JonathonWilder's page

MMCJawa wrote:

Also seems really metagamey. If powerful items with unique effects are rare, how is it that the PCs know they exist and can be bought?

Knowledge (Arcana)?

I would argue a mix of Knowledge (Arcane) and Knowledge (Geography), the first to see if the character knows about the magic item and the latter to know if any cities it might have it.

I suspose that could be true for books as well. aside from obvious ones like say

Human ranger
Dwarf fighter
Elf archer
4 Halflings etc.

Hmm, I wonder... maybe certain members of the Fellowship of the Ring from the Lord of the Rings franchise?

Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, Frodo, Samwise, Merry, and Pippin.

The bard gives up the bardic knowledge, versatile performance, and lore master class features.

Sighs, darn. I find Bardic Knowledge to be one of the Bard's best features, disappointing to see that lost.

Chess Pwn wrote:

also not PFS legal

due respect but who cares? PFS feat control hurts martials far more than casters and exacerbates a martial/caster disparity. There's nothing particularly great about PFS legal.

Myself, I completely ignore PFS legality as I have no interest in running or being apart of a PFS campaign.

That, and because as a DM I explicitly allow at least certain 3rd party resources with a few being required components of my campaigns.

Pathfinder Specialty offers nothing I am interested in. More, I feel Organized Play has in some ways hurt the hobby as a whole while setting certain expectations among players and DMs that I disagree with.

All in all, not a fan.

this looks like fun,

this fighter/cleric wields a short sword that can be magically reshaped from a small object to a weapon (or vice versa) as a move action. his cleric levels grant him the water and war domains.
his sword is also cursed to fail him when he needs it the most.

Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon. From the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.

Ryuko Mattoi, Kill la Kill

and also Gamagoori Ira, dog boy, Nonon Jakuzure, Inumuta, Satsuke Kiryuin, and Ragyo Kiryuin respectively

Yes, that is correct though the "dog guy" is Uzu Sanageyama.

May have went a little overboard by making everyone a synthesist yet it is really the only class that can represent the transformations and change of power for the characters who use life fibers.

How about this? I do believe at this point I have a fairly good grasp of Spheres of Power and that I've created a pretty fairly decent build.

Hmm, though it would mean cutting back a far bit on talents overall... I'm strongly consider switching the build above to being a Symbiat (perhaps Telekenetic Warrior) instead of Incanter.

This is at least in part because of the drastically increased means of avoiding being it through Battlefield Sense, Pushed Movement, Uncanny Dodge and Evasion with the Improved versions, as well Trapsense.

Even though I was relatively pleased with how he was coming along above, there was one thing that I felt was missing... that Sans was an extremely frustrating foe to hit in the game while also being scary in his offense.

The movement bonus plus Warp talents for self teleporting would also allow him to being the most mobile character in combat.

A young synthesist of some sort who finds herself having to fight a variety of powerful foes in trying to avenge her father though her fused form with her eidolon is embarrassingly revealing counting:

* A very lawful neutral masochistic synthesist/monk(maybe?) who has found a way of translating the damage dealt to him as greater returned damage.
* A high perception synthesist/samurai who eventually gains the equivalent of the Swordmaster's Blindfold by chosing that it was better to fight without his sight.
*A synthesist/bard with a heavy focus on dealong sonic damage who is able to fly. Focus on keeping an opponent at a distance as she uses her music to blow them away.
*A synthesis/sorcerer focused on divination and fighting with greater invisibility. Able to fun weakness in an opponent's abilities and exploit them.

And finally, one with the Leadership feat with high rating, high Intimidation, ruling all beneath who shows herself to also be a capable synthesist with the complete loyalty of her "four generals".

... all who which must later join together to stop a world ending threat from a woman who can turn off their ability to fuse in an ever building climax of insanity and awesome.

The Action Economy rules, however they are tinkered with, plus
Spheres of Power I feel could work well together. Where they'd both go even farther to lessen the gap between martials and casters.

So I was looking through the Symbiat class and noticed something a bit scary with Favored Class Bonuses.

