P2 had a great reception at GenCon, and the sight of so many players enjoying our game is indeed unforgettable.
Arklore wrote:
I am interested in what we are using as a metric for why we believe 5E is crushing it.
According to Mike Mearls's twitter feed (and I see no reason to disbelieve him), the 5E core books have sold more copies in the last five years than the 3e, 3.5, and 4e core books combined. By any standard, 5e is crushing it. Fortunately, there is more than one way to crush it, and our hobby is large enough for many successful companies (and getting larger every year!).
OF course, they get a LOT more quiet if one asks for the actual numbers and specifically those numbers that are NOT the PHB.
Many have bought multiple PHB's (I bought 3 and I don't even have 5e as my main game...don't ask how many P1e corebooks I have) and it's the same person. In some ways they are extrapolating the number of PHB's sold to how many players are playing 5e...which could mean that some of their numbers are flawed...especially when we don't know how the numbers sold relate to the number of DMG's sold.
Mearls has also said similar things in the past about 4e that were shown to be true, but ONLY from a very specific point of view rather than being able to be taken at face value.
That said, I still would agree...5e is crushing it and D&D right now is probably more popular as a game than it has been previously for the past 20 years (at least).
DNDBeyond, a product that I wish Paizo could mirror, allows DMs to share their purchased content with players in their campaigns. If you're going to bother DMing 5E, you might as well buy it via there, which may or may not count for 5E's total sales according to classical book best seller data.
I've been getting kind of negative in this thread, but every day as I check back to the rulebook I start liking it a bit more. The same thing happened to me with Starfinder. I'm going to enjoy playing this game once I can find a group for it.
I think partially it comes from the psychological impact of coming from PF1 and just having numbers and bonuses be smaller in PF2. It feels like I'm losing out. I'm really not though, as a +1 bonus is not just giving you a 5% increase chance in success, but a +5% to critical success, a +5% to not failing, and a +5% to not critically failing. It's a neat system.
I'm also aware that while I can only see one type of build in each class I'd want to make, that's going to open up a year or two after launch when there's a PF2 advances player's guide or what have you.
I'm very early in the process will do my first playtest on Sunday...
Since the first character I made in PF1 was a Cleric I'm deciding to make a Cleric in PF2 with my first character. Already it's way more tedious/difficult to make a Cleric in PF2 than in PF1 and I was a complete noob to d20 tabletop when I made my first Cleric in PF1. Everything you needed to build the Cleric was in the Cleric section in PF1 as opposed to PF2 I'm doing a lot of flipping through the book to get through it.
I hope we get a standard background (bonus to any two ability scores) that includes a small +1 bonus to a skill of your choice similar to Starfinder's themeless background. That's one less part to jump around on. I just don't see new players making a character easy enough as is, even with my help guiding them through it.
IMPROVED BRAVERY FEAT 6 - Fighter
Trigger Your turn ends.
Reduce your frightened condition by 2, rather than 1.
I can't think of a less exciting way to describe bravery. It says nothing to a new player at all, and hardly sums up the image of my fighter holding his steely nerve in the face of a fearsome demon as the rest of my party quakes in their boots.
Maybe it's just a case of having one of the writers who's very good at exciting superlatives to have a pass over the feats and spells and make them sound cool and desirable? Paizo has some outstanding creative writers there, this is something they can do comfortably within their capabilities. Crystal Frasier can't help but sound awesome whenever she writes anything down. Paizo can absolutely improve this.
It would mean accepting a few less feats in the main book, because *pagecount*. But that's the cost of flavour.
I definitely agree with you that the writing can make a big difference in how the game feels, and the playtest is very dry atm.
(I like your descriptions btw, maybe paizo needs a colorful description guy?).
But (i think) they are waiting to add those descriptions, which are a little harder to write, once everything is a little more finalized. At this point of the playtest they are trying to test things out without fully fleshing everything out.
IMPROVED BRAVERY FEAT 6 - Fighter
Trigger Your turn ends.
Reduce your frightened condition by 2, rather than 1.
I can't think of a less exciting way to describe bravery. It says nothing to a new player at all, and hardly sums up the image of my fighter holding his steely nerve in the face of a fearsome demon as the rest of my party quakes in their boots.
