Jorv40's page

I'm running The Savage tide from a Laptop/Tablet PC using a scan I made of my Dungeon mags and Microsoft One Note. Having the Web Enhancements for most of the issues helps as well, because I can just cut and paste pictures of the NPCs from it, and include those in as well.

It's my first time running more than a single session from a laptop, and it's not working out too badly. It made sens to do so though, because I'm running using The pathfinder Beta rules.

Sorry to get long-winded. Yes! The images help out alot. I had more than one instance of a player saying, "Oh! that's what X looks like. I was envisioning something different."

Could be he would be interested in that. He's very... Neutral minded, in general. heh But he's proud of his own minor noble family. I suspect that he will be upset at the thought of the next head of the Kellani family consorting with (leading, even) torturers, murderers, and common thieves.

I think what happens with her in the lair is going to depend largely on how they approach. If they kick in a door and are out for blood, I don't know that the other members of the party are going to listen much to him when he recognizes her. ;) We'll see! Should be a fun confrontation, at any rate!

thanks all!

Hey all,

My players are starting the STAP this weekend, and I wanted to run this situation by you all. One of the PCs is a Noble district Sorceror who wanted his family to be minor, *minor* nobility, and just be peripherally tied to one of the more powerful Sasserine families. So, I gave him the list of names, Vanderboren and Kellani included, and that was all. No info about them - just the names. I was operating on the idea that, Well... you don't get to *choose* your family in life, you just get stuck with them.

In any case, he chose to be related to and have economic ties with... the Kellani Family. That being said, and knowing the player and the character idea he's come up with, I suspect that he'll stick with aiding Lavinia. Especially since he's affiliated with the Dawn Council.

The question is this: What sort of ramifications do you all think he and his immediate family should expect from the Kellani family following the events of "There is no Honor"? Apart from the ones mentioned in The "Bullywug Gambit" and "Sea Wyvern's Wake", that is. Anything?

Seeing as this is the Kellani family, I'd expect more than just being avoided at the next family function. heh.

Gen Con 2008 Pathfinder events. Totally rocked. There's always going to be the trouble of noise and semi-rushed convention play, but those were far outweighed by the quality of the scenarios and the DMs.

Unlike experiences with the RPGA (where, among other things, a 'con DM once had a 3.5 NPC rogue villain "backstabbing" [not sneak attacking] me by tumbling around and "flanking with himself") These folks were all very much on the ball rules wise, as well as being great storytellers.

It's a tough call as far as my favorite scenario, though. Murder on the Silken caravan was intriguing, but I heard rumor that one (possibly more) TPKs came out of it at the con. The Hydra's Fang is probably my fave, though only by a tiny margin over Murder on the Silken Caravan. The Silent Tide was good too, but my character... didn't shine (let's leave it at that. heh) in that module, so I'm probably biased.

A Picture from a battle in the Hydra's Fang (Spoilerish?

All in all a great convention. Great Job, Paizo!

Jorv40 (AKA Olin Willowrock, Halfling with a mighty sling).

PS I was fortunate enough to pick up the campaign setting book before they all sold out. It's a really REALLY good book.

Slightly off topic, but is there any chance of pathfinder beta events at Gen Con Indy this summer? I know of other so called 'beta' products that have had events run for it that were actually pretty great.

No free print copies. I believe that the plan is to have the PDF version of the Beta rules free to download, but if you want the softcover printed rules, you'll have to buy them (basically to cover our printing costs, which for a book this size are not insignificant).

I'm actually pretty impressed with the number of skills a fighter would have, 'trained' at this point. Don't you get a trained skill every even level? So a human fighter with no intelligence bonus starts with... 2+1 = three trained skills at level 1, and by level 20 has 13, I think. I don't have the document right here with me. 13 trained skills is nothing to sneeze at, even if they are cross-class.

Trying to think of ways to keep battles moving, but also still allow the iterative attacks that I love. Dunno if this would be too complex... but how about maybe allowing a feat (or a standard rule) that would allow characters to 'cash in' iterative attacks to allow movement. Starting with the lowest iterative attack first, allow 5' of movement for every point they cash in, up to their standard movement rate, as part of a full round attack.

At 9th level, +9/+4 is the standard fighter BAB. Starting with the lowest attack, they could switch out 1 for a +9/+3, and move 5' more than their free five foot step. '+9/+2 would allow a total of 15' movement. '+9/+1 would allow a total of 20' movement.

I know there would be some wonkiness due to the rule that you only get your free 5 foot step if you make no other actual movement. this could be the only exception. Or you could just say that they don't get the free 5 foot step, and lower the amounts I've listed above by 5'.

Then At 14th level, +14/+9/+4. I would suggest also that if you switch enough out to drop an attack down to +0, you lose that attack that round. They could switch down to '+14/+9/+0, move 20' and make attacks at +14/+9, losing their last attack, but still getting multiple swings.

Dunno, too complex? Possibly. It solves the problem of stand-still full attack combats, but doesn't help to increase fighter damage up to the godly levels the wizard is capable of. It also gives some use to that last, puny iterative attack that never seems to hit.

Jorv.

I got an copy without the map as well. I went back to the Barnes & Noble in the Milwaukee, WI area to see about a swap, only to find that all the copies were missing the map. I think they had about 4-5 copies on the shelf. I should have checked here before making the trip... I would have saved myself a half-hour drive!

Of course some kind of officer is sent out to investigate the King's Players. When he retunrs to the headquarters of the city guard (or whatever military or police force is appropriate), he claims to have run a thorough investigation. Still, he found no reason whatsoever to stop the performance, now convinced that the message from the Feather Token was a bad prank by rivals of the King's Players, who want to sabotage their play. Really, what else could it be? The King's Players are just actors after all, what harm could they do? And don't forget that Sophia Lasilaran has an outstanding reputation.

Obviously the officer has been charmed by the bards. When the PCs get to Indar, try to have them meet up with the officer first and find out what happened. After that they'll be in a panic to stop the play themselves ...

Yeah, I think I may have to do something along these lines, just to keep the module from a total anticlimax. It still feels like cheating them a bit, but I think I can work out a suitable in-game compensation for their actions... perhaps with the PCs having proved to the Captain of the guard that his man was charmed, they'll send along some extra aid in arresting the King's Players... something. Thanks for the advice!

so! I'd like to run a snag by you all in regards to my running of this module. Maybe someone can help me come up with a "Plan B".

SPOILERS FOLLOW, of course.

Ok. Well, I'm running this module as part of my home campaign, and my players have completed acts I and II. They've managed to slay the mob of madness and others in Lamid and are going to be moving toward Indar the following morning. However, one of my PCs got the bright idea to send a "Quaal's Feather Token: Bird Token" ahead of the party with an official message from the Constable of Lamid warning that under no circumstances should the King's players be allowed to put on their play - and that they should be arrested if possible... and that people would be coming to testify against them. And of course, Indar is listed as a Military Run City - so it's not like some dire warning like this would have to run its course through layers of aristocracy... being warned about the death of dozens, if not hundreds in smaller outlying towns and villages would certainly be enough to delay/prevent a play from being put on.

I know that the Module says that no matter what, The play has just recently started when the players arrive, but given this rather inventive solution from one of the players I really hate to take that away from them. I've already figured out based on the geography of my game and the placement of the cities that the Quaal's Feather token is going to arrive ahead of the King's Players.... and so have the players. I really like this module, but I think it's going to lose quite a bit if the final showdown between the King's players and the Heroes doesn't happen during a performance of the play, where the portal can open up. Any suggestions? I've got some ideas, but I'm not liking any of them so far.