both players have quick draw, toughness, and improved initiative for free. I am increasing spells/extracts per day, doubling their starting hit points from their HD, and using a modified version of the hero points system as well.

The players are playing a fighter/cleric gestalt and a rogue/alchemist getstalt. A ranger (favored enemy: undead) will be aiding them for the first portion of the adventure at least. It will be an undead heavy campaign.

Specific questions:

1) Do you think these measures be enough to allow me to build encounters roughly similar to a four person party?

2) How should hit points increase as they level up?

3) How much should I increase per-day abilities? Right now I have the first level spells/extracts doubled, but that seems excessive at higher levels.

Any other general advice is appreciated. Also, I want to avoid using mythic if possible because it just doesn't fit the tone of the campaign.

Thanks everyone! :)

I'm applying the fast zombie template to a griffon for an upcoming game and just wanted to make sure I did it right.

Here are links to the griffon and zombie template

And here is a link to the google doc with the conversion.

Specific questions:

1) Did I calculate the saves correctly?
2) Would a zombie retain the scent special ability? It makes no mention of losing special senses in the template, but do undead keep their sense of smell?

Any feedback on the specific questions or anything else I might have missed is appreciated. Sorry if this seems amateurish; I haven't worked with templates much. Thanks all!

As the voting progresses, are items paired with other items that have similar up vote/down vote rankings? So if you see your item, should you assume the paired item is roughly similar in quality as measured by up votes/down votes?

So, inspired by this thread, I was thinking that for my homebrew, I might make it so that all good outsiders fall under the name "Angels" and just tend to live in different parts of Nirvana/Heaven/Elysium (which is all one plane) but no hard divides. I kind of like the contrast with the Good outsiders unified while the Evil and Neutral outsiders are more fractured.

What do you guys think? Cool/not cool? Does it make sense?

So I came up with a new oracle curse for an NPC I'm developing for my homebrew and I wanted some feedback; here it is:

Exposed: You were exposed to harsh conditions when gaining your powers and your appearance badly suffered for it. You take a –4 penalty on Charisma-based skill checks, except for Intimidate. You gain a +4 competence bonus on saves made against cold dangers and heat dangers due to the environment. At 5th level, you gain fire resistance 5 and cold resistance 5. At 10th level, you gain immunity to cold dangers and heat dangers due to environment. At 15th level, you gain fire resistance 10 and cold resistance 10.

Questions:

1) Is it clear what everything does? Any vagueness?

2) The penalty is a copy of the wasting curse; should I change this?

3) Are the benefits appropriate for the level you get them?

4) Is it interesting?

Should we avoid multi-classing in the playtest? I want to make a swashbuckler/sorcerer, but I wasn't sure if feedback on that kind of build is what the devs are looking for.

So I'm going to be running a horror themed adventure for my girlfriend and her nephews around Halloween, and I came up with an idea I want some feedback for.

I definitely want their to be an evil cult in it (man, I love me some evil cults; I can't get enough of them). I was thinking a cool idea would be to have them use weapons and spells that are modified in some way to not cause pain. They still do damage and cause wounds just like any other weapon/spell, but the PCs can't feel the pain *at all.* Think of fighting an enemy, getting slashed at, not feeling a thing and looking down to see a festering gash on your chest. Or having flames flare toward you, and seeing your legs seared and burnt without a feeling of pain at all. Obviously, pain is a scary thing on its own, but seeing the damage without the feeling seems pretty unsettling to me.

To represent this in game, I would roll attacks and damage in secret, not telling them how much damage they took. Of course, I would describe it to them visually, but they wouldn't have access to the actual numbers. That should make them overuse their healing which might lead to some interesting situations.

So, does this sound scary/cool/unsettling? Any other comments?

So, while I was trying to avoid doing my homework, I decided to calculate the number of possible unique gods based on combinations of domains and alignments. I did this using the rules for deities presented by the game (5 domains and must take Law, Chaos, Evil, or Good domain if alignment includes it). I decided not to factor in favored weapon.

There are 33 possible domains available from Paizo , but these include the four alignment domains which are already decided by the alignment of the god, so we are left with 29 possible domains given an alignment. Each deity has five domains, but two of those are determined in advance for LG, CG, LE, and CE deities. One is determined in advance for NG, LN, CN, and NE deities. None are determined in advance for N deities. Using the combination formula, one can determine the number of possible deities for each alignment.