Maybe it's just a case of having one of the writers who's very good at exciting superlatives to have a pass over the feats and spells and make them sound cool and desirable? Paizo has some outstanding creative writers there, this is something they can do comfortably within their capabilities. Crystal Frasier can't help but sound awesome whenever she writes anything down. Paizo can absolutely improve this.
It would mean accepting a few less feats in the main book, because *pagecount*. But that's the cost of flavour.
You're making an excellent point here. Adding some salt and sugar will help this document a lot and I fully expect that to happen in the final.
The meat and potatoes here though are lacking for me (and I suspect for others). Taking a feat just to reduce the frightened condition by an extra 1. Not very exciting. It requires that your character has already failed at something to be relevant.
Shouldn't they be before character creation? I know that building a character is the exciting thing, but don't you have to know what the various actions and they like are to have a decent understanding of what many of the various feats and class features are actually doing for you.
This is what I found when reading through the rules, I was having a rough time wrapping my head around the avalanche of information, particularly the walls upon walls of different feat options for each class/skill. Actually stopping and reading the Rules of Playing the Game section made it much easier to read the rest of it.
Most books are structured this way. Pathfinder 1E, D&D 5E Player's Handbook.
I assume there's a reason the industry does it this way. I think it's to make it exciting, "Here's what you can be" as opposed to drowning you in rules right when you start.
The devs have stated that the hardness 9 used in the podcast preview was an error and that it has never been that high (9 is the hardness of steel objects but shields are classified as thin steel objects, so have a hardness of only 5).
I highly doubt that it has been changed, it works the same way, just with a lower number than was being erroneously used in the preview game.
It saddens me that this mistake could've led to Troy's character surviving the adventure.
In my opinion, PF2’s best version includes a mechanic for player character’s to perform certain skills more consistently than their party members, not just slightly better.
Modifiers have been reeled in to make the critical success/failure system viable. In PF1, to make a consistently successful character, players just blow the top off of their modifier to ensure a high likelihood of success in a d20 system. In PF2, the super specialization for modifier building goes away, but we retain the variability of the d20 system.
This makes for a very unsatisfying experience of player’s trying to build a character that’s good at “that”. Whether “that” is being stealthy, jumping, lying, whatever. It’s most apparent when the group is trying to stealth, the rogue rolls poorly while the cleric, with an abysmal DEX and heavy armor, sneaks by just fine. This happens more often than is fun due to RNG and the d20, as many who have played THE GAME THAT SHALL NOT BE NAMED can attest to. I believe a large portion of the player base likes to create characters that are good at “that”.
The Assurance Feat is there, and it’s ok, but I’d prefer something more universal.
Assurance Feat:
Assurance Feat wrote:
Even in the worst circumstances, you can perform basic tasks with your skill. Choose a skill you’re trained in when you first select this feat. You can forgo rolling a skill check for your chosen skill to instead receive a result of 10 (do not apply any of your bonuses, penalties, or modifiers).
If you’re an expert in your chosen skill, you receive a result of 15; if you’re a master, you receive a result of 20; and if you’re legendary, you receive a result of 30.
What are some solutions?
Ideas (some from other threads and posters):
Assurance feat comes 15/20/30 (or some variant) instead of 10/15/20.
Assurance feat is scrapped. Take 10 is reinstated.
Assurance feat is scrapped. You gain Assurance in Signature Skills.
Assurance feat is scrapped. Assurance becomes an automatic part of all skills, regardless of signature skill status, and connected to TEML.
My preference: Players can roll alternatives to a d20 in Signature Skills to provide for more consistent roll results. For example, an expert skill could choose to roll 2d10, a master could roll 1d10+2d6, and a legend could roll 4d6. This option provides for more consistent success while still making critical successes and failure possible. Players could still roll d20 if they want a better chance at critical success.
What else can we come up with? What would be more fun? Anyone willing to test out a different mechanic and report back?
For a PF1 game, I'm having the players roll defensively. Basically, they take 10 off of their AC and roll against the Attack DC (10 + the attack modifier). We'll be giving it a shot here in the next couple of weeks. Wish me luck.