Elf Symbiats with the Run feat can move 500ft by level 20. Hmm, now if I could remember how many seconds or minutes a Move action is.

Yet, there is some merit to certain magic items being found in magic shops but this would mostly be in larger cities or "metropolises". Things such as potions and wands, though enchanted armour and weapons may have to be custom ordered and picked up by the character once completed.

The important thing in my eyes is that the expectation is set that a player cannot depend on the exact item they are looking for being available. That they may have to made due with whatever they can find until or if they are able to find an NPC able and willing to create for their character the exact magic item they want.

Part of the wonder I feel though is simply not make certain magic items, particularly armour, weapons, and wondrous items overly common. More, consideration of such with more then simply numeral bonuses. With this a distinction of what is and is not a common magic item that most every adventurer uses and less common or even rare magic items.

On mention of PC class levels... many, of the mostly more important NPCs, in my campaigns will have PC class levels and not NPC class levels. As such, this distinction is not helpful.

Also, I am in agreement with some that there would actually be many adventurers of different skill and ability even NPCs. Saying that the Player Characters are the only adventures in all of Golarion is completely stupid. The way I see it the world should not revolve around the players, and that there would be other adventurers both new and more experienced.

Okay, I have an update. I may have made a few bad picks in choosing what I felt was cool or would fit so I can still remove or tone down some aspects of what I have at the moment.
---------------------------
Name: Sans
Class: Incanter
Specialization: Warp
Level: 20
Boons: Easy Focus

Sphere Talents
Telekinesis (Primary): Deflect, Finesse, Forceful Telekinesis, Increased Range x2, Acceleration, Greater Speed, Weaponize, Dancing Blade, Linear Acceleration, Effortless Telekinesis, Divided Mind, Homing, Momentum Line
Destruction (Secondary): Force Blast, Greater Blast x4, Extended Range x2, Crafted Blast, Energy Leap, Chain Blast, Rebuff, Shrapnel Blast, Gloom Blast, Tenebrous Blast, Numbing Blast
Warp (Minor): Distant Teleport, Emergency Teleport, Unseeing Teleport, Quick Teleport
Divination (Minor): Battlefield Sense, Detect Teleportation, Fast Divinations, Foreshadow, Prescience
Time

Feats: Force Shield (Protokinesis), Counterweight (Protokinesis), Gravitic Anomaly (Protokinesis), Telekinetic Exoskeleton (Protokinesis), Touchsense (Protokinesis), Mind Against Body, Improved Rebuff, Superior Rebuff, Improved Energy Leap, Focused Blast (Force), Energy Specialization (Force), Deadly Targeting, Extra Magic Talent x4
------------------------------------

16 Feats
32 +8 Talents

Also, perhaps squeezing in a flavor Feat similar to Thematic Spell. That when using the sphere Telekinesis to attack others it takes the form of bones and when using Force Blast have appearance of a monstrous skull of which the blast shoots out of the mouth.

master_marshmallow
Hmm, not quite sure yet. Probably a direct link to download as a PDF, as that has worked in the past when I was lucky enough for a member to post such a link.

That is fine, whenever you get closer to finishing it up.

Ciaran Barnes
I can't access Dropbox as well while I am at work.

Is there a chance I might request a link to the guide though another source then Google Doc? My work filters blocks access to such, so I have no way of viewing it.

The bundle is back at DriveThruRPG for 10 days from now! Here's a direct link.

What's the benefit to The Raging Swan Press in offering so many PDFs at such a discounted price? The bundle of PDFs being 95% of from what the cost they would otherwise be.

I'm in disbelief at such a discount, confused on how it plays out from a business standpoint.

Lots of useful advice.

A quick question with Divided Mind, when combined with Weaponize could it allow for one to blanket the battlefield with “knives” made of pure telekinetic energy? Of so, then I would be very interesting in making use of this Talent… otherwise, not so much, as I want to avoid having him using any weapons not made from the Telekinesis sphere. Your suggestions for Destruction talents I'll look into as well for passives, as more ways to mix things up would be fun.