If you didn't click the link, C(X,Y) means number of combinations of Y objects given X options.

Lawful Good[C(29,3)]=3,654
Neutral Good[C(29,4)]=23,751
Chaotic Good[C(29,3)]=3,654

Lawful Neutral[C(29,4)]=23,751
True Neutral[C(29,5)]=118,755
Chaotic Neutral[C(29,4)]=23,751

Lawful Evil[C(29,3)]=3,654
Neutral Evil[C(29,4)]=23,751
Chaotic Evil[C(29,3)]=3,654

Summing these together can be expressed as 118,755+(23,751*4)+(3,654*4) which equals 228,375 unique combinations.

So, in case you ever wondered, there it is :P Obviously two gods can be unique even if they have the exact same domains, but I was just curious, and I figured a few others might be as well.

Let me know if I made any mistakes! Now I need to find another distraction that feels like I'm doing something useful while avoiding actual work...

tl;dr: There are 228,375 possible unique gods given the standard domains and alignments.

Now that the mythic rules are out, I think it would be really cool to see a conversion of Kratos. One might need to make some new path abilities, but I think a Barbarian 20/Champion 10 or maybe a Barbarian/Fighter/Champion with some unique items and abilities would be an extremely good fit for him. What do you guys think?

I guess first off, what should his base stats be like?

So, inspired by the awesome Seven-League Leap ability and designer Phil Minchin's comment that it wouldn't trigger a sonic boom, I have decided to create an ability that allows for just that! I would like some feedback for it though. Here is the ability:

Sonic Dash (Ex): You are able to dash forward at speeds faster than sound, releasing a wave of sonic energy. As a swift action, you can expend one use of mythic power to dash forward 30 feet. Any creature within 10 feet of you at any point during the dash (including the beginning and end) is hit by a sonic wave. Creatures hit by the wave must succeed at a X DC Fortitude save to avoid being deafened for 1 hour per tier. They are also subject to a bull rush attempt at Y. If the bull rush succeeds, they are knocked directly away from you a distance equal to Z feet per tier. If the foe strikes a solid object before reaching this distance, it takes 1d6 points of bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet it couldn't travel. If it strikes another creature, both it and the creature it strikes take half this damage.

Ok, so questions:

1) What should X be? Right now, the best formula I can come up with is 10 + Char Level + 1 per 2 mythic tiers which means it tops out at DC 35 which meshes up well with the Monster Statistics by CR table I think.

2) For Y I was thinking the character's CMB with a bonus equal to their mythic tier. Thoughts?

3) For Z, I was thinking 5 feet per tier. 10 feet per tier seems a bit much given how many creatures it can affect. Thoughts?

4) What should happen to creatures in the way of the dash? I was thinking 2d6 damage per 5 feet left of the dash (to you and the opponent) plus the regular effects and the dash stops at that point.

5) What tier should this ability be? Definitely at least 3rd I think, but maybe 6th...

6) One more question: Should this ability have any requirements, either base speed requirements or other mythic abilities?

Thanks in advance for any feedback! Try to keep it constructive and not dismissive. If you think the ability is stupid, tell me why! I'm newish to this.

So, I'm working on a homebrew and am in the process of considering what technology is developed and available. So far, there are three items that I've been having a bit of a debate with myself about: cannons, guns, and airships. My preferences at the moment are as follows:

Cannons: fairly common
Guns: super uncommon, just developing from cannon technology
Airships: Somewhat uncommon but most people have at least heard of them. In major coastal cities they are fairly common

So my question is if these preferences make sense consistency-wise. If I remember correctly, cannons did come before handheld firearms. Is this correct? Also, is there any reason airships could not be developed before handheld firearms? I don't think so, but I'd like to double check.

Also, I know that it's my homebrew and I can do what I like regardless of consistency, but I do want to keep the option for publishing open in the future (however slim the chance). Thank you in advance! :)

Inspired by media I've seen where a sword/axe/mace/etc. can shoot out bolts of energy, here is a magic item special ability I thought up that I could use some feedback on. Help me fill in the Xs!

Blasting

Price +X bonus; Aura moderate evocation; CL X; Weight —
This ability can only be placed on melee weapons. As a standard action, the wielder can channel their vitality through their weapon and launch a bolt of energy towards an opponent by making a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 30 feet. A successful hit does (1/2 * character level) d6 force damage rounded down (3d6 for a 7th level character, 8d6 for a 17th level, etc.)

CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS
Cost +X bonus
Craft Magic Arms and Armor, X

Some comments/questions:
-Has this already been done before and I'm unaware?
-I'm thinking something like a +2 bonus.
-Is force damage too good?
-Should I make it so that it has to be an energy type and when created it becomes something like Blasting(fire) or Blasting(acid)?
-How do you calculate the CL of a weapon special ability?
-Any recommendations on spells for construction? Magic missile makes sense, but anything else?

Ok, so the title is a bit of an overstatement, but here goes:

In going through these forums there seems to be a decent number of people (or a very vocal few) who don't like characters gaining power through magic items. They like to feel that their character's inherent abilities should be solely responsible for their power and that magic items somehow diminish their triumphs.

Obviously, this is an opinion, and a fine one to hold. However, in the interest of providing more perspective, consider this (in my opinion) excellent article that talks about how dependent humans are on tool use. You don't have to read the article, but it basically proposes that tool use has influenced our very evolution. More colloquially, one doesn't have to look far to see how dependent we are on tools in everyday life. From combat to transportation to medicine, we are extremely dependent on tools.

In short, I don't really have a problem with my character using tools to defeat monsters. My tools are a part of me and I don't think that using them diminishes my victories. Being able to create and use tools judiciously and creatively is one of humanity's great advantages over threats, and I for one like that this is part of the game. What do you guys think?

What this post did NOT argue: That magic items should necessarily be common/easily accessible, that people who don't like characters gaining power through magic items are wrong, etc.

From The Midnight Isles' product description:

"...powerful crystals empowering the Worldwound’s demonic armies with mythic power."

These crystals seem to be a key component of the adventure path, and thanks to my relentless quest to read all of the answers in the "Ask James Jacobs" thread, I think I've discovered a clue to these crystal's origins.

Thoughts?

So I want to mess around with creating an RPG based on Nickelodeon's excellent show Avatar: The Last Airbender in my free time, and I turn to the paizo boards for feedback.

Disclaimer: I'm fairly new to RPGs and have definitely never constructed one, so some of this may seem amateurish.

First concern: System
-Besides the d20 system, what is out there that people like? Does anyone have any suggestions of free RPGs that I could take a look at for inspiration? I like the idea of using 3d6 + modifiers as a core mechanic (I saw this in the Dragon Age RPG) to smooth out averages. I also have some rough ideas for how stats work and how advancement works, but other than that, I'm a bit lost.

Second concern: Setting
-When should the RPG take place in the world? Obviously, people could place it at any time/place they wanted, but for the setting I work on, I want to have lots of options for monsters and conflict. My philosophy is that you need lots of conflict to make the setting interesting. My idea is to have it take place at an unspecified point in the past where there are still dragons, there is a rift in the spirit world (allowing for a much bigger variety of monsters), and there is tension between all four nations.

Third concern: Classes

-Besides the four obvious choices (Airbender, Earthbender, Firebender, Waterbender), what class options should I have? This is tied to the setting choice obviously. If technology is on the upswing, something like an engineer/bomber class might be viable, but my setting seems to suggest a lower technology feel.

Right now I have this for non-bending classes: Martial Artist (general monk like class without bending), Chi-blocker (martial artist who specializes against benders), Swordfighter (melee weapon based fighter), Archer (ranged weapon based fighter), Infiltrator (sneaky skill type guy).

I'm thinking of having it so that you can multiclass, but you can't be more than one type of bender.

Fourth concern: Combat

-Here are some general things I want from the combat:

1) Reactive feel: Something like a defend/attack cycle every round should work.

2) Resource management: Chakra/Action Points or something. This should recharge though to allow for long days of adventuring.

3) I don't want lots of fiddly modifiers where you have to keep track of their duration. I want buffs/debuffs to be either mostly 1 round or permanent until some condition is met.

4) No having to rebuild your character during combat.

5) Some sort of advantage/disadvantage mechanic.

So what do people think? Does this sound interesting? Any advice on specific topics? Any general advice/feedback?

Ok, so I'm taking a risk and throwing my hat in the ring for design requests. I will take requests for NPCs and monsters (preferably CR 10 or below for now, but feel free to ask for anything).