Your players might need more than luck. With Critical hits universally being good, and Critical misses not mattering very much, the swingy-ness of Defenses means your character is in deep trouble when you roll badly on defense, but you don't really get anything from rolling well on defense. You might need to introduce a critical failure element that affects monsters and players equally or else the party is going to have more instances where they get the snot beat out of them and have to rest more often.
Your system will massively incentivize ranged combat and playing as defensively as possible, so as to reduce the number of defensive rolls you need to make.
The math is basically the same, just reversed (standard 10 going to attack instead of AC). What matters is if it's more fun for them to roll more often or not. I probably didn't explain it very well.
For a PF1 game, I'm having the players roll defensively. Basically, they take 10 off of their AC and roll against the Attack DC (10 + the attack modifier). We'll be giving it a shot here in the next couple of weeks. Wish me luck.
Until a developer states something to the contrary, this is how I am going to rule it:
An attack hits a fighter with a raised shield (where H = shield hardness)
Attacker rolls X damage.
X - H = E, the effective damage dealt to the fighter as well as the shield.
If E > 0 the fighter subtracts E from their HP.
If E ≥ H the shield takes a dent
If E ≥ H x 2 the shield takes two dents
This is how the rules seem to work.
I really like, potentially, how shields will work in PF2. The rules had me confused, like many posters in this thread, and I ran to listen to the GCP play during PaizoCon just 3 months ago to get clarification. Jason Bulmahn's running the game, so one hopes he's got the rules right.
Fighter has shield raised, gets hit for 26 points of damage. Shield with 9 hardness (so hardness numbers have changed) takes off 9 points of damage. Shield and fighter both take 17 points of damage. Shield gets 1 dent since damage taken is higher than 9, but lower than double its hardness (18).
So with the rules "settled", we can return to the issue of whether or not shields are too flimsy.
A heavy-steel-shield wielder with an AC of 19 (with shield raised) battles against a CR 1 hobgoblin. The hobgoblin has +7 to hit and 1d8+2 damage with its longsword.
The goblin hits 40% of the time. It can only dent the steel shield (5 Hardness) on a max damage roll:
8+2=10; hardness shaves off 5, leaving 5 to equal the hardness and cause a dent
So with a 40% change to hit and a 1/8 (12.5%) chance of actually denting, there's just a 5% chance of receiving a dent without taking critical hits into consideration of the math. There's a 2% chance of the shield taking a dent on a -5 second attack.
Critical hits throw that math out the window, but even still I don't think the shield wielders are going to be getting dents too often when applying the rules as Jason did.
A CR 1 creature to a level 1 party is supposed to be a standard or low-threat boss. The math here seems reasonable to me at level 1 without breaking everything down even more. I'm not sure how this mechanic will scale though. Would be nice if somebody would look up some stats. I'm not sure at what level you're intended to have legendary equipment, shield of other materials, etc, and finally taking critical hit damage into consideration. I'd pop it into a spreadsheet and figure it out but I'm guessing that Jason and Mark Seifter, the other mad scientist, already have done that, and the math is passing my eye test.
Escalating DCs. (for those who can't find this, the table is on pg 337 of the Playtest rulebook) This is what 4e did and it appears to be what PF2e is doing. So you want to climb that wall over there...great, that's a DC 14. Oh wait, your a level 12 character, sorry, that's a DC 30.
Sure, it's the same wall and all, but the DC just got that much tougher because you are a higher level...
Say WHAT!!!???
Yes, I know supposedly the task it represents gets harder, but that isn't necessarily how it gets played or seen.
I think you are misinterpreting the intent. The narrative would change to accommodate the increase in DC for the higher level challenge. The higher level wall has no handholds, is covered in grease, has thousands of wriggling worms coming out of it...whatever you want.
That chart on page 337 is great for coming up with DCs on the fly. If I think the wall is something that should be easy for someone at 12th level, I'd go with the trivial column.
The intent is to have the DCs escalate and the narrative behind the difficulty also increase to help the players feel "cooler".
Sorry, not going to to the bold formatting in this post.
Woolly Worg
A blanket of long brown hair covers nearly every inch of this beast. It steps with cat-like grace, each movement athletic and calculated, toward its prey. It might look ‘cute’ if not for the two large canines emerging from the coat. The individual hairs seem to have a life of their own, moving in undulating waves up and down the body.