Also, of note, while you have given me a bit to think on as I consider Easy Focus, talents, and feats a fair focus I was planning on making use of is not both active Telekinesis and Destruction talents in the same turn but instead strategic use of one or the other either on different turns. Have one be active one turn and passive the next, switching it up. The goal being to end a battle quickly as well, perhaps finding ways of adding in status effects such daze, stun, or conditions such as making an opponent flat footed.
-----------------------------
To go into a bit more detail of what I’m looking to accomplish:

Honestly, if I could, I would like to go for something of a glass cannon, fragile speedster, or “sweeper” in style and feel. High power, difficult to hit, greater number of attacks, but low in hit points and vulnerable if forced into close combat without his magic to get him out of trouble. Yet, that is likely hard if not impossible to fully pull off with either Spheres of Power or Pathfinder in general. Maybe though I can get close, where I can work towards a memorable and challenging battle with an NPC inspired by a certain comedic skeleton named Sans who passes judgement on genocidal megalovaniacs.

I might also dip into other spheres for a few flavor abilities, such as Time Sense, and a way of having him deal more damage based on the past deeds of his opponents such as evil acts or excessive willingness to kill everything before them, heh. His “Karmatic Retribution” as it is called, maybe looking to the Fate sphere. Generally though, I will be sticking with Telekinesis and Destruction, with Warp for movement.

Also I feel that I should mention that while he may be well equipped, this NPC will not be wearing any armour of any sort. Also, as above, no weapons as mentioned before. Consideration of upping AC in other ways would be helpful, especially since I would very prefer to make him difficult to hit.

Destruction can make a show of being other spheres. Rebuff is a good 'protection' ability, and Energy Leap gives you a 'warp' ability.

Thanks, I'll see if I can fit those in

Umbral Reaver wrote:

JonathonWilder wrote:

Any chance you might link or PM me what you have put together for this? The idea does sound interesting.

I don't know how useful it would be. It's all very setting-specific.

I feel that it's usefulness will give me great ideas on how to make traditions. More examples almost always help.

Agreed

Hmm, grabbing additional Talents would be nice. I admittedly picked Warp as the Incantor specialization because it was the only one that felt benefited the concept.

Quick Teleport, I must have missed that. I used the Spheres of Power wiki in building this with some limitations while at work. The reason being because of filters at work I have to open a cached version of any given page to view... checking now, it seems Quick Teleport is there so I am not certain how I missed that.

I'll look into a Destruction staff.

Of note, I actually haven't decides on any feats and I am very much open for suggestions. A way of shooting off multiple Force Blasts would be nice, if such is possible, in a given turn.

Class: Incanter
Specialization: Warp.
Level: 17-20

Sphere Talents
Telekinesis (Primary): Deflect, Finesse, Forceful Telekinesis, Acceleration, Greater Speed, Weaponize, Dancing Blade, Linear Acceleration, Effortless Telekinesis
Destruction (Secondary): Force Blast, Greater Blast x4, Extended Range x2, Crafted Blast
Warp (Minor): Distant Teleport, Emergency Teleport, Unseeing Teleport

The basic feel and strategy I am going for is an NPC "non-combatant" who depends completely on his magic to fight, both though the Telekinesis and the Destruction Spheres while staying mobile through the Warp Sphere. My goal is for him to be quite scary with his magic and be able to deal a lot of damage, especially with his Force Blast.

The traditions were tied to various philosophies and ideals as well, although no alignments. I didn't use alignments at all. Instead, I used 'aspects', Holy, Arcane, Death, Chaos, Nature (Yes, they are the Master of Magic schools). The list of banned spheres was largely influenced by the primary and secondary (if any) aspects of their tradition.

Oh, and in that the spheres of warp and time were only theorised. There was going to be a plot involving the source of those spheres to be an otherworldly 'sixth aspect'. Probably with some hideous, Lovecraftian price.

Any chance you might link or PM me what you have put together for this? The idea does sound interesting.

There are things that have improved greatly since the AD&D days, but something about "My 1st level Wizard has an INT of 20" really bugs me.

Not only that, but I would have to ask how a player plans on roleplaying an Int 20 as this is I feel very arguably more genius level as far as mortal races go. Even in general, whether with dragons, celestials, devils, demons, and other creatures or monsters can have higher then this.