NOTE: I have practically no serious experience in design, so if you see a mistake or have constructive criticism, please mention it. That's the only way I can get better!

Please provide me with a CR target and a brief description of what role you want the monster/NPC to play, as well as any relevant links if they are from other media. I'll let you know if I'm interested in designing a suggestion or not so that you aren't waiting for something that won't come.

Does anyone know where a list of the "game-changer" spells (fly, teleport, scrying, etc.) would be? Basically any spell that fundamentally changes the way combat works (like fly) or makes certain adventures unlikely to work (like a murder mystery when a character can use speak with dead).

If there is no such list, would people be willing to help me compile it? I am starting to create adventures and want to be aware of all the resources PC's have available to them.

So, I recently came across an interesting article by Johnathan Tweet. In it he talked about hit points and spells that do things other than hit point damage. I disagree with some of what he said, but the following sentences intrigued me:

"As for a more direct way to make hit points relevant to an enchanter, maybe each spell should carry a hit point limit as to how tough a creature it can work on. That way the fighter can weaken the enemy and the wizard can finish it off with a spell, and then the two characters are working together instead of in parallel."

While I'm not sure of the hit point limit idea, I do think it would be interesting if the core idea (hit points affecting spell effectiveness) was implemented in some way. I was thinking of a house rule where there are three different tiers of health and one would write their saves for different tiers. A character could have a bonus to their saves if they are at 2/3 or higher health, their average save between 2/3 and 1/3, and a penalty to their saves below 1/3.

Let me know what you think; I'm still not sure of this idea in general or on the specifics, but it seems doable with a minimum amount of effort and might add some nice synergy between straight damage dealers and other characters in combats. Anyone see any potential issues? Any suggestions on refinement?

Does anyone know of a class that has the jack of all trades aspect of the bard without the performance aspect? Thanks in advance for any help!

Specifically, how many resources (hp, spells, consumables, etc.) should a typical party use on average for a CR appropriate fight (i.e. a CR 9 encounter for a party with an APL of 9)? The answer can be in terms of fraction, percentages, raw numbers, whatever.

I know that this is an extremely abstract question, but it would still be nice to get a ballpark idea. This doesn't have to do with a specific example, I just want a good idea of what to expect when building/running adventures.

Thanks in advance for any help!

So, I'm looking way ahead in the book (I'm only at Thistletop right now), and I was thinking it'd be cool to add something to Mhar Massif. When the PC's approach it, I plan to have Karzoug animate and speak through the mountain face. I think that'd be incredibly scary and foreboding. Also, I want him to trigger an avalanche with a roar or something.

However, how do I make an avalanche threatening for 16th-17th level PC's? Two of them (an air elemental bloodline sorcerer and a druid), are going to be able to fly pretty much at will by then, and the ranger and fighter are probably going to have some way as well (maybe by flying on the back of the druid when he shapeshifts, maybe the sorcerer casts it on them, who knows?). Does anyone have any thoughts on how to make a variant avalanche that will make this a challenging and cool encounter?

Simple question: I want a black dragon to have the same spellcasting progression as a red dragon; does this warrant a CR increase? How much? I should think no more than a +1 increase. What do you guys think?

I swear the alliteration was mostly accidental :P

So, I have several ideas for adventures and campaigns, but I don't have a ton of experience with the game yet. I've just starting GM'ing recently (Rise of the Runelords AE), and I've played in a handful of games.

My question is this: is it too soon to consider creating adventures/campaigns? I've done a decent amount of reading, and I feel like I have a fair grasp on the rules. However, it seems like the structure of RPGs is best learned initially through actually playing in them and running published stuff. That way, you see what kind of situations can arise and anticipate those in the adventures you create.

Anyways, I thought I'd turn to the community (you guys) to get some opinions on this. As a habitual lurker in forums, I've read a lot but haven't engaged in discussion much. The community at Paizo here seems pretty cool though, so I feel comfortable asking this here.

Topic is pretty self explanatory. I'm finally getting the core rulebook, and I'm wondering if I should get it in paperback or hardback. I prefer hardbacks in style, but if the paperback is more durable, I'll probably get it. I'd love to hear the rationale behind your recommendation as well.

Thanks!

Are there rules for dealing with flying enemies/players in the Beginner Box? If so, could someone tell me where to find them? I've been looking for a while. If not, how have some of you handled flying in your games? Thanks in advance for the help! :)