Beneath the wool is rippling muscle and sinew. Four powerful legs end in a set of sharp claws, and its teeth are guided by a mind intelligent enough to find the weaknesses in heavy or power armor. After a successful hunt, with its wool matted from blood, it stares into the eyes of its prey as the life fades away.
Each hair follicle can detach and reattach to its skin at will. It uses this ability to exaggerate its size, displace its location, release clouds of hair, and generally confuse its prey. After shedding its wool, it can merely roll around to reform its coat. If the hairs are scattered around a large area, it can lay still as each follicle inches toward its master like worms while it naps on the floor. It will usually sleep on its back with its belly distended from gorging on flesh while waiting for its army of fibers to return.
DEFENSE
HP 105 RP 5
________________________________________
EAC 19; KAC 21
Fort +11; Ref +11; Will +6
Tuft Cloud (Ex)
Woolly Image(Ex)
OFFENSE
________________________________________
Speed 40 ft.
Melee bite +18 (2d6+12 B/P and grab)
Melee claw +18 (2d6+12 S/P)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
STATISTICS
________________________________________
Str +5; Dex +4; Con +2; Int -1; Wis +0; Cha +0
Skills Acrobatics +14, Athletics +14, Stealth +19
SPECIAL ABILITIES
________________________________________
Grab (Ex) If the creature hits with the indicated attack (usually a claw or bite attack), it deals the normal damage. If the creature's attack roll successfully hits the target's KAC + 4, the creature also automatically grapples the foe as a free action. (If it hits the target's KAC + 13, it instead pins the target.) The creature does not need to have a spare limb free to perform this grapple, as long as it can make the listed attack, and it can potentially grapple more than one target if it has more than one attack with the grab ability. The creature can maintain the grab either with another successful grab attack or by performing the grapple combat maneuver normally.
Satiated Slumber (Ex) Out of combat and after a successful hunt, the Woolly Worg can take a short rest that does not cost any RP. Instead, it restores 1d4+1 RP as its hairs return to its body.
Tuft Cloud (Ex) As a standard action, by spending 1 RP, the Woolly Worg ejects a large clump of its coat that obscures the surrounding 20 feet as the spell fog cloud for 10 rounds. It can expand the radius of this cloud by an additional 20 feet per RP spent.
Woolly Image (Ex) As a standard action, by spending 1 RP, the creature creates 2 figment non-magical copies of itself that function as the spell mirror image. The creature can spend multiple RP to create additional images in the same action. These images last for 10 rounds.
Here's my go to character sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hJ0OqF7CQ54vD1y4uRwdMAwEGPbPlqZftrD thRRUvS8/edit?ouid=104945960420517135910&usp=sheets_home&ths=true
Some great automated GM tools:
https://www.sfrpgtools.com/
First, I think Paizo is a better company than Wizards, but I don't follow them as closely. Maybe I'd like the people there.
Paizo has to make a move. 5E has gotten a lot more popular lately and it's the easier game to learn. If you look at the PF1 table, it's generally old(er) dudes. 5E generally young(er). D&D still has name recognition that PF doesn't have.
D&D Beyond is a free, polished platform for easy character generation. The character creation process in PF is a turnoff for a new player right away. In 5E it's not as easy as in other systems, but with beyond it's a cinch.
I hope PF2 works out for Paizo. Competition is good in the marketplace, and it'll be fun to root for the little guy.
Magnetized clips and specialized pockets on your armor make it so you can reload with a free hand. You can also stick a gun under an armpit while reloading the other. Don’t overthink it gang, it’s a move activity to reload and that’s it. ^_^
These boots, made of a scaly hide, always smell like a can of rotten dog food. The interior material squirms from the dance of a horde of akata larva. When first equipped, the wearer must make a DC 10 Fortitude save or be infected with void death (Incident at Absalom Station, pg. 55).
By spending 1 Resolve Point, the wearer can make an unarmed strike with the boot. If it deals any damage, the target must make a Fortitude save (DC = 10 + the damage dealt) or contract void death.
These are all really great and I've loved reading through them all. Although now I am swamped with negative conditions, ability damage, and space termites. I need to go lay down.
I have no idea how I am going to survive all these but I still can't wait to see them employed in the show.