Any stat that is above 20 I feel would be the rare 10% at best of any mortal race, except perhaps if the race has a bonus to such.

I would allow up to 25 point myself, on the condition that a player could not have any score before racials be higher then 16 or lower then 8. I would even have this count for 20 point buy and work out pretty well.

I would possibly be willing to make allowances for players who want to play a race that gives a penalty to the primary stat of a class. I would firmly enforce that none can having a stat higher then 18 after racials.

Jader7777 wrote:

D&D was originally a survival horror.

Not really. It was a wargame.

I have never treated AD&D, D&D, and Pathfinder as wargames.

Sighs, my thoughts is simply have 'special' magic items be like that of legacy items which grow with the player and unlocks new powers as time goes on.

I can never understand those who say they saw someone roll three 18s and a 16, as this has never been anything I have seen in all my years of playing AD*D,D&D< or Pathfinder. Heck, in most cases a player is lucky to get a single 18.

What I'd like to see more often, and I may even try my hand at a little homebrewing for such, is the character creation "playbooks" from games like Over the Wall and Apocalypse World.

Where instead of a player rolling for their stats they will instead roll a background for their character which gives them different stat bonuses and skills. These rolled backgrounds having the added benefit of tying together the characters in the party, making it so that they are not simply strangers who met up but comrades and friends who grew up together.

This I feel this is all around better than point buy or simply rolling for stats.

In my personal opinion, Eberron is the more progressive setting and more interesting/innovative as well.

Honestly I'm very glad I found Tim, as I feel he came up with a pretty brilliant idea when it came to races. Versatility in the extreme, particularly when compared to how races are normally put together. More, it could very well help too breathe live into character creation beyond traits, classes, archetypes, prestige classes, feats, skills.

Yet, it does appear that this homebrew makes extensive use of the Advanced Races Guide, which I believe I have found others show complaint or concern of balance and how the book was put together.

As such I'd like to ask for the thoughts, consideration, and advice of those here about this Homebrew. Could this really offer a great improvement in fun and in the game for those that would like to go beyond the official races or those who may wish to do something a little bit different with their characters?
-----------------

Part 1: Humanoids.
Part 2: Native Outsiders (Planetouched).
Part 3: More Humanoids.
Part 4: Reptilian Humanoids, Dragonkin, and Dragons.
Part 5: Fey.
Part 6: Aberrations.
Part 7: Mechanoids, Monstrous Humanoids, and Plants.

I do not take credit for this archetype, but I did consider it very interesting when I found it a couple of years back.
--------------------------

Vagabond (Bard)
Vagabonds are eternal wanderers—never able to stay in any one place for long. They give up some of their musical versatility to improve their ability to travel and avoid danger on the road.

Class Features Modifications
Class Skills: Remove Climb from the vagabond’s list of class skills and add Disable Device.

World Traveler (Ex): A vagabond gains a bonus equal to half his bard level on Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (history), Knowledge (nature), and Linguistics checks. He can reroll a check against one of these skills, but must take the result of the second roll even if it is worse. He can reroll one additional time per day at 5th level and every five levels thereafter.
This ability replaces bardic knowledge.

Fast Movement (Ex): At 2nd level, a vagabond’s land speed is faster than the norm for her race by +10 feet. This benefit applies only when she is wearing no armor or light armor and not carrying a heavy load. Apply this bonus before modifying the vagabond’s speed because of any load carried or armor worn. This bonus stacks with any other bonuses to the bard's land speed.
This ability replaces well versed.

Roguishness (Ex): At 2nd level, and every four levels thereafter until 18th level, the vagabond gains a rogue-like talent.
The abilities that follow replace versatile performance.

Evasion (Ex): At 2nd level and higher, a vagabond can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the vagabond is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless vagabond does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Starting at 6th level, a vagabond can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She cannot be caught flat-footed, nor does she lose her Dex bonus to AC if the attacker is invisible. She still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. A vagabond with this ability can still lose her Dexterity bonus to AC if an opponent successfully uses the feint action (see Combat) against her. If a vagabond already has uncanny dodge from a different class, she automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below) instead.