Thanks for helping grow the show and keep on being great contributors.
Ty/Edrass
While I'll be saddened by Edrass's demise, I anticipate Gnack turning him into a fancy pair of boots.
MELEE: “Sickening Shock” Your weapon clangs against a hard surface and the reverberations make you feel icky. Make a Fortitude save (DC = 10 + your base attack bonus) or be nauseated for 1d4+1. Even if you pass, you are sickened for 1 round.
RANGED: “Sudden Scatter” Your projectile splits into different pieces or rays. All creatures in 30 ft cone in the direction of your original target must make a Reflex save (DC = 15 + your weapon’s level) or receive half of your weapon’s damage roll. Saving negates.
SPELL: “I See Dead People” You’ve summoned 1d4 ghostly apparitions surrounding yourself and 1 next to your target. Each must make a Will save (DC = 15 + the spell’s level) to disbelieve. If attacked, the illusions immediately dissipate. The illusions grant flanking bonuses to other creatures and negate partial cover.
MELEE: “White Elephant” You and your target have somehow exchanged your wielded weapons. Awkward.
RANGED: “Max Toes Minus One” You’ve shot yourself in a lower appendage (that’s a leg for you gutter-minded humanoids). Make a Fortitude save (DC = 15 + your weapon’s level) or be crippled for 2d6 rounds, moving half speed.
SPELL: “Draining Incantation” Casting the spell is more exhausting than usual. Make a Will save (DC = 15 + the spell’s level) or lose an extra spell slot of an equal level
Ravingdork, you are correct. It’s not optimal to take a stat to 17 at level 1.
Now if you had some character concept wanting to max out two stats only, it might make sense if your second highest is 17, and is strength to help out a smidge with encumbrance.
Kind of phoned it in on this one, but we needed an ability damage card to make the players extra miserable.
MELEE: “I Used to be an Adventurer Like You...” You aggravate an old injury, in your knee perhaps. Make a Fortitude save (DC = 15 + your base attack bonus) or receive 1d4 Strength damage.
RANGED: “Triggered Finger” The muscles of your trigger finger spasm painfully. Make a Fortitude save (DC = 15 + your base attack bonus) or receive 1d4 Dexterity damage.
SPELL: “Brain Freeze” Even your subconscious is confused as to your arcane ineptitude. Make a Fortitude save (DC = 15 + your failed spell’s level) or receive 1d4 ability damage to your primary spell-casting ability score.
The ol' SO is out and about, so I'll try to throw in a few before she comes back and we check out Black Panther. I'm pumped.
MELEE: “You Wouldn’t Like Me When I’m...” Your ineffectual attacks have left you angry. Make a Will save (DC = 10 + your character level) or become berserk for 2d4 rounds, granting a +2 bonus to melee attack rolls but a -4 penalty to EAC and KAC.
RANGED: “This PRONKING Gun!” Blaming your poor shots on the inanimate object and not your lack of training, you grow weary of its poor construction. Make a Will save (DC = 10 + your weapon’s level) or you must use an alternate weapon for the rest of the combat.
SPELL: “Wisp ENEMY” You’ve summoned a wisp ally, as per the spell, but it follows you around and grants harrying fire to all enemy attacks (+2 bonus). The wisp lasts for one round per your caster level.
MELEE: “Pulled Pin” Your attack inadvertently activates a grenade on your person, and it will activate in 1d4+1 rounds. Make a Perception check (DC = 10 + your highest grenade's level). If successful, you may deactivate the grenade with a move action. If unsuccessful, your highest level grenade explodes after the time expires.
RANGED: “LOUD NOISES!” Your weapon misfires, releasing a deafening sonic blast. The firearm remains otherwise functional, but you must make a Fortitude save (DC = 10 + 1.5 x your weapon's level) or be deafened for 1d4 minutes.
SPELL: “EMP Wave” An electromagnetic pulse emanates out from you in a 60-foot radius. All technological items in the area malfunction for 2d4 rounds.
MELEE: “Stumble and Side Step” Your clumsy attack allows your target to take a free guarded step and make a reposition combat maneuver against you with a +10 bonus. Please, oh please, be fighting near a ledge.