Woodland Stride (Ex): Starting at 10th level, a vagabond may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at her normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. Thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion, however, still affect her.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): A vagabond of 14th level or higher can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target has vagabond levels. If a character already has uncanny dodge (see above) from another class, the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum rogue level required to flank the character.

Improved Evasion (Ex): At 18th level and higher, the vagabond is better at avoiding magical and unusual attacks. This ability works like evasion, except that while the vagabond still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, she henceforth takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless vagabond does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

As there is no 'reduce monster' spell, I allow reduce (and enlarge) to work on anything humanoid in appearance rather than only the 'humanoid' game term type.

Wait, why isn't there a Reduce Monster spell? That is something you'd think would be in the game as it has come up in fantasy in the past.

The d20pfsrd site has this 3rd party creature.

Honestly, if I could find a DM willing to let me play this race, I take it in a heartbeat.

It always frustrated me how "expensive", in Race Points anyway, Centaurs are in Pathfinder... especially when one takes into consideration their large size would case them problems when transversing certain areas and going into buildings, as well as the fact that they can't climb ladders and would likely have at least some difficulty with stairs.

Also the Advanced Stats setup is annoying, so as to balance Centaurs out with other races I probably toss those and go with the +X, +X, -X... Which would bring the Race Point cost down to 14. Additional stat bonuses could simply be gained by way of racial class levels.

I think it may actually be slightly worse than the original. No mention of whether its intended to use Flurry of Blows like Vanilla or Unchained Monk.

It is intended to use Unchained Flurry of Blows, as it has been converted to be an archetype for the Unchained Monk.

I do very much still plan on making use of the Prestige Class conversions offered in this thread.

Now, Spheres doesn't have specifically lift bag, but it has the Lift Sphere which allows you to lift some minor things for a duration of concentration, or you can spend a Spell Point to Lift for 1 minute per level, and one of the options for it is Bag. The same Bloodrager, Inquisitor, and Wizard all decide to pick up the Lift Sphere and the Bag option.

Don't you mean the Telekinesis Sphere not "Lift" Sphere?

First, when putting this together, I used the Spheres of Power Wiki as I am at work. When I get home I will see if I can find anything helpful in my SoP books/PDFs.

My goal is converting Sans from Undertale to Pathfinder and I could use advice of spheres, talents, feats, and maybe equipment... if he would have any. What I have so far is this, though with consideration that his attacks will be "visually distinct":
---------------------------------------------------

Name: Sans the Skeleton
Class: Incanter
Specialization: Warp.
Race: Obitu.
Level: 17-20

Sphere Talents
Telekinesis (Primary): Deflect, Finesse, Forceful Telekinesis, Acceleration, Greater Speed, Weaponize, Dancing Blade, Linear Acceleration, Effortless Telekinesis
Destruction (Secondary): Force Blast, Greater Blast x4, Extended Range x2, Crafted Blast
Warp (Minor): Distant Teleport, Emergency Teleport, Unseeing Teleport

When are they going to make an official Unchained Zen Archer?

While Paizo is dragging their feet, if they ever get to it at all, I actually just PMed you the Unchained Monk version of Zen Archer from Everyman Gaming. Tell me what you think of their take on the archetype.

Yes it may not be "official", but as long as the campaign is not for Pathfinder Society I recommend discussing with your DM if he might be willing to allow it.. given the situation with the Unchained Monk and it not having access to any of the previous archetypes.
-------------------------

Also, Secret Wizard, if you are willing perhaps you can PM me? I may have other ideas for allowing you to check out the Unchained Monk Archetypes.

I don't own the book, and I don't know a website that accepts American Express for PDFs.

Do you have a DriveThruRPG account? I could gift you the PDFs, as they are fairly inexpensive. Though it would have to wait until I got paid Friday.

I would also suggest looking into PayPal, which you can connect to your bank and debit card, maybe credit card. I admittedly don't know for certain the last part, as I have yet to actually acquire credit card.