RANGED: “Collateral Damage” Whoops! Your aim is way off. If there’s a creature within 15 feet of your target, make a second attack against the nearest creature and hope it’s an enemy.
SPELL: “Watch Out for that...Dimension Door?” You’ve managed to cast dimension door. Make a Will save (DC = 10 + 1.5 x your caster level) or instantly transfer yourself 400 feet in the direction of your original spell’s target. Zoop!
I changed the bonus given to reflex to AC when in graviton mode. Thought being when in pho mode you are going all out to damage. When in grav mode you are controlling the gravity around you giving you a dodge bonus.
If you do the math only the beginning armor seems weak. If you do the math maxing out Dex and getting light armor is only on average minus -1 compared to heavy armor.
I made the same change. I feel like it balances it out better, and most players seem to be picking photon over grav.
Unless you're a Devourer Cultist? They must have Solarians, too, so I guess they'd be all for it.
If it comes up in any games I run, I'll probably have them disbelieve it, and say they can "sense" a growing gravitational force to pull it the expanding universe back in to restart the cycle. Could be a plot point.
The Paizo pregens are great. They're probably better than most player's first character they would make. In my limited experience, first-time players often forget about the starship combat when making a character, and find out that they are not very useful. The solarian and mystic pre-gens are not very useful in starship combat.
For starship combat, the following are the skills you need ranked in order of importance:
Piloting, BAB/Dex combo (for gunners), Engineering, Computers (Science Officer), Diplomacy (captain), Intimidate(captain).
So make sure to educate the players that this is an important subsystem. Starship combat is much tougher than tactical combat, and you are much more likely to "die" this way because the resolve system makes players a bit tougher.
Into the Unknown is not as easy of a series of quests as its Pathfinder counterparts (typically can laugh your way to success in those). I recommend having the skreebara flee after a certain amount of HP rather than a fight to the death if you aren't giving credit.
I'm with you, Jason. I wish we could dump grid-based systems entirely but it has embedded itself deep within the 3.5/Pathfinder fan base.
If given enough creative time, I'm sure you could make a variant starship combat system.
If I were to do it, and I'm just riffing here, I'd turn that first piloting check that determines action order into a "positioning check". The ship's speed and maneuverability would grant bonuses. Whoever gets the highest roll can determine its relative position to the other ship(s).
A lot of the interesting pilot maneuvers would go out the window, so you'd have to think of a way to keep the pilot entertained still. Maybe the pilot makes an evasive maneuvers check on each attack. Basically, scrap the 10 base AC and have the pilot make a piloting check against each attack roll. Just something to think about.
I apologize to the players in advance for this card. I think it should only be in the deck if there are 50+ submissions. To be fair, they'd have to be extremely unlucky to die given the DCs involved.
MELEE: “Serviced Seppuku” Your target guides your weapon back into your torso. They make an attack roll against you and if struck you take double your attack damage, quadruple on a critical hit. If hit, you must make a Fortitude save (DC = 5 + 1.5 x your character level) or receive sextuple damage. The rules for massive damage are on page 250 of the Starfinder Core Rulebook. ^_^
RANGED: “Reverse Headshot” Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to stare down the barrel of your gun? You’ve shot yourself in the head. Deal double damage to yourself and make a Fortitude save (DC = 10 + 1.5 x your character level) or immediately lose all remaining SP and HP.
SPELL: “Self-Immolation” You don’t know the spell disintegrate. Or do you? Either way, you just cast some variety on yourself. Receive 1d20 per character level in damage. Make a Fortitude save (DC = 5 + 1.5 x your character level) to receive half damage, and succeed by 10 or more to receive quarter damage. If you are reduced to 0 HP, you are now a pile of dust. Dead.
MELEE: “Worrisome Whirlwind” You meant well. You really did, but your attack passes your target in a circular arc. Make attack rolls against every creature in your reach, other than your original target, with a -4 penalty to hit.
RANGED: “Muzzle Muddled” Your muzzle flash blinds you temporarily due to photo-bleaching, a word of the day opportunity. You must make a Fortitude save (DC = 15 + 1.5 x your character level) or be blinded for 1d4 rounds.