Maybe you'd be willing to PM me?

sojoocy wrote:

How's this build holding up as of November 2016? Nerfed to obsoletion?

the master of many styles nerf last year? hurt it pretty badly, being unable to get monkeystyle before level 11 hurts pretty badly. It (and a lot of variations) are still good not but omgwtf good.

If the DM allows 3rd Party, the majority of Monk archetypes were converted to Unchained Monk by Everyman Gaming... making it so that this idea could still be viable.

JonathonWilder wrote:

Any chance you might update this to include Monk Archetypes by way of Everyman Gaming's conversion of them?

This being that which allows all Monk Archetypes to be used with the Unchained Monk, and can allow for additional choices for players.

Please?

Yes please.

Though of note there are a couple that were not converted because it would be redundant. Such as the Qinggong Monk, as that was absorbed by the Unchained Monk.

Any chance you might update this to include Monk Archetypes by way of Everyman Gaming's conversion of them?

This being that which allows all Monk Archetypes to be used with the Unchained Monk, and can allow for additional choices for players.

Honestly, she probably have access to whatever funds she needs given her level and position... though I could simply see how much the cost of all her equipment goes to.

Oh, just to make mention, I will be making use of the book Ultimate Charisma.

When it comes to rebalancing I think much has already been done in different ways, such as the Unchained Rogue and much earlier the Glory Rogue... honestly I have even considered combining the two and offering that as the rogue.

Yes this is for a NPC... An admittedly likely to be very influential and powerful NPC where ever I place her taking into consideration all she is capable of, as pointed out by Aelryinth.

I'll be honest, when considering the idea of a combat bard, I feel that the
Arrowsong Minstrel might be the most interesting choice if perhaps not the most powerful.

Oh, we're going back to the whole challenge rating thing?

Again my hope is that the party won't try to fight Eludecia. If they do, I do believe it is a foregone conclusion that unless they're at least at or above level 18 they're not going to be able to win, and by that level they should have access to spells that quite clearly show that she isn't someone they need to fight.

The party wants to try fighting her they can, but unless they're nearing highest level play her challenge rating doesn't even really matter.

I'll put her challenge rating as 19 for now.

Just going to say, Anti paladin is an alternate class to paladin(like samurai to cav)

... So? Seriously the whole point is that she is a redeemed demon that she has gone from chaotic evil to lawful good. The suggestion that she be an anti-paladin goes completely against concept. Did you even read my first post and the thread in general?

Dotted and stealing.

Great work Aldrius, I see no issue with how you have organized things.

Math failure on your part.

"P implies Q"
means that if P is true, then Q must be true as well. No exceptions.

So yes, it does use the word "implies."

Core Rulebook wrote:

Law implies honor, trustworthiness, obedience to authority, and reliability

Again, you don't have to like the alignment rules, but that's what the Core Rulebook says. You can either

a)House rule the alignment rules to be more to your liking
b)Suck it up and play with the alignment rules as they are, or
c)Leave Pathfinder and find a game with rules more to your liking.

I'm sorry but I completely disagree. First off, this isn't math but a word definition as used in the English language.

From Merriam-Webster on Imply:
1: obsolete: enfold, entwine
2: to involve or indicate by inference, association, or necessary consequence rather than by direct statement <rights imply obligations>
3: to contain potentially
4: to express indirectly

Probably a mix of a few of the above. Cosmic, demonic, and body horror for the PCs with that of gothic horror more for NPCs. Survival or slasher horror I don't think would works very well, at least not without drastically changing the mechanics of the game.

My thoughts being more of what the party can experience as they go about their adventures. Strange horrors from realms far beyond, of the demonic, of the alien, and of more classic monsters of horrors. With this as the party suffers from possible insanity or corruption which may warp or twist their body and mind.

Perhaps With the party playing the roles of heroes we fight back against the darkness and madness, playing their parts in keeping chaos and evil from overtaking the land or in bringing hope where others my try sniffing it out.

Perhaps a campaign that follows after a similar style to the Diablo series might be of consideration, as well perhaps others.

Again though, I feel "suvival horror" may not work using Pathfinder rules as part of how that works is there is least a degree of actual fear and helplessness as you try to survive the danger.