SPELL: “Paradox Wave” Like, woah dude! You totally messed up that spell. All creatures within 60 feet must make a Will save (DC = 15 + the level of the spell) or catch a tubular wave of paradoxical time. This has the effect of haste or slow, determined randomly for each creature after failing the save, for 2d4 rounds. Gnarly!
I just started listening to you guys' podcast this week, and it's been a blast so far!
Hi Elinnea, glad you are enjoying the show. These crit-failures looks great, especially "You'll Never Live it Down" which when I draw it I will start the card by saying "You actually instead of missing score a natural 20!" and then let the player cheer and gloat for a minute, then I will hit 'em with the rest of the card text...
MELEE: “Banana Peel” Your foot lands on a random object causing you to lose your balance. Make a Reflex save of DC 15 + 1.5 x your character level or fall prone. Slipping cartoon sound is optional. If you fail, other intelligent creatures that can see you stumble must make a DC 15 Will save or spend 1 round chuckling, functioning as the dazed condition.
RANGED: “Ridiculous Recoil” You misjudge your weapon’s recoil, allowing it to spring into your face. You are dealt 1d4 nonlethal damage and must make a Fortitude save of 15 + 1.5 x your character level or be dazed for 1 round by your own incompetence.
SPELL: “¯\_(ツ)_/¯” Your spell fires at the creature nearest to your intended target. Make a second attack roll against their relevant armor class. If it hits, the spell functions as normal on the new target.
That's not how it works in SF. Readied Actions happen after the triggering event (unless they're defensive). Golfdeltafoxtrot already quoted the rule from page 249.
Logically, you leap into action when something happens not before something happens. So your readied action should happen after the triggering event. It was always a rules contention in my group that they could happen first in 3.5 (and IIRC PF).
I'm glad the SF designers opted for easier play rather than making us do concentration checks like in PF, but it makes just as much logical sense for someone to ready a shot to interrupt the casting of a 3-4 second spell.
Ok wanted to send in a semi-normal one after my last sub.
MELEE: “Awkward Hug” You collide with the target awkwardly, as if trying to coax a warm embrace, and the creature can attempt to wrap its appendages/mandibles/tentacles/etc around you. The target can make an immediate and free attempt to grapple you.
RANGED: “Scopin’ Around” You accidentally change the settings of your scope or stock causing you to be off-target (-2 penalty) with that weapon. You can spend a full action to fix it. Or just suck until the combat’s over. Your choice.
SPELL: “I Like My Enemies FASTER” Your casting is slightly off, maybe a wrong word or a missing pinkie wiggle, and you cast haste on your target instead of your intended spell. Use your CL for the duration.
MELEE: “I’m Too Old For This…” Your strike is blocked, but causes both you and your target to strain your back or other age-enfeebled muscle group. You both must make a Fortitude save of 10 + ½ of your character level or be staggered for 2d4 rounds.
Oh boy, I can't wait to get this one during a 1-on-1 Gladitorial combat in front of a huge crowd where both combatants fail and take like a 30 break and are like *Pant*Pant* "Just give me a minute" *CoughCough*
They'd share pictures of their kids and discuss their incomplete bucket lists before resuming to slaughter each other.
How do you plan to deal with the fact that higher level characters (Soldiers, Operatives and Solarians) make more attacks and are thus more likely to roll a natural 1 despite their increased skill?
Common solution for this is confirmation rolls for fumbles, but at the same time that would make the show less fun so I hope they don't do that.
Thanks for doing this, Cosmic Crit. It'll be fun to use the generator.
I'll try to submit more when I think of them. Having a tough time with the spells category.
MELEE: “I’m Too Old For This…” Your strike is blocked, but causes both you and your target to strain your back or other age-enfeebled muscle group. You both must make a Fortitude save of 10 + ½ of your character level or be staggered for 2d4 rounds.
RANGED: “Magic Bullet” Your shot, as if under mischievous divine intervention, bounces off of your target. It has a 25% chance to hit each creature in combat. Each creature rolls 1d4. Make an attack roll against any that roll a 1. First player to talk about assassination conspiracy theories must remake their character as a skittermander.
SPELL: “Glimpse of an Ancient” Your complete butchery of the spell attracts the brief attention of an Ancient One. They force horrifying images into your mind that you cannot unsee. Make a Will save with a DC of 10 + the spells level or become panicked for 1d4 rounds